Browse Articles

A class-wise quantum relational calibration network for brain tumor diagnosis

Synthesis and computational evaluation of novel indazole-based benzamide derivatives as anti-tubercular agents via DFT, molecular docking studies

Multimodal neural-regulation profiling and task-state recognition of sport-related attention in relation to athletic performance

The role of group attachment security in minority opinion expression in decision making groups

Abstract Minority opinions often generate crucial ideas and knowledge, but it is more challenging to be a minority opinion holder in an ingroup (disagreeing with members of one’s own group) than in an outgroup (disagreeing with members of other groups). This paper extends the group decision-making, knowledge sharing, and minority influence literatures by exploring a psychological condition under which ingroup minority opinion holders can be influential in diverse decision-making groups. Across two experiments, activating group attachment security (vs. neutral condition) increased minority opinion holders’ task focus and the persuasiveness of their expressed dissenting opinions (Study 1), and increased majority members’ willingness to use that dissent while these authentic texts also differed in argument quality (Study 2). Although the predicted omnibus attachment-by-social-category (secure vs. neutral × ingroup vs. outgroup) interactions were generally non-significant, exploratory simple-effects comparisons suggested these effects were more notable among ingroup minorities. These findings suggest that group attachment security can help minority opinion holders be influential in decision-making groups that represent diverse social categories.

Multidrug-resistant and virulence traits in genetically distinct vesicular Leptospira inhabiting farmland and sewage in Southern India

Correction: Reimbursement restrictions reduce liver fibrosis screening in adults with diabetes in Ontario: a population-based interrupted time series analysis

Subjective experience and social support predict exercise persistence in university students via perceived usefulness and behavioral control

Enhanced differentiation potential of pigmented human epidermal equivalents

Abstract Melanocyte-keratinocyte interactions are vital for regulating melanogenesis and maintaining epidermal homeostasis. However, most 3D human skin equivalents lack melanocytes, limiting their relevance for pigmentation studies. To address this, we utilized a pigmented human epidermal equivalent (PmtHEE) that incorporates melanocytes into the epidermis. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we characterized PmtHEE and compared it with neonatal foreskin epidermis (FsEpi) and a fibroblast-containing human skin equivalent model (FibHSE). PmtHEE showed a higher proportion of differentiated cells and model-specific cell state transition paths that reflect possible in vivo trajectories. We further uncovered an inferred L1CAM-EZR-driven external signaling network using exSigNet in FsEpi and PmtHEE that may influence keratinocyte differentiation. Altogether, PmtHEE provides a distinct and physiologically relevant model of pigmented skin, with likely enhanced differentiation potential compared to conventional in vitro systems.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a digital platform for surgical anatomy education

A recombinant melanin-associated molecule as a novel and efficacious biologic countermeasure for acute radiation syndrome

Abstract Currently, there are no United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)-approved radioprotectors for prophylaxis. It is of national importance that a radioprotector is developed as an addition to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), because these types of medications can help protect warfighters and first responders prepare for and complete tasks in areas of high radiation contamination. Among the agents under investigation that have natural radioprotective capability, melanins are of interest due to their ability to protect cells against ionizing radiation, acting as both a physical shield blocking the high energy waves from damaging DNA molecules and by scavenging free radicals. In this study, we present preliminary data surrounding the radioprotective efficacy of THL-FM3021, a bio-melanin–related compound recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli . Using CD2F1 mice, we investigated its toxicity, optimized its dose and administration schedule, tested its protective ability against various modes of radiation, and explored its ability to protect hematopoietic cells and induce cytokines. We found the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of THL-FM3021 as 100 mg/kg for both single and repeated doses, and the dose reduction factor to be 1.107. THL-FM3021 was found to be most effective at a dose of 50 mg/kg when administered 24 h prior to irradiation against either a cobalt-60 gamma source or a mixed-field (65% neutron 35% gamma) source from a nuclear reactor. Also, THL-FM3021 was found to induce several cytokines and improve the recovery of red blood cells, platelets, and neutrophils. Our studies indicate that this drug is a promising candidate for further development as a radioprotector.

Isotopic effect on collisional widths and shifts of Hg clock transition induced by cold Rb atoms

Abstract We study the isotopic dependence of collisional widths and shifts of the Hg clock transition $$^1$$ S $$_0$$ – $$^3$$ P $$_0$$ perturbed by the Rb atoms in the temperature range from 1 nK to 1 K. For this purpose, we model the Born-Oppenheimer effective interaction potential by including the leading long-range van der Waals coefficients. For elastic collisions, we show the connection between line shape parameters in the $${\upmu }$$ K temperature range and scattering lengths in ground and excited states as a function of reduced mass of the colliding Hg and Rb atoms. We confront the full quantum scattering calculations with a semi-classical approximation for collisional widths and shifts. We show that the shape resonances in excited and ground scattering states lead to significant variations of collisional line shape parameters with the change of the reduced mass of colliding atoms. We also indicate the possible influence of inelastic collisions, which could lead to universal behavior and significantly affect the dependence of collisional broadening and shifting on the isotopic combination of colliding atoms.

