The universal newborn hearing screening (NHS) program was implemented in Russia in 2008 to replace the high-risk newborn hearing screening. More than 95% coverage and significant improvement in early detection and intervention is achieved. Meanwhile, it was shown that current OAE-based hearing screening missed 13% of newborns with genetically ascertained hereditary sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The aim of the study is to assess the results of genetic investigation and NHS in a large cohort of Russian children with bilateral SNHL and to study the feasibility of implementation of combined hearing and genetic screening in Russia. Genetic, audiological and NHS data of 1292 pediatric patients with bilateral SNHL born in 2008–2021 were analyzed. GJB2 sequencing was performed for all subjects, 644 patients had pathological GJB2 genotype, 406 of them were homozygous for c.35delG variant. The group of 155 GJB2-negative patients were searched for other SNHL genes, The pathological genotypes were identified at 87 patients. The most frequent genes were STRC (21.8%), USH2A (16.1%), OTOF (8%) and SLC26A4 (6.9%). Children with confirmed genetic etiology passed NHS in 21% of cases. The perspectives of implementation of national comprehensive newborn hearing and genetic screening including whole exome sequencing technologies are discussed. Full article

This study explores trust dynamics within online social networks, blending social science theories with advanced machine-learning (ML) techniques. We examine trust’s multifaceted nature—definitions, types, and mechanisms for its establishment and maintenance—and analyze social network structures through graph theory. Employing a diverse array of ML models (e.g., KNN, SVM, Naive Bayes, Gradient Boosting, and Neural Networks), we predict connection strengths on Facebook, focusing on model performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Our methodology, executed in Python using the Anaconda distribution, unveils insights into trust formation and sustainability on social media, highlighting the potent application of ML in understanding these dynamics. Challenges, including the complexity of modeling social behaviors and ethical data use concerns, are discussed, emphasizing the need for continued innovation. Our findings contribute to the discourse on trust in social networks and suggest future research directions, including the application of our methodologies to other platforms and the study of online trust over time. This work not only advances the academic understanding of digital social interactions but also offers practical implications for developers, policymakers, and online communities. Full article

Malaria is a parasitic infection that may result in an acute, life-threatening illness. It is a major public health problem in the tropical world. The disease is caused by the parasites of the genus Plasmodium and is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Saudi Arabia is in the elimination phase of malaria control. Several parts of Saudi Arabia report cases of imported malaria among travelers and visitors. The city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia has a population of about 2.3 million. Moreover, over 6 million religious visitors from different parts of the world visit Makkah annually. During the COVID-19 outbreak, travel restrictions were enforced in Makkah to contain the spread of COVID-19. We compare the total reported cases of malaria in Makkah before, during, and after COVID-19 travel restrictions in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Data on demographics, clinical data, and laboratory parameters were collected from the medical records of the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. The annual malaria incidence rates in Makkah were 29.13/million people (2018), 37.82/million people (2019), 15.65/million people (2020), 12.61/million people (2021), and 48.69/million people (2022). Most of the malaria cases in Makkah were caused by Plasmodium falciparum, followed by P. vivax. Sudan, Nigeria, Yamen, Pakistan, and India are the top five countries contributing to malaria cases in Makkah. Weekly malaria case analyses revealed that COVID-19-related travel restrictions resulted in zero malaria cases in Makkah, indicating the magnitude of the travel-related malaria burden in the city. Full article

In order to reduce the toxicological impact on healthy cells and to improve the therapeutic response, many drug delivery systems have been fabricated and analysed, involving the use of different natural and synthetic materials at macro-, micro- and nanoscales. Among the natural materials which have demonstrated a huge potential for the development of effective drug delivery systems, silk fibroin has emerged for its excellent biological properties and for the possibility to be processed in a wide range of forms, which can be compliant with multiple active molecules and pharmaceutical ingredients for the treatment of various diseases. This review aims at presenting silk fibroin as an interesting biopolymer for applications in drug delivery systems, exploring the results obtained in recent works in terms of technological progress and effectiveness in vitro and in vivo. Full article

Unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite (UDPHAp) was developed as a remarkable scaffold characterized by a distinct structure with unidirectional pores oriented in the horizontal direction and connected through interposes. We evaluated the radiographic changes, clinical outcomes, and complications following UDPHAp implantation for the treatment of bone tumors. Excellent bone formation within and around the implant was observed in all patients treated with intralesional resection and UDPHAp implantation for benign bone tumors. The absorption of UDPHAp and remodeling of the bone marrow space was observed in 45% of the patients at a mean of 17 months postoperatively and was significantly more common in younger patients. Preoperative cortical thinning was completely regenerated in 84% of patients at a mean of 10 months postoperatively. No complications related to the implanted UDPHAp were observed. In a pediatric patient with bone sarcoma, when the defect after fibular resection was filled with UDPHAp implants, radiography showed complete resorption of the implant and clear formation of cortex and marrow in the resected part of the fibula. The patient could walk well without crutches and participate in sports activities. UDPHAp is a useful bone graft substitute for the treatment of benign bone tumors, and the use of this material has a low complication rate. We also review and discuss the potential of UDPHAp as a bone graft substitute in the clinical setting of orthopedic surgery. Full article

The development of fully biobased hydrogels obtained by simple routes and in the absence of toxic or environmentally harmful reagents is a major challenge in meeting new societal demands. In this work, we discuss the development of hydrogels made from cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and xyloglucan (XG), two non-toxic, renewable, and biobased components. We present three strategies to fine-tune the functional properties. The first one consists in varying the XG/CNC ratio that leads to the modulation of the mechanical properties of hydrogels as well as a better comprehension of the gel mechanism formation. The second relies on tuning the XG chains’ interaction by enzymatic modification to achieve thermoresponsive systems. Finally, the third one is based on the increase in the hydrogel solid content by osmotic concentration. The high-solid-content gels were found to have very high mechanical properties and self-healing properties that can be used for molding materials. Overall, these approaches are a case study of potential modifications and properties offered by biobased nanocolloidal hydrogels. Full article

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a worldwide disease that causes low back pain and reduces quality of life. Biotherapeutic strategies based on tissue engineering alternatives, such as intervertebral disc scaffolds, supplemented by drug-targeted therapy have brought new hope for IVDD. In this study, to explore the role and mechanism of MnO₂/GelMA composite hydrogels in alleviating IVDD, we prepared composite hydrogels with MnO₂ and methacrylate gelatin (GelMA) and characterized them using compression testing and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Annulus fibrosus cells (AFCs) were cultured in the composite hydrogels to verify biocompatibility by live/dead and cytoskeleton staining. Cell viability assays and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) probe were used to analyze the protective effect of the composite hydrogels under oxidative damage. To explore the mechanism of improving the microenvironment, we detected the expression levels of antioxidant and autophagy-related genes and proteins by qPCR and Western blotting. We found that the MnO₂/GelMA composite hydrogels exhibited excellent biocompatibility and a porous structure, which promoted cell proliferation. The addition of MnO₂ nanoparticles to GelMA cleared ROS in AFCs and induced the expression of antioxidant and cellular autophagy through the common SIRT1/NRF2 pathway. Therefore, the MnO₂/GelMA composite hydrogels, which can improve the disc microenvironment through scavenging intracellular ROS and resisting oxidative damage, have great application prospects in the treatment of IVDD. Full article

The United Arab Emirates has very little data on the incidence or prevalence of fungal diseases. Using total and underlying disease risk populations and likely affected proportions, we have modelled the burden of fungal disease for the first time. The most prevalent serious fungal conditions are recurrent vulvovaginitis (~190,000 affected) and fungal asthma (~34,000 affected). Given the UAE’s low prevalence of HIV, we estimate an at-risk population of 204 with respect to serious fungal infections with cryptococcal meningitis estimated at 2 cases annually, 15 cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) annually, and 20 cases of esophageal candidiasis in the HIV population. PCP incidence in non-HIV patients is estimated at 150 cases annually. Likewise, with the same low prevalence of tuberculosis in the country, we estimate a total chronic pulmonary aspergillosis prevalence of 1002 cases. The estimated annual incidence of invasive aspergillosis is 505 patients, based on local data on rates of malignancy, solid organ transplantation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (5.9 per 100,000). Based on the 2022 annual report of the UAE’s national surveillance database, candidaemia annual incidence is 1090 (11.8/100,000), of which 49.2% occurs in intensive care. Fungal diseases affect ~228,695 (2.46%) of the population in the UAE. Full article

