The growing importance of traceability in supply chains necessitates robust, transparent, and efficient systems to ensure the integrity and authenticity of product journeys. This paper presents a comprehensive characterisation and data model for a generic traceability system, highlighting its implementation using smart contracts on Ethereum-compatible networks. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), with its pioneering role in smart contracts and extensive ecosystem, provides a robust environment for developing decentralised applications (dApps). We discuss the advantages of using blockchain technology to notarise traceability activities, ensuring immutability and transparency. Two main scenarios are explored: one where hash keys (cryptographic digests) are stored on-chain while detailed data remains off-chain, and another where all traceability data is fully stored on-chain. Each approach is evaluated for its impact on scalability, privacy, storage efficiency, and operational costs. The hash key method offers significant advantages in reducing blockchain storage costs, enhancing privacy, and maintaining data integrity, albeit with a dependency on reliable off-chain storage. Conversely, the full on-chain approach guarantees data immutability but at a higher cost and lower scalability. By combining these strategies, a balanced solution can be achieved, leveraging the strengths of both methods to provide a reliable, efficient, and secure traceability system. This paper aims to provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners looking to implement or enhance traceability systems using blockchain technology, demonstrating how smart contracts can be effectively utilised to meet the demanding requirements of modern supply chains.

The haptic interface has received unprecedented attention and plays a key role in the tactile interaction among humans, computers, and robots. Numerous haptic devices with tactile sensors or actuators based on piezoelectric materials, thermoelectric materials, electro-elastomer materials and magnetic functional materials, have been devised to provide cutaneous perceptions thought for the measurement and generation of some tactile information in the coding of shape, pressure, texture, vibration, temperature, roughness, or stiffness etc. Among these smart materials, magnetic functional materials bring new hope to develop high performance haptic interfaces because of their rich magnetic effects and excellent physical properties, such as high adjustability, fast response time, low power consumption, long-term stability, wearable and cost-effective characteristics. In this perspective article, we present a state-of-the-art review of haptic interfaces with magnetic functional materials. Firstly, the logical topology of haptic interfaces is briefly introduced. Secondly, the properties or applications of haptic sensors and haptic actuators based on magnetic functional materials are mainly summarized and discussed. Finally, we address the challenges, opportunities and directions for future development of magnetic functional materials for haptic interfaces to collect and generate tactile information.

This study investigates the electrochemical behavior of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as an anode in Li-ion batteries, focusing on the extra capacity phenomenon. Employing advanced characterization methods such as in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, the research unravels the complex structural and chemical evolution of MoS2 throughout its cycling. A key discovery is the identification of a unique Li intercalation mechanism in MoS2, leading to the formation of reversible LixMoS2 phases that contribute to the extra capacity of the MoS2 electrode. Density function theory calculations suggest the potential for overlithiation in MoS2, predicting Li5MoS2 as the most energetically favorable phase within the lithiation-delithiation process. Additionally, the formation of a Li-rich phase on the surface of Li4MoS2 is considered energetically advantageous. After the first discharge, the battery system engages in two main reactions. One involves operation as a Li-sulfur battery within the carbonate electrolyte, and the other is the reversible intercalation and deintercalation of Li in LixMoS2. The latter reaction contributes to the extra capacity of the battery. The incorporation of reduced graphene oxide as a conductive additive in MoS2 electrodes notably improves their rate capability and cycling stability.

In this paper, the low-cycle fatigue fracture behavior and life prediction of Cr –Ni –Mo –V gun steel at room temperature and 600 ℃ are studied. The results indicated that at room temperature and 600 ℃, the Cr –Ni –Mo –V gun steel exhibited obvious monotony softening and cyclic softening. This behavior could be attributed to the formation of dislocation networks, dislocation walls, dynamic recovery, and dynamic recrystallization. As the temperature increased, the failure mode gradually shifted from mixed transgranular and intergranular fractures to intergranular fractures possibly owing to the reduced grain boundary strength and easy oxidation of the grain boundary at high temperatures. In addition, the fatigue life prediction model considering the influence of temperature is established by using the energy dissipation quadratic function, offering a practical method to improve the fatigue performance evaluation of Cr –Ni –Mo –V gun steel at various temperature.

Embolism resistance is a key functional trait that limits plant survival under extreme drought, yet knowledge of variation in embolism resistance within and between plant communities remains limited. We determine embolism resistance within a North American forest community and place these results in the context of published community-level studies of embolism resistance. Our analysis suggests that significant vulnerability in hydraulic segmentation between leaves and stems is only observed in the most arid plant communities and that the key trait, hydraulic safety margin, is globally driven by variation in embolism resistance. Our results indicate that communities can vary broadly in embolism resistance, with those native to the most arid climates containing the most embolism-resistant species, but communities from areas of high water availability host species that span a range of embolism resistance. Considerable variation in embolism resistance within communities suggests that embolism resistance drives ecological differentiation across scales.

