Severe Damage Research Articles

Planification of amorphous carbon coatings via periodically transitional sp2/sp3 bonds to enhance cavitation erosion resistance

In the marine sector, hydraulic machinery suffers severe damage from cavitation erosion. Although amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings are an effective measure to enhance the cavitation erosion resistance (CER), their widespread application is hindered by their metastable nature characterized by internal stress. In this study, a planification strategy was employed via different sp2/sp3 distributions (including uniform ones with different sp2/sp3 levels and periodically transitional ones with different periods), aiming to construct a pure a-C coating that enhances CER on 316L stainless steel by modulating the bias during magnetron sputtering. The effects of the sp2/sp3 distributions on the microstructure, chemical bonding, adhesion strength, fracture toughness, corrosion resistance and CER was investigated and compared with the coatings featuring uniform sp2/sp3 distributions. The results show that the periodic-mode coatings exhibit much higher CER due to their lower internal stress, excellent adhesion strength, enhanced fracture toughness and high corrosion resistance. After the cavitation erosion test for 4 h, the periodic-mode coatings only show striped structures without any coating delamination, along with less graphitization tendency during cavitation erosion. Hence, the design approach of periodic sp2/sp3 carbon bonds provides a promising new direction for marine equipment with improved CER and potential applications in various other environments.

Assessment of yield loss due to fall armyworm in maize using high-resolution multispectral spaceborne remote sensing

ABSTRACT The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), invasion endangered the maize production worldwide, including India. The objective of this study was to quantify the FAW damage severity and its impact on leaf area index (LAI), biomass and grain yield of maize and to detect the field damage using high-resolution multispectral spaceborne remote sensing data. Maize growing fields in the Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh and the Gadwal District of Telangana, India, were randomly surveyed to collect detailed ground-truth information. Foliar damage due to FAW was recorded, and the fields were categorized into various severity grades (healthy, low, medium and severe). FAW infestation caused significant change in LAI between the severity grades, which formed the basis for its damage detection using multispectral spaceborne remote sensing. Severe FAW infestation caused significant reduction in LAI, biomass and grain yield ranging between 36.9 and 39.9% compared to healthy grade. The infestation at the leaf collar (LC) stage caused significant yield loss of up to 26.5% compared to the tassel initiation (TI) and tasselling and silking (TS) stages. Canopy spectral reflectance from healthy and FAW-infested plants showed significant differences in the visible and near infrared (NIR) regions. A reflectance peak was observed in the NIR region of healthy plants compared to infested plants. Among various spaceborne vegetation indices, the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) performed better in identifying the FAW infestation (R2 = 0.61**), biomass (R2 = 0.70**) and yield loss (R2 = 0.82**). These findings indicate the feasibility of utilizing multispectral remote sensing data for monitoring FAW infestation on a spatial scale, thus enabling the site-specific management.

Molecular mechanisms of Buqing granule for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy: Network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Its blindness rate is high; therefore, finding a reasonable and safe treatment plan to prevent and control DR is crucial. Currently, there are abundant and diverse research results on the treatment of DR by Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine compounds are potentially advantageous for DR prevention and treatment because of its safe and effective therapeutic effects. To investigate the effects of Buqing granule (BQKL) on DR and its mechanism from a systemic perspective and at the molecular level by combining network pharmacology and in vivo experiments. This study collected information on the drug targets of BQKL and the therapeutic targets of DR for intersecting target gene analysis and protein-protein interactions (PPI), identified various biological pathways related to DR treatment by BQKL through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses, and preliminarily validated the screened core targets by molecular docking. Furthermore, we constructed a diabetic rat model with a high-fat and high-sugar diet and intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection, and administered the appropriate drugs for 12 weeks after the model was successfully induced. Body mass and fasting blood glucose and lipid levels were measured, and pathological changes in retinal tissue were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. ELISA was used to detect the oxidative stress index expression in serum and retinal tissue, and immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and western blotting were used to verify the changes in the expression of core targets. Six potential therapeutic targets of BQKL for DR treatment, including Caspase-3, c-Jun, TP53, AKT1, MAPK1, and MAPK3, were screened using PPI. Enrichment analysis indicated that the MAPK signaling pathway might be the core target pathway of BQKL in DR treatment. Molecular docking prediction indicated that BQKL stably bound to these core targets. In vivo experiments have shown that compared with those in the Control group, rats in the Model group had statistically significant (P < 0.05) severe retinal histopathological damage; elevated blood glucose, lipid, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels; increased Caspase-3, c-Jun, and TP53 protein expression; and reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, ganglion cell number, AKT1, MAPK1, and MAPK3 protein expression. Compared with the Model group, BQKL group had reduced histopathological retinal damage and the expression of blood glucose and lipids, MDA level, Caspase-3, c-Jun and TP53 proteins were reduced, while the expression of SOD, GSH-Px level, the number of ganglion cells, AKT1, MAPK1, and MAPK3 proteins were elevated. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). BQKL can delay DR onset and progression by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses and regulating Caspase-3, c-Jun, TP53, AKT1, MAPK1, and MAPK3 proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway mediates these alterations.

