Browse Articles

Method for EEG signal recognition based on multi-domain feature fusion and optimization of multi-kernel extreme learning machine

In vivo biocompatibility and long-term durability of nanofibrillated cellulose as a urethral bulking agent in rats and Beagle dogs

Background Cystoscopy-assisted submucosal injections of urethral bulking agents offer a safe and efficient alternative to surgery for treating urinary incontinence in both dogs and women. To address the concern of their transient therapeutic effect, a preclinical study evaluating the biocompatibility, safety, and durability of nanofibrillated cellulose as a bulking agent was designed. Plant-based nanofibrillated cellulose is considered renewable, biocompatible, and non-degradable in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, no studies of nanofibrillated cellulose injected into the urethral wall of experimental animals have been published to date. Methods After assessing the rheological behavior of nanofibrillated cellulose, a biocompatibility study with 50 rats and a durability study with two Beagle dogs were conducted. In anesthesized rats, deposits of either nanofibrillated cellulose or sodium chloride as an inert control were injected into the urethral wall via a caudal laparotomy. The rats were euthanized for histopathological assessment after 7, 30, and 90 days. In dogs, cystoscopy-assisted injections of nanofibrillated cellulose were followed with magnetic resonance imaging at 14 days and at 2, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results The rheological studies demonstrated a gel-like behavior under a wide range of shear stress. Nanofibrillated cellulose induced a moderate host tissue response according to the EN ISO 10993-6 standard, consisting primarily of macrophages, foreign body giant cells, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. No significant difference was observed in the tissue response at different time points. In dogs, the bulking agent was visible in 4/5 (80%) injection sites on magnetic resonance imaging at 12 months post-injection. No signs of migration, abscess formation or any major or long-term complications were observed. Conclusions Nanofibrillated cellulose maintains a chronic but stable and tolerable inflammatory response for up to 90 days in the urethral wall of rats. Durability in the urethral wall of dogs indicates a potential long-term effect.

Association between left atrial function and pulmonary vein stump thrombus after left upper lobectomy: insights from cine-MRI

Developing a localized resilience assessment framework for historical districts: A case study of Yazd, Iran

Growing natural and man-made disasters necessitate enhanced resilience in urban historical districts, vital for cultural heritage and tourism. This study aims to develop a localized assessment framework tailored to the unique characteristics of Yazd, Iran, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient architecture and cultural significance. By adapting and downscaling indicators from established DROP and BRIC models, we evaluated resilience across seven key dimensions and 17 criteria. Using advanced multi-criteria decision-making methods, including Delphi, Fuzzy DEMATEL, Fuzzy ANP, and VIKOR, we prioritized and ranked the historical districts based on their resilience scores. The results revealed that the social dimension and housing infrastructure are the most crucial factors for resilience. Environmental and institutional dimensions, while important, were found to be less critical in comparison. The VIKOR analysis identified specific districts with lower adaptability, requiring targeted interventions. These findings provide valuable information for policymakers and urban planners, offering a robust framework for enhancing urban historical district resilience. This study provides a context-specific approach to resilience assessment, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to preserve and strengthen the resilience of culturally significant urban areas.

Knockdown of LncRNA MEG3 promotes damage of vascular endothelial cells induced by vibration

Spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of Nanjing place names—Based on data mining of Tang-Song poetry and online travelogues

Tang-Song poetry, a distinguished element of China’s traditional cultural heritage, is intricately linked with the historical and cultural development of Chinese cities. This paper uses Nanjing as a case study and applies digital humanities techniques to analyze and compare the spatiotemporal distribution of place names found in Tang-Song poetry with those in online travel narratives. The aim is to uncover key factors that have influenced the cultural continuity of these historical cities and their relevance today. Findings indicate that: (1) Locations mentioned in Tang and Song poetry show significant spatial differentiation, with urban areas displaying a clustered distribution and suburbs showing scattered hotspots. (2) The number of locations referenced in Song poetry increased significantly compared to Tang poetry, suggesting that Nanjing’s economic growth heightened the city’s appeal and inspired more literary output. (3) Song Dynasty poetry reflects a shift toward more neutral and negative emotions, with a marked decrease in positive expressions. This rise in negative sentiment can be traced to the decline in national strength from the Tang to the Song Dynasty, amplifying Nanjing’s role as a place of reflection and mourning. (4) Nanjing’s cultural hotspots, such as Xuanwu Lake and the Zhongshan Scenic Area, feature prominently in both Tang-Song poetry and modern travelogues. This study contributes to research in literary geography and literary tourism at the urban spatial level, offering fresh insights into the cultural legacy of historical cities.

