Standard Threshold Research Articles

Distribution and source of contamination of heavy metal mercury at paddy field in Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatera, Indonesia

Mandailing Natal Regency is administratively located in North Sumatera Province with 662,070 hectares width and a paddy field area of 40,051 hectares. Batang Gadis River stream is 180 KM long and became the source of livelihood for people in Mandailing Natal Regency as the source of drinking water, irrigation, and protein food source such as fish. Unlicensed Gold mining (PETI) occurred massively in Mandailing Natal Regency precisely at Sub-District Muara Sipongi, Sub-District Ulu Pungkut, Sub-District Huta Bargot, and Sub-District Naga Juang. The use of mercury for the amalgamation process in gold mining produces mercury waste which the run-off stream to the irrigation canals and at the end stream to Batang Gadis River Flow. This research conducted the distribution and source of contamination of heavy metal mercury at paddy fields in Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatera, Indonesia. The research was conducted to take soil sample analysis from paddy fields as much as 100 points from 20 paddy field locations near the amalgamation place or the water source for irrigation from Batang Gadis River that spread in five sub-districts. The soil sample analysis took for 25 cm depth. The results showed that the mercury concentration in all rice fields studied exceeded the quality standard threshold with the highest concentration found in Sub-District Naga Juang as much as 11.47 ppm followed by Sub-District Hutabargot with 10,77 ppm concentration. The factor that determines the paddy soil contamination by the mercury was the amalgamation waste which directly streams to irrigation canals compared with the paddy field with irrigation canals direct from the Batang Gadis River.

VALIDATION OF THE SMARTPHONE BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT SOLUTION OPTIBP™ TO TRACK BLOOD PRESSURE CHANGES IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Objective: Hypertensive disorders present significant morbidity and mortality during pregnancy. While ambulatory blood pressure measurement remains the standard of care for normotensive women, self-monitoring at home is increasingly prevalent. The widespread use of smartphones worldwide has sparked interest in mobile applications that leverage the built-in hardware for blood pressure estimation, yet few trials have assessed their accuracy. Design and method: This prospective, longitudinal and monocentric study evaluated the accuracy of the OptiBP algorithm against standard oscillometric blood pressure measurements in a sample of pregnant women. Patients scheduled for elective caesarean sections were enrolled during the preoperative anesthesia consultations. Paired blood pressure measurements using OptiBP and the reference method were obtained at multiple time-points in late pregnancy and the post-partum period. Agreement between methods was assessed using the AAMI/ESH/ISO 81060-2:2018 standard thresholds of 5±8 mmHg for mean ± standard deviation of the error (criterion 1) and patient-specific standard deviation of the mean error (criterion 2) and represented graphically by Bland-Altman scatterplots. Results: Twenty-four women were enrolled of which 15 completed the protocol, yielding 166 total valid measurement pairs. Mean and standard deviation of the error were -0.74 ± 8.38 and 0.99±6.88, and the patient-specific standard deviation of the mean error was 5.84 and 3.36, for SBP and DBP respectively. Conclusions: Compared with blood pressure measure with an oscillometric device, OptiBP's blood pressure estimates meet the AAMI/ESH/ISO 81060-2:2018 criteria for DBP.

Motion-Inclusive Treatment Planning to Assess Normal Tissue Dose for Central Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

PurposeFor lung SBRT, 4DCT is often used to delineate target volumes, whereas organs at risk (OARs) are typically outlined on either average intensity projection (AIP) or mid-ventilation (MidV = 30% phase) images. AIP has been widely adopted as it represents a true average, but image blurring often precludes accurate contouring of critical structures such as central airways. Here we compare AIP vs MidV planning for centrally located tumors via respiratory motion-inclusive (RMI) plans to better evaluate dose delivered throughout the breathing cycle. MethodsIndependently contoured and optimized AIP and MidV plans were created for 16 treatments and rigidly copied to each of the 10 breathing phase-specific CT image sets. Resulting dose distributions were deformably registered back to the MidV image set (used as reference due to clearer depiction of anatomy compared to motion-blurred AIP) and averaged to create RMI plans. Doses to central OARs were compared between plans. ResultsMean absolute dose differences were low for all comparisons (range 0.01 – 2.87 Gy), however, individual plans exhibited differences > 20 Gy. Dose differences >5 Gy were observed most often for plan comparisons involving AIP-based plans (MidV vs AIP 23, AIP RMI vs AIP 12, MidV RMI vs AIP RMI 7, and MidV RMI vs MidV 8 times). Inclusion of respiratory motion reduced large dose differences. Standard OAR thresholds were exceeded up to five times for each plan comparison scenario and always involved PBT D4cc tolerance dose. AIP-based contours were larger by on average 3-15%. ConclusionLarge dose differences were observed when plans with AIP-based contours were compared with MidV-based contours indicating that observed dose differences were likely due to contoured volume differences rather than the effect of motion. Because of blurring with AIP images, MidV RMI-based planning may offer a more accurate method to determine dose to critical OARs in the presence of respiratory motion.