A larval zebrafish model of cardiac physiological recovery following cardiac arrest and myocardial hypoxic damage.

Contemporary cardiac injury models in zebrafish larvae include cryoinjury, laser ablation, pharmacological treatment and cardiac dysfunction mutations. Although effective in damaging cardiomyocytes, these models lack the important element of myocardial hypoxia, which induces critical molecular cascades within cardiac muscle. We have developed a novel, tractable, high throughput in vivo model of hypoxia-induced cardiac damage that can subsequently be used in screening cardioactive drugs and testing recovery therapies. Our potentially more realistic model for studying cardiac arrest and recovery involves larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) acutely exposed to severe hypoxia (PO2=5-7 mmHg). Such exposure induces loss of mobility quickly followed by cardiac arrest occurring within 120 min in 5 days post fertilization (dpf) and within 40 min at 10 dpf. Approximately 90% of 5 dpf larvae survive acute hypoxic exposure, but survival fell to 30% by 10 dpf. Upon return to air-saturated water, only a subset of larvae resumed heartbeat, occurring within 4 min (5 dpf) and 6-8 min (8-10 dpf). Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output in control larvae before hypoxic exposure were 188±5 bpm, 0.20±0.001 nL and 35.5±2.2 nL/min (n=35), respectively. After briefly falling to zero upon severe hypoxic exposure, heart rate returned to control values by 24 h of recovery. However, reflecting the severe cardiac damage induced by the hypoxic episode, stroke volume and cardiac output remained depressed by ∼50% from control values at 24 h of recovery, and full restoration of cardiac function ultimately required 72 h post-cardiac arrest. Immunohistological staining showed co-localization of Troponin C (identifying cardiomyocytes) and Capase-3 (identifying cellular apoptosis). As an alternative to models employing mechanical or pharmacological damage to the developing myocardium, the highly reproducible cardiac effects of acute hypoxia-induced cardiac arrest in the larval zebrafish represent an alternative, potentially more realistic model that mimics the cellular and molecular consequences of an infarction for studying cardiac tissue hypoxia injury and recovery of function.

Classification of different size of potholes based on surface area using convolutional neural network

Potholes are a significant hazard, causing severe damage to vehicles and potentially leading to fatal accidents. The automatic detection of potholes is crucial for timely maintenance and reducing these risks. This research evaluates the performance of three pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network models—ResNet 50, ResNet 18, and MobileNet—in classifying pavement images. Initially, the models distinguish between images containing potholes and those without (Potholes vs. Normal). Subsequently, they categorize pavement images into three classes: Small Pothole, Large Pothole, and Normal. Pavement images were captured from two different heights: 3.5 feet (waist height) and 2 feet. Among the models, MobileNet v2 demonstrated the highest accuracy of 98% for detecting potholes. For images taken at 2 feet, the classification accuracies for large potholes, small potholes, and normal pavement were 87.33%, 88.67%, and 92%, respectively. For images taken from waist height, the accuracies increased to 98.67%, 98.67%, and 100%, respectively. The study highlights the potential of these models in enhancing road safety through reliable and automated pothole detection, providing valuable insights for infrastructure maintenance.Article HighlightsPotholes are dangerous and can cause serious vehicle damage.Train CNN models for the classification of potholesThese CNNs, for different sizes of potholes can be used for the rehabilitation of potholes.Among all CNN modes, MobileNet v2 achieves 98% accuracy in detecting the presence of a pothole.

