INTRODUCTION: The patients presenting with inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) in particular right ventricular myocardial infarction (RVMI) primarily affects right ventricle (RV) which is poorly evaluated by echocardiographic tools. AIMS: The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of various echocardiographic parameters in assessing RV function in patients with IWMI in particular RVMI subset, correlation among various echocardiographic parameters amongst them, their association with in-hospital outcome and the role of intervention by assessing echocardiographic parameters at 3 month follow-up. The study specially focuses on pulmonary regurgitation pressure half-time (PRPHT) and right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS) as indicators of RV dysfunction apart from other conventional tools. METHODS: The study is a prospective observational analysis conducted at public sector institute in eastern India, involving 155 patients diagnosed with acute IWMI/RVMI. Patients were categorised into 2 groups based on PRPHT findings and comparison done among them and overall. Patients underwent a comprehensive evaluation including echocardiography, and coronary angiography, followed by a three-month post-treatment follow-up. Echocardiographic parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), PRPHT, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), and RVGLS were measured at both visits. RESULTS: Strong positive correlation were observed between PRPHT, TAPSE, FAC & RVGLS suggesting their use interchangeably to assess RV function. The study also explored that PRPHT had moderate positive correlation with RVGLS. It was also concluded that RVGLS as a tool is non-inferior to TAPSE and RVFAC in evaluation of RV function. It was also noted that patients with PRPHT values less than 90, TAPSE of less than 10, FAC of less than 28% and RVGLS value of less than (-12) were able to fairly predict in-hospital outcome in patients of IWMI/RVMI. The findings of present study also suggests that interventions in IWMI/RVMI has good outcomes at 3 month follow-up. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that PRPHT could serve as a valuable prognostic indicator in patients with PRPHT ≤ 100 ms. This study also suggests that PRPHT has no significant correlation with in-hospital outcome especially in patients with PRPHT >100ms. It was also noted that patients with PRPHT values less than 90, TAPSE of less than 10, FAC of less than 28% and RVGLS value of less than (-12) were able to predict adverse in-hospital outcome in patients of IWMI/RVMI. The findings of this study also suggest that PRPHT & negated RVGLS are well correlated with other standard echocardiographic measures of RV dysfunction viz. TAPSE and FAC. This study also suggests that RVGLS is non-inferior to TAPSE and FAC in evaluation of RV function in IWMI/RVMI.The findings also suggests that interventions in IWMI/RVMI has good outcomes at 3 month follow-up. RVGLS can be used as a tool to evaluate RV function in such cases.

Introduction: Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a severe, persistent disorder that causes functional impairment. Besides heritability, environmental factors, such as traumatic experience, impact the development of BD. Little is known about the early developmental signs of this disorder; therefore, this study aims to look at the impact of interpersonal trauma on the early developmental signs of BD. Specifically, differences in psychopathological behaviors were investigated between (1) at-risk children to controls and (2) at-risk children who experienced an interpersonal traumatic event to those who did not. Methods: Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset, participants with a first-degree relative with BD were identified (N at-risk=625) and matched on sex and age to a control group (N control=625). The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS) was used to assess interpersonal trauma and psychopathological symptoms. The trauma (N trauma=198) and no trauma subgroups (N no trauma=428) were built from the at-risk population. Group comparison was conducted on depressive, manic, and anxiety symptoms. Results: Compared to controls, at-risk children exhibited a significantly greater number of manic symptoms at baseline, and depression and anxiety symptoms at two-year follow-up. No significant differences were found between the trauma and no-trauma groups at either baseline or follow-up. Discussion: These results confirm the presence of early symptoms in at-risk children, in line with the staging model of BD. Extended longitudinal research is needed to further investigate the potential specific role of trauma on its early behavioral patterns.

A document by Vidip Raj Sharma. Click on the document to view its contents.

