Short Term Research Articles

Abstract 5559: The anti-tumor efficacy and immune effects of combining of ceralasertib, an oral ATR kinase inhibitor, with imipridones, in prostate cancer treatment in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. There is an estimated 10% to 50% of cases progress to metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) state within 3 years of diagnosis. mCPRC remains lethal despite therapeutic advances. There is approximately 20% of mCRPC patients present somatic DNA damage repair (DDR) gene mutations. Ceralasertib, formerly known as AZD6738, is a potent and selective orally bioavailable inhibitor of the ataxia tenlangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase, which is involved in DNA repair in response to DNA damage and replication stress. Preclinical studies have demonstrated ATRi sensitizing alterations in DNA damage response (DDR) genes. Ceralasertib’s antitumor activity as a monotherapy in treating prostate cancer is moderate. Thus, we combined ceralasertib with imipridones (ONC201 and ONC206), which target mitochondrial caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) and the integrated stress response, resulting in enhanced antitumor efficacy in vitro. Prior data have demonstrated sensitivity of 4 prostate cancer lines to ceralasertib and imipridones monotherapies, synergistic activities with the combination treatments, and immune enhancement effects with the combination treatments when co-cultured with NK92MI cell line. We proceeded to a short term in-vivo study validating the combination treatment efficacy. Preliminary results include cytokine profiling using the Luminex 200 technology to understand treatment induced changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) from both in vitro and in vivo studies. Our results guide novel clinical trials for effective clinical responses in mCPRC patients. Citation Format: Yutong Linda Xia, Leiqing Zhang, Maryam Ghandali, Maximilian P. Schwermann, Wafik El-Deiry. The anti-tumor efficacy and immune effects of combining of ceralasertib, an oral ATR kinase inhibitor, with imipridones, in prostate cancer treatment in vitro and in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5559.

Primary study on frass fertilizers from mass-reared insects: Species variation, heat treatment effects, and implications for soil application at laboratory scale

Insect farming has gained popularity as a resource-efficient and eco-friendly method for managing organic wastes by converting them into high-quality protein, fat, and frass. Insect frass is a powerful organic fertilizer that enriches the soil with essential plant nutrients and enhances plant defense mechanisms through chitin stimulation. Given the importance of frass commercialization for many insect farmers and the use of increasingly diverse organic wastes as insect feedstocks, there is a need for legal guidelines to enable clean production practices. The recent introduction of a legal definition for frass and heat treatment requirements by the EU commission marks a significant step towards standardizing its quality; however, little is known about the processes shaping its nutritional profiles and contributing to its maturation. Our study addresses key knowledge gaps in frass composition and production practices. Here, we analyzed the physicochemical, plant-nutritional, and microbiological properties of black soldier fly, yellow mealworm, and Jamaican field cricket frass from mass-rearing operations and assessed the impact of hygienizing heat treatment on fertilizer properties and frass microbiota. The results showed that frass properties varied significantly across insect species, revealing concentrations of plant-available nutrients as high as 7000 μg NH4+-N, 150 μg NO2–NO3--N, and 20 mg available P per g of total solids. Heat treatment reduced microbial activity, biomass, and viable counts of pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. In terms of frass microbiome composition, alpha diversity showed no significant differences between fresh and heat-treated frass samples; however, significant differences in microbial community composition were observed across the three insect species. Despite heat treatment, soil application of frass reactivated and boosted soil microbial activity, inducing up to a 25-fold increase in microbial respiration, suggesting no long-term detrimental effects on microorganisms. These findings not only enhance our understanding of insect frass as a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer but also have implications for regulatory frameworks, underscoring its promising potential for soil health and nutrient cycling. However, it is important to recognize the primary nature of this research, conducted at laboratory scale and over a short term. Future studies should aim to validate these findings in agricultural settings and explore additional factors influencing frass properties and its (long-term) interaction with soil ecosystems.

