Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus and spread mainly by Aedes mosquitoes, is a significant public health concern in tropical regions. Bushehr Province in southern Iran, with its conducive climate for mosquito breeding, shows limited data on dengue prevalence, prompting this study. Researchers conducted a study across ten cities in Bushehr, collecting blood samples from 180 participants to detect dengue-specific antibodies through ELISA testing. Results revealed a prevalence rate of 2.78%, with positive cases found in Bushehr, Dashtestan, and Tangestan, indicating localized transmission. These findings highlight the risk of dengue outbreaks and emphasize the need for ongoing surveillance, vector control, and public education. Further research is needed to enhance understanding and inform health policies.

Recently, Doppler tracking based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites has attracted considerable attention. However, as LEO satellites are not dedicated for PNT, we cannot obtain the crucial information, such as signals structure and clock synchronization from the LEO signals of opportunity (SOPs), bringing challenges to Doppler LEO-PNT. Moreover, Doppler signal acquisition is time-consuming, which implies that real-time target localization is not allowed. In this paper, LEO-PNT is studied from passive source localization point of view. A reduced-dimension MUSIC (RD-MUSIC) with uniform circular array (UCA) is proposed for target localization using LEO SOPs. UCA is adopted because it offers uniform coverage in all directions, resulting in highly effective signal detection from any angle-of-arrival. Additionally, both odd and even numbers of antenna elements are investigated. The devised method employs one-dimensional (1-D) search, and then establishes equations from which the target's coordinates can be solved in a computationally attractive manner. The efficiency and reliability of our RD-MUSIC are demonstrated via numerical simulations, where the data are generated by the systems tool kit (STK) of Analytical Graphics.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) or anal cancer (AC) is an understudied cancer with a high occurrence rate in people with HIV (PWH), especially men having sex with men (MSM). Furthermore, AC recurs in approximately one fourth of patients who undergo standard care with chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Using bulk RNA sequencing data of AC obtained from 12 patients with non-recurrent (NR, N=9) or recurrent (R, N=3) cancer, we previously showed upregulated expression of key immune genes in the NR compared to the R group. Although the main causative agent of anal cancer is high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), association of host and viral RNA transcript expression contributing to AC recurrence has not been extensively studied. The objective of the current study was to determine whether enrichment of specific HPV genotypes and/or HPV gene expression patterns differentiate the two groups and if any specific viral (HPV) and host (human) immune mediators correlate with each other. Using bulk RNA sequencing data and VIRTUS 2, we detected viral RNA reads mapping to 7 high-risk and 6 low-risk HPV types of which the high-risk HPV16 observed in 83% (10/12) AC tumors (7/9 non-recurrent and 3/3 recurrent). Rate of all HPV genomes trended towards a decrease in non-recurrent anal cancer isolates and correlation between HPV types was more commonly observed in low-risk ones. Analysis of HPV 16 gene expression profile showed a significantly lower positivity rate for a polycistronic transcript encoding for E7^L1 in the non-recurrent group (1/9, NR versus 3/3, R, p value <0.05). An unbiased correlation analysis of HPV-human transcript expression showed a direct correlation between HPV transcripts and human genes involved in cell growth. The data also identified human transcripts showing an inverse correlation with HPV gene expression. These included genes involved in negative regulation of growth, proliferation and immune response. Taken together, these data indicate that concurrent analyses of viral and host factors in the same tumor can identify potential new therapeutic targets to ameliorate cancer recurrence post treatment.

Objective: Patients with chronic hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) who do not have underlying cirrhosis are at a high risk of progressing to cirrhosis within one year during the recovery period. However, the specific risk factors contributing to this progression remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify the factors influencing cirrhosis development and to establish a pathway for risk stratification. Methods: Clinical data were collected from non-cirrhotic HBV-ACLF patients who survived beyond one year and had comprehensive clinical records. Independent factors associated with the progression to cirrhosis were identified, enabling the development of a risk stratification pathway. Results: A prospective one-year follow-up of 109 non-cirrhotic patients with HBV-ACLF showed that 21.1% (n=23) developed cirrhosis. An assessment of clinical features, laboratory metrics, and the fluctuating patterns in liver function identified several independent factors for the development of cirrhosis: unresolved total bilirubin (TB) levels [5.64 (1.39-25.00)], failure to normalize the International Normalized Ratio (INR) [6.34 (1.52-29.50)], and baseline platelet (PLT) count [0.98 (0.97-0.99)]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that INR normalization (AUC=0.82), TB resolution (AUC=0.78), and the baseline PLT count (AUC=0.75) had strong predictive accuracy for cirrhosis. A risk stratification model incorporating INR normalization and baseline PLT effectively classified patients into low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk groups, with incidence rates of cirrhosis at 5.4%, 29.4%, and 77.8%, respectively. Conclusion: This study emphasized the crucial role of INR normalization, TB resolution, and the baseline PLT count in predicting the risk of cirrhosis development within one year in non-cirrhotic HBV-ACLF patients. By integrating INR normalization with baseline PLT, a risk stratification model for cirrhosis development was established, which provides targeted intervention guidance for clinicians and serves as a practical clinical tool for the development of personalized treatment plans.

