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Transcriptomic analysis implicates the involvement of RBM20 in Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy with TCF4 repeat expansion
Background Late-onset Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a degenerative disease of cornea manifesting during the fourth decade of life or later. An intronic trinucleotide repeat expansion (CTG18.1) in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene is estimated to account for two thirds of FECD cases. There is a high degree of similarity between the transcriptomic profiles with (RE+) and without (RE-) the expansion. The molecular mechanisms of FECD and the difference between the two FECD types remain to be elucidated. Method Analyses were based on publicly available RNA sequencing datasets of human corneal endothelial tissues. We compared the distributions of differentially expressed genes between the RE+ and RE- transcriptomic profiles for a given co-expression network module. Upstream regulator analysis, alternative splicing analysis, motif enrichment analysis, and structure prediction were conducted. Results The expression levels of ribonucleic acid binding motif protein 20 (RBM20) were upregulated in both RE+ cases and RE+ controls. Consistently, its motif was enriched in the skipped exon events of RE+ subjects compared with RE- subjects. There were skipped exon events in three genes—DST, FNBP1 and SORBS1— consistently identified in RE+ subjects out of the documented RBM20 target genes in the literature. Conclusion RBM20 may represent an RE+ specific factor in the pathogenesis of FECD. The increase of RBM20 expression in RE+ individuals may contribute to the disease by repressing the inclusion of exons.
The impact of tumor microenvironment and treatment schedule on the effectiveness of radiation therapy
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) is predominantly administered using Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy (CFRT), that is 2 Gy per fraction. However, Moderately Hypofractionated Radiotherapy (MHRT) (approx. 2.5–3 Gy per fraction) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) (approx. 6–24 Gy per fraction) regimen are currently clinically investigated or even recently included in standard clinical practice. In addition, hyperfractionated radiotherapy (<1.8–2 Gy per fraction) is also clinically investigated or already used in standard clinical practices. The therapeutic effects of each of these radiotherapy schedules might depend on the degree of radioresistance of the tumor but also on properties of the tumor microenvironment, such as tumor perfusion and oxygenation. Here, building on previous work, we developed a mathematical model to investigate optimal radiotherapy treatment protocols in solid tumors. The model incorporates direct effects of radiation on cancer cells and accounts for the impact of tumor perfusion and oxygenation on the efficacy of radiation therapy. The model was able to accurately reproduce both preclinical and clinical data from different radiotherapy treatment schedules. It confirmed that greater tumor perfusion and thus, oxygenation improves treatment effectiveness by increasing the number of cancer cells killed during the treatment period. It further predicted that this effect is more pronounced for radioresistant tumors, meaning that changes in tumor perfusion of more radioresistant tumors have a greater impact on the percentage of surviving cells at the end of the treatment. The mathematical model provides mechanistic insights into the effectiveness of various radiotherapy schedules and guidelines for how modifying the tumor microenvironment to restore perfusion can affect radiation therapy.
Iron-saturated bovine lactoferrin preserves microbiota diversity and healthy ageing-associated taxa in an in vitro colon model of elderly gut microbiota (Iron-saturated bovine lactoferrin impact on elderly gut microbiota)
Lactoferrin is a multifunctional milk protein receiving increased interest in recent years because of its potential as a functional food ingredient to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency, while providing additional health benefits including gut microbiota modulation. Iron deficiency represents one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies globally. As such, the aims of this study were (1) to assess the effect of lactoferrin, with different states of iron saturation, on the growth of a simple consortium of gut bacteria, and (2) to evaluate the impact of iron-saturated lactoferrin on the whole gut microbiome of elderly (healthy and frail) donors in an in vitro colon model. We report that iron-depleted and native lactoferrin inhibited consortium growth, while the iron-saturated form resulted in changes in consortium composition by enhancing the growth of Alistipes putredinis. Fermentation experiments with whole faecal microbiomes showed that the elderly microbiota composition was modified by iron-saturated lactoferrin, mainly in the case of healthy subjects, by altering beta diversity through the modulation of healthy-aging associated taxa including Coprococcus, Alistipes and Bifidobacterium. These findings indicate the positive role that iron saturated lactoferrin may provide in modulating the microbiota of the elderly in vitro, increasing the α-diversity with the modulation of groups that are normally abundant in healthy individuals and that are typically lost in the transition from a healthy to frail microbiota profile.