The Cost of Developing and Implementing an Antepartum Referral Program for Penicillin Allergy Evaluation at a Single Academic Tertiary Care Hospital.

Approximately 10% of pregnant individuals report a penicillin allergy, yet most are not truly allergic. Allergy verification during pregnancy is safe and recommended; however, many hospitals lack the infrastructure to execute testing. Our aim was to evaluate the cost of developing and implementing a penicillin allergy referral program for pregnant individuals at an academic institution and to compare costs of care between patients who were referred and not referred through the program. We conducted an economic analysis of our institution's antepartum penicillin allergy referral program. We prospectively collected detailed resource utilization data and conducted the analysis from the program's perspective, accounting for costs related to program development, allergy verification, antibiotic cost, and delivery hospitalization. Costs were compared between patients who were referred for evaluation versus patients who were not referred using bivariate tests as well as quantile regression adjusting for baseline differences. A sensitivity analysis was performed for allergy testing cost. All cost estimates were inflation adjusted to 2021 U.S. dollars. The startup cost of program development and educational initiatives was $19,920, or $86 per patient. The median allergy evaluation cost was $397 (interquartile range: $303-$663). There was no significant difference in maternal (median: $13,579 vs. $13,999, p = 0.94) or neonatal (median: $3,565 vs. $3,577, p = 0.55) delivery hospitalization cost or antibiotic cost (median: $1.57 vs. $3.87, p = 0.10) between referred and nonreferred patients. Overall, the total cost per person did not differ significantly between study groups (median: $18,931 vs. $18,314, p = 0.69). The cost of developing a penicillin allergy referral program in pregnancy was modest and did not significantly alter short-term cost of care with potential for long-term cost benefit. Verification of a reported penicillin allergy is an integral part of antibiotic stewardship, and the pregnancy period should be utilized as an important opportunity to perform this evaluation. · The cost of developing and implementing an antepartum penicillin allergy referral program is modest.. · Program cost did not significantly alter short-term cost with a potential for long-term cost benefit.. · Penicillin allergy verification is an important part of antibiotic stewardship and should be expanded..

Exploring the Relationship Between CO2 Emissions and Fuel Consumption in Road Transport: Empirical Evidence from Chad

Over the period 2008-2019, this study examines the linear impact of petroleum product (PP) consumption in Chad, PP prices, the vehicle fleet and urbanisation on CO2 emissions on the one hand, and on the other, it determines the causal links that exist between the various variables studied. This study opts for the augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests to verify the stationarity of the variables. The ARDL model is then estimated and diagnostic tests are performed to confirm the validity of the model. To confirm the existence of long-term relationships, the bounds test was applied. Finally, the Toda-Yamamoto causality test was used to capture the influences present between the series under study. The main results show that, in the long term, a 1% increase in gasoline consumption would lead to a 1.03% increase in CO2 emissions and the linear impact of diesel consumption is positive and insignificant on CO2 emissions. In the short term, gasoline and diesel consumption have a positive and insignificant impact on CO2 emissions. In terms of causality, there is a unidirectional causality from gasoline consumption to CO2 emissions and a bidirectional causality between CO2 emissions and diesel consumption. This study is the first to simultaneously link CO2 emissions, PP consumption, PP prices, the vehicle fleet and urbanisation in general, and particularly in the case of Chad. It therefore adds to the literature on the simultaneous relationship between CO2 emissions, PP consumption, the car fleet and urbanisation in a global and restricted context. This study could guide Chadian oil pollution management decision-makers in adopting policies related to the effects of PP consumption in the road transport sector.

