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Background: Coronary plaque is common among people with HIV (PWH) with low-to-moderate traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) levels with coronary plaque characteristics and evaluate if hs-cTnT improves identification of these features beyond traditional ASCVD risk factors among PWH. Methods: Among PWH receiving stable antiretroviral therapy with low-to-moderate ASCVD risk and no known history of ASCVD, hs-cTnT levels and measures of plaque by coronary computed tomography angiography were assessed. Primary outcomes included the association of hs-cTnT level with the presence of any plaque, vulnerable plaque, coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, and Leaman score. Assessment of model discrimination of hs-cTnT for plaque characteristics was also performed. Results: The cohort included 708 U.S. participants with a mean age of 51 ± 6 years, 119 (17%) females, a median ASCVD risk score of 4.4% (Q1-Q3: 2.5%-6.6%), and a median hs-cTnT level of 6.7 ng/L (detectable level ≥6 ng/L in 61%). Any plaque was present in 341 (48%), vulnerable plaque in 155 (22%), CAC>100 in 68 (10%), and a Leaman score >5 in 105 (15%). After adjustment for ASCVD risk score, participants with hs-cTnT >9.6 ng/L (highest category) versus an undetectable level (<6 ng/L) had a greater relative risk for any plaque (1.37, 95% CI: 1.12-1.67), vulnerable plaque (1.47, 95% CI: 1.16-1.87), CAC>100 (2.58, 95% CI: 1.37-4.83), and Leaman score >5 (2.13, 95% CI: 1.32-3.46). The addition of hs-cTnT level modestly improved the discrimination of ASCVD risk score to identify critical plaque features. Conclusions: In PWH without known ASCVD, hs-cTnT levels were strongly associated with and improved prediction of subclinical coronary plaque. (Evaluating the Use of Pitavastatin to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in HIV-Infected Adults [REPRIEVE]; NCT02344290).

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The quest for enhancing the upconversion luminescence (UCL) efficiency of rare-earth doped materials has been a common target in nanophotonics research. Plasmonic nanoarchitectures have proven potential for amplifying UCL signals, prompting investigations into localized enhancement effects within noble metal nanostructures. In this work we investigate the localized enhancement of UCL in silver nanowire (AgNW) networks coated with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) by employing hyperspectral microscopy to unveil distinctive regions of local enhancement. Our study reveals that three-photon upconversion processes predominantly occur at hot-spots in nanowire junctions, contributing to heightened luminescence intensity on AgNW networks. Intriguingly, our findings demonstrate that enhancement on AgNWs introduces significant artifacts for thermometry based on ratiometric analysis of the emission spectra, resulting in the observation of artificial thermal gradients. To address this challenge, we developed correction methods that were successfully applied to mitigate this effect, enabling the generation of accurate thermal maps and the realization of dynamic thermal measurements. We quantified the distance-dependent enhancement profiles and studied the effect of temperature by exploiting the heat dissipation under varying electrical voltages across the electrically percolated AgNW networks. The observations were confirmed through numerical calculations of the enhancement factor and the energy transfer rates. This comprehensive investigation sheds light on the complex interplay between plasmonic nanostructures, three-photon upconversion processes, and their influence on thermal sensing applications. The presented hyperspectral method not only allows a direct visualization of plasmonic hot-spots but also advances our understanding of localized enhancements. The correction methods applied to analyze the emission spectra also contribute to the refinement of accurate temperature mapping using UCNPs, thereby enhancing the reliability of this thermal sensing technology.

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Objective: To determine whether there is an association between subclinical hypothyroidism and glycemic control in older adults who received care at the "Centro Médico Naval" from 2010 to 2015. Methods: This retrospective analytical study analyzed a secondary database of the care of elderly in the study hospital. The sample was comprised of 1,385 older adults. To detect an association between variables, the Poisson regression with robust variance was used at a significance level of 95%. The analyses were carried out with the STATA 16 program. Results: Of the elderly 45.6% were between 71 and 80 years old; 58.4% were women and 43.8% had a normal body mass index. There was evidence of inadequate glycemic control in 8.1% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 15.2% of the elderly patients. Subclinical hypothyroidism was more frequent in the inadequate glycemic control vs. adequate glycemic control populations (41.1% vs. 13.0%). In the multivariance analysis, subclinical hypothyroidism (aPR = 2.22 95% CI [1.47-3.36]) was independent factor associated with inadequate glycemic control (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A significant association was detected between subclinical hypothyroidism and inadequate glycemic control in older adults who presented at the "Centro Médico Naval" from 2010 to 2015.

