The present study investigated the linkage between days to flowering (DTF) and Growth Habit (GH) in pigeonpea using QTL mapping, QTL-seq, and GWAS approaches. The linkage map developed here is the largest to date, spanning 1825.56 cM with 7987 SNP markers. In total, eight and four QTLs were mapped for DTF and GH, respectively, harboring 78 pigeonpea orthologs of Arabidopsis flowering time genes. Corroboratively, QTL-seq analysis identified a single linked QTL for both traits on chromosome 3, possessing 15 genes with genic variants. Together, these 91 genes were clustered primarily into autonomous, photoperiod, and epigenetic pathways. Further, we identified 39 associations for DTF and 111 associations for GH through GWAS in the QTL regions. Of these, nine associations were consistent and constituted nine haplotypes (five late, two early, one each for super-early and medium duration). The involvement of multiple genes explained the range of allelic effects and the presence of multiple LD blocks. Further, the linked QTL on chromosome 3 was fine-mapped to the 0.24 Mb region with a LOD score of 8.56, explaining 36.47% of the phenotypic variance. We identified a 10 bp deletion in the first exon of TFL1 gene of the ICPL20338 variety, which may affect its interaction with the Apetala1 and Leafy genes, resulting in determinate GH and early flowering. Further, the genic marker developed for the deletion in the TFL1 gene could be utilized as a foreground marker in marker-assisted breeding programs to develop early-flowering pigeonpea varieties.

Poly- (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic) acid-loaded nedaplatin nanoparticles (PLGA-NDP) have been used to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The preparation and characterisation of PLGA-NDP, which was formed and optimised using the double emulsion technique and Box-Behnken design, were investigated in detail. Various methods, including scanning electron microscopy- energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and in vitro drug release studies, were employed to examine the morphology, element distribution, physical state, internal structure, encapsulation efficiency, and release profile of the nanoparticles. The Box-Behnken design, which used four factors at four levels to calculate the central point, significantly improved the results. The response of the optimised condition provided an accurate prediction, and the experiment was conducted further. The design was validated, and satisfactory agreement was observed between the predicted and experimental values. The obtained results provided evidence of a new geometric construction of PLGA-loaded Nedaplatin nanoparticles with enhanced efficiency when analysed through bio-assessment, such as cytotoxicity measurement, intracellular ROS, mitochondrial dysfunction, colony formation, apoptosis-associated gene expression profile, and cell cycle analysis in OECM-1 cell lines. Therefore, these findings and techniques are useful for the development of PLGA-NDPs.

Objectives: Malignancy diagnosis and treatments, such as chemotherapy and transplantation processes, cause psychological stress for most of the patients. During the diagnosis and transplantation period, the possibility of an unfavorable outcome and the anticipated adverse effects of treatment are the major sources of stress and negatively affect the psychological status of the patients. It has been shown that physical and psychological status and stress prior to HSCT are closely related to treatment success. The present study was designed to investigate the possible negative effects of depression and anxiety on neutrophil and platelet engraftments in multiple myeloma patients who underwent autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) before HSCT. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of depression or not. The neutrophil and platelet engraftment days of the patients with and without significant depressive symptoms were compared with Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The neutrophil engraftment was significantly delayed in patients with significant depressive symptoms (p=0.043). There was no difference in terms of the sociodemographic characteristics and treatment variables between the patients with or without significant depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The results of this study may support the presence of the effect of the prior psychological status on HSCT outcomes and also support the widely held belief that the central nervous system (CNS) is effective on the immune system.

Introduction: Previous studies indicated that the amount of time spent playing online games is a significant predictor of decline in cognitive function. Cognitive Functioning Self-Assessment Scale (CFSS) is used to measure the self-assessment of perceived cognitive functioning. This study aimed to analyze the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of CFSS (CFSS-Ina) in online game users. Method : A cross-sectional study of 194 participants was conducted online. Content validity was assessed with Aiken’s V. Construct validity consists of convergent validity, measured using average variance extracted (AVE), and discriminant validity, measured by calculating heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT) correlation. Factor analysis was performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Aiken’s V value exhibited a high content validity (0.90). For convergent validity, AVE value was 0.429, whilst CR value was 0.93. Discriminant validity was statistically significant (HTMT = 0.562). Outer loading of CFSS-Ina ranged from 0.509 to 0.778. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for construct reliability was 0.92, whilst ICC for test-retest reliability was 0.899. Conclusion: CFSS-Ina is a valid and reliable self-assessment tool to detect early signs of perceived cognitive impairment in online game users.

