Different types of resonators are used to create acoustic metamaterials and metasurfaces. Recent studies focused on the use of multiple resonators of the dipole, quadrupole, octupole, and even hexadecapole types. This paper considers the theory of an acoustic metasurface, which is a flat surface with a periodic arrangement of multipole resonators. The sound field reflected by the metasurface is determined. If the distance between the resonators is less than half the wavelength of the incident plane wave, the far field can be described by a reflection coefficient that depends on the angle of incidence. This allows us to characterize the acoustic properties of the metasurface by a homogenized boundary condition, which is a high-order tangential impedance boundary condition. The tangential impedance depending on the multipole order of the resonators is introduced. In addition, we analyze the sound absorption properties of these metasurfaces, which are a critical factor in determining their performance. The paper presents a theoretical model for the subwavelength case that accounts for the multipole orders of resonators and their impact on sound absorption. The maximum absorption coefficient for a diffuse sound field, as well as the optimal value for the homogenized impedance, are calculated for arbitrary multipole orders. The examples of the multipole resonators, which can be made from a set of Helmholtz resonators or membrane resonators, are discussed as well. Full article

This study explored the goodness-of-fit and the effect of fatigue on the precision of both generalized and individualized relationships between the velocity loss (%VL) magnitude and the percentage of completed repetitions with respect to the maximal that can be performed to failure (%Rep) in the Smith machine parallel back-squat exercise. Twenty-nine resistance-trained males completed four sets to failure, with a rest period of 2 min, against 75% of the one-repetition maximum. Generalized and individualized %Rep-%VL equations determined in the first set were used to estimate %Rep when a 20%VL was achieved during the three successive sets. Individualized %Rep-%VL relationships (R² = 0.84–0.99) showed a greater goodness-of-fit than the generalized %Rep-%VL relationship (R² = 0.82). However, the accuracy in the %Rep estimation was always low (absolute errors > 10%) and comparable for both regression models (p = 0.795). %Rep was progressively overestimated when increasing the number of sets using the MV_fastest of the first set (from 15% to 45%), but no meaningful overestimations were observed using the MV_fastest of each set (~2%). In conclusion, neither the generalized nor the individual %Rep-%VL equations provide accurate estimations of %Rep during the parallel back-squat exercise executed under fatigue. Full article

Y₂O₃ dispersion-strengthened Molybdenum (Mo) composites were prepared by the mechanical alloying of Mo and Y powders then consolidation by spark plasma sintering. The effects of Chromium (Cr) addition (0 wt. %, 5 wt. %, 10 wt. % and 15 wt. %, respectively) on the mechanical performance and high-temperature oxidation resistance of Mo-Y₂O₃ were investigated. The introduction of Cr had a significant influence on the mechanical property and oxidation resistance of the Mo-Y₂O₃ composite. The highest bending strength reached 932 MPa when the addition of Cr content was 5 wt. % (Mo–5Cr–1Y sample). This improvement is likely attributable to the dual mechanism of grain refinement and solid solution strengthening. Moreover, the Mo–5Cr–1Y sample showed the thinnest oxide layer thickness after high-temperature oxidation tests, and exhibited the best oxidation resistance performance compared with the other samples. First principle calculation reveals that Cr could improve the Mo–MoO₃ interface bonding to prevent rapid spalling of the oxide layer. Meanwhile, Cr also facilitates the formation of the dense Cr₂(MoO₄)₃ layer on the surface, which can inhibit further oxidation. Full article

