The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees: a world-wide literature review

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the training and wellbeing of obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) trainees. The aim of this review is to offer a worldwide overview on its' impact on the mental health of O&G trainees, so that measures can be put into place to better support trainees during the transition back to the 'new normal'.

METHODS

Key search terms used on PubMed and Google Scholar databases include: mental health, COVID-19, O&G, trainees, residents.

RESULTS

Fifteen articles (cumulative number of respondents = 3230) were identified, of which eight employed validated questionnaires (n = 1807 respondents), while non-validated questionnaires were used in seven (n = 1423 respondents). Studies showed that COVID-19 appeared to exert more of a negative impact on females and on senior trainees' mental health, while protective factors included marriage/partner and having had children. Validated and non-validated questionnaires suggested that trainees were exposed to high levels of anxiety and depression. Their mental health was also affected by insomnia, stress, burnout and fear of passing on the virus.

DISCUSSION

This review analyses the global impact of COVID-19 on O&G trainees' mental health, showing a pervasive negative effect linked to fear of the virus. Limited psychological support has led to prolonged issues, hindering patient safety and increasing sick leave. The study underscores the urgency of comprehensive support, particularly in female-dominated fields. Addressing these challenges is crucial for future pandemics, highlighting the need to learn from past mistakes and prioritise mental health resources for trainee well-being during and beyond pandemics.

Standardization of a silver stain to reveal mesoscale myelin in histological preparations of the mammalian brain

BACKGROUND

The brain is built of neurons supported by myelin, a fatty substance that improves cellular communication. Noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now able to measure brain structure like myelin and requires histological validation.

NEW METHOD

Here we present work in small and large biomedical model mammals to standardize a silver impregnation method as a high-throughput histological myelin visualization procedure. Specifically, we built a new staining well plate to increase batch size, and then systematically varied the staining and clearing cycles to describe the staining response curve across taxa and conditions. We compared tissues fixed by immersion or perfusion, mounted versus free-floating, and cut as thicker or thinner slices, with two-weeks of post-fixation.

RESULTS

The staining response curves show optimal staining with a single exposure across taxa when incubation and clearing epochs are held to within 3-9 min. We show that clearing was slower in mounted vs free-floating tissue, and that staining was faster and caused fracturing earlier in thinner sliced and smaller volumes of tissue.

COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS

We developed a batch processing approach to increase throughput while ensuring reproducibility and demonstrate the optimal conditions for fine myelinated fiber morphology visualization with short cycles (<9 minutes).

CONCLUSIONS

We present our optimized protocol to reveal mesoscale neuroanatomical myelin content in histology across mammals. This standard staining procedure will facilitate multiscale analyses of myelin content across development as well as in the presence of injury or disease.

Predicting post-treatment symptom severity for adults receiving psychological therapy in routine care for generalised anxiety disorder: a machine learning approach

Approximately half of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) patients do not recover from first-line treatments, and no validated prediction models exist to inform individuals or clinicians of potential treatment benefits. This study aimed to develop and validate an accurate and explainable prediction model of post-treatment GAD symptom severity. Data from adults receiving treatment for GAD in eight Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services (n=15,859) were separated into training, validation and holdout datasets. Thirteen machine learning algorithms were compared using 10-fold cross-validation, against two simple clinically relevant comparison models. The best-performing model was tested on the holdout dataset and model-specific explainability measures identified the most important predictors. A Bayesian Additive Regression Trees model out-performed all comparison models (MSE=16.54 [95 % CI=15.58; 17.51]; MAE=3.19; R²=0.33, including a single predictor linear regression model: MSE=20.70 [95 % CI=19.58; 21.82]; MAE=3.94; R²=0.14). The five most important predictors were: PHQ-9 anhedonia, GAD-7 annoyance/irritability, restlessness and fear items, then the referral-assessment waiting time. The best-performing model accurately predicted post-treatment GAD symptom severity using only pre-treatment data, outperforming comparison models that approximated clinical judgement and remaining within the GAD-7 error of measurement and minimal clinically important differences. This model could inform treatment decision-making and provide desired information to clinicians and patients receiving treatment for GAD.

Scurvy masquerading as IgA vasculitis

BACKGROUND

Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is rare but poses risks for children with poor diets, limited resources, or malabsorption issues. It may also be common in children with restrictive or selective dietary habits in children with global developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and physical disabilities. Symptoms include fatigue, irritability, joint and muscle pain, joint swellings, edema, swollen gums, easy bruising, and delayed wound healing. Early recognition and prompt intervention are essential to prevent the progression of symptomatic vitamin C deficiency in children.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a case of a 13-year-old boy with developmental delay secondary to Lennox Gastaut syndrome referred for suspected recurrent, severe, and atypical IgA vasculitis. He presented with irritability, loss of appetite, petechial and ecchymotic lower limb lesions, unilateral gum swelling, severe arthritis, peripheral oedema, severe weight loss, anaemia, and raised inflammatory markers. Multiple investigations were performed before the diagnosis of scurvy was made. A surgical finding of friable gingival tissue with multiple loose teeth, a skin biopsy with follicular hyperkeratosis and extravasated perifollicular red blood cells, and a typical X-ray finding led to the diagnosis of scurvy.

CONCLUSION

Scurvy should be given careful consideration as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with musculoskeletal issues, mucocutaneous complaints, and constitutional symptoms such as malaise, asthenia, irritability, and loss of appetite. A focused and detailed dietary history looking for a lack of good sources of vitamin C can be an easy indicator of this differential. Imaging studies revealing the typical features can also help make the diagnosis. Pathology of the skin revealing pathognomonic features can add to the certainty of the diagnosis. In the absence of all else, the rapid response to treatment with an appropriate dose of vitamin C has a diagnostic and therapeutic role.

