Abstract: Contemporary approaches to comparative national assessment have produced a wide range of indicators measuring governance quality, human development, institutional effectiveness, innovation performance, and state fragility. Although these frameworks have significantly advanced comparative political analysis, they remain primarily oriented toward assessing current conditions, institutional outputs, or accumulated capacities. They provide limited insight into a fundamental question facing political communities in an era of systemic disruption: why do some nations successfully renew themselves while others remain trapped in cycles of decline, fragility, and institutional stagnation?This article introduces the Nationesis Index (NI), a novel composite framework designed to conceptualize and measure national regenerative capacity. Building on complexity theory, adaptive governance, institutional evolution, resilience studies, and theories of collective intelligence, Nationesis conceptualizes nations as complex adaptive political systems capable of learning, reorganizing, innovating, and transforming under conditions of uncertainty. The article develops the theoretical foundations of national regeneration and proposes eight interconnected dimensions of the Nationesis Index: institutional regeneration, cognitive capacity, innovation capacity, social cohesion, adaptive governance, ecological resilience, economic transformation, and symbolic legitimacy.Methodologically, the article presents a framework for index construction based on indicator selection, normalization procedures, multidimensional weighting, composite aggregation, sensitivity analysis, and expert-based validation. A preliminary illustrative application demonstrates the potential of the NI for comparative political analysis while acknowledging the need for further empirical testing. Unlike conventional indices that primarily evaluate how well nations perform at a given moment, the Nationesis Index addresses a different analytical challenge: how capable nations are of regenerating themselves through learning, adaptation, and systemic transformation.By introducing national regeneration as a distinct analytical construct, this article contributes to debates on political development, state capacity, resilience, and adaptive governance. It proposes a new research agenda for understanding nations not only as institutional arrangements but as evolving living systems.

Abstract: Background: Coronary artery calcification complicates percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by promoting stent underexpansion and increasing rates of stent thrombosis, restenosis, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Four principal lesion preparation strategies are available: conventional balloon angioplasty, modified balloons (cutting/scoring), atherectomy (rotational/orbital), and intravascular lithotripsy (IVL). Prior evidence derives largely from pairwise trials; no study has simultaneously compared all four modalities. Methods: A systematic review and frequentist random-effects network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted per Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. Eight studies were included: ROTAXUS, ECLIPSE, BALI, PREPARE-CALC, ROTA-SHOCK, ROLLING STONE, COPS, and ROLLER COASTER-EPIC22. Treatment nodes comprised plain balloon angioplasty, modified balloon (cutting/scoring), atherectomy, and IVL. Procedural, angiographic, and follow-up clinical outcomes were analyzed using odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals. Treatment hierarchy was estimated via P-scores/SUCRA. Prespecified sensitivity and node-splitting analyses assessed robustness and consistency. Results: Across 8 studies and 4 lesion preparation strategies, IVL ranked highest for procedural success (P-score 47.9%) and procedure-related MACE (31.5%), while modified balloon ranked best for minimizing periprocedural MI (P-score 46.2%). Atherectomy was the only strategy associated with a statistically significant increase in coronary perforation risk compared to plain balloon angioplasty (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.08–3.77; p=0.028), with plain balloon ranking most favorably for dissection risk. Procedure-related mortality was comparable across all strategies, with no statistically significant pairwise differences. At follow-up, IVL demonstrated the most favorable profile for all-cause mortality (P-score 89.4%), MI (50.6%), and target lesion revascularization (57.7%), while modified balloon ranked highest for follow-up MACE (58.4%). Sensitivity and node-splitting analyses confirmed robustness and consistency of findings across all endpoints. Conclusion: In this NMA simultaneously comparing all four calcified lesion preparation strategies, IVL and modified balloon techniques demonstrated consistently favorable profiles across procedural efficacy and follow-up ischemic outcomes, while atherectomy was associated with a significantly higher perforation risk. These findings, to be interpreted in the context of moderate certainty evidence and largely non-significant pairwise comparisons, provide a comprehensive comparative framework to guide operator decision-making for heavily calcified coronary lesions.

