The accurate prediction of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is essential for comprehensive drug safety evaluation. Pre-trained deep chemical language models have emerged as powerful tools capable of automatically learning molecular structural features from large-scale datasets, showing promising capabilities for the downstream prediction of molecular properties. However, the performance of pre-trained chemical language models in predicting ADRs, especially idiosyncratic ADRs induced by marketed drugs, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we propose MoLFormer-XL, a pre-trained model for encoding molecular features from canonical SMILES, in conjunction with a CNN-based model to predict drug-induced QT interval prolongation (DIQT), drug-induced teratogenicity (DIT), and drug-induced rhabdomyolysis (DIR). Our results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms conventional models applied in previous studies for predicting DIQT, DIT, and DIR. Notably, an analysis of the learned linear attention maps highlights amines, alcohol, ethers, and aromatic halogen compounds as strongly associated with the three types of ADRs. These findings hold promise for enhancing drug discovery pipelines and reducing the drug attrition rate due to safety concerns. Full article

Concerning environmental safety and mitigating the risk of water pollution, the electroplating industry, historically reliant on the use of elevated concentrations of heavy metals to achieve high-quality products, faces a crucial challenge in monitoring wastewater enriched with these metals, notorious for their adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Chromium, in both oxidation states Cr (III) and Cr (VI), emerges as a prominently employed metal, yielding noteworthy outcomes throughout the galvanisation process. This research showcases the prototype of an automatic in situ sensor tailored to industry sustainability efforts to facilitate real-time monitoring and efficient water management. This custom sensor, characterized by sensitivity, reliability, and user-friendliness, utilizes UV-Vis colorimetric principle to detect Cr in both oxidation forms ranging from grams per litre (g/L) to parts per million (ppm). This is made possible by the unique vibrant colours induced by chromium ions, enabling the precise measurement of analyte concentrations. Thanks to 3D printing, this sensor system interacts with customized parts, designed and validated through simulation processes, for filtering out particulate that may interfere with the analysis. The outcome represents a synergistic blend of technology and environmental responsibility, aligning industrial processes with the goal of safeguarding water resources and ecosystems. Full article

Objective: Cochlear receptors are sensitive to vibratory stimuli. Based on this sensibility, bone-anchored hearing aids have been introduced to correct unilateral or bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss and unilateral deafness. The vestibular system is also sensitive to the vibratory stimulus and this type of response is used in clinics to test its functionality. Being aware of this double separated sensibility, we wondered whether bone vibration, which activates the acoustic receptors of patients with bone conduction aids, can also influence the functionality of the vestibular system. Methods: To this end, we recruited 12 patients with a bone-anchored hearing aid and evaluated their vestibular function with and without an activated vibratory acoustic device. Results: Our results show that the vibratory stimulus delivered by the bone conduction aid also reaches and stimulates the vestibular receptors; this stimulation is evidenced by the appearance or modification of some nystagmus findings during bedside vestibular testing. Despite this, none of these patients complained of dizziness or vertigo during prosthesis use. Nystagmus that appeared or changed during acoustic vibratory stimulation through the prosthesis was almost all predominantly horizontal, unidirectional with respect to gaze or body position, inhibited by fixation, and most often consistent with vestibular function tests indicating peripheral vestibular damage. Conclusions: The findings of sound-evoked nystagmus seem to indicate peripheral rather than central vestibular activation. The occurrence of some predominantly horizontal and high-frequency induced nystagmus seems to attribute the response mainly to the utricle and lateral semicircular canal. Full article