Families with neurodevelopmental diagnoses are not ‘Hard to Reach’: Findings from a feasibility trial comparing parenting programmes for parents of children with ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined by impairing levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. It occurs in at least 5% of school age children and 2.5% of adults worldwide, and is associated with multiple negative outcomes throughout life. There is good evidence to support the efficacy of pharmacological treatment of individuals affected, and also of behavioural training for parents of children with ADHD, though the optimal focus and format to support change has yet to be established. This feasibility, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, pilot trial examined the feasibility of comparing two parenting programmes for families of school-aged children with ADHD. Parents of children aged 5–12 years with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, referred to a regional integrated ADHD pathway, were randomly allocated (1:1 in permuted blocks of 4) either to a Parents InC or Incredible Years (IY) parenting group. The primary feasibility outcomes were recruitment and retention rates. The putative primary effectiveness outcome measure was Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) and secondary outcome measures included the behavioural, physical, and emotional functioning of the child as well as health and ADHD symptoms of the parents at 12 (or 6 in final four participants) months post-randomisation. Process and economic evaluations were also included. We recruited 30/52 (58%) eligible participants (14 randomised to Parents InC, 16 to IY). Twenty-two participants (73%) provided follow-up quantitative data and 24 (80%) participated in qualitative interviews. PSOC scores were suggestive of greater improvement in Parents InC groups than IY groups. Power calculations suggest we will need to recruit 230 participants for a definitive RCT. Health economic analysis showed Parents InC had a lower per-group costs. Participant feedback on research procedures and methods was positive, and interviews and process evaluation provided a rich source of learning points to take forward into a future trial. Trial registration Clinical Trials, protocol registration system: NCT03832270.
Trends and disparities in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma related mortality in the United States, 1999–2020
Background Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is the most prevalent hematological malignancy worldwide, making its mortality trends a critical public health concern. This study examines temporal trends in NHL-related mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020, with a focus on sex-based, racial, and regional disparities. Methods Data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) were analyzed and annual percentage changes (APCs) were calculated using Joinpoint regression to identify temporal trends. Results Among 560,469 NHL-related deaths, AAMR declined from 12.86 (1999) to 8.26 per 100,000 (2020), with an increasing trend from 2018 to 2020 (APC: 0.89 [95% CI, −0.55 to 1.64]). Males consistently exhibited higher mortality rates compared to females (12.62 vs. 7.58), and NH White Americans exhibited the highest mortality among racial groups (10.34). Regional disparities were evident, with the Midwestern region recording the highest AAMR (10.64), and Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio and Vermont exhibiting the highest state-specific rates. Nonmetropolitan areas exhibited higher mortality rates than metropolitan areas (10.28 vs 9.62). Conclusion While NHL-related mortality in the U.S. has declined overall, recent upward trends from 2018 to 2020, particularly among certain demographic and geographic subgroups, raise concerns. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into underlying factors and targeted interventions to address disparities and improve NHL outcomes.
