Semantic Memory Space Becomes Denser with Age.

Semantic memory, a repository for concepts and factual information, plays a vital role in acquiring and retrieving knowledge. This study explores the impact of age-related knowledge accumulation on semantic cognition, investigating whether a denser representational space affects retrieval processes. Using a semantic feature verification task, we employ both behavioral (reaction time; RT) and neurophysiological (event-related potential; ERP) measures to explore these dynamics across young and older adults.

Correction: Aslam et al. pH Sensitive Pluronic Acid/Agarose-Hydrogels as Controlled Drug Delivery Carriers: Design, Characterization and Toxicity Evaluation. 2022, , 1218.

[...

Morphological, Physiological, and Molecular Responses to Heat Stress in Brassicaceae.

Food security is threatened by global warming, which also affects agricultural output. Various components of cells perceive elevated temperatures. Different signaling pathways in plants distinguish between the two types of temperature increases, mild warm temperatures and extremely hot temperatures.

Using artificial intelligence to optimize anti-seizure treatment and EEG-guided decisions in severe brain injury.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is invaluable in the management of acute neurological emergencies. Characteristic EEG changes have been identified in diverse neurologic conditions including stroke, trauma, and anoxia, and the increased utilization of continuous EEG (cEEG) has identified potentially harmful activity even in patients without overt clinical signs or neurologic diagnoses. Manual annotation by expert neurophysiologists is a major resource limitation in investigating the prognostic and therapeutic implications of these EEG patterns and in expanding EEG use to a broader set of patients who are likely to benefit.

Computational design of multi-epitope vaccine against Hepatitis C Virus infection using immunoinformatics techniques.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a blood borne pathogen that affects around 200 million individuals worldwide. Immunizations against the Hepatitis C Virus are intended to enhance T-cell responses and have been identified as a crucial component of successful antiviral therapy. Nevertheless, attempts to mediate clinically relevant anti-HCV activity in people have mainly failed, despite the vaccines present satisfactory progress.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of rationally designed pyrazoles as insecticidal agents.

The current research focused on the synthesis of two series of pyrazole derivatives and evaluation of their insecticidal effectiveness. In the first series, seven pyrazole Schiff bases 3a-g were successfully synthesized with yields (79-95%) by condensing phenylfuran-2-carbaldehyde with substituted pyrazole rings. In the second series, eleven amino acid-pyrazole conjugates 6a-k were synthesized utilizing acetic acid, sulfuric acid, morpholine, and EDC.

Consolidated Newborn Bloodspot Screening Efforts in Developing Countries in the Asia Pacific-2024.

Approximately half of all births globally occur in the Asia Pacific Region. Concerted efforts to support local activities aimed at developing national newborn screening (NBS) have been ongoing for almost 30 years, first by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and then through volunteer efforts. Sustainable newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) continues to be initiated and develop in many of the countries with developing economies in the region.

Numerical study on the prediction of oil recovery rates in unconventional reservoirs at high temperatures using ecologically friendly hybrid nanofluids.

Although oil extraction is indispensable for meeting worldwide energy demands and ensuring industrial sustainability, various hazards are observed. Therefore, this study examined the chemical oil recovery-related environmental consequences concerning water, soil, ecosystem, and human health damages. A numerical analysis explored the mathematical model for oil extraction from unconventional sources by utilising 3D porous prism geometries under high-temperature conditions.

Klebsiella pneumoniae employs a type VI secretion system to overcome microbiota-mediated colonization resistance.

Microbial species must compete for space and nutrients to persist in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and our understanding of the complex pathobiont-microbiota interactions is far from complete. Klebsiella pneumoniae, a problematic, often drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen, can colonize the GI tract asymptomatically, serving as an infection reservoir. To provide insight on how K.

Determinants of school-going adolescent girls' health and nutritional status in district Malir, Karachi: a baseline cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Adolescence is a phase of life marked by rapid growth. Adequate nutrition is essential during this developmental stage, leading to significant physical performance, improved cognitive ability, and productivity. Improving adolescent girls' nutrition is crucial for breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, but research in Pakistan has largely focused on children under five and pregnant women, often neglecting this vulnerable group.

Automated extraction of post-stroke functional outcomes from unstructured electronic health records.

Purpose: Population level tracking of post-stroke functional outcomes is critical to guide interventions that reduce the burden of stroke-related disability. However, functional outcomes are often missing or documented in unstructured notes. We developed a natural language processing (NLP) model that reads electronic health records (EHR) notes to automatically determine the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

Geographic Variation in Racial Disparities in Age-Adjusted Mortality Rates in Mississippi.