03 September 2024

The Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) plays a significant role in global aquaculture, with Brazil ranking among its primary producers. Nevertheless, a significant gap persists in the exploration of genetic diversity within Brazilian Nile tilapia stocks. To address this gap, we examined the genetic diversity of nine distinct farmed populations of Nile tilapia in Brazil, totaling 600 individuals, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We sought to furnish essential genetic insights aimed at shaping the foundation of novel breeding nucleus. The pre-breeding populations exhibited high genetic diversity, with average heterozygosity ranging from 0.32 (SD 0.16) to 0.39 (SD 0.12). Some populations showed low effective population size (N e) and higher probabilities of inbreeding (greater proportions of half- and full-sibling individuals). Despite the occurrence of cluster formation among populations, genetic differentiation between populations was minimal. Coefficients of relatedness among individuals were generated to facilitate mating strategies aimed at maintaining the genetic diversity of the populations. The presented results will ensure that effective strategies are implemented during the pre-breeding stage of a new tilapia genetic improvement nucleus, supporting the maintenance of genetic diversity in the breeding stock.

Baron Chain represents a next-generation blockchain architecture designed to address the challenges of scalability, security, and interoperability, especially as we transition into the quantum age. Built on the AQUILA framework—an AI-powered Quantum-safe Universal Interchain Ledger Architecture—Baron Chain integrates state-of-the-art technologies to create a secure, scalable, and efficient decentralized network.At the core of Baron Chain's architecture is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), which optimizes node operations, transaction routing, and cross-chain communication. AI-driven mechanisms minimize transaction hops, dynamically adjust network resources, and enhance transaction throughput, ensuring fast and efficient processing across the network. The architecture is also quantum-ready, incorporating Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) with the initial deployment of Kyber hybrid PQC to safeguard data integrity and availability against future quantum threats.Baron Chain leverages a customized version of the Cosmos SDK with Tendermint as its consensus algorithm, ensuring Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) while maintaining high throughput and fast finality. This robust consensus, combined with the scalability provided by AI, enables seamless operation across multiple interconnected blockchains. The Baron Chain Bridge (BCB) facilitates interchain and intrachain communication, supporting a wide array of blockchain ecosystems through integrated protocols like IBC and LayerZero.With Tendermint ensuring secure and efficient block finalization, Baron Chain's architecture provides quantum-safe cryptographic protection, making it ideal for data-sensitive applications in industries such as defense, critical infrastructure, and decentralized finance.This whitepaper outlines the technical foundations of Baron Chain, offering detailed implementation specifications, including code samples and diagrams that illustrate how AI, PQC, and Tendermint consensus contribute to the network's performance, security, and interoperability. As the quantum era approaches, Baron Chain’s quantum-safe blockchain offers a long-term solution for ensuring data availability, integrity, and security, making it a critical platform for the future of decentralized technology and high-security industries.

In many real-world environments, data is often incomplete, noisy, or contradictory, posing challenges for models that rely on structured and perfect information. Addressing this issue, a novel approach to grounding has been developed, focusing on aligning internal model representations with external imperfect world data through adaptive mechanisms. The technique explored here integrates a probabilistic world model with LLaMA, enabling the model to infer missing data and resolve inconsistencies while maintaining a high degree of accuracy in decision-making tasks. Experimental results demonstrate the model's capacity to remain robust under conditions of fluctuating data quality, highlighting its potential for deployment in environments that demand contextual awareness and adaptability. This research shows that LLMs can maintain effective performance even in the presence of substantial uncertainty, offering promising insights into the practical application of models that must operate in real-time with incomplete or conflicting information.

Pitcher fluid of Nepenthes × Miranda is usually discarded before transportation despite containing many functional materials, in which hydrolytic proteases are particularly attractive to us. In our study, we collected the pitcher fluid of Nepenthes × Miranda and got pitcher fluid proteases with 6.658 U/mL of proteolytic activity by concentration treatment. Then the optimal pH and temperature were detected, and the activators, denaturants and inhibitors were screened respectively. Finally, Michaelis constants were calculated to quantify the affinity with different substrates. The results showed that the highest activity was at pH 2.05~2.50 and 50~55 ℃, which indicated the advantages of lower pH and higher temperature compared with the nepenthesins from other species of Nepenthes. Moreover, the pitcher fluid proteases could be activated by Mn 2+ significantly and tolerated glycerol of high content. We discover a way of the new protease resources, a rational use for biochemistry and a direction for the reuse of agricultural waste.