Abstract: Canine mammary gland tumors are widely recognized as a spontaneous and translational model for breast cancer research. However, the lack of robust ex vivo culture systems capable of preserving tissue architecture and tumor microenvironment limits their experimental use. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize an ex vivo histoculture model of canine mammary tumors using heterologous equine platelet-rich plasma as a culture substrate. Fresh tumor specimens obtained during surgical excision were sectioned and cultured in physiological saline solution or platelet-rich plasma for up to 21 days. Tissue preservation was evaluated through macroscopic inspection, histological assessment, and immunohistochemical analysis of epithelial, mesenchymal, proliferative, and hypoxia–related markers. Tumor explants cultured with platelet-rich plasma showed superior macroscopic integrity, preservation of native tissue architecture, and reduced autolytic changes compared with controls. Immunohistochemical findings demonstrated sustained epithelial and stromal cell integrity, maintained proliferative activity, and limited hypoxic signaling. Overall, platelet-rich plasma provided a biologically supportive microenvironment that prolonged tissue viability ex vivo. This histoculture model represents a cost–effective and ethically refined platform for translational oncology, supporting drug testing, tumor biology studies, and reduction of animal use in accordance with the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement.

Abstract: Scientific fields may fail in two opposing directions. Findings may be translated into stronger causal, clinical, or policy claims than the underlying evidence can support; alternatively, a research program may remain highly productive while repeatedly refining an established signal without addressing the uncertainty that matters most for decisions. This concept paper formalizes these complementary failures as Evidence Drift and Causal Maturation Drift. Evidence Drift is defined as unsupported movement of a finding into a stronger or different inferential domain. Causal Maturation Drift is defined as persistent lateral accumulation within an established or narrow evidentiary domain without proportionate progression toward temporality, mechanism, causal testing, comparative effectiveness, patient-important outcomes, or implementation. Inferential Fidelity is proposed as the governing principle linking claim calibration with purposeful research progression. Applications are illustrated using early childhood caries microbiome research, vitamin D and caries, silver diamine fluoride, biomarker discovery, and artificial-intelligence prediction studies. Two provisional instruments are introduced: an eight-item Evidence Drift Assessment Scale for claims, reviews, guidelines, and policies, and an eight-item Causal Maturation Drift Assessment Scale for literature trajectories and research portfolios. The scales use item-level ratings rather than validated diagnostic thresholds and are intended for structured appraisal, not for ranking researchers or journals. A phased validation program is proposed, involving content validation, cognitive testing, inter-rater reliability, construct testing, bibliometric trajectory mapping, and evaluation of practical utility. The Dual-Drift Framework offers a concise vocabulary for asking not only whether evidence is being carried too far, but also whether research activity is moving the field toward resolution of the questions that matter.

Abstract: The fractional Fourier transform and the reversible scale-shift, or zoom, are exhibited as two facets of one finite cyclic rotation in representation space, exact over the arithmetic symmetry shells defined over finite fields. Three results share the shell's meridian cycle. A native fractional Fourier family is additive in the meridian index, takes the Fourier quarter-turn, parity, and inverse quarter-turn as its cardinal values, and is faithful on the full cycle. A finite-field Weil realization matches this family on the cardinal Fourier skeleton. A reversible meridian-step scale-shift recasts framed-rational refinement as a coordinate-side rotation. Under a declared cyclotomic observer readout the spatial and spectral bases form a mutually unbiased pair, the finite entropic uncertainty relation is saturated by basis-localized states, and the Shannon-entropy interpolation along the cycle takes an exact closed form. The shell rotation conserves entropy; entropy is produced only by the observer readout, locating irreversibility at coarse-graining. The transform construction is finite and algebraic, with no continuum angle, trigonometric kernel, or limit invoked; the continuum enters only through the declared observer readout.

Abstract: Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and ac-quired cisplatin resistance limits the efficacy of chemotherapy. Although ARMCX3 has been implicated in breast cancer progression, its underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Building on our previous findings that ARMCX3 knockdown suppresses malignant phenotypes and enhances cisplatin sensitivity, we investigated the down-stream mechanisms involved. Transcriptomic analysis revealed activation of the p53 signaling pathway following ARMCX3 depletion. Inhibition of p53 using PFT-α largely reversed the effects of ARMCX3 knockdown on proliferation, migration, invasion, cell-cycle arrest, and cisplatin sensitivity, identifying p53 as a critical mediator of ARMCX3 function. Further analysis demonstrated that ERK signaling contributes to p53 activation following ARMCX3 depletion. ARMCX3 knockdown impaired DNA damage repair, increased DNA damage accumulation, and enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis, while these effects were partially attenuated by inhibition of ERK or p53 signaling. Xenograft experiments further confirmed the involvement of p53 in ARMCX3 knock-down-mediated tumor suppression. Collectively, these findings identify the p-ERK–p53 axis as an important mechanism underlying ARMCX3-mediated regulation of breast cancer progression and cisplatin response, suggesting ARMCX3 as a potential thera-peutic target for improving chemotherapy efficacy.

