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Retraction: Land use land cover change as a casual factor for climate variability and trends in the Bilate River Basin, Ethiopia

Impact of NSAIDs and endurance exercise on myocardial fibrosis and arrhythmogenesis in murine coxsackieviral myocarditis

Abstract Athletes often exhibit unexplained non-ischemic myocardial fibrosis, which is associated with malignant arrhythmias. Given the prevalent (over)use of NSAIDs among athletes and their harmful effects during viral myocarditis, this study examined the effects of combined NSAIDs and endurance exercise on the disease progression. To this end, male C57BL/6J mice underwent eight weeks of treadmill running (60 min/day; 18 cm/s) or no exercise. After two weeks, mice were implanted with mini-pumps delivering ibuprofen (70 mg/kg bw/day) or vehicle. Myocarditis was induced via intraperitoneal coxsackievirus inoculation. Mice were sacrificed six weeks post-inoculation for ventricular arrhythmogenicity evaluation and cardiac histopathological and molecular analysis. Exercising coxsackievirus-infected mice receiving ibuprofen recovered faster from weight loss. Mortality was low and similar across groups. Histopathology revealed abating inflammation and cell loss, without significant group differences. While exercise tended to increase extensive myocardial fibrosis, statistical analyses indicated no significant differences—with or without NSAIDs—in perivascular fibrosis, interstitial fibrosis, or myocardial scarring. NSAIDs—irrespective of exercise—did not increase arrhythmogenicity. In conclusion, ibuprofen in exercising mice with viral myocarditis resulted in faster weight loss recovery, without significant differences in inflammation, fibrosis, or arrhythmogenesis compared to exercise-only mice.

Implementing the IMPALA continuous monitoring system for paediatric critical care in Malawi: A mixed methods study of barriers and facilitators

Introduction Continuous monitoring of critically ill children is essential for the timely identification of deteriorating vital signs. However, monitoring is often intermittent in low-resource settings, affecting the quality of care. This study assessed the implementation barriers and facilitators of a locally adapted, robust, low-cost continuous monitoring system (IMPALA) in Malawi. Methods A mixed-method implementation study of the IMPALA system in the paediatric High-dependency unit of a tertiary hospital from November 2022 to October 2023. Data were collected through over 300 hours of observations, in-depth interviews with 14 healthcare providers and nine caregivers of admitted children, and questionnaire-based surveys from 24 healthcare providers and 72 caregivers. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using inductive and deductive approaches. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) were calculated for categorical and continuous variables. Results Healthcare providers and caregivers indicated that the IMPALA monitors improved care by providing the ability to measure reliably multiple vital signs, with long-lasting (4 hours) backup power and alarm provisions. Healthcare providers reported spending less time on child monitoring after the introduction of IMPALA (1.8 hours per day pre-IMPALA (95% CI: 1.19–2.48) compared to 3.3 hours post-IMPALA (95% CI: 2.36–4.23; p < 0.00). Still, they recognised alarm fatigue, limitations in knowledge of the technology, and staff shortages as barriers to the use of IMPALA. Some caregivers expressed concerns about the reliability of the monitoring system. Conclusion The continuous monitoring device was well-received overall by healthcare providers and caregivers. It was perceived to save time and improve the quality of care. Opportunities to further enhance engagement with the device include strengthening caregivers’ knowledge and involvement to address their mistrust or misconceptions about the device, minimising false alarms, and providing ongoing training to healthcare providers so that new, existing, and rotating staff know how to engage with the device.

To explore the association between the neutrophil percentage to albumin ratio and low bone mineral density/osteoporosis based on NHANES 2011–2018

Fermented rice germ extract with high concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep via GABAergic system in rats

In modern societies, insomnia stands out as a widespread health concern. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, can exert hypnotic effects. However, despite various clinical trials conducted, scientific evidence regarding the impact of ingested GABA on sleep remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the sedative effects of fermented rice germ (RG30) extract with a high GABA concentration through electroencephalography (EEG) analysis in a pentobarbital-induced sleep animal model. The exploration into the neural basis of these positive effects involved evaluating orexin, GABAA receptor, and serotonin (5-HT) immunoreactivity in the brain using immunohistochemical methods. Furthermore, we conducted a binding assay for GABAA receptors and 5-HT2C receptors, as these are considered pivotal targets in the mechanism of action for sleep aids. In the binding assay, RG30 displayed binding affinity to the GABAA receptor (IC50 value of 5.911 µg/mL) and 5-HT2C receptor (IC50 value of 56.89 µg/mL). Administration of RG30 increased NREM sleep time and reduced wake time in a pentobarbital-induced sleep model. Low-dose RG30 (RG30_L; 40 mg/kg) induced significant alterations in EEG-defined sleep architecture, whereas high-dose RG30 (RG30_H; 90 mg/kg) predominantly modulated orexin expression in the lateral hypothalamus and GABAA receptor levels in the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus. No significant changes were observed in 5-HT expression within the dorsal raphe nucleus. In conclusion, RG30 increased NREM sleep and significantly improved sleep behavior due to its action on the GABAA receptors. The collective findings suggest that RG30 could be considered as a novel sleep-enhancing agent in pharmaceutical and food industries.

