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Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are a series of disorders affecting brain development and function and characterized by significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition plays a critical role in the subtle regulation of neuronal connectivity, morphology, and synaptic transmission throughout early embryonic development to adulthood. A prevailing hypothesis demonstrated that disrupted excitatory/inhibitory(E/I) balance and abnormal synaptic connectivity underlie the pathogenesis of autism. However, the specific molecular mechanism by which GABA and GABAergic synaptic transmission affect NDD remains unclear. In this review, we summarized current evidence focusing on the altered expression and function of the GABAergic system and how it relates to ASD and other ASD -related syndromic disorders and highlighted the new therapeutic perspectives of GABA or GABA modulators for the treatment of ASD.

INTRODUCTIONMycosis fungoides: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It represents the most common type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas 12. Follicular or folliculotropic MF (F-MF, also known as follicular T-cell lymphoma, follicular MF, MF-associated mucinosis, or pleiotropic MF) is an under-recognized subtype of MF. It is characterized histologically by folliculotropism (histologically analogous to epidermotropism) with malignant T cells, with or without associated follicular mucinosis3. In 2005, The WHO/EORTC considered F-MF as a variant of MF in their classification4-7.Mycosis fungoides in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, few studies are available about MF and F-MF1,8-12. AlGhamdi et al examined the clinicopathologic features of MF in 43 cases of immunohistologically confirmed MF. The average age was 33.5 years was reviewed. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Most of the cases presented in an early-stage (I and II) MF. Most of the patients had classic MF and other subtypes included hypopigmented MF and other variants. The patients were followed up for a duration of 27.6 months. The follow-up data indicated that few patients recovered (9.5%) patients recovered; whereas the majority (83.3%) had persistent MF skin lesions. A single patient had the extracutaneous disease; whereas only two patients died of MF 8.Al-Dawsari et al examined the surgical pathology records of Saudi patients from 1995 to 2014 at the Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Center (Eastern Province of KSA). This medical facility is the healthcare provider for the employees working at Saudi Aramco company and their dependents in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The total number of primary skin tumors was 204 and out of them 22 cases were MF10. Albasri et al examined the pattern of skin cancer in the Madinah region of KSA. Among the 202 cancer cases examined in their series, there were 14 (6.8%) cases of MF. The mean age of the patients was 30.7 years with a male-to-female ratio of 11:3. The distribution of the MF skin lesions included: 4 cases (head and neck), 3 cases (upper limb), and 7 cases (lower limb) 11.Alsaif et al described the Leser-Trelat sign (sudden appearance of seborrheic keratosis) in a 60-year-old Saudi male patient with MF. The lesions appeared on the face and back 12. Alojail et reported the clinical features and treatment regimens in 34 cases of MF in KSA. The cases included both hyperpigmented (11 cases) and hypopigmented (21 cases) MF, poikilodermatous MF, and pagetoid reticulosis (a single, each). The treatment regimens included phototherapy Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) in combination with topical corticosteroids, phototherapy NB-UVB in combination with the topical corticosteroid, and phototherapy NB-UVB with topical corticosteroid and systemic acitretin 1.Alghubaywi et al examined all MF cases diagnosed at King Abdulaziz Medical City in KSA (January 2016 to July 2022). A total of 73 patients were included in their study. The incidence of MF was slightly higher in females (male to female ratio: 1: 1.3). The average age was 44 years. The most common MF subtypes included classic MF, followed by hypopigmented MF. Most of the cases were presented at an early-stage MF (IA, IB, and IIA). The treatment option was mainly in the form of topical steroids. Immunohistological staining of CD4+/CD8+ with CD8 predominance was common and this may reason for the favorable disease outcome 13. These authors also indicated that MF was under-recognized with 20% of the patients with MF initially misdiagnosed as atopic dermatitis. The correct diagnosis of MF was rendered within a mean of 33 months from the time of presentation to the Dermatology clinics. The authors reasoned the delay in the diagnosis of MF the fact that chronic dermatitis and MF share several clinical manifestations such as the presence of pruritic, erythematous, scaly plaques 13. A summary of the previous studies is shown in Table 1.Follicular mucinosis: Follicular mucinosis, i.e. accumulation of mucin in the epithelium of the hair follicles can be either a primary idiopathic disorder or an associated event with several inflammatory conditions (such as chronic spongiotic dermatitis), benign or malignant neoplasms14-16. In 1957, Pinkus first described mucin deposits in the follicular epithelium (alopecia mucinosa) that are associated with folliculotropism, i.e., infiltration of the epithelial cells of the outer hair sheath by atypical lymphocytes17. In 1959, the term follicular mucinosis was introduced by Jablonska 18. There are two clinical types of follicular mucinosis: idiopathic follicular mucinosis and lymphoma-related follicular mucinosis, i.e., F-MF. The latter can be separated from the classical MF on a clinical and histological basis2,19,20. Currently, there is no specific therapy for idiopathic follicular mucinosis and the skin lesions can resolve spontaneously within a period of 2 to 24. Some therapeutic options include steroids (topical, intralesional, and systemic steroids), photodynamic therapy, antimalarials, interferon, and dapson21,22.Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides: F-MF represents the most common non-classic variant of MF, representing approximately 10% of the cases of MF 23. It usually shows a male predominance and most of the cases occur in adults 24. Its clinical findings include follicle-based infiltrated erythematous grouped papules resembling acne or keratosis pilaris, patches, plaques, and tumor-like lesions with follicular accentuation 2,20,25. Other clinical presentations include prurigo-like lesions, pseudotumors, lichen spinulosus-like lesions, rosacea-like lesions, and lupus tumidus-like plaques 26. Pruritis is a common complaint and it is aggravated by superinfection by staphylococcus auras resulting in pyoderma 25. The lesions of F-MF vary from solitary lesions to extensive lesions giving the appearance of a leonine face 23. The head and neck region is the most commonly affected site. Other sites include the trunk, and the extremities 17. The features of F-MF are seen in nearly 10% of the patients with MF 2,20,25. The salient histological features of F-MF include perivascular and peri‑adnexal dermal lymphocytic infiltrates with variable infiltration and destruction of the follicular epithelium by small, medium‑sized, or large-sized lymphocytes with hyperconvoluted nuclei (cerebriformnuclei). The epidermis is usually spared. Other histological findings include follicular mucinosis, Pautrier’s Micro-abscess, follicular plugging, tagging of the atypical lymphocytes along the follicular epithelium, peri-eccrine infiltrate of atypical lymphocytes23,26. Immunohistochemistry usually reveals prominent CD3 positive infiltrate, witha predominance of CD4 positive lymphocytes over rare CD8 positive T-cells. CD7 expression is reduced or completely lost. Molecular analysis (T-cell receptor-γ gene rearrangement) reveals a monoclonal T-cell population23,26-28. The therapeutic options in F-MF include photochemotherapy combined with interferon alpha-2a and retinoids. Other options include local radiotherapy, topical imiquimod, and total body electron beam irradiation 23.Several F-MF case reports were presented in the literature. Monopoli et al described two adult patients with F-MF. The clinical manifestations included alopecia and follicular erythematous papules, and comedones and cysts, respectively. The histological findings included folliculotropic atypical T-cell infiltrate that extends to the epidermis. There was no associated mucinosis. Clonality analyses revealed the oligo/monoclonal nature of the T-cell lymphocytic infiltrate 27.Rajalakshmi et al examined four cases of F-MF affecting the skin of the face. The mean age of the patients was 17.5 years and there were no differences in gender distribution. The lesions were in the form of hypopigmented patches or erythematous plaques. Two patients had associated alopecia. The salient histological finding included folliculotropism, mucin deposition around the hair follicles, lymphocyte tagging with haloes, atypical lymphocytes with hyperconvoluted/cerebriform nuclei, and infiltration of the eccrine and sebaceous glands by atypical lymphocytes. Other histological features included the presence of epithelioid cells, parakeratosis, and a prominent infiltrate of eosinophils 29. Magro et al reported 6 cases of unilesional follicular MF. All the patients were males with a mean age of 28 years. The patients were presented with a solitary lesion on the face and scalp (five patients) and trunk (a single patient) that persisted for a few months. There were follicular prominence and alopecia. On histology, there was an atypical folliculotropic lymphocytic infiltrate associated with follicular mucinosis. Immunohistology revealed a high CD4: CD8 ratio and loss of CD7 expression. A single untreated case developed similar lesions over the skin of the thigh and buttock after 3-4 years 28. F-MF usually occurs in adults with an average age at the time of diagnosis of 60 years 30. F-MF is exceptionally rare in children and adolescents. Mantri et al reported a case of F-MF in a 16-year-old boy who presented with 6x7 cm plaque on the forehead for a 2-month duration. Immunohistological examination revealed dense atypical T-cell lymphocytes invading and destroying the hair follicles. Follicular mucinosis was also seen. Most of the neoplastic cells were CD4-positive T- T-lymphocytes with scarce CD8-positive T cells around the hair follicles. Treatment was in the form of a spot electron beam and the lesion completely resolved within 2 months 30. Interestingly, Emge et al reported a case of F-MF in a 6-year-old boy. The lymphoma was associated with idiopathic follicular mucinosis31.Taken collectively, these previous reports indicated that F-MF is a rare and aggressive form of MF that has a worse prognosis compared to conventional MF. It usually affects the head and neck region in adults. It has distinct histological features and may or may not be associated with follicular mucinosis. F-MF has several clinical presentations and many histological faces. Therefore, it is often misdiagnosed, or diagnosed with much delay at an advanced stage as compared to the conventional MF.Herein, we report a case of F-MF in a middle-aged male patient. To date and to be best of our knowledge, this is the first case of F-MF to be reported in the Southern region (Asir region) of the KSA. The clinicopathologic features were discussed.