Bayesian Gower agreement for categorical data

Factors involving in healthcare professionals’ decision-making process regarding the use of restrictive care practices in adult mental health inpatient units: A protocol for an umbrella review

Introduction The use of restrictive care practices, such as physical restraint, seclusion, and chemical restraint, remains common practices, yet controversial aspect of mental health care, particularly in inpatient settings. Variations in legal definitions and protocols guiding the implementation of these practices often create legal and ethical dilemmas for professionals when deciding whether to implement such practices in certain circumstances. This leads them to rely on subjective decision-making, which is further shaped by epistemic disparities stemming from differences in knowledge, perspectives, and experiences that impact professionals’ understanding and implementation of restrictive practices. Aims This is a study protocol for an upcoming umbrella review aiming to identify and analyse the thematic elements that affect healthcare professionals’ decision-making regarding the uimplementations of restrictive care practices in adult mental health inpatient settings. Methods This protocol outlines the approach for an umbrella review. The review will conduct a systematic literature search of electronic databases (Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, OVID, PsycINFO, Cochrane Reviews, and Web of Science) using comprehensive search strings, as well as a manual review of reference lists from included reviews. Only review studies will be considered. Textual data discussing issues related to professionals’ decision-making regarding the use of restrictive care practices will be extracted from each study, coded, and analysed using inductive content analysis. This protocol has been reported according to the PRISMA-P Checklist. Discussion The findings from this review will provide valuable insights into the key factors influencing the implementation of restrictive practices in adult mental health inpatient settings. The factors identified in this umbrella review will be applied in clinical practices to guide healthcare practitioners in considering and navigating various contexts when deciding how and in which situations restrictive care practices should be implemented. This contributes to the current global effort in promoting more patient-centered, transparent, evidence-based and accountable practices, while minimizing restrictive interventions. It will also inform future training, practice, and policy interventions aiming at reducing the use of restrictive measures in adult mental health settings. Protocol registration: This protocol has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD-42024581848).

Prognostic value of IFI27 in HNSCC and functional analysis under ALKBH5 regulation

Seasonal dynamics and adaptation strategies of krummholz forming Rhododendron campanulatum to water availability at high-altitude Himalayan treeline environments

This study investigates the water relations mechanism of Rhododendron campanulatum (D. Don) in treeline areas of the Himalayan region, emphasizing its vital role in ecosystem dynamics. The species, commonly found as krummholz forms at treeline ecotones, exhibits notable population advancement 1.4 m/yr, which could lead to the densification of the ecotone in the future. Seasonal measurements of soil moisture at depths of 15cm, 30cm, and 45cm, as well as pre-dawn (ΨPD) and mid-day (ΨMD) water potentials, and leaf conductance in the forenoon (gwAM) and afternoon (gwPM), were conducted for both trees and seedlings. Significant variations were observed among sites, seasons, and years across various parameters, including soil moisture and water potential components. The study underscores the most negative water potentials (Ψ) during winters, with ΨPD reaching -0.88 MPa for trees and -1.43 MPa for seedlings. Seasonal changes in water potential (ΔΨ) ranged from 0.11 to 0.82 MPa for trees and 0.20 to 0.90 MPa for seedlings. Osmotic potential at full turgor (OPFull) declined from winter to summer, ranging from -0.74 to -1.76 MPa in trees and -0.45 to -1.60 MPa in seedlings. Relative water content (RWC%) of seedlings varied between 68.00% and 87.40%. Leaf conductance ranged from 19.50 to 329.68 m mol m-2 sec-1 in trees and 43.60 to 331.40 m mol m-2 sec-1 in seedlings. The study highlights the adaptation of R. campanulatum and other broad-leaved evergreen species to high-altitude climatic irregularities, emphasizing the crucial role of snowmelt and monsoon rains in mitigating water stress. Osmotic adjustment and high relative water content enable R. campanulatum to cope with environmental changes, maintaining water availability for photosynthesis.

