Phycocyanin is a highly valued pigment present in Spirulina platensis biomass with applications in the food industry in terms of biorefinery concepts; specifically, its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity are an advantage that could be incorporated into a food matrix. This study aims to use rice husk as an alternative culture medium for S. platensis biomass growth and phycocyanin extraction by ohmic heating processing using a 3D-printed reactor. S. platensis was cultivated in rice husk extract (RHE) from 0–100% (v/v). The highest content of microalgal biomass was 1.75 ± 0.01 g/L, with a specific growth rate of 0.125 ± 0.01 h⁻¹. For the phycocyanin extraction under an ohmic heating process, a 3D-printed reactor was designed and built. To optimize phycocyanin extraction, a central composite rotatable design (CCDR) was evaluated, with three factors: time (min), temperature (°C), and pH. The highest phycocyanin content was 75.80 ± 0.98 mg/g in S. platensis biomass grown with rice husk extract. Ohmic heating is a promising method for rapid phycocyanin extraction, and rice husk as a culture medium is an alternative for the growth of S. platensis biomass in the integration of second- and third-generation biorefineries. Full article

In the DC-6 GHz band, low-insertion-loss packaging materials were investigated to effectively reduce the heat generated during the working process of the attenuation chip. Based on the working principle of the attenuation chip, when the signal passes through the attenuation chip resistor network, it results in energy loss. This means that the insertion loss of the chip generates heat, which leads to an uneven heat dissipation of the chip and thus functional failure. The microwave characteristics of the packaged joints were investigated using different packaging techniques. The results show that the S21 and S11 of the attenuation chip after nano-silver and Au80Sn20 packaging are optimal in the frequency band of DC-6 GHz, and the insertion loss is low compared with the commonly used packaging materials Sn60Pb40 and Sn96.5Ag3.5, which reduces the heat loss and improves the reliability of the attenuation chip packaging. Full article

Due to the significant price differences among different types of edible oils, expensive oils like olive oil are often blended with cheaper edible oils. This practice of adulteration in edible oils, aimed at increasing profits for producers, poses a major concern for consumers. Furthermore, adulteration in edible oils can lead to various health issues impacting consumer well-being. In order to meet the requirements of fast, non-destructive, universal, accurate, and reliable quality testing for edible oil, the oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) method combined with machine learning algorithms was introduced to detect a variety of edible oils. The prediction accuracy of Gradient Boosting, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Random Forest models all exceeded 95%. Moreover, the contribution rates of the OIRD signal, DC signal, and fundamental frequency signal to the classification results were 45.7%, 34.1%, and 20.2%, respectively. In a quality evaluation experiment on olive oil, the feature importance scores of three signals reached 63.4%, 18.9%, and 17.6%. The results suggested that the feature importance score of the OIRD signal was significantly higher than that of the DC and fundamental frequency signals. The experimental results indicate that the OIRD method can serve as a powerful tool for detecting edible oils. Full article

In the great majority of cases, the design of resonant photoacoustic cells is based on the use of resonators excited at the frequencies of their main resonances. This work presents a solution in which the use of a multi-cavity structure with the appropriate selection of the mechanical parameters of the cavities and the interconnecting ducts allows for the shaping of the frequency response of the cell. Such solutions may be particularly useful when the purpose of the designed cells is operation at multiple frequencies, e.g., in applications with the simultaneous detection of multiple gaseous compounds. The concept is tested with cells made using 3D printing technology. The measured frequency responses of the tested cells show very good agreement with the simulation results. This allows for an approach in which the development of a cell with the desired frequency response can be initially based on modeling, without the need for the time-consuming and expensive process of manufacturing and measuring numerous modifications of the cell. Full article

