Chemical Transformation of Vaping Emissions under Indoor Atmospheric Aging Processes.

E-cigarette emissions, which contain a variety of hazardous compounds, contribute significantly to indoor air pollution and raise concerns about secondhand exposure to vaping byproducts. Compared to fresh vape emissions, our understanding of chemically aged products in indoor environments remains incomplete. Terpenes are commonly used as flavoring agents in e-liquids, which have the ability to react with the dominant indoor oxidant ozone (O) to produce reactive oxygenated byproducts and result in new particle formation.

Taguchi-based optimisation of FSW parameters for advancement in aerospace materials: Al-Li 2060 alloy.

Aluminium-lithium (Al-Li) 2060 alloy, a 3rd generation Al-Li alloy, is considered a structural material for aircraft components. This study employs the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process with a kinematic 5-axis robotic arm to weld 4-mm-thick plates of 2060-T8E30 Al-Li alloy. The focus is on the impact of tool axial force and speeds on the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and surface integrity of the welded joints.

The Role of Pulmonary Metastasectomy for Non-Primary Lung Cancer: Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Background And Objectives: Due to heterogeneous characteristics of primary cancers, the efficacy of pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) in nonprimary lung cancers has not been investigated. This study aims to investigate the clinical outcomes of PM for non-primary lung cancer.

Methods: A systematic search for meta-analyses on PM for nonprimary lung cancers was conducted, encompassing publications up to January 3, 2024.

Altered gut microbiome in convalescent patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) alters the gut microbiome. This study aimed to assess the association between the disease severity of COVID-19 and changes in stool microbes through a seven-month follow-up of stool collection.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, prospective longitudinal study of 58 COVID-19 patients and 116 uninfected controls.

The Emaciation Disease: The Possibility of Non-Pathogenic Occurrence in Olive Flounder ().

Emaciation disease has directly affected the production of olive flounder-a major aquaculture species in Korea-since the 2000s. Various myxosporeans have been reported as its causative agents. In this study, we investigated the recent resurgence of emaciation on Jeju Island, considering not only myxosporean infections but also potential environmental factors.

Pyrolysis of Two Perfluoroalkanesulfonates (PFSAs) and PFSA-Laden Granular Activated Carbon (GAC): Decomposition Mechanisms and the Role of GAC.

Thermal treatment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) presents a promising opportunity to halt the PFAS cycle. However, how co-occurring materials such as granular activated carbon (GAC) influence thermal decomposition products of PFASs, and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We studied the pyrolysis of two potassium salts of perfluoroalkanesulfonates (PFSAs, CFSOK), perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS-K), and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS-K), with or without GAC.

Ocular Surface Disease and Dry Eye Severity in Glaucoma Patients at Urban Private Eye Care Centres in Malaysia.

Background: Ocular surface disease (OSD) severity varies among glaucoma patients and is exacerbated by intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medications.

Purpose: To determine OSD prevalence and dry eye severity among glaucoma patients at nine private clinics in Malaysia.

Methods: This multicentre, cross-sectional observational study recruited glaucoma patients undergoing routine eye examinations, with IOP ≤21mmHg receiving anti-glaucoma eye drops.

Θ-Net: A Deep Neural Network Architecture for the Resolution Enhancement of Phase-Modulated Optical Micrographs .

Optical microscopy is widely regarded to be an indispensable tool in healthcare and manufacturing quality control processes, although its inability to resolve structures separated by a lateral distance under ~200 nm has culminated in the emergence of a new field named , while this too is prone to several caveats (namely phototoxicity, interference caused by exogenous probes and cost). In this regard, we present a triplet string of concatenated O-Net ('bead') architectures (termed 'Θ-Net' in the present study) as a cost-efficient and non-invasive approach to enhancing the resolution of phase-modulated optical microscopical images . The quality of the afore-mentioned enhanced resolution (ER) images was compared with that obtained via other popular frameworks (such as ANNA-PALM, BSRGAN and 3D RCAN), with the Θ-Net-generated ER images depicting an increased level of detail (unlike previous DNNs).

Polystyrene microplastics induce activation and cell death of neutrophils through strong adherence and engulfment.

Ingested microplastics (MPs) can accumulate throughout whole body, which may induce the dysfunction of immune system. However, it remains unclear how MP exposure affects innate immune responses at the cellular level. We found that mouse neutrophils strongly bind and then engulf polystyrene MPs.

Oral administration enhances directly mucosal immune system in intestine of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

Aquaculture is notably vulnerable to diseases, with Edwardsiella tarda causing significant mortality across various commercially important fish species in both freshwater and marine environments. In the aquaculture industry, sustainable disease control hinges on the effective development of vaccines. Oral vaccines present an appealing approach to immunization in fish due to their ease of antigen administration, reduced stress compared to non-oral delivery methods, and their potential applicability to both small and large finfish species.

Deep neural networks integrating genomics and histopathological images for predicting stages and survival time-to-event in colon cancer.

Motivation: There exists an unexplained diverse variation within the predefined colon cancer stages using only features from either genomics or histopathological whole slide images as prognostic factors. Unraveling this variation will bring about improved staging and treatment outcomes. Hence, motivated by the advancement of Deep Neural Network (DNN) libraries and complementary factors within some genomics datasets, we aggregate atypia patterns in histopathological images with diverse carcinogenic expression from mRNA, miRNA and DNA methylation as an integrative input source into a deep neural network for colon cancer stages classification, and samples stratification into low or high-risk survival groups.

Double-bar technique for the correction of asymmetric pectus excavatum.