Philosophy has long been debated for its relevance to natural sciences. Drawing from evolutionary biology, I exemplify how philosophy contributed to scientific discourse, in particular to the concept of genes and traits. Rather than determining distinct traits, genes influence the plastic development of traits, especially during sensitive periods. EvoDevo further integrates philosophical insights to explore how developmental processes influence evolutionary change. I highlight the concept of heterochrony which describes temporal changes of developmental events during evolution. I argue that neuroscience could also benefit from similar conceptual scrutiny. In the paper, I discuss the expansion of the human neocortex in light of heterochrony and developmental plasticity as a key example. Plasticity allows organisms to adapt to fluctuating environments characteristic of the human cognitive niche and contributes to diversity. As an effect of heterochrony, postnatal brain development in modern humans is prolonged and the brain remains highly plastic. While periods of plasticity enable developmental variability, they also introduce the risk of neurodevelopmental aberrations, such as in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is characterized by an abnormal prolongation of neuroplasticity due to an impaired excitatory/inhibitory balance and excessive synaptic pruning, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. This “overpruning” combined with delayed maturation may contribute to the disorder´s onset and progression. The interplay between environmental factors and neurodevelopment during sensitive periods is crucial in shaping the disease outcome. This reconceptualization challenges traditional gene-for-trait paradigms and instead advocates for a focus on developmental timing during different life stages to better understand the etiology of psychopathologies and potential intervention strategies.

Brain information processing complexity is conventionally recognized as derived from neuronal activity, with neurons and their dynamic signalling responsible for the transfer and processing of information . However, the brain also contains other non-neuronal cells, glial cells, which exceed the number of neurons and have been largely ignored, in the past, as being involved in the processes related with information coding by neural networks and underlying brain functions. Nonetheless, decisive advances in the characterization of the molecular and physiological properties of glial cells shed light on their active roles in neurotransmission and neuronal physio-pathology. Thus, in order to understand the brain functions we need to consider the complexity of the relationship between neurons and glial cells. This expanded relationship between neurons and glia is challenging traditional neurobiology, representing a typical ‘chicken and egg ‘problem. A philosophical tool, the ‘Theory of Complexity’ of Edgard Morin can help to better explain and study the complexity of neuronal- glia interactions. Morin’s proposal on complexity is useful to transform brain knowledge, in order to review the brain molecular functions in anti-reductionist pattern. In this manuscript, we will discuss how to use the ‘retroactive loop’ principle from the Morin’s ‘Theory of Complexity’ at the brain molecular level, proposing a new philosophical-experimental grid that can help neuroscientists for a better understanding of the glia-neurons interactions in the brain.

Title: A Diagnostic Challenge: Leukemia Cutis Masquerading as Infantile Hemangioma

Knowledge graphs convey precise semantic information that can be effectively interpreted by neural networks, and generating descriptive text based on these graphs places significant emphasis on content consistency. However, knowledge graphs are inadequate for providing additional linguistic features such as paragraph structure and expressive modes, making it challenging to ensure content coherence in generating text that spans multiple sentences. This lack of coherence can further compromise the overall consistency of the content within a paragraph. In this work, we present the generation of scientific abstracts by leveraging knowledge graphs, with a focus on enhancing both content consistency and coherence. In particular, we construct the ACL Abstract Graph Dataset (ACL-AGD) which pairs knowledge graphs with text, incorporating sentence labels to guide text structure and diverse expressions. We then implement a Siamese network to complement and concretize the entities and relations based on paragraph structure by accomplishing two tasks: graph-to-text generation and entity alignment. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the logical paragraphs generated by our method exhibit entities with a uniform position distribution and appropriate frequency. In terms of content, our method accurately represents the information encoded in the knowledge graph, prevents the generation of irrelevant content, and achieves coherent and non-redundant adjacent sentences, even with a shared knowledge graph.

