The return of Phineas Gage: clues about the brain from the skull of a famous patient.
Hanna Damaslo, T. Grabowski, R. Frank
et al.
When the landmark patient Phineas Gage died in 1861, no autopsy was performed, but his skull was later recovered. The brain lesion that caused the profound personality changes for which his case became famous has been presumed to have involved the left frontal region, but questions have been raised about the involvement of other regions and about the exact placement of the lesion within the vast frontal territory. Measurements from Gage's skull and modern neuroimaging techniques were used to reconstitute the accident and determine the probable location of the lesion. The damage involved both left and right prefrontal cortices in a pattern that, as confirmed by Gage's modern counterparts, causes a defect in rational decision making and the processing of emotion.
Aphid-ResNetSwin: An Image Recognition Method with Improved Attention Mechanism for Graded Identification of <i>Myzus persicae</i>
Jinzhou Luo, Jiazhao Sun, Xiaoli Hao
et al.
<i>Myzus persicae</i> is the most devastating piercing-sucking pest threatening tobacco production. Precise quantification of infestation severity is a prerequisite for precision pest management, making the integration of visual image analysis highly essential for efficient management. Current computer vision models in modern agriculture are primarily designed for classifying various pest species, and there is a lack of image-driven analytical tools for assessing the severity of damage inflicted by a single target pest. To supplement existing analytical tools and enable the graded recognition of tobacco aphid (<i>M. persicae</i>) infestation levels, we propose the Aphid-ResNetSwin model. This model is constructed by integrating a Global Channel-Spatial Attention module (a specialized attention mechanism) into the well-established InceptionResNetV2 architecture. Performance evaluation results demonstrated that the Aphid-ResNetSwin model achieved a graded recognition accuracy of 89.11%. Compared with widely adopted mainstream baseline models in computer vision, such as MobileNetV3, SwinTransformer, and InceptionResNetV2, our proposed model exhibited superior performance in recognition accuracy. Furthermore, the classification accuracy of our model for <i>M. persicae</i> infestation across all severity levels was significantly higher than that of manual identification, with the exception of healthy leaves. Collectively, our findings indicate that the Aphid-ResNetSwin model provides a robust tool for the graded recognition of <i>M. persicae</i> infestation, offering valuable model-based support for the precision control of aphids in tobacco fields.
Investigation of Shadow Effects in Reflective Ultrasonic Anemometers Based on Particle Image Velocimetry and Computational Fluid Dynamics
H. B. Li, M. H. Lin, Y. Liu
et al.
To address the measurement instability of reflective ultrasonic anemometers in complex wind fields, this study systematically investigates the mechanisms by which shadow effects caused by transducers and reflector support pillars affect measurement accuracy under varying wind speeds and directions. By integrating particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, 1:1 and 1:2 scale models are employed to reveal the flow field characteristics and error mechanisms. The results indicate that at a wind direction of 0°, wall-following vortices and turbulent wakes generated by transducer structures cause systematic wind speed deviations along the measurement paths. At a 45° wind direction, flow disturbances around the support pillars become the dominant source of shadow effects. The 1:1 scale model exhibits insufficient decay of large-scale, low-frequency turbulent energy, resulting in the accumulation of turbulent kinetic energy and significant wind speed errors at 0°. In contrast, the 1:2 scale model enables efficient energy transfer through high-frequency, small-scale vortices, enhances vortex intensity uniformity, and achieves improved spatial homogeneity in cross-wind measurement errors. These findings provide an important theoretical foundation for improving the high-precision measurement performance of reflective ultrasonic anemometers in complex wind environments.
Mechanical engineering and machinery
Immune dysregulation in ulcerative colitis: pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of traditional Chinese medicine
Xudong Tang, Yilin Huang, Ying Zhu
et al.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized primarily by immune dysregulation. Its pathogenesis involves multiple factors, including dysregulation of T-cell subsets, hypersecretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, imbalance in the gut microbiota, and disruption of the intestinal barrier. Among T-cell subsets, abnormal activation of Th1 and Th17 cells, in conjunction with Treg dysfunction, significantly amplifies local pro-inflammatory signals. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17, exacerbate apoptosis and disrupt tight junctions (TJs) in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), thereby creating favorable conditions for invasion by pathogenic bacteria and their metabolites. Intestinal microecological imbalance not only leads to significant alterations in the structure of the bacterial flora but also involves abnormal fluctuations in its metabolites that directly regulate intestinal immune homeostasis, a factor closely associated with the severity of inflammation and prognosis of ulcerative colitis. Recent studies have demonstrated that in the treatment of UC, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) achieves a multi-target, multi-pathway integrated intervention by regulating immune cell differentiation, balancing inflammatory factor levels, repairing the intestinal epithelial barrier, and remodeling the structure of the bacterial flora. This article reviews the pathogenic mechanisms underlying immune dysregulation in UC and the advances in research on TCM’s role in immune regulation, anti-inflammatory repair, and flora modulation, encompassing the mechanisms of action of individual active ingredients and classic TCM compound formulas. Although some studies have preliminarily confirmed TCM’s potential to modulate immunity and repair the intestinal barrier, breakthroughs in mechanism analysis, herb standardization, and large-scale validation remain forthcoming. It is anticipated that the unique advantages of TCM will be translated into a more precise therapeutic strategy for UC through modern molecular and systems biology approaches.