Exploring the Nexus between CO2 Emissions, Trade, and Sustainable Economic Growth: A Novel NARDL Approach

This study investigates the nexus between CO2 emission, trade, Gross domestic product (GDP), and tourism in Pakistan during 1990-2019. We examined the asymmetric relationship between CO2 emission, international trade, Gross domestic product (GDP), and international tourism number of arrivals in Pakistan. Data Stationarity has been tested using the Augmented Dicky Fuller (ADF), Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS), and Phillips-Perron (PP) tests for unit roots. We used the NARDL technique. Then a Granger Causality helped estimate the relationship between these environmental variables. If there is an asymmetric association between these variables, we estimate the non-linear auto-regressive distributed lag, which is the most applicable econometric estimate. The ARDL technique can potentially explore the dynamic nexus between CO2 emission, tourism, GDP, and trade. Our findings suggest a dynamic relationship between tourism, trade, CO2 emission, and GDP from Pakistan's perspective. The outcomes reveal that negative and positive shocks to trade, GDP, and tourism affect CO2 emissions in the short and long term. The Granger Causality findings also determined that causality is directed from Tourism toward CO2 emission, while unidirectional causality was found between CO2 emission and tourism. In this study, the graphs of the CUSUM and CUSUMQ determined the functional stability of the established relationship. This indicates that this model is a suitable and valuable strategy tool. Therefore, an increase or decrease in the macroeconomic series will cause variation in carbon emissions in Pakistan in the long -term. The finding benefits macro-level policymakers and will provide important insight for the relevant stakeholders.

“Cup-in-Cup” for revision cup in total hip arthroplasty – An innovative technique

In a revision hip surgery with isolated poly-ethylene liner wear along with a stable acetabular shell involves difficult decision of revising the entire acetabular component or just the liner. However, unavailability of the similar poly liner in a high risk patient can be dealt with a novel technique of cup in cup by retaining the stable shell and cementing a polyethylene liner over it. A 77-year-old male came with complains of pain in the right hip and limp of 4 months duration after 17 years of a revision hip surgery. Poly-ethylene liner was found worn out intraoperative with both the metal shell and the stem very stable. Same company poly liner was not available. In order to prevent the extensive revision in a high surgical risk patient and to prevent the blood and the bone loss, a new Elite poly-ethylene cement cup was cemented over the old stable cementless metal shell. At 3 years short term follow up patient is able to walk pain free independently. The “cup-in-cup” technique with cemented PE cup into a retained well-fixed and well-positioned metal shell is a good technique in high surgical risk patients and gives promising result at short term follow up.

Fine-Scale (10 m) Dynamics of Smallholder Farming through COVID-19 in Eastern Thailand

This study aims to understand the spatiotemporal changes in patterns of tropical crop cultivation in Eastern Thailand, encompassing the periods before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our approach involved assessing the efficacy of high-resolution (10 m) Sentinel-2 dense image time series for mapping smallholder farmlands. We integrated harmonic regression and random forest to map a diverse array of tropical crop types between summer 2017 and summer 2023, including durian, rice, rubber, eucalyptus, oil palm, pineapple, sugarcane, cassava, mangosteen, coconut, and other crops. The results revealed an overall mapping accuracy of 85.6%, with several crop types exceeding 90%. High-resolution imagery demonstrated particular effectiveness in situations involving intercropping, a popular practice of simultaneously growing two or more plant species in the same patch of land. However, we observed overestimation in the majority of the studied cash crops, primarily those located in young plantations with open tree canopies and grass-covered ground surfaces. The adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were observed in specific labor-intensive crops, including rubber and durian, but were limited to the short term. No discernible impact was noted across the entirety of the study timeframe. In comparison, financial gain and climate change appeared to be more pivotal in influencing farmers’ decisions regarding crop cultivation. Traditionally dominant crops such as rice and oil palm have witnessed a discernible decline in cultivation, reflecting a decade-long trend of price drops preceding the pandemic. Conversely, Thai durian has seen a significant upswing even over the pandemic, which ironically served as a catalyst prompting Thai farmers to adopt e-commerce to meet the surging demand, particularly from China.

Impact of the blood group on postoperative CRP and leukocyte levels after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty.

