Search Results (162)

Background: While timely blood transfusion is critical for restoring oxygen-carrying capacity after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), allogeneic blood product transfusions are independently associated with increased long-term mortality, necessitating a risk-stratified approach to balance oxygen delivery against immunological complications and infection risks. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 3376 patients undergoing isolated CABG between 2005 and 2023 at a single tertiary center. Patients who died during their perioperative hospital stay within 30 days were excluded. Transfusion burden was assessed both as the absolute number of blood product units (packed red blood cells, platelet transfusion, fresh frozen plasma) and as a percentage of calculated patient blood volume. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 5 years. Flexible Cox regression with penalized smoothing splines, adjusted for EuroSCORE II, was used to model dose–response relationships. Results: From our cohort of 3376 patients, a total of 137 patients (4.05%) received >10 units of packed red blood cells (PRBC) perioperatively. These patients were older (median 71 vs. 68 years, p < 0.001), more often female (29% vs. 15%, p < 0.001), and had higher preoperative risk (EuroSCORE II: 2.53 vs. 1.41, p < 0.001). After 5 years, mortality was 42% in the massive transfusion group versus 10% in controls. Spline regression revealed an exponential increase in mortality with transfused units: 14 units yielded a 1.5-fold higher hazard of death (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.31–1.64), rising to HR 2.71 (95% CI 2.12–3.47) at 30 units. When transfusion was indexed to blood volume, this relationship became linear and more tightly correlated with mortality, with lower maximum hazard ratios and narrower confidence intervals. Conclusions: Indexing transfusion burden to the percentage of patient blood volume replaced provides a more accurate and clinically actionable predictor of 5-year mortality after CABG than absolute unit counts. Our findings support a shift toward individualized, volume-based transfusion strategies to optimize patient outcomes and resource stewardship in a time of limited availability of blood products. Full article

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) and Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) are economically important pathogens of the poultry industry worldwide. However, the impact of dual infection of these two pathogens in chickens remains unclear. This study investigated the pathogenic effects of dual infection with CAV and E. tenella using two trials. In Trial A, chickens were infected at 21 days of age (D21) with either CAV and E. tenella simultaneously (C₂₁ + T₂₁), CAV alone (C_21a), E. tenella alone (T₂₁), or PBS as a negative control (NC). In Trial B, chickens received CAV at D21 followed by E. tenella at D28 (C₂₁ + T₂₈), CAV alone at D21 (C_21b), E. tenella alone at D28 (T₂₈), or PBS at D21 (NC). Assays of lesion scores (LS), oocysts per gram (OPG) of feces, packed cell volume (PCV), and thymus index (TI) were used to assess variations in pathogenicity. Both the C₂₁ + T₂₁ and C₂₁ + T₂₈ groups showed higher OPG than the group infected with E. tenella alone, with significantly elevated OPG in the secondary infection scenario and more severe lesions in the concurrent co-infection group (p < 0.05). Anemia, indicated by PCV < 27%, was observed in the C₂₁ + T₂₁ group at day 28 and in the C₂₁ + T₂₈ group at day 35, both of which had significantly lower PCV values than the group infected with CAV alone (p < 0.001). Thymus atrophy was most severe in C₂₁ + T₂₁ at 28 days old (p < 0.05; p < 0.01). In this study, preliminary observations suggested that concurrent and secondary infections with CAV and E. tenella showed variable trends that may indicate potential interactions; however, these exploratory findings require more systematic validation in older chickens. Full article

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites not only significantly impact goat health and productivity but can also affect human health due to the zoonotic potential of some species. This study investigates the prevalence of internal parasites within the tropical monsoon ecosystem of southern Thailand, focusing on both phenotypic and molecular characteristics of the parasites and identifying associated risk factors in caprine farming systems. A total of 276 meat goats from Nakhon Si Thammarat province were examined, indicating an overall GI parasite prevalence of 88.8% (245/276), with strongyles and Eimeria spp. identified as the dominant parasites. In addition, mixed parasitic infections were observed in 72.2% of cases, whereas single infections comprised 27.8%. Strongyle-positive fecal samples were cultured and genetically sequenced, revealing the presence of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and Oesophagostomum asperum. For associated risk factors, gender and grazing with other herds significantly impacted overall GI parasitic infections, while the gender, breed, and packed cell volume (PCV) affected the strongyle infection. A correlation analysis revealed a substantial relationship between strongyle egg per gram (EPG) counts and clinical parameters, indicating that monitoring animals with low body condition scores (BCS) and high Faffa Malan Chart (FAMACHA) scores could be an effective strategy for controlling strongyle infections. These findings highlight the importance of continued research and effective farm management practices to address strongyle infections in meat goats, improving their health and agricultural productivity in tropical regions. Moreover, the detection of four zoonotic parasites (Giardia spp., H. contortus, T. colubriformis, and Fasciola spp.) indicates the necessity for the routine surveillance and monitoring of zoonotic parasites in goats to mitigate potential human health risks. Full article

