RNA editing is a tightly controlled process by which cytidines are converted to uridines in RNAs transcribed from the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes in flowering plants. Multiple organellar RNA editing factor (MORF) complex was recently shown to be highly associated with C-to-U RNA editing activity of vascular plant editosome. However, mechanisms by which MORF9 mediates plastid RNA editing to control plant development in response to environmental cues remains obscure. In this study, we found that loss of MORF9 function impaired PSII efficiency, NDH activity, and carbohydrate production, rapidly promoted nuclear gene expression including sucrose transporter and sugar/energy responsive genes, and attenuated seedling development under sugar starvation conditions. Sugar repletion increased MORF9 and MORF2 expression in wild-type seedlings and promoted inefficiency of matK-706C, accD-794C, ndhD-383C and ndhF-290C RNA editing in morf9 mutant. This RNA editing inefficiency was associated with altered cell division in root meristem zone and nuclear gene expression in the morf9 mutant. Using gin2, snrk1, morf9 single and double mutants and overexpression of SnRK1 (KIN10) or HXK1 in the morf9 mutant background demonstrated that RNA editing efficiency of ndhD-383C and ndhF-290C sites was diminished in the gin2/morf9 double mutants, and editing efficiency of matK-706C, accD-794C, ndhD-383C and ndhF-290C sites was significantly diminished in the snrk1/morf9 double mutants. Overexpressing HXK1 or SnRK1 promoted RNA editing rate of matK, accD, ndhD, and ndhF in leaves of morf9 mutants，indicating that HXK1 might be required for MORF9 mediated ndhD-383C and ndhF-290C editing, while SnRK1 may only be required for MORF9 mediated ndhF-290C site editing. Collectively these findings suggest that sugar and/or its intermediary metabolites impair MORF9 mediated plastid RNA editing resulting in derangements of plant root development.

Species richness has been shown to decrease, and elevational range increase (the Rapoport effect), with elevation as a consequence of biotic and abiotic factors, but patterns are inconsistent across taxonomic groups. Despite being an important indicator taxon and component of local communities, Orthoptera distributions at higher elevations in Europe remain unclear. We investigated the relationship of Orthoptera species richness and elevational range with elevation by conducting field studies at 28 sites across three study areas in the Pyrenees mountains, Europe. We found that species richness declined with elevation. Study area and the site-specific factors of sampling effort, topography (slope) and vegetation structure (density and cover) were also important predictors of species richness. We did not observe a Rapoport effect, with elevational range peaking at mid-elevation instead. Smaller elevational ranges found at high elevations may be due to a combination of sampling over a restricted elevational range and the presence of specialist high-elevation species. We also explored the composition of Orthoptera assemblages using multivariate methods, finding no clear effect of elevation, slope or vegetation structure on these communities, although study area somewhat influenced assemblages. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the Rapoport effect along an elevational gradient using insects as a study system in Europe. We argue that our findings are useful for understanding species distributions with elevation at the interface between local and regional scales. Clarifying the biotic and abiotic predictors of species distribution is important for informing conservation efforts and predicting consequences of climate change.

This case report describes successful conservative management of a comminuted fracture of the atlas. To the authors knowledge, fracture of the atlas in the horse and intrathecal corticosteroid injection in the standing sedated patient has not been previously reported. Clinical signs included acute onset ataxia, proprioceptive deficits and neck stiffness; which developed immediately post trauma during assisted recovery from general anaesthesia. Radiographic examination was not diagnostic immediately post trauma and computed tomographic (CT) imaging subsequently identified a fracture of the atlas. Treatment included ultrasound guided intrathecal medication of the cerebrospinal fluid and intra-articular medication of the atlantooccipital joint under standing sedation. Medication resulted in a marked improvement in clinical signs (grade 4 ataxia to grade 1 ataxia).

