Search Results (97)

Infrastructure expansion in Indonesia has increased demand for paving blocks, raising concerns over cement production costs and environmental impact. This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF, Ananas comosus) and sisal fiber (Agave sisalana) as reinforcements in paving blocks, evaluating water absorption and 28-day compressive strength at fiber contents of 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% by cement volume. A full-factorial two-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey HSD was employed. A dosage of 3% for both fiber types resulted in compressive strengths of 14.5 MPa (PALF, +59% vs. control) and 15.2 MPa (sisal, +67% vs. control), both of which met the requirements of SNI 03-0691-1996 Class B. Sisal fiber demonstrated superior compressive performance, consistent with its higher stiffness and tensile strength as reported in the literature. Water absorption increased monotonically with fiber content for both types, with SNI Class D compliance (≤10%) maintained only at 0% for PALF and 0–1% for sisal, a known consequence of the inherently hydrophilic nature of plant-based natural fibers. A statistically significant interaction term (F = 3.697, p = 0.012) confirmed that the two fibers respond differently to dosage increases, providing nuanced practical guidance beyond what single-factor studies can offer. These findings demonstrate the promising compressive strength of agricultural waste fiber-reinforced paving blocks, warranting further investigation of abrasion resistance, flexural strength, and long-term durability before practical deployment. Such utilization supports circular economy principles in the construction industry. Full article

Objectives: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed during childhood, primarily characterized by continuous symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The present study aimed to investigate the genetic association between polymorphisms in the serotonergic system-related genes, HTR1B and HTR2A, and the susceptibility to ADHD in a Korean sample. Methods: The study cohort consisted of 234 children diagnosed with ADHD and 1686 healthy controls. Clinical diagnosis was established based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Genetic analysis focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the serotonergic pathway: rs6296 in HTR1B, and three SNPs (rs6311, rs6313, and rs9534495) in HTR2A. Genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed using Chi-square tests. Risk estimates were calculated as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) across dominant, recessive, and additive inheritance models. Results: A statistically significant association was observed between the HTR2A rs9534495 polymorphism and ADHD. Specifically, significant associations were identified under the dominant (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.93, p = 0.017), recessive (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.93, p = 0.016), and additive (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65–1.00, p = 0.046) models. However, these significant findings did not persist after applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Conversely, no significant associations were detected for the HTR1B (rs6296) and the other HTR2A (rs6311, rs6313) polymorphisms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that genetic variations in the serotonergic system, particularly within the HTR2A gene, may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to ADHD. This study confirmed gene SNIPs associated with the serotonergic system in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Future research involving large-scale multi-ethnic cohorts, functional assays, and gene–environment interaction analyses is warranted to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of serotonergic genes. Full article

High-quality Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) imaging usually needs extensive signal averaging to reduce noise and drift, which severely limits clinical speed. Deep learning can accelerate imaging by reconstructing spectra from rapid, single-scan inputs. However, separating noise and baseline drift simultaneously without ground truth is an ill-posed inverse problem. Standard black-box architectures often rely on statistical approximations that introduce spectral hallucinations or fail to generalize to unstable atmospheric conditions. To solve these issues, we propose a physics-informed cascade Unet that separates denoising and baseline correction tasks using a new, deterministic Physics Bridge. This architecture forces the network to separate random noise from chemical signals using an embedded SNIP layer to enforce spectroscopic constraints instead of learning statistical approximations. We benchmarked this approach against a standard single Unet and a traditional Savitzky–Golay smoothing followed by SNIP baseline correction workflow. We used a dataset of human hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells (FaDu). The cascade model outperformed all other methods, achieving a 51.3% reduction in RMSE compared to raw single-scan inputs, surpassing both the single Unet (40.2%) and the traditional workflow (33.7%). Peak-aware metrics show that the cascade architecture eliminates spectral hallucinations found in standard deep learning. It also preserves peak intensity with much higher fidelity than traditional smoothing. These results show that the cascade Unet is a robust solution for diagnostic-grade FTIR imaging. It enables imaging speeds 32 times faster than current methods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Effective removal of organic tissue extruded beyond the apex is crucial in regenerative endodontics, particularly in teeth with immature apices; therefore, this study aims to compare the efficacy of standard needle irrigation (SNI), ultrasonic irrigation (UI), photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS), and shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS) techniques in dissolving periapical tissue in a simulated model. Methods: Sixty single-rooted human premolars and sixty bovine palatal mucosa specimens were used. A custom model was created by placing mucosal tissue in contact with the apical area. Specimens were divided into four groups (n = 15) according to the irrigation method: SNI, UI, PIPS, and SWEEPS. Each canal received 15 mL of 2% NaOCl. Tissue samples were weighed before and after treatment. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test were used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). Results: UI showed significantly less tissue dissolution than the other methods (p < 0.05). SNI, PIPS, and SWEEPS showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). Conclusions: All methods led to tissue loss, but UI was significantly less effective. SNI, PIPS, and SWEEPS performed similarly. Full article

Sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) is a benign neoplasm derived from the Schneiderian membrane and the endoderm of the ciliated respiratory epithelium of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. SNIP is uncommon and typically found between the fourth and seventh decades of life, with men being more frequently affected. The medical significance of this benign neoplasm lies in its potential to cause local tissue destruction, tendency toward malignancy, and high recurrence rate. This study describes the histology of the nasosinusal mucosa and histological characteristics of SNIP, as well as its clinical manifestations and treatment. We also describe findings in the development of SNIP such as chronic inflammation and environmental factors. Additionally, we describe the association between cases positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) and progression to malignancy and recurrence. This analysis includes the tumor microenvironment, encompassing the infiltration of immune cells such as CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, macrophage polarization, and increases in certain metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9). Finally, we address epigenetic alterations associated with HPV infection. Full article

Session-based recommender systems (SBRs) are critically impaired by exposure bias in observational training logs, causing models to overfit to logging policies rather than true user preferences. This bias distorts offline evaluation and harms generalization, particularly for long-tail items. To address this, we propose the Propensity- and Temporal-consistency Enhanced Graph Transformer (PTE-GT), a principled framework that enhances a recent interval-aware graph transformer backbone with two synergistic training-time modules. This Graph Neural Network -based architecture is adept at modeling the complex, graph-structured nature of session data, capturing intricate item transitions that sequential models might miss. First, we introduce a propensity-aware (PA) optimization objective based on the self-normalized inverse propensity scoring (SNIPS) estimator. This module leverages logs containing randomized exposure or logged behavior-policy propensities to learn an unbiased risk estimate, correcting for the biased data distribution. Second, we design a lightweight, view-free temporal consistency (TC) contrastive regularizer that enforces alignment between session prefixes and suffixes, improving representation robustness without computationally expensive graph augmentations, which are often a bottleneck for graph-based contrastive methods. We conduct comprehensive evaluations on three public session-based benchmarks—KuaiRand, the OTTO e-commerce challenge dataset (OTTO), and the YOOCHOOSE-1/64 split (YOOCHOOSE)—and additionally on the publicly available Open Bandit Dataset (OBD) containing logged bandit propensities. Our results demonstrate that PTE-GT significantly outperforms strong baselines. Critically, on datasets with randomized exposure or logged propensities, our unbiased evaluation protocol, using SNIPS-weighted metrics, reveals a substantial performance leap that is masked by standard, biased metrics. Our method also shows marked improvements in model calibration and long-tail item recommendation. Full article