Wearable health devices (WHDs) are rapidly gaining ground in the biomedical field due to their ability to monitor the individual physiological state in everyday life scenarios, while providing a comfortable wear experience. This study introduces a novel wearable biomedical device capable of synchronously acquiring electrocardiographic (ECG), photoplethysmographic (PPG), galvanic skin response (GSR) and motion signals. The device has been specifically designed to be worn on a finger, enabling the acquisition of all biosignals directly on the fingertips, offering the significant advantage of being very comfortable and easy to be employed by the users. The simultaneous acquisition of different biosignals allows the extraction of important physiological indices, such as heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV), pulse arrival time (PAT), GSR level, blood oxygenation level (SpO₂), and respiratory rate, as well as motion detection, enabling the assessment of physiological states, together with the detection of potential physical and mental stress conditions. Preliminary measurements have been conducted on healthy subjects using a measurement protocol consisting of resting states (i.e., SUPINE and SIT) alternated with physiological stress conditions (i.e., STAND and WALK). Statistical analyses have been carried out among the distributions of the physiological indices extracted in time, frequency, and information domains, evaluated under different physiological conditions. The results of our analyses demonstrate the capability of the device to detect changes between rest and stress conditions, thereby encouraging its use for assessing individuals’ physiological state. Furthermore, the possibility of performing synchronous acquisitions of PPG and ECG signals has allowed us to compare HRV and pulse rate variability (PRV) indices, so as to corroborate the reliability of PRV analysis under stationary physical conditions. Finally, the study confirms the already known limitations of wearable devices during physical activities, suggesting the use of algorithms for motion artifact correction. Full article

The rapid growth of the metropolitan area around Budapest has led to increased traffic, infrastructure problems, and social and economic issues in the suburbs, making the sustainability of these areas a key topic in professional and public discussions. This article aims to explore the intricacies of sustainability in a suburban town by utilizing the Smart Growth framework, which is highly pertinent in Hungary. The focus of scientific and public discussions revolves around urban planning to curb urban sprawl and enhance public transportation usage. Our analysis concentrates on compactness, commuting, and community, utilizing quantitative survey data between 2018 and 2023. Our findings demonstrate that the town under analysis is dense regarding common and regular services, but depends significantly on the central area for more specialized services. The local community is tightly interconnected and shows no evidence of atomization. The commuting patterns show that polycentricity leads to new spatial connections and a growing reliance on cars, even while the quantity of vehicles is still growing. These results indicate that assessing the sustainability of suburbs may not be universally applicable, and examination should be conducted at the town level. Secondly, the sustainability of suburban areas may be distinct from the sustainability of denser, urbanized places. Full article

Carbon fiber powder (CFP) was first applied to conductive asphalt concrete as a conductive phase material, but its action mechanism has not been clarified. In this paper, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics (MDs) simulation are used to study the carbon fiber powder mechanism of action, guide the preparation of conductive asphalt concrete, and study the electrothermal properties of conductive asphalt concrete. The results show that carbon fiber powder weakens the adhesion property of asphalt mastic, and this weakening further strengthens in the water–temperature coupling, so water stability and conductivity are used as evaluation indicators to determine that the optimal content of carbon fiber powder is 2.0% and that the optimal content of carbon fibers (CFs) is 0.4%. Carbon fiber–carbon fiber powder conductive asphalt concrete with a resistivity of 0.98 $\mathsf{\Omega }·\mathrm{m}$ was finally prepared. In the temperature rise test of the Marshall specimen and rutting slab, its warming effect is obvious, and the heat transformation rate is more than 75%, so it has a very good ability to melt snow and ice. Full article

In recent years, the number of Chinese Christian organizations in Europe has grown considerably compared to other overseas Chinese community organizations. They can mobilize transnational networks and resources to expand religious space in host societies and form a highly visible social force. Although the rise of early Christianity in the Western world has been considered an outcome of inherent religious strength, especially in terms of its central doctrines and religious ethics, this article suggests that in the diasporic Chinese world where Christianity constitutes a non-indigenous religious tradition, social relatedness based on native place, family, and kinship ties provides a more useful context for understanding its dynamic expansion and cross-regional transmission. Drawing on anthropological fieldwork conducted in Europe among overseas Chinese Christian traders and entrepreneurs, this research seeks an alternative framework for understanding the religious-cultural dynamics of Chinese Christianity in the context of transnational migration. Full article

