Tag: nevin manimala

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 11;15(1):29439. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-14784-5.

ABSTRACT

With the rapid growth in the exchange of digital data, the problem of protecting images has become essential, particularly in sectors such as medicine, surveillance and secure communications. Traditional encryption techniques, such as DES, AES and RSA, are effective for text, but often ineffective for images, due to high redundancy and high correlation between pixels. We suggest a novel image encryption algorithm based on chaotic maps and the variable-step Josephus problem to get over these restrictions and increase the encryption resilience. This algorithm uses Kepler Chaotic Optimisation Algorithm (CKOA) to select the most suitable chaotic maps, guaranteeing optimal diffusion and complex pixel confusion. Key generation is enhanced with MD5 and SHA-256 hash functions, providing increased resistance to collisions and attacks. In addition, Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is integrated to compress images and reduce processing time, while maintaining a high average entropy of 7.999 for encrypted images. Experimental tests demonstrate strong resistance against cryptographic attacks, including 99.6% as pixel change rate and 33.31% as unified average change intensity, ensuring optimum security. Compared with other image-based encryption schemes, our method stands out for its speed and reduced computational complexity, while offering superior security.

PMID:40789914 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-14784-5

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 11;15(1):29420. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-15388-9.

ABSTRACT

Early prediction of academic performance is vital for reducing attrition in online higher education. However, existing models often lack comprehensive data integration and comparison with state-of-the-art techniques. This study, which involved 2,225 engineering students at a public university in Ecuador, addressed these gaps. The objective was to develop a robust predictive framework by integrating Moodle interactions, academic history, and demographic data using SMOTE for class balancing. The methodology involved a comparative evaluation of seven base learners, including traditional algorithms, Random Forest, and gradient boosting ensembles (XGBoost, LightGBM), and a final stacking model, all validated using a 5-fold stratified cross-validation. While the LightGBM model emerged as the best-performing base model (Area Under the Curve (AUC) = 0.953, F1 = 0.950), the stacking ensemble (AUC = 0.835) did not offer a significant performance improvement and showed considerable instability. SHAP analysis confirmed that early grades were the most influential predictors across top models. The final model demonstrated strong fairness across gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (consistency = 0.907). These findings enable institutions to identify at-risk students using state-of-the-art interpretable and fair models. These findings enable institutions to identify at-risk students using state-of-the-art, interpretable, and fair models, advancing learning analytics by validating key success predictors against contemporary benchmarks.

PMID:40789907 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-15388-9

Clin Nutr. 2025 Aug 5;52:215-224. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2025.07.034. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder with significant somatic complications, potentially involving an altered intestinal barrier. Prior studies yielded heterogeneous results, ranging from decreased to increased intestinal permeability in AN. This study aimed to assess intestinal permeability in adolescent patients with AN by comparing serum markers Zonulin, Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and intestinal Fatty acid-binding protein (iFABP) with healthy controls (HC) over time.

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study on 60 female adolescent patients with AN and 36 age-matched HC. Blood samples were collected at admission to inpatient treatment, at discharge, and at a one-year follow-up. Zonulin, LBP, iFABP and inflammation marker Interleukin 6 levels were measured alongside clinical parameters. Linear mixed models were applied to assess group differences and longitudinal changes. Pearson correlations were used to explore clinical associations.

RESULTS: Zonulin levels were significantly decreased in the AN group at admission and again at the follow-up compared to HC. LBP levels were consistently reduced in AN across all three time points. These alterations thus persisted despite weight recovery. No significant differences were observed in iFABP levels between the groups or over time. Zonulin and LBP positively correlated with Interleukin 6, linking gut permeability to inflammatory processes.

CONCLUSION: Decreased Zonulin and LBP levels suggest reduced paracellular intestinal permeability in adolescent AN while transcellular permeability (iFABP) appears to be rather unaffected. The persistence of these alterations despite weight recovery suggests that reduced intestinal permeability may be a trait rather than a state marker in AN. Our findings challenge the concept of a “leaky gut” in adolescent AN.This highlights the need for further research on the intestinal barrier in AN, while also integrating the role of nutritional intake, gut microbiome interaction and immune reactions, to support the development of gut-targeted therapies.