Porcine astrovirus (PAstV) has a potential zoonotic risk, with a high proportion of co-infection occurring with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and other diarrheal pathogens. Despite its high prevalence, the cellular mechanism of PAstV pathogenesis is ill–defined. Previous proteomics analyses have revealed that the differentially expressed protein NOD–like receptor X1 (NLRX1) located in the mitochondria participates in several important antiviral signaling pathways in PAstV–4 infection, which are closely related to mitophagy. In this study, we confirmed that PAstV–4 infection significantly up-regulated NLRX1 and mitophagy in Caco–2 cells, while the silencing of NLRX1 or the treatment of mitophagy inhibitor 3–MA inhibited PAstV–4 replication. Additionally, PAstV–4 infection triggered the activation of the extracellular regulated protein kinases/ myosin light-chain kinase (ERK/MLCK) pathway, followed by the down-regulation of tight–junction proteins (occludin and ZO–1) as well as MUC–2 expression. The silencing of NLRX1 or the treatment of 3–MA inhibited myosin light-chain (MLC) phosphorylation and up-regulated occludin and ZO–1 proteins. Treatment of the ERK inhibitor PD98059 also inhibited MLC phosphorylation, while MLCK inhibitor ML-7 mitigated the down-regulation of mucosa-related protein expression induced by PAstV–4 infection. Yet, adding PD98059 or ML–7 did not affect NLRX1 expression. In summary, this study preliminarily explains that NLRX1 plays an important role in the disruption of intestinal mucosal function triggered by PAstV–4 infection via the ERK/MLC pathway. It will be helpful for further antiviral drug target screening and disease therapy. Full article

Algae are a booming resource in the food industry due to their several health benefits. This study assesses the impact of the combined use of selected macro- and microalgae to improve the nutritional profile and the labeling of a vegetable cream by the introduction of nutrition and health claims. As macroalgae, two Ascophyllum nodosum L., one natural (An) and one smoked (AnS), were selected for their high iodine concentration and flavor notes. A new strain of Chlorella vulgaris, golden (CvG), was selected as the microalgae, which is rich in proteins and has a neutral sensorial profile (golden color and mild flavor). In this study, two vegetable creams were compared. The control (CTRL) versus one enriched with a mixture of macroalgae and microalgae (CV-AN). Sensory, physicochemical, and functional properties of both vegetable creams were evaluated. The bioactivity assessed was the effect of iodine as a health claim and antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. CV-AN vegetable cream showed significantly higher values (p < 0.05) for protein content, iodine value, and antioxidant activity, with no significant differences (p > 0.05) in antihypertensive activity or sensory panel. The incorporation of these algae resulted in a vegetable cream with a better nutritional profile and sensory acceptability comparable to the control, offering protein and iodine source claims in the labeling. Full article

Grounded Visual Question Answering systems place heavy reliance on substantial computational power and data resources in pretraining. In response to this challenge, this paper introduces the LCV2 modular approach, which utilizes a frozen large language model (LLM) to bridge the off-the-shelf generic visual question answering (VQA) module with a generic visual grounding (VG) module. It leverages the generalizable knowledge of these expert models, avoiding the need for any large-scale pretraining. Innovatively, within the LCV2 framework, question and predicted answer pairs are transformed into descriptive and referring captions, enhancing the clarity of the visual cues directed by the question text for the VG module’s grounding. This compensates for the limitations of missing intrinsic text–visual coupling in non-end-to-end frameworks. Comprehensive experiments on benchmark datasets, such as GQA, CLEVR, and VizWiz-VQA-Grounding, were conducted to evaluate the method’s performance and compare it with several baseline methods. In particular, it achieved an IoU F1 score of 59.6% on the GQA dataset and an IoU F1 score of 37.4% on the CLEVR dataset, surpassing some baseline results and demonstrating the LCV2’s competitive performance. Full article

Background: Chronic pain is associated with increased disability and vulnerability to emotional disorders. Personality and psychological flexibility (PF) describe interindividual differences that shape the adjustment to chronic pain. Specifically, PF was found to be associated with pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression intensity. Although previous studies established strong correlations between personality and pain outcomes, evidence on the nature of this relationship is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the mediating effect of PF on the relationship between personality and distress. Methods: This transversal study included 108 participants (age M = 56.7, SD = 11.3) diagnosed with musculoskeletal chronic pain. Self-reported measures were administered by the medical care team. Multiple mediation models were performed for estimating the indirect effects on each outcome variable. Results: After controlling for age and gender covariates, we found that PF completely mediated the relationship between personality traits and all pain outcomes and partially mediated the impact of extraversion on anxiety. In addition, emotional stability also had an indirect effect on anxiety through PF. Conclusions: Personality traits and PF are significant predictors of pain outcomes. PF represents a core process mediating the impact of personality traits on the perceived intensity of pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with rheumatic disease. These results could facilitate the application of individualized psychological interventions in clinical contexts targeting the reduction of emotional avoidance and in chronic pain patients. Full article

