Permutation Entropy: An Ordinal Pattern-Based Resilience Indicator for Industrial Equipment.

In a highly dynamic and complex environment where risks and uncertainties are inevitable, the ability of a system to quickly recover from disturbances and maintain optimal performance is crucial for ensuring operational continuity and efficiency. In this context, resilience has become an increasingly important topic in the field of engineering and the management of productive systems. However, there is no single quantitative indicator of resilience that allows for the measurement of this characteristic in a productive system.

Sandy beach macrofauna along the shore of Fiji: Low species richness due to beach morphodynamics or low productivity in coastal waters?

Six sandy beaches located on the south coast of Viti-Levu, Fiji, were sampled to provide as a first aim, an environmental description based upon their physical and biological attributes, to serve as a reference tool for further monitoring programs. Beach face slopes were measured at 4 replicated transects stretching from the front dunes or the seaward reach of the tree vegetation (upper shore level) to the low tide level. Samples for analyses of sand particle size were collected at 4 tidal levels: the upper shore, the drift and effluent lines, and the low tide level.

Effect of Grain Size and Porosity/Binder Index on the Unconfined Compressive Strength, Stiffness and Microstructure of Cemented Colombian Sands.

Artificial cementation of granular soils results in improved stabilization, increased stiffness, and greater mechanical strength. The porosity index and volumetric cement content η/Civa is presented as a key measure to study the evolution of different soil stabilization types. However, this index had not been previously studied or adjusted for sands in Colombia.

Swallowing during provision of helmet ventilation: Review and provisional multidisciplinary guidance.

Use of noninvasive ventilation provided by a helmet increased globally during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach may reduce need for intubation and its associated clinical complications in critically ill patients. Use of helmet interface minimizes virus aerosolization while enabling verbal communication, oral feeding and coughing/expectoration of secretions during its administration.

Swallowing Safety after Remote sub-total Esophagectomy: How Important is Tongue Pressure?

The factors related to oropharyngeal dysphagia after remote esophagectomy (greater than five months) remain unclear. This study aimed to assess patient perception of dysphagia, maximum anterior isometric pressure (MAIP), maximum posterior isometric pressure (MPIP), lingual swallowing pressure (LSP) and radiographic physiological components of the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing in patients who are post remote sub-total esophagectomy (SE). Patient perception of dysphagia was assessed using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10).

An enhancer-AAV toolbox to target and manipulate distinct interneuron subtypes.

In recent years, we and others have identified a number of enhancers that, when incorporated into rAAV vectors, can restrict the transgene expression to particular neuronal populations. Yet, viral tools to access and manipulate fine neuronal subtypes are still limited. Here, we performed systematic analysis of single cell genomic data to identify enhancer candidates for each of the cortical interneuron subtypes.

Nutrient enrichment and herbivory alter carbon balance in temperate seagrass communities.

Large nutrient levels and herbivory stress, particularly when acting together, drive a variety of responses in seagrass communities that ultimately may weaken their carbon balance. An in situ three-months experiment was carried out in two contrasting seasons to address the effects of two levels of nutrient load and three levels of artificial clipping on Cymodocea nodosa plants. Nutrient enrichment shifted the community from autotrophic to heterotrophic and reduced DOC fluxes in winter, whereas enhanced community carbon metabolism and DOC fluxes in summer.

DengueSeq: a pan-serotype whole genome amplicon sequencing protocol for dengue virus.

Background: The increasing burden of dengue virus on public health due to more explosive and frequent outbreaks highlights the need for improved surveillance and control. Genomic surveillance of dengue virus not only provides important insights into the emergence and spread of genetically diverse serotypes and genotypes, but it is also critical to monitor the effectiveness of newly implemented control strategies. Here, we present DengueSeq, an amplicon sequencing protocol, which enables whole-genome sequencing of all four dengue virus serotypes.

Patch age alters seagrass response mechanisms to herbivory damage.

Natural disturbances can produce a mosaic of seagrass patches of different ages, which may affect the response to herbivory. These pressures can have consequences for plant performance. To assess how seagrass patch age affects the response to herbivory, we simulated the effect of herbivory by clipping leaves of Halodule wrightii in patches of 2, 4 and 6 years.

Students' perceptions and experiences of an online well-being programme: a phenomenological study protocol.

Background: The pandemic has ensued challenges across all sections of the human population such as livelihood and educational changes, which involve the abrupt shift to online learning, immensely affecting the students' well-being. Negative health consequences of e-learning among students stem from the increased demand for new technological skills, productivity, information overload and restriction of students to spend time with their peers.

