The growing demand for flexible, lightweight, and highly processable electronic devices makes high-functional conducting polymers such as poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) an attractive alternative to conventional inorganic materials. However, considerable improvements are necessary to make conducting polymers a commercially viable choice. This study explores nanopatterning, as an effective strategy for enhancing polymer functionality, which results in substantial improvements in mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties. Nanopatterned conducting polymers with manipulated electrical properties can be utilized in various fields, including thermoelectrics (TE). Introducing nanopatterning into thermoelectric polymers is challenging due to intricate technical hurdles and the necessity for individually manipulating the TE parameters such as electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. Here, enhanced TE performance is achieved by imposing array nanopatterns on PEDOT:PSS free-standing films using direct electron beam irradiation. Through nanopatterning, selective and independent control of electric and thermal transport in PEDOT:PSS was achieved. The e-beam irradiation transformed PEDOT:PSS from a highly-ordered quinoid to an amorphous benzoid structure, leading to a remarkable reduction in the thermal conductivity by 70% of that of the non-patterned PEDOT:PSS, without a significant reduction in electrical conductivity. Consequently, the thermoelectric figure of merit was enhanced by 60% compared to non-patterned PEDOT:PSS. The proposed nanopatterning methodology demonstrates a skillful approach to precisely manipulate the thermoelectric parameters, thereby improving the thermoelectric performance of conducting polymers, and promising utilization in cutting-edge electronic applications.

Understanding the pathophysiology of long COVID is one of the most intriguing challenges confronting contemporary medicine.. Despite observations recently made in the relevant molecular, cellular and physiological domains, it is still difficult to say whether the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 correspond to the causes or the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This work hypothesizes that neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETS) production are at the interconnection of three positive feedback loops which are initiated in the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and which involve inflammation, immunothrombosis and autoimmunity. This phenomenon could be favored by the fact that SARS-CoV-2 may directly bind and penetrate neutrophils. The ensuing strong neutrophil stimulation leads to a progressive amplification of an exacerbated and uncontrolled NETs production, potentially persisting for months beyond the acute phase of infection. This continuous self-stimulation of neutrophils leads in turn to systemic inflammation, micro-thromboses, and the production of autoantibodies, whose significant consequences include the persistence of endothelial and multi-organ damage, and vascular complications.

Background: In Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), pediatric cancer represents a significant cause of death, with Leukemia being the most common malignancy in children. Our purpose was to describe AL profile in Senegal in the context of childhood cancer. Procedure: All data about childhood cancer were registered in Redcap software A global database for epidemiological history of all new patient that visited the pediatric -oncology care center of Dakar and eight other specifics databases for each main cancers had been created (Acute Leukemias, Nephroblastomas, Retinoblastomas, Neuroblastomas, Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas, Rhabdomyosarcomas …….). Results : From January 2 nd 2021 to September 30 th2022, the overall number of childhood cancer cases was 357; which amounts to approximatively 204 children with confirmed cancer per year. The most common cancer found among children was Acute Leukemia (AL) which represents about 30% of all cancers (97 patients). A median age of 60 month and a ratio of males to females diagnosed with AL equal to 1.22 were found. Complete Blood cell Count and examination performed found that the main abnormality were hyperleukocytosis, with a mean number of white blood cells of 67.7g/L. Microscopic examination showed a large amount of blast cells that sometimes represented more than 90% of WBC. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia was more frequent in Senegal (64% of AL). During these 21 month of follow up, 18 patients (18,5%) relapse and 38 (39%)died at different steps of traitement. Conclusion : In Senegal, Immunophenotyping significantly improve AL diagnosis. the implementation of cytogenetics is currently underway.

