On the occasion of the reopening of the Dobrée Museum (Nantes, France), two statuettes of Egyptian origin, representing Harpocrate and Isis, were studied to shed light on the presence of the blue-green efflorescence on their surface. The efflorescence on the Harpocrate statuette was identified as being chalconatronite, while that which was present on the Isis statuette corresponded to sodium copper formate/acetate, probably due to the evolution of chalconatronite in an environment containing VOCs. The efflorescence appeared to be sensitive to the cyclic variation in relative humidity whereas it seemed stable. An experimental curative treatment to halt the reappearance was carried out. A series of pure water baths extracted a significant quantity of sodium. The treatment appeared effective and reduced the risk of a recrudescence of the efflorescence for both statuettes. However, when the efflorescence was dissolved on the Isis statuette, other compounds appeared to react with water, leading to acidification and a potential reaction with the lead in the alloy. A layer of lead carbonate/acetate on the surface appeared. The objects were then dried and protected with a highly concentrated acrylic varnish. They are currently being monitored to identify any new efflorescence that may appear during display. Full article

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current coronavirus disease pandemic. With the rapid evolution of variant strains, finding effective spike protein inhibitors is a logical and critical priority. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 viral entry, and thus related therapeutic approaches associated with the spike protein–ACE2 interaction show a high degree of feasibility for inhibiting viral infection. Our computer-aided drug design (CADD) method meticulously analyzed more than 260,000 compound records from the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) database, to identify potential spike inhibitors. The spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) was chosen as the target protein for our virtual screening process. In cell-based validation, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus carrying a reporter gene was utilized to screen for effective compounds. Ultimately, compounds C2, C8, and C10 demonstrated significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, with estimated EC₅₀ values of 8.8 μM, 6.7 μM, and 7.6 μM, respectively. Using the above compounds as templates, ten derivatives were generated and robust bioassay results revealed that C8.2 (EC₅₀ = 5.9 μM) exhibited the strongest antiviral efficacy. Compounds C8.2 also displayed inhibitory activity against the Omicron variant, with an EC₅₀ of 9.3 μM. Thus, the CADD method successfully discovered lead compounds binding to the spike protein RBD that are capable of inhibiting viral infection. Full article

Dietary interventions are a key strategy to promote healthy ageing. Cooking skills training emerges as a promising approach to acquiring and maintaining healthy eating habits. The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culinary programme to improve healthy eating habits among overweight/obese adults (55–70 years old). A total of 62 volunteers were randomly (1:1) assigned to an culinary intervention group (CIG) or a nutritional intervention group (NIG). Dietary, cooking, and health-related outcomes, including body advanced glycation end product (AGE) levels, were evaluated at baseline and after four weeks. Mixed-effects linear models were used to assess the effects of the interventions within and between groups. Among the 56 participants who completed the trial, CIG participants achieved a significant improvement in Mediterranean diet adherence (1.2; 95%CI, 0.2 to 2.2) and a reduction in the use of culinary techniques associated with a higher AGE formation in foods (−2.8; 95%CI, −5.6 to −0.2), weight (−1.5; 95%CI, −2.5 to −0.5), body mass index (−0.5; 95%CI, −0.8 to −0.2), waist circumference (−1.4; 95%CI, −2.6 to −0.2), and hip circumference (−1.4; 95%CI, −2.4 to −0.4) compared with the NIG participants. Although a greater confidence in cooking in the CIG was found, attitudes and cooking habits did not improve. No significant differences in biochemical parameters or AGEs were found between groups. In conclusion, a culinary intervention could be successful in promoting healthy eating and cooking habits compared to a programme based on nutrition education alone. Nevertheless, further efforts are needed to strengthen attitudes and beliefs about home cooking, to address potential barriers and understand the impact of cooking interventions on biological parameters. Larger studies with longer follow-ups are needed to evaluate the relationship between cooking, diet, and health. Full article