Abstract: This research aims to analyse the dynamic of land use structure in Fălticeni municipality over a four-decade period, examining the impact of major political, socio-economic and demographic transitions between 1985, 2006 and 2025. The shift from the centrally planned system to a free market economy, the installation of a democratic regime, the subsequent integration of Romania into the European Union, and the major adjustments in migration and natural population growth patterns created a context for largely unreg-ulated urban sprawl, mainly to the detriment of agricultural land and natural landscapes. Moreover, the recent expansion of the city encompassed terrains with varying degrees of geomorphological vulnerability, some of which are affected by active slope processes and increased susceptibility to landsliding. Alongside geodynamic pressures, the urban body has long faced internal functional challenges, including the presence of extensive aban-doned industrial perimeters, and a severe deficit of forested land and proper green areas. By correlating the recent urban spatial and functional evolution with physical vulnerabil-ity indicators, the study demonstrates the need for integrated planning and seeks to pro-vide a framework for the management of urban growth tailored for medium-sized cities. The proposed solutions are rooted in the results yielded by the analyses of land use dy-namics and susceptibility to natural risks, and focus on ecological zoning and controlled expansion on secure terrains; the functional redevelopment of brownfields into residen-tial, commercial and recreational areas; the establishment of peri-urban forests fulfilling multiple functions, including risk mitigation and enhanced benefits for local communi-ties; and correlating the design and execution of essential infrastructure such as the urban bypass with rigorous risk assessments, thus providing a sound methodological approach for sustainable urban planning which can be replicated for cities facing similar challenges.

Abstract: A novel chiral three-dimensional conjugated polymer with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) was constructed via asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling polymerization. Comprehensive photophysical characterizations confirmed its stable AIE activity, excitation-tunable luminescence, and solvatochromism in biomimetic media including water, simulated body fluid, and simulated urine. Ion sensing studies revealed that the chiral framework specifically chelates Ag⁺ through multiple coordination sites, producing significant fluorescence enhancement with a linear response from 0–900 μM and a micromolar detection limit, alongside excellent anti-interference capability. The material also exhibits differentiated dual-channel optical responses toward Fe³⁺ and Cr⁶⁺. Electrochemical analysis elucidated an electron-rich conjugated backbone, supporting a charge-transfer-mediated recognition mechanism. Benefiting from its unique multilayer three-dimensional cavity topology, the polymer demonstrates superior ion capture capacity and specificity over conventional linear or monolayer systems. This work presents a new molecular design strategy for high-performance fluorescent probes, with substantial practical potential for environmental and biological monitoring applications such as industrial wastewater treatment, surface water heavy-metal screening, and trace ion analysis in biological fluids.

Abstract: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) rely on tightly integrated sensing, estimation, and control pipelines to enhance road safety while maintaining the human driver in the control loop. This paper presents a unified, reproducible modeling and evaluation framework for four widely deployed ADAS functions—Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), and Automated Parking Assist. For each function, we detail the sensing architecture, governing mathematical models, decision and control logic, and representative validation criteria drawn from industrial practice. The models include a kinematic bicycle formulation for lateral control, constant‑velocity and constant‑acceleration time‑to‑collision kinematics for collision‑risk estimation, polygonal zone geometry for radar‑based blind‑spot monitoring, and a two‑arc geometric construction for parking path planning. Reference Python implementations and simulation results are provided, demonstrating RMS lateral offset of 0.29 m for LKA, FCW alert latency of 50 ms, BSD zone dwell accuracy within 0.5 s, and automated parking maneuver time of 4.83 s. A Monte‑Carlo sensitivity analysis of FCW thresholds illustrates the trade‑off between early warning and nuisance‑alert rate that governs production calibration. The unified treatment offered here provides a consolidated reference for researchers and engineers developing or evaluating ADAS sensing‑to‑actuation pipelines.