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BACKGROUND: Polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from European individuals have reduced portability across global populations, limiting their clinical implementation at worldwide scale. Here, we investigate the performance of a wide range of PRS models across four ancestry groups (Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and South Asians) for 14 conditions of high-medical interest. METHODS: To select the best-performing model per trait, we first compared PRS performances for publicly available scores, and constructed new models using different methods (LDpred2, PRS-CSx and SNPnet). We used 285 K European individuals from the UK Biobank (UKBB) for training and 18 K, including diverse ancestries, for testing. We then evaluated PRS portability for the best models in Europeans and compared their accuracies with respect to the best PRS per ancestry. Finally, we validated the selected PRS models using an independent set of 8,417 individuals from Biobank of the Americas-Genomelink (BbofA-GL); and performed a PRS-Phewas. RESULTS: We confirmed a decay in PRS performances relative to Europeans when the evaluation was conducted using the best-PRS model for Europeans (51.3% for South Asians, 46.6% for East Asians and 39.4% for Africans). We observed an improvement in the PRS performances when specifically selecting ancestry specific PRS models (phenotype variance increase: 1.62 for Africans, 1.40 for South Asians and 0.96 for East Asians). Additionally, when we selected the optimal model conditional on ancestry for CAD, HDL-C and LDL-C, hypertension, hypothyroidism and T2D, PRS performance for studied populations was more comparable to what was observed in Europeans. Finally, we were able to independently validate tested models for Europeans, and conducted a PRS-Phewas, identifying cross-trait interplay between cardiometabolic conditions, and between immune-mediated components. CONCLUSION: Our work comprehensively evaluated PRS accuracy across a wide range of phenotypes, reducing the uncertainty with respect to which PRS model to choose and in which ancestry group. This evaluation has let us identify specific conditions where implementing risk-prioritization strategies could have practical utility across diverse ancestral groups, contributing to democratizing the implementation of PRS.

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The contralateral transmaxillary corridor improves access to anterior petrous apex lesions back to the level of the internal auditory canal without the need to mobilize the paraclival internal carotid artery. In this video, we present the case of 31-yo female that presented with new left abducens palsy during pregnancy. Imaging revealed a heterogeneous enhancing extradural mass within the left petrous apex region extending posterior to the horizontal segment of the petrous internal carotid artery, consistent with chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcomas are the 2nd most common osseous malignancy but only consist of 0.2% of all intracranial tumors1,2. They are thought to derive from persistent cartilaginous rests retained after endochondral ossification 3. Given that surgery is a mainstay of treatment 4,5,6, a combined endoscopic endonasal and contralateral transmaxillary approach was selected to achieve maximal resection. The patient consented to the procedure. A complete resection of the mass was performed with pathology demonstrating a grade 2 chondrosarcoma. The patient tolerated the procedure without any complications, the left abducens palsy resolved in follow-up by 3 weeks, and a multidisciplinary tumor board recommended postoperative observation without adjuvant therapy7. An endoscopic endonasal and contralateral transmaxillary approach is a feasible option for petrous apex lesions such as chondrosarcoma.