Objective: To examine patterns of aeroallergen sensitisation in atopic children and adolescents from a tertiary paediatric hospital in Sydney, NSW. Method: Retrospective cross-sectional study of atopic children who underwent aeroallergen skin testing (SPT) at a tertiary children’s hospital (May 2013-Dec 2014). Participants were eligible where all the following aeroallergens were tested including; Rye, Bahia, Bermuda, English plantain, house dust mite (D.pteronyssinus and D.farinae), cat, dog and Alternaria and they had a positive SPT to at least one allergen (≥3mm). Results: 517 participants were included, with a median age of 9.2 years (IQR 6.3-11.4). The most common sensitisation was HDM (90%), with Rye grass (45%) being the most common grass pollen. 93% of participants were polysensitised (>1 allergen), with number of aeroallergen sensitisations increasing with age (Pr>ChiSq <0.0001). Preschool children were predominantly sensitised to HDM, with lower rates of grass sensitisation, compared with the teenage group who had similar rate of HDM sensitisation, but higher rates of grass sensitisation. Based on history of atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, the largest proportion of Alternaria sensitisation was observed in participants with atopic dermatitis, and the largest proportion of pollen sensitisation in participants with allergic rhinitis. Conclusion: In this cohort, sensitisation with HDM and grass pollen was the most common; most participants were polysensitized, which increased with age. Overall these patterns were similar to those described in paediatric populations globally, particularly in temperate regions.

Due to high voltage gain and easy-to-install structure, multilevel DC/DC boost converter, have become very popular in distributed generation systems incorporating renewable energy sources. Constant Power Loads (CPLs), on the other hand, lead to converter instability due to their highly nonlinear nature. In this regard, the use of advanced control techniques to stabilize the output voltage of the DC/DC multilevel boost converters by increasing their robustness to undesirable effects of CPLs is crucial. This research aims to overcome this problem by using a novel combination of Nonlinear Terminal Sliding Mode Control (NTSMC) technique and model-free control based on Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) for a DC/DC multilevel boost converter in the presence of a non-ideal CPL. Moreover, a Digital Twin (DT) of the controller is created to improve the accuracy of the model implemented on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). In the proposed control approach, the NTSMC parameters are the dynamic controller coefficients that are adaptively created by the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) agent through the online learning of Actor-Critic Neural Networks (NNs). To validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, software-in-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-loop (HIL) testing procedures have been brought up. The results obtained showed that the proposed methodology can provide satisfying outcomes since DDPG algorithm is tuning the feedback control coefficients.

Sperm competition drives the plasticity of sperm quality and seminal fluid. However, how environmental and behavioral factors influence sperm competition and its outcome on the plasticity of sperm quality are unknown. In this study, we show males can asses the sperm competition level, and their fertilization-promoting sperm traits changes according to intensity. The promiscuous Tanganyikan cichlids Ophthalmotilapia ventralis perform their fertilization in the female mouth cavity. Sperm competition occurs in the female mouth as sperm is collected from multiple males. Behavioral (i.e., courtship success rates [CSR]) and environmental (density of spawning sites [DS]) factors are related to sperm collection. Seminal plasma glycoprotein 120 (SPP120) aids in sperm immobilization and aggregation, and sperm quality (longevity and velocity) could increase the probability of siring offspring. Based on an assumption of the involvement of DS and CSR on sperm collection, DS and CSR could influence the expression of SPP120 and sperm quality. We examined how sperm quality and SPP120 affect sperm competition-associated CSR and DS. Sperm longevity and velocity were positively correlated with DS. SPP120 expression was also positively correlated with CSR and DS. The plasticity of sperm quality and amount of SPP120 result in high fertilization competency according to sperm competition level.

Fish play vital roles in river ecosystems; however, traditional investigations of fish usually cause certain ecological damage. Extracting DNA from aquatic environments and identifying DNA sequences offers an alternative, non-invasive approach for detecting fish species. In this study, environmental DNA (eDNA), coupled with PCR and next-generation sequencing, and electrofishing were used to compare their effects in identifying fish community characteristics. In three subtropical rivers of southern China, fish specimens and eDNA in water were collected from headwaters to estuaries. Both eDNA OTU richness and individual abundance (including number and biomass) could group 38 sampling sites into eight spatial zones with significant differences in local fish community composition. Compared with the order-/family-level grouping, the genus-/species-level grouping could more accurately recognize the differences between upstream zones I − III, midstream zones IV − V, and downstream zones VI – VIII. From headwaters to estuary, two environmental gradients significantly influenced the longitudinal distribution of fish species, including the first gradient composed of habitat and physical water parameters and the second gradient composed of chemical water parameters. The high regression coefficient of alpha diversity between eDNA and electrofishing methods as well as the accurate recognition of dominant, alien, and biomarker species at each spatial zone indicated that eDNA could characterize fish community attributes at a similar level of traditional approach. Generally, our results demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding can be used as an effective tool in revealing fish composition and diversity, which is important for using the eDNA technique in aquatic field monitoring.