Hazard assessment of rice cold damage based on energy balance in paddy field

Cold stress seriously affects rice yield in Northeast China and, as a result of climate change, there are new trends in the characterization of cold damage. Accurate simulation of water temperature in paddy fields and assessment of cold damage hazard can contribute to improving the accuracy of agrometeorological disaster risk assessment in the context of climate change. Hence, in this study, first, we simulated the water temperature of paddy fields based on the paddy field energy-balance model and evaluated the simulation results. Subsequently, a composite cooling-degree-day (CCDD) indicator for rice fields was constructed based on water and air temperatures to characterize cold stress and identify cold damage events. Finally, a cold damage hazard-assessment model was constructed for rice based on the frequency and intensity of cold damage to assess cold damage hazard in Northeast China from 1979 to 2018. The results showed that the root-mean-square error between simulated and observed water temperatures of the rice field energy-balance model was 0.45, which means that the model accurately simulated the water temperature of the rice field on a large spatial scale. In 2004, cold damage to late-maturity rice accounted for 30% of the total study area, which was one of the years with most severe cold damage in late-maturity rice-growing areas thus far in the 21st century. Water temperature affected 76.4% of the area in 2004, and was related to radiation and saturated vapor pressure. The low-hazard areas accounted for more than 20% in 2009–2018, and the high-hazard areas were still higher than 10%, indicating that the threat of cold damage in the northeastern region of China remained severe as the climate has become increasingly warm.

Uncoupling as initiating event in mitochondrial dysfunction after diuron exposure

Diuron, a herbicide derived from urea, has been shown to induce urinary bladder urothelial tumors in rodents, leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to designate it as a ‘known/likely’ human carcinogen. In our laboratory, a series of studies investigating the carcinogenic mode of action (MoA) of Diuron have consistently revealed its cytotoxic effects on the urinary bladder urothelium. Prolonged exposure to relatively high doses of Diuron results in urothelial necrosis, regenerative hyperplasia, and eventually, the development of tumors. The hypothesis posited is that Diuron and its metabolites exert toxicity by causing damage to mitochondria, a phenomenon referred to as mitotoxicity. Our research focuses on evaluating how Diuron and its metabolites affect mitochondria isolated from both the urothelium and the liver, the primary organ for Diuron biotransformation. In this context, we present and discuss data pertaining to mitochondria isolated from the liver of Wistar rats exposed to Diuron or its metabolites 3-(3,4-diclorofenil)-1-metilureia (DCPMU) or 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 500 µM in vitro. The findings indicate that, at concentrations of 100 and 500 µM, the tested chemicals induce uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, as evidenced by the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and basal oxygen consumption. Notably, at 500 µM, DCA causes mitochondrial swelling, a morphofunctional indicator of severe organelle damage. These outcomes underscore the classification of Diuron and its metabolites, DCA and DCPMU, as mitotoxic to liver cells, given the pronounced mitochondrial dysfunction they induce.

Integrated biological control of Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché) on Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill (Cactaceae) using predatory ladybirds and fungal pathogens

Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) causes severe damage to Opuntia spp. (Cactaceae) worldwide, necessitating effective control measures. In this study, we tested the single and combined use of predatory ladybirds and a fungal pathogen on D. echinocacti infesting Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Plants under screenhouse conditions (mean 26.32 °C, 55.1% RH.). The treatments were: untreated control, 0.003% Tween 80 (TW), Chilocorus bipustulatus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (CB) alone, Exochomus nigripennis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (EN) alone, entomopathogenic fungi Alternaria murispora (AM) alone, AM + CB, AM + EN, and mineral oil (MO) (positive control). Treatment efficacy was evaluated weekly for five weeks. AM + EN and AM + CB treatments significantly reduced egg counts to 4.89 and 2.44 by week 5, respectively. For motile stages, the AM + CB and AM + EN treatments were most effective, reducing counts to 6.89 and 9.56 by week 5. AM alone resulted in the highest number of mummies (D. echinocacti killed by A. murispora) (29.67) by week 5. For predator densities, C. bipustulatus peaked at 36.11 individuals per cladode by week 3 in the CB-only treatment, while E. nigripennis peaked at 32.33 individuals per cladode by week 3 in the EN-only treatment. Both CB and EN densities were higher in single treatments compared to the combined treatments throughout the study. Combining A. murispora with C. bipustulatus or E. nigripennis significantly reduced D. echinocacti infestations on O. ficus-indica without affecting plant quality (visual score >9 by week 5). Prolonged exposure enhanced efficacy, showing promise for effective non-chemical pest management.

