Large Screening Research Articles

Immersive documentary journalism: exploring the impact of 360° virtual reality compared with a 2D screen display on the responses of people toward undocumented young migrants to Spain

The term ‘MENA’ refers to ‘Menores Extranjeros No Acompañados’ (‘unaccompanied foreign minors’) who are child immigrants to Spain who entered alone without legal documentation. Over the years, ‘mena’ has become a pejorative term associated with criminality, a view especially promoted by some on the political far right. In this article, we describe an experiment where virtual reality (VR) was used to place people among a group of young adults with a ‘MENA’ background (‘ex-mena’) to explore how their experience might alter their attitudes about the plight of the MENA. In particular, we were interested in the different influence of a 360 3D video or the same video on a 2D large screen, both experienced through the same VR head-mounted display. There were 51 people recruited for the experimental study, 28 of whom experienced the video in the screen condition and 23 in the 360 video condition. In addition to questionnaires, a sentiment analysis was carried out on short essays that participants wrote after their experience. The results show that sentiment was greater for the 360 video condition than the screen. Lower sentiment scores are associated with sadness, media bias, feeling bad about the conditions of the MENA, the difficulty of integration, and the utility of understanding and empathy. Higher sentiment scores are associated with empathy due to being closer to the situation, knowing the story of the migrants better, politicization, prejudging, feeling sorry for the manipulation of the migrants, and failure of action by the authorities. The 360 video approach used could be an important tool for documentary journalism.

ITSRN++: Stronger and better implicit transformer network for screen content image continuous super-resolution

Nowadays, online screen sharing and remote cooperation are becoming ubiquitous. However, the screen content may be downsampled and compressed during transmission, while it may be displayed on large screens or the users would zoom in for detail observation at the receiver side. Therefore, developing a strong and effective screen content image (SCI) super-resolution (SR) method is demanded. We observe that the weight-sharing upsampler (such as deconvolution or pixel shuffle) could be harmful to sharp and thin edges in SCIs, and the fixed scale upsampler makes it inflexible to fit screens with various sizes. To solve this problem, we propose an implicit transformer network for SCI continuous SR (termed as ITSRN++). Specifically, we propose a modulation based transformer as the upsampler, which modulates the pixel features in discrete space via a periodic nonlinear function to generate features in continuous space. To better restore the high-frequency details in screen content images, we further propose dual branch block (DBB) as the feature extraction backbone, where convolution and attention branches are utilized parallelly on the same linear transformed value. Besides, we construct a large-scale SCI2K dataset to facilitate the research on SCI SR. Experimental results on nine datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance for SCI SR and also works well for natural image SR.

The Use of Digital Smart Boards as a Means of Supporting TPACK-Based Interactive Learning

A new challenge in the world of education must be able to increase the attractiveness of learning by developing technology-based learning media with digital smart boards. This study aims to observe learning devices and models that use Smart Board Digital as a TPACK-based learning tool on learning quality. A type of research that uses data in the form of numbers to analyze and produce empirically measurable information. In this data collection study, the researcher used observation, questionnaire, and documentation techniques. The analysis techniques used are T-test and F-test. TPACK-based learning tools using Digital Smart Board have an effect on the quality of learning. There is a significant influence between the development of a learning model using TPACK-based Digital Smart Board on the quality of learning at SMPIT Mutiara Cendekia Lubuklinggau. Interactive Whiteboard revolutionizes the classroom experience by allowing teachers to display a variety of multimedia content such as videos, images, and interactive simulations directly on a large touch-sensitive screen that highly motivates students to learn. An innovative media that is able to attract students’ attention to be actively involved in learning so that students’ grades in learning can be better. One of them is the smart board learning media.

