The integration of deep learning into symbolic music generation presents new opportunities for emulating artist-specific musical styles. In this paper, we propose a multi-branch Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network designed to generate monophonic melodies conditioned on note pitch, duration, and playback, with a focus on stylistic imitation of The Beatles. Unlike existing approaches that model music solely as sequences of pitches, our model processes three distinct streams of musical attributes and learns joint temporal dependencies through a custom architecture. We introduce a structured data representation derived from 193 MIDI files of Beatles songs using the music21 toolkit, extracting pitch and duration features and quantizing them into a format suitable for sequential prediction. Experimental results demonstrate that the model captures artist-specific musical patterns with moderate accuracy across output branches, and a listening test involving 71 participants validates the perceptual plausibility of the generated compositions. Our findings suggest that feature-aware sequence modeling is effective for stylistically informed symbolic music generation, and we discuss limitations and future extensions toward polyphonic modeling and conditional generation.

In this paper, we analyze the secrecy outage performance of the classical Wyner’s model, where both the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper experience gamma-shadowed two-wave with diffuse power (GS-TWDP) composite fading. We derive expressions for the lower bound of the secrecy outage probability (SOP) and the probability of strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC) in terms of Meijer’s G-function, which can be efficiently implemented in MATLAB® and MATHEMATICA®. The derived expressions are validated through Monte Carlo simulations and used to perform detailed analysis of the impact of shadowing and multipath severity on secrecy outage performance in channels with composite fading.

While traditional sampling-based path planning approaches for robotic manipulators, such as RRT (Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees) and PRM (Probabilistic Roadmaps), provide feasible solution paths, convex optimization-based techniques offer some additional features. Some of these methods unfortunately require a representation of the manipulator’s configuration space as a set of convex volumes, which can be challenging to obtain due to the high dimensionality and complexity of the configuration space. This work presents an algorithm for computing convex volumes in the manipulator’s configuration space, called GBur-IRIS. The algorithm combines the structure known as the generalized bur of free C-space with the convex volume-inflating algorithm IRIS (Iterative Regional Inflation by Semidefinite Programming). It follows a simple iterative procedure. First, it computes a generalized bur. Then, it encloses the bur in an ellipsoid. Finally, it uses this ellipsoid to initialize the IRIS algorithm. The paper provides a detailed description of the algorithm and shows an extensive simulation study. This study is conducted on several robotic manipulators and environments, and the results are discussed and compared with existing approaches from the literature.

High-throughput plant phenotyping using RGB imaging offers a scalable and non-invasive solution for monitoring plant growth and extracting various traits. However, achieving accurate segmentation across experiments remains a challenging task due to image variability usually caused by shifts in pot positions. This study introduces a customized image stabilization method to align pots consistently across time-series images of Arabidopsis thaliana, enhancing spatial consistency. A large-scale RGB dataset was collected and prepared, with 4,000 manually annotated images used to train multiple encoder–decoder deep learning models. Various CNN-based encoders were paired with well-known decoders, including U-Net, $\mathbf{U}^{2}$-Net, PANet, and DeepLabv3. Stabilization significantly improved performance of models, with the $EffNetB1 +\mathbf{U}^{2}$-Net encoder-decoder combination achieving the highest precision score of 0.95 and Intersection over Union of 0.96. These results demonstrate the value of spatial consistency and offer a robust, scalable pipeline for automated plant segmentation in indoor phenotyping systems.

Objectives The primary objective of this study was to examine the potential association between glutathione S-transferases (GSTT1/GSTM1) deletion polymorphisms and the development of apical periodontitis (AP) in a population of patients at two university centers: the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Belgrade in Serbia. Materials and Methods The study involved 200 patients with AP in the experimental and 250 healthy individuals without AP in the control group. As a source of genomic DNA, sterile buccal swabs were taken from each patient. Genotyping of GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms was conducted using multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The risk of AP development with regard to the genotypes was evaluated based on odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that were calculated via unconditional logistic regression. Results There were significant differences in demographic characteristics between the investigated groups (p = 0.446, p = 0.154, respectively). GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletions were associated with a 3.05-fold and 5.69-fold risk (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 2.07–4.49, OR = 5.69, 95% CI = 3.66–8.86, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively) for the AP development. The co-occurrence of both deletions posed a significantly higher risk for AP development (OR = 52.76. 95% CI = 18.20–152.94, P < 0.001). Conclusions The carriers of null GSTT, null GSTM, and double null GSTT/GSTM genotypes are more susceptible to AP development in the populations examined at the two centers.

