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Article
Biology and Life Sciences
Biology and Biotechnology

Mihaela Afrodita Dan

,

Emma Adriana Ozon

,

Denisa Margină

,

Marina Ionela Nedea

,

Claudia Maria Guțu

,

Anca Ungurianu

,

George Mihai Nitulescu

,

Violeta Popovici

,

Adina Magdalena Musuc

,

Veronica Bratan

+6 authors

Abstract: Plant extracts in vegetable oils are foundational and eco-responsible for skin care, act-ing as potent antimicrobials, antioxidants, photoprotectants, and emollients. The pre-sent research aims to conduct a comprehensive investigation of Usnea barbata extract in Karanja oil (KO). The lichen extract (UBKO) was obtained through cold maceration. Phytochemical screening was performed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS). Physicochemical properties were evaluated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The rheological characteristics and oxidative resistance of both oil samples, with and without U. barbata (UBKO and KO), were investigated. The bioactive potential of UBKO was assessed by evaluating antioxidant properties, sunscreen efficacy, and antibacterial and antifungal activity. UBKO had a slightly lower density (0.827 vs. 0.955) and pH (4.22 vs. 4.86) than KO, and a slightly higher oxidative resistance, quantified as the induction period (IP) value (6.45 vs. 6.00). The total phenolic content was significantly greater in UBKO than in KO (567.16 ± 14.96 vs. 433.26 ± 22.96 mg GAE/mL, p < 0.05). The antibacterial effect against S. aureus was higher for UBKO than KO (25 ± 0.00 vs. 31.25 ± 18.75 mg/mL, p < 0.05), while the in-hibitory activity of UBKO against C. albicans was considerably higher than that of KO (6.75 ± 0.00 vs. 37.50 ± 12.50 mg/mL, p < 0.05). Finally, our results showed that UBKO had an appreciable sun-protective factor (SPF) slightly higher than KO (30.9 vs. 29.8). Therefore, our study suggests that U. barbata extract in Karanja oil could be used to develop pharmaceutical formulations with antimicrobial and photoprotective effects, with potential applications for skincare.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Security Systems

Alexios Lekidis

,

Yagmur Yigit

,

Leandros A. Maglaras

,

Konstantinos Karantzalos

,

George Spanoudakis

Abstract: Critical National Infrastructures (CNIs) have evolved over the last years through the digitization of their services, which simultaneously led to an increase of their threat surface. Meanwhile the exponential rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has given the means to adversaries to perform targeted attacks against high impact systems as the ones found in CNIs. Current regulation directives as the NIS2 or the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) focus on the presence of Security Operation Centers (SOC), which include different security technologies for the detection and response to cyber-attacks. Nevertheless, such baseline SOCs do not provide the ability to perform a coordinated and orchestrated detection and response cycle for existing cyber threats, but also do not provide proactive measures for zero-day threats. To this end, this paper presents a new approach for automating the orchestration of the incident lifecycle through Next Generation SOC services able to detect/mitigate sophisticated attacks against CNIs, but also implement proactive detection measures against zero-day threats.

Article
Business, Economics and Management
Finance

Nontethelelo Mbanjwa

,

Thabo Lephoto

Abstract: The accurate prediction of credit default risk remains a significant challenge for financial institutions operating within increasingly complex data environments. This study pro-poses a hybrid Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model that integrates deep learning and ensemble machine learning techniques to enhance predictive performance while preserving interpretability. The LSTM component effectively captures temporal patterns in borrower behavior, and its output is utilized as a meta-feature within the XGBoost framework. The model is evaluated using a bench-mark credit dataset and is compared with conventional machine learning approaches. The results indicate that the proposed hybrid model outperforms standalone models across key evaluation metrics, achieving high accuracy, F1-score, and ROC–AUC. To enhance transparency, Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) are employed to analyse feature contributions and directional effects. The findings reveal that repayment behavior, particularly recent delinquency, serves as the most influential predictor of default risk, followed by indicators of financial capacity. The feature derived from the LSTM demonstrates the strongest overall impact, thereby confirming the significance of temporal dependencies in credit risk prediction. This study illustrates that the integration of deep learning with ensemble techniques establishes a robust and interpretable framework for credit risk assessment, thereby providing practical value for enhancing financial decision-making and risk management.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Algebra and Number Theory