C-reactive protein (CRP)- and leukocyte levels are common parameters to evaluate the inflammatory response after orthopaedic surgery and rule out infectious complications. Nevertheless, both parameters are vulnerable to disturbing biases and therefore leave room for interpretation. Since blood groups are repeatedly discussed to influence inflammatory response, our aim was to observe their impact on CRP and leukocyte levels after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). Short term postoperative CRP and leukocyte levels of 987 patients, who received either primary TKH (n= 479) or THA (n= 508), were retrospectively correlated with their blood group. ABO, Rhesus and a combination of both blood groups were differentiated. CRP levels after TKA were significantly higher in blood type AB than in type A and O on day 2-4 and also than in type A on day 6-8. Leukocyte levels after THA were significantly higher in blood group type O than in type A on day 6-8 while still remaining in an apathological range. We observed no significant differences between Rhesus types and Rhesus types and CRP or leukocyte levels. We observed significantly increased CRP levels after TKA in patients with blood group AB. Since the elevated CRP levels do not account for early periprosthetic infection, surgeons should include this variation in their postoperative evaluation.

Impact effects of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic disease patients: A longitudinal prospective study.

To assess the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical variables as part of the routine clinical monitoring of patients with chronic diseases in primary care. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in primary care centres of the Andalusian Health Service. Data were recorded before the pandemic (T1), during the declaration of the state of emergency (T2) and in the transition phase (T3). The Barthel index and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) were used to analyse functional and cognitive changes at the three time points. HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, BMI and lipid levels were assessed as clinical variables. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric chi-square test were used for analysis. STROBE checklist was used for the preparation of this paper. A total fo148 patients with chronic conditions were included in the analysis. Data analysis revealed in T2 only significant reductions in BMI, total levels of cholesterol and HDL during the onset of the pandemic. Barthel Index, SPMSQ, blood pressure and triglycerides and LDL levels worsened in T2, and the negative effects were maintained in T3. Compared to pre-pandemic values, HbA1c levels improved in T3, but HDL levels worsened. COVID-19 has drastically disrupted several functional, cognitive and biological variables. These results may be useful in identifying clinical parameters that deserve closer attention in the case of a new health crisis. Further studies are needed to assess the potential impacts of each specific chronic condition. Cognitive and functional status, blood pressure and triglycerides and LDL levels worsen in short term, maintaining the negative effects in medium-term.

Considering a Utility-Centric Framework Based on "Minimum Orthophosphate" Criteria for Mitigation of Elevated Cuprosolvency in Drinking Water.

Gaps in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) leave some consumers and their pets vulnerable to high cuprosolvency in drinking water. This study seeks to help proactive utilities who wish to mitigate cuprosolvency problems through the addition of orthophosphate corrosion inhibitors. The minimum doses of orthophosphate necessary to achieve acceptable cuprosolvency in relatively new copper pipe were estimated as a function of alkalinity via linear regressions for the 90th, 95th, and 100th percentile copper tube segments (R2 > 0.98, n = 4). Orthophosphate was very effective at reducing cuprosolvency in the short term but, in some cases, resulted in higher long-term copper concentrations than the corresponding condition without orthophosphate. Alternatives to predicting "long-term" results for copper tubes using simpler bench tests starting with fresh Cu(OH)2 solids showed promise but would require further vetting to overcome limitations such as maintaining water chemistry and orthophosphate residuals and to ensure comparability to results using copper tube.

Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Essential Tremor: Ventral Intermediate Nucleus Ablation Alone or Additional Posterior Subthalamic Area Lesioning?