Background Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), although rare, are considered one of the most common gastrointestinal and bronchopulmonary pediatric neoplasms. We aimed to determine the incidence, tumor characteristics, management, and outcome of NETs and explore the role of genetic predisposition in a Danish pediatric population. Methods Using the Danish National Pathology Registry, we conducted a nationwide retrospective study including all Danish children aged ≤18 years diagnosed with a pathology-proven NET between 1995 and 2020. Results We identified 220 patients, with a 1.89:1 girl to boy ratio. The yearly incidence for Danish pediatric NETs was 6.84 per 1 million children, with no significant change in incidence throughout the observation period. NETs were located in the appendix (93.2%), the pulmonary system (4.5%) and pancreas (2.3%). One recurrence was noted in the pancreas in a genetically predisposed patient with multiple neuroendocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), resulting in an overall recurrence rate of 0.5% (0% in appendiceal NETs; 0% in bronchopulmonary NETs; 20.0% in pancreatic NETs). No NET-related mortality was registered. Four patients had a known predisposing genetic condition, one appendiceal NET and neurofibromatosis type 1, and three pancreatic NETs associated with MEN1. Postsurgical surveillance regimes, choice of tumor markers, and imaging modality varied throughout the study period. Conclusions We confirmed a stable incidence of pediatric NETs during the study period. The overall recurrence rate was 0.5% and no NET-related mortality was observed. Known genetic predisposition was present in 1.8% of patients. Future guidelines should consider the apparent indolent nature and excellent prognosis of these tumors.

Following the increased mass mortality of Pinna nobilis populations in the Mediterranean, reliable protocols for the transport, maintenance and controlled reproduction of this highly endangered species were drawn up within the European Life Pinna project. To test these protocols the large Pinnidae Atrina fragilis, which shares similar habits to P. nobilis has been used. In December 2022, a transport trial of nine specimens of A. fragilis from Trieste (NE Italy) to Camogli (NW Italy) was carried out. Two positioning (vertical and horizontal) of the specimens were tested inside the transport box. In the laboratory, after acclimatisation, the specimens were placed inside three tanks and fed three times a week with a mix of live microalgae and artificial feed. The transport and maintenance protocols tested on A. fragilis were then applied to 11 P. nobilis collected in the Venice lagoon (NE Italy) and transported to the laboratory in June 2023. Due to the possible infection with Haplosporidium pinnae, considered one of the main etiological agents of mass mortality, P. nobilis the individuals were evaluated through molecular analyses during their stay in the tank. Furthermore, these specimens were used as breeders: they spontaneously released already fertilized eggs, as a consequence of transport stress. Rapid larval development stopped at the early veliger stage and the larvae were fed three times a week with a mixture of microalgae. After the reproduction period, the four specimens survived 6 months in the laboratory, and constantly tested negative for H. pinnae, were transplanted to the Capo Mortola Marine Protected Area (Liguria, Italy) and monitored monthly.

Pediatric Anesthetic Management of a Patient with an ALG-13 Gene Mutation, a Rare Congenital Disorder of GlycosylationEsha Thakkar, PharmD,1 John A. Iasiello, MD,1 Sunny R. Cai, MD,1 Adrienne Hutton, MD11 Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

A document by Tina Shrestha. Click on the document to view its contents.

Echo-Navigator (EchoNav) is a fusion imaging technology that integrates live transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) and overlays on real-time fluoroscopy. We present our experience placing a right ventricular (RV) support device, a ProtekDuo, in our patient with post-operative RV failure using EchoNav imaging to guide the implantation and confirm the geographical location of the device. EchoNav has shown many benefits over standard techniques whereby echo and fluoroscopic images are typically viewed and interpreted separately. For instance, it may reduce overall radiation used during the procedure and may improve efficiency by allowing for more accurate device placement, avoiding the need for prolonged fluoroscopic imaging. Furthermore, the integration of fusion imaging can also improve the education of trainees, helping facilitate skill development in advanced imaging techniques and improving procedural understanding over time.

A document by Jia-jun Zhang. Click on the document to view its contents.

