not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Abstract: It is widely believed that anthropogenic climate change is driving the restructuring of global biological communities. Here, we use the MaxEnt model to predict the distribution patterns, main influencing factors, and range changes of various small rodents living in the important Ordos Basin in China under different climate change scenarios in the future. We found that NDVI, annual average precipitation, and soil organic carbon content are important driving factors affecting the suitability of small rodent habitat distribution in the region. At the same time, the main influencing factors were also different for different rodent species. We captured a total of 700 small rodents from 9 species and selected 4 dominant species for analysis and found that, under the situation of future climate warming, the high-suitability habitat area of five-toed jumping mice and small hairy footed mice will decrease, while that of gerbils will increase. Our research results suggest that local governments should take early preventive measures, strengthen species protection, reduce the possibility of plague outbreaks, and respond to ecological challenges brought by climate change in a timely manner.

Hawk tea (Litsea coreana var. sinensis), derived from the tender shoots or leaves, rich in flavonoids that can promote healthcare for humans. The primary flavonoid are kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactoside. Is there an association between leaf phenotype and flavonoid content? And the mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis are not fully understood. In this study, 109 samples were analyzed to determine the correlation and genetic variability in leaf phenotype and flavonoid content. Furthermore, a transcriptome-wide association study identified candidate loci implicated in the biosynthesis of four key flavonoids. The study revealed that genetic variability in leaf traits and flavonoid concentrations is predominantly attributed to inter-population differences. Flavonoid accumulation may correlate with tree diameter at breast height (DBH), indicative of age-related traits. Transcriptome-wide association analysis identified 84 significant SNPs associated with flavonoid content, with only 13 located within gene regions. The majority of these genes are implicated in metabolic processes and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Notably, structural genes within these regions are directly involved in pathways known to regulate flavonoid metabolism, exerting a pivotal influence on flavonoid biosynthesis. These results lay a solid theoretical groundwork for subsequent explorations into the genetic determinants influencing flavonoid accumulation of hawk tea.

Spiny Babbler is the only endemic bird of Nepal but there are very limited studies on population status, distribution pattern and habitat characteristics preferred by this species. So, we conducted a field survey in the Lwang Ghalel Village of Annapurna Conservation Area located in Western Nepal which is one of the prominent habitats of Spiny Babbler to estimate the population, prepare a distribution map and assess the habitat characteristics preferred by it. We used the point count method to estimate its population while the distribution map was prepared using Arcmap; a GIS software, by plotting the geographic coordinates taken with hand held GPS. A binomial distribution model with a logit link function was deployed to determine the habitat preferences of the species by testing nine predetermined habitat variables. Out of 130 sampling points, Spiny Babbler was recorded from 46 points with an additional 6 opportunistic sightings resulting total estimated population of 129 individuals. From the distribution map, we found that it mostly preferred scrubland habitats. Among the nine habitat variables, six different variables including aspect (χ27,119 = 21.7895; p = 0.0027), habitat types (χ25,114 = 18.7608; p = 0.0021), number of shrub individuals (χ21,113 = 7.0083; p = 0.0081), distance to water body (χ21,128 = 9.4116; p = 0.0021), distance to road (χ21,127 = 6.4807; p = 0.0109) and presence or absence of cattle grazing (χ21,126 = 10.0881; p = 0.0014) have significant influence in the sighting probability of the species within the study area. With this study, we have established baseline information about the habitat preference of Spiny Babbler however there is still large gap to be fulfilled to understand the species ecology. Therefore, detailed and regular studies on the species behavior and ecology of all seasons should be carried out in the study area and other regions.

The accumulation of microplastics (MP <5mm), is an increasing global problem. MP ingestion causes intestinal blockage, and the chemicals MP readily absorb increase the risk of developmental dysfunction and other health problems. There is little research on MP loading in terrestrial birds despite their usefulness as indicators to measure the ecological effects of pollution using their diverse behavior and morphology, as well as their relative easiness to study. Here, we tested whether MP were present in terrestrial birds ranging in size from 7-36 cm via two methods of collection: (1) gastrointestinal (GI) tract dissections using already-deceased specimens and (2) non-invasive fecal sampling via non-targeted bird capture. We assessed the impacts of ecology on MP loading among species using published behavioral and morphological characteristics. We found MP using both collection methods. Most were identified by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as polyethylene, rayon, polyester, or nylon. MP were ubiquitous across species, banding locations, body size and ecomorphotypes. Nesting behavior predicted MP loading in both GI tract and fecal data. Cavity nesters were more likely to have higher MP loads, possibly attributed to a higher chance of ingesting MP in a small, confined cavity versus open nesters. This study highlights the usefulness of bird banding and fecal sampling to measure MP loading using larger datasets and presents indication that there is long-term retention of MP in these species. Currently, this is the most comprehensive study on MP loading in small terrestrial birds and the first time sampling the feces for MP while bird banding.

