In this study, we developed and characterized a gelatin-based foam dressing for application in the medical device field. We utilized gelatin as the substrate and prepared the dressing through foaming and freeze-drying processes. This dressing exhibited a favorable pore distribution, with an average pore size of approximately 60–70 μm, enabling efficient absorption of wound exudate and promoting wound healing. We conducted cell viability analyses on four cell lines (3T3, L929, Hs68, CG1519) exposed to the fluids released from the crosslinked gelatin foam dressing, with excellent biocompatibility demonstrated across all cell lines. In wound healing studies performed in BALB/cByJNarl mice, the crosslinked gelatin foam dressing exhibited a pronounced effect in promoting functional tissue regeneration and skin repair at the wound site. An analysis of the wound closure rate, based on wound area images acquired during dressing changes, revealed a recovery speed comparable to that observed for a commercially available dressing. Mice treated with the crosslinked gelatin foam dressing consistently demonstrated a stable wound closure rate. Pathological sections of wounds displayed regenerative tissues and epidermal layers, highlighting the wound healing efficacy of our developed dressing. Liver and kidney sections showed no presence of neutrophils or abnormal lymphocyte infiltration, indicating the absence of significant drug toxicity in mice. These findings collectively demonstrate the favorable safety profile of the crosslinked gelatin foam dressing within biological systems. Overall, the crosslinked gelatin foam dressing developed in this study shows promise for use in wound dressing applications.

Pollinators face significant global decline due to agricultural intensification. The current focus on local measures to counteract this negative trend may miss processes at larger spatial scales and interactive effects between different measures. It remains unclear whether multiple combined landscape conservation measures (LCMs) will be more efficient (synergistic effect) than single LCMs, reduce each other’s effectiveness (antagonistic effect) or sum together (additive effect) to promote biodiversity. We assessed the interactive effects of three LCMs, i.e. organic crops, annual flower fields and perennial semi-natural habitats, on wild bee species richness and densities at the landscape scale. Notably, we observed a synergistic effect between organic crops and perennial SNH, likely due to their provision of complementary resources in agro-ecosystems. However, antagonistic effects were more common, e.g. between annual flower fields and organic farming, indicating that mixing LCMs to promote wild bees requires judicious evaluation to maximize complementary benefits and reduce redundancy.

Understanding the assembly of ecological communities is a core goal in ecology. Despite advancements in statistical models, disentangling the influences of biotic and abiotic constraints on communities remains challenging due to data complexity. We introduce the MrIML 2.0 R package (multi-response interpretable machine learning) which employs machine learning to approximate graphical network models (GGNs), revealing complex relationships in community structure, including asymmetric co-occurrence associations where one species influences another but not vice versa. Using the Tidymodels R architecture, we empower users to build models across algorithms and interpret them using interpretable machine learning (IML) approaches. Our method captures known interactions in simulated data and improves upon commonly used models by quantifying marginal relationships that capture non-linear biotic relationships and complex predictor interactions. We validate our approach on a range of datasets, highlighting the method’s efficacy in providing high-resolution insights into community dynamics and generating new hypotheses for ecological research.

The gut microbiota is a critical component in the life history of animals, particularly in the interactions between herbivores and plants. Phytophagous insects that feed on oak leaves face the challenge of detoxifying high-level tannins. Although the intestinal microbial community plays a key role in improving detoxification, it is not yet known where and how insects acquire the key tannin-degrading bacteria. Here, we tracked the source of tannin-degrading bacteria in the guts of Nothomyllocerus illitus Reitter, a major pest weevil that primarily consumes oak leaves, using 16S rDNA sequencing of gut microbiota, isolation and culture of bacteria, determination of tannin degradation activity of bacteria, as well as tracing fluorescently labeled bacteria. Our study showed that Bacillus, Acinetobacter, and Enterobacter represent the core bacterial genera involved in tannin degradation within the intestinal tract of N. illitus. Our findings provide strong evidence that N. illitus acquires these tannin-degrading bacteria from the oak phyllosphere rather than from the soil microbiome. The successful colonization of fluorescently labeled Bacillus and Acinetobacter in the weevil gut confirms that these bacteria empower N. illitus to degrade toxic tannins, enabling the weevil to thrive on oak leaves despite the presence of high concentrations of defensive chemicals, such as tannins.