CASE PRESENTATION A 19-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the ablation of a narrow QRS complex tachycardia (Figure 1A). The tachycardia was terminated by 10 mg of adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) (Figure 1B). The electrocardiogram during sinus rhythm is also shown (Figure 1C). What is the mechanism of this wide QRS tachycardia?

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and referral practices regarding pediatric palliative radiotherapy (PRT) among Radiation Oncologists (ROs) and Pediatric Oncologists (POs) in Italy, focusing on identifying knowledge gaps, referral patterns, and barriers to the optimal utilization of PRT in pediatric oncology. Methods: A national survey, initiated by AIRO and AIEOP, was conducted from September 2022 to February 2023. Separate questionnaires for ROs and POs were developed and distributed, focusing on the indications for PRT, current utilization practices, and perceived barriers. The data collected were analyzed using the SPSS software, employing Chi-square tests for statistical significance and univariate analysis to explore correlations between respondent characteristics and their perspectives on pediatric PRT. Results: Out of 70 ROs and 23 POs who responded, 24.3% of ROs and 91.3% of POs treated between one to five pediatric patients with PRT annually. A significant gap was found in the self-assessed knowledge of pediatric PRT, with 57% of ROs considering their understanding inadequate, in contrast to 30% of POs. The survey highlighted a perceived underutilization of PRT, with 70% of ROs and 65% of POs advocating for its more frequent application. Barriers identified included logistical challenges, with 78% of POs citing distance to the RT department as a primary obstacle, and concerns over potential side effects, particularly among ROs (60%). Conclusion: The survey underscores a critical need for enhanced education and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the understanding and utilization of pediatric PRT. Addressing identified knowledge gaps, standardizing patient selection methods, and overcoming logistical and perceived barriers could significantly advance the quality of pediatric palliative care.

In this study, we employed a novel technique with the help of the iterative method (DGJM) to solve the generalized time-fractional Cattaneo model (GTFCM). The existence and uniqueness of the solutions for this fractional model are examined using Banach’s fixed-point theorem. Additionally, the stability of the solutions is evaluated under Ulam-Hyers conditions. The fractional order derivative is calculated by using the Caputo derivative with order   1 < α < 2 . We compared our results with the exact solution and other existing techniques, demonstrating that our approach is efficient.

Quantitative surveys of wild animal abundance or activity, and assessments of the integrity of the complex natural ecosystems they live in, are typically quite laborious and meaningful analysis of the data obtained may require considerable time and expertise. This study describes the development and evaluation of a practical procedure for semi-quantitative consensus-based synthesis of subjective impressions accumulated by a small team of investigators who visited 32 different locations distributed in or around a community-based Wildlife Management Area in southern Tanzania. The subjective natural ecosystem integrity index (SNEII) scores obtained represent a holistic indicator of all aspects of land use, wildlife and human activities, which correlated strongly with objective indicators of wild animal community or whole natural ecosystem integrity that were estimated directly from quantitative survey data by the same investigators at the same locations. Also, comparative regression analysis indicated that the SNEII was a far more sensitive to variations in observed human activities than any of the objective alternatives, correspondingly yielding far more detailed insights into ongoing conservation challenges. This simple procedure for summarizing the overall, multi-faceted subjective impressions of individuals traversing extensive conservation areas may well be applicable through participatory approaches to routine programmatic monitoring by community-based staff with minimal training, and may therefore be more practically useful to devolved conservation areas like WMAs than conventional objective statistical synthetic indices relying on laborious collection and expert analysis of quantitative survey data.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth is an inherited disorder involving multiple genes, causing progressive nerve damage affecting sensation and movement. The complexity of the condition often leads to various possible diagnoses along with neuropathic diseases, sometimes resulting in significant delays in diagnosis and treatment. Thorough clinical examinations, suspicion based on symptoms, electromyography, nerve conduction tests, and specific genomic testing can expedite diagnosis. Here, we will introduce a case of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder, initially presenting with stridor and hoarseness due to vocal cord paralysis, later progressing to atrophy and deformity of the limbs. Diagnosis was confirmed through whole genome sequencing, revealing mutations in genes associated with the disorder.

Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are widespread and highly abundant on tropical coral reefs. They exhibit diverse body colouration within and between the ~250 species and across ontogenetic stages. In addition to human visible colours (i.e., 400-700 nm), most adult damselfishes reflect ultraviolet (UV, 300-400 nm) colour patches. UV sensitivity and UV colour signals are essential for feeding and form the basis for a secret communication channel invisible to the many UV-blind predatory fish on the reef; however, how these traits develop across ontogenetic stages, and their distribution across the damselfish family is poorly characterised. Here, we used UV photography, phylogenetic reconstructions of opsin genes, differential gene expression analysis (DGE) of retinal samples, to investigate the development of UV vision and colour patterns in three ontogenetic stages (pre-settlement larval, juvenile, and adult) of eleven damselfish species. Using DGE, we found similar gene expression between juveniles and adults, which strongly differed from larvae. All species and all stages expressed at least one UV-sensitive sws1 opsin gene. However, UV body colour patterns only started to appear at the juvenile stage. Moreover, Pomacentrus species displayed highly complex UV body patterns that were correlated with the expression of two sws1 copies. This could mean that some damselfishes can discriminate colours that change only in their UV component. We demonstrate dramatic shifts in both UV sensitivity and UV colouration across the development stages of damselfish, while highlighting the importance of considering ontogeny when studying the coevolution of visual systems and colour signals.

Maned Three-Toed Sloths (Xenarthra: Bradypodidae) are endemic to the highly fragmented Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Both species, known as Northern Maned Sloths (Bradypus torquatus Illiger, 1811) and Southern Maned Sloths (Bradypus crinitus Gray, 1850), exhibit disconnected populations across the distributions. Our study investigates the evolutionary and demographic trajectories of these two sloth lineages, utilizing whole-genome resequencing data compared against a high-quality genome assembly. Our analysis reveals that the Southern Maned Sloth exhibits lower genetic diversity and a smaller historical population size compared to the Northern Maned Sloth. These disparities likely stem from differing environmental and climatic historical changes along the Atlantic Forest distribution during the Pleistocene, which was characterized by greater climate stability and larger refugia areas in the north. Nonetheless, the northern population has experienced a fast increase in inbreeding levels in the last 20 years, in a region of Bahia State with extensive recent deforestation associated with livestock farming, agriculture, and urban development. In addition, the northern lineage presented a higher genetic load, which could imply higher fitness costs for this population if inbreeding patterns persist. Taken together, these results confirm the independent evolutionary paths of these two lineages and underscore the conservation challenges faced due to historical evolutionary events and current deforestation of the Atlantic Forest.

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have attracted a great deal of interest due to the potential contributions to the next-generation wireless networks. This letter proposes an enhancement to the physical layer security (PLS) of a multi-hop RIS-assisted underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) system. Owing to the complexity of the underwater environment, a security-based adaptive RIS (SA-RIS) clustering strategy, which aims to reflect optical signals among clusters to improve the performance of the overall system, is evaluated. By combining the underwater channel model, the closed-form expressions of probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) are derived. Moreover, by increasing the numbers of RIS clusters, the performance metrics such as secrecy outage probability (SOP) and average secrecy capacity (ASC) are evaluated under different scenarios. The obtained results demonstrated that, in contrast to the case without preventing the eavesdropper, the proposed strategy in evasion scenarios could improve the SOP significantly. It can be concluded that the system secrecy performances are further improved by assigning different RIS clusters with proper channel quality.

The transition from a free-living lifestyle to endosymbiosis represents a large evolutionary shift, impacting various aspects of any organism’s biology, including its molecular basis. So far, it has been impossible to generalise the impact this lifestyle shift has on genomic architecture. This study explores this phenomenon using a new model system: neodalyellid flatworms (Rhabdocoela), a diverse assemblage of free-living and independently evolved endosymbiotic lineages. A uniquely comprehensive mitochondrial genomic dataset, consisting of 50 complete or partial mitogenome sequences (47 of which are new to science), is constructed, increasing the genomic resources available for rhabdocoel flatworms over tenfold. A robust phylogenomic framework is built, enabling an in-depth exploration of the molecular-genetic signatures associated with evolutionary shifts towards endosymbiosis. To understand speciation influenced by host phylogeny, first steps are taken to unravel the host-switching history of the largest endosymbiotic group of neodalyellids. We test several hypotheses regarding the potential consequences of a symbiotic lifestyle, and find heightened AT content, more pronounced AT skew, and relaxed selection on specific protein-coding genes in endosymbionts compared to their free-living counterparts. Numerous substitutions have accumulated in certain endosymbiotic lineages; however, the correlation with lifestyle remains uncertain. A high frequency of genetic rearrangements across all studied lineages is observed. Our findings affirm the variable nature of rhabdocoel mitogenomes and, for the first time, reveal distinct signatures of an endosymbiotic lifestyle in neodalyellid flatworms. This effort lays the groundwork for future research into the evolutionary and genomic consequences of a symbiotic lifestyle in this and other animal systems.