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for treatment of essential tremor (ET) traditionally targets the ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus. Recent strategies include a secondary lesion to the posterior subthalamic area (PSA). The aim was to compare lesion characteristics, tremor improvement, and adverse events (AE) between patients in whom satisfactory tremor suppression was achieved with lesioning of the Vim alone and patients who required additional lesioning of the PSA. Retrospective analysis of data collected from ET patients treated with MRgFUS at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney was performed. Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST), hand tremor score (HTS), and Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST) were collected pre- and posttreatment in addition to the prevalence of AEs. The lesion coordinates and overlap with the dentatorubrothalamic tract (DRTT) were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-one patients were treated in Vim only, and 14 were treated with dual Vim-PSA lesions. Clinical data were available for 29 of the 35 patients (19 single target and 10 dual target). At follow-up (mean: 18.80 months) HTS, CRST, and QUEST in single-target patients improved by 57.97% (P < 0.001), 36.71% (P < 0.001), and 58.26% (P < 0.001), whereas dual-target patients improved by 68.34% (P < 0.001), 35.37% (P < 0.003), and 46.97% (P < 0.005), respectively. The Vim lesion of dual-target patients was further anterior relative to the posterior commissure (PC) (7.84 mm), compared with single-target patients (6.92 mm), with less DRTT involvement (14.85% vs. 23.21%). Dual-target patients exhibited a greater proportion of patients with acute motor AEs (100% vs. 58%); however, motor AE prevalence was similar in both groups at long-term follow-up (33% vs. 38%). Posterior placement of lesions targeting the Vim may confer greater tremor suppression. The addition of a PSA lesion, in patients with inadequate tremor control despite Vim lesioning, had a trend toward better long-term tremor suppression; however, this approach was associated with greater prevalence of gait disturbance in the short term.

The Effect Of Mergers And Acquisitions On The Financial Performance Of Companies Listed On The Indonesia Stock Exchange

Mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A) have become a common strategy in business development in today's global market. This study aims to analyze the effect of M&amp;A on the financial performance of companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Data is collected from companies that experienced M&amp;A during a certain period, focusing on financial variables such as profitability, liquidity, leverage, and sales growth. The panel regression analysis method was used to test the research hypothesis. The results show that M&amp;A has a significant influence on the financial performance of companies on the IDX. Specifically, the findings show an increase in profitability and sales growth after M&amp;A, while liquidity tends to decrease in the short term after the transaction. Leverage may also fluctuate depending on the capital structure and financial policies the company implements post-M&amp;A. This study provides valuable insights for stakeholders in the Indonesian capital market, including investors, fund managers, and regulators, to understand the implications of M&amp;A on firms' financial performance. The practical implications of this study can assist firms in planning and evaluating their M&amp;A decisions more carefully to increase firm value and reduce the risks associated with such transactions.

May Artificial Intelligence take health and sustainability on a honeymoon? Towards green technologies for multidimensional health and environmental justice

ABSTRACT The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare and epidemiology undoubtedly has many benefits for the population. However, due to its environmental impact, the use of AI can produce social inequalities and long-term environmental damages that may not be thoroughly contemplated. In this paper, we propose to consider the impacts of AI applications in medical care from the One Health paradigm and long-term global health. From health and environmental justice, rather than settling for a short and fleeting green honeymoon between health and sustainability caused by AI, it should aim for a lasting marriage. To this end, we conclude by proposing that, in the upcoming years, it could be valuable and necessary to promote more interconnected health, call for environmental cost transparency, and increase green responsibility. Highlights Using AI in medicine and epidemiology has some benefits in the short term. AI usage may cause social inequalities and environmental damage in the long term. Health justice should be rethought from the One Health perspective. Going beyond anthropocentric and myopic cost–benefit analysis would expand health justice to include an environmental dimension. Greening AI would help to reconcile public and global health measures.