Elif Özel Ay

,

Gürsel Yeşilot

Abstract: We introduce and study (2, n)-hyperideals in commutative multiplicative hyperrings, a new class of hyperideals that simultaneously generalizes n-hyperideals and 2-absorbing primary hyperideals. Our central result characterizes (2, n)-hyperideals intrinsically: a proper hyperideal I is a (2, n)-hyperideal if and only if it is 2-absorbing primary and √I = √0. As a consequence, a hyperring R admits a (2, n)-hyperideal precisely when R has at most two minimal prime hyperideals—provided all hyperideals are C-ideals, a condition that has no classical analogue and underscores a fundamental departure from ordinary ring theory. We establish a complete hierarchy among the main classes of hyperideals, prove stability under radicals and finite intersections, and characterize those hyperrings in which every proper hyperideal is a (2, n)- hyperideal. We further connect this theory to Krull dimension, Von Neumann regularity, and the structure of quotient hyperfields. Throughout, explicit counterexamples demonstrate where classical ideal-theoretic arguments break down in the multivalued setting, revealing the genuine novelty of the hyperstructure framework.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Algebra and Number Theory

Frank Vega

Abstract: In 1993, Andrew Beal formulated the conjecture that if Ax + By = Cz holds for positive integers A, B, C, x, y, z with x, y, z > 2, then A, B, and C must share a common prime factor. We prove the Beal conjecture for every primitive solution in which C possesses at least one odd prime divisor, using three classical tools: the Lifting The Exponent Lemma for odd primes, the exact p-adic valuation of the binomial coefficient (pm k ), and a careful pairing of the interior terms of the binomial expansion. The argument raises the equation to the power pm (where m*pm= νp(Cz)) and shows that the resulting righthand side has p-adic valuation exactly 2m, while the left-hand side has p-adic valuation m · pm > 2m, yielding the required contradiction. The residual case in which C is a power of two is left open as a conjecture. For Fermat’s Last Theorem, however, the case c = 2s admits a complete elementary proof: when the exponent n is even, an arithmetic argument modulo 8 gives ν2(an + bn) = 1 ̸= sn; when n is odd, the Lifting The Exponent Lemma for p = 2 forces a + b ≥ 2sn, contradicting the strict bound a + b ≤ 2s+12. Combining both results yields a complete proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem for all exponents n ≥ 3.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Ahmet Uzger

,

Ahmet Rauf Goktepe

,

Yasin Sahin

Abstract: Objective: First-degree relatives, especially siblings are at increased risk of developing celiac disease (CD). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD in siblings of children with CD, and to evaluate the applicability of the non-biopsy diagnostic criteria recommended in the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) 2020 guidelines. Material and Methods: This study was conducted between January 2024 and November 2025. Siblings of children with biopsy-confirmed CD who had not previously been diagnosed with CD were included in the study. According to the ESPGHAN 2020 guidelines, cases with elevated anti-tTG IgA levels (more than 10 times the upper limit of normal) were diagnosed without a biopsy. Results: 250 siblings of 81 children biopsy-confirmed CD were included in the study. The median age of the siblings was 9.00 years. Anti-tTG IgA positivity was detected in 31 siblings. A total of 26 siblings (10.4%) were diagnosed with CD. Of the diagnosed cases, and 21 (80.76%) were asymptomatic. In 12 cases with anti-tTG IgA levels more than 10xULN, the diagnosis was done without biopsy. Conclusion: The prevalence of CD in siblings of celiac patients was found to be 10.4%. This rate is approximately 22 times higher than in the general population in our country. Since half of the diagnosed patients are asymptomatic, screening all siblings for CD, regardless of the presence of symptoms, is crucial for early diagnosis. Additionally, diagnosis can be done without biopsy in eligible cases meeting the ESPGHAN 2020 no-biopsy criteria.