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Benign Mandibular Cavity/Stafne’s Bone cyst: A case report and reviewClinical MessageStafne’s Bone Defect is discovered incidentally on radiographic examination a radiolucent lesion in the body of the mandible, managed conservatively as it is asymptomatic. Its presentation can mimic a malignancy if symptomatic. Hence, it may raise a high index of suspicion unless a histopathological diagnosis rules it otherwise.IntroductionEctopic salivary gland tissue has been previously reported and described within various head and neck anatomical sites, including: the mastoid bone, middle ear, cervical lymph nodes, varied mandibular regions, and skin of the neck skin1. One unique case of ectopic salivary gland tissue is the Stafne bone defect (SBD)2.  In 1942, Edward Stafne described this defect as being an anatomic rather than pathologic condition, whose probable cause is soft tissue inclusion.  SBD is commonly found beneath the mandibular canal, between the first molar and angle of the mandible3. Diagnosed radiographically, they appear as circular, unilocular radiolucencies, giving way to other preferred diagnostic terms, such as: Stafne’s bone cyst/defect/cavity, mandibular salivary gland inclusion, ectopic/aberrant salivary gland, lingual mandibular bone cavity, static/idiopathic defects, or cavity3,4.   In most cases, Stafne bone defects (SBD) comprise ectopic glandular tissue.  However, muscle, lymphoid tissue, connective tissue, fat, soft tissue, or vasculature may be additionally found in the bone cavity2.Stafne’s bone cavities (SBC) remain a rare finding; therefore, most often present as an asymptomatic incidental discovery during routine dental checks.  SBCs have an incidence of 0.1% to 0.48%, affecting mostly males in the fifth to seventh decades 5.  Stafne defects have been previously reported to be a congenital anomaly.  It is postulated that during mandibular development, the partial entrapment of the salivary gland tissue in the developing mandible causes such defects 5 .  Authors state when the submandibular gland is under pressure, this defect could arise as an auxiliary effect.  It could also arise due to weakening or destruction via the adjoining lingual cortical plate 1.The aim of the current report is to describe a patient complaining of a painful lesion that led to the suspicion of an occult malignancy, yet, another unique presentation of a benign intramandibular salivary gland inclusion manifestation.Case History/ExaminationA 66-year-old otherwise healthy male patient presented with localized, dull pain on the left side of the jaw for about 3 months. There was no reported use of pain medications and his medical history was unremarkable. The patient reported smoking an average of 20 cigarettes daily and a glass of whiskey weekly for > 50 years. Upon examination, extra and intraoral examination was normal revealing no swelling on the left of the mandibular region. On deep palpation, the area apical to the left lower molar region elicited an area of tenderness, although the overlying mucosa was normal.Methods(Investigations, Differential diagnosis and treatment)The patient was sent for a Computed tomography (CT) orthopantomogram ( CT-OPG) and CT scans- axial cuts, and coronal cuts including 3D-Reformatted images. The axial cuts highlighted thinning of the mandibular cortex, whereas the 3D-reformatted images illustrated perforation of the buccal and lingual cortices inferior to the mandibular canal (Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A,2B). The CT scans revealed a left defined unilocular corticated lytic non-enhancing lesion that measured 22.6mm X 9.0mm X 13.4mm {anterior posterior(AP) X transverse(TR) X craniocaudal(CC) }, in the posterior aspect of the left mandible, adjacent to the angle of the mandible. The corticated lesion did not communicate with the mandibular canal and adjacent roots (Fig. 3A, B). The differential diagnosis included an occult metastatic malignancy, multiple myeloma, and SBC.Preoperative preparation included blood tests (full blood count and urea/electrolytes and creatinine), high resolution chest X-ray, liver function tests, and electrocardiocardiography, which were all normal. Under nasotracheal intubation, an incisional biopsy was obtained intra-orally from the tender ramal region of the mandible.ResultsHistopathological examination reported it as a benign intramandibular salivary gland inclusion. The macroscopic appearance was of multiple soft tissue 2cm in diameter and microscopically the tissue consisted mainly of salivary gland tissue with benign ducts, acini, and adipose tissue. Additionally, no features of cell atypia were observed (Fig.4). The recovery was uneventful, and the patient has been asymptomatic both, clinically and radiographically. The patient has been on review for the past eighteen months with no change in the current status of the lesion.DiscussionClinicians abide by the Hippocratic oath (primum non-nocere )6. Aggressive investigative approaches are ordinarily not adopted when the presentation is in keeping with all the radiological features of SBC. However, when a patient complains of dull pain, a biopsy is indicated as was the case in this patient. Among the list of differentials, it was pertinent to rule out the presence of an occult malignancy in keeping with a history of tobacco and alcohol consumption of >50 years. Radiological examination of the lesion gave it a classical description aligning with that of an SBC.The latter has been described as radiolucency dorsal to the mandible, inferior to the mandibular canal, above the cortical border of the mandible 7,8,9,10,11,12. Studies on the size of the bony defects have recorded values ranging from 0.5cm to 2.0cm with hardly any increases or decreases in dimension of the lesion assuming more of a static nature 13,14,15. In another study, volumetric measurements of SBC dimensions using Cone Beam CT showed ranges from 1 to 3 cm in diameter, depth (7,8mm), and width (16,3mm) respectively 16 . Although our patient had a CT scan, the lesion was reported to have a height of 13.4mm and width of 22.6mm, larger than the dimensions reported in the study by Adisen et al., 201517. There are two types of SBC, the anterior lingual variant (located amidst the incisors and the premolars, above the insertion of the mylohyoid insertion), the second is the posterior variant, which has been shown to be seven times more prevalent. The patient presented with the commoner posterior variant type18,19,20. SBC tends to present more in males than females (6:1 to 2:1) during the 4th to 6th decade of life with no racial bias. The age and gender of presentation in this patient was 66-year-old male of Indian origin 21,9,22.The etiology of SBC has been unclear with scanty histopathology evaluation of tissue. SBC has been a presumptive incidental radiological diagnosis due to its asymptomatic clinical presentation7,6. The precision of the term “SBC” during diagnosis, has been interrogated by many authors, preferring a change to “benign mandibular concavity”. Therefore, the possibilities are to presume that the erosion may have been caused by resorptive forces from a vessel, incomplete Meckle cartilage calcification during ossification or enlarged lobe of a salivary gland, or as was suspected in this patient, by an occult malignancy initially.In our patient, the tissue was intramandibular consisting of both salivary gland and adipose tissue with no cell atypia reported “benign mandibular concavities” are known to contain either salivary gland, lymphoid, muscular, adipose and vascular tissue. Our histopathological report was in keeping with two types of tissue found within the specimen: salivary and adipose tissue7,12,24,25,26,27,28,29,16,30,31,32,33,34,35,21,36,37,10.In general, these lesions are localized, non-progressive, non-healing, and are diagnosed as incidental findings with no clinical evidence. Therefore, often, a watch and wait approach is adopted with regular clinical and radio imaging 37.ConclusionIn this patient, surgical exploration followed by histopathology was pertinent due to the suspicious nature of the symptoms surrounding the SBC or “mandibular concavity” to rule the presence of an occult malignancy.Compliance was with Ethical StandardsConflicts of Interests: NoneAuthors Contribution: Dr Fawzia Butt Manuscript preparation and Submission & Miss Shamim Afrid Manuscript EditingConsent Form: I confirm I have obtained a written informed ans signed consent form from the patient and it has been uploaded as well.ReferencesPhero, J. A., Hannan, E., Padilla, R. & Turvey, T. Ectopic salivary tissue of the mandibular condyle: A case report and review of the literature. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Cases 6, (2020); Volume 6, Issue 3;100167, ISSN 2214-5419.Togni L, Mascitti M, Santarelli A, et al. Unusual Conditions Impairing Saliva Secretion: Developmental Anomalies of Salivary Glands. Front Physiol . (2019); 10:855. Published 2019 Jul 3. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00855.Sekerci, A.E., Sisman, Y., Etoz, M., Aksu, Y. Aberrant location of salivary gland inclusion: Report of a case with review of the literature. European Journal of Radiology Extra( 2011);79(1): e27-e31.Venkatesh A, Radder K, Harish K and Hegde V. Anterior Mandibular Lingual Salivary Gland Defect Mimicking an Odontogenic Cyst- A Case Report. Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU. (2017):4: 2249-7110. 07. 10.1055/s-0040-1708736.Pellatt A. Stafne Bone Cavity: A Rare Case Affecting the Anterior Mandible. Clin Surg. (2019); 4: 2668Aps JKM, Koelmeyer  N, Yaqub  C. Stafne’s bone cyst revisited and renamed: the benign mandibular concavity. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (2020); 49: 20190475Stafne EC. Congenital defect of the mandible containing salivary gland tissue. In: Stafne E. C, ed. Oral Roentgenographic Diagnosis. 2nd Ed. . Philadelphia and London: WB Saunders Company; (1963); pp. 43–6.Hisatomi M, Munhoz L, Asaumi J, Arita E-S. Stafne bone defects radiographic features in panoramic radiographs: assessment of 91 cases. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal (2019); 24: e12–19. doi: https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.22592Philipsen HP, Takata T, Reichart PA, Sato S, Suei Y. Lingual and buccal mandibular bone depressions: a review based on 583 cases from a world-wide literature survey, including 69 new cases from Japan. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (2002); 31: 281–90. doi: https://doi. org/10.1038/sj.dmfr.4600718Quesada-Gómez C, Valmaseda-Castellón E, Berini-Aytés L, Gay-Escoda C. Stafne bone cavity: a retrospective study of 11 cases. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal (2006); 11: e277–80Shigematsu H, Suzuki S, Osuga T, Okumura Y, Fujita K. A radiographical classification of Stafne’s bone cavity. Oral Radiol (1993); 9: 13–18. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02351544Shimizu M, Osa N, Okamura K, Yoshiura K. Ct analysis of the Stafne’s bone defects of the mandible. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (2006); 35: 95–102. doi: https://doi.org/10.1259/dmfr/71115878Araujo F, Marques TM, Correia A, Silva A. Differetial diagnosis of a salivary gland bone defect by means of a computerized tomography: A case report. Rev Odontotocienc (2009); 24:218:20Choudry AB, Chordia T, Chaudhary SM, Kumhare S, Varangaonkare C, et al. Stafne bone cyst- a case report. IOSR J Dent Med Sci (2016); 15:12—3.John S, Sripathi R, Gunachandara R, Arvind R. Stafne bone cyst- case report. Sch J Dent Sci (2015); 2:367-9Ariji E, Fujiwara N, Tabata O, Nakayama E, Kanda S, Shiratsuchi Y, et al. Stafne’s bone cavity. Classification based on outline and content determined by computed tomography. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. (1993); 76:375-80.Adisen MZ, Yilmaz S, Misirlioglu M, Atil F. Evaluation of volumetric measurements on CBCT images using stafne bone cavities as an example. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal . (2015);20(5):e580-e586. Published 2015 ;Sep 1. doi:10.4317/medoral.20633Chaweeborisuit P, Yurasakpong L, Kruepunga N, Tubbs RS, Chaiyamoon A, Suwannakhan A: The prevalence of Stafne bone cavity: a meta-analysis of 355,890 individuals. J Dent Sci. (2023), 18:594-603. 10.1016/j.jds.2022.08.022Sisman Y, Etöz OA, Mavili E, Sahman H, Tarim Ertas E. Anterior Stafne bone defect mimicking a residual cyst: a case report. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (2010); 39: 124–6. doi: https://doi.org/10. 1259/dmfr/49320253 14.Katz J, Chaushu G, Rotstein I. Stafne’s bone cavity in the anterior mandible: a possible diagnostic challenge. J Endod (2001); 27: 304–7. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/00004770-200104000-00020Kim H, Seok JY, Lee S, et al.: Bilateral Stafne bone cavity in the anterior mandible with heterotopic salivary gland tissue: a case report. Korean J Pathol. (2014); 48:248-9. 10.4132/KoreanJPathol.2014.48.3.248Arya S, Pilania A, Kumar J. Prevalence of Stafne’s Cyst – A retrospective analysis of 18,040 Orthopantomographs in Western India. J Indian Acad Oral Med Radiol (2019);31:40-4Whaites E. Differential diagnosis of radiolucent lesions of the jaws. In: Whaites E, Drage N, eds. Essentials of dental radiography and radiology. Churchill Livingstone Edinburgh. 5th Ed; (2013); pp. 333–58.Murdoch-Kinch CA. Craniofacial Anomalies. In: White S. C, Pharoah M. J, eds. Oral radiology. Principles and interpretation. 7th Ed. . Canada: Elsevier; (2014); pp. 612–29.Koenig L. Mandible and Maxilla. Section 3. In: Koenig L, ed. Diagnostic imaging. Oral and maxillofacial. 1st ed: Amirsys; 2012.Mancuso AA, Pettigrew JC, Nair MK. Mandible: introduction and general principles. In: Mancuso A. A, Hanafee W. N, eds. Head and neck radiology. 1. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; (2011);508–18.Larheim TA, Westesson P-LA. Jaw cysts and cyst-like conditions. In: Larheim T. A, Westesson P. -L. A, eds. Maxillofacial imaging. Springer. 2nd Ed.; (2018); pp. 23–56.MacDonald D. Radiolucencies. In: MacDonald D, ed. Oral and maxillofacial radiology. A diagnostic approach: Wiley-Blackwell West Sussex; (2011); pp. 93–150.Graham RM, Duncan KA, Needham G. The appearance of Stafne’s idiopathic bone cavity on magnetic resonance imaging. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (1997); 26: 74–5. doi: https://doi.org/10. 1038/sj.dmfr.4600224.Branstetter BF, Weissman JL, Kaplan SB. Imaging of a Stafne bone cavity: what Mr adds and why a new name is needed. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol (1999); 20: 587–9Segev Y, Puterman M, Bodner L. Stafne bone cavity–magnetic resonance imaging. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal (2006); 11: e345– 7.Bornstein MM, Wiest R, Balsiger R, Reichart PA. Anterior Stafne’s bone cavity mimicking a periapical lesion of endodontic origin: report of two cases. J Endod (2009); 35: 1598–602. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2009.08.008Li B, Long X, Cheng Y, Wang S. Cone beam CT sialography of Stafne bone cavity. Dentomaxillofac Radiol (2011); 40: 519–23. doi: https://doi.org/10.1259/dmfr/84472023Friedrich RE, Zustin J, Scheuer HA, Assaf AT, Gröbe A. An unilateral basal bone defect of the mandible occupied by fatty tissue: Stafne’s cavity. In Vivo (2012); 26: 1045–8Mauprivez C, Sahli Amor M, Khonsari RH. Magnetic resonance sialography of bilateral Stafne bone cavities. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (2015); 73: 934.e1–934.e7. doi: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.joms.2015.01.034More CB, Das S, Gupta S, Patel P, Saha N. Stafne’s bone cavity: a diagnostic challenge. J Clin Diagn Res (2015); 9: ZD16–19. doi: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2015/14273.6772Soares A, Ferreira L, Calderipe C, et al. Stafne’s bone defect: a systematic review. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal . (2023);28(3):e264-e271. Published 2023 May 1. doi:10.4317/medoral.25676..Legends to figuresFig. 1 : CT OPG A well demarcated radioluscent lesion in the left body of the mandible adjacent to the lower borderFig. 2A : Axial CT scan highlighting thinning of the buccal cortexFig. 2B : Sagittal CT scan shows a sclerotic border outlining the radiolucent lucent lesionFig.3A & 3B : reformatted imaging illustrating the three dimension erosion of the lesion in the body of the mandible both buccally and linguallyFig.4: Hematoxylin and Eosin stain tissue (MagnificationX40)showing salivary glandular tissue ( presence of acini, ducts) and adipose tissue

