Browse Articles

Tongue coating microbial communities vary in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura

Retrospective and statistical analysis of hand and forearm injuries in the Silesian pediatric population – study of post-traumatic X-rays in 2022

Background and objectives Upper limb injuries are a common occurrence in the pediatric demographic, particularly wrist injuries, which constitute a noteworthy subset. Fractures involving the forearm, wrist, and phalanges are recurrent reasons prompting visits to emergency departments. This investigation endeavors to offer a comprehensive insight into hand and forearm fractures within the pediatric cohort, delineating data across various age groups, gender distributions, and fracture location. Materials and methods This study involved data from the reports of 834 post-traumatic wrist X-ray examinations conducted in 2022 at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging of the Upper Silesian Child Health Centre. The analysis included bone injuries, the age and gender of the child, the nature of the lesions, and anatomical location of the injury. The study group consisted of 327 girls and 511 boys, who were on average 11.4 ±  3.6 and 12.0 ±  3.8 years old, respectively. Results There were 273 single fractures and 66 multiple fractures in the study group. The highest number of fractures were recorded in the metacarpal bones (29,2%), among which the fifth meta-carpal bone was the most frequently injured (14,5%). The second most common fracture was in the forearm (28,9%). There were 55 phalangeal fractures in the study group (16,2%). Conclusions The risk of fractures is statistically highest among boys, peaking at 12 years of age. The metacarpal bones and the radius are most susceptible to fractures. The likelihood of fractures in the right and left hand is similar in females, whereas males are more likely to sustain injuries to the right hand.

Optimization of photodegradation of acid blue 1 dye on aluminosilicate supported Cu doped TiO2 magnetic nanocatalyst using response surface methodology

Geriatrics as a specialty: Insights from Mexican medical students’ decision-making process

Main objective To identify the elements associated with the decision to select or reject geriatrics as a medical specialty in Mexico. Methods Qualitative, with the focus group technique to obtain data. Two groups included students who rejected geriatrics, regardless of the specialty they chose, and two groups included students who chose geriatrics, interviews via Zoom were conducted. Data was analyzed qualitatively based on grounded theory. Results Thirty-four students were included in the final sample (52% women), mainly from the Central region of the country (44%). Students were mainly in their last year of medical school (97%). Previous experiences with older patients and older close relatives, both positive and negative, were important in choosing the specialty of geriatrics for most students. In contrast, personality, and interpretation of the experiences as good or bad was the main differentiator between groups. For those who did not choose geriatrics, the main factor was the lack of knowledge regarding contents, aims, and professional opportunities for geriatricians. Previous experiences with geriatric care influenced positively towards choosing geriatrics as a medical specialty. High-quality, structured exposure to geriatrics should be encouraged among medical students in order to increase knowledge and eventually interest in the specialty.

Effects of Nanoscale precipitates on mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility in Zn-Mn alloy

Abstract Controlling degradation rate is essential for the biomedical application of biodegradable Zn alloys. Alloying with soluble elements is an effective way to regulate formation of second phases, which differ in potential from the Zn matrix. The potential difference exhibits positive or negative effects on corrosion resistance. This study successfully forms MnZn13 phase with nano size by altering ECAP temperature. Subsequently, MnZn13 phase promotes grain refinement, improvement of elongation, and corrosion resistance. Higher elongation in Zn-Mn alloy with MnZn13 phase is attributed to the grain boundary sliding, deformation twins in MnZn13 phase. Meanwhile, grain boundary corrosion in Zn-Mn alloy with MnZn13 phase is incomplete. Corrosion mode of Zn-Mn alloys without MnZn13 phase is dominated by grain boundary corrosion, accompanied by pitting corrosion. The increased corrosion resistance from MnZn13 phase stems from its higher potential than Zn matrix. Zn-Mn alloys with and without MnZn13 phase show a comparable cytocompatibility and osteogenic properties. Our findings provide an effective way to regulating mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Zn alloys via controlling precipitation.

