Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the spirochete bacteria Leptospira spp. From December 2017 to December 2023, a total of 34 canine leptospirosis cases were reported in urban Sydney, Australia. During the same spatio-temporal frame, one locally acquired human case was also reported. As it was hypothesised that human residents and companion dogs might both be exposed to pathogenic Leptospira in community green spaces in Sydney, an environmental survey was conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 to detect the presence of pathogenic Leptospira DNA in multipurpose, recreational public parks in the council areas of the Inner West and City of Sydney, Australia. A total of 75 environmental samples were collected from 20 public parks that were easily accessible by human and canine visitors. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) testing targeting pathogenic and intermediate Leptospira spp. was performed, and differences in detection of Leptospira spp. between dog-allowed and dog-prohibited areas were statistically examined. The global Moran’s Index was calculated to identify any spatial autocorrelation in the qPCR results. Pathogenic leptospires were detected in all 20 parks, either in water or soil samples (35/75 samples). Cycle threshold (Ct) values were slightly lower for water samples (Ct 28.52–39.10) compared to soil samples (Ct 33.78–39.77). The chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test results were statistically non-significant (p > 0.05 for both water and soil samples), and there was no spatial autocorrelation detected in the qPCR results (p > 0.05 for both sample types). Although further research is now required, our preliminary results indicate the presence of pathogenic Leptospira DNA and its potential ubiquity in recreational parks in Sydney. Full article

In the treatment process of brain tumors, it is of great importance to develop a set of MRI image segmentation methods with high accuracy and low cost. In order to extract the feature information for each region of the brain tumor more effectively, this paper proposes a new model Ga-U-Net based on Gabor convolution and an attention mechanism. Based on 3D U-Net, Gabor convolution is added at the shallow layer of the encoder, which is able to learn the local structure and texture information of the tumor better. After that, the CBAM attention mechanism is added after the output of each layer of the encoder, which not only enhances the network’s ability to perceive the brain tumor boundary information but also reduces some redundant information by allocating the attention to the two dimensions of space and channel. Experimental results show that the model performs well for multiple tumor regions (WT, TC, ET) on the brain tumor dataset BraTS 2021, with Dice coefficients of 0.910, 0.897, and 0.856, respectively, which are improved by 0.3%, 2%, and 1.7% compared to the base network, the U-Net network, with an average Dice of 0.887 and an average Hausdorff distance of 9.12, all of which are better than a few other state-of-the-art deep models for biomedical image segmentation. Full article

Postural instability is a common complication in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with recurrent falls and fall-related injuries. The test of retropulsion, consisting of a rapid balance perturbation by a pull in the backward direction, is regarded as the gold standard for evaluating postural instability in PD and is a key component of the neurological examination and clinical rating in PD (e.g., MDS-UPDRS). However, significant variability in test execution and interpretation contributes to a low intra- and inter-rater test reliability. Here, we explore the potential for objective, vision-based assessment of the pull test (vPull) using 3D pose tracking applied to single-sensor RGB-Depth recordings of clinical assessments. The initial results in a cohort of healthy individuals (n = 15) demonstrate overall excellent agreement of vPull-derived metrics with the gold standard marker-based motion capture. Subsequently, in a cohort of PD patients and controls (n = 15 each), we assessed the inter-rater reliability of vPull and analyzed PD-related impairments in postural response (including pull-to-step latency, number of steps, retropulsion angle). These quantitative metrics effectively distinguish healthy performance from and within varying degrees of postural impairment in PD. vPull shows promise for straightforward clinical implementation with the potential to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of postural instability assessment and fall risk prediction in PD. Full article

