Antiferroelectric Order in Nematic Liquids: Flexoelectricity Versus Electrostatics.

The recent discovery of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystalline phases marks a major breakthrough in soft matter research. An intermediate phase, often observed between the nonpolar and the ferroelectric nematic phase, shows a distinct antiferroelectric response to electric fields. However, its structure and formation mechanisms remain debated, with flexoelectric and electrostatics effects proposed as competing mechanisms.

A policy assessment tool to identify causes of inequities that influence obesity prevalence.

When policy-makers propose health-related initiatives they need to assess the impact on health inequalities, including disparities in diet-related diseases and obesity. Health impact assessments, including health equity assessments, can provide insights into the potential health outcomes, but they are usually based on engagement with stakeholders and beneficiaries and their quality is not easy to evaluate. In this paper, we propose a policy assessment tool designed to ask a set of questions on the impact on health equity of policies and interventions that may be answerable from empirical evidence or from public health principles.

Interatrial block is an independent risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association between interatrial conduction block and postoperative atrial fibrillation, which can precipitate acute cardiopulmonary instability and is associated with subsequent heart failure, stroke, and mortality following cardiac surgery.

Methods: Perioperative 12-channel electrocardiograms from 3405 patients undergoing myocardial revascularization, valve surgery, aortic surgery, or combinations thereof, were considered. Clinical and electrographic parameters were compared between patients with and without atrial fibrillation, and significant variables were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Do continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics predict macrovascular and microvascular complications in diabetes? The FACULTY protocol of a retrospective real-world cohort study.

Introduction: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is currently the gold standard for assessing glycaemic control in diabetes, given the established relationship with microvascular and macrovascular complications in this condition. However, HbA1c is affected by non-glycaemic factors, while also failing to provide data on hypoglycaemic exposure and glucose variability, which are associated with adverse vascular outcomes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived glucose metrics provide a more comprehensive assessment of glycaemia, but their role in predicting future vascular complications remains unclear.

Innovations in primary healthcare in Slovenia 2011-2020: Exploring the stepwise process behind effective implementation.

Countries worldwide seek to strengthen their primary healthcare systems often through introducing health promotion and disease prevention, multidisciplinary teams, group practices and community approaches to advance universal health coverage. These strategies are underpinned by scientific evidence and international standards. Slovenia's primary healthcare system reflects many of these features, with universally accessible, multidisciplinary, and integrated health services, emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and equity.

Registries in allergy: Structure, target groups, and key findings of allergy-focused registries in Germany.

In allergology, clinical registries fill knowledge gaps of epidemiology, mechanisms of allergic diseases, and real-world treatment outcomes. Considering the continuous rise of allergic diseases worldwide, registries become increasingly important for the optimization and harmonization of patient care. In the current review, we present four ongoing allergy-focused registries initiated in Germany.

Postneonatal Cerebral Palsy in Europe: Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics According to Contributory Events: An SCPE Study.

Background: Postneonatal cerebral palsy (PNCP) is rare and requires large databases to be studied over time.

Objectives: To study the time trend of prevalence of PNCP overall and by cause, and to describe the clinical characteristics of children with PNCP according to cause and compared with children with pre/peri/neonatal CP (PPNCP).

Methods: The Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) database was used.

Residual non-specific and disease-specific inflammatory markers in successfully treated young psoriasis patients: a cross-sectional study.

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease. The systemic inflammation triggered by psoriasis contributes significantly to increased cardiovascular risk. While various treatments completely clear the skin, the associated effects on systemic inflammation are not yet clear.

Open-boundary molecular dynamics of ultrasound using supramolecular water models.

Ultrasound can be used to manipulate protein function and activity, as well as for targeted drug delivery, making it a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic modality with wide applications in sonochemistry, nanotechnology, and engineering. However, a general particle-based approach to ultrasound modeling remains challenging due to the significant disparity between characteristic time scales governing ultrasound propagation. In this study, we use open-boundary molecular dynamics to simulate ultrasound waves in liquid water under ambient conditions by employing supramolecular water models, i.