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Introduction The clival, paraclival, and craniocervical junction regions are challenging surgical targets. To approach these areas, endoscopic endonasal transclival approaches (EETCAs) and their extensions (far-medial approach and odontoidectomy) have gained popularity as they obviate manipulating and working between neurovascular structures. Although several cadaveric studies have further refined these contemporary approaches, few provide a detailed step-by-step description. Thus, we aim to didactically describe the steps of the EETCAs and their extensions for trainees. Methods Six formalin-fixed cadaveric head specimens were dissected. All specimens were latex-injected using a six-vessel technique. Endoscopic endonasal middle and inferior clivectomies, far-medial approaches, and odontoidectomy were performed. Results Using angled endoscopes and surgical instruments, an endoscopic endonasal midclivectomy and partial inferior clivectomy were performed without nasopharyngeal tissue disruption. To complete the inferior clivectomy, far-medial approach, and partially remove the anterior arch of C1 and odontoid process, anteroinferior transposition of the Eustachian-nasopharynx complex was required by transecting pterygosphenoidal fissure tissue, but incision in the nasopharynx was not necessary. Full exposure of the craniocervical junction necessitated bilateral sharp incision and additional inferior mobilization of the posterior nasopharynx. Unobstructed access to neurovascular anatomy of the ventral posterior fossa and craniocervical junction was provided. Conclusion EETCAs are a powerful tool for the skull-base surgeon as they offer a direct corridor to the ventral posterior fossa and craniocervical junction unobstructed by eloquent neurovasculature. To facilitate easier understanding of the EETCAs and their extensions for trainees, we described the anatomy and surgical nuances in a didactic and step-by-step fashion.

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BACKGROUND: In vitro models to evaluate cardiac pulsed field ablation (PFA) have not been well established. We sought to create a standardized vegetable model and staining protocol for assessing unipolar PFA using a surface electrode. METHODS: We exposed potato slabs to unipolar PFA in a saline bath using a 3.5 mm electrode catheter and grounding pad connected to a custom-built high-voltage generator. Lesions were clearly visualized after staining with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) using a timed protocol to reveal a necrotic center and a periphery of electroporated cells with intact mitochondria. RESULTS: Lesion volume increased linearly with increasing voltage and logarithmically with repetitive PFA applications. CONCLUSION: The findings observed in this vegetable model using a TTC staining protocol are consistent with findings observed with cardiomyocytes.

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Accumulating evidence to make decisions is a core cognitive function. Previous studies have tended to estimate accumulation using either neural or behavioral data alone. Here we develop a unified framework for modeling stimulus-driven behavior and multi-neuron activity simultaneously. We applied our method to choices and neural recordings from three rat brain regions - the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the frontal orienting fields (FOF), and the anterior-dorsal striatum (ADS) - while subjects performed a pulse-based accumulation task. Each region was best described by a distinct accumulation model, which all differed from the model that best described the animal's choices. FOF activity was consistent with an accumulator where early evidence was favored while the ADS reflected near perfect accumulation. Neural responses within an accumulation framework unveiled a distinct association between each brain region and choice. Choices were better predicted from all regions using a comprehensive, accumulation-based framework and different brain regions were found to differentially reflect choice-related accumulation signals: FOF and ADS both reflected choice but ADS showed more instances of decision vacillation. Previous studies relating neural data to behaviorally-inferred accumulation dynamics have implicitly assumed that individual brain regions reflect the whole-animal level accumulator. Our results suggest that different brain regions represent accumulated evidence in dramatically different ways and that accumulation at the whole-animal level may be constructed from a variety of neural-level accumulators.

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Facial morphs created between two identities resemble both of the faces used to create the morph. Consequently, humans and machines are prone to mistake morphs made from two identities for either of the faces used to create the morph. This vulnerability has been exploited in "morph attacks" in security scenarios. Here, we asked whether the "other-race effect" (ORE)-the human advantage for identifying own- vs. other-race faces-exacerbates morph attack susceptibility for humans. We also asked whether face-identification performance in a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) is affected by the race of morphed faces. Caucasian (CA) and East-Asian (EA) participants performed a face-identity matching task on pairs of CA and EA face images in two conditions. In the morph condition, different-identity pairs consisted of an image of identity "A" and a 50/50 morph between images of identity "A" and "B". In the baseline condition, morphs of different identities never appeared. As expected, morphs were identified mistakenly more often than original face images. Of primary interest, morph identification was substantially worse for cross-race faces than for own-race faces. Similar to humans, the DCNN performed more accurately for original face images than for morphed image pairs. Notably, the deep network proved substantially more accurate than humans in both cases. The results point to the possibility that DCNNs might be useful for improving face identification accuracy when morphed faces are presented. They also indicate the significance of the race of a face in morph attack susceptibility in applied settings.