Personalized voltage maps guided by cardiac magnetic resonance in the era of high-density mapping

BackgroundVoltage mapping could identify the conducting channels potentially responsible for ventricular tachycardia (VT). Standard thresholds (0.5–1.5 mV) were established using bipolar catheters. No thresholds have been analyzed with high-density mapping catheters. In addition, channels identified by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been proven to be related with VT. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to analyze the diagnostic yield of a personalized voltage map using CMR to guide the adjustment of voltage thresholds. MethodsAll consecutive patients with scar-related VT undergoing ablation after CMR (from October 2018 to December 2020) were included. First, personalized CMR-guided voltage thresholds were defined systematically according to the distribution of the scar and channels. Second, to validate these new thresholds, a comparison with standard thresholds (0.5–1.5 mV) was performed. Tissue characteristics of areas identified as deceleration zones (DZs) were recorded for each pair of thresholds. In addition, the relation of VT circuits with voltage channels was analyzed for both maps. ResultsThirty-two patients were included [mean age 66.6 ± 11.2 years; 25 (78.1%) ischemic cardiomyopathy]. Overall, 52 DZs were observed: 44.2% were identified as border zone tissue with standard cutoffs vs 75.0% using personalized voltage thresholds (P = .003). Of the 31 VT isthmuses detected, only 35.5% correlated with a voltage channel with standard thresholds vs 74.2% using adjusted thresholds (P = .005). Adjusted cutoff bipolar voltages that better matched CMR images were 0.51 ± 0.32 and 1.79 ± 0.71 mV with high interindividual variability (from 0.14–1.68 to 0.7–3.21 mV). ConclusionPersonalized voltage CMR-guided personalized voltage maps enable a better identification of the substrate with a higher correlation with both DZs and VT isthmuses than do conventional voltage maps using fixed thresholds.

Robust metabolic syndrome risk score based on triangular areal similarity.

One of the limitations of currently-used metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk calculations is that they often depend on sample characteristics. To address this, we introduced a novel sample-independent risk quantification method called 'triangular areal similarity' (TAS) that employs three-axis radar charts constructed from five MetS factors in order to assess the similarity between standard diagnostic thresholds and individual patient measurements. The method was evaluated using large datasets of Korean (n = 72,332) and American (n = 11,286) demographics further segmented by sex, age, and race. The risk score exhibited a strong positive correlation with the number of abnormal factors and was closely aligned with the current diagnostic paradigm. The proposed score demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and robustness, surpassing previously reported risk scores. This method demonstrated superior performance and stability when tested on cross-national datasets. This novel sample-independent approach has the potential to enhance the precision of MetS risk prediction.

Ultrasensitive PSA: rethinking post-surgical management for node positive prostate cancer.

Clinicians may offer patients with positive lymph nodes (pN1) and undetectable PSA following surgery for prostate cancer either observation or adjuvant therapy based on AUA, EAU, and NCCN guidelines considering standard PSA detection thresholds of <0.1ng/ml. Here we sought to investigate the outcomes of pN1 patients in the era of ultrasensitive PSA testing. We queried the Northwestern Electronic Data Warehouse for patients with prostate cancer who were pN1 at radical prostatectomy and followed with ultrasensitive PSA. Patients receiving neoadjuvant treatment were excluded. We compared clinical characteristics including age, race, pre-operative PSA, Gleason grade, tumor stage, surgical margins, and nodal specimens to identify factors associated with achievement and maintenance of an undetectable PSA (defined as <0.01 ng/mL). Statistics were performed using t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared analysis, and logistic regression with significance defined as p<0.05. From 2018-2023, 188 patients were included. Subsequently, 39 (20.7%) had a PSA decline to undetectable levels (<0.01 ng/mL) post-operatively at a median time of 63 days. Seven percent of these men (3/39) were treated with adjuvant RT + ADT with undetectable PSA levels. 13/39 (33.3%) had eventual rises in PSA to ≥0.01 ng/mL for which they underwent salvage RT with ADT. Overall, 23/39 (59%) patients achieved and maintained undetectable PSA levels without subsequent therapy at median follow-up of 24.2 mo. Compared to patients with PSA persistence after surgery or elevations to detectable levels (≥0.01 ng/mL), patients who achieved and maintained undetectable levels had lower Gleason grades (p=0.03), lower tumor stage (p<0.001), fewer positive margins (p=0.02), and fewer involved lymph nodes (p=0.02). On multivariable analysis, only primary tumor (pT) stage was associated with achieving and maintaining an undetectable PSA; pT3b disease was associated with a 6.6-fold increased chance of developing a detectable PSA (p=0.03). Ultrasensitive PSA can aid initiation of early salvage therapy for lymph node positive patients after radical prostatectomy while avoiding overtreatment in a significant subset. 20% of patients achieved an undetectable PSA and over half of this subset remained undetectable after 2 years.

