Background and Aims: Soil abiotic and biotic properties shaped by plants impact future plant invasions (“plant-soil feedbacks”). Human activities have increased soil heavy metal concentrations, often where invasion pressure is increasing, so it is imperative to investigate plant-soil feedback mechanisms associated with invasive species in environments contaminated by heavy metals. Methods: We experimentally created soils with different Cd concentrations and conditioned them with invasive Phytolacca americana or native Phytolacca acinosa (or without plants) in a greenhouse experiment. We measured soil chemical, microbial (by PFLAs), and physical properties. We grew individual plants of P. Americana or P. Acinosa in these soils in a feedback phase. Results: Soil Cd increased invasive mass but decreased native mass. Fungi and bacteria were abundant in invasive conditioned soils, especially without Cd. Phenol, flavonoid and tannin concentrations and soil pH increased with Cd when plants were present. Phenol and tannin concentrations were higher with invasive plants but flavonoids were lower. In the feedback phase, invasive mass was sensitive to soil microbes. Native plants were smaller in invasive (away) soils, especially with higher soil Cd concentrations, reflecting their sensitivity to soil chemicals and soil physical characteristics. Conclusion: These results indicate that P. Americana invasions are enhanced both through direct effects of soil Cd on P. Acinosa as well as through Cd magnifying the negative effects of soil chemical and physical characteristics on the native. This study offers valuable insights into the influence of PSF on plant invasion processes in the context of soil heavy metal pollution.

A case of a single oral manifestation of plasmablastic lymphoma: an initial misdiagnosisC. Debortoli1*, S. Latreche1, O. Rios1, C. Savoldelli1,2, M. Fricain11 : Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Institute, University Hospital of Nice, 30 Avenue Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France2 : UR2CA, Faculty of Medicine, 31 Avenue Valombrose, 06100 Nice, France* Corresponding author : cyril.debortoli1@gmail.comPresent Address : Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Institute, University Hospital of Nice, 30 Avenue Valombrose, 06100 Nice, FranceKeywords : oral plasmablastic lymphoma ; plasmablastic lymphoma ; oral medicineMANUSCRIPTKey clinical messageThe initial case presentation suggested an inflammatory epulis related to the periodontal inflammatory context, but the anatomopathological diagnosis showed a diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma. This single manifestation is a very rare diagnosis, but plasmablastic lymphoma occurs mainly in HIV+ patients. It is therefore an important differential diagnosis to be aware of.CASE HISTORYA 56-year-old patient was referred by the internal medicine department for oral swelling. Her medical history revealed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (undetectable viral load ; CD4 : 250/mm3), cirrhosis, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy healed fifteen years ago. She was not taking any medication and had no allergies. Her general condition was unaffected. The general examination revealed no adenopathy and no signs of inflammation and infections on the skin or oral mucosa. She only presented an asymptomatic nodular pedicled lesion between two teeth, which had been growing for 2 months. There was no bleeding on contact. Oral hygiene is improvable with the presence of dental plaque and old treatments. The teeth were not mobile and responded positively to pulp vitality tests. (Figure 1)

Dentofacial Features in Schimke Immuno-Osseous Dysplasia: from Childhood to AdolescenceAlireza Sharifinejada, DMD, Fateme Parvizia, DMD, Maryam Enteghadb, DMD, Yasamin Ghahramanic, DMD, MSc

A document by Dominique Tamchom. Click on the document to view its contents.

Respiratory diseases, particularly asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), represent a critical healthcare challenge in rural India, compounded by limited diagnostic capabilities at the primary care level. This case study evaluates the deployment of alveofit ® portable spirometers across 35 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in rural Maharashtra, aiming to address systemic gaps in respiratory care. By integrating advanced diagnostic tools and delivering comprehensive training to healthcare providers, the initiative transformed respiratory disease management. Over 12 months, referral rates to tertiary care facilities dropped to zero, while local diagnostic and treatment capabilities markedly improved. The project also significantly enhanced patient satisfaction, reduced out-of-pocket expenses, and promoted early diagnosis and effective disease management. This scalable intervention demonstrates the potential of portable technology and targeted capacity-building to improve healthcare access and outcomes in underserved regions.

