This study employed fNIRS- and EEG-hyperscanning to investigate the effects of task sharing, social presence, and mental workload on intra- and inter-brain functional connectivity, and neurophysiological responses of dyads during a dual n-back task. The findings indicated a positive correlation between the n-back level and reaction times, heart rate, and PFC oxygenation, whereas task accuracy and heart rate variability decreased with difficulty. The effect of social presence was smaller than the effect of task difficulty, suggesting a lower level of mental workload during the social condition, possibly due to social facilitation. In the social condition, inter-brain connectivity tended to decrease as task difficulty increased, indicating that partners could monitor each other's actions to the extent that task demands allowed. The intra-brain connectivity analysis showed a larger difference between individual and social sessions compared to the difference between own and co-actor's go trials in the social session. Overall, the EEG- and fNIRS-hyperscanning measures obtained during a dual n-back task in this study provide evidence regarding the differential modulation of inter- and intra-brain functional connectivity due to the co-presence of another actor responding to the same stimulus to pursue a different goal and changes in task difficulty.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Thyroid Storm as the First Presentation of Graves’ Disease; a Case Report

Comments on Nanoparticles zinc paste bandages for the treatment of Syrian woman diabetic patient with ulcers in the foot: Case imagesMostafa Javanian1, Mohammad Barary2, Soheil Ebrahimpour1, *Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranStudent Research Committee, School of Medical Education and Learning Technologies, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

This paper deals with micromagnetic measurements for online detection of strain-induced α’-martensite during plastic deformation of metastable austenitic steel AISI 304L. The operating principles of the sensors are Barkhausen noise (MBN) and eddy currents (EC), which are suitable for detection of microstructure evolution due to formation of ferromagnetic phases. Nevertheless, the description of the calibration and transformation models of the micromagnetic measurements into quantitative α’-martensite fractions is beyond the scope of this paper. The focus will be put on the qualification of different micromagnetic methods as well as of different measurement systems under conditions similar to the real ones during production, which is crucial for implementation of a property-controlled flow forming process. The investigation was carried out on tubular specimens produced by flow forming, which have different content of α’-martensite. To characterize the sensitivity of the sensors, different contact conditions between sensors and workpieces were reproduced. MBN sensors are suitable for detecting amount of α’-martensite, but the measurements are affected by the surface roughness. This entails that the calibration models for MBN sensors must take account of these effects. EC sensors show a closer match with the amount of α’-martensite without having major affectation by other effects.

Pneumatosis intestinalis and concurrent focal diaphragmatic pneumatosis cystoides presenting with pneumoperitoneum in a 20 year-old male: a case report.Manal Fasih1 Patricia Colucci, D.O.,2 Kara Monday, M.D.2,3

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Personal recovery narratives in psychiatry have long been used to reduce public stigma. Nowadays, more and more such narratives are shared on social media and collected by content creators and journalists often without basic education in psychology. Although telling one’s story has positive effects on the person sharing, the question of adverse negative effects has been neglected so far. We investigated the impact, whether positive or negative, of telling one’s story in a narrative podcast with a wide audience. Participants (N = 27) were recruited from the guest pool of Les Maux Bleus podcast. They completed an online quantitative and qualitative ad hoc 15-question survey assessing the positive effects of their participation on their well-being, and asking for potential adverse effects they might have encountered after their participation. A third of the sample reported adverse effects of low-to-moderate severity, and 6 persons in the sample stated they felt the need to look for emotional and/or psychological assistance after their participation despite a very precautious process before and after recording. Those results highlight the necessity to elaborate guidelines for content creators collecting and broadcasting such narratives to make them beneficial and avoid potentially severe adverse events occurring.

Research suggests that changes in functional connectivity contribute to age-related declines in response inhibition. Through a double-blind crossover study, we investigated the effects of dual-site beta transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) on functional connectivity measured with electroencephalography and response inhibition (stop-signal task performance) in 15 older (aged 61-79 years) and 18 young (aged 18-34 years) adults. Two tACS conditions were administered in separate sessions: in-phase tACS, where electrical currents delivered to rIFG and preSMA had a 0° phase difference, and anti-phase tACS, where currents had a 180° phase difference. Resting-state beta band rIFG-preSMA connectivity significantly increased after in-phase tACS for older and young adults, and decreased after anti-phase tACS for older adults. This shows that tACS can modulate rIFG-preSMA connectivity in a phase-specific manner in the aging brain. However, response inhibition significantly improved after both in- and anti-phase tACS for young and older adults, indicating that inhibitory performance might not be directly regulated by resting-state rIFG-preSMA phase connectivity.