In the face of ongoing water pollution challenges, the intricate interplay between dissolved organic matter and disinfectants like chlorine gives rise to potentially harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during water treatment. The exploration of DBP formation originating from amino acids (AA) is a critical focus of global research. Aromatic DBPs, in particular, have garnered considerable attention due to their markedly higher toxicity compared to their aliphatic counterparts. This work seeks to advance the understanding of DBP formation by investigating chlorination disinfection and kinetics using tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), and tryptophan (Trp) as precursors. Via rigorous experiments, a total of 15 distinct DBPs with accurate molecular structures were successfully identified. The chlorination of all three AAs yielded highly toxic chlorophenylacetonitriles (CPANs), and the disinfectant dosage and pH value of the reaction system potentially influence chlorination kinetics. Notably, Phe exhibited the highest degradation rate compared to Tyr and Trp, at both the C_AA:C_HOCl ratio of within 1:2 and a wide pH range (6.0 to 9.0). Additionally, a neutral pH environment triggered the maximal reaction rates of the three AAs, while an acidic condition may reduce their reactivity. Overall, this study aims to augment the DBP database and foster a deeper comprehension of the DBP formation and relevant kinetics underlying the chlorination of aromatic AAs. Full article

In agriculture, soil-borne fungal pathogens, especially Fusarium oxysporum strains, are posing a serious threat to efforts to achieve global food security. In the search for safer agrochemicals, silica nanoparticles (SiO₂NPs) have recently been proposed as a new tool to alleviate pathogen damage including Fusarium wilt. Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs), a unique class of SiO₂NPs, have been widely accepted as desirable carriers for pesticides. However, their roles in enhancing disease resistance in plants and the specific mechanism remain unknown. In this study, three sizes of HMSNs (19, 96, and 406 nm as HMSNs-19, HMSNs-96, and HMSNs-406, respectively) were synthesized and characterized to determine their effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli (FOP) suppression. The three HMSNs exhibited no side effects on cowpea seed germination and seedling growth at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1500 mg/L. The inhibitory effects of the three HMSNs on FOP mycelial growth were very weak, showing inhibition ratios of less than 20% even at 2000 mg/L. Foliar application of HMSNs, however, was demonstrated to reduce the FOP severity in cowpea roots in a size- and concentration-dependent manner. The three HMSNs at a low concentration of 100 mg/L, as well as HMSNs-19 at a high concentration of 1000 mg/L, were observed to have little effect on alleviating the disease incidence. HMSNs-406 were most effective at a concentration of 1000 mg/L, showing an up to 40.00% decline in the disease severity with significant growth-promoting effects on cowpea plants. Moreover, foliar application of HMSNs-406 (1000 mg/L) increased the salicylic acid (SA) content in cowpea roots by 4.3-fold, as well as the expression levels of SA marker genes of PR-1 (by 1.97-fold) and PR-5 (by 9.38-fold), and its receptor gene of NPR-1 (by 1.62-fold), as compared with the FOP infected control plants. Meanwhile, another resistance-related gene of PAL was also upregulated by 8.54-fold. Three defense-responsive enzymes of POD, PAL, and PPO were also involved in the HMSNs-enhanced disease resistance in cowpea roots, with varying degrees of reduction in activity. These results provide substantial evidence that HMSNs exert their Fusarium wilt suppression in cowpea plants by activating SA-dependent SAR (systemic acquired resistance) responses rather than directly suppressing FOP growth. Overall, for the first time, our results indicate a new role of HMSNs as a potent resistance inducer to serve as a low-cost, highly efficient, safe and sustainable alternative for plant disease protection. Full article

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, but high-dose supplementation with Se compounds, most notably selenite, may exert cytotoxic and other adverse effects. On the other hand, bacteria, including Escherichia coli (E. coli), are capable of reducing selenite to red elemental Se that may serve as a safer Se source. Here, we examined how a diet of Se-enriched E. coli bacteria affected vital parameters and age-associated neurodegeneration in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The growth of E. coli OP50 for 48 h in medium supplemented with 1 mM sodium selenite resulted in reddening of the bacterial culture, accompanied by Se accumulation in the bacteria. Compared to nematodes supplied with the standard E. coli OP50 diet, the worms fed on Se-enriched bacteria were smaller and slimmer, even though their food intake was not diminished. Nevertheless, given the choice, the nematodes preferred the standard diet. The fecundity of the worms was not affected by the Se-enriched bacteria, even though the production of progeny was somewhat delayed. The levels of the Se-binding protein SEMO-1, which serves as a Se buffer in C. elegans, were elevated in the group fed on Se-enriched bacteria. The occurrence of knots and ruptures within the axons of cholinergic neurons was lowered in aged nematodes provided with Se-enriched bacteria. In conclusion, C. elegans fed on Se-enriched E. coli showed less age-associated neurodegeneration, as compared to nematodes supplied with the standard diet. Full article

