Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes Following Surgical Repair of Simple Coarctation in Early Infancy: A Ten-Year Single Center Review

Coarctation of the aorta is a frequently diagnosed congenital heart defect and often requires surgical repair in early infancy. Infants born with this condition remain at risk for post-operative morbidity and reintervention within the first year of life. A single-center, retrospective chart review was performed. The protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB-21-156, 14 August 2021). A 10-year review from January 2010 to December 2020 identified all children diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta or arch hypoplasia; without any associated major congenital cardiac pathology (i.e., simple coarctation). Reintervention-free-survival at one year for all infants who underwent surgical repair was assessed. Patient characteristics for those who did and did not experience significant adverse event (SAE) in the postoperative period were obtained and compared. A total of 105 patients diagnosed with isolated coarctation of the aorta or arch hypoplasia and who underwent surgical repair were identified. Of these, 11 patients (10%) experienced a SAE (i.e., vocal cord palsy, diaphragm palsy, chylothorax, stroke/neurological complication, need for reintubation or tracheostomy, necrotizing enterocolitis, major bleeding or thrombotic vascular complication, or reintervention) in the post-operative period. Patients who experienced a SAE were more likely to have a prenatal diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta (p = 0.03), a known genetic anomaly (p = 0.0001), or had undergone a median sternotomy approach/complex arch repair (i.e., requiring patching of the aorta) (p = 0.0001). Genetic anomaly (mainly Turner syndrome) was the only independent predictor of SAE in multivariate analysis (OR = 6.7) Follow up data at one year was available for 79 patients, with only 6 patients requiring reintervention before 1 year of age. Overall, infants who undergo surgical repair of simple coarctation of aorta have an excellent chance of reintervention-free-survival at one year post intervention. Those with a known genetic anomaly or requiring median sternotomy approach appear to have a higher risk for a SAE in the postoperative period.

Multi-Robot Cooperative Target Search Based on Distributed Reinforcement Learning Method in 3D Dynamic Environments

This paper proposes a distributed reinforcement learning method for multi-robot cooperative target search based on policy gradient in 3D dynamic environments. The objective is to find all hostile drones which are considered as targets with the minimal search time while avoiding obstacles. First, the motion model for unmanned aerial vehicles and obstacles in a dynamic 3D environments is presented. Then, a reward function is designed based on environmental feedback and obstacle avoidance. A loss function and its gradient are designed based on the expected cumulative reward and its differentiation. Next, the expected cumulative reward is optimized by a reinforcement learning algorithm that makes the loss function update in the direction of the gradient. When the variance of the expected cumulative reward is lower than a specified threshold, the unmanned aerial vehicle obtains the optimal search policy. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively enables unmanned aerial vehicles to identify all targets in the dynamic 3D airspace while avoiding obstacles.

Incentive for Ecosystem Services: Governance and Policy Coherence in Nepal

This research highlights the governance of landscape and policy coherence to ensure a sustainable supply of ecosystem services through incentives for ecosystem schemes at the municipal level in Nepal. The study was carried out in Dhankuta and Dasarath Chand municipalities representing Nepal’s Koshi and Sudur Paschim provinces. Six aggregate governance indicators adopted by the World Bank Group were assessed through interviews with primary stakeholders of selected landscapes in two municipalities, followed by Key Informant Interviews. The study indicates that implementation of the Incentive for Ecosystem service scheme is feasible, creating multi-stakeholder institutions at the local level. However, there are several governance challenges to ensure its success. In particular, incentives for ecosystem schemes must be part of local government planning, where multisectoral coordination and collaboration are essential. While municipal authorities have constitutional jurisdictions to initiate such schemes, they lack the human resources to understand ecosystem management for a sustainable supply of ecosystem services. Therefore, landscape governance is essential to make incentive schemes successful and ensure transparency and equitable benefits among ecosystem service providers.

Overcoming SME Legal and Regulatory Challenges and Fostering Sustainable Collaboration and 7PS Engineering in the Digital Age through Integrating the X.0 Wave Theory & SME 5.0 Concept

Technological innovations, education, business and society change quickly and often unpredictably. The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (XR) opens a new era in which work, production, communication and thought processes are massively transformed. In this context, the challenge arises: How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adapt to this accelerated change? This study highlights a path forward and introduces the concept of “SME 5.0” or “Hybrid SME” or “SME of Tomorrow” as a comprehensive solution to address the complexities of the digital age. In this integrated exploration of the X.0 Wave Theory and SME 5.0 Concept, the framework for human civilization’s evolution and technological shifts converges with a practical roadmap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigating the dynamic digital landscape. Acknowledging transformative waves in technology, economics, and societal structures within the X.0 Wave Theory, the study accentuates the ongoing nature of these shifts. It advocates for a long-term perspective, urging policymakers and industry leaders to consider potential future scenarios to devise strategies fostering innovation, competitiveness, and privacy safeguards. Simultaneously, the study introduces SME 5.0 as a holistic solution for SMEs, aligning with the transformative success envisioned by the X.0 Wave Theory. Proposing the Seven Pillars of Sustainability (7PS) framework tailored to SMEs, the concept emphasizes digitalization and sustainable technology. The title, “Harmonizing the X.0 Wave Theory and SME 5.0 Concept”, encapsulates the synergy between theoretical underpinnings and practical solutions. The subtitle, “Fostering Sustainable Collaboration, 7PS Engineering, and Overcoming Legal Challenges in the Digital Age”, provides a glimpse into the study’s focus on practical implications, sustainability, engineering, and legal considerations for SMEs in the rapidly evolving digital era.

