Grid- or pixel-based models, used across all sciences, scales, and spatial resolution, carry projection errors. Taking Digital Elevation Models (DTMs), where 3D landscapes are sampled slope-dependent and inhomogenously and then projected onto 2D grids, create first-order errors on topographic metrics, such as surface area or slope angles. We quantify this error by comparing topographic metrics calculated on gridded DTMs of synthetic landscapes with their analytical solution. Because the error in surface area is proportional to the cosine of its slope angle, we can correct the models. Application to real-world landscapes in California, USA, reveal systematic underestimation of surface area by up to a third, and mean slope angles by up to 10$^{\circ}$ in steep topography in current DTMs. Correcting the projection error allows for more accurate estimates of surface area and volume and the use of slope distribution to define the physical space of surface processes at any scale.

A document by Shengyu Hao. Click on the document to view its contents.

Background: Labor companionship has been demonstrated to enhance the childbirth experience and contribute to better maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite this evidence, the practice remains underexplored in Rwanda. The present study aimed to investigate the perspectives and experiences of both women and healthcare providers concerning labor companionship in selected hospitals across Rwanda. Methods: We conducted a mixed-method study surveying 393 postpartum mothers within 48 hours of delivery and interviewing 23 healthcare providers and 16 mothers. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: 95% (n=373) of mothers brought a chosen companion to the health facility, but only 11.2% (n=42) were allowed their companion’s presence during childbirth. About 47% who had companions present had reservations, mainly due to embarrassment (47%), gossip fears (14%), and privacy issues (40%). Mother’s age, education, economic status, and pregnancy planning status influenced companion presence. Barriers to labor companionship occurred at individual, provider, and institutional levels. Conclusion: This study underscores labor companionship’s role in boosting maternal-neonatal health in Rwanda, though implementation remains limited due to location, education, and socio-economic disparities. It advocates for policies and guidelines facilitating companionship during labor and delivery and emphasizes the need for healthcare provider training to enhance its application.

This research presents a groundbreaking method for transforming 3D-printed metal substrates, specifically Inconel structures created through Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), into sophisticated and recyclable Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) platforms. The process involves flame-depositing soot particles onto the metal surfaces using eucalyptus oil, acting as an adlayer and template for the subsequent grafting of TiO2/Ag nanostructures. Unlike conventional SERS substrates, these printed metal structures actively interact with soot particles, forming metal carbides on the surface. The deposition of TiO2 onto these templates ensures robust grafting and preservation of the fractal structure of the soot template on the metal surface. Electroless deposition of silver nanoparticles yields fractally structured TiO2/Ag nanostructures, establishing functionalized metal brushes as effective SERS substrates. Additionally, the incorporation of photocatalytic functionality allows analyte removal from the surface under photochemical conditions, facilitating the recycling and reuse of the SERS substrates. Enhanced photocatalytic activity, achieved through the migration of metals from printed metal structures into fractally ordered TiO2/Ag nanostructures, further enhances the recyclability of these substrates. This research highlights the potential of 3D-printed Inconel metal substrates as the next generation of recyclable SERS platforms, surpassing traditional SERS substrates in terms of sustainability and analytical performance.

All mRNA products are currently manufactured in in vitro transcription (IVT) reactions that utilize single-subunit RNA polymerase (RNAP) biocatalysts. Although it is known that discrete polymerases exhibit highly variable bioproduction phenotypes, including different relative processivity rates and impurity generation profiles, only a handful of enzymes are generally available for mRNA biosynthesis. This limited RNAP toolbox restricts strategies to design and troubleshoot new mRNA manufacturing processes, which is particularly undesirable given the continuing diversification of mRNA product lines towards larger and more complex molecules. Herein, we describe development of a high-throughput RNAP screening platform, comprising complementary in silico and in vitro testing modules, that enables functional characterisation of large enzyme libraries. Utilizing this system, we identified eight novel sequence-diverse RNAPs, with associated active cognate promoters, and subsequently validated their performance as recombinant enzymes in IVT-based mRNA production processes. By increasing the number of available characterized functional RNAPs by > 130% and providing a platform to rapidly identify further potentially useful enzymes, this work significantly expands the RNAP biocatalyst solution space for mRNA manufacture, thereby enhancing capability to achieve application and molecule-specific optimisation of product yield and quality.