The burden of cardiovascular disease and the percentage of frail patients in the aging population will increase. This study aims to assess the circulating levels of several cytokines in frail patients. This is an ancillary analysis of the FRAPICA trial. The ratio of men/women changed from robust through frail groups from 3:1 to 1:2. The groups are comparable in terms of age and body measurements analysis (weight, height, and BMI), yet the frail patients have significantly reduced fat-free mass, and more often have been diagnosed with diabetes. Frail patients have higher fibroblast growth factor basic (FGF basic) and follistatin levels (borderline significance). In multiple linear regression modeling of fat-free mass, we identified FGF basic, osteopontin, stem cell factor, soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2, soluble epidermal growth factor receptor, soluble human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, follistatin, prolactin, soluble interleukin 6 receptor alfa, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1, soluble vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 1, leptin, soluble angiopoietin/tyrosine kinase 2, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. We have identified a few cytokines that correlate with fat-free mass, a hallmark of frailty. They comprise the kinins implicated in bone and muscle metabolism, fibrosis, vascular wall function, inflammation, endocrine function, or regulation of bone marrow integrity. Full article

This study proposes a deep learning method for pavement defect detection, focusing on identifying potholes and cracks. A dataset comprising 10,828 images is collected, with 8662 allocated for training, 1083 for validation, and 1083 for testing. Vehicle attitude data are categorized based on three-axis acceleration and attitude change, with 6656 (64%) for training, 1664 (16%) for validation, and 2080 (20%) for testing. The Nvidia Jetson Nano serves as the vehicle-embedded system, transmitting IMU-acquired vehicle data and GoPro-captured images over a 5G network to the server. The server recognizes two damage categories, low-risk and high-risk, storing results in MongoDB. Severe damage triggers immediate alerts to maintenance personnel, while less severe issues are recorded for scheduled maintenance. The method selects YOLOv7 among various object detection models for pavement defect detection, achieving a mAP of 93.3%, a recall rate of 87.8%, a precision of 93.2%, and a processing speed of 30–40 FPS. Bi-LSTM is then chosen for vehicle vibration data processing, yielding 77% mAP, 94.9% recall rate, and 89.8% precision. Integration of the visual and vibration results, along with vehicle speed and travel distance, results in a final recall rate of 90.2% and precision of 83.7% after field testing. Full article

Crispbread is gaining popularity as a healthy snack or bread substitute. This is a lightweight dry type of flat food that stays fresh for a very long time due to its lack of water and usually contains different types of grain flour, including gluten-containing wheat or rye flour. The incorporation of legume purée into crispbread represents an innovative approach to enhancing the nutritional profile and taste of the product. The rheological properties of various legume purées (chickpea, white bean, black bean, and red bean) mixed with citrus pectin were examined, revealing significant differences in fluid behavior and viscosity. Crispbread formulations were analyzed for water content and activity, color, structure, FT-IR spectra, water vapor adsorption isotherms, and sensory evaluation. The results showed the possibility of obtaining crispbread based on the purée of legumes and citrus pectin. Crispbread enriched with red bean purée exhibited low water activity (0.156) and water content (3.16%), along with a continuous porous structure, and received the highest sensory evaluation score among the products. These findings can be treated as a basis for the development of other innovative recipes and combinations using legumes. Full article