Resurgence of Human Metapneumovirus: An Overview of Past and Current Trends

Introduction: This study aims to (1) describe the indication and diagnoses of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in neonates, as well as the subsequent management, (2) evaluate the safety profile of neonatal FB and (3) review any change in demographic factors and outcomes on the neonatal FB performed in the research period. Methods: This is a single centre retrospective hospital cohort reviewing FB performed on neonates with chronological age less than 29 days, between 1 st January 2001 and 31 st December 2021. Data on background characteristics, indications, adverse events during procedure, diagnoses and subsequent interventions were collected and analysed. Result: One hundred and fifty-three FB performed on 148 neonates were included. Clinical upper airway obstruction (UAO) was the most common indication for FB, accounting for 64.9% of all subjects. Malacic airway disease (62.8%) was the most common diagnosis after FB, followed by laryngitis (9.5%). Negative findings accounted for 10.1%. Desaturation was the only reported adverse event, occurred in 18 (11.8%) out of 153 FB procedures. Twenty-six (17.6%) infants had surgical intervention after FB, of which 13 out of 93 (14%) infants with malacic airway disease received laryngoscopic supraglottoplasty. Across the study period, there were increasing trends on the number of bronchoalveolar lavage performed and on the chronological age of infants at the time of FB. Conclusion: This study observed that neonatal FB is a safe and useful procedure with limited adverse effect, which helps to delineate the underlying pathologies and provide a guide on further management approach.

An abrupt increase in the EV population will cause the concomitant installation of EV charging facilities. Installation of a full-functional EV charger in every required place is difficult as it requires a lot of planning and other resources. Partial chargers are the perfect choice for places where the land and other resources are limited. This will assure perfect intermittent connectivity and reduce the driver’s anxiety problem. This project aims at building a DC Partial Charging Facility (DCPCF) to be conveniently built on urban road sides, hotels, parking lots, etc. Three important requirements are being considered for the product development: cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and user friendliness. The Smart partial Charger operates in three different modes, namely, the Fixed Price Mode (FPM), the Fixed SOC Mode (FSM) and the Advanced Distance Mode (ADM). In the FPM, the charger charges the customer’s vehicle with the number of units corresponding to the prepaid amount, whereas in the SOC mode and distance mode, the EV is charged with energy required to achieve a particular value of SOC or range. Smart charging policies are devised for the three charging modes, and an intelligent controller keeps track of the entire system dynamics and ensures reliable operation of the system. Simulation results proves the effectiveness of the system.

In engineering construction, soft soil foundations are common. Their characteristics of high water content, high compressibility, and low bearing capacity pose a serious threat to the stability and safety of buildings. To ensure the normal use of the superstructure, effective foundation reinforcement measures are essential. The cement-soil mixing pile technology forms a composite foundation with good strength and stability by forcibly mixing cement and foundation soil. It is outstanding in enhancing soil strength, reducing compressibility, and improving overall stiffness, and is widely used in engineering practice. This article starts from the principle of this technology and deeply explores its application and innovative ideas in soft soil foundation reinforcement, aiming to provide a reference for similar projects.

A document by Xavier Pardell Peña. Click on the document to view its contents.

Developer Experience (DevEx) is a subjective and complex aspect to evaluate in software development, as it involves both technical and personal factors. To address this challenge, a gamified solution was proposed that automates data collection on projects and developers, culminating in the generation of reports with concrete recommendations for each project. This tool integrates subjective and objective measurements, enabling a more comprehensive evaluation of DevEx and providing practical indicators for continuous improvement. The initial evaluation of this prototype with a group of developers showed highly positive reception, highlighting the tool’s potential in real work environments. Participants noted favorable aspects of the gamified approach, particularly its ability to dynamically and interactively capture developers perceptions. Additionally, this article presents the initial architecture employed to build the prototype and, based on participant feedback, proposes an optimized production-ready architecture. This refined design serves as a foundational model for software development companies to implement in real-world scenarios.