Many children treated with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators increase their body mass index (BMI). To extend this observation, we prospectively monitored rates of change for growth, body mass and composition indices and z scores, forearm strength, and FEV1 during ETI therapy for a cohort of 27 children, ages 6-11, assessed potential risk factors for concerning change rates; and documented variability of individual change rates. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Z score calculations used matched data from US children. Outcomes rates of change were analyzed using a linear mixed effects regression model. At enrollment, median BMI z-score was 0.6, percent body fat was 22.7, and percent predicted (pp) FEV1 was 100. During ETI treatment, mean z scores for annualized change rates of BMI (0.02±0.07), fat mass index (FMI) (0.02±0.08), and fat free mass index (-0.03±0.07) were not different from zero. Percent increase of FMI (mean:12.0±29.0) often exceeded that for skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI)(4.7±4.9). Older children and girls experienced the largest weight gain. Individual body mass and composition index rates of change varied extensively. FEV1 increase was independent of body composition and muscle strength change rates. Preadolescent children, as a group, experienced growth and body composition trajectories expected of US children, adding muscle mass, but preferentially adding fat mass when treated with ETI. Individual outcomes variation suggests potential benefit for body composition monitoring and interventions to promote healthy physical maturation during ETI therapy.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common comorbid diagnosis in psychotic disorders. However, little is known about the effect of comorbid PTSD in youth at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate group differences in symptom severity, risk for psychotic conversion, and functioning among youth at CHR for psychosis with and without PTSD. Methods: This longitudinal study utilized data from N = 693 individuals who met criteria for CHR as part of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study 3 (NAPLS-3). Individuals who met criteria for PTSD were compared to those who did not meet criteria for PTSD on demographic, symptom and functional variables. Results: Individuals diagnosed with PTSD (N=54) reported more severe overall positive symptoms (p<0.001), negative symptoms (p<0.01), and general symptoms (p<0.001) compared to those without the diagnosis (N=639). These symptom differences were primarily accounted for by more grandiose (p<0.01) and perceptual symptoms (p<0.04), decreased experience of emotions (p<0.01) and occupational functioning (p<0.03), sleep disturbance (p<0.01), dysphoric mood (p<0.002) and impaired tolerance to stress (p<0.001) in those with PTSD. A diagnosis of PTSD was not associated with a greater rate of psychotic conversion or greater functional deficits. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a diagnosis of PTSD is associated with more severe overlapping symptoms in individuals meeting the criteria for CHR but not psychotic conversion. Our findings underscore the importance of recognizing and treating comorbid psychiatric conditions including PTSD in CHR populations as a means of reducing symptoms and improving outcome.

Microbial residue carbon (MRC) is an important source of soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and plays a vital role in the accumulation and retention of SOC. Vegetation restoration is an effective strategy to restore degraded lands. However, there are no studies on how MRC in the profile changes with vegetation restoration. We evaluated MRC (using amino sugars) accumulation and its contribution to SOC in different soil depths (0-20, 20-50, and 50-100 cm) during vegetation restoration in a severely eroded forest (CK), a restored forest (as ecological restoration management), an orchard (as development management model), and a secondary forest (as ideal control). Microbial biomarkers were extracted from soil profiles and used to measure microbial diversity and microbial community composition (using 16S rRNA). Vegetation restoration, soil depth, and their interaction with each other significantly affected MRC, fungal residue carbon (FRC), and bacterial residue carbon (BRC) contents. The MRC content showed an increasing trend for the four vegetation restoration models in the following order: CK < orchard < restored forest < secondary forest. Furthermore, the contribution of MRC to SOC increased with the increasing soil depth for the restored forest. The rapid accumulation of MRC was substantially influenced by SOC, total nitrogen content, soil pH, bacterial and fungal diversity, bacterial phylum, and fungal phylum. In conclusion, the model of vegetation restoration and soil depth play important roles in the accumulation of soil microbial residue carbon in a red soil erosion area. These findings are pivotal for improving our mechanistic understanding of microbial regulation of SOC preservation during vegetation restoration of a degraded ecosystem.

