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Glutamine modulates cellular size by regulating Wee1 expression

Vehicle rescue path planning for urban traffic waterlogging disaster based on GAST model

Rescue transportation will be severely hindered under urban waterlogging disasters. To solve the problem of delayed rescue of disaster vehicles, this study is based on a hydrodynamic model and uses a 2D hydrodynamic model to numerically analyze urban waterlogging. At the same time, a 1D pipeline network is used to calculate pipeline hydrodynamics and urban hydrodynamics modeling is completed by coupling 2D hydrodynamics with a 1D pipeline network. Considering the characteristics of urban transportation, static and dynamic path planning techniques are introduced to complete vehicle rescue path planning. In the analysis of hydrodynamic models, the monitoring value of the research model at the B water accumulation location was 41.2 cm, which was closer to the actual value and had a lower relative error, outperforming similar models. In addition, in the analysis of multiple rainfall scenarios, the proportion of short-term waterlogging caused by high-intensity rainfall was relatively high. For example, in scenario 4, the proportion of waterlogging formation within half an hour was 8.8%, which was higher than that of low rainfall. In addition, in static path planning, the research technique took 821s in scenario 4 and had a shorter planning distance, which is superior to similar techniques. In dynamic programming, the research technique performed better overall with a driving time of 1,054s in scenario 5 and a shorter planning distance of 7,723m. The research technology has good application effects in urban waterlogging disaster rescue. This research will provide technical support for urban disaster analysis and rescue.

Diffusion and discrete temporal models of the population growth of domestic cats in urban areas

Variety-specific selenium accumulation patterns and quality attributes of rice following foliar selenium application

In the context of addressing regional selenium (Se) deficiencies in China, this study undertook an investigation into the efficacy of foliar Se spray on 12 rice varieties. The primary focus was on assessing rice quality and Se enrichment in various plant components, namely grain, roots, stems, and leaves. The foliar Se spray led to an increase in soil Se content from 0.13 to 0.26 mg. Growth promotion was observed, with rice variety ZLY experiencing a height increase of 19.10 cm, while variety QYX had only a 0.90 cm increase. However, grain weight and numbers were minimally affected. Foliar Se spray had different impacts on rice quality among varieties and treatments. Specifically, variety TLY consistently had the highest numbers of brown and milled rice grains, whereas TXJ and LY had the lowest numbers of brown and milled rice grains respectively. Foliar Se spray had diverse effects on protein contents, resulting in the highest glutelin content of more than 4% and prolamin content as low as less than 0.1%, while the total protein content remained largely unchanged. Moreover, rice varieties demonstrated varying Se enrichment capacities, with the highest for varieties ZLY and QYX grain, and the lowest for LY, TXJ, and JLY grain. The results offered technical support for the selection and promotion of selenium-enriched rice, thereby presenting a potential solution to Se deficiency in China.

Freeze-thaw seasonal variations and environmental controls of CO2 and CH4 diffusive emissions from reservoirs in the upper Yellow River

Integrating feature importance techniques and causal inference to enhance early detection of heart disease

Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, necessitating robust methods for its early detection and intervention. This study employs a comprehensive approach to identify and analyze critical features contributing to heart disease. Using a dataset of 270 patients, three well-known feature importance techniques—Boruta, Information Gain, and Lasso Regression—are applied to determine the top five features for heart disease detection. Following the identification of these key features, the g-computation method, a causal inference technique, is utilized to explore the causal relationships between these features and the presence of heart disease. The innovation of this research lies in providing valuable insights not only into the features that are highly correlated with chronic heart disease but also into those that have a direct causal impact on patient classification, using a well-known causal inference technique, g-estimation. This integrated approach enhances the understanding of heart disease etiology and can inform more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Diagnostics of diabetic retinopathy based on fundus photos using machine learning methods with advanced feature engineering algorithms

Association of serum intestinal fatty-acid binding protein, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers with colorectal cancer among Ghanaian patients