A document by Tara Canelo. Click on the document to view its contents.

The identification of cultivated plant centers of origin is of growing interest since the pioneering work of Nikolaï Vavilov. Cultivated species generally show a high level of genetic diversity in their center of origin, thus identifying these areas would have important implications for the conservation and sustainable management of their genetic resources. We aim to identify the center of origin and to infer recent evolutionary history of one of the most emblematic spice tree species ¬¬– nutmeg (Myristica fragrans; Myristicaceae). The species is thought to originate from the Banda islands (Southern Moluccas archipelago, Indonesia), but this has never been confirmed. We characterized the genetic diversity of this species across the Moluccas archipelago using recently developed nuclear microsatellites markers and whole plastid genome sequences. We found two main intra-specific genetic clusters: one in South Moluccas (Banda and Ambon islands) and another in North Moluccas (Ternate, Tidore and Bacan islands). The latter cluster showed higher genetic diversity than the South Moluccas cluster. We then inferred the demographic history of nutmeg and evaluated different evolutionary scenarios using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) analyses. Populations from South Moluccas show patterns of a recent bottleneck, whereas North Molucca populations did not. Moreover, South Moluccas populations are inferred as ancestral, with subsequent population migration to the North Moluccas during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene period. These results have strong implications for conservation strategies of nutmeg.

A document by Esra Fener. Click on the document to view its contents.

Background and Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major public health concern worldwide with unmet effective treatment. Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) protein and its downstream type-I Interferon (IFN) signaling are now appreciated to be involved in TBI pathogenesis. Compelling evidence have shown that STING and type-I IFNs are key in mediating detrimental neuroinflammatory response after TBI, exacerbating outcome. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of STING presents a viable therapeutic opportunity in combating the detrimental neuroinflammatory response after TBI. Experimental Approach: This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of the small-molecule STING inhibitor C-176 in the controlled-cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of TBI in 10–12-week-old male mice. 30-minutes post-CCI surgery, a single 750nmol dose of C-176 or saline (vehicle) was administered intravenously. Analysis was conducted 2h- and 24h-post TBI. Key Results: Mice administered C-176 had significantly smaller cortical lesion area when compared to vehicle-treated mice 24h post-TBI. Quantitative temporal gait analysis conducted using DigiGait™ showed C-176 administration attenuated TBI-induced impairments in gait symmetry, stride frequency and forelimb stance width. C-176-treated mice displayed a significant reduction in striatal gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and CXCL10 compared to their vehicle-treated counterparts 2h post-TBI. Conclusion and Implications: This study demonstrates the neuroprotective activity of C-176 in ameliorating acute neuroinflammation and preventing white matter neurodegeneration post-TBI. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of small-molecule inhibitors targeting STING for the treatment of trauma induced inflammation and neuroprotective potential.

Climate suitability analyses based on ecological niche modeling provide a powerful tool for biological control practitioners to assess the likelihood of establishment of different candidate agents prior to their introduction in the field. These same analyses could also be performed to understand why some agents establish more easily than others. The release of three strains of Aphalara itadori (Shinji) (Hemiptera: Pysllidae), each from a different source locality in Japan, for the biological control of invasive knotweed species, Reynoutria spp. Houtt. (Caryophyllales: Polygonaceae), provides an important opportunity to compare the utility of climate suitability analyses for identifying potential climate-based limitations for successful biological control introductions. Here we predict climate suitability envelopes for three target species of knotweed in Europe and two target species of knotweed in North America and compare these suitability estimates for each of these species to the source localities of each A. itadori strain. We find that source locality of one strain, the Kyushu strain, has little-to-no suitability compared to other locations in Japan based on knotweed records from Europe, supporting an earlier study based on North American Japanese knotweed records. The source locality of a second strain, the Murakami strain, was predicted to have medium-to-high suitability based on records of knotweeds from North America. In contrast, European records of R.  bohemica Chrtek & Chrtková and R. sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Nakai predicted no suitability for this locality compared to other locations in Japan, while European records for R. japonica Houtt. predicted low suitability. The source locality of the final strain, the Hokkaido strain, was predicted as having medium-to-high suitability based on knotweed records of all examined species from both North America and Europe.

