Browse Articles

Hollow-core PCF for terahertz sensing: A new approach for ethanol and benzene detection

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is becoming a powerful technique for non-destructive, label-free chemical sensing with applications ranging from medicinal research to security screening. Enhancing THz spectroscopy’s sensitivity and selectivity is crucial to maximizing its potential. In this work, we offer a novel optical fiber design, square shape core PCF that is tailored to exploit improved optical features at exterior in the THz region. This analysis suggests that a square shape and three layers with square air apertures for the cladding and core would be ideal. The mathematical analysis is carried out at THz wave dissemination utilizing FEM and boundaries circumstance of the Perfectly Matched Layer. Using the simulation method, the constructed square PCF sensor achieves very high relative sensitivity (94.45%, 94.80%) at 2 THz for two compounds: ethanol (n = 1.354), and benzene (n = 1.36). On the other hand, the low confinement loss (CL) values for the same two compounds at 2 THz are 1.17 ×  10−05 dB/m, and 1.32 ×  1 0−05 dB/m, in that order. We also looked at the potential applications of this special fiber in a variety of fields, including environmental monitoring, chemical sensing, and biomedical diagnostics. The square PCF with square core has hitherto unexplored opportunities for the development of extremely selective and sensitive THz spectroscopic devices with important social consequences in domain of THz perception of chemicals.

Exploration of geo-spatial data and machine learning algorithms for robust wildfire occurrence prediction

Comparative Evaluation of Cytotoxicity, Anti-inflammatory, and Drug Release Profiles of Allicin-incorporated GO-AgNP Hydrogel: An In Vitro Study

METTL14 regulates proliferation and differentiation of duck myoblasts through targeting MiR-133b

The development of duck pectoral muscle has a significant impact on meat quality, and miRNA and m6A modification play key roles in this process. In the early stage, by using MeRIP-seq and miRNA-seq to analyze the pectoral muscle tissue of duck embryos at day 13 (E13), day 19 (E19), and day 27 (E27) of incubation, we found that METTL14, as a core component of the m6A methylation transferase complex, showed significant differences in expression at different developmental stages and may have an important impact on pectoral muscle development. In this study, qRT-PCR detection revealed that the expression of proliferation and differentiation marker genes CDK2, CyclinD1, MYOG and MYHC varied at different stages, with the highest m6A level at E13 and the lowest expression of METTL14 at the same stage. After constructing overexpression and interference vectors for METTL14, we found that METTL14 interference promoted the proliferation of duck embryo myoblasts and inhibited differentiation, while overexpression inhibited proliferation and accelerated differentiation. In particular, the overexpression of METTL14 increased the expression of miR-133b, whose precursor sequence contains m6A modification sites, suggesting that METTL14 may participate in the regulation of muscle development by affecting the expression of miR-133b. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of duck pectoral muscle development and offers potential molecular targets for the genetic improvement of duck pectoral muscle.

Efficacy of Hamstring Stretching, Ultrasound Therapy, and Pressure Pain Threshold for Masseter Muscle in TMJ Dysfunction Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Delivering systems-level change to improve post-diagnostic dementia support: Qualitative findings from the PriDem study

Background There are 900,000 people with dementia in England and Wales. Existing models of post-diagnostic support are unsustainable and unaffordable. The PriDem programme developed a new model of primary care-based dementia care, whereby a Clinical Dementia Lead (CDL) would facilitate systems-level change. Aim To assess barriers and facilitators to implementation of the PriDem intervention. Methods 7 general practices participated in a qualitative process evaluation, as part of the mixed-methods feasibility and implementation study. Practices were located within 4 Primary Care Networks in the North East and South East of England. 26 healthcare professionals, 14 people with dementia and 16 carers linked to participating general practices participated in semi-structured individual and small group interviews. Additional qualitative data were generated through nonparticipant observations and researcher fieldnotes from CDL intervention supervision sessions. Data were analysed using abductive codebook thematic analysis informed by Normalisation Process Theory (NPT). Results Six themes were generated: 1) The rocky ground of primary care; 2) The power of people; 3) Tension between adaptability and fidelity; 4) Challenging the status quo: reimagining care planning; 5) One size doesn’t fit all; 6) Positive effects on people and systems: towards sustainability. Through the lens of NPT we can understand the contextual challenges facing primary care, the mechanisms (e.g., work undertaken by individuals) to overcome those challenges, as well as the potential outcomes of such an approach, in terms of longer-term sustainability of changes made. Conclusions Despite the pressures facing primary care within England and Wales, meaningful change can be made to practice in the care of people with dementia. The presence of motivated and engaged staff are critical to implementation, as is ensuring understanding of complex interventions, so that fidelity can be maintained. People with dementia and carers benefitted from improved care systems. Commissioners should consider the benefits of a CDL-led approach.

