Limited Size Research Articles

Curative and preemptive treatment of amputee pain by targeted muscle reinnervation: experience from a French military trauma center.

Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a technique that has proven effective for the treatment and prevention of chronic pain following amputation, though its adoption remains limited. The authors report on their initial experience using TMR. A prospective study was conducted in a military trauma center involving traumatic amputees treated with either curative or preemptive TMR. Their outcomes were compared to those of control patients who underwent neuroma burial or simple neurectomy during primary amputation. Data included a numerical rating scale (NRS) and patient-reported outcomes measurement information System (PROMIS) scores evaluating residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP). Eighteen patients with a median age of 45.5 years were included and followed up for a median period of 13 months. The curative TMR group consisted of 8 patients whose results were compared to those of 9 control patients. There was a significant reduction in almost all pain scores with TMR and only in RPL NRS scores with neuroma burial. Reduction in RLP and PLP scores was significantly greater with TMR. The preemptive TMR group included 10 patients whose results were compared to those of 18 control patients. No significant difference was observed in the postoperative evolution of RLP or PLP. These results confirm the benefits of TMR for the curative treatment of RLP and PLP. However, within the limits of this small sample size, preemptive TMR did not show added value. TMR appears to be a complex technique that requires a learning curve.

Superior hypophyseal artery aneurysm: microsurgical vs. endovascular treatment.

This study aimed to provide an updated evidence of superior hypophyseal artery (SHA) aneurysms management, including their clinical implications, predictive factors for rupture, therapeutic approaches, and post-treatment outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis, following PRISMA guidelines, assessed the literature on superior hypophyseal artery aneurysms. Studies were selected based on predefined criteria, focusing on coiling and clipping interventions. Data were extracted and analyzed using SPSS and Cochrane RevMan, with assessments of heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication bias. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and RoB2. A total of 20 studies involving 316 patients were included. The clipping group had a mean age of 53.8 years, while the coiling group had 50.3 years. Most aneurysms were smaller than 7mm. Aneurysm remnants occurred in 1.1% after clipping and 2.8% after coiling. Clipping was associated with lower recurrence rates (0% vs. 9.3%) and fewer visual disturbances and vasospasms. Mortality was equal (1%) for both groups. The coiling group had better outcomes on the modified Rankin Scale (94% vs. 73% for clipping). Meta-analysis confirmed that clipping had better recurrence and functional outcomes, with no significant differences in aneurysm size or mortality. Surgical clipping is a viable treatment for SHA aneurysms but carries risks, while coil embolization offers a safer, effective alternative. Early intervention, especially for larger aneurysms (> 7mm), is crucial to prevent rupture. Future research should focus on personalized treatment strategies, as this study's small sample size and study limitations warrant further investigation.

The role of Anti-PAD4, Anti-CarP, and Anti-RA33 antibodies combined with RF and ACPA in predicting abatacept response in rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectivesTo explore the role of newly emerging autoantibodies (AAbs) - peptidyl-arginine deiminase 4 (aPAD4), carbamylated proteins (aCarP), and anti-RA33 (aRA33) - alongside the traditionally assessed rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), in predicting the response to abatacept (ABT) and its retention rate in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.MethodsData from 121 consecutive ABT-treated RA patients were recorded. The RF and ACPA status were retrospectively assessed by reviewing the patients’ clinical records. Positivity for aPAD4, aCarP and aRA33 were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The achievement of a moderate or good EULAR response at 6 months and the 3-years retention were analyzed as treatment outcomes. Multiple logistic regression models and Cox regression hazard analysis models were built to identify the association between such outcomes and the different AAbs, after adjustment for different confounders. The AAbs were assessed both individually and in different combinations to identify the most robust predictive model.ResultsIn the studied cohort, RF, ACPA, aPAD4, aCarP and aRA33-Ab tested positive in 74.4%, 69.4%, 43.8%, 23.9%, 14.9% patients, respectively. A moderate or good EULAR response at 6 months was achieved by 64.5% of subjects and the cumulative 3-years retention rate was 56.6%. A higher EULAR response rate was recorded in patient with positivity for RF (67% in subjects tested positive vs. 58% in negative), ACPA (68% vs. 57%), aPAD4 (68% vs. 62%), and aCarP (72% vs. 62%), although statistical significance was not reached likely due to sample size limitations. Similarly, ACPA, aPAD4, aCarP were associated with higher 3-year retention rates, though not statistically significant individually. The combined analysis revealed that positivity for ACPA and/or aPAD4 predicted a significantly higher EULAR response rate at 6 months compared with double negativity (adjusted OR 2.7, p 0.026). Furthermore, positivity for at least one of ACPA, aPAD4, or aCarP predicted a significantly higher 3-year ABT retention rate compared to triple negativity (62.1% single or double positive vs. 33.5% triple negative, adjusted HR 0.48, p 0.022).ConclusionThis study highlights the potential benefits of using a combined assessment of ACPA aPAD4 and aCarP in predicting effectiveness of ABT in RA.