Strategies for enhancing automatic fixation detection in head-mounted eye tracking

Moving through a dynamic world, humans need to intermittently stabilize gaze targets on their retina to process visual information. Overt attention being thus split into discrete intervals, the automatic detection of such fixation events is paramount to downstream analysis in many eye-tracking studies. Standard algorithms tackle this challenge in the limiting case of little to no head motion. In this static scenario, which is approximately realized for most remote eye-tracking systems, it amounts to detecting periods of relative eye stillness. In contrast, head-mounted eye trackers allow for experiments with subjects moving naturally in everyday environments. Detecting fixations in these dynamic scenarios is more challenging, since gaze-stabilizing eye movements need to be reliably distinguished from non-fixational gaze shifts. Here, we propose several strategies for enhancing existing algorithms developed for fixation detection in the static case to allow for robust fixation detection in dynamic real-world scenarios recorded with head-mounted eye trackers. Specifically, we consider (i) an optic-flow-based compensation stage explicitly accounting for stabilizing eye movements during head motion, (ii) an adaptive adjustment of algorithm sensitivity according to head-motion intensity, and (iii) a coherent tuning of all algorithm parameters. Introducing a new hand-labeled dataset, recorded with the Pupil Invisible glasses by Pupil Labs, we investigate their individual contributions. The dataset comprises both static and dynamic scenarios and is made publicly available. We show that a combination of all proposed strategies improves standard thresholding algorithms and outperforms previous approaches to fixation detection in head-mounted eye tracking.

A Meta-Analysis of Success Rates of One-Stage Versus Two-Stage Revisions in Knee Prosthetic Joint Infections.

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) pose significant challenges following total joint arthroplasties and cause profound complications. They are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. One-stage revision involves the removal of the infected implant and simultaneous re-implantation of a new prosthesis in a single surgical procedure. The two-stage approach is traditionally more common in the United States and follows a deliberate sequence: the infected implant is first removed, followed by a period of antibiotic therapy, and then a second surgery for implant reinsertion. While two-stage revisions were traditionally considered the gold standard, recent advancements have introduced one-stage revisions as a viable alternative. One-stage revision offers the advantage of being a single procedure, significantly reducing the patient's downtime without a functioning knee. Currently, there has not been a comprehensive exploration of the comparative outcomes between two-stage revisions and one-stage revisions. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the outcomes of both one- and two-stage revisions for total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), by utilizing comparison studies as the foundation for analysis. Our search encompassed databases such as MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), Embase, and Cochrane to identify articles examining the comparative efficacy and outcomes of one- and two-stage revision procedures between January 2000 and June 2023. We employed keywords relevant to knee PJIs to identify comparative studies reporting on success rates, reinfection rates, microbiological findings, and other pertinent outcomes. Statistical analysis for this investigation was performed using Review Manager 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration, 2020) with a standard significance threshold set at a p-value less than .05. This meta-analysis incorporated six comparison articles and 802 patients. Two-stage revisions (547 patients) were associated with greater success rates (i.e., infection eradication) than one-stage revisions (255 patients) (p = .03). The studies did not suggest a difference in the microbiology of the infections. Two-stage revisions are associated with higher success rates than one-stage revisions in the treatment of knee PJIs. Future randomized controlled trials should evaluate the optimization of the management of these complications.