Abstract 4135754: Prediction of Incident Atrial Fibrillation Using Handheld Single-Lead Electrocardiograms from the VITAL-AF Trial

Background: Deep learning of 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) can estimate future atrial fibrillation (AF) risk. Whether these models can be applied to single-lead ECGs (1L ECGs) from wearable or handheld devices is unknown. Aim: To apply a previously published deep learning model to estimate 2-year incident AF risk using handheld 1L ECGs obtained prospectively in a large AF screening trial. Methods: In the VITAL-AF trial (NCT03515057), over 16,000 primary care patients aged ≥65 years underwent AF screening with handheld 1L ECG. We applied our published deep learning model (ECG-AI) derived using single leads of over 450,000 standard 12-lead ECGs external to the VITAL-AF study (1L ECG-AI). We compared the performance of 1L ECG-AI to the validated CHARGE-AF clinical risk score and calculated net reclassification indices. Results: Among 15,694 individuals enrolled in VITAL-AF and without prevalent AF (age 74±7 years, 9,104 [58%] women), 1L ECG-AI discriminated 2-year incident AF (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] 0.666 [95% CI 0.603-0.721]). With addition of age and sex (1L ECG-AI AS), 2-year AF discrimination (0.695 [0.637-0.742]) was comparable to the 11-component CHARGE-AF clinical risk score (0.679 [0.625-0.729]). Two-year AF incidence was markedly higher with 1L ECG-AI AS in the top 5% (8.0% [5.7-10.2]) vs bottom 5% (0.89% [0.23-0.55]). At a threshold of ≥3% estimated 2-year AF risk, AF incidence was progressively higher among patients at high risk according to neither model (1.5% [1.2-1.8]), one model (1L ECG-AI: 3.3% [2.3-4.2]; CHARGE-AF 3.4% [2.2-4.6]), and both models (5.8% [5.0-6.5]), implying that clinical risk and ECG-AI signals are complementary ( Figure ). Compared to screening all individuals at the guideline-based threshold of ≥65 years, 1L ECG-AI AS resulted in favorable net reclassification improvement (0.27 [0.22-0.32]). Conclusion: An ECG-AI algorithm developed using single leads of a 12-lead ECG combined with age and sex can discriminate AF risk using real-world handheld 1L ECGs with comparable performance to the CHARGE-AF score. 1L ECG-AI signals complement clinical risk factors. ECG-AI applied to 1L ECG may increase the reach and efficiency of AF screening.

EXTH-82. TUMOR ORGANOID PREDICTED THERAPEUTIC RESPONSES TO NOVEL EPIGENETIC DRUGS VIA HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING

Abstract INTRODUCTION The treatment choices for pediatric brain tumors are still very limited. Epigenetic therapy emerges as a promising option recently. The lack of in vitro models that represent tumors in vivo and can be scalable for large scale drug screening is major barrier. We have developed tumor organoids from patient-derived orthotopic xenograft and performed a multi-stage high throughput screening for single or combined epigenetic agents and radiation therapy in tumor organoids. METHOD Primary xenograft tumor cells were cultured in matrix and cancer stem cell culture medium in 384-well plates. Radiation sensitivity was examined at 5 different doses. Epigen40 (40 drugs/compounds) targeting various epigenetic modifications was used alone to identify agents with the most cell killing (4 doses for up to 19 days). The drugs that showed partial activity were combined with radiation (at 5 doses) to evaluate additive or synergistic effects. The anti-tumor efficacy of selected drug was then evaluated in vivo. RESULTS The conditions of organoid growth and screen variability were optimized. 7 tumor organoids including 4 glioblastomas and 3 medulloblastomas were successfully established and characterized. The different radio-sensitivities were observed among these models. 7 compounds (JIB-04, SP2509, AS-8351, GSK J4 HCI, 3-Deazaneplanocin A HCL, Chaetocin, TC-E-5003) were shown to effectively suppress organoid growth. Chaetocin, methyltransferase SUV39H inhibitor, demonstrated broadly active and highly potent inhibition across all 7 tested organoids. In addition, bioinformatic analysis identified a subset of epigenetic inhibitors combined with radiation that produced additive anti-tumor activities in vitro. Unfortunately, in vivo treatment of Chaetocin (0.25mg/kg) didn’t convey consistent anti-tumor effects as shown in vitro whereas a high risk of drug toxicity to the mice. CONCLUSION Tumor organoids were successfully developed from primary tumors. With our optimized assay using primary tumor organoids and a multi-stage high throughput drug screening, a novel panel of epigenetic drugs that effective alone or additively with radiation was identified.

