Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent form of arrhythmia that primarily affects the atria (upper chambers of the heart), causing disorganized electrical signals and resulting in an irregular heartbeat. Electrocardiography (ECG) is the most commonly used technology for detecting AF, as ECG signals provide crucial information on cardiac irregularities, making it an essential tool for AF diagnosis. However, manually analyzing ECG signals is both mentally demanding and time-consuming. In this study, we propose Hybrid CNN-LSTM model to determine whether a given ECG signal represents a normal sinus rhythm or indicates Atrial Fibrillation. We utilize the Physionet Database for our dataset. The proposed hybrid model aims to assist doctors by significantly reducing the time and mental effort required for diagnosis, facilitating early detection of the disease and lowering the risk of thromboembolic events, including ischemic strokes. Our Hybrid CNN-LSTM model is designed to autonomously learn discriminative features from raw ECG signals, eliminating the need for manual feature extraction. We compared the performance of the Hybrid CNN-LSTM model with a standard CNN model. The Hybrid CNN-LSTM model achieved an accuracy of 95.2%, outperforming the CNN model, which achieved an accuracy of 81.4%. Therefore, our proposed model offers a more accurate method for

Supplemental InformationAppendix S1 , Supplementary figures.Data S1 , Table of samples and associated metadata.

Tittle: Megaprosthesis Infection by Bacteroides fragilis in a patient with Ewing’s Sarcoma: a case report and literature review.Authors: Yoleidys Martínez-Ysasis1. Antonella Francesca Simonetti2. Ferran Navarro1,3,4.e-mail address: ymartinezy@santpau.cat1Microbiology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain;2Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain;3Genetics and Microbiology Department. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain;4Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research (IIb Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.Corresponding author: Ferran Navarro.email address : fnavarror@santpau.cat

Background: Glutamine is essential for various metabolic processes and is a fundamental component in mechanisms involved in cellular resistance against injury and mortality. However, the specific impact of enteral glutamine administration on burn patients remains uncertain. We performed this meta-analysis to establish glutamine’s role in managing burn injury patients. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, and various trial registries, to identify randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of enteral glutamine in burn patients. To analyze the data, we employed a random-effects model and presented dichotomous outcomes and continuous outcomes as relative risk and mean difference, along with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, respectively. Results: Our meta-analysis included 6 RCTs involving 1413 patients. Our primary outcome, all-cause mortality, was reported by 5 studies and was found to be comparable between the glutamine and control groups (RR=0.66, 95% CI=0.22-1.94). There was no significant difference between the glutamine and control group regarding the incidence of infection (RR=0.93, 95% CI=0.67-1.30) and length of hospital stay (MD -4.76 days, 95% CI=-10.63 to 1.11 days). Conclusion: The enteral administration of glutamine does not decrease mortality in burn patients. Further high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to provide conclusive evidence.

Readers of Chinese characters need to recognize how they are formed in order to identify them correctly. However, our understanding of the cognitive processing of characters in working memory is limited. In Experiment 1, using the character N-back task paradigm, electrophysiological data were recorded from 26 participants to investigate the effects of the visual feature of radicals on neural activity during the character recognition, updating, and maintenance in the N-back task. Results showed that compound characters required longer response times than single-component characters. For the ERPs, the compound character condition had more negative N2pc and lower P300 amplitudes than the single-component character condition. In Experiment 2, data from 26 participants were used to analyze the effect of the phonological feature of radicals on neural activity during the character recognition, updating, and maintenance in the N-back task. Results showed that there was a larger P200 in the irregular character condition than in the regular character condition, but there was no difference between the regular and the irregular characters in the N2pc, P300, and SW components. The visual feature and the phonological feature of the radicals may have different effects on the character processing. This study reveals the neural effects of Chinese character radicals on cognitive processing in a working memory task and provides behavioral and electrophysiological evidence for a theoretical model of verbal working memory subprocesses.