Trends and Collaborative Networks in the Use of Electrospun Nanofibers in Dentistry: A Bibliometric Study

Urbanization strengthens vertical stratification of ant nutrient preferences in a temperate forest ecosystem

Resource and nutrient availability varies spatially and influences animal foraging patterns. Under the compensation hypothesis, animals should preferentially forage for the most limiting nutrient in the environment. Animal nutrient preferences have been well studied in the tropics, where terrestrial and arboreal fauna are clearly differentiated and limited by different nutrients. In temperate forests, vertical stratification of the fauna may be less pronounced and its role in foraging ecology is poorly understood. Here, we examine nutrient preference patterns over a vertical gradient in temperate forests and nearby urban centers in North Carolina, USA. Using a bait-choice experiment and novel bait design, we measured ant community nutrient preferences in the canopy and on the ground of 83 trees across 14 sites and assessed ant diversity and community composition. Ant diversity did not differ across the vertical strata or habitat types, but species turnover altered community composition to create four distinct assemblages. In temperate forests, ants did not prefer a particular nutrient in either stratum, likely due to extensive foraging across strata. In urban habitats, however, ant nutrient preferences matched patterns well known from tropical systems: arboreal animals preferred protein, while terrestrial animals preferred carbohydrates. Rather than stratum-specific nutrient limitations, however, we attribute the differences in urban preference patterns to changes in native species’ foraging intensity and the addition of uniquely urban species with specific nutrient preferences. These results underscore the necessity of testing ecological hypotheses across biomes and suggest that urbanization may produce established ecological patterns via novel mechanisms.

Comparative Analysis of Penetrability and Adaptability of Different Fluoride-releasing Pit and Fissure Sealants: An In Vitro Study

Evaluating automated evaluation systems for spoken English proficiency: An exploratory comparative study with human raters

Automated evaluation systems (AESs) for spoken language assessment are increasingly adopted in global educational settings, yet their validity in non-Western contexts remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining three widely used Chinese-developed AES tools in their assessment of spoken English proficiency among 30 Chinese undergraduates. The study employed an IELTS-adapted speaking test, assessed simultaneously by AESs and human raters, with scoring alignment analyzed through intra-class correlation coefficients, Pearson correlations, and linear regression. Results revealed that two systems demonstrated strong agreement with human ratings, while the third exhibited systematic score inflation, likely due to algorithmic discrepancies and limited consideration of nuanced language features. Our findings suggest the potential of AESs as valuable complements to traditional language assessment methods, while highlighting the necessity for calibration and validation procedures. This research has significant implications for integrating AESs in educational contexts, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings, where they can enhance efficiency and standardization.

Comparative Evaluation of Two Obturation Techniques and Three Endodontic Sealers in Filling Lateral Canals: An In Vitro Study

Gynecologic health of women with multiple sclerosis: An overview on the current status and findings of Pap tests in a low-income setting

Background Women with MS (wwMS), particularly ones in low-income settings, and exposed to disease-modifying therapy (DMT), could have specific gynecological health-related issues. Aim To assist policy making and lead further research by describing the current status of gynecological health and Pap test results in wwMS. Methods Cross-sectional study on wwMS living in Isfahan, Iran. Participants were surveyed and referred for a Pap test, results of which were compared with 1:2 age- and socioeconomic status-matched healthy controls (HC). Primary outcome was the degree of non-benign squamous/glandular cell abnormalities. Secondary outcomes were presence of evidence of infection, and the degree of benign inflammatory/reactive changes. Logistic regression models were utilized for analyses. Results 197 wwMS were included (mean age [SD], 41.2 [8.3]; median EDSS (IQR) 1.5 [0.5]). 74.1% reported having sexual activity more than once per week in the past year. For contraception, 21.6% and 16.8% used calendar-based methods and male condoms, respectively. 7% had contracted a gynecological infection in the past. Only 1% had received HPV vaccination. Compared to HC, benign reactive/inflammatory changes in Pap tests were less frequently seen in the wwMS (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.4; p <  0.001), while evidence of infection was seen more frequently (OR: 11.5, 95% CI: 3.3, 40; p <  0.001). Results were consistent across DMT groups except anti-CD20 therapies. Additionally, the frequency of non-benign changes in wwMS was two times of that in the HC, but the study lacked adequate power to confirm statistical significance (1.5% vs. 0.8%, OR: 2; 95% CI: 0.4, 10.1; p =  0.39). Conclusion There is room for improvement of the gynecological health status of wwMS who live in low-income settings. Also, findings support an immune dysfunction in the cervices of DMT-exposed wwMS. Additionally, further research is merited to determine the risk of changes of malignant potential in cervices of wwMS.

