Search Results (11,531)

Rapid diagnostic tests enable earlier pathogen identification in bloodstream infections compared with conventional culture-based methods and may improve clinical and economic outcomes, particularly when integrated with antimicrobial stewardship programs. Evidence suggests that while mortality benefits are context-dependent, rapid diagnostics can optimize antibiotic use and hospital resource allocation. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of rapid diagnostic approaches compared with conventional microbiological culture in patients with confirmed bacteremia or fungemia hospitalized in a tertiary care setting in Bulgaria. A retrospective observational study was conducted between January 2015 and August 2020 at University Hospital “St. George,” Plovdiv. A total of 115 patients with confirmed bacteremia or fungemia were included and allocated to either a rapid diagnostic testing group (n = 77) or a standard culture group (n = 38). Mortality rates were comparable between groups (54.5% vs. 55.3%; OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.45–2.12; p = 0.942). Median length of stay was 20 days (12–35) in the rapid-test group versus 16 days (10–31) in the culture group (p = 0.505). Targeted antibiotic therapy duration was longer in the rapid-test group (median 12 vs. 6 days; p = 0.070). Median direct hospital costs were BGN 2319.40 versus BGN 1855.52, and indirect costs were BGN 19,388.80 versus BGN 15,511.04 (both p = 0.505). Diagnostic costs were significantly higher in the rapid-testing group (BGN 55.00 vs. BGN 38.00; p = 0.002). Rapid diagnostic testing produced clinical outcomes comparable to standard culture while demonstrating context-dependent economic differences in hospital resource utilization. Conclusions: Rapid diagnostic testing for bloodstream infections provides clinical outcomes comparable to standard culture-based methods while offering potential economic differences associated with the diagnostic strategy. When combined with antimicrobial stewardship interventions, rapid diagnostics support optimized antibiotic use and more efficient hospital resource utilization in critically ill patients. Full article

Nitrogen (N) availability is a critical determinant of grain yield and protein quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying nitrogen response associated with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), a comparative transcriptomic analysis of high grain protein content (HP) and low grain protein content (LP) wheat lines during N resupply at the seedling stage is conducted in this study, with sampling conducted at T1 (one day after treatment) and T3 (three days after treatment). Our results reveal that the HP line exhibits an early-responsive and well-coordinated metabolic pattern, whereas the LP line shows a distinct temporal response characterized by delayed adjustments. Integrated GSEA and KEGG analyses demonstrated that the HP line prioritized protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and diterpenoid biosynthesis, potentially associated with enhanced protein quality control and early signaling efficacy. This allows the HP line to synchronize its N assimilation machinery with the transient peak of N availability at T1 and establishes a robust foundation for protein accumulation. Conversely, the LP line redirected its metabolic resources toward glutathione metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis to mitigate N-induced oxidative instability. This metabolic shift increases the energetic usage required for antioxidant defense and subsequently deviates resources away from productive N assimilation. These divergent metabolic landscapes were orchestrated by a hierarchical network of transcription factors (TFs). In leaves, the MYB and NAC families showed a more disciplined and immediate increase in the HP line, whereas the LP line demonstrated a delayed peak at T3. In root tissues, while Dof and NAC families were rapidly induced and concluded in the HP line, the LP line exhibited a sluggish sensing-to-response mechanism with prolonged or specific late-stage activation at T3. These results indicate that the capacity for rapid metabolic synchronization and disciplined transcriptomic mobilization is a key physiological indicator of high-protein potential in wheat. This insight provides essential molecular targets for breeding programs aimed at improving NUE and grain quality. Full article

Synthetic auxins are widely used nowadays as plant growth regulators and necessary components of media for micropropagation. Hence, the search for and development of novel auxin-like compounds is an important goal at the intersection of chemistry and biology. In this study, we have suggested alkylphenols as starting materials for the preparation of halogenated phenoxyacetic acids, which are well-known synthetic auxins, to decrease their possible phytotoxicity. Alkylphenoxyacetic acids were obtained with good yields, and their selective halogenation was studied. N-halogensuccinimides and molecular bromine in dioxane were shown as suitable reagents since they allowed for p-halogenophenoxyacetic acids to be synthesized with high yields. We further investigated the auxin-like activity of several obtained compounds. It was estimated that all of them stimulate tobacco Nicotiana tabacum L. pollen germination at concentrations 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁷ M with the maximum effect up to 157%. For the most efficient compounds, the germination of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and corn (Zea mays) seeds was studied, as well as seedling growth. The results demonstrate the efficacy of obtained compounds as synthetic auxins, showing that alkylphenols are prospective starting materials for such compounds. Full article