Cranial neuropathies contribute to a broader spectrum of disorders known as peripheral polyneuropathies. Recent literature highlights the ability of various viruses, such as the Sars-Cov2 virus and Varicella-Zoster-Virus, to induce several diseases and syndromes specifically affecting cranial nerves. The Sars-Cov2 virus has been shown to have an affinity for the nervous system, likely due to its interaction with ACE-2 receptors, which can lead to facial palsy, Guillain–Barré Syndrome or trigeminal neuralgia. Conversely, the Varicella-Zoster-Virus can cause the Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, affecting facial and vestibular-cochlear nerves. The current study aims to investigate the impact of various viruses on cranial polyneuropathies of otolaryngological significance. We thus presented a retrospective review of consecutive clinical cases from 28 patients with multiple cranial neuropathies deriving from viral infection, followed by a review of current literature with regards to etiologies, clinical presentations, and management strategies. As results, the nerves most frequently involved were the vestibular-cochlear nerve (n=16), the facial nerve (n=8), the trigeminal nerve (n=5) and the vagus nerve (n=2). Concerning viral antibodies, VZV was the most detected (78,6%), CMV was identified in association with other viruses (28,6%), HSV1 was detected in 2 subjects (7,1%). Molecular nasal swab analysis revealed COVID infection in 4 out of 28 patients (14,3%). Concerning healing results, 22 patients experienced complete recovery, 3 patients achieved only partial recovery, while 3 showed no improvement in neural deficit. Prompt recognition and effective management of such polyneuropathies are crucial in preventing disease progression and potentially reversing neurological impairment, given their association with significant morbidity.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates investigation into their clinical differentiation and outcomes. This study aimed to examine these differences among VOCs, considering multiple related factors. An observational cohort study was conducted on patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection via nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab who visited the emergency department of a public Greek hospital between October 2020 to July 2022, during different VOC circulation in the region. Data on clinical manifestations, outcomes, medical history (comorbidities, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination status against COVID-19) were collected through a questionnaire and medical records for those hospitalized. A total of 913 patients were included in the study (813 adults ≥18 years old, 100 children <18 years old). Significant differences were observed across VOCs for both adults and children. Lower proportion of children developed symptoms during the non-Omicron variants, 73.5%, compared to Omicron variants, 86.4%. Fever, dyspnoea, taste and smell disorders were observed more frequently among non-Omicron adult cases, in contrast to upper respiratory symptoms, which were more common symptoms among Omicron infections. The non-Omicron variants were associated with higher rates of hospitalization 30.6%, pneumonia 23.0%, and death 6.1%, compared to Omicron variants: 8.0%, 5.0%, and 1.8%, respectively. Vaccination against COVID-19 was shown to be a protective factor for severe outcomes. Our findings suggest distinct clinical presentations and outcomes associated with different VOCs. Despite the fact that current VOCs circulating less severe, COVID-19 vaccine continues to play a protective role for severe cases.

In this case study we present the course of the psychotherapy of Myriam, a 19-year old female with a severe personality disorder and comorbid eating disorder. During the initial assessment she reported high levels of neuroticism that parallel the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and anorexia nervosa. Myriam showed a severely impaired personality functioning defined by perfectionism, self-criticism, interpersonal guilt and overcontrol. Her daily experience was shaped by a self-recriminative inner dialogue associated with maladaptive patterns in the form of food, water and sleep restrictions, self-harm behaviors, and suicidal ideation. She accessed an integrative treatment based on individual (Evolutionary Systems Therapy) and group psychotherapy (Mindful Compassion for Perfectionism). At the end of 14-month intervention she remitted from all the categorical diagnoses and showed reliable changes in several measures. These outcomes were maintained at 3-month follow-up. We describe the integrative conceptualization based on Myriam’s perfectionistic self-recrimination patterns, and the consequent treatment that targeted these patterns rather than focusing on symptom reduction exclusively.