Impulsive noise is a significant concern for Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) wireless communication systems. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of hybrid combining techniques in mitigating the impact of impulsive noise caused by both man-made and natural phenomena. The Selection combining-Equal Gain Combining (SC-EGC) and Selection Combining Maximal Ratio Combining (SC-MRC) hybrid techniques are considered in the presence of three different noise models: Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN), Middleton Class-A impulsive noise model, and Symmetric Alpha Stable (SαS) impulsive noise model for the Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. Bit Error Rate (BER) is used to assess channel performance. The research contribution of this paper is the comprehensive evaluation of hybrid combining techniques in a set of noise models that can arise in wireless communication systems, including both man-made and natural sources of impulsive noise. The findings suggest that impulsive noise has a greater impact on channel performance than AWGN noise, and hybrid combining techniques are more effective in mitigating its effects. The results have significant research significance and practical implications for SIMO wireless communication systems, and can guide the development of more robust and reliable communication systems in the presence of impulsive noise.

Treating pain in patients with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is complex and must be addressed in a multidisciplinary fashion. Patients tend to experience diffuse, chronic, debilitating pain. Pain is described as both nociceptive and neuropathic in nature and is frequently systemic in presentation. We present a case of a 33-year-old female patient with severe pain, resulting in significant functional decline, impaired quality of life, and severe isolation due to her underlying hEDS and related medical comorbidities. This patient has a past medical history of chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), gastroparesis, small fiber neuropathy, ureteral stones, depression, and fibromyalgia. She follows with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) clinic for ongoing treatment of hEDS and comorbid conditions (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome [MCAS] and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome [POTS]) with the goal of improved strength, mobility, and quality of life.Despite many treatment trials, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic in nature, the patient’s chronic systemic symptoms remained uncontrolled. The PM&R team was further limited on additional pharmacologic treatments due to her significant allergy history including gabapentin, zolpidem, ramelteon, duloxetine, eszopiclone, pregabalin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, clonidine, cortisone, erythromycin, melatonin, nortriptyline, ropinirole, and trazodone. From a non-pharmacological perspective, the patient was trialed on an anti-inflammatory diet but failed due to comorbid gastroparesis. The patient was unable to complete physical and cognitive behavior therapies due to pain limitations and financial concerns. The PM&R team continuously faced a vicious cycle of a patient desperate for help, trialing a range of treatment modalities, and having to abruptly stop due to medical and financial limitations.In January of 2023, a breakthrough in this cycle was noted once the patient began receiving omalizumab injections with the Allergy and Immunology clinic for her MCAS. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to IgE receptors on mast cells and basophils to prevent an immune-mediated reaction [1]. After receiving five injections, the patient reported a significant improvement in the inflammation throughout her body, with additional profound reduction in her systemic swelling. Subsequently, the patient noticed a decrease in systemic pain and significant increase in functional mobility.The patient continues to follow with the PM&R department and has maintained an overall reduction in limiting systemic symptoms and chronic pain. This has been tracked with the visual analog scale at each appointment. Pre-omalizumab treatment pain was recorded as 10/10. Post- omalizumab treatment pain has consistently been recorded as 6-7/10. As noted in literature, a 3-point reduction is a clinically significant outcome correlating to patient perception of sufficient pain control [2]. While Omalizumab has been beneficial in decreasing systemic inflammation and pain, this most importantly has led to an increase in the patient’s functional mobility and independence, which were her primary goals when presenting to the PM&R clinic.Ultimately, the reduction in this patient’s systemic inflammatory symptoms and chronic pain after initiating omalizumab therapy prompted the question of possible links between antihistamines, omalizumab, and chronic pain relief. A literature search was conducted and to the author’s knowledge, there is no prior literature researching this connection.Pain is a hallmark of inflammation, and there is considerable evidence that suggest that mast cells play a role in pain signaling by secreting mediators that induce peripheral sensitization. Targeting mast cell activation and production may improve analgesic therapy for systemic mast cell activation disease [3]. Currently, omalizumab is approved for use in cases of mast cell activation syndrome, urticaria, and severe allergic asthma [4, 5].In patients with hEDS, uncontrolled, diffuse, atypical pain is often the presenting symptom and most difficult to treat. While there are multiple factors that potentially contribute, including nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, impaired proprioception, and central sensitization, the mechanism behind pain in EDS and its subtypes is poorly understood [6]. Therefore, there are no disease-modifying treatments available for EDS, rather management is tailored to the patient’s symptomatology [7]. Current methods in practice include physiotherapy, pharmacologic pain management, and lifestyle modifications, including limited vigorous activity to decrease bone and muscle morbidity [8, 9].In addition, the role of the immune system in any of the EDS subtypes is not well known. Few case reports suggest a possible association between hEDS, allergies, and immunodeficiencies; however, further research is required to better understand the correlation [10]. In addition to the commonly observed rheumatological manifestations of hEDs, such as joint instability, arthralgias, myalgias, and arthritis, many patients with hEDS have comorbid systemic inflammatory disorders that could be explained by a chronic release of mast cell-related immune factors [11]. Mast cells are known to express IgE and IgG receptors, among several others, that release proinflammatory granule mediators like histamine upon binding. When unregulated, as seen in hEDS, these mediators can affect any organ system and present with a range of clinical manifestations, including IBS, urticaria, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias [4, 12].Our patient with hEDS and MCAS showed significant improvement in her chronic systemic pain after omalizumab. Though omalizumab can be used to treat comorbidities of hEDS, we propose there may be some use in considering further research in applying omalizumab as a potential therapy in hEDS patients with uncontrolled systemic pain. Further research can evaluate the relationship between omalizumab and pain in hEDS more closely. With the potential for omalizumab to reduce pain in hEDS, patients could integrate this therapy into their regiment sooner, with the hope to improve overall outcomes in terms of pain, mobility, functionality, social interaction, and quality of life.