While it is generally known that metabolic disorders and circadian dysfunction are intertwined, how the two systems affect each other is not well understood, nor are the genetic factors that might exacerbate this pathological interaction. Blood chemistry is profoundly changed in metabolic disorders, and we have previously shown that serum factors change cellular clock properties. To investigate if circulating factors altered in metabolic disorders have circadian modifying effects, and whether these effects are of genetic origin, we measured circadian rhythms in U2OS cell in the presence of serum collected from diabetic, obese, or control subjects. We observed that circadian period lengthening in U2OS cells was associated with serum chemistry that is characteristic of insulin resistance. Characterizing the genetic variants that altered circadian period length by genome-wide association analysis, we found that one of the top variants mapped to the E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH1 involved in insulin sensitivity. Confirming our data, the serum circadian modifying variants were also enriched in type 2 diabetes and chronotype variants identified in the UK Biobank cohort. Finally, to identify serum factors that might be involved in period lengthening, we performed detailed metabolomics, and found that the circadian modifying variants are particularly associated with branched chain amino acids, whose levels are known to correlate with diabetes and insulin resistance. Overall, our multi-omics data showed comprehensively that systemic factors serve as a path through which metabolic disorders influence circadian system, and these can be examined in human populations directly by simple cellular assays in common cultured cells.

We study various classes of the nonlinear dynamics of some ‘high’ order parabolic equations (pdes) like the Benjamin-Bona-Mahony-Peregrine-Burger and the Oskolkov-Benjamin-Bona-Mahony-Burgers equations that arise in the study of some wave phenomena. Also, a large class of pdes arising in the modelling of ocean waves are due to Ostrovsky. We determine the invariance properties (through the Lie point symmetry generators) of the nonlinear systems and construct classes of conservation laws for some of the models above and show how the relationship leads to double reductions of the systems. This relationship is determined by a recent result involving ‘multipliers’ that lead to ‘total divergence’.

The impact of social rejection varies significantly across individuals, and can have dire consequences for interpersonal relationships. Previous research suggests that those higher in rejection sensitivity (RS) show a hypervigilance to socially-rejecting cues, though results have been mixed. Participants (n = 36) with Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (A-RSQ) scores in the top (n = 17) and bottom (n = 19) third of the qualified recruited sample (n = 66) completed two tasks probing attentional responses to neutral, disgusted, and contemptuous facial expressions. A novel adaptive staircasing task revealed a greater attentional bias toward contemptuous faces among high-RS viewers relative to disgusted and neutral expressions, a pattern not seen among low-RS viewers. Event-related potential measures revealed distinct responses to contemptuous faces among high-RS viewers at early stages, followed by later enhancements to affectively-valenced faces more generally. Our results show that high-RS viewers process facial expressions distinctly from those lower in RS and suggest that contemptuous faces constitute a valid stimulus for isolating social rejection sensitivity effects.

The mindsets related to individuals’ abilities and personalities can explain why some people are more open to learning from others and improving themselves. A strategic mindset, which involves frequently asking oneself strategy-eliciting questions, has been linked to better academic performance among students. Yet the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying the strategic mindset in the domain of social interaction remain unclear. Here we investigated the relationships among a strategic mindset, social feedback processing and self-concept adjustment. Our event-related potential study (N = 41) showed a positive correlation between a strategic mindset and the neural indicator of social conflict (i.e., the N400 component). Moreover, a strategic mindset selectively responds to positive social feedback, supported by its positive correlations with the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP) in response to desirable feedback. Our behavioural study (N = 45) further demonstrated that individuals with a higher level of strategic mindset were more likely to update their self-concept based on conflicting opinions presented by others. We differentiated a strategic mindset from a growth mindset and showed that it explained unique variance in two studies. These findings may have practical implications for interventions aimed at encouraging individuals to ask strategy-eliciting questions and facilitating personal growth.

Cruciferous crops including cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, broccoli, and radish, are crucial components of winter crop production. These crops face significant threats from a range of insect pests, notably Pieris brassicae (cabbage butterfly), Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth), Brevicoryne brassicae (cabbage aphid), and Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper). Diamondback moth (DBM), stands out as a global scourge, causing up to 80% of crucifer crop losses worldwide. Alarmingly, DBM has developed resistance to a staggering array of synthetic insecticides, rendering traditional chemical control strategies increasingly ineffective. This growing crisis necessitates a transition to environmentally friendly pest management methods, and entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have emerged as promising solutions. EPFs, such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Verticillium lecanii offer sustainable alternatives. These fungi, with their diverse insect hosts and compatibility, have demonstrated significant efficacy against lepidopteran insect pests. With approximately 750 EPF species identified over the last century, their adaptability to various ecosystems is evident. EPF possesses formidable enzymatic capabilities and produces potent toxins, making them formidable biological control agents. Once they infect an insect host, EPF exhibits vigorous vegetative growth, invading host tissues and triggering a cascade of physiological, histological, and pathological changes, ultimately resulting in the death of the host insect. The versatility of EPF, including their wide host range, environmental prevalence, enzymatic prowess, and lethal toxins, positions them as ideal candidates for sustainable and eco-friendly pest management strategies in cruciferous crop production. This review explores the potential of microbial entomopathogenic fungi, specifically B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, in addressing the challenges posed by DBM and other crucifer insect pests, shedding light on sustainable pest control methods for cruciferous crops.