Review
Biology and Life Sciences
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Aisel Valle Garay

,

Cíntia Marques Coelho

,

Napoleão Fonseca Valadares

,

Leonardo Ferreira da Silva

,

Letícia Sousa Cabral

,

Matheus Castro Leitão

,

Luiza Cesca Piva

,

Janice Lisboa De Marco

,

Brenda Rabello de Camargo

,

Amanda Araújo Souza

+7 authors

Abstract: The mevalonate pathway (MVA) is a central metabolic route responsible for the biosynthesis of isoprenoids, a vast and diverse class of biomolecules essential for cellular structure, signaling, and physiology. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the MVA pathway, addressing its distribution in different domains of life, evolutionary origins, and overall organization. We describe in detail its biochemical architecture, including enzymatic steps, catalytic mechanisms, structural characteristics, and multilayered regulatory strategies. In parallel, the methylerythritol phosphate pathway is presented as an alternative pathway to isoprenoid biosynthesis. The metabolic outputs of both pathways are explored, emphasizing the remarkable diversity of isoprenoid end products and their roles in membrane dynamics, protein modification, and cellular signaling. Furthermore, we analyze the biological functions and clinical relevance of the MVA pathway, including its involvement in human diseases and its variability in different kingdoms. The review also addresses recent advances in biotechnology, focusing on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches for the microbial production of high-value isoprenoids. Finally, sustainable strategies for optimizing microbial cell factories and production processes are discussed, underscoring the growing importance of isoprenoid biosynthesis in industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

Article
Chemistry and Materials Science
Chemical Engineering

Kevin Alejandro Avilés-Betanzos

,

Dayra Priscila Turrén-Gutiérrez

,

Manuel Octavio Ramírez-Sucre

,

Juan Valerio Cauich-Rodríguez

,

Ingrid Mayanin Rodríguez-Buenfil

Abstract: Habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq. var. Jaguar) leaves are an underutilized by-product and a source of phenolic compounds. This study evaluates how natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) formulation and processing conditions with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) modulate selective phenolic recovery. A 2×3×2 factorial design evaluated the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) in NADES (choline chloride, ChCl; malic acid, MAc), UAE time (10 min, 20 min, 30 min), and leaf drying (freeze-drying, FzD; oven-drying, OvD). Total phenolic content (TPC, Folin–Ciocalteu), antioxidant capacity (Ax, DPPH methodology), and individual polyphenols (liquid chromatography) were determined. The highest TPC was obtained with ChCl from FzD leaves at 10 min UAE (36.18 ± 0.70 mg GAE/g dry leaf). Maximum Ax occurred for OvD leaves at 30 min and did not differ between HBAs (ChCl 86.43 ± 0.65%; MAc 86.95 ± 0.18%). UPLC-DAD confirmed selectivity, highlighting catechin (51.14 ± 1.07 mg/g; MA, FzD, 20 min), chlorogenic acid (16.05 ± 0.09 mg/g; MA, OvD, 10 min), and quercetin + luteolin (5.37 ± 0.05 mg/g; MA, FzD, 10 min). Modulation could be explained by HBA-dependent polarity and hydrogen-bonding that alters solvation of phenolic compounds, while UAE enhances mass transfer and cell disruption, and drying-dependent matrix structure affect phenolic stability and release. These results show the behavior between total and individual phenolic compounds and the Ax, which guides the evaluation of UAE/NADES conditions for the targeted extraction of phenolic compounds of interest in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries from the leaf of Capsicum chinense.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Antonio Salvati