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INTRODUCTION: High-frequency low-tidal-volume (HFLTV) ventilation during radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has been shown to be superior to standard ventilation (SV) in terms of procedural efficiency, acute and long-term clinical outcomes. Our study aimed to compare ablation lesions characteristics utilizing HFLTV ventilation versus SV during RFCA of PAF. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for PAF between August 2022 and March 2023, using high-power short-duration ablation. Thirty-five patients underwent RFCA with HFLTV ventilation and were matched with another cohort of 35 patients who underwent RFCA with SV. Parameters including ablation duration, contact force (CF), impedance drop, and ablation index were extracted from the CARTONET database for each ablation lesion. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were included (HFLTV = 35/2484 lesions, SV = 35/2830 lesions) in the analysis. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. While targeting the same ablation index, the HFLTV ventilation group demonstrated shorter average ablation duration per lesion (12.3 ± 5.0 vs. 15.4 ± 8.4 s, p < .001), higher average CF (17.0 ± 8.5 vs. 10.5 ± 4.6 g, p < .001), and greater impedance reduction (9.5 ± 4.6 vs. 7.7 ± 4.1 ohms, p < .001). HFLTV ventilation group also demonstrated shorter total procedural time (61.3 ± 25.5 vs. 90.8 ± 22.8 min, p < .001), ablation time (40.5 ± 18.6 vs. 65.8 ± 22.5 min, p < .001), and RF time (15.3 ± 4.8 vs. 22.9 ± 9.7 min, p < .001). CONCLUSION: HFLTV ventilation during PVI for PAF was associated with improved ablation lesion parameters and procedural efficiency compared to SV.

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One major limitation of effective vaccine delivery is its dependency on a robust cold chain infrastructure. While Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has been demonstrated to be an effective viral vaccine vector for diseases including Ebola, its -70 °C storage requirement is a significant limitation for accessing disadvantaged locations and populations. Previous work has shown thermal stabilization of viral vaccines with a combination of pullulan and trehalose (PT) dried films. To improve the thermal stability of VSV, we optimized PT formulation concentrations and components, as well as drying methodology with enhanced vacuum drying. When formulated in PT films, VSV can be stored for 32 weeks at 4 °C with less than 2 log PFU loss, at 25 °C with 2.5 log PFU loss, and at 37 °C with 3.1 log PFU loss. These results demonstrate a significant advancement in VSV thermal stabilization, decreasing the cold chain requirements for VSV vectored vaccines.

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PURPOSE: Our institution uses two approaches for nasal mucosal preparation during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) to improve surgical field visualization: topical epinephrine (TE) versus topical cocaine with injection of lidocaine containing epinephrine (TCLE). We aimed to compare anesthetic outcomes after ESS using these techniques. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively identified adult patients at our institution who underwent ESS from May 2018 through January 2023 under general anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil infusions. Postoperative anesthetic outcomes, including pain and recovery time, were compared between patients who had mucosal preparation with TE versus TCLE using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among 1449 patients who underwent ESS, 585 had TE, and 864 had TCLE. Compared with TE, during anesthetic recovery, the TCLE group had fewer episodes of severe pain (numeric pain score ≥ 7) (IPTW-adjusted odds ratio, 0.65; 95 % CI, 0.49-0.85; P = .002), less opioid analgesic administration (IPTW-adjusted odds ratio, 0.55; 95 % CI, 0.44-0.69; P < .001), and shorter recovery room stay (IPTW-adjusted ratio of the geometric mean, 0.90; 95 % CI, 0.85-0.96; P = .002). Postoperative nausea and vomiting and postoperative sedation were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received preparation of the nasal mucosa with TCLE, compared with TE, were less likely to report severe pain or receive an opioid analgesic in the postanesthesia recovery room and had faster anesthetic recovery. This observation from our large clinical practice indicates that use topical and local anesthetic during endoscopic sinus surgery may have benefit for ambulatory ESS patients.