The strong adhesion between cathode materials and aluminium (Al) foil substrates presents a significant challenge in the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Conventionally, high temperatures and high concentrations of costly organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) are used to enhance ultrasonication-based delamination. In this study, a novel, eco-efficient approach was demonstrated for delaminating cathode materials from Al foil using a low-concentration organic citric-acid-assisted low-power ultrasonic treatment coupled with a gentle, low-power-per-volume mechanical mixing system at room temperature. The separation mechanism was attributed to the structure disruption, possibly swelling, of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder using low-concentration citric acid and the cavitation effects induced by ultrasound. Key parameters influencing the delamination efficiency included the solvent type, temperature, ultrasonic power, and treatment duration. Under optimised conditions, citric acid was used as the sonication reagent, with a process temperature of 20 °C, 60 W ultrasonic power, and 80 min of ultrasonication; a delamination efficiency of approximately 92% was achieved. The recovered cathode materials exhibited low agglomeration, favouring subsequent leaching processes. This work proposes an environmentally friendly and effective method for cathode and Al foil recovery from spent LiBs, integrating manual dismantling, ultrasonic treatment, and material separation. Full article

Optimizing energy-intensive manufacturing under time-varying electricity tariffs requires scheduling strategies that reduce cost without compromising operational feasibility. This study is grounded in readily available industrial sensing: we exclusively use time-series measurements of aggregated active power and energy at the main distribution board of a quicklime production plant. We propose a tariff-aware load-shifting framework in which a Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) reinforcement learning agent is trained in a custom Gymnasium environment to apply discrete consumption scaling actions constrained to 80–125% of a baseline profile during the operating shift (08:00–16:00), explicitly accounting for demand-charge exposure in the TOU peak window (13:00–15:00). The reward design combines instantaneous electricity cost with cumulative energy-tracking penalties and terms associated with operational constraints. Multi-day validation over $N=30$ working days shows consistent economic benefits, with a median total cost reduction on the order of 10% (narrow IQR) driven by reduced peak-window energy and demand peaks. However, the script-based binary compliance indicators (viol_energy, viol_prod_min) reveal deviations from the energy-balance criterion and occasional minimum-production shortfalls under the tolerances used, highlighting the cost–production trade-off and the need for stricter constraint handling for industrial deployment. In addition, we benchmark against dynamic programming (DP), an alternative RL policy (DQN), and a greedy heuristic (GREEDY), comparing cost; operational performance; and, when applicable, computational efficiency, which positions PPO as a competitive alternative among the considered methods. Overall, this work demonstrates how learning-based decision making can be coupled with real-world industrial sensing infrastructures, providing a data-driven tariff-aware scheduling layer for industrial energy management under practical constraints. Full article

Side-scan sonar is essential to underwater target detection, yet its effectiveness is hindered by scarce annotated data and complex acoustic artifacts. This study systematically evaluates four YOLO variants, YOLOv8n, YOLOv10n, YOLOv11n, and the newly released YOLOv13n, on two public side-scan sonar datasets with limited samples and severe class imbalance. We assess detection accuracy, computational efficiency, inference speed, and transfer learning using COCO pre-trained weights, as well as the impact of optimizer choice between SGD and AdamW. The results reveal distinct strengths: YOLOv8n achieves the fastest inference at 60.98 FPS, with a competitive mAP50 of 0.906, ideal for real-time applications. YOLOv11n offers the best accuracy–efficiency balance, attaining the highest recall of 0.859 and mAP50 of 0.917. YOLOv13n demonstrates exceptional precision of 0.993 and high-IoU localization, with an mAP75 of 0.760. Transfer learning consistently boosts performance, with average mAP50:95 gains exceeding 54% on the more challenging dataset, highlighting its critical role in overcoming data scarcity. SGD generally outperforms AdamW, confirming its suitability as the default optimizer. These findings provide practical guidelines: YOLOv8 for real-time needs, YOLOv11 for balanced performance, and YOLOv13 for precision-critical tasks with ample resources. This work also establishes a benchmark for future underwater autonomous system research. Full article