CT-derived radiomics predict the growth rate of renal tumours in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome

AIM

To predict renal tumour growth patterns in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome by utilising radiomic features to assist in developing personalised surveillance plans leading to better patient outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study evaluated 78 renal tumours in 55 patients with histopathologically-confirmed clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs), which were segmented and radiomics were extracted. Volumetric doubling time (VDT) classified the tumours into fast-growing (VDT <365 days) or slow-growing (VDT ≥365 days). Volumetric and diametric growth analyses were compared between the groups. Multiple logistic regression and random forest classifiers were used to select the best features and models based on their correlation and predictability of VDT.

RESULTS

Fifty-five patients (mean age 42.2 ± 12.2 years, 27 men) with a mean time difference of 3.8 ± 2 years between the baseline and preoperative scans were studied. Twenty-five tumours were fast-growing (low VDT, i.e., <365 days), and 53 tumours were slow-growing (high VDT, i.e., ≥365 days). The median volumetric and diametric growth rates were 1.71 cm3/year and 0.31 cm/year. The best feature using univariate analysis was wavelet-HLL_glcm_ldmn (area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC] of 0.80, p<0.0001), and with the random forest classifier, it was log-sigma-0-5-mm-3D_glszm_ZonePercentage (AUC: 79). The AUC of the ROC curves using multiple logistic regression was 0.74, and with the random forest classifier was 0.73.

CONCLUSION

Radiomic features correlated with VDT and were able to predict the growth pattern of renal tumours in patients with VHL syndrome.

Artificial intelligence in age and sex determination using maxillofacial radiographs: A systematic review

In the past few years, there has been an enormous increase in the application of artificial intelligence and its adoption in multiple fields, including healthcare. Forensic medicine and forensic odontology have tremendous scope for development using AI. In cases of severe burns, complete loss of tissue, complete or partial loss of bony structure, decayed bodies, mass disaster victim identification, etc., there is a need for prompt identification of the bony remains. The mandible, is the strongest bone of the facial region, is highly resistant to undue mechanical, chemical or physical impacts and has been widely used in many studies to determine age and sexual dimorphism. Radiographic estimation of the jaw bone for age and sex is more workable since it is simple and can be applied equally to both dead and living cases to aid in the identification process. Hence, this systematic review is focused on various AI tools for age and sex determination in maxillofacial radiographs. The data was obtained through searching for the articles across various search engines, published from January 2013 to March 2023. QUADAS 2 was used for qualitative synthesis, followed by a Cochrane diagnostic test accuracy review for the risk of bias analysis of the included studies. The results of the studies are highly optimistic. The accuracy and precision obtained are comparable to those of a human examiner. These models, when designed with the right kind of data, can be of tremendous use in medico legal scenarios and disaster victim identification.

Emergence of Long-Range Angular Correlations in Low-Multiplicity Proton-Proton Collisions

This Letter presents the measurement of near-side associated per-trigger yields, denoted ridge yields, from the analysis of angular correlations of charged hadrons in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV. Long-range ridge yields are extracted for pairs of charged particles with a pseudorapidity difference of 1.4<|Δη|<1.8 and a transverse momentum of 1 Collapse

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A comparative study between single injection (corner pocket approach) and double injection costoclavicular block: A randomized parallel arm, non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that ultrasound guided costoclavicular block may require a double shot to provide adequate, rapid sensory and motor blockade. In this trial, we hypothesized that if the corner pocket approach (between axillary artery and median cord) is used instead of the central approach (at the midpoint of the 3 cords) when performing single-shot costoclavicular block, the onset of blockade would be non-inferior to the double-shot technique.

METHOD

Ninety patients undergoing upper limb surgery were randomized to 2 groups for ultrasound-guided costoclavicular block (CCB) at a tertiary hospital. One group received ultrasound guided single-shot CCB using the corner pocket approach and other received ultrasound guided double-shot - the first shot at the centre of the 3 cords and the second between the axillary artery and the median cord. An observer blinded to group assignment recorded blockade onset time (defined as the time required to achieve a minimal sensorimotor composite score of 14 out of 16 points).

RESULTS

Of the 101 patients assessed for eligibility, 90 were recruited over period of 1 year (February 2022 to January 2023), with 45 in each group. Onset time was 22.1 ± 3.1 min in the single-shot group and 22.4 ± 2.9 min in the double-shot group. This difference was insignificant (P = .3).

CONCLUSION

Time to onset of blockade and full anaesthesia are similar in single-shot corner pocket CCB vs double-shot CCB. Further studies are required to determine the minimum effective volume of local anaesthetic required for the described technique.

First Measurement of the |t| Dependence of Incoherent J/ψ Photonuclear Production

The first measurement of the cross section for incoherent photonuclear production of J/ψ vector mesons as a function of the Mandelstam |t| variable is presented. The measurement was carried out with the ALICE detector at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, using ultraperipheral collisions of Pb nuclei at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. This rapidity interval corresponds to a Bjorken-x range (0.3-1.4)×10^{-3}. Cross sections are given in five |t| intervals in the range 0.04<|t|<1  GeV^{2} and compared to the predictions by different models. Models that ignore quantum fluctuations of the gluon density in the colliding hadron predict a |t| dependence of the cross section much steeper than in data. The inclusion of such fluctuations in the same models provides a better description of the data.

Isolated Pyomyositis of the Thigh With a Sinus Tract: A Rare Presentation of Tuberculosis

Muscular tuberculosis as a primary focal lesion in an immunocompetent individual without any underlying bone involvement is a rare finding. The authors present a case of a young female in her 30s who presented with complaints of recurrent discharging sinus in the posteromedial aspect of the proximal right thigh for eight months. The patient was treated by surgical debridement followed by antitubercular therapy (ATT) and has shown full recovery during the post-eight-month treatment period. Such a presentation of primary tubercular pyomyositis imposes a diagnostic as well as a therapeutic challenge.

