Favorable Contact with Low Interfacial Resistance for n-Type TiCoSb-Based Thermoelectric Devices.

In the past decade, significant efforts have been made to develop efficient half-Heusler (HH) based thermoelectric (TE) materials. However, their practical applications remain limited due to various challenges occurring during the fabrication of TE devices, particularly the development of stable contacts with low interfacial resistance. In this study, we have made an effort to explore a stable contact material with low interfacial resistance for an n-type TiCoSb-based TE material, specifically TiNbCoSbBi as a proof of concept, using a straightforward facile synthesis route of spark plasma sintering.

Direct β-C-H ketoalkylation of enaminoesters with cyclopropanols under metal-free conditions.

A TEMPO-mediated β-ketoalkylation of enaminoesters with cyclopropanols under metal-free conditions is herein described. This reaction provides a straightforward and highly efficient route to β-keto alkyl substituted enaminoesters for the first time, which could be rapidly and efficiently converted into synthetically useful 2-alkoxycarbonyl functionalized 1,5-diketones. Moreover, the practicability of this protocol is successfully demonstrated by scale-up experiments and the late-stage functionalization of natural products and pharmaceutically relevant molecules.

Rapid Parallel Adaptation in Distinct Invasions of Ambrosia Artemisiifolia Is Driven by Large-Effect Structural Variants.

When introduced to multiple distinct ranges, invasive species provide a compelling natural experiment for understanding the repeatability of adaptation. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is an invasive, noxious weed, and chief cause of hay fever. Leveraging over 400 whole-genome sequences spanning the native-range in North America and 2 invasions in Europe and Australia, we inferred demographically distinct invasion histories on each continent.

Family Poultry Farming in Sri Lanka: An Integral Component of Protein Security, Poverty Alleviation and Public Health.

Family poultry farming plays a crucial role in ensuring protein availability and household income, particularly in low-income families. This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes and practices of family poultry farmers regarding poultry diseases, biosecurity and vaccinations. The research involved surveying 150 farmers in a selected area in Sri Lanka's western province, revealing significant knowledge gaps, particularly in understanding poultry diseases, their causes, transmission pathways and potential impacts on humans.

Enhancing accessibility to the dementia risk profile (DRP) and knowledge of dementia risk reduction (KoDeRR) measuring tools to diverse communities through translation and adaptation in the Nepali language.

Dementia is one of the fastest emerging global public health concerns today, as the World Health Organisation has predicted that the number of cases will triple from 55 million in 2023 to 152 million by 2050. Current evidence indicates that approximately 45% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by acting on potentially modifiable risk factors. However, public knowledge regarding this remains unknown in numerous poorly resourced countries, including Nepal, where the prevalence of dementia continues to increase.

The history of biomarkers in psychiatry: lessons learned, lessons forgotten, lessons rediscovered.

A quirky truth is that the oldest biomarker findings are largely metabolic. These had minimal impact on contemporary thought and research and were largely ignored. They have been rediscovered and validated almost 100 years later, informing our understanding of neurobiology and medical comorbidity and spurring contemporary treatment discovery efforts.

How Should We Use Hyaluronidase for Dissolving Hyaluronic Acid Fillers?

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are commonly used in esthetic medicine for facial contouring and rejuvenation. However, complications such as overcorrection, vascular occlusion, and irregular filler distribution necessitate the use of hyaluronidase to dissolve the fillers. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronidase in degrading different types of HA fillers and provide clinical guidelines for its use based on filler type, dosage, and application techniques.

Intraprosthetic Dislocation Following Dual Mobility Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrieval Analysis Study.

Background: Dual mobility (DM) implants in total hip arthroplasty provide excellent range of motion with low dislocation rates. A complication of this design is intraprosthetic dislocation (IPD), where the polyethylene (PE) liner dissociates from the femoral head. In older designs, IPD occurred due to a small head size and late PE wear with head-capture-mechanism failure.

Experiences of Oral Corticosteroid Use and Adverse Effects: A National Cross-Sectional Survey of People with Asthma.

Purpose: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are an effective treatment for severe uncontrolled asthma or asthma exacerbations, but frequent bursts or long-term use carry serious and sometimes irreversible adverse effects, or complications such as adrenal insufficiency upon discontinuation. Our aim was to survey people with asthma on their experiences of, and attitudes towards, using OCS.

Patients And Methods: This study was a national descriptive cross-sectional survey of people with asthma in Australia.

Percutaneous thrombectomy of fat embolism in-transit.

We report the case of a previously independent 82-year-old female who experienced acute hemodynamic and respiratory deterioration requiring inotropic support due to a fat embolism during revision hip arthroplasty. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography demonstrated fat embolism, and transesophageal echocardiogram showed evidence of right ventricle strain and fat embolism in-transit in the right heart, as well as a moderate patent foramen ovale. Under transesophageal echocardiogram and intravascular ultrasound guidance, the Inari FlowTriever thrombectomy device was used successfully to retrieve the fat embolism with immediate hemodynamic improvement, no complications, and uneventful recovery.

Bibliometric Analysis and ChatGPT-Assisted Identification of Key Strategies for Improving Primary Maternity Care Based on a Decade of Collective Research.

Maternity care within primary health facility settings is critical for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to analyze research trends over the past decade to identify key strategies for improving maternity care in primary health care facilities in Indonesia. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Scopus database to map the research landscape and identify latent research topics in maternal health care.