Diversification through crop rotations, the third principle defining Conservation Agriculture (CA), is key to supporting more diverse above-ground arthropod populations. Furthermore, due to the higher demand for crop production, CA farming systems must focus on supporting natural services that can support yield and decrease the demand for external agrochemical inputs. The crop rotation sequence could play a role in supporting different groups of organisms, thereby promoting the sustainability of whole cropping systems. The objectives of this study were to investigate two crop rotation system treatments (i.e., A: Wheat-Wheat-Wheat-Wheat and G: Canola-Medics-Wheat-Medics) as part of a larger long-term trial on a CA farming system located in a wheat producing region of South Africa. Each phase of the crop rotation sequence was represented each year for crop rotation system G. Arthropods were sampled using two sampling methods (i.e., pitfall and sweep-net sampling) 90 days after plant emergence. The results indicated that diversification through crop rotation positively affected the diversity of above-ground arthropods, depending on the specific sampling method used. Arthropods collected with pitfalls revealed less distinct differences between crop rotation sequences. The sweep-net sampling method indicated more crop-specific differences, which could relate to the specific resources each phase provides within the crop rotation sequence. By investigating each arthropod order separately, the results indicated that diversification through crop rotations had a variable effect on the different arthropod groups. Therefore, our study highlights that different arthropod groups must be investigated to draw conclusions regarding diversification within CA farming systems.

Spiny Babbler is the only endemic bird of Nepal but there are very limited studies on population status, distribution pattern and habitat characteristics preferred by this species. So, we conducted a field survey in the Lwang Ghalel Village of Annapurna Conservation Area located in Western Nepal which is one of the prominent habitats of Spiny Babbler to estimate the population, prepare a distribution map and assess the habitat characteristics preferred by it. We used the point count method to estimate its population while the distribution map was prepared using Arcmap; a GIS software, by plotting the geographic coordinates taken with hand held GPS. A binomial distribution model with a logit link function was deployed to determine the habitat preferences of the species by testing nine predetermined habitat variables. Out of 130 sampling points, Spiny Babbler was recorded from 46 points with an additional 6 opportunistic sightings resulting total estimated population of 129 individuals. From the distribution map, we found that it mostly preferred scrubland habitats. Among the nine habitat variables, six different variables including aspect (χ27,119 = 21.7895; p = 0.0027), habitat types (χ25,114 = 18.7608; p = 0.0021), number of shrub individuals (χ21,113 = 7.0083; p = 0.0081), distance to water body (χ21,128 = 9.4116; p = 0.0021), distance to road (χ21,127 = 6.4807; p = 0.0109) and presence or absence of cattle grazing (χ21,126 = 10.0881; p = 0.0014) have significant influence in the sighting probability of the species within the study area. With this study, we have established baseline information about the habitat preference of Spiny Babbler however there is still large gap to be fulfilled to understand the species ecology. Therefore, detailed and regular studies on the species behavior and ecology of all seasons should be carried out in the study area and other regions.

Excessive beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus are established as a primary electrophysiological biomarker for motor impairment in Parkinson’s disease and are currently used as feedback signals in adaptive deep brain stimulation systems. However, there is still a need for optimization of stimulation parameters and the identification of optimal biomarkers that can accommodate varying patient conditions, such as ON and OFF levodopa medication. The precise boundaries of “pathological” oscillatory ranges, associated with different aspects of motor impairment, are still not fully clarified. In this study, we hypothesized that analyzing periodic and aperiodic components of subthalamic nucleus activity separately and identifying functionally distinct subranges within 8-35 Hz based on oscillatory properties may reveal robust biomarkers for specific aspects of motor impairment. We analyzed subthalamic nucleus activity of 14 patients with Parkinson’s disease. Local field potentials were recorded at rest from externalized electrodes postoperatively, both before and after levodopa administration. We showed that levodopa administration suppressed oscillations across a broad frequency range (11-32 Hz) and increased the slope of the aperiodic component. Changes in the aperiodic slope correlated with motor symptom alleviation. Periodic activity was linked to motor symptom severity: peak amplitude within the 14-20 Hz range correlated with overall motor impairment in the OFF state, while the 7-11 Hz range was associated with bradykinesia in the ON state. Our findings suggest that, in addition to low beta, alpha oscillations and the aperiodic component may serve as promising biomarkers for motor impairment and potential feedback signals in adaptive DBS systems.