Study of High-Transverse-Momentum Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Vector Boson in the qqbb Final State with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the first study of Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson (V=W or Z) in the fully hadronic qqbb final state using data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137  fb^{-1}. The vector bosons and Higgs bosons are each reconstructed as large-radius jets and tagged using jet substructure techniques. Dedicated tagging algorithms exploiting b-tagging properties are used to identify jets consistent with Higgs bosons decaying into bb[over ¯]. Dominant backgrounds from multijet production are determined directly from the data, and a likelihood fit to the jet mass distribution of Higgs boson candidates is used to extract the number of signal events. The VH production cross section is measured inclusively and differentially in several ranges of Higgs boson transverse momentum: 250-450, 450-650, and greater than 650 GeV. The inclusive signal yield relative to the standard model expectation is observed to be μ=1.4_{-0.9}^{+1.0} and the corresponding cross section is 3.1±1.3(stat)_{-1.4}^{+1.8}(syst)  pb.

Dynamic associations between glucose and ecological momentary cognition in Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition characterized by glucose fluctuations. Laboratory studies suggest that cognition is reduced when glucose is very low (hypoglycemia) and very high (hyperglycemia). Until recently, technological limitations prevented researchers from understanding how naturally-occurring glucose fluctuations impact cognitive fluctuations. This study leveraged advances in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and cognitive ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to characterize dynamic, within-person associations between glucose and cognition in naturalistic environments. Using CGM and EMA, we obtained intensive longitudinal measurements of glucose and cognition (processing speed, sustained attention) in 200 adults with T1D. First, we used hierarchical Bayesian modeling to estimate dynamic, within-person associations between glucose and cognition. Consistent with laboratory studies, we hypothesized that cognitive performance would be reduced at low and high glucose, reflecting cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations. Second, we used data-driven lasso regression to identify clinical characteristics that predicted individual differences in cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations. Large glucose fluctuations were associated with slower and less accurate processing speed, although slight glucose elevations (relative to person-level means) were associated with faster processing speed. Glucose fluctuations were not related to sustained attention. Seven clinical characteristics predicted individual differences in cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations: age, time in hypoglycemia, lifetime severe hypoglycemic events, microvascular complications, glucose variability, fatigue, and neck circumference. Results establish the impact of glucose on processing speed in naturalistic environments, suggest that minimizing glucose fluctuations is important for optimizing processing speed, and identify several clinical characteristics that may exacerbate cognitive vulnerability to glucose fluctuations.

Effect of chemical treatment on physio-mechanical properties of lignocellulose natural fiber extracted from the bark of careya arborea tree

For the first time, the current work has carried out a chemical treatment of a novel ligno-cellulose fiber that is extracted from the bark of an unexplored plant of Careya arborea. Careya arborea (CA), a flowering tree known for its green berries, thrives in the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan. This research was focused on extracting fibers from the bark of the Cary tree for the first time to corroborate the influence of chemical treatment on its different characteristics. These CA fibers have a high proportion of cellulose, consisting of 71.17 wt percent, together with 27.86 wt percent of hemicellulose, and a reduced density of 1140 kg/m3, making them a suitable candidate for creating lightweight applications in a variety of industries. Chemical treatment has done on the cay fiber with the concentrations of NaOH 5 (wt%), 10 (wt%), and 15 (wt%) solution mixture to improve their characteristics. Estimated the difference between Chemically processed and non-processed Cary fibers and corroborated in results. We performed a number of experiments, including FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDAX, AFM, and TGA, to fully comprehend the changing properties. Chemical testing showed that cellulose changed from its non-crystalline state to cellulose, proving that the treatment was successful in changing the fibre structure. Additionally, the thermo-gravimetric examination showed higher thermal stability 248 °C-325 °C and a rise in the crystallinity index, indicating the treated fibers' improved potential for high-temperature applications. The treated Cary fibers exhibited excellent surface properties, promising improved adhesion, mechanical performance, offering lightweight and sustainable solutions for diverse applications.

Measurement of the Centrality Dependence of the Dijet Yield in p+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

ATLAS measured the centrality dependence of the dijet yield using 165  nb^{-1} of p+Pb data collected at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16  TeV in 2016. The event centrality, which reflects the p+Pb impact parameter, is characterized by the total transverse energy registered in the Pb-going side of the forward calorimeter. The central-to-peripheral ratio of the scaled dijet yields, R_{CP}, is evaluated, and the results are presented as a function of variables that reflect the kinematics of the initial hard parton scattering process. The R_{CP} shows a scaling with the Bjorken x of the parton originating from the proton, x_{p}, while no such trend is observed as a function of x_{Pb}. This analysis provides unique input to understanding the role of small proton spatial configurations in p+Pb collisions by covering parton momentum fractions from the valence region down to x_{p}∼10^{-3} and x_{Pb}∼4×10^{-4}.

Multi-organ segmentation of organ-at-risk (OAR's) of head and neck site using ensemble learning technique

INTRODUCTION

This paper presents a novel approach to automate the segmentation of Organ-at-Risk (OAR) in Head and Neck cancer patients using Deep Learning models combined with Ensemble Learning techniques. The study aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of OAR segmentation, essential for radiotherapy treatment planning.

METHODS

The dataset comprised computed tomography (CT) scans of 182 patients in DICOM format, obtained from an institutional image bank. Experienced Radiation Oncologists manually segmented seven OARs for each scan. Two models, 3D U-Net and 3D DenseNet-FCN, were trained on reduced CT scans (192 × 192 x 128) due to memory limitations. Ensemble Learning techniques were employed to enhance accuracy and segmentation metrics. Testing was conducted on 78 patients from the institutional dataset and an open-source dataset (TCGA-HNSC and Head-Neck Cetuximab) consisting of 31 patient scans.

RESULTS

Using the Ensemble Learning technique, the average dice similarity coefficient for OARs ranged from 0.990 to 0.994, indicating high segmentation accuracy. The 95% Hausdorff distance (mm) ranged from 1.3 to 2.1, demonstrating precise segmentation boundaries.

CONCLUSION

The proposed automated segmentation method achieved efficient and accurate OAR segmentation, surpassing human expert performance in terms of time and accuracy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This approach has implications for improving treatment planning and patient care in radiotherapy. By reducing manual segmentation reliance, the proposed method offers significant time savings and potential improvements in treatment planning efficiency and precision for head and neck cancer patients.