„Tesat do kamene…“ Ženy, muži a děti na světských náhrobcích českého raného novověku (1500–1650) na příkladu Prahy
Eva Jarošová
The paper discusses the sepulchral art produced in 1500–1650 in Bohemia, especially in Prague, analysing the iconography of secular nobles and burghers in the context of early modern funerary sculpture. It explores the changes in funerary iconography, which depended on the deceased’s social status and profession. It also pays special attention to the depiction of women and children on tombstones, which reflected not only aesthetic norms but also religious and social conventions. It shows that tomb sculpture functioned not only as a memorial artefact, but also as a medium for self-presentation and visual communication that provided legitimacy to family claims and reflected contemporary conceptions of virtue, power, and eschatology.
History of Central Europe
The Paradigm Shift in the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s Financial Integration Post-FTA and CPEC
Abdul Wahid, Muhammad Zubair Mumtaz
This paper examines whether regional connectivity causes return and volatility spillovers and the co-movement of stock exchanges to shift from international to regional markets. Using the China-Pakistan free trade agreement (FTA) of 2006 and the China-Pakista Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement to represent events of regional connectivity, we test this proposition based on data for two regional stock exchanges (the Pakistan Stock Exchange and Shenzhen StockExchange) and two global markets (the FTSE 100 and Nasdaq). We divide the convergence and co-integration of the stock markets into three phases: overall sample (2001–17), pre-FTA and post-FTA, and pre-CPEC and post-CPEC. Applying a GARCH (1, 1) model, co-integration, Granger causality andseasonality, we find that regional connectivity causes return and volatility spillovers and co-movements in the Pakistan Stock Exchange to shift from international markets to regional markets.
Modern approaches to the use of Berberis Thunbergii cultivars for sustainable landscape design
O. O. Gololobova, V. V. Gololobov
Purpose. For the purposes of sustainable landscape design of the urban space, to substantiate new modern nature-oriented solutions for the use of dwarf cultivars of the Berberis Thunberg species.
Methods. Visual assessment, computer modeling and visualization.
Results. One of the aspects of realizing the goals of sustainable development, namely Sustainable development of cities and communities, is the rationalization of living space in cities. An integral part of this process is the aesthetic arrangement of territories, which ensures sustainable landscape design. The design of flower arrangements, flower beds can and should change, be updated, absorb new things. One of the ways of realizing such a context when creating permanent flower beds is the use of metal frame structures, which solve the task of creating a contrast with the colors of decorative plant compositions. The choice of the color of the metal frame should be subject to the thematic and landscape context. In order to give graphicness to decorative plant compositions from cultivars of Berberis thunbergii species, the expediency of horizontal contouring of the plant ornament with metal structures with a width of contour lines of 3–5% of the linear dimensions of the structure is shown. Modeling of structures was carried out using the program Realtime Landscaping Architect 2023.02, Trial Free Version. The use of the color solution, shape, texture of the modeled structures, the use of contour lighting of the decorative-but-foliage installation is substantiated. Cultivars of Berberis Thunberg are given, which are appropriate for use, the life span of which can reach 50 years under the conditions of performing the necessary minimum care.
Conclusions. The creation of permanent, aesthetically expressive flower beds and flower beds involves not only the use of environmentally friendly materials, but also the choice of local or adaptive decorative cultivars that provide all-season decorativeness, the absence of the need for annual renewal of plant material, artificial watering, and the creation of a habitat for pollinators and birds The use of cultivars of the Berberis Thunberg species contributes to the creation of stable flower beds that are able to preserve their decorative characteristics for a long time.
The most harmoniously proposed compositions will be revealed in the presence of dynamic visual points, a deep perspective and a panoramic view.