Background: CrossFit^® has gained widespread popularity as a high-intensity training modality, yet evidence describing neuromuscular performance characteristics in this population remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate isometric and ballistic strength profiles in trained CrossFit^® athletes and to identify sex-based differences in absolute and relative neuromuscular performance. Methods: Seventy-two athletes participated (41 males and 31 females) participated in the study, completing two maximal isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) tests and three countermovement jump (CMJ) tests within a single testing session. Assessments were conducted using a dual force plate system (Hawkin Dynamics, Westbrook, ME, USA). Results: In the IMTP, males exhibited substantially higher absolute isometric force outputs, including peak force (3059 ± 576 vs. 1899 ± 324 N; p < 0.001) and relative peak force (36.34 ± 6.74 vs. 30.99 ± 4.41 N/kg; p < 0.001). Rates of force development were also greater in males for both early (0–50 ms: 7665 ± 5420 vs. 4001 ± 3021 N/s; p < 0.001) and late phases (0–250 ms: 5350 ± 1832 vs. 3035 ± 886 N/s; p < 0.001). However, no significant sex differences were detected in time to peak force (2.31 ± 1.27 vs. 1.94 ± 1.04 s) or dynamic strength index (0.72 ± 0.12 vs. 0.73 ± 0.12 a.u.). In ballistic performance using CMJ, males achieved higher jump height (0.33 ± 0.07 vs. 0.23 ± 0.05 m; p < 0.001), jump momentum (215 ± 27.9 vs. 131 ± 19.1 kg·m/s; p < 0.001), and modified reactive strength index (0.46 ± 0.11 vs. 0.32 ± 0.08 a.u.; p < 0.001). Relative propulsive and braking forces were also moderately greater in males. Notably, sex differences were reduced when variables were normalized to body mass or peak force, indicating comparable relative neuromuscular function across sexes. Conclusions: These findings provide descriptive neuromuscular performance data for CrossFit^® athletes and show that sex-based differences primarily reflect disparities in absolute force-production capacity rather than intrinsic neuromuscular efficiency. Such insights may support more precise, evidence-informed, and sex-specific training prescriptions to optimize performance. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate effect of Gordonia alkanivorans on phagocytic activity of porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) and immune function in piglets. Quantitative PCR and fluorescence tracing were used to measure phagocytic efficiency of G. alkanivorans-intervened PAMs against PRRSV and E. coli. Sixty-four 45-day-old cross-bred piglets with equal sex were randomly divided into four groups (n = 16/group). Growth performance, immune function, and intestinal flora were analyzed. G. alkanivorans extract exhibited half cytotoxic concentration of 36.43 mg/mL, half effective concentration of 0.1009 mg/mL, and half inhibitory concentration of 0.0043 mg/mL in PAMs, significantly increasing their phagocytic efficiency by 98.5% against PRRSV and 2.31- to 13.46-fold against E. coli. Dietary supplementation with G. alkanivorans elevated antibody-positive rates against classical swine fever virus (47.92%) and pseudorabies virus (14.58%), modified serum cytokine: Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, Tumor Necrosis Factor -α, Interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 (−144.51% to +191.72%). It increased intestinal operational taxonomic units by 152%, the Shannon index by 14.62%, and the Chao index by 11.37%, while reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio by 713.90%. In conclusion, G. alkanivorans enhances immunity and antiviral activity in piglets by gut and immune regulation. Full article

This study aims to elucidate the effects and mechanisms of ammonium (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) nitrogen on the efficiency of Salix linearistipularis K. S. Hao in remediating heavy metal-contaminated soils. Thus, the effects of 15 fertilization treatments (comprising three nitrogen levels and five nitrogen form ratios) on Pb and Cd accumulation, soil properties, microbial structure, and metabolic characteristics were investigated using a pot experiment. The results indicated that Pb and Cd accumulation were the highest under the L12 treatment (60 kg N·hm⁻²·year⁻¹, NH₄⁺-N/NO₃⁻-N = 1:2), whereas nitrate-only treatments, irrespective of concentration, resulted in a decrease in accumulation. In the L12 treatment, biomass increased by 87.0%, with Pb and Cd accumulation rising by 85.71% and 80.0%, respectively, suggesting that biomass may contribute predominantly to heavy metal accumulation. Additionally, NH₄⁺-N/NO₃⁻-N ratio had a greater effect on biomass than the nitrogen application amount. Microbial composition was altered, and the relative abundance of heavy metal-resistant microbes increased. However, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer had a stronger impact on microbial variation. Under different nitrogen application rates and NH₄⁺-N/NO₃⁻-N ratios, the formation or disappearance of unique metabolic pathways related to amino acids and carbohydrates was observed. Furthermore, both microbial metabolism and the bioavailability of Pb and Cd were positively correlated with nitrogen levels and NH₄⁺-N/NO₃⁻-N ratios. These findings indicate a potential association between shifts in microbial metabolism and the bioavailability of heavy metals. Therefore, the simultaneous application of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen in appropriate ratios can enhance the remediation efficiency of S. linearistipularis by boosting biomass and heavy metal bioavailability via microbial metabolism. The findings of this study not only provide novel insights into improving the phytoremediation efficiency of woody plants through fertilization strategies but also lay a theoretical foundation for the effects of nitrogen fertilization on nutrient cycling in metal-contaminated soils. Full article