Plant diseases cost the global economy billions of US dollars every year. The problem has mainly been addressed by using chemical pesticides, but recently, the use of ants has shown promising effects against plant pathogens. However, the mechanisms accounting for these effects have not yet been determined. One possible explanation is antimicrobial microorganisms associated with ants. Through controlled laboratory experiments, we investigated the inhibitory effects of wood ants (Formica polyctena) and their associated microorganisms against economically important plant pathogenic fungi. Both live ants, extracts from crushed ants, and extracts from washed ants significantly inhibited apple brown rot (Monilinia fructigena) while yielding growth of other microbes. Furthermore, all investigated wood ants transferred microorganisms to their surroundings within 10 seconds when walking across a surface. We isolated the most dominant microorganisms deposited by walking ants and from washed ant extracts (i.e., strains likely found on the surface of ants), resulting in four bacterial cultures and one yeast. Two of these isolates, strain I3 (most closely related to Pseudomonas sichuanensis and P. entomophila) and strain I1b (most closely related to Bacillus mycoides), showed inhibitory effects against apple brown rot and apple scab (Venturia inaequalis), while strain I3 also inhibited grey mold (Botrytis cinerea) and Fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum). These results suggest that wood ants have potential as biological control agents against commercially relevant plant pathogens, and that their inhibitory effect might be at least partially caused by antibiotic compounds produced by their associated microorganisms.

Excessive beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus are established as a primary electrophysiological biomarker for motor impairment in Parkinson’s disease and are currently used as feedback signals in adaptive deep brain stimulation systems. However, there is still a need for optimization of stimulation parameters and the identification of optimal biomarkers that can accommodate varying patient conditions, such as ON and OFF levodopa medication. The precise boundaries of “pathological” oscillatory ranges, associated with different aspects of motor impairment, are still not fully clarified. In this study, we hypothesized that analyzing periodic and aperiodic components of subthalamic nucleus activity separately and identifying functionally distinct subranges within 8-35 Hz based on oscillatory properties may reveal robust biomarkers for specific aspects of motor impairment. We analyzed subthalamic nucleus activity of 14 patients with Parkinson’s disease. Local field potentials were recorded at rest from externalized electrodes postoperatively, both before and after levodopa administration. We showed that levodopa administration suppressed oscillations across a broad frequency range (11-32 Hz) and increased the slope of the aperiodic component. Changes in the aperiodic slope correlated with motor symptom alleviation. Periodic activity was linked to motor symptom severity: peak amplitude within the 14-20 Hz range correlated with overall motor impairment in the OFF state, while the 7-11 Hz range was associated with bradykinesia in the ON state. Our findings suggest that, in addition to low beta, alpha oscillations and the aperiodic component may serve as promising biomarkers for motor impairment and potential feedback signals in adaptive DBS systems.

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics, treatment effects and survival outcomes of children with NF1 mutation-positive acute leukemia. Methods: The clinical data and prognosis of 28 patients with NF1 mutation-positive acute leukemia treated at Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, between January 2017 and February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 28 patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 16 (1.2–85.5) months. Twelve patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, of whom 75.0% were at intermediate risk. Complete response (CR) was achieved in the bone marrow after induction chemotherapy, with a minimal residual disease (MRD) of 1×10 -3 at Day 33. Fifteen patients had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), of whom 66.7% were at high risk. The CR rate in the bone marrow was 86.6% at Day 28. Eleven (73.3%) patients survived at the end of follow-up. One patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia had standard risk and a good response. The overall survival rate of children with NF1 mutations was comparable to that of children with no mutations. However, children with germline NF1 mutations had a poor prognosis compared with those with somatic mutations, especially in AML patients. The frequency of NF1 mutations was 2–87.7%. The clinical manifestations of 3 patients with neurofibromatosis included café-au-lait macules, freckles, xanthogranuloma, scoliosis, and benign intracranial lesions. Conclusion: Most NF1 mutations in children with acute leukemia are somatic mutations that do not affect overall survival. Children with leukemia complicated with neurofibromatosis should undergo lifelong follow-up.