Transient left bundle branch block in a patient with acute-on-chronic pancreatitis: A Case Report

Introduction Choriocarcinoma is a rare form of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, which occurs in approximately 1 in 20,000-40,000 pregnancies. About half of choriocarcinomas occur after molar pregnancies, rest can occur after a spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or a term pregnancy.1Choriocarcinoma arises from villous trophoblast and placental-site trophoblastic tumors from the interstitial trophoblast. In addition to the uterus, choriocarcinoma may also develop in the fallopian tubes, liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys, colon, and brain.1It is characterized by a propensity to metastasize rapidly to various distant sites, particularly the lungs (94%), vagina (44%), and liver (28%). Intracranial metastases from choriocarcinoma are uncommon and cerebral intratumoral haemorrhage resulting from metastatic choriocarcinoma is an even rarer entity, especially in the young.2, 3, 4 Structural lesions such as arteriovenous malformations and aneurysms are typically the cause of lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), whereas hypertension is typically the cause of non-lobar ICH in young people.5Even though choriocarcinoma is highly aggressive, it is very responsive to chemotherapy.1, 6 Therefore, the importance of early detection cannot be over-emphasized.3 We present three cases of choriocarcinoma with brain metastases who presented with intracranial hemorrhage. The case series is to draw attention to metastatic choriocarcinoma as a cause of unexplained intracerebral hemorrhage in women of childbearing age.

A document by Sagun Ghimire. Click on the document to view its contents.

Aim To evaluate whether internalized stigma predicts social anxiety, functioning, and subjective recovery in first episode psychosis differently between group cognitive-behavioral therapy that addressed internalized stigma and cognitive remediation. Methods Data was derived from a randomized controlled trial comparing group cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety with group cognitive remediation in 96 first-episode psychosis participants (18-35 years) with social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety, internalized stigma, functioning, and subjective recovery were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, three and six months later. Results Linear mixed models revealed a significant positive effect of internalized stigma on social anxiety, functioning, and subjective recovery, with no significant interaction between internalized stigma and treatment group, nor with each time point for all three outcomes. Conclusion Results show that internalized stigma did predict improved outcomes but was not specific to group cognitive-behavioral therapy, relative to group cognitive remediation in the current sample, suggesting a general therapeutic benefit of group therapy.

Nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) is characterized by the accumulation of scattered drusen and progressive atrophy of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which leads to the degeneration of photoreceptor cells and a decrease in central vision. MiR-21-5p plays an important role in a variety of ophthalmological diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, pterygium, and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization. Therefore, we speculate that miR-21-5p may be involved in the regulation of RPE cell damage in AMD. Rats with NaIO3-induced dry AMD received an intravitreal injection of miR-21-5p agomir or antagomir. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus, histopathological studies and biochemical markers were assessed. We observed high expression of miR-21-5p in NaIO3-treated rats. Intravitreal injection of the miR-21-5p agomir significantly accelerated NaIO3-induced RPE damage. This response was ameliorated by the pretreatment of dry AMD model rats with the miR-21-5p antagomir. Moreover, miR-21-5p regulated CoCl2-induced RPE cell necroptosis in vitro, as shown by flow cytometry and immunostaining for receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) and HMGB1. Specifically, miR-21-5p bound to the Pellino1 (Peli1) 3’ UTR to silence its expression. Peli1 overexpression effectively prevented CoCl2-induced RPE cell necroptosis. These findings show the potential for miRNA-based therapy in the treatment of dry AMD.