Over the past two decades, the airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system has become a useful tool for acquiring high-resolution topographic data, especially in active tectonics studies. Analyzing Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) from LiDAR exposes morpho-structural elements, aiding in the understanding of fault zones, among other applications. Despite its effectiveness, challenges persist in regions with rapid deformation, dense vegetation, and human impact. We propose an adapted workflow transitioning from the conventional airborne LiDAR system to the usage of drone-based LiDAR technology for higher-resolution data acquisition. Additionally, drones offer a more cost-effective solution, both in an initial investment and ongoing operational expenses. Our goal is to demonstrate how drone-based LiDAR enhances the identification of active deformation features, particularly for earthquake-induced surface faulting. To evaluate the potential of our technique, we conducted a drone-based LiDAR survey in the Casamicciola Terme area, north of Ischia Island, Italy, known for the occurrence of destructive shallow earthquakes, including the 2017 Md = 4 event. We assessed the quality of our acquired DTM by comparing it with existing elevation datasets for the same area. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each DTM product in relation to our results, particularly when applied to fault mapping. By analyzing derivative DTM products, we identified the fault scarps within the Casamicciola Holocene Graben (CHG) and mapped its structural geometry in detail. The analysis of both linear and areal geomorphic features allowed us to identify the primary factors influencing the current morphological arrangement of the CHG area. Our detailed map depicts a nested graben formed by two main structures (the Maio and Sentinella faults) and minor internal faults (the Purgatorio and Nizzola faults). High-resolution DEMs acquired by drone-based LiDAR facilitated detailed studies of the geomorphology and fault activity. A similar approach can be applied in regions where the evidence of high slip-rate faults is difficult to identify due to vegetation cover and inaccessibility. Full article

Composite membranes based on a polymer mixture solution of quaternized polysulfone (PSFQ), cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) for biomedical applications were successfully obtained through the electrospinning technique. To ensure the polysulfone membranes’ functionality in targeted applications, the selection of electrospinning conditions was essential. Moreover, understanding the geometric characteristics and morphology of fibrous membranes is crucial in designing them to meet the performance standards necessary for future biomedical applications. Thus, the viscosity of the solutions used in the electrospinning process was determined, and the morphology of the electrospun membranes was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Investigations on the surfaces of electrospun membranes based on water vapor sorption data have demonstrated that their surface properties dictate their biological ability more than their specific surfaces. Furthermore, in order to understand the different macromolecular rearrangements of membrane structures caused by physical interactions between the polymeric chains as well as by the orientation of functional groups during the electrospinning process, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used. The applicability of composite membranes in the biomedical field was established by bacterial adhesion testing on the surface of electrospun membranes using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus microorganisms. The biological experiments conducted establish a foundation for future applications of these membranes and validate their effectiveness in specific fields. Full article

Sandwich structures made with fibre-reinforced plastics are commonly used in maritime vessels thanks to their high strength-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, and buoyancy. Understanding their mechanical performance after moisture uptake and the implications of moisture uptake for their structural integrity and safety within out-of-plane loading regimes is vital for material optimisation. The use of modern methods such as acoustic emission (AE) and machine learning (ML) could provide effective techniques for the assessment of mechanical behaviour and structural health monitoring. In this study, the AE features obtained from quasi-static indentation tests on sandwich structures made from E-glass fibre face sheets with polyvinyl chloride foam cores were employed. Time- and frequency-domain features were then used to capture the relevant information and patterns within the AE data. A k-means++ algorithm was utilized for clustering analysis, providing insights into the principal damage modes of the studied structures. Three ensemble learning algorithms were employed to develop a damage-prediction model for samples exposed and unexposed to seawater and were loaded with indenters of different geometries. The developed models effectively identified all damage modes for the various indenter geometries under different loading conditions with accuracy scores between 86.4 and 95.9%. This illustrates the significant potential of ML for the prediction of damage evolution in composite structures for marine applications. Full article