This paper deals with the stabilization of a linear hyperbolic system subject to a boundary disturbance. Our feedback design relies on the strategy called active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). The unknown disturbance is estimated by an extended state observer. We prove the existence of solutions of the closed-loop system and the global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system. A numerical example is given to illustrate the efficiency of our strategy.

Background and Purpose: The presence of unique terpenes in Poria cocos (PC) enables it to treat various diseases. However, the modes of action (MOA) of PC have not been investigated. Hence, the present study was conducted to address this research gap via molecular docking and drug-induced transcriptome analyses. Experimental Approach: For molecular docking analysis, data on PC terpenes and druggable proteomes were collected from public databases. Transcriptome data generated using intestinal and brain cell lines were also collected. We compared the results of docking analysis and transcriptome analysis and constructed a diffusion network (DN) to bridge the gap between the results of the two analyses. The DN analysis was also proposed to confirm its MOA against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Key Results: The docking and transcriptome analysis of PC allowed for the prediction of its existing clinical efficacy. Differences between the docking and the transcriptome analysis were also confirmed; however, the results of both analyses were complementary. Finally, the DN was constructed for AD, and the submodules of AD with which terpenes interacted were identified. The AD DN analysis confirmed the detailed pharmacological mechanism of PC. Conclusion and Implications: This study identified the MOA of PC using biological data and in silico methods. The method proposed herein can help identify the pharmacological MOA of complex natural products.

Clearing the status of sloping cropland degradation in typical black soil region is the basis for restoring and reconstructing degraded black soil. To date, the spatial distribution pattern of degree of soil degradation is lacking. In this paper, we predicted the spatial distribution of degree of soil degradation based on the soil degradation index (SDI). We compared the accuracy of Ordinary Kriging (OK) and Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) with different simulation times. SGS was also used to evaluate the degradation risk of sloping cropland in typical black soil region of Northeast China. The results showed that: SDI ranged from 0.013 to 0.864, with a mean value of 0.445. The realization with 200 times by SGS was the best, with an increasing pattern of SDI from north to south in the study area. Mildly degraded soil, moderate degraded soil, severe degraded soil, and extremely severe degraded soil accounted for 35.3%, 52.4%, 12.1%, and 0.2% of total sloping cropland, respectively. The potential degradation risk and high-risk areas were about 53.4% and 23.1% of the total sloping cropland, respectively. The result of risk assessment could serve for making decisions by relevant departments.