In the Baluchistan province of Pakistan, Ziarat and Sherani districts hold significant economic potential for plant cultivation, yet they face severe environmental challenges, including illegal tree cutting, forest fires, and plant diseases. The first part of our comprehensive study, using advanced technology like Landsat 8–9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery from 2013 and 2022 and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has revealed alarming statistics: 99% of the vegetation land cover consists of dead plants, 97% are categorized as unhealthy, and very healthy plants are extinct. Projections indicate that moderately healthy plants will disappear in 3 years in Sherani and 6 years in Ziarat. The second part of our study focuses on early disease detection, especially for exotic tree species like olive as Ziarat and Sherani districts are rich in exotic tree species such as pine nut, juniper, and wild olive. We utilized advanced deep-learning techniques and a dataset comprising 5,334 olive leaf images, including those affected by Aculus Olearius and Olive Peacock Spot diseases, in addition to healthy leaves. Innovative transfer learning models such as Inception V3, Inception Resnet V2, MobileNet, and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have been applied to enhance disease identification accuracy. The results highlight the promise of these technologies in early disease detection, with MobileNet demonstrating exceptional performance by reducing execution time through the strategic use of fewer training epochs, achieving a 99% accuracy rate for binary classification and 97.6% for multiclass classification, along with the highest F1 score of 99.4. These findings underscore the urgent need to preserve plant health, protect vegetation, and safeguard species, highlighting the importance of biodiversity and forest conservation in critical regions. Keywords: Environmental challenges, Vegetation health, Disease detection, Deep learning models, Biodiversity conservation

Biochemical and evolutionary interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (‘mitonuclear interactions’) are proposed evolutionary drivers of sexual reproduction, sexual selection, adaptation, and speciation. We investigated the role of pre-mating isolation in maintaining functional mitonuclear interactions in wild populations bearing diverged proposed co-adapted mitonuclear genotypes. Two lineages of eastern yellow robin Eopsaltria australis—putatively climate-adapted to ’inland’ and ‘coastal’ climates—differ by ~7% of mitochondrial DNA positions, whereas nuclear genome differences are concentrated into a sex-linked region enriched with genes with mitochondrial functions. This pattern can be explained by female-linked selection accompanied by male-mediated gene flow across the narrow hybrid zone where the two lineages coexist. It remains unknown whether lineage divergence is driven by intrinsic incompatibilities (particularly in females, under Haldane’s rule), extrinsic incompatibilities, both, or other drivers. We tested whether lineage divergence could be facilitated by non-random mate-pairing with respect to partners’ mitolineage or nuclear Z sex-chromosome DNA sequences, which differ between the lineages. We used field-, Z-linked-, and mitolineage data from two locations where the lineages hybridize, to test whether females mate disproportionately with (1) males of their own mitolineage and/or bearing similar Z-linked variation, as might be expected if hybrids experience intrinsic incompatibilities, or (2) putatively locally-adapted males, as expected under environmental selection. Comparing field observations with simulations provided no evidence of non-random mating, thus the observed patterns consistent with reduced female gene flow likely occur post-mating. Future tests of female-biased mortality at different life stages and habitat selection may clarify any mechanisms of selection.

