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Managing Obesity
Scan-rescan reliability assessment of brain volumetric analysis across scanners and software solutions
Abstract Automated brain volumetry shows promise in improving the screening and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the reliability of measurements across different scanners and software remains uncertain. This study assessed the reliability of gray matter, white matter, and total brain volume measurements from seven volumetry tools, using six scanners across two scanning sessions, performed within 2 h the same day, in twelve subjects. Generalised estimating equations models showed significant effects of both software and scanner on all measurements with stronger effect of software (p < 0.001). Percentage of coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated to measure scan-rescan reliability. Median CV across scanners of AssemblyNet and AIRAscore was less than 0.2% for grey and white matter, and 0.09% for total brain volume; while FreeSurfer, FastSurfer, syngo.via, SPM12, and Vol2Brain had a CV greater than 0.2%. In Bland-Altman analysis there was no systematic difference, but limits of agreement differed greatly between methods. Based on these findings, we recommend using the same scanner and software combination across sessions to ensure that observed changes in brain volume are reliable and clinically valuable.
Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Numerical study on optimal geometric parameters of lining structures for roadway support using the artificial bee colony algorithm
Sexual harassment is rife at US Antarctic research bases, fresh survey finds
Enhanced water saturation estimation in hydrocarbon reservoirs using machine learning
Abstract Accurate estimation of water saturation (Sw) is essential for optimizing oil recovery strategies and is a key component in petrophysical analyses of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Traditional Sw estimation approaches often face limitations due to idealized assumptions, dependency on core-derived parameters, and geological heterogeneity. In this study, a comprehensive dataset consisting of 30,660 independent data points was utilized to develop machine learning (ML) models for Sw prediction. Nine well log parameters—Depth (DEPT), High-Temperature Neutron Porosity, True Resistivity, Computed Gamma Ray, Spectral Gamma Ray, Hole Caliper, Compressional Sonic Travel Time, Bulk Density, and Temperature—were used as input features to train and test five ML algorithms: Linear Regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest, Least Squares Boosting, and Bayesian methods. To improve model performance, a Gaussian outlier removal technique was applied to eliminate anomalous data points. The models were rigorously validated using multiple training/testing data splits and ten independent runs to ensure statistical reliability. Among the tested models, SVM achieved the highest accuracy, with R2 values of 0.9952 (test) and 0.9962 (train) and RMSE values of 0.002 (test) and 0.001 (train). These results demonstrate that ML—particularly SVM—offers a robust and accurate alternative for Sw estimation, supporting more effective reservoir evaluation and oil recovery optimization.
A global humidity index with lateral hydrologic flows
Highly uniform thermally undercut silicon photonic devices in a 300 mm CMOS foundry process
The impact of occupational nonhypoxic hypobaria on cerebral function and integrity
Three bilberry bHLHs of subgroup IIIf play divergent roles in fruit anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis
Abstract Bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit are one of the best natural sources of anthocyanins. Anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis are transcriptionally regulated by the conserved MBW complex, including R2R3 MYB, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and WD40 proteins. In this study, homology-search in the bilberry genome identified three putative anthocyanin biosynthesis-regulating bHLH genes, all containing a MYB binding domain, indicating their possible interaction with R2R3 MYBs. Phylogenetic analysis assigned the VmbHLHs to three different clusters within the IIIf subgroup of bHLHs. The expression of VmbHLH2 elevated at berry ripening, while VmbHLH1 and VmbHLH3 showed decreasing expression towards berry maturation. When transiently overexpressed together with MdMYB10 in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, VmbHLH2 and VmbHLH3 were able to complement MdbHLH3 and upregulate a full set of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes leading to anthocyanin accumulation. In contrast, VmbHLH1 induced a reduced set of flavonoid pathway genes. Our results provide the first functional characterization of flavonoid-regulating bHLHs that contribute to the MBW complex in the economically important genus Vaccinium. We propose that the TT8-type VmbHLH2 is involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in ripening bilberry fruit, while the MYC1-type VmbHLH1 and GL3/EGL3-type VmbHLH3 are associated with anthocyanin and PA biosynthesis, mainly in tissues other than berries.