The proposed framework advocates the early detection and diagnosis of disease and increases the efficiency of treatment and recovery. The data collected from wearable devices are processed in a fuzzy inference system (FIS) which consists of four main components namely fuzzification, Knowledge Discovery Dataset (KDD), prediction model, and defuzzification. The fuzzification data and KDD outcome are forwarded to the prediction model to train the model to detect the disease. The inference system’s final component is defuzzification, which converts the fuzzy set from the prediction model to the desired crisp set values. The proposed research exploits Weka 3.8.6 tool to analyze the monkeypox dataset. A fuzzy decision tree is generated from the J48 algorithm and eight fuzzy rules are formulated from the C4.5 algorithm. The devised research uses approximately 25000 instances in which 16682 instances are classified correctly 66.728 % and 8318 instances are classified incorrectly 33.272 %. The performance metrics like True Positive (TP) rate, False Positive (FP) rate, precision, recall, and F-measure are evaluated. The confusion matrix predicts the number of correct and incorrect predictions. The suggested fuzzy logic-based analytics advocates the faster detection of disease and reduces hospitalization. Also, the research promotes effective interaction among healthcare service providers and patients. The devised work is a research-driven exploration into the application of fuzzy logic in the domain of medical diagnosis and prognosis.

As a holoparasitic weed, broomrape has seriously threatened the production of economically important crops, such as melon, watermelon, processed tomato, and sunflower, in the Xinjiang Province in recent years. However, the distribution and genetic diversity of broomrape populations in Xinjiang are not clear at present, which hinders their prevention and control process. In the present study, 93 samples from different geographic regions of Xinjiang were collected to identify the species based on ITS and plastid rps2 regions, and the samples were used to analyze the genetic diversity based on ISSR markers. The results showed that broomrape is not monophyletic in Xinjiang and consists of two major clades (Orobanche cf. aegyptiaca and O. cernua) and three subclades (O. cf. aegyptiaca var. tch, O. cf. aegyptiaca var. klz, O. cernua.var. alt) by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and rps2. Furthermore, the results of the genetic diversity analysis indicated that the 11 selected primers produced 154 repeatable polymorphic bands, of which 150 were polymorphic. The genetic diversity of the samples was 37.19% within populations and 62.81% among the populations, indicating that the main genetic differentiation occurred among the populations. There was less gene exchange between populations, with a gene flow index (Nm) of 0.2961 (<1). The UPGMA dendrogram indicated that most populations with similar geographical conditions and hosts were clustered first, and then all samples were separated into two major groups and seven subclusters. This is the first study to clarify genetic diversity and population distribution of broomrape in Xinjiang. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, control, and breeding of broomrape-resistant varieties.

Gene function conservation is crucial in molecular ecology, especially for key traits like growth and maturation in teleost fish. The vgll3 and six6 genes are known to influence age-at-maturity in Atlantic salmon, but their impact on other fish species is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the association of vgll3 and six6 in the domestication of gilthead seabream and European seabass, both undergoing selective breeding for growth-related traits in the Mediterranean. We analysed two different sets of samples using two different genotyping approaches. The first dataset comprised farmed and wild populations from Greece, genotyped for SNPs within the genomic range of the two genes (“gene-level genotyping”). The second dataset examined 300k to 600k SNPs located in the chromosomes of the two genes, derived from a meta-analysis of a Pool-Seq experiment involving farmed and wild populations distributed widely across the Mediterranean (“chromosome-level genotyping”). The gene-level analysis revealed a significant effect of domestication on both genes in each species. This finding was partially supported by the chromosome-level analysis, identifying highly differentiated regions associated with domestication at varying distances from the candidate genes. Noteworthy genomic features were found, such as a CpG island in gilthead seabream and novel candidate genes in European seabream, warranting further investigation. These findings support a putative role of vgll3 and six6 in the maturation and growth of gilthead seabream and European seabass, emphasizing the need for further research on their conserved function.