Clinical validation of an artificial intelligence-based decision support system for diagnosis and risk stratification of heart failure (STRATIFYHF): a protocol for a prospective, multicentre longitudinal study.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome. Accurate risk stratification and early diagnosis of HF are challenging as its signs and symptoms are non-specific. We propose to address this global challenge by developing the STRATIFYHF artificial intelligence-driven decision support system (DSS), which uses novel analytical methods in determining the risk, diagnosis and prognosis of HF.

Validation of the Slovenian Intimate Violence and Traumatic Affect Scale (S-VITA).

This study addresses the scarcity of quantitative tools for assessing the mental health consequences of intimate partner violence on women, focusing on validating the Slovenian translation of the Intimate Violence and Traumatic Affect Scale (S-VITA). Using an online cross-sectional design, we surveyed a representative sample of 1,016 Slovenian women, with 275 experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Confirmatory factor analysis, performed on the IPV subsample, supported the proposed four-factor model (Fear, Terror, Guilt, and Shame) with strong internal consistency.

Medications and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: Cohort cluster analysis of 15,428 patients.

Background: Medications for comorbid conditions may affect cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To explore the association between common medications and cognition, measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination.

Methods: Cohort study including persons with AD from the Swedish Registry for Cognitive/Dementia Disorders (SveDem).

Role of the stratosphere in the global mercury cycle.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant with substantial risks to human and ecosystem health. By upward transport in tropical regions, mercury enters into the stratosphere, but the contribution of the stratosphere to global mercury dispersion and deposition remains unknown. We find that between 5 and 50% (passing through the 400-kelvin isentropic surface and tropopause, respectively) of the mercury mass deposited on Earth's surface is chemically processed in the lower stratosphere.

The Virtual DCCT: Adding Continuous Glucose Monitoring to a Landmark Clinical Trial for Prediction of Microvascular Complications.

Using a multistep machine-learning procedure, add virtual continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) traces to the original sparse data of the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). Assess the association of CGM metrics with the microvascular complications of type 1 diabetes observed during the DCCT and establish time-in-range (TIR) as a viable marker of glycemic control. Utilizing the DCCT glycated hemoglobin data obtained every 1 or 3 months plus quarterly 7-point blood glucose (BG) profiles in a multistep procedure: (i) utilized archival BG traces to model interday BG variability and estimate glycated hemoglobin; (ii) trained across the DCCT BG profiles and associated each profile with an archival BG trace; and (iii) used previously identified CGM "motifs" to associate a CGM trace to a BG trace, for each DCCT participant.

Structure-Stability Relationships in Pt-Alloy Nanoparticles Using Identical-Location Four-Dimensional Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Unsupervised Machine Learning.

Nanoparticulate electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction are structurally diverse materials. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has long been the go-to tool to obtain high-quality information about their nanoscale structure. More recently, its four-dimensional modality has emerged as a tool for a comprehensive crystal structure analysis using large data sets of diffraction patterns.

Preparation of Phage Display cDNA Libraries for Identifying Immunogenic Tumor Antigens: Challenges in Functional cDNA Presentation and Approaches to Overcoming Them.

Cancer continues to represent a substantial burden in terms of its morbidity and mortality, underscoring the imperative for the development of novel and efficacious treatment modalities. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have highlighted the importance of identifying tumour-specific antigens, which can assist the immune system in targeting malignant cells effectively. Phage display technology has emerged as an effective tool for the discovery of novel antigens through cDNA library screening, representing a significant advancement in the field of immunological research.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of the Course of COVID-19 Among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Heart Transplant Recipients in Slovenia.

: Patients receiving heart transplantation require lifelong immunosuppression and compared to the general population, they have a more than five times higher chance of acquiring COVID-19, and their mortality rates are higher. The aim of the present study was to estimate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in heart transplant recipients (HTRs) in Slovenia to estimate the vaccination rate and evaluate possible vaccination-hesitant subgroups. : All SARS-CoV-2-positive HTRs (N = 79) between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2023 at the Infectious Diseases Department, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia, were included retrospectively.

Comparative Analysis of Low-Cost Portable Spectrophotometers for Colorimetric Accuracy on the RAL Design System Plus Color Calibration Target.