Background: Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) improves clinical outcomes and chest wall morphology. However, asymmetry in patients with pectus excavatum (PE) remains as an important issue, even after surgery. Here, we evaluated the benefit of double-bar technique in achieving a symmetric chest wall.

Recurrence-Free Survival after Postoperative Hormone Therapy for Catamenial Pneumothorax.

Background: Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is a rare form of spontaneous pneumothorax that is linked to endometriosis; thus, it predominantly manifests in women of reproductive age. Considerable research has explored the potential benefits of postoperative hormone therapy following various surgical interventions. This study was performed to examine the clinical implications of postoperative hormone treatment in patients with CP.

Ferredoxin: A novel antimicrobial peptide derived from the black scraper (Thamnaconus modestus).

Ferredoxin (FDX) is a highly conserved iron-sulfur protein that participates in redox reactions and plays an important role as an electron transport protein in biological processes. However, its function in marine fish remains unclear. We identified two ferrodoxin proteins, FDX1 and FDX2, from black scraper (Thamnaconus modestus) to confirm their genetic structures and expression profiles and to investigate their antimicrobial activity properties by fabricating them with antimicrobial peptides based on sequences.

Immunogenicity and Safety of Heterologous Omicron BA.1 and Bivalent SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein Booster Vaccines: A Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Mutations present in emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants permit evasion of neutralization with prototype vaccines. A novel Omicron BA.1 subvariant-specific vaccine (NVX-CoV2515) was tested alone or as a bivalent preparation with the prototype vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) to assess antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2.

A phase Ib study to assess the safety of the human papillomavirus DNA vaccine (AMV002) in combination with durvalumab for HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have limited efficacy as monotherapy in patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). A phase I study of the therapeutic HPV-16 DNA vaccine AMV002 in curatively treated patients with OPSCC demonstrated a measurable immune response against HPV while being associated with high safety and tolerability. This prospective phase Ib single centre pilot study aims to test the safety and tolerability of combined PD-L1 inhibitor, Durvalumab, with AMV002 in 12 patients with recurrent OPSCC.

Unraveling Brain Synchronisation Dynamics by Explainable Neural Networks using EEG Signals: Application to Dyslexia Diagnosis.

The electrical activity of the neural processes involved in cognitive functions is captured in EEG signals, allowing the exploration of the integration and coordination of neuronal oscillations across multiple spatiotemporal scales. We have proposed a novel approach that combines the transformation of EEG signal into image sequences, considering cross-frequency phase synchronisation (CFS) dynamics involved in low-level auditory processing, with the development of a two-stage deep learning model for the detection of developmental dyslexia (DD). This deep learning model exploits spatial and temporal information preserved in the image sequences to find discriminative patterns of phase synchronisation over time achieving a balanced accuracy of up to 83%.

Ozonolysis of Terpene Flavor Additives in Vaping Emissions: Elevated Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Oxidative Stress.

The production of e-cigarette aerosols through vaping processes is known to cause the formation of various free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite the well-known oxidative potential and cytotoxicity of fresh vaping emissions, the effects of chemical aging on exhaled vaping aerosols by indoor atmospheric oxidants are yet to be elucidated. Terpenes are commonly found in e-liquids as flavor additives.

Correlation gas chromatography and two-dimensional volatility basis methods to predict gas-particle partitioning for e-cigarette aerosols.

E-cigarette aerosols contain a complex mixture of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals. Once released into the environment, they evolve and become new sources of indoor air pollutants that could pose a significant threat to both users and non-users. However, current understanding of the physicochemical properties of e-cigarette aerosol constituents that govern gas-particle partitioning in the atmosphere is limited, making it difficult to estimate the health risks associated with exposure.

Left Upper Division Segmentectomy Compared with Lobectomy for Lung Expansion and Bronchus Tortuosity.

Background: For patients with left upper lobe lesions, the functional benefit of left upper division segmentectomy over left upper lobectomy remains controversial. This study evaluated the clinical and functional outcomes after these two procedures.

Methods: This retrospective study included 135 patients with left upper lobe lesions (left upper lobectomy, 110; left upper division segmentectomy, 25).

Histopathologic fate of resected pulmonary pure ground glass nodule: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pure ground glass nodules (GGNs) have been increasingly detected through lung cancer screening programs. However, there were limited reports about pathologic characteristics of pure GGN. Here we presented a meta-analysis of the histologic outcome and proportion analysis of pure GGN.

Immunogenicity and safety of a bivalent (omicron BA.5 plus ancestral) SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine as a heterologous booster dose: interim analysis of a phase 3, non-inferiority, randomised, clinical trial.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 variants evade immunity despite vaccination with prototype COVID-19 vaccines or previous infection. The 2019nCoV-311 (part 2) study is evaluating immune responses after two booster doses of a vaccine containing the omicron BA.5 subvariant spike protein in adults previously vaccinated with a prototype mRNA vaccine.

Reducing contact resistance of MoS2-based field effect transistors through uniform interlayer insertion via atomic layer deposition.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a semiconducting two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide (2D TMDC), with attractive properties enables the opening of a new electronics era beyond Si. However, the notoriously high contact resistance (RC) regardless of the electrode metal has been a major challenge in the practical applications of MoS2-based electronics. Moreover, it is difficult to lower RC because the conventional doping technique is unsuitable for MoS2 due to its ultrathin nature.

Predictive Scoring System for Spontaneous Closure of Infant Ventricular Septal Defect: The P-VSD Score.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a common congenital heart disease. However, consensus on the utility of echocardiography in predicting spontaneous closure (SC) of VSD remains lacking. This study aimed to identify and validate significant predictors of SC through a predictive scoring system.