Bioprocess optimization for enhanced xylitol synthesis by new isolate Meyerozyma caribbica CP02 using rice straw

The present work models the fermentation process parameters of the newly isolated, Meyerozyma caribbica CP02 for enhanced xylitol production and its fermentability study on rice straw hydrolysate. The study examined the impact of each of the process variables by one variable at a time optimization followed by statistical validation. Temperature of 32 °C, pH of 3.5, agitation of 200 rpm, 1.5% (v/v) inoculum, 80 gL-1 initial xylose was optimized. Subsequently, a sequential two-stage agitation approach was adopted for fermentation. At these optimized conditions, xylitol yield of 0.77 gg-1 and 0.64 gg-1 was achieved using media containing commercial and rice straw derived xylose, respectively. For scale up, in 3L batch bioreactor, the highest xylitol yield (0.63 gg-1) was attained at 72 h with rice straw hydrolysate media containing initial xylose (59.48 ± 0.82 gL-1) along with inhibitors (1.55 ± 0.10 gL-1 aliphatic acids, 0.0.048 ± 0.11 gL-1 furans, 0.64 ± 0.23 gL-1 total phenols). The results imply that even under circumstances characterized by an acidic pH and elevated initial xylose level, M. caribbica CP02, as an isolate, displays robustness and shows favorable fermentability of rice straw hydrolysate. Therefore, isolate CP02 has potential to be used in bio-refineries for high yield xylitol production with minimal hydrolysate processing requirements.

Search for New Phenomena in Two-Body Invariant Mass Distributions Using Unsupervised Machine Learning for Anomaly Detection at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Searches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140  fb^{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded by ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider. The approach involves training an autoencoder on data, and subsequently defining anomalous regions based on the reconstruction loss of the decoder. Studies focus on nine invariant mass spectra that contain pairs of objects consisting of one light jet or b jet and either one lepton (e,μ), photon, or second light jet or b jet in the anomalous regions. No significant deviations from the background hypotheses are observed. Limits on contributions from generic Gaussian signals with various widths of the resonance mass are obtained for nine invariant masses in the anomalous regions.

Measurement invariance and differential item functioning of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 between working age and older adults seeking treatment for common mental disorders

BACKGROUND

The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale are widely used clinically and within research, and so it is important to determine how the measures, and individual items within the measures, are answered by adults of differing ages. This study sought to evaluate measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 between working age and older adults seeking routine psychological treatment.

METHODS

Data of working age (18-64 years old) and older (≥65) adults in eight Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services were used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to establish unidimensionality of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, with multiple-group CFA to test measurement invariance and The Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes Models approach to assess DIF. The employed methods were applied to a propensity score matched (PSM) sample in sensitivity analyses to control for potential confounding.

RESULTS

Data from 166,816 patients (159,325 working age, 7491 older) were used to show measurement invariance for the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, with limited evidence of DIF and similar results found with a PSM sample (n = 5868).

LIMITATIONS

The localised sample creates an inability to detect geographical variance, and the potential effect of unmeasured confounders cannot be ruled out.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the use of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 measures for working age and older adults, both clinically and in research settings. This study validates using the measures for these age groups to assess clinically significant symptom thresholds, and monitor treatment outcomes between them.

Recommended Resting-State fMRI Acquisition and Preprocessing Steps for Preoperative Mapping of Language and Motor and Visual Areas in Adult and Pediatric Patients with Brain Tumors and Epilepsy

Resting-state (rs) fMRI has been shown to be useful for preoperative mapping of functional areas in patients with brain tumors and epilepsy. However, its lack of standardization limits its widespread use and hinders multicenter collaboration. The American Society of Functional Neuroradiology, American Society of Pediatric Neuroradiology, and the American Society of Neuroradiology Functional and Diffusion MR Imaging Study Group recommend specific rs-fMRI acquisition approaches and preprocessing steps that will further support rs-fMRI for future clinical use. A task force with expertise in fMRI from multiple institutions provided recommendations on the rs-fMRI steps needed for mapping of language, motor, and visual areas in adult and pediatric patients with brain tumor and epilepsy. These were based on an extensive literature review and expert consensus.Following rs-fMRI acquisition parameters are recommended: minimum 6-minute acquisition time; scan with eyes open with fixation; obtain rs-fMRI before both task-based fMRI and contrast administration; temporal resolution of ≤2 seconds; scanner field strength of 3T or higher. The following rs-fMRI preprocessing steps and parameters are recommended: motion correction (seed-based correlation analysis [SBC], independent component analysis [ICA]); despiking (SBC); volume censoring (SBC, ICA); nuisance regression of CSF and white matter signals (SBC); head motion regression (SBC, ICA); bandpass filtering (SBC, ICA); and spatial smoothing with a kernel size that is twice the effective voxel size (SBC, ICA).The consensus recommendations put forth for rs-fMRI acquisition and preprocessing steps will aid in standardization of practice and guide rs-fMRI program development across institutions. Standardized rs-fMRI protocols and processing pipelines are essential for multicenter trials and to implement rs-fMRI as part of standard clinical practice.

ψ(2S) Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

The production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity (2.5 Collapse

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Observation of WZγ Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst)  fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06  fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

Highly Fluorescent ZnO Composite of N-doped Carbon Dots From Dregea Volubilis for Fluorometric Determination of Glucose in Biological Samples

A nano-sensor based on N-doped carbon dots (NCDs)@ZnO (NCZ) composite was fabricated and efficacy for detecting glucose from human blood and urine samples in a straightforward manner was examined. The composite was prepared following a green hydrothermal method under ambient condition using a novel plant material, Dregea volubilis fruit and structural and optical properties were evaluated using standard techniques. The composite exhibited excellent characteristics including good photostability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and strong fluorescence, with a decent quantum yield of up to 59%. The NCZ composite has been very sensitive and could selectively detect glucose in urine and blood samples. Selective glucose quenching was efficacious at different concentrations of glucose (1-6 mM) and in the pH range of 7-8, limit of detection was 0.25 mM. The potential uses of carbon-based materials have grown, thanks to the excellent sensing/detection capabilities of the NCZ composite as well as the capacity to prevent nanoparticle aggregation, opening up new possibilities for the development of environmentally benign nano-sensors.