Ischemic heart disease is a myocardial disorder stemming from coronary atherosclerosis. Treatment methods encompass thrombolysis, interventional surgery, and coronary artery bypass grafting. However, restoring blood supply to the damaged region can exacerbate myocardial injury, leading to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) injury . Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent interconnected membrane systems crucial for energy metabolism, signal transduction, and cell death. The unfolded protein response in cardiac cells maintains ER equilibrium, while mitochondrial dysfunction also contributes to myocardial injury associated with I/R. This review comprehensively outlines the roles of ER and mitochondria in regulating I/R injury in cardiac cells, with a focus on the targeted mechanisms of natural compounds and small molecules.

Conduction system pacing has brought abut a shift in the delivery of device therapy. Although gaining growing adoption, challenges remain; one of which is higher fluoroscopy times. Yang et al describe reducing and even aiming to eliminate fluoroscopy in left bundle area pacing implantation and replacing lead visualisation with transthoracic echocardiography. This editorial reviews these methods in context with recent developments in conduction system pacing and current literature.

Chromosome 20p13 microdeletion occurs rarely, with only 10 reported cases. We report a 16-year-old male with a 1.59 Mb terminal deletion in chromosome 20p13, who presented with proportionate short stature, mild language delay, mild learning disability, and delayed puberty. The clinical phenotype associated with this deletion can exhibit clinical variability. The

Wildfire is the most important disturbance regime in North American boreal forest communities, driving forest composition and structure across this region. Recent climate models predict that increasing fire intensity and frequency will result in a shift from a largely coniferous forest to one with a greater dominance by deciduous species. We investigated how an iconic predator of the boreal system, the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), moves through a range of burn scars (2-78 years old) and if these movements reflect habitat selection of their main prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Using GPS collars at 4-h fix rates, we fitted integrated step selection models to lynx movements across an 80-year post-fire chronosequence to assess habitat selection in both deciduous and coniferous forests. We predicted that lynx would primarily select intermediately-aged spruce, but young deciduous stands, mirroring the habitat selection of snowshoe hares. We found, however, that lynx habitat selection peaked at intermediately aged stands in both forest types. We hypothesize that this difference is driven by selection for habitats that maximize capture probability as opposed to simply representing the highest hare density. This idea is supported by observed seasonal changes in peak selection in deciduous stands, with selection for younger stands in winter, when leaf loss reduces cover. There was no seasonal change in coniferous stands as they experience little change in cover across seasons. Together these results show that lynx can be resilient to short-term shifts toward intermediate-aged stands. However, these benefits will likely diminish in the longer term as the decrease in fire return interval may reduce the prevalence of intermediate-age stands.

The involvement of users in the product development process can significantly enhance product quality. The relationship between user experience and knowledge in product design contributes to product efficiency during the development phase. Users often struggle to align their perceptions, leading to extended product usage times and an inability to react to potential performance variations. Product manufacturers also face challenges in identifying suitable features that can positively impact product success and marketability. User experience in product interactions, encompassing both aesthetic and functional aspects, plays a pivotal role in influencing user evaluations and distinguishing characteristics crucial for achieving product success. Determining user knowledge’s influence on product success characteristics can provide valuable insights for the new product development process. This study conducted a survey to gather user experiences and knowledge, aiming to enhance the understanding of how users perceive products. This understanding is crucial for identifying product success characteristics, encompassing aspects such as specifications, sustainability, and recognition, which are instrumental in achieving overall product success. The results of the survey indicate that user knowledge, emotional experiences, and product attribute knowledge can assist product designers and manufacturers in identifying key characteristics for success during the early stages of the new product development process.