Understanding the adaptive evolution of species has long interested evolutionary biologists. Adaptive phenotypes can result from changes in protein-coding sequences that affect protein structure and function. The Rhinolophus macrotis group as a specific group has low echolocation frequency relative to body size compared with other rhinolophids, suggesting a special evolutionary process of this group. Transcription bridges genetic information and phenotypes. Here, we sequenced transcriptomes of the brain, liver, and cochlea for five species of the macrotis group and its closely related species, R. pusillus, to explore the molecular basis of the adaptation in the macrotis group at the sequence level. Strong and significant positive selection signals for species within the macrotis group was detected in seven genes (CRYM, FOXM1, MAP6, PYCARD, SLC35A2, WRB and SPRY2) linked to hearing. Unexpectedly, we also detected five PSGs (ARRDC3, LZTFL1, RAB8A, IGFBPL1 and TRNT1) linked to vision in species with relatively low frequencies. These results suggested that natural selection has led to the positive selection of some sensory-related genes. Furthermore, PSGs identified in the macrotis group significantly enriched in GO categories related to metabolism (e.g. catalytic activity and oxidoreductase activity), which provided evidence to parse the genetic adaptations of the species with low frequencies within the macrotis group. This is the first attempt to detect genome-wide sequence evolution across the macrotis group and our study provided valuable resources for studying the genetic mechanisms of rhinolophids adaptation.

In recent years, the epidemiological situation of avian influenza has been undergoing rapid changes, leading to severe consequences for the poultry industry, farmers’ livelihoods, international trade, and the health of wild birds. However, planning effective control measures should this outbreak grow further requires real-time and open data, which are scarce to date. We extracted the epidemiological data of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) outbreaks reported between 2021 and 2023 from the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie and performed a comprehensive analysis. From October 2021 to July 20, 2023, 620 HPAI outbreaks detections were reported, of which 358 in domestic poultry and 257 in wild birds. Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto have experienced the highest impact and are among the most affected regions. Moreover, we applied economic indices (such as Homogeneity, Location and Specialization Index) to wild birds dataset to show their possible usage in epidemiology. Black-headed gull is the most homogeneous species (HI: 0.44); Emilia-Romagna and Veneto are the less homogenous regions (HI: 0.03, 0.10); less specialized regions are Veneto, Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna (SI: 15.72, 24.53, 28.62). The spread of the virus to five continents speaks to the need for global cooperation and alertness to protect animals, people and economies.

In this letter, the author presents a time scale fusion method based on improved exponential filtering and V-C filtering. Firstly, the minimum error theory is used to dynamically estimate the frequency drift parameters of the hydrogen maser, and the exponential filtering method is used to generate the full hydrogen clock time scale. Secondly, an improved weighted average algorithm is used to generate the cesium species time scale. Finally, based on the principle of least squares, the V-C filter is designed to improve the short-term performance of the time scale of cesium clock ensemble by utilizing the rate information of the hydrogen masers, and the comprehensive time scale of hydrogen masers and cesium atomic clocks is obtained. The experimental results show that the time scale has a stability of 1.60e-15 for one hour and 3e-15 for one day, which are superior to the performance of all hydrogen masers or cesium atomic clocks on the same average time scale.