This study evaluated the feasibility of including grape pomace in the diet of Santa Inês ewes during lactation, aiming to reduce the effects of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections and improve productive performance. Grape pomace, which contains phenolic compounds and tannins, was provided as a dietary supplement, replacing 20% of the concentrate over 28 days of lactation, starting on day 7 after lambing. A total of 18 ewes were used, divided into two groups: supplemented (n = 8) and control (n = 10). The supplemented group showed significant reduction in fecal egg count on day 14 of lactation (p < 0.05) in comparison with the control group. Lambs from the supplemented group had higher weaning weights (p < 0.05). Additionally, the supplemented group showed higher values for packed cell volume and circulating eosinophils, indicating greater resilience to infections. Analysis of anti-L3 IgG against Haemonchus contortus revealed no significant differences between the groups. It is concluded that grape pomace supplementation demonstrated potential to improve hematological and productive parameters in lactating ewes, with more evident effects during early lactation. Although the results suggest a possible complementary role in controlling gastrointestinal nematodes, future studies are needed to confirm and optimize this nutritional strategy. Full article

Cold stress disrupts broiler homeostasis, and a single intervention may be insufficient for protection. This study examined the effects of early cold conditioning (25 ± 1 °C for 3 h at 5 days) and glutamine (Gln) supplementation on broiler thermotolerance during a 16 ± 1 °C cold challenge at 35 days. A 2 × 3 factorial design assigned 360 Cobb-500 broilers to six treatments (six replicates/treatment, ten birds/replicate) with three Gln levels (0%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) and two temperature conditions: standard temperature and a 7 °C reduction at 5 days old. Supplementing with 0.3% and 0.5% Gln and cold conditioning improved growth performance (p < 0.05), except for feed intake during the grower-finisher phase and overall growth with cold conditioning alone. Adding 0.3% and 0.5% Gln enhanced hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄), antioxidant capacity, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), interleukin 2 (IL2), IL10, IL4, interferon-γ (INF-γ), and troponin-T levels (p < 0.05). Cold conditioning influenced packed cell volume, T₃, T₄, CAT, HSP70, IL10, INF-γ, and troponin-T levels (p < 0.05). Diet-temperature interaction influenced growth, antioxidant, and immune responses, but not hematological or biochemical indicators. Overall, dietary Gln at 0.3% and 0.5% and early cold conditioning may serve as complementary strategies to mitigate cold stress in broilers. Full article

A mathematical model was developed for the dynamic and static simulation of a continuous ethanol production process in a tower bioreactor packed with yeast cells immobilized in citrus pectin gel. To avoid accumulation of CO₂ gas during the bioprocess, a vertical fixed bed bioreactor with a working volume of 0.245 L, divided into four stages and equipped with external gas–liquid separators was used. The performance of the bioreactor was evaluated through continuous fermentations using feed medium (sugarcane juice) with substrate concentrations of 161.4 and 312.5 g/L, temperature of 30 °C, pH 4.0 and hydraulic residence times of 5 and 6 h. The developed mathematical model takes into account mass flow by convection and dispersion axial, external and internal mass transfer to/within particle, Contois kinetics for cell growth with inhibition terms, cell death, and substrate consumption for cell maintenance. The partial differential equations regarding cell, substrate and product mass balances in the solid and fluid phase were solved by numerical methods. The calculated profiles of state variables in the fluid phase agreed satisfactorily with the experimental data. The diffusional resistances within particles concerning the substrate consumption rate were not significant, resulting in calculated values of the effectiveness factor close to one. Full article