Translocator protein (TSPO) analysis in saliva of adults with oral mucosal lesions: A preliminary study
Background The analysis of translocator protein (TSPO) in saliva could elucidate its potential role as biomarker in oral mucosal lesions associated to early-stage oral cancer. We compared the TSPO protein signal intensity from saliva samples of adults with and without oral mucosal lesions suspected of being potentially malignant disorders. Methods Saliva samples were collected from 28 participants with and without oral mucosal lesions, recruited from dental clinics in Cartagena, Colombia. A biopsy was performed at the lesion site for each case, and a histopathological diagnosis was obtained. A protein precipitation method for saliva and the Dot blot technique were used to detect and analyze TSPO protein in saliva samples. The signal intensity for TSPO protein was determined by optical densitometry analysis using the software Image Lab. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the intensity of TSPO protein signal by type of histopathological diagnosis; while linear regression analysis was used for the association between TSPO protein signal intensity and the presence or absence of oral mucosal lesions, adjusting by age and sex. Results Comparing TSPO protein signal intensity from saliva samples of participants with and without oral mucosal lesions, a higher median was observed in the group of cases with oral mucosal lesions (p-value = 0.0141), even after adjusting by age and sex. TSPO protein signal intensity from saliva samples of participants with dysplasia showed the highest median compared with other histopathological findings (p-value = 0.0596). Conclusions A high signal intensity or presence of TSPO protein in saliva samples of participants with oral mucosal lesions may indicate its potential as marker for malignant transformation; therefore, further research should be performed to investigate TSPO expression in oral carcinogenesis.
YOLO-based intelligent recognition system for hidden dangers at construction sites
To reduce the accident rate in the construction industry, an improved YOLOv5n-based hazard recognition system for construction sites is proposed. By incorporating optimization mechanisms such as the ECA attention module, ghost module, SIoU loss, and EIoU–NMS into YOLOv5n, the system achieves both lightweight acceleration and improved accuracy. Two ultrasmall models (approximately 2.5 MBs each) were trained on a self-built dataset to detect “unsafe human behaviors” and “unsafe object conditions,” achieving mAP@0.5 scores of 93.6% and 99.5%, respectively. After deployment on the Jetson Nano B01 edge platform, the system was constructed, and its high efficiency in onsite hazard detection was validated.
Characteristics of self-motion sensation after major earthquakes: An internet survey
This study aimed to determine the characteristics and prognosis of new-onset swaying or dizziness, defined as self-motion sensation, following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan and identify factors associated with persistent symptoms and disturbance in daily life. A cross-sectional, internet-based survey was conducted 2 months after the earthquake among 1,000 residents of the affected regions. The incidence and characteristics of self-motion sensation, its impact on daily life, and symptom duration were assessed in the survey. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify demographic factors (age, sex, and region), individual characteristics (dizziness treatment history, proneness to motion sickness, and trait anxiety), and emotional responses (feelings of anxiety or fear induced by self-motion sensation) associated with life disturbance and persistent symptoms. Of 968 valid responses, 43% of participants reported a new-onset self-motion sensation following the earthquake. Symptoms were described as brief episodes of body swaying lasting less than 1 min, mostly occurring while sitting or standing still. Among those with self-motion sensation, 18.5% reported disturbance in daily life, and 24.5% continued to experience symptoms 2 months after the event. Younger age and emotional responses were significantly associated with life disturbance. Proximity to the epicenter and emotional response were associated with persistent symptoms. Self-motion sensation is common after major earthquakes and usually resolves spontaneously. However, a subset of individuals experiences persistent symptoms or disturbances in daily life. Emotional responses, particularly anxiety or fear triggered by self-motion sensation, play crucial roles in daily life impact and symptom persistence. Early recognition and targeted support for at-risk individuals may help prevent long-term impairment and improve post-disaster health outcomes.
Differences in stiffness across the patellar tendon: An observational study using tendotonometry
Patellar tendinopathy is an injury with pain mostly located at the proximal region of the tendon and possibly related to changes in patellar tendon (PT) stiffness. However, little is known about the stiffness at different locations within the PT and the reliability of measuring stiffness at these locations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the difference in PT stiffness and reliability of its measurement at different PT locations in non-injured male (n = 24) and female (n = 24) recreational athletes. Tendotonometry was performed in triplet at nine locations on the PT of the dominant leg (proximal, horizontal-midline (HM) and distal, at all three levels: medial, vertical-midline (VM) and lateral) in 90 degrees knee flexion in the resting position. Both in males and females, PT stiffness was higher proximal and distal compared to HM and lower medial and lateral compared to VM. PT stiffness ranged from 702.3 ± 124.6N/m to 882.6 ± 117.7N/m for females and 822.6 ± 124.7N/m to 990.3 ± 141.0N/m for males. With respect to reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient was above 0.9, and the coefficient of variation was below 3% at all nine measurement locations, indicating excellent reliability. In conclusion, PT stiffness is higher at the proximal and distal part of the tendon compared to HM, and lower at the medial and lateral part of the tendon compared to VM. Tendotonometry can reliably be used to measure PT stiffness at different locations on the tendon.
