Chylothorax, a postoperative complication of CHD surgery, involves chyle accumulation in the pleural cavity, posing challenges in diagnosis and management. This retrospective study investigates the prevalence, aetiology, management, and outcomes of postoperative chylothorax in paediatric patients undergoing cardiac corrective surgery at a tertiary care centre over 15 years. Medical records of paediatric patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery at the Children’s Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between 2007 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collection included demographic characteristics, blood parameters, chylous fluid characteristics, diagnostic criteria, treatment modalities, and hospitalisation details. Ethical approval was obtained, and descriptive statistics were employed using SAS 9.4. Among 2,997 children who underwent cardiothoracic surgery, nineteen cases of postoperative chylothorax were identified. The majority were females (63.2%) with a median age of 9 months. Glenn, Fontan, and Blalock–Taussig shunt-related surgeries were the most common operations associated with chylothorax. Single ventricle physiology was the predominant CHD observed (58%). Diagnosis relied primarily on clinical presentation, imaging studies, and triglyceride levels in pleural fluid. Treatment options included conservative dietary modifications, medical therapy such as octreotide, and surgical intervention if necessary. No mortalities were reported, and patients were adequately followed up. This study sheds light on postoperative chylothorax in paediatric cardiac patients, offering insights into its epidemiology, aetiology, clinical features, and treatment outcomes. While conservative and medical approaches effectively managed chylothorax in this group, larger studies are needed to develop standardised diagnostic and treatment protocols, improving outcomes in paediatric patients with postoperative chylothorax.

The objective of this cohort study was to investigate whether embryo quality and morphokinetic behaviour differ in the four groups of low-prognosis women as stratified by the POSEIDON criteria. The study was performed in a private university-affiliated in vitro fertilization (IVF) centre, and included 3326 injected oocytes from 846 women undergoing ICSI cycles between March 2019 and April 2022. Kinetic markers from the point of insemination were recorded in the EmbryoScope incubator. Generalized mixed models followed by Bonferroni post hoc were used to compare morphokinetics among the POSEIDON groups. Embryos derived from patients in the POSEIDON groups 2, 3 and 4 showed significantly slower divisions compared to those from POSEIDON 1 group. The KIDScore rank was significantly lower for embryos deriving from POSEIDON groups 2, 3 and 4 (2: 4.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3: 4.2 ± 0.2 vs. 4: 3.0 ± 0.4) compared to those deriving from POSEIDON 1 group (4.8 ± 0.1, p < 0.001). Group POSEIDON 1 showed improved implantation (26.9% vs. 2: 22.4% vs. 3: 20.0% vs. 4: 14.0, p < 0.001) and miscarriage rates (5.6% vs. 2: 31.2% vs. 4: 50.0%, p = 0.013). Embryo quality and morphokinetic behaviour differ across the POSEIDON groups, being more favourable in POSEIDON group 1, as well as implantation and miscarriage rates. Embryo development was more favourable in POSEIDON group 1 (young age and adequate ovarian reserve), suggesting that oocyte quality is determinant of embryo developmental potential. These findings show the reasonability of classifying POR by the POSEIDON criteria and provide information for counselling of POR regarding their possible prognosis.

Rigorous methods have recently been developed for statistical inference of Malmquist productivity indices (MPIs) in the context of nonparametric frontier estimation, including the new central limit theorems, estimation of the bias, standard errors and the corresponding confidence intervals. The goal of this study is to briefly overview these methods and consider a few possible improvements of their implementation in relatively small samples. Our Monte-Carlo simulations confirmed that the method from Simar et al. (2023) is useful for the simple mean and aggregate MPI in relatively small sample sizes (e.g., up to around 50) and especially for large dimensions. Interestingly, we also find that the “data sharpening” method from Nguyen et al. (2022), which helps in improving the approximation in the context of efficiency is not needed in the context of estimation of productivity indices. Finally, we provide an empirical illustration of the differences across the existing methods.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with significant social, communicative, and behavioral challenges, and its prevalence is increasing globally at an alarming rate. Children with ASD often have nutritional imbalances, and multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Among these, zinc (Zn2+) deficiency is prominent and has gained extensive scientific interest over the past few years. Zn2+ supports numerous proteins, including enzymes and transcription factors, and controls neurogenesis and cell differentiation. It modulates synaptic transmission and plasticity by binding to receptors, ion channels, and transporters. These interactions are crucial as changes in these processes may contribute to cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD. Notably, mutations in genes linked to ASD result in Zn2+ dyshomeostasis, altering pivotal biological processes. Additionally, Zn2+ promotes gut health by maintaining gut wall integrity, preventing inflammation and leaky gut, translocation of gut bacteria and their metabolites into systemic circulation, and supporting cognitive processes via the gut-brain axis. Zn2+ deficiency during pregnancy alters gut microbiota composition, induces pro-inflammatory cytokine production, may affect neuronal functioning, and is associated with ASD etiology in offspring and exacerbation of autistic traits in genetically predisposed children. This review focuses on Zn2+ dyshomeostasis, discussing various Zn2+-dependent dysfunctions underlying distinct autistic phenotypes and describing recent progress in the neurobiology of ASD in human and animal models. Comprehensive research on the physiological processes altered by Zn2+ deficiency is crucial for designing preventive and innovative therapeutic measures for this disorder.