Major recent failures in Brazilian mine waste containment facilities, current cases of maximum emergency level and imminent risk of rupture, and a brief sustainability analysis.

Wasteisthe materials left over after the processing of ores. Significant disasters involving waste disposal structures have occurred in Brazil in recent years and caused severe damage by contaminating soil, rivers and coastal areas, destroying native fauna and flora, interrupting the water supply and compromising its potability, putting the population's health, livelihoods and economy at risk, as well as causing 289 irreparable human deaths. Regulatory laws have become stricter, and since 2019, after the tailings dam tragedies occurred in 2015 and 2019 in Mariana and Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais, the operation of upstream-raised tailings dams has been prohibitedin Brazil. In 2022, a waste slide from a sterile pile at the Pau Branco Mine in Nova Lima promoted a dike overflow. There was the death of five people whose car was buried by a landslide on a hillside. New strategies and technologies, such as reprocessing and recycling, can be tested to ascertain whether they can help improve practices in tailings management. Indeed, mining companies' corporate responsibility and sustainability practices need to be evaluated toverify whether they better match expectations. On the other hand, more specific and detailed regulations and resolutions are required to ensure the safe monitoring and management of sterile waste piles. This paper presents a review of the facts, a discussion of the literature (mainly on recent tailings dam disasters), the current situation of mining-containingwaste structures in Brazil, a brief sustainability analysisand perspectives aimed at preventing/minimising catastrophes in the future.

Anatomo-functional changes in neural substrates of cognitive memory in developmental amnesia: Insights from automated and manual Magnetic Resonance Imaging examinations.

Despite bilateral hippocampal damage dating to the perinatal or early childhood period and severely impaired episodic memory, patients with developmental amnesia continue to exhibit well-developed semantic memory across the developmental trajectory. Detailed information on the extent and focality of brain damage in these patients is needed to hypothesize about the neural substrate that supports their remarkable capacity for encoding and retrieval of semantic memory. In particular, we need to assess whether the residual hippocampal tissue is involved in this preservation, or whether the surrounding cortical areas reorganize to rescue aspects of these critical cognitive memory processes after early injury. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, automatic (FreeSurfer) and manual segmentation to characterize structural changes in the brain of an exceptionally large cohort of 23 patients with developmental amnesia in comparison with 32 control subjects. Both the VBM and the FreeSurfer analyses revealed severe structural alterations in the hippocampus and thalamus of patients with developmental amnesia. Milder damage was found in the amygdala, caudate, and parahippocampal gyrus. Manual segmentation demonstrated differences in the degree of atrophy of the hippocampal subregions in patients. The level of atrophy in CA-DG subregions and subicular complex was more than 40%, while the atrophy of the uncus was moderate (-24%). Anatomo-functional correlations were observed between the volumes of residual hippocampal subregions in patients and selective aspects of their cognitive performance, viz, intelligence, working memory, and verbal and visuospatial recall. Our findings suggest that in patients with developmental amnesia, cognitive processing is compromised as a function of the extent of atrophy in hippocampal subregions. More severe hippocampal damage may be more likely to promote structural and/or functional reorganization in areas connected to the hippocampus. In this hypothesis, different levels of hippocampal function may be rescued following this variable reorganization. Our findings document not only the extent, but also the limits of circuit reorganization occurring in the young brain after early bilateral hippocampal damage.