First-order algorithms have long dominated the training of deep neural networks, excelling in tasks like image classification and natural language processing. Now there is a compelling opportunity to explore alternatives that could outperform current state-of-the-art results. From the estimation theory, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) arose as a viable alternative and has shown advantages over backpropagation methods. Current computational advances offer the opportunity to review algorithms derived from the EKF, almost excluded from the training of convolutional neural networks. This article revisits an approach of the EKF with decoupling and it brings the Fully Decoupled Extended Kalman Filter (FDEKF) for training convolutional neural networks in image classification tasks. The FDEKF is a second-order algorithm with some advantages over the first-order algorithms, so it can lead to faster convergence and higher accuracy, due to a higher probability of finding the global optimum. In this research, experiments are conducted on well-known datasets that include Fashion, Sports, and Handwritten Digits images. The FDEKF shows faster convergence compared to other algorithms such as the popular Adam optimizer, the sKAdam algorithm, and the reduced extended Kalman filter. Finally, motivated by the finding of the highest accuracy of FDEKF with images of natural scenes, we show its effectiveness in another experiment focused on outdoor terrain recognition. Full article

Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (Mecp2) is an epigenetic modulator and numerous studies have explored its impact on the central nervous system manifestations. However, little attention has been given to its potential contributions to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). To investigate the regulation of Mecp2 in the PNS on specific central regions, we generated Mecp2^fl/flAdvillin^cre mice with the sensory-neuron-specific deletion of the Mecp2 gene and found the mutant mice had a heightened sensitivity to temperature, which, however, did not affect the sense of motion, social behaviors, and anxiety-like behavior. Notably, in comparison to Mecp2^fl/fl mice, Mecp2^fl/flAdvillin^cre mice exhibited improved learning and memory abilities. The levels of hippocampal synaptophysin and PSD95 proteins were higher in Mecp2^fl/flAdvillin^cre mice than in Mecp2^fl/fl mice. Golgi staining revealed a significant increase in total spine density, and dendritic arborization in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons of Mecp2^fl/flAdvillin^cre mice compared to Mecp2^fl/fl mice. In addition, the activation of the BDNF-TrkB-CREB1 pathway was observed in the hippocampus and spinal cord of Mecp2^fl/flAdvillin^cre mice. Intriguingly, the hippocampal BDNF/CREB1 signaling pathway in mutant mice was initiated within 5 days after birth. Our findings suggest a potential therapeutic strategy targeting the BDNF-TrkB-CREB1 signaling pathway and peripheral somasensory neurons to treat learning and cognitive deficits associated with Mecp2 disorders. Full article

Whether the phosphorus removal chemical in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be accurately dosed not only affects the compliance of the effluent total phosphorus but also has a huge impact on sludge production and energy consumption during the wastewater treatment process. For the effluent from the secondary sedimentation tank of a wastewater treatment plant in southern China, based on experimental screening of the optimal pH value, chemical types and concentrations of chemicals, coagulation time, etc., a dynamic dosage prediction feedforward model for chemical phosphorus removal agents in the effluent from the secondary sedimentation tank of the WWTPs was developed to predict the most economical dosage of the chemicals. Meanwhile, combined with the adaptive fuzzy neural network P feedback control algorithm, dynamic real-time control of chemical dosing was achieved. Through micro-control design, a software model for signal collection and feedback in a specific phosphorus removal scenario was formed, and an automatic control system for chemical dosing was ultimately developed for a WWTP in a city in southern China. After stable operation for two months, the system achieved a 100% compliance rate for effluent total phosphorus (TP) concentration and a 67% improvement in effluent stability, helping the wastewater treatment plant achieve stable and precise control of the phosphorus removal process in the secondary sedimentation tank effluent, which is conducive to further promoting its implementation of low-carbon pathways. Full article