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gut disorder that also elevates the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The global incidence and severity of IBD are rising, yet existing therapies often lead to severe side effects. Curcumin offers potent anti-inflammatory and chemotherapeutic properties. However, its clinical translation is hindered by rapid metabolism, as well as poor water solubility and stability, which limits its bioavailability. To address these challenges, we developed OC-S, a water-soluble and colon-targeted curcumin formulation that protects against colitis in mice. The current study advances OC-S as a dietary supplement by establishing its stability and compatibility with various commercial dietary products. Further, OC-S exhibited specific binding to inflamed colon tissue, potentially aiding in targeted drug retention at the inflammation site in colitis with diarrhea symptoms. We further investigated its efficacy in vivo and in vitro using a murine model of colitis and tumoroids from APC^min mice. OC-S significantly reduced colitis severity and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression compared with curcumin, even at very low doses (5 mg/kg/day). It also demonstrated higher anti-proliferative activity in CRC cells and colon cancer tumoroids vs. curcumin. Overall, this study demonstrated that OC-S effectively targets and retains water-soluble curcumin at the inflamed colon sites, while showing promise in addressing both colitis and colorectal cancer, which potentially paves the way for OC-S to advance into clinical development as a dietary product for both IBD and CRC. Full article

This article introduces an innovative extension of the Kelly criterion, which has traditionally been used in gambling, sports wagering, and investment contexts. The Kelly criterion extension (KCE) refines the traditional capital growth function to better suit dynamic market conditions. The KCE improves the traditional approach to accommodate the complexities of financial markets, particularly in stock and commodity trading. This innovative method focuses on crafting strategies based on market conditions and player actions rather than direct asset investments, which enhances its practical application by minimizing risks associated with volatile investments. This paper is structured to first outline the foundational concepts of the Kelly criterion, followed by a detailed presentation of the KCE and its advantages in practical scenarios, including a case study on its application to blackjack strategy optimization. The mathematical framework and real-world applicability of the KCE are thoroughly discussed, demonstrating its potential to bridge the gap between theoretical finance and actual trading outcomes. Full article

This paper investigates the bumpless transfer control of linear switched positive systems based on state and disturbance observers. First, state and disturbance observers are designed for linear switched positive systems to estimate the state and the disturbance. By combining the designed state observer, the disturbance observer, and the output, a new controller is constructed for the systems. All gain matrices are described in the form of linear programming. By using co-positive Lyapunov functions, the positivity and stability of the closed-loop system can be ensured. In order to achieve the bumpless transfer property, some additional sufficient conditions are imposed on the control conditions. The novelties of this paper lie in that (i) a novel framework is presented for positive disturbance observer, (ii) double observers are constructed for linear switched positive systems, and (iii) a bumpless transfer controller is proposed in terms of linear programming. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. Full article

(1) Background: Only a few studies on histoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients have been reported in French Guiana. Therefore, we conducted a detailed clinical description of hospitalized patients suffering with histoplasmosis among non-HIV patients. (2) Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective study conducted at Cayenne Hospital Center between 2008 and 2022. (3) Results: Our cohort was composed of 31 (91%) adults (>18 years of age) and 3 (9%) children, with a sex ratio, M:F, of 1:2. The median age was higher among the women than among the men (70 versus 54 years). The collection of respiratory samples constituted the majority of the performed examinations (38%). Fever (>37 °C) was found in 56% of patients. Surprisingly, the histoplasmosis was disseminated in 82% of patients with an overall case fatality rate of 14.7%. However, immunosuppressive conditions were found in 52% (16/31) of the adult patients, including lymphoid hemopathies, diabetes and immunosuppressive drugs. Conclusions: This disease, though rare and usually considered a mostly benign disease in non-HIV patients, presented a relatively high mortality rate in our cohort. Thus, histoplasmosis should be suspected, screened and investigated as a first line of defense in highly endemic areas, even in immunocompetent and non-HIV patients, especially those with fever or chronic respiratory symptoms. Full article

Air traffic has appreciable environmental impacts, especially regarding gaseous emissions and noise. Recent studies have shown that the energy management during approach is a driving factor regarding environmental impact and is especially challenging for pilots. In a previous project, a newly developed pilot assistance system called LNAS (Low Noise Augmentation System) showed the potential of energy-optimized approaches to reduce fuel consumption and noise. Within the SESAR Exploratory Research project DYNCAT, novel functions based on LNAS have been integrated in the flight management system. In this contribution, results from real-time simulations with the enhanced FMS are presented, and mitigation of the environmental impact is analyzed. It was shown that with DYNCAT, the energy management could be improved, resulting in a later configuration and engines mostly in idle. With DYNCAT, procedures were also flown more uniformly and the variability in noise and fuel outcomes was reduced. However, the results revealed a trade-off for optimizing noise and fuel consumption simultaneously, whereby both parameters can be improved along specific optimum curves. A perfect strategy to minimize noise would be to first reduce speed and only secondly height, as high speeds lead to higher levels of airframe noise and sound exposure increases with decreasing distance. In contrast, saving fuel might be achieved by reducing the flight time, as the engines consume fuel even when being in idle. Full article