High-grade gliomas (HGGs; WHO grade III or IV) are the most common and lethal brain malignancy. Patients of Hispanic ethnicity are diagnosed with HGGs earlier than non-Hispanic patients, but they exhibit improved HGG survival following diagnosis. Either environmental or biological factors could explain this survival benefit. We aimed to determine if post-diagnosis advantages would still be present in Hispanic patients with high social vulnerability, an environmental condition predisposing patients to poor oncologic outcomes. HGG outcomes were retrospectively assessed in a cohort of 22 Hispanic patients and 33 non-Hispanic patients treated for HGGs from 2015 to 2020 at a single institution that serves a highly vulnerable region. Compared to non-Hispanic patients, Hispanic patients demonstrated higher social vulnerability index scores (96.8 + 0.7 vs. 76.3 + 4.6; *** p = 0.0002) and a 14-month longer interval between diagnosis and recurrence (19.7 + 5.9 (n = 13) vs. 5.5 + 0.6 months (n = 19); ** p = 0.001). In only those patients with more aggressive IDH-1 wildtype tumors (glioblastoma), Hispanic ethnicity still related to a longer time before recurrence (15.8 + 5.9 months (n = 9); 5.5 + 0.6 months (n = 18); * p = 0.034), and in a multivariate analysis, Hispanic ethnicity predicted time-to-recurrence (* p = 0.027) independent of patient age, functional status, MGMT gene methylation, or treatments received. Therefore, environmental factors, specifically social vulnerability, did not obscure the post-diagnosis benefits associated with Hispanic ethnicity. In future experiments, basic studies should be prioritized which investigate the cellular or genetic mechanisms underlying this ethnicity effect on HGG progression in the hopes of improving care for these devastating malignancies. Full article

Pre-cooked bone is a waste product generated during tuna processing and can serve as a potential source of biocalcium (BC). Generally, non-collagenous protein and fat must be removed properly from bone. A NaCl solution can be used to remove such proteins, while fish lipase can be used in a green process, instead of solvent, for fat removal. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of NaCl pretreatment at different concentrations in combination with heat to eliminate non-collagenous proteins, and to implement fish lipase treatments at varying levels for fat removal, for BC production from pre-cooked tuna bone. Optimal NaCl pretreatment of bone was achieved when a 5% NaCl solution at 80 °C was used for 150 min. The lowest lipid content was obtained for bone defatted with crude lipase extract (CLE) at 0.30 Unit/g of bone powder for 2 h. BC powder from bone defatted with CLE (DF-BC) possessed greater contents of ash, calcium, and phosphorus and smaller particle sizes than the control BC powder. X-ray diffractograms suggested that both BC powders consisted of hydroxyapatite as a major compound, which had a crystallinity of 62.92–63.07%. An elemental profile confirmed the presence of organic and inorganic matter. Thus, BC powder could be produced from pre-cooked tuna bone using this ‘green process’. Full article

“Basal-like” (BL) morphology and the expression of cancer testis antigens (CTA) in breast cancer still have unclear prognostic significance. The aim of our research was to explore correlations of the morphological characteristics and tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast carcinomas (TNBCs) with multi-MAGE-A CTA expression and to determine their prognostic significance. Clinical records of breast cancer patients who underwent surgery between January 2017 and December 2018 in four major Croatian clinical centers were analyzed. A total of 97 non-metastatic TNBCs with available tissue samples and treatment information were identified. Cancer tissue sections were additionally stained with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) Ventana (SP142) and multi-MAGE-A (mAb 57B). BL morphology was detected in 47 (49%) TNBCs and was associated with a higher Ki-67 proliferation index and histologic grade. Expression of multi-MAGE-A was observed in 77 (79%) TNBCs and was significantly associated with BL morphology. Lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC) status was detected in 11 cases (11.3%) and significantly correlated with the Ki-67 proliferation index, increased number of intratumoral lymphocytes (itTIL), and PD-L1 expression. No impact of BL morphology, multi-MAGE-A expression, histologic type, or LPBC status on disease-free survival was observed. Our data suggest that tumor morphology could help identify patients with potential benefits from CTA-targeting immunotherapy. Full article

The incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer in Croatia remains a health challenge despite screening efforts. Besides the persistent infection with HPV, the development of cancer is also associated with some cofactors. The goal of this study was to assess circulating HPV genotypes and risk factors for the development of cervical precancer after almost 16 years from the onset of HPV vaccination in Croatia. In this study, a total of 321 women attending gynecological care were evaluated. Relevant medical and demographic information, including cytology, were collected. HPV genotyping was performed by PCR. Comparing the HPV types found in circulation in the pre-vaccination (1999–2015) and post-vaccination periods (2020–2023), a statistically significant reduction in HPV 31 was noted, while the overall prevalence increased in the post-vaccination period. Besides the expected HPV positivity as a risk factor, the history of smoking was associated with LSIL or worse cytology at enrollment. For the first time, this population study revealed a statistically significant shift in the HPV genotype in the post-vaccination period, as well as the confirmation of risk factors for the development of abnormal cytology among Croatian women. Full article

Security threat and risk assessment of systems requires the integrated use of information from multiple knowledge bases. Such use is typically carried out ad-hoc by security experts in an unstructured manner. Also, this ad-hoc use of information often lacks foundations that allow for rigorous, disciplined applications of policy enforcement and the establishment of a well-integrated body of knowledge. This hinders organisational learning as well as the maturation of the threat modelling discipline. In this article, we uncover a newly developed extension of a state-of-the-art modelling tool that allows users to integrate and curate security-related information from multiple knowledge bases. Specifically, we provide catalogues of threats and security controls based on information from CAPEC, ATT&CK, and NIST SP800-53. We demonstrate the ability to curate security information using the designed solution. We highlight the contribution to improving the communication of security information, including the systematic mapping between user-defined security guidance and information derived from knowledge bases. The solution is open source and relies on model-to-model transformations and extendable threat and security control catalogues. Accordingly, the solution allows prospective users to adapt the modelling environment to their needs as well as keep it current with respect to evolving knowledge bases. Full article

In the present study, K-3 and K-4 students’ understanding of the effects that convex lenses have on light propagation is investigated. Specifically, the study examines the extent to which these students are able to construct a scientifically accepted explanation for the role convex lenses play in converging rays of light and creating inverted images in the case of both self-luminous and hetero-luminous objects. Eight students from two primary schools run by the Municipality of Piraeus in the region of Attica (Greece), took part in the survey. They were divided into groups of two. The research was conducted using the teaching experiment method, which combines elements of the clinical interview and formal teaching. According to the results, students of this age recognise the convergence of light as a process that takes place through a convex lens. However, they have difficulty attributing the aforementioned convergence to the light refraction that takes place during the interaction of the light beams with the converging lens. At the same time, while they can easily ascertain that light beams continue along the same straight line after the convergence point, they find it difficult to relate this conclusion to the creation of an inverted image of a hetero-luminous object. Full article

This qualitative case study explored teachers’ perceptions regarding the impact of principal leadership behaviors that helped to enhance teacher collective efficacy (TCE). Through analysis of focus group and individual, in-depth interviews, four leadership behaviors supporting enhanced TCE emerged: (1) relationship building, (2) trust, (3) collaboration, and (4) empowerment. The findings suggest that site and district leaders should focus on these four leadership behaviors to enhance TCE. Full article

The Western Amazon is a highly biodiverse area. Zooplankton diversity studies in the region have been primarily conducted in Peru and Colombia, with limited research in the Ecuadorian Amazon. To address this gap, our research aimed to enhance taxonomic knowledge and understand zooplankton diversity patterns in the Napo and Pastaza lower basins at different spatial and temporal scales. Two sampling expeditions were conducted in the high waters of 2021 and rising waters of 2022. Dry conditions in 2021 led to lower-than-expected water levels. The study identified 107 zooplankton species, revealing variations in richness and composition between years, lakes, and depth strata. Grande Lake, deeper and wider than Delfincocha, exhibited significant turnover variations across strata in both seasons. Despite a relative longitudinal homogenization between channels and floodplains during high waters, beta diversity across vertical and temporal gradients highlighted complex dynamic zooplankton communities in both lakes. In addition, we include the first records of 44 taxa for the Ecuadorian Amazon and 36 for Ecuador. These findings emphasize the need for targeted research and conservation efforts in the face of escalating environmental threats to the Western Amazon. Full article