Background: Racial disparities in mortality rates have been well-documented in the last century. Intersectionality theory has helped to identify the root causes of these health disparities. Few studies have examined disparities using the latest data for the state of Mississippi.

Multi-Institutional Analysis of Pancreatoduodenectomy for Nonfamilial Periampullary Adenoma: A Novel Risk Score to Guide Shared Decision-Making.

Introduction: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) may occasionally be indicated for complete removal of periampullary (duodenal and ampullary) adenomas (PAs). As compared with malignant indications, PD for benign or pre-malignant disease is often associated with increased morbidity. While the Spigelman classification assesses malignancy risk for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)-related duodenal adenomas, no malignancy risk score (MRS) exists for non-FAP related PAs.

Facile Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Insights into Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Catalysis.

Implementing a hydrogen economy on an industrial scale poses challenges, particularly in developing cost-effective and stable catalysts for water electrolysis. This study explores the catalytic potential of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) synthesized via a simple chemical bath deposition method for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The successful fabrication of Se-NPs on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes has been confirmed using a wide range of analytical tools like X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.

Assessment of Quality of Life in Mothers of Visually Impaired Children.

Objective: To assess the factors that affect mothers' quality of life (QOL) and the association of various demographic variables with QOL of the respondents.

Study Design: A cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of the Study: Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from April to September 2023.

Is the curriculum of transfusion medicine in MBBS aligned with practical needs: A point of view of fresh graduates.

Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the satisfaction level of doctors regarding their competence in the blood transfusion process and their reflection on training at the undergraduate level.

Background: Transfusion errors due to suboptimal knowledge and lack of training can lead to grave outcomes. Therefore, to optimize patient care, a thorough understanding of transfusion medicine basics is highly imperative for all medical graduates.

Aloperine Alleviates Atherosclerosis by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Macrophages and ApoE Mice.

Background And Aims: Atherosclerosis is a chronic cardiovascular disease which is regarded as one of the most common causes of death in the elderly. Recent evidence has shown that atherosclerotic patients can benefit by targeting interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Aloperine (ALO) is an alkaloid which is mainly isolated from L.

Disparities in Cancer Mortality Worldwide: A Novel Metric for Measuring Global Disparities and Prioritizing Cancer Control Efforts.

Purpose: Cancer incidence is rising worldwide and estimated to double by 2040. A systematic method of allocating resources and prioritizing cancer control efforts is needed. We aimed to develop and test a simple metric to quantify disparities in cancer mortality.

Screening for Financial Toxicity in Oncology Research and Practice: A Narrative Review.

Financial toxicity (FT) is now a well-recognized issue affecting many patients with cancer and their families. The field is rapidly moving from a focus on describing this problem to efforts to optimize screening and identify management solutions. There are now multiple validated tools to study FT in the research setting.

Tele-medicine and its impact on academic medical centers: A narrative review.

Telemedicine is a potential complementary modality with remarkable benefits for future healthcare delivery when incorporated appropriately. This review article examines the importance of telemedicine in various types of healthcare facilities and its utility in remote and underserved settings. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases were used for the literature review.

A comprehensive analysis of the impact of arsenic, fluoride, and nitrate-nitrite dynamics on groundwater quality and its health implications.

Groundwater contamination is a growing global concern. The objective of the present study is to assess the groundwater quality of Khairpur district, Sindh, Pakistan-a region which is emblematic of broad environmental and public health challenges prevalent in South Asian countries. The study also aims to comprehend the impact of arsenic (As), fluoride (F), and nitrate (NO) dynamics and its health implications.

HCV and HBV genotypes: vital in the progression of HCV/ HBV co-infection.

Background: Viral hepatitis is the major contributor to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies indicated that the co-infection of hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus also prompts liver damage progression. Therefore, in the present study, the prevalence of HCV-HBV co-infection and the impact of HCV-HBV co-infection on the progression of liver damage was evaluated amongst the HCV-infected patients in Pakistan.

Implementation of Brief Submaximal Cardiopulmonary Testing in a High-Volume Pre-surgical Evaluation Clinic: A feasibility study.

Background: Precise functional capacity assessment is a critical component for preoperative risk stratification. Brief submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (smCPET) has shown diagnostic utility in various cardiopulmonary conditions. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if smCPET could be implemented in a high-volume pre-surgical evaluation clinic, and, when compared to structured functional capacity surveys, if smCPET could better discriminate low functional capacity (<4.