Abstract: Directional couplers (DCs) are fundamental building blocks in photonic integrated circuits (PICs), yet achieving their efficient and accurate design in high-dimensional structural design parameter (SDP) spaces remains challenging for existing mode simulation approaches. Here, we propose a machine learning (ML) framework that learns from low-resolution three-dimensional (3D) mode-simulation results, allowing accurate prediction of wavelength-dependent coupling strengths of DCs with high-resolution SDPs across a five-dimensional design space. To improve the cost-effectiveness of training dataset construction, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis is further introduced to guide the sampling of SDPs. Results show that the ML framework, trained with 1792 samples, completes the prediction of a single structure in ~1 ms and a full-parameter-space sweep in 20 – 35 s, both of which are at least three orders of magnitude faster than 3D mode simulations. In addition, the framework enables inverse design to meet user-defined requirements. The prediction results also show good agreement with experimental results measured from fabricated DCs, achieving absolute deviations (ADs) below 0.05. These results validate the effectiveness of our approach for efficient and accurate DC design in high-dimensional parameter spaces, informing analogous strategies for the design of other photonic devices.

Abstract: The rice-wheat cropping system under Vertisol in sub-tropical regions of India faces significant challenges in maintaining soil health and achieving sustainable yields. This is primarily due to climatic variability and intensive agricultural practices, which accelerate the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and lead to soil degradation. There is a pressing need to adopt sustainable nutrient management, that not only maximize crop yields but also support climate change mitigation through carbon (C) sequestration and soil health management. In this context, a long-term fertilizer management (25 years) study was undertaken to assess crop productivity, C fractions, sequestration potential to achieve soil C 4 per mille under rice-wheat cropping system in sub-tropical Vertisol. The experiment was based on ten different fertilizer treatments either alone or in combination with organics. Grain yield, system productivity, and the sustainable yield index (SYI) were significantly higher under the 150%NPK and NPK + Farmyard manure (FYM) treatments compared to the unfertilized control. Relying on imbalanced fertilization (N) is inadequate for long-term sustainability. Long-term application of 100% NPK+FYM increased SOC content by up to 16%, whereas it decreased by 34% under absolute control relative to the initial value. Integrated nutrient management (INM) significantly enhanced the SOC pools, with higher proportion (57%) of total SOC in passive C pools. The increase in SOC stock was significantly correlated (R² = 0.76) with system productivity, requiring a minimum C input of 2.7 Mg C ha^-1 yr^-1 to maintain C equilibrium. The INM treatment achieved the highest C sequestration (2.27 Mg ha^-1), potential (7.04 Mg ha^-1) and rate (0.10 Mg C ha^-1 yr^-1) compared to NPK. In the present study, the C sequestration rate under NPK+FYM and 150%NPK surpassed the annual increment requirement of 0.4% SOC to achieve the target of the “4 per mille”. Over 25 years, application of 5 Mg ha^-1 FYM with NPK proved to be the most sustainable practice for SOC management. In addition to enhancing SOC stock, this practice maximizes crop productivity, thereby highlighting the potential of soil management as an effective voluntary carbon sequestration pathway for climate-change mitigation strategy in sub-tropical regions.

Abstract: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and life-threatening disease characterised by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, vascular remodelling and right ventricular dysfunction. Emerging evidence implicates circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the regulation of vascular remodelling and inflammation; however, their contribution to PH remains poorly understood. Here, we performed an in silico analysis using a multi-tool circRNA discovery pipeline across three publicly available transcriptomic datasets derived from experimental rat models of PH: H_PRN (PRJNA809145; pulmonary artery tissue from normoxic and hypoxia-induced PH rats; 21% vs 10% O2; n=7), H_GSE (GSE159668; right lung tissue from normoxic and hypoxia-induced PH rats; 21% vs 10% O2; n=6) and M_PRN (PRJNA732522; total lung tissue from control and monocrotaline-induced PH rats; n=6). CircRNAs were detected in all datasets; however, robust differentially expressed candidates were identified primarily in the hypoxia-exposed pulmonary artery dataset (H_PRN). In this dataset, three circRNAs—circCnot6l, circSmoc1 and circNtrk3—met the differential expression criteria (FDR q < 0.05, absolute log₂ fold change > 1). Downstream network analysis prioritised circCnot6l and circNtrk3 as potential regulators of circRNA–miRNA–mRNA axes involving miR-204-5p and miR-205, respectively. The predicted target networks were enriched for genes associated with key PH-related processes, including cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, angiogenesis and vascular development. Collectively, these findings identify circCnot6l and circNtrk3 as promising circRNA candidates involved in hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery remodelling and provide a foundation for future experimental studies investigating circRNA-mediated mechanisms underlying PH pathogenesis.