COVID-19 pandemic-altered epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus infections in young childrenTomohiro Udagawa1, Mari Okada1, Ryuichi Nakagawa1, Haruna Yokoyama1, Tomoyuki Kato2,4, Maki Furuya3, Hayato Sakaguchi3,4, Masayuki Nagasawa1,4*Department of Pediatrics1, Department of Pharmacy2, Department of Laboratory3, Department of Infection Control4,Musashino Red Cross Hospital, 1-26-1, Kyonan-cho Musashino-city, Tokyo, 180-8610, JapanKey word:COVID-19, viral interference, respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus,*Author for correspondenceMasayuki Nagasawa, PhD., MD.Department of Pediatrics, Musashino Red Cross Hospital1-26-1, Kyonan-cho, Musashino-city, Tokyo 180-8610, JapanTel: +81 422 32 3111Fax: +81 422 32 9551E-mail: masayukin@musashino.jrc.or.jpCorrespondence:Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) are closely related viruses belonging to pneumovirinae subfamily and cause bronchiolitis and pneumoniae in infants and young children, resulting in hospitalization, which becomes a major health problem in pediatric care.1, 2 To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of these viral infections, we investigated and compared the epidemic patterns of RSV and hMPV infections in children admitted and diagnosed at our hospital before and after COVID-19 pandemic. The pathogenic diagnosis was made by antigen test before 2020 and by Filmarray respiratory panel® (ver2.1) test thereafter.In the reports so far, the epidemics of both virus infections have not completely overlapped in Japan3, 4, and the epidemic peaks of both infections in our hospital from 2015 to 2019 did not overlap as well as shown in Figure 1. These phenomena are referred to as social viral interference and have been mentioned in several viral infections.5-7 COVID-19, which emerged at the end of 2019, quickly spread around the world and became a pandemic.8, 9 Japan also implemented a social lockdown from April to May 2020. As a result, social activity restrictions continued, and no epidemics of RSV or hMPV were observed in 2020. After that, a large-scale epidemic of RSV was seen in the summer of 2021 due to the easing of restrictions on social activities and movements and the reopening of nursery schools, but no hMPV epidemic was observed. In 2022 and 2023, epidemics of both RSV and hMPV were seen. Interestingly, both outbreaks occurred around the same time, unlike before the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure1). More interestingly, when comparing the age distribution of infected children, the age distribution in post-COVID-19 epidemic shifted nearly 2 years older than that before COVID-19 epidemic (figure 2). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the age distribution during the epidemic of both viral infections was almost similar from year to year (data not shown).The periodic prevalence of epidemic respiratory viral infections in children can be attributed to several factors.First is viral evolution. Viruses have the ability to mutate and evolve rapidly. These new strains can lead to recurrent outbreaks as the population lacks immunity to the modified virus. Second is host susceptibility. In a population, individuals may gain immunity to a specific viral infection through prior exposure or vaccination. However, over time, the immunity acquired through natural infection or vaccination can wane. Third are changes in population density and mobility. Population dynamics, including changes in population density and mobility, can influence the transmission of viral infections. Increased travel, urbanization, and global connectivity facilitate the rapid spread of viruses across regions and continents. Fourth are environmental factors. Certain viral infections exhibit seasonal patterns due to environmental factors. For instance, respiratory viruses like influenza tend to peak during the colder months when people spend more time indoors in close proximity, providing favorable conditions for viral transmission. Additionally, changes in climate patterns or ecological disturbances can affect the distribution and prevalence of vector-borne infections such as dengue or Zika virus. Fifth is lack of universal vaccination or treatment. The absence of effective vaccines or treatments against a particular viral infection can contribute to its periodic prevalence.RSV and hMPV spread through similar routes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the measures taken to control COVID-19 have inevitably limited the transmission of both respiratory viruses among children. Furthermore, the reduced exposure to common respiratory viruses during the pandemic may affect the development of natural immunity in children, potentially leading to a susceptible population when restrictions ease and social interactions increase. One of the reasons why children aged 3 to 4 years became more susceptible to RSV and hMPV after the COVID-19 pandemic may be that immunity was not stimulated due to the decrease in epidemic viral diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the possibility that the virus mutated during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be completely ruled out.Viral interference at the individual level has been verified in animal experiments.10, 11 However, virus interference at the population level is observed as an indirect phenomenon and its causes are complicated. From this perspective, a detailed examination of the trends in infectious diseases, especially in children before and after the rare COVID-19 pandemic will provide very important suggestions for considering the mode of transmission of viral infections in society, the maturation process of immunity to viruses, and countermeasures against acute viral infection epidemics.