Genome-wide runs of homozygosity revealed sources of inconsistencies in the AxiomTM Equine Genotyping arrayAnnik Imogen Gmel1,2 and Markus Neuditschko11Animal GenoPhenomics, Agroscope, Posieux, Switzerland, 2Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandCorresponding author: markus.neuditschko@agroscope.admin.chRuns of homozygosity (ROH), haplotypes identical-by-descent (IBD), are key tools for deriving genomic inbreeding1. The genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH) for an animal is derived by dividing the sum of all homozygous segments (SROH) by the total length of the genome. In livestock, previously reported studies have shown high concordance rates between FROH and pedigree derived inbreeding (FPED). In the framework of a global genetic diversity study of modern horse breeds, we recently observed notably low FROH values compared to the corresponding FPED. In this study, a total of 4’520 horses from 21 different breeds were genotyped on the 670K AxiomTMEquine Genotyping array (602,131 autosomal SNPs mapped to EquCab3.0)2, 3. Quality of genotyping was considered acceptable with a dish QC (DQC) ≥ 0.82 and QC call rate (CR) ≥ 97 according to Affymetrix Axiom best practices4. Runs of homozygosity segments (NROH) for each horse were determined with an overlapping window approach in PLINK v1.95 with the following parameters: a minimum SNP density of one SNP per 50 kb, a maximum gap length of 100 kb, a minimum length of homozygous segments of 500 kb (including more than 80 homozygous SNPs), and allowing for one heterozygous SNP per segment6. In total there were 18 horses with NROH equal to 0 and another 62 horses with NROH less than 30. Within the Franches-Montagnes (FM) breed it was particularly notable, that five purebred horses had fewer ROH segments (NROH < 88) compared to F1 outcrosses. Of particular concern were one horse with NROH equal to 0 and two others with NROHless than 60. We re-genotyped these horses, along with two additional control horses that had NROH between 123 and 180, using the same DNA sample and genotype platform. Based on this data, we computed genotype concordance rates between the two SNP batches. We found that FM horses with none or few NROH exhibited low genotype concordances rates (Figure 1a; green dots). The same result was observed for eight re-genotyped Lusitano (LUS) horses, with NROH ranging from 1 to 99 (Figure 1a; brown dots). A comparison of discordant SNPs between the three FM outlier horses suggested that individual genotype errors occurred randomly, as there was only an 8% overlap in erroneous markers among the horses (Figure 1b). Notably, we observed over 50,000 discordant SNPs for the FM horse showing none NROH. Based on the updated genotype information, all horses (FM and LUS) exhibited significantly higher NROH, ranging from 148 to 175. Our findings demonstrate that NROH is a reliable indicator for assessing the genotype quality of individual horses. Consequently, we recommend excluding horses exhibiting extremely low NROH (e.g., NROH < 30) from downstream analyses. However, further research is necessary to enhance the reproducibility of AxiomTM Equine Genotyping array.Figure 1: Analysis of runs of homozygosity segments (NROH), genotype concordance rate, and discordant SNPs in re-genotyped horses. (a) Correlation between NROHand genotype concordance between two independent genotyping efforts using the same DNA extract and SNP platform: This panel illustrates the association between NROH and genotype concordance in Franches-Montagnes (FM) and Lusitano horses. (b) Overlap of discordant SNPs: The Venn diagram shows the common and unique discordant SNPs among the three re-genotyped FM horses.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on purely organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials often encounter issues of relatively low efficiency and spectral instability. To overcome this limitation, three (arylthio)benzene derivatives (4S, 5S, and 6S) with gradually increased RTP component are designed and compared. Theoretical calculation and photophysical investigation reveal that the fully-substituted arylthio effect could enhance the aggregation-induced phosphorescence, enlarge the spin orbital coupling, and reduce the energy gap between S 1 and T 1 as much as possible. As a result, 6S can exhibit single spectra in films with a high phosphorescence efficiency up to 76.7%, and its doped RTP-OLED furnishes a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 15.3% and ultra-stable spectra with the brightness raised from 30 cd m -2 to 2000 cd m -2. Furthermore, serving 6S as the sensitizer, the RTP-sensitized-fluorescent OLEDs based on fluorescence dopant TBRb and multiple resonance TADF dopant BN3 show three times improvement in electroluminescence performance, with EQE values of 11.3% and 25.6%, respectively. These results demonstrate the feasibility of fully-substituted arylthio effect in designing RTP materials and could advance the development of high-performance RTP OLEDs.