Arrhythmia is one of the most common causes of fatality in Acute coronary syndrome. We are presenting a case of ACS with QRBBB on presentation which was started on lignocaine infusion post angioplasty for prevention of ventricular tachycardia, which resulted in an iatrogenic complete heart block, which reverted on stopping the drug. The exaggerated toxicity of the drug was blamed on the long duration of the drug infusion and co-existing ischemic hepatitis

A document by Panagiotis Tsarouhas. Click on the document to view its contents.

ProteoScanner is an intuitive and versatile open-source software platform that offers an integrated approach for proteomics data analysis. With a focus on user-centric design, it facilitates an end-to-end workflow that encompasses data preparation, pre-processing, statistical testing, visualization, and biological interpretation. The incorporation of various statistical analyses and visualization tools allows for a sophisticated yet straightforward examination of complex datasets, ensuring that users can easily navigate through the analytical process. The software is an open-source, which allows full tweaking capabilities that can be summarized in transparency, flexibility, community-driven development, customizability, interoperability and long-term viability. It is compatible with different data array from current mass spectrometry equipment (Sciex and Thermo). This flexibility is further enhanced by the software’s foundation in Python and R, exploiting the capabilities of the two languages. ProteoScanner has a standardized quality and efficiency in producing comprehensive representations and biological insights. Combining a user-friendly interface with the required analytical depth, It stands as a testament to the software’s commitment to facilitating scientific discovery, providing researchers with a comprehensive as well as an intuitive tool in use. This balance of sophistication and accessibility makes ProteoScanner an invaluable resource for the omics research community. It is available as downloadable, executable file.

Purpose: To analysis proteins in the tissue of Retinoblastoma, and to investigate their potential roles in retinoblastoma. Methods: The retinas of retinoblastoma were collected from 4 retinoblastoma patients(2 females, 2 males; average age was 5.10±3.12 years old) in our hospital from May, 2021 to August, 2016. The retinas of healthy eyes were from 6 eyeball donors(3 females, 3 males; average age was 15.30±2.52 years old).4D label-free quantitative proteomics was used to analyze proteins in the retinoblastoma retinas and healthy eyeball retinas. Proteins with a fold change of >2. 0 or <0.5 were considered to be significantly differentially expressed (with corrected p-values of <0.1). The identified proteins were subjected to subsequent gene ontology analysis using the DAVID database. Then we confirmed the targeted proteins with qRT-PCR. Results: 1453 proteins that expressed differently between the retinoblastoma and healthy eyeball retinas were identified using4D label-free quantitative proteomics analysis. Of these proteins, 739 were down-regulated, and 714 were up-regulated. On the basis of biological processes in gene ontology, the identified proteins were mainly involved in Amino acid biosynthesis, DNA replication, and nucleocytoplasmic transport pathways. Based on PPI analysis, Based on PPI analysis, Minichromosome maintenance family (MCMs) may have potential roles in the pathogenesis of retinoblastoma. Then we confirmed with qRT-PCR that MCMs were up-regulated in retinoblastoma retinas. Conclusion: This study is the first to identify 1453 proteins associated with retinoblastoma with 4D label-free quantitative proteomics technology. Data in our study will aid in providing a better understanding of retinoblastoma.

Maternal separation (MS) is a frequent neonatal stress experience, given the diverse social inequalities and needs in modern society. It is known that social losses or separations are experiences that considerably affect people’s psychological patterns, but there is still no review of the associations between the stress caused by the separation of mothers from their children and its impact on the onset or increase in pain. From this perspective, the study in question aimed to review the literature in an integrative manner to seek to elucidate the association between neonatal MS and the onset or increase in pain in later stages of life, in animal models. For this purpose, the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Lilacs and Google Scholar databases were used, without date or language restrictions, to search for related literature, using the “PICO” strategy. A total of 843 articles were found and, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 35 articles were selected for this review, all of which were in animal models. Evidence indicates that the experience of neonatal MS is associated with the development of not only psychological but also neurophysiological disorders, which tend to reduce the threshold of sensitization of nociceptors, amplifying their receptivity to stimuli, generating painful sensations of varied natures and through different mechanisms, inherent to each type of pain generated. However, despite advances in research, new studies still need to be conducted focused on Orofacial Pain, since there is only one study on this topic. Keywords: Pain. Maternal Separation. Acute Pain. Chronic Pain. Orofacial Pain.