A protective influence of maternal inflammatory status on infantile atopic eczema risk has been proposed, but few studies have investigated these potential links. We examined the associations between energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) scores indicative of an inflammatory dietary pattern, maternal serum neopterin levels, a biomarker elevated in Th1 immune activation, and infantile risk of atopic eczema. Within the UK Southampton Women’s Survey, mothers’ diets were recorded using questionnaires at preconception, early and late pregnancy and E-DII scores derived. Atopic eczema was ascertained using the UK Working Party Diagnostic Criteria at ages 6 and 12 months (n=2955 and 2871, respectively). A sub-sample of 497 mothers had serum neopterin measured in late pregnancy. Unadjusted analyses showed that higher E-DII in preconception and late pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of eczema at ages 6 and 12 months. After adjusting for maternal BMI, age, parity, education, smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding duration and sex, higher E-DII in late pregnancy was associated with reduced risks of eczema at age 6 and 12 months (OR 0.89 [95%CI 0.81,0.99], p=0.03 and OR 0.91 [0.82,1.00], p=0.05, respectively). Consistent with this, higher maternal serum neopterin was associated with a lower risk of eczema at ages 6 months (OR 0.72 (0.51,1.01), p=0.05) and 12 months (OR 0.71 (0.53,0.96), p=0.03). The findings suggest that a pro-inflammatory maternal diet and an inflammatory maternal environment during pregnancy may protect the developing infant from Th2 driven inflammation and lower the risk of infantile atopic eczema.

Breast augmentations, commonly performed for aesthetic or medical reasons, often use silicone (PDMS) implants. Some patients develop complications like capsular contracture, where scar tissue forms around the implant. Previously, we used stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to detect and quantify silicone in stained capsule tissue, finding a correlation between silicone amount and contracture severity. However, we suspected silicone loss during histological preparation, which includes multiple steps like formalin fixation and paraffin embedding. In this study, we assessed silicone loss by comparing adjacent tissue samples from the same capsule: one prepared conventionally and the other snap-frozen. SRS microscopy revealed that snap-frozen samples had roughly five times more silicone, indicating significant silicone loss during conventional preparation. Thus, measuring silicone in histologically prepared samples likely underestimates PDMS content.

Aims: Adavosertib, a WEE1 inhibitor, has been studied for safety and efficacy as monotherapy and in combination therapy. The phase 2b ADAGIO trial evaluated adavosertib monotherapy for uterine serous carcinoma with a recommended dose of 300 mg dosing on days 1 to 5 and days 8 to 12 of 21‑day cycle. However, reports of severe neutropaenia and dose reduction in approximately half of patients at 300 mg suggested potential tolerability concerns. Methods: We conducted a model-based benefit-risk analysis, including an exposure-safety analysis, pooling data from all AstraZeneca-sponsored monotherapy studies. The analysis focused on the relationship between adavosertib exposure and incidence of adverse events such as haematological and gastrointestinal toxicities. A preliminary exposure-efficacy analysis was conducted based on available efficacy data from the ADAGIO study. Results: A strong correlation is observed between adavosertib exposure and predicted probability of developing neutropenia. Also, baseline creatinine clearance (bCLCr) was identified as an independent factor for severe neutropaenia development. Patients with bCLCr ≥50 mL/min were less likely to experience severe neutropaenia than those with bCLCr <50 ml/min. The model shows that a dose reduction from 300 to 250 mg reduces the predicted probability of neutropaenia by 55% when compared at the 95th percentile exposure range at these doses. Contrary to exposure safety, exposure-efficacy relationship was similar across doses. Conclusion: The model-based approach identifies risk factors, aiding in the decision to use a 250 mg monotherapy dose. This regimen may manage hematological toxicities across studies. Reducing adavosertib doses minimizes risks, underscoring the need for dose adjustment

