Transformer Dil-DenseUnet: An Advanced Architecture for Stroke Segmentation.

We propose a novel architecture, Transformer Dil-DenseUNet, designed to address the challenges of accurately segmenting stroke lesions in MRI images. Precise segmentation is essential for diagnosing and treating stroke patients, as it provides critical spatial insights into the affected brain regions and the extent of damage. Traditional manual segmentation is labor-intensive and error-prone, highlighting the need for automated solutions.

Effects of a 40-min nap on performance following evening exercise before, during, and after Ramadan fasting.

This study examined the effect of a 40-min nap (N40) the day after a night session of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST), before, during and after Ramadan. In a randomized crossover design, fifteen male soccer players completed the LIST in the evening (2100h), followed by either a N40 or no nap (N0) the next day, at 1400h. Performance on the 5-m shuttle run test (5mSRT), digit cancellation test (DCT), and subjective measures (i.

Expression of concern: Structural, morphological, electrical, and dielectric properties of NaCu(SiO) for ASSIBs.

Expression of concern for 'Structural, morphological, electrical, and dielectric properties of NaCu(SiO) for ASSIBs' by Mohamed Ben Bechir , , 2024, , 9228-9242, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA01454E.

L mitigates bisphenol A-induced ovarian dysfunction and inflammation in Wistar rats: biochemical, histopathological, pharmacokinetic, and in silico studies.

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of (CA) fruit extract against bisphenol A (BPA)-induced ovarian injury in female Wistar rats. The antioxidant activity was estimated by the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide radical (NBT) content. For the in vivo analyses, 24 animals were divided into the following 4 groups: the control group; the BPA group (50 mg/kg BW BPA for 30 days); the BPA  + CA group (50 mg/kg BW BPA and 50 mg/kg BW CA); and the CA group (50 mg/kg BW CA).

Effect of post heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled AA2017 aluminum alloy.

This study investigates the effects of heat treatment, involving solubilization and aging, on the microstructure of AA2017-T451 aluminum alloy. Samples of 4 mm thick rolled plate of AA2017 underwent solution treatment at 500 °C for two different durations, namely 2 h and 6 h, followed by either water quenching (WQ) or air quenching (AQ). Subsequently, they were artificially aged (AA) at 175 °C for 8 h.

Optimization of adsorption performance by mesoporous materials developed from local clays and zeolite. Application in the treatment of real pharmaceutical effluents.

The treatment of effluents from the pharmaceutical industry currently remains a major challenge due to their impact on the environment and public health along with the cost of treatments. Considering these issues, our work focused on the development of materials with effective adsorption properties to treat industrial effluents based on locally available and inexpensive clays and zeolite. Local Algerian kaolin (Djebel Debbagh), palygorskite (Ghoufi) and zeolite (Tinbdar) were treated thermally and chemically prior to synthesis into mesoporous materials of hexagonal structure using pluronic P123 as surfactant.

Phormidium versicolor PC skin cream evaluation for its stability and biological activities.

In the present investigation, 13% ± 0.84 of the extracted and purified phycocyanin from Phormidium versicolor was obtained, with a purity of 0.69 following dialysis.

Elucidating metabolic pathways through genomic analysis in highly heavy metal-resistant strains.

The annotated and predicted genomes of five archaeal strains (AS1, AS2, AS8, AS11 and AS19), isolated from Sfax solar saltern sediments (Tunisia) and affiliated with , were performed by RAST webserver (Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology) and NCBI prokaryotic genome annotation pipeline (PGAP). The results showed the ability of strains to use a reduced semi-phosphorylative Entner-Doudoroff pathway for glucose degradation and an Embden-Meyerhof one for gluconeogenesis. They could use glucose, fructose, glycerol, and acetate as sole source of carbon and energy.

Prevalence of emotional burnout among dietitians and nutritionists: a systematic review, meta-analysis, meta-regression, and a call for action.

Background And Objectives: Despite anecdotal evidence pointing to the high prevalence of job stress and burnout among dietitians and nutritionists, few studies have been conducted on this topic. Moreover, most studies are from Western countries. The objective of the current study, based on systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression, is aimed to provide systematically graded evidence to assess the prevalence of emotional burnout among dietitians and nutritionists across age, sex, and cultural backgrounds.

A meta-analysis assessing reliability of the Yale Food Addiction Scale: Implications for compulsive eating and obesity.

Food addiction (FA) is linked to eating disorders and obesity. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), which has various versions in different languages, is widely used to assess FA worldwide. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the YFAS through reliability generalization meta-analysis (REGEMA).

Oxidative stress profile and auto-antibodies production in Tunisian patients with COVID-19.

The clinical evidence, complications and the pathogenesis of COVID-19 are not clearly understood. In COVID-19 patients, cellular immune response biomarkers and oxidative stress parameters have been used as gravity markers. Indeed, oxidative stress has been proposed to play an essential role in the genesis of COVID-19.

Automated feature selection for early keratoconus screening optimization.

In this paper, an automated feature selection (FS) method is presented to optimize machine learning (ML) models' performances, enhancing early keratoconus screening. A total of 448 parameters were analyzed from a dataset comprising 3162 observations sourced from the swept source optical coherence tomography imaging system developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Automation (SS-1000 CASIA OCT) and electronic health records (EHR). To identify the most relevant features, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method was used in this study.