Machine learning based detection of T–wave alternans in real ambulatory conditions

Background and objectiveT-wave alternans (TWA) is a fluctuation in the repolarization morphology of the ECG. It is associated with cardiac instability and sudden cardiac death risk. Diverse methods have been proposed for TWA analysis. However, TWA detection in ambulatory settings remains a challenge due to the absence of standardized evaluation metrics and detection thresholds. MethodsIn this work we use traditional TWA analysis signal processing-based methods for feature extraction, and two machine learning (ML) methods, namely, K–nearest–neighbor (KNN) and random forest (RF), for TWA detection, addressing hyper–parameter tuning and feature selection. The final goal is the detection in ambulatory recordings of short, non-sustained and sparse TWA events. ResultsWe train ML methods to detect a wide variety of alternant voltage from 20 to 100 μV, i.e., ranging from non–visible micro–alternans to TWA of higher amplitudes, to recognize a wide range in concordance to risk stratification. In classification, RF outperforms significantly the recall in comparison with the signal processing methods, at the expense of a small lost in precision. Despite ambulatory detection stands for an imbalanced category context, the trained ML systems always outperform signal processing methods. ConclusionsWe propose a comprehensive integration of multiple variables inspired by TWA signal processing methods to fed learning-based methods. ML models consistently outperform the best signal processing methods, yielding superior recall scores.

Adsorption of Cadmium (II) Ions Using Cassava Peel Activated Carbon: Study of Adsorption Kinetics, Isotherms and Thermodynamics

Heavy metals Cd2+ is a dangerous pollutant of water and ecological systems if it is above the quality standard threshold. Cassava peel has a fairly high carbon element content, namely 59,31%, so it can be used as an activated carbon to break down Cd2+ metals ions in water. This research aims to determine kinetic modeling and adsorption isotherms of Cd2+ ions using CPAC activated by H3PO4, determine the optimum pH and temperature conditions for Cd2+ ion adsorption and determine the adsorption capacity of Cd2+ ions using CPAC activated by H3PO4. CPAC is made through a carbonization process at a temperature of 500 °C for 1 hour. Next, it was impregnated with H3PO4 at a concentration of 30 % with a ratio of 1:5 (w/w) for 24 hours and physically activated at a temperature of 600 °C for 1 hour. Based on research, kinetic modeling and adsorption isotherms of Cd2+ ions using CPAC activated by H3PO4 following Pseudo-Second-Order (PSO) kinetic modeling and Freundlich isotherm, the optimum pH and temperature conditions for Cd2+ ion adsorption were obtained at pH 5 and temperature 25 °C. Thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs energy (∆G°), enthalpy (∆H°), and entropy (∆S°), have been evaluated and indicate physical, spontaneou, and exothermic adsorption processes. The adsorption capacity of Cd2+ ions using CPAC activated by H3PO4 is 5.2219 mg/g.

A Biopsy-Controlled Prospective Study of Contrast-Enhancing Diffuse Glioma Infiltration Based on FET-PET and FLAIR.

Accurately defining glioma infiltration is crucial for optimizing radiotherapy and surgery, but glioma infiltration is heterogeneous and MRI imperfectly defines the tumor extent. Currently, it is impossible to determine the tumor infiltration gradient within a FLAIR signal. O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET)-PET often reveals high-grade glioma infiltration beyond contrast-enhancing areas on MRI. Here, we studied FET uptake dynamics in tumor and normal brain structures by dual-timepoint (10 min and 40-60 min post-injection) acquisition to optimize analysis protocols for defining glioma infiltration. Over 300 serial stereotactic biopsies from 23 patients (mean age 47, 12 female/11 male) of diffuse contrast-enhancing gliomas were taken from areas inside and outside contrast enhancement or outside the FET hotspot but inside FLAIR. The final diagnosis was G4 in 11, grade 3 in 10, and grade 2 in 2 patients. The target-to-background (TBRs) ratios and standardized uptake values (SUVs) were calculated in areas used for biopsy planning and in background structures. The optimal method and threshold values were determined to find a preferred strategy for defining glioma infiltration. Standard thresholding (1.6× uptake in the contralateral brain) in standard acquisition PET images differentiated a tumor of any grade from astrogliosis, although the uptake in astrogliosis and grade 2 glioma was similar. Analyzing an optimal strategy for infiltration volume definition astrogliosis could be accurately differentiated from tumor samples using a choroid plexus as a background. Early acquisition improved the AUC in many cases, especially within FLAIR, from 56% to 90% sensitivity and 41% to 61% specificity (standard TBR 1.6 vs. early TBR plexus). The current FET-PET evaluation protocols for contrast-enhancing gliomas are limited, especially at the tumor border where grade 2 tumor and astrogliosis have similar uptake, but using choroid plexus uptake in early acquisitions as a background, we can precisely define a tumor within FLAIR that was outside of the scope of current FET-PET protocols.

