Time Research Articles

Coronary circulation enhances the aerobic performance of wild Pacific salmon.

Female Pacific salmon often experience higher mortality than males during their once-in-a-lifetime up-river spawning migration, particularly when exposed to secondary stressors (e.g. high temperatures). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. One hypothesis is that female Pacific salmon hearts are more oxygen-limited than those of males and are less able to supply oxygen to the body's tissues during this demanding migration. Notably, female hearts have higher coronary blood flow, which could indicate a greater reliance on this oxygen source. Oxygen limitations can develop from naturally occurring coronary blockages (i.e. coronary arteriosclerosis) found in mature salmon hearts. If female hearts rely more heavily on coronary blood flow but experience similar arteriosclerosis levels as males, they will have disproportionately impaired aerobic performance. To test this hypothesis, we measured resting (RMR) and maximum metabolic rate (MMR), aerobic scope (AS) and acute upper thermal tolerance in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) with an intact or artificially blocked coronary oxygen supply. We also assessed venous blood oxygen and chemistry (cortisol, ions and metabolite concentrations) at different time intervals during recovery from exhaustive exercise. We found that coronary blockage impaired MMR, AS and the partial pressure of oxygen in venous blood (PvO2) during exercise recovery but did not differ between sexes. Coronary ligation lowered acute upper thermal tolerance by 1.1°C. Although we did not find evidence of enhanced female reliance on coronary supply, our findings highlight the importance of coronary blood supply for mature wild salmon, where migration success may be linked to cardiac performance, particularly during warm water conditions.

Machine learning-aided hybrid technique for dynamics of rail transit stations classification: a case study

Accurate classification of rail transit stations is crucial for successful Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and sustainable urban growth. This paper introduces a novel classification model integrating traditional methodologies with advanced machine learning algorithms. By employing mathematical models, clustering methods, and neural network techniques, the model enhances the precision of station classification, allowing for a refined evaluation of station attributes. A comprehensive case study on the Chengdu rail transit network validates the model’s efficacy, highlighting its value in optimizing TOD strategies and guiding decision-making processes for urban planners and policymakers. The study employs several regression models trained on existing data to generate accurate ridership forecasts, and data clustering using mathematical algorithms reveals distinct categories of stations. Evaluation metrics confirm the rationality and accuracy of the results. Additionally, a neural network achieving high accuracy on labeled data enhances the model’s predictive capabilities for unlabeled instances. The research demonstrates high accuracy, with the Mean Squared Error (MSE) for regression models (Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Deep-Learning Neural Network (DNN), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN)) remaining below 0.012, while the neural networks used for station classification achieve 100% accuracy across seven time intervals and 98.15% accuracy for the eighth, ensuring reliable ridership forecasts and classification outcomes. Accuracy in rail transit station classification is critical, as it not only strengthens the model’s predictive capabilities but also ensures more reliable data-driven decisions for transit planning and development, allowing for more precise ridership forecasts and evidence-based strategies for optimizing TOD. This classification model provides stakeholders with valuable insights into the dynamics and features of rail transit stations, supporting sustainable urban development planning.

Comprehensive analysis of strabismus reoperations: clinical insights and progression factors

BackgroundTo compare and analyze clinical characteristics of patients undergoing two surgeries and multiple surgeries and explore relevant factors to lay the foundation for clinical prediction.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from all patients who underwent twice and multiple strabismus surgeries at Tianjin Eye Hospital between October 2012 and September 2021. Patients were divided into Group A (two surgeries) and Group B (more than two surgeries) based on the cumulative number of surgeries performed. Clinical details at the first recurrence, including sex, age, native place, overall medical history, onset time, visual acuity, affected muscle(s), etc., were documented. Non-parametric tests and chi-square tests were used to analyze clinical characteristics in each group. Binary and ordered logistic regression analysis assessed parameters associated with multiple reoperations. A linear mixed-term model observed factors impacting affected muscle(s) during surgery. Researchers examined clinical traits related to secondary strabismus variables.ResultsAmong the 910 included patients, 840 required two surgeries (Group A) and 70 underwent more than two surgeries (Group B). Significant differences were found in age, onset time, interval time, and secondary factors. Regression analysis highlighted the significant impact of interval time on the reoperation rate, effectively predicting outcomes in patients with concomitant strabismus. Other ophthalmoplegia and secondary factors significantly influenced reoperation rates in patients with non-concomitant strabismus. Interval time, esotropia, and exotropia were linked to concomitant secondary strabismus patients, while the number of surgeries, DVD, esotropia, exotropia, and esotropia V-pattern were associated with non-concomitant secondary strabismus patients. In a longitudinal study, patients with multiple surgeries showed a correlation between the vertical deviation angle magnitude and the number of involved extraocular muscles. Regression analysis revealed that in patients with concomitant strabismus, interval time, exotropia, and esotropia influenced the total number of muscles during surgery. For patients with non-concomitant strabismus, interval time, secondary factors, and SOP impacted the total number of muscles during surgery.ConclusionsInterval time in patients with concomitant strabismus, as well as secondary and other ophthalmoplegia in non-concomitant strabismus, are the main factors for multiple reoperations.