Human trafficking in conflict zones represents a critical challenge for global security and human rights, exacerbated by the collapse of state institutions and the rise of non-state actors. This research article explores the intricate dynamics of human trafficking within these volatile environments, focusing on the role of non-state actors such as insurgent groups, militias, and criminal networks. Through a comprehensive analysis of case studies from conflict-affected regions including the Middle East, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, this study examines the methods employed by non-state actors to perpetuate trafficking and the profound impact on victims. The research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the intersection between human trafficking and armed conflict, offering new insights into the mechanisms of trafficking and the challenges faced in combating this issue. Furthermore, the article provides actionable recommendations for strengthening international legal frameworks, enhancing protection mechanisms for vulnerable populations, and improving cooperation between international and local actors. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this study aims to inform policy decisions and interventions that can more effectively address human trafficking in conflict zones, ultimately contributing to global efforts to eradicate this grave human rights violation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered social media engagement patterns, particularly among women, who have faced unique challenges during this period. This article examines the behavioral changes in women's social media usage before, during, and after the pandemic, and analyzes the impact of these changes on mental health. Before the pandemic,

Quantitative analysis and their interrelationships are very important to understand the hydrological responses of the drainage basin and to analyse the approximate behaviour of that basin which is the response of different physical parameters of any region. Earlier the conventional methods were used for morphometric measurements of the basin but now-a-days remote sensing and GIS tools and techniques are used to analyse, to update and correlate the drainage morphometric measurements with periodic changes. This study focuses on the relationship with terrain and river basin, along with the nature of the basin; and for basin management and combating natural hazards through measurement of linear, aerial, and relief aspects using remote sensing and GIS. Here, morphometric analysis has been done by using 30m ASTER DEM and ArcGIS software to examine various aspects of Sagileru River basin, a tributary of Pennar River, Andhra Pradesh. The result shows 7 th order stream with total stream length of 5450.34 kms and mean stream length ranges from 0.59 to 81.07 kms and mean bifurcation ratio is 4.29. Where relief aspect analysis shows that maximum, nearly 38.88% lies in low elevation zone (200m – 400m), closely 45% area comes under the low dissection index zone with 86% area categorised as very low rugged area, means mostly characterised with gentle slope. Areal analysis shows that maximum area of the river basin has low drainage density, which shows old stage of the river basin. Overall it refers that the examined basin area mainly developed on homogenic geological structure with less rugged variation. Even sub-basins are also approaching to old stage. This study may help to the planners, researchers, local and regional government to take necessary stapes for overall basin management and development.

