Mining Google Trends data for nowcasting and forecasting colorectal cancer (CRC) prevalence.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and second most lethal form of cancer in the world. Consequently, CRC cancer prevalence projections are essential for assessing the future burden of the disease, planning resource allocation, and developing service delivery strategies, as well as for grasping the shifting environment of cancer risk factors. However, unlike cancer incidence and mortality rates, national and international agencies do not routinely issue projections for cancer prevalence.

Imaging system aberrations through optical windows with nonuniform laser heating.

An optical window is a critical component of an imaging system. When operating in harsh environments with extreme heating, nonuniform temperature changes occur throughout the window and cause nonuniform refractive index changes and mechanical deformations due to thermal expansion, which can degrade the imaging system's performance. In this paper, we present results collected from an experimental setup developed to characterize these aberrations.

Infodemiological study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on increased headache incidences at the world level.

The analysis of the public interest as reflected by Internet queries has become a highly valuable tool in many fields. The Google Trends platform, providing timely and informative data, has become increasingly popular in health and medical studies. This study explores whether Internet search frequencies for the keyword "headache" have been increasing after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, which could signal an increased incidence of the health problem.

Inside-out Ultraviolet-C Sterilization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm In Vitro.

Biofilms are difficult to eradicate due to a protective architecture and create major challenges in patient care by diminishing both host immune response and therapeutic approaches. This study investigated a new strategy for treating surface-attached biofilms by delivering germicidal UV through a material surface in a process referred to as "inside-out sterilization" (IOS). Mature Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853 ) biofilms were irradiated with up to 1400 mJ cm of germicidal UV from both ambient and IOS configurations.

Preliminary development of a fiber optic sensor for measuring bilirubin.

Preliminary development of a fiber optic bilirubin sensor is described, where an unclad sensing portion is used to provide evanescent wave interaction of the transmitted light with the chemical environment. By using a wavelength corresponding to a bilirubin absorption peak, the Beer-Lambert Law can be used to relate the concentration of bilirubin surrounding the sensing portion to the amount of absorbed light. Initial testing in vitro suggests that the sensor response is consistent with the results of bulk absorption measurements as well as the Beer-Lambert Law.