Time-resolved X-ray diffraction diagnostic development for the National Ignition Facility

We present the development of an experimental platform that can collect four frames of x-ray diffraction data along a single line of sight during laser-driven, dynamic-compression experiments at the National Ignition Facility. The platform is comprised of a diagnostic imager built around ultrafast sensors with a 2-ns integration time, a custom target assembly that serves also to shield the imager, and a 10-ns duration, quasi-monochromatic x-ray source produced by laser-generated plasma. We demonstrate the performance with diffraction data for Pb ramp compressed to 150 GPa and illuminated by a Ge x-ray source that produces ∼7 × 1011, 10.25-keV photons/ns at the 400 μm diameter sample.

Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass from the H→γγ and H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ Decay Channels with the ATLAS Detector Using sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV pp Collision Data

A measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson combining the H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ and H→γγ decay channels is presented. The result is based on 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector during LHC run 2 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV combined with the run 1 ATLAS mass measurement, performed at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding a Higgs boson mass of 125.11±0.09(stat)±0.06(syst)=125.11±0.11  GeV. This corresponds to a 0.09% precision achieved on this fundamental parameter of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Search for Dark Photons in Rare Z Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon's coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α_{D}ϵ^{2}, in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the ϒ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

Fibrinogen Bonn (p. Arg510Cys) in the Aα-Chain Is Associated with High Risk of Venous Thrombosis

INTRODUCTION

 Inherited dysfibrinogenemia is a qualitative defect of fibrinogen caused by various mutations among three fibrinogen genes. Dysfibrinogenemia can be associated with an increased risk of thrombosis, bleeding, or both. Here, we report a 36-year-old female with dysfibrinogenemia who experienced two successful pregnancies under thromboprophylaxis after cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

 In addition to plasmatic coagulation tests, fibrinogen genes FGA, FGB, and FGG were screened using direct genomic DNA sequencing. The structural-functional implications of the detected mutation were analyzed in silico.

RESULTS

 Inherited dysfibrinogenemia was diagnosed in an index patient after CVST in a risk situation. Anticoagulation with warfarin was stopped after 12 months when the first pregnancy was planned. Pregnancy and spontaneous delivery (2020) was uncomplicated. A second pregnancy was interrupted because of acute cytomegalovirus infection and the third pregnancy was successful in 2022. Pregnancies were accompanied by thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin 40 mg once daily until 6 weeks postpartum. Substitution of fibrinogen has not become necessary in the index patient so far. Genetic analysis revealed a novel missense mutation (p. Arg510Cys) in the FGA gene ("fibrinogen Bonn") in the index patient, as well as an asymptomatic sister, and their father who experienced recurrent pulmonary embolism. Surface exposure of wild-type Arg510 suggested the mutated Cys510 to form nonnative disulfide bonds with surface-exposed reactive cysteines from other plasma proteins like albumin leading to formation of aggregates and impaired fibrinolysis.

CONCLUSIONS

 Fibrinogen Bonn might be associated with an increased risk of thrombosis, possibly due to impaired polymerization.

Comparative genomic diversity analysis of copy number variations (CNV) in indicine and taurine cattle thriving in Europe and Indian subcontinent

Copy number variations (CNVs) include deletions, duplications, and insertions that are larger than 50 bp in size causing structural variation responsible for diversity, adaptation, and breed development. Indian cattle breeds are highly diverse from the taurine breeds. The pattern of CNVRs in 191 animals belonging to 39 cattle breeds (four Indicine and 35 Taurine) was studied based on Illumina 777K BovineHD chip data. The Indicine breeds revealed 2590 CNVs and 335 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) in autosomes. Out of the identified CNVs, 50 were found to be novel. Structure analysis revealed admixed nature of Siri. Neighbor joining tree from CNVR data showed that hot (Kankrej and Hallikar) and cold (Ladakhi and Siri) adapted cattle breeds clustered separately. CNVR of Indian and European breeds revealed that Balkan and Italian breeds of Podolian group are admixed with Indian cattle breeds corroborating indicine introgression (6.1-13.5%). CNVRs spanning the regions of olfactory receptors and immune system genes were identified. AMOVA revealed 9% variation among populations which is 2% greater than SNP based studies showing higher inclusion of variation by CNVR. Detailed analysis of CNVs/CNVRs in Indian cattle adapted to hot and cold climate, and their diversity among worldwide cattle is presented in this study.

Frequency dominates intensity of future heat waves over India

Future changes in heat wave characteristics over India have been analyzed using Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiments (CORDEX) for South Asia (SA) regional climate model simulations for mid-term (2041-2060) and long-term (2081-2099) future under the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. SMHI_CSIRO-MK3.6 was found to be the best model in simulating heat wave trend over India for historical period. Future projections show a four-to-seven-fold increase in heat wave frequency for mid-term and long-term future under RCP 4.5 scenario, and five-to-ten-fold increase under RCP 8.5 scenario with increase in frequency dominating intensity in both the scenarios. Northwestern, Central, and South-central India emerged as future heat wave hotspots with largest increase in the south-central region. This high-resolution regional future projection of heat wave occurrence will serve as a baseline for developing transformational heat-resilient policies and adaptation measures to reduce potential impact on human health, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Measurements of Groomed-Jet Substructure of Charm Jets Tagged by D^{0} Mesons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

Understanding the role of parton mass and Casimir color factors in the quantum chromodynamics parton shower represents an important step in characterizing the emission properties of heavy quarks. Recent experimental advances in jet substructure techniques have provided the opportunity to isolate and characterize gluon emissions from heavy quarks. In this Letter, the first direct experimental constraint on the charm-quark splitting function is presented, obtained via the measurement of the groomed shared momentum fraction of the first splitting in charm jets, tagged by a reconstructed D^{0} meson. The measurement is made in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, in the low jet transverse-momentum interval of 15≤p_{T}^{jet ch}<30  GeV/c where the emission properties are sensitive to parton mass effects. In addition, the opening angle of the first perturbative emission of the charm quark, as well as the number of perturbative emissions it undergoes, is reported. Comparisons to measurements of an inclusive-jet sample show a steeper splitting function for charm quarks compared with gluons and light quarks. Charm quarks also undergo fewer perturbative emissions in the parton shower, with a reduced probability of large-angle emissions.