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a pressing challenge in clinical practice, mainly due to the development of resistance to multiple antibiotics, including colistin, one of the last-resort treatments. This review highlights all the possible mechanisms of colistin resistance and the genetic basis contributing to this resistance, such as modifications to lipopolysaccharide or lipid A structures, alterations in outer membrane permeability via porins and heteroresistance. In light of this escalating threat, the review also evaluates available treatment options. The development of new antibiotics (cefiderocol, sulbactam/durlobactam) although not available everywhere, and the use of various combinations and synergistic drug combinations (including two or more of the following: a polymyxin, ampicillin/sulbactam, carbapenems, fosfomycin, tigecycline/minocycline, a rifamycin, and aminoglycosides) are discussed in the context of overcoming colistin resistance of A. baumannii infections. Although most studied combinations are polymyxin-based combinations, non-polymyxin-based combinations have been emerging as promising options. However, clinical data remain limited and continued investigation is essential to determine optimal therapeutic strategies against colistin-resistant A. baumannii. Full article

A type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a dangerous condition requiring emergency surgery. Due to the similarity of the symptoms of cerebral malperfusion in TAAD and the signs of ischemic stroke, a differential diagnosis of these diseases is not always available. Patients with TAAD after cerebral malperfusion can have a neurological deficit. Thrombolysis is performed in this case. It can worsen the patient’s condition and increase the risk of mortality and disability. The aim of the study is to evaluate the new approach to restoring cerebral perfusion during aortic dissection. This approach includes endovascular recanalization and carotid stenting. Methods: Two clinical cases of TAAD complicated by cerebral malperfusion are described. The first patient is 73 years old and was admitted as planned to perform transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for grade III aortic stenosis. The patient underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on the second day after admission. The second patient is 60 years old and was hospitalized by an ambulance with strong hypertension and ischemia. The surgical correction of aortic dissection was postponed until the neurological status assessment in both patients. Results: The surgery to correct the aorta dissection was deemed inappropriate. The carotid arteries have been reanalyzed, and cerebral perfusion has been restored in a short time in both patients. Conclusion: Acute bilateral internal carotid occlusion is a potentially fatal TAAD outcome. Emergency endovascular recanalization and carotid stenting may be considered one of the few ways to restore cerebral perfusion. Full article

In this work, large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) computational simulations were performed in order to explore the sliding contact responses of rough surfaces with hexadecane lubricant and added nanoparticles. Simulation results revealed that the frictional state was dependent on the fluid, nanoparticle, and surface roughness. Three lubricating conditions were compared based on considerations of different amounts of fluid molecules. The lubricant was not able to separate the frictional contact surfaces if the quantity of lubricant molecules was insufficient. Particularly, there were no lubricating contributions when the amount of lubricant was too low, and the lubricant therefore only filled the pits in the surface roughness. Thus, the normal load was primarily supported by the contact between the two surfaces and nanoparticles, leading to significant surface morphology changes. In contrast, the frictional contact surfaces were able to be completely separated by the lubricant when there was a sufficient amount of fluid, and a very good lubricating effect could thus be achieved, resulting in a smaller friction force. In addition, the changes in surface morphology, contact area, and RMS are discussed in this paper, in order to reveal the dynamic frictional process. Full article

Effective requirement collection and prioritization are paramount within the inherently distributed nature of the Internet of Things (IoT) application. Current methods typically categorize IoT application requirements subjectively into inessential, desirable, and mandatory groups. This often leads to prioritization challenges, especially when dealing with requirements of equal importance and when the number of requirements grows. This increases the complexity of the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) to O(n2) dimensions. This research introduces a novel framework that integrates an enhanced AHP with an advanced grouping model to address these issues. This integrated approach mitigates the subjectivity found in traditional grouping methods and efficiently manages larger sets of requirements. The framework consists of two main modules: the Pre-processing Module and the Prioritization Module. The latter includes three units: the Grouping Processing Unit (GPU) for initial classification using a new grouping approach, the Review Processing Unit (RPU) for post-grouping assessment, and the AHP Processing Unit (APU) for final prioritization. This framework is evaluated through a detailed case study, demonstrating its ability to effectively streamline requirement prioritization in IoT applications, thereby enhancing design quality and operational efficiency. Full article