Talaromyces sp. DC2 is an endophytic fungus that was isolated from the stem of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don in Hanoi, Vietnam and is capable of producing vinca alkaloids. This study utilizes the PacBio Sequel technology to completely sequence the whole genome of Talaromyces sp. DC2The genome study revealed that DC2 contains a total of 34.58 Mb spanned by 156 contigs, with a GC content of 46.5%. The identification and prediction of functional protein-coding genes, tRNA, and rRNA were comprehensively predicted and highly annotated using various BLAST databases, including non-redundant (Nr) protein sequence, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), and Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZy) databases. The genome of DC2 has a total of 149, 227, 65, 153, 53, and 6 genes responsible for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, chitin, starch, and inulin degradation, respectively. The Antibiotics and Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (AntiSMASH) analyses revealed that strain DC2 possesses 20 biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for producing secondary metabolites. The strain DC2 has also been found to harbor the DDC gene encoding aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase enzyme. Conclusively, this study has provided a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in secondary metabolites and the ability of the Talaromyces sp. DC2 strain to degrade plant cell walls. Full article

Background: The diagnosis of depression in dementia patients leads to an increase in the burden of the disease. To treat depression in this patient group, antidepressants are frequently used; however, there is not any proof of their therapeutic effectiveness, and their use may be potentially harmful. This narrative review aims to summarize the existing evidence regarding the role of antidepressants in treating depression in dementia patients. Main text: A search was conducted in the PubMed, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses wherein antidepressants were given to dementia sufferers to address depression. Fifteen randomized controlled trials and seven meta-analyses were identified. Most well-designed blinded placebo-controlled trials reported a lack of effectiveness of antidepressants in treating depression in dementia patients. Among the seven metanalyses, two reported good efficacy of Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, two major Cochrane reviews reported little or no effectiveness and increased side effects of antidepressants in dementia patients. Conclusion: There is robust evidence regarding the lack of efficacy of antidepressants in treating depression in dementia patients. However, further well-designed Randomized controlled trials (RCTs,) using scales with good validity and reliability to diagnose depression in dementia patients, sufficient sample sizes, and detailed adverse effect profiles may help determine the rationale for their use. Full article

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving technique used in emergencies when the heart stops beating, typically involving chest compressions and ventilation. Current adult CPR guidelines do not differentiate based on age beyond infancy and childhood. This oversight increases the risk of fatigue fractures in the elderly due to decreased bone density and changes in thoracic structure. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlation and impact of factors influencing rib fatigue fractures for safer out-of-hospital manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OHMCPR) application. Using the finite element analysis (FEA) method, we performed fatigue analysis on rib cage models incorporating chest compression conditions and age-specific trabecular bone properties. Fatigue life analyses were conducted on three age-specific rib cage models, each differentiated by trabecular bone properties, to determine the influence of four explanatory variables (the properties of the trabecular bone (a surrogate for the age of the subject), the site of application of the compression force on the breastbone, the magnitude of applied compression force, and the rate of application of the compression force) on the fatigue life of the model. Additionally, considering the complex interaction of chest compression conditions during actual CPR, we aimed to predict rib fatigue fractures under conditions simulating real-life scenarios by analyzing the sensitivity and interrelation of chest compression conditions on the model’s fatigue life. Time constraints led to the selection of optimal analysis conditions through the use of design of experiments (DOE), specifically orthogonal array testing, followed by the construction of a deep learning-based metamodel. The predicted fatigue life values of the rib cage model, obtained from the metamodel, showed the influence of the four explanatory variables on fatigue life. These results may be used to devise safer CPR guidelines, particularly for the elderly at a high risk of acute cardiac arrest, safeguarding against potential complications like fatigue fractures. Full article