NOTCH1 promotes the elevation of GM-CSF and IL-6 through the EZH2/STAT3 pathway to facilitate the fibrotic state of the myocardium in DLBCL

Objective Investigate the role of the Neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 (NOTCH1) signaling pathway in Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)-related heart pathogenesis. Methods Utilize R (version 4.2.1) to retrieve DLBCL and myocardial infarction datasets from the GEO database, normalize data with limma, perform differential analysis and GO analysis with GOplot, and visualize findings with ggplot2. Various assays were conducted including stable cell line construction, myocardial infarction modeling, imaging, Western Blot, ELISA, staining, and functional assays. Results Significant gene expression and pathway disparities were found between DLBCL and myocardial infarction samples. NOTCH1, The molecules named Recosomal-binding protein 70 (RBP-J), zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2), trimethylated histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and Jumonji domain containing-3 (JMJD3) matters a lot in DLBCL. NOTCH1 inhibition decreased DLBCL cell proliferation and activity, reduced inflammatory factors, and improved myocardial fibrosis and infarction severity. NOTCH1 inhibits Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expressions depending on STAT3 and EZH2. Co-culturing with DLBCL cells increased fibroblast proliferation, invasion, and fibrosis. Conclusion NOTCH1 signaling influences DLBCL development and myocardial infarction severity through the EZH2/STAT3 pathway, leading to increased heart fibrosis.

Diabetic retinopathy detection via exudates and hemorrhages segmentation using iterative NICK thresholding, watershed, and Chi2 feature ranking

The political economy of reshoring: Evidence from the semiconductor industry

States have increasingly taken steps to reshore manufacturing by shifting production back home from abroad. Although the literature on responses to globalization is increasingly robust, scholars tend to focus on the political consequences of economic dislocations, the effectiveness of government policies intended to roll back globalization, and the macroeconomic consequences of such policies. Our research is among the first to study public attitudes toward reshoring, including the basis of support, demographic variation, and sensitivity to factors like consumer prices. We advance hypotheses about the role of national security considerations and economic self-interest in shaping why and under what conditions the public backs incentives and investments that bring manufacturing home. We field two pre-registered survey experiments to representative samples of the American public, finding that US citizens support reshoring in most cases, irrespective of political party. Only the prospect of severe price increases and reshoring from geographically proximate allies moderate these responses. Our findings advance literatures on reshoring and public attitudes toward economic relationships, with implications for policy as governments consider reshoring a range of industries from technology to pharmaceuticals.

MemoCMT: multimodal emotion recognition using cross-modal transformer-based feature fusion

Trends in incidence and mortality of laryngeal cancer in china from 2004 to 2018: Projections to 2033 and decomposition analysis

This study analyzed trends in the incidence and mortality of laryngeal cancer (LC) in China from 2004 to 2018, provided projections up to 2033, and identified contributing factors influencing these trends. LC data were obtained from the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Reports for 2004 to 2018. Estimated Annual Percent Change (EAPC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Joinpoint Regression Software to evaluate trends. LC incidence and mortality rates in registry areas, combined with national population data, were used to estimate new cases and deaths. Projections were made to 2033, and a decomposition analysis identified factors influencing trends. From 2004 to 2018, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of LC decreased from 1.29 to 1.14 per 100,000, with an EAPC of −1.75% (95% CI: −2.36% to −1.12%). The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) also declined from 0.67 to 0.61 per 100,000, with an EAPC of −0.76% (95% CI: −1.28% to −0.25%). Mortality among males aged 60–69, however, showed a significant increase. Population growth and aging contributed to the rise in LC cases and deaths, while epidemiological factors partially offset these increases. By 2033, ASIR and ASMR for males and ASIR for females are projected to decrease, while ASMR for females is expected to rise. ASIR and ASMR in China showed a declining trend from 2004 to 2018, with further decreases projected through 2033. Yet, rising mortality in older males underscores the need for targeted prevention and early detection. Population aging and growth are key drivers of the LC burden, although epidemiological improvements have helped mitigate case increases. Comprehensive public health strategies remain essential to reduce LC impact in China.