Spatial attribution and policy design of rural entrepreneurship: Evidence from Anhui Province in China
Rural entrepreneurship is a key way to combat rural decline and promote the revitalization of rural areas and their sustainability, and also a key area of research in agricultural and rural geography, economics, and management. We combined spatial econometrics models such as spatial clustering, cold and hot spot analysis, geographical weighted regression and Geodetector to carry out empirical research on geographical distribution of rural entrepreneurship in Anhui province, in an attempt to provide scientific basis for rural policy design, spatial planning and evidence-based decision-making. The findings showed an increasing trend of the spatial heterogeneity and autocorrelation of rural entrepreneurship in Anhui, with geographic clustering of high, medium and low values as well as cold and hot spots. And the diversification of rural entrepreneurship changes led to a very complex driving mechanism for the generation and evolution of rural entrepreneurship spatial patterns, and the factors showed significant spatial and composite effects. The enlightening value of the analysis results lies in the fact that rural entrepreneurship management not only needs to delineate geographical zones and design differentiated policies, but also needs to jointly build rural entrepreneurship alliances in similar or adjacent areas to integrate regional entrepreneurial resources. In addition, rural entrepreneurship management should be guided according to the situation, and policy design should take into account both quantity and speed control, with establishment of policy combinations based on the spatial and composite effects of different factors.
Chronic High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercise in adolescent rats results in cocaine place aversion and ΔFosB induction
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that has been greatly popularized over the past few years for its many health benefits. Similar to other forms of exercise, HIIT may be beneficial in the prevention of substance use behaviors; however, the extent to which HIIT can impact the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse during adolescence has not been fully evaluated. Here, we assess the effects of HIIT during adolescence on subsequent cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) in male Lewis rats. The HIIT exercise exposed rats ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes daily (ten three-minute cycles) for six weeks with progressive speed-increased up to 0.8 mph (21.5m/min), while the sedentary rats remained in their home cage. Following the six weeks of exercise, rats were tested for cocaine (25 mg/kg) CPP. Following completion of the behavior test ∆FosB levels were measured in the brain. Results showed that the HIIT rats showed significantly attenuated place preference (−19%) in their time spent in the cocaine-paired chamber compared to the sedentary environment rats. In addition, HIIT rats had significantly higher (65%) striatum ∆FosB levels compared to the sedentary rats. Our findings show that HIIT exercise during adolescence could be protective against cocaine abuse which may be mediated by an increase in ∆FosB. This finding has important clinical implications with respect to exercise mediated protection against substance misuse and abuse. Future studies will examine this effect in females as well as the potential underlying mechanisms.
DownLink amplified loss function module for 5G air to terrestrial communication networks
Combining air-to-ground network experiences with Fifth Generation (5G) communications, inferred path loss and Doppler impacts on communication dependability due to the difference in downlink sampling rates of receiver amplification gain intensities. This work addresses the challenges of route loss and Doppler effects in dynamic communication scenarios by integrating air-to-ground communication concepts with 5G networks. This research combines air-to-ground communication concepts with 5G networks to improve signal dependability, compensating for path loss and Doppler effects. The introduced Down-Link Amplified Loss Function Module (DALFM) dynamically adjusts amplification and sampling procedures to offset transmission losses. The module optimizes signal gain with a recurrent learning architecture to provide dependable communication under various conditions. Experimental validation attests that DALFM enhances transmission gain by 8.12%, sample rate by 10.67%, and reduces path loss by 9.57%. The findings bring their capacity to enhance 5G air-to-terrestrial networks into perspective, paving the way for more solid and flexible wireless communication.