Background and Objectives: Cross-country skiing requires high levels of upper-body strength and efficient respiratory function to sustain performance during sport-specific movements. This study aimed to examine the effects of an eight-week ski ergometer-based training program on upper-extremity isokinetic muscle strength and pulmonary function in competitive cross-country skiers. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 cross-country skiers voluntarily participated in the study (experimental group: n = 10, control group: n = 10). The research was conducted using a quasi-experimental controlled design. During the eight-week training period, the experimental group performed ski ergometer training three times per week at an intensity of 80–90% of maximal heart rate, with a target distance of 2.5 km per session, in addition to their regular training program. Measurements were obtained before and after the intervention. Results: Following the ski ergometer training period, significant increases were observed in FVC (F = 18.565, p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.508) and FEV₁ (F = 8.789, p = 0.008, ηp² = 0.328), which were associated with enhanced respiratory muscle endurance and ventilatory capacity. Regarding the isokinetic strength parameters, the DPPE60 variable showed significant main effects of time (F = 33.770, p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.652) and time × group interaction (F = 18.590, p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.508), indicating higher upper-extremity strength values across the measurement period. Additionally, strong positive correlations were found between dominant and nondominant limbs (r = 0.79–0.92; p < 0.05), indicating balanced bilateral strength development and high neuromuscular coordination. Conclusions: Ski ergometer-based training was associated with improvements in upper-extremity peak power (DPPE60) and ventilatory capacity (FVC) beyond general training-related adaptations. These findings suggest that SkiErg training may be a useful complementary method for enhancing selected performance-related physiological parameters in cross-country skiers. Full article

Implantable artificial kidneys represent a promising alternative for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), aiming to overcome the limitations of conventional dialysis through the integration of microfluidic and electrokinetic technologies. In this study, we present a sawtooth electrode microfluidic chamber that achieves blood cell separation via negative dielectrophoresis at a record-low operating voltage of 1.4 V, representing a fivefold reduction compared with rectangular electrode designs and supporting potential integration into implantable artificial kidney systems. A microfluidic chip incorporating an asymmetric sawtooth electrode geometry was developed to enhance local electric field gradients while reducing power consumption. Device performance was investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a Box–Behnken design was employed to optimize the number of teeth per unit length (N), sawtooth height (H), and applied voltage (V), while excitation frequency was fixed at 1 MHz and flow velocity was maintained constant at 0.1 µL·min⁻¹. Statistical analysis was conducted using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in Minitab (Version 27; Minitab, LLC, State College, PA, USA, 2024). The optimization model showed strong predictive capability (R² = 95.8%) and identified applied voltage (59.45% contribution) and sawtooth height (33%) as the dominant factors affecting separation efficiency, with a significant H × V interaction (p = 0.023). Comprehensive voltage-response mapping over the range of 0.8–4.0 V revealed four operational regimes, including a previously unreported high-voltage failure zone above 2.8 V, where electrothermal flow and electroporation degrade performance. Under physiological conductivity conditions, the optimized design maintained a separation efficiency of 78.3% at 1.4 V with a tip temperature rise of only 1.2 °C, while full recovery of performance was achieved at 2.2 V. Cell-specific separation efficiencies reached 97.3% for white blood cells, 95.8% for red blood cells, and 84.7% for platelets, reducing the downstream cellular load by 92.6%. These findings demonstrate that the proposed low-voltage, high-efficiency separation platform has strong potential as a cellular pre-filtration module in implantable artificial kidney systems and other lab-on-chip biomedical devices. Full article

