Abstract Background Unintended pregnancy (UIP) and substance use disorder (SUD) share underlying root causes with similar potential impacts for women and their offspring in pregnancy, birth and beyond. Furthermore, use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) increases the risk of UIP. Objectives To assess the available evidence on impact of UIP on health, social and economic outcomes, in women who use AOD. Search Strategy The review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology for Scoping Reviews and PRISMA reporting guidelines. The search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including Scopus and Medline, and limited to studies published between January 2000 to June 2023. Selection Criteria Studies reporting on interactions between AOD use and UIP, and subsequent pregnancy, birth, infant, childhood, social or economic outcomes. All patterns and types of AOD use, except isolated use of tobacco, were included. Studies were available in English and conducted in high income countries. Data Collection and Analysis Selected articles were reviewed, and data collected by 2 independent reviewers using a standardised data extraction sheet. Findings were summarised and reported descriptively. Main Results A total of 2383 titles and abstracts were screened, 97 full texts were reviewed, and three studies were selected for inclusion in the scoping review. There was heterogeneity in types and patterns of AOD use, differences in study design and tools to assess pregnancy intention, and each focused on disparate outcomes. No study assessed or reported on birth outcomes. Conclusion There is a paucity of data examining the intersection between AOD use and UIP and further research is needed. Funding The University of Sydney Albert S. McKern Scholarship; Australian National Health and Medical research Council fellowship (APP1197940) and Financial Markets Foundation for Children.

Background: Animal models play a crucial role in medicine and biology, but they can’t fully replace human models for studying human biology, disease mechanisms, and drug efficacy. Human organoids offer an opportunity to investigate human diseases and complement animal models. However, research on human organoids lacks comprehensive characterizations. Objective: Identify and describe publications exploring and applying organoids. Methods: Thorough analysis of articles from the past two decades retrieved from Web of Science core collection database. Examined publication year, authors, institutions, countries, references, and keywords. Reviewed top 100 highly cited articles using CiteSpace. Results: Found 6817 original articles on organoids, with a remarkable surge over the past decade (nearly 70-fold increase since 2009). Collaboration among the United States, China, Germany, Netherlands, England, and Japan was prominent. Key figures advancing this field include Clevers Hans, Van Der Laan, Jason R. Spence, and Sato Toshiro. Top articles covered basic research (39%), stem cell development, interactions; biobanking (9%) for organoid cultivation; precision medicine (15%) in cell therapy, drug development; disease modeling (37%) involving pathogen analysis, genetic variant screening. Challenges: high costs, technological barriers, lack of standardized protocols, precise immune system establishment, limited quality clinical trials. Overcoming these requires collaborative efforts, evaluation guidelines. Conclusions: Organoid research focuses on basic research, disease modeling, precision medicine, and biobanking. Prioritizing cost reduction, technology sharing, international standards, and high-quality clinical trials is crucial.

Microbial communities are gaining ground in biotechnology, as they offer many advantages over single-organism monocultures. To make microbial communities competitive as a biotechnological platform, it is essential that we develop strategies to engineering and optimizing their functionality. To this end, most efforts have focused on genetic manipulations. An alternative and also very promising strategy is to optimize the function of microbial communities by rationally engineering their environment and culture conditions. A major challenge is that the combinatorial space of environmental factors is enormous. Furthermore, environmental factors such as temperature, pH, nutrient composition, etc., generally combine their effects in complex, non-additive ways. In this piece, we overview the origins and consequences of these “interactions” between environmental factors, and discuss how they have been built into statistical models of microbial community function to identify optimal environmental conditions. We also overview alternative “top-down” approaches, such as genetic algorithms, to finding combinations of environmental factors that optimize the function of microbial consortia. By providing a brief summary of the state of this field, we hope to stimulate the development of novel methodologies to rationally manipulate and optimize microbial communities through their environment.