Gas adsorption meets geometric deep learning: points, set and match

Thanks to their unique properties such as ultra high porosity and surface area, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly regarded materials for gas adsorption applications. However, their combinatorial nature results in a vast chemical space, precluding its exploration with traditional techniques. Recently, machine learning (ML) pipelines have been established as the go-to method for large scale screening by means of predictive models. These are typically built in a descriptor-based manner, meaning that the structure must be first coarse-grained into a 1D fingerprint before it is fed to the ML algorithm. As such, the latter can not fully exploit the 3D structural information, potentially resulting in a model of lower quality. In this work, we propose a descriptor-free framework called “AIdsorb”, which can directly process raw structural information for predicting gas adsorption properties. To accomplish that, the structure is first treated as a point cloud and then passed to a deep learning algorithm suitable for point cloud analysis. As a proof of concept, AIdsorb is applied for predicting CO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ ext {CO}_{2}$$\\end{document} uptake in MOFs, outperforming a conventional pipeline that uses geometric descriptors as input. Additionally, to evaluate the transferability of the proposed framework to different host-guest systems, CH4\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ ext {CH}_{4}$$\\end{document} uptake in COFs is examined. Since AIdsorb bases its roots on raw structural information, its applicability extends to all fields of material science.

The Validation of Whole β-Globin Gene Sequencing for Detecting β-Thalassemia Mutations Found in Thailand Using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Beta-thalassemia is an inherited disorder prevalent in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Several molecular techniques for identifying β-thalassemia mutations have been reported. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a type of effective molecular testing with high throughput and accuracy. Hence, this study aims to evaluate a novel barcode-tagged NGS approach based on a short-read assay. A total of 258 samples with 54 different β-thalassemia genotypes related to 32 mutations were gathered and evaluated. A library was constructed with the BTSeqTM kit and sequencing was performed on the Illumina NGS machine. The validation results showed 98.45% concordance with conventional genotypes. Less discordant results (1.55%) were limited to insertional mutations and included one case of each of the following: HBB:c.27dupG, HBB:c.85dupC, HBB:c.216dupT, and HBB:c.440_441dupAC. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms that derived from the NGS results were also analyzed in terms of allele frequency and revealed significant differences between the wild types and other β-genotypes. Furthermore, this paper is the first to describe rare single-nucleotide polymorphisms including IVS II-109 (C/T), IVS II-258 (G/A), IVS II-613 (T-C), and IVS II-806 (G/C). Interestingly, the C allele of IVS II-806 was found to have 100% linkage with two cases of Hb Tak. The haplotype and phylogenetic analysis was also constructed based on variants and revealed three clusters in the Hb variants, which represented their evolution and genetic background. Finally, NGS with the barcode-tagged method has a high throughput, which is suitable for large population screening. Its cost effectiveness and less complicated process promote its application in further works.

A predictive model based on quantitative fecal immunochemical test can stratify the risk of CRC in an organized screening program

A significant number of post-faecal immunochemical test (FIT) colonoscopies in European organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs are performed beyond the recommended 31-day threshold due to overburdened colonoscopy services. We aimed to develop a simple predictive model to stratify CRC risk of FIT+ patients. In a cohort of screenees undergoing colonoscopy following a positive ( ≥ 20μg Hb/g. feces) OC-sensor FIT result between 2004 and 2019, we derived and validated logistic regression-based models including variables independently associated with CRC and advanced neoplasms. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Overall, 40,276 patients (46% female, mean age 66+4 years) undergoing post-FIT colonoscopy were included. Variables independently associated with CRC were age ≥70 years (OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.03-1.40), male sex (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.11-1.37), f-Hb level (50 to 199 μg/g.: OR 2.84, 95%CI 2.47-3.27; ≥200 μg/g: OR 6.91, 95%CI 5.99-7.98), and first round of FIT (OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.35-1.73). The discriminative ability of the model was good (AUROC 0.75, 95%CI 0.73-0.77) in the validation cohort. Applying the model would lead to over two thirds decrease in delayed CRC diagnoses, considering various scenarios of timely colonoscopy scheduling after FIT+. We derived and validated a predictive model for risk stratification of patients with positive FIT in a large CRC screening cohort. Applying our model in screening practice would allow policy makers to effectively prioritize FIT+ individuals based on the risk of CRC, allowing to substantially reduce the rate of delayed CRC diagnosis.