I analyze recent X-ray data from the literature of the type Ia supernova remnant (SNR Ia) Tycho and conclude that Tycho is a SN Ia inside a planetary nebula (SNIP), strengthening such a previous suggestion from 1985. The observations reveal two opposite protrusions, termed ears, projected on the main shell of Tycho. The pair of ear structures qualitatively resembles that of the SNRs Ia Kepler, SNR G299-2.9, and SNR G1.9+0.3, which earlier studies considered as SNIPs. The requirement that the explosion occurs within hundreds of thousands of years after the formation of the planetary nebula (by the second star to evolve) makes the core-degenerate scenario the most likely for Tycho, with the double-degenerate with merger to explosion delay time scenario somewhat less likely. Several other possible scenarios lead to a SNIP, but they are unlikely for Tycho. The identification of Tycho as a SNIP leads to two general conclusions. (1) The fraction of SNIPs among normal SNe Ia is very large, ≈70–90%. Thus, the vast majority of normal SNe Ia are SNIPs. (2) To accommodate the large fraction of SNIPs, the delay time distribution of normal SNe Ia includes not only the stellar evolution timescale (as usually assumed), but also includes pockets of younger stellar populations in galaxies without ongoing star formation; the SNIPs come from the younger stellar populations in galaxies. Full article

Background: Shentong Zhuyu Decoction (STZYD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has shown promise in alleviating neuropathic pain (NPP), yet its central mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: We investigated the STZYD effects on NPP using network pharmacology, in vivo assays, and analytical chemistry, focusing on molecular pathways and GABAergic neuronal modulation. Results: Network pharmacology revealed 254 potential STZYD targets enriched in calcium signaling and GABAergic synapse pathways, especially the NMDAR-2B/CaMKII/CREB axis. High-dose STZYD (1.25 g·mL⁻¹) and ifenprodil (6 mg·kg⁻¹) reversed hyperalgesia and anxiety-like behaviors in spared nerve injury (SNI) mice, and microdialysis showed that STZYD and ifenprodil reduced the glutamate, D-serine, aspartate, glycine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Immunofluorescence and fiber photometry showed reduced c-Fos expression and suppressed GCaMP signals in IPN GABAergic neurons, with chemogenetic experiments confirming their role in pain modulation. Multimodal molecular biology experiments demonstrated that STZYD and ifenprodil significantly downregulated the GluN2B, p-CaMKII, and p-CREB expressions within the IPN. We identified 145 constituents in STZYD through high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis, among which 40 were absorbed into plasma and 7 were able to cross the blood–brain barrier and accumulate in the IPN. Molecular docking revealed the strong binding of licoricesaponin K2 and senkyunolide F to NMDAR-2B. Conclusions: STZYD exerts dose-dependent antinociceptive effects by modulating IPN GABAergic neuronal activity through the inhibition of the NMDAR-2B-mediated CaMKII/CREB pathway. Full article

Objective: To investigate the relationship between respiratory function, functionality, and mortality in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and to determine which respiratory parameters show the strongest correlation with functionality and mortality. Methods: The study was conducted in Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil, between January 2018 and December 2023. This was a retrospective cohort, following individuals with ALS who were evaluated at the University Laboratory. Results: A total of 74 ALS patients were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 55.7 ± 13.5 years. Most were male (66.2%) and predominantly presented with spinal-onset ALS (51.3%). Respiratory variables (except peak expiratory flow (PEF)) showed a weak but significant inverse correlation with mortality (FVC% predicted (r_pb = −0.260; p < 0.001), SNIP (r_pb = −0.235; p = 0.001), MEP (r_pb = −0.207; p = 0.007), MIP (r_pb = −0.198; p = 0.009), and PEF% predicted (r_pb = −0.156; p = 0.013)). When analyzing their correlation with ALSFRS-R, all variables showed a significant positive correlation (ranging from weak to moderate) with functionality. A reduction of one unit in the respiratory variables PEF% of predicted, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) increased the risk of death by an average of 300% (OR = 2.99; 95% CI: 2.05–4.35), 2% (OR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01–1.03), and 1% (OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00–1.02), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that direct measurements of respiratory function and muscle strength, particularly PEF and SNIP, may serve as more useful markers to guide early interventions such as non-invasive ventilation, thereby improving quality of life and potentially prolonging survival. Full article