Few post-graduate training programs offer a comprehensive curriculum that includes structured clinical experiences to teach interprofessional care. To address this need, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Academic Affiliations funded the Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education (CoEPCE) from 2011–2019 to provide interprofessional curricula for health profession trainees (HPTs), including physician residents, nurse practitioner residents, pharmacy residents, and psychology residents. We examined changes over time in curricular domains, system impacts, and program practices based on HPT survey data and the qualitative evaluation of narrative feedback. An annual survey was administered to participants. Indirect standardized ratios were calculated for interprofessional professional education (IPE) program domains, system impacts, and program practices. Qualitative responses were coded based on curricular domains and key program components. The study cohort included 369 HPTs. Site and profession standardized indirect ratios across all professions indicated improvements in curricular domains, system impacts, and program practices, with significant differences observed for associated health HPTs as compared to other HPTs for performance improvement. Qualitative data indicated that profession was associated with differences in perceptions of the curriculum. Although improvements occurred over time, our findings support the need for the thoughtful consideration of profession-specific identity characteristics when designing interprofessional curricula. Full article

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a prominent viral pathogen that adversely affects tomato plants. Effective strategies for mitigating the impact of TYLCV include isolating tomato plants from the whitefly, which is the vector of the virus, and utilizing transgenic lines that are resistant to the virus. In our preliminary investigations, we observed that the use of growth retardants increased the rate of TYLCV infection and intensified the damage to the tomato plants, suggesting a potential involvement of gibberellic acid (GA) in the conferring of resistance to TYLCV. In this study, we employed an infectious clone of TYLCV to inoculate tomato plants, which resulted in leaf curling and growth inhibition. Remarkably, this inoculation also led to the accumulation of GA₃ and several other phytohormones. Subsequent treatment with GA₃ effectively alleviated the TYLCV-induced leaf curling and growth inhibition, reduced TYLCV abundance in the leaves, enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and lowered the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the leaves. Conversely, the treatment with PP333 exacerbated TYLCV-induced leaf curling and growth suppression, increased TYLCV abundance, decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, and elevated ROS levels in the leaves. The analysis of the gene expression profiles revealed that GA₃ up-regulated the genes associated with disease resistance, such as WRKYs, NACs, MYBs, Cyt P450s, and ERFs, while it down-regulated the DELLA protein, a key agent in GA signaling. In contrast, PP333 induced gene expression changes that were the opposite of those caused by the GA₃ treatment. These findings suggest that GA plays an essential role in the tomato’s defense response against TYLCV and acts as a positive regulator of ROS scavenging and the expression of resistance-related genes. Full article

This review paper investigates the landscape of wildfire-related studies with a focus on infrastructure and evacuations across Canadian provinces, revealing a predominant focus on Alberta, particularly after the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. The aftermath of this event has heightened attention to the unique challenges faced during evacuations, emphasizing the urgent need for heightened awareness and preparedness, especially in the vulnerable northern communities of Alberta. Studies beyond Alberta contribute to understanding Canadian wildfire dynamics. However, a noticeable research gap in British Columbia raises concerns about research prioritization and resource allocation despite heightened wildfire activity. The fact that some provinces are contributing less than 4.2%, such as Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and the Prairies, might be attributed to regional variations influenced by historical wildfire frequency and population density. Thematic analysis categorizing studies into “community support/resilience”, “evacuation efficiency”, and “infrastructure protection/raising awareness” provides nuanced insights. The dominance of the “community support/resilience” category, comprising over 40% of studies, signifies a societal shift towards proactive community engagement. Balanced representation in the “evacuation efficiency” and “infrastructure protection/raising awareness” categories, each contributing over 29%, reflects a collective effort to glean lessons from past evacuations and enhance community preparedness. Temporal trends and thematic analyses spotlight a commitment to continuous improvement, adaptability to emerging challenges, and a growing recognition of the multifaceted aspects of wildfire management. The evolving emphasis on community involvement, responsiveness to changing evacuation dynamics, and heightened awareness of infrastructure protection underscores the proactive stance of the research community, providing insights for shaping future research priorities, policy frameworks, and community resilience strategies in the face of evolving wildfire threats in Canada. Full article