Plant water use efficiency (WUE) links physiological processes to ecosystem-scale carbon and water cycles, making it a crucial parameter for climate change adaptation modelling. Climate and stratospheric ozone dynamics expose plants to varying intensity of ultraviolet‐B radiation (UV-B), which affects stomatal function and transpiration. This meta-analysis evaluates UV-B effects on WUE using gas exchange and isotopic proxies. While UV-B radiation reduces stomatal conductance and transpiration, it also suppresses photosynthesis, particularly under non-saturating light. As a result, WUE remains unchanged or declines in UV-B exposed plants, depending on the measurement method. Instantaneous gas exchange-based WUE proxies indicate a decrease, whereas isotope-based proxies, integrating long-term fluxes, show no significant UV-B effect. Notably, UV-B suppresses photosynthesis only in studies using supplemental UV radiation, while UV exclusion in field settings has no significant impact on WUE. Some field studies even report improved WUE under ambient UV-B, suggesting potential adaptive benefits. These findings challenge the assumption that UV-B-induced decreases in transpiration enhance WUE. Instead, they highlight a complex interplay between UV radiation, photosynthesis, and stomatal regulation, emphasizing the need to reconsider UV-B’s role in plant water relations under future climate conditions.

1. Stem of vascular plants has emerged as hub organ for its connectivity and providing mechanically support. The relationship between stem thickness and reproductive traits has been widely considered. Stem architecture influences plant reproductive output and trait correlations as well, which has been neglected in recent studies, especially for herbaceous plants. 2. Measurements of plant height, stem biomass, volume, basal diameter, total branch length and bulk density were used to describe the different stem size and architectures of 46 species of grasses and non-grasses in the Songnen grasslands. These size and architectural traits were coupled with a measure of leaf and seed traits. 3. Except for bulk density, stem traits were size‐dependent which explained much of the variation in leaf and reproduction biomass for both grasses and non-grasses. Fecundity, however, was positively correlated with plant height for grasses, and with branch length for non-grasses. 4. The effects of stem traits, leaf biomass, and seed size on plant fecundity suggest that the specificity of stem architecture and the ubiquity of trait trade-off relationships combine to explain variation in herbaceous plant fecundity, and it is therefore important that phylogenetically determined morphological differences in plant architecture should be incorporated into studies of interspecies competition and coexistence relationships, also the trait-based community dynamic.

The gharial is a critically endangered freshwater crocodylian. Research on gharials in Chitwan National Park has predominantly focused on the Rapti River; however, the Narayani River also harbors a significant potential habitat. This study assessed habitat factors associated with gharial occurrences and conservation threats along the Narayani River. In March 2022, we conducted a boat-based daylight survey within a 50-km segment of the Narayani River. We assessed the habitat characteristics at stations spaced at 500 m intervals along the river and wherever we spotted gharials. We analyzed the habitat factors influencing the gharial occurrence using binomial logistic regression. We conducted a threat survey, interviewing 155 Narayani river-dependent households within 1 km of the riverbank. We gathered local knowledge of gharial threats in the study area and later analyzed it to identify the perceived major anthropogenic threats to gharials. We detected 33 gharials in total, with an encounter rate of 0.66 gharials per km. Only two of the 10 habitat variables examined, river water depth and water temperature, showed significant associations in gharial habitat selection. Most of the gharials were detected at 2-3 m of water depth and 19 ˚C of water temperature. Although not statistically significant, most of the individuals were sighted when there was 25˚- 30˚C air temperature, river width of 200-300 m, on sandy riverbanks with a flat topography and riverbank slope of 0-30˚. Similarly, a greater proportion of observations occurred in locations with no invasive alien plant species and no observed anthropogenic threats. People perceived gillnet fishing, dam impact, and human disturbances as major anthropogenic threats to gharials and their habitat. Moreover, people perceived gillnet fishing, dam impacts, and human disturbances as major anthropogenic threats to gharials and their habitat. We highly recommend preserving river confluences, maintaining sandbanks, and eliminating the use of gillnets.

The bridge crane system has been widely used in industrial production. This mechanical system is a typical underactuated system that has one control input and two degrees of freedom (DOF). This paper discusses the stabilizing control problem for this 2-DOF underactuated mechanical system. A fixed-time hierarchical sliding mode control method is developed. The method firstly constructs two first-level sliding surfaces and a second-level sliding surface for the bridge crane system. Then, a sliding mode controller is designed to stabilize the second-level sliding surface at the origin within a fixed time. It guarantees the fixed-time convergence of two first-level sliding surfaces at the origin. This further ensures the system’s fixed-time stabilizing control objective to be achieved. Numerical simulation experiment results verify the effectiveness of the presented method.