Background: In Rwanda, Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve a crucial function in providing community-based maternal and neonatal health (CBMNH) services. However, limited access to refresher training contributes to knowledge gaps among CHWs, affecting their confidence and ability to execute their roles effectively. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of eLearning on enhancing and maintaining CHWs’ knowledge of CBMNH. Methods: This prospective cohort study, conducted from April-October 2021 in two Rwandan districts, evaluated knowledge acquisition and retention among 36 Community Health Workers (CHWs) participating in an eLearning course. Knowledge scores were measured using a structured questionnaire administered pre-training, post-training, and at a six-month follow-up. Descriptive analysis and paired t-tests were used to assess mean score differences, exploring the effectiveness of this eLearning approach. Results: This study demonstrated an improvement in Community Health Workers’ (CHWs) performance scores following eLearning training, with an average rise from 86.5% to 98.2%. The improvement was sustained at a six-month follow-up. Statistical significance was found between age category and CHWs’ pre and post-test performance (p=0.01, p=0.04 respectively), and between years of experience and pre-test scores (p=0.02), highlighting demographic influences on training outcomes. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that eLearning is an effective method for enhancing and retaining CHWs’ knowledge of CBMNH. The findings support the use of eLearning as a valuable strategy for strengthening the capacity of CHWs in Rwanda and other countries with similar contexts.

Biogeography has a critical influence on how ecological communities respond to threats and how effective conservation interventions are designed. For example, the resilience of ecological communities is linked to environmental and climatic features, and the nature of threats impacting ecosystems also varies geographically. Understanding community-level threat responses may be most accurate at fine spatial scales, however collecting detailed ecological data at such a high resolution would be prohibitively resource intensive. In this study, we aim to find the spatial scale that could best capture variation in community-level threat responses whilst keeping data collection requirements feasible. Using a database of biodiversity records with extensive global coverage, we modelled species richness and total abundance (the responses) across land-use types (reflecting threats), considering three different spatial scales: biomes, biogeographical realms, and regional biomes (the interaction between realm and biome). We then modelled data from three highly sampled biomes separately to ask how responses to threat differ between regional biomes and taxonomic group. We found strong support for regional biomes in explaining variation in species richness and total abundance compared to biomes or realms alone. Our biome case studies demonstrate that there is a high variation in magnitude and direction of threat responses across both regional biomes and taxonomic group, but all groups in tropical forest showed a consistently negative response, whilst many taxon-regional biome groups showed no clear response to threat in temperate forest and tropical grassland. Our results suggest that the taxon-regional biome unit has potential as a reasonable spatial and ecological scale for understanding how ecological communities respond to threats and designing effective conservation interventions to bend the curve on biodiversity loss.

In this study, a revolutionary air filtration technology, the F-MAX multilayer composite plate, is introduced, offering high efficiency and environmental sustainability. This innovative system is designed to capture a wide range of pollutants, including harmful viruses and bacteria, enhancing air quality significantly. The F-MAX combines multiple layers, each tailored to target specific particles, with features like an electrostatically charged melt-blown fabric and eco-friendly materials like lithium brine by-product magnesia. Its durability, antiviral, and antibacterial properties make it a sustainable choice for air purification, suitable for both commercial and residential use. This system represents healthier living environments, effectively removing airborne contaminants, and demonstrating a commitment to a sustainable future. Additionally, the study introduces the F-robot specifically designed for laboratory environments to ensure pristine air quality.

Previous studies have shown that Type Ⅲ redundancy of the foramen ovale flap (RFOF) can mimic the hemodynamic features of other congenital heart diseases (CHD), potentially causing misdiagnosis during the fetal period. In this study, we present two cases of Type Ⅲ RFOF in fetuses, which can mimic mitral stenosis (MS). This manifestation has not been particularly highlighted in previous literature. However, this type of MS carries a favorable prognosis.

Impact of Nirsevimab on Admission to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit because of RSV Bronchiolitis: unicentric observational study from 2017-2024

Timely diagnosis of PID is crucial for effective management, and leveraging ultrasound can enhance this process. Acute PID presents diagnostic challenges due to its variable symptoms, which can be subtle or nonspecific, and may even be asymptomatic. These factors often lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, contributing to inflammatory complications in the upper genital tract. While laparoscopy offers a more precise diagnosis, its limited availability and inability to detect all forms of PID make it less practical for timely management. However, Transvaginal sonography (TVS) can be a valuable tool in this regard, offering a non-invasive and accessible method for evaluating pelvic inflammatory changes. By utilizing ultrasound alongside clinical assessment, healthcare providers can improve the timeliness of PID diagnosis, leading to more effective management and reduced risk of complications.