Abstract: Oxidative stress-induced macrophage activation and vascular injury are major contributors to atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease associated with approximately twenty million deaths worldwide. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of structurally characterized low-molecular-weight chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) derived from mud crab (Scylla olivacea) shell waste by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis and explored their molecular interactions with inflammation-related targets. Structural characterization by ¹³C-NMR and MALDI-TOF confirmed the identity of COS, while DPPH and ABTS analysis demonstrated concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. In LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, COS showed no cytotoxicity and significantly reduced nitric oxide production at 80 and 160 µg/mL. Molecular docking predicted favorable interactions of COS with several inflammation-associated receptors, including VEGFA, FGF1, and HPSE, showing stronger binding affinity than the reference drug diclofenac, and identified stable interactions with iNOS and COX-2 through extensive hydrogen-bond and polar contact networks. Transcriptomic profiling further revealed broad transcriptional remodeling and enrichment of pathways related to inflammation and atherosclerosis, including TNF, NF-κB, MAPK, Toll-like receptor, and lipid-and-atherosclerosis signaling. COS markedly suppressed inflammatory mediators, particularly Nos2 (iNOS; log₂FC = −7.92) and Ptgs2 (COX-2; log₂FC = −0.84), together with multiple cytokines and chemokines, consistent with reduced nitric oxide production and modulation of macrophage activation and foam cell-associated processes. Integration of docking and transcriptomic analyses identified iNOS and COX-2 as convergent candidate anti-inflammatory targets of COS, supporting its ability to attenuate inflammatory signaling through multi-target regulation rather than single-pathway inhibition. These findings suggest that COS may serve as a promising preventive strategy for atherosclerosis through coordinated regulation of oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and vascular remodeling.

Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by marked heterogeneity in developmental trajectories, functional regulation, therapeutic engagement, and intervention responsiveness. Although behavioral, developmental, educational, and family-centered interventions remain central to autism support, children with similar diagnostic labels and apparently comparable intervention exposure may show substantially different trajectories of engagement and benefit. This Hypothesis and Theory article proposes a neurodevelopmental regulation framework for examining whether multidomain biological burden may contribute to variability in therapeutic engagement and intervention responsiveness in autism. The framework is deliberately presented as a hypothesis-generating model rather than as a validated clinical tool. It organizes biological burden, energetic capacity, adaptive neurodevelopmental window accessibility, neuroplastic capacity, therapeutic engagement, and intervention responsiveness into a testable sequence of research constructs. Biological burden is conceptualized as a multidomain, state-sensitive and trait-influenced construct informed by sleep-circadian regulation, gastrointestinal symptoms, immune/allergic vulnerability, fatigue, pain or discomfort, autonomic regulation, sensory-physiological stress, and, where feasible, reproducible biological markers. Therapeutic engagement is conceptualized as a multidimensional functional construct reflecting regulatory availability, attentional and interactional access, responsiveness to support, persistence and adaptive effort, contextual transfer, and relational-motivational engagement. The manuscript distinguishes the proposed model from existing allostatic load, Research Domain Criteria, developmental systems, predictive processing, social motivation, and precision psychiatry approaches. It also provides candidate operational domains for biological burden and therapeutic engagement, proposes a staged validation roadmap, and discusses developmental confounds, state-trait variability, measurement limitations, and safeguards against overmedicalization. The framework does not recommend biomarker screening, biological treatment, or treatment selection at this stage. Its purpose is to support future feasibility studies, construct validation, longitudinal modeling, and ethically cautious precision-stratified autism research.