,

Lorenzo Bertellotti

,

Francesco Faita

,

Daniela Campani

,

Giovanni Petralli

,

Simone Cappelli

,

Ferruccio Bonino

,

Maurizia Rossana Brunetto

Abstract: Background: Gut dysbiosis may trigger inflammation and steatohepatitis (SH) in subjects with metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Both incidence and impact of ileocecal valve (ICV) dysfunction as cause of small intestine bacterial overgrowth in MASLD remain unknown because of the unmet need of non-radiology dependent diagnostic procedures. Methods: Exploiting water as contrast medium and a hydro colon machine (Clean Colon Srl, Monza, Italy) for automated retrograde gentle colonic irrigation, we developed a new abdominal ultrasound procedure for diagnosis of ICV incontinence and we present the results of a pilot feasibility study for the assessment of its relationship with triggering of inflammation in steatotic liver disease. Results: Consecutive patients (32) performing colonic irrigation in colonoscopy preparation underwent concomitant abdominal ultrasound examination. Patients were predominantly males (59%) with body mass index (BMI) 26,6±2,6 kg/m2 and liver steatosis was present in half of the patients. Liver stiffness was 26,6±2,6 kPa, while serum transaminases ALT and AST were 33,1±9,5 and 25,9±8,4 U.I., respectively. The procedure that lasted a mean of 27min (range 20-35 min) was well tolerated in all, but 2 males with large prostate hypertrophy. Three ICV continence patterns (A - Early reflux, already at small water volume without evident cecum distension; B - Late reflux, after evident cecum distension; C - No reflux, either early or late after overall water irrigation and significant cecum distension) were observed during water irrigation (4266 ml mean, range 2000-8000 ml). ICV continence was significantly associated with IBS, steatosis, and liver stiffness (all p ≤ 0.0001). Furthermore, IBS (OR 3.97), steatosis (OR 3.30), and liver stiffness (OR 2.43 per unit increase) were also independently associated with dichotomization of impaired ICV continence.A 35-year-old male with SIBO and LS = 8.7 kPa underwent a liver biopsy showing histologically-determined high level of steatosis (S3), hepatocyte ballooning, lobular inflammation (Grade 6/8) in absence of fibrosis (Stage 0/4 F0).Conclusion: This proof-of-concept study indicates that an easy and quick mini-invasive diagnosis of ICV incontinence is feasible using water as contrast medium during abdominal ultrasound examination. Preliminary results suggest that this new technique is worth of being validated in prospective studies investigating the impact ICV incontinence as possible co-factor of steatohepatitis in patients with MAFLD.

Article
Business, Economics and Management
Economics

Ahmad Ramdani Salim

,

Mombang Sihite

,

Irvandi Gustari

Abstract: This study examines the determinants of informality in ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore) using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) on panel data from 2015–2022. Five hypotheses tested the effects of institutional quality, social protection, labor market policy, economic growth, and technological advancement (as mediator). Results show that institutional quality significantly reduces informality (β = –0.378; p = 0.015), while social protection, labor market policy, and economic growth exert positive and significant effects, reflecting policy design–implementation gaps and growth patterns that fail to generate formal employment. Technological advancement does not mediate the growth–informality relationship (β = 0.011; p = 0.335). The model explains 88.8% of the variance in informality (adjusted R² = 0.888). Policy implications highlight the need for stronger institutions, inclusive social protection, adaptive labor regulations, and digitalization integrated with e‑governance to foster formalization.

Article
Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Qingzhi Meng

,

Yongshuai Wang

,

Xianfeng Liang

,

Yixue Wang

,

Yang Lu

,

Dengfeng Ju

,

Yuan Zhang

,

Qijing Lin

Abstract: This paper originally introduces a weak magnetic measurement system characterized by a large-scale uniform magnetic field and a low magnetic limit of detection (LOD). The system employs a four-ring coil assembly housed within a multi-layer magnetic shielding cavity, generating a uniform magnetic field region of 120 mm while achieving a minimum LOD of less than 10 pT. The performance of the weak magnetic measurement system is appropriately validated through the use of a bulk magnetic-electric (ME) sensor. The experimental results confirm the system's dual functionalities in both magnetic sensor calibration and the measurement of weak magnetic parameters. Notably, this methodology is readily applicable to various forms of weak magnetic measurement.

Review
Medicine and Pharmacology
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Abenezer F. Kebede

,

Maria Pestana

,

Ana Aquino

,

Blessing A. Chuku

,

Ziad Chemaly

Abstract: Adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) increasingly survive into reproductive age, making contraceptive counseling a routine component of pediatric cardiology, adolescent medicine, and transition care. For this population, contraceptive choice is not determined by efficacy alone. It is shaped by lesion-specific pregnancy risk, cyanosis, ventricular function, pulmonary vascular disease, thrombosis history, mechanical valves, anticoagulation, menstrual bleeding burden, adherence, confidentiality, and the risk of interruption during transfer to adult congenital heart disease care. This practical clinical review translates current contraceptive guidance and congenital heart disease literature into a same-day workflow for initiation and follow-up. The proposed sequence is to obtain a confidential reproductive and cardiac history; identify whether pregnancy and estrogen exposure would be poorly tolerated; determine whether pregnancy can be reasonably excluded; initiate the safest effective method without unnecessary delay; address emergency contraception when indicated; and structure follow-up around bleeding, adherence, medication changes, and evolving cardiovascular status. Long-acting reversible contraception, particularly levonorgestrel intrauterine devices and etonogestrel implants, should be prioritized when pregnancy would carry substantial maternal risk. Estrogen-containing methods require caution or avoidance in high-risk cardiovascular states, including Fontan circulation, cyanosis or right-to-left shunting, pulmonary arterial hypertension, Eisenmenger physiology, prior thrombosis, mechanical valves, major ventricular dysfunction, and selected aortopathies. The goal is not to replace cardiology or gynecology judgment, but to provide a lesion-aware, same-day clinical pathway that reduces avoidable delays, supports adolescent autonomy, and preserves contraceptive safety during transition to adult care.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Dentistry and Oral Surgery