Rewiring the vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi parasites alter the antennae of their triatomine hosts

To address the limitations of existing product concept design methods in the rapidly changing market environments, this study proposes a product concept design method using e-commerce product data and artificial intelligence techniques. First, data of competing e-commerce products are acquired from an e-commerce platform. Second, monthly sales of products are categorized and selected as the indicator for evaluating product concepts. Third, Doc2Vec is used to vectorize the product description to obtain the semantic representation of product concepts, and a machine learning–based product concept evaluation model is built using the concept vector as features. Finally, a product concept element library is built based on Word2Vec, and the tabu search algorithm is applied to identify the optimal combination of concept elements, determining the most favorable combination of product concepts for the new product. Results indicate that the product concept evaluation model based on multilayer perceptron achieves an average accuracy of 85.62% in predicting the quartiles of sales in the case of middle-aged and elderly home products, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranging from 0.96 to 0.99. The proposed product concept design method can produce novel product concepts with good market potential and a high degree of automation, improving the time efficiency and quality of product concept design.

Background: Acute exercise has been shown to positively impact working memory, but the influence of cognitive demand exercise on these effects remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the effects of acute exercise with high (HE) and low (LE) cognitive demand exercise on working memory performance and neurophysiological indices in young adults. Methods: The present study applied a three-arm crossover randomized design, 31 participants completed three 20-minute conditions: HE, LE and active control (AC). Before and after the exercise intervention, working memory was assessed using 2-back task (reaction time and accuracy), the neurophysiological indices was measured using P300 (amplitude and latency). Results: The present study found a significant reduction in 2-back reaction time following both HE ( p =.005, d = -0.542) and LE ( p =.005, d = -0.423) compared to AC, with no differences between HE and LE. Futhermore, the shortening of P300 latency was significantly greater in HE than in LE ( p = .039, d = -0.419) and AC ( p < .001, d = -0.731), while P300 amplitude did not differ among conditions. Conclusions: The present study suggests that 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous interval training enhanced working memory in young adults, regardless of cognitive demand. A shorter P300 latency in the high-demand condition, however, indicates that cognitive demands during exercise may influence neural efficiency.

In the past global outbreak and recent pandemics, Vaccine Supply Chain Management (VSCM) plays a very prominent role. However, certain challenging research issues and their optimal solutions need to be highlighted in VSCM to provide an accurate platform for the scientific community. Most importantly, the logistical challenges of vaccinations have attracted the attention of the research/operations management community over the past few decades. Such as high levels of demand and supply uncertainty, decentralized decision-making among the supplier, public health organization, and consumers interaction; complicated political issues about VSCM allocation, and the critical need to take decisions and take action rapidly. To address this issue, this article discusses the process, characteristics, applications, pros, and cons of various expert and intelligent VSCM techniques from the existing literature. The main objective is to determine the most suitable approach for a given scenario, to optimize VSCM, and to create a standardized literature framework for pandemic preparedness in the future. Thus, a comprehensive platform related to VSCM is discussed in this paper along with their advantages and limitations and open research challenges. Moreover, the organization of the literature related to VSCM, scientific research gaps, and authors' viewpoints on model selection related to scientific problems in VSCM are also summarized. Finally, future research scopes are specified in terms of modeling and solution approaches, which will help policymakers understand the current difficulties in VSCM and their possible scientific solutions.