Studying the coupling relationship between plant community functional diversity and species diversity and the response mechanism to environmental heterogeneity in karst is of great significance for revealing the maintenance mechanism of the function and structure of karst ecosystems. Five functional diversity indices and four species diversity indices were calculated for the karst secondary communities in central Guizhou.The coupling relationship between functional diversity and species diversity was investigated by regression fitting,and the effects of environmental factors on functional diversity were investigated by RDA redundancy analysis. The results showed as follows: (1) The functional diversity index of FRic, FDis and RaoQ in the tree layer was significantly higher than that in the shrub layer in the middle Guizhou Karst secondary forest; (2) The coupling relationship between functional diversity and species diversity was significantly different. There was a significant S-type positive relationship between FRic, Margale and Shannon in tree layer, and a significant positive fitting relationship between FDis, RaoQ and species diversity index. The significant regression relationship between species diversity and functional diversity in shrub layer was weak, and only Margale, Shannon and FRic had significant positive fitting relationship. (3) Soil thickness (SD) and soil moisture content (SMC) determined the functional diversity of tree layer, while slope (SLO) and rock exposure rate (RER) determined the functional diversity of shrub layer. The results showed that the tree layer played a greater role in ecosystem function and structural stability than the shrub layer in the middle and late stages of succession in central Guizhou. The relationship between community functional diversity and species diversity was positive, and the functional diversity at different levels of the community had different responses to heterogeneous mountain habitats,which jointly determined the ecosystem function of the community.

Forest bird populations in Europe have remained stable overall, unlike the drastic decline in the populations of farmland species. However, this apparent overall stability may hide large variation among species. We aimed to determine if forest bird species with varying life histories and biome distributions show different population trends. We used functional traits and specialisation indices to study changes in abundance and distribution of European forest bird populations, and to identify “winner”, “loser”, and stable species. We defined change in abundance as the population trend of each species over the last 40 years, and change in distribution as two components: range change (i.e., area shrinkage or expansion) and range shift (i.e., latitudinal adjustments), both over the last 30 years. We also considered specialist groups of different biomes (i.e., boreal, temperate, Mediterranean and biome generalists) separately. We show that while Mediterranean and temperate species have increased in abundance and range, probably as the result of warmer temperatures and forest expansion in these regions, boreal forest species have declined in abundance and range area. This probably results from changes in forest structure and composition due to forestry practices, increasing temperatures, and colonisation of warm-dwelling species. Among boreal species, the ones related to mixed forest (i.e., mix of broadleaf and coniferous trees) declined the most, both in abundance and range, and shifted northwards. In contrast, for vertebrate carnivores (i.e., birds of prey), we observed abundance increase among Mediterranean species and southward expansion among all species. We conclude that forest bird species in Europe are sensitive to the combined effects of land use and climate change, and these effects vary among the different biomes. Our results highlight the necessity of maintaining and restoring key forest habitats (e.g. through increased protected areas and extensive management) and halting or limiting climate change, especially regarding boreal species.

Tittle Page:Myocardial bridging, unusual cause of myocardial infarction; case report and review of literatures.1Merga Daba, 1Dawit Bineyam,1Ibraist Yohannes, 1Beniam Yohannes,2Rabirra Waktola, 3Eshetu Bedada1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.2Department of Radiology and MRT, St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.3Cardiology unit, Department of Internal medicine, College of Health Sciences , Addis Ababa University , Addis Ababa , EthiopiaCorrespondence : Merga Daba, Department of Internal medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tel: +251912684411, Email: mergadaba1995@gmail.com

Li/Mn-rich layered oxide (LMR) cathode active materials offer remarkably high specific discharge capacity (>250 mAh g-1) stemming from both cationic and anionic redox. The latter necessitates harsh charging conditions to high cathode potentials (>4.5 V vs. Li|Li+), which is accompanied by lattice oxygen release, phase transformation, voltage fade, and transition metal (TM) dissolution. In cells with graphite anode, TM dissolution is particularly detrimental as it initiates electrode crosstalk. Lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) is known for its pivotal role in suppressing electrode crosstalk through TM scavenging. In LMR || graphite cells charged to an upper cut-off voltage (UCV) of 4.5 V, effective TM scavenging effects of LiDFP is observed. In contrast, in cells with an UCV of 4.7 V, the scavenging effects is limited due to more severe TM dissolution compared an UCV of 4.5 V. Worth noting, the low solubility limit of the TM scavenging agents, e.g., PO43- and PO3F2-, which are the decomposition products of LiDFP, cannot scavenge additional TMs, even when higher LiDFP concentration are added to the electrolyte and can even worsen the performance.