A 0.8-6 GHz Flat High Gain Inductorless LNA in 180-nm BiCMOSDongyan Zhao1,†, Yanning Chen 1,2,†, Shuaipeng Wang 2, Jin Shao 1, Chengzhi Li 3, and Zhen Fu21 National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Reliability Technology of Energy Internet Intelligent Terminal Core Chip，Beijing Smart-Chip Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.2 Beijing Chip Identification Technology Co., Ltd.3 School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China† These authors should be considered joint first author .Email: chengzhiL@stu.xidian.edu.cnThis paper presents a 0.8-6 GHz inductor less low-noise amplifier (LNA) with an improved deep trench isolation (DTI) electrostatic discharge (ESD) diode. The improved DTI diodes reduce parasitic capacitance by up to 30% compared to conventional ones. This design includes a cascode amplifier with RC shunt feedback and an emitter follower. For the circuit design, a detailed port matching and gain flatness analysis are given. This work achieves a flat high S21 of 18±0.2 dB and an extremely low noise figure of 2.56-2.85 dB. The S11 and S22 are below -11 dB and -18 dB over the entire frequency band. The input third-order intermodulation point (IIP3) is -5.72 dBm at 2 GHz. Thanks to the inductor-less design, LNA core occupies only 0.05 mm2area.Introduction: Today, there are an increasing number of communication protocols. RF receivers need to support multiple carrier frequencies to ensure system flexibility[1]. For multimode receivers, a discrete design would have higher requirements on system area and power consumption[2,3]. Hence, an ultra-wideband RF chip shared among different standards is preferred to reduce chip size and cost.The wideband LNA is a compulsory module in an ultra-wideband wireless receiver system. As the first stage of the receiver, the broadband LNA needs to achieve impedance matching, low noise, and flat frequency response over a wide bandwidth range[4,5]. However, the massive use of on-chip inductors greatly increases the manufacturing cost. Therefore, inductorless LNA topologies have been widely studied in recent years.This paper presents a fully integrated 0.8-6 GHz broadband LNA based on a 0.18 µm SiGe BiCMOS process with an on-chip dual DTI diodes structure for ESD protection. The first-stage circuit uses a cascaded common-emitter transistor and a resistive shunt feedback structure to achieve flat high gain and broadband input impedance matching without any on-chip inductor. The second stage circuit uses an emitter follower to achieve output matching in the entire band of interest.Proposed LNA circuit: Fig 1 illustrates the schematic of the proposed SiGe LNA, consisting of a cascode amplifier with resistive shunt feedback and an emitter follower. Considering that the proposed circuit does not utilize any on-chip inductors and hence the parasitic capacitance (pads, transistors, and ESD protection devices) is fatal to the bandwidth. This paper proposes an ESD protection device with low parasitic capacitance.

1. The prevalence of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is influenced by socioeconomic status and therefore reported to be low in developed countries. 2. Māori and Pacific peoples were overrepresented in this cohort of patients and were more likely to have severe disease. 3. Diagnosing CSOM relies on the patient being seen multiple times by a general practitioner. However, due to the critical shortage of primary healthcare workers in New Zealand this is often not possible and can lead to the disease going undiagnosed for prolonged periods of time. 4. Children whose hearing was worse pre-operatively were more likely to have a significant improvement in hearing postoperatively. 5. This is the first study to highlight ethnic disparities in children with CSOM in New Zealand. Addressing health inequities is an important strategy, but a systemic change may be required to achieve sustained equity for these minority ethnic groups.

Background: This study estimates availability and prevalence of reuse of energy-based devices for thyroid surgery in middle income country settings. Design: A cross-sectional survey Setting: Thai governmental hospitals (as a model of middle-income country) Methods: A questionnaire with questions regarding device availability and the manner of reuse were sent during April 2021 and May 2022 to Thai government hospitals that provide thyroid surgery services Results: The survey response rate was 54.55%. Adoption rate of energy-based devices by Thai governmental hospitals for thyroid surgery was 71%. EBDs availability differences were statistically significant in general hospitals compared to community hospitals and in hospitals with higher number of beds. In hospitals where energy-based devices were available 97% of the hospitals reused the energy-based devices. Inadequate ligation was the most common problem encountered among multiple problems faced with reused devices. Out-of-pocket expense varied in both new and reused devices. Conclusion Energy-based devices were commonly adopted for thyroid surgery in Thailand. Likewise, reuse of the devices was commonly practiced. Safety and reliability issues warrant future studies. Reuse of these advanced equipment is one of the methods to control operational cost therefore economic evaluation may also consider reuse strategy.