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, colorectal cancer (CRC) is becoming an increasingly serious public health issue. However, little is known about the relationships between inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal barrier biomarkers in African populations. This study examined the association between selected biomarkers, dietary factors, and the risk of CRC among treatment-naïve patients in Ghana. Methods This hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study included twenty-eight CRC patients and twenty-six non-CRC volunteers. Serum samples processed from whole blood were analyzed for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (iFABP) levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The thiobarbituric acid test was used to measure the concentration of serum malondialdehyde (MDA). Dietary intake data were collected using structured questionnaires. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations with CRC risk. Results CRC patients showed significantly higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, MDA and iFABP compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between IL-1β and TNF-α levels (r = 0.606, p < 0.000). TNF-α and MDA levels were significantly associated with increased odds of CRC in both crude and adjusted models (p < 0.05). In contrast, IL-1β and iFABP showed only crude significant associations with CRC. Dietary factors, including alcohol consumption, red/processed meat, vegetables, and dairy intake, were not significantly associated with CRC risk. Conclusion The study identifies TNF-α and MDA as potential biomarkers associated with CRC, emphasizing the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in CRC pathogenesis in Ghana. The lack of adjusted association with iFABP may reflect population-specific patterns or limited statistical power. Further large-scale longitudinal studies are warranted.

Identifying prenatal risk factors of postpartum depression with machine learning

Strengthening evidence for text-based telehealth in post-operative care: A pragmatic study of the reach and effectiveness of two-way, text-based follow-up after voluntary medical male circumcision in South Africa

Building upon evidence of safety and efficiency gains from a randomized control trial (RCT) in South Africa, we further scaled implementation of two-way, short message service (SMS), text-based (2wT) follow-up after voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). We aimed to determine if gains in adverse event (AE) identification and reduced follow-up visits could be maintained when 2wT was implemented in routine VMMC settings. A pragmatic, stepped wedge design (SWD) study was implemented across three districts in South Africa. Men ages 15 and older could opt into the 2wT telehealth follow-up approach when their facility was in the intervention period. Men in routine periods were offered the standard of care (SoC): in-person post-operative visits on days 2 and 7 as per national VMMC guidelines. 2wT participants were not required to attend any postoperative visits but could return for care if desired or referred. Two quality of care markers, safety (AE ascertainment rate) and efficiency (# in-person follow-up visits), were compared between groups. We aimed for at least 200 men per step to have 80% power to detect a change in AE rate from before to after 2wT was implemented. Secondary analysis explored response rates; client and site uptake; and AE details. Among 6842 clients in the intervention period, 2856 opted into 2wT (37.8%) across three intervention waves and two platforms (SMS or WhatsApp). Among those with post-operative follow-up, the AE ascertainment rate was higher among 2wT (0.60%) than SoC (0.13%) clients (p = 0.0018), demonstrating safety gains. On average, 2wT participants had 2.1 fewer visits compared to SoC clients (p < 0.001), demonstrating gains in follow-up efficiency. Among 2wT men, 2069/2586 (80%) responded via 2wT over 14 days, demonstrating engagement in post-operative care. Of all intervention clients, 93 2wT (3.6%) and 342 (8.0%) SoC were considered lost to follow-up. In this expansion trial, we provided additional evidence that the 2wT approach maintains the quality of post-operative care for adult VMMC clients. 2wT should be scaled to augment in-person, post-operative visits after VMMC for eligible, interested males ages 15 and older. To achieve potential impact, effort is needed to improve access and uptake to 2wT among providers and sites, expanding the 2wT approach for other acute follow-up care especially among men.

The effects of non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on resting-state delta oscillation: a randomized, double-blinded, sham-control trial

Diffusion-based skin disease data augmentation with fine-grained detail preservation and interpolation for data diversity