Volcanic oceanic islands are some of the Earth’s most geologically and ecologically dynamic habitats, where continuous volcanic activity and erosion lead to the formation of habitats that drastically change throughout their ontogeny. Shallow-water sandy habitats, specifically, repetitively disappeared and regenerated due to seasonal oceanographic and climatic eustatic sea-level variations. For its inhabitants, these events translate into populations being cyclically removed or passing by drastic reductions in population size, where the outcome often depends on the specific life-history modes of the species, determining their dispersal, colonization potential and, ultimately, their survival ability. Therefore, population genetic patterns of marine shallow-water infaunal species can provide powerful clues of such outcomes, as well as how specific geological and ecological settings determine the genetic structure of the species. We herewith test the population structure of the marine infaunal bivalve Ervilia castanea (Montagu, 1803) in the sandy habitats of the Azores and Madeira Archipelagos (Northeast and Central Atlantic Ocean), by comparing insular populations with conspecifics from the nearest continental shores in mainland Europe. Little to no genetic structure was observed between insular populations with both nuclear microsatellites and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. Moreover, deviations in the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium of insular populations suggests the exitance of archipelago specific processes. The high dispersal ability of E. castanea combined with the ephemeral nature of oceanic shallow-water sandy habitats likely made each population to be composed of individuals from multiple sources. High prevalence of null alleles, gene duplication hint at the potential occurrence of recent polyploidization events that require further investigation. Moreover, we found evidence of hyperdiversity among the markers used which may constrain the detection of more detailed patterns. We herewith demonstrate the uniqueness of insular environmental settings and inquire further into the evolutionary and biogeographic patterns of marine shallow-water infaunal species from volcanic oceanic islands.

This research aims to develop and test a model for strengthening digital competence to become a successful employee career by considering formal personal/internal factors, namely digital competence and digital literacy, where these formal factors result from interventions needed in the era of society 5.0. Data was collected using a questionnaire from 67 administrative staff at hospitals in Semarang City, and analysis was carried out using SmartPLS. This study branching Literacy, socio-emotional Literacy and real thinking skill literacy do not affect digital competence. The research results show that digital literacy greatly influences digital competence. However, branching Literacy, socio-emotional Literacy and real thinking skill literacy do not affect digital competence. In the end, digital competency is proven to increase career readiness in the future. These findings recommend that institutions develop specific practices and policies regarding digital competence to create intrinsic and extrinsic career success.

Miniature personal aerial vehicles (PAVs) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities offer numerous advantages over existing vehicles, particularly in terms of high maneuverability, manned flight capability, and load-carrying capacity required during rescue missions. However, the detailed research work was reported infrequently. In this paper, a miniature PAV capable of piloted operation in both standing and sitting postures is introduced. This PAV, weighing 45kg and measuring 45cm*87cm*154cm, is designed for easy transport and minimal spatial footprint. It incorporates five vertically arranged micro turbojet engines that enable VTOL capabilities and can carry loads exceeding 100kg while maintaining high maneuverability. Notably, a two-degree-of-freedom nozzle mechanism attached to the engines allows for precise thrust direction adjustments. Building upon this propulsion system and the physical model of the PAV, a cascade proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is specifically designed for the PAV to regulate its position and attitude. Additionally, a feed-forward-based proportional-derivative (PD) controller is implemented to enhance the engine’s thrust response. The PAV prototype underwent rigorous testing in various outdoor conditions, ranging from temperatures of -7℃ to 42℃ and wind speeds of 0 to 7.2m/s. The test results substantiate the feasibility of the proposed PAV’s working principles, demonstrating its adaptability to environmental fluctuations. While the focus of this paper lies on the miniature PAV system, its implications extend to broader applications within advanced air mobility research.

