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Alcohol use disorders are associated with higher healthcare expenditure among older adults with suspected cognitive impairment: A registry-based cross-sectional study

Background High levels of alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment both drain our healthcare budget, but it is unknown whether alcohol use disorders (AUDs) influence healthcare costs among people with suspected cognitive impairment specifically. Methods This study aims to examine the association between alcohol-related ICD-10 diagnoses and healthcare costs among 2,736 Norwegians aged ≥60 years being assessed for cognitive impairment in Norwegian specialist healthcare and included in the Norwegian Registry of Persons Assessed for Cognitive Symptoms (NorCog). Linear regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between ICD-10 alcohol-related diagnoses and the primary outcome variable: healthcare costs. Healthcare costs one year before and one year after clinical assessment were used to account for the expected shift in healthcare use after assessment. Results Median costs of healthcare use were €2,226 (Q1-Q3 1,076−4,107) one year before assessment and €2,217 (Q1-Q3 1,160−4,006) after. One year prior to NorCog assessment, participants with AUDs had approximately 50% higher costs compared to participants without an AUD (median of €3,286 and €2,190, respectively). One year after NorCog assessment, this difference was negligible. An interaction between AUD status and time was significant, implying that post-diagnostic care for cognitive impairment may simultaneously mitigate the healthcare burden associated with AUDs or its related sequelae. Conclusion Our findings indicate that alcohol consumption is a potentially important and amenable determinant of healthcare use, knowledge which could be valuable in planning treatment and care. Such knowledge could also possibly curtail the higher healthcare costs among older adults with AUDs. Thus, we urge healthcare providers to routinely ask patients about their alcohol consumption.

Comprehensive evaluation of GLP-1 receptor agonists: an umbrella review of clinical outcomes across multiple diseases

Huangqin decoction disrupts energy metabolism of Trichophyton rubrum, with isocitrate lyase as a potential target

Retraction: The angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor LCZ696 attenuates renal fibrosis via ASK1/JNK/p38 MAPK-mediated apoptosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction

Phase diagrams of pharmaceutical solvates from mechanochemistry

Abstract Crystalline solvates, including hydrates, hold untapped potential in pharmaceutical development, yet their exploitation remains minimal due to the difficult and laborious task of unequivocally establishing their physical stabilities. We introduce Controlled Solvent-Activity Liquid-Assisted Grinding (CSA-LAG), a mechanochemical protocol that offers solvate phase boundary elucidation by varying the activity of a chosen solvent in defined binary/ternary mixtures and analysing the equilibrated resulting solid form. Using small API amounts, CSA-LAG reaches equilibrium within minutes and yields critical solvent activities that delimit neat, hydrated, solvated and competing-solvate domains. The method uses mixtures of known thermodynamic activities, requires far less material and time than traditional slurries and affords high reproducibility. Applied to four pharmaceutical compounds, CSA-LAG reproduces slurry boundaries and quantifies activity thresholds for single, stepwise and competitive solvations. Defining these boundaries enables rational form selection and process design either by avoiding or targeting solvates, whilst turning a month-scale empirical screening into a rapid, thermodynamically guided workflow.

Multivariate analysis of wild Prunus × keredjensis (Browicz) A.E.Murray based on morphological and pomological characterizations

Circulating PUFAs and their associations with abdominal obesity and hyperglycaemia among vegetarians and non-vegetarians: Insights for personalised nutrition from a cross-sectional study

This study explores the associations between circulating polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), abdominal obesity and hyperglycaemia among vegetarians and non-vegetarians with distinct dietary PUFA intakes, as limited evidence exists on how circulating PUFA concentrations differ between these dietary groups and relate to metabolic risks. In this cross-sectional study, serum PUFA profiles and their associations with abdominal obesity and hyperglycaemia were examined . A total of 127 vegetarians and 132 non-vegetarians from Malaysia participated in the present study. Vegetarians had higher circulating concentrations of linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and the n- 6: n- 3 PUFA ratio. They had lower concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than non-vegetarians. Among vegetarians, higher circulating arachidonic acid (ARA) concentrations were associated with an increased risk of hyperglycaemia (odds ratio [OR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.11). In non-vegetarians, higher circulating ARA was associated with a higher risk of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00–1.09), while lower circulating DHA was associated with a reduced odds of abdominal obesity (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90–0.99). Conversely, a high circulating n- 6: n- 3 PUFA ratio was associated with a lower risk of hyperglycaemia (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93 - 1.00) among non-vegetarians. These findings highlight distinct metabolic responses to PUFA profiles between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, suggesting the need for tailored dietary strategies to address abdominal obesity and hyperglycaemia for both groups.