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) poses a significant health challenge as the most common primary malignancy of the adult central nervous system. Gender and age-related differences in GBM influence prognosis and treatment complexities. This multicenter retrospective study explores gender and age disparities in GBM patients, investigating their impact on occurrence and survival outcomes. Methods: This STROBE-compliant retrospective study involved GBM patients who received medical care in Guilan Province, Iran. Patients’ data, including age, gender, tumor location, and histopathological diagnosis date, was collected from medical records. Results: In a cohort of 164 GBM patients, the average age was 54 years, with higher prevalence in men (59.8%) as well as patients ≤60 years (64.6%). The tumor sites exhibited overlapping features in 68% of cases, with the frontal and temporal lobes being the most prevalent specific locations. The mean survival was 12.88 ± 14.14 months, one-year survival of 45%, with women showing higher one-year survival (60% vs. 40%) and longer mean survival (16.14 ± 17.35 vs. 10.75 ± 11.15 months). Patients ≤60 years had higher one-year survival (75% vs. 35%). In subgroup analysis, women had significantly higher survival rates in patients ≤60 years. However, among patients over 60, women exhibited a more significant reduction in survival rates, and no statistically significant difference was observed between males and females in this age group. Discussion: While the biological mechanisms behind gender disparities in GBM remain unclear, studies suggest the potential involvement of sex hormones. Age-related differences, in line with the prior research, highlight the complexity of managing older GBM patients. Conclusion: This study underscores age and gender disparities in GBM occurrence and prognosis, emphasizing the necessity for further investigations and innovative approaches to address the potential pathogenesis.

Delay of gratification tasks seem to have an impressive predictive value for several outcomes and are supposed to measure self-regulation. Since many behavioural and psychological problems in children are related to limitations in self-regulation, the extent to which delay tasks can be used as a screening to detect psychopathology is examined. Children (N= 1498; 51% girls) participated in Delay tasks at the age of 3 and 5. Parents rated ADHD and conduct problems at the children‘s age of 5 and 6, which we classified according to cut-offs. Delay at age 3 was related to ADHD at age 5 (OR = 1.84) and conduct at age 6 (OR = 2.61). The results showed high specificity (77-78%) and negative predictive values (95-98%), correctly identifying children below the SDQ cut-off, but low sensitivity (27-42%), deeming the task unsuitable as screening for children at risk. These results were aggravated when considering only the first 20 seconds.

Chelicerae, the distinctive feeding appendages in chelicerates such as spiders, scorpions, or horseshoe crabs, can be classified based on their orientation relative to the longitudinal body axis as either orthognathous (parallel) or labidognathous (inclined), exhibiting considerable diversity across various taxa. Among extinct chelicerates, sea scorpions belonging to the group Pterygotidae represent the exclusive chelicerates possessing markedly elongated chelicerae. Despite various hypotheses regarding the potential ecological functions and feeding movements of these tripartite structures, no comprehensive 3D kinematic investigation has been conducted yet to test these ideas. In this study, we generated a comprehensive 3D model of the pterygotid eurypterid Acutiramus, making the elongated right chelicera movable by equipping it with virtual joint axes for conducting Range of Motion analyses. Due to the absence in the fossil record indicating whether the chelicerae were of a orthognathous or a labidognathous orientation, and their potential lateral or ventral movements (vertical or horizontal insertion of joint axis 1), we explored the Range of Motion analyses under four distinct kinematic settings. The most compelling and plausible kinematic setting involved orthognathous chelicerae that could be folded ventrally over a horizontal joint axis. This configuration positioned the tips of each chelicera closest to the oral opening. Concerning the maximum excursion angle, our analysis revealed that the chela could open up to 70°, while it could be retracted against the basal element to a maximum of 145°. The maximum excursion in the proximal joint varied between 55°-116° based on the insertion and orientation. Our findings underscore the utility of applying 3D kinematics to fossilized arthropods for addressing inquiries on functional ecology such as prey capture and handling, enabling insights into their behavioral patterns. Pterygotid sea scorpions likely captured and processed their prey using the chelicerae, subsequently transporting it to the oral opening with the assistance of other prosomal appendages.

