Advancing Open Science

Object detection in complex environments, such as challenging lighting conditions, adverse weather, and target occlusions, poses significant difficulties for existing algorithms. To address these challenges, this study introduces a collaborative solution integrating improved CycleGAN-based data augmentation and an enhanced object detection framework, AS-YOLO. The improved CycleGAN incorporates a dual self-attention mechanism and spectral normalization to enhance feature capture and training stability. The AS-YOLO framework integrates a channel–spatial parallel attention mechanism, an AFPN structure for improved feature fusion, and the Inner_IoU loss function for better generalization. The experimental results show that compared with YOLOv8n, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.95 of the AS-YOLO algorithm have increased by 1.5% and 0.6%, respectively. After data augmentation and style transfer, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.95 have increased by 14.6% and 17.8%, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method in improving the performance of the model in complex scenarios.

Background: Noble gases, such as argon, have been observed to exhibit cytoprotective effects. The non-anesthetic properties, abundance, and cost-effectiveness of argon suggest its clinical potential. While its efficacy in mitigating ischemia–reperfusion injury has been demonstrated in cellular and small animal models, data on its effects in large animals remain limited. This study evaluated the effects of argon inhalation on pulmonary ischemia–reperfusion injury in miniature swine with potential applications in transplantation. Methods: The left bronchial and pulmonary artery and veins were clamped for 90 min, and then the clamps were released to induce lung ischemia–reperfusion injury in 10 CLAWN miniature swine. The argon group (n = 5) inhaled a mixture of 30% oxygen and 70% argon for 360 min, whereas the control group (n = 5) inhaled a mixture of 30% oxygen and 70% nitrogen for an equivalent duration. Lung function was evaluated using chest X-ray, lung biopsies, and blood gas analysis. Results: The PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio significantly decreased in the control group 2 h post-reperfusion (568 ± 12 to 272 ± 39 mmHg), but was better preserved in the argon group (562 ± 17 to 430 ± 48 mmHg). Blood gas from the left pulmonary vein showed a superior PvO₂/FiO₂ ratio in the argon group (331 ± 40 vs. 186 ± 17 mmHg at 2 h; 519 ± 19 vs. 292 ± 33 mmHg at 2 days). Chest X-ray revealed reduced infiltration in the left lung. The lung biopsy histological scores improved in the argon group at 2 h and 2 days. Serum superoxide dismutase analysis and tissue TUNEL assays suggested that antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms, respectively, were involved. Conclusions: Perioperative argon inhalation attenuates ischemia–reperfusion injury in swine lungs, likely via anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects.

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a precancerous gastric condition with limited therapeutic interventions, and the mechanisms underlying the benefits of Coptis chinensis Franch. (CCF) remain insufficiently defined. This study employed an integrated computational strategy to clarify the molecular basis of CCF activity against CAG. Network pharmacology was used to identify potential targets of the major CCF constituents berberine, coptisine, and palmatine, followed by molecular docking, machine learning-based IC₅₀ prediction, and molecular dynamics simulations. Fifty-eight overlapping targets between CCF compounds and CAG-related genes were identified, highlighting SRC, STAT3, MAPK1, and NFKB1 as central nodes enriched in inflammatory and immune pathways, including TNF and MAPK signaling. Docking analyses revealed strong interactions between all three compounds and SRC kinase, and machine learning models predicted IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range (1.38–1.82 μM). Molecular dynamics simulations further suggest that berberine may stabilize the crucial regulatory regions of SRC, specifically the activation loop. It is hypothesized that this stabilization maintains the inactive conformation of the kinase domain and potentially shields Tyr416 from phosphorylation, thus potentially influencing kinase activation. These findings suggest that CCF may modulate key inflammatory and immune pathways implicated in CAG progression, with SRC emerging as a central node for further investigation.