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and its low or high concentration in vivo is associated with the high risk of many diseases. It is important to identify influential factors of Se status. The present study aimed to explore the association between several factors (Se intake, gender, age, race, education, body mass index (BMI), income, smoking and alcohol status) and blood Se concentration using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2020 data. Demographic characteristics, physical examination, health interviews and diets were compared among quartiles of blood Se concentration using the Rao-Scott χ² test. Se levels were compared between the different groups of factors studied, measuring the strength of their association. A total of 6205 participants were finally included. The normal reference ranges of blood Se concentration were 142.3 (2.5th percentile) and 240.8 μg/L (97.5th percentile), respectively. The mean values of dietary Se intake, total Se intake and blood Se concentration of the participants were 111.5 μg/day, 122.7 μg/day and 188.7 μg/L, respectively, indicating they were in the normal range. Total Se intake was the most important contributor of blood Se concentration. Gender, race, education status, income, BMI, smoking and alcohol status were associated with blood Se concentration. Full article

Fish body measurement is essential for monitoring fish farming and evaluating growth. Non-destructive underwater measurements play a significant role in aquaculture management. This study involved annotating images of fish in aquaculture settings and utilized a line laser for underwater distance calibration and fish body inclined-angle calculation. The YOLOv8 model was employed for fish identification and key-point detection, enabling the determination of actual body dimensions through a mathematical model. The results show a root-mean-square error of 6.8 pixels for underwater distance calibration using the line laser. The pre-training YOLOv8-n, with its lower parameter counts and higher MAP values, proved more effective for fish identification and key-point detection, considering speed and accuracy. Average body length measurements within 1.5 m of the camera showed a minor deviation of 2.46% compared to manual measurements. The average relative errors for body length and width were 2.46% and 5.11%, respectively, with corresponding average absolute errors. This study introduces innovative techniques for fish body measurement in aquaculture, promoting the digitization and informatization of aquaculture processes. Full article

Public–private partnerships (PPP) have evolved as a choice of infrastructure procurement for numerous developing countries, particularly in the water and power sectors, thereby capturing the interest of researchers. A rich body of literature exists in the field of PPPs, as well as their critical success factors (CSF). Despite the valuable insights garnered from individual studies, a research gap exists in conducting a meta-synthesis of the findings from multiple developing countries and investigating the broader elements and themes of power and water PPP CSF research. This systematic review employed the PRISMA protocol and identified 30 records. We explored the regions, sectors, yearly output, adopted research methods, key authors, and themes of the corpus reviewed. The review recognised four emerging trends in the records, which are identifying, ranking, exploring the interrelationship, or utilising CSFs. The review identified the top 30 frequent CSFs in the corpus, as well as their ranking by importance across multiple settings. The review concludes by addressing geographic and methodological limitations and proposing directions for future research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is the most common complication of transradial coronary catheterization. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of RAO and identify the risk factors that predispose patients to it. Methods: We conducted an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, open-label study involving 1357 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization via the transradial route for angiography and/or a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential predictors of RAO occurrence. Additionally, a subgroup analysis only for patients undergoing PCIs was performed. Results: The incidence of RAO was 9.5% overall, 10.6% in the angiography-only group and 6.2% in the PCI group. Independent predictors of RAO were as follows: (i) the female gender (aOR = 1.72 (1.05–2.83)), (ii) access site cross-over (aOR = 4.33 (1.02–18.39)), (iii) increased total time of the sheath in the artery (aOR = 1.01 (1.00–1.02)), (iv) radial artery spasms (aOR = 2.47 (1.40–4.36)), (v) the presence of a hematoma (aOR = 2.28 (1.28–4.06)), (vi) post-catheterization dabigatran use (aOR = 5.15 (1.29–20.55)), (vii) manual hemostasis (aOR = 1.94 (1.01–3.72)) and (viii) numbness at radial artery ultrasound (aOR = 8.25 (1.70–40)). Contrariwise, two variables were independently associated with increased odds for radial artery patency (RAP): (i) PCI performance (aOR = 0.19 (0.06–0.63)), and (ii) a higher dosage of intravenous heparin per patient weight (aOR = 0.98 (0.96–0.99)), particularly, a dosage of >50 IU/kg (aOR = 0.56 (0.31–1.00)). In the PCI subgroup, independent predictors of RAO were as follows: (i) radial artery spasms (aOR = 4.48 (1.42–14.16)), (ii) the use of intra-arterial nitroglycerin as a vasodilator (aOR = 7.40 (1.67–32.79)) and (iii) the presence of symptoms at echo (aOR = 3.80 (1.46–9.87)), either pain (aOR = 2.93 (1.05–8.15)) or numbness (aOR = 4.66 (1.17–18.57)). On the other hand, the use of intra-arterial verapamil as a vasodilator (aOR = 0.17 (0.04–0.76)) was independently associated with a greater frequency of RAP. Conclusions: The incidence of RAO in an unselected, all-comers European population after transradial coronary catheterization for angiography and/or PCIs is similar to that reported in the international literature. Several RAO prognostic factors have been confirmed, and new ones are described. The female gender, radial artery trauma and manual hemostasis are the strongest predictors of RAO. Our results could help in the future identification of patients at higher risk of RAO, for whom less invasive diagnostic procedures maybe preferred, if possible. Full article