Targets with rotating components generate micro-motion (MM) modulation effect in addition to the main body. Extracting MM parameters is challenging due to interference from the target’s main body, necessitating the separation of modulation signals. This letter proposes a robust complex local mean decomposition (RCLMD) method with self-adaptive sifting stopping, aiming at the problem of component redundancy due to multiple iterations during break and the loss of modulation components during the separation process. The proposed method sets the objective function and self-adaptive stopping criterion, combined with the modulation signal characteristics, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of MM component extraction. Simulation experiments indicate that at a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3 dB, the separation effect of RCLMD is still 14.72\% higher than that of the conventional complex local mean decomposition (CLMD) method, and the separation efficiency is improved by 54.92\%. Furthermore, the measured radar signals verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in real scenarios.

This paper addresses the optimization of container unloading and loading operations at ports, integrating quaycrane dual-cycling (QCDC) with dockyard rehandle minimization. We present a unified model encompassing both operations: ship container unloading and loading by quay crane, and the other is reducing dockyard rehandles while loading the ship. We recognize that optimizing one aspect in isolation can lead to suboptimal outcomes due to interdependencies. Specifically, optimizing unloading sequences for minimal operation time may inadvertently increase dockyard rehandles during loading and vice versa. To address this NP-hard problem, we propose a hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) QCDC-DR-GA comprising 1dimensional and 2-dimensional GA components. Our model, QCDC-DR-GA, consistently outperforms four state-of-the-art methods in maximizing dual cycles and minimizing dockyard rehandles. Compared to those methods, it reduced 15-20% of total operation time for large vessels. Results underscore the inefficiency of separately optimizing QCDC and dockyard rehandles. Fragmented approaches, such as QCDC Scheduling Optimized by bi-level GA and GA-ILSRS (Scenario 2), show limited improvement compared to QCDC-DR-GA. As in GA-ILSRS (Scenario 1), neglecting dual-cycle optimization leads to inferior performance than our proposed QCDC-DR-GA.

Anthropogenic habitat modification is especially detrimental to social species. Apart from direct fitness effects, it can destroy group structure and affect social interactions crucial for reproduction and survival. Here, we assessed the impact of habitat modification on the fitness and life history traits of a cooperative breeder, the Arabian babbler (Argya squamiceps). We collected spatial, reproductive, and social data on 572 individuals belonging to 21 social groups over six years and combined it with remote sensing to characterize group territories. Groups in modified habitats bred more and had greater productivity during dry years. Males living in modified habitats dispersed and acquired dominance at a younger age, showing a faster pace of life. However, group performance and total fitness were higher in natural habitats during average years. Habitat modification indirectly affected fitness by altering social structure, whereby younger males who lacked experience became dominant, leading to reduced nesting success.

Skin conductance is a commonly used physiological measure during psychology experiments, such as during fear conditioning. Methods for scoring skin conductance responses are highly heterogeneous, though most researchers agree that manually inspected scores provide the highest quality data when compared to most available fully automated scoring methods. However, manual scoring is extremely time-consuming. We developed a semi-automated scoring program that significantly reduces the time required to process skin conductance response data at a level of quality akin to manual scoring. In contrast to all previous scoring programs, our program enables scoring of first, second, and third interval skin conductance responses. Using interclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots and Pareto analysis, we show here that our method is highly reliable and produces data that are almost identical to data that are manually scored. This software is very easy to use and is freely available to download and modify. We expect that this software will be helpful in reducing the time required to produce high quality first, second, and third interval skin conductance data for psychology researchers around the world.

Mobilized Colistin Resistance-1 (MCR-1) is a transferase enzyme that confers resistance to polypeptide antimicrobial called colistin (polymyxin E) by modifying lipid A of the Gramnegative bacterial cell membrane. The rapid dissemination of MCR-1 and its variants has become a public health concern. So far, thirty-six variants of MCR-1 have been reported across the world. These variants have been detected in 109 different bacterial species. They differ from each other either by single (29 variants) or multiple (7 variants) substitutions. These substitutions mostly occur in the transmembrane domain of MCR-1. While the MCR-1 is 91% conserved overall, the catalytic domain is more stable with 93.6% of the residues unchanged. In this review, we have summarized the crystal structure of MCR-1 and provided a comparative analysis of all mutants. Besides, we have highlighted the differing amino acid substitutions in the two domains of MRC-1 and in the α-helix, β-sheets, and loops of cMRC. Moreover, we have focused on residues that may have a role in catalysis and can be exploited as potential drug targets. The impact of these changes and the function of active site residues need to be thoroughly understood to design drugs that are effective against all the variants of MCR-1.