A large number of state-owned companies were privatized in the Czech Republic after the end of the communist regime, mostly through their transformation into joint-stock companies. The water management sector was no exception from this process. The ownership of infrastructure networks was transferred to individual municipalities, which are legally obliged to provide their inhabitants with water supply and sewerage disposal. Subsequently, the municipalities joined together in joint-stock companies to enhance their capacity to provide sufficient financial resources for the rehabilitation and development of water infrastructure and also to enable the implementation of sustainable water management strategies, which are key to environmental protection. Assets contributed to joint-stock companies in the form of non-monetary contributions serve as a basis for a proportionate allocation of shares, representing the shareholder’s share of participation in the company’s management. An analysis of the asset performance within these companies indicates the necessity of developing an optimized methodology for determining the number of shares allocated for such non-monetary contributions. This need arises from significant disparities in both profitability and cost-efficiency among municipalities, depending on factors such as population size (revenues) and the length and technical characteristics of the infrastructure networks (costs) contributed to the joint-stock companies. The authors of the article present the research project results, aimed at developing a methodological procedure for determining the price (value) of municipal infrastructure assets contributed as non-monetary capital to a joint-stock company that owns and operates water management networks, from which the secondary objective of determining the fair value of a municipality’s water management infrastructure assets based on the developed methodology is derived. The proposed methodological procedure is primarily based on establishing the ratio between the fixed and variable costs of the municipality.

Sargassum horneri is a highly productive macroalgal species capable of assimilating dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and converting CO₂ into carbohydrates, making it a promising solution for carbon capture and biomass enhancement. Owing to its wide distribution and natural abundance, the utilization of S. horneri may help mitigate rising oceanic CO₂ concentrations. This study evaluated the combined effects of inorganic carbon availability (2000, 4000, and 8000 μM NaHCO₃) and irradiance (100, 150, and 200 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) on photosynthetic performance and growth across short-term (24 h) and long-term (4-week) experimental trials. Carbon enrichment and light intensity interacted to significantly influence growth and carbon assimilation. The highest growth rate (35.83 ± 3.95%) was observed under 8000 μM DIC (0.75 g L⁻¹) at 200 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, corresponding to an optimal mean growth condition of 19 ± 0.04% (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that elevated inorganic carbon enhances photosynthetic efficiency by supplying sufficient substrate for carbon fixation, thereby supporting the feasibility of Sargassum horneri as a viable species for CO₂ absorption and carbon capture applications.

The global community is currently confronting the dual challenges of energy shortages and environmental degradation, underscoring an urgent need for green and sustainable technological solutions [...]

Background: Urine cytology is a highly effective, straightforward, and cost-efficient diagnostic tool for identifying neoplastic and non-neoplastic changes in the bladder, ureter, and renal pelvis. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the high sensitivity and specificity of urine cytology in detecting a wide range of urothelial lesions, including metastatic involvement. Material and Methods: Urine cytology was performed on 9639 cases between 2000 and 2025. The samples, collected from patients, were processed at the Institute of Pathology. Cytological slides were prepared using cytocentrifugation and stained with May–Grünwald–Giemsa (MGG) and Papanicolaou stains. The cytological findings were classified according to WHO, 2004 compared with histological specimens. Additionally, selected cases underwent immunohistochemical and molecular analyses. All samples were anonymized and retrospectively analyzed following the guidelines and regulations of the local ethics committee. Results: Of the total cases, 7051 were classified as benign, 1269 as malignant, and 88 as normal findings. Insufficient material was obtained in 336 cases. No complications were reported during sample collection or processing. The concordance with histological findings for neoplastic lesions was over 96%, with a false-negative rate of 1.84%. The diagnostic methods demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 96.64%. Among the 6956 cases analyzed, 3139 were women (45.13%) and 3817 were men (54.87%). Conclusions: The diagnostic value of urine cytology in representative material is relatively high in assessing both the presence or absence of malignancy and, when applicable, the tumor grade. This large 25-year single-center review demonstrates that urine cytology retains high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of urothelial malignancy, particularly high-grade disease. However, the atypical category remains a major diagnostic challenge and contributes substantially to false-positive results.

A systematic literature review of the PubMed database, filtering for publication dates up to and including October 2025, was conducted to identify relevant studies on glucose metabolism and radiotherapy. Radioresistance poses a major therapeutic challenge, in which tumor-associated glucose metabolic reprogramming, characterized by the Warburg effect, supports cellular energy requirements and contributes to radioresistance by facilitating DNA repair and promoting survival pathways. Targeting pivotal glycolytic enzymes, such as hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and integrating radiotherapy with metabolic modulators have been shown to improve radiosensitivity. Special emphasis is placed on how these interventions remodel the tumor microenvironment and modulate antitumor immunity—emerging factors that influence therapeutic efficacy. This review highlights mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic targets for the development of effective radiosensitization strategies.