Auditory rhythm perception involves bottom-up encoding of timing information and top-down maintenance of a particular interpretation. Beats in musical rhythms can be grouped to form metres, such as duple (two-beat groupings) or triple (three-beat groupings). Subjective (top-down) metre perception can be measured using electroencephalographic responses like mismatch negativity (MMN), P3a, and Steady-State Evoked Potentials (SSEPs). Previously we showed infants could be primed to perceive an ambiguous 6-beat rhythm as either duple or triple by adding loudness accents to every second, or third beat, respectively. For the subsequently presented unaccented rhythm, infants exhibited larger mismatch responses for pitch deviants on primed strong beats, particularly after duple priming (Flaten et al., 2022). Here we applied the same protocol to adults in two experiments. In Experiment 1, adults were passively primed to perceive the rhythm as duple or triple identically as the infants in the previous study. In Experiment 2, participants actively imagined the accents. Results showed that MMN and P3a were not enhanced for strong beats; however, P3a showed significant enhancement for duple beats regardless of priming or attention, driven mainly by musically experienced participants. SSEPs were enhanced at the primed frequency but only when participants actively imagined the metre. As with infants, effects were stronger in the duple group. These results suggest a strong bias toward duple metre in adults that requires attention to overcome, and which likely relates to enculturation to Western music as it was enhanced by music and dance experience.

This article develops duality principles applicable to some originally non-convex primal variational formulations. More specifically, in a first step, we develop applications to a full complex Ginzburg-Landau system in superconductivity, including a magnetic field and respective magnetic potential. The results are obtained through basic tools of functional analysis, calculus of variations, duality and optimization theory in infinite dimensional spaces. It is worth emphasizing we have obtained convex dual variational formulations which may be applied to a large class of similar models in the calculus of variations. In the subsequent sections we also present a procedure for improving the convexity conditions of an originally non-convex primal formulation which is also applied to a Ginzburg-Landau type equation. Finally, in the last sections, we develop duality principles and related numerical examples for models in phase transition.

Many large dams are located near urban areas, where their failure could result in devastating flash floods, releasing vast amounts of water with little warning and without rainfall as a precursor. Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) are critical documents that guide residents and local authorities in responding effectively to such emergencies. However, many dams near urban centers lack these essential plans. In this study, we present a novel approach for developing equitable EAPs for large dams near cities in Iran, focusing on the Shahrchai Dam (with a capacity of 220 million m³) near Urmia, a metropolitan city in northwest Iran. Using dam failure modeling through HEC-RAS and ArcGIS, we identified key flood risk metrics, including a flooded area of 12 km², maximum water depth of 25 meters, peak water velocity of 15 m/s, and an estimated evacuation window of 140-170 minutes. The potential impact includes 150,000 affected residents, endangered buildings such as nine hospitals, four hotels, multiple municipal offices, 54 schools, five universities, and ten kindergartens. We also identified safe shelters and proposed high-level EAPs tailored for commercial, educational, and official buildings, along with designated escape routes for the affected areas. Furthermore, we addressed equity considerations in developing EAPs, highlighting the need for inclusive planning that protects vulnerable populations. This study underscores the critical necessity of developing robust EAPs for cities like Urmia, which are exposed to the risks posed by nearby large dams. The highlevel framework we propose offers valuable insights for policymakers and institutions such as Iran's Red Crescent Society, the Ministry of Energy, and local authorities. By prioritizing the implementation of EAPs for Shahrchai Dam, these stakeholders can take immediate action to safeguard thousands of lives.