Supercapacitors hold great promise as energy storage devices due to their rapid charge-discharge rates and exceptional durability. However, their low energy density has constrained their practical applications. In this study, we synthesize carbon-nanotubes@MnO2-nanosheets core-shell nanotube arrays on carbon cloth to enhance the volumetric capacitance of supercapacitors. Our method utilizes radially grown ZnO nanowires as sacrificial supports to fabricate carbon-nanotube-supported MnO2 structures. The resulting electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 0.52 F cm⁻² at 2 mV s⁻¹ and demonstrates excellent rate performance, maintaining a capacitance of 0.25 F cm⁻² at a high scan rate of 100 mV s⁻¹. The asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor, constructed using this composite and paired with a carbon electrode, displays outstanding electrochemical performance, including a voltage window of up to 1.8 V, a high volumetric energy density of 2.85 mWh cm⁻³, and a power density of 453.8 mW cm⁻³. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of next-generation energy storage devices, capable of meeting the growing demands for portable and flexible electronics.

Abstract

Wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Meloidogyne incognita significantly affects tomato crops, reducing yields by up to 40%. This study evaluated a biocontrol agent with fungicidal and nematicidal properties. Four Trichoderma isolates were identified: Trichoderma asperellum Tv1, Trichoderma asperelloides Tasd1, Trichoderma harzianum Th1, and Trichoderma koningiopsis Tk1. Tv1 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum isolates (TF-N, TF-P, and TF-S) by 75.53%, 77.41%, and 79.53%, respectively. The crude metabolite of TV1 had similar effects. The mortality rate of M. incognita J2s ranged from 90.48% to 100% after 24 to 72 hours of incubation, and compared with that of the control, the inhibition of egg hatching reached 90.20%. The shoot length (47.86±0.211 cm), root length (17.59±0.129 cm), fresh weight (18.37±0.283 g), and dry weight (1.95±0.011 g) of the tomato plants treated with Tv1 conidia increased. In a pot experiment, Tv1 treatment reduced wilt disease incidence by 64.57%, comparable to carbendazim treatment (82.32%). Tv1-treated plants had fewer root galls (18.2±1.166), egg masses (13.8±1.166), and J2s per gram of roots (21.4±3.929) than did the inoculated-untreated control plants (46.6±3.262 galls/plant, 38.8±1.721 egg masses/100 g of root, and 67.4±2.577 J2s/100 g of root). The root-knot index (RKI) was significantly lower in plants treated with furadon (3.36±0.350) and Tv1 (4.58±0.515) than in the control (5.8±0.4). The bio-control efficiency of Tv1 against M. incognita was 21.04%, and the reproductive factor (RF) of the nematodes decreased to 0.53 in the Tv1 treatment group and 0.39 in the furadon treatment group, while it decreased to 1.69 in the control group. Based on the findings above, it was established that Tv1 effectively controlled nematode populations and reduced wilt disease when applied to the soil.