William Gomide de Mattos

,

Paulo José Pasquali

,

Elizabeth Ferreira Martinez

,

Sarah Teixeira Costa

,

Marília de Oliveira Coelho Dutra Leal

,

Cláudio Roberto Pacheco Jodas

,

Rubens Gonçalves Teixeira

Abstract: Objective: To compare biochemical characteristics of blood samples obtained from dif-ferent anatomical sites: mandibular bone marrow, iliac bone marrow, and peripheral blood. Methods: This study included 26 patients undergoing dental implant placement and maxillary reconstruction with iliac bone grafting. Blood samples were collected from mandibular bone marrow, iliac bone marrow, and peripheral venous blood. Gasometric analysis evaluated PCO₂, PO₂, TCO₂, oxygen saturation (SatO₂), ionized calcium, pH, lactate, and magnesium. Statistical analysis included the Shapiro-Wilk test, repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc, and the Friedman test with Wilcoxon comparisons (p < 0.05). Results: Mandibular bone marrow blood showed significantly higher pH, PO₂, and oxygen saturation, and lower PCO₂ and HCO₃⁻ compared to other sites. These findings indicate a more oxygenated and less acidic microenvironment. No significant differences were observed for lactate, magnesium, and ionized calcium. Conclusion: Mandibular bone marrow exhibits a more favorable biochemical profile for osteogenic metabolism, suggesting its potential advantage for bone graft integration and autologous blood derivatives.

Communication
Medicine and Pharmacology
Oncology and Oncogenics

Miu Hirose

,

Tomohiro Tanaka

,

Miyuki Yanaka

,

Takuro Nakamura

,

Mika K. Kaneko

,

Hiroyuki Suzuki

,

Yukinari Kato

Abstract: Leukocyte migration is a fundamental process in both innate and adaptive immune responses. This process is tightly regulated by chemokines and their cognate receptors. The bioavailability of chemokines is further modulated by atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs), a subset of chemokine receptor–like molecules that lack coupling to canonical G protein–mediated signaling pathways. Among these, ACKR4 regulates dendritic cell migration through ligand scavenging and has been implicated in tumor progression in murine models. We previously established anti-mouse ACKR4 (mACKR4) mAbs, A4Mab-1, A4Mab-2, and A4Mab-3, by N-terminal peptide immunization. This study examined the binding epitopes of A4Mabs. Alanine (or glycine) scanning within the N-terminal region (amino acids 2–19) was performed using flow cytometry and Western blotting. The results demonstrated that Tyr11, Tyr12, Glu14, Glu15, and Glu17 are critical for recognition by A4Mab-1, while Tyr11, Tyr12, Tyr13, Glu15, and Asn16 are essential for recognition by A4Mab-2 in flow cytometry and Western blotting. Furthermore, Glu14, Asn16, and Glu17 are essential for recognition by A4Mab-3 in flow cytometry. These findings contribute to the understanding of mACKR4 recognition by A4Mabs.