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked progressive disorder associated with muscle wasting and degeneration. The disease is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a protein that links the cytoskeleton with cell membrane proteins. The current treatment methods aim to relieve the symptoms of the disease or partially rescue muscle functionality. However, they are insufficient to suppress disease progression. In recent years, studies have uncovered an important role for non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regulating the progression of numerous diseases. ncRNAs, such as micro-RNAs (miRNAs), bind to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to suppress translation. Understanding the mechanisms involving dysregulated miRNAs can improve diagnosis and suggest novel treatment methods for patients with DMD. This review presents the available evidence on the role of altered expression of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of DMD. We discuss the involvement of these molecules in the processes associated with muscle physiology and DMD-associated cardiomyopathy. Full article

Plastic bronchitis (PB) constitutes a life-threatening pulmonary disorder, predominantly attributed to Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection. The pathogenic mechanisms involved remain largely unexplored, leading to the absence of reliable approaches for early diagnosis and clear treatment. Thus, the present investigation aimed to develop an MP-induced mouse model of PB, thereby enhancing our understanding of this complex condition. In the first stage, healthy BALB/c mice were utilized to investigate the optimal methods for establishing PB. This involved the application of nebulization (15–20 min) and intratracheal administration (6–50 μL) with 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) concentrations ranging from 4.5% to 7.5%. Subsequently, the MP model was induced by administering an MP solution (2 mL/kg/day, 10⁸ CFU/50 μL) via the intranasal route for a duration of five consecutive days. Ultimately, suitable techniques were employed to induce plastic bronchitis in the MP model. Pathological changes in lung tissue were analyzed, and immunohistochemistry was employed to ascertain the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The administration of 4.5% CEES via a 6 µL trachea was the optimal approach to establishing a PB model. This method primarily induced neutrophilic inflammation and fibrinous exudate. The MP-infected group manifested symptoms indicative of respiratory infection, including erect hair, oral and nasal secretions, and a decrease in body weight. Furthermore, the pathological score of the MP+CEES group surpassed that of the groups treated with MP or CEES independently. Notably, the MP+CEES group demonstrated significant activation of the VEGFR-3 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, implying a substantial involvement of lymphatic vessel impairment in this pathology. This study successfully established a mouse model of PB induced by MP using a two-step method. Lymphatic vessel impairment is a pivotal element in the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this disease entity. This accomplishment will aid in further research into treatment methods for patients with PB caused by MP. Full article