Remote Sensing Extraction of Crown Planar Area and Plant Number of Papayas Using UAV Images with Very High Spatial Resolution

The efficient management of commercial orchards strongly requires accurate information on plant growing status for the implementation of necessary farming activities such as irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. Crown planar area and plant number are two very important parameters directly relating to fruit growth conditions and the final productivity of an orchard. In this study, in order to propose a novel and effective method to extract the crown planar area and number of mature and young papayas based on visible light images obtained from a DJ Phantom 4 RTK, we compared different vegetation indices (NGRDI, RGBVI, and VDVI), filter types (high- and low-pass filters), and filter convolution kernel sizes (3–51 pixels). Then, Otsu’s method was used to segment the crown planar area of the papayas, and the mean–standard deviation threshold (MSDT) method was used to identify the number of plants. Finally, the extraction accuracy of the crown planar area and number of mature and young papayas was validated. The results show that VDVI had the highest capability to separate the papayas from other ground objects. The best filter convolution kernel size was 23 pixels for the low-pass filter extraction of crown planar areas in mature and young plants. As to the plant number identification, segmentation could be set to the threshold with the highest F-score, i.e., the deviation coefficient n = 0 for single young papaya plants, n = 1 for single mature ones, and n = 1.4 for crown-connecting mature ones. Verification indicated that the average accuracy of crown planar area extraction was 93.71% for both young and mature papaya orchards and 95.54% for extracting the number of papaya plants. This set of methods can provide a reference for information extraction regarding papaya and other fruit trees with a similar crown morphology.

Prevalence and risk factors of obesity among undergraduate student population in Ghana: an evaluation study of body composition indices

BackgroundObesity is a classified risk factor for several of the world’s leading causes of death. In this study, we combined information contained in body mass index (BMI), total percentage body fat (TPBF) and relative fat mass (RFM) to estimate obesity prevalence and examine the risk factors associated with obesity.MethodsThe study recruited 1027 undergraduate students aged between 16 and 25 years using a cross-sectional study design and two-stage stratified random sampling between January and April 2019 from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Demographic, lifestyle, and family history of chronic disease data, were collected using a structured questionnaire. Bioelectrical impedance, along with height, weight, age, and gender, were used to estimate BMI and TPBF. The RFM was calculated using a published equation. The TPBF and RFM ranges were evaluated based on standard BMI thresholds and an informative combined obesity prevalence estimated in a Bayesian framework. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate potential risk factors of overweight/obesity.ResultsConcordance between BMI, TPBF and RFM for obesity classification was 84% among female and 82.9% among male students. The Bayesian analysis revealed a combined prevalence means of obesity of 9.4% (95%CI: 6.9-12.2%) among female students and 6.7% (95%CI:4.3-9.5%) among male students. The odds of obesity were increased between 1.8 and 2.5 for females depending on the classification index. A significant increasing trend of obesity was observed with university-level. A family history of obesity was associated with a high estimate of general, central, and high TPBF.ConclusionUsing multiple adiposity indicators conjointly in a Bayesian framework offers a greater power to examine obesity prevalence. We have applied this and reported high obesity prevalence, especially among female students. University level and family history of obesity were key determinants for obesity among the student population.

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater of Pingshuo mining area.

Groundwater pollution in the Pingshuo mining area is strongly associated with mining activities, with heavy metals (HMs) representing predominant pollutants. To obtain accurate information about the pollution status and health risks of groundwater, 189 groups of samples were collected from four types of groundwater, during three periods of the year, and analyzed for HMs. The results showed that the concentration of HMs in groundwater was higher near the open pit, waste slag pile, riverfront area, and human settlements. Except for Ordovician groundwater, excessive HMs were found in all investigated groundwater of the mining area, as compared with the standard thresholds. Fe exceeded the threshold in 13-75% of the groundwater samples. Three sources of HMs were identified and quantified by Pearson's correlation analysis and the PMF model, including coal mining activities (68.22%), industrial, agricultural, and residential chemicals residue and leakage (16.91%), and natural sources (14.87%). The Nemerow pollution index revealed that 7.58% and 100% of Quaternary groundwater and mine water samples were polluted. The health risk index for HMs in groundwater showed that the non-carcinogenic health risk ranged from 0.18 to 0.42 for adults, indicating an acceptable level. Additionally, high carcinogenic risks were identified in Quaternary groundwater (95.45%), coal series groundwater (91.67%), and Ordovician groundwater (26.67%). Both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were greater for children than adults, highlighting their increased vulnerability to HMs in groundwater. This study provides a scientific foundation for managing groundwater quality and ensuring drinking water safety in mining areas.