Shoulder arthroplasty has significantly gained popularity in orthopedic surgery, driven by progress in prosthesis design and surgical techniques. This study explored the epidemiology of shoulder arthroplasty, analyzing healthcare data from 2012 to 2022 for primary osteoarthritis of the shoulder. The data included patient demographics and types of surgical procedures. Data analysis indicates a higher utilization rate of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA; n = 41,251) over total- (TSA; n = 18,679) and hemiarthroplasty (HSA; n = 12,827) for primary shoulder osteoarthritis. Overall, a significant increase in RTSA procedures from n = 2237 (2012) to n = 5415 (2022) was observed, representing more than a two-fold increase of 121.1%. The relative proportion of RTSA among all types of shoulder arthroplasty increased from 39% (2012) to 68.6% (2022), while HSA decreased and TSA essentially remained constant. Age analysis identified the following peaks: RTSA, 77 ± 7 y; HSA, 68 ± 12 y; and TSA, 67 ± 10 y. Among the over 60s, significantly more women were treated with any type of prosthesis, whereas in young patients (45 to 59 y), more men received HSA or TSA. Our study confirms that RTSA has become the preferred choice for elderly patients in Germany, reflecting the prevailing preference despite varying patient ages and conditions, with a noted difference in sex in treatment prevalence. Full article

People living with HIV (PLWH) face a growing burden of chronic diseases, owing to the combinations of aging, environmental triggers, lifestyle choices, and virus-induced chronic inflammation. The rising incidence of pulmonary vascular diseases represents a major concern for PLWH. The study of HIV-associated pulmonary vascular complications ideally requires a strong understanding of pulmonary vascular cell biology and HIV pathogenesis at the molecular level for effective applications in infectious diseases and vascular medicine. Active HIV infection and/or HIV proteins disturb the delicate balance between vascular tone and constriction, which is pivotal for maintaining pulmonary vascular health. One of the defining features of HIV is its high genetic diversity owing to several factors including its high mutation rate, recombination between viral strains, immune selective pressures, or even geographical factors. The intrinsic HIV genetic diversity has several important implications for pathogenic outcomes of infection and the overall battle to combat HIV. Challenges in the field present themselves from two sides of the same coin: those imposed by the virus itself and those stemming from the host. The field may be advanced by further developing in vivo and in vitro models that are well described for both pulmonary vascular diseases and HIV for mechanistic studies. In essence, the study of HIV-associated pulmonary vascular complications requires a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon insights from both infectious diseases and vascular medicine. In this review article, we discuss the fundamentals of HIV virology and their impact on pulmonary disease, aiming to enhance the understanding of either area or both simultaneously. Bridging the gap between preclinical research findings and clinical practice is essential for improving patient care. Addressing these knowledge gaps requires interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative research approaches, and dedicated efforts to prioritize HIV-related pulmonary complications on the global research agenda. Full article

Understanding the emotional states of animals is a long-standing research endeavour that has clear applications in animal welfare. Vocalisations are emerging as a promising way to assess both positive and negative emotional states. However, the vocal expression of emotions in birds is a relatively unexplored research area. The goal of this study was to develop an interactive feeding system that would elicit positive and negative emotional states, and collect recordings of the vocal expression of these emotions without human interference. In this paper, the mechatronic design and development of the feeder is described. Design choices were motivated by the desire for the hens to voluntarily interact with the feeder and experience the different stimuli that were designed to induce (1) positive low-arousal, (2) positive high-arousal, (3) negative low-arousal, and (4) negative high-arousal states. The results showed that hens were motivated to engage with the feeder despite the risk of receiving negative stimuli and that this motivation was sustained for at least 1 week. The potential of using the interactive feeder to analyse chicken vocalisations related to emotional valence and arousal is being explored, offering a novel proof of concept in animal welfare research. Preliminary findings suggest that hens vocalised in response to all four stimulus types, with the number of vocalisations, but not the probability of vocalising, distinguishing between low- and high-arousal states. Thus, the proposed animal–computer interaction design has potential to be used as an enrichment device and for future experiments on vocal emotions in birds. Full article