Microplastic pollution in agricultural soil threatens soil quality and human health which has attracted extensive attention worldwide. However, there is no uniform standard for microplastic extraction methods and the identification of microplastic component in different typical agricultural soils. In this study, an artificial simulation adding experiment was used in eight typical agricultural soil samples in China. The aim of the study was to use different methods for extraction, comparing the extraction rates of four microplastics and their influence on polymer identification using ATR- FTIR. The two separate methods were oil extraction (water + oil and saturated NaCl solution + oil), and density method (saturated NaCl solution). The four types of microplastics include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE). We found that the oil extraction method effectively extracted four types of microplastics in agricultural soils, which varied from 83.33% to 100.00%. However, the extraction rate of PET under the oil extraction method and PP under the density method from Southern laterite area was lower than other soils. The presence of iron and aluminum ions influenced the extraction rates of microplastics in the Southwest laterite area. With the increase in microplastic density, the extraction rates of the density method decrease. The oil extraction methods with the cleaning of residual oil were recommended for the higher density microplastics. The density method was recommended for the lighter microplastics in agricultural soils. However, these two extraction methods were not ideal to extract the microplastics from the Southern laterite area and the appropriate extraction methods for laterite need to be further studied in the future. Our results can provide technical support for the extraction treatment and scientific microplastic pollution control of typical agricultural soils with different erosion areas. Full article

The increases in both the elderly population and urbanization present new problems for planning new cities and managing old cities. To solve this challenge, innovative ideas/proposals that encourage walkability and reduce fossil energy motor transport are needed, in line with the actions advocated by Sustainable Development Goal #11 (SDG11), Sustainable Cities and Communities. Opening passages that cross blocks, creating connections between the streets, is the proposal discussed in this paper, as seen in cities like Paris, Prague, Milan, and Juíz de Fora, which have passages in their urban fabric. These can be implemented in a building’s rehabilitation or when a new building replaces it. New architectural project designs should have several characteristics that promote walkability in the city, including passages and galleries. Although previous research has obtained promising results, extending the research to different urban fabrics and block sizes is needed. Using space syntax and data analysis, we simulated and quantitatively assessed the walkability of three neighborhoods in Lisbon, Portugal. The comparison of all simulations and the discussion of the results show that the passages improve walkability. It is also noticeable that there is higher walkability in orthogonal urban fabrics than in non-orthogonal fabrics. The results for block size are inconclusive. Full article

In order to improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) was used to retrofit reinforced concrete frame structures. The comparison pseudo-static test results show that the peak load, initial stiffness and ductility of the CFRP retrofitted model were increased by 43.89%, 39.27% and 30.1%, respectively. Based on the parametric study of the finite element model, the contribution of CFRP to the seismic upgrading effect of RC columns was quantitatively revealed, and an optimized design of retrofitted CFRP was proposed. The results show that the peak load, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the whole structure are improved by using CFRP full-wrap reinforcement and strip reinforcement models with different coverage areas. The damage degree of the column decreases, the damage degree of the beam increases, and the failure mode changes from “column hinge” to “beam hinge”. Simultaneously, different CFRP reinforcement areas and the distance between strip CFRP have different reinforcement effects on concrete structures. Based on the investigation results, the recommended ratio of CFRP strip to spacing is 1 to 1.25. Full article

Road construction and strip mining in mountainous regions inevitably causes the destruction of vegetation and soil, leading to large ranges of exposed slopes. Although soil spray-sowing has become a promising method to accelerate community assembly in humid regions, the application of microbial fertilizers and shading in slope recovery during soil spray-sowing are rarely reported in dry-hot valleys. This study compared the effectiveness among artificial seeding, arch column + planting bags, and soil spray-sowing by slope restoration trials in the Yuanjiang dry-hot valley, southwest China. Additionally, we explored the effect of slope degrees, shade, and microbial fertilizers on seedling survival and growth after soil spray-sowing. Results indicated that soil spray-sowing displayed better species survival and growth performance than artificial seeding and arch column + planting bags. The richness, density, and height of seedlings dropped dramatically with the increasing of slope degrees after soil spray-sowing, especially when the slope degree was greater than 1. Although shading observably improved the species density, it inhibited the growth of Albizia julibrissin and Crotalaria pallida. Moreover, microbial fertilizers Penicillium chrysogenum and Bacillus aryabhattai markedly enhanced the density and growth of species Azadirachta Indica, Cajanus cajan, Indigofera cassioides, and Sophora xanthanth. Soil spray-sowing, combined with shading and microbial fertilizers, contributes to species survival and growth when the slope degree is less than 1.73 and the soil spray-sowing process coincides with the rainy season, which provides the theoretical basis and technical support for ecological restoration in the dry-hot river valley. Full article