Bone stress injuries are prevalent among athletes and military recruits and can significantly compromise training schedules. The development of an ankle–foot orthosis to reduce tibial load and enable a faster return to activity will require new device testing methodologies capable of capturing the contribution of muscular force on tibial strain. Thus, an actuated robotic surrogate leg was developed to explore how tibial strain changes with different ankle–foot orthosis conditions. The purpose of this work was to assess the reliability, scalability, and behavior of the surrogate. A dual actuation system consisting of a Bowden cable and a vertical load applied to the femur via a material testing system, replicated the action-reaction of the Achilles-soleus complex. Maximum and minimum principal strain, maximum shear strain, and axial strain were measured by instrumented strain gauges at five locations on the tibia. Strains were highly repeatable across tests but did not consistently match in vivo data when scaled. However, the stiffness of the ankle–foot orthosis strut did not systematically affect tibial load, which is consistent with in vivo findings. Future work will involve improving the scalability of the results to match in vivo data and using the surrogate to inform exoskeletal designs for bone stress injuries. Full article

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a powerful predictor of future cardiovascular events. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to conduct a systematic review of machine learning (ML) algorithms for the identification of LVH and compare them with respect to the classical features of test sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, ROC and the traditional ECG criteria for LVH. Methods: A search string was constructed with the operators “left ventricular hypertrophy, electrocardiogram” AND machine learning; then, Medline and PubMed were systematically searched. Results: There were 14 studies that examined the detection of LVH utilizing the ECG and utilized at least one ML approach. ML approaches encompassed support vector machines, logistic regression, Random Forest, GLMNet, Gradient Boosting Machine, XGBoost, AdaBoost, ensemble neural networks, convolutional neural networks, deep neural networks and a back-propagation neural network. Sensitivity ranged from 0.29 to 0.966 and specificity ranged from 0.53 to 0.99. A comparison with the classical ECG criteria for LVH was performed in nine studies. ML algorithms were universally more sensitive than the Cornell voltage, Cornell product, Sokolow-Lyons or Romhilt-Estes criteria. However, none of the ML algorithms had meaningfully better specificity, and four were worse. Many of the ML algorithms included a large number of clinical (age, sex, height, weight), laboratory and detailed ECG waveform data (P, QRS and T wave), making them difficult to utilize in a clinical screening situation. Conclusions: There are over a dozen different ML algorithms for the detection of LVH on a 12-lead ECG that use various ECG signal analyses and/or the inclusion of clinical and laboratory variables. Most improved in terms of sensitivity, but most also failed to outperform specificity compared to the classic ECG criteria. ML algorithms should be compared or tested on the same (standard) database. Full article

Food plants are the basis of human nutrition, but, in contaminated places, they can uptake contaminants. Environmental contamination and climate change can modify food quality; generally, they have a negative impact on and imply risks to human health. Heavy metals, like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, can be present at various environmental levels (soil, water, and atmosphere), and they are widely distributed in the world. Food plants can carry out heavy metal bioaccumulation, a defense pathway for plants, which is different for every plant species. Accumulation is frequent in the roots and the leaves, and heavy metals can be present in fruits and seeds; As and Cd are always present. In addition, other contaminants can bioaccumulate in food plants, including emerging contaminants, like persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, and microplastics. In food plants, these are present in the roots but also in the leaves and fruits, depending on their chemical structure. The literature published in recent years was examined to understand the distribution of contaminants among food plants. In the literature, old agronomical practices and new integrated technology to clean the water, control the soil, and monitor the crops have been proposed to mitigate contamination and produce high food quality and high food safety. Full article