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Bubbles play a ubiquitous role in electrochemical gas evolution reactions. However, a mechanistic understanding of how bubbles affect the energy efficiency of electrochemical processes remains limited to date, impeding effective approaches to further boost the performance of gas evolution systems. From a perspective of the analogy between heat and mass transfer, bubbles in electrochemical gas evolution reactions exhibit highly similar dynamic behaviors to them in the liquid-vapor phase change. Recent developments of liquid-vapor phase change systems have substantially advanced the fundamental knowledge of bubbles, leading to unprecedented enhancement of heat transfer performance. In this Review, we aim to elucidate a promising opportunity of understanding bubble dynamics in electrochemical gas evolution reactions through a lens of phase change heat transfer. We first provide a background about key parallels between electrochemical gas evolution reactions and phase change heat transfer. Then, we discuss bubble dynamics in gas evolution systems across multiple length scales, with an emphasis on exciting research problems inspired by new insights gained from liquid-vapor phase change systems. Lastly, we review advances in engineered surfaces for manipulating bubbles to enhance heat and mass transfer, providing an outlook on the design of high-performance gas evolving electrodes.

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The chemical composition of spilt oils from events that took place on the north-eastern coast of Brazil in 2019 and 2022 was investigated to better understand their sources, and post-spill processes. Oils from both events originated from different sources, based on their fingerprints, hydrocarbons composition and specific biomarkers, such as the C23 tricyclic terpane and oleanane. Despite the differences, the source rocks share similarities in paleoenvironments and depositional conditions and both oils suffered little weathering, mainly due to evaporation and dissolution. Our findings for 2019 spilt oil reinforce that it is a mixed product, enriched both in lighter n-alkanes and 25-norhopanes. Differently, the 2022 samples exhibited characteristics of a non-processed crude oil that originated from a paraffinic deposit in storage tanks. The molecular composition and diagnostic ratios reported for samples from these spill events help to establish baselines for ongoing monitoring of oil spills in marine ecosystems.

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The epidemiology of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has drastically changed in recent decades due to public health initiatives, including universal infant vaccination programs,urbanization driving global travel, and migration patterns. Despite screening of pregnant women and newborns significantly reducing the rate of perinatal transmission in certain parts of the world, other, perhaps more uncommon, routes (e.g., parenteral) have led to outbreaks in specific areas affected by the opioid epidemic and injection drug use. Although our current understanding of the effect of genetic variants of HBV is lacking, we review current knowledge and patterns of genetic variants with geographical predominance, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations. Serologic and molecular markers are used to screen, identify phase and activity of infection, and monitor response to antivirals and/or reactivation. This review will provide the most up-to-date summary of the epidemiology, transmission, genotype, replication, and current methods of screening to follow the various phases of HBV, including immunotolerance and reactivation.

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Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects about 262 million people worldwide, leading to over 820,000 deaths each year primarily due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The World Health Organization has pledged to eliminate HBV as a health threat by 2030, but currently, no countries are on track to achieve this goal. One of the barriers to HBV elimination is stigma, causing shame, denial, self-isolation, self-rejection, and depression leading to those with chronic HBV less likely to get tested or seek treatment and more likely to conceal their infection. Other barriers include limited access to care and complicated and restrictive clinical practice guidelines. Increasing public and political efforts are necessary to raise awareness, increase access to care, and change screening and treatment guidelines. The current guidance of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) recommends testing only if patients are considered at risk, but this has proven to be ineffective. We propose a simplified "test all and treat all" approach with a 5-line guideline for HBV infection. Universal screening and treatment of adults is cost-effective and can prevent transmission by effectively managing chronic HBV. All patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive with detectable HBV-DNA should receive treatment until HBsAg is undetectable for 12 months, as HBV-DNA transmission via blood transfusion can occur even at low viral loads of 16 copies/mL, and mother-to-child transmission is still a risk even with passive-active immunoprophylaxis. Furthermore, clinical outcomes after HBsAg clearance are significantly better than the clinical outcomes of those who remain HBsAg positive.