Clinical Performance of Strip vs Zirconia Crowns in 2–6-year-old: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Application of observational research methods to real-world studies for rare disease drugs: A scoping review protocol

The primary objective is to identify which observational research methods have been used in the last 5 years in rare disease drug evaluation and how they are applied to generate adequate evidence regarding the real-world effectiveness or safety of rare disease drugs. Rare disease is an umbrella term for a condition which affects < 200,000 people each year and despite the rarity of these conditions, collectively they encompass approximately 7000 different conditions. With the striking number of rare conditions, many pharmaceutical manufacturers are introducing an increased number of drugs to treat them. However, due to small patient populations, heterogeneity and other factors related to rare diseases, there are feasibility concerns regarding the generation of adequate efficacy and safety evidence using conventional randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Recently, real-world evidence generated through observational (or real-world) studies has been proposed to address some of the feasibility concerns with RCTs by measuring drug effectiveness or safety in the real-world setting. However, there remain methodological concerns due to a lack of randomization/masking. This proposed scoping review aims to identify which observational research methods in the last 5 years are used in rare disease drug evaluation to address methodological concerns and how they are applied to generate evidence on drug effectiveness or safety. Articles must be primary observational or real-world studies reporting rare disease drug effectiveness or safety published within the five years preceding this review. Literature reviews, meta-analyses, randomized control trials, case series, case reports, opinion pieces, conference abstracts, and studies with unavailable full-text articles will be excluded. The search strategy will combine the following key search concepts: rare disease, drugs for rare disease and observational/real-world studies. The search will be conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE. Review registration number : Open Science Framework, https://osf.io/f3wpv

In silico design of Ebola virus Glycoprotein antigenic peptides as vaccine candidates

Ebola virus (EBOV) is a filovirus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever and has a fatality rate between 50 and 90%. The vaccines were developed against the Ebola Zaire species; therefore, it is necessary to develop vaccines against other species to control future outbreaks. The objective of this work was to obtain vaccine candidate peptides against different EBOV species through the use of bioinformatics programs and servers that allow glycoprotein (GP) to be analyzed. GP sequences of various EBOV species that did not present gaps or unspecified amino acids or that were repeated (same year, region and laboratory) were downloaded from the NCBI database. A consensus sequence was generated and used to determine vaccine candidate peptides, which were evaluated, through a combination of servers and molecular dynamics, for their ability to interact with B and T lymphocytes, toxicity, allergenicity, solvent exposure, glycosylation, antigenicity, and presence in mature GP. Five vaccine candidate peptides were identified, of which PEP4 had the best characteristics evaluated in this study. PEP4 may be a potential candidate for the development of an EBOV vaccine.

Detection of central and obstructive sleep apneas in mice: A new surgical and recording protocol

Sleep apnea is a common respiratory disorder in humans and consists of recurrent episodes of cessation of breathing or decrease in airflow during sleep. Sleep apnea can be classified as central or obstructive, based on its origin. Central sleep apnea results from an impaired transmission of the signal for inspiration from the brain to inspiratory muscles, while obstructive sleep apnea occurs in the presence of an obstruction of the upper airways during inspiration. This condition leads to repetitive episodes of reduced oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream, which entail both direct and indirect adverse effects on vital organs, especially the brain and heart. Basic research on animal models has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms and pathophysiology, and in expediting the development of targeted therapies in several medical fields. Among animal models, mice are the mammalian species of choice for functional genomics of integrative functions such as sleep. Mice have long been known to show sleep apneas, but the classification of sleep apneas as central or obstructive in mice is technically challenging due to the small size of these animals. Here we present a method aimed at identifying central and obstructive sleep apneas in mice. This method involves the surgical implantation of electrodes for recording the electroencephalogram and nuchal muscle electromyogram, which are the gold standard to study the wake-sleep cycle, and for recording the diaphragm electromyogram, which allows the detection of diaphragm contraction. The method also includes the simultaneous recording of the above-mentioned biological signals and breathing inside a whole-body plethysmograph and the data analysis allows to score wake-sleep states and to detect sleep apneas and categorize them into central and obstructive events.