Pegaspargase, a pegylated form of native Escherichia coli-derived L-asparaginase, is indicated for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as a component of multi-agent chemotherapy. Although it has been approved for marketing, real-world, long-term safety information in children is still lacking. We aimed to investigate the adverse events (AEs) caused by Pegaspargase through data mining of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, thereby providing a reference for clinical safety in pediatric populations. A disproportionality analysis was conducted to quantify the correlation between Pegaspargase and AEs, using four algorithms. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify differences between AEs in different clinical characteristics, aiming to assess the risk factors in Pegaspargase-associated pancreatitis. Among 21,161,817 reports, 847 implicated Pegasparagase as the primary suspected drug, uncovering AEs across 26 organ systems. Notably, we identified four previously unlisted AEs. Furthermore, the occurrence of pancreatitis-related is closely related to the age (χ 2 = 8.219, p < 0.05). This research offers a new viewpoint on clinical safety evaluations related to Pegasparagase and provides some references for improving the safety of clinical medication in pediatric populations.

Having the students practice the Engineering Process, while learning about the importance of building materials and how weather and other elements affect them.

Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) in Bangladesh faces challenges due to the complexity of Bangla script and low-resolution CCTV footage. This research introduces a YOLOv8-based deep learning model tailored for Bangladeshi license plates, enhancing plate localization, character segmentation, and Bangla script recognition using Easy-OCR. The model leverages Roboflow for data collection, annotation, and augmentation, training on a dataset of 2600 images captured under diverse conditions, including low resolution, harsh weather, and partial obstructions. The model distinguishes license plates from other rectangular objects on vehicles, achieving 94.8% detection and recognition accuracy. These results demonstrate the system's robustness in real-world scenarios, contributing to improved road safety, traffic management, and law enforcement in Bangladesh, marking a significant advancement in ALPR technology for the region. This research marks a significant advancement in ALPR technology for Bangladesh, contributing to improved road safety, efficient traffic management, and enhanced law enforcement capabilities.

In this study, the influence of resin crosslink density on thermo-mechanical properties and fatigue behavior of polyurethane resins and glass fiber reinforced polyurethane (PU-GFRP) composites were investigated. This material is a candidate for renewable energy applications like rotor blades in wind turbines. The thermo-mechanical behavior and morphologies of three different PU resin systems were analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results show that the system with low crosslink density exhibits earlier crack initiation but higher strains before failure, indicating initially a more brittle behavior but greater polymer chain reorientation capacity. This phenomenon was correlated to the different phase morphology and the hybrid nature of the investigated PU resins. Residual strength analysis showed minimum influence on tensile strength, and a slight modulus decrease after extensive creep tests. This highlights the importance of fiber-matrix interaction on the composite fatigue failure. The static mechanical properties of the composites and SN fatigue tests allowed assessing the fatigue performance and lifetime analysis under specific loading conditions. Highly crosslinked systems show a significantly longer lifetime compared to the medium crosslinked system. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of understanding resin crosslink density’s impact on fatigue behavior in GFRP composites for better material and part design.

Plant-microbe interactions could significantly shape forest dynamics, yet the molecular functions and contributions of plant-associated microbes to seedling survival and species coexistence remain largely unknown. This research aims to bridge functional genomics and ecological modeling to investigate how endophytes influence seedling survival and plant community assembly in a subtropical forest. We found that endophytic gene number was significantly associated with plant divergence time and maximum height. 113 endophytic GOs significantly enhanced seedling survival, and the GO group of stimulus responses had a higher proportion of fitness-related GOs, implying that endophyte-mediated stimulus responses are important for host fitness. We also found significantly stronger phylogenetic signals for fitness-related and stimulus-response-related GOs, suggesting that endophyte-mediated fitness and stimulus responses are associated with host evolution. This study reveals how foliar endophytes enhancing host survival and coexistence from a functional genomics perspective, emphasizing their critical role in forest ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation.

Abstract: Privacy-preserving human activity anomaly detection has become increasingly important in sensitive applications such as video surveillance, healthcare monitoring, and assisted living systems. While human action detection techniques offer substantial benefits for automated video and sensor-based analysis, they also raise privacy concerns when deployed in environments that require confidentiality. This paper introduces Obfuscated Action Detection, an innovative framework incorporating a temporal obfuscation component based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to anonymize sensor data. By leveraging Deep Neural Networks, this framework ensures both high accuracy in anomaly detection and feasibility for real-time application. Extensive experiments demonstrate the capability of Obfuscated Action Detection to achieve robust privacy protection without compromising detection precision, making it a viable solution for applications that prioritize both privacy and reliability. Additionally, this paper presents an overview of related works, summarizing recent advancements and methodologies in privacy-preserving anomaly detection.Keywords: HAR; Human action recognition; privacy preserving; GAN; generative adversarial network; image segmentation;