Observation of Single-Top-Quark Production in Association with a Photon Using the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of single top quarks produced together with a photon, which directly probes the electroweak coupling of the top quark. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Requiring a photon with transverse momentum larger than 20 GeV and within the detector acceptance, the fiducial cross section is measured to be 688±23(stat) _{-71}^{+75}(syst)  fb, to be compared with the standard model prediction of 515_{-42}^{+36}  fb at next-to-leading order in QCD.

Measurement of Suppression of Large-Radius Jets and Its Dependence on Substructure in Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This letter presents a measurement of the nuclear modification factor of large-radius jets in sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV Pb+Pb collisions by the ATLAS experiment. The measurement is performed using 1.72  nb^{-1} and 257  pb^{-1} of Pb+Pb and pp data, respectively. The large-radius jets are reconstructed with the anti-k_{t} algorithm using a radius parameter of R=1.0, by reclustering anti-k_{t} R=0.2 jets, and are measured over the transverse momentum (p_{T}) kinematic range of 158 Collapse

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Measurement of the Sensitivity of Two-Particle Correlations in pp Collisions to the Presence of Hard Scatterings

A key open question in the study of multiparticle production in high-energy pp collisions is the relationship between the "ridge"-i.e., the observed azimuthal correlations between particles in the underlying event that extend over all rapidities-and hard or semihard scattering processes. In particular, it is not known whether jets or their soft fragments are correlated with particles in the underlying event. To address this question, two-particle correlations are measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 15.8  pb^{-1}, in two different configurations. In the first case, charged particles associated with jets are excluded from the correlation analysis, while in the second case, correlations are measured between particles within jets and charged particles from the underlying event. Second-order flow coefficients, v_{2}, are presented as a function of event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These measurements show that excluding particles associated with jets does not affect the measured correlations. Moreover, particles associated with jets do not exhibit any significant azimuthal correlations with the underlying event, ruling out hard processes contributing to the ridge.

Observation of an Excess of Dicharmonium Events in the Four-Muon Final State with the ATLAS Detector

A search is made for potential ccc[over ¯]c[over ¯] tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.

Observation of the γγ→ττ Process in Pb+Pb Collisions and Constraints on the τ-Lepton Anomalous Magnetic Moment with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of τ-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb+Pb→Pb(γγ→ττ)Pb and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a_{τ}. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44  nb^{-1} of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ→ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of μ_{ττ}=1.03_{-0.05}^{+0.06} assuming the standard model value for a_{τ}. To measure a_{τ}, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ→μμ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a_{τ} is -0.057 Collapse

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Prophylaxis for Treatment-Induced Gynecomastia in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Network Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Treatment-induced gynecomastia is a side-effect that can severely limit quality of life in prostate cancer patients. We performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) to comparing the effectiveness of multiple non-surgical prophylactic treatment for gynecomastia.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A systematic review was performed through MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and meeting abstracts to identify randomized controlled trials comparing treatments for treatment-induced gynecomastia. Treatments included radiotherapy (RT), Anastrozole (ANZ), daily Tamoxifen (TMQD), and weekly Tamoxifen (TMQW), compared to no treatment/placebo (NoTx). The primary endpoint was events of gynecomastia development. Odds Ratio (OR) was the effect size of choice. An NMA was used to compare treatments with random-effects model was used. All tests were 2-sided with an alpha of 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies involving 1319 patients were identified with 5 distinct arms: RT (n = 358), ANZ (n = 90), TMQD (n = 321), TMQW (n = 39) and NoTx (n = 511). Gynecomastia occurred in 79.2% (405/511) of patients with NoTx, 65.5% (59/90) with ANZ, 37.7% (135/358) with RT, 19.6% (63/321) with TMQD and 74.4% (29/39) with TMQW. TMQD was significantly better than RT (OR 4.73 [1.53, 14.61]), ANZ (OR 7.21 [2.25,23.06]), TMQW (OR 6.25 [1.07, 36.43]) and NoTx (OR 26.30 [10.42,66.40]). RT were significantly better than NoTx (OR 5.56 [2.58,11.95]), but did not reach significance compared to ANZ (OR 1.52 [0.36, 6.43]) or TMQW (OR 1.32 [0.16, 10.70]). ANZ was significantly better than NoTx (OR 3.65 [1.03,12.93]). TMQW was not significantly better than NoTx. RT, TMQW and ANZ were significantly worse compared to TMQD in terms of preventing gynecomastia development.

CONCLUSION

Daily Tamoxifen was the best prophylactic treatment choice, significantly better than RT, weekly Tamoxifen and Anastrozole. RT, weekly Tamoxifen and Anastrozole were significantly better than No Treatment/Placebo, but not daily Tamoxifen, in terms of prevention of treatment-induced gynecomastia in patients with prostate cancer.