Background: The evolving complexity of the medical field in developing countries, driven by operational realities and changing patient expectations, creates unique challenges and opportunities. Exploring the theoretical mechanisms and effect of job satisfaction as a mediator, on doctors’ in-role performance and professional intentions, is essential for enhancing healthcare outcomes and retaining skilled professionals. Methods: Cross-sectional correlational design was employed, using structural equation modelling to test the hypothesized model. Data from 2120 doctors were analysed using statistical methods including Matrix Correlation, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Confirmation Factor Analysis. Python-based data visualization and analysis techniques were also used to explore relationships between variables. Results: In Nigeria, intrinsic factors collectively have a significant positive impact on job satisfaction, whereas in China, this is true only individually. Extrinsic factors significantly influence job satisfaction in both countries. There is a strong relationship between job satisfaction, in-role performance, and professional intentions in both countries. This indicates that job satisfaction not only enhances doctors’ current job performance but also positively affects their future career intentions and commitment to the profession. Both Nigeria and China show similar patterns in ranking career fulfilment drivers, with an intrinsic factor followed by five major extrinsic factors and another intrinsic factor, reflecting shared perceptions in both countries. Conclusion: The dynamics between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators suggest that while both are essential, their relative importance may vary based on external conditions such as economic stability and healthcare infrastructure. Therefore, strategies aimed at improving in-role performance and retention should be multifaceted and context specific.

Although population genomics approaches have been successful in identifying regions of the genome shaped by natural selection, the progress in dissecting the molecular mechanisms of adaptive variants and traits has been slow. By integrating multi-tissue (gill, spleen, olfactory rosette, whole eye and liver) transcriptomes from 16 wild Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) populations and previously identified footprints of selection based on whole genome scan, we prioritize tissues, candidate genes and putative SNP-gene expression associations involved in humic adaptation of this keystone freshwater fish. Over 5,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered across the five tissues. A significant excess of outlier SNPs among DEGs found in the gill and spleen tissues indicated their involvement in humic adaptation. Further, 3,617 cis-eQTLs that associate with gene expression variation in perch were identified, with approximately 9% of genes harbouring cis-eQTLs showing differential expression between humic and clear-water habitats. Several cis-eQTLs were found in the regions showing most consistent signals of selection also harbouring DEGs (chr. 5: PLAGL2, chr. 7: PPP1R8, TCHH, chr. 8: IFITM3). Thus, our integrative analyses enabled to pinpoint specific organs that play a key role in adaptation, prioritize candidate genes under divergent selection based on their expression patterns, and identify links between SNPs and transcript abundance variation. We expect that the multi-omics strategy outlined in this work provides a practical framework for understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversification and adaptation for wide range of species.

With the fast development trend of highly integrated electronic products, as the key technology of three-dimensional(3D) interconnect circuits, the research on Monolithic Inter-tier Via(MIV) testing technology is particularly critical. Therefore,this paper proposes a machine-learning-based MIV open fault localization method. This method adopts the EXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) prediction model optimized based on the Grid Search (GS) algorithm, and takes the S-parameters as the training dataset. The S-parameters are used as the training data set to train and evaluate the prediction model. This method can effectively solve the problem that the traditional MIV test method is difficult to accurately locate the MIV open faults. Simulation results show that the prediction model proposed in this paper can accurately predict the location of open faults.

Achieving successful blinding is a persistent challenge for clinical trials involving transcranial direct current stimulation. Studies involving populations with increased sensory sensitivity, such as children, could be at risk for increased bias from inadequate blinding due to unique sensation of stimulation relative to adults. The objectives of this study were 1) To examine differences in transcranial stimulation blinding between children and young adults and its relationship to sensory sensitivity. 2) To test the efficacy of an ActiSham protocol for participant blinding, compared to a traditional sham protocol. Typically developing right-handed children (N=11, 5-14 yr) and young adults (N=14, 15-25 yr) completed a single-session study to test transcranial stimulation blinding after three conditions counterbalanced across participants: Active, Sham, and ActiSham. Stimulation was paired with a motor learning task to simulate a combinatory neurorehabilitation intervention. After each condition, participants reported if they received real or fake stimulation and their response confidence. To quantify sensory sensitivity, participants completed the Sensory Profile (2nd edition). Compared to a chance level, 1) children and young adults correctly identified Active stimulation, 2) children incorrectly identified Sham and ActiSham stimulation, 3) young adults identified Sham and ActiSham stimulation at chance-level. Blinding accuracy was not related to sensory sensitivity. Children report stimulation as real stimulation with higher confidence for almost all conditions, indicating unsuccessful blinding compared to young adults. Future studies should consider alternative sham protocols or methods to improve blinding in child participants.