Hydrogen Bond Integration in Potato Microstructure: Effects of Water Removal, Thermal Treatment, and Cooking Techniques

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the effects of heat treatments and water removal by freeze-drying after different time intervals (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h) on the molecular structure of potato tubers. SEM images show structural differences between raw (RP), microwaved (MP), and boiled potato (BP). MP showed a cracked structure. BP was able to re-associate into a granule-like structure after 6 h of freeze-dying, whereas RP had dried granules within a porous matrix after 24 h of freeze-drying. These results are consistent with the moisture content and FTIR results for MP and BP, which demonstrated dried spectra after 6 h of freeze-drying and relatively coincided with RP results after 24 h of freeze-drying. Additionally, three types of hydrogen bonds have been characterized between water and starch, and the prevalence of water very weakly bound to starch has also been detected. The relative crystallinity (RC) was increased by thermal treatment, whereby microwaving recorded the highest value. A comparison of the FTIR and XRD results indicated that freeze-drying treatment overcomes heat effects to generate an integral starch molecule.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Corrosion Behavior of S275 Mild Steel Using Accelerated DC Voltage, LPR, and EIS

AbstractThis study used an external DC voltage of 1.5 V to accelerate corrosion in heat-treated S275 mild steel samples at different time intervals. LPR and EIS were used to study the corrosion behavior of original and quenched steel samples. There was only a negligible difference in the corrosion rate (CR) for the original and the quenched samples up to 30 min of voltage application in a 3.5% NaCl electrolyte media. When the exposure time increased to 60 min, the original sample showed seven times higher CR than the quenched samples. The pits on the surface of the original samples acted as cathodes, enhancing the reaction rate on the surface and increasing its CR dramatically. This led to bimodal corrosion, where the first part is led by concentration and diffusion; while, the second part is led by localized corrosion. The smaller pits on the original surface samples served as cathodic reaction centers, exacerbating corrosion. The corrosion rate of the original samples ranged from 0.8 to 7.8 mmpy; whereas, the corrosion rate of the quenched samples remained consistently around 0.8 mmpy. This trend can be observed in long-term corrosion in different metals. The uniformly oriented martensitic microstructure and the quenched samples’ small grain size prevented the enhanced ion penetration due to applied voltage. This study analyses the long-term stability of structural steel samples in marine environments by accelerating the corrosion rate by an applied external DC voltage.

Are We Dosing Correctly? Population Pharmacokinetics of Cefepime in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients

Abstract Background Dosing guidelines of cefepime are well defined in healthy pediatric and adult populations but have not been extensively studied in critically ill pediatric patients. Patients who are critically ill may have significant alterations in antibiotic pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) due to many factors. Receipt of ECMO or CRRT may further alter PK/PD due to changes in clearance and volume of distribution and the depletion of plasma proteins. Since critically ill pediatric patients are likely to receive multiple courses of antimicrobials, optimization of drug dosing and delivery is critically important for individual patient outcomes. This study will test the hypothesis that the PK of cefepime is substantially altered in critically ill pediatric patients. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients in VUMC pediatric ICUs receiving cefepime, including those receiving ECMO or CRRT. Plasma samples were collected at opportune timepoints enriched for specific PK/PD metrics. Cefepime plasma concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS. Weight, dose, interval, and administration time were extracted from the medical record. Monolix was used to fit population PK models using one and two-compartment models with a proportional error model. Covariate modeling was performed with a priori selected covariates: ECMO, CRRT, sex, race, ethnicity, gestational age, and creatinine clearance (CrCl). The final covariate model was used to perform probability of target attainment (PTA) analysis using Monte Carlo simulation. 6,000 subjects were simulated for each dosing regimen, with 3 weight categories (≤9 kg, 9-25 kg, and >25 kg) and 2 CrCl categories (≤90 mL/min and >90 mL/min). PTA was calculated over a grid of possible MIC values based on three targets, 65% fT>MIC, 100% fT>MIC, and 100% fT>4×MIC. Results Preliminary data from 84 pediatric participants receiving cefepime were analyzed. Of these, 9 received CRRT and 10 received ECMO. An average of 3 samples were collected per participant. A two compartment with proportional error model was selected as the base model. Population PK parameter estimates for the base model, base model with weight, and final covariate model were calculated. Inclusion of weight and CrCl significantly improved model fit. CRRT, ethnicity, and gestational age did significantly improve model fit, but their inclusion in the model did not provide evidence of being significantly better than the model with only weight and CrCl. The results from the PTA analysis are seen in Figure 1. We observed an overall ordering of PTA by dosing regimen across all three targets, with q8h 3-hour infusion having the highest PTA and q12h 30-minute infusion having the lowest PTA. Increased CrCl led to reduced PTA and as weight increased, PTA also increased. Conclusion This study will be among the first and largest to characterize cefepime PK in the critically ill pediatric population. Clinicians should incorporate local antibiograms with these population PK models to determine optimal dosing in critically ill pediatric patients. The use of extended infusions may be beneficial for PK/PD target achievement, particularly for resistant pathogens. Since clinical covariates affect PK parameters, this population may also benefit from therapeutic drug monitoring. Figure 1. Comparison of PTA among four dosing regimens of cefepime at targets of 65% fT>MIC, 100% fT>MIC, and 100% fT>4×MIC.

The Safety Assessment of Civil Ships against Capsizing Based on the Probability Analysis of Multiple Threshold-crossings of Stochastic Sea Waves

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of threshold-crossing events on ship capsizing through a probabilistic model that predicts random wave heights. Utilizing statistical data from wave height observations, this paper proposes that random waves can be approximated and modeled using the Wiener process, employing autocorrelation function identification and probabilistic statistical verification methods. The threshold-crossing duration of a random wave is just the period of the wave exceeds a given threshold, which can reflect the frequency property of the stochastic sea waves. And the probability distribution of the period can theoretically be determined using the derived probability density function for the time interval between any two adjacent crossings of the Wiener process and a threshold. Based on the above theories, the capsizing probabilities of a civil ship sailing in different wave areas are analyzed under different safety thresholds considering certain ratios of the ship's intrinsic period and wave period. The research results can provide a reference for the anti-overturning design of the ships under the action of random waves.

Direct Normal Irradiance Prediction based Optimum Interval Tilt angles for Enhancement of Energy Output, Levelized Cost of Energy and CO2 Emission in a Grid-Connected PV System

Abstract The tilt angle of photovoltaic (PV) panels is a crucial determinant of their performance and can be adjusted using different tracking methods. Periodically changing the tilt angle strikes a practical balance between efficiency and cost. This work introduces a Bi-directional Long Short Term Memory (Bi-LSTM)-based Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) prediction to estimate the time intervals for the tilt angle adjustments. DNI Prediction involves 22-year (2000–2022) historical time series data and the Bi-LSTM deep learning model to predict DNI at different time frames for the location Madurai, India. Using the Predicted DNI, Tilt angle-based DNI is mapped using the tilt angle correlation through a nearest neighborhood interpolation method. DNI potential over a specific period is utilized to find the optimum time intervals for the tilt angle adjustments. The simulation study of this work is implemented with the design of a 5 kW grid-connected solar PV system in PVSYST software. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is evaluated based on improvements in power output, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and carbon emission reductions and compared with other existing methods. The results showed that using the proposed optimal tilt angle intervals led to a 10.31% increase in PV output power, the lowest LCOE at 3.61 c/kWh and 8.363 tCO2/year carbon emissions.