Electrostatic-elastic coupling in colloidal crystals

Electrostatic-elastic coupling in colloidal crystals, composed of a mobile Coulomb gas permeating a fixed background crystalline lattice of charged colloids, is studied on the continuum level in order to analyze the lattice-mediated interactions between mobile charges. The linearized, Debye-Hückel–like mean-field equations incorporating a minimal coupling between electrostatic and displacement fields imply an additional effective attractive interaction between mobile charges. For small screening lengths, the interactions between like mobile charges exhibit colloid-lattice–mediated effective interaction, ranging from weak to strong attraction, while for large screening lengths the lattice-mediated interaction is purely repulsive. Continuum theory incorporating the standard lattice elasticity and electrostatics of mobile charges, augmented by the minimal electrostatic-elastic coupling terms, can serve as a baseline for more detailed microscopic models.

Massively Parallel Screening of Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor (TIR)-Derived Peptides Reveals Multiple Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs)-Targeting Immunomodulatory Peptides.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical regulators of the immune system, and altered TLR responses lead to a variety of inflammatory diseases. Interference of intracellular TLR signaling, which is mediated by multiple Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains on all TLRs and TLR adapters, is an effective therapeutic strategy against immune dysregulation. Peptides that inhibit TIR-TIR interactions by fragmenting interface residues have potential as therapeutic decoys. However, a systematic method for discovering TIR-targeting moieties has been elusive, limiting exploration of the vast, unsequenced space of the TIR domain family. A comprehensive parallel screening method is developed to uncover novel TIR-binding peptides derived from previously unexplored surfaces on a wide range of TIR domains. A large peptide library is constructed, named TIR surfacesome, by tiling surface sequences of the large TIR domain family and screening against MALTIR and MyD88TIR, TIRs of two major TLR adaptor proteins, resulting in the discovery of hundreds of TIR-binding peptides. The selected peptides inhibited TLR signaling and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages, and therapeutic potential in mouse inflammatory models. This approach may facilitate the development of TLR-targeted therapeutics.

Fluorescence-Based HTS Assays for Ion Channel Modulation in Drug Discovery Pipelines.

Ion channels represent a druggable family of transmembrane pore-forming proteins with important (patho)physiological functions. While electrophysiological measurement (manual patch clamp) remains the only direct method for detection of ion currents, it is a labor-intensive technique. Although automated patch clamp instruments have become available to date, their high costs limit their use to large pharma companies or commercial screening facilities. Therefore, fluorescence-based assays are particularly important for initial screening of compound libraries. Despite their numerous disadvantages, they are highly amenable to high-throughput screening and in many cases, no sophisticated instrumentation or materials are required. These features predispose them for implementation in early phases of drug discovery pipelines (hit identification), even in an academic environment. This review summarizes the advantages and pitfalls of individual methodological approaches for identification of ion channel modulators employing fluorescent probes (i. e., membrane potential and ion flux assays) with emphasis on practical aspects of their adaptation to high-throughput format.

Synchronization characteristics and stable states of four co-rotating vibrators with balanced slanted elliptical trajectory

In the petroleum drilling and mining screening industries, our goal is to enhance excitation force, integrate circular screening with rectilinear transport to obtain the balanced slanted elliptical trajectory (BSET), and reduce screen mesh clogging. This work investigates the synchronization characteristics and stable states of four co-rotating vibrators. The novelty of this work lies in using a novel vibration model to achieve the BSET in the synchronization state and in further considering the influence of a new skewing angle between two eccentric rotors (ERs), which are few in previous vibration screening field. Initially, the vibration model is extracted from the designed prototype. Then, in accordance with Routh–Hurwitz criterion, the synchronization and stability are theoretically analyzed using small parameters of vibrator velocity and phase differences (PDs). The synchronization characteristics related to mechanical structures are discussed via numerical calculation and experimental verification. Results reveal that the synchronization implementation is adversely affected by the skewing angle, even leading to unordered behaviors. Achieving zero-phase or in-phase synchronization with four vibrators is only feasible with a larger symmetric distance and installation angle. This work can contribute a foundation for designing some new types of large vibration screening and material conveyance machines.