This is just an editorial and does not include an abstract

IntroductionBicycle handle bar injury occurs when the handlebar of the bicycle strikes to cause an impact on the body. This mechanism of injury is responsible for a significant number of thoraco-abdominal injuries in children with more than a third of them requiring surgical intervention.1 The most common among them involves intra-abdominal organ injuries,  traumatic abdominal wall hernias and bladder rupture.2–4 However, retroperitoneal hematoma has rarely been reported in bicycle handle bar injury.5 Bleeding into the space behind the peritoneal cavity, referred to as retroperitoneal hematoma, is an obscure and under diagnosed condition due to the late manifestation of signs and symptoms until significant blood loss has occurred.6 Here, we present a case of 12 years old boy brought to the emergency department with the alleged history of bicycle handle bar injury who underwent emergency exploratory laparotomy that revealed massive retroperitoneal hematoma secondary to mesenteric/ vascular injury with intra-peritoneal extent.

Aim: Patients hospitalized in the intensive care units (ICU) with serious infections require rapid and optimal broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens to ensure favorable outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposure and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target attainment of meropenem in critically ill patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in two Canadian intensive care units (ICU) from January 2021 to December 2023. We included adult patients admitted in the ICU who received meropenem. On study day 1, 4 and 7 of antimicrobial therapy, three blood samples were collected: 1 h after meropenem dose administration, at the middle and at the end of the dosing interval. Samples were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. The pharmacokinetic profile of meropenem was evaluated, as well as the attainment of plasma concentrations above minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2, 4 and 8 mg/L at mid-point and at trough. Results: We enrolled twenty-eight patients and analyzed 167 meropenem concentrations. We observed large interindividual variability, with up to a 58-fold difference, but intra-patient variability was low. At mid-point, 52% of concentrations were below the target concentration of 8 mg/L, while this proportion increased to 73% for trough concentrations. Patients who failed to reach therapeutic concentrations all had normal to augmented renal clearance. Conclusion: The majority of ICU patients who received meropenem were underexposed for a target concentration of 8 mg/L, with significant interindividual variability. A more personalized approach such as TDM may help achieve optimal target concentration and potentially improve clinical outcomes.

Weight gain and metabolic disruptions are common in children and adolescents treated with antipsychotics, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear, complicating prevention and treatment. This study examines the impact of risperidone on appetite-regulating hormones (insulin, leptin, bioleptin) and their relationship to body weight changes over time. In a post-hoc analysis, we evaluated the correlation of appetite-regulating hormones with BMI z-scores during treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. The sample consisted of 10 participants (80% male, median age 9.7 years). A significant increase in bioleptin (p < 0.05) and BMI z-scores was observed over the 6 months. Initially, HOMA-IR, insulin, leptin, and bioleptin were significantly associated with BMI z-scores, but this association diminished after 6 months of treatment. Additionally, higher risperidone exposure correlated with lower appetite-regulating hormones at the 6-month mark. These findings indicate that risperidone significantly affects appetite-regulating hormones in children and adolescents, potentially contributing to antipsychotic-induced weight gain.

Objective: Taking the practice of clinical pharmacists participating in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol of gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy as an example, to explore the value of pharmacists in hospitalization cost control. Methods: 160 gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital from February 2023 to October 2023 were divided into control group and research group, with 80 cases in each group. The control group implemented the conventional ERAS protocol without the involvement of the clinical pharmacist. The research group was managed by a professional clinical pharmacist on the base of the conventional ERAS protocol. Results: (1) There were no significant differences in age, gender, site of surgical resection, and TNM stage between the two groups. (2) Compared with the control group, patients in the research group had shorter length of stay (LOS) (P < 0.001) and first postoperative ventilation time (P < 0.001), as well as fewer hospitalization cost (P = 0.005). (3) Albumin on postoperative day (POD) 30 and prealbumin on POD7 were significantly different between two groups (P = 0.029, P = 0.046). (4) The irrational prescription rate of antimicrobials (P < 0.001) and total nutrient admixture (P = 0.001) in the research group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusion: This study shows that clinical pharmacists participating in perioperative ERAS program for gastric cancer can improve the nutritional status, promote the rehabilitation postoperative, shorten LOS, and increase the rate of rational drug use, thus reducing medical expenses