Disparities in multi-modal spatial access to primary and specialty care in U.S. neighborhoods: A cross-sectional and temporal analysis of health services
Spatial access to care describes the ability of populations to travel to healthcare providers. Existing spatial access to care studies frequently utilize metrics constructed using car-specific travel to providers, potentially underestimating access in populations using other travel modalities (i.e., walking/transit). We present a novel multi-travel modality spatial access to care composite measure, a corresponding temporally representative open-source data resource, and a stratified analysis of neighborhood rural/urban and socioeconomic disparities. We utilized quarterly 2016–2020 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable Files to compute temporally representative multi-modal spatial accessibility to 56 healthcare provider classifications in U.S. census tracts and block groups. We performed tract-level analyses stratified by 2010 Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes and 2016 Area Deprivation Index for a subset of provider types. We found that 1) non-metropolitan areas have poorer multi-modal spatial access to primary (P < 0.001), specialty (P < 0.001), pulmonology (P < 0.001), nephrology (P < 0.001), and cancer care (P < 0.001) than metropolitan areas both cross-sectionally and over time and 2) multi-modal primary care access was substantially poorer than multi-modal specialty care access in 2016 and this trend did not improve over time. We also produced a data resource for many provider types and an interactive spatial access map for a subset of provider classifications. After stratifying, we found significant disparities in spatial access to primary care, specialty care, pulmonology, nephrology, and cancer care in non-metropolitan areas. Our multi-modal spatial access measure and corresponding data resource may be useful for population health and clinical studies, public health entities, community stakeholders, health systems, and policymakers.
Predictive value of SOFA, PCT, Lactate, qSOFA and their combinations for mortality in patients with sepsis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Sepsis is a leading cause of death, necessitating early prediction of mortality risk. Objective To systematically review the predictive efficacy of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and lactate-adjusted qSOFA (LqSOFA) for the risk of death in patients with sepsis. Methods According to PRISMA-DTA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI were searched (up to March 2025), and 29 studies were included (n = 41,469). A bivariate random-effects model was used to pool the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The ΔAUROC was compared using a random-effects model based on a paired-data design. Heterogeneity was evaluated by I² (>50%) and Cochrane’s Q test. Results SOFA demonstrated superior predictive efficacy (AUROC = 0.819, 95% CI: 0.783–0.850; sensitivity = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71–0.82; specificity = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.67–0.79), significantly outperforming PCT (ΔAUROC = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04–0.16), lactate (ΔAUROC = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.11), and qSOFA (ΔAUROC = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.05–0.11). LqSOFA (AUROC = 0.823, 95% CI: 0.787–0.854) demonstrated efficacy comparable to SOFA (ΔAUROC = 0.02, 95% CI: −0.02–0.06) and significantly superior to qSOFA (ΔAUROC = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.04–0.08), with a sensitivity of 0.46 (0.24–0.69) and specificity of 0.88 (0.80–0.93). Subgroup analyses revealed sustained high performance in both emergency department (ED) settings (AUROC = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.79–0.85) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (AUROC = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.77–0.84). Conclusion SOFA remains the optimal predictor of sepsis mortality risk. qSOFA demonstrates suboptimal overall predictive ability, whereas LqSOFA achieves comparable accuracy to SOFA by combining the advantages of lactate and qSOFA. Its high specificity may be valuable for rapid risk exclusion in resource-limited settings (ED/LMICs). Future studies should validate LqSOFA across diverse clinical settings and underrepresented LMIC regions and should integrate dynamic lactate clearance metrics.
Pre-infection cerebral cortex structure predicts murine sepsis outcome
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by an inappropriate host response to an infection that can lead to multi-organ failure and death. Predictive markers that can inform the trajectory and outcome for a septic patient are necessary to inform treatment and increase the likelihood for patient survival. Here, by leveraging the concept of Lethal Dose 50 (LD50), which is the dose of a pathogen that will kill 50% of a genetically identical host population, we tested the hypothesis that variations in brain structure can be readily used to predict trajectory and outcome in a murine model of sepsis. We found that one week prior to infection, mice that were fated to survive exhibited greater cortical volume, solidity, and thickness compared to those who would succumb to the LD50 challenge, and these metrics were sufficient to train multiple predictive models with 75% to 94% accuracy. Our work reveals a readily measurable non-genetic marker for predicting sepsis prognosis in mice and demonstrates the potential for using pre-infection high-resolution structural brain scans to predict infection outcomes in humans.