PMID:40789230 | DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2025.07.034

Poult Sci. 2025 Jul 23;104(10):105596. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105596. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Poultry farming in Gujarat faces persistent challenges from infectious diseases, foodborne pathogens, and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), necessitating the adoption of stringent biosecurity measures encompassing isolation, traffic control, and sanitation. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and effectiveness of biosecurity practices among line supervisors involved in contractual commercial broiler farming in Gujarat. This study evaluated the socio-economic characteristics and biosecurity knowledge of 33 line supervisors through a one-day capacity-building training program. Pre- and post-training assessments, including structured questionnaires and Likert scales, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) in R (v4.0.2). Results revealed that most participants were young (mean age 33.94), married males with higher secondary or graduate education and over a decade of poultry farming experience. Post-training evaluations showed a significant improvement in biosecurity knowledge and practices, with 75.76 % rating the training as excellent and was recognized as useful by 90.91 % of respondents. Furthermore, for the non-implementation of comprehensive biosecurity measures by the farmers, lack of awareness was the major attribute given by line supervisors (57.58 %) for the farmers, followed by inadequate control (51.52 %) and insufficient knowledge (48.48 %). Additionally, FAMD identified 76 epidemiological points across breeding farms, commercial broiler farms, and markets, offering insights into zoonotic risk and poultry distribution network (PDN) structure. The findings investigated the need for structured training and advisory support, along with government-led financial incentives, to strengthen biosecurity implementation in poultry systems.

PMID:40789226 | DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2025.105596

J Proteome Res. 2025 Aug 11. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.4c01114. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Motivated by the lack of adequate tools to perform pathway enrichment analysis, this work presents an approach specifically tailored to SomaScan data. Starting from annotated gene sets, we developed a greedy, top-down procedure to iteratively identify strongly intracorrelated SOMAmer modules, termed “SomaModules”, based on 11K SomaScan data. We generated two repositories based on the latest MSigDB and MitoCarta releases, containing more than 40,000 SOMAmer-based gene sets combined. These repositories can be utilized by any unstructured pathway enrichment analysis tool. We validated our results with two case examples: (i) Alzheimer’s disease specific pathways in a 7K SomaScan case-control study, and (ii) mitochondrial pathways using 11K SomaScan data linked to physical performance outcomes. Using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we found that, in both examples, SomaModules had significantly higher enrichment than the original gene set counterparts. These findings were robust and not significantly affected by the choice of enrichment metric or the Kolmogorov enrichment statistic used in the GSEA procedure. We provide users with access to all code, documentation and data needed to reproduce our current repositories, which also will enable them to leverage our framework to analyze SomaModules derived from other sources, including custom, user-generated gene sets.

PMID:40789203 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jproteome.4c01114

Psychiatriki. 2025 Aug 5. doi: 10.22365/jpsych.2025.022. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated the impact of a hybrid Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of care on the direct medical costs of treating severe mental illness (SMI) patients in rural Greece. The study aimed to determine whether this model resulted in significant cost differences compared to usual treatment while also assessing its cost-effectiveness based on clinical improvements. A total of 23 patients with SMI and multiple hospitalizations were followed up for 16 months under the hybrid ACT model. Direct medical costs were estimated using previously published Greek data on schizophrenia treatment costs. Cost differences before and after the implementation of the hybrid ACT model were calculated, and cost-effectiveness was assessed using the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER), which reflects the cost per unit increase in Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores. There was no statistically significant difference in direct medical costs between usual care (310,029€) and hybrid ACT care (313,896€), with a small cost increase of 3,867€ (p = 0.077). However, hybrid ACT care significantly reduced hospitalizations and length of inpatient stay, leading to an 86.9% reduction in total inpatient days. Clinical improvements were also observed, with GAF scores increasing from 40.43 to 47.26. Cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrated a particularly low ICER of 25.9€ per GAF point gained, suggesting a cost-efficient intervention. In an alternative scenario, the 2024 pricing was estimated with the use of the Consumer Price Index. In this case, the hybrid ACT care appeared to be significantly cost-saving by 25.5%. A rough estimation of indirect costs revealed further cost savings in favor of the hybrid ACT. The hybrid ACT model proved to be cost-effective due to its strong impact on reducing inpatient care and improving patient functioning. These findings align with international studies demonstrating the economic and clinical benefits of community-based mental health care. Future research should focus on larger, multicenter studies to confirm cost-effectiveness and explore the impact on indirect costs, such as caregiver burden and law enforcement involvement. The results support further investment in hybrid ACT services in rural Greece to enhance mental health care delivery in low-resourced settings.

PMID:40789197 | DOI:10.22365/jpsych.2025.022

Anal Chem. 2025 Aug 11. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c03797. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pulsed nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) mass spectrometry has been proven to have several merits compared to its direct current (DC) counterparts, such as high sensitivity, high matrix tolerance, and low electrochemical interference. However, the reliance on external devices like signal generators and power amplifiers limits the technology’s suitability for on-site use. Here, we developed a frequency-amplitude tunable hand-held pulsed high-voltage supply specifically designed for nanoESI. This portable detection system eliminates reliance on bulky ancillary equipment of conventional approaches, with a total mass of 185 g and an ergonomic hand-held configuration. Through systematic modulation of frequency (10-50 kHz) and voltage (1.5-6 kV), the device achieves optimal detection performance across diverse analytical standards and complex matrixes, including serum and cellular samples. The pulse-induced self-cleaning effect prevented nozzle clogging while maintaining functionality under high-salt conditions (855 mM NaCl). To demonstrate clinical applicability, we analyzed 198 serum specimens (100 from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease patients (ASCVD) and 98 age-matched controls), identifying statistically significant dysregulation of multiple metabolites in the ASCVD cohort and achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 85%. Field deployment trials using portable mass spectrometers further validated the system’s potential for rapid on-site diagnostics, establishing a new paradigm for point-of-care analytical technology.