Osteoporosis is a chronic metabolic disease characterised by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased susceptibility to fractures. Its development is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors that regulate bone metabolism. Among the genes involved in bone metabolism, COL1A1 and TNFRSF11B (OPG) are particularly important. The COL1A1 gene encodes the alpha-1 chain of type I collagen, a major component of the bone matrix, and plays a key role in maintaining bone mechanical strength. The TNFRSF11B gene encodes osteoprotegerin (OPG), a protein that inhibits bone resorption by binding the RANKL ligand and blocking osteoclast activation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between the rs1107946 and rs1800012 polymorphisms of the COL1A1 gene and the rs2073617 polymorphism of the TNFRSF11B (OPG) gene and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The study included 590 postmenopausal women: 350 healthy controls, 105 with osteopenia, and 135 with osteoporosis. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR and LightSNiP probes. Associations between genetic variables and BMD were assessed, taking into account environmental factors (BMI, smoking). The presence of the T allele of the rs1800012 variant was initially associated with lower BMD and an increased risk of osteopenia, but this association lost significance after adjustment for BMI and smoking. For rs1107946 and rs2073617,no statistically significant associations were observed. These findings suggest that the studied SNPs have, at most, modest effects on BMD, with environmental influences playing a stronger role. Further research in larger and more diverse cohorts, including FRAX-based risk estimation, is warranted. Full article

The scalability and processability of high-performance membranes remain significant challenges in membrane technology. This work focuses on optimizing the pilot-scale production of patterned polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membranes using the spray-modified non-solvent-induced phase separation (s-NIPS) method on a roll-to-roll pilot line. s-NIPS has already been studied extensively at lab-scale to prepare patterned membranes for various applications including membrane bioreactors (MBR), reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO). Although studied at the lab scale, membranes prepared at a larger scale can significantly differ in performance; therefore, phase inversion parameters, including polymer concentration, molecular weight, and additive type (i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyvinylpyrolidine (PVP)) and concentration, were systematically varied when casting on a roll-to-roll, 12″ wide pilot line to identify optimal conditions for achieving defect-free, high-performance, patterned PSf membranes. The membranes were characterized for their pure water permeance, BSA rejection, casting solution viscosities, and resulting morphology. s-NIPS patterned membranes exhibit 150–350% increase in water flux as compared to their reference flat membrane, thanks to very high pattern heights up to 825 µm and formation of finger-like macrovoids. This work bridges the gap between lab-scale and pilot-scale membrane preparation, while proposing an upscaled membrane with great potential for use in water treatment. Full article

Objectives: Sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) is a rare benign tumor that has potential for malignant transformation, usually into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The pre-operative differentiation between SNIP and SNIP-SCC is essential in determining the therapeutic strategy, but it is a challenge, as biopsies may fail to recognize the malignant part of the tumor. Further, a SNIP can also be locally aggressive and thus mimic a malignant tumor. This retrospective study compares the pre-operative differences in computed tomography (CT) and histologic findings between patients with a benign SNIP and those with a SNIP-SCC. Methods: Eight patients with SNIP-SCC were selected from the hospital registries of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Hospital (Helsinki, Finland). For each case a comparable SNIP case without malignancy was selected. Five histopathologic samples of both the SNIP and SNIP-SCC tumors were retrieved. CT images and the histopathologic samples were re-evaluated by two observers. Results: The nasal cavity and ethmoid and maxillary sinuses were the most common sites for both tumor types. The SNIP tumors were mostly unilateral, and the SNIP-SCC tumors were both unilateral and bilateral. Only SNIP-SCC tumors demonstrated bone defects and orbital or intracranial invasion. Dysplastic findings such as dyskeratosis, nuclear atypia, and maturation disturbances were seen only in the SNIP-SCC tumors. Conclusions: Bony destruction and invasion of adjacent structures in pre-operative CT images seem to be pathognomonic signs of SNIP-SCC based on this series. To differentiate between SNIP and SNIP-SCC tumors all available pre-operative investigations are warranted. Full article