Democratizing social media for health research: LLM-powered data analytics platform for NCDs
Despite over 41 million annual deaths from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) globally, predominantly in low and middle-income countries, public access to relevant information from social media is hindered by restrictive licensing of existing social listening tools. This study introduces NCDs Listener, an open-source tool designed to simplify the extraction, summarization, and visualization of NCD-related knowledge from social media comments (Facebook and Reddit posts) in both English and Thai. The tool utilizes keyword matching and the BERT model for knowledge extraction, followed by descriptive statistical analysis. A generative AI model, specifically Google Gemini 2.0 Flash as per the saved information, summarizes this extracted knowledge into human-readable sentences, focusing on medical and healthcare insights. Preliminary results indicate that NCDs Listener improves dashboard comprehension for both general users and data scientists, with the general users showing higher comprehension. Furthermore, both user groups preferred medically focused generative AI summaries over general summaries (p-value <0.001). These findings suggest that NCDs Listener not only provides immediate insights but also establishes a foundation for advanced data analysis, fostering new opportunities for understanding complex social phenomena and predicting emerging trends. The source codes are available at the project page: https://ratchanontt.github.io/NCDsListenerWebpage/.
Diagnostic Reference Levels in pediatric interventional cardiology: A multicenter study by the French cohort in HARMONIC project
Background Pediatric interventional cardiology (IC) is an important diagnostic and therapeutic approach for addressing congenital heart disease (CHD) in children. However, the associated ionizing radiation raises long-term health concerns, emphasizing the need for dose optimization. Purpose To establish multicenter diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for pediatric IC procedures within the French COCCINELLE cohort as part of the HARMONIC European project, providing data to optimize radiation exposure. Methods A retrospective analysis of radiation dose metrics was conducted on pediatric IC procedures performed across seven hospitals from 2018 to 2020. Data were stratified by five weight groups (<5, 5– < 15, 15– < 30, 30– < 50, 50– < 80 kg) and seven IC procedure categories. Median and 75th quantile values for dose-area product (DAP), DAP normalized to body-weight (DAP/BW) and fluoroscopy time (FT) were calculated to define typical values and DRLs, respectively. The DRL-weight curve approach was also used to determine the 50th quantile curve for each IC procedure category. Results A total of 1815 pediatric IC procedures were analyzed, comprising 534 diagnostic and 1281 therapeutic procedures. Significant variations in DAP were observed across different procedure types and weight groups, while fluoroscopy time showed no significant variation. Typical-DRL values (median-75th percentile values) of DAP (Gy·cm²) ranged from 1.9–3.9 to 4.8–5.8 for coronarography, from 0.7–1.3 to 9.2–15.6 for angiography, from 0.3–0.6 to 0.8–1.5 for pulmonary valve dilatation, from 2.8–3.7 to 11.6–14.6 for pulmonary artery dilatation and stenting, from 0.6–1.3 to 2.8–6.0 for atrial septal defect closure and from 0.1–0.4 to 3.1–5.4 for patent ductus arteriosus closure in function of weight groups and 0.2–0.3 for Rashkind in patients <5 kg. Conclusion This study provides the first multicenter DRLs for pediatric IC procedures in France, offering valuable benchmarks for dose optimization. These findings lay a strong foundation for future national and international guidelines in pediatric IC care.