The Most Important Metabolic Diseases in Dairy Cattle during the Transition Period.

This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of three critical metabolic diseases affecting dairy cattle such as subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), ketosis, and hypocalcemia. SARA represents a disorder of ruminal fermentation that is characterized by extended periods of depressed ruminal pH below 5.5-5.6. In the long term, dairy herds experiencing SARA usually exhibit secondary signs of the disease, such as episodes of laminitis, weight loss and poor body condition despite adequate energy intake, and unexplained abscesses usually 3-6 months after an episode of SARA. Depressed milk-fat content is commonly used as a diagnostic tool for SARA. A normal milk-fat test in Holstein dairy cows is >4%, so a milk-fat test of <3% can indicate SARA. However, bulk tank testing of milk fat is inappropriate to diagnose SARA at the herd level, so when >4 cows out of 12 and <60 days in milk are suspected to have SARA it can be considered that the herd has a problem. The rapid or abrupt introduction of fresh cows to high-concentrate diets is the most common cause of SARA. Changes in ruminal bacterial populations when exposed to higher concentrate rations require at least about 3 weeks, and it is recommended that concentrate levels increase by no more than 400 g/day during this period to avoid SARA. Ketosis, a prevalent metabolic disorder in dairy cattle, is scrutinized with a focus on its etiological factors and the physiological changes leading to elevated ketone bodies. In total mix ration-fed herds, an increased risk of mastitis and reduced fertility are usually the first clinical signs of ketosis. All dairy cows in early lactation are at risk of ketosis, with most cases occurring in the first 2-4 weeks of lactation. Cows with a body condition score ≥3.75 on a 5-point scale at calving are at a greater risk of ketosis than those with lower body condition scores. The determination of serum or whole blood acetone, acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and liver biopsies is considered the best way to detect and monitor subclinical ketosis, while urine or milk cowside tests can also be used in on-farm monitoring programs. Concentrations >1.0 mmol/L or 1.4 mmol/L blood or serum BHB are considered diagnostic of subclinical ketosis. The standard threshold used for blood is 1.2 mmol/L, which corresponds to thresholds of 100 mcmol/L for milk and 15 mg/dL for urine. Oral administration of propylene glycol (250-400 g, every 24 h for 3-5 days) is the standard and most efficacious treatment, as well as additional therapy with bolus glucose treatment. Hypocalcemia is a disease of adult dairy cows in which acute hypocalcemia causes acute to peracute, afebrile, flaccid paralysis that occurs most commonly at or soon after parturition. Dairy cows are at considerable risk for hypocalcemia at the onset of lactation, when daily calcium excretion suddenly increases from about 10 g to 30 g per day. Cows with hypocalcemia have a more profound decrease in blood calcium concentration-typically below 5.5 mg/dL. The prevention of parturient paresis has been historically approached by feeding cows low-calcium diets during the dry period. Negative calcium balance triggers calcium mobilization before calving and better equips the cow to respond to the massive calcium needs at the onset of lactation. Calcium intake must be limited to <20 g per day for calcium restriction to be effective. The most practical and proven method for monitoring hypocalcemia is by feeding cows an acidogenic diet for ~3 weeks before calving. Throughout the review, emphasis is placed on the importance of early diagnosis and proactive management strategies to mitigate the impact of these metabolic diseases on dairy cattle health and productivity. The comprehensive nature of this paper aims to serve as a valuable resource for veterinarians, researchers, and dairy farmers seeking a deeper understanding of these prevalent metabolic disorders in dairy cattle.

Heavy metal distribution and ecological pollution assessments in water bodies and sediments in rural areas of Bangladesh