In the Baluchistan province of Pakistan, Ziarat and Sherani districts hold significant economic potential for plant cultivation, yet they face severe environmental challenges, including illegal tree cutting, forest fires, and plant diseases. The first part of our comprehensive study, using advanced technology like Landsat 8–9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery from 2013 and 2022 and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has revealed alarming statistics: 99% of the vegetation land cover consists of dead plants, 97% are categorized as unhealthy, and very healthy plants are extinct. Projections indicate that moderately healthy plants will disappear in 3 years in Sherani and 6 years in Ziarat. The second part of our study focuses on early disease detection, especially for exotic tree species like olive as Ziarat and Sherani districts are rich in exotic tree species such as pine nut, juniper, and wild olive. We utilized advanced deep-learning techniques and a dataset comprising 5,334 olive leaf images, including those affected by Aculus Olearius and Olive Peacock Spot diseases, in addition to healthy leaves. Innovative transfer learning models such as Inception V3, Inception Resnet V2, MobileNet, and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have been applied to enhance disease identification accuracy. The results highlight the promise of these technologies in early disease detection, with MobileNet demonstrating exceptional performance by reducing execution time through the strategic use of fewer training epochs, achieving a 99% accuracy rate for binary classification and 97.6% for multiclass classification, along with the highest F1 score of 99.4. These findings underscore the urgent need to preserve plant health, protect vegetation, and safeguard species, highlighting the importance of biodiversity and forest conservation in critical regions. Keywords: Environmental challenges, Vegetation health, Disease detection, Deep learning models, Biodiversity conservation

Does cypress pollen exposure influence sensitisation to Pru p 7 as a major allergen in peach allergy? To the editor:Gibberellin-regulated protein (GRP) was recently identified as an allergen in pollen-fruit syndrome1. Similar to peach Lipid Transfer protein (LTP) Pru p 3, peach GRP (Pru p 7) has been associated with severe allergic reactions2. In addition, Pru p 7 has been proposed as a possible major allergen in peach, in areas with high cypress pollen counts3. However, the relevance of this allergen in an area with high prevalence of Pru p 3 sensitization and high cypress pollen exposure has not been fully established.A descriptive, observational study was conducted in Hospital Clínic, Barcelona between January 2021 and August 2023. Patients diagnosed of peach allergy based on clinical history and positive skin prick test to peach were included. Clinical data as age, gender, severity of reactions (classified by oFASS-3 scoring4), other offending plant foods, and presence of cofactors were also collected. Total IgE and serum specific IgE (sIgE) to Pru p 3, Pru p 7 and peach were tested (ImmunoCAP®, ThermoFisher Scientific). In addition, the presence of both cypress pollen sensitization and pollen count data from our area were assessed. (Detailed methods-Supplementary Material).A total of 140 patients were included; 123 (87.9%) were monosensitized to Pru p 3, 10 (7.1%) were sensitized to both (co-sensitized), and 7 (5.0%) were monosensitized to Pru p 7. Their main characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Patients monosensitized to Pru p 7 were all women, showed higher levels of sIgE Pru p 7 than co-sensitized patients (p=0.15), and lower peach sIgE values than those monosensitized to Pru p 3 (p=0.001) or co-sensitized (p=0.03). Moreover, two of these patients had negative sIgE to peach.Pru p 7 monosensitized patients had similar clinical features. Almost all (6/7) presented anaphylactic reactions, and.cofactors were frequently involved (5/7), exercise being the most common (4/7). Rosaceae and citrus fruits were the most frequent culprit foods; other offending foods were apple, fig, halzenut and pear (table 2). All these subjects were also sensitized to cypress pollen.The cypress pollen count (Annual Pollen Integral, or sum of the mean daily pollen concentrations along the year) in our area (Barcelona-Bellaterra) during the study period were 17.530 pollen*day/m3 in year 2021, 8.122 pollen*day/m3 in year 2022 and 8.320 pollen*day/m3 in year 2023.Pru p 7 has recently been reported as a peach major allergen in southern France, a region geographically close to ours (north-east Spain)3. In this study, out of the five analyzed regions in France, the most represented has a cypress annual pollen count of 18,782 pollen*day/m3, comparable to our area. Interestingly, despite the similarity of the cypress pollen exposure, geographical proximity, and climatic resemblance, we have observed a different peach sensitization profile that confirms the role of LTP as a major allergen and GRP as a minor allergen in our area. This difference suggests that other factors apart from cypress pollen exposure may influence Pru p 7 sensitisation.Concerning the severity of reactions, Pru p 7 monosensitized patients exhibited more severe reactions compared to Pru p 3 and Pru p 3+Pru p 7 groups (Table 1). Conversely, the presence of cofactors was consistent across all groups.Our study observed that peach-specific IgE is a poor biomarker of Pru p 7 sensitisation as over 50% of Pru p 7 monosensitized patients had negative or very low peach-specific IgE levels. For this reason and to avoid false negative results, we recommend testing Pru p 7 in all patients with suspected peach allergy and those with citric fruit-related reactions.Finally, our results suggest that others plant foods different from those previously described 5 could be triggering reactions in GRP allergic patients. Future studies are needed for a better understanding of the clinical pattern of GRP food allergy and the potential cross reactivity of this protein among plant foods not taxonomical related, to define a Gibberellin-regulated protein syndrome that would present very similar characteristics, but not identical, to LTP syndrome.REFERENCESTuppo L, Alessandri C, Pomponi D, et al. Peamaclein–a new peach allergenic protein: similarities, differences and misleading features compared to Pru p 3. Clin Exp Allergy. 2013;43(1):128-140. doi:10.1111/cea.12028.Inomata N, Okazaki F, Moriyama T, et al. Identification of peamaclein as a marker allergen related to systemic reactions in peach allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014;112(2):175-177.e3. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2013.11.003.Klingebiel C, Chantran Y, Arif-Lusson R, et al. Pru p 7 sensitization is a predominant cause of severe, cypress pollen-associated peach allergy. Clin Exp Allergy. 2019;49(4):526-536. doi:10.1111/cea.13345Fernández-Rivas M, Gómez García I, Gonzalo-Fernández A, et al. Development and validation of the food allergy severity score. Allergy. 2022 May;77(5):1545-1558. doi: 10.1111/all.15165. Epub 2021 Nov 12. PMID: 34716996; PMCID: PMC9298738Takei M, Nin C, Iizuka T, et al. Capsicum Allergy: Involvement of Cap a 7, a New Clinically Relevant Gibberellin-Regulated Protein Cross-Reactive With Cry j 7, the Gibberellin-Regulated Protein From Japanese Cedar Pollen. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2022;14(3):328-338. doi:10.4168/aair.2022.14.3.328FIGURESTable 1 . Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients according to their sensitization to Pru p 3 and Pru p 7.