Investigating the synergistic effects of Metakaolin and silica fume on the strength and durability of recycled aggregate concrete at elevated temperatures

Abstract The use of recycled aggregate (RA) as a partial or full replacement of natural aggregate (NA) is a suitable method of concrete production that has positive impacts on the environment. However, recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has relatively lower strength and durability than that of normal concrete. To improve concrete performance, silica-fume (SF) was added with 2.5% increment up to 7.5% and metakaolin (MK) is added with a 2.5% decrement from 15 to 7.5%. The concrete with 50% RA, 10% MK and 5% SF showed notable advancement in performance after 28 days of curing. At 28 days of curing, the concrete samples had 31.5 MPa compressive strength, 5.7 MPa splitting tensile strength, and 10.6 MPa flexural strength, a strength improvement of 5.19%, 16.47%, and 8.52% over control concrete. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) indicated a 16.13% increase alongside a 20.87% reduction in water absorption which confirmed stronger bond performance and better durability of modified concrete. RCA content influences acid resistance negatively when reaching 75% RCA shows maximum deterioration. In addition, the fire resistance of such concrete resulted in higher performance at different temperature conditions for the concrete. This is due to the small particles of silica fume and metakaolin which acted as major factors and led to performance enhancements by filling in the concrete matrix gaps. The combination provides affordable, sustainable construction alternatives. Experiments show that SCMs can produce high-performance recycled concrete for modern building construction.

Unveiling the drivers of geographic atrophy progression in eyes with reticular pseudodrusen

Purpose To evaluate the progression rate of geographic atrophy (GA) and identify factors associated with GA expansion in eyes with reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) using fundus autofluorescence (FAF) photography. Methods A total of 28 eyes from 28 patients diagnosed with GA and RPD, who completed a 3-year follow-up, was included. The eyes underwent thorough examination with color fundus photography, FAF and near infrared (NIR) imaging, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT). The areas of atrophic lesions were quantified using FAF images at years 1, 2, and 3 employing a semi-automated software (Region Finder). Results The rate of increase in mean GA area in eyes with RPD was calculated to be 0.39 ± 0.21 mm per year over the 3-year period. The annual progression rate measured over three years showed a statistically significant increase each year. Univariate analysis revealed that subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and RPD distribution were independently associated with GA progression (P ≤ 0.037). In multivariate analysis, thin SFCT was the only significant factor linked to an increased rate of GA growth. The progression from extrafoveal GA to foveal GA was solely associated with the initial square root GA area. Conclusion These results offer valuable insights for the development of interventional strategies aimed at mitigating GA enlargement in this specific subgroup of patients.

Response of nitrogen emissions to land use changes and driving forces analysis in Jiangxi province under multiple scenarios

LEGO® as a versatile platform for building reconfigurable low-cost lab equipment

Laboratory equipment is critical for automating tasks in modern scientific research, but often limited by high costs, large footprints, and sustainability concerns. Emerging strategies to provide low-cost research automation tools include microfluidic devices, open-hardware devices, 3D printing, and LEGO® products. LEGO®-based equipment may be advantageous with respect to sustainability, since their inherent modularity enables disassembly, re-purposing and re-use. To explore the feasibility and cost savings of replacing conventional lab equipment with LEGO®-based alternatives, we developed and characterized the performance of three LEGO® TechnicTM laboratory tools: a syringe pump, an orbital shaker, and a microcentrifuge. These three machines share 384 pieces in common and can be constructed in series (687 pieces, <$83 USD) or in parallel (1215 pieces, <$174 USD). As a proof of concept, calcium carbonate microparticles were synthesized and isolated using the LEGO®-based and analogous commercial equipment, yielding comparatively similar results. Moreover, the ability to program custom shake profiles for the LEGO®-based orbital shaker gave access to a wider range of particle characteristics than the commercial shaker. We propose that the high cost savings and reusability of LEGO®-based lab tools extends beyond their well-established efficacy in K-12 STEM education to an attractive resource for budget-, space- and/or sustainability-conscious laboratories.