With the growing penetration level of inverter-based power sources into the grid, the impact of low-inertia, damping and deployment of new controls has raised several questions concerning system stability. Virtual synchronous machine (VISMA) has been proposed to provide ancillary services necessary for grid stabilization. In a multi-VISMA microgrid, rotor angle stability of the power system is dependent on the active power balance after small perturbation. Using relevant analytical models are essential issues for microgrid stability analysis. This paper presents a comprehensive small-signal stability analysis to study inherent electromechanical oscillations in the virtual-rotors. The subsystems of the microgrid consisting of VISMA, network and load were all modelled in Synchronous Reference Frame. The small-signal model (SSM) was tested on IEEE-9 bus system with VISMA replacing electromechanical synchronous machines on the network. To validate the developed numerical analytics, dynamic responses of the SSM are compared with those of the non-linear system dynamics and the results reveal that the developed linearized SSM is sufficient to accurately characterize behaviour of the VISMA microgrid when operated in autonomous mode. Eigenvalues analysis and parameter sensitivities of the critical modes were investigated. Oscillatory participations of the VISMAs and steady stability limit of the microgrid was also carried out.

Electroanatomic mapping guides complex atrial tachycardia ablations, however challenges may emerge post-pulmonary vein isolatıon. In a unique case, vein of Marshall (VOM) ethanol ablation, a conventional secondary intervention, promptly terminated an epicardial atrial tachycardia without further endocardial radiofrequency application, suggesting VOM’s potential as a primary strategy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor that frequently occurs alongside other central nervous systems (CNS) conditions. Glutamate release and aberrant cellular behavior are shared features of both CNS diseases and GBM cells. Neither their origin nor the ways in which CNS disorders affect the development or behavior of GBM are well understood. Using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets–where both healthy and cancerous samples were analyzed–we used a quantitative analytical framework to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell signaling pathways that might be related to GBM. Then, we performed gene ontology studies and hub protein identifications to estimate the roles of these DEGs after finding disease-gene connection networks and signaling pathways. Using the GEPIA Proportional Hazard Model and the Kaplan-Meier estimator, we widened our analysis to identify the important genes that may play a role in both progression and the survival of patients with GBM. Totally, 890 DEGs, including 475 and 415 up- and down-regulated were identified, respectively. Our results revealed SQLE, DHCR7, delta-1 phospholipase C ( PLCD1), and MINPP1 genes are high expression, and the Enolase 2 ( ENO2) and hexokinase-1 ( HK1) genes are low expressions. Hence, our findings suggest novel mechanisms that affect the occurrence of GBM development, growth, and/or establishment and may also serve as secretory biomarkers for GBM prognosis and possible targets for therapy.

In this paper, the contraction theory is used to solve the robust trajectory tracking control method for distributed complex nonlinear systems. The controller designed by the contraction theory can make the system track any trajectory and get rid of the assumption of the stable point of the Lyapunov method. For complex nonlinear systems, parts with unknown parameters or difficult to model will have a great impact on controller design. Neural network is used to compensate the uncertainties of the model, and a global linear matrix inequality (LMI) which satisfies distributed robust trajectory tracking is proposed. A decomposition method of global linear matrix inequalities (LMIS) is presented to meet the solving requirements of distributed controllers. The rationality of the matrix inequality proposed in this paper is verified by theoretical analysis.

Aim Prescribing of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs in general populations has increased in the UK, but prescribing trends in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have not previously been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe time trends in annual prevalence of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescribing in adult patients with T2D. Methods Repeated annual cross-sectional analyses of a population-based diabetes registry, derived from primary and secondary care data in Scotland, from 2004 to 2021. For each cross-sectional calendar year time period, we calculated the prevalence of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescribing, overall and by sociodemographic characteristics and drug subtype. Results The number of patients with a T2D diagnosis in Scotland increased from 161,915 in 2004 to 309,288 in 2021. Prevalence of antidepressant and antipsychotic prescribing in patients with T2D increased markedly between 2004 and 2021 (from 20.0 per 100 person-years to 33.3 per 100 person-years and from 2.8 per 100 person-years to 4.7 per 100 person-years, respectively). We observed this pattern for all drug subtypes except for first-generation antipsychotics, prescribing of which remained largely stable. The degree of increase, as well as overall prevalence of prescribing, differed by age, sex, socioeconomic status, and subtype of drug class. Conclusion There has been a marked increase in the prevalence of antidepressant and antipsychotic prescribing in patients with T2D in Scotland. Further research should identify the reasons for this increase, including indication for use and the extent to which this reflects increases in incident prescribing rather than increased duration.