This qualitative study delved into the perceptions of “bilingualism” among 60 students in a teacher education program, drawing on survey responses at the outset of their training. Informed by the translanguaging framework, we analyzed teacher candidates’ responses to identify a range of views spanning from minimalist to maximalist and from monoglossic to heteroglossic perspectives of bilingualism. Our analysis revealed many teacher candidates had a strict and narrow definition of bilingualism based on minimalist and monoglossic standards, especially when considering their own bilingual identities, legitimizing only speakers with native-like proficiency in all language domains in two languages as true bilinguals. Interestingly, their conceptions of bilingualism, as future educators, tended to be more maximalist and heteroglossic when they considered the bilingual potential of their future students. These findings will contribute and challenge the discourses that favor and idealize perfect balanced bilingualism. Implications for research and practice for teachers and teacher educators in bilingual settings are discussed. Full article

Niceness includes behaviors such as avoiding conflict or controversial topics, being submissive and people-pleasing, performing teaching as “love” in uncritical ways, accepting deficit perspectives, and upholding patriarchal structures. In the spirit of Niceness, white female teachers often avoid the work of challenging inequitable systems because doing so leaves them vulnerable to being seen as “not nice” or troublemakers. In this article, we interrogate how “niceness” produces and perpetuates inequalities in schooling. In particular, we argue that we, a group of eight white female teacher educators from across the United States, are in positions of leadership, capable of perpetuating or disrupting “niceness” in our pre-service courses. Drawing on scholarship on niceness, femininity, and critical whiteness, we examine our complicity in acts of oppression and how we work to identify and unlearn institutional norms to teach for justice and equity. We share vulnerable moments when we upheld niceness. In doing so, we aim to reveal and explore how socialization into niceness enables our silence, inaction, and misguided action. Full article

Background: The predictive value of thrombus standard perviousness (SP) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for the technical success rates of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) or functional outcomes is not yet conclusive. We investigated the relationship between dynamic perviousness (DP) and revascularization results using time-dependent enhancement curve types determined with computed tomography (CT). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 137 AIS patients was performed. DP was calculated as the thrombus attenuation increase (TAI) using three time points and categorized into four groups: (1) no enhancement (CNE); (2) late enhancement (CLE); (3) early enhancement with washout (CW); (4) early enhancement without washout (CNW). Associations with the technical success rate and functional outcomes were assessed. Results: Late enhancement (CLE) had approximately two times higher odds for successful MT as compared to clots with other enhancement dynamics. The odds ratios (logistic regression model with CNW as the reference) for the TICI III scores were 4.04 (p = 0.067), 1.82 (p = 0.3), and 1.69 (p = 0.4) for CLE, CW, and CNE, respectively. The NIHSS scores at discharge and mRS scores at three months showed regression coefficients (linear regression model with CNW as reference) of −3.05 (p = 0.10), −1.17 (p = 0.51), and −1.24 (p = 0.47); and −1.30 (p = 0.097), −0.85 (p = 0.25), and −0.15 (p = 0.83) for CLE, CW, and CNE, respectively. Conclusions: Thrombi with late enhancement patterns showed a higher revascularization rate and better outcomes as compared to clots with early uptake or no washout. Full article

Background: An increasing proportion of heart failure (HF) patients progress to the advanced stage (AdHF) with high event rates and limited treatment options. Echocardiography, particularly Speckle Tracking-derived myocardial work (MW), is useful for HF diagnosis and prognosis. We aimed to assess MW’s feasibility in the prognostic stratification of AdHF. Methods: We retrospectively screened patients with AdHF who accessed our hospital in 2018–2022. We excluded subjects with inadequate acoustic windows; unavailable brachial artery cuff pressure at the time of the echocardiography; atrial fibrillation; and mitral or aortic regurgitation. We measured standard parameters and left ventricular (LV) strain (LS) and MW. The population was followed up to determine the composite outcomes of all-cause mortality, left ventricular assist device implantation and heart transplantation (primary endpoint), as well as unplanned HF hospitalization (secondary endpoint). Results: We enrolled 138 patients, prevalently males (79.7%), with a median age of 58 years (IQR 50–62). AdHF etiology was predominantly non-ischemic (65.9%). Thirty-five patients developed a composite event during a median follow-up of 636 days (IQR 323–868). Diastolic function, pulmonary pressures, and LV GLS and LV MW indices were not associated with major events. Contrarily, for the secondary endpoint, the hazard ratio for each increase in global work index (GWI) by 50 mmHg% was 0.90 (p = 0.025) and for each increase in global constructive work (GCW) by 50 mmHg% was 0.90 (p = 0.022). Kaplan–Meier demonstrated better endpoint-free survival, with an LV GWI ≥ 369 mmHg%. Conclusions: GWI and GCW, with good feasibility, can help in the better characterization of patients with AdHF at higher risk of HF hospitalization and adverse events, identifying the need for closer follow-up or additional HF therapy. Full article