Acupuncture treatment for the management of common peroneal nerve injury: a case reportKCMIn a pediatric case of common peroneal nerve injury, acupuncture treatment led to nearly complete functional recovery, restoring muscle strength and sensory function after pharmacological interventions failed. The acupuncture may promote nerve regeneration and improve neurogenic muscle atrophy, which could serve as an effective alternative treatment option.KeywordsAcupuncture; common peroneal nerve; nerve; electroacupunctureIntroductionCharacterized by its slender and fragile nature, the common peroneal nerve exhibits limited resistance to tension and compression. It ranks as the second most frequently involved nerve in cases of peripheral nerve mononeuropathy, following the radial nerve, with an incidence of 50.9%[1-2]. Due to its relatively large descending nerve bundle, superficial and fixed position, and the predominant surrounding bony structures, it is susceptible to compression and subsequent injury under poor postures or pathological conditions[3]. Conditions associated with common peroneal nerve injury include trauma, compression, tumors, neuritis, and iatrogenic injuries. Post-injury, patients may experience abnormal sensations such as pain and numbness on the anterolateral aspect of the calf and the dorsal surface of the foot, leading to foot drop and a varus deformity. These symptoms typically manifest in a characteristic steppage gait. Damage to the common peroneal nerve not only significantly hinders sensory and motor functions but also severely impacts the patient’s daily living abilities, profoundly diminishing their quality of life and adversely affecting their mental health.Peripheral nerves exhibit a complex structure, and the probability of regenerating nerve fibers re-establishing functional connections with their original target organs after injury is relatively low, making recovery challenging. Treatment options for peroneal nerve injury depend on the type and severity of the injury and may include various surgical methods, as well as pharmacological treatments such as neuroprotective agents, anti-inflammatory drugs, neurotrophic factors, and stem cell therapies. Surgical treatments are intricate with poor functional recovery outcomes post-operation[3]. Pharmacotherapy is limited in its effects, with the prolonged medication frequently required, yet the outcomes are often minimal[4].Clinical studies show that acupuncture is beneficial in some peripheral neuropathies[5-6] and can treat the common peroneal nerve injury, with the characteristics of convenience, small wound, good prognosis and short treatment cycle[7-9]. The common peroneal nerve and the radial nerve may recover faster than other peripheral nerve[10].The case report discusses a 5-year-old child with common peroneal nerve injury, who showed no significant improvement in symptoms after taking neurotrophic medication. Subsequently, acupuncture treatment was chosen, and after two months of continuous therapy, the child basically recovered normal motor function. The innovative aspect of this case lies in the fact that acupuncture treatment for common peroneal nerve injury in preschool-aged children has not been previously reported.Case History/examinationThe patient, a 4-year-old male, presented with left foot drop for one month and was seen in the department of acupuncture and moxibustion, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing on November 24, 2023.The patient’s parents reported that one month ago, the patient began experiencing impaired mobility in the left lower limb and left foot drop due to prolonged sleeping in a position that compressed the calf. The patient sought medical attention at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, where relevant examinations ruled out tumors and other potential causes. Ultrasound examination revealed slight thickening of the left common peroneal nerve compared to the contralateral side. Electromyography indicated severe damage to the left common peroneal nerve. As shown in the figure1 and 2. No significant improvement was observed after two weeks of continuous mecobalamin administration.Physical examination revealed impaired movement below the left knee joint, with left toes pointing downwards and inverting, exhibiting a steppage gait while walking. There was diminished pain and temperature sensation on the lateral side of the left calf and dorsal foot. Atrophy of the anterior tibial muscle on the left was noted, with dorsal flexion muscle strength of the foot graded as I and plantar flexion as IV. Inversion and eversion muscle strength were graded as V-. Dorsiflexion of the ankle joint was 0°, and plantar flexion was 15°. No other abnormalities were observed during the physical examination.The patient did not report any other symptoms, and his overall condition was good.Differential diagnosis, investigations and treatmentThe common peroneal nerve injury can be diagnosed by the ultrasound examination and electromyography.The patient received acupuncture treatment every other day for a consecutive period of 2 months. The scheme included needling at the following points on the left side: Yinlingquan (SP9), Yanglingquan (GB34), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), , Xuanzhong (GB39), Kunlun (BL60), and JieXi (ST41). Moxibustion was applied to Zusanli (ST36) and retained for 20 minutes. As shown in the figure3.With the increase of patients’ acceptance of acupuncture and moxibustion, electrical stimulation was applied to Yanglingquan (GB34) and Zusanli (ST36) starting from the second week using a Huatuo brand electroacupuncture apparatus (SDZ-IIB) with the following parameters: continuous wave, 1Hz frequency, intensity of 3, retained for 20 minutes.All needles (diameter 0.30 mm, length 40 mm) were inserted at a 90-degree angle to a depth of 15-20 mm and retained for 20 minutes.Conclusion and ResultsThe calf circumference 5 cm below the patellar apex was measured, with the circumference of the left calf being 20.5 cm prior to treatment. After one month of continuous treatment, the patient began to regain pain and temperature sensation at the site of the lesion, with the left calf circumference increasing to 22 cm. The follow-up ultrasound examination still indicates that the left common peroneal nerve above the fibular head is slightly thicker compared to the contralateral side, and a comprehensive diagnosis in combination with clinical findings is recommended, as shown in the figure4. By the final treatment session, the patient regained pain and temperature sensation at the site of the lesion, with no obvious drooping or inversion of the left foot. Muscle strength of dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, and eversion of the left foot had returned to Grade V. The left ankle joint showed 20° of dorsiflexion and 45° of plantar flexion. The patient no longer exhibited a steppage gait, wirh walking, running, and jumping performed smoothly and freely, as shown in the figure5 and 6. Due to the significant pain caused by the electromyography examination, a follow-up electromyography was not performed on the child for humanitarian reasons. The patient’s family refused to repeat B ultrasound review. The patient’s family was advised to alter sleeping positions of the child and to continue monitoring the recovery. The patient reported no other treatments sought during the acupuncture therapy period. At a 3-month follow-up, there was no recurrence of the injury to the peroneal nerve, and the patient was able to resume normal activities.DiscussionIn this case, the patient did not show significant improvement after taking neuroprotective medication. and the ultrasonic examination report showed no obvious nerve compression or displacement. Considering the patient’s the age was younger, the his family refused surgery, so they tried