Adsorptive removal of Pb2+ from wastewater using ZnO-Biochar nanocomposite

Cancer related adverse events associated with use of proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists: A real-world analysis using the FDA adverse event reporting system

Despite widespread use, concerns have emerged regarding the increased risks of digestive system cancers associated with use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Moreover, ranitidine was recalled from the market in some countries due to its potential carcinogenicity, which also has raised concern about cancer risk in association with use of histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs). We comprehensively explored the potential risks of various cancers associated with use of PPIs and H2RAs by analyzing the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), aiming to offer real-world evidence for the safe and rational use of acid suppressive agents. OpenVigil 2.1 was utilized to query the FAERS database. Cancer related adverse events (AEs) included Preferred Terms (PTs) of malignant neoplasms among all cancer sites. Disproportionality analysis was performed, and a positive signal indicated a statistical association between cancer related AEs and drugs. Most PPIs had more cancer related PTs with positive signals than H2RAs (except ranitidine), but had fewer cancer related PTs with positive signals than ranitidine. Forty-three cancer related PTs exhibited positive signals for more than one PPIs, and the major cancer sites of these PTs were gastric, lung, lymphomas, pancreatic, oesophageal, intestinal, upper respiratory tract, renal, soft tissue, and so on. Besides, only two cancer related PTs exhibited positive signals for more than one H2RAs (except ranitidine). Our study suggests that PPIs may be associated with more cancer related AEs than H2RAs (except ranitidine), but may be associated with fewer cancer related AEs than ranitidine. Except for digestive system cancers, use of PPIs may also be associated with increased risks of multiple non-digestive system cancers. According to our findings, H2RAs (except ranitidine) may be safer than PPIs regarding cancer risk, and the priority use of PPIs for acid suppression therapy may not be appropriate.

Quality-of-life changes six months after the programmatic switch from nevirapine to dolutegravir-based ART in stable PLWH: a prospective cohort study in Indonesia

Syntactic denoising and multi-strategy auxiliary enhancement for aspect-based sentiment analysis

Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) aims to identify the sentiment polarity associated with specific aspect terms within sentences. Existing studies have primarily focused on constructing graphs from dependency trees of sentences to extract syntactic features. However, given that public datasets are often derived from online reviews, the syntactic structures of these sentences frequently exhibit irregularities. As a result, the performance of syntactic-based Graph Convolution Network (GCN) models is adversely impacted by the noise introduced during dependency parsing. Moreover, the interaction between syntactic and semantic information in these approaches is often insufficient, which significantly impairs the model’s ability to accurately detect sentiment.To address these challenges, we propose a novel approach called Syntactic Denoising with Multi-strategy Auxiliary Enhancement (SDMAE) for the ABSA task. Specifically, we prune the original dependency tree by focusing on context words with specific part-of-speech features that are critical for conveying the sentiment of aspect terms, and then construct the graph. We introduce a Multi-channel Adaptive Aggregation Module (MAAM), a feature aggregation system that employs a multi-head attention mechanism to integrate semantic and syntactic GCN output representations. Furthermore, we design a multi-strategy task learning framework that incorporates sentiment lexicons and supervised contrastive learning to enhance the model’s performance in aspect sentiment recognition.Comprehensive experiments conducted on four benchmark datasets demonstrate that our approach achieves significant performance improvements compared to several state-of-the-art methods across all evaluated datasets.

Association between social capital and depressive symptoms in adolescents relocated for poverty alleviation in Shanxi, China: a cross-sectional study

A metaverse-based virtual reality platform for online certification using Web3

Context: Metaverse is an emerging technology that synchronizes physical and virtual things. It is used to communicate and simulate the virtual world with the physical world through human actions in real-life scenarios. Combining blockchain and metaverse technologies produces an archetype shift in the educational technology domain regarding online certification, largely due to the impact of synchronizing educational technologies. The combined technology elevates the security measure, ensures transparency, enhances accountability, and reduces costs for the online certification process. Proposed Solution: The suggested solution (MetaEduTech) accelerates the certificate verification process by (i) extenuating the risks of misuse by leveraging decentralized storage of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), (ii) securing the certificate, and (iii) providing the metaverse environment for certification. We perform experiments and evaluate the MetaEduTech solution by deploying a blockchain-based smart contract model on Ethereum on the Microsoft Windows platform. Results and Implications: The evaluation results show (i) the efficiency of the query response (5 ms–50 ms), (ii) and the performance of the query execution (CPU utilization between 2%–6%). The findings in this research underscore the effectiveness of the proposed solution with the potential to modernize the certification exam process. The proposed solution and its evaluation can provide insights into how to address the persistent issues surrounding certificate authenticity related to academic verification in a metaverse environment.