Short-read metabarcoding analysis is the gold standard to access to partial 16S and ITS genes with high read quality. With the advent of long-read sequencing, the amplification of full-length target genes is possible but with low read accuracy. Moreover, the amplification of 16S rDNA genes in seaweed or plant samples results in a large proportion of plastid reads, which are directly or indirectly derived from cyanobacteria. Primers designed not to amplify plastid sequences are available for short-read sequencing, while Oxford Nanopore Technology offers adaptive sampling, a unique way to remove reads in real-time. In this study, we compare three options to address the plastid read issue: deleting plastid reads with adaptative sampling, using optimized primers with Illumina MiSeq technology, and sequencing large numbers of reads with Illumina NovaSeq technology with universal primers. We showed that adaptive sampling using default settings of the MinKNOW software was ineffective for plastid depletion. We also demonstrated with a mock community that the SAMBA workflow provided the most accurate taxonomic assignment at the bacterial genus level compared to the IDTAXA and KRAKEN2 pipelines, but many false positives were generated at species level. Although NovaSeq sequencing with universal primer stood out for studying the algal bacterial community due to its deep coverage, the inclusion of eukaryotes and bacteria in the same sequencing run, and the low error rate. The combination of Illumina and ONT sequencing helped us explore the fungal diversity and allowed for the retrieval taxonomic information for genera poorly represented in the sequence databases.

Radiographic findings in severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)To the editor,A 460g infant was born via cesarian-section at 26 weeks and 4 days gestation. The mother’s prenatal labs were unremarkable. The mother received magnesium phosphate for five doses prior to delivery. The infant was intubated at delivery and started on assist control volume guarantee (AC/VG) mode of ventilation. He received two doses of surfactant.Chest x-ray obtained on day of life (DOL) 1 showed granular airspace opacities throughout both lungs, suggestive of surfactant deficiency (Figure 1.). Serial radiographs throughout his neonatal intensive care unit stay re-demonstrated diffuse pulmonary opacities. He was intubated until DOL 47. He required a protracted course of mechanical ventilation. Echocardiogram demonstrated pulmonary hypertension, requiring initiation of inhaled nitric oxide. Echocardiogram showed right ventricular dilation with increased wall thickness. His right ventricular systolic pressure to be 60mmHg plus the right atrial pressure with interventricular septal flattening.Given his requirement for invasive ventilation at greater than 36 weeks post-menstrual age, he met criteria for severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)1. A non-contrasted computed tomography (CT) scan was performed on DOL 180 to further characterize his lung disease. It showed diffuse bilateral coarse interlobular septal thickening and coarse band-shaped opacities likely representing areas of intermittent discoid atelectasis. In addition, it showed intermittent cystic lucencies suggestive of BPD (Figures 2-4). These findings are consistent with a profoundly severe case of BPD in an extremely preterm infant. He underwent a tracheostomy and continued synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation/pressure regulated volume control plus pressure support (SIMV/PRVC + PS) using established BPD ventilator strategies. His ventilator settings have been progressively weaned to final discharge settings of PEEP of 10, TV of 10mL/kg, and PS of 30.BPD is a chronic lung disease of prematurity due to arrest of alveolarization in normal lung development, leading to the development of fewer, larger alveoli with less capacity for gas exchange2. While not standard in all cases, imaging can be useful in the characterization of certain severe cases of BPD. Chest x-ray is typically the first modality used. CT can be used in more complex cases. CT often demonstrates regions of decreased attenuation, emphysema-like change, linear and subpleural opacities, and bronchial wall thickening3.

Generalist predators can exploit a wide range of food resources, making them more adaptable to many habitats and situations. Sometimes, the introduction or appearing of new species can lead to the exploitation of this resource, especially when it is abundant. In this sense, American crayfishes, being one of the most dangerous exotic species in the World are an important food resource to some species in their foreign distribution range. Here, we describe a new behaviour and food source for common buzzards (Buteo buteo) observed in Western Iberia. American crayfishes seem to be a recurrent food source for buzzards in late summer, showing a riverbank patrolling behaviour through riparian forests, overlapping the consumption of this crustacean with other carnivore species such as foxes (Vulpes vulpes), american mink (Neogale vison) and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra).

Key Clinical MessageWe report a case of an extremely rare perforated early-stage gastric cancer for which curative resection was performed after conservative treatment. Depending on the patient’s general condition, degree of peritonitis, tumor status, and curability, conservative treatment or minimally invasive treatment should be performed for perforated gastric cancer. After improved general condition and adequate assessment of gastric cancer, gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was suitable, which may lead to a highly curative surgery and improved prognosis.Keywords: early gastric cancer; gastric perforation, conservative therapy

A document by Ashujot Kaur Dang. Click on the document to view its contents.