Telehealth is an emerging approach that uses technology to provide healthcare remotely. Recent publications have outlined the importance of supporting the transition to self-management of adolescents with allergic conditions. However, no synthesis of the evidence base on the use and impact of telehealth interventions for this purpose has been conducted to date. This review achieves these aims, in addition to exploring the language use surrounding these interventions, and their implementation. Four databases were searched systematically. References were independently screened by two reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. Eighteen papers were included, reporting on fifteen telehealth interventions. 86% targeted adolescents with asthma. Mobile applications were the most common telehealth modality used, followed by video-conferencing, web-based, virtual reality and artificial intelligence Five intervention content categories were identified; educational, monitoring, behavioural, psychosocial and healthcare navigational. Peer and/or healthcare professional interaction, gamification and tailoring may increase engagement. The studies showed positive effects of the interventions or no difference from active controls, in self-management outcomes such as knowledge, health outcomes such as quality-of-life, and economic outcomes such as healthcare utilisation. The most common implementation outcomes reported were acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and fidelity.

Despite their great promise as high-energy-density alternatives to Li-ion batteries, the extensive use of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries is constrained by the slow kinetics of both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). To increase the overall performance of Li-O2 batteries, it is essential to increase the efficiency of oxygen electrode reactions by constructing effective electrocatalysts. As a high-efficiency catalyst for Li-O2 batteries, high entropy perovskite oxide (La0.8Sr0.2)(Mn0.2Fe0.2Cr0.2Co0.2Ni0.2)O3 (referred to as LS(MFCCN)O3) is designed and investigated in this article. The introduction of dissimilar metals in LS(MFCCN)O3 has the potential to cause lattice deformation, thereby enhancing electron transfer between transition metal ions and facilitating the formation of numerous oxygen vacancies. This feature is advantageous for the reversible production and breakdown of discharge product Li2O2. Consequently, the Li-O2 battery utilizing LS(MFCCN)O3 as a catalyst achieves an impressive discharge capacity of 17078.2 mAh g-1 and exhibits an extended cycling life of 435 cycles. This study offers a useful method for adjusting the catalytic performance of perovskite oxides toward oxygen redox reactions in Li-O2 batteries.

This paper presents a novel approach to model and monitor the energy dynamics of smart devices within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT). The proposed approach employs eXtended Hybrid Petri nets (xHPN) to emulate the behavior of interconnected smart devices forming a wireless network. The novelty of this study lies in the utilization of a fluidic representation to model the battery behavior of smart devices, allowing for the simulation of continuous energy consumption and replenishment via renewable energy harvesting to reflect real-world scenarios. Furthermore, in order to conserve energy, we introduce a new sleeping mechanism named the “Triple Sleeping Strategy”. Experimental study showcases the predictive capabilities of the developed model in simulating the performance of IoT networks prior to their actual deployment. Comparative analysis against recent works demonstrates the benefits of our approach, in terms of energy efficiency and device lifespan.

Five decades of monitoring data (1974-2022) at the acidified, acid-sensitive forested catchment of Langtjern in southern Norway document strong chemical recovery and browning of surface water, related to changes in sulfur (S) deposition. We used the process-oriented model MAGIC to simulate water chemistry from 1860 to 2100 using historical and projected deposition and climate. New in MAGIC is i) a solubility control of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from S deposition, which allows inclusion of the changing role of organic acids in chemical recovery, and ii) climate-dependency of weathering rates. MAGIC successfully described measured chemical recovery and browning, and the change towards organic acid dominated acidification status. Hindcasts of pH suggested lower preindustrial pH than previously modelled with MAGIC, simulated without sulfate-dependency of DOC solubility. Climate scenarios indicated substantially wetter climate, leading to increased base cation losses and slight reacidification of the surface waters. A sensitivity analysis of weathering rates revealed that a doubling of weathering rates is needed to reach pre-industrial ANC in 2100, given that S deposition is expected to be reduced to a minimum. We conclude that impacts of climate change are most likely to lead to slight reacidification of surface waters, and that enhanced weathering rates could partly compensate this trend.

Foraging is one of the behaviors in which animals are most at risk from predation, the optimal foraging theory states that an animal will get the maximum benefit at the lowest possible cost, and predator odor stress plays an important role in the growth, development and reproduction of animals. However, the effects of predation risk and maternal effects on foraging behavior are not clear. To investigate the influence of predation risk on the foraging behavior of the first filial generation through the maternal effects during the breeding period, we tookMicrotus fortis as the experimental subject, and the fecal odor of the predator M. sibirica was taken as the predation risk source; the matrix was placed in the odor exposure box during gestation and lactation, respectively, and the foraging behavior was tested after the first filial generation was weaned. We found that predator odor would increase the rate of food intake by increasing the size of their mouths, increasing the frequency of feeding, and decreasing the duration of feeding. In addition, voles also increased the size of their mouths when exposed to the scent of the non-predator apodemus agrarius, suggesting that they could gain an advantage in resource competition by eating more food. Therefore, in addition to improving energy intake through food selection, animals can also improve foraging efficiency and reduce predation risk by changing foraging behavior characteristics, which provides a new entry point for anti-predation strategies of animals and enrich the research on anti-predation behaviors.