Touch has an affective dimension, conveyed through low-threshold mechanoreceptors known as C-tactile (CT) afferents, which are activated by gentle, caress-like contact. While there is evidence that these fibers modulate nociceptive input, their influence in the processing of other somatosensory afferent activity remains largely unknown. In this study, we explored how slow brushing (CT-optimal stimulation) modulates somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) compared to vibration and no touch in 30 healthy participants. Our results did not show differences across conditions in the amplitude of early SEPs recorded over the somatosensory cortex (N20, P25, N30, and P45). However, a reduced frontocentral P150 SEP component was observed during slow brushing compared to the other conditions. This suggests that early cortical processing of somatosensory information is not affected by brushing. Nonetheless, the reduced P150 amplitude indicates that CT-optimal touch may influence both nociceptive afferents and somatosensory input through the lemniscal system, possibly engaging brain areas involved in attentional and cognitive processing.

The increasing complexity of language tasks and the growing demands for precise and coherent text generation have pushed the development of more sophisticated model architectures. However, individual model configurations often struggle to generalize across varied linguistic phenomena due to inherent biases and limitations in their training processes. To address these challenges, a token-level ensemble method is introduced, which aggregates token predictions across multiple model instances, leveraging variations in checkpoints, random seeds, and finetuning strategies. This approach significantly improves performance in terms of accuracy, consistency, and perplexity across tasks such as text generation, machine translation, and language modeling. Through combining token probabilities at a granular level, the ensemble technique achieves a more refined and robust output, outperforming sequence-level aggregation strategies. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the tokenlevel ensemble, providing a more adaptable and accurate solution for handling diverse and complex linguistic tasks. Furthermore, the averaging technique consistently yielded the best results, indicating that token-level probability aggregation offers a superior balance between accuracy and computational efficiency, despite the associated resource costs.

Name of Journal: Clinical Case ReportsManuscript Type: CASE REPORTGiant maxillary sinus cyst removal with simultaneous external maxillary sinus elevation and implant placement: a case reportYunpeng Bai 1,*, Jingjing Sha 2, Hong yang 1, Yiting Cai 1, Xin Peng3, Haipeng Sun 1,*.1 Department of prosthodontics and implantology, Shenzhen University Affiliated Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Y.B., xyywq@126.com; H.Y., 2459011165@qq.com; Y.C., 18126457822@163.com; H.S., shplysz@126.com.2 Department of endodontics, Shenzhen University Affiliated Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital, Shenzhen, China; J.S., shajingjingabcd@163.com.3 Department of implantology, Southwest Stomatology Hospital, Chengdu, China; X.P., 501185017@qq.com.Author contributions: Bai YP contributed to the conceptualization and visualization of the manuscript; Bai YP and Peng X operated the sinus augmentation and implantation surgery; Bai YP, Sha JJ, and Sun HP involved in the funding acquisition, original draft writing; Bai YP, Yang H, Cai YT investigated; Bai YP, Sha JJ, Yang H, Cai YT contributed to the methodology of the manuscript; Bai YP and Sha JJ contributed to the supervision, writing-review and editing of this manuscript; and all authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Funding: This research was funded by Shenzhen Science and Technology Program, grant number JCYJ20220530165409022.Corresponding author: Haipeng Sun, PhD, Chief Doctor, Department of prosthodontics and implantology, Shenzhen University Affiliated Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital, Shenzhen, China, shplysz@126.com; Yunpeng Bai, PhD, Attending Doctor, Department of prosthodontics and implantology, Shenzhen University Affiliated Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital, Shenzhen, China, xyywq@126.com.