The gut microbiota of wild animals can regulate host physical health to adapt to the environment. High-throughput sequencing from fecal samples was used to analyze the gut microbiota communities in common cranes (Grus grus) without harming them. Herein, we compared the fecal microbiome of fifteen G. grus in Tianjin Tuanbo Bird Natural Reserve (wild group) and six G. grus sampled from Beijing Wildlife Park (semi-captive group) in China, using 16S amplicon sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The results showed that microbiota diversity and composition varied in different groups, suggesting that the gut microbiota was interactively influenced by diet and the environment. A total of 38 phyla and 776 genera were analyzed in this study. The dominant phyla of the G. grus were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the microbiota richness of the semi-captive group was higher than the wild group. Data on beta diversity highlighted significant differences based on different dietary compositions. Zea mays, Glycine max, and Phragmites australia showed a significant correlation with intestinal bacteria of G. grus. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of diet and microbiomes in semi-captive and wild G. grus living in different environments, thus helping us to evaluate the influence on animal microbiomes and improve conservation efforts for this species. Full article

The rapid aging and increasing care demands among the elderly population present challenges to China’s health and social care system. The concept of aging in place has prompted the implementation of integrated community care (ICC) in the country. This study aims to provide empirical insights into the practices of integrated care policies and approaches at the community level. Data for this study were collected through six months of participatory observations at a local community health service center in a southern Chinese city. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the multidisciplinary community care team to gather frontline formal caregiver perceptions of ICC, thereby facilitating a better understanding of the obstacles and opportunities. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: the ICC delivery model and development strategies within the community care scheme, the person-centered guiding principle, and the challenges and struggles encountered by formal caregivers within China’s current ICC system. The case study presented herein serves as a notable example of the pivotal role of primary care in the successful implementation of elderly care within a community setting. The adoption of a private organization-led approach to medico-social integration care in the community holds significant potential as a service delivery model for effectively addressing a wide range of elderly care issues. Full article

Automated activity monitoring (AAM) systems are critical in the dairy industry for detecting estrus and optimizing the timing of artificial insemination (AI), thus enhancing pregnancy success rates in cows. This study developed a predictive model to improve pregnancy success by integrating AAM data with cow-specific and environmental factors. Utilizing data from 1,054 cows, this study compared the pregnancy outcomes between two AI timings—8 or 10 h post-AAM alarm. Variables such as age, parity, body condition, locomotion, and vaginal discharge scores, peripartum diseases, the breeding program, the bull used for AI, milk production at the time of AI, and environmental conditions (season, relative humidity, and temperature–humidity index) were considered alongside the AAM data on rumination, activity, and estrus intensity. Six predictive models were assessed to determine their efficacy in predicting pregnancy success: logistic regression, Bagged AdaBoost algorithm, linear discriminant, random forest, support vector machine, and Bagged Classification Tree. Integrating the on-farm data with AAM significantly enhanced the pregnancy prediction accuracy at AI compared to using AAM data alone. The random forest models showed a superior performance, with the highest Kappa statistic and lowest false positive rates. The linear discriminant and logistic regression models demonstrated the best accuracy, minimal false negatives, and the highest area under the curve. These findings suggest that combining on-farm and AAM data can significantly improve reproductive management in the dairy industry. Full article