Comparison of Clinical Diagnosis and Autopsy Findings of Early Neonatal Deaths: Diagnostic Challenges and the Value of Autopsy in Identifying Rare Pathologies.

In a non-forensic hospital setting, neonatal death within the first week of life is often related to premature birth and/or lung diseases. Without post-mortem examination, the identification of the cause of death may be challenging. Autopsy can confirm the clinical diagnosis, uncover additional information or change the diagnosis. Our study aimed to assess the correlation between the clinical diagnosis and post-mortem findings in early neonatal deaths. The retrospective study included autopsy cases with neonatal deaths within the first 7 days of life (arbitrary time interval 2006-2021). Discrepancies between clinical and histopathological findings were classified into 3 groups: (i) full agreement, (ii) additional findings discovered by autopsy, or (iii) autopsy changed the diagnosis. A cohort of 27 cases could be identified and lung pathologies were the most common finding (56%). Additional findings could be discovered in 48% of cases. Major discrepancies which changed the clinical diagnosis could be found in 11% (n = 3/27) of cases. Frequently, post-mortem examinations validate the clinical diagnosis while revealing crucial information in a few cases. In these discrepant cases, autopsy findings can provide information for genetic counselling and quality control of clinical management.

Incidental findings of borderline ovarian tumor or ovarian cancer – real-world data on surgical and oncological outcomes

IntroductionCentralization of ovarian cancer treatment is associated with higher rates of optimal surgery and longer survival. However, preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer is challenging and some diagnoses are made incidentally after surgery. This study investigated the surgical and oncological outcomes of patients with incidental findings of borderline ovarian tumors or ovarian cancer who were centralized postoperatively and treated with a two-stage surgical procedure, and compared these with those of patients with adnexal masses of suspected malignancy who were offered a single-stage surgical procedure with intraoperative frozen section in a tertiary hospital.MethodsA database of 390 patients with adnexal masses and surgical treatment at the Bern University Hospital, Switzerland was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with borderline ovarian tumors or ovarian cancer between 2010 and 2020.ResultsAmong 390 patients with adnexal masses, 223 were diagnosed with a borderline ovarian tumor or ovarian cancer. Compared with patients with suspected malignancy and a centralized single-stage surgical procedure, patients with an incidental postoperative malignancy diagnosis and a two-stage surgical procedure underwent more surgical interventions (1.3 vs. 2.1 p<.001) and had a longer time interval from diagnosis to initiation of chemotherapy (33.3 vs. 45.1 p=.005) and to completion of surgical cytoreduction (31.9 vs. 73.7 days, p<.001). However, there were no differences in the rates of complete cytoreduction (90.0% vs. 93.2%, p=.719), intraoperative (11.3% vs. 13.7%, p=.664) or postoperative (38.7% vs. 37.0%, p=.884) complication rates, and number of hospitalization days (11.1 vs. 12.0 days, p=.369). An incidental diagnosis of malignancy with postoperative referral was neither associated with an increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-1.8, p=.839) nor death (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.1, p=.113), and there was no difference in mean recurrence-free survival between the study subgroups.DiscussionAlthough patients with incidental findings of borderline ovarian tumors or ovarian cancer treated with a two-stage surgical procedure had a longer time to completion of surgical staging and initiation of chemotherapy, our results showed no negative impact on oncological outcomes.

The role of rice husk in Oreochromis niloticus safety enhancement by bio-adsorbing copper oxide nanoparticles following its green synthesis: an endeavor to advance environmental sustainability

Lowering nanoparticles (NPs) toxicity before discharge into aquatic environments and employing agricultural waste materials for environmental sustainability are necessary nowadays. Since this has never been done, this work examines how green CuO NPs treated with rice husk (RH) as a bio-adsorbent may be safer for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) than chemically manufactured ones. So, five groups of fish were randomly placed in glass aquaria. One group was a control, and four groups received 50 mg/L green and chemically produced CuO NPs (GS and CS) with and without RH for 24, 48, and 96 h. RH was collected from all groups, and the results showed GS-CuO NPs had a greater adsorptive capacity than CS-CuO NPs after all time intervals. After analyzing fish indicators in all groups compared to the control, higher Cu bioaccumulation was exhibited in the liver and gills. The liver and gills showed elevated levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), while the levels of glutathione reduced (GSH) were significantly lower. In addition, Cu exposure impaired liver and gill histology. Finally, our results indicated that using RH as an adsorbent for CuO NPs after their green synthesis instead of chemical synthesis before they enter the aquatic environment can enhance the overall health of fish and environmental sustainability.

