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Schizophrenia detection from electroencephalogram signals using image encoding and wrapper-based deep feature selection approach
Quantification profiles of enzyme activity, secretion, and psychosine levels of Krabbe disease galactosylceramidase missense variants
Expression of Concern: Survivability and behavior of probiotic bacteria encapsulated by internal gelation in non-dairy matrix and In Vitro GIT conditions
Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) response to sewage sludge amendment and its impact on growth and heavy metal accumulation
Abstract In this study, an attempt was made to assess the effect of sewage sludge amendment (0, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg of soil) on dill plants (Anethum graveolens L.) cultivation using pot-scale experiments. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions for 59 days and the effect of sewage sludge on soil properties as well as dill growth, productivity, and nine heavy metals (HMs) accumulation were studied. The results showed that out of the tested treatments, 10 g/kg sewage sludge application gave the best results in terms of maximum plant height (21.84 cm), number of leaves per plant (5.80), shoot biomass (0.23 g DM/plant), root biomass (0.09 g DM/plant), total biomass (0.31 g DM/plant), and absolute growth rate (0.006 g DM/day). Additionally, increased sewage sludge amendment significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced HM accumulation in dill roots and shoots, with the highest treatment rate (30 g/kg) consistently yielding the most pronounced effects across multiple HMs. Sewage sludge amendments reduced bioaccumulation factors (BAF) and translocation factors (TF) for Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn in dill plants, indicating lower metal uptake and translocation to shoots with increased sludge treatment, while correlation analysis revealed that soil properties like organic matter and pH strongly influenced heavy metal bioavailability and accumulation. Overall, the present study provides insights into optimizing sewage sludge amendments for sustainable agriculture while mitigating the risks of HM contamination in dill crops.
Incidence and predictors of extubation failure among adult intensive care unit patients in Northwest Amhara comprehensive specialized hospitals
Highly accurate anomaly based intrusion detection through integration of the local outlier factor and convolutional neural network
Species richness variation in marine and terrestrial fauna across widespread, fragmented territories: assessing inherent challenges of data scarcity at local and regional scales
Abstract The ongoing biodiversity crisis calls for a complete biodiversity inventory of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The task is particularly challenging for fragmented island territories, where baseline biodiversity information is often difficult to procure. By centralising information from different sources (museums, research institutions, citizen scientists), ‘big-data’ platforms provide an opportunity to evaluate species biodiversity information of understudied regions. Using data primarily sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and complemented by a review of 56 potential data sources—of which nine provided unique, non-redundant records—we curated the first biogeographic dataset for both marine and terrestrial animal species in French Polynesia, a large territory composed of 124 islands and atolls that belongs to the Central Pacific region, a marine biodiversity hotspot facing conservation challenges. The dataset revealed heterogeneous species richness across archipelagos and islands, prompting an investigation into potential sampling biases (institutional, taxonomic, spatial) as well as an assessment of island-specific accessibility biases. We estimated that the archipelagos and islands had an inventory completeness rate that ranges from 1.9 to 98.4%, suggesting that a large proportion of the studied area remains poorly documented. Spatial and temporal sampling biases were partly explained by accessibility constraints (proximity to airports, roads or ports), and inventory completeness was higher for marine than terrestrial species. The biases quantified here challenge our ability to conduct biogeographic analyses that integrate the land-sea meta-ecosystem. Our database allows identifying taxa and sampling locations that require urgent attention, as well as comprehensively recorded species that can serve as indicators for environmental degradation. Explicitly acknowledging the inherent biases of biodiversity datasets is the first step towards a more comprehensive characterization of species diversity across fragmented territories. This information is crucial for guiding sound adaptive-management and conservation planning strategies.
Long wave propagation delay correlation testing and pattern analysis
Machine learning prediction and explainability analysis of high strength glass powder concrete using SHAP PDP and ICE
Abstract Achieving high-strength concrete (HSC) with sustainable supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) remains a significant challenge in the construction industry. Although glass powder has shown promise as a partial cement substitute, its specific impact on HSC growth is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the compressive strength (CS) of high strength glass-powder concrete (HSGPC) using machine learning (ML) models and enhance predictive accuracy through hybrid optimization techniques. A dataset comprising 598 points was compiled, considering cement, glass powder, aggregates, water, superplasticizer, and curing days as key input parameters. Three standalone ML models—K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB)—were trained, with RF achieving R² = 0.963 and XGB achieving R² = 0.946 on the test set. To further enhance performance, XGB was optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Firefly Algorithm (FA), and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO). Among these, XGB-GWO demonstrated the highest accuracy, with R² improving to 0.991 and MSE decreasing significantly from 83.95 to 14.42, resulting in an 82.82% error reduction. SHAP, PDP, and ICE analyses identified superplasticizer dosage, curing days, and coarse aggregate as the most influential parameters affecting compressive strength (CS). PDP and ICE validated these findings, showing reduced strength gains beyond 600 kg/m³ of cement and a decline beyond 800 kg/m³ of coarse aggregate. This study highlights the potential of ML-driven optimization for sustainable concrete design, offering an efficient, data-driven approach to optimizing material proportions for high-strength, eco-friendly concrete.