The study aimed to evaluate the audiologic profile of preschool children with hearing loss, i.e., to determine the type, degree, and configuration of hearing loss, amplitude of otoacoustic emissions, and word recognition performance. This retrospective study included 260 children examined in a secondary healthcare setting. For statistical data analysis, we used the Chi-square test with a level of significance p < 0.05. Conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss was present in 93.1%, 4.6%, and 2.3%, respectively. Mild hearing loss was present in 96.1%, moderate in 2.3%, and severe hearing loss in 1.6%. Type B tympanogram was the most common (p = 0.00001). The mean amplitude of otoacoustic emissions was -7.6 dB in sensorineural hearing loss and 12.3 dB in normal hearing. The maximum word recognition score was frequently obtained at presentation levels of 25-40 dB SL (p = 0.009). The majority of children had mild conductive hearing loss with normal word recognition ability.

Background/Objectives: Syncope is a common clinical problem often requiring pharmacological treatment, yet evidence-based therapies remain limited. Midodrine, a vasopressor agent, is frequently used, though its autonomic effects over time remain unclear. This study aimed to assess autonomic nervous system changes and blood pressure response in syncope patients treated with Midodrine, placebo, or their combination. Additionally, the structural properties of the Midodrine placebo were analyzed using nanotechnological methods. Methods: A total of 67 patients with syncope were randomized to receive Midodrine, sucrose placebo, or their combination over three weeks. All participants underwent 24 h Holter ECG with heart rate variability (HRV) analysis and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before and after therapy. Structural analysis of Midodrine tablets, sucrose, and Midodrine placebo was performed using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results: Patients receiving the Midodrine–placebo combination showed a significant reduction in HRV markers of parasympathetic activity (RMSSD, pNN50, HF) and an increase in sympathetic dominance (LF/HF ratio) compared to the other groups. Only this group showed a statistically significant rise in average systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Raman and XRD analyses revealed structural alterations in the sucrose-based placebo compared to its original form, indicating subtle changes in crystalline structure. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, the combination of Midodrine and placebo was associated with autonomic imbalance and modest increases in blood pressure, which may indicate a potential effect in patients with hypotensive syncope phenotypes. These preliminary findings should be interpreted with caution, and the structural modifications observed in the placebo formulation are presented as hypotheses requiring further investigation rather than established mechanisms.

Occlusive cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is associated with worse patient outcome. The net clinical benefit of acute revascularization measures has to be weighed against the likelihood of spontaneous recanalization. Our aim was to assess the hitherto un-addressed impact of spontaneous recanalization on stroke risk in patients with occlusive CeAD. MRI verified CeAD patients with initially occlusive CeAD within cohort study that did not undergo acute revascularization measures were assessed. Follow-up data derived from clinical routine and study specific assessments. Outcomes of interest were occurrence of (i) recanalization and (ii) ischemic stroke upstream of CeAD-related occlusion. Adjusted logistic regression analysis addressed the impact of recanalization on said outcomes. 97/328 (29.6%) patients had occlusive CeAD and did not undergo acute revascularization treatment. Upon follow-up, 56/97 (57.7%) showed spontaneous recanalization of initially occlusive CeAD. Female sex (OR 0.41[0.18, 0.97]; P = 0.043) and internal carotid artery dissection (OR 0.33[0.14, 0.78]; P = 0.012) were the only factors independently associated with recanalization. Within a median follow-up of 8.2 (1.58, 12.8) years, a total of 18/97 (18.6%) patients suffered ischemic stroke upstream of the initially CeAD-affected vessel. After adjusting for confounders, spontaneous recanalization was independently associated with lower rates of cerebral ischemia upon follow-up (OR 0.28[0.09, 0.90]; P = 0.032), most notably also independent of type of antithrombotic treatment. Spontaneous recanalization in occlusive CeAD is associated with lower rates of stroke upon follow-up. These results indicate that persistent CeAD-related occlusion remains a risk-factor for recurrent ischemic events, thus calling for future trials addressing optimal medical treatment. N/A. Lukas Mayer-Suess.

Abstract Parabens, often used as preservatives in consumer products, have raised concerns due to their endocrine-disrupting properties. The aim of this study was to quantify the levels of methyl and propyl paraben in adult urine samples and to assess potential health risks. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), methyl and propyl parabens were detected in 20 participants at different concentrations. Methylparaben was more prevalent than propylparaben. Risk assessment was performed by calculating the estimated daily intake (EDI) and the hazard quotient (HQ), with HQ values indicating no significant health risk for the participants. Although current exposure levels appear to be safe, the long-term effects of chronic exposure remain uncertain, highlighting the need for further research. This preliminary study provides insight into paraben exposure in adults and contributes to the growing literature on the safety and prevalence of parabens.