We propose a data augmentation technique utilizing a Diffusion-based generative deep learning model to address the issue of data scarcity in skin disease diagnosis research. Specifically, we enhanced the Stable Diffusion model, a Latent Diffusion Model (LDM), to generate high-quality synthetic images. To mitigate detail loss in existing Diffusion models, we incorporated lesion area masks and improved the encoder and decoder structures of the LDM. Multi-level embeddings were applied using a CLIP encoder-based image encoder to capture detailed representations, ranging from textures to overall shapes. Additionally, we employed pre-trained segmentation and inpainting models to generate normal skin regions and used interpolation techniques to synthesize synthetic images with gradually varying visual characteristics, while having limitations for clinical use, this approach contributes to enhanced data diversity and can be used as reference material. To validate our method, we conducted classification experiments on seven skin diseases using datasets combining synthetic and real images. The results showed improvements in classification performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed technique in addressing medical data scarcity and enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

A Lévy flight based chaotic black winged kite algorithm for solving optimization problems

Neural correlates of the deployment of spatial attention, and their modulation by repetitive movements

The deployment of spatial attention generates distinct neural signatures that can be detected at the scalp. Here, we use multivariate pattern analysis of EEG data to decode the deployment of spatial attention, and ask if this is modulated by repetitive movements. ‘Stimming’ movements (also known as repetitive stereotypies), are widely reported in autism, but also present in some neurotypical individuals. Stimming has historically been viewed as a problematic behaviour, but many individuals claim that stimming benefits attention. We first validated our paradigm (a Posner-style cueing design), demonstrating above-chance classification of cue direction from around 300 ms post-cue onset. We then investigated whether stimming modulates decoding accuracy and task performance. Our results, consisting of data primarily from neurotypical participants, do not suggest that stimming has a negative impact on an individual’s ability to attend, unless the individual does not typically engage in stimming behaviours. This suggests interventions aiming to reduce stimming behaviours are not necessarily warranted and highlights the need for further research into the potential benefits of stimming specifically within the autistic population. Future research might also consider the potential overlap between autistic stimming and the fidgeting behaviours which are characteristic of ADHD, to help understand the significant overlaps between the characteristics of the two conditions.

Intensification of marine heatwaves and their climate drivers in the Arabian Gulf

Exploring the molecular and biological mechanisms of host response in chickens infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1): An integrative transcriptomic analysis

The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has raised worldwide alarm, posing a threat to the health of both animals and humans. The study aimed to identify key genes and biological pathways modulated in chickens infected with H5N1 through meta-analysis. Four microarray datasets from GEO were normalized using RMA, Quantile methods, and the SVA package in RStudio. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the edgR package. Gene enrichment and network analyses were performed, and key genes in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were identified using the CytoHubba and MCODE plugins in Cytoscape. Additionally, to investigate the regulatory networks involved, we employed the miRDB web tool to identify microRNAs associated with each hub gene. The resulting miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape software, providing insights into the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Furthermore, WGCNA revealed co-expression modules tied to gene expression profiles. Gene expression analysis identified 259 DEGs between normal and infected lung tissues, with 140 up-regulated and 119 down-regulated genes (adj P-Value<0.05 and |log2 fold change (FC)| > 1). Ten hub genes (EPSTI1, IFIH1, IFIT5, IRF1, IRF7, MX1, OASL, PARP14, RSAD2, USP18) were identified. Up-regulated DEGs activated the host’s innate immune response, highlighting the roles of cytokines and chemokines in inflammation. The study showed that increased expression of interleukins, interferons, and growth factors in the extracellular space is influential for activating innate immunity mechanisms. These findings enhance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying H5N1 infection in chickens.

The crux of NPO paradox revealed by increased pneumonia incidence in post-stroke dysphagia patients with dietary restrictions

Abstract Dysphagia patients are at increased risk of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). This bicenter study evaluated whether dietary restrictions, specifically nil per os (NPO) and texture-modified food (TMF), reduce SAP incidence in post-stroke dysphagia (PSD). Data from 160 consecutive acute PSD patients treated in two university stroke units were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome was SAP incidence; secondary outcomes included length of hospitalization, mortality, and nasogastric tube placement. Stroke severity, male sex, and age emerged as significant SAP risk factors. On admission, 63% of SAP patients were already on NPO, 33.3% received TMF, and only 3.7% had unrestricted oral intake. Notably, NPO patients were 2.5 times more likely to develop SAP than those without dietary restrictions (p = 0.008). Most SAP cases were diagnosed before any oral intake, with the majority occurring by day three. These findings align with emerging evidence highlighting the role of oral hygiene factors and immune alterations in pulmonary bacterial defense. This study provides no support for NPO or TMF as effective pneumonia prophylaxis in PSD. Instead, early intervention and comprehensive care strategies are essential to mitigate SAP risk. Appropriate dysphagia diets enhancing residual swallowing capacity could positively impact both SAP rates and dysphagia rehabilitation.