Serial changes and optimal imaging windows in vessel wall MRI for unruptured intracranial artery dissection
Subdivision method for rational ANCF circular elements
Structural insights into the catalytic cycle of G protein–coupled receptor kinase 5 and a possible regulatory site for potassium ion
An integrative review of how midwives are screening and assessing for trauma in women within perinatal services
Introduction There is a growing body of literature on the significance of trauma and abuse in the perinatal period but despite this, trauma exposure and abuse are often not recognised in maternity care settings. Evidence indicates that women experiencing mental distress during the perinatal period are frequently unidentified or inadequately supported. The purpose of this study was to conduct an integrative review on how midwives screen, assess, and respond to women with trauma histories in the perinatal period and to identify the challenges in providing trauma discussions, screening and assessment. Methods This integrative review followed Whittemore and Knafl’s five-stage framework as it facilitates the inclusion of different methodological approaches to experimental research. Five electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ASSIA, and Web of Science), reference and citation lists were systematically searched from inception with no date, language or geographical limiters set owing to a dearth of research in this subject area. This review was performed and reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. The findings were analysed and synthesised using narrative synthesis. Findings Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised using narrative synthesis. Four main themes were identified: 1) Midwives difficulties in asking and discussing interpersonal trauma and abuse and their instinctive use of their observations skills to elicit information; 2) Screening tools to elicit history of interpersonal trauma; 3) Midwife’s response to interpersonal discussions; 4) Training on ‘daring to ask the questions’ and Support on ‘what should I do now’. Discussion Our findings demonstrate a deficit in trauma discussion, screening and assessment of trauma within the perinatal care, domestic violence being the exception. Interpersonal trauma is a significant public health concern that if left unrecognized may increase morbidity and mortality in both mothers and newborns. This study makes recommendations for urgent streamlined trauma discussions and specific training and supervision on trauma-informed care for all healthcare professions in their perinatal role using a whole systems approach.
A cross-sectional study on the knowledge, attitudes and practice of chewing areca nut and its risk factors among college students
Automated gait analysis indicates efficacy of T-type calcium channel inhibition for mitigation of disrupted calcium signalling in an SCA5 mouse model
Abstract Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are dominantly inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorders which to date have no effective treatment. SCA5 arises from mutations in the β-III spectrin gene (SPTBN2) with mice lacking β-III spectrin function (β-III−/−) mirroring the human clinical phenotype. This study finds evidence for dysregulated calcium homeostasis in β-III−/− mice as evidenced by enhanced auto-phosphorylation of calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMKII), a major calcium sensor in cells, and phosphorylation of several CaMKII targets. Mibefradil, an inhibitor of calcium channels, was also found to improve disordered β-III−/− Purkinje cell dendritic morphology in vitro. However, key to evaluation of potential treatments in vivo is the ability to assess relevant changes at later stages of disease in β-III−/− mice, which has previously been problematic. Here the CatWalk XT system was successful in detecting differences in both truncal stability and interlimb coordination across the disease course of β-III−/− mice. Building on these findings CatWalk analysis showed trimethadione, a selective T-type calcium channel inhibitor, but not riluzole nor verapamil, significantly improved interlimb coordination of 8-month-old β-III−/− mice. These findings highlight the CatWalk XT system as a valuable tool to assess age-dependence of motor function and that modulation of T-type calcium channels has therapeutic potential for SCAs.
Integrating phenotypic, molecular, and bioinformatics approaches for developing drought-tolerant sesame
Abstract Breeding climate-resilient crops with high tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses represents a major challenge in responding to climate change. The present study evaluated new sesame lines under drought conditions, which required the implementation of multi-environment experiments (MET) with the aim of identifying the most productive and stable sesame lines combining phenotypic evaluation, SCoT-PCR markers, and bioinformatics analysis. Seed yield was assessed across 18 limited irrigation environments, revealing significant genotype-by-environment interactions. Four stable, high-yielding lines (C5-8, C6-9, C6-11, and C9-3) were identified under optimal and drought conditions using parametric and non-parametric statistics, AMMI, and GGE biplot analysis. SCoT-PCR analysis revealed a reasonable level of genetic diversity among the genotypes, with primer SCoT-21 showing the highest polymorphism (88.24%). Bioinformatics analysis of SCoT-21 and 28 amplified regions identified potential genes associated with drought tolerance, including a DNA repair helicase XPD gene and a malonyl-coenzyme: anthocyanin 5-O-glucoside-6′′′-O-malonyl transferase-like gene. These findings provide valuable insights for developing drought-resistant sesame varieties and highlight the power of integrating phenotypic, molecular, and Bioinformatics approaches in crop improvement.
Hydroxytyrosol induced ferroptosis through Nrf2 signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells
Dynamic characteristics study of composite base plate: numerical simulation, processing technology research and modal analysis
Exploring the mechanism of proteinuria reduction by hydroxychloroquine in IgA nephropathy using network pharmacology and molecular mocking
Abstract According to the 2021 KDIGO guidelines, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had been recommended for the treatment of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, the precise mechanisms by which HCQ ameliorated proteinuria in IgAN were not fully understood. This study investigated the potential mechanisms of HCQ in reducing proteinuria in IgAN using network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches. Targets associated with IgAN, proteinuria, and HCQ were identified from databases including DisGeNET, GeneCards, OMIM, and PharmMapper. GO and KEGG analyses were conducted using the DAVID platform. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using the STRING database, and hub genes were identified using Cytoscape software. The selection of hub genes was corroborated with data from the GEO database and validated through molecular docking. Additionally, miRNAs were predicted using NetworkAnalyst. A total of 48 genes were identified as being associated with the reduction of proteinuria in IgAN. The findings suggested that HCQ’s mechanism of action in mitigating proteinuria in IgAN primarily involved pathways related to inflammation. Furthermore, this mechanism was linked to the regulatory effects of miR-130b-3p on the expression of genes such as MMP2, IGF1, and PPARG. HCQ targeted miR-130b-3p, thereby influencing the TLR/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and modulating the expression of MMP2, IGF1, and PPARG. This action may have been responsible for the observed reduction in proteinuria associated with IgAN.