Application of machine learning and temporal response function modeling of EEG data for differential diagnosis in primary progressive aphasia

AI big model and text mining-driven framework for urban greening policy analysis

Adaptive differential current relay based on form/ripple factors for busbar current signals

Abstract This paper presents an adaptive protection algorithm that adjusts the tripping characteristics of the differential relaying schemes in response to changes in CT saturation levels and DC component content of fault currents. Moreover, the main protection function differentiates between internal and external faults with or without CT saturation. This is accomplished by estimating the appropriate tripping characteristic slope using form and ripple factors calculated for the current signals measured at the entering and exiting terminals of the protected equipment. The modified approach aims to achieve automatic resetting to inhibit the relay operation during external faults and to avoid any delay or restriction of the relay operation during severe internal faults due to the presence of harmonics. Numerous cases, including various types of internal and external faults with or without CTs saturation and DC component, are carried out on a typical power system simulated using the ATP platform. The proposed algorithm can be performed utilizing the MATLAB software, which can receive current measurements from the ATP simulator. The simulation results manifest the functional efficiency of the suggested technique under diverse operating and fault conditions and its ability to discriminate fault location. Additionally, the response time of the suggested technique is roughly 10.0 ms in the event of internal faults, which is also appropriate for preventing the technique from functioning in the case of non-fault or external fault disturbances. Furthermore, it is able to recognize CT saturation conditions, assess the degree of current distortion, and select which feeder CT is saturated. Besides, the outcomes demonstrate the extreme simplicity, effectiveness, stability, accuracy, and reliability of the proposed algorithm. Quantitative findings from the extensive case studies indicate that the estimated ratios of the protection’s accuracy, dependability, security, and reliability are greater than 99.40%. It is applicable to Smart Grids (SGs) and Substation Automation Systems (SAS), as the algorithm is one of the applications in digital protection relays/systems.

Reducing blood pressure variability–results from a single-arm proof of concept prospective trial

Abstract Increased variability in systolic blood pressure, expressed as the coefficient of variation (BPCoV), is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. Variability could be due to episodic non-adherence to medical recommendations in some patients. Reports of targeted attempts to mitigate such variation are lacking. A behavioral intervention targeted at patients with initially high BPCoV may decrease variability. In this single-site, single arm prospective proof-of-concept trial, an electronic health record review identified patients with excessive variability (BPCov>10%). Enrolled patients received a blood pressure monitor and a remotely delivered behavioral intervention for 3 months. The primary outcome was mean blood pressure variability before versus after the intervention. Of 551 initially screened patients, 107 (19.4%) met the BPCoV criteria, and 25 consented (6 females and 19 males, mean age 64.24 years). Average BPCoV for the 6 months pre-enrollment was 12.96 (SD=2.11) compared to 7.02 (SD=3.54) during intervention (p<0.001). Other variability metrics also improved. Sensitivity analyses (different timeframes, using measurements obtained in the clinic vs. home monitor) all showed significant improvement. This proof-of-concept trial suggests that patients with high systolic blood pressure variability can successfully engage in a remotely delivered behavioral intervention, and that such an intervention can reduce such variability. Trial Registration: NCT05814562, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Incubation time effect on releasing available phosphorus in saline sandy soil as a function of bone char application

Abstract To face the current crisis in global fertilizer prices, especially in developing countries where their food security has been greatly affected, alternative sources must be found for phosphate fertilizers, whose main source is phosphate rock, which is non-renewable and subject to depletion. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of the incubation period on the availability and fractionation of phosphorus in saline sandy soil under bone char addition. About 100 g of soil was placed in an airtight plastic jar and mixed thoroughly by adding 0.4 g of bone char. This experiment was incubated for 7, 16, 35, 65, and 84 days. The results obtained from this study revealed a significant increase (p ≤ 0.01) in available phosphorus with applying bone char in saline soil after 7, 16, and 35 days of incubation compared to the initial soil (before the incubation and unamended). Relative to the initial soil, the concentration of available phosphorus increased by 33.7%, 19.5%, and 12.3% after 7, 16, and 35 days, respectively. The results showed that increasing the incubation time significantly decreased phosphorus availability in saline soil after bone char application. The NaHCO3-Pi, HCl-Pi, and Res-Pi fractions increased significantly with the addition of bone char to the soil under study at all incubation periods compared to the initial soil. Inorganic phosphorus fractions after bone char application to saline sandy soil followed the order of HCl-Pi > Res-P > NaHCO3-Pi > NaOH-Pi > NH4Cl-Pi. In this context, these findings concluded that bone char amendment could be a potential P-source for agriculture in saline sandy soils to confront the high prices of phosphate fertilizers.