Metrology with a twist: probing and sensing with vortex light.

Optical metrology is a well-established subject, dating back to early interferometry techniques utilizing light's linear momentum through fringes. In recent years, significant interest has arisen in using vortex light with orbital angular momentum (OAM), where the phase twists around a singular vortex in space or time. This has expanded metrology's boundaries to encompass highly sensitive chiral interactions between light and matter, three-dimensional motion detection via linear and rotational Doppler effects, and modal approaches surpassing the resolution limit for improved profiling and quantification.

The management of splanchnic vein thrombosis in acute pancreatitis: a global DELPHI consensus study.

Background: Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SpVT) occurs in 17%-23 % of acute pancreatitis cases. Serious sequelae include hepatic and bowel ischaemia. However, management with therapeutic anticoagulation remains controversial due to potential bleeding risk.

Global spatiotemporal characterization factors for freshwater eutrophication under climate change scenarios.

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies can lead to eutrophication, which poses a global threat to freshwater ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and water quality. While human activities have accelerated eutrophication, climate change further complicates the dynamics of nutrient cycling and ecosystem responses. Here, we provide global, spatially explicit freshwater eutrophication characterization factors, at an annual resolution from 2021 up to 2099 based on eight different climate change scenarios.

The role of industry 4.0 enabling technologies for predicting, and managing of algal blooms: Bridging gaps and unlocking potential.

Recent advancements in data analytics, predictive modeling, and optimization have highlighted the potential of integrating algal blooms (ABs) with Industry 4.0 technologies. Among these innovations, digital twins (DT) have gained prominence, driven by the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, particularly those associated with the Internet of Things (IoT).

The interaction between seagrass meadow density and microplastic retention in four cool-temperate estuaries.

Microplastics are widespread pollutants of estuarine ecosystems. Seagrasses have been hypothesized to filter microplastics through their dense meadows, yet the mechanisms governing their interaction with microplastics are not well understood, particularly within a South African context. Here we compared how microplastics might accumulate in the sediments associated with Zostera capensis meadows across dense and patchy meadows and unvegetated sediment.

Extraction potential of Trifolium repens and Medicago sativa for metals in landfill soil: Their metabolomic responses.

Landfilling is common in developing countries since it is the easiest and cheapest way of waste disposal, however, it leads to serious environmental problems such as soil, water, and air pollution. A landfill has a life span of fifteen years after which it is closed leaving the site unusable, as a result, effective methods are needed for restoring and reclaiming the closed landfill site for future use. Phytoremediation has emerged as a viable and environmentally friendly method, which uses green plants to remove pollutants from soil, air, and water.

Copper complexes induce haem oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) and cause apoptotic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common pancreatic malignancy, has a dismal 5-year survival rate, making palliative chemotherapy the only treatment option. Targeted therapy has limited efficacy in PDAC, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic approaches. The inducible stress-response protein, haem oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), has been implicated in treatment failure in PDAC.

Influence of ultrasonication during soaking on water absorption and Softness characteristics in the cooking process of cowpea.

Owing to the long duration of cooking legumes, which limits their consumption and utilization, soaking has been used to reduce cooking time, save energy consumption, and diminish their hardness. However, limited studies have reported the influence of cooking and soaking treatment along with ultrasonication on hydration, hardness, and cooking time reduction of legumes. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of cooking and soaking treatments on Dr.

Global Prevalence and Subtype Distribution of Blastocystis sp. in Rodent Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to gather and analyse global data on the prevalence, subtypes (STs) distribution and zoonotic potential of Blastocystis sp. in rodents.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed across multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ProQuest) for studies published by 23 July 2024.

Efficacy of vaccines based on chimeric or multiepitope antigens for protection against visceral leishmaniasis: A systematic review.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious parasitic disease caused by the species Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, and Central America, and Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani in Asia and Africa. VL represents the most severe and systemic form of the disease and is fatal if left untreated. Vaccines based on chimeric or multiepitope antigens hold significant potential to induce a highly effective and long-lasting immune response against infections by these parasites.

Understanding the genetics of sex determination in insects and its relevance to genetic pest management.

Sex determination pathways regulate male and female-specific development and differentiation and offer potential targets for genetic pest management methods. Insect sex determination pathways are comprised of primary signals, relay genes and terminal genes. Primary signals of coleopteran, dipteran, hymenopteran and lepidopteran species are highly diverse and regulate the sex-specific splicing of relay genes based on the primary signal dosage, amino acid composition or the interaction with paternally inherited genes.

The sexual and reproductive health needs and preferences of youths in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-synthesis.

The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of youths in sub-Saharan Africa are not being fully met, as evidenced by high rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections in this population. Understanding service needs and preferences of sub-Saharan African youths aged 10-24 years is critical for improving access and SRH outcomes and the focus of this systematic review of qualitative research. Four databases were searched with key words to identify relevant studies, supplemented by citation search, with an update in June 2023.

From museum drawer to tree: Historical DNA phylogenomics clarifies the systematics of rare dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) from museum collections.