Impact of corner optimization measures on the interference effects between two square section buildings

SignFormer-GCN: Continuous sign language translation using spatio-temporal graph convolutional networks

Sign language is a complex visual language system that uses hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to convey meaning. It is the primary means of communication for millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals worldwide. Tracking physical actions, such as hand movements and arm orientation, alongside expressive actions, including facial expressions, mouth movements, eye movements, eyebrow gestures, head movements, and body postures, using only RGB features can be limiting due to discrepancies in backgrounds and signers across different datasets. Despite this limitation, most Sign Language Translation (SLT) research relies solely on RGB features. We used keypoint features, and RGB features to capture better the pose and configuration of body parts involved in sign language actions and complement the RGB features. Similarly, most works on SLT research have used transformers, which are good at capturing broader, high-level context and focusing on the most relevant video frames. Still, the inherent graph structure associated with sign language is neglected and fails to capture low-level details. To solve this, we used a joint encoding technique using a transformer and STGCN architecture to capture the context of sign language expressions and spatial and temporal dependencies on skeleton graphs. Our method, SignFormer-GCN, achieves competitive performance in RWTH-PHOENIX-2014T, How2Sign, and BornilDB v1.0 datasets experimentally, showcasing its effectiveness in enhancing translation accuracy through different sign languages. The code is available at the following link: https://github.com/rabeya-akter/SignLanguageTranslation.

Pavlovian conditioning with the internal stimulus effects of intravenous nicotine heightens later nicotine taking with variation by dose and sex

The bone phenotype associated with cherubism is independent of Caspase-1-dependent inflammasome activation in the mouse

Cherubism is a rare genetic disorder caused by SH3BP2 mutations. This sterile autoinflammatory disease is characterized by jaw osteolysis, in which bone tissue is replaced by multinucleated giant cells containing fibrous tissue. The cherubism mouse model (Sh3bp2 KI) is characterized by systemic bone loss as well as inflammatory phenotypes induced and maintained by TNFα. IL-1β, produced by the NRLP3 inflammasome through recruitment of Caspase-1, is involved in the development of sterile autoinflammatory disease. We previously reported a cherubism patient with elevated serum IL-1β, and cherubism mice also have elevated serum IL-1β levels. Thus, we wanted to disentangle the role of IL-1β in cherubism. To that end, we deleted Caspase-1 in Sh3bp2 KI mice to tamp down IL-1β production. However, deleting Caspase-1 did not rescue the systemic bone and inflammatory phenotypes.

Piceatannol and its analogues alleviate Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis by targeting β-lactamase biofilms and α-hemolysin

Abstract β-Lactamases, biofilms and toxins pose challenges for combating S. aureus infection. Thus, identifying inhibitors that can restore bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics, destroy biofilms, and antitoxins is a promising way to develop alternative agents. In this study, we found that piceatannol (pit), along with its analogues resveratrol (ret) and pterostilbene (pts) bind with β-lactamase to inhibit its activity, and 96TYR, 58ILE and 66LYS were identified as the critical binding residues. Pit and pts reduced the ampicillin (Amp) and gentamicin (Gm) MICs against S. aureus and enhanced the bactericidal ability of Amp. Pit and its analogues inhibited the formation of S. aureus USA300. In addition, the pit analogues bound with α-hemolysin and suppressed the hemolysis activity of the bacterial culture supernatant. The mechanism analysis revealed that pit exhibited multiple potential binding modes with α-hemolysin. Pit significantly decreased the cytotoxicity and the adherence effect mediated by S. aureus and increased the survival rate of Galleria mellonella that infected with S. aureus, the pathological tissue damage of Galleria mellonella was alleviated by treatment with pit alone or in combination with Amp. Taken together, our findings identify promising compounds for the development of S. aureus infection inhibitors.