The primary aim of this study was to provide a sustainable and systemic solution to the prevalent time management challenges within healthcare academia. The secondary aim was to explore the correlations between various factors influencing time management in a dental university setting. To achieve these objectives, a predictive model, the Timebooster Academic Systemic Model (TASM), was developed. This model was crafted through systemic analysis software and a systemic management approach, utilizing three fundamental pillars: teaching, research, and administrative tasks. Soft skill cultivation, automation implementation, the delegation of administrative responsibilities, and the role of resilient academic manager–leaders were also examined. The study found that prioritizing administrative tasks often consumes valuable academic time, resulting in excessive costs and lowered resilience levels among academicians. TASM proposes solutions such as soft skill cultivation, full automation, delegation, and the mitigation of time-consuming elements, emphasizing the role of resilient academic manager–leaders in enhancing collaboration and teamwork. Time management challenges significantly impact academic well-being and resilience. In conclusion, systemic models like TASM provide a valuable framework to address prioritization concerns, identify administrative obstacles, and manage low-value time-consuming tasks within academia in a systemic manner. Full article

Within contemporary Christian philosophical theology, there are three broad theories of providence being debated. These are theological determinism, Molinism, and open theism. Of course, there are nuances amongst proponents of each theory, but the nuances are not terribly important for my purposes in this essay. I will argue that the basic conceptual machinery of each theory seems to entail divine temporality. Since open theists are already committed to divine temporality, there is nothing for me to argue there. Things get interesting when I consider theological determinism and Molinism. There are proponents of each view who already affirm divine temporality, but there are also proponents of each view who affirm divine timelessness. What I will argue is that theological determinism and Molinism are incompatible with divine timelessness. In order to make my case, I will start by defining some terms. Then, I will offer some arguments related to acting for a reason, divine freedom, and so-called logical moments in the life of a timeless God. Full article

Chagas disease, discovered over a century ago, continues to pose a global health challenge, affecting millions mainly in Latin America. This historical review with commentary outlines the disease’s discovery, its evolution into a global concern due to migration, and highlights significant advances in diagnostics and treatment strategies. Despite these advancements, the paper discusses ongoing challenges in eradication, including vector control, congenital transmission, the disease’s asymptomatic nature, and socioeconomic barriers to effective management. It calls for a multidisciplinary approach, enhanced diagnostics, improved treatment accessibility, and sustained vector control efforts. The review emphasizes the importance of global collaboration and increased funding to reduce Chagas disease’s impact. Full article

The interaction between bees and flowering plants is mediated by floral cues that enable bees to find foraging plants. We tested floral cue preferences among three common wild bee species: Lasioglossum villosulum, Osmia bicornis, and Bombus terrestris. Preferences are well studied in eusocial bees but almost unknown in solitary or non-eusocial generalist bee species. Using standardized artificial flowers altered in single cues, we tested preferences for color hue, achromatic contrast, scent complexity, corolla size, and flower depth. We found common attractive cues among all tested bees. Intensively colored flowers and large floral displays were highly attractive. No preferences were observed in scent complexity experiments, and the number of volatiles did not influence the behavior of bees. Differing preferences were found for color hue. The specific behaviors were probably influenced by foraging experience and depended on the flower choice preferences of the tested bee species. In experiments testing different flower depths of reward presentation, the bees chose flat flowers that afforded low energy costs. The results reveal that generalist wild bee species other than well-studied honeybees and bumblebees show strong preferences for distinct floral cues to find potential host plants. The diverse preferences of wild bees ensure the pollination of various flowering plants. Full article