to seek acupuncture treatment. The patient received acupuncture treatment every other day for a consecutive period of 2 months. By the final treatment session, the patient regained pain and temperature sensation at the site of the lesion, and muscle strength in dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion of the left foot had recovered to grade V, with normal daily activities.Peripheral neuropathic diseases can be treated clinically by stimulating nerve roots or nerve trunks[11]. In this case report, the selected acupuncture points primarily reside along the common peroneal nerve. Acupuncture at local acupoints effectively stimulates the damaged nerve, such as ST36, which is located at the anterior tibial muscle with the deep peroneal nerve lying deeper; GB34 is situated at a branch of the common peroneal nerve, and  current studies have shown that acupuncture at GB34 can effectively prevent further atrophy of skeletal muscle[12]; GB39 is positioned over the extensor hallucis longus and tendon; ST41 has the superficial peroneal nerve superficially and the deep peroneal nerve deeper[13]. By needling muscles, tendons, and ligaments directly reaching the affected area, this technique utilizes the excitation of nerve fibers to induce action potentials,accordingly to activate muscle fibers, alleviating muscle atrophy and restoring motor and sensory functions of the limbs[14].After the first-week treatment, due to increased patient acceptance of acupuncture, electroacupuncture was introduced during the remaining session. Electroacupuncture, a common adjunctive therapy in acupuncture, involves the application of a microcurrent similar to the body’s own bioelectricity to the needles after insertion. It is widely used in the treatment of neurologic injuries, showing significant effectiveness. Low-frequency electrical stimulation can delay skeletal muscle atrophy and promote muscle regeneration, effectively restoring lower limb motor functions[15-16]. Extensive clinical practice has demonstrated that electroacupuncture significantly enhances the motor and sensory functions of damaged peripheral nerves and is a safe and effective treatment method[7]. Research has shown that electroacupuncture not only promotes the function and proliferation of Schwann cells, regulates local blood flow, and reduces local inflammatory responses to support nerve regeneration, but it also inhibits apoptosis of injured neuronal cells and protects surviving neurons. In target organs, electroacupuncture stimulation can increase glycogen content in skeletal muscles, reduce lactate levels, inhibit muscle cell apoptosis, and delay atrophy in muscles lacking nerve supply. Early intervention using low-frequency currents is found to be particularly beneficial[17].One limitation of this case report is the absence of records regarding the assessment of lower limb motor function using a standardized scale. Additionally, there was no follow-up electromyography (EMG) or ultrasonic examination conducted after the completion of acupuncture treatment to evaluate the extent of nerve recovery.Common peroneal nerve injury is a frequently encountered peripheral nerve injury. Surgical intervention is effective for this condition, but it is costly, highly invasive, and carries a risk of iatrogenic damage. Pharmacological treatments, physical therapy, and modern rehabilitative training are characterized by prolonged treatment periods and slow efficacy. Especially for school-age children, a safe treatment method with minimal trauma, fewer side effects, good prognosis, and relatively short treatment period is needed. The treatment results of this case study suggest that acupuncture may facilitate nerve regeneration and improve muscle atrophy due to nerve loss. Acupuncture shows good therapeutic effects in the restoration of limb function in patients with common peroneal nerve injuries. It can be considered a viable treatment option that may reduce complications and expedite recovery.The functional and sensory improvements following acupuncture treatment for common peroneal nerve injuries warrant further investigation to clarify its applicability and to assist doctors and patients in optimizing treatment plans and course of treatment.References[1]GARRETT A, GEIGER Z. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb,Calf Deep Peroneal (Fibular) Nerve[M]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Stat-Pearls Publishing,2023:30252289.[2]HUCKHAGEL T, NUCHTERN J, REGELSBERGER J, et al.Nerve trauma of the lower extremity: evaluation of 60,422 leg injured pa-tients from the TraumaRegister DGU® between 2002 and 2015[J]. ScandJ Trauma Resus,2018,26(1):40.[3]HARDIN JM, DEVENDRA S. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Calf Common Peroneal (Fibular) Nerve [M]. In: StatPearls [Inter-net]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing,2022:30422563.[4]George SC, Boyce DE. An evidence-based structured review to assess the results of common peroneal nerve repair. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2014;134(2):302e-311e. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000000318[5]Mingxing ZH ,Yi G, Yisidatoulawo, et al.Study on the Effects and Mechanism of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Peripheral Nerve Injury[J].World Chinese Medicine,2020,15(07):1003-1007.[6]Dimitrova A, Murchison C, Oken B. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(3):164-179. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0155[7]Zhang ZD, Wang RQ, Liu JX, et al. Characteristics of clinical application of electroacupuncture therapy for peripheral neuropathy based on data mining. J Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2021;46(3):240-247. doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.200638[8]Xie LY, Xie LY. Treatment of 40 cases of paralysis of common peroneal nerve with acupuncture and moxibustion. J Tradit Chin Med. 1983;3(3):233-236[9]Yao ZH, Yao XL, Wan SQ. Observation on 52 cases of paralysis of common peroneal nerve treated by acupuncture and plum-blossom needling. J Tradit Chin Med. 1984;4(2):97-100.[10]Yang LJ, Liu YL, Wang SB, Jin ZG. Clinical observation on common peroneal nerve palsy treated with comprehensive therapy. J Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014;34(4):334-336.[11]Hao J, Zhao C, Cao S, Yang S. Electric acupuncture treatment of peripheral nerve injury. [J]. Tradit Chin Med. 1995;15(2):114-117.[12]Jin-xin W, Wen-shui W, Si-xiong L.Understanding of ”Arrival of Qi” Based on Soft Tissue Anatomy[J].Henan Traditional Chinese Medicine,2022,42(03):370-374.DOI:10.16367/j.issn.1003-5028.2022.03.0080.[13]Kim B.H. The effects of acupuncture at GB34 on disuse muscle atrophy in rats. J Korean Med Rehabil. 2018;28(4):1–9.[14]Jingyi ZH, Jianxin ZH, Yuanxiang T .A case study of low frequency continuous wave electroacupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine in treating common peroneal nerve injury[J].China’s Naturopathy ,2023,31(15):107-109+125.DOI:10.19621/j.cnki.11-3555 /r.2023.1532.[15]Brock Symons T, Park J, Kim JH, et al. Attenuation of skeletal muscle atrophy via acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and electrical stimulation. Integr Med Res. 2023;12(2):100949. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2023.100949[16]Li H, PEITONG W, WEIBO ZH, et al.Effects of Low Frequency Electric Acupuncture on Different Months of Age － Ｒelated Ｒat Skeletal Muscle by TGF－β/Smad Signaling Pathway[J].Chinese Archives of Traditional Chinese,2018,36(09):2064-2067.[17]MINGWEI G, RUIXIN L, TAO L, et al.Observation of the Therapeutic Effects of Electrical Stimulation Combined with Mirror Therapy on Common Peroneal Nerve Injury[C].Proceedings of the 13th National Sports Science Conference - Special Report (Sports Medicine Section).China Sport Science Society,2023:3.DOI:10.26914/c.cnkihy.2023.063190.