Genetic testing and evidence of a founder mutation in a hotspot for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis
Abstract Variant transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis is a rare, inherited disorder caused by mutations in the TTR gene, leading to amyloid fibril deposition. The Balearic Islands are a known endemic focus for the NP_000362.1:p.Val50Met (V30M) variant, one of the most prevalent pathogenic mutations. We analysed 23 years of genetic testing data from the Balearic Islands’ public health system to determine the prevalence and distribution of ATTR pathogenic variants, with a focus on V30M. A total of 1,478 individuals underwent genetic testing, with 319 positive tests for ATTRv: 308 carried the V30M variant (96.4%) and 11 carried other pathogenic variants. The V30M prevalence was highest in Mallorca and Menorca (1 in 2,900 and 4,700, respectively), with lower rates in Ibiza and Formentera. The co-occurrence of V30M and NP_000362.1:p.Gly26Ser (G6S) on the same chromosome in 93% of V30M carriers suggests a common origin. This study becomes the first registry of ATTRv in the Balearic Islands, aiming to raise awareness among clinicians across all areas and services while enabling more accurate diagnostics, informed genetic counselling, and targeted clinical follow-ups. We also postulate the Balearic Islands as a major global focus for the V30M variant, with a distinct genetic profile suggesting a unique founder effect within the region.
Plagues of locusts could be avoided by using compounds that suppress swarming
Multi-head deep Q-learning for continuous beamforming with selective MC-CDMA operation in V2X highway communications
A graph attention network-based multi-agent reinforcement learning framework for robust detection of smart contract vulnerabilities
A novel neutrophil extracellular trap-related gene signature for predicting glioblastoma prognosis
Hydrostable hard tissue adhesives based on organophosphates and magnesium phosphates with strong bonding and cellular compatibility
Abstract Bone adhesives have significant potential for improving surgical procedures and can enhance and simplify them. Recently, phosphoserine-modified mineral-organic resorbable bone adhesives have shown particular promise. Among them, MgO/MgP-based cement exhibit high adhesive strength but suffer from water instability. This study introduces mineral-organic hard tissue adhesives based on organophosphates and magnesium phosphate with hydrolytic stability to enable cell testing. Amorphised magnesium phosphates enhanced reactivity, eliminating MgO additives. Alongside the established organophosphate phosphoserine (OPLS), sodium phytate was investigated as an alternative. We performed comprehensive mechanical and material characterizations, complemented by in vitro cytocompatibility assessments using osteoblastic MG-63 cells and osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells differentiated with RANKL. Sodium phytate demonstrated strong adhesive properties, with an initial shear strength of 4.35 ± 0.86 MPa, retaining 1.3 ± 0.27 MPa after 7 days. However, it showed lower cytocompatibility with MG-63 cells than with OPLS. The OPLS/MgP combination exhibited both favorable cytocompatibility and strong adhesive performance, achieving an initial shear strength of 3.87 ± 0.53 MPa and maintaining 2.19 ± 0.69 MPa after 7 days. These findings underscore the potential of organophosphate-magnesium compound cement as viable candidates for mineral-organic hard tissue adhesives in surgical applications, combining excellent adhesive properties with favorable cytocompatibility.
Analysis of spatial and temporal distribution of grassland yield under grassland ecological subsidy policy
Entanglement witnesses and separability criteria based on generalized equiangular tight frames
Abstract In quantum information theory, measurements are represented by positive, operator-valued measures. In this paper, we use the operators corresponding to generalized equiangular measurements to construct positive maps. Their positivity follows from the properties of index of coincidence for few equiangular tight frames. These maps give rise to entanglement witnesses, which include as special cases many important classes considered in the literature. Additionally, we introduce separability criteria based on the correlation matrix and analyze them for various types of measurements.