The challenges experienced in the context of the pandemic have required a significant reconciliation between work and family domains due to confinement and the need to spend more time at home, which may have increased the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, making it necessary to use resilient coping strategies to overcome the difficulties felt. This study examined the effect of resilient coping on the relationship between work-family conflict and stress, anxiety, and depression in this context. Data were collected using a self-report protocol from a sample of Portuguese workers (N = 476). The results indicated that work-family conflict was positively associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Resilient coping established a negative relationship with stress, anxiety, and depression. The moderation effect was not corroborated; it was found that in the presence of the moderating variable (resilient coping), the relationship between the variables of work-family conflict and stress, anxiety, and depression was strengthened. This study reinforces the importance of appropriate interventions in resilient coping in the work-family context, which helps control stress, anxiety, and resilience levels. Full article

Accurate quantification of forest biomass (FB) is the key to assessing the carbon budget of terrestrial ecosystems. Using remote sensing to apply inversion techniques to the estimation of FBs has recently become a research trend. However, the limitations of vertical scale analysis methods and the nonlinear distribution of forest biomass stratification have led to significant uncertainties in FB estimation. In this study, the biomass characteristics of forest vertical stratification were considered, and based on the integration of random forest and least squares (RF-LS) models, the FB prediction potential improved. The results indicated that compared with traditional biomass estimation methods, the overall R² of FB retrieval increased by 12.01%, and the root mean square error (RMSE) decreased by 7.50 Mg·hm⁻². The RF-LS model we established exhibited better performance in FB inversion and simulation assessments. The indicators of forest canopy height, soil organic matter content, and red-edge chlorophyll vegetation index had greater impacts on FB estimation. These indexes could be the focus of consideration in FB estimation using the integrated RF-LS model. Overall, this study provided an optimization method to map and evaluate FB by fine stratification of above-ground forest and reveals important indicators for FB inversion and the applicability of the RF-LS model. The results could be used as a reference for the accurate inversion of subtropical forest biomass parameters and estimation of carbon storage. Full article

Aging in polymers of intrinsic microporosity has slowed exploitation due to a decay in performance over time since densification makes them unsuitable for industrial applications. This work aimed to study the impact of the operation and storage temperature on the gas separation properties and aging rates of PIM-1 self-standing films. The permeability, diffusivity, and solubility of the tested membranes were monitored through permeation tests for pure carbon dioxide and nitrogen at a maximum upstream pressure of 1.3 bar for temperatures ranging from −20 °C to 25 °C. This study found significant benefits in the operation of glassy polymeric membranes at low temperatures, resulting in a favourable trade-off in separation performance and a reduction in the aging rate by three orders of magnitude. This brings new opportunities for the industrial application of PIMs in innovative carbon capture processes. Full article

Family communication has been thought to be an important area to support children’s adjustment to a cancer diagnosis. However, the characteristics of therapeutic parent–child communication that contribute to better patient outcomes and the specific patient health outcomes have been less explored. This current review explored the characteristics of therapeutic parent–child communication and its physical and psychological health outcomes. A total of 5034 articles were initially identified, and only 10 articles remained for inclusion in this review after application of the exclusion criteria. Most studies used a cross-sectional design and measured verbal communication characteristics and its psychological outcomes, but no physical outcomes. The characteristics of therapeutic verbal communication (openness, maternal validation, quality of information shared, etc.) and nonverbal communication (eye contact, close physical distance, and acknowledging behaviors) were identified. The psychological health outcomes included less distress, a lower level of PTSS, less internalizing and externalizing of symptoms, increased levels of social emotional competencies, better peer relationships, and more cooperation during the procedure at the individual level. Increased family cohesion and family adaptation were family-level outcomes. Longitudinal studies are needed to identify what qualities of communication predict better psychological outcomes so that interventions can be developed and tested. In addition, physical outcomes should be evaluated. Full article