Recent findings indicate that air pollution contributes to the onset and advancement of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, there is insufficient research indicating that air pollution is linked to COPD in the region of inland northwest China. Daily hospital admission records for COPD, air pollutant levels, and meteorological factor information were collected in Jiuquan for this study between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019. We employed a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) integrated with the generalized additive model (GAM) to assess the association between air pollution and hospital admissions for COPD with single lag days from lag0 to lag7 and multiday moving average lag days from lag01 to lag07. For example, the pollutant concentration on the current day was lag0, and on the prior 7th day was lag7. The present and previous 7-day moving average pollutant concentration was lag07. Gender, age, and season-specific stratified analyses were also carried out. It is noteworthy that the delayed days exhibited a different pattern, and the magnitude of associations varied. For NO₂ and CO, obvious associations with hospitalizations for COPD were found at lag1, lag01–lag07, and lag03–lag07, with the biggest associations at lag05 and lag06 [RR = 1.015 (95%CI: 1.008, 1.023) for NO₂, RR = 2.049 (95%CI: 1.416, 2.966) for CO], while only SO₂ at lag02 was appreciably linked to hospitalizations for COPD [1.167 (95%CI: 1.009, 1.348)]. In contrast, short-term encounters with PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and O₃ were found to have no significant effects on COPD morbidity. The lag effects of NO₂ and CO were stronger than those of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. Males and those aged 65 years or older were more vulnerable to air pollution. When it came to the seasons, the impacts appeared to be more pronounced in the cold season. In conclusion, short-term encounters with NO₂ and CO were significantly correlated with COPD hospitalization in males and the elderly (≥65). Full article

Cereal grains and pulses are staple foods worldwide, being the primary supply of energy, protein, and fiber in human diets. The current practice of milling and fractionation yields large quantities of byproducts and waste, which are largely downgraded and end up as animal feeds or fertilizers. This adversely affects food security and the environment, and definitely implies an urgent need for a sustainable grain processing system to rectify the current issues, particularly the management of waste and excessive use of water and energy. The current review intends to discuss the limitations and flaws of the existing practice of grain milling and fractionation, along with potential solutions to make it more sustainable, with an emphasis on wheat and peas as common fractionation crops. This review discusses a proposed sustainable grain processing system for the fractionation of wheat or peas into flour, protein, starch, and value-added components. The proposed system is a hybrid model that combines dry and wet fractionation processes in conjunction with the implementation of three principles, namely, integration, recycling, and upcycling, to improve component separation efficiency and value addition and minimize grain milling waste. The three principles are critical in making grain processing more efficient in terms of the management of waste and resources. Overall, this review provides potential solutions for how to make the grain processing system more sustainable. Full article

The study of extreme events (EEs) in photonics has expanded significantly due to straightforward implementation conditions. EEs have not been discussed systematically, to the best of our knowledge, in the chaotic dynamics of a Fabry–Perot laser with optical feedback, so we address this in the current contribution. Herein, we not only find EEs in all modes but also divide the EEs in total output into two categories for further discussion. The two types of EEs have similar statistical features to conventional rogue waves. The occurrence probability of EEs undergoes a saturation effect as the feedback strength increases. Additionally, we analyze the influence of feedback strength, feedback delay, and pump current on the probability of EEs defined by two criteria of EEs and find similar trends. We hope that this work contributes to a deep understanding and serves as inspiration for further research into various multimode semiconductor laser systems. Full article

As a space camera works in orbit, the stress rebound caused by gravity inevitably results in the deformation of its optomechanical structure, and the relative position change between different optical components will affect the Line-Of-Sight pointing of the camera. In this paper, the optical sensitivity calculation of a space camera’s Line-Of-Sight pointing is realized based on the optomechanical constraint equations, and the Line-Of-Sight equations are constructed using the second type of response (DRESP2) method to realize an optomechanical integrated analysis of the camera’s Line-Of-Sight stability at the structural finite element solver level. The verification results show that the Line-Of-Sight stability error is 6.38%, meaning that this method can identify the sensitive optical elements of the optical system efficiently and quickly. Thus, the method in this paper has important significance as a reference for the analysis of the Line-Of-Sight stability of complex optical systems. Full article