Social foraging and the associated benefits of group‐living in Cliff Swallows decrease over 40 years

AbstractAnimals that feed socially can sometimes better locate prey, often by transferring information about food that is patchy, dense, and temporally and spatially unpredictable. Information transfer is a potential benefit of living in breeding colonies where unsuccessful foragers can more readily locate successful ones and thereby improve feeding efficiency. Most studies on social foraging have been short term, and how long‐term environmental change affects both foraging strategies and the associated benefits of coloniality is generally unknown. In the colonial Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), we examined how social foraging, information transfer, and feeding ecology changed over a 40‐year period in western Nebraska. Relative to the 1980s, Cliff Swallows in 2016–2022 were more likely to forage solitarily or in smaller groups, spent less time foraging, were more successful as solitaries, fed in more variable locations, and engaged less in information transfer at the colony site. The total mass of insects brought back to nestlings per parental visit declined over the study. The diversity of insect families captured increased over time, and some insect taxa dropped out of the diet, although the three most common insect families remained the same over the decades. Nestling Cliff Swallow body mass at 10 days of age and the number of nestlings surviving per nest declined more sharply with colony size in 2015–2022 than in 1984–1991 at sites where the confounding effects of ectoparasites were removed. Adult body mass during the provisioning of nestlings was lower in more recent years, but the change did not vary with colony size. The reason(s) for the reduction in social foraging and information transfer over time is unclear, but the consequence is that colonial nesting may no longer offer the same fitness advantages for Cliff Swallows as in the 1980s. The results illustrate the flexibility of foraging behavior and dynamic shifts in the potential selective pressures for group living.

Short term power load forecasting system based on improved neural network deep learning model

AbstractThe electricity load prediction is closely related to production and daily life. The electricity load prediction is also a very important task. With the widespread application of smart grids, load data shows an exponential growth trend. The huge amount of data in the load makes power prediction even more difficult. On the basis of traditional prediction algorithms, a power load prediction model based on machine learning and neural networks is designed. Because the single model prediction has the unstable results, a combined model is obtained based on the ensemble learning idea and two single model prediction method. The prediction results are detected by the load data. From the experimental results, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the AdaBoost‐GRU data fusion model is 0.066%. Compared to the AdaBoost‐GRU data fusion model, the MAPE decreases by 1.59% and 1.12%, respectively. The relative mass scores of the two groups decrease by 132.57% and 89.14%, respectively. The prediction accuracy is improved, which has advantages compared to traditional combination models. It can effectively enhance the accuracy of short‐term power grid load forecasting. It is an important scientific and practical reference for power grid decision‐making.

Transcriptomic profiling of osteoarthritis synovial macrophages reveals a tolerized phenotype compounded by a weak corticosteroid response.

It is well-known that long-term osteoarthritis prognosis is not improved by corticosteroid treatments. Here we investigate what could underlie this phenomenon by measuring the short term corticosteroid response of OA-Mf. We determined the genome-wide transcriptomic response to corticosteroids of end-stage osteoarthritic joint synovial macrophages (OA-Mf). This was compared with LPS-tolerized and β-glucan-trained circulating blood monocyte-derived macrophage models. Upon corticosteroid stimulation, the trained and tolerized macrophages significantly alter the abundance of 201 and 257 RNA transcripts, respectively. By contrast, by the same criteria, OA-Mf have a very restricted corticosteroid response of only 12 RNA transcripts. Furthermore, while metalloproteinases 1, -2, -3 and -10 expression clearly distinguish OA-Mf from both the tolerized and trained macrophage models, OA-Mf Interleukin 1 (IL1), chemokine (CXCL) and cytokine (CCL) family member profiles resemble the tolerized macrophage model, with the exception that OA-Mf show high levels of CCL20. Terminal osteoarthritis joints therefore harbor macrophages with an inflammatory state that closely resembles the tolerized macrophage state and this is compounded by a weak corticosteroid response capacity that may explain the lack of positive long-term effects of corticosteroid treatment for osteoarthritis patients.

Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Blood Pressure in Patients with Resistant Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Updated Meta-analysis.

The effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on resistant hypertension in patients at high risk with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) needs further investigation. We aimed to determine the effect of CPAP on blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension and OSA. Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and CMB were searched. Data were pooled using a random-effects or fixed-effects model to derive weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 12 trials and 718 participants were included. Compared with control, CPAP significantly reduced 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD: - 5.92 mmHg [ - 8.72, - 3.11]; P＜0.001), 24-h diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: - 4.44 mmHg [- 6.26 , - 2.62]; P ＜0.001), daytime SBP (WMD: - 5.76 mmHg [ - 9.16, - 2.36]; P ＜0.001), daytime DBP (WMD: - 3.92 mmHg [- 5.55, - 2.30];nighttime SBP (WMD: - 4.87 mmHg [ - 7.96 , - 1.78]; P = 0.002), and nighttime DBP (WMD: - 2.05 mmHg [- 2.99, - 1.11]; P＜0.001) in patients with resistant hypertension and OSA. CPAP improved theblood pressure bothin the short(＜3 months) and long term (≥ 3 months). No significant impact on mean heart rate was noted (WMD: -2.76 beats per min [- 7.50, 1.97]; P = 0.25). CPAP treatment was associated with BP reduction in patients with resistant hypertension and OSA.

The treatment of myopia and future development

Myopia is a relatively common disease at present, especially in the adolescent population is very high, and its prevalence increases with the passage of time, usually myopia will cause retinal detachment, glaucoma, etc., which may seriously lead to vision loss and blindness. Existing treatments include monocular lenses, contact lenses and refractive surgery, as well as the drugs atropine and pirrenzil. Studies have shown that most myopia treatments have little effect, are relatively short term, and have significant side effects. This article mainly summarizes the treatment methods of myopia, combined with the latest findings of clinical research, and put forward the possible future treatment methods.

Securing the Internet of Medical Things with ECG‐based PUF encryption

AbstractThe Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry by enhancing personalized patient care. However, the transmission of sensitive health data in IoT systems presents significant security and privacy challenges, further exacerbated by the difficulty of exploiting traditional protection means due to poor battery equipment and limited storage and computational capabilities of IoT devices. The authors analyze techniques applied in the medical context to encrypt sensible data and deal with the unique challenges of resource‐constrained devices. A technique that is facing increasing interest is the Physical Unclonable Function (PUF), where biometrics are implemented on integrated circuits' electric features. PUFs, however, demand special hardware, so in this work, instead of considering the physical device as a source of randomness, an ElectroCardioGram (ECG) can be taken into consideration to make a ‘virtual’ PUF. Such an mechanism leverages individual ECG signals to generate a cryptographic key for encrypting and decrypting data. Due to the poor stability of the ECG signal and the typical noise existing in the measurement process for such a signal, filtering and feature extraction techniques must be adopted. The proposed model considers the adoption of pre‐processing techniques in conjunction with a fuzzy extractor to add stability to the signal. Experiments were performed on a dataset containing ECG records gathered over 6 months, yielding good results in the short term and valuable outcomes in the long term, paving the way for adaptive PUF techniques in this context.

Behavior of soil reinforced with micropiles

Abstract Soil investigation is very important to check the bearing capacity before constructing any structure. There are different types of soils that cause many problems for the structure in short and long term, which are known as problematic soils. A lot of researchers dealt with improvement and reinforcement of the problematic soils by physical and chemical treatments. The objective of this study is reinforcing the problematic soil with micropiles with different depths and different configurations. In this study, two types of soils, soft clay and loose sand, were used to study the effect of adding micropiles of different depths and different configurations to investigate the best improvement of bearing capacity for shallow foundations on these soils. The results showed that reinforcing the natural soil with micropiles could improve the pressure carrying capacity of the problematic soils. When the design width is changed from under foundation alone to under foundation and 2B width, the soil reinforced with 2B depth of micropiles can raise the soil’s load carrying capacity by 45 to 65% when compared to untreated soil. Just 7% more bearing capacity may be achieved by increasing the depth of the micropiles from 2B to 3B (where B is the footing width); as a result, going deeper than 2B is not advantageous. Additionally, the bearing capacity of the micropiles increases by only 3% when the breadth of the configuration is increased from 1B to 2B; so, wider configurations than 1B are invalid.