Escherichia Coli ( E. coli) is one of the most prevalent bacteria in the gut and plays an important role in the formation of the intestinal microbiome. In this study, Escherichia phage Ioannina, a novel member of Caudoviricetes, with high lytic activity against E. coli ATCC 25922, was isolated from hospital wastewater. Escherichia phage Ioannina was highly resistant to a broad range of temperatures and alkaline pH, but was sensitive to acidic pH. Whole genome sequencing of the phage, revealed that Escherichia phage Ioannina is a novel phage within the Dhillonvirus genus. Its genome is a 45,270 bp double-stranded DNA molecule that encodes 64 putative open reading frames (ORFs). The phylogenetic analysis of open reading frames, which diversified Escherichia phage Ioannina from other dhillonviruses, indicated that ORF31 (a putative tail fiber protein) presented higher similarity to representatives of other phage families. ORF31 was significantly more related to similar ORFs belonging to the Kuravirus and Tunavirus ( Drexlerviridae) genera, indicating a possible recombination event.

Neglecting process quality and product quality in software increases development and maintenance costs. Numerous models have been proposed to assess and grade product quality. However, current models mostly require collecting data about the software throughout the process, rely on questionnaires that generate subjective judgments, and include sets of metrics with sharp thresholds. There is an important need to quickly evaluate software that has completed or is about to complete the development phase prior to acceptance testing, and there is a need for a model that produces practical and objective results adapted to the limited data available. In this paper, we review and compare existing software quality assessment models in the literature and industry and propose a new fuzzy logic inference model inspired by them, where only the software code can be used as input. Comparative measurements show that the proposed model provides more stable and realistic results than the Software Improvement Group (SIG) maintainability model, which is one of the modern and practical methods adopted.

This paper explores the relationship between the reliance on different information sources and infodemic exposure in the early phases of the pandemic. The aim is to identify the sources that create less infodemic. We analyze high-quality secondary data from two studies using a 10-country sample: the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Africa, and South Korea. Study 1 analyzes infodemic exposure through an analysis of 3,723,920 COVID-19 tweets. Likewise, study 2 analyzes reliance on COVID-19 information sources by surveying 10,000 respondents. This research provides perspectives and implications for the infodemic debunking to the government departments, public health organizations, and media industries by analyzing the correlations between these two studies. We found that people who rely on national government information sources about COVID-19 tend to be less exposed to the infodemic. Findings also suggest a correlation between the countries with higher COVID-19 confirmed cases and people’s reliance on the national government information sources. We found that people from countries with more unverified bots tweeting about COVID-19 tend to rely less on family and friends and social media as sources. Evidence also suggests that the most trusted spokespeople are scientists and health professionals rather than politicians. Finally, we observed 70% of the sample´s countries slightly reduced their risk of exposure to the infodemic within 12 months of the pandemic’s start.

Background and Objectives: The retroauricular hairline approach is increasingly being used for submandibular gland resections because of the excellent cosmetic results. A meta-analysis of studies compared the retroauricular hairline and conventional approaches for submandibular gland excision. Methods: A meta-analysis of studies identified from the PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was performed. Postoperative nerve damage (temporary earlobe numbness and other signs of nerve damage), surgical durations, wound lengths, intraoperative bleeding volumes, postoperative drainage, and lengths of hospital stay were compared. Results: The retroauricular hairline approach led to greater risk of temporary earlobe numbness (OR: 7.28; 95% CI: 1.57–33.87; P = 0.01), but this resolved during the follow-up. There was no significant difference in the risk of other nerve injuries between the two approaches. The retroauricular hairline group had significantly longer operative times and wound lengths compared to the conventional resection group. There were no significant differences between the two approaches in intraoperative bleeding volumes, postoperative drainage, and lengths of hospital stay. Conclusions: The retroauricular hairline approach is a safe and efficient alternative to the conventional approach. It provides better cosmetic results and does not increase the risk of long-term neurological complications.

Background and aims: This study aimed to identify studies that provide comprehensive information on the biological-molecular changes of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) from January 1, 2000, to the end of November 2021. Methods: Two researchers independently searched electronic databases using keywords and Boolean operators. Inclusion criteria included studies published in English, peer-reviewed, and with appropriate information on IBC’s biological-molecular changes. Exclusion criteria were studies not in English, those without sufficient information on molecular and biological processes related to cancer, or those including other cancers. Results: From an initial selection of 1639 studies, 11 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results highlight the importance of rigorous search strategies in identifying relevant studies in the field of cancer research. Conclusions: Understanding the unique traits of inflammatory breast cancer is crucial in determining its aggressive nature. Differential diagnosis of IBC from other types of breast cancer is necessary as genetic and molecular alterations in IBC are also present in non-IBC breast cancer, despite potential differences in treatment.