The screening of all non-radioactive metals without lanthanides for thermochemical hydrogen storage was performed based on physical chemistry calculations. The thermodynamic data were collected from the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) public data repository, which was followed by calculations regarding the change in enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs free energy and equilibrium reaction temperature. The results were critically evaluated based on thermodynamic parameters, viable metals were identified, and their hydrogen storage densities and energy–enthalpy ratios were evaluated. The elements viable for controlled thermochemical hydrogen storage via the reversible reduction and oxidation of metal oxides and metals are manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W). Manganese has the largest theoretical potential for hydrogen storage with reversible reduction and oxidation of metal oxides and metals. The second candidate is iron, while the other two (Mo and W) have much lower potential. More research efforts should be dedicated to experimental testing of the identified metals (Mn, Fe, Mo and W) and their different oxides for thermochemical hydrogen storage capabilities both on laboratory and pilot scales. Ferromanganese alloy(s) might also prove itself as an efficient and affordable thermochemical hydrogen storage material. Our theoretical investigation expanded the knowledge on thermochemical hydrogen storage and is accompanied with a brief literature review revealing the lack of experimental studies, especially on oxidation of metals with water vapor occurring during the hydrogen release phase of the cycle. Consequently, accurate modelling of transport, kinetics and other phenomena during hydrogen storage and release is scarce. Full article

To reveal the mechanism of hydraulic fracture initiation and propagation under the conditions of multiple perforations during horizontal well fracturing, we creatively conducted dual-hole fracturing experiments on small rock samples and established a two-dimensional model of a single cluster with multiple perforations in a horizontal well based on the extended finite element method using the fluid–solid coupling equation, which was combined with the basic theory of damage mechanics. The biggest difference from previous research is that this model does not consider the hypothesis of stress shadows and only focuses on studying the initiation and propagation of multiple perforations in one cluster. We studied the effects of perforation parameters, stress state, and injection flow rate on the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures using this model. The experimental and simulation results indicate that under multi-perforation conditions, the number of fractures depends on the number of perforations. The simulation results show that when the spacing between perforations increases or the number of perforations reduces, the initiation time of perforation is advanced and the interference between fractures weakens, which is conducive to the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures. As the stress difference increases, the initiation time of perforation becomes earlier and the deflection angle of the outermost fractures becomes smaller, which is conducive to the parallel expansion of the fractures. Moreover, although this has little impact on the morphology of fractures with the rise in flow rate in simulation, it is beneficial for improving the initiation and propagation speed of fractures. The length of fractures also increases significantly at the same time point. In addition, both the experiments and simulations revealed that an increase in the flow rate could accelerate the initiation time of fractures. The proposed model can guide fracturing construction to optimize the design of perforation spacing during horizontal well fracturing, which can contribute to reducing development costs and improving the final production. Full article

In the contemporary era, conventional energy sources like oil, coal, and natural gas overwhelmingly contribute 89.6% to global CO₂ emissions, intensifying environmental challenges. Recognizing the urgency of addressing climate concerns, a pivotal shift towards renewable energy, encompassing solar, wind, and biofuels, is crucial for bolstering environmental sustainability. Bioethanol, a globally predominant biofuel, offers a versatile solution, replacing gasoline or integrating into gasoline–ethanol blends while serving as a fundamental building block for various valuable compounds. This review investigates the dynamic landscape of biomass generations, drawing insightful comparisons between the first, second, third, and fourth generations. Amid the drive for sustainability, the deliberate focus on the initial generation of biomass, particularly corn, in bioethanol production is grounded in the current dependence on edible crops. The established utilization of first-generation biomass, exemplified by corn, underscores the necessity for a comprehensive examination of its advantages and challenges, allowing for a nuanced exploration of existing infrastructure and practices. To produce bioethanol from corn feedstock, various milling methods can be employed. Thus, this paper delves into a comparative assessment of dry-milling and wet-milling processes scrutinizing their efficiency, environmental impact, and economic feasibility. Full article