Article
Medicine and Pharmacology
Medicine and Pharmacology

Safiye İnşira Yıldız

,

Faruk Saydam

,

Atilla Topçu

,

Levent Tümkaya

,

Eda Yılmaz Kutlu

,

Hüseyin Avni Uydu

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by a dysregulated host immune response, frequently leading to multiple organ dysfunction, with the lungs being among the most severely affected organs. Oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA damage play key roles in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Beyond its lipid-lowering effects, rosuvastatin possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may confer protective effects in sepsis. This study aimed to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of rosuvastatin against pulmonary damage in an experimental model of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham, Sham + rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg), Sham + rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg), CLP, CLP + rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg), and CLP + rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg). Rosuvastatin was administered via oral gavage before 4 hours the CLP procedure in the experimental groups. All rats were euthanized 16 hours after induction of CLP. Lung tissues were analyzed for biochemical markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as histopathological changes and immunohistochemical expression of NF-κB/p65, caspase-3, and 8-OHdG. Results: CLP-induced sepsis significantly increased MDA levels while decreasing GSH levels, indicating enhanced oxidative stress. Rosuvastatin treatment significantly reversed these changes. Histopathological analysis revealed marked lung injury in the CLP group, including alveolar inflammation, interstitial inflammation, vascular congestion, and increased alveolar septal thickness, all of which were significantly reduced following rosuvastatin administration. Immunohistochemical findings demonstrated increased expression of NF-κB/p65, caspase-3, and 8-OHdG in the CLP group, whereas rosuvastatin significantly attenuated these expressions. No significant differences were observed between the two rosuvastatin doses. Conclusion: Rosuvastatin exerts significant protective effects against sepsis-induced lung injury by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA damage. These findings suggest that rosuvastatin may have therapeutic potential in the management of sepsis-associated pulmonary injury, although further studies are required to confirm its clinical applicability.

Case Report
Medicine and Pharmacology
Veterinary Medicine

Carollina Mariga

,

Thaís Silveira Alves

,

Carla Eduarda dos Santos Ferreira

,

Marina Batista de Sousa

,

Bruna Gabriela Wunder Della Flora

,

Bruno Antônio Dall'Asta

,

Saulo Tadeu Lemos Pinto Filho

Abstract: Feline gingivostomatitis is an inflammatory syndrome of the oral mucosa characterized by chronic pain. Its multifactorial etiology and debilitating consequences are associated with difficult clinical management and high relapse rates even after invasive interventions, potentially severely compromising the animals’ quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been investigated for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and immunomodulatory effects and is considered a potential therapeutic alternative for chronic inflammatory diseases. The present report aims to describe a significant clinical improvement in a 5-year-old mixed-breed male cat affected by feline gingivostomatitis, presenting with hyporexia and sialorrhea. A broad-spectrum Cannabis oil rich in CBD was prescribed at doses ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg, administered twice daily for two months. Early clinical improvement was observed from the first day of administration, with a dose-dependent response, ultimately resulting in an overall satisfactory clinical outcome. Therefore, it can be concluded that the clinical application of a broad-spectrum Cannabis oil rich in CBD may represent a promising therapeutic alternative for cats affected by feline gingivostomatitis, especially in refractory cases or those with limitations to conventional therapies.

Review
Biology and Life Sciences
Biology and Biotechnology

Prachi Agrawal

,

Salil Tiwari

,

Prachi Mendhey

,

Preethi Jampala

,

Harish Rajak

,

Nawneet Kurrey

,

Neesar Ahmed

,

Sandeep K. Yadav

,

Santosh Kumar

Abstract: Intercellular mitochondrial trafficking has emerged as an important mechanism influencing tumor progression, metabolic adaptability, and cancer cell plasticity. Beyond their classical bioenergetic functions, mitochondria act as central regulators of redox homeostasis, signalling pathways, and epigenetic remodelling. Increasing evidences suggest that mitochondria can be transferred between tumor, stromal, and immune cells through tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), gap junctions, and cell fusion within the tumor microenvironment. This dynamic exchange enables metabolically compromised cancer cells to restore oxidative phosphorylation, optimize energy production, and survive under hypoxia and therapeutic stress. Mitochondrial transfer has been increasingly associated with enhanced cellular plasticity and adaptive phenotypic transitions, including the acquisition of stem-like features that contribute to tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and treatment resistance. In addition to bioenergetic restoration, transferred mitochondrial DNA and metabolites participate in retrograde signalling, linking metabolic state to epigenetic regulation and transcriptional reprogramming. This metabolic epigenetic interplay supports tumor cell adaptation to environmental stress and therapeutic pressure. Although significant progress has been made, the precise mechanisms governing mitochondrial integration and their long-term impact on cellular phenotypes remain incompletely understood. A deeper understanding of these processes may reveal new therapeutic strategies to disrupt tumor adaptability and improve treatment outcomes.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Paarth Prasad