Abstract: Zonadhesin (ZAN) is a sperm protein currently known for its role in binding to the oocyte zona pellucida. Although its localization has been described in ejaculated and capacitated spermatozoa from mice, pigs and rabbits, its distribution following the acrosome reaction remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized ZAN localization in rabbit, boar, and bull spermatozoa under in vitro conditions mimicking early fertilization events. Ejaculated spermatozoa, swim-up-selected spermatozoa in capacitation medium, and acrosome reaction-induced spermatozoa were analyzed. Immunofluorescence was performed using an antibody against the MAM domain of ZAN to determine its localization and PNA-FITC to assess acrosomal status, while protein abundance was assessed by quantitative LC-MS/MS. Consistent with previous reports, ZAN was detected in the anterior region of intact spermatozoa. However, the MAM-specific antibody also revealed post-acrosomal localization. Species-specific patterns were observed in intact spermatozoa: rabbit and bull showed acrosomal staining with or without post-acrosomal labeling, whereas boar displayed predominant pre-equatorial and post-acrosomal localization. Although ZAN labeling decreased after acrosomal exocytosis, the protein was consistently retained in the post-acrosomal region. These findings suggest ZAN contributes not only to sperm–ZP binding but also to later fertilization events, including sperm–oolemma interaction and membrane fusion.

Abstract: This paper reviews requirements for water supply rate for life support of human crews on deep space missions such as Mars, and methods to provide that water supply. The literature on required water supply flow rate to support human crews on deep space missions is inadequate, typically with a few terse estimates lacking analysis or explication. These estimates were generated in an era where saving mass was critical and the allocations were skimpy. Here, we provide new, updated estimates of suggested water supply flow rate (at three levels of comfort) to support human crews on deep space missions in an era where mass in deep space is far more affordable. The total mass of water required for the mission is significant, but appropriate in the era of huge launch vehicles like the Starship. It was widely believed that water recycling systems are necessary to reduce mission mass in the era of high launch costs. However, the reliability of recycling technology is poor, as evidenced by experience on the International Space Station. Use of spares to replace subsystems that fail was proposed to greatly improve reliability, and that works good on paper as shown by probabilistic analysis, but the logistics of implementation are problematic. Bringing water from Earth is the best way to supply crew requirements for limited missions likely to be the first human landings on Mars. For futuristic missions of great extent, either recycling or use of indigenous water from Mars would be needed. In any mission, if possible, bringing a survival level of water from Earth is strongly recommended.

Abstract: Background: Radiography is a health profession that employs ionizing and non-ionizing radiations for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Students from other health professional courses share institutional and clinical environments with radiography students throughout their training, making mutual understanding of the profession professionally important. No study had previously assessed this relationship at Bayero University Kano. Objectives: To assess the knowledge and perception of students from other health professional courses in Bayero University Kano with respect to radiography profession. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among other health professional departments. Stratified random sampling with proportionate allocation was used to select 322 respondents. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22, applying descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-tests. Results: Of 322 questionnaires distributed, 306 (95.0%) were returned and fully completed (response rate of 95%). Medical Laboratory Sciences students recorded the highest knowledge score (87.5%) while Physiotherapy students recorded the lowest (48.1%). Optometry students held the most favorable perception of the profession (96.2%) while Physiotherapy students were the least favorable (66.7%). Strong positive correlations between knowledge and perception were found in MBBS (r = 0.737, p < 0.001), Physiotherapy (r = 0.681, p < 0.001), and Dentistry students (r = 0.658, p < 0.001). Conclusions: With the exception of Physiotherapy students, participants from other health professional courses at Bayero University Kano demonstrated satisfactory knowledge and generally favorable perception of radiography. Interprofessional educational initiatives are recommended to address the gaps identified.