A Pragmo-Semantic Analysis of Colloquial Referring Expressions: A Study in Jordanian Arabic

In language, context is described as the information that is available to participants. For effective communication, participants need to share knowledge and they may use relevant elements that help interactants share common ground, such as a definite article, a definite relative clause or a post-nominal adjective. In certain contexts, a mismatch between the speaker’s target referent and the hearer’s interpretation occurs, which leads to "uncertain referring expressions” and causes distraction for the receiver. This study investigates the role of Givenness Hierarchy Theory in shaping referring expression (RE) choices in Jordanian Arabic (JA) and explains the potential confusion beyond using such REs. Also, the notion of tacit knowledge was employed to analyze the assumed shared knowledge in using such REs. Analysis of the naturally occurring discourse revealed that speakers used indefinite phrases for given referents, such as demonstratives and impersonal items, mitigating religious expressions, the dummy RE: ʃu: ismo, and how are you. The findings also showed that there is an ambiguity in using such expressions, which can be due to flouting the maxim of quantity. In addition, it was noticed that speakers tacitly know more than what they say. The findings contribute to understanding how cognitive principles influence RE selection and extend the applicability of Givenness Hierarchy to Arabic spoken language. The study also identifies potential areas for future research, including the impact of gender and broader cross-linguistic comparisons. Despite limitations in data size, this research highlights significant theoretical and practical implications for linguistic studies on referentiality.

Protocol for quantifying muscle fiber size, number, and central nucleation of mouse skeletal muscle cross-sections using Myotally software.

Here, we present a protocol for using Myotally, a user-friendly software for fast, automated quantification of muscle fiber size, number, and central nucleation from immunofluorescent stains of mouse skeletal muscle cross-sections. We describe steps for installing the software, preparing compatible images, finding the file path, and selecting key parameters like image quality and size limits. We also detail optional features, such as measuring mean fluorescence. By automating these traditionally labor-intensive processes, Myotally improves research efficiency and data consistency.

Sarcolemma resilience and skeletal muscle health require O-mannosylation of dystroglycan