Colorimetric chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol composite membrane incorporated with anthocyanins as pH indicator for monitoring fish freshness

AbstractDuring storage, food undergoes transformations, often producing volatile nitrogen compounds known as total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), which serves as an indicator of food freshness. In this study, chitosan (CTS) was blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and incorporated with anthocyanins (ACNs) to monitor the quality changes in fish fillets over different time intervals. The results demonstrated that the presence of PVA in the CTS membrane enhanced light transmittance and reduced water absorption due to the reinforcement of the membrane structure through chemical interactions. In the freshness monitoring experiments, the CTS/PVA membranes exhibited an improved value of total color difference (ΔE), facilitating better detection of pH changes of the surrounding environment. Moreover, the ΔE value of the CTS/PVA film was observed to be quite similar to the value at pH 9 after 24 h and at pH 11 after 36 h when the fish fillet was stored at 25°C. In contrast, the ΔE value of the CTS/PVA film closely matched the value at pH 11 after 96 h of storage at 4°C. Additionally, the correlation between the generated TVB‐N and the ΔE values indicated a higher correlation coefficient (R2) for the composite membranes compared to the pristine CTS or PVA membranes.

Correlation of the treatment sensitivity of patient-derived organoids with treatment outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer (SOTO): protocol for a prospective observational study

IntroductionOrganoids have been successfully used in several areas of cancer research and large living biobanks of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have been developed from various malignancies. The characteristics of the original...

Extracting non-equilibrium material properties in visco-hyperelastic polymers based on analytical stress solution

This study extracts non-equilibrium material properties in the visco-hyperelastic polymers using an analytical stress solution. At first, the analytical stress solution of visco-hyperelastic polymers is obtained from finite-strain creep test data based on the generalized Maxwell’s rheological model. The solution uses the low-computational-cost exponential generalized pseudospectral method and analytically brings the stress components in terms of time and unknown non-equilibrium material properties of Maxwell’s elements. The solution invokes the Ogden hyperelastic model for the elastic element of the generalized Maxwell’s model. The exponential generalized pseudospectral method, based on exponential–rational Lagrange functions suitable for the semi-infinite time interval [Formula: see text] and the rational Chebyshev roots as the collocation points, is applied to derive the stress components. The non-equilibrium properties are derived by minimizing a residual, which is obtained by making the derivatives of the residual in terms of the non-equilibrium properties as zero. Notably, the proposed analytical method requires a small number of exponent–rational Lagrange basis functions and collocation points. Besides, the proposed method does not require integration, discretization, or linearization. Two case studies are considered: the moderate-stretched ETFE polymer with the neo-Hookean model as the elastic element and the large-stretched rubber with the six-parameter Ogden hyperelastic model as the elastic branch. The results are validated using uniaxial creep modeling in ANSYS and available reports in the literature.

Features of laboratory study of the core of weakly cemented reservoir rocks

Background. Currently, there is a problem of studying intervals represented by weakly cemented core, although such rocks can be the main reservoirs. Lack of reliable petrophysical information leads to underestimation of the main parameters of porosity and permeability, which in the future is likely to lead to incorrect estimation of hydrocarbon reserves. The relevance of the work is due to the lack of unified regulatory and methodological approaches to the research of weakly cemented core material. Objective. To develop our own methodological approach by selecting technologies and techniques, which allows to carry out primary preparation, sampling, profile measurements and petrophysical studies of weakly cemented core. Materials and methods. We used weakly cemented core from the Volga-Ural oil and gas province and conducted the research in accordance with the requirements specified in the guidelines for laboratory tests using necessary supplies. The methods considered in the article cover the time interval from the early 2000s. Results. In the course of the work, standard methods of core investigation were considered, and the possibility of their application to the samples of weakly cemented rock was evaluated. The peculiarities of sample preparation and research on weakly cemented core were also revealed. Conclusions. A methodological approach was developed that allows primary preparation, sampling, profile measurements and petrophysical studies of weakly cemented core.