In the realm of computer vision, paddy (Oryza Sativa) plays a pivotal role as a globally consumed staple crop. Its cultivation, harvesting, processing, and storage involve intricate quality control. Numerous factors, including weather conditions and irrigation frequency, influence grain quality. To address this, we present an innovative approach that combines image processing and machine learning (ML). Existing methods for rice grain quality assessment, while valuable, are tailored to rice-specific characteristics, employing complex and costly setups and opaque ML models. Our research overcomes these limitations with a robust ML-based IoT system for paddy grain quality assessment, using affordable sensors, a comprehensive data collection process, and an ML-driven image processing model. Importantly, our approach utilizes interpretable features like Shape, Size, Moisture, and Maturity for paddy grain classification. Rigorous real-world testing confirms its precision, marking it as the first automated system capable of providing a reliable overall quality metric. Our system’s unique feature lies in its transparency, with clear features and fuzzy rules, inspiring confidence and trust. While our experiments primarily feature Indian Subcontinent grain varieties, the system’s adaptability to diverse paddy types is evident, contributing significantly to computer vision.

Vertical axis wind turbine has been conceived as one of the best candidates for converting untapped kinetic energy of turbulent and unsteady airstream into electricity. Intelligible data on detailed analysis of performance of such a useful turbine is still scarcely found in the vast world of scientific literature. The report entitled “Design and performance analysis of Giromill Vertical Axis Wind Turbine” attempts to analyze performance of the VAWT at different tip speed ratios (TSR), for different number of blades, at different velocities and blade pitch angles. The Double Multiple Steam Tube model was used to find the design parameter of the Giromill Vertical Axis Wind Turbine after analyzing the performance curves at different solidity ratios and tip speed ratios. The turbine with radius 1.12m, chord length 0.11m obtained from the DMST model was used for various 2D computational fluid dynamics simulations. The result showed that the DMST model over-estimates the value of coefficient of performance than the 2D CFD analysis. Simulation results shows the dominance of three-bladed turbine, in performance, over four-bladed turbine at different design parameters, by around 4.3% for same inlet wind velocity of 4m/s. Also, the performance of three bladed wind turbine is found to be better for different wind velocity and it increases at suitable negative blade pitch angle.

Moment-based determination of a probability density function (PDF) is widely used in chemical and process engineering applications as they provide an efficient approach to analyze and solve complex systems. In this study, three different approaches are implemented for estimating probability distributions from their moments. These procedures are based on the reconstruction of a distribution knowing only a limited number of moments using Chebyshev polynomials, Hermite polynomials and Lagrange polynomials. To show the applicability of these approaches, various test cases with reduced set of moments are solved with a set of standard distribution families (Normal, Weibull, Log Normal and Bimodal) and with complex distributions (Smoluchowski coagulation equation and population balance equation). The results are compared with their analytical solutions using both small and big variance distributions. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) matrix and the RMSE values of the interpolation procedure using Lagrange polynomials predict a better estimation for all the test cases compared to the other approaches including the standard monomial approach (with higher number of moments) implemented in this study. The K-S test values decreased by 19% compared to the standard monomial procedure and 11% compared to both Chebyshev and Hermite polynomial approaches. Similarly, the RMSE values improved by 85% compared to the standard monomial procedure and 62% compared to both Chebyshev and Hermite polynomial approaches. This indicates that the procedure using Lagrange polynomials is a more reliable reconstruction procedure that calculates the approximate distribution using lesser number of moments N which is desirable.

The problem of determining the elastic bounds of the coupling tensor for anisotropic laminates is addressed in this paper. It is shown how the invariant polar moduli of the coupling tensor interact with those of the extension and bending tensors to define all the conditions to be satisfied by such set of tensors describing the elastic behavior of an anisotropic laminate composed by identical layers. Some peculiar cases, interesting for applications, are also considered.