BackgroundMaintaining the connection between skeletal muscle fibers and the surrounding basement membrane is essential for muscle function. Dystroglycan (DG) serves as a basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor in many cells, and is also expressed in the outward-facing membrane, or sarcolemma, of skeletal muscle fibers. DG is a transmembrane protein comprised of two subunits: alpha-DG (α-DG), which resides in the peripheral membrane, and beta-DG (β-DG), which spans the membrane to intracellular regions. Extensive post-translational processing and O-mannosylation are required for α-DG to bind ECM proteins, which is mediated by a glycan structure known as matriglycan. O-mannose glycan biosynthesis is initiated by the protein O-mannosyltransferase 1 (POMT1) and POMT2 enzyme complex and leads to three subtypes of glycans called core M1, M2, and M3. The lengthy core M3 is capped with matriglycan. Genetic defects in post-translational O-mannosylation of DG interfere with its receptor function and result in muscular dystrophy with central nervous system and skeletal muscle pathophysiology.MethodsTo evaluate how the loss of O-mannosylated DG in skeletal muscle affects the development and progression of myopathology, we generated and characterized mice in which the Pomt1 gene was specifically deleted in skeletal muscle (Pomt1skm) to interfere with POMT1/2 enzyme activity. To investigate whether matriglycan is the primary core M glycan structure that provides the stabilizing link between the sarcolemma and ECM, we generated mice that retained cores M1, M2, and M3, but lacked matriglycan (conditional deletion of like-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 1; Large1skm). Next, we restored Pomt1 using gene transfer via AAV2/9-MCK-mPOMT1 and determined the effect on Pomt1skm pathophysiology.ResultsOur data showed that in Pomt1skm mice O-mannosylated DG is required for sarcolemma resilience, remodeling of muscle fibers and muscle tissue, and neuromuscular function. Notably, we observed similar body size limitations, sarcolemma weakness, and neuromuscular weakness in Large1skm mice that only lacked matriglycan. Furthermore, our data indicate that genetic rescue of Pomt1 in Pomt1skm mice limits contraction-induced sarcolemma damage and skeletal muscle pathology.ConclusionsCollectively, our data indicate that DG modification by Pomt1/2 results in core M3 capped with matriglycan, and that this is required to reinforce the sarcolemma and enable skeletal muscle health and neuromuscular strength.

Machine learning techniques and multivariable mathematical models for predicting modified soil compaction parameters based on particle size and consistency limits

Machine learning techniques and multivariable mathematical models for predicting modified soil compaction parameters based on particle size and consistency limits

Questionnaire on the surgical indications for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered to Japanese board-certified expert hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeons and instructors.

Treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains challenging owing to the lack of clear guidelines on surgical resection. The 2021 ICC guidelines have not fully resolved the ongoing debate between surgical and nonsurgical treatment options. This study aimed to identify trends and issues in ICC treatment strategies in the clinical field by surveying the attitudes of hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HBP) surgeons. A survey was conducted among 235 board-certified HBP surgeons affiliated with the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery. This survey explored the perspectives on tumor conditions that define resectable, borderline resectable, and unresectable diseases, focusing on tumor size, number, and vascular invasion. Notable variability was observed in the criteria for oncological resectability. While 42.1% of the respondents considered a maximum tumor diameter of 5 cm as resectable, 37.5% indicated no size limit for resectability. Opinions regarding the resectability of tumors with lymph node involvement and vascular invasion vary widely, highlighting the need for standardized criteria. This survey revealed diverse approaches for defining resectability in ICC, emphasizing the necessity for more precise guidelines. Further research and expert consensus are required to establish standardized criteria that can guide clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

From local knowledge and science to policy: Lessons learned from Fiji's valuable grouper fisheries.

Pacific Island communities are heavily dependent on fisheries for subsistence and livelihoods. Yet, despite their importance, coastal fisheries are poorly managed and commercial pressures increasingly threaten them. Groupers (Epinephelidae) are exceptionally vulnerable to overexploitation due to aspects of their biology while their economic value makes them a prime target for commerce. Fiji has a significant grouper fishery and is a useful case study to assess a data-poor, economically valuable sector to evaluate management measures, options, and needs. Data from multiple sources over three decades were integrated with original research involving fisher interviews, market surveys, stock assessments, and underwater census to assess the status of the country's grouper fishery. Catch rates are declining and trade now includes a high percentage of immature groupers, with aggregating species (mainly Epinephelus polyphekadion, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, Plectropomus areolatus, Plectropomus leopardus) particularly at risk. Estimated annual grouper landings are increasing and now exceed 1000 mt. There is an urgent need to update Fiji's grouper size limits which are grossly inadequate. To build public support and increase awareness, government and nongovernmental organizations should invest in the national 4FJ Fish Smart campaign. Key management recommendations for groupers are (1) improved spatial and temporal protection of spawning aggregations and (2) increased minimum-size restrictions for capture and sale. Findings apply broadly to valuable and vulnerable coastal fin-fisheries in reef ecosystems across many Pacific Island countries and highlight the importance of using multiple data sources and approaches to understand and manage important data-poor fisheries.