Background and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the adequacy of the liberal transfusion strategy applied in patients undergoing endoscopy-assisted Metopic, Coronal, or Sagittal craniosynostosis surgery according to the Pre-Transfusion and Post-Transfusion Estimated Red Blood Cell Mass (ERCM) ratios. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study, conducted at the Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine (2017–2023), utilized anesthesia, surgical records, and hospital electronic data of patients undergoing endoscopic craniosynostosis surgery. The primary endpoints were the rates of Post-Transfusion 1st-hour ERCM/Pre-Transfusion ERCM (%) and Post-Transfusion 24th-hour ERCM/Pre-Transfusion ERCM (%). The secondary endpoints were determined as Hemoglobin (Hb) and Hematocrit (Hct) values at the 1st and 24th hours after surgery, Calculated Blood Loss (CBL) during surgery (%), total 24 h CBL (%), ERCM (%), and Estimated Blood Loss (EBV) during surgery and total 24 h transfusions, Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) (mL/kg) amounts during surgery, and total 24 h transfusions. Results: A total of 86 pediatric craniosynostosis cases were evaluated and categorized into Metopic (n = 38), Sagittal (n = 33), and Coronal (n = 15) groups, with Post-Transfusion evaluation conducted across these groups. Post-Transfusion 1st-hour ERCM/Pre-Transfusion ERCM ratios were found to have median values of 90.70% in the Metopic group, 91.61% in the Sagittal group, and 93.09% in the Coronal group. Post-Transfusion 24th-hour ERCM/Pre-Transfusion ERCM ratios were found to be median values of 94.05% in the Metopic group, 88.3% in the Sagittal group, and 87.08% in the Coronal group. Conclusions: The liberal transfusion strategy provided adequate transfusion, maintaining ERCM ratios within the 85–115% range across all groups. Significant decreases in Hb and Hct levels were observed from preoperative to postoperative measurements at 1 and 24 h. Changes in CBL, ERCM, EBV, and PRBC volumes were noted between the postoperative 1 h and 24 h measurements across all groups. Full article

Hemorrhagic shock from traumatic injury results in a massive systemic response with activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, pro-thrombotic and clot-lysis pathways as well as development of an endotheliopathy. With ongoing hemorrhage, these responses become dysregulated and are associated with worsening coagulopathy, microvascular dysfunction, and increased transfusion requirements. Our transfusion practices as well as our understanding of the molecular response to hemorrhage have undergone significant advancement during war. Currently, resuscitation practices address the benefit of the early recognition and management of acute coagulopathy and advocates for balanced resuscitation with either whole blood or a 1:1 ratio of packed red blood cells to fresh frozen plasma (respectively). However, a significant volume of evidence in the last two decades has recognized the importance of the early modulation of traumatic endotheliopathy and the HPA axis via the early administration of plasma, whole blood, and adjunctive treatments such as tranexamic acid (TXA) and calcium. This evidence compels us to rethink our understanding of ‘balanced resuscitation’ and begin creating a more structured practice to address additional competing priorities beyond coagulopathy. The following manuscript reviews the benefits of addressing the additional interrelated physiologic responses to hemorrhage and seeks to expand beyond our understanding of ‘balanced resuscitation’. Full article

We aimed to evaluate the effects of unit cell design and the volume fraction of 3D-printed lattice structures with relative densities of 30% or 45% on compressive response and orthopedics screw pullout strength. All 3D lattice models were created using FLatt Pack software (version 3.31.0.0). The unit cell size of sheet-based triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMSs)—Gyroid and Schwarz Diamond—was 5.08 mm, whereas that of skeletal TPMS—Skeletal Gyroid, Skeletal Schwarz Diamond, and Skeletal Schoen I-Wrapped Package—was scaled down to 3.175 and 2.54 mm. Two photopolymer resin types—Rigid 10k and Standard Grey—were used. In uniaxial compression tests, Rigid 10k resin lattices failed at relatively lower strains (<0.11), while Standard Grey lattices endured higher strains (>0.60) and experienced less softening effects, resulting in stress–strain curve plateauing followed by lattice densification. ANOVA revealed significant effects of design and volume fraction at p < 0.001 on compressive modulus, screw pullout strength, and screw withdrawal stiffness of the 3D-printed lattice. The pullout load from 3D-printed lattices (61.00–2839.42 N) was higher than that from open-cell polyurethane foam (<50 N) and lower than that of human bone of similar volume fraction (1134–2293 N). These findings demonstrate that 3D-printed lattices can be tailored to approximate different bone densities, enabling more realistic orthopedic and dental training models. Full article