Exposure and survival of wild raptors during the 2022–2023 highly pathogenic influenza a virus outbreak

Abstract The global outbreak of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza A virus (HP H5N1) has had an unprecedented impact on wild birds including raptors, but long-term population impacts have not been addressed. To determine if raptors survive infections with HP H5N1, raptors from the upper Midwest United States were serologically tested for antibodies to influenza A virus (IAV), H5 and N1. Raptors were sampled at The Raptor Center’s (University of Minnesota) wildlife rehabilitation hospital and at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. Samples were tested for IAV antibodies using a commercially available blocking ELISA, with positive samples tested for antibodies to H5 and N1. Antibodies to IAV were detected in 86 out of 316 individuals representing 7 species. Antibodies to H5 and N1 were detected in 60 individuals representing 6 species. Bald eagles had the highest seroprevalence with 67/97 (69.1%) seropositive for IAV and 52 of these 67 (77.6%) testing positive for antibodies to both H5 and N1. Prevalence of antibodies to IAV observed in this study was higher than reported from raptors sampled in this same region in 2012. The high prevalence of antibodies to H5 and N1 indicates a higher survival rate post-HP H5N1 infection in raptors than previously believed.

Knowledge building and vocabulary growth: Assessing the impact of seamless Chinese vocabulary learning for international students

This study investigates the effectiveness of Seamless Chinese Vocabulary Learning (SCVL) among international students learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) to foster vocabulary knowledge building. A new theoretical framework of SCVL was introduced and validated to guide this exploration. The research involved 32 international students enrolled in a Chinese university. Data collection included Chinese Lexical Frequency Profile (LFP) were at HSK Level 4, a SCVL questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that SCVL significantly enhances students’ HSK Level 4 vocabulary learning and retention across diverse performance groups over time, while also providing a positive and engaging learning experience. SCVL creates an authentic and repetition-enabled learning context, fostering higher levels of interaction and multi-modal, immediate, and learner-friendly scaffolding. Moreover, the study reveals that SCVL motivates students to actively participate in vocabulary acquisition, despite facing certain challenges. By incorporating the SCVL framework, language instructors can enhance their pedagogical practices and promote sustainable language learning outcomes. Future research is recommended to include a broader range of learners with diverse backgrounds and language proficiency levels, as well as to compare seamless learning with traditional learning approaches. Additionally, exploring CFL teachers’ perceptions of SCVL would be valuable to further understand its impact on language instruction.

Sex prediction from human tooth dimension by ROC curve analysis: a preliminary study

Histomorphology of placentae of women with sickle cell disease during pregnancy – A case control study

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is known to exert multifaceted effects on pregnancy, potentially influencing placental structure and function. Aim Our aim was to utilize stereology as a precise analytical tool to evaluate the histo-morphologic and functional changes in term placentae of women with SCD against those of non-SCD women. Method A case control study was conducted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s labour unit and included 38 pregnant women, comprising 19 cases and 19 controls. Placenta samples were paired and matched with gestational age and taken at term (38 weeks + 2 weeks). Tissue sections were prepared, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and volume densities of syncytial knots, foetal capillaries, syncytial denuded areas, and intervillous spaces estimated by stereological methods. Statistical analysis was performed to compare mean values between the SCD and control groups. Results Among the study participants with SCD, 13.16% (5) had sickle cell haemoglobin S (HbSS), 34.21% (13) had haemoglobin C (HbSC) and 2.63% (1) had β-thalassemia (HbS). On stereological assessment, there were statistically significant differences in mean volume densities of syncytial knots (p = < 0.0034), foetal capillaries (p = < 0.0001), syncytial denudations (p = < 0.0028), and intervillous space (p = < 0.0113) between term placentae of women with SCD and those without SCD. Conclusion SCD placentae may result in a substantial increase in syncytial knot formation, possibly because of hypermaturation of the chorionic villi, significant increase in foetal capillaries potentially due to the hypoxic nature of the SCD placentae, syncytial denuded areas as a result of alteration of the placental syncytium and reduced intervillous spaces which may be due to villous congestion. These findings suggest the need for heightened monitoring of placental function and fetal well-being in pregnancies complicated by SCD to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes.

A three-stage method for analyzing market concentration and airport efficiency in the Yangtze river Delta

PCR-based CRISPR/Cas9 system for fluorescent tagging: A tool for studying Candida parapsilosis virulence

Candida parapsilosis is persistent in a hospital environment hence it is often associated with nosocomial infections especially amongst low-birth weight neonates. Genetic modification is therefore important to characterise the physiological and virulence related properties of this fungus. A PCR-based CRISPR/Cas9 system has been adopted to facilitate the generation of fluorescent tagged prototroph isolates. We examined a total of eight fluorescent protein coding genes, out of which three were found to be applicable for simultaneous utilisation. We investigated three clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis in terms of their adherence to silicone and their uptake by J774.2 murine macrophages in competition assays. Interestingly, we found significant differences between them in both experiments where GA1 isolate was significantly less resistant to macrophage uptake and CDC317 was significantly more adherent to silicone material. In silico analysis of the agglutinin-like sequences (Als) exposed remarkable diversity in this protein family and additionally, the thorough analysis of the ALS genes revealed evidence of formation of a new gene by intrachromosomal recombination in the GA1 isolate. Finally, we provide a step by step protocol for the application of the PCR-based CRISPR/Cas9 system for fluorescently labelling C. parapsilosis isolates.