Production of Hydrophobic Microparticles at Safe-To-Inject Sizes for Intravascular Administration.

Background/Objectives: Hydrophobic microparticles are one of the most versatile structures in drug delivery and tissue engineering. These constructs offer a protective environment for hydrophobic or water-sensitive compounds (e.g., drugs, peroxides), providing an optimal solution for numerous biomedical purposes, such as drug delivery or oxygen therapeutics. The intravascular administration of hydrophobic microparticles requires a safe-to-flow particle profile, which typically corresponds to a maximum size of 5 µm-the generally accepted diameter for the thinnest blood vessels in humans. However, the production of hydrophobic microparticles below this size range remains largely unexplored. In this work, we investigate the fabrication of hydrophobic microparticles at safe-to-inject and safe-to-flow sizes (<5 µm) for intravascular administration. Methods: Polycaprolactone microparticles (PCL MPs) are produced using a double-emulsification method with tip ultrasonication, for which various production parameters (PCL molecular weight, PCL concentration, type of stabilizer, and filtration) are optimized to obtain particles at sizes below 5 µm. Results: We achieve a PCL MP size distribution of 99.8% below this size limit, and prove that these particles can flow without obstruction through a microfluidic model emulating a thin human blood capillary (4.1 µm × 3.0 µm width × heigh). Conclusions: Overall, we demonstrate that hydrophobic microparticles can be fabricated at safe-to-flow sizes using a simple and scalable setup, paving the way towards their applicability as new intravascular injectables.

Magnetically Induced Current-Density Susceptibility of Circum[n]coronenes.

We have calculated the magnetically induced current density (MICD) susceptibility at the all-electron density functional theory level for a series of coronoid molecules of increasing size and compared the MICD susceptibilities with those calculated using the pseudo-π (PP) model. The molecules sustain global diatropic magnetically induced ring currents (MIRCs), whereas paratropic MICD vortices mainly appear inside the benzene rings. The computationally cheaper PP calculations were also employed on circum[n]coronene molecules showing that the MICD pattern continues to alternate for odd and even n when increasing the size of the molecule. For even n, there is a local paratropic MIRC in the middle of the molecule, whereas when n is odd, the PP models do not sustain any paratropic MIRC pathways. The global diatropic MIRC flowing mainly along the outer edge of the molecule increases with increasing n suggesting that there is no size limit of the MIRC of circum[n]coronene molecules. There are seven weakly aromatic Clar rings in the middle of the PP model of the circum[n]coronene molecules with odd n, whereas circum[n]coronene molecules with even n have no Clar rings. There are no Clar rings in the outer part of the circum[n]coronene molecules with n > 1.

Cross-scale hierarchical spatio-temporal transformer for video enhancement

The diversity and complexity of degradations in low-quality videos pose non-trivial challenges on video enhancement to reconstruct the high-quality counterparts. Prevailing sliding window based methods represent poor performance due to the limitation of window size. Recurrent networks take advantage of long-term modeling to aggregate more information, resulting in significant performance improvements. However, most of them are trained on simple degraded data and can only tackle specific degradation. To break through the limitation, we propose a progressive alignment network, namely Cross-scale Hierarchical Spatio-Temporal Transformer (CHSTT), which leverages cross-scale tokenization to generate multi-scale visual tokens in the entire sequence to capture extensive long-range temporal dependencies. To enhance the spatial and temporal interactions, we introduce an innovative hierarchical Transformer, facilitating the computation of mutual multi-head attention across both spatial and temporal dimensions. Quantitative and qualitative assessments substantiate the superior performance of CHSTT compared to several state-of-the-art benchmarks across three distinct video enhancement tasks, including video super-resolution, video denoising, and video deblurring.