Meta-Heart Team: enhancing multidisciplinary heart teams through virtual reality in the metaverse

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular Multidisciplinary Heart Teams (MDHTs) are integral for patient management, but persistent challenges, including limited subspecialty expertise and time constraints, necessitate innovative approaches. This study explores the viability of conducting international Meta-Heart Team sessions utilizing virtual reality (VR) within the metaverse, aiming to address these challenges. Methods The Meta-Heart Team, comprising participants from diverse medical specialties and countries, engaged in VR sessions facilitated by VR headsets and web browsers. The immersive Aimedis metaverse platform recreated a three-dimensional hospital setting, complete with a dedicated Meta-Heart Team room featuring large screens displaying patient data such as coronary angiograms and echocardiograms. A 0-10 scale questionnaire evaluated participant experiences, covering technical quality, immersion, willingness to participate again, and overall satisfaction. Results The virtual environment effectively facilitated discussions on valvular heart disease cases among 10 participants, dedicating 15 minutes to each case. Technical stability was robust (90%), with only one participant experiencing internet disconnection. Positive participant feedback highlighted high ratings for technical quality (8.0±1.8) and engagement, a good immersive experience (8.0±1.3), willingness to participate again (9.2±0.8), and confidence in treatment decisions (80%). Despite a sense of digital fatigue reported by a few participants, the majority expressed that the VR session saved time compared to traditional meetings. Privacy concerns were acknowledged by 80% of participants. Discussion The virtual environment demonstrated potential in augmenting MDHT collaboration, providing advantages in global accessibility, multidimensional analysis, and adaptability. Participants recognized limitations in non-verbal communication and interpersonal connections but underscored the adaptability and effectiveness of the virtual setting. Technical challenges, including a single internet disconnection, emphasized the importance of a robust technical infrastructure. Privacy issues, digital fatigue, and potential exclusions were highlighted, prompting consideration of ethical guidelines and ongoing technological advancements. Conclusion Leveraging VR in the metaverse for MDHT sessions is feasible and offers substantial benefits. Despite challenges such as technical issues and privacy concerns, the Meta-Heart Team complements traditional interactions, ushering in a new era in collaborative decision-making while demanding ongoing attention to technological and ethical considerations.Two presenters explaining the processThe Metaverse-based Heart Team room

Mechanical Thrombectomy Access Score: A Systematic Review and Modified Delphi of Global Barriers to Endovascular Therapy.

The availability of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke is limited, and vast disparities exist between countries. We aim to create a MT access score to measure the drivers of access to help quantify and accelerate treatment worldwide. We used a systematic review complemented by a modified Delphi method. In the first of 3 rounds, 4 independent investigators performed a systematic literature review using key search terms that drive MT access, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In the second round, a panel of 6 anonymous international experts selected key attributes needed for scoring. In the final round, a total of 12 attributes were selected on consensus, each given a score on a 0 to 3 scale. An ultimate MT access score (range, 0-36) was proposed as a new tool to use in identifying barriers to MT access and assist in providing an initial framework for public health interventions. Of 2864 abstracts screened, 121 studies were included in the final systematic review. A total of 34 attributes that potentially drive MT access were initially identified. In the final round, 12 attributes were selected by the expert panel: public awareness, emergency medical services transportation, prehospital large vessel occlusion screening, interhospital transfer policy, emergency department protocols, stroke imaging protocols, emergency department stroke expertise or telestroke availability, interventionalists, MT-capable centers, device availability, and insurance coverage. These attributes were weighted as part of the final score of 0 to 36. The MT access score represents the first tool to quantify barriers to global MT access. Its implementation stands not just as an academic achievement but as a beacon of hope for improving stroke care and outcomes worldwide, bringing us a step closer to bridging the gap in stroke treatment disparities.