Inherited thrombophilia (IT) has been implicated as a potential causal factor of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), including recurrent miscarriage with and without the presence of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and impact of IT on fetal–maternal outcomes and thrombotic risk in women within the spectrum of obstetric APS. Three hundred and twenty-eight women with APS-related obstetric morbidity ever pregnant were included. Of these, 74 met the APS classification criteria, 169 were non-criteria (NC)-APS, and 85 were seronegative (SN)-APS. Patients with other autoimmune diseases were excluded. APOs included early pregnancy loss, fetal death, preeclampsia, abruptio placentae, and preterm birth. Successful pregnancy was defined as the achievement of a live newborn. A literature search was also performed. The mean age of the overall group was 33.9 ± 5.3 years, and the patients were followed up for 35 (11–79) months. During the study period, there were 1332 pregnancies. Nearly 14% of the patients had an associated IT. IT patients more frequently received the standard-of-care (SoC) therapy. The presence of IT was not associated with worse maternal–fetal outcomes in patients treated with SoC treatment. Overall, IT patients had a lower frequency of newborns without treatment, especially those without definite APS. In addition, IT did not increase the risk of thrombosis during pregnancy or the postpartum period. A detailed analysis of the literature review identified only four publications related to our study and did not show conclusive evidence of the impact of IT on patients with obstetric APS. The group of women with APS-related obstetric morbidity and IT who did not receive treatment, especially those without definite APS, had a worse prognosis in terms of a live birth. However, with SoC therapy, the prognosis is similar in those patients without IT. The association of IT with APS does not seem to predispose to the development of thrombosis during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period. Full article

Purpose: Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), the second most common kidney cancer, is morphologically, genetically, and molecularly heterogeneous with diverse clinical manifestations. Genetic variations of PRCC and their association with survival are not yet well-understood. This study aimed to identify and validate survival-specific genes in PRCC and explore their clinical utility. Materials and Methods: Using machine learning, 293 patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas-Kidney Renal Papillary Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRP) database were analyzed to derive genes associated with survival. To validate these genes, DNAs were extracted from the tissues of 60 Korean PRCC patients. Next generation sequencing was conducted using a customized PRCC gene panel of 202 genes, including 171 survival-specific genes. Kaplan–Meier and Log-rank tests were used for survival analysis. Fisher’s exact test was performed to assess the clinical utility of variant genes. Results: A total of 40 survival-specific genes were identified in the TCGA-KIRP database through machine learning and statistical analysis. Of them, 10 (BAP1, BRAF, CFDP1, EGFR, ITM2B, JAK1, NODAL, PCSK2, SPATA13, and SYT5) were validated in the Korean-KIRP database. Among these survival gene signatures, three genes (BAP1, PCSK2, and SPATA13) showed survival specificity in both overall survival (OS) (p = 0.00004, p = 1.38 × 10⁻⁷, and p = 0.026, respectively) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.00002, p = 1.21 × 10⁻⁷, and p = 0.036, respectively). Notably, the PCSK2 mutation demonstrated survival specificity uniquely in both the TCGA-KIRP (OS: p = 0.010 and DFS: p = 0.301) and Korean-KIRP (OS: p = 1.38 × 10⁻⁷ and DFS: p = 1.21 × 10⁻⁷) databases. Conclusions: We discovered and verified genes specific for the survival of PRCC patients in the TCGA-KIRP and Korean-KIRP databases. The survival gene signature, including PCSK2 commonly obtained from the 40 gene signature of TCGA and the 10 gene signature of the Korean database, is expected to provide insight into predicting the survival of PRCC patients and developing new treatment. Full article

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of drinking water salinity levels on water intake and loss, feed intake and digestion, body weight (BW), thermoregulation, and blood characteristics on growing and mature (18.8 ± 0.39 and 21.8 ± 0.40 kg BW, and 0.6–1 and 1.5–2 years of age, respectively) Blackhead Ogaden sheep and Somali goats. The animals were assigned to a 4 (water salinity) × 2 (sheep and goat species) × 2 (growing and mature animals) factorial arrangement for the 60-day experimental period and 10-day digestibility determination. Water treatments were fresh water (FRW) and low (SW-L), moderate (SW-M), and high (SW-H) levels of salinity (i.e., the addition of NaCl to obtain 10, 13.5, and 17 g of total dissolved salts (TDSs)/L, respectively). The salinity of drinking water did not affect feed intake, BW, thermoregulatory traits (respiration rate, rectal temperature, and heart rate), or blood parameters (p > 0.05); however, drinking water, total water intake, urine excretion, and total water loss increased (p < 0.01) while apparent dry matter digestibility decreased quadratically (p < 0.01) with increasing water salinity. Analysis of the interaction between water treatment and species showed that PCV (p = 0.059) and hemoglobin (p = 0.070) levels tended to be higher in sheep than in goats drinking FRW, and AST activities were greater (p = 0.036) in goats consuming SW-M than in sheep consuming water with the same salinity level. In conclusion, increasing the salinity level of drinking water by adding NaCl to up to 17 g/L of TDSs had no adverse effect on the water intake, feed intake, BW, and health status of growing and mature Blackhead Ogaden sheep and Somali goats. Full article

