Role of riverbed sand mining on planform and cross-sectional morphology of Mayurakshi River, India.

Human interventions in the form of riverbed sand mining are escalating worldwide, especially in the humid tropics with excess population pressure exerting an elevated demand for sand as construction materials. Naturally, channel morphological alterations are observed for the tropical fluvial systems to a large extent. The present work examines the riverbed sand mining of the Mayurakshi River (India) during the last fifty years (1970-2020) using topographical maps, satellite images and field-based cross-sectional measurements.

Targeting FABP4/UCP2 axis to overcome cetuximab resistance in obesity-driven CRC with drug-tolerant persister cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely linked to obesity, a condition that significantly impacts tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Although cetuximab, an EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibody, is a cornerstone in metastatic CRC treatment, resistance often emerges, leading to poor outcomes. This study investigated the role of drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells and their metabolic interactions within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cetuximab resistance.

Utilizing artificial intelligence and cellular population data for timely identification of bacteremia in hospitalized patients.

Background: Bacteremia is a critical condition with high mortality that requires prompt detection to prevent progression to life-threatening sepsis. Traditional diagnostic approaches, such as blood cultures, are time-consuming. This limitation has encouraged the exploration of rapid prediction methodologies.

Heat-inactivated Lactobacillus casei strain GKC1 Mitigates osteoporosis development in vivo via enhanced osteogenesis.

Osteoporosis, a significant bone disease predominantly affecting elderly and postmenopausal women, leads to increased bone fragility and fracture risk, presenting a major public health concern with substantial socioeconomic implications. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of Lactobacillus strains, known for their immunomodulatory properties, in an ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis mouse model. Among three tested strains Lactobacillus casei GKC1, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GKLC1, and Lactobacillus johnsonii GKJ2, GKC1 demonstrated superior efficacy in promoting osteogenesis-related gene expression, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2).

Gasification-MILD combustion technology with ash-sludge recirculation for reducing multi-phase net dioxin discharges from a waste incineration.

This study addresses the challenge of reducing "net" toxic pollutant discharge, specifically dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), while minimizing the energy consumption and costs associated with detoxification. Our research focuses on reintroducing fly ash and scrubber sludge (ASR) into a hazardous waste thermal treatment system equipped with gasification-intense low oxygen dilution (GASMILD) and an advanced air pollution control system (APCS). This approach yielded a remarkable PCDD/F removal efficiency exceeding 99.

Scaling theory for non-Hermitian topological transitions.

Understanding the critical properties is essential for determining the physical behavior of topological systems. In this context, scaling theories based on the curvature function in momentum space, the renormalization group (RG) method, and the universality of critical exponents have proven effective. In this work, we develop a scaling theory for non-Hermitian topological states of matter.

Detection of epileptogenic zones in people with epilepsy using optimized EEG-fMRI.

Purpose: Concurrent electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been used to assist in the presurgical localization of seizure foci in people with epilepsy. Our study aimed to examine the clinical feasibility of an optimized concurrent EEG-fMRI protocol.

Methods: The optimized protocol employed a fast-fMRI sequence (sampling rate = 10 Hz) with a spare arrangement, which allowed a time window of 1.

Daily Supplementation with Protein-Enriched Lacto-Vegetarian Soups and Muscle Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Dietary protein adequacy is crucial for muscle health in aging individuals, posing a particular challenge for vegetarian seniors. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigates the impacts of protein-enriched lacto-vegetarian soup supplementation on body composition, physical performance and muscle strength functional assessment as well as cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in older adults.

Methods: We enrolled 100 participants ≥65 years at risk for malnutrition (MNA-SF ≤ 11) and at risk for sarcopenia (SARC-F ≥4 or SARC-CalF ≥11) in this RCT.

The severity of coronary heart disease and the incidence of later diabetic retinopathy in diabetic population: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The coronary heart disease (CHD) can influence the development of several diseases. The presence of CHD is correlated to a higher incidence of concurrent diabetic retinopathy (DR) in previous study. Herein, we aim to analyze the relationship between the CHD severity and following DR with different severity.

Reoperations as an Outcome Indicator for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip Treated at Walking Age.

Background: Reoperation is a major adverse event following surgical treatment but has yet to be used as a primary outcome measure in population studies to assess current treatments for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The purpose of the present study was to explore the risk factors associated with reoperations following procedures under anesthesia ("operations") for DDH in patients between the ages of 1 and 3.00 years, with the goal of deriving treatment recommendations.

Gender disparities in attitudes, norms, and perceived control related to intentional condomless sexual intercourse: A psychosocial theory-driven comparison among cisgender heterosexual male and female college varsity athletes in Taiwan.

Background: While condom use has been extensively studied as a protective behavior, research directly focusing on condomless sexual intercourse (CSI) as a distinct and intentional risk behavior, particularly regarding gender differences, remains scarce.

Methods: Building upon the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study addresses this gap by comparing TPB factors and individual TPB items regarding intentional CSI among cisgender heterosexual college varsity athletes in Taiwan ( = 1348).

Results: High CSI intention was more prevalent among men (53.

The role of socioeconomic factors in sex differences in intrinsic capacity among older adults: A cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

Objectives: The World Health Organization's Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework launched in 2019 is used to assess the intrinsic capacity of older individuals. Older women may face greater socioeconomic disadvantages, which can impact their physical and mental well-being. Therefore, we examined sex differences in intrinsic capacity and the influence of socioeconomic status.