Pollution in rural waterbodies, sediments, and aquatic species due to long-range transportation and mobilization of heavy and toxic metals contaminants is a growing concern in many developing countries nowadays. Environmental components in rural areas are usually considered as safe and information on metals toxicities in rural natural resources are very limited. Herein, accumulation, mobilization, and distribution of eight different elements (Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, As) in water bodies and sediments in rural areas of Bangladesh have been investigated successfully. Different metals contents found in water and sediment were compared with standard threshold levels reported by WHO, USEPA, China, and the results revealed the occurrence of pollution in respective environmental resources with the excessive presence of some heavy metals. Pollution characteristics analyses with trace metal pollution index (TPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), contamination index (Cd), and comprehensive pollution index (CPI) indicated that water bodies in rural areas are contaminated with Pb, Mn, Fe, and different metals contents were varied in the order of Fe > Mn > Cu > Pb > Cr > As > Cd > Ni (mg/L). Contamination analyses in sediments with potential ecological risk index (PERI), pollution load index (PLI), metal enrichment (EF), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) assessments revealed the occurrence of pollution in sediments with Ni, Cr, Cu, and the translocations of different heavy metals in rural sediments were varied in the order Fe > Mn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Cr > Cu > Pb > As > Cd (mg/Kg). PLI data of metals showed higher than one and the magnitudes of Igeo were greater than zero which indicated inordinate accumulation of Ni, Cr, and Cu in sediments. The present research findings offer significant information on how the pollutants from point sources impact the environmental ecosystems in rural areas of Bangladesh due to the long-range pollution with flood and other natural disasters that occur frequently in the region. These results may be useful for making necessary environmental policies in developing countries regarding long-range pollution.

Standard and inverse site percolation of triangular tiles on triangular lattices: Isotropic and perfectly oriented deposition and removal.

Numerical simulations and finite-size scaling analysis have been carried out to study standard and inverse percolation of triangular tiles of side k (k-tiles) on triangular lattices. In the case of standard percolation, the lattice is initially empty. Then, k-tiles are randomly and sequentially deposited on the lattice. In the case of inverse percolation, the process starts with an initial configuration where all lattice sites are occupied by single monomers (each monomer occupies one lattice site) and, consequently, the opposite sides of the lattice are connected by nearest-neighbor occupied sites. Then, the system is diluted by randomly removing k-tiles [composed by k(k+1)/2 monomers] from the lattice. Two schemes are used for the depositing and removing process: the isotropic scheme, where the deposition (removal) of the objects occurs with the same probability in any lattice direction; and the anisotropic (perfectly oriented or nematic) scheme, where one lattice direction is privileged for depositing (removing) the tiles. The study is conducted by following the behavior of four critical concentrations with the size k: (i)[(ii)] standard isotropic (oriented) percolation threshold θ_{c,k} (ϑ_{c,k}), which represents the minimum concentration of occupied sites at which an infinite cluster of occupied nearest-neighbor sites extends from one side of the system to the other. θ_{c,k} (ϑ_{c,k}) is reached by isotropic (oriented) deposition of k-tiles on an initially empty lattice; and (iii)[(iv)] inverse isotropic (oriented) percolation threshold θ_{c,k}^{i} (ϑ_{c,k}^{i}), which corresponds to the maximum concentration of occupied sites for which connectivity disappears. θ_{c,k}^{i} (ϑ_{c,k}^{i}) is reached after removing isotropic (completely aligned) k-tiles from an initially fully occupied lattice. The obtained results indicate that (1)θ_{c,k} (θ_{c,k}^{i}) is an increasing (decreasing) function of k in the range 1≤k≤6. For k≥7, all jammed configurations are nonpercolating (percolating) states and, consequently, the percolation phase transition disappears. (2)ϑ_{c,k} (ϑ_{c,k}^{i}) show a behavior qualitatively similar to that observed for isotropic deposition. In this case, the minimum value of k at which the phase transition disappears is k=5. (3) For both isotropic and perfectly oriented models, the curves of standard and inverse percolation thresholds are symmetric to each other with respect to the line θ(ϑ)=0.5. Thus, a complementary property is found θ_{c,k}+θ_{c,k}^{i}=1 (and ϑ_{c,k}+ϑ_{c,k}^{i}=1), which has not been observed in other regular lattices. (4) Finally, in all cases, the jamming exponent ν_{j} was measured, being ν_{j}=1 regardless of the orientation (isotropic or nematic) or the size k considered. In addition, the accurate determination of the critical exponents ν,β, and γ reveals that the percolation phase transition involved in the system, which occurs for k varying between one and five (three) for isotropic (nematic) deposition scheme, has the same universality class as the standard percolation problem.

Shunt timing in low-weight infants in the treatment of hydrocephalus.