1. The composition, dynamics and health of forest tree communities are governed by interactions with the abiotic and biotic environment. Fungi are critical biotic interactors that play and increasingly appreciated role in forest tree health particularly with respect to mycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi. Heart rot fungi, while known infect large fractions of the individuals in managed stands, have been considerably understudied in tree community ecology. Heart rot has been predicted to form hotspots in the forest due to crown or bole damage and/or soil moisture gradients and is expected to vary across species due to life history differences. 2. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified heart rot the incidence, magnitude and spatial distribution of heart rot in 328 individuals with diameters greater than or equal to 10 cm across the six most dominant tree species in a mixed broadleaf temperate forest dynamics plot. 3. The results show that 71% of individuals display some degree of heart rot in this natural community. The incidence of heart rot does not significantly vary across species despite their life history strategy differences, but one species had significantly more heart rot in infected individuals. Lastly, heart rot was spatially clustered across species, but heart rot incidence and magnitude were not related to soil moisture indicating the importance of crown and bole breakage likely promoted by severe weather. Summary The present study conducted the first spatially explicit study of heart rot incidence and magnitude in a natural forest tree community. We demonstrate that over two thirds of every large tree in the forest studied have some degree of heart rote indicating their widespread, but underappreciated, role in tree communities. We demonstrate that heart rot is non-randomly distributed in this community and that spatial clustering of heart rot in forests is most likely due hotspots of individual tree damage and not gradients in soil moisture.