Groundwater-surface water interactions (GSI) connect rivers and streams with riparian areas and the adjacent aquifer. Although these interactions represent a substantial control of quantity and quality of both groundwater and surface water, knowledge on GSI along rivers at the regional scale, particularly inland waterways, is still limited. We investigated GSI along the river Moselle, an important federal inland waterway in Germany, by using radon and tritium to identify gaining and losing stream conditions, respectively. Gaining stream conditions were identified by continuously measuring radon along the river as part of boat surveys using a high spatial resolution (every two km) during intermediate (October 2020) and near low flow conditions (August/September 2021). Quarterly tritium inventories from 2017 to 2021 revealed losses of up to 27 % due to losing stream conditions at the upstream locations of damns (particularly near the hydroelectric power plant Lehmen) while gains (up to 51 %) likely triggered by a flood-induced mass transfer of water from the aquifer back into the river. Using radon mass balance modeling, good agreements of simulated versus measured radon data with respect to two groundwater end-member scenarios were obtained during intermediate flow (Spearman’s ρ: 0.97 and 0.99; MAE: 10.1 and 3.4 Bq l -1) and near low flow (Spearman’s ρ: 0.97 and 0.99; MAE: 11 and 6.5 Bq l -1). Important groundwater inflow was limited to the meander of Detzem, where cumulated groundwater inflow of about 19 m 3 s -1 (9.5 % of total discharge) and 4.2 m 3s -1 (3.8 % of total discharge) was simulated during intermediate and near low flow, respectively. However, these groundwater contributions were relatively low compared to alpine streams, for example. Finally, the study will help to better identify and quantify GSI at the regional scale and provide methodological guidance for future studies focusing on inland waterways.

Objective: Given difficulty in discontinuing prescribed benzodiazepines and potential harms to people from chronic benzodiazepine use, it is important to understand medical and mental health conditions associated with re-prescription. This study sought to estimate benzodiazepine re-prescription incidence rates among Veterans in the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and identify predictors of re-prescription among Veterans who discontinued benzodiazepines. Methods: This longitudinal study used VHA administrative data from patients’ electronic health records in Fiscal Year 2019. Patients with chronic (>30 days) benzodiazepine prescriptions who were not prescribed benzodiazepines continuously for the entire year were identified based on pharmacy records (n=151,777). We used Kaplan-Meier methods and a Cox proportional hazards model to estimate benzodiazepine re-prescription incidence rates. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios were used to examine demographic and clinical characteristics as predictors of benzodiazepine re-prescription. Results: Among 151,777 patients who did not refill a benzodiazepine prescription for ≥30 days, 50% were re-prescribed benzodiazepines within 2.5 months. Benzodiazepine re-prescription was associated with mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, PTSD). Patients were less likely to be re-prescribed benzodiazepines if they had a history of an alcohol or drug use disorder, neurological disorder other than paralysis, chronic heart failure, dementia, and hospice care. Conclusions: The short gap between benzodiazepine prescriptions ending and being re-prescribed suggests patients have difficulty discontinuing prescribed benzodiazepines. More investigations are needed on the medical necessity of chronic benzodiazepines and strategies for increasing guideline concordant care.

Objective: To analyze the medication discrepancies (MD) in prescriptions of patients during a medication reconciliation (MR) service at admission to the Medical Unit. Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out from March 2021 to February 2022, in a medium-sized hospital. Patients aged 18 years or older and in continuous use of at least one medication at the time of hospitalization were included. The first interview at the MR service was preferably carried out within 24 hours to collect sociodemographic data, health indicators, detailed information on home pharmacotherapy. Data were analyzed using Stata 13.0 software. Pearson’s chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis. The study was approved by CEP/UFOP under number 4,845,642. Results: Of the 215 patients included, 115 were female, with a mean age of 68 ± 18 years. The mean number of medications in use at the time of admission was 6±3. Polypharmacy was identified in 128 patients. The variables age group (p=0.005), polypharmacy (p<0.001), having Hypertension and/or Diabetes Mellitus (p=0.001), hospitalization for infectious and parasitic diseases (p<0.001) and diseases of the circulatory system (p=0.040) are significantly related to the occurrence of at least one DM. Medications used in Diabetes Mellitus (p<0.001), Agents that act on the Renin-Angiotensin System (p=0.028), Lipid Modifying Agents (p=0.026), Medications for Obstructive Airway Diseases (p=0.001), general nutrients (p=0.005) and thyroid hormone medications (p=0.002) were associated with unintentional DM Conclusion: It was possible to identify a significant percentage of MD in the prescription evaluated. Polypharmacy and age group were related to the occurrence of MD

Introduction: Ifosfamide is an alkylating chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of various neoplasms. Its main adverse effects include renal damage. Methods: A comprehensive review was conducted, including 100 articles from the Scielo, Scopus, and EMBASE databases. Results: Ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity is attributed to its toxic metabolites, such as acrolein and chloroacetaldehyde, which cause mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress in renal tubular cells. An analysis of reported cases in the literature showed an average age of 29 years, with no gender predominance. In oncology patients treated with ifosfamide, a mortality rate of 13% has been observed. Currently, no fully effective therapeutic strategy exists for preventing ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity; however, hydration, forced diuresis, and other interventions are employed to limit renal damage. Long-term renal function monitoring is essential for patients treated with ifosfamide. Conclusions: Ifosfamide exhibits a broad spectrum of antitumoral activity but may induce nephrotoxicity, adversely affecting the prognosis of oncology patients. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the risks and benefits associated with its use is necessary.