A document by Nur Gamze Bostan. Click on the document to view its contents.

Title pageTitle: A Case of Acute Aortic Dissection with Neurological Manifestations: A Painless, Atypical PresentationAuthors: Zheng Yang , Gaoshang Zhu, Huihui Zhu, Chen Liu, Fang HanCorresponding Author: Zheng Yang (Email: yang200d@163.com)Co-first author: Gaoshang ZhuJoint corresponding author: Fang HanAuthors’ affiliations and addresses: Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, 234# Gucui ROAD, HangZhou city, China. 310012Corresponding author email:yang200d@163.comEthics Statement：This retrospective case study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province. As this study involved the review of existing medical records with deidentified information, the Ethics Committee waived the requirement for informed consent.Acknowledgement: None.Funding: None.Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this article. None of the authors have financial relationships that are relevant to this article’s content to disclose.Authorship contribution statement:Y.Z., Z.G., Z.H., L.C., and H.F. were involved in the clinical care and management of the patient. Y.Z. and Z.G. conceptualized the study and drafted the initial manuscript. Z.H., L.C., and H.F. were involved in critical revision of the manuscript. Y.Z. and H.F. supervised the study and acquired funding. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Atherosclerosis is a serious disease that starts with a local lesion in the vessels and progressesto a heart attack. The recent increase in heart attack disease and the increase i n deaths related to it makes it important to discover drug candidate ligands to be detected against the receptors determined in this disease. In this study, chemical calculation method was used to determine the interaction with Atherosclerosis receptors determined by literature studies and the bonds to be formed at the molecular level and the inhibition mechanism.The foods, spices and active ingredients in various medicinal plants that we consume as daily food supplements were identified as ligands at the end of the research conducted with the literature review, and the inhibition effects on the receptors that suppress the distribution of cholesterol, which is one of the biggest causes of atherosclerosis, to the cells through the blood were determined by comparing the currently used reference drugs. The data obtained from here is important in terms of determining drug candidate active substances in experimental and clinical studies to be conducted on atherosclerosis, preventing time and substance loss and giving direction.

To explore peripheral blood indicators that may serve as early indicators for MDR infections in this demographic, with the goal of providing reference suggestions for the clinical prevention of MDR infections in elderly inpatients. (2) Methods: Clinical data of patients were divided into the MDR-infected group (n=488) and the MDR-uninfected group (n=233) according to the results of drug sensitivity experiments, Risk factors for MDR infection and peripheral blood indicators related to MDR infections were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression in conjunction with the construction of a CHAID decision tree model, considering statistical significance at P-value<0.05. (3) Results: Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that prolonged hospitalization, use of antibiotics pre-admission, duration on antibiotics, invasive procedures or recent surgery, and coexisting lung disease were independent risk factors for contracting MDR. Subsequent analysis comparing the aforementioned influences with peripheral blood cells revealed associations between the number of antibiotic treatment days and increased PLR, NLR, neutrophils, decreased lymphocytes, and increased eosinophils; pre-admission antibiotic use correlated with increased PLR, NLR, neutrophils, and decreased lymphocytes; and invasive manipulation or surgery correlated with increased PLR and NLR. (4) Conclusions: Elevated NLR, PLR, neutrophils, lowered lymphocytes, and eosinophils may serve as early indicators of MDR infections in elderly hospitalized patients.

A document by Bo Gao. Click on the document to view its contents.

Changes of Respiratory syncytial virus Infection in Neonates after Relaxing COVID‐19 Restrictions in Henan, ChinaFatao Lin1 , Tiewei Li 2, Jing Li1 , Hui Fu1, Xiuxiu Yang11Department of Neonatology , Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University， Henan Children′s Hospital， Zhengzhou Children′s Hospital, Zhengzhou , Henan, China2Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of Children’s Infection and Immunity,Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, HenanChildren’s Hospital, Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, ChinaCorresponding author: Fatao LinE-mail address:fataolin2017@163.comTelephone:+86 371 85515825