In this paper, we propose a novel generalized low-rank tensor denoising model tailored for third-order tensors, designed to effectively address diverse types of noise in images and videos. The model integrates tensor Schatten p-norm and ℓ 1 -norm minimization into a unified and computationally efficient framework. To solve the resulting optimization problem, we employ the alternating direction method of multipliers, complemented by a generalized soft-thresholding algorithm for efficient subproblem computation. Extensive experiments on image and video datasets demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms classical tensor-based algorithms, highlighting its effectiveness and potential for practical applications in image and video processing.

Quantifying the hydrological connectivity of wetland ecosystems is crucial for their sustainable management. This study assessed the water balance of an Australian Sphagnum peatland via continuous monitoring of key hydrological parameters over four years (2017­–2021). Meteoric water inputs (rain and snow), evapotranspiration, changes in peat water storage (soil moisture and water table depth), groundwater contributions, and stream outflows were monitored or calculated over the four-year study period. Results showed a substantial groundwater contribution to the ecosystem, equivalent to 65% of total annual inputs. Groundwater inputs sustained stream outflows of 1.5 mm per day during periods without meteoric water input (i.e. summer dry periods), providing persistent surface wetness in this critical growing period. The continuous supply of groundwater to the peatland serves two important and interconnected environmental services. First, incoming groundwater enables the peatland water table to remain close to the surface, ensuring the persistence of the peatland vegetation during dry periods. Secondly, 94% of the peatland water balance (70% contributed from groundwater) leaves the peatland as streamflow, maintaining critical summer flows to downstream catchments. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts in this region in the future, however, substantial groundwater contributions may provide more resilience to hydrologically intact peatlands in this region than what was previously thought.

Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems where freshwater and saltwater interactions are governed by both hydrological and oceanic processes. However, climate change and human interventions, such as lagoon breaching, increasingly disrupt these processes, posing challenges for ecosystem conservation. This study investigates the hydrogeological controls on water levels and salinity within a coastal wetland adjacent to Avoca Lagoon, an Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoon (ICOLL) in New South Wales, Australia. The wetland was specifically designed to provide breeding habitat for the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog, which requires low-salinity conditions for breeding. To assess groundwater-surface water interactions and saltwater dynamics, we employed a multidisciplinary approach, integrating water level and salinity monitoring using surface water and groundwater piezometers at depths of 3.5 to 5.5 m, electrical resistivity tomography to characterise subsurface conditions, and bathymetric and salinity profiling of the lagoon. Results indicate strong hydraulic connectivity between the wetland and the lagoon, with groundwater discharge playing a critical role in sustaining freshwater conditions. While high lagoon levels can breach natural barriers and introduce brackish water into the wetland, low lagoon levels - resulting from controlled breaching - can cause wetland desiccation, reducing its suitability for frog breeding. These findings underscore the need for conservation strategies that balance flood management with habitat preservation. By advancing our understanding of ICOLL-influenced wetland hydrogeology, this research highlights the delicate interplay between hydrological processes, anthropogenic management, and frog habitat. Integrating groundwater dynamics into coastal wetland management will be crucial for sustaining ecological functions under future climate variability and sea level rise.

Objectives Analyze the trends and inequalities in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence among women of childbearing age (WCBA) from 1992 to 2021. Design: Population-based analysis. Setting: T2DM prevalence data were obtained from GBD2021. Population: Participants in GBD2021. Methods T2DM prevalence data from GBD 2021 database were analyzed using Age-Period-Cohort (APC). Inequalities across SDI levels were also assessed, and decomposition analysis identified burden drivers. Bayesian APC (BAPC) model provided future projections (2022-2030). Main outcome measures Prevalence number (million), age-standardized rate (ASR, per million), net drift (%). Results In 2021, the global T2DM prevalence among WCBA reached 73.86 (95% UI: 63.43-85.32) million. From 1992 to 2021, the prevalence burden rose in 195 countries, declined in eight, and remained stable in one. Greenland exhibited the largest rise with a net drift of 11.32% (95% UI: 8.33-14.39%). The highest burden worsened over time and ASR peak occurred in the 45-49 age group. Population and epidemiological factors was the main driver relatively in low and high SDI regions. T2DM-related visual impairment was more severe in low and medium SDI regions. Projections suggest significant increases both on global and country level. Conclusions T2DM prevalence among WCBA has risen steadily since 1992, with worsening inequalities. Projections to 2030 underscore the urgent need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