Abstract: Dam building by beaver (Castor spp.) slows water movement through montane valleys, increasing transient water storage and the diversity of residence times. In some cases, water storage created by beaver dam construction is correlated to changes in streamflow magnitude and timing. However, the total amount of additional surface and groundwater storage that beaver dams may create (and, thus, their maximum potential impact on streamflow) has not been contextualized in the water balance of larger river basins. We estimate the potential transient water storage increases that could be created at 5, 25, 50, and 100% of maximum modeled beaver dam capacity in the Bear River basin, USA, by adapting the height above nearest drainage (HAND) algorithm to spatially estimate surface water storage. Surface water storage estimates were combined with the MODFLOW groundwater model to estimate potential increases in groundwater storage throughout the basin. We tested four scenarios to estimate potential transient water storage increases resulting from the construction of 1179 to 34,897 beaver dams, and estimated surface water storage to range from 57.5 to 72.8 m³ per dam and groundwater storage to range from 182.2 to 313.3 m³ per dam. Overall, we estimate that beaver dam construction could increase transient water storage by up to 10.38 million m³ in the Bear River basin. We further contextualize beaver dam-related water storage increases with streamflow, reservoir, and snowpack volumes. Full article

Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCMs) are versatile sensors employed in various fields, from environmental monitoring to biomedical applications, owing mainly to their very high sensitivity. However, the assessment of their metrological performance, including the impact of conditioning circuits, digital processing algorithms, and working conditions, is a complex and novel area of study. The purpose of this work is to investigate and understand the measurement errors associated with different QCM measurement techniques, specifically focusing on the influence of conditioning electronic circuits. Through a tailored and novel experimental setup, two measurement architectures—a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) system and an oscillator-based QCM-R system—were compared under the same mechanical load conditions. Through rigorous experimentation and signal processing techniques, the study elucidated the complexities of accurately assessing QCM parameters, especially in liquid environments and under large mechanical loads. The comparison between the two different techniques allows for highlighting the critical aspects of the measurement techniques. The experimental results were discussed and interpreted based on models allowing for a deep understanding of the measurement problems encountered with QCM-based measurement systems. The performance of the different techniques was derived, showing that while the QCM-D technique exhibited higher accuracy, the QCM-R technique offered greater precision with a simpler design. This research advances our understanding of QCM-based measurements, providing insights for designing robust measurement systems adaptable to diverse conditions, thus enhancing their effectiveness in various applications. Full article