Response characteristics of soil slope under mainshock-aftershock sequences-type ground motions: Incremental damage effect, polarity effect, and correlation

Aftershocks frequently induce further damage to slopes that have already been compromised by mainshocks. Most of the current research concentrates on the case-based studies of structural response to the mainshock-aftershock sequences (MAS), however, the influence of the MAS parameter characteristics has not been adequately considered. In this study, the peak characteristic, spectrum characteristic, cumulative characteristic and polarity effect of the MAS were considered, the correlation between 21 MAS parameters and slope response were analyzed, and the response characteristics of soil slope under the MAS action were comprehensively and systematically revealed. The results show that: (1) Aftershocks can induce significant incremental damage to slopes, with the extent of this damage being contingent upon the severity of damage caused by the mainshock; (2) Among the MAS parameters, the Cumulative Absolute Velocity (CAVma) and Peak Ground Velocity (PGVma) are optimal for assessing the response of soil slopes under MAS conditions. Furthermore, the incremental damage caused by aftershocks can be predicted using the displacement increment ratio (δD); (3) The polarity of the MAS has an impact on the displacement of the slope, following the pattern: MAS along-slope direction > mainshock along-slope direction and aftershock reverse-slope direction > aftershock along-slope direction and mainshock reverse-slope direction > MAS reverse-slope direction; (4) The MAS polarity also affects the correlation between the MAS parameters and the slope displacement response, especially for the aftershock displacement. The research results aim to provide a foundation for the selection of evaluation factors and the analysis of soil slopes stability under the MAS action.

Synbiotic supplementation ameliorates anxiety and myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in hyperglycaemic rats by modulating gut microbiota.

Hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and obesity are the main risk factors affecting the development and prognosis of ischaemic heart disease, which is still an important cause of death today. In our study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a standard diet (SD) or a high fat and high carbohydrate diet (HF-HCD) for 8weeks and streptozotocin (STZ) was injected at the seventh week of the feeding period. In one set of rats, a mixture of a prebiotic and probiotics (synbiotic, SYN) was administered by gavage starting from the beginning of the feeding period. Experimental myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (30min/60min) was induced at the end of 8weeks. Hyperglycaemia, hypertension and increased serum low-density lipoprotein levels occurred in SD- and HF-HCD-fed and STZ-treated rats followed for 8weeks. Increased density of the Proteobacteria phylum was observed in rats with increased blood glucose levels, indicating intestinal dysbiosis. The severity of cardiac damage was highest in the dysbiotic HF-HCD-fed hyperglycaemic rats, which was evident with increased serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), tumour necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 levels, along with a decrease in ST-segment resolution index. SYN supplementation to either a normal or a high-fat high-carbohydrate diet improved gut dysbiosis, reduced anxiety, decreased CK-MB and cTnI levels, and alleviated myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in hyperglycaemic rats.

A multifunctional targeted nano-delivery system with radiosensitization and immune activation in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain malignancy in adults, is notoriously difficult to treat due to several factors: tendency to be radiation resistant, the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB) which limits drug delivery and immune-privileged status which hampers effective immune responses. Traditionally, high-dose irradiation (8 Gy) is known to effectively enhance anti-tumor immune responses, but its application is limited by the risk of severe brain damage. Currently, conventional dose segmentation (2 Gy) is the standard radiotherapy method, which does not fully exploit the potential of high-dose irradiation for immune activation. The hypothesis of our study posits that instead of directly applying high doses of radiation, which is risky, a strategy could be developed to harness the immune-stimulating benefits of high-dose irradiation indirectly. This involves using nanoparticles to enhance antigen presentation and immune responses in a safer manner. Angiopep-2 (A2) was proved a satisfactory BBB and brain targeting and Dbait is a small molecule that hijack DNA double strand break damage (DSB) repair proteins to make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation. In view of that, the following two nanoparticles were designed to combine immunity of GBM, radiation resistance and BBB innovatively. One is cationic liposome nanoparticle interacting with Dbait (A2-CL/Dbait NPs) for radiosensitization effect; the other is PLGA-PEG-Mal nanoparticle conjugated with OX40 antibody (A2-PLGA-PEG-Mal/anti-OX40 NPs) for tumor-derived protein antigens capture and optimistic immunoregulatory effect of anti-OX40 (which is known to enhance the activation and proliferation T cells). Both types of nanoparticles showed favorable targeting and low toxicity in experimental models. Specifically, the combination of A2-CL/Dbait NPs and A2-PLGA-PEG-Mal/anti-OX40 NPs led to a significant extension in the survival time and a significant tumor shrinkage of mice with GBM. The study demonstrates that combining these innovative nanoparticles with conventional radiotherapy can effectively address key challenges in GBM treatment. It represents a significant step toward more effective and safer therapeutic options for GBM patients.