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A Case Report of Lung Adenocarcinoma with the Rare EGFR L730F MutationMengen Xue1，Xiaoren Zhu2，Na Liu2，Minbin Chen11. Gusu School,Nanjing Medical University, The First People’s Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou 215300 Jiangsu Province, China；2. Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Title Page Rare presentation of severe recurrent upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) in a young male Zurwa Nishat1, Neha Patel MD2 1Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Email: nishat97@rowan.edu 2Department of Internal Medicine, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Email: nhpatel@atlanticare.org Author For Correspondence: Zurwa Nishat OMS-IV, Rowan-Virtua SOM 113 Laurel Rd, Stratford, NJ 08084 E-mail: nishat97@rowan.edu The authors declare they have no relevant or material financial interests related to the research described in this article. No funding was received for the submitted work. Written informed consent and permission from the patient for publication was obtained. Introduction Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) is a relatively rare condition, making up about 6% of total venous thrombosis cases.1 These cases occur without predisposing factors and can be idiopathic or due to anatomical abnormalities such as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS).2 Idiopathic UEDVT can occur in otherwise young healthy individuals, particularly males, who partake in strenuous physical activity.3 Conversely, TOS is caused by a compression of the brachial plexus or subclavian vasculature as it courses from the cervical region to the arm. TOS is split into neurogenic, vascular, and non-specific-type forms.4 Up to 90% of TOS cases tend to be neurogenic, wherein patients present with symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness of the upper extremity, whereas vascular TOS can lead to swelling and thrombus formation.5 Anatomical anomalies precipitating TOS can originate from the soft-tissue, such as the scalene muscle, or from the bone, such as the cervical ribs.6 Incidence rates lie between 0.3 to 8%, but remain controversial since there is no objective diagnostic modality used to confirm TOS. Patients suspected to have TOS may undergo nerve conduction studies and electromyography as well as imaging studies of the cervical spine with chest x-rays. Treatment is initiated with conservative measures such as physical therapy, but in vascular and true neurogenic forms of TOS, surgery remains the definite solution.4 UEDVT can exist in a primary or secondary form. Primary UEDVT, a subtype of venous TOS, also known as Paget Schroetter syndrome, comprises up to one third of UEDVT cases. Unlike secondary UEDVT, which is caused most commonly by central lines, tumors, and surgery, primary UEDVT may not have any precipitating factors. Symptomatic UEDVT usually involves the thrombosis of the subclavian, axillary, and brachial veins. Specifically, Paget Schroetter syndrome (PSS) is caused by thrombosis of the subclavian or axillary veins. PSS is associated with anatomical anomalies within the brachiocephalic area, including a more lateral insertion of the costoclavicular ligament to the first rib and hypertrophy of the scalene. These abnormalities create a narrowed venous thoracic outlet, which in combination with repetitive movements, lead to thrombus formation due to microtrauma of the vasculature and elicitation of the coagulation cascade.1 Patients present with swelling, discomfort, pain, paresthesia, weakness, and heaviness of the upper limb. On examination, calor, edema, and erythema are usually present.3 Treatment is pertinent for symptomatic relief and for reduction of recurrence and complications such as pulmonary emboli and post-thrombotic syndrome. Preferred diagnostic tests include compression and/or duplex ultrasonography since contrast venography, the gold standard, tends to be more invasive and expensive.1,2 Treatment of UEDVT remains elusive and controversial due to limited randomized controlled trials and tends to be an application of modalities used for lower extremity DVT. Current treatment is typically comprised of thrombolysis with unfractionated low molecular weight heparin and transition to oral anticoagulants for at least three months.3 After initial treatment, one-third of patients will have clot recurrence unless the anatomic issue is surgically resolved.7 Case History The patient was a 37-year-old male who presented to the emergency room with left arm swelling, erythema, and pain with associated heaviness in his shoulders and neck, which progressively worsened over the span of two months. He reported severe pain radiating to his left shoulder and scapula. He also experienced numbness and tingling in his fourth and fifth fingers. The patient began noticing red discoloration and swelling of his left arm three months prior and initially attributed it to his chronic neck and shoulder pain he has had for four years. The patient was engaging in upper-body physical activity daily, in the form of virtual reality training. His occupation required little to no strenuous activity and minimal repetitive movements. The patient denied injuries or any other trauma to the upper extremities or trunk. The patient had no significant past medical history and was not taking any medications for the past year. Family history was negative for cancer, coagulopathies, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. The patient did not smoke or drink alcohol. He used marijuana often for sleep and pain relief. On presentation, the patient was afebrile, nonhypoxic on room air, slightly tachycardic with a heart rate reaching 102, and normotensive. His left upper extremity was noted to be diffusely edematous and erythematous with reduced range of motion and strength. Methods While in the hospital, the patient underwent left upper extremity duplex ultrasonography and was found to have nonocclusive thrombus of the subclavian vein as well as multiple occlusive thrombi of the axillary, brachial, and basilic veins. The patient was started on intravenous heparin and transitioned to apixaban. He was started on cephalexin for possible cellulitis. Patient was advised to follow-up with hematology and vascular surgery in the outpatient setting. Upon one month follow-up in the primary care office, the patient noted drastic improvement of left arm swelling, pain, and paresthesia within a few days after hospital discharge. He still had residual heaviness and pain in his shoulder and neck, only in certain arm positions and worsened with immobility. On physical examination, the patient exhibited proper posture without thoracic kyphosis. His arterial pulses were palpable and equal bilaterally with normal capillary refill. His extremities had normal tone and range of motion, with strength and sensation intact. The Adson test did not lead to a diminished pulse while a Roos test exacerbated soreness and heaviness in the upper limb. X-ray of the