Strongly Correlated Electrons and High Temperature Superconductivity

It is very important to clarify the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity in strongly correlated electron systems. The mechanism of superconductivity in high temperature cuprate superconductors has been studied extensively since their discovery. We investigate the properties of correlated electron systems and mechanism of superconductivity by using the optimization quantum variational Monte Carlo method. The many-body wave function is constructed by multiplying by correlation operators of exponential type. We show that d-wave superconducting phase exists in the strongly correlated region where the on-site repulsive interaction is as large as the bandwidth or more than the bandwidth. The d-wave pairing correlation function is shown as a function of lattice sites, showing that the long-range order indeed exists.

A Novel Comprehensive Program Combining Optimal Medical Treatment with Lifestyle Modification for Type 2 Diabetes

There are more and more individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the globe. It’s a huge burden of public health and a great challenge in clinical due to a high linkage with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and cancer. However, little is known about a comprehensive program of management and self-management of T2D. This article introduces briefly the current status in T2D and an updated classical standardized comprehensive program which combines optimal medical treatment (OMT) (the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and the ultralong-acting, once-daily basal insulin) with lifestyle modification, that is, intervention of RT-ABCDEFG (iRT-ABCDEFG) for control and prevention of T2D, and discusses its advantages and prospects. As an effective comprehensive program and strategy for interventions of diabetes, this program can be used as a reversible, right, and routine treatment. Several pivotal goals including less major adverse cardiocerebrovascular events (MACCE) and diabetic complications, less medical costs, longer life expectancy, lower morbidity and mortality, and higher quality of life, will be realized by consistently practicing this program due to early diagnosis, OMT, and lifestyle modification for overall prevention. All in all, since T2D highly links to CVD and cancer, as well as other MACCE, this novel iRT-ABCDEFG program is very helpful in comprehensive management and self-management of T2D and worth recommending for further application and health care of T2D due to better clinical efficacy and cost-effective relationship.

Delivery of Novel Replicating Vectors to Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 Via Natural Transformation of Plasmid Multimers

In most cyanobacteria, genetic engineering efforts currently rely upon chromosomal integration; a time-consuming process due to their polyploid nature. To enhance strain construction, here we develop and characterize two novel replicating plasmids for use in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. Following an initial screen of plasmids comprising seven different origins of replication, two were found capable of replication: one based on the WVO1 broad host range plasmid and the other a shuttle vector derived from pCB2.4 from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. These were then used to construct a set of new replicating plasmids, which were shown to be both co-transformable and stably maintained in PCC 7002 at copy numbers between 7–16 and 0.6–1.4, respectively. Lastly, we demonstrate the importance of using multimeric plasmids during natural transformation of PCC 7002, with higher order multimers providing a 30-fold increase in transformation efficiency relative to monomeric plasmids. Useful considerations and methods for enhancing multimer content in plasmid samples are also presented.

Mixed Matrix Membranes Produced from a Fluorinated MOF and Pebax for CO₂/H₂ Separation

Hydrogen (H₂) emerges as a promising clean energy source, but its efficient purification from various sources needs advanced separation technologies. This study explores the use of CO₂-selective membranes, especially mixed matrix membranes (MMM) incorporating KAUST-7 metal-organic framework (MOF), for hydrogen purification. The MMM was fabricated with various KAUST-7 content in a polymer matrix (Pebax 1657) and characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and gas permeation tests. The XRD analysis confirms the incorporation of KAUST-7 into the MMM, while SEM reveals a homogeneous particle distribution at low content (below 10%) but agglomeration at higher ones (above 10%). FTIR confirms good interfacial interactions between the MOF and polymer matrix. TGA results show that the MMM thermal stability slightly decreases with increasing MOF content. Gas permeation results reveal improved CO₂ permeability (79%) and CO₂/H₂ selectivity (19%) for MMM compared to neat Pebax membranes, with an optimal performance observed at 10 wt.% KAUST-7. Beyond this threshold, the performance deteriorates, possibly due to polymer rigidity and MOF agglomeration. Overall, the study highlights the potential of KAUST-7/Pebax MMM for enhanced hydrogen purification.

Current Application of Modeling and Cell-Free System for Synthetic Gene Circuit Design

The desire to harness nature’s capability of precise gene expression regulation has motivated the pursuit of synthetic gene circuits. However, designing and building novel synthetic gene circuits with predictable dynamics is nontrivial. To facilitate the design, cell-free systems have emerged as an effective alternative testbed to living biological systems in characterizing and prototyping synthetic gene regulatory networks, given its relative simplicity and designability in terms of cellular contents. Meanwhile, as parameterizing and analyzing first principle-based models can shed light on the required kinetic parameter values, thus the specific regulatory components, for the desired dynamics, coupling mathematical modeling with cell-free experiments has become an effective approach in exploring novel synthetic gene circuits. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of current progress on using deterministic first principle-based mathematical modeling in conjunction with cell-free systems, in designing and characterizing novel gene circuits, as well as the standing challenges and issues with this approach.

Building a Shared Vision for a Green and Fair Economic Transformation