MiR-155 induces sepsis-associated damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier via sirtuin 1/nuclear factor-κB-mediated intestinal pyroptosis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening state of organ dysfunction caused by systemic inflammation and a dysfunctional response to host infections that can induce severe intestinal mucosal damage. Pyroptosis is mediated by the activated NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome after stimulation by various inflammatory factors during sepsis. The inflammatory response is a major driver of intestinal damage during sepsis. Intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction in sepsis is associated with pyroptosis, a type of programmed inflammatory cell death. Several studies have confirmed the role of miR-155 in sepsis and other diseases. However, the effect of miR-155 on intestinal pyroptosis in the context of intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction during sepsis remains unclear. Thus, a model of sepsis in Sprague-Dawley rats is established using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and a series of molecular biological methods are used in this study. The results show that the expression of miR-155 is increased and that of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is decreased in the intestinal tissues of patients with sepsis. miR-155 expression is negatively correlated with SIRT1 expression. Increased miR-155 expression significantly inhibits SIRT1 activity and upregulates the expressions of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) to promote pyroptosis. The inhibition of miR-155 expression is associated with increased SIRT1 expression, promotes the deacetylation of p65, and significantly downregulates p65 acetylation. Herein, we propose that miR-155 induces pyroptosis in the intestine partly by regulating SIRT1, thereby reducing the deacetylation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB subunit p65 and increasing NF-κB signaling activity in sepsis, leading to intestinal barrier damage.

B - 53 Neuropsychological Functioning after a Bi-Parietal Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury in a 28-Year-Old Hispanic Male

Abstract Objective In the U.S. there are approximately 115,000 non-fatal firearm injuries each year, resulting in an annual cost of over $229 billion. Of these injuries, some result in penetrating brain injuries where an object enters and lodges within the cranial cavity, with the severity of damage determined by the shape, mass, and energy released of the projectile as it passes through the brain. This case follows a 28-year-old right-handed Hispanic male with no premorbid medical history, 16 years of education, who experienced bi-parietal lesions as a result of a gunshot wound to the head one year prior. This trajectory is rare, with little literature detailing the effects of penetrating injuries to both parietal lobes. Method The gunshot wound resulted in a bullet trajectory from the left frontoparietal region to the right parietal calvarium with multiple displaced ballistic fragments. Since the injury, he presented with resolving right-sided weakness and sensory changes, reduced balance, memory complaints, and bilateral parietally mediated findings. Results Neuropsychological testing showed right-sided suppression (tactile, auditory, and visual in the lower quadrant), reduced sensation in his right hand, alexia with agraphia, acquired apraxia of speech without aphasia, Gerstmann’s Syndrome, topographical disorientation, visuospatial dysgnosia, and constructional apraxia. There was also indication of inattentiveness, memory impairments, and processing speed deficits. Conclusions The present case study delineates the neuropsychological sequalae after a penetrating brain injury to the right parietal lobe and left frontoparietal region, resulting in significant cognitive deficits consistent with pronounced bilateral parietal lobe findings.

Earthquake damage mitigation methods for buried pipelines under compressive loads: A case study of the Thames water pipeline

Promoting tensile failure by providing a proper orientation angle between the pipe axis and the fault line is the main seismic design philosophy for buried steel pipelines. However, most of the severe damage and failures experienced by pipelines are mainly due to negative crossing angle and thus compressive loads acting along the pipeline. This paper investigates different earthquake damage mitigation methods such as Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) wrapped pipes, Steel Pipes for Fault Crossing (SPF), and corrugated pipes for buried steel pipelines which are mainly subjected to compressive loads. Therefore, the Thames water transmission pipeline, which is a well-known case study, that suffered major and minor damage due to compressive forces in the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake, is considered to simulate and compare the earthquake damage mitigation capabilities of these countermeasures. The numerical studies are performed by using a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model. The results show that the use of CFRP composites in buried pipelines, regardless of their thickness, wrapping length, or layer orientation, does not have the expected damage reduction effect, but does increase the effective length between major wrinkles or change the type of pipe failure. On the other hand, SPFs and corrugated pipes are more effective in earthquake damage reduction due to their high axial and rotational capabilities.

The sucrose signalling route controls Flavescence dorée phytoplasma load in grapevine leaves.