In this Short Note type article, we report the synthesis of a new hybrid molecule, N-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)-2-propylpentanamide, using a solvent-minimized mechanochemical method that provides a simple and efficient synthetic approach. The process achieved high yield. The compound was confirmed by melting-point analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Full article

Interest in non-centrosymmetric crystalline materials exhibiting second harmonic generation (SHG) has increased due to their potential applications in optical sensing and biosensing. Saccharide-based metal complexes are particularly attractive systems, as chiral sugars can promote non-centrosymmetric crystal packing. In this work, a new lanthanum–β-d-fructose compound, [La(C₆H₁₂O₆)(H₂O)₅]Cl₃ (LaFRUCl), was synthesized using a simple and low-cost method and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ and consists of infinite (La³⁺–fructose)_n chains extending along the [001] direction, forming a one-dimensional Metal–Organic Framework. The nonlinear optical response was evaluated using the Kurtz–Perry powder technique with a Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) and compared to a sucrose reference. The measured SHG efficiency is comparable to that of previously reported alkaline earth metal–sugar analogs. While the compound’s SHG emission is significant, evaluation of its structural stability under aqueous or physiological conditions is be required before considering biological applications. Full article

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a key cereal for food and forage security in arid and semi-arid regions, where climate change is intensifying drought stress and threatening sustainable crop production. Intercropping cereals with legumes is widely promoted as a nature-based solution to improve resource-use efficiency, nitrogen (N) cycling, and drylands’ resilience. We evaluated the performance and interactions of a novel sorghum–legume combination by intercropping sorghum with the drought-tolerant legume serradella (Ornithopus sativus) in a 10-week mesocosm experiment. Cropping systems (sorghum monocrop, serradella monocrop, and strip intercropping) were subjected to moderate or severe water stress, with or without frequent cutting. We investigated how intercropping influenced individual crop growth, N accumulation, and survival, and whether benefits at the plant level translated to the system level. Under severe water stress, sorghum maintained higher biomass and survival than serradella. Intercropping did not increase aboveground biomass or N content at the mesocosm level. However, individual sorghum plants in intercrops accumulated up to 80% more biomass and 100% more aboveground N than in monocropping. In contrast, serradella experienced reduced growth, N accumulation, and survival in intercrops. Our results reveal trade-offs in this intercrop under dryland stress, where individual crop benefits do not translate into system-level gains. Although limited to early growth and controlled conditions, the results provide valuable insights for designing resilient sorghum–legume systems, including optimizing species density, intercrop configuration, and cutting regimes in drought-prone agroecosystems. Full article

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a highly cross-pollinated crop that exhibits considerable genetic variability when propagated through seeds, resulting in non-true-to-type progeny. Therefore, the development of an efficient in vitro regeneration system is essential for large-scale clonal propagation of elite cultivars. In the present study, a highly efficient and reproducible somatic embryogenesis protocol was developed for C. papaya var. TNAU Papaya CO 8 using immature zygotic embryos as explants. This study provides the first comprehensive comparative evaluation of three basal media, viz., Murashige and Skoog Medium, N6 Medium, and Woody Plant Medium, for somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in this variety, along with the optimization of polyamine-enriched media for enhanced plantlet recovery. The embryogenic potential of explants was assessed across different stages, including callus induction, somatic embryo development, plant regeneration, shoot elongation, rooting, and acclimatization. Maximum callus induction (81.96%) was observed on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid under dark conditions, followed by ½ N6 (63.00%) and ½ WPM (58.02%). Somatic embryo initiation was highest on ½ MS medium containing 2.0 mgL⁻¹ 2,4-D (77.82%). Somatic embryos developed through distinct globular, heart, torpedo, and cotyledonary stages. Embryo maturation was significantly enhanced on MS medium supplemented with abscisic acid, polyethylene glycol, benzylaminopurine, and proline. The highest plantlet regeneration (85.02%) was achieved on MS medium enriched with putrescine, whereas comparatively lower regeneration was recorded on N6 (75.99%) and WPM (57.97%). Shoot elongation was significantly improved by supplementation with gibberellic acid (1.0 mgL⁻¹). Root induction was optimal on half-strength MS medium containing Indole-3-butyric acid, 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid, phloroglucinol, and activated charcoal, resulting in well-developed roots. Regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized in a cocopeat–vermicompost substrate with a survival rate of 74.01%. The optimized protocol provides a reliable and efficient system for large-scale clonal propagation and offers promising applications in genetic transformation and commercial production of papaya var. TNAU papaya CO 8. Full article