Chronic pain affects a significant portion of the population, with fewer than 30% achieving adequate relief from existing treatments. This study describes the humanization methodology and characterization of an effective non-opioid single-chain fragment variable (scFv) biologic that reverses pain-related behaviors, in this case by targeting P2X4. After nerve injury, ATP release activates/upregulates P2X4 receptors (P2X4R) sequestered in late endosomes, triggering a cascade of chronic pain-related events. Nine humanized scFv (hscFv) variants targeting a specific extracellular 13-amino-acid peptide fragment of human P2X4R were generated via CDR grafting. ELISA analysis revealed nanomolar binding affinities, with most humanized molecules exhibiting comparable or superior affinity compared to the original murine antibody. Octet measurements confirmed that the lead, HC3-LC3, exhibited nanomolar binding kinetics (KD = 2.5 × 10⁻⁹ M). In vivo functional validation with P2X4R hscFv reversed nerve injury-induced chronic pain-related behaviors with a single dose (0.4 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) within two weeks. The return to naïve baseline remained durably reduced > 100 days. In independent confirmation, the spared nerve injury (SNI) model was similarly reduced. This constitutes an original method whereby durable reversals of chronic nerve injury pain, anxiety and depression measures are accomplished. Full article

Background: Neurologically impaired children often face severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), feeding difficulties, and related challenges, profoundly impacting their quality of life (QoL) and that of their caregivers. Surgery is often necessary to alleviate symptoms in this population, and the success of surgical treatment, along with the achievement of clinical endpoints, must also consider the impact on QoL. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of fundoplication surgery on the QoL of both children and caregivers. Methods: All patients treated between 2010 and 2023 at the Pediatric Surgery Department of San Matteo Hospital in Pavia were included in the study. The modified 1996 O’Neill questionnaire was identified as a suitable model for a QoL survey. QoL assessments included caregiver-reported outcomes using validated questionnaires, focusing on physical, psychological, and social domains. Patients with a follow-up period of less than 12 months were excluded. As a secondary outcome, we evaluated the satisfaction of patients treated after 2020 who received integrated care through a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic. Results: Among the 77 patients, 42 were treated between 2010 and 2021. Of these, 16 participated in pre- and post-operative QoL evaluations, showing significant improvements in GERD resolution, feeding ease, and caregiver stress. From 2020, 35 patients benefited from a multidisciplinary approach; 12 underwent robotic fundoplication. Feeding ease scores improved significantly (mean increase from 37.5 to 84.2; p < 0.001), while caregiver stress scores decreased by 35% (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The combination of surgical and multidisciplinary interventions significantly enhances QoL for SNI children and their families. Integrated care models provide a framework for addressing complex needs and should be prioritized in clinical practice. Full article

This study examined age-related changes in qualitative paper-cutting performance of typically developing children aged 5 to 10 years. Using the Hands-On! observation tool, we analysed 178 (85 boys; Mage 8.06 years, SD ± 1.58) children’s performance on the DCDDaily paper cutting task. Paper cutting involves several intra-task components, such as grip type and cutting movements, each comprising multiple observable actions that reflect a child’s qualitative performance (e.g., small or large cutting movements). We assessed the differences in the occurrence of these actions within each intra-task component across age groups, along with task duration and mistakes. Our findings revealed significant age-related differences in the qualitative performance of multiple actions within the intra-task components. Three distinct developmental patterns emerged: progression, variability in progression, and stability. Notably, these qualitative differences were observed even when quantitative measures, such as duration and mistakes, showed ceiling effects, highlighting the ability of qualitative assessments to capture nuanced developmental changes. This study provides valuable insights into the development of paper-cutting skills, emphasising the importance of incorporating qualitative analysis into motor skill assessments. Future research should explore the qualitative performance of children with both typical and atypical motor development to further understand the complex interplay of factors influencing fine motor skill performance. Full article