Although several methods exist for extracting and sequencing historical DNA originating from dry-preserved insect specimens deposited in natural history museums, no consensus exists as to what is the optimal approach. We demonstrate that a customized, low-cost archival DNA extraction protocol (∼€10 per sample), in combination with Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs), is an effective tool for insect phylogenomic studies. We successfully tested our approach by sequencing DNA from scarab dung beetles preserved in both wet and dry collections, including unique primary type and rare historical specimens from internationally important natural history museums in London, Paris and Helsinki.

A matter of timing: Biting by malaria-infected Anopheles mosquitoes and the use of interventions during the night in rural south-eastern Tanzania.

Knowing when and where infected mosquitoes bite is required for estimating accurate measures of malaria risk, assessing outdoor exposure, and designing intervention strategies. This study combines secondary analyses of a human behaviour survey and an entomological survey carried out in the same area to estimate human exposure to malaria-infected Anopheles mosquitoes throughout the night in rural villages in south-eastern Tanzania. Mosquitoes were collected hourly from 6PM to 6AM indoors and outdoors by human landing catches in 2019, and tested for Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite infections using ELISA.

Socioeconomic inequalities in high-risk fertility behaviors over time in Ethiopia.

Introduction: High-risk fertility behaviors (HRFB), including short birth intervals, early or late childbearing age, and high parity, are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Understanding the importance of socioeconomic disparity in HRFB and the factors influencing this disparity is essential to improve maternal and child survival, Accordingly, this study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in HRFB over time and its contributing factors.

Methods: We included a total weighted sample of 11,163 and 5,527 women aged 15 to 49 years from the 2005 and 2019 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys, respectively.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision's (VMMC) strategy for HIV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence, risks, costs, benefits and best practice: A scoping review study protocol of progress and unfolding insights.

Campaigns to scale up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) for the prevention of HIV transmission has been going on for years in selected Southern African countries, following recommendations from the World Health Organisations. Despite significant strides made in the initiative and its proven benefits, controversies surrounding the strategy have never ceased, and its future remains uncertain especially as some countries near their initial targets. Over the years, as the campaigns unfolded, a lot of insights have been generated in favour of continuing the VMMC campaigns, although some insights portray the impression that the strategy is not worthy of the risks and effort required, or that enough has been done, as the targets have now been achieved.

Behavioural and social drivers of human papillomavirus vaccination in eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women in South Africa. Infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer, which can be prevented by HPV vaccination. However, there is wide variation in HPV vaccination coverage among the urban districts of South Africa; with the lowest coverage being 40% in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.

Classification of direct threats to the conservation of ecosystems and species 4.0.

Identifying and assessing the magnitude of direct threats to ecosystems and species are critical steps to prioritizing, planning, implementing, and assessing conservation actions. Just as medical clinicians and researchers need a standard way to talk about human diseases, conservation practitioners and scientists need a common and comprehensive language to talk about the threats they are facing to facilitate joint action, evaluation, and learning. To meet this need, in 2008 the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Conservation Measures Partnership produced the first version of a common threats classification with the understanding that it would be periodically updated to take into account new information and learning.

Attitudes, Beliefs, and Predictors of Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Weight Retention in South Africa: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Suboptimal gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with pregnancy complications and postpartum weight retention (PPWR). Little data exists about GWG and PPWR attitudes and beliefs in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to inform interventions. We examined GWG and PPWR attitudes, beliefs, and intentions among pregnant people, with and without HIV, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Biotechnological advances in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for sustainable agriculture.

The rhizosphere, the soil zone surrounding plant roots, serves as a reservoir for numerous beneficial microorganisms that enhance plant productivity and crop yield, with substantial potential for application as biofertilizers. These microbes play critical roles in ecological processes such as nutrient recycling, organic matter decomposition, and mineralization. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a promising tool for sustainable agriculture, enabling green management of crop health and growth, being eco-friendly alternatives to replace chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Generating fair, reliable, and accurate neuropsychological test norms for people with HIV in a low- or middle-income country.

Effective neuropsychological assessment of people with HIV (PWH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is hampered by the unavailability of adequate test norms. We aimed to: (1) develop demographically-corrected (regression-based) South African (SA) normative data for an HIV appropriate neuropsychological test battery for Xhosa home-language speakers; (2) compare the utility of those norms to that of (i) internal standardization norms and (ii) US test publisher norms; and (3) determine the criterion validity of the newly-developed norms. 114 controls and 102 demographically comparable Xhosa home-language people living with HIV completed a well-establised, standard HIV neuropsychological test battery assessing seven cognitive domains.

Real world experience with [Tc]Tc-HYNIC-iPSMA SPECT prostate cancer detection: interim results from the global NOBLE registry.

Purpose: [Tc]Tc-HYNIC-iPSMA is a novel technetium-99m-labelled small molecule inhibitor of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for detecting prostate cancer (PC). The objective of this registry was to collect and evaluate [Tc]Tc-HYNIC-iPSMA patient data and images to establish the safety and tolerability, and clinical utility of this agent in imaging at different stages of PC.

Methods: Patients 18 to 80 years old with primary staging and metastatic PC were eligible.