To quantify the current status of soil erosion in the Min-Tuo River Basin and predict future soil erosion conditions, the RUSLE model and GIS technology were employed to assess soil erosion in the Min-Tuo River Basin from 2000 to 2020. Based on the CMIP6 model, precipitation in the Min-Tuo River from 2021 to 2050 was predicted, and the CA-Markov model was used to forecast land use types from 2030 to 2050, thereby predicting the spatial distribution trends of soil erosion in 2030, 2040, and 2050. The results indicate that: (1) The overall soil erosion intensity in the study area increased from 2000 to 2020; (2) Future precipitation in the basin, predicted using the CMIP6 model, showed a fluctuating upward trend compared to historical levels. The SSP5-8.5 scenario had the largest fluctuation; (3) In terms of future land use types, an increase in the area of converted cropland may increase the risk of soil erosion; (4) The area affected by soil erosion in the future will increase, with the highest annual average soil erosion modulus and total amount occurring under the SSP5-8.5 high emission scenario; (5) The dynamic evolution of future soil erosion levels indicates that the stability of soil erosion levels under the SSP2-4.5 scenario is higher than under the other scenarios. In the future high CO2 emission scenario, the risk of soil erosion in the Min-Tuo River Basin will increase, necessitating the active implementation of various prevention and control measures to prevent further exacerbation.