Assessment of aluminium level in commercial pasteurized and UHT milk in Bangladesh and their potential health risks

Aluminium (Al) contamination in the dairy industry is an emerging concern due to potential health risks. With the increasing consumption of pasteurized and UHT milk in Bangladesh, monitoring Al levels has become crucial. This study aimed to measure Al concentrations in these processed products using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and assess the associated health risks. Milk samples from 10 brands, including three different production lots, were collected from supermarkets. The instrumental precision for Al was 0.0212 mg/kg as a limit of detection (LOD) and 0.0643 mg/kg as a limit of quantification (LOQ), with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.2%. The multi-element standard containing Al exhibited linearity in the concentration ranged from 0-0.5 mg/kg with a correlation coefficient value of 0.9994. Among the 30 samples analyzed, 13, including both pasteurized and UHT milks, were contaminated with Al. The mean Al concentrations in the contaminated samples were 0.46±0.5, 0.71±0.6, and 0.47±0.4 mg/kg in lots 1, 2, and 3, respectively, indicating variation across production lots. The estimated daily Al intake ranged from 2.00E-03 to 3.00E-03 mg/kg body weight, contributing 1.4 to 2.1% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake. The target hazard quotient (THQ) for the contaminated samples ranged from 0.045 to 0.070 (THQ &lt; 1), suggesting that the Al levels pose no significant health risk. Thus, the Al content in pasteurized and UHT milk may be considered safe for consumption, albeit with the limitation of a small sample size in this study.

Quantitative sizing of microplastics up to 20 µm using ICP-TOFMS.

A fundamental study of four different sample introduction systems was carried out to evaluate the upper size limit of microplastics measured by inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS). Three different, certified microplastic samples (PS, PMMA and PVC) within a size range of 3-20 µm in suspension were measured. In this study, no particles larger than 10 µm could be detected using pneumatic nebulization for sample introduction. However, we were able to extend the upper size limit to 20 µm by either using a falling-tube device or a vertical downwards-pointing ICP-TOFMS. Particle transport efficiencies could only be estimated and were within a range of 13% to 184%. The particle size was quantified by using dissolved citric acid (non-matrix matched) and agreed with reference values. The critical size values were 2.3 µm for PS, 2.4 µm for PMMA and 3.0 µm for PVC. Additionally, in the case of PVC, chlorine could also be detected and the critical size value was 3.9 µm based on the 35Cl+ ion signal.

Feasibility and acceptability of an integrated mind-body intervention for depression: whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Background: There is a pressing need for effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Objective To examine the feasibility of an integrated mind-body MDD treatment combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and whole-body hyperthermia (WBH). Methods In this single-arm trial, 16 adults with MDD initially received 8 weekly CBT sessions and 8 weekly WBH sessions. Outcomes included WBH sessions completed (primary), self-report depression assessments completed (secondary), and pre-post intervention changes in depression symptoms (secondary). We also explored changes in mood and cognitive processes and assessed changes in mood as predictors of overall treatment response. Results Thirteen participants (81.3%) completed ≥ 4 WBH sessions (primary outcome); midway through the trial, we reduced from 8 weekly to 4 bi-weekly WBH sessions to increase feasibility. The n = 12 participants who attended the final assessment visit completed 100% of administered self-report depression assessments; all enrolled participants (n = 16) completed 89% of these assessments. Among the n = 12 who attended the final assessment visit, the average pre-post-intervention BDI-II reduction was 15.8 points (95% CI: −22.0, −9.70), p = 0.0001, with 11 no longer meeting MDD criteria (secondary outcomes). Pre-post intervention improvements in negative automatic thinking, but not cognitive flexibility, achieved statistical significance. Improved mood from pre-post the initial WBH session predicted pre-post treatment BDI-II change (36.2%; rho = 0.60, p = 0.038); mood changes pre-post the first CBT session did not. Limitations Small sample size and single-arm design limit generalizability. Conclusion An integrated mind-body intervention comprising weekly CBT sessions and bi-weekly WBH sessions was feasible. Results warrant future larger controlled clinical trials. Clinivaltrials.gov Registration: NCT05708976

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the phase diagram of the two-dimensional uniform electron liquid