The effect of climate change on economic growth in European countries: an empirical evidence from Panel ARDL approach.

This paper examined the impact of climate change on economic growth using panel data from 20 European countries during the period 1990-2020 and the estimation techniques of cointegration and the ARDL model. The empirical results reveal that precipitation; labour force and CO emissions have a positive effect on long-term economic growth in sample countries. However, temperature, foreign direct investment, and urbanization have a negative effect on growth over the same period.

Optimization of convolutional neural network and visual geometry group-16 using genetic algorithms for pneumonia detection.

Pneumonia is still a major global health issue, so effective diagnostic methods are needed. This research proposes a new methodology for improving convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and the Visual Geometry Group-16 (VGG16) model by incorporating genetic algorithms (GAs) to detect pneumonia. The work uses a dataset of 5,856 frontal chest radiography images critical in training and testing machine learning algorithms.

A single session of slow-paced breathing improved cognitive functions and postural control among middle-aged women: a randomized single blinded controlled trial.

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the immediate effects of slow-paced breathing (SPB) on cognitive performance and postural control in middle-aged postmenopausal women.

Methods: Thirty-four middle-aged women were recruited and assigned to either an experimental group (EG), who practiced SPB, or a control group (CG), who watched an educational video. Both groups had their cognitive functions and postural control assessed using validated tools during both pre-intervention and post-intervention sessions.

Green Synthesis of CuO Nanoparticles-Structural, Morphological, and Dielectric Characterization.

This study investigates the structural, chemical, and morphological properties of CuO nanoparticles synthesized via a green synthesis route using - cladode extract, with a focus on the effects of stepwise versus direct calcination. Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of CuO, NaCO, and NaSO, with the latter two being associated with elements inherited from the cactus extracts. XRD patterns confirmed the presence of crystalline CuO and NaCO phases, with the low content of NaSO inferred to be amorphous.

Damage Investigation in PMMA Polymer: Experimental and Phase-Field Approaches.

The prediction of crack patterns is one of the main tasks in the field of fracture mechanics in order to prevent the total damage of various materials, particularly Methyl Methacrylate Polymer (PMMA). The few data in the literature underscores the need for additional experiments on PMMA to analyze the performance of the phase-field approach to predict crack trajectories. The main purpose of this study is to verify the accuracy of the phase-field approach with a staggered scheme, based on spectral decomposition, for predicting crack propagation in PMMA specimens by comparing it with the experimental results presented in this work.

Comparative optical thermometry analysis using NaSrPO:Er/Yb phosphors: evaluation of LIR and LIR methods for high-resolution temperature sensing.

Optical thermometry is a valuable non-contact technique for temperature measurement, especially in environments where traditional methods are impractical. Despite its advantages, enhancing the precision of optical thermometers remains a significant challenge. In this study, we explored the thermometric properties of NaSrPO phosphors co-doped with Er/Yb, synthesized a solid-state reaction method, for temperature sensing within the 200-440 K range under 980 nm excitation.

Optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis: A Tunisian tertiary center study.

Purpose: To study retinal layers on OCT in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and look for correlations with clinical and electrophysiological characteristics.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including MS patients aged between 18 and 60 years and a reference group of healthy, age- and gender-matched, control participants. A neurological examination with assessment of disability by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), an ophthalmological examination, a spectral-domain OCT, and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were performed.

Enhanced brain tumor diagnosis using combined deep learning models and weight selection technique.

Brain tumor classification is a critical task in medical imaging, as accurate diagnosis directly influences treatment planning and patient outcomes. Traditional methods often fall short in achieving the required precision due to the complex and heterogeneous nature of brain tumors. In this study, we propose an innovative approach to brain tumor multi-classification by leveraging an ensemble learning method that combines advanced deep learning models with an optimal weighting strategy.

Sarcoidosis in north African people: about 35 cases.

Background And Aim: Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown cause characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomatous inflammation in various organs, mainly  lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes. Its clinical and paraclinical presentation can vary from mild to life-threatening. Our objective is to study the clinical, paraclinical and evolution profile of mediastino-pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Characterization of a New Hybrid Compound (CHN)ZnCl·2Cl: X-ray Structure, Hirshfeld Surface, Vibrational, Thermal Stability, Dielectric Relaxation, and Electrical Conductivity.

A novel organic-inorganic material (CHN)ZnCl·2Cl was synthesized via a slow evaporation approach and subjected to extensive characterization. Techniques involving X-ray diffraction, SEM/EDX, Hirshfeld surface examination, IR/Raman spectroscopy, thermal behavior (TG/DTG/SDTA and DSC), and electric and dielectric studies were applied. Examination of the crystal structure reveals that the synthesized material adopts a monoclinic system, particularly belonging to the 2/ space group with unit cell parameters = 11.

Acute renal failure during treatment with Zoledronate in cancer patients.

Background: Standard treatment for bone metastases is based on bisphosphonates such as zoledronic acid. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of acute renal failure during treatment with Zoledronate and to analyze its correlated factors.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study carried out at the medical oncology department of Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax, between January 2022 and March 2022.