Background Pediatric asthma exacerbations remain a critical public health concern, particularly in historically underserved urban settings. In Chicago, non-Hispanic Black children 5-19 years old had 2.5 times the emergency visits for asthma as non-Hispanic White children. Objective This study investigates sociome factors – the social context of disease – associated with asthma exacerbations among children living in Chicago’s South Side, leveraging clinical and census tract-level datasets. The aim is to uncover novel influences for potential new interventions. Methods A generalized linear model assessed associations while accounting for clustering at the patient level. Results Predictors of decreased risk included patient age (+4.8 years, -22%), tree crown density (+6% coverage, -17%), parks per acre (+0.41, -8%), and labor market engagement (+0.8 points, -9%). Conversely, predictors or increased risk included increased distance to the nearest pharmacy (+0.28 miles, +12%), limited English skills (+2.3%, +10%), higher inequality (+0.08 points, +8%), and visits in the Spring (+11%) and Fall (+20%). Conclusion The results suggest that tree crown density, a novel finding in the context of asthma exacerbations, may play a protective role. Limited access to health care facilities such as pharmacies continues to complicate care. However, the complexity of neighborhood-level influences require broader geographic sampling; limitations include the study’s restricted geographic and demographic scope. Integrating data from multiple hospitals will be essential for replicating these findings and translating them into actionable strategies for improving pediatric asthma care.

The main occurrence scenario of strain fatigue is during the use of polymers, such as polyethylene sheaths for hoisting ropes, shoe soles, rubber bands, artificial skin materials, etc. However, the strain fatigue life prediction models and methods mainly come from Manson Coffin models, SWT models, etc., which were developed by scientists represented by Manson and Coffin through research on dozens of metals or alloys. The property that polymers have viscoelasticity and do not undergo strain fatigue in extremely low strain ranges is considered, a 4-parameter model has been established by introducing strain fatigue threshold (εth) value in Manson Coffin model，and compared the life prediction in AS, PA6, PC, PE-LD, and PE-LLD with Manson-Coffin model. Research has found that the 4-parameter model is suitable for polymers with good flexibility. Compared to the Manson Coffin model, the strain fatigue life of polymers, especially high cycle fatigue life, can be more accurately predicted by the 4-parameter model. And lower plastic deformation does not cause accumulation of polymer fatigue. This work provides a more accurate model for predicting the strain fatigue life of flexible polymers.

The Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone in northern China is the tail area of the East Asian summer monsoon, as well as the edge area of crop production. It is also a typical ecologically fragile area, and its agricultural and animal husbandry production conditions and ecological status are highly susceptible to climate change. Climate change has uncertainty in long-term processes in the future, and how it affects the suitability of agricultural and pastoral production in the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone constitutes a scientific issue of common concern in climate change research and regional sustainable development research. This study is divided into two parts: multi scenario simulation of climate change and evaluation of land use suitability for agriculture and animal husbandry. The first part first simulates the uncertainty of future climate change and the different paths of international response to climate change by setting low, moderate, and high emission scenarios, and then simulates the spatial distribution of annual precipitation and accumulated temperature elements in the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone for three years: 2030 (short-term), 2050 (medium-term), and 2100 (long-term). The second part further constructs an evaluation index system for the suitability of agricultural and animal husbandry land use based on the results of multi scenario simulations of climate change, and comprehensively analyzes the quantity structure and spatial distribution of suitability levels for agriculture and animal husbandry in different years under various scenarios. This study has found that in terms of future climate change, the low and moderate emission scenarios of the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone in northern China have similar trends in annual precipitation, while the high emission model has more extreme changes in annual precipitation. The spatial distribution of precipitation has always maintained an overall pattern of ”more in the east and less in the west”. The precipitation changes in the northern and northwestern sections of the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone are relatively small, while the dry and wet changes in the northern and southern parts of the northeastern sections are large; The overall distribution of accumulated temperature shows a spatial characteristic of high in the south and low in the north. The accumulated temperature changes in the low emission mode are relatively stable, while the accumulated temperature changes in the moderate and high emission modes are more extreme. The southern part of the northeast section and the eastern part of the north China section are the key areas of alternating cold and warm changes.

2024 was an excellent year for the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology with a total of 389 original, high quality, peer-reviewed articles published. I am occasionally asked to identify the top papers published in JCE in the past year. A reasonable method to identify the top journal manuscripts during a particular period of time is based on the number of citations each paper has received. This is an objective approach. However, it is biased in favor of papers that were published earlier in the year giving more time for subsequent authors to cite the paper. With that understanding, here are the top five articles in JCE published in 2024 based on CrossRef citation data on the Wiley Online Library accessed January 13 th, 2025.