Background: Digital governance currently presents challenges in the context of ports, where efficiency and transparency are key elements for the success of operations. In ports, the effective adoption of digital governance can have a significant impact on optimizing operational processes and improving coordination between port authorities, logistics operators and customs. Method: In this context, the article proposes the use of an End-to-End Tool to analyze and evaluate digital governance in ports. This tool makes it possible to collect data from various sources, carry out a thorough analysis of the processes involved, and evaluate the satisfaction of end users. In addition, it provides an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to visualize results and make evidence-based decisions. The outcomes revealed areas of improvement in operational processes, identified bottlenecks, and presented proposals to optimize port efficiency. Results: The port currently exhibiting the best digital governance is Valencia, followed by Piraeus, Barcelona, and Algeciras, with very comparable management, and finally, Genoa. Conclusions: Efficient public–private collaboration in digital governance boosts port competitiveness. Regulatory frameworks for data security are crucial, and digital governance emerges as vital for global success. Full article

Beef is an important source of high-quality protein and several micronutrients, including iron, zinc, and B vitamins. We determined beef intake and its relationship with intakes of nutrients and their adequacy using 24 h dietary recall data from 5868 older adults. Usual intakes from foods were determined using the National Cancer Institute method, and the percent of the population below the estimated average requirement or above adequate intake was estimated. A high percentage of older adults did not meet nutrient recommendations for vitamin D (96%), choline (96%), vitamin E (84%), potassium (70%), calcium (63%), magnesium (60%), vitamin C (46%), vitamin A (39%), zinc (21%), vitamin B₆ (19%), and folate (15%). About 68% of older adults were beef consumers with a mean intake of 56 g/day. Beef consumers had higher (p < 0.05) intakes of energy, protein, calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₁₂, and choline, and a higher (p < 0.05) proportion met nutrient recommendations for protein, calcium, copper, zinc, thiamin, folate, and vitamin B₁₂ than non-consumers. Consumers of fresh, ground, and processed beef also had generally higher intakes and lower inadequacies of many nutrients depending on the beef type. In conclusion, older adults generally had poor nutrient adequacy from their diets, while beef consumers had higher nutrient intakes and adequacy for certain key nutrients, which are inherently generally available from beef or from foods consumed with beef. Full article

Poor long-term survival in localized high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) of the extremities and trunk highlights the need to identify new prognostic factors. CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CXCR4 expression in tumor tissue and survival in STSs patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy. CXCR4 expression was retrospectively determined by immunohistochemical analysis in serial specimens including initial biopsies, tumors post-neoadjuvant treatment, and tumors after relapse. We found that a positive cytoplasmatic expression of CXCR4 in tumors after neoadjuvant treatment was a predictor of poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.003) and overall survival (p = 0.019) in synovial sarcomas. We also found that positive nuclear CXCR4 expression in the initial biopsies was associated with poor RFS (p = 0.022) in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas. In conclusion, our study adds to the evidence that CXCR4 expression in tumor tissue is a promising prognostic factor for STSs. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and regions experienced a surge in online learning, but the public complained about and questioned its effectiveness. One of the most important reasons for this was the inadequate metacognitive abilities of adolescents. Studies in learning sciences have identified various inefficient learning behaviors among students in online learning, including help abuse, help avoidance, and wheel spinning; all closely related to metacognition. Despite concerns about ecological validity, researchers in psychology have proposed the agenda-based regulation framework, the COPES model, and MAPS model, which may help explain the inefficient learning behaviors among adolescents in online learning. Future studies should aim to verify these theoretical frameworks within the context of online learning and elucidate the causes of inefficient learning behaviors; the design and optimization of online learning systems should be informed by theories in cognitive psychology. Full article