UNDERSTANDING THE ADAPTATION AND SENSITIVITY OF THE MICROBIOME: MICROBIAL RESILIENT AND HUMAN WELL-BEING

The term microbiome describes the assortment of microbes that dwell in and on a person's body, particularly in the gut, comprising fungi, bacteria, infectious agents and additional microbes. According to research, numerous elements of human well-being, such as digestion, immunological response and psychological well-being, have been linked to the microbiome. Preserving human wellness requires knowledge of the microbiome's stability and how it reacts to perturbations. According to preliminary research, adults' microbial ecosystems are considered stable with no signs of significant disturbances. This stability is not preserved by inertia and the system's interaction with restorative forces keeps the processes stable. Short antibiotic doses can result in quick and substantial microbiome alterations. However, there is confirmation that the taxonomic structure of the microbiome has at least recovered after such disruptions. The effect of antibiotics is individualized and can be altered by earlier exposure to a similar drug, which is a crucial aspect to remember. These results suggest that the individual's microbiome has adaptable qualities. Examining the microbiome's reactions to perturbations might be helpful in the prediction of potential instabilities and illness by revealing important features of function, microbial connections, and important species in the native microbiota. This information can benefit the management of the individual microbial community and the promotion of better health conditions.

INNOVATIONS IN FOCUS: MECHANISTIC DISEASE THEORIES, CLIMATE DYNAMICS, AND HOST-PARASITE ADAPTATIONS

Infectious illnesses are predicted to experience a range of intricate responses from climate change, with some likely to rise, others to fall and many expected to undergo changes in prevalence. The study uses extensive data on global temperature variations and infectious illness transmission in people and animals. We now know a lot more about how the temperature changes across the world and whether or not the spread of infectious diseases impacts people as well as animals. Three primary topics of research are investigated in this paper: improving mechanical disease modelling, investigating the role of environmental variation in sickness dynamics, and understanding the consequences of temperature imbalances between parasites and hosts. By incorporating the latest data stemming from these advancements into weather-disease models and bridging critical knowledge gaps, enhancing our ability to forecast the probable effect of rising temperatures on the prevalence of diseases among both human and animal communities is possible. Through the establishment of important information gaps and the incorporation of new findings into models of climate-disease relationships, it will be possible to predict the effects of changes in climatic averages, variations and extremes on people and wildlife health.

Interaction of heavy metals in Drosophila melanogaster larvae: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and single-cell electrophoresis study

The present study evaluates the Murraya Koenigii (CuLE) and Tinospora Crispa (TiSE) antimutagenic effect and the impact of industrial soil and solid waste leachate on Drosophila larvae. Larvae were exposed to leachate prepared at different pH (7, 4.93, 2.88) and treated with TiSE and CuLE at different concentration (4 g/L and 6 g/L) mixed with standard Drosophila medium. Emphasis was given to the binding interaction of heavy metals with proteins in Drosophila. The change in structure and molecular composition in Drosophila by leachate containing heavy metals induced toxicity has been studied by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results from the study demonstrated that CuLE/TiSE administration restored the level of oxidative stress as evidenced by an enhanced antioxidant system and a decrease in lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. The amide I and amide II bands spectral shifting revealed the binding interaction. The shift in the peak of PO2- asymmetric stretching might be due to compositional changes in nucleic acids. Single-cell electrophoresis was performed to detect the DNA damage which also proved to be ameliorated by administration of CuLE/TiSE. The result concludes that CuLE/TiSE may have great potential in the protection of Drosophila larvae from leachate induced oxidative stress through antioxidant and antimutagenic mechanisms this might help to cope with environmental toxicants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Radiation Therapy Generates Release of Microvesicle Particles in Keratinocytes

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Ionizing radiation (IR) exerts both tissue and systemic effects. However, the exact mechanism by which radiation therapy to skin results in local and systemic effects is incompletely defined. Previously our group has reported that IR of tumors results in the generation of the lipid mediator Platelet-activating factor (PAF) which resulted in systemic immunosuppressive effects via activation of regulatory T cells. Since PAF acting on the PAF receptor (PAFR) has been demonstrated to generate high levels of subcellular microvesicle particles (100-1000nm; MVP), and MVP are known to be able to signal systemically, the current studies seek to define whether IR of keratinocyte cells generates MVP, and to define the role of the PAFR in this process. Thus, we examine MVP release in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Moreover, the PAFR-dependency of IR-generated MVP is assessed by use of PAFR-positive KBP and PAFR-negative KBM cells.

MATERIALS/METHODS

HaCaT cells (human keratinocytes), KBM cells (PAFR-negative), and KBP cells (PAFR-positive) were grown in 10cm dishes and treated with IR at either no treatment 0 Gy (NT), 4 Gy and 10 Gy. IR was delivered utilizing a technology company's medical linear accelerator radiotherapy system set up with dosimetry verified by nanodot optical stimulated luminescence (Landauer, Glenwood, IL). Some cell lines were treated with PAFR agonist N-methyl carbamoyl PAF (CPAF) and a phorbol ester TPA, known inducers of MVP release. A set of cells were treated with only 90% DMSO/10% ethanol vehicle in HBSS with BSA. After treatments, cells were incubated for 4 hours prior to extraction of MVPs. MVPs were isolated through centrifuging at 2000G for 20, supernatant was collected, transferred into different tubes, and centrifuged at 20,000 G for 70 mins. MVP was detected using a NanoSight NS300 instrument. MVP concentrations were recorded, and the data was statistically analyzed using Student's t-test (JMP, Cary, NC).

RESULTS

IR treatment of HaCaT cells at various fluences exhibited statistically significant increases in MVP generation when compared to NT. Of note, 4 Gy resulted in the most fluence for MVP release but was not significant. IR treatment of KB cells resulted in MVP release in both KBM and KBP cells at both 4 and 10Gy. Augmented levels of MVP release were noted in KBP over KBM cells with any IR dose suggesting that the presence of the PAFR is involved in MVP release. Testing of inhibitors of the MVP generating enzyme acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) also revealed involvement of this lipid metabolizing enzyme.

CONCLUSION

The present studies indicate that RT can generates MVP production in epithelial cells. The mechanism for IR-generated MVP appears to involve aSMase and the PAFR. Target cell MVP release may provide a mechanism for RT effects, including the release of cytokines that influence systemic and local inflammation. Elucidation of this novel pathway may provide insights into IR effects on skin along with new therapeutic strategies.