We present a study of spin-unpolarized and spin-polarized two-dimensional uniform electron liquids using variational and diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (VMC and DMC) methods with Slater-Jastrow-backflow trial wave functions. Ground-state VMC and DMC energies are obtained in the density range 1≤rs≤40. Single-particle and many-body finite-size errors are corrected using canonical-ensemble twist-averaged boundary conditions and extrapolation of twist-averaged energies to the thermodynamic limit of infinite system size. System-size-dependent errors in Slater-Jastrow-backflow DMC energies caused by partially converged VMC energy minimization calculations are discussed. We find that, for 1≤rs≤5, optimizing the backflow function at each twist lowers the twist-averaged DMC energy at finite system size. However, nonsystematic system-size-dependent effects remain in the DMC energies, which can be partially removed by extrapolation from multiple finite system sizes to infinite system size. The DMC energies in the thermodynamic limit are used to parametrize a local spin density approximation correlation functional for inhomogeneous electron systems. Our zero-temperature phase diagram shows a single transition from a paramagnetic fluid to a hexagonal Wigner crystal at rs=35(1), with no region of stability for a ferromagnetic fluid. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Population Growth and Age Structure of the Pikeperch &lt;i&gt;Sander lucioperca&lt;/i&gt; (Percidae) from the Lake Necheritsa (Sebezhsky National Park, Pskov Oblast)

The size, age, sex structures of pikeperch Sander (L.) from Lake Necheritsa (Sebezhsky National Park) have been studied, as well as linear growth using back-calculation according to the Leo direct dependence function. Growth of pikeperch is described formally by linear equation L ( t ) = 5.4 × x + 0.2 (cm). The length frequencies of individual age groups are normally distributed, which corresponds to ideas about linear fish growth. The population is represented by 13 age classes, the maximum length of an individual in the sample is 872 mm. The analysis of the diet showed the presence of 6 mass fish species observed in the catch, including the young pikeperch; the ratios of individual species in the diet and the sample indicates an absence of electivity of nutrition. According to the estimates, the proportion of pikeperch in the ichthyocenosis in the period 1989–2022 in the Lake Necheritsa has increased by ~ 8 times. A comparative analysis of the linear growth of pikeperch from populations of different regions under environmental conditions, differing in a number of values of key parameters, is carried out. Growth rates of pikeperch from southern populations are generally higher and more consistent with asymptotic growth, while the size limits and life expectancy are generally higher in northern populations. A hypothesis has been tested about the causes of differences in the nature of linear growth.

Primary Progressive Aphasia in Italian and English: A Cross-Linguistic Cohort Study.

Current formulations of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) derive largely from English-speaking patients. We hypothesized that language-specific characteristics influence PPA phenotypes in 2 contrasting languages: Italian and English. We undertook a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational comparison of 2 patient cohorts representing all major PPA syndromes, in London and Florence. Neuropsychological scores in a range of linguistic and general cognitive domains were normalized to native speaker controls and dichotomized as impaired/unimpaired. Proportions were compared using χ2 tests and adjusted for symptom duration and severity of cognitive impairment using logistic regression. The cohorts comprised 106 (48.1% female) Italian speakers (14 nonfluent/agrammatic [nfvPPA], 20 semantic [svPPA], 41 logopenic variant [lvPPA], 31 mixed PPA [mPPA]) and 166 (45.2% female) English speakers (70 nfvPPA, 45 svPPA, 42 lvPPA, 9 mPPA). Comparing cohorts, the English cohort was younger (mean 62.7 [SD = 8.4] vs 65.9 [7.8] years; p = 0.003, Cohen d = 0.39), with longer symptom duration (4.6 [4.3] vs 3.1 [2.5] years; p = 0.048, d = 1.08), a higher proportion of nfvPPA cases (42% vs 13%, χ2 = 25.4, p < 0.001), and lower proportions of lvPPA (25% vs 38%, χ2 = 5.46, p = 0.019) and mPPA (5% vs 29%, χ2 = 29.3, p < 0.001). English-speaking nfvPPA patients had less frequent expressive agrammatism (46% vs 93%, p = 0.015, odds ratio [OR] 16.05, 95% CI 1.70-151.13) but more frequently impaired single-word comprehension (60% vs 8%, p = 0.013, OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00-0.56). English svPPA patients had more frequent surface dyslexia (68% vs 30%, p = 0.046, OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.06-0.97) and dysgraphia (38% vs 10%, p = 0.021, OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.70) while English lvPPA patients had more frequently impaired single-word comprehension (89% vs 29%, p < 0.001, OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.28), word repetition (61% vs 26%, p = 0.020, OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07-0.80), nonword repetition (78% vs 30%, p = 0.010, OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05-0.06), nonverbal working memory (69% vs 36%, p = 0.005, OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02-0.51), and visuomotor function (89% vs 25%, p < 0.001, OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.01-0.20). Language-specific characteristics influenced PPA phenotypes, with more frequent expressive agrammatism in Italian (reflecting its morphologic complexity), more frequently impaired word processing in English (reflecting its articulatory, acoustic, and orthographic complexity), and increased prevalence of mPPA in Italian. These findings have implications for PPA diagnosis and management. Limitations of test heterogeneity and cohort size should be addressed in future, prospective, multicenter initiatives using cross-linguistic tools.