The optimal timing of ventricular shunt placement in low-weight and preterm infants remains an unresolved topic in modern pediatric neurosurgery. Shunt placement for hydrocephalus is performed over a wide range of infant weights, and the standard weight threshold for shunt placement can vary substantially across institutions. The aim of this study was to investigate shunt outcome in infants of low body weight. An IRB-approved retrospective analysis of 76 infants (29 females, 47 males) who received primary shunt placement between 2003 and 2018 was performed. Uniform criteria were used over the entire dataset to determine the safety for ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement: 1) weight near or above 1500 g, 2) feeding tolerance, and 3) lack of necrotizing enterocolitis or active systemic infection. Infants were classified into a low-weight (LW) (< 2000 g) or standard weight (SW) (2000-3000 g) group based on their body weight at the time of initial shunt placement. Shunt survival was compared between the groups. The threshold weight separating the LW and SW groups and outcomes was additionally varied and systematically reanalyzed. Shunts were placed in 24 LW infants and 52 SW infants over the inclusion period. Etiologies for hydrocephalus were similar across groups: predominantly intraventricular hemorrhage (54%) (p = 0.13) and open neural tube defect (29%) (p = 0.61). Both LW and SW groups had 58% 1-year shunt survival rates. Overall, 46% of shunts failed in the LW group compared with 54% in the SW group over a median follow-up of 47 months (range 0-170 months). A log-rank test comparing shunt survival rates did not show significance (p = 0.43). Groups were repartitioned using a range of threshold weights (1600-2400 g) to divide LW from SW infants. The lack of association between VP shunt placement in LW infants and time frame of revision was consistently observed over the full range of varied threshold weights. There was no significant difference in overall time to shunt revision between infants weighing < 2000 g and infants weighing 2000-3000 g. No correlation between weight and shunt survival was detected. Combined with other clinical features pertinent to the management of hydrocephalus in the neonatal population, this investigation provides insight toward clinical decision-making regarding infants of low birth weight and suggests that further multi-institutional study on this topic is warranted.

Analysis of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) heavy metals in cow’s milk in Central Java, Indonesia

The need for animal food is increasing because of its nutritional content. Foodstuffs needed to meet daily needs must be healthy and free from harmful substances, including heavy metals. Fresh cow’s milk is an animal-based food that is consumed by many people because it is very easy to find at an affordable price. This study aimed to determine the levels of heavy metals Pb (Lead) and Cd (Cadmium) contained in fresh cow’s milk and to find recommendations if they exceed a predetermined threshold. The method used is laboratory analysis of heavy metal content in fresh cow’s milk from a cattle farm in Boyolali Central Java. Analysis of Pb and Cd content was carried out by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Data analysis was carried out by comparing the content of heavy metals in fresh cow’s milk with SNI 3141.1: 2011 concerning quality requirements for fresh cow’s milk and SNI 7387: 2009 concerning the maximum limit of heavy metal contamination in food. Laboratory test results on fresh cow’s milk had a heavy metal Pb content of 96.67 mg/kg and a heavy metal Cd content of 4.45 mg/kg. It is known that the maximum limit for heavy metal contamination in food is 0.02 mg/kg. It can be concluded that the heavy metal content in fresh cow’s milk has exceeded the existing quality standard threshold. Previous research revealed that the metal lead content in cow’s milk that has been processed is lower than in cow’s milk that has not been processed.

Streptomyces tagetis sp. nov., a chromomycin producing bacteria isolated from the roots of Tagetes patula.

A novel halotolerant actinobacterium, designated as RG38T, capable of producing black extracellular melanin pigment on SP2 agar, was isolated from the roots of Tagetes patula. Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed the highest similarity to Streptomyces collinus NBRC 12759T (99.3%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain RG38T clustered within the genus Streptomyces forming a monophyletic cluster with its close relatives. The average nucleotide identity (ANI), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), and amino-acid identity (AAI) values between strain RG38T and related species within the genus Streptomyces were below the standard threshold for prokaryotic species delineation. The DNA G + C content of the strain RG38T was determined to be 73.3%. The genome size measured 7,150,598 bp comprising 17 contigs and encompassed 6,053 protein coding genes. AntiSMASH analysis of the whole genome revealed 35 putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) responsible for various secondary metabolites. Among these clusters, two gene clusters exhibited 100% similarity to the chromomycin A3, albaflavenone, and anthracimycin, respectively. These compounds were reported to possess significant anticancer and antibacterial activities. LC-MS-based analysis, coupled with further isolation studies, confirmed the production of chromomycins A2 (1), A3 (2), and their derivatives, along with their antibiotic activities. These findings underscore the potential of this novel strain as a novel resource for the discovery of diverse antimicrobial compounds. This study is the first to report an antimicrobial compound producing Streptomyces species isolated from medicinal plant T. patula. Based on a polyphasic study, the strain RG38T isolated from an unexplored habitat with a high potential for new natural products represents a novel species within the genus Streptomyces. Accordingly, we propose the name Streptomyces tagetis sp. nov. for this novel species, with the type strain is RG38T (=KCTC 49624T = TBRC 15113T).