Statistical Analysis and Forecasting of Gender Asymmetry Indexes in the Labor Market of the Orenburg Region
L. V. Zolotova, L. V. Portnova
The labor market in Russia and its regions operates in an unstable socio-economic situation, which can contribute to the emergence of gender disproportion. The study of gender asymmetry is considered the most popular direction during periods of “economic shocks”, since this kind of instability increases the inequality of men and women in various spheres of life. The state of turbulence in which the labor market of Russia as a whole and each of its regions is located contributes to the adaptation of each of its segments to new forms of work. This study examines the results of an analysis of the structure and trends in the dynamics of indexes of employment and unemployment of the male and female population in the Orenburg region for 2016-2021. The choice of the time frame is justified by the uneven development of both the world and the Russian economy. Modern economic realities, in which the labor market exists and develops as a country as a whole and its regions, experiencing a number of shocks, determine the scientific novelty of the issues under consideration.Purpose of the study. The main idea of the work done is the possibility of using the methods of economic and statistical analysis to study dynamic differences in gender structures according to various characteristics, development directions that determine gender asymmetry in the labor market of the Orenburg region, and predict its main indexes for the medium term.Materials and methods. The information base of the study was the statistical information of Orenburgstat, which characterizes gender asymmetry in the labor market of the Orenburg region. To achieve this goal, a set of methods of economic and statistical analysis was applied, including the calculation of indexes of the structure and structural differences, dynamics, identifying trends, forecasting, as well as presenting the results of the study using tables and figures.Results. According to the results of the study, an average portrait of a busy and carefree person by gender was compiled. The characteristics of the male and female population in the labor market of the Orenburg region in 2021 compared to 2016 are highlighted. The study of structural differences was carried out according to the criterion of V. Ryabtsev, during which it was noted that there were no significant changes in the structures of employed men and women. A significant level of differences characterizes the age structure of unemployed men and women in 2021 compared to 2016, as well as the structure of unemployed men by level of education.The study made it possible to assert that in the dynamics of indexes characterizing gender inequality in the labor market of the Orenburg region, unstable changes are observed. The study tested the hypothesis of the presence/absence of trends in the time series of indexes characterizing gender asymmetry in the labor market of the region. For this purpose, one of the modifications of the series criterion was used. The assumption that there is no trend in the dynamics series under consideration has not been confirmed, therefore, the trend exists. Taking into account this circumstance, trend models were constructed, among which, according to the best statistical characteristics, secondorder polynomial models were selected. With the help of the selected polynomials of the second degree, it was determined that in the dynamics of employment and unemployment indexes of the male and female population, downward trends of change prevail. Further, their prospective indexes were calculated.Conclusion. The study made it possible to analyze the main vectors that are emerging in the field of employment and unemployment in the regional labor market by gender, and to predict their main indexes for the medium term. In the dynamics of the number of both male and female labor force in the Orenburg region, unstable trends will be observed in the future. The number of women employed in the region’s economy will grow; the number of unemployed women will decrease. In the forecast period, the number of employed men in the economy of the Orenburg region will change under the influence of a downtrend. The number of unemployed men in the period from 2023 to 2025 will tend to decrease.
Haemorrhoidal artery ligation compared to alternative surgical techniques for the treatment of grade II-IV haemorrhoids: A systematic review
Dayna van de Hoef, Aisling Hogan
Background. Haemorrhoidal disease is a common disorder in the Western
World that commonly requires surgical treatment, but original open
techniques were associated with significant complications and pain.
Haemorrhoidal Arterial Ligation (HAL) has gained popularity for relatively
low complication and postoperative pain rates. This review assesses clinical
outcomes of this technique in comparison to alternative modern techniques.
Methods. The literature was searched on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google
Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. Search terms: dearterialization,
artery ligation, mucopexy, recto-anal repair. Inclusion criteria: RCTs,
original publications, grade II, III and/or grade IV haemorrhoids, elective
procedures. Exclusion criteria: non-English, non-adults, published pre-2016.
Results. 14 RCTs were included in the systematic review. HAL performed
poorly in terms of recurrence, with a pooled recurrence rate of 10.34% for
grade III haemorrhoids. HAL had a similar recurrence rate to Procedure for
Prolapse and Haemorrhoids. Pain was comparable between groups.
Conclusion. HAL is a safe surgical technique for the treatment of grade II to
grade IV haemorrhoids. It still has a relatively low complication rate, and pain
scores are comparable to other non-invasive techniques, and superior to open
techniques. HAL still performs poorly in terms of recurrence rates. New
modified procedures including suture-mucopexy only and tissue-selecting
techniques appear to have better therapeutic potential.