The investigation of linear periodic systems is a prominent subject of research within the domain of linear systems theory. In this context, the state-space realization of such systems is of particular significance. In fact, after successfully treating the realization problem for time-invariant systems, various researchers have directed their attention toward investigating the case of linear periodic systems. Meanwhile, in the late 1980s, Jan C. Willems proposed an approach that broadened the range of systems studied, now referred to as the behavioral approach. This approach views the behavior of a system as its fundamental element, including all signals that adhere to the system laws (also called system trajectories). More recently, the behavioral framework has also been extended separately to periodic and quaternionic behavioral systems. Our work consists of considering linear periodic input/output quaternionic behavioral systems and using recent developments in order to obtain quasi-minimal and uniform state-space realizations.

We consider the nonlinear elliptic system { u ∈ W 0 N N − 1 ( Ω ): − div ( M ( x ) ∇ u )+ u = − div ( u M ( x ) ∇ ψ )+ f ( x ) , ψ ∈ W 0 1 , 2 ( Ω ): − div ( M ( x ) ∇ ψ )+ ψ = R ( u )+ E ( x ) ∇ ψ , where Ω is a bounded, open subset of R N , N≥3 ; M( x) is a coercive, symmetric matrix with L ∞ ( Ω ) coefficients; f( x) and E( x) belong to some Lebesgue space, and R( s) is a continuous function such that 0 ≤ R ( s ) ≤ | s | θ , for θ < 2 N . Using a duality technique, we prove existence of at least a weak solution ( u,ψ) . Moreover, if N=3 or N=4 , we prove under stronger assumptions on f( x) and E( x) that the solution u belongs to W 0 1 , 2 ( Ω ) .

INTRODUCTIONThymoma, a rare mediastinal tumor, often requires differential diagnosis from other mediastinal masses, necessitating a multidimensional approach combining various imaging modalities and histopathologic analysis.1 Accurate correlation of these features is pivotal for drawing definitive diagnostic, prognostic, and disease staging conclusions. Moreover, the presence of local invasion complicates complete mass resection, underlining the necessity for a multidisciplinary approach in such scenarios.2,3In this case report, we detail the evaluation of a 69-year-old female presenting with recurrent left chest wall pain, subacute decline in functional status, and exertional dyspnea. Imaging disclosed a sizable anterior mediastinal mass encroaching into the pericardium and right pleural space, accompanied by loculated pericardial effusion, which was later confirmed as thymoma upon histopathological examination. This case underscores the potential complexities encountered in the diagnostic journey of thymoma, while also emphasizing the importance of an integrated approach and the challenges imposed by local invasion.

IntroductionCobblestone esophagus is a rare finding that has been previously described in cases of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), candidiasis, barrett’s esophagus or severe reflux esophagitis from distal gastrointestinal obstruction1-4. We describe an unusual case of asymptomatic cobblestone esophagus secondary to bisphosphonate use.

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The role of species interactions, as well as genetic and environmental factors, all likely contribute to the composition and structure of the gut microbiome, however disentangling these independent actors under field conditions represents a challenge for a functional understanding of gut microbial ecology. Avian brood parasites provide unique opportunities to investigate these questions, as brood parasitism results in parasite and host nestlings being raised in the same nest, by the same parents. Here we utilized obligate brood parasite Brown-headed Cowbird nestlings (BHCO; Molothrus ater) raised by several different host passerine species to better understand, via 16S rRNA sequencing, the microbial ecology of brood parasitism. First, we compared fecal microbial communities of Prothonotary Warbler nestlings (PROW; Protonotaria citrea) that were either parasitized or non-parasitized by BHCO, and communities among BHCO nestlings from PROW nests. We found that parasitism by BHCO significantly altered both the community membership and community structure of the PROW nestling host-associated bacterial microbiome (HABM), perhaps due to the stressful nest environment generated by brood parasitism. In a second dataset, we compared fecal HABMs from BHCO nestlings raised by 6 different host passerines species. Here, we found that the HABM of BHCO nestlings was significantly influenced by the parental host species and the presence of an interspecific nestmate. Thus, early rearing environment is important in determining the HABM of brood parasite nestlings, and their companion nestlings. Future work may aim to understand the functional effects of this HABM variability on nestling performance and fitness.