Metformin for low back pain: Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Chronic low back pain is a major cause of pain and disability with limited effective therapies. Metformin is a safe, inexpensive, well-tolerated drug that has pleotropic effects, including effects on pain pathways that may influence low back pain. The aim of this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to determine whether metformin reduces low back pain over 4 months in individuals with chronic low back pain.

Cumulative blood pressure load and cognitive decline in older adults: An observational analysis of two large cohorts.

Introduction: Cumulative blood pressure metrics may provide greater precision for measuring temporal risk exposure, especially in later life where data are mixed regarding associations of high blood pressure (BP) on cognitive function. We examined the relationship between greater cumulative exposure to high BP in later life and several domains of cognitive function.

Methods: Individual cognitive assessment scores and BP measurements in older adults (age ≥70 years) at baseline and over approximately 8 years of follow-up were available in the population-based Canadian Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS) and Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (H70).

Dorsal penile nerve block complicated by local anaesthetic systemic toxicity.

A 39-year-old man presented with priapism. To facilitate corporal cavernosal aspiration, a dorsal penile nerve block was performed. A dose of 2000mg lignocaine was administered, instead of the intended 200mg.

Repeat expansions in gene in refractory chronic cough.

Introduction: Refractory chronic cough (RCC), persisting despite addressing contributory diagnoses, is likely underpinned by neurally mediated cough hypersensitivity. disorders are genetic neurodegenerative conditions caused by biallelic repeat expansion sequences, commonly presenting with cough, followed by neurological features including cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS). The prevalence and identifying clinical characteristics of repeat-expansion disorders in patients with RCC are unknown.

Dataset of noise signals generated by smart attackers for disrupting state of health and state of charge estimations of battery energy storage systems.

This dataset is generated from real-time simulations conducted in MATLAB/Simscape, focusing on the impact of smart noise signals on battery energy storage systems (BESS). Using Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agent known as Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), noise signals in the form of subtle millivolt and milliampere variations are strategically created to represent realistic cases of False Data Injection Attacks (FDIA). These signals are designed to disrupt the State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) estimation blocks within Unscented Kalman Filters (UKF).

Vedolizumab serum trough concentrations with and without thiopurines in ulcerative colitis: The prospective VIEWS pharmacokinetics study.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition requiring continuous treatment and monitoring. There is limited pharmacokinetic data on vedolizumab during maintenance therapy and the effect of thiopurines on vedolizumab trough concentrations is unknown.

Aim: To investigate the exposure-response relationship of vedolizumab and the impact of thiopurine withdrawal in UC patients who have achieved sustained clinical and endoscopic remission during maintenance therapy.

Drones delivering automated external defibrillators for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A scoping review.

Unlabelled: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a critical health concern, where prompt access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) significantly improves survival. This scoping review broadly investigates the feasibility and impact of dronedelivered AEDs for OHCA response.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched from inception to August 6, 2024, with eligibility broadly including empirical data.

Economic cost of not meeting the 24-h movement guidelines in china: Research gaps and recommendations.

It is well-known that not meeting the movement guidelines, including insufficient physical activity (PA), excessive sedentary behavior (SB), inadequate sleep duration, and their combinations, are independent risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The prevalence of not meeting the guidelines is high across the world, especially in China where has one of the largest population. Some studies have estimated the economic cost of insufficient PA in China, which is useful to guide policymakers to develop and implement effective health actions.

Private equity renewable energy investments in India.

India is anticipated to grow its total energy consumption and CO emissions by more than any other country over the next two decades. India will have to attract around $400 billion in financing to realize its 500 GW target of renewable energy by 2030. Given complex renewable energy sector risks, rapidly scaling-up risk-friendly private equity financing will be critical to achieve India's target.

Developing airport management practices towards net zero emissions: Experiences from the Australian aviation industry.

Emissions from airport sources degrade air quality impacting community health. While some airports assess air pollution, others assess broader environmental effects, including CO emissions and noise. Utilising a transition management approach, this paper examines Australian airport practices and develops key sustainable strategies to reduce environmental impacts.

MOANA: Multi-objective ant nesting algorithm for optimization problems.

This paper presents the Multi-Objective Ant Nesting Algorithm (MOANA), a novel extension of the Ant Nesting Algorithm (ANA), specifically designed to address multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs). MOANA incorporates adaptive mechanisms, such as deposition weight parameters, to balance exploration and exploitation, while a polynomial mutation strategy ensures diverse and high-quality solutions. The algorithm is evaluated on standard benchmark datasets, including ZDT functions and the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) 2019 multi-modal benchmarks.

A non-randomised open-label exploratory 'window of opportunity' study of TG02 treatment in patients with locally advanced primary and recurrent mutant colorectal cancer.

Background: TG02 is a peptide-based cancer vaccine eliciting immune responses to oncogenic codon 12/13 mutations. This phase 1 clinical trial (NCT02933944) assessed the safety and immunological efficacy of TG02 adjuvanted by GM-CSF in patients with -mutant colorectal cancer.

Methods: In the interval between completing CRT and pelvic exenteration, patients with resectable mutation-positive, locally advanced primary or current colorectal cancer, received 5-6 doses of TG02/GM-CSF.

Longitudinal Assessment of Structural and Functional Changes in Rod-cone Dystrophy: A 10-year Follow-up Study.

Purpose: Emerging clinical trials for inherited retinal disease (IRD) require an understanding of long-term progression. This longitudinal study investigated the genetic diagnosis and change in retinal structure and function over 10 years in rod-cone dystrophies (RCDs).

Design: Longitudinal observational follow-up study.