Analysis of current attacks on the CAN bus and development of a new solution to detect these types of malicious threats
Karrouchi Mohammed, Rhiat Mohammed, Nasri Ismail
et al.
The majority of modern vehicles have electronic control units (ECUs) in charge of controlling their functions. These ECUs communicate with one another using the CAN (Controller Area Network) communication protocol. This practical bus offers great transfer of data quality by enabling wide propagation that quickly reaches all sections of a vehicle. Unfortunately, this specific protocol places little focus on security, making the CAN bus control system susceptible. This is owing to its ease of physical or remote access and lack of confidentiality. This vulnerability makes it feasible to take control of the vehicle and endanger the safety of the passengers. The main objective of this work is to present the current existing vulnerabilities of the CAN Bus, to discuss a practical demonstration of hacking as well as to propose a technique to fight against these malicious actions, and all this by practical demonstrations on a DACIA Lodgy and Sandero 2014 vehicles.
Management of Parkinson's disease through Ayurvedic approach: A case report
Geetika Dharmani, Deepika Bhardwaj
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disease with insidious onset and slow progression. It is a neurologic condition that causes motor manifestations, namely, bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, flexed posture, and nonmotor symptoms such as depression and dementia. PD can be correlated with Kampavata in Ayurveda based on similar symptomatology. The modern treatment provides some symptomatic relief but no proven means of slowing progression have yet been found. This present case is of a 72-year-old male patient who presented with complaints of tremors in both hands, and difficulty in speech and movement for 11 months which was increasing progressively and was hindering his routine activities. He was administered Kapikachhu and Ashwagandha for 60 days with follow-up after every 20 days. In every follow-up, the patient reported significant relief in his symptoms and after two months, he was able to perform his routine activities without any help. Kapikachhu and Ashwagandha are two easily available, noncontroversial Ayurvedic herbs, which can be used in the management of PD.
Other systems of medicine
Screening of the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pandemic Response Box for Discovery of Antivirulent Drug against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Markéta Macho, Subhasish Saha, Grzegorz Konert
et al.
ABSTRACT Resistance development and exhaustion of the arsenal of existing antibacterial agents urgently require an alternative approach toward drug discovery. Herein, we report the screening of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) Pandemic Response Box (PRB) through a cascade developed to streamline the potential compounds with antivirulent properties to combat an opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To find an agent suppressing the production of P. aeruginosa virulence factors, we assessed the potential of the compounds in PRB with quorum sensing inhibitory activity. Our approach led us to identify four compounds with significant inhibition of extracellular virulence factor production and biofilm formation. This provides an opportunity to expand and redirect the application of these data sets toward the development of a drug with unexplored target-based activity. IMPORTANCE The rise of drug-resistant pathogens as well as overuse and misuse of antibiotics threatens modern medicine as the number of effective antimicrobial drugs steadily decreases. Given the nature of antimicrobial resistance development under intense selective pressure such as the one posed by pathogen-eliminating antibiotics, new treatment options which could slow down the emergence of resistance are urgently needed. Antivirulence therapy aims at suppressing a pathogen’s ability to cause disease rather than eliminating it, generating significantly lower selective pressure. Quorum sensing inhibitors are thought to be able to downregulate the production of virulence factors, allowing for smaller amounts of antimicrobials to be used and thus preventing the emergence of resistance. The PRB constitutes an unprecedented opportunity to repurpose new as well as known compounds with cytotoxicity and in vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) profile available, thus shortening the time between compound discovery and medicinal use.
Improved Deconvolution of Mineral Reflectance Spectra
Ronan Rialland, Charles Soussen, Rodolphe Marion
et al.
Reflectance spectroscopy is a widely used technique for mineral identification and characterization. Since modern airborne and satellite-borne sensors yield an increasing number of hyperspectral data, it is crucial to develop unsupervised methods to retrieve relevant spectral features from reflectance spectra. Spectral deconvolution aims to decompose a reflectance spectrum as a sum of a continuum modeling its overall shape and some absorption features. We present a flexible and automatic method able to deal with various minerals. The approach is based on a physical model and allows us to include noise statistics. It consists of three successive steps: first, continuum pre-estimation based on nonlinear least-squares; second, pre-estimation of absorption features using a greedy algorithm; third, refinement of the continuum and absorption estimates. The procedure is first validated on synthetic spectra, including a sensitivity study to instrumental noise and a comparison to other approaches. Then, it is tested on various laboratory spectra. In most cases, absorption positions are recovered with an accuracy lower than 5 nm, enabling mineral identification. Finally, the proposed method is assessed using hyperspectral images of quarries acquired during a dedicated airborne campaign. Minerals such as calcite and gypsum are accurately identified based on their diagnostic absorption features, including when they are in a mixture. Small changes in the shape of the kaolinite doublet are also detected and could be related to crystallinity or mixtures with other minerals such as gibbsite. The potential of the method to produce mineral maps is also demonstrated.