cervical spine was unremarkable, while MRI showed central disk herniation at C2-3, without any other abnormalities. The patient had a negative hematology and vascular work-up, with no preceding event or causative factor being identified. The patient was advised to continue anticoagulation and follow-up with a venogram to assess for venous compression if symptoms recurred. Conclusion This case report illustrates the longitudinal management of a rare UEDVT presentation. It highlights the significance of and challenges associated with identifying the etiology of UEDVT, especially in otherwise young and healthy patients without any risk factors. The challenges with patient management are partly due to variability in patient presentation and lack of standardized treatment due to infrequency of primary UEDVT in the general population. Since UEDVT are associated with high morbidity and complications, it is imperative to expand research on this subject beyond extrapolating from what is known about lower extremity DVT. Discussion Unlike DVT of the lower extremities, cases in the upper extremities are far less common. Moreover, up to 90% of UEDVT cases involve a secondary cause, including indwelling venous catheters and malignancy. In this case, we observed a young, healthy, physically active male without any of these risk factors or a history of hospitalization, injury, past DVT, cardiac disease, or recent surgery, present with UEDVT.1 Further hematology and vascular work-up was unable to delineate an underlying cause. There is a strong clinical suspicion for PSS since the patient was taking part in upper body exercises daily through a virtual reality program, which required arm abduction and other repetitive movements. This microtrauma about an already narrowed thoracic outlet most likely led to multiple thrombi forming in the upper extremity. The patient also exhibited localized pain to the neck and shoulder, which points specifically to thrombosis of the subclavian or axillary vein.8 The ulnar distribution of paresthesia can be explained by the lower trunk (C8-T1) residing adjacent to the tendinous portion of the scalenes and hard surface of the rib, leading to obstruction.4 The patient’s history provides further clues for possible TOS since he suffered from persistent chronic neck and shoulder pain for years with positional discomfort. In particular, he had alleviation of pain based on arm, neck, and shoulder position. The patient exhibited a symptom distribution of lower plexus neurogenic TOS including neck, shoulder, and arm pain in addition to paresthesia of the fourth and fifth fingers. Acutely, the patient also had vascular TOS symptoms, specifically the venous form, including swelling, heaviness, discoloration, and severe pain of the upper extremity. In this patient, the neurogenic and vascular subtypes of TOS seem to coexist.5,6 Even with treatment, a thrombus is seldom completely dissolved. Residual thrombi have been observed in 82% of patients with UEDVT post-treatment. This patient experienced a recurrent UE DVT a few months following the initial episode after missing several doses of apixaban, with ultrasound demonstrating significant thrombosis in the axilla. The patient was subsequently switched to rivaroxaban for better adherence to the once daily dosing. A systematic review of case series and cohort studies on UEDVT showed high mortality rates among patients with UEDVT, but it is difficult to elucidate this effect in the setting of preexisting malignancies in this population.9 Because of high morbidity, complications, and loss of occupational productivity, it is important to monitor for UEDVT recurrence. Management is taken from what is known about lower extremity DVT but since primary UEDVT are the rarest subset, no standard modality for management exists. Treatment is instead guided by clinical expertise. Even diagnostic measures commonly used for lower extremity DVT such as Well’s criteria and D-dimer offer limited value in cases of UEDVT, instead, the Constans score is used to risk-stratify patients suspected of having an UEDVT. Additionally, there is controversy regarding the use of thrombolysis and anticoagulation versus anticoagulation alone.1 In the case reported, the patient was treated with thrombolysis and anticoagulation, so the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome and PE is lower than if physical measures such as rest, heat, and elevation were employed, yet recurrent thrombosis poses a higher risk because of this treatment modality.3 Since the patient continues to have neck pain, lidocaine or botulinum toxin injections could aid in relief of tense musculature in conjunction with NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and physical therapy. Patient education on relaxation techniques and limiting repetitive movements that trigger symptoms are pertinent, but more aggressive treatment may be warranted to avoid functional impairment since the patient is relatively young.6 Surgical decompression involving removal of the first rib and costoclavicular ligament, anterior scalenectomy, and venolysis would be indicated with persistence of symptoms and for long-term resolution.10 References Khan, O., Marmaro, A., & Cohen, D. A. (2021). A review of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis. Postgraduate Medicine, 133(sup1), 3–10. doi:10.1080/00325481.2021.1892390 Spiezia, L., & Simioni, P. (2009). Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis. Internal and Emergency Medicine, 5(2), 103–109. doi:10.1007/s11739-009-0320-x Bernardi, E., Pesavento, R., & Prandoni, P. (2006). Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis. Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis, 32(7), 729–736. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951458 Huang, J. H., & Zager, E. L. (2004). Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Neurosurgery, 55(4), 897–903. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000137333.04342.4d Sanders, R. J., Hammond, S. L., & Rao, N. M. (2007). Diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 46(3), 601–604. doi:10.1016/j.jvs.2007.04.050 Kuhn, J. E., Lebus, G. F., & Bible, J. E. (2015). Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 23(4), 222–232. doi:10.5435/jaaos-d-13-00215 Illig, K. A., & Doyle, A. J. (2010). A comprehensive review of Paget-Schroetter syndrome. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 51(6), 1538–1547. doi:10.1016/j.jvs.2009.12.02 Heil J, Miesbach W, Vogl T, Bechstein WO, Reinisch A: Deep vein thrombosis of the upper extremity—a systematic review. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2017; 114:244–9. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0244 Grant JD, Stevens SM, Woller SC, et al.: Diagnosis and management of upper extremity deep-vein thrombosis in adults. JTH 2012;108: 1097–108. Engelberger, R. P., & Kucher, N. (2012). Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis of the Upper Extremity. Circulation, 126(6), 768–773. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.111