Flavescence dorée (FD) is a phytoplasma disease transmitted by insects, causing severe damage to vineyards across Europe. Infected plants cannot be cured and must be removed to prevent further spread. Different grapevine cultivars show varying susceptibility to FD, and some exhibit symptom remission, known as recovery, although the mechanisms behind this are unclear. Diseased plants accumulate soluble sugars, including sucrose, which influences the concentration of trehalose-6P (T6P), a signalling molecule affecting plant growth and stress responses. It is hypothesized that sucrose-mediated signalling via T6P could trigger defence mechanisms, reducing FD pathogen load and increasing plant recovery. Testing this, two grapevine genotypes with different susceptibility to FD were compared, revealing increased sucrose level and TPS activity in the more tolerant cultivar. However, FD-infected plants showed inhibited sucrose-cleaving enzymes and no activation of TPS expression. Attempts to enhance sucrose levels through trunk infusion and girdling promoted sucrose metabolism, T6P biosynthesis, and defence gene expression, facilitating symptom recovery. Girdling particularly enhanced T6P biosynthesis and defence genes above the treatment point, reducing FD pathogen presence and promoting recovery. These findings suggest that elevated sucrose levels, possibly signalling through T6P, may limit FD pathogen spread, aiding in plant recovery.

Severe Retinal Damage and Choroidal Neovascularization Following Accidental Laser Exposure During Hair Removal: A Case Report

Severe Retinal Damage and Choroidal Neovascularization Following Accidental Laser Exposure During Hair Removal: A Case Report

Rapid impact assessment of severe cyclone storm Michaung along coastal zones of Andhra and Tamil Nadu, India: A geospatial analysis

The coastal regions of India, particularly the Bay of Bengal, are highly vulnerable to the severe weather conditions induced by tropical cyclones. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the changes in vegetation cover, shoreline dynamics, and meteorological variations resulting from Cyclone Michaung and subsequent post-monsoon events along the coastal zones of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, India. A suite of vegetation indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Modified Vegetation Condition Index (mVCI), and Disaster Vegetation Damage Index (DVDI), were employed to assess changes in vegetation cover. The Digital Shoreline Assessment System (DSAS) was utilized to evaluate shoreline changes, and a range of meteorological variables were analyzed to assess the impacts of Cyclone Michaung and post-monsoon events. The findings reveal significant ecological impacts, with a notable decrease in Very Healthy Vegetation from 5.71% to 1.30%. The mean value of mVCI shifted from −0.2 to −0.16, indicating vegetation stress. DVDI analysis showed that 56.49% of the area experienced moderate damage, while 40.24% suffered severe vegetation damage. Additionally, erosion was observed along 79.46% of the shoreline transects in the study area. These insights are critical for assisting coastal managers in developing resilient coastal systems. Remarkably, a significant change in rainfall was recorded between the pre-cyclone period and the landfall day, with maximum rainfall intensifying from 13.93 mm/h on December 3rd to 164.26 mm/h on December 4th, and subsequently decreasing to 144.39 mm/h on December 5th.

Using Multispectral Data from UAS in Machine Learning to Detect Infestation by Xylotrechus chinensis (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Mulberries

The tiger longicorn beetle, Xylotrechus chinensis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), has posed a significant threat to mulberry trees in Greece since its invasion in 2017, which may be associated with global warming. Detection typically relies on observing adult emergence holes on the bark or dried branches, indicating severe damage. Addressing pest threats linked to global warming requires efficient, targeted solutions. Remote sensing provides valuable, swift information on vegetation health, and combining these data with machine learning techniques enables early detection of pest infestations. This study utilized airborne multispectral data to detect infestations by X. chinensis in mulberry trees. Variables such as mean NDVI, mean NDRE, mean EVI, and tree crown area were calculated and used in machine learning models, alongside data on adult emergence holes and temperature. Trees were classified into two categories, infested and healthy, based on X. chinensis infestation. Evaluated models included Random Forest, Decision Tree, Gradient Boosting, Multi-Layer Perceptron, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Naïve Bayes. Random Forest proved to be the most effective predictive model, achieving the highest scores in accuracy (0.86), precision (0.84), recall (0.81), and F-score (0.82), with Gradient Boosting performing slightly lower. This study highlights the potential of combining remote sensing and machine learning for early pest detection, promoting timely interventions, and reducing environmental impacts.