Nummi Digitali: A pioneering multimodal platform for numismatic heritage

This work presents a pioneering multimodal platform designed for the study, cataloging, and dissemination of numismatic heritage: “Nummi Digitali”. This ecosystem enables a web-based structured recording of coin data according to Italian ministerial standards, international interoperability protocols, and Linked Open Data (LOD) principles. The back end facilitates rigorous cataloging and integration of high-resolution 2D imaging, 3D metric models, and archaeometric data—including non-invasive XRF analysis of alloy composition—while the front-end provides interactive access for researchers and the public. The platform’s architecture supports multilevel user interaction, offering advanced analytical tools for specialists and accessible visualization for broader audiences. For the first time, a unified digital infrastructure connects traditional numismatic metadata with metrological, physical and chemical data, establishing a new paradigm in digital numismatics. Initially, the system was tested on a core collection of Greek, Punic, and Roman coins belonging to the “A. Salinas” Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo (Italy), achieving significant outcomes in terms of scientific analysis, historical contextualization, and public engagement. Its scalable and standards-compliant design positions “Nummi Digitali” as a transformative model for interdisciplinary research and digital cultural heritage.

A renormalization group analysis of bubble breakup

Abstract The self-similarity has been discussed repeatedly for the singular dynamics such as breakup of a fluid drop and its resemblance to critical phenomena in thermodynamic transitions has also been pointed out. Although critical phenomena have been well understood by the renormalization group (RG) theory, the counterpart has not been developed for the breakup problem. Here, we apply an RG analysis developed in mathematics for partial differential equations (PDEs) without noise terms to the bubble breakup, or the formation of a fluid drop surrounded by a more viscous fluid. As a result, we show a wide class of nonlinear and complex PDEs shares the same self-similar solution with a simple PDE that describes the interfacial phenomena, forming the bubble-breakup universality class. We reveal that the experimentally observed self-similar dynamics appear as a stable fixed point of the RG. The framework clarifies that the physical origin of the emergence of the self-similar solution is the invariance of the governing equation under a scale transformation, where the invariance, if not initially exists, could be aquired after the repetition of RG. The present study elucidates that the self-similarity and universality in the hydrodynamic analog emerges as a result of the physics at small scales becoming so important, just as the universality in critical phenomena appears as a result of the physics at large scales becoming so important.

Reduced complications and mortality after admission for head and neck cancer in patients with previous dental scaling: a retrospective cohort study based on real-world data

Background The association between oral health and cancer outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complications and mortality after admission of head and neck cancer (HNC) in patients with and without dental scaling (DS). Methods We used data from public health insurance and identified 121,973 patients with admission of HNC aged ≥ 18 years who received inpatient care in 2006–2020. The outcomes during the admission of HNC were compared between patients who had received DS or not within the previous 24 months before admission. The adjusted odds ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of complications and mortality associated with DS were analyzed in the multivariate Cox proportional regression models. Results We found that DS was significantly associated with reduced risks of septicemia (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.81–0.88), stroke (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.95), pneumonia (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84–0.91), urinary tract infection (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80–0.97), and 30-day in-hospital mortality (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.85–0.92). Compared with HNC patients without DS, HNC patients with DS had a shortened length of hospital stay (p < 0.0001), decreased medical expenditures (p < 0.0001), and reduced risks of intensive care (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89–0.95) after admission of HNC. Conclusion In conclusion, we suggested that HNC patients who received DS had reduced complications and mortality compared with those without DS. It is essential to interpret this association with caution due to the confounding factors involved. Our study implied the possibility that clinical physicians may encourage HNC patients to receive regular DS.