Equation of state (EoS) parameters of hexagonal close-packed iron (hcp-Fe), the dominant core component in large terrestrial planets, is crucial for studying interior structures of super-Earths. However, EoS parameters at interior conditions of super-Earths remain poorly constrained, and extrapolating from Earth’s core conditions introduces significant uncertainties at TPa pressures. Here, we compiled experimental static and dynamic compression data and theoretical data up to 1374 GPa and 12,000 K from the literature to refine the EoS of hcp-Fe. Using the third-order Birch–Murnaghan and Mie–Grüneisen–Debye equations, we obtained V₀ (unit-cell volume) = 6.756 (10) cm³/mol, K_T0 (isothermal bulk modulus) = 174.7 (17) GPa, $K_{T0}^{\prime }$ (pressure derivative of K_T0) = 4.790 (14), θ₀ (Debye temperature) = 1209 (73) K, γ₀ (Grüneisen parameters) = 2.86 (10), and q (volume-independent constant) = 0.84 (5) at ambient conditions. These parameters were then incorporated into an interior model of CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b, which includes four solid compositional layers (forsterite, MgSiO₃ perovskite, post-perovskite, and hcp-Fe). The model yields the core mass fractions (CMF) of 0.1709 in CoRoT-7b and 0.2216 in Kepler-10b, suggesting a Mars-like interior structure. Extrapolation uncertainties (±10–20% in density) can change CMF by −12.6 to 21.2%, highlighting the necessity of precise EoS constraints at the super-Earth interior conditions. Full article

Cells in heart muscle need to generate ATP at or near peak capacity to meet their energy demands. Over 90% of this ATP comes from mitochondria, strategically located near myofibrils and densely packed with cristae to concentrate ATP generation per unit volume. However, a consequence of dense inner membrane (IM) packing is that restricted metabolite diffusion inside mitochondria may limit ATP production. Under physiological conditions, the flux of ATP synthase is set by ADP levels in the matrix, which in turn depends on diffusion-dependent concentration of ADP inside cristae. Computer simulations show how ADP diffusion and consequently rates of ATP synthesis are modulated by IM topology, in particular (i) number, size, and positioning of crista junctions that connect cristae to the IM boundary region, and (ii) branching of cristae. Predictions are compared with the actual IM topology of a cardiomyocyte mitochondrion in which cristae vary systematically in length and morphology. The analysis indicates that this IM topology decreases but does not eliminate the “diffusion penalty” on ATP output. It is proposed that IM topology normally attenuates mitochondrial ATP output under conditions of low workload and can be regulated by the cell to better match ATP supply to demand. Full article

The radiative/scattering properties of cyanobacterial aggregates are crucial for understanding microalgal cultivation. This study analyzed the scattering matrix elements and cross-sections of cyanobacterial aggregates using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) method. A stochastic random walk approach was adopted to generate a force-biased packing model for multicellular filamentous cyanobacterial aggregates. The effects of the shape and size of multicellular cyanobacterial aggregates on their scattering properties were investigated in this work. The possibility of invariance in the scattering properties of cyanobacterial aggregates was explored. The invariance interpretation intuitively represented the radiative property characteristics of the aggregates. The presented results show that the ratios of the matrix elements of cyanobacterial aggregates are nearly shape-, size-, and wavelength-invariant. The extinction and absorption cross-sections (EACSs) per unit volume exhibited shape and approximate size invariance for cyanobacterial aggregates, respectively. The absorption cross-section of aggregates is not merely a volumetric phenomenon for aggregates that exceed a certain size. Furthermore, the absorption cross-sections per unit volume are independent of the volumetric distribution of the microalgae cells. The invariance interpretation presents crucial characteristics of the scattering properties of cyanobacterial aggregates. The existence of invariance greatly improves our understanding of the scattering properties of microalgal aggregates. The scattering properties of microalgal aggregates are the most critical aspects of light propagation in the design, optimization, and operation of photobioreactors. Full article