Context modeling has always been the groundwork for the dialogue response generation task, yet it presents challenges due to the loose context relations among open-domain dialogue sentences. Introducing simulated dialogue futures has been proposed as a solution to mitigate the problem of low history–response relevance. However, these approaches simply assume that the history and future of a dialogue have the same effect on response generation. In reality, the coherence between dialogue sentences varies, and thus, history and the future are not uniformly helpful in response prediction. Consequently, determining and leveraging the relevance between history–response and response–future to aid in response prediction emerges as a pivotal concern. This paper addresses this concern by initially establishing three context relations of response and its context (history and future), reflecting the relevance between the response and preceding and following sentences. Subsequently, we annotate response contextual relation labels on a large-scale dataset, DailyDialog (DD). Leveraging these relation labels, we propose a response generation model that adaptively integrates contributions from preceding and succeeding sentences guided by explicit relation labels. This approach mitigates the impact in cases of lower relevance and amplifies contributions in cases of higher relevance, thus improving the capability of context modeling. Experimental results on public dataset DD demonstrate that our response generation model significantly enhances coherence by 3.02% in long sequences (4-gram) and augments bi-gram diversity by 17.67%, surpassing the performance of previous models. Full article

Benign and malignant mediastinal lesions are not infrequently encountered in clinical practice. Mediastinoscopy has long been considered the gold standard in evaluating mediastinal pathology. Since its introduction into clinical practice, endobronchial-ultrasonography-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has replaced mediastinoscopy as the initial procedure of choice to evaluate mediastinal lesions and to stage lung cancer. Its diagnostic yield in benign mediastinal lesions and less common malignancies, however, has remained limited. This has led different proceduralists to investigate additional procedures to improve the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA. In recent years, different published reports concluded that the addition of EBUS-guided intranodal forceps biopsy (IFB) and transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) to EBUS-TBNA increases the diagnostic yield especially in benign mediastinal lesions and uncommon mediastinal malignancies. The purpose of this review is to describe how EBUS-IFB and EBUS-TBCB are performed, to compare their diagnostic yields, and to discuss their limitations and their potential complications. In addition, the review will conclude with a proposed algorithm on how to incorporate EBUS-IFB and EBUS-TBCB into clinical practice. Full article

Introduction: This paper explores the potential influence of a single nucleotide variant in the ANK-2 gene on COVID-19 myocarditis-related ventricular tachycardia. Case Description: A 53-year-old female with a history of Crohn’s disease and asthma developed COVID-19. Shortly after infection, she experienced symptoms of chest pressure, palpitations, and shortness of breath, leading to the eventual diagnosis of myocarditis complicated by recurrent ventricular tachycardia. Treatment with mechanistically driven anti-arrhythmic therapy and beta-blockers suppressed this highly symptomatic ventricular tachycardia. Genetic testing to further risk stratify and influence long term care identified a single nucleotide variant in the ANK-2 gene, which is known to be associated with arrhythmic risk. Discussion: This case study highlights the use of rationally selected anti-arrhythmic therapy, mexiletine, in the management of ventricular tachycardia associated with COVID-19 myocarditis and the presence of a single nucleotide variant in ANK-2, raising the possibility of its contribution to VT susceptibility and severity. Our patient demonstrated significant improvement with administered therapeutics, including the resolution of myocarditis and ventricular tachycardia. The normalization of the QT interval during the resolution phase further supports the potential influence of the genetic variant in ANK-2 on potassium channel activity. Full article