Novel low-cost portable spectrophotometers could be an alternative to traditional spectrophotometers and calibrated RGB cameras by offering lower prices and convenient measurements but retaining high colorimetric accuracy. This study evaluated the colorimetric accuracy of low-cost, portable spectrophotometers on the established color calibration target-RAL Design System Plus (RAL+). Four spectrophotometers with a listed price between USD 100-1200 (Nix Spectro 2, Spectro 1 Pro, ColorReader, and Pico) and a smartphone RGB camera were tested on a representative subset of 183 RAL+ colors.

Biocompatible Carbon Dots/Polyurethane Composites as Potential Agents for Combating Bacterial Biofilms: N-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots/Polyurethane and Gamma Ray-Modified Graphene Quantum Dots/Polyurethane Composites.

Pathogen bacteria appear and survive on various surfaces made of steel or glass. The existence of these bacteria in different forms causes significant problems in healthcare facilities and society. Therefore, the surface engineering of highly potent antimicrobial coatings is highly important in the 21st century, a period that began with a series of epidemics.

Quantification of Amlodipine Maleate Content in Amorphous Solid Dispersions Produced by Fluidized Bed Granulation Using Process Analytical Technology Tools.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) content is a critical quality attribute (CQA) of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) prepared by spraying a solution of APIs and polymers onto the excipients in fluid bed granulator. This study presents four methods for quantifying API content during ASD preparation. Raman and three near-infrared (NIR) process analysers were utilized to develop methods for API quantification.

Evaluation and Characterization of Functionally Graded Adhesive Joints: Experimental and Numerical Analyses.

Epoxy resins have exhibited exceptional performance in engineering applications, particularly as a replacement for traditional mechanical joints in adhesive bonding. This study evaluates the suitability of two innovative adhesives, SikaPower-1511 and SikaPower-1548, in various graded configurations. The thermal curing behavior of the adhesives was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Foliar Nutrition Strategies for Enhancing Phenolic and Amino Acid Content in Olive Leaves.

Studies on selenium (Se) and silicon (Si) foliar biostimulation of different plants have been shown to affect concentrations of phenolic compounds. However, their effects on olive ( L.) primary and secondary metabolites have not been fully investigated.

Thermal, Molecular Dynamics, and Mechanical Properties of Poly(Ethylene Furanoate)/Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Block Copolymers.

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of a series of multiblock copolymers, poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEF-PCL), created through a combination of the two-step melt polycondensation method and ring opening polymerization, as sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics. The structural confirmation of these block copolymers was achieved through Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), ensuring the successful integration of PEF and PCL segments. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was employed for chemical bonding and quantitative analysis, providing insights into the distribution and compatibility of the copolymer components.

Bioassay-Guided Isolation and Identification of Antibacterial Compounds from Invasive Tree of Heaven Stem and Trunk Bark.

Flash column chromatographic fractionation of tree of heaven () stem and trunk bark extracts, guided by thin-layer chromatography (TLC)- assay and TLC-heated electrospray high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HESI-HRMS/MS), lead to the isolation of six known compounds: (9,11)-13-hydroxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE, ), (10,12)-9-hydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE, ), hexadecanedioic acid (thapsic acid, ), 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (juniperic acid, ), 16-feruloyloxypalmitic acid (alpinagalanate, ), and canthin-6-one (). Their structures were elucidated by HESI-HRMS/MS and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This is the first study identifying - in tree.

Characterization of Al-Containing Industrial Residues in the ESEE Region Supporting Circular Economy and the EU Green Deal.

The increase in industrial waste generation presents a global problem that is a consequence of the needs of modern society. To achieve the goals of the EU Green Deal and to promote the concept of circular economy (CE), the valorization of industrial residues as secondary raw materials offers a pathway to economic, environmental, energetic, and social sustainability. In this respect, Al-containing industrial residues from alumina processing (red mud), thermal power plants (fly ash and bottom ash), and metallurgy (slag), as well as other industries, present a valuable mineral resource which can be considered as secondary raw materials (SRMs) with the potential to be used in construction, supporting the concept of circular economy.