Analysis of chronic disease comorbidity patterns in middle-aged and elderly smokers in China: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Background China has the largest tobacco consumer population in the world, and with the increasing severity of aging, the health issues caused by smoking continue to draw attention. This study aims to explore the current state of chronic disease comorbidity under different smoking patterns, providing a foundation for the formulation of public health policies. Methods A total of 10771 participants older than 45 were included from CHARLS collected in 2020 after screening. The research variables were extracted and processed using Stata 18.0 software, followed by data filtering and organization in Excel. Through chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression analysis, the study explored the influencing factors of comorbidity patterns under different smoking statuses. Results The results indicate that within the framework of multiple chronic conditions, 2,254 individuals (20.9%) were relatively healthy, while 79.1% had one or more chronic conditions: 3,656 in the simple chronic disease group (33.9%), 3,998 in the minor complex chronic disease group (37.1%), and 863 in the major complex chronic disease group (8.0%). The severity of comorbidity patterns was significantly associated with age, alcohol consumption, hospitalization in the past year, outpatient visits in the past month, insufficient sleep, and poor cognitive function across different smoking statuses. Additionally, living in urban areas and having depression were linked to higher comorbidity severity among non-smokers. Among smokers, being female and having low life satisfaction were independent risk factors for comorbidity patterns. In the group of former smokers, intense physical activity was associated with an increased risk of severe comorbidity patterns. Conclusion In response, it is recommended to strengthen public health strategies and interventions related to chronic disease comorbidity among smokers.

Positive association between stress hyperglycemia ratio and ICU mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism: A retrospective study

Background Measurement of the Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio (SHR) aims to reduce the influence of prolonged chronic glycemic variables on stress hyperglycemia levels, which are associated with clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, the correlation between SHR and the risk of all-cause Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism(PE) remains unclear. Methods Data for this retrospective study were o btained from the MIMIC IV2.2 database. The participants were divided into four groups based on the SHR quartiles. The primary outcome measured was 28-day ICU mortality. We employed Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and restricted cubic splines to evaluate the correlation between the SHR and clinical outcomes in patients with PE. Results The study included 1185 patients, of which 53.3% were male. The rates of mortality observed in the ICU were 19.8%. By conducting multivariable Cox proportional hazards, it was determined that the SHR was independently associated with a heightened risk of 28-day ICU mortality (HR = 1.83 per 1-point increment, 95% CI = 1.07-3.13, p = 0.028).The analysis using restricted cubic splines showed that there was a consistent and gradually increasing risk of all-cause mortality as the SHR increased. This indicates that a higher SHR is associated with a higher risk of ICU mortality. Conclusions Elevated SHR was strongly linked to a higher risk of clinical outcomes in patients with PE. As an effective measure of stress hyperglycemia, SHR demonstrated superior performance in predicting risks compared to solely evaluating glycemia or HbA1c upon admission.

Wear of Enamel Antagonist to Polished vs Glazed Zirconia-reinforced Lithium Silicate Crowns (Randomized Clinical Trial)

Substance use among young people in the West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Introduction Substance use is a pressing public health concern in young Ethiopians, impacting their physical, psychosocial, and emotional well-being and productivity. However, there is a limited understanding of the prevalence and factors associated with substance use in this population both across Ethiopia and in the West Arsi zone specifically. This study investigates the prevalence of substance use and associated factors among young people in the West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 427 randomly selected young people aged 14–29 in the West Arsi zone of the Oromia region, Ethiopia. Data were collected using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the outcome and independent variables. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, and Madda Walabu University, Ethiopia. Results A total of 424 participants were included in the analysis, giving a response rate of 99.3%. The overall lifetime prevalence of any substance use among the study participants was 48.1% (95% CI: 43.3%, 53.0%) and the prevalence of current substance use was 72.5% (95% CI: 65.9, 78.5). Among lifetime users, 76.5% reported chewing khat, 49.0% drinking alcohol, 33.3% using various forms of tobacco, and 23.0% using cannabis. Being male, having a single marital status, a family history of substance use, low perceived social support, and the presence of mental health conditions were associated with an increased likelihood of substance use. Conclusions About half of the study participants reported a history of use of at least one substance from alcohol, khat, tobacco, or cannabis in their lifetime, highlighting the need for appropriate focused interventions to help address the growing challenges of substance use amongst young people in Ethiopia.