Objective: To explore the experiences of the students from the University of Santo Tomas-College of Rehabilitation Sciences (UST-CRS) who participated in the online well-being programme.

Contribution of Wireless Wi-Fi Intraoral Cameras to the Assessment of Swallowing Safety and Efficiency.

Background: Clinical evaluation of swallowing provides important clinical information but is limited in detecting penetration, aspiration, and pharyngeal residue in patients with suspected dysphagia. Although this is an old problem, there remains limited access to low-cost methods to evaluate swallowing safety and efficiency.

Purpose: The purpose of this technical report is to describe the experience of a single center that recently began using a wireless Wi-Fi intraoral camera for transoral endoscopic procedures as an adjunct to clinical swallowing evaluation.

Ziv-aflibercept plus pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma resistant to anti-PD-1 treatment.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor is associated with reduced immune response and impaired anti-tumor activity. Combining antiangiogenic agents with immune checkpoint inhibition can overcome this immune suppression and enhance treatment efficacy.

Methods: This study investigated the combination of ziv-aflibercept anti-angiogenic therapy with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma resistant to anti-PD-1 treatment.

Respiratory support effect on pharyngeal area in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A fluoroscopic comparison of NIV, helmet/CPAP, and high-flow nasal cannula.

The global use of noninvasive respiratory support provided by different supportive ventilation delivery methods (SVDMs) has increased, but the impact of these devices on the upper airway structures of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not known. We aimed to compare the pharyngeal cross-sectional area during spontaneous breathing with four different SVDMs: intranasal masks, oronasal masks, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), and helmet in patients with ALS. We compared measures of the pharyngeal area during spontaneous breathing and SVDM use.

Perceptions of academic staff and students of senior high school in implementing game-based exercises in physical education classes-a research protocol for a qualitative descriptive study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on both physical activity and fitness as several pursuits and activities have been restricted. Coupled with this, increased food intake and sedentary lifestyles have produced poor physical health outcomes. Online physical education classes have been more difficult to conduct given the limitations of the setup.

Cortical reactivations predict future sensory responses.

Many theories of offline memory consolidation posit that the pattern of neurons activated during a salient sensory experience will be faithfully reactivated, thereby stabilizing the pattern. However, sensory-evoked patterns are not stable but, instead, drift across repeated experiences. Here, to investigate the relationship between reactivations and the drift of sensory representations, we imaged the calcium activity of thousands of excitatory neurons in the mouse lateral visual cortex.

DengueSeq: A pan-serotype whole genome amplicon sequencing protocol for dengue virus.

Background: The increasing burden of dengue virus on public health due to more explosive and frequent outbreaks highlights the need for improved surveillance and control. Genomic surveillance of dengue virus not only provides important insights into the emergence and spread of genetically diverse serotypes and genotypes, but it is also critical to monitor the effectiveness of newly implemented control strategies. Here, we present DengueSeq, an amplicon sequencing protocol, which enables whole-genome sequencing of all four dengue virus serotypes.

[Outcomes of pulmonary vein electrical isolation in patients younger than and older than 70 years].

Introduction And Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of contemporary cohorts of patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), stratified by age (< 70 years and ≥ 70 years).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent catheter ablation for refractory AF. The minimum follow-up duration per patient was 12 months.

Cross-country analysis of national mental health investment case studies in sub-Saharan Africa and Central, South and South-East Asia.

Introduction: Despite the increasing interest in and political commitment to mental health service development in many regions of the world, there remains a very low level of financial commitment and corresponding investment. Assessment of the projected costs and benefits of scaling up the delivery of effective mental health interventions can help to promote, inform and guide greater investment in public mental health.

Methods: A series of national mental health investment case studies were carried out (in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Philippines, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe), using standardized guidance developed by WHO and UNDP and implemented by a multi-disciplinary team.

Co-Expression of Immunohistochemical Markers MRP2, CXCR4, and PD-L1 in Gallbladder Tumors Is Associated with Prolonged Patient Survival.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare pathology in Western countries. However, it constitutes a relevant health problem in Asia and Latin America, with a high mortality in middle-aged Chilean women. The limited therapeutic options for GBC require the identification of targetable proteins with prognostic value for improving clinical management support.

Characteristics of cerebral venous thrombosis in patients from two university hospitals in Colombia between 2018-2020.

Introduction: Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon cause of cerebrovascular disease, which has been increasing worldwide. In Colombia, there are not enough recent studies that allow us to determine epidemiological characteristics of the disease in our population to identify more frequent risk factors and complications according to our living conditions.

Objetive: To describe clinical, demographic, and radiographic characteristics, and risk factors in a cohort of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis attended at two hospitals in Colombia.