Flood disturbances act as strong filters on arthropod communities by excluding species that are not adapted to the high water-tables. Sensitive species can survive in these areas by either migrating to more terrestrial habitats or by using dry refuges within the wetland created by topographical heterogeneity. In this study, we examined the role of such refugia and the scale at which these affect arthropod densities, mainly cursorial species, by using previous information on local dryness-wetness of wetlands, as expressed by inundation frequencies at a 2x2 m2 resolution. By focusing on spiders and beetles, these studies indicate that species within Linyphiidae, Staphylinidae and Chrysomelidae were more abundant in the presence of dry refuges at a scale of 10x10 m2, whereas Salticidae preferred wetter areas. Species within Carabidae, Lycosidae and a number of other taxon groups were indifferent to these structures. Moreover, the data seem to suggest that mainly habitat generalists benefit from the refuges. Accordingly, those groups that were impartial to the dry refuges included almost exclusively species that can be categorised as wetland specialists. More generally, the small-scale variability in wetland dryness-wetness creating small-scale refuges may be important to consider for guiding contemporary efforts to restore wetlands as a mean to promote biodiversity.

This study investigates the combined effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and leaf leachate application on various morphological, physiological, and reproductive traits of Anthemis cotula L., an invasive species in Kashmir Himalaya. Results from a greenhouse experiment reveal a significant synergistic effect of AMF and leaf leachate on plant traits, particularly during the later growth stages. Specifically, plant height increased significantly under the combined treatment of AMF and the highest concentration of leaf leachate (AMF+AL2), with plants reaching a height of 23.13 cm. In contrast, leaf leachate alone suppressed growth, which was mitigated by the addition of activated charcoal. Root dry mass showed the highest increase under leaf leachate treatments, while shoot dry mass was significantly enhanced under the combined treatment of AMF and leaf leachate, reaching 4.37 g/plant. The number of lateral branches also increased significantly under the combined treatment of AMF and leaf leachate. Photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were notably higher in plants treated with AMF and leaf leachate, indicating improved physiological performance. Furthermore, the extent of AMF colonization was positively correlated with phosphorus content, with the highest phosphorus accumulation observed in AMF and leachate treated plants. These findings suggest that the interaction between AMF and leaf leachate plays a crucial role in the growth and invasiveness of A. cotula, influencing key traits like plant height, biomass allocation, and reproductive potential. The results underscore the importance of considering the combined effects of belowground and aboveground factors in understanding plant invasiveness. This study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the success of invasive species, with implications for managing their spread and promoting ecological restoration.

Objective Since the COVID-19 pandemic, psychotherapy has more frequently been promoted and practiced online. Past research suggests that displaying psychotherapist credentials in the therapy office affects perceptions of the psychotherapist. The aim of the present study was to assess whether credential information from an online source would have a similar impact. Method Participants ( N = 168) viewed two emulations of psychotherapist websites. One of these web pages included credentials and the other did not. After viewing each web page, participants rated their perceptions of the psychotherapist’s expertness and likely empathy. Results Analysis revealed that psychotherapists were viewed as more expert when professional credentials were provided. The same was true for perceived empathy, but only when the psychotherapist and participant were racially matched. The study failed to find evidence that psychotherapists were viewed differently based on their years of experience. Conclusion The study results suggest that prospective clients would be more likely to perceive a psychotherapist positively when the therapist’s credentials are provided. Such a finding supports the inclusion of credential and training information when advertising treatment services.

The present study explores therapists’ experiences with integrating client feedback systems into clinical practice and identifies factors influencing resistance or acceptance of this tool. Utilizing a qualitative design, 14 therapists from private clinics in Madrid were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Thematic analysis revealed six major themes: general difficulties, patient profiles, potential improvements, feedback regarding the therapeutic alliance, underutilization of feedback tools, and emotional responses elicited in therapists. Logistical, personal, and emotional barriers were identified, including the perceived disruption of therapy flow, fears of damaging the therapeutic relationship, and therapists’ discomfort with self-assessment. Despite recognizing feedback’s utility for enhancing therapeutic outcomes, therapists reported ambivalence and inconsistent implementation. The findings underscore the need for improved training, greater awareness of feedback benefits, and strategies to address therapists’ emotional and logistical concerns. Addressing these barriers can foster more effective feedback integration to strengthen therapeutic alliance and optimize client outcomes.