A highly accurate family of stable and convergent numerical solvers based on Daftardar-Gejji and Jafari decomposition technique for systems of nonlinear equations.

This study introduces a family of root-solvers for systems of nonlinear equations, leveraging the Daftardar-Gejji and Jafari Decomposition Technique coupled with the midpoint quadrature rule. Despite the existing application of these root solvers to single-variable equations, their extension to systems of nonlinear equations marks a pioneering advancement. Through meticulous derivation, this work not only expands the utility of these root solvers but also presents a comprehensive analysis of their stability and semilocal convergence; two areas of study missing in the existing literature.

The repeatability of macular and peripapillary vessel density in participants with different severities of glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate the repeatability of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters in participants with different severities of glaucoma.

Methods: Subjects with open-angle glaucoma were enrolled prospectively and categorised into mild (mean deviation [MD] of 24-2 visual field test ≥ -6 dB), moderate to advanced (-6 > MD ≥ -20 dB) and severe glaucoma groups (MD < -20 dB). OCTA was performed three times within a single visit to obtain superficial and deep macular vessel density (VD) and peripapillary vessel and capillary density.

"Cofactors" for Natural Products.

Cofactors are non-protein entities necessary for proteins to operate. They provide "functional groups" beyond those of the 20 canonical amino acids and enable proteins to carry out more diverse functions. Such a viewpoint is rarely mentioned, if at all, when it comes to natural products and is the theme of this Concept.

Dynamics of pollution and trophic status in selected sub-tropical surface water bodies in Haridwar district, India.

This study provides a detailed approach to evaluating water quality in the Haridwar district, Uttarakhand, India, by integrating physicochemical and microbiological investigations. It employs multivariate analysis and applies water quality and trophic state indices to evaluate the current state of the water and identify potential sources of contamination. The results from the correlation matrix highlight the dynamic interactions between different water quality parameters.

GLAC-Unet: Global-Local Active Contour Loss with an Efficient U-Shaped Architecture for Multiclass Medical Image Segmentation.

The field of medical image segmentation powered by deep learning has recently received substantial attention, with a significant focus on developing novel architectures and designing effective loss functions. Traditional loss functions, such as Dice loss and Cross-Entropy loss, predominantly rely on global metrics to compare predictions with labels. However, these global measures often struggle to address challenges such as occlusion and nonuni-form intensity.

Targeted sputum sequencing for rapid and broad drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Purpose: Rapid detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from clinical samples facilitates the timely provision of optimal treatment regimens for tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Methods: In November, 2023, the WHO released its second catalogue of resistance-conferring mutations in Mtb. Utilizing this information, we developed a single 17-plex PCR assay covering 16 key resistance genes and modified thermo-protection buffer to amplify 30 kbp DNA directly from sputum samples for nanopore sequencing.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Psychological Distress in Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies.

Work-related stress, a major contributor to physical and mental health issues of nurses, has a direct impact on patient safety and nurses' well-being. However, few studies have investigated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing psychological distress in nurses. Systematic search of six databases including CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science from their inception to February 27, 2024.

Validation of a Fingertip Home Sleep Apnea Testing System Using Deep Learning AI and a Temporal Event Localization Analysis.

Study Objectives: This paper validates TipTraQ, a compact home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) system. TipTraQ comprises a fingertip-worn device, a mobile application, and a cloud-based deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) system. The device utilizes PPG (red, infrared, and green channels) and accelerometer sensors to assess sleep apnea by the AI system.

Effects of Exergame Training on Executive Function and Heart Rate Variability in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Exergame has become widely popular and offers great levels of cognitive demands, thus may facilitate cognitive benefits. In addition, researchers have proposed that cardiac autonomic function, assessed via heart rate variability (HRV), is associated with cognitive executive function. However, few exergame training studies have investigated this relationship.

Educational Challenges for Post-Graduate Nursing Students Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic had immediate impact on nursing students enrolled in postgraduate and post-registration nursing courses. Some students were required to undertake additional clinical hours and place their studies on hold, while others had clinical experiences and face-to-face classes suspended, with online learning modes quickly mobilized. While there have been many reports on the impact and experience of these changes on undergraduate students, limited reports have focused on challenges for nursing students who were registered for practice following completion of their undergraduate studies, and were enrolled in higher degree, postgraduate education programs.

Breaking down global barriers: A multinational and multi-community approach to combat stigma and enhance mental wellbeing in people with HIV.

Introduction: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Global 2025 targets prioritize action to overcome the collective barriers affecting the people and communities sitting on the outer margins of HIV care. Addressing the social and structural disparities that drive greater HIV prevalence and burden requires well-resourced, community-led responses that are fully integrated into national and global HIV initiatives.

Methods: The HIV Community Council (HCC), composed of 10 leaders from diverse global communities, convened to share their insights, amplify the community's voice, and identify barriers and solutions to empower all to live well with HIV through a dynamic, stepwise process of preparative work, deep discussion, prioritization, and consensus.

Brain-wide neuronal circuit connectome of human glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) infiltrates the brain and can be synaptically innervated by neurons, which drives tumor progression. Synaptic inputs onto GBM cells identified so far are largely short-range and glutamatergic. The extent of GBM integration into the brain-wide neuronal circuitry remains unclear.