PMID:40789175 | DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.5c03797

J Med Internet Res. 2025 Aug 11;27:e68947. doi: 10.2196/68947.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The rapid evolution of digital technologies has transformed many aspects of daily life, offering substantial benefits for health and well-being through telemedicine and telehealth services. However, disparities in access to these technologies, particularly among older adults with visual impairments, remain a significant concern.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the differences in access to and use of digital technologies between older adults in Poland with near visual impairment and those without. In addition, it explored how sociodemographic factors, such as education level and place of residence, interact with near visual impairment to influence digital technology access and usage.

METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the PolSenior2 project, a nationwide, multicenter survey conducted between 2018 and 2019. The sample included 5872 community-dwelling Polish adults aged 60 years and older, selected using a random, 3-stage, proportional sampling method, stratified by age and gender. Self-reported data on access to and usage of digital technologies, including smartphones, computers, and internet access, were collected. Near visual acuity was assessed using the Snellen chart for near vision.

RESULTS: Older adults with near visual impairment had significantly lower adjusted odds of owning and using digital devices compared to those without visual impairment. Specifically, the adjusted odds ratio of having and knowing how to use a smartphone was 0.62 (95% CI 0.46-0.84), a computer 0.65 (95% CI 0.50-0.86), and having internet access 0.64 (95% CI 0.48-0.83), all indicating lower access among individuals with visual impairment. Furthermore, these individuals were less likely to use the internet for tasks such as searching for information about goods and services (adjusted odds ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.86).

CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with near visual impairment in Poland face significant barriers in accessing and using digital technologies. These disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions to bridge the digital divide and improve digital inclusion for visually impaired seniors, ensuring they can benefit from the advantages of digital health solutions. Further research is required to develop and evaluate strategies to promote digital equity in this vulnerable population.

PMID:40789157 | DOI:10.2196/68947

Asian Pac Isl Nurs J. 2025 Aug 11;9:e75432. doi: 10.2196/75432.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Nursing is an emotionally demanding profession where unmanaged anger can compromise patient care and teamwork. While clinical experience is thought to enhance emotional regulation, the relationship between work experience and anger management remains poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess whether work experience predicts anger management ability among nurses, using Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory as a guiding framework.

METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 involving 265 nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used based on hospital wards. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation analysis, t tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Normality was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The sample size was determined using parameters referenced in prior studies and confirmed with G*Power software (Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf).

RESULTS: Although nurses with more experience reported slightly higher anger control scores, the correlation between work experience and anger management was not significant (r=-0.079, P=.18). Regression analysis revealed that shift type and job security significantly predicted anger regulation, independent of experience level.

CONCLUSIONS: Work experience alone does not ensure improved anger management among nurses. Organizational factors such as shift scheduling and employment stability may have a greater influence on emotional regulation. Institutions are encouraged to provide structured support and stress management training, especially for early-career nurses.

PMID:40789152 | DOI:10.2196/75432

JBRA Assist Reprod. 2025 May 29. doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20250004. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Salpingectomy has been one of the most performed surgical procedures in gynecological practice worldwide. Common indications include ectopic pregnancy and salpingitis (for example symptomatic hydro or pyosalpinx). This rising trend in salpingectomy has been associated with a rising concern over its potentially damaging effect on ovarian reserve due to possible concomitant damage of ovarian blood supply given the proximity of tubal and ovarian arteries.

METHODS: This is a prospective cohort Study including eighty cases of infertile women with a previous unilateral or bilateral hydro salpinx and indicated for salpingectomy or tubal ligation attending the outpatient clinic at assisted reproduction unit, Al-Azhar University. The results were obtained in the period from February 2020 to December 2022.

RESULTS: The present study was conducted on 80 patients. The mean and (SD) values for age were 25.5 (5.2) years old with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 34 years old. More than half of patients (58.8%) had bilateral Hydrosalpinx while 41.2% had unilateral hydrosalpinx. Whether preor post-operatively, there was no statistically significant difference between median number of antral follicles in patients with unilateral and bilateral hydrosalpinx. There was no statistically significant change in the mean of AMH levels post-operatively (p-value=0.147, effect size=0.035) in both unilateral and bilateral groups. There was no statistically significant change in median number of Antral follicles post-operatively (p-value=0.456, Effect size=0.167) in both unilateral and bilateral groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The unilateral and bilateral salpingectomy in patients with normal ovaries has no detrimental effect on ovarian reserve.

PMID:40789151 | DOI:10.5935/1518-0557.20250004