Spatially resolved integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in tissue injury studies

Abstract Recent developments in spatially resolved -omics have enabled the joint study of gene expression, metabolite levels and tissue morphology, offering greater insights into biological pathways. Integrating these modalities from matched tissue sections to probe spatially-coordinated processes, however, remains challenging. Here we introduce MAGPIE, a framework for co-registering spatially resolved transcriptomics, metabolomics, and tissue morphology from the same or consecutive sections. We show MAGPIE’s generalisability and scalability on spatial multi-omics data from multiple tissues, combining Visium with MALDI and DESI mass spectrometry imaging. MAGPIE was also applied to new multi-modal datasets generated with a specialised sampling strategy to characterise the metabolic and transcriptomic landscape in an in vivo model of drug-induced pulmonary fibrosis and to link small-molecule co-detection with endogenous lung responses. MAGPIE demonstrates the refined resolution and enhanced interpretability that spatial multi-modal analyses provide for studying tissue injury especially in pharmacological contexts, and delivers a modular, accessible workflow for data integration.

Utilisation of antibiotics in the management of urinary tract infections among women of reproductive age at a district hospital in Ghana

Identification of stable internal reference genes for expression analysis in the liver and pancreas of diabetic mouse (Mus musculus L.) models under physiological, pathological and treatment conditions

Accurate gene expression analysis via reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR is vital for studying diabetes mellitus. Accurate and reliable normalization of RT-qPCR data, in accordance with the MIQE guidelines, demands a group of at least two stably expressed reference genes, especially in diabetic models where metabolic dysregulation often alters the profile of gene expression. To identify the best reference genes, this study systematically evaluates the stability of eleven candidate reference genes, including ACT , B2M , GAPDH , HPRT1 , PPIA , RPL13A , RPLP0 , TBP , UBC , YWHAZ, and 18SRNA , in liver, pancreas, and both types of tissues across four mouse groups of control, obesity, STZ-induced diabetic and treated STZ-diabetic groups. The identification of a robust group of reference genes was conducted by four widely used statistical algorithms of geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and comparative ΔCt methods. Each applies different statistical algorithms: geNorm uses pairwise variation, NormFinder considers inter- and intra-group variance, BestKeeper uses Ct variability through standard deviation and correlation analysis, and the ΔCt method evaluates expression consistency by evaluating the geometric mean of the stability rankings of each gene across all methods. Our analysis identified ACT and RPL13A as the most appropriate reference genes for liver, while UBC and RPL13A were most stable in pancreas. Overall, RPL13A and UBC demonstrated the highest expression stability across both liver and pancreatic tissues. Furthermore, our findings laid foundations for future studies in the analysis of gene expression in obese, diabetic, and diet-changed mice, as well as other liver- and pancreas-related diseases in mouse models.

Quality mapping of durum wheat germplasm as a tool for development of high quality pasta varieties

Enhancing quality and decision-making for care pathways: An application of process mining in cancer care

Care pathways are widely used as evidence-based clinical governance tools to enhance the quality of care of groups of patients with a specific clinical problem and optimize the use of resources. However, it is often the case that there are differences between the recommended care pathway and the actual clinical practice. Recently, Process Mining (PM) techniques, a family of data-driven techniques from computer science that uses logs (execution traces) of a system to reason about its underlying process, have been applied in the healthcare context to map and analyze real-world practice patterns. In particular, PM helps to discover and analyze the sequence of activities, to highlight variances and possible sub-optimal management of the clinical paths in order to improve care quality and reduce the inefficient allocation of resources. Using the breast cancer pathway as a case study example, this study aims to describe the application of PM to administrative healthcare data of public hospitals of the Tuscany Region (Italy) and to offer insights about strengths and limitations in data management, information creation, and interpretation to support decision-making. The study revealed variations in the management of breast cancer care pathways across different public healthcare providers and with respect to the recommended guidelines. Key findings include instances of service duplication, delays, and bottlenecks, particularly in the diagnostic phase. The analysis also highlighted variations in healthcare costs, driven by differences in the frequency and types of diagnostic exams or visits performed. The findings have practical implications for enhancing the efficiency and quality of breast cancer care and provide a practical example of how the methodology can be applied to other healthcare contexts for similar benefits.

Hourglass-shaped GaAs0.99Bi0.01 nanowire solar cells with CuI-PEDOT:PSS double hole transport layers for enhanced photovoltaic performance