Validation of a machine learning model for indirect screening of suicidal ideation in the general population

Economic limit calculate method of blocked layer released by water flood wells

Daqing Oilfield is in the forefront, because of polymer flooding well pattern was used to next production layer, so, first development layer was sealed after polymer well was used to next layer, and whose storage reserves is very huge. To 2021, OOIP of the first set of reserves of type II reservoirs has been sealed up to 9603 × 104 t. In order to release the reserves and reduce the influence on oil yield, water drive well pattern was used to product the sealed reserves through additional perforating, but the economic boundary standard to release the sealed layer using water drive well pattern is not determined, so, based on the principle of break-even and the seepage flow theory, this paper establishes the formula for calculating the economic limits of the various unsealing indexes by water flood well, which can effectively solve the problem of communicating and understanding the economic and engineering parameters of the released well, quantificational the limit of layer selection standard of well for releasing. The result showed the cumulative and daily oil production limit is gradually decreases with oil prices increasing, and vertically, the limit is increases with the input-output ratio (ROI) increases. FWHP of oil well b1-40-527 is 0.4 Mpa, well spacing is 300 m, oil well radius is 0.1 m, viscosity is 8.8 mPa. s, production time of 300 d, density of 0.86 g/cm3, when ROI is 1:2, the lower limit of the cumulative oil raised production is 206.9 t and daily increasing oil floor is 0.69 t/d, the minimum released effective thickness is 8.4 m as oil price is 60 $/BBL, meanwhile, the lower limit of the cumulative oil raised production is 421.4 t and daily increasing oil floor is 1.4 t/d when oil price is 40 $/BBL. After increasing the thickness of released layer according the limit, it is verified by actual data, that the increasing oil production of daily and accumulated reached to the calculation minimum limit after thickness increased by re-unsealing. The fluid production daily of the well b1-40-527 was 41.41 t/d and oil production was 1.53 t/d, water cut was 96.3% before the well releasing, then, the well was released firstly in July 2021, total effective thickness released is 6.6 m, after the released, the daily oil production was 1.92 t/d, the daily water cut was 96.3%, and oil production daily increased is 0.39 t/d, which is lower than the requirement of 0.79 t with oil price is 60 $/BBL and ROI is 1:2, therefore, the lower permeability layers were added, the total released thickness is to 10.7 m, which meets the requirement of unsealing, and the daily fluid production of the well b1-40-527 was to 67.79 t/d, the daily oil production was 3.2 t/d, the daily water cut was 95.3%, daily oil production increased was by 1.25 t/d, water cut decreased is 1.0%, and the releasing measure is valid still now.

Factors associated with health seeking behaviours and practice of antibiotics self-medication among adults in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Post-traumatic stress disorder and associated factors among road traffic accident survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Road traffic accidents have become a global public health issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Road Safety Report 2018, there are over 1.35 million deaths related to road traffic accidents (RTAs) annually. Although several primary studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence and associated factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among RTA survivors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these studies have reported inconsistent findings. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and associated factors of PTSD among RTA survivors in SSA. Methods The studies were accessed through the Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using search terms. Moreover, citation tracking was also performed. A random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of PTSD and determine associated factors among RTA survivors in SSA. Results A total of 17 primary studies with a sample size of 9,056 RTA survivors were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of PTSD among RTA survivors in SSA was 23.36% (95% CI: 18.36, 28.36); I2 = 96.73%; P < 0.001). Female gender [AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.01], depression symptoms [AOR = 2.96, 95% CI: 2.17, 4.03], duration since the accident (1-3 months) [AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.52], poor social support [AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.09, 8.11], and substance use [AOR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.68, 6.52] were significantly associated with PTSD. Conclusions The pooled prevalence of PTSD was low in SSA compared to studies that have been conducted outside the region. Female gender, depression symptoms, duration since the accident (1-3 months), poor social support, and substance use were the pooled independent predictors of PTSD among RTA survivors in SSA. Those RTA survivors with these identified risk factors would be screened and managed early for PTSD using pharmacological treatment and brief psychological intervention. Future researchers shall conduct further studies using different methods, including qualitative studies to identify additional predictors of PTSD among RTA survivors in SSA.