Development of readily available Rapid COVID-19 Antigen tests are essential for promptly identifying SARS-CoV2 infection and preventing its spread. This study evaluated the clinical performance of the Healgen Rapid COVID-19 antigen test as a point-of-care diagnostic tool with 806 evaluable subjects who were within 6 days post symptoms onset. The results from the Healgen test were compared to the results from Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approved SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests. Out of the 806 evaluable subjects, 140 tested positive and 640 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 with the Healgen COVID-19 test, showing good agreement with the EUA RT-PCR results. There were 26 subjects with discordant results, of which 24 were negative according to the Healgen test but positive according to the RT-PCR test, while 2 were positive by the Healgen test but negative by the EUA-PCR test. The positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) were 85.4% and 99.7%, respectively. Additionally, the Healgen COVID-19 test detected 34 cases (60.7%) out of 56 weak positive cases (based on Ct values of ≥30 by the EUA PCR test), demonstrating good sensitivity of the test. The Healgen Rapid COVID-19 antigen detection test demonstrated good performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity when compared to the EUA RT-PCR assays and has potential as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2.

Biochemical and evolutionary interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (‘mitonuclear interactions’) are proposed evolutionary drivers of sexual reproduction, sexual selection, adaptation, and speciation. We investigated the role of pre-mating isolation in maintaining functional mitonuclear interactions in wild populations bearing diverged proposed co-adapted mitonuclear genotypes. Two lineages of eastern yellow robin Eopsaltria australis—putatively climate-adapted to ’inland’ and ‘coastal’ climates—differ by ~7% of mitochondrial DNA positions, whereas nuclear genome differences are concentrated into a sex-linked region enriched with genes with mitochondrial functions. This pattern can be explained by female-linked selection accompanied by male-mediated gene flow across the narrow hybrid zone where the two lineages coexist. It remains unknown whether lineage divergence is driven by intrinsic incompatibilities (particularly in females, under Haldane’s rule), extrinsic incompatibilities, both, or other drivers. We tested whether lineage divergence could be facilitated by non-random mate-pairing with respect to partners’ mitolineage or nuclear Z sex-chromosome DNA sequences, which differ between the lineages. We used field-, Z-linked-, and mitolineage data from two locations where the lineages hybridize, to test whether females mate disproportionately with (1) males of their own mitolineage and/or bearing similar Z-linked variation, as might be expected if hybrids experience intrinsic incompatibilities, or (2) putatively locally-adapted males, as expected under environmental selection. Comparing field observations with simulations provided no evidence of non-random mating, thus the observed patterns consistent with reduced female gene flow likely occur post-mating. Future tests of female-biased mortality at different life stages and habitat selection may clarify any mechanisms of selection.

Background: Inter-genogroup reassortment of Rotavirus A (RVA) strains has highlighted the spread of unusual RVA strains worldwide. We previously reported the equine-like G3 RVA as predominant strains in Indonesia in 2015-2016. However, since July 2017, typical human genotypes G1 and G3 have replaced these strains completely. To understand how dynamic changes in RVA occur in Indonesia, we performed a detailed epidemiological study. Main body: A total of 356 stool specimens were collected from hospitalized children in Sidoarjo, Indonesia between 2018 and 2022. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all 26 RVA-positive samples using next-generation sequencing. Twenty-four samples were determined to be the unusual RVA G9P[4], while 2 were G9P[6]. Detailed analysis revealed that seven G9P[4] strains had the typical DS-1-like backbone, while the other strains exhibited a double-reassortant profile (G9-N1) on the DS-1-like backbone. The Bayesian evolutionary analyses suggested that the Indonesian G9P[4] strains share a common ancestor with previously reported G9P[4] strains in the VP7 and VP4 genes. Conclusions: G9P[4] DS-1-like strains were identified as the predominant genotype in Indonesia in 2021 for the first time. These results suggest that the G9P[4] strains were generated from the previous G9P[4] strains that had undergone further intra-reassortments with the other circulating strains.

Background: Individuals with psychosis symptoms are at high risk for suicidality. The prevalence and correlates of suicidality in clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) have yet to be clarified. This study reports on the prevalence and clinical correlates of suicidality in a clinical CHR-P sample. Method: Participants (n = 135) included CHR-P clients at a CHR-P community specialty clinic, who participated in a clinical assessment between 2017 and 2022. Assessments measured attenuated psychosis symptoms, suicidality, clinical covariates, and functioning. Frequency analyses assessed the prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts and T-test and Chi-square identified clinical correlates. Logistic regression assessed the relationship between significant clinical correlates and lifetime suicide attempts. Results: Sixty five percent of participants at CHR-P endorsed lifetime suicidal ideation, while 22.2% reported at least one lifetime attempt. Correlates for lifetime suicidal ideation included self-reported gender expansive identity, hopelessness, depression, trauma, obsessive compulsive symptoms, insight: reflectiveness, trauma diagnoses, mood disorder diagnoses, and perceptual abnormalities/hallucinations. Significant correlates for lifetime suicide attempts included self-reported hopelessness, depression, trauma diagnosis and mood disorder diagnosis. Conclusion: CHR-P clients are at a higher risk for suicidal ideation and attempts compared to the general population. Correlates of suicidality may be diagnostically heterogeneous and therefore interventions should be tailored to specific clinical needs. Clients with trauma-disorder diagnoses may be at highest risk for suicidality. Continued intervention and longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal risk factors and establish evidence-based treatments for suicidality in CHR-P.