Habitat fragmentation reduces gene flow, causing genetic differentiation and diversity loss in endangered species through genetic drift and inbreeding. However, the impact of habitat fragmentation on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi remains unexplored, despite their critical roles in forest ecosystems. Here, we investigated the population genetic structure and the demographic history of Rhizopogon togasawarius, the ECM fungus specifically colonizing the host tree Pseudotsuga japonica, across its entire distribution range (>200 km). These two species are designated as endangered species on the IUCN Red List since they are found only in small, fragmented forests in Japan. We analyzed 236 R. togasawarius individuals from five remaining populations across the Kii Peninsula and the Shikoku Island, separated by a sea channel. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analyses using 20 loci revealed strong genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.255), even significant in the nearest population pair separated by a distance of only 8 km (FST = 0.075), indicating extremely limited gene flow between populations. DIYABC-RF analyses implied that population divergence occurred approximately 6000 generations ago between the two regions, and nearly 1500 generations ago between the nearest populations within Shikoku Island, related to past climate events. Because of prolonged genetic isolation, significant inbreeding was confirmed in four of five populations, where effective population sizes became very small (Ne = 9.0–58.0). Although evaluation of extinction risks for microorganisms is challenging, our conservation genetic results indicated that habitat fragmentation increases extinction risk through population genetic mechanisms, and therefore should not be overlooked in biodiversity conservation efforts.

A document by Giulia Locatelli. Click on the document to view its contents.

Soil moisture is a fundamental climate variable sustaining the terrestrial biosphere. Whereas flood-recharged soil moisture (FRSM) is an important input flux in semi-arid floodplain ecosystems, its spatio-temporal dynamics is not fully understood due to lack of adequate field data. While existing active remotely sensing data are valuable to understand soil moisture, a trade-off between high temporal against coarse spatial resolutions limit their utility at local scales. In this study, we extracted linear backscatter coefficient sigma nought (σ 0) and time series data from 91 pre-processed 10 m multi-temporal dual Sentinel-1 images. The data was collected from both inside and outside the flooded zone in a semi-arid area in northern Zimbabwe. To characterize FRSM anomaly, lag and memory, we built a hybrid deep learning long short-term memory autoencoder (LSTMAE) model based on a recent flood event which was subsequently evaluated using mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) loss metrics using an independent validation dataset. Validation results showed that both VV and VH-polarized data effectively detected FRSM positive anomaly with very small MAE (0.0799σ 0; 0.0191σ 0) and small RMSE (0.0967σ 0, 0.0250σ 0) respectively. In the flood zone, the LSTMAE model detected three positive anomalies for both polarizations. Also, our study established that the VV LSTMAE model was effective in detecting subtle positive anomalies while VH depicted the longest lag and memory at a local scale. The study concludes that the extraction of σ 0 on Sentinel-1 time series data offers a good understanding of localised FRSM characteristics within semi-arid floodplains.

A document by Aykut Toplama. Click on the document to view its contents.

The main objective of this study was to analyze and compare recombinant timothy grass allergen diagnostic performance on microarray chip. Timothy grass allergen components Phl p 1, Phl p 2, Phl p 5, Phl p 6, Phl p 11, and Phl p 12 were produced in E. coli and/or in N. benthamiana. In total 113 patient sera samples were used to assess allergy microarray chip inter-assay variability, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and correlation, for the detection of allergen-specific IgE levels. The majority of recombinant timothy grass allergens showed high or very high positive correlation of immunoreactivity with other commercial multiplex tests. Maltose binding protein fused Phl p 11 showed high specificity and sensitivity, with 0.3 arbitrary cut-off value. High intraassay variation reflects allergen-dependent degradation. Additionally, a sIgE prevalence to timothy grass allergens was assessed within a tested patient cohort and showed a similar sensitization profile among multiple studies.