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}^{3}H

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)]  ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)]  keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.

First observation of Afromorgus chinensis (boheman, 1858) (Coleoptera: Trogidae) on a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L., 1758) carcass and its implications in forensic entomology

Beetles (Coleoptera) are known to constitute forensic evidence in medico-legal investigations as their presence can be used to date human remains in almost all decomposition stages. Many forensic studies focus on the successional colonization pattern of flies (Diptera); however, beetles have not so far been studied extensively for this aspect. A beetle of the genus Afromorgus Scholtz, 1986, A. chinensis (Boheman, 1858) (Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae), was found beneath a late decaying rabbit carcass at Paya Indah Wetland, Dengkil, Malaysia, for the first time. Both genus and species are already known to occur in Malaysia from literature.

Household food waste and theory of planned behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The darker side of food behavior is that millions of tons of food have been shown the doors of garbage. Therefore, food waste behavior needs an eye to look upon. The purpose of this research is to inculcate the concept of systematic literature review along with meta-analysis in order to examine the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with respect to food waste behavior. The methodology includes Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) that is conducted for the identification, screening, and inclusion of studies. In all, twenty-six independent studies with (N = 13373) met the inclusion criteria. For validating the related literature, random-effects meta-analysis has been applied for ascertaining the average correlation among the variables. More specifically, the present study also examines the sub-group analysis effect among TPB variables. The findings reveal that the strongest association was observed between Attitude and Intention followed by Subjective Norm (SN) and Intention (INT), Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) and Intention, and Intention and Behavior. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis using multi-cultural groups explores the highest composite correlation in the case of other cultural groups that included countries like Canada. The outcomes of the present study seek to serve in the best interest of households, event management stakeholders, and food policy makers.

Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV from ATLAS

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36  nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6  pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02 TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5  GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60 GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4  GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Decays of W Bosons Using a Dilepton Displaced Vertex in sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for a long-lived, heavy neutral lepton (N) in 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is reported. The N is produced via W→Nμ or W→Ne and decays into two charged leptons and a neutrino, forming a displaced vertex. The N mass is used to discriminate between signal and background. No signal is observed, and limits are set on the squared mixing parameters of the N with the left-handed neutrino states for the N mass range 3  GeV Collapse

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Test of CP Invariance in Higgs Boson Vector-Boson-Fusion Production Using the H→γγ Channel with the ATLAS Detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion has been performed in the H→γγ channel using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The optimal observable method is used to probe the CP structure of interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons, as described by an effective field theory. No sign of CP violation is observed in the data. Constraints are set on the parameters describing the strength of the CP-odd component in the coupling between the Higgs boson and the electroweak gauge bosons in two effective field theory bases: d[over ˜] in the HISZ basis and c_{HW[over ˜]} in the Warsaw basis. The results presented are the most stringent constraints on CP violation in the coupling between Higgs and weak bosons. The 95% C.L. constraint on d[over ˜] is derived for the first time and the 95% C.L. constraint on c_{HW[over ˜]} has been improved by a factor of 5 compared to the previous measurement.

Enhanced Deuteron Coalescence Probability in Jets

The transverse-momentum (p_{T}) spectra and coalescence parameters B_{2} of (anti)deuterons are measured in p-p collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV for the first time in and out of jets. In this measurement, the direction of the leading particle with the highest p_{T} in the event (p_{T}^{lead}>5  GeV/c) is used as an approximation for the jet axis. The event is consequently divided into three azimuthal regions, and the jet signal is obtained as the difference between the toward region, that contains jet fragmentation products in addition to the underlying event (UE), and the transverse region, which is dominated by the UE. The coalescence parameter in the jet is found to be approximately a factor of 10 larger than that in the underlying event. This experimental observation is consistent with the coalescence picture and can be attributed to the smaller average phase-space distance between nucleons in the jet cone as compared with the underlying event. The results presented in this Letter are compared to predictions from a simple nucleon coalescence model, where the phase-space distributions of nucleons are generated using pythia8 with the Monash 2013 tuning, and to predictions from a deuteron production model based on ordinary nuclear reactions with parametrized energy-dependent cross sections tuned on data. The latter model is implemented in pythia8.3. Both models reproduce the observed large difference between in-jet and out-of-jet coalescence parameters, although the almost flat trend of the B_{2}^{Jet} is not reproduced by the models, which instead give a decreasing trend.

Antimicrobial Resistance Studies Using Raman Spectroscopy on Clinically Relevant Bacterial Strains

There has been a steep rise in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the past few years. A timely diagnosis can help in initiating appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, conventional techniques for diagnosing antibiotic resistance are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, we investigated the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a rapid surveillance technology for tracking the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we used Raman spectroscopy to differentiate clinical isolates of antibiotic-resistant and -sensitive bacteria of Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterobacter species. The spectra were collected with or without exposure to various antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, meropenem, and nitrofurantoin), each having a distinct mechanism of action. Ciprofloxacin- and meropenem-treated sensitive strains showed a decrease in the intensity of Raman bands associated with DNA (667, 724, 785, 1378, 1480, and 1575 cm^-1) and proteins (640 and 1662 cm^-1), coupled with an increase in the intensity of lipid bands (891, 960, and 1445 cm^-1). Gentamicin- and nitrofurantoin-treated sensitive strains showed an increase in the intensity of nucleic acid bands (668, 724, 780, 810, 1378, 1480, and 1575 cm^-1) while a decrease in the intensity of protein bands (640, 1003, 1606, and 1662 cm^-1) and the lipid band (1445 cm^-1). The Raman spectral changes observed in the antibiotic-resistant strains were opposite to that of antibiotic-sensitive strains. The Raman spectral data correlated well with the antimicrobial susceptibility test results. The Raman spectral dataset was used for partial least-squares (PLS) analysis to validate the biomarkers obtained from the univariate analysis. Overall, this study showcases the potential of Raman spectroscopy for detecting antibiotic-resistant and -sensitive bacteria.