Loss of ING4 enhances hematopoietic regeneration in multipotent progenitor cells

Despite its critical role in survival, many aspects of hematopoiesis remain unresolved. In the classical model of the hematopoietic program, quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) sit at the top of the hematopoietic hierarchy, with the ability to self-renew and differentiate as needed. HSCs give rise to more proliferative progenitor cells, which possess multipotent potential, but have largely or completely lost self-renewal capabilities. Here, we have identified the tumor suppressor, Inhibitor of Growth 4 (ING4), as a critical regulator of multipotent progenitor (MPP) homeostasis. In the absence of ING4, we show that MPPs express a transcriptional program of hematopoietic activation, yet they remain quiescent with low levels of reactive oxygen species. Functionally, ING4-deficient MPPs are capable of robust regeneration following competitive bone marrow transplantation, resulting in substantially higher blood chimerism compared to wild-type MPPs. These data suggest ING4 deficiency promotes a poised state in MPPs, quiescent but transcriptionally primed for activation, and capable of converting the poised state into robust repopulation upon stress. Our model provides key tools for further identification and characterization of pathways that control quiescence and regeneration in MPPs.

Application of graphene oxide in Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and construction of a novel DNA delivery system for watermelon

Landscape conservation and orchard management influence carob tree yield through changes in pollinator communities

Worldwide pollinator declines are a major problem for agricultural production. However, understanding how landscape characteristics and local management influence crop production through its pollinators is still a challenge. The carob tree ( Ceratonia siliqua ) is a pollinator-dependent Mediterranean crop of high economic importance in food and pharmaceutical industries. To understand how crop production can be enhanced in a sustainable manner, we evaluated the effects of landscape (habitat loss) and orchard local management (farming system: conventional vs. ecological; male-to-female ratio) on pollinator communities and crop production using data on 20 carob tree orchards across Mallorca Island (Spain). We found that orchards surrounded by a greater proportion of natural landcover received more visits by wild bees and butterflies and fewer by honeybees. Overall pollinator abundance was slightly higher in ecological than conventional orchards, but the difference was not significant. High male-to-female ratio enhanced overall pollinator abundance and shaped pollinator composition, by increasing hoverfly abundance and decreasing wasp and fly abundance. Male-to-female ratio showed hump-shaped relationships with fruit and seed production per female tree (peak at 0.7 males/female), although this quadratic relationship was lost when the most male-biased orchards were removed from the analyses. Total orchard production maximized with 25-30% of males. Seed weight (farmer’s highest economic value) increased in conserved landscapes where wild pollinators prevailed, and with overall pollinator abundance; however, it decreased with male-to-female ratio, likely due to seed number-size trade-offs. Management strategies to enhance carob production may optimize sex ratios and favor wild pollinators by preserving natural landscapes.

Mapping facade materials utilizing zero-shot segmentation for applications in urban microclimate research

Effect of prenatal alcohol consumption on dental enamel formation in offspring—An animal study protocol

Background The etiology of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) remains incompletely understood. Prenatal alcohol exposure has been proposed as a potential risk factor for DDE. Animal studies suggest that in utero ethanol exposure can disrupt ameloblast function, leading to enamel abnormalities. This study aims to: (1) Assess the impact of prenatal alcohol consumption on the clinical and structural properties of dental enamel in offspring; and (2) Investigate the underlying mechanisms of these alterations through histological and molecular analyses. Pregnant Wistar rats will be assigned to two groups: one exposed to ethanol and a control group with no alcohol exposure. Ethanol exposure will follow a binge drinking model, with rats receiving 3 g/kg of ethanol (30% w/v) for 3 consecutive days, followed by 4 days of rest each week. This regimen will begin one week prior to conception and continue throughout pregnancy. The incisors and molars of offspring will be evaluated on the 10th (n = 22 per group) and 28th (n = 22 per group) days of life. Visible enamel changes will be documented through photographs. Enamel volume, thickness, and density will be assessed using micro-CT imaging. Mechanical properties will be evaluated using the Knoop microhardness test, while chemical composition will be analyzed through Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The area of the organic enamel matrix will be quantified in histological sections. Genes Amelx, Enam, Ambn, Mmp2, Mmp9, Mmp20, Klk4, Cldn3, Cldn16, and Cldn19 will be evaluated in ameloblasts using real-time RT-PCR and protein synthesis will be confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Gelatinolytic activity in the ameloblast layer will be assessed by in situ zymography.