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of the emergence of new variants and the epidemiological scenario on hospitalization rates of unvaccinated children (0-12 years) in Brazil. The study included 1,614 children admitted to a hospital between March 2020 and December 2022, with only 101 (6.3%) of them testing positive for COVID-19 via RT-PCR. The frequency of COVID-19 cases increased from 7.5% in 2020 to 9.3% in 2022 with the emergence of the Omicron variant. Children over five years old with comorbidities accounted for the majority of cases (69% [70/101]). Sickle cell anemia was the most frequent comorbidity (20%), and flu disease (36% [36/101]) and decompensation of underlying disease (33% [33/101]) were the main reasons for hospitalization. Co-infection was detected in 11% of cases, with RSV being the most common viral pathogen (71%). Hospital readmission occurred in 26% of cases, with a higher frequency in children over five years old. The death rate was 2.2%, with comorbidities such as cystic fibrosis and congenital heart disease as risk factors. These findings emphasize the need to prioritize vaccination with monovalent Omicron XBB for high-risk groups, including children over five years old with comorbidities, to mitigate the impact of new variants and reduce severe disease outcomes.

Visual symmetry activates a network of regions in the extrastriate cortex and generates an event related potential (ERP) called the sustained posterior negativity (SPN). Previous work has found that the SPN is robust to experimental manipulations of task, spatial attention, and memory load. In the current study, we investigated whether the SPN is also robust to alcohol induced changes in mental state. A pilot experiment (N = 13) found that alcohol unexpectedly increased SPN amplitude. We followed this unexpected result with two new experiments on separate groups, using an alcohol challenge paradigm. One group completed an Oddball discrimination task (N = 26). Another group completed a Regularity discrimination task (N =26). In both groups participants consumed a medium dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg body weight) and placebo drink, in separate sessions. Alcohol reduced SPN amplitude in the Oddball task (contrary to the pilot results) but had no effect on SPN amplitude in the Regularity task. In contrast, the N1 wave was consistently dampened by alcohol in all experiments. Exploratory analysis indicated that the inconsistent effect of alcohol on SPN amplitude may be partly explained by individual differences in alcohol use. Alcohol reduced the SPN in light drinkers and increased it in heavier drinkers. Despite remaining questions, the results highlight the automaticity of symmetry processing. Symmetry still produces a large SPN response, even when participants are intoxicated, and even when symmetry is not task relevant.

Soil sodification commonly occurs in irrigated soils of arid and semi-arid regions, resulting in serious decreases in productivity. Because an apparent consequence of sodic soils in farmlands is the significant deterioration of drainage capacity, the impacts of different types of water, such as irrigation water, groundwater, and rainfall, on soil drainage need to be assessed for sustainable land management. We investigated changes in soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (HC) under different salt treatments by separating the effects of swelling and dispersion. The salt treatments were conducted at different salt compositions (SAR∞, SAR10, SAR0; SAR=Na/(Ca/2) 1/2 (cations: mol c L -1)) and concentrations (0.05, 0.01, 0.001 N) on Indian soil (sandy clay loam). The soil cores were continuously leached with each treatment solution, and the HC was plotted against the cumulative amount of percolating solution. Our results support the existing findings that dispersion is triggered at concentrations below the critical coagulation concentration (CCC), which further varies with swelling and reflects the degree of sodification in a single mineralogy. We further revealed that the CCC could vary without changing the level of swelling; thus, whether or not dispersion occurs could be controlled independently of the determinants of swelling.

Internal Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Chiropractic Manipulation In a Patient With Eagle Syndrome

Letter to the Editor Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug SafetyAuthors: Christopher Lee1, Silvia Rizzi 1, Ana Luiza Bierrenbach1, Luis Antunes1, Niina-Maria Nissinen1, Olga Rocha1, Jennifer Campbell2, Caroline Minassian3, Susan Hodgson2, Anne Broe1

Jari Taskinen