Life-Threatening Pulmonary Air Embolism Following Right Jugular Venous Catheter Removal Successfully Managed With Hyperbaric Oxygen: An Unusual Case ReportHaidar Barjas1 . Wisam Al Wassiti1 , Rasha Abduljabbar3 , Nagham Sadik1,21-Hamad Medical Corporation, Medical Education, Internal Medicine Department, Doha, Qatar2-Qatar University, Medical College, Doha, Qatar3-University of Nottingham, College of Medicine

As one of the most frequently practised leisure activities, various forms of dancing offer a wide spectrum of elements for improving cognitive functions and brain plasticity, which ultimately promotes well-being. However, the elements of dance interventions that trigger favourable brain states for different populations are currently poorly understood. Creativity and autonomy are factors whose influence on well-being is increasingly recognized and which can be integrated into dance to varying degrees. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of physically performed dances with different creative and autonomic demands on electrical brain activity. In a within-subject design, 11 healthy participants danced two conditions in randomised order: choreographed (CHOR) and free dance (FREE). Eyes open spontaneous EEG was recorded at baseline and after fifteen minutes of dancing. Results show statistically significant changes within dance conditions (p < 0.05, r ≥ 0.5) with higher parieto-occipital alpha activity after both conditions and higher oscillatory activity of beta over central, temporal right, and left regions after FREE. Gamma power increased post CHOR over right temporal and central regions after FREE. Between-dance comparisons did not reach statistical significance in the post-tests. The accompanying large variances indicate individual responses. The results point to the need to expand the number of possible influencing factors and take more differentiated, individual characteristics of the dancers into account.

Background: Previous research demonstrated that emodin inhibits cardiac fibrosis through metastasis-asspcoated protein 3 (MTA3), but its limited bioavailability hinders clinical application. Aim: To enhance emodin clinical potential, a new derivative, emodin succinyl ethyl ester, was synthesized by modifying the 3’-OH position. This study assessed its drug-likeness, anti-fibrotic properties, and molecular mechanisms involving MTA3. Methods: Drug-likeness properties of the emodin derivative were evaluated using computational-aided drug design (CADD) approaches. An animal model of transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiac fibrosis and Angiotensin II (AngII) stimulated cardiac fibroblasts were used in vivo and ex vivo, respectively, to determine the effects of emodin derivative on cardiac fibrosis and fibroblast transdifferentiation. Bioinformatics analysis of the PROMO database, CADD, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), luciferase reporter assays, and functional experiments were employed to predict, identify and validate the relationship between MTA3 and its upstream transcription factors. Results: Emodin derivative exhibited superior drug-likeness and anti-fibrotic effects compared to emodin by effectively inhibiting cardiac fibroblast transdifferentiation and restored MTA3 expression. E2F1 was identified and validated as a transcriptional regulator, promoting α-SMA and COL1A2 expression, and directly reducing MTA3 expression in cardiac fibroblasts. The emodin derivative demonstrated stronger binding to E2F1 transcription site than emodin, reducing E2F1 expression and enhancing anti-fibrotic action via MTA3. Conclusion: The emodin derivative shows improved drug-likeness and potent inhibition of cardiac fibrosis by targeting E2F1, disrupting its pro-fibrotic function, restoring MTA3 expression, and halting fibrosis progression. This advances emodin’s potential as a clinical therapy for cardiac fibrosis and provides insights into its anti-fibrotic mechanisms.

TitleTubercular brain abscess in HIV patient: A case report on rare complication of tuberculosis in the Indian subcontinent

Two-dimensional Ruddlesden-Popper (2D RP) layered metal-halide perovskites have garnered increasing attention due to their favorable optoelectronic properties and enhanced stability in comparison to their three-dimensional counterparts. Nevertheless, precise control over the crystal orientation of 2D RP perovskite films remains challenging, primarily due to the intricacies associated with the solvent evaporation process. In this study, we introduce a novel approach known as reverse-cool annealing (RCA) for the fabrication of 2D RP perovskite films. This method involves a sequential annealing process at high and low temperatures for wet perovskite films. The resulting RCA-based perovskite films show the smallest root-mean-square value of 23.1 nm, indicating a minimal surface roughness and a notably compact and smooth surface morphology. The low defect density in these 2D RP perovskite films with exceptional crystallinity suppresses non-radiative recombination, leading to a minimal non-radiative open-circuit voltage loss of 149 mV. Moreover, the average charge lifetime in these films is extended to 56.30 ns, thanks to their preferential growth along the out-of-plane direction. Consequently, the leading 2D RP perovskite solar cell achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency of 17.8% and an open-circuit voltage of 1.21 V. Additionally, the stability of the 2D RP perovskite solar cell, even without encapsulation, exhibits substantial improvement, retaining 97.4% of its initial efficiency after 1000 hours under a nitrogen environment. The RCA strategy presents a promising avenue for advancing the commercial prospects of 2D RP perovskite solar cells.