Water-induced Electric Generators (WEGs) exhibit tremendous promise as sustainable energy sources harvesting electricity through the interaction between materials and water utilizing the hydrovoltaic effect, an innovative green energy harvesting method. However, existing WEG devices predominantly rely on inorganic materials with limited research on naturally available, bio-based materials for hydrovoltaic energy harvesting. This study introduces a novel nutshell-based hydrovoltaic WEG for the first time. This low-cost, organic, and efficient renewable energy source can generate a voltage above 600 mV with a power density exceeding 5.96 µW·cm−2 utilizing streaming and evaporation potential methodologies, which can be sustained for more than a week. Notably, after further chemical treatments and combining the physical and chemical phenomena, output voltage and maximum current density reach a record high of 1.21 V and 347.2 µA·cm−2respectively, which outperforms most inorganic and organic materials based WEGs. By connecting two units in series and parallel this eco-friendly WEG can power an LCD calculator without the assistance of any rectifier. We believe that this novel nutshell-based WEG provides a significant advancement in WEG technology by offering a sustainable solution for powering electronic devices utilizing agricultural waste.

Background: Pediatric asthma remains a critical public health problem, particularly in Japan, where adherence to new treatment guidelines and effective medication use are inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the current management practices for pediatric asthma to identify areas for improvement and enhance future treatment approaches. Methods: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey involving caregivers of children and adolescents aged 0–19 years diagnosed with asthma at various medical institutions in Japan. The survey focused primarily on evaluating the control status of asthma in these patients and examining factors such as treatment adherence, environmental exposure, and the presence of allergic diseases. Results: The data showed that 65.9% of the patients received some form of asthma treatment; however, a significant proportion (26.2%) still experienced poor symptom control (n=2000). The most affected group were children aged 0–3 years. The analysis showed that environmental factors and coexisting allergic diseases notably influenced poor asthma control, although direct correlations with treatment adherence were not statistically significant. Conclusion: These findings highlight the substantial gap in the effective management of pediatric asthma, particularly in very young children. Notably, pharmacotherapy is essential; however, there is an urgent need to develop comprehensive treatment plans that address environmental and lifestyle factors. Future strategies should focus on personalized care tailored to each child’s specific need, incorporating medical and non-medical interventions to optimize asthma control and improve overall health outcomes.