Comparative efficacy of cisternal drainage versus external ventricular drainage in severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background The cerebrovascular emergency known as aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is potentially fatal. Although external ventricular drainage (EVD) is the gold standard for monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP), cisternal drainage (CD) should be considered as a supplementary strategy due to the limited effectiveness of EVD in removing inflammatory mediators and preventing vascular damage. Objective To compare ICP monitoring accuracy, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance, and clinical outcomes between EVD and CD in severe aSAH patients. Methods A retrospective study enrolled 47 Hunt-Hess IV–V grade aSAH patients, divided into EVD (n = 23) and EVD + CD (n = 24) groups. Daily ICP values (days 1/3/5/7), CSF biomarkers (cell count, protein, Interleukin-6, Interleukin-8, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Endothelin-1, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1), hospitalization duration, and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were analyzed. Results ICP values showed no significant difference between the two groups ( p  > 0.05). EVD + CD group exhibited higher CSF cell count (394.68 ± 91.32 vs. 320.40 ± 75.49), protein (16.17 ± 2.27 vs. 13.74 ± 2.94 g/L), and cytokines (IL-6/IL-8, p  < 0.05) on day 1, but significantly lower levels by day 7 ( p  < 0.05). Vascular injury factors (ET-1/MCP-1/VCAM-1) were reduced in the EVD + CD group by day 7 ( p  < 0.05). Hospitalization duration was 22.8% shorter in the EVD + CD group (27 vs. 35 days, p  = 0.030); while 6-month GOS showed no difference (2.52 vs. 2.57, p  = 0.148). Conclusion Compared with EVD, CD could not only provide accurate ICP readings and trend data but also enhance inflammatory clearance, reduce hospitalization time, and mitigate vascular injury in severe aSAH, warranting further validation in larger cohorts.

Understanding the impact of emotional engagement on learning outcomes in online education: an automated analysis approach

Associations between early emotional and behavioral problems and subsequent mental disorders in children – Findings from a Swedish cohort study

Purpose To explore the associations between early emotional and behavioral problems, measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and subsequent mental disorders among children in a Swedish context. Methods This cohort study used data on emotional and behavioral problems in children aged 3–5 years old (n = 6,646) from the Focus study in Uppsala Region, Sweden. The data included emotional and behavioral problems using the SDQ rated by mothers (n = 6,616), fathers (n = 6,385) and preschool teachers (n = 5,079). The cohort was followed from 2013 to 2022, with psychiatric diagnoses collected from the National Patient Register. Associations between emotional and behavioral problems and later mental disorders were explored using unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models. Results The proportion of children identified with emotional and behavioral problems, based on the SDQ total difficulties score, was 9.4% according to mothers, 12.2% according to fathers and 7.6% according to teachers. Altogether, 9.2% (n = 611) of the children were diagnosed with a mental disorder during the follow-up period. In unadjusted models, the risk of a mental disorder was significantly higher among children with emotional and behavioral problems, as rated by mothers (HR: 3.59), fathers (HR: 2.67) and teachers (HR: 2.95). This elevated risk remained significant in adjusted models for ratings by mothers (AHR: 3.66), fathers (AHR: 2.66) and teachers (AHR: 3.06). Children with difficulties in the hyperactivity and inattention subscale of the SDQ showed a significantly increased risk of being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity or conduct disorder when rated by mothers (AHR: 4.19), fathers (AHR: 3.21) and teachers (AHR: 4.88). Conclusion Early emotional and behavioral problems identified using the SDQ are associated with subsequent mental disorders in children in Sweden. These results reinforce the importance of early assessment of children’s emotional and behavioral functioning to enable early identification and intervention for children at risk.

A comprehensive study on tic additions and sliding speed effects governing wear in aluminium matrix composites

Influence of agility training on body-size and object solidity perception in pet dogs

Several studies suggest that dogs are a suitable model to study body-awareness in a systematic and ecologically relevant manner. However, previous studies used a single door paradigm, which does not allow for the control of motivation and thus may yield false positive results. Moreover, it is unclear how life experience might influence body-awareness. In this study, we tested self body-size and -shape as well as object solidity perception in pet dogs and agility trained dogs in a two-choice paradigm. The subjects had to walk through one of the two openings in a fence to reach a reward. The openings were of different shape and/or size (Experiment 1) or covered by different materials (Experiment 2). Dogs could correctly assess their size, while the results are less conclusive for shape perception. They also showed some understanding of the solidity of materials. Agility dogs took less time to reach the reward in Experiment 1, but took more time in Experiment 2. They also showed better shape perception. These results show that life experience has an effect on body-awareness.

AAV-mediated intracerebral expression of an α-synuclein-targeting intrabody improves motor functions in aged rats

Deepening ideas vs. exploring new ones: AI strategy effects in human-AI creative collaboration

As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly participates in creative processes, designing effective human-AI collaboration is crucial. This study addresses a fundamental question: Should an AI partner prioritize deepening existing ideas (exploitation) or diversifying the creative space (exploration)? We investigated this through a controlled experiment with 148 participants, comparing two AI strategies based on March’s exploration-exploitation framework. Using a turn-based brainstorming system on the topic of “how to increase café sales,” we measured each AI strategy’s impact on human trust and idea adoption. Contrary to traditional creativity research that emphasizes divergence, our findings show that the convergent deepening strategy significantly outperformed the diversification approach in both building user trust and encouraging idea adoption. We found that the AI’s predictable behavior in the deepening condition was more easily understood by participants, leading to more effective collaboration. These results suggest that for effective human-AI co-creation, AI should act as a supportive, rather than competitive, partner that incrementally develops human-initiated concepts. This approach builds trust and increases the integration of AI’s ideas. Our work thus contributes to the understanding of how AI can transition from tool-centric approaches to more collaborative partnerships that potentially enhance human creativity.