Non-destructive sampling techniques of vegetation are of particular use for the monitoring of plants while keeping disturbance to a minimum. Photography is an accessible tool, well suited for monitor-ing the growth of single individuals. In this paper, we present a semi-automated, cheap, and easy to use photo-analysis algorithm for leaf-area estimation of individual grasses. Four digital images were taken of 169 individuals across 4 grass plant species (Alopecurus pratensis, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Hordeum secalinum, and Juncus gerardi), and scaled automatically by the algorithm for comparable leaf area estimation. After image acquisition, the plants were harvested, scanned and weighed, revealing that leaf area estimation through photography is strongly correlated to dry above-ground biomass. Compared to destructive leaf area estimation using dedicated scanning software, photography under-estimates true leaf area due to leaf overlap increasing with plant age/size. This discrepancy appeared to be linear in nature, meaning that it can be easily corrected with calibration data obtained from each of the studied species. Based on these results, we conclude that photography is a useful and ac-cessible tool for the non-destructive estimation of individual growth and productivity.

According to the attributes of these components, there has been a growing demand over the past few decades for the security of visible resource-constrained components, which has become a difficult topic. Systems with limited store capacity and computational power have visual resource constraints. Therefore, effective alternatives are needed in place of the current standard encryption techniques for supporting and retaining video security in surveillance devices. So, this paper presents an innovative video encryption technology based on chaos systems for remote monitoring applications. In this study, a novel lyrebird-optimized chaotic logistic map (LO-CLM) framework is proposed for encrypting videos. In the proposed LO-CLM framework, the LO approach is employed to analyze the optimal parameter values of the CLM and also generate the optimal key. To evaluate the proposed encryption framework, video samples are gathered and for effective encrypting, we convert the video into image frames. Then, the performance of the proposed method is analyzed in encryption time 0.000412 (s), decryption time 0.000512 (s) and also compared with other existing methods. From the experimented outcomes, this study demonstrated that the proposed LO-CLM approach attains the maximum video encryption efficiency in remote monitoring than other methods.

Background: Epiglottitis is an uncommon upper airway pathology characterized by inflammation and swelling of the epiglottal mucosa and/or subepiglottal tissues. Only one report exists in the literature of epiglottitis in horses, which documents the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the condition. Objectives: To describe the evaluation, treatment, and outcome of thoroughbred and standardbred racehorses diagnosed with epiglottitis at our hospital. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the efficacy of inhaled and topical anti-inflammatories for this condition. Study design: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records (2009-2023) were reviewed for racehorses treated for epiglottitis. Data collected included signalment, history, endoscopic findings, treatment progression, hospitalization duration, and any reason for re-admission. Race records were obtained to determine days to first race, earnings, and career length. Horses were classified into three groups based on the severity of the epiglottitis. Results: Presenting complaint, interpretation of the endoscopic examination, treatment, progression and outcome were recorded. Of the 24 horses included, 16 were referred for surgical correction of epiglottic entrapment. Other reasons for referral included dysphagia and upper respiratory stridor. Horses were treated with systemic, topical and inhaled anti-inflammatories. Hospitalization ranged from 1 to 43 days. Time to first race ranged from 18 to 175 days. Twenty-two horses returned to racing; Eight horses were re-admitted, including six for recurrent epiglottitis and two for other airway pathologies. Main limitations: The major limitations include those inherent to a retrospective report. The results would be stronger with higher case numbers. Additionally, we did not have sufficient numbers to compare outcomes of horses treated with inhaled medications versus those that were not. Racehorses inevitably develop other racing-related problems which confound studies of this nature. Conclusions: Epiglottitis is an uncommon upper airway pathology that, when properly diagnosed, can be treated successfully with a good prognosis for return to athletic function.

A document by Sadiksha Khadka. Click on the document to view its contents.

A document by Nwabisa Rexe. Click on the document to view its contents.