Gyrodactylidae Cobbold, 1864 is a monophyletic family of hyperviviparous species, with 36 genera and approximately 700 species. Here, we focused on one of these genera – namely Scleroductus Jara & Cone, 1989 – characterizing its morphological variation systematically and testing its phylogenetic position in relation to other genera in the family. We collected and describe two new species of monogenean parasites of Scleroductus infecting Neotropical freshwater catfishes in Mexico. Scleroductus veracruzano n. sp. infects Guatemalan chulín, Rhamdia guatemalensis in Veracruz, while Scleroductus oaxaqueno n. sp. infects filespine chulín, Rhamdia laticauda in Oaxaca, Mexico. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS rDNA) and 18S rDNA were generated for both species. Phylogenetic hypotheses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of 18S rDNA indicate that the two new Mexican taxa are closely related to each other, and both appear as sister species to an undescribed but molecularly characterized Scleroductus sp. infecting South American catfish, Rhamdia quelen in Brazil. Our analyses confirm the placement of Scleroductus spp. within the monophyletic family Gyrodactylidae, whose sister clade is the Oogyrodactylidae. Within Gyrodactylidae, Scleroductus spp. form a clade sister to a well-supported clade composed by members of the genera Ieredactylus, Gyrodactyloides and Laminiscus.

To assess the relationship between total body fat percentage(TBFP), trunk fat percentage(TFP), and urinary flow rate(UFR).We stratified by age and sex and hypothesize that TBFP and TFP are negatively associated with UFR across all groups.The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which includes a series of nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. The data analyzed in this study included 18-59-year-old females and males who participated in the NHANES surveys conducted between 2011 and 2018. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between body fat percentages measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans and UFR.A total of 10,521 participants were included and an increase in total body fat percentage(TBFP) was inversely associated with in UFR (β= -0.013,95% confidence interval[CI]-0.018 to -0.007), Similarly,an increase in trunk fat percentage(TFP)was inversely associated with UFR(β=-0.014,95%CI-0.018 to -0.009).Stratified analyses by gender revealed that among males, an increase in TBFP and TFP was inversely associated with in UFR (β=-0.011, 95% CI -0.019 to -0.004; β=-0.016, 95% CI -0.022 to -0.009), although this association was not observed in the 18-35 age group. Among females, an increase in TBFP and TFP was inversely associated with UFR (β= -0.016, 95% CI -0.023 to -0.008; β= -0.012, 95% CI -0.019 to -0.006), and this association was observed across all age groups.Our study shows that in the population aged 18 to 59, both total body fat and truncal fat accumulation are inversely associated with urinary flow rate. However, the association in males under 35 is not significant. Future research should delve into the mechanisms behind these gender and age differences to provide a more precise basis for developing targeted prevention and intervention measures.

This study explores the emergence and dispersal of grog-tempered pottery in south-eastern Europe, particularly southern Romania. During the second half of the sixth millennium bc, a dynamic zone emerged between the Danube and the Carpathians, facilitating the spread of innovations through multiple communication routes. Among these innovations, grog-tempered pottery began to appear around 5300/5000 bc and became prevalent during the fifth millennium. Despite being frequent, its origins, dispersal, and intensity remain poorly understood. This article aims to trace and explain the emergence and distribution of grog-tempered pottery in southern Romania. By integrating data from existing literature with new results from macroscopic and archaeometric analyses of twelve pottery assemblages from Middle Neolithic, Early, and Middle Chalcolithic sites, the author seeks to provide insights into the significance of the first grog-tempered pottery in a south-eastern European context.

This study investigates the wages and labour contracts of Khoe workers in Graaff Reinet, a district on the Cape Colony's eastern frontier in the early nineteenth century. Using wage registers from 1801 to 1810, we offer the first individual-level analysis of wages for both male and female Khoe workers, examining payment forms, socio-economic stratification, and gendered wage dynamics. The findings highlight a persistently high reliance on in-kind payments – aligned with the pastoral economy and cultural preferences of the Khoe – but reveal a gradual shift towards cash wages, driven by the colonial administration's efforts to reduce labour coercion. Gender disparities emerge as a critical theme, with female labourers experiencing higher wage inequality and receiving a larger proportion of in-kind wages. The analysis underscores the intersection of colonial economic policies, labour practices, and social inequalities, challenging aggregate approaches to understanding inequality and living standards in colonial Africa. These insights expand our knowledge of coercive labour systems and frontier economies.

While the category shift of deverbal prepositions has been well documented in grammaticalization studies, its accompanying process of subjectification remains underexplored. Adopting a constructionist perspective, this article addresses the gap by analyzing data from the Corpus of Historical American English. We present a multivariate analysis of the deverbal preposition considering to examine the role that subjectification has played along the way to it becoming a preposition over the past 200 years. Specifically, we investigate whether the two grammatical variants, participial and prepositional considering, can be anchored in context, focusing on a set of subjectivity indicators and their gradual changes over time. The findings are twofold. First, the two variants can be distinguished by six contextual features, namely subject animacy, subject person, contextual polarity, presence of degree modifiers, presence of modal auxiliaries and genre. Second, over time, there is an increasing correlation between the prepositional variant and levels within contextual features that indicate greater evaluative subjectivity. Previous scholarship has debated whether subjectification is independent of grammaticalization. This study contributes to this discourse by illustrating how various facets of subjectification may interact and manifest to varying degrees within the process of grammatical change.