Objective To develop a core outcome set for stillbirth care. Design Consensus development study. Setting International. Population 542 participants from 29 countries, including 381 parents or family members who have experienced stillbirth, 192 care professionals and researchers (31 of which identified as both parent and professional). Methods Modified Delphi method and Modified Nominal Group Technique. Results A long list of 108 potential outcomes was developed by combining outcomes reported in 240 stillbirth care studies with those derived from interviews of 40 parents and family members with lived experience of stillbirth. Following a two-round Delphi process with consensus meetings, stakeholders agreed upon 8 core outcomes to measure in all stillbirth care studies; an additional 11 outcomes for specific interventions or care were also decided. Core outcomes for all stillbirth care studies were life-threatening complications and maternal death, parents’ experience of respectful and supportive care, grief, mental health and emotional wellbeing, isolation, stigma, impact on work, impact on relationship with immediate family. Outcomes for studies assessing interventions to understand the cause of stillbirth (investigations): cause of death identified and parents’ understanding of cause of death. Outcomes in studies assessing subsequent pregnancy after stillbirth: antenatal complications for mother, antenatal complications for baby, survival of baby, neonatal outcomes and attachment to baby. Outcomes for when a stillbirth occurs in a multiple pregnancy: Survival of other baby/ies, preterm birth, pregnancy complications for baby/ies and neonatal outcomes. Conclusion This core outcome set for stillbirth care should now be used in future trials and systematic reviews to ensure that outcomes considered important by a range of stakeholders are addressed, and to minimise outcome reporting bias.

Objectives: To report the number of cochlear implantation procedures and recipients in Australia since 2000 by age, and to estimate the adult uptake of cochlear implants. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of data, using publicly available data on private and public hospital procedures undertaken in Australia between 2000/01 and 2022/23. The main outcome measures were: (i) Number of cochlear implants per financial year, by paediatric, adults, or 10-year age groups, and population adjusted. (ii) Adult uptake rate of cochlear implants, adjusted for explantation and replantation rates, and bilateral implantation rates. This study followed STROBE guidelines for reporting. Results: 25,611 devices were implanted between July 2000 and June 2023, with annual numbers rising from 200 per year to over 1400 per year. Despite females have a 50% lower prevalence of hearing loss than males, approximately equal number of males and females are implanted. Paediatric implantation has declined since 2016. Adult uptake rate of cochlear implants is estimated to be 10.5%. Conclusions: Despite the known economic and social benefits of cochlear implants, and the rising number of people with hearing loss, the initial increase in rates of implantation appeared to have slowed, and the uptake rate remains low. Public health and hospital policy should be directed to improving public education, awareness, and referral and assessment pathways, especially for males.

The current research aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) on improving differentiation of self and psychological well-being of patients with HSAN-2. The research design was semi-experimental single case with multiple baselines. The statistical population of the research included 50 patients with HSAN2 all over the world from whom 2 were recruited (one from Iran and one from Canada) using purposive sampling method with inclusion-exclusion criteria. The patients filled out Skowron & Friedlander’s (1998) Differentiation of Self Inventory and Ryff’s (1989) Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using clinical significance, visual inspect, diagnostic improvement and the six indices of efficacy. According to the results, the total percentage of improvement for differentiation of self and psychological well-being were 52.76 and 52.69, respectively. One can conclude that the Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) was effective in improving differentiation of self and psychological well-being of the patients with HSAN-2 through identifying maladjustment core beliefs and replacing them with useful alternatives via the VCR process.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investige the changes in neurovascular structures of retina in patients who received chemotherapy in childhood, via optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA), during the remission period after chemotherapy. Methods: One hundred thirty patients who received chemotherapy and 130 control cases without any known systemic or ocular diseases were enrolled in this observational, prospective, single-centre study. Retinal neurovascular structures in the macular and optic disc regions were examined in using OCT and OCTA. Data from subjects who received chemotherapy were compared with data from healthy controls. Results: A statistically significant decrease in the vessel density (VD) was observed in nasal part of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and temporal part of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) in the study group compared with the control group (p<0.05). A significant decrease in the VD was also observed in the temporal peripapillary SCP region of the optic disc area in the patients who received chemotherapy (p<0.05). Deep foveal avascular zone (FAZ) areas were significantly enlarged in the study group with respect to the control group (p<0.001). Conclusions: In the patients who received chemotherapy in childhood, the vascular density in the macula and optic disc region is decreased, when compared to the control group. It is thought that OCTA to be useful in the clinical follow-up of patients who received chemotheraphy in childhood.

Background: Since survival rates have improved over recent decades, there is an increasing number of childhood cancer survivors. Besides medical late effects of the therapy survivors experience financial and legal burdens and discrimination linked to their cancer history. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and types of discrimination faced by childhood cancer survivors in Germany. Methods: Therefore, we conducted a survey in the German childhood cancer community. Results: Within 111 participants, 76.6 % (n=85) reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination. The most common areas of discrimination involved various types of insurance coverage (51,4 %), employment (27,9 %) and educational matters (16,2 %). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the significant prevalence of lifelong financial and legal burdens and discrimination among childhood cancer survivors. It shows the urgent need for education, awareness campaigns regarding cancer survival and legal measures to end discrimination and to establish equal treatment in terms of social and financial issues. Our results contribute to the ongoing discussion surrounding the “Right to be Forgotten” and advocate an implementation in Germany.