Effects of perceived instructional support and self-regulated learning support on students’ learning behavior in an online learning environment
Learning Analytics (LA) has advanced significantly in recent years; however, its findings often suffer from limited generalizability and transferability due to reliance on data from a small number of courses. Course design variability is a critical factor influencing students’ learning behavior in online learning environments (OLEs). This study examines how differences in instructional design, specifically in self-regulated learning (SRL) support, predict the intensity and regularity of students’ learning behavior in OLEs. Using qualitative content analysis, we developed the SRL-S coding scheme to systematically assess the extent to which course design supports specific SRL processes. The coding scheme was validated by three independent researchers and applied to 76 courses. Multilevel modeling analysis confirmed substantial variability in student learning behavior across courses. Higher SRL support was associated with more frequent course visits (β = .46, p < .001), greater regularity of visits (β = −.31, p < .001), and increased total time spent in a course (β = .45, p < .001). In contrast, perceived instructional support from the teacher significantly influenced total time spent (β = .12, p = .004) but not the visit frequency (p = .324) or regularity (p = .951). Moreover, SRL support significantly predicted perceived instructional support (β = .17, p = .002). Mediation analysis revealed a small but significant indirect effect of SRL support on total time spent (β = .021, p = .012), while no mediation was found for visit frequency (p = .360) or regularity (p = .836). These findings highlight the pivotal role of structured SRL support in shaping student engagement. Our approach contextualizes LA indicators by accounting for course design differences and suggests that the SRL-S coding scheme could serve as a research-based guideline for enhancing SRL support in online courses.
The relationship between agility and vertical jump performance in male handball players: A cross-sectional analysis on the role of developmental characteristics
Aim This research examines the relationship between agility and vertical jump by controlling for developmental characteristics (age, height, and body weight), which are important for sports performance yet underexplored in literature. Materials and methods In this quantitative research, the study group was determined by power analysis and participants were selected using purposive sampling method. The study group consists of 15 male handball players (age 24.1 ± 5 years) who volunteered to participate. Agility performance was determined by the “Illinois Test”, while jumping performance was assessed by the “Vertical Jump Test”. The Pearson test was used in the relationship analysis as a result of the normality assumption. Additionally, a partial correlation analysis was conducted to control for the effect of developmental characteristics (α = 0.05). Results A positive significant relationship was found between age and years of sports (r = .759; p < 0.01) and vertical jump (r = .657; p < 0.01) in male handball players, as well as a positive significant relationship between body weight and agility (r = .621; p < 0.05). Additionally, while controlling for age (pr = −.557; p = 0.039) and body weight (pr = −.558; p = 0.038), a negative significant relationship was found between agility and vertical jump. Conclusion and suggestions As a result, based on the studies examined, it has been observed that male handball players have a high level of agility and vertical jump performance. At the same time, it has been noted that a decrease in age increases agility performance, while an increase in age enhances jump height. The statistical relationship between agility and vertical jump has only been determined when developmental characteristics are controlled. Therefore, it is suggested that to better clarify the relationship between variables in sports performance research, studies should be conducted with developmental characteristics controlled. Additionally, trainers should train agility and vertical jump, testing athletes regularly at set intervals throughout the season for performance tracking.
Integrative taxonomy of Cedrela (Meliaceae) leads to the recognition of a new species (C. tamaulipana) and the reinstatement of C. saxatilis
A new species of Cedrela (Meliaceae) is described and illustrated from recently discovered populations at Rancho del Cielo Biosphere Reserve, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The newly proposed species is morphologically close to C. monroana but differs from the latter in having a shorter habit, thinner terminal twigs, shorter space between leaf pairs along the rachis, shorter petiolules, smaller leaflets, smaller leaflet length-to-width ratio, less numerous secondary leaflet veins, shorter panicles, and yellowish green flowers, broadly obovoid to pyriform fruits, with valves opening at least at an angle of 20 degrees and brown mature capsules with prominent lenticels on valves. We provide a key to the Mexican species of Cedrela including the closely related C. monroana. Latitudinal differences also support the setting aside of the proposed species, which is the most septentrional among its close relatives within Cedrela. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses of nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (accD, matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, psbB-T-N, rpl16, rpoB, rpoC1, trnS-G) DNA sequences of 19 taxa of Cedrela plus 3 from related taxa, place the proposed new species within a clade including Mexican & Central American species. Based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, we propose the reinstatement of C. saxatilis as a valid species, previously treated as a synonym of C. oaxacensis.