Pipelines, valves, and pressure vessels (PVs) are vital components in nuclear power, thermoelectric, and chemical systems, operating under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Ensuring their safe operation requires regular inspections, which current robotic systems cannot fully address due to the diverse and challenging environments. To address this need, we propose a robotic system featuring a narrow-waist spring torso, airbag foot supports, and propeller negative pressure adsorption. The robot exhibits three key features: First, the narrow-waist spring torso enables extensive telescopic and multi-directional bending deformation, allowing it to navigate sharp turns and avoid edges of necks within stop valves. Second, the airbags offer exceptional passive compliance and large deformation capacity, adapting to significant size variations and shape changes within valve cavities for reliable anchoring. Third the propeller negative pressure adsorption allows the robot to traverse PV inner walls with poor surface conditions, such as corrosion and scaling. The robot employs a worm-like creeping motion to adapt to complex internal channels and varying curvatures of pipelines and PVs. Experimental results demonstrate the robot’s ability to smoothly traverse a DN125 stop valve (84 mm-125 mm internal diameter) and move between pipelines and PVs. This confirms its capability to operate across multiple scenes, adapting to wall curvature radii from 55.5 mm to infinity and handling bosses, shape changes and size variations. This robotic system provides a valuable reference for designing non-disassembly internal inspection robots in gas and liquid transport systems, enhancing safety and reliability in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

Endohedral Metallofullerenes (EMFs) have garnered significant attention for their distinctive properties and their prospective integration into cutting-edge photoelectric devices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in the synthesis of EMFs, highlighting a novel “self-driven carbon atom implantation” approach that sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms of EMF formation. The discussion delves into the pivotal challenges of yield optimization and purification processes, addressing the current limitations and the imperative for scalable synthesis and improved stability. Furthermore, the review explores the burgeoning applications of EMFs in the domain of photoelectric energy conversion, with a particular focus on their capacity to augment the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Their unique electronic structures and tunable energy levels are underscored as key factors that contribute to improved charge separation and enhanced overall performance. In conclusion, the review offers a forward-looking perspective on the interdisciplinary research avenues that are essential for harnessing the full potential of EMFs. It emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts across materials science, chemistry, and nanotechnology to overcome existing hurdles and to integrate EMFs into next-generation energy conversion technologies, thereby paving the way for more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Steel is heat treated by various methods and in the past 10 years induction and furnace heating has been combined in order to improve fatigue strength. In this present work, we focus on furnace induction heating (FIH) and induction furnace heating (IFH) of SUJ2 steel. We performed rotating bending fatigue tests in order to clarify the effect of the FIH and IFH methods on fatigue strength. We analyzed the fracture surface in FIH samples based on Komotori’s fracture mode transition concept and investigated the improvement of fatigue strength of FIH and IFH samples. This improvement could not be explained by the following well-known factors: size of inclusion and FGA, hardness at crack origin, and stress at the crack origin. Therefore we propose a new way to explain the fatigue improvement in the FIH and IFH samples based on carbide accumulation near inclusions.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Understanding soil nitrogen (N) processes and their response to climate change across diverse land-use types is crucial for bolstering the ecosystem functionality and stability, and also vital for refining land management strategies, especially as oasis expansion and land development practices become more frequent and widespread in dryland regions. We conducted a field soil sample collection and laboratory incubation experiment to examine the response of soil nitrogen mineralization to temperature and moisture across four land-use types in a typical dryland area of northwestern China. The mean values of soil net nitrification, ammonification, and mineralization rates across all treatments were 1.27 (0.43–3.01), –0.24 (–0.60–0.58), and 1.03 (–0.10–2.88 ) mg N kg -1 day -1, respectively. Notably, an increase in temperature and moisture substantially enhanced soil net nitrification rates by 3.7–104.2% and 26.0–72.0%, respectively. Conversely, the net ammonification rate declined, ranging from 30.0 to 94.4% with temperature changes and 10.7 to 137.5% with moisture variations. Among the land-use types examined, Poplar shelterbelt forests exhibited the highest soil N mineralization rate, followed by reclaimed farmlands, Gobi desert grasslands, and artificial sand-fixing shrubs. Notably, land-use changes significantly modulated the sensitivity of soil N mineralization rate to temperature and moisture. Specifically, its responses to temperature and moisture were strong in poplar shelterbelt forests and reclaimed farmlands but weak in Gobi desert grasslands and artificial sand-fixing shrubs. This study underscores the pivotal role of substrate quantity in determining the response of soil N mineralization rates to temperature and moisture fluctuations. Therefore, we posit that resilient ecosystems that respond positively to environmental perturbations, particularly variations in temperature and moisture, are more likely to enhance productivity by modulating soil N available. In contrast vulnerable ecosystems that consistently maintain a low soil N levels, regardless of environmental fluctuations, may face constraints in their development and improvement potential.