Stress distribution and its magnitude during loading heavily influence the osseointegration of dental implants. Currently, no high-resolution, three-dimensional method of directly measuring these biomechanical processes in the peri-implant bone is available. The aim of this study was to measure the influence of different implant materials on stress distribution in the peri-implant bone. Using the three-dimensional ARAMIS camera system, surface strain in the peri-implant bone area was compared under simulated masticatory forces of 300 N in axial and non-axial directions for titanium implants and zirconia implants. The investigated titanium implants led to a more homogeneous stress distribution than the investigated zirconia implants. Non-axial forces led to greater surface strain on the peri-implant bone than axial forces. Thus, the implant material, implant system, and direction of force could have a significant influence on biomechanical processes and osseointegration within the peri-implant bone. Full article

The determination of misconceptions among students is a prerequisite to driving conceptual, procedural, and attitudinal changes. This study aimed to investigate the causes and effects that misconceptions generate in the learning of natural sciences, as well as the basic categories of misconceptions in the learning of physics held by high school students. Under the PRISMA guidelines, the research consisted of a systematic literature review in three databases: Scopus, WoS, and Dimensions. Data visualization and analysis were supported by the following tools: VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and ATLAS.ti. It was concluded that misconceptions do not solely depend on students’ behavior; teacher training and preparation also have a direct influence on this issue. The main factors include persistent use of the didactic model of transmission–reception, the influences of students’ daily experiences, decontextualization of the addressed content, limited development of research skills, usage of inadequate teaching methods, texts full of formulas, and exaggerated schemas. Physics stands out as the most studied discipline, in terms of misconceptions. Several topics were identified that contained misconceptions grouped into four main subject areas: thermodynamics, waves and sound, mechanics, and radiation and light. Full article

The aim of this study was to examine the long-term prognostic value of changes in the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) within a year after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods. Patients with coronary artery disease (n = 251) in whom CAVI was assessed using the VaSera VS-1000 device before and one year after CABG. Groups with improved CAVI or worsened CAVI were identified. We assessed the following events at follow-up: all-causes death, myocardial infarction, and stroke/transient ischemic attack. Results. All-causes death was significantly more common in the group with worsened CAVI (27.6%) than in the group with CAVI improvement (14.8%; p = 0.029). Patients with worsened CAVI were more likely to have MACE, accounting for 42.2% cases, compared with patients with CAVI improvement, who accounted for 24.5%; p = 0.008. Worsened CAVI (p = 0.024), number of shunts (p = 0.006), and the presence of carotid stenosis (p = 0.051) were independent predictors of death from all causes at 10-year follow-up after CABG. The presence of carotid stenosis (p = 0.002) and the group with worsened CAVI after a year (p = 0.008) were independent predictors of the development of the combined endpoint during long-term follow-up. Conclusions. Patients with worsening CAVI one year after CABG have a poorer prognosis at long-term follow-up than patients with improved CAVI. Future research would be useful to identify the most effective interventions to improve CAVI and correspondingly improve prognosis. Full article

Clinical trials of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children have important implications for the early identification and management of CKD. The selection of clinical trial outcomes is critical for assessing the effectiveness of interventions in pediatric CKD clinical trials. This review systematically examines the spectrum of outcome measures deployed in pediatric CKD clinical trials, which includes clinical and alternative outcomes, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and safety indicators. Alternative outcome measures were stratified into four levels of evidence strength: convincing, probable, suggestive, and inconclusive. Consequently, the selection of outcome measures for pediatric CKD clinical trials mandates careful consideration of both their methodological feasibility and the robustness of their evidence base. Moreover, the burgeoning field of PROMs warrants integration into the design of future pediatric clinical trials to enrich the relevance and impact of research findings. Full article