Aim: The influence of human factors on safety in healthcare settings is well established, with targeted interventions reducing risk and enhancing team performance. In experimental and early phase clinical research participant safety is paramount and safeguarded by guidelines, protocolised care and staff training, however the real-world interaction and implementation of these risk-mitigating measures has never been subjected to formal system-based assessment. Methods: Independent structured observations, systematic review of study documents, and interviews and focus groups were used to collate data on three key tasks undertaken in a Clinical Research Facilty (CRF) during a SARS CoV-2 controlled human infection model (CHIM) study. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) was employed to analyse and categorise findings, and develop recommendations for safety interventions. Results: High levels of team functioning and a clear focus on participant safety were evident throughout the study. Despite this, latent risks in both study-specific and CRF work systems were identified in all four SEIPS domains (people, environment, tasks and tools). 14 actionable recommendations were generated collaboratively. These included inter-organisation and inter-study standardisation, optimised checklists for safety critical tasks, and use of simulation for team training and exploration of work systems. Conclusion: This pioneering application of human factors techniques to analyse work systems during the conduct of research in a CRF revealed risks unidentified by routine review and appraisal, and despite international guideline adherence. SEIPS may aid categorisation of system problems and the formulation of recommendations that reduce risk and mitigate potential harm applicable across a trials portfolio

In this paper, the laser photovoltaic effect of InGaN photocells under 405 nm, 450 nm, and 488 nm laser irradiation was studied. It found that the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of InGaN photocells gradually decreases with the increase of laser wavelength. Moreover, compared with traditional photocells, the conversion efficiency of the InGaN/GaN MQWs (Multiple Quantum Wells, MQWs) structure photocells with AlGaN insertion layer structure under 405nm laser irradiation increased from 10.15% to 15.32%, an increase of 50.94%. It indicates that with the increase of incident wavelength, AlGaN structured materials have lower transmittance through transmission curve testing; XRD characterization and PL analysis also supports the results that the material with inserted AlGaN structure has a steeper interface quality and higher active region crystal quality. Finally, the EQE (External Quantum Efficiency, EQE) characterization of the device also confirms that AlGaN structured devices have strong light absorption ability and high EQE, which leads to an improvement in device conversion efficiency. This study can provide an experimental basis for the application of InGaN laser batteries in the field of wireless energy transmission.

A document by Omer AYANA. Click on the document to view its contents.

D-Limonene is a monoterpene compound with anticancer, gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, and anxiolytic features. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of D-limonene under chronic restraint stress in rats. Forty rats were included in the study and randomly divided into 5 groups: i) control, ii) limonene, iii) restraint stress, iv) restraint stress+limonene, and v) restraint stress+fluoxetine, respectively. D-limonene at a dose of 10 mg/kg was administered orally by gavage along with 21 days. At the end of the saline or drug administration, sucrose preference tests, open field tests, novel object recognition tests, and forced swimming test were performed. BDNF, IL-1β, IL-6, and caspase-1 levels were measured from hippocampus tissue. In the sucrose preference test, the consumption rate decreased in the stress group, whereas it increased in the stress+limonene group. In the open field test, traveled distance, mean speed decreased in the restraint stress group, but these values increased in the stress+limonene administered group. In addition, the administration of D-limonene to the restraint stress group were abolished the increased defensive behavior in the stress group in the open field test. In the novel object recognition test, the discrimination index percentage of the restraint stress+limonene group was elevated compared to the stress group. While BDNF levels decreased in the restraint stress group, IL-1β and caspase-1 levels increased compared to the stress +limonene administered group. D-limonene reduces the detrimental effect of stress on learning and memory tests. Also, D-limonene reduces anhedonic and defensive behavior, these effects appear to have antidepressant-like properties.