Enhancement of the lymphatic system following intravenous administration of ferumoxytol.

Lymphatic imaging is becoming increasingly important in the management of patients with congenital heart disease. However, the influence of the intravenous contrast agent ferumoxytol on lymphatic imaging is not well understood. To evaluate the impact of intravenous ferumoxytol on T1-weighted and T2-weighted lymphatic imaging in patients with congenital heart disease. We included consecutive patients receiving ferumoxytol-enhanced 3D angiography for congenital heart disease evaluation. The visibility of the thoracic duct was reviewed on the T1-weighted 3D inversion recovery balanced-steady-state free precession (SSFP) with respiratory navigator gating sequence which is routinely used for angiography and the heavily T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence which is employed for lymphatic imaging. Data on demographics and time interval between contrast administration and imaging were collected. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests for continuous variables and chi-squared tests for categorical variables. One hundred nineteen consecutive patients with a mean age of 12.46 years±7.7 years were included. Of these, 45 cases underwent both T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging; the other 74 underwent only T1-weighted imaging. Of the 45 patients, 20 had thoracic duct enhancement on T1-weighted imaging; among the 26 sedated, only 2 showed enhancement, while 18 of 19 non-sedated patients showed enhancement (P<0.001), indicating a strong association between sedation and reduced thoracic duct visibility. If T2-weighted imaging was performed after contrast administration, the thoracic duct was not visible on those images. For all 45 cases of visible thoracic duct in the entire cohort, the time from contrast administration to imaging ranged from 8 min up to 75 min. The enhancement of the thoracic lymphatic duct on T1-weighted imaging, coupled with degradation observed on T2-weighted imaging, suggests that intravenously administered ferumoxytol rapidly enters the lymphatic fluid. To prevent T2 shortening from degrading the imaging results, T2-weighted imaging for lymphatic evaluation should be performed prior to the administration of ferumoxytol. Sedation and, by inference, fasting may influence this property and warrant further investigation in future studies.

A preliminary study on detecting human DNA in aquatic environments: Potential of eDNA in forensics

Human environmental DNA (eDNA) application have not been fully applied or adequately considered in the fields of eDNA and forensics. Nonetheless, this technique holds great potential as a complementary tool for detecting human DNA in aquatic environments, particularly in cases involving crimes connect to such environments. However, the detectability or stability of eDNA can vary depending on several factors. Therefore, this preliminary study investigates the detection and degradation rates of human eDNA, as well as the recovery of nuclear short tandem repeat (STR) profiles and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, using water samples from both saltwater and freshwater sources. To conduct the experiment, whole human blood was spiked into the water samples. Water samples were then filtered using a 5 µm pore size filter, and samples were collected at various time intervals up to 23 days. A human specific qPCR assay targeting HV1 region of human mtDNA was used to detect human eDNA. Results demonstrated that human eDNA remains detectable for up to 36 hours in freshwater samples and up 84 hours in saltwater samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of human eDNA, (205 copies/µl), was achieved after 60 hours in freshwater and 180 hours in saltwater samples. Partial STR profiles could be recovered up to 24 hours for freshwater and saltwater. Results from mtDNA sequencing indicate that full mtDNA profiles could be recovered from freshwater samples up to 48 hours and remained detectable up to 72 hours in saltwater. Overall, the findings of this study underscore the importance of considering and incorporating human eDNA analysis as a valuable tool in forensic practice. By harnessing the power of eDNA, law enforcement agencies can enhance their investigation capabilities, improve the accuracy of forensic reconstructions, and ultimately contribute to the resolution of cases involving aquatic environments. Further research and validation are needed to optimize and expand the utilization of eDNA techniques in forensic investigations.