Delivery methods in sustainable construction project and building information modeling (BIM) have addressed many problems and introduced many challenges and opportunities to improve the efficiency of construction project management. Using circular economy principles in construction provides an opportunity to improve environmental and economic indicators. This study examines the role of BIM in sustainable project delivery methods through circular economy principles. In this research, we studied the available literature to develop a questionnaire to measure the three variables including BIM, sustainable construction projects delivery methods and circular economy. In order to collect data, 132 structured questionnaires were completed by building experts, who checked the importance of these factors. Moreover, the structural equation modeling approach has been used to investigate the relationship between research variables. The results showed that BIM has a positive and significant effect on sustainable project delivery methods, and almost 50% of the total effect of BIM on sustainable project delivery methods is indirectly explained by the intermediate variable of circular economy.

Background and Purpose: Pain is one of the major public health burdens worldwide, however, conventional analgesics are often ineffective. Capsaicin –the active compound of Capsicum species, being responsible for their pungency - has been part of traditional medicine long ago. Capsaicin is a natural agonist of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 receptor – localized on capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons and strongly involved in pain transmission -, and has been in focus of analgesic drug research for many years. In this study, we aimed to develop a sustained release transdermal patch (transdermal therapeutic system, TTS) combining the advantages of low-concentration capsaicin and diclofenac embedded in an innovative structure, as well as to perform complex preclinical investigations of its analgesic effect. Experimental Approach: Drug delivery properties of the TTS were investigated with Franz cell and flow-through cell tests. Analgesic effect of the TTS was examined in in vivo models of acute postoperative and inflammatory, chronic neuropathic and osteoarthritic pain. Key Results: Modified silicone polymer matrix-based TTS containing low-concentration capsaicin and diclofenac has been developed, releasing both compounds according to zero-order kinetics. Moreover, capsaicin and diclofenac facilitated the liberation of each other. Combined TTS significantly reduced acute postoperative and inflammatory pain, as well as chronic neuropathic and osteoarthritic pain. Interestingly, in acute postoperative and chronic osteoarthritic pain, capsaicin prolonged and potentiated the pain-relieving effect of diclofenac. Conclusion and Implications: The new generation combined low-concentration capsaicin-diclofenac containing TTS can be an effective therapeutic tool in acute and chronic pain states involving neuropathic and inflammatory components.

In this letter, a VAQ-based DAC switching scheme is proposed to improve the power efficiency of SAR ADCs. The input signals are sampled onto the bottom-plates of the most significant bit (MSB) capacitors, thereby eliminating the reset energy. The reference voltage VCM rath than VREF is switched during the third-bit cycle, thereby significantly reducing the power consumption. Additionally, an energy-efficient one-sided switching technique is employed from the fourth-bit cycle. This proposed switching scheme achieves a 99.51% reduction in switching energy over the classic scheme.