The citrus cultivar ‘Local Juhong’, which has historically been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, originated in Yuanjiang County, Hunan Province.Its parental type and genetic background are indistinct as of yet. Morphological observation shows that ‘Local Juhong’ has a slight oblateness in fruit shape, a relatively smooth pericarp, a fine and slightly raised oil vacuole, and an inward concave at the blossom end. The tree form and fruit and leaf morphology of ‘Local Juhong’ are similar to those of ‘Huangpi’ sour orange. To reveal the genetic background of ‘Local Juhong’, 21 citrus accessions were evaluated using nuclear and chloroplast SSR markers and whole-genome SNP information. ‘Local Juhong’ was grouped with mandarins and sub-grouped with ‘Miyagawa Wase’ and ‘Yanxi Wanlu’ in a nuclear SSR analysis, which indicated that its pollen parent might be mandarins. It was closely clustered with orange and pummelo in the chloroplast SSR analysis. The genomic sequence similarity rate of ‘Local Juhong’ with mandarin and pummelo heterozygosity was 70.88%; the main part was the heterozygosity, except for the unknown (19.66%), mandarin (8.73%), and pummelo (3.9%) parts. Thus, ‘Local Juhong’ may be an F₁ hybrid with pummelo as the female parent and mandarin as the male parent, sharing sisterhood with ‘Huangpi’ sour orange. Full article

The clinical magnetic resonance scanner (field strength ≤ 3.0 T) has limited efficacy in the high-resolution imaging of experimental mice. This study introduces a novel magnetic resonance micro-coil designed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), thereby improving high-resolution imaging in experimental mice using clinical magnetic resonance scanners. Initially, a phantom was utilized to determine the maximum spatial resolution achievable by the novel micro-coil. Subsequently, 12 C57BL/6JGpt mice were included in this study, and the novel micro-coil was employed for their scanning. A clinical flexible coil was selected for comparative analysis. The scanning methodologies for both coils were consistent. The imaging clarity, noise, and artifacts produced by the two coils on mouse tissues and organs were subjectively evaluated, while the SNR and CNR of the brain, spinal cord, and liver were objectively measured. Differences in the images produced by the two coils were compared. The results indicated that the maximum spatial resolution of the novel micro-coil was 0.2 mm. Furthermore, the subjective evaluation of the images obtained using the novel micro-coil was superior to that of the flexible coil (p < 0.05). The SNR and CNR measurements for the brain, spinal cord, and liver using the novel micro-coil were significantly higher than those obtained with the flexible coil (p < 0.001). Our study suggests that the novel micro-coil is highly effective in enhancing the image quality of clinical magnetic resonance scanners in experimental mice. Full article

This study introduces Multi-Threshold Recurrence Rate Plots (MTRRP), a novel methodology for analyzing dynamic patterns in complex systems, such as those influenced by neurodegenerative diseases in brain activity. MTRRP characterizes how recurrence rates evolve with increasing recurrence thresholds. A key innovation of our approach, Recurrence Complexity, captures structural complexity by integrating local randomness and global structural features through the product of Recurrence Rate Gradient and Recurrence Hurst, both derived from MTRRP. We applied this technique to resting-state EEG data from patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and age-matched healthy controls. The results revealed significantly higher recurrence complexity in the occipital areas of AD and FTD patients, particularly pronounced in the Alpha and Beta frequency bands. Furthermore, EEG features derived from MTRRP were evaluated using a Support Vector Machine with leave-one-out cross-validation, achieving a classification accuracy of 87.7%. These findings not only underscore the utility of MTRRP in detecting distinct neurophysiological patterns associated with neurodegenerative diseases but also highlight its broader applicability in time series analysis, providing a substantial tool for advancing medical diagnostics and research. Full article

Marital relationships offer health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, quality of the relationship matters; ambivalent behaviors may increase CVD risk by affecting blunted nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping. This study tracked daytime and nocturnal SBP and DBP in 180 normotensive individuals (90 couples; participant mean age 25.04; 91.58% white) over a 24 h period using ambulatory blood pressure monitors to explore the impact of martial quality. Results showed that perceptions of spousal ambivalence were associated with blunted nocturnal BP dipping. Perceptions of one’s own behavior as ambivalent also showed blunted nocturnal dipping. When in an ambivalent relationship, a gender interaction was found such that women were most likely to have blunted SBP dipping, but men were more likely to have blunted nocturnal DBP dipping. Overall, this study found an association between ambivalence and BP dipping, thus uncovering one virtually unexplored pathway by which marital relationships may have adverse effects on health. Full article