Long COVID is an often-debilitating condition with severe, multisystem symptoms that can persist for weeks or months and increase the risk of various diseases. Currently, there is a lack of diagnostic tools for Long COVID in clinical practice. Therefore, this study utilizes plasma proteomics and metabolomics technologies to understand the molecular profile and pathophysiological mechanisms of Long COVID, providing clinical evidence for the development of potential biomarkers. This study included three age- and gender-matched cohorts: healthy controls (n=18), COVID-19 recovered patients (n=17), and Long COVID patients (n=15). The proteomics results revealed significant differences in proteins between Long COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 recovered patients, with dysregulation mainly focused on pathways such as coagulation, platelets, complement cascade reactions, GPCR cell signal transduction, and substance transport, which can participate in regulating immune responses, inflammation, and tissue vascular repair. Metabolomics results showed that Long COVID patients and COVID-19 recovered patients have similar metabolic disorders, mainly involving dysregulation in lipid metabolites and fatty acid metabolism, such as glycerophospholipids, sphingolipid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism processes. In summary, our study results indicate significant protein dysregulation and metabolic abnormalities in the plasma of Long COVID patients, leading to coagulation dysfunction, impaired energy metabolism, and chronic immune dysregulation, which are more pronounced than in COVID-19 recovered patients.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis Unmasked by Yersiniosis: Report of Three CasesKaram Karam1, Elias Fiani2*[1] Department of Gastroenterology, University of Balamand, Beirut, Lebanon. Email: Karamek7@gmail.com[2] Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, University of Balamand, Beirut, Lebanon. Email: Elias.fiani@hotmail.com *CORRESPONDING AUTHORKey Clinical Message: Yersiniosis has a causal relationship with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Physicians should have a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis of HH when approaching a patient with yersiniosis in the setting of high ferritin levels and increased iron saturation. Yersiniosis serves as a precursor for the diagnosis of HH.Keywords: Hereditary Hemochromatosis; Yersinia Enterocolitica ; HFE Genetic Testing; Phlebotomy; Case Series.