Knowledge gaps in pharmacokinetically guided drug dosing for sepsis among healthcare professionals in Türkiye

Lite-STGCN: a lightweight spatiotemporal graph convolutional network for real-time dragon and lion dance action recognition on edge devices

Shelf-life extension of refrigerated rainbow trout fillets using chitosan/gelatin bilayer film enriched with ZnO nanoparticles and tea polyphenols

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a chitosan–gelatin film incorporated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and tea polyphenols (TPs) on the bacterial count, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of rainbow trout during refrigerated storage. To achieve this aim, the fillets were divided into five treatment groups: (1) control (treated with distilled water); (2) chitosan–gelatin film; (3) chitosan–gelatin film with ZnO NPs; (4) chitosan–gelatin film with TPs; and (5) chitosan–gelatin film with both ZnO NPs and TPs. Then, the treated fillets were kept at 4 °C and quality analysis was performed on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12. Although ZnO nanoparticles generally demonstrated stronger preservative effects than tea polyphenols when applied individually, the combined incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles and tea polyphenols produced the most pronounced improvement in physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory quality during refrigerated storage. Throughout the 12-day storage period, the chitosan–gelatin/ZnO NPs-TPs composite demonstrated superior efficacy in in controlling both microbial load and lipid oxidation in rainbow trout compared to all other treatments. Sensory evaluation revealed that the experimental groups, specifically the chitosan–gelatin/ZnO NPs film on day 9 and the chitosan–gelatin/ZnO NPs-TPs film on day 12, achieved significantly greater acceptance scores than the control group. Results reveal that the enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial activity observed with the addition of ZnO NPs and TPs to chitosan–gelatin suggests this composite is a highly promising material for developing effective active packaging systems.

Secure and reliable SWIPT in active RIS-aided downlink NOMA with hardware impairments

Abstract Due to growing system complexity and the vulnerability of wireless transmissions to information leakage, maintaining secure and private communication in sixth-generation (6G) networks continues to be a significant problem. By enabling wireless power transfer to distant Internet of Things (IoT) devices while retaining low latency and high spectral efficiency, power beacons (PBs) have been acknowledged as an efficient way to increase energy efficiency simultaneously. However, non-ideal components like amplifiers, oscillators, and mixers unavoidably create hardware impairments (HIs), which can deteriorate security and dependability in practical deployments. To overcome these challenges, this work proposes a novel framework that integrates active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (ARIS) into a secure downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system. The base station (BS) is powered by an energy-harvesting device with PB assistance. In contrast to previous research, the approach specifically takes into account the influence of HIs. To assess system performance, closed-form formulae for effective secrecy throughput (EST), intercept probability (IP), and outage probability (OP) are generated. The conclusion is supported by simulation results, which demonstrate that a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) decreases OP while raising IP. Moreover, the proposed ARIS-NOMA scheme outperforms conventional ARIS-orthogonal multiple access (OMA) approaches, providing valuable insights for secure wireless system design.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in nursing students on the frontline during the first Covid-19 wave: a cross-sectional survey

Hepatitis B knowledge, attitudes, prevention practices, and associated factors among graduating health sciences students at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

COOT-CNN: joint architecture and training-strategy optimization for binary colorectal histology patch classification

Effects of 8-week chokeberry extract supplementation on nitric oxide metabolites, immune markers, and oxidative stress in elite rowers: a randomized controlled trial

Effect of filling degree on particle segregation in a rotating drum - an experimental and numerical study

Abstract Granular mixing, ubiquitous in industry, is difficult to observe. Ultrafast X-ray computed tomography is a relatively new technique that can be used to study rapid granular flows in opaque systems. A comparative study is here presented, where ultrafast X-ray computed tomography, camera and simulation with the Discrete Element Method are simultaneously used to investigate the radial segregation of 4-mm spherical polypropylene and glass beads in a rotating drum. The drum filling is varied from 20 to 50%. The granular flow and the associated segregation dynamics at the front-end wall and in the bulk are compared and good agreement among the three methods is found. Similar to unary systems, a transition from the rolling to the sliding regime, characterized by a critical dynamic angle of repose, is also reported.