,

Ruchika Malhorta

Abstract: We propose a topology-constrained quantized nnUNet framework for efficient and anatomically accurate 3D tooth segmentation, addressing the challenges of spatial distortion introduced by quantization in deep learning models. The proposed method integrates a novel tooth-specific topological loss into quantization-aware training, preserving critical anatomical structures such as tooth count, adjacency relationships, and cavity integrity while maintaining computational efficiency. The system employs an 8-bit quantized nnUNet backbone, where weights and activations are dynamically calibrated to minimize precision loss during inference. Furthermore, the topological loss combines connected-component analysis, adjacency consistency, and hole detection penalties, ensuring anatomical fidelity without modifying the underlying network architecture. The joint optimization objective harmonizes cross-entropy loss, quantization regularization, and topological constraints, enabling end-to-end training with gradient approximations for persistent homology terms. Experiments demonstrate that our approach significantly reduces topological errors compared to conventional quantized models, achieving clinically plausible segmentations on dental CBCT scans. The method retains the hardware efficiency of integer-only inference, making it suitable for deployment in resource-constrained clinical environments. This work bridges the gap between computational efficiency and anatomical precision in medical image segmentation, offering a practical solution for real-world dental applications.

Article
Computer Science and Mathematics
Security Systems

Behar Haxhismajli

,

Galia Marinova

,

Edmond Hajrizi

,

Besnik Qehaja

Abstract: Smart microgrids depend on continuous communication between controllers, sensors, and actuators over industrial protocols like Modbus TCP, MQTT, and DNP3, that were designed without built-in security mechanisms. The gateway that aggregates this traffic represents a single point of failure vulnerable to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Most existing detection methods require labeled attack data for training, a condition rarely met in operational OT environments. This paper presents an unsupervised CNN-LSTM model trained exclusively on normal microgrid gateway traffic to predict the next traffic window; anomalies are flagged when prediction error exceeds a threshold derived from the training distribution. A dual-branch architecture processes metric time-series through LSTM layers and flow aggregate features through CNN layers, fusing both representations for prediction. The model is evaluated against three protocol-specific DDoS attack scenarios, Modbus SCADA flooding, MQTT publish storm, and DNP3 response flooding - none of which are seen during training. Compared against an Isolation Forest baseline under identical unsupervised conditions, the CNN-LSTM achieves higher precision and recall on all attack types. The framework is deployed within a web-based monitoring platform that supports real-time detection and anomaly logging.

Review
Computer Science and Mathematics
Computer Science

Hongyu Cao

,

David King

,

Xinyuan Wang

,

Arun Vignesh Malarkkan

,

Kunpeng Liu

,

Dongjie Wang

,

Yanjie Fu

Abstract: Cities are in the middle of a parking transition. Minimum parking requirements are being reduced or eliminated, curbs are being repriced, and the goal of planning is shifting from supplying more parking to making better use of the parking that already exists. Yet most parking analytics still answer a question that this transition has retired: where should we build more? We argue that the distinctive value of agentic AI in parking is not better prediction of where to build, but the ability to expose contradictions that conventional workflows suppress—when demand says build but policy says restrain; when inherited rules say comply but theory says question; when market logic says maximize but equity says redistribute; and when stated public frustration says “parking crisis” but utilization data say the supply is ample and mispriced. Parking planning should be reconceptualized as a dynamic, theory-grounded, policy-constrained, human-supervised decision process, organized around a loop between parking theory, parking policy, urban data, agent reasoning, human deliberation, and policy revision—and ultimately answering a political question: what kind of city do we want to be? Under this view, an agentic parking system must be able to recommend shared parking, existing-stock reuse, curb and price reform, and deliberate non-construction, not only new supply. Using the Phoenix Parking Lot Planner as a critical demonstration—critical because its current weighted-factor scoring is precisely the kind of reasoning the proposed loop is meant to transcend—we outline a research agenda and five evaluation standards: contradiction detection, intervention comparison, justification quality, restraint capability, and policy traceability. Parking, precisely because it is measurable, theory-rich, policy-contested, and intervention-ready, may be the most realistic near-term testbed for agentic urban planning.

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