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the performance of hormone treatment protocols, determine the factors associated with pregnancy success after hormone treatment, and compare the cost-efficiencies of two types of hormone treatment among cyclic and noncyclic anestrous dairy cows. The clinical records of 279 anestrous cows that received hormone treatment for artificial insemination (AI) from 64 herds in the western region of Thailand were obtained from Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital from January to August 2017. The performance of the hormone treatment protocols, fixed-time AI (TAI) and estrus detection before AI (EAI), showed that the pregnancy risk for the TAI protocol was higher than that for the EAI protocol, but pregnancy per AI did not differ significantly between the two protocols in cyclic and noncyclic cows. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cows receiving the TAI protocol were more likely to be pregnant compared to those treated with the EAI protocol. Cows with a 3.00 body condition score (BCS) < 3.75 after treatment and loose-housed cows were more likely to become pregnant. Treatment during winter showed higher pregnancy success than that in the summer and rainy seasons. The cost-efficiency analysis showed that the TAI protocol was the most cost-efficient option for noncyclic cows, whereas the EAI protocol was the most cost-efficient option for cyclic cows. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes a significant challenge to global healthcare systems, with limited effective treatments available. This review examines the landscape of novel therapeutic strategies for AD, focusing on the shortcomings of traditional therapies against amyloid-beta (Aβ) and exploring emerging alternatives. Despite decades of research emphasizing the role of Aβ accumulation in AD pathogenesis, clinical trials targeting Aβ have obtained disappointing results, highlighting the complexity of AD pathophysiology and the need for investigating other therapeutic approaches. In this manuscript, we first discuss the challenges associated with anti-Aβ therapies, including limited efficacy and potential adverse effects, underscoring the necessity of exploring alternative mechanisms and targets. Thereafter, we review promising non-Aβ-based strategies, such as tau-targeted therapies, neuroinflammation modulation, and gene and stem cell therapy. These approaches offer new avenues for AD treatment by addressing additional pathological hallmarks and downstream effects beyond Aβ deposition. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the impact of hypogonadism on bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with chronic diseases to determine the relationship between sex hormones and BMD. This retrospective study included 672 children and adolescents with chronic diseases such as hemato-oncologic, rheumatoid, gastrointestinal, and endocrinologic diseases. The relationship between the sex- and Tanner-stage-matched Z-scores for sex hormones and the sex- and age-matched lumbar spine BMD (LSBMD) Z-scores was evaluated. Adjustments were made for confounders such as underlying diseases, age at diagnosis, and age- and sex-matched body mass index Z-scores. Patients had a mean LSBMD Z-score of −0.55 ± 1.31. In the multivariate regression analysis, male testosterone showed a positive association with the LSBMD Z-score (p < 0.001), whereas female estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and follicular-stimulating hormone showed no significant association with the LSBMD Z-scores. In the male group, the testosterone level was associated with LSBMD Z-scores > −1.0 (p < 0.001), > −2.0 (p < 0.001), and > −3.0 (p = 0.002), while the estradiol level was associated with LSBMD Z-scores > −2.0 (p = 0.001) and > −3.0 (p = 0.002) in the female group. In conclusion, sex hormones are associated with BMD in children and adolescents with chronic diseases. Therefore, various measures may be necessary to predict future skeletal problems and improve bone health in these patients. Full article

The growing demand for agricultural output and limited resources encourage precision applications to generate higher-order output by utilizing minimal inputs of seed, fertilizer, land, and water. An electronically operated planter was developed, considering problems like ground-wheel skidding, field vibration, and the lack of ease in field adjustments of ground-wheel-driven seed-metering plates. The seed-metering plate of each unit of the developed planter is individually driven by a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, and a BLDC motor-based aspirator is attached for pneumatic suction of seeds. The revolutions per minute (RPM) of the seed-metering plate are controlled by a microcontroller as per the received data relating to RPM from the ground wheel and the current RPM of the seed-metering plate. A feedback loop with proportional integral derivative (PID) control is responsible for reducing the error. Additionally, each row unit is attached to a parallelogram-based depth control system that can provide depth between 0 and 100 mm. The suction pressure in each unit is regulated as per seed type using the RPM control knob of an individual BLDC motor-based aspirator. The row-to-row spacing can be changed from 350 mm to any desired spacing. The cotton variety selected for the study was RCH 659, and the crucial parameters like orifice size, vacuum pressure, and forward speed were optimized in the laboratory with the adoption of a central composite rotatable design. An orifice diameter of 2.947 mm with vacuum pressure of 3.961 kPa and forward speed of 4.261 km/h was found optimal. A quality feed index of 93% with a precision index of 8.01% was observed from laboratory tests under optimized conditions. Quality feed index and precision index values of 88.8 and 12.75%, respectively, were obtained from field tests under optimized conditions. Full article