Dental morphology evolution in early peratheriines, including a new morphologically cryptic species and findings on the largest early Eocene European metatherian

ABSTRACT The initial stages of the evolutionary history of peratheriines, the European herpetotheriid metatherians, are largely unknown, primarily due to their limited morphological dental disparity throughout the Palaeogene, coupled with significant intraspecific variation. Based on eleven molars, we document a new early peratheriine species, Peratherium musivum sp. nov. which is larger than and morphologically similar to the earliest peratheriine, Peratherium constans (MP7). Subtle molar characters are shared with the largest early Eocene peratheriine, Peratherium maximum comb. nov. We illustrate the importance of studying possible changes in molar cusp – basin proportions and correlated characters that occured during peratheriine evolution. Peratherium musivum sp. nov. which spanned only part of the MP7-MP8 + 9 time interval, and the ~MP8 + 9 Peratherium maximum comb. nov. were probably widespread in Western Europe. The description of a well-preserved mandible of the latter, from La Borie (~MP8 + 9), reveals original features concerning relative size and shape of dental alveoli, partly corroborated using isolated molars. These traits are absent in the younger, most representative species of both peratheriine genera, Peratherium and Amphiperatherium. Based on the aforementioned data and a critical review, it is demonstrated that peratheriine genera lack consistent definitions, so that the Peratherium/Amphiperatherium dichotomy is plausibly inapplicable to early Eocene representatives. This article is registered in ZooBank under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A2B4DE58-855C-4CB8-BC1D-C9677E6DF97D

The value of electroencephalography features in the prognostic evaluation of large hemispheric infarction patients at different time intervals.

Large Hemispheric Infarction (LHI) is a devastating disease with high mortality. This study aimed to use electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate the death risk of LHI patients and identify suitable evaluation time. This study retrospectively collected clinical and EEG data from 73 LHI patients, dividing them into death and survival group at discharge. EEG data was classified as 1-5 days and 6-14 days after onset according to the time intervals of cerebral edema. Regression and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were applied to explore the impact of temporal changes in various EEG and clinical features on death. The areas under ROC curve (AUC) of death prediction for non-α frequency on non-infarct side at 6-14 days after onset was significantly higher than that at 1-5 days (p = 0.004). And there was no significant difference between the AUC of seizure activity for death prediction at 1-5 days and 6-14 days (p = 0.418). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that non-α frequency on non-infarct side and seizure activity at 6-14 days after onset were the independent risk factors for the death of LHI patients. Additionally, above two EEG features significantly improved the death predictive efficacy of clinical features in LHI patients with the integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI) of 0.174 (p = 0.015) and the net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 1.314 (p<0.001). Non-α frequency on non-infarct side and seizure activity were reliable indicators for death prediction. 6-14 days after onset was the better time window for death evaluation of LHI patients through EEG.

Spatial Variation of Microclimatic Parameters Inside a Polyhouse with Fog Cooling System

The importance of protected cultivation is increasing day by day due to its capability of producing crop all round the year and increase in the crop productivity. This advantage of protected cultivation can be efficiently achieved by adapting the polyhouse cultivation. To obtain the maximum crop productivity inside a polyhouse, it is necessary to understand the variability of microclimate inside it. The present study aims to understand the spatial variability of microclimate inside a naturally ventilated polyhouse installed with fog cooling system during summer season. The main aim of the study is to understand the effect of fogging system in spatial variability of microclimate. For the study, the data of microclimatic parameters were collected daily from April to June at four different time intervals 8.30 AM, 12.30 PM, 4.30 PM and 8.30 PM. The data recorded was then analyzed in Golden Surfer Software to generate contour plots of weekly averages of microclimate parameters. The analysis revealed that the temperature and relative humidity varied across the polyhouse depending upon the wind velocity and its distribution pattern. The light intensity varied based upon the orientation of polyhouse and the position of sun. Carbon dioxide concentration varied based on temperature, light intensity, crop transpiration and respiration. It can be concluded that, inside a naturally ventilated polyhouse, the microclimate varied both spatially and temporally with fogging system also due to wind effect. Thus, having accurate understanding of the microclimate inside a polyhouse helps to maintain optimal conditions for plant growth and thus improve crop yield and productivity.