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Effects of 17β-estradiol and equilin on atherosclerosis development in female Apoeshl mice
An assessment of written leaflets for enhancing patient education and counselling on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the implementation of a New Medicine Service in Poland
Oncogenic fusions converge on shared mechanisms in initiating astroblastoma
An in vitro study exploring a new method for managing peri-implant disease using the ten second technique
In-line NMR guided orthogonal transformation of real-life plastics
The subcellular topology of the RNAi machinery is multifaceted and reveals adherens junctions as an epithelial hub
Experimental study on the dynamic properties of low-cement sludge solidified soil under long-term cyclic loading
Abstract The stabilization of waste sludge generated from various engineering projects to produce sludge solidified soil for use as subgrade fill is one of the effective approaches for the resource utilization of construction spoil. However, such solidified soils are typically characterized by relatively low stabilizer content and are subjected to long-term cyclic dynamic loading during their service life. In this study, typical sludge from the Ningbo region was used to prepare cement-stabilized soils with low cement content (4–7%). A series of dynamic triaxial tests under long-term cyclic loading were conducted to systematically investigate the evolution of dynamic strength, cumulative deformation, and initial dynamic elastic modulus. The test results revealed the following: (1) The cumulative deformation of the solidified soil exhibited either a “stable” or a “failure” pattern, with the transition governed by the critical dynamic load, which was strongly influenced by the cement content. (2) Increasing the cement content significantly enhanced the fatigue resistance of the solidified soil; when the content was increased from 4 to 6%, the fatigue life improved by up to 575%. (3) When the cement content exceeded 6%, the growth rates of both fatigue life and initial dynamic elastic modulus slowed markedly, indicating a clear phenomenon of diminishing marginal returns. This study identified 6–7% as the optimal economic range of cement content, achieving an optimal balance between dynamic stability and material cost. These findings provide critical design parameters and performance optimization references for the application of stabilized sludge in road engineering.
Integrative analysis identifies shared therapeutic pathways in thyroid eye disease and diabetes mellitus
Context-dependent effects of formic acid on olfactory learning and generalisation in ants
Abstract Animals use learning and memory to recognise cues that predict rewards or punishments, allowing flexible decision-making. When facing new stimuli, they often generalise – responding similarly to different but related cues – enabling adaptive behaviour despite natural variation. Pheromones, chemical signals central to social interactions, are known to affect learning and memory, but their role in generalisation is unknown. This study explores how formic acid, an alarm pheromone in Camponotus aethiops ants, influences odour discrimination and generalisation in an appetitive olfactory discrimination learning task. Using controlled conditioning, we found that formic acid affected learning asymmetrically: it enhanced discrimination when octanal was rewarded and hexanal punished but not when hexanal was rewarded and octanal punished, suggesting a shift in learning priorities. Unexpectedly, formic acid also increased responses to conditioned stimuli and novel odours but only when octanal was the rewarded stimulus. These findings suggest that formic acid modulates associative learning and generalisation in a context-dependent way. Rather than acting solely as an arousal trigger, formic acid appears to reshape cognitive processing by altering stimulus discrimination and odour sensitivity. This highlights a novel role for alarm pheromones in modulating cognition, with broader implications for understanding chemical communication in social insects and beyond.
An intelligent referee selection approach in martial arts using CoCoSo MCDM algorithm
Abstract Martial arts tournament regulation requires strict adherence to principles which include fairness and both disciplined behavior and accurate decision-making processes. Competition martial arts need referees to uphold integrity by carrying out fair rule enforcement together with exact decision-making responsibilities. The selection process for referees becomes problematic due to unclear evaluation methods, which include decision unpredictability, together with subjective assessment, and qualifications that differ from one another. The research utilizes the CoCoSo multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) algorithm and interval-valued t-spherical fuzzy sets (IVTSFS) to process referee candidate evaluations with greater accuracy and methodically under uncertain situations. Three expert evaluators conduct assessments of different referee candidates through vital selection parameter analysis, which includes assessment of experience levels, along with decision accuracy rules, understanding physical fitness capabilities, stress management competencies, consistency performance, and communication abilities. Both the CoCoSo algorithm and IVTSFS system enable successful integration of expert judgments and handle ambiguous referee decision-making approaches respectively. The research presents an optimized process for athletic referee selection which guarantees fair competition and selects referees who demonstrate the best qualities during martial arts competitions.
MSH6 as a prognostic biomarker in bladder cancer and its correlation with immunity
Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments
Abstract The Storegga tsunami, dated to 8150 years ago, disturbed sea floor sediments near its source. Here, we present evidence that sediments as far north as the Kveitehola Trough (75° N) in the NW Barents Sea were affected by the Storegga tsunami. We identified an 18-cm-thick sandy mud unit, characterized by coarser grains at its lower boundary, to be deposited between 8100 and 8600 years BP. The unit contained significantly older foraminiferal tests, radiocarbon dated to between 12,000 and 27,000 years BP, that have been interpreted to be redeposited. In addition, the unit shows elevated signals of terrestrial plant sequences (sedaDNA) and terrestrial steroids. Simulation of the Storegga tsunami reveals strong currents in the shallower parts of the Barents Sea that were capable of moving sediments on the sea floor. We suggest that the tsunami backwash from the inundation of northernmost Norway or Bjørnøya could have carried terrestrial signals to the sediment core location.
In-hospital outcomes of non-elective transapical transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement
The impact of intraoperative optical coherence tomography on cognitive load in virtual reality vitreoretinal surgery training
Abstract Ophthalmic surgeries consist of highly demanding microsurgical tasks that require surgeons to sustain mental focus and extreme manual dexterity for extended periods. To improve surgical precision and decision-making, intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (iOCT) has been integrated into surgical microscopes, offering cross-sectional imaging of anatomical tissues and instruments alongside the traditional microscopic view. While the clinical benefits of iOCT have been demonstrated across various ophthalmic procedures, the impact of this auxiliary information on the surgeon’s cognitive load has not yet been explored. This work is the first study to investigate physiological and subjective cognitive load during simulated iOCT-guided retinal surgery in 17 novice users. The eye tracking capabilities of a virtual reality eye surgery simulator were used to capture blink rate and pupil diameter. Electrocardiography was used to record heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). iOCT-guided surgery resulted in significantly higher cognitive load than traditional microscope-guided surgery, indicated by increased HR (p<0.01), HRV (p<0.05), subjective task load (p<0.001) (NASA-TLX, mental effort), and task time (p<0.001). However, our findings indicate that although iOCT initially imposed a higher cognitive load on novice users, it ultimately enhanced their depth-related targeting precision, which is crucial for improving surgical accuracy and overall outcomes in vitreoretinal surgery.
Interplay of polymorphisms in sex hormone receptors and facial sexual differentiation in shaping prosocial behavior
SynergyBug: A deep learning approach to autonomous debugging and code remediation
Project based learning framework integrating industry collaboration to enhance student future readiness in higher education
Amoxicillin conjugated functionalized zinc ferrite nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antioxidant activities
Abstract To address the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance, magnetic nanoparticles were developed and characterized by providing an innovative solution. Zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe₂O₄ NPs) were synthesized using a chemical co-precipitation method, stabilized with citric acid (CA), and conjugated with amoxicillin (AX) to create ZnF-CA-AX nanocomposites. These nanoparticles were extensively characterized by their structural and optical properties. The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposites was tested against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli, showing significant inhibition zones. Furthermore, the nanocomposites showed a high level of antibiofilm efficiency, and potential antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. Collectively, these findings indicate that magnetic nanoparticles can enhance antibiotic effectiveness, offering new therapeutic avenues to combat resistant bacterial infections.