Ocean engineering, Geophysics. Cosmic physics
Rational maintenance and management of heating networks of the city
Vorobyeva Julia, Zhutaev Igor, Trukhin Yuri
et al.
The solution of specific tasks of management and rational maintenance of energy systems of cities can be ensured by a constantly updated unified urban geographic information system. The article discusses the main possibilities of using geographic information systems to determine the reliability indicators of heat supply networks, increase their efficiency and manageability by the processes of their operation. The analysis of the technical condition of the heat network of the city of Voronezh, the statistics of accidents and repair work on sections of the pipeline. The main shortcomings of the existing reliability accounting system, which does not imply the process of managing repair and restoration work, are identified. The expediency of making operational decisions on the basis of up-to-date information on the condition of sections of the heating network in different areas of the city and different periods of installation and repair is proved. The necessity of creating a constantly updated, updated and updated database of all systems of the city of Voronezh using geographic information technologies is justified. The analysis of factors leading to the need for reconstruction of heat supply systems is carried out. It has been established that the most common reasons leading to the need for reconstruction of heat supply systems are: change in the number of connected consumers; change in flow, temperature or pressure in the heating network; mismatch of energy indicators of the system with modern requirements.
Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents: Advances in pathology, diagnosis, and treatment strategies
Adil Abdelhameed Abbas, Hatim Qasim Almaghraby
Strategies used for the treatment of children with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) over the last four decades have resulted in excellent long-term survivals. However, the short- and long-term treatment-associated morbidities were high. In an attempt to reduce complications, the current treatment strategies apply initial risk stratification principles based on certain host and tumor risk factors to help assign patients to the appropriate risk group and tailor therapy based on response to chemotherapy (CTR). Radiotherapy (RT) was only given to certain groups of patients who show suboptimal response to CTR. Enrollment of patients in clinical trials allowed testing newer treatment strategies, which has improved the outcome significantly. High-dose CTR with stem cell support remains the mainstay of treatment for relapsed and refractory HL. Newer targeted medications are being increasingly used for the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory HL, but results are variable. In this review report, we give extensive account about the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, histopathological diagnosis, modern investigation techniques, the most recent risk adapted treatment strategies, and the use and effect of novel medications. In addition, we discuss in details the short- and long-term therapy-related complications and future prospects in the management of HL.
Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
A Multimodal, Adjustable Sensitivity, Digital 3-Axis Skin Sensor Module
Alexis Carlos Holgado, Tito Pradhono Tomo, Sophon Somlor
et al.
This paper presents major improvements to a multimodal, adjustable sensitivity skin sensor module. It employs a geomagnetic 3-axis Hall effect sensor to measure changes in the position of a magnetic field generated by an electromagnet. The electromagnet is mounted on a flexible material, and different current values can be supplied to it, enabling adjustments to the sensitivity of the sensor during operation. Capacitive sensing has been added in this iteration of the module, with two sensing modalities: “pre-touch” detection with proximity sensing and normal force capacitive sensing. The sensor has been designed to be interconnected with other sensor modules to be able to cover large surfaces of a robot with normal and shear force sensing and object proximity detection. Furthermore, this paper introduces important size reductions of the previous sensor design, calibration results, and further analysis of other sensor characteristics.
Modern Spectrum Analysis
D. Childers
443 sitasi
en
Computer Science
Diary of a children’s home: History of children’s daily life in the 1920s in the memories of eyewitnesses
Ilnara Khanipova
Fragments from the diary notes written by the pedagogical staff of the Kuznechikhinsky Orphanage located in the Spassky Canton of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, dedicated to the daily life of the children's institution pupils, have been published for the first time. The preserved part of the document covers the period from December 31, 1923 to April 17, 1924. The unique narrative source, a collective diary, reveals the activities of teachers and educators in organizing the educational process, shows boys and girls’ work duties, vividly illustrates the life and material support of orphans, reflects the impact of the emerging traditions of the orphanage on the socio-cultural space of the village. The description of orphans’ psycho-emotional experiences related to the death of Vladimir Lenin is of particular interest.
Ethnology. Social and cultural anthropology, Folklore
Mathematics of Physics and Modern Engineering
I. S. Sokolnikoff, R. Redheffer
431 sitasi
en
Physics, Mathematics
A modern dictionary of sociology
by George A. Theodorson and Achilles G. Theodorson