Background: Inter-genogroup reassortment of Rotavirus A (RVA) strains has highlighted the spread of unusual RVA strains worldwide. We previously reported the equine-like G3 RVA as predominant strains in Indonesia in 2015-2016. However, since July 2017, typical human genotypes G1 and G3 have replaced these strains completely. To understand how dynamic changes in RVA occur in Indonesia, we performed a detailed epidemiological study. Main body: A total of 356 stool specimens were collected from hospitalized children in Sidoarjo, Indonesia between 2018 and 2022. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all 26 RVA-positive samples using next-generation sequencing. Twenty-four samples were determined to be the unusual RVA G9P[4], while 2 were G9P[6]. Detailed analysis revealed that seven G9P[4] strains had the typical DS-1-like backbone, while the other strains exhibited a double-reassortant profile (G9-N1) on the DS-1-like backbone. The Bayesian evolutionary analyses suggested that the Indonesian G9P[4] strains share a common ancestor with previously reported G9P[4] strains in the VP7 and VP4 genes. Conclusions: G9P[4] DS-1-like strains were identified as the predominant genotype in Indonesia in 2021 for the first time. These results suggest that the G9P[4] strains were generated from the previous G9P[4] strains that had undergone further intra-reassortments with the other circulating strains.

Background: Individuals with psychosis symptoms are at high risk for suicidality. The prevalence and correlates of suicidality in clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) have yet to be clarified. This study reports on the prevalence and clinical correlates of suicidality in a clinical CHR-P sample. Method: Participants (n = 135) included CHR-P clients at a CHR-P community specialty clinic, who participated in a clinical assessment between 2017 and 2022. Assessments measured attenuated psychosis symptoms, suicidality, clinical covariates, and functioning. Frequency analyses assessed the prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts and T-test and Chi-square identified clinical correlates. Logistic regression assessed the relationship between significant clinical correlates and lifetime suicide attempts. Results: Sixty five percent of participants at CHR-P endorsed lifetime suicidal ideation, while 22.2% reported at least one lifetime attempt. Correlates for lifetime suicidal ideation included self-reported gender expansive identity, hopelessness, depression, trauma, obsessive compulsive symptoms, insight: reflectiveness, trauma diagnoses, mood disorder diagnoses, and perceptual abnormalities/hallucinations. Significant correlates for lifetime suicide attempts included self-reported hopelessness, depression, trauma diagnosis and mood disorder diagnosis. Conclusion: CHR-P clients are at a higher risk for suicidal ideation and attempts compared to the general population. Correlates of suicidality may be diagnostically heterogeneous and therefore interventions should be tailored to specific clinical needs. Clients with trauma-disorder diagnoses may be at highest risk for suicidality. Continued intervention and longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal risk factors and establish evidence-based treatments for suicidality in CHR-P.

Background: Epiglottitis is an uncommon upper airway pathology characterized by inflammation and swelling of the epiglottal mucosa and/or subepiglottal tissues. Only one report exists in the literature of epiglottitis in horses, which documents the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the condition. Objectives: To describe the evaluation, treatment, and outcome of thoroughbred and standardbred racehorses diagnosed with epiglottitis at our hospital. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the efficacy of inhaled and topical anti-inflammatories for this condition. Study design: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records (2009-2023) were reviewed for racehorses treated for epiglottitis. Data collected included signalment, history, endoscopic findings, treatment progression, hospitalization duration, and any reason for re-admission. Race records were obtained to determine days to first race, earnings, and career length. Horses were classified into three groups based on the severity of the epiglottitis. Results: Presenting complaint, interpretation of the endoscopic examination, treatment, progression and outcome were recorded. Of the 24 horses included, 16 were referred for surgical correction of epiglottic entrapment. Other reasons for referral included dysphagia and upper respiratory stridor. Horses were treated with systemic, topical and inhaled anti-inflammatories. Hospitalization ranged from 1 to 43 days. Time to first race ranged from 18 to 175 days. Twenty-two horses returned to racing; Eight horses were re-admitted, including six for recurrent epiglottitis and two for other airway pathologies. Main limitations: The major limitations include those inherent to a retrospective report. The results would be stronger with higher case numbers. Additionally, we did not have sufficient numbers to compare outcomes of horses treated with inhaled medications versus those that were not. Racehorses inevitably develop other racing-related problems which confound studies of this nature. Conclusions: Epiglottitis is an uncommon upper airway pathology that, when properly diagnosed, can be treated successfully with a good prognosis for return to athletic function.