Our journey toward implementation of digital breast tomosynthesis in breast cancer screening: the Malmö Breast Tomosynthesis Screening Project.

The purpose is to describe the Malmö Breast Tomosynthesis Screening Project from the beginning to where we are now, and thoughts for the future. In two acts, we describe the efforts made by our research group to improve breast cancer screening by introducing digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), all the way from initial studies to a large prospective population-based screening trial and beyond. Our studies have shown that DBT has significant advantages over digital mammography (DM), the current gold standard method for breast cancer screening in Europe, in many aspects except a major one-the increased radiologist workload introduced with DBT compared with DM. It is foreseen that AI could be a viable solution to overcome this problem. We have proved that one-view DBT is a highly efficient screening approach with respect to diagnostic performance.

A large reverse-genetic screen identifies numerous regulators of testis nascent myotube collective cell migration and collective organ sculpting.

Collective cell migration is critical for morphogenesis, homeostasis, and wound healing. During development migrating mesenchymal cells form tissues that shape some of the body's organs. We have developed a powerful model for examining this, exploring how Drosophila testis nascent myotubes migrate onto the testis during pupal development, forming the muscles that ensheath it and also creating its characteristic spiral shape. To define genes that regulate this process, we have carried out RNAseq to define the genes expressed in myotubes during migration. Using this dataset, we curated a list of 131 ligands, receptors and cytoskeletal regulators, including all Rho-family GTPase GAPs and GEFs, as candidates. We then used the GAL4/UAS system to express 279 shRNAs targeting these genes, using the muscle specific driver dMef2>GAL4, and examined the adult testis. We identified 29 genes with diverse roles in testis morphogenesis. Some have phenotypes consistent with defects in collective cell migration, while others alter testis shape in different ways, revealing some of the underlying logic of testis morphogenesis. We followed up one of these genes in more detail-that encoding the Rho-family GEF dPix. dPix knockdown leads to a drastic reduction in migration and a substantial loss of muscle coverage. Our data suggest different isoforms of dPix play distinct roles in this process, reveal a role for its protein partner Git. We also explore whether cdc42 activity regulation or cell adhesion are among the dPix mechanisms of action. Together, our RNAseq dataset and genetic analysis will provide an important resource for the community to explore cell migration and organ morphogenesis.

Non players’ embodied practices of engagement in videogaming

Using technology in interaction means actively manipulating a technological device while interacting with others, but it can also refer to a situation where one person is employing a technological device in the presence of others and therefore in a potentially interactive situation. This is, for instance, the case when one acts on a screen in the presence of other physically co-present participants. Our paper deals with a particular situation of co-presence and technology use: a couple is sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room, one is playing a single-player adventure game on a large TV screen, the other is playing another game on a tablet. For about 40 years, the concept of “active spectators” developed in media sciences has highlighted the fact that spectators “do” something. But, few studies have dealt with the interactional practices used to display this “activeness”. This paper explores the construction of spectatorship with a special focus on spectating videogaming as a particular way of using technology in the sense of spectating at what is being done with a technological device. We propose a micro-analysis of the above-mentioned gaming-situation in order to show how the non-player’s engagement in the player’s gaming is co-constructed by both participants. A particular focus was placed on gaze and gaze shifts as a resource to display togetherness and potential availability.

Megaselia scalaris and Senotainia tricuspis Infesting Apis mellifera: Detection by Quantitative PCR, Genotyping, and Involvement in the Transmission of Microbial Pathogens.