Developing multimodal large language models (MLLMs) requires efficient semantic communication systems for diverse data modalities in constrained networks, highlighting the need for lightweight semantic communication models optimized for resource-constrained environments. A Mamba-based multiuser multimodal deep-learning semantic communication (3M-DeepSC) system is developed to serve MLLM communication to address this problem. The proposed framework applies the efficient Mamba architecture to replace traditional Transformerbased designs, improving performance and lowering the latency under diverse channel conditions. Moreover, a new semantic similarity metric is introduced to evaluate the system performance from a semantic perspective. In addition, a two-stage training algorithm is developed that jointly optimizes bit-based metrics and semantic similarity. According to the extensive results, the proposed 3M-DeepSC demonstrates promise as a robust, scalable solution supporting the increasing communication demands of MLLMs in diverse network environments.

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become the core of many artificial intelligence applications, especially in fields such as image recognition and speech recognition. Deploying convolutional neural networks in hardware, as opposed to software, can increase speed and reduce power consumption. In this article, we propose an FPGA-based convolutional neural network acceleration system. This system optimizes LeNet-5 into a lightweight convolutional neural network model by replacing traditional convolution with depthwise separable convolutions and reducing the number of fully connected layers. After designing a parallel processing scheme for the computation process of the model, a CNN acceleration IP core is implemented using Verilog and applied to real-time handwritten digit recognition. This system can recognize one frame of image in 326.24μs, which is approximately 1s faster than CPU recognition. The total power consumption of the entire system is 1.947W, meeting the requirements of high real-time performance and low power consumption.

Consider the nonlinear difference equations of the form L u = f m ( u ) , m ∈ Z , where L is a Jacobi operator given by L u m = a m u m + 1 + a m − 1 u m − 1 + b m u m for m∈Z, { a m } and { b m } are real valued T-periodic sequences, and f:Z×R→R. Applying critical point theory and a new analytical method, we obtain that the above problem has ground state solutions and infinitely many geometrically distinct solutions under the local superlinear condition lim | x | → ∞ ∫ 0 x f m ( t ) dt | x | 2 = ∞ uniformly in m∈ D for some set D⊂Z instead of the global superlinear condition lim | x | → ∞ ∫ 0 x f m ( t ) dt | x | 2 = ∞ uniformly in m∈Z.