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BACKGROUND: Qualitative methods are incredibly beneficial to the dissemination and implementation of new digital health interventions; however, these methods can be time intensive and slow down dissemination when timely knowledge from the data sources is needed in ever-changing health systems. Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and their underlying large language models (LLMs) may provide a promising opportunity to expedite the qualitative analysis of textual data, but their efficacy and reliability remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives of our study were to evaluate the consistency in themes, reliability of coding, and time needed for inductive and deductive thematic analyses between GenAI (ie, ChatGPT and Bard) and human coders. METHODS: The qualitative data for this study consisted of 40 brief SMS text message reminder prompts used in a digital health intervention for promoting antiretroviral medication adherence among people with HIV who use methamphetamine. Inductive and deductive thematic analyses of these SMS text messages were conducted by 2 independent teams of human coders. An independent human analyst conducted analyses following both approaches using ChatGPT and Bard. The consistency in themes (or the extent to which the themes were the same) and reliability (or agreement in coding of themes) between methods were compared. RESULTS: The themes generated by GenAI (both ChatGPT and Bard) were consistent with 71% (5/7) of the themes identified by human analysts following inductive thematic analysis. The consistency in themes was lower between humans and GenAI following a deductive thematic analysis procedure (ChatGPT: 6/12, 50%; Bard: 7/12, 58%). The percentage agreement (or intercoder reliability) for these congruent themes between human coders and GenAI ranged from fair to moderate (ChatGPT, inductive: 31/66, 47%; ChatGPT, deductive: 22/59, 37%; Bard, inductive: 20/54, 37%; Bard, deductive: 21/58, 36%). In general, ChatGPT and Bard performed similarly to each other across both types of qualitative analyses in terms of consistency of themes (inductive: 6/6, 100%; deductive: 5/6, 83%) and reliability of coding (inductive: 23/62, 37%; deductive: 22/47, 47%). On average, GenAI required significantly less overall time than human coders when conducting qualitative analysis (20, SD 3.5 min vs 567, SD 106.5 min). CONCLUSIONS: The promising consistency in the themes generated by human coders and GenAI suggests that these technologies hold promise in reducing the resource intensiveness of qualitative thematic analysis; however, the relatively lower reliability in coding between them suggests that hybrid approaches are necessary. Human coders appeared to be better than GenAI at identifying nuanced and interpretative themes. Future studies should consider how these powerful technologies can be best used in collaboration with human coders to improve the efficiency of qualitative research in hybrid approaches while also mitigating potential ethical risks that they may pose.

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Transient synovitis (TS) is a self-limiting inflammatory condition of the joints, predominantly affecting children and characterized by symptoms such as pain, swelling, warmth, and erythema. It is often triggered by an immune response to a viral infection, leading to acute inflammatory arthritis. Diagnosis involves a combination of patient history, physical examinations, imaging techniques, and laboratory tests, although there are no specific laboratory tests for TS. Treatment primarily consists of symptom management through rest, analgesics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The condition underscores the importance of distinguishing TS from more serious joint diseases to prevent unnecessary interventions and to ensure appropriate management.

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This work presents a detailed investigation aimed at understanding the key mechanisms governing nitric oxide (NO) production in N2-O2 discharges by systematically comparing experimental results to modeling data. The experimental phase capitalizes on radiofrequency (13.56 MHz) discharges, sustained at 5 mbar pressure conditions, featuring varying concentrations of oxygen, ranging from pure N2 plasma to air-like mixtures. On the modeling front, we adopt an integrated approach that combines the solution of the Boltzmann equation for electrons with a system of rate balance equations for heavy species. To account for ground state NO(X) generation at the reactor wall, we combine the volume chemistry with a mesoscopic description of the surface, taking into account adsorption sites and various elementary surface phenomena. Comparisons between experiments and modeling demonstrate very good agreement, extending beyond NO(X) formation to encompass other species in the plasma such as N2O(X) and atomic nitrogen N(4S). Noteworthy findings include (i) the pivotal role of surface mechanisms in NO(X) production, particularly at low oxygen content values; (ii) the significance of accurately describing the postdischarge phase, where depletion of plasma species occurs at different time scales (millisecond range); and (iii) the importance of vibrationally and electronically excited states (e.g., O2(b)) in elucidating NO(X) formation dynamics, crucial for unraveling reaction pathways and energy transfer processes. This work makes an important step toward formulating a comprehensive reaction mechanism for N2 and N2-O2 plasmas applied to nitrogen fixation, covering both volume and surface mechanisms, and lays a robust foundation for future research on plasma-based NO(X) production, particularly in the presence of catalysts.

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