Efficient separation of blood plasma and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) is vital for rapid blood sensing and early disease detection, especially in point-of-care and resource-limited environments. Conventional centrifugation methods for separation are resource-intensive, time-consuming, and off-chip, necessitating innovative alternatives. This study introduces “Intelligent Microfluidics”, an ML-integrated microfluidic platform designed to optimize plasma separation through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The trifurcation microchannel, modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics, achieved plasma yields of 90–95% across varying inflow velocities (0.0001–0.05 m/s). The input fluid parameters mimic the blood viscosity and density used with appropriate boundary conditions and fluid dynamics to optimize the designed microchannels. Eight supervised ML algorithms, including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), were employed to predict key performance parameters, with ANN achieving the highest predictive accuracy (R² = 0.97). Unlike traditional methods, this platform demonstrates scalability, portability, and rapid diagnostic potential, revolutionizing clinical workflows by enabling efficient plasma separation for real-time, point-of-care diagnostics. By incorporating a detailed comparative analysis with previous studies, including computational efficiency, our work underscores the superior performance of ML-enhanced microfluidic systems. The platform’s robust and adaptable design is particularly promising for healthcare applications in remote or resource-constrained settings where rapid and reliable diagnostic tools are urgently needed. This novel approach establishes a foundation for developing next-generation, portable diagnostic technologies tailored to clinical demands. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits and feasibility of adding dried and ground grape pomace to the concentrate fed to lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Eighteen male Santa Inês lambs, recently weaned, were housed in individual pens and were allocated into two groups based on their body weight. The lambs in the supplemented group (n = 9) initially received a diet composed of 50% ground hay and 50% concentrate. Subsequently, these animals were gradually adapted to grape pomace until its final inclusion in the concentrate reached 20%. The lambs in the control group received a concentrate without grape pomace. Both groups of lambs were artificially infected with 4000 infective larvae of H. contortus, and 28 days later, the lambs were euthanized for quantification of the nematodes present in the abomasum. The following variables showed no statistical differences (p > 0.05) between the groups: worm burden, packed cell volume, total plasma protein, blood eosinophil count, and daily weight gain. Regarding anti-Haemonchus IgG plasma levels, there was a significant time * treatment interaction (p = 0.0099) with higher values in the supplemented group. At the two final samplings, the supplemented group showed significantly lower values of eggs per gram of feces than the control group (p < 0.05). The supplemented group showed female worms shorter and with less eggs in utero than those of the control group, with significant difference for these variables (p < 0.05). In conclusion, grape pomace can be included in the diet, as it promotes more sustainable animal production, and, additionally, it can cause a reduction in H. contortus fecundity, benefiting haemonchosis prophylaxis. Full article

A surge has been observed in the use of pesticides to boost agricultural yield in order to feed the continuously increasing human population. Different types and classes of broad-spectrum insecticides are in use, and the number is constantly increasing with the introduction of new ones. Keeping in view the broad-spectrum effects of organophosphate pesticides including Malathion (MLN), their use is continuously increasing without appraising their toxic impacts on non-target organisms. The continuous rise in the use of MLN has led to its presence, persistence, and transport to water bodies globally, subsequently affecting commercially valuable aquatic organisms. The current study was conducted to assess MLN-induced hematological and biochemical toxicities in the brain of a commercially valuable indigenous major carp, rohu, Labeo rohita. The fish was exposed to an acute concentration of commercial-grade MLN. The LC₅₀ of MLN (5 µg/L) led to behavioral inconsistencies and subtle impacts on the hematology (an increase in white blood cells and a reduction in red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume level, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) and biochemistry (an increase in reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase) but a reduction in total protein content and activity of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPases) in the brain tissues. MLN also inhibited the activity of Acetylcholinesterase, while it led to an increase in Acetylcholine. Significant changes were observed in the serum biochemical profile; for example, glucose, cholesterol, potassium, urea, and total bilirubin increased, whereas total protein, sodium, chloride, albumin, and inorganic phosphate decreased after exposure. The current study clearly classified MLN as highly toxic to rohu. Therefore, the extra-judicious use of MLN should be strictly supervised. Studies concerning the real-world concentration of pesticides should be carried out on regular basis to mitigate the echoing issue of pesticide-based pollution. Full article