Here, we describe a karst pool and cave ecosystem of Taiwan’s ‘Orchid Island’. The pool and cave system contained a particularly rich sponge fauna with 17 potentially novel species identified after careful examination and a large number of possibly novel species identified following preliminary examination. The ecosystem currently receives no formal protection and is adjacent to a nuclear storage waste facility.

Abstract: In many developing countries, the construction of transmission lines often lags behind commissioning of new power plants. This results in insufficient transmission line capacity to evacuate generated power to distant load centres. This study aims to address the problem of overcapacity of installed generation relative to transmission capacity and demand, arising from the misalignment of investments in the respective segments. The study proposes coordinated Generation and Transmission Expansion Planning (GTEP) models that consider surplus generation capacity while minimizing investment and operating costs to unlock suppressed customer demand. We develop a multistage stochastic optimization model for GTEP, as well as isolated Generation Expansion Planning (GEP) and Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP) models, and then compare their performance. The models were developed and simulated using PLEXOS Software by Energy Exemplar. The results show that the combined GTEP model provides an optimal expansion plan that utilizes surplus generation capacity and reduces suppressed demand by prioritizing transmission network reinforcements and then investments in generation. The TEP model mitigates overcapacity and unserved energy in some areas, but if not aligned with generation planning, there will be eventual power supply shortages as demand exceeds generation over time.

The aim of this study is to review the news about substance abusers in the national print media and to determine the current state of affairs in the print media. In the study conducted by using document analysis method, 217 news articles that published in the first six newspapers with high circulation in one year between 01.02.2022 - 01.02.2023 and focused on substance addiction were reviewed. It was determined that the descriptive characteristics of the individuals were mostly presented explicitly in the news articles; news items with information content were featured less than news items with punishment, suicide, death, or more than one of them in combination; news items that resulted in hospitalisation, treatment, and recovery were rarely featured; while the committed crime implied the crime of the substance, the abuser became the victim; negative discourses were used against abuser; and the news items featuring celebrities involved innocent and encouraging discourses about the substance. The language and content used in the news on substance addiction should be edited. More sensitivity of media workers toward substance addiction and the publication of news in cooperation with psychiatric health workers will contribute to the positive impact on the social perception of substance addiction and the recovery processes of substance abusers.

Sexual violence is a world-wide health problem that has begun to escalate in online and virtual spaces. One form of technology-facilitated sexual violence that has escalated in recent years is image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), or the nonconsensual creation, distribution, and/or threat of distribution of nude or sexual images. Using a trauma-informed and victim-centered framework, we asked victim-survivors for structural solutions to IBSA based on their own experiences. Using thematic analysis on 36 semi-structured interviews with adult U.S. victim-survivors of IBSA, we found that victim-survivors proposed structural solutions to IBSA along 5 general dimensions: legal (creating/strengthening laws, enforcing laws, facilitating legal navigation), corporate (corporate responsibility/activism and solutions for employers), educational (IBSA education, outreach and advocacy, and developing communities of support), technological (more platform accountability, improved procedures for uploading images, better avenues for reporting and removing images, and enhanced platform policies), and cultural. Many solutions built on existing structures (e.g., sexual education in schools) and frameworks (e.g., creating support groups like those for people in recovery from alcohol abuse), enabling educational professionals, policy makers, victim-support service providers, and corporations to readily implement them.

Endorsement of the employed student identity can provide social support for employed students or protection from negative intergroup comparisons. However, not much is known about what identity aspects or characteristics comprise the employed student identity and how they become important and central to that identity. Using data from 215 employed university students in the UK, we investigated two research questions (RQ’s) in this mixed-method study. RQ1. What are the identity aspects that participants ascribe to the employed student identity? RQ2. Are identity aspects that distinguish employed from non-employed students, and are considered more suitable for employed versus non-employed students, more central and more important to the employed students’ self-concept? A thematic analysis categorised the identity aspects that participants selected into 14 distinct categories, with the most important categories being hard-working, being organised, having motivation, and discipline. Multilevel analyses of identity aspects within individuals revealed that distinctiveness was negatively associated with the importance and centrality of aspects, whereas suitability for employed students was positively associated with the importance and centrality of aspects. We offer practical value through revealing important identity aspects which inoculate employed students against negative intergroup comparisons, and theoretical value through suggesting future avenues for employed students’ identity construction.