Abstract: We establish the unique topological setting of any unified gauge theory with quantized charge, and derive its physical consequences. A gauge field is a principal bundle equipped with a gauge symmetry and connection potential. We prove that (1) given electromagnetism as a U(1) gauge theory with quantized charge, and (2) the existence of a unified single-field theory, a unified theory must be formulated, up to homotopy equivalence of the base and isomorphism of bundles, on the universal complex Hopf fibration bundle S¹ → S^∞ → CP^∞ and its finite approximations S¹ → S²ⁿ⁺¹ → CPⁿ. Completeness and indecomposability are derived consequences, not additional axioms. The Standard Model gauge groups arise as natural reductions along the nested shell hierarchy: U(1) from the circular S¹ fiber, SU(2) from the S³ shell and SU(3) from the S⁵ shell. The classifying spaces BU(1), BSU(2), and BSU(3) are all internal to this single hierarchy; each is obtained by changing the quotient on the same universal total space S^∞, not by independent construction. The unified structure group G_total = (SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1) × SO(4))/Γ is intrinsically non-factorable due to the generating role of the universal first Chern class in H^∗(CP^∞;Z) ≅ Z[c₁]. The unique universal action on the Hopf bundle is derived from SO(4)-equivariance, the Killing form, and degree classification; the torsion action is the unique admissible positive-definite quadratic form. The Einstein, Maxwell, and Yang–Mills field equations all follow from this single action. The Beltrami operator B = ⋆d|ξ on the contact distribution is doubly forced as both the action Hessian and the unique equivariant first-order operator. The result is a topologically enhanced Standard Model: every term of the conventional SM Lagrangian appears with identical structure, with no free parameters, and with gravity via Chern–Simons theory on S³, the Beltrami mass operator, and the resolution of the strong CP problem as enhancements. Gravity emerges on the S³ = SU(2) shell, sharing exactly one generator—the Cartan U(1)—with the gauge sector; gauge–gravity unification is the fibration U(1) → SU(2) itself. On each Hopf shell, the Beltrami operator is elliptic, essentially self-adjoint, and possesses a discrete spectrum stable under torsion perturbations by the Kato–Rellich theorem. Fiber winding decomposition yields independent topological sectors whose Gaussian functional determinants, regularized via spectral zeta functions, generate intrinsic mass scales. Fermion mixing (CKM, PMNS) arises from intersection-form overlaps of admissible cycles in H^∗(CP⁴), with CP violation induced by fiber holonomy phases. The electroweak vacuum expectation value v serves as the unit conversion factor between geometric and laboratory scales; given this single identification, the fine-structure constant and all shell-specific mass scales, spectral coefficients, and interaction strengths entering the particle spectrum are fixed by the spectral geometry of the complex Hopf fibration. The framework predicts the complete particle mass spectrum and anomalous magnetic moments, with suggested independent experimental tests (torsion-induced phase wobble, absolute neutrino mass scale, and the electron, µ and τ g − 2) providing falsifiability. Fundamental constants arise from topological normalization. Further results include anomaly cancellation, dark sector effects from bundle torsion and holonomy, and the elimination of singularities. The mathematical results stand independently as contributions to the topology of classifying spaces, reductions along nested Hopf shells, and contact spectral geometry.

Abstract: Molecular residual disease (MRD) testing approaches with plasma next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing to identify circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in resectable stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are evolving. The MRD concept is to better guide perioperative systemic treatment and identify recurrent NSCLC before symptomatic radiographic recurrences. Multiple tumor-informed assays are available with technology driving lower levels of ctDNA detection. However, it remains unclear that individual patients derive survival outcome benefit from MRD testing. NSCLC tumor biology of spatial heterogeneity, early parallel metastases, and recurrence clonal evolution can impact tumor-informed approaches irrespective of specific assay level of ctDNA detection. Clinical decision making guided by tumor-informed MRD testing to date have been limited by recurrence risks of up to 25% when landmark MRD negative, improved outcomes benefit of adjuvant treatment even when landmark MRD negative, and lead times with longitudinal MRD positive conversion of several months or longer before overt radiographic recurrences with no proven strategy of survival benefit with intervening treatment. Cautionary tumor biology and clinical issues remain in the clinical utility of tumor-informed MRD testing in resected NSCLC. These need to be clarified with certainty before MRD testing should step beyond a technology driven prognostic recurrence risk indicator before becoming an absolute clinical guide to meaningfully impact individual patient management and outcomes.

Abstract: Many results in quadrilateral geometry are traditionally stated for convex quadrilaterals. In this paper, we show that several of these results remain valid for self-intersecting quadrilaterals. In particular, we prove that, for any vertex, the maltitudes (midpoint altitudes) corresponding to two adjacent sides and the associated diagonal are concurrent; we call this point the malticenter of the vertex. This result holds uniformly for both simple and self-intersecting quadrilaterals. We further relate malticenters to classical centers (centroid, circumcenter, and orthocenter) via homotheties. Finally, we prove a conjecture of [1], previously observed for convex quadrilaterals, showing that \[ \operatorname{Area}(ABCD)=\operatorname{Area}(H_AH_BH_CH_D) \] holds for all quadrilaterals, where $H_A,H_B,H_C,H_D$ are the orthocenters of the triangles formed by the vertices of $ABCD$.