The Megaselia scalaris and Senotainia tricuspis parasitoid flies of the honeybee Apis mellifera were found to infest apiaries of different European and Mediterranean countries but their prevalence and impact on apiary health are little known. Therefore, in this study, quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods were developed for their rapid detection directly in hive matrices. The newly developed qPCR assays were targeted at the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for the M. scalaris and the cytochrome B (cytB) gene for the S. tricuspis. The tests were preliminarily applied to 64 samples of adult honeybees and hive debris collected in the Abruzzo and Molise regions, Central Italy, and the Republic of Kosovo showing that both flies occur in the two countries and more frequently in Italy. The positive apiaries in Italy were re-sampled by capturing viable forager bees and isolating emerging flies to carry out the genotyping and analyses aimed at defining if these flies can transmit honeybee pathogens. Genotyping based on the COI and cytB gene sequencing for M. scalaris and S. tricuspis, respectively, identified one S. tricuspis genotype and diverse genotypes of M. scalaris highly similar to those from distant countries. Some fly isolates harbored the DNA or RNA of honeybee microbial pathogens Paenibacillus larvae, deformed wing viruses A and B (DWVA and B), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic paralysis virus (CBPV), and Nosema ceranae. The results indicated that these parasites should be efficiently controlled in apiaries by using rapid detection methods to facilitate the large screening studies and early detection.

From Small Data Modeling to Large Language Model Screening: A Dual-Strategy Framework for Materials Intelligent Design.

Small data in materials present significant challenges to constructing highly accurate machine learning models, severely hindering the widespread implementation of data-driven materials intelligent design. In this study, the Dual-Strategy Materials Intelligent Design Framework (DSMID) is introduced, which integrates two innovative methods. The Adversarial domain Adaptive Embedding Generative network (AAEG) transfers data between related property datasets, even with only 90 data points, enhancing material composition characterization and improving property prediction. Additionally, to address the challenge of screening and evaluating numerous alloy designs, the Automated Material Screening and Evaluation Pipeline (AMSEP) is implemented. This pipeline utilizes large language models with extensive domain knowledge to efficiently identify promising experimental candidates through self-retrieval and self-summarization. Experimental findings demonstrate that this approach effectively identifies and prepares new eutectic High Entropy Alloy (EHEA), notably Al14(CoCrFe)19Ni28, achieving an ultimate tensile strength of 1085 MPa and 24% elongation without heat treatment or extra processing. This demonstrates significantly greater plasticity and equivalent strength compared to the typical as-cast eutectic HEA AlCoCrFeNi2.1. The DSMID framework, combining AAEG and AMSEP, addresses the challenges of small data modeling and extensive candidate screening, contributing to cost reduction and enhanced efficiency of material design. This framework offers a promising avenue for intelligent material design, particularly in scenarios constrained by limited data availability.

The development of rapid immunoassays for the urinary analysis of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide facilitate both laboratory and on-site polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biomonitoring

Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced during the incomplete burning of organic materials. PAH sources include vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke and waste incineration. Environmental and occupational exposures to PAHs are known to occur. Cancer is a significant endpoint of PAH exposure and several occupations associated with high PAH exposure have been classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).Pyrene is a common component of PAH mixtures and metabolism of pyrene leads to the excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPyrG) in urine. Laboratory measurement of urinary 1-OHPyrG is employed in occupational and environmental biomonitoring programmes. The production of an anti-1-OHPyrG monoclonal antibody would allow the development of a PAH biomonitoring ELISA facilitating large scale laboratory screening and routine testing.The development of a lateral flow immunoassay and the production of a field test (point of use test) would greatly increase the value of biomonitoring. A novel Lateral Flow has been developed which employs an anti-1-OHPyrG sheep monoclonal antibody (Mab) to capture the PAH metabolite. The captured metabolite is visualised through a second Mab raised against the Mab-1-OHPyrG immune complex. This sandwich assay provides a positive correlation between the assay signal and biomarker concentration.A Smartphone camera allows signal measurement and a carefully considered ‘app’ provides result interpretation and data analysis. Results are provided in an exposed/not-exposed format. Performance of the lateral flow was confirmed through a comparative study and field trial. The development of a lateral flow test provides "real-time" analysis to occupational health professionals. On-site screening allows the immediate confirmation of safe working practice, provides immediate reassurance to those involved in potentially hazardous activities and greatly increases the efficacy of biomonitoring.