Enhanced STag Marker System: Materials and Methods for Flexible Robot Localisation

Accurate localisation is key for the autonomy of mobile robots. Fiducial localisation utilises relative positions of markers physically deployed across an environment to determine a localisation estimate for a robot. Fiducial markers are strictly designed, with very limited flexibility in appearance. This often results in a “trade-off” between visual customisation, library size, and occlusion resilience. Many fiducial localisation approaches vary in their position estimation over time, leading to instability. The Stable Fiducial Marker System (STag) was designed to address this limitation with the use of a two-stage homography detection. Through its combined square and circle detection phases, it can refine detection stability. In this work, we explore the utility of STag as a basis for a stable mobile robot localisation system. Key marker restrictions are addressed in this work through contributions of three new chromatic STag marker types. The hue/greyscale STag marker set addresses constraints in customisability, the high-capacity STag marker set addresses limitations in library size, and the high-occlusion STag marker set improves resilience to occlusions. These are designed with compatibility with the STag detection system, requiring only preprocessing steps for enhanced detection. They are assessed against the existing STag markers and each shows clear improvements. Further, we explore the viability of various materials for marker fabrication, for use in outdoor and low-light conditions. This includes the exploration of “active” materials which induce effects such as retro-reflectance and photo-luminescence. Detection rates are experimentally assessed across lighting conditions, with “active” markers assessed on the practicality of their effects. To encapsulate this work, we have developed a full end-to-end deployment for fiducial localisation under the STag system. It is shown to function for both on-board and off-board localisation, with deployment in practical robot trials. As a part of this contribution, the associated software for marker set generation/detection, physical marker fabrication, and end-to-end localisation has been released as an open source distribution.

Viruses unleashed: Revolutionary approaches to gene transfer in plants

Gene editing has become the new era for crop improvement. Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer and tissue culture for that plant regeneration have become the bottleneck for the gene transfer. Plant viral vectors have emerged as a significant tool in plant genome editing. Vectors like tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and potato virus X (PVX) are particularly effective due to their broad host range, enabling their use across various plant species for crop improvement, disease resistance and functional genomics. An ideal viral vector should achieve high gene transfer efficiency while maintaining transient expression to minimize lasting genetic alterations for optimal results. Recent advancements in techniques such as virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) showcase the potential of these vectors for precise gene modifications is also discussed VIGS leverages the plants' innate antiviral response to silence target genes, enabling rapid functional analysis without permanent changes, while VIGE uses viral vectors to deliver cas9 components for targeted genome editing, minimizing off-target effects. However, challenges such as cargo size limitations and regulatory hurdles persist. The future direction of this field is anticipated to advance genome engineering via viral vectors in more sophisticated ways, including using these vectors for genome editing and cargo capacity optimization. This progress will open up new possibilities for the scientific community in plant genome engineering. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive understanding of the current and future potential of virus-mediated gene transfer in plant biotechnology, from the selection of suitable viral vectors to the stable integration of foreign genes into the plant genome and insights into the challenges and future prospects of virus-mediated gene transfer in plants are also presented.