Many factors, including individual- and species-specific traits and resource requirements as well as landscape characteristics, influence second-order habitat selection and home range characteristics such as size, shape, stability, and overlap. By comparing home range characteristics across individuals, species, and landscapes, we can draw conclusions regarding whether and how different factors influence home range selection. Our objectives were to quantify home range characteristics of VHF- and GPS-collared coyotes and red foxes in southern Wisconsin, including home range size and shape, home range stability, and inter- and intraspecific overlap, and to review current literature on coyote and red fox home range characteristics for comparison and context. On average, urban coyotes had smaller, more circular home ranges with greater intraspecific overlap than rural coyotes; although, rural coyotes had greater home range stability. Similarly, urban red foxes had smaller, more circular home ranges with greater intraspecific overlap than urban coyotes, with no difference in stability between urban coyotes and red foxes. Our results corresponded with trends identified from literature review; however, we did find greater interspecific overlap between urban coyotes and red foxes than has been previously reported. Our results provide further evidence that intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as body size, resource predictability and availability as well as the physical environment, influence home range selection of coyotes and red foxes.

This letter presents a model for coordinated optimal allocation of wind, solar, and storage in microgrids that can be applied to different generation conditions and is integrated with the Gurobi solver. The model has been developed for the purpose of dispatch optimization under four distinct operating modes: wind, photovoltaic, a hybrid of the two, and energy storage device configuration. The optimal scheduling strategy, as a result, ensures that the costs are minimized while meeting the operational requirements of the users. Furthermore, the optimal scheduling strategy guarantees that the cost is minimized while meeting the user’s operational requirements and ensures a no-power-loss outcome with the addition of a storage device of a specific size. The experimental results demonstrate a notable reduction in costs when scheduling strategy of the model is employed, as compared to alternative operational modes.

The Clavicarpa species, valued for their pharmaceutical, ornamental, and economic importance, exhibit notable rarity and endemism in the Karst areas of the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau in China. These species face significant threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, leading to a decline in biodiversity. To mitigate these threats, the MaxEnt algorithm was employed to analyze current and future distribution patterns, with a particular focus on the influence of climate variables in predicting potential distribution shifts and assessing extinction risks under the optimistic SSP1-2.6 and the pessimistic SSP5-8.5 socioeconomic scenarios. The EC-Earth3-Veg, MRI-ESM2-0, and MPI-ESM1-2-HR models were utilized for conservation status assessment and project future distributions for four time periods: the present, 2030s, 2050s, and 2070s. The minimum temperature during the coldest month (Bio 6) was identified as the most critical environmental factor, influencing both habitat contraction and expansion. Our modeling indicates that regions such as South, Central, and East China, particularly areas east of the Aihui-Tengchong line and south of the Yangtze River, exhibit the highest suitability for Clavicarpa species within the geographical coordinates of 18° N-45° N and 97° E-120° E. Conversely, climate change projections suggest a habitat expansion for I. claviger, I. tubulosa, I. pritzelii, and I. apalophylla, while I. guizhouensis and I. wilsonii face increased extinction risks. Specifically, I. claviger, I. tubulosa, and I. apalophylla are expected to shift northward, necessitating potential relocation to southern regions, while I. guizhouensis and I. wilsonii are projected to experience habitat losses of over 23.94% and 9.13%, respectively. Our research provides a robust scientific foundation for the conservation and sustainable utilization of these important pharmaceutical species and offers a framework for effective biodiversity management. We recommend using protected areas as a basis for the future conservation, breeding, cultivation, and utilization of Clavicarpa species.

In this paper, I challenge Keogh and Collinson’s (2016) critique of ecological approaches in popular music studies, arguing for a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the music ecosystem. Drawing on systems ecology, socio-ecological systems theory, and ecological economics, I propose an integrated framework that recognises the complex interplay of social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors. This framework offers tools to analyse industry dynamics, address global challenges, and incorporate ethical considerations. Ultimately, it aims to foster a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient popular music ecosystem.

Esophagitis in a Post-Liver Transplant Patient: A Case of Cytomegalovirus and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 CoinfectionAmmad Javaid Chaudhary MD1, Taher Jamali MD2, Abdullah Sohail MD3, Allyce Caines MD, Mazen ELatrache MD1. Internal Medicine Department, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, US2. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, US3. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52246