Browse Articles

Acute Epididymo-orchitis in IgA Vasculitis

Mavacamten in Symptomatic Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to physical activity

Abstract While physical activity is critical to human health, most people do not meet recommended guidelines 1,2 . Built environments that are more walkable have the potential to increase activity across the population 3–8 . However, previous studies on the built environment and physical activity have led to mixed findings, possibly due to methodological limitations such as small cohorts, over-reliance on self-reported measures and cross-sectional designs 5,7,9–11 . Here we address these limitations by leveraging a large US cohort of smartphone users ( N  = 2,112,288) to evaluate within-person longitudinal behaviour changes that occurred over 248,266 days of objectively measured physical activity across 7,447 relocations among 1,609 US cities. By analysing the results of this natural experiment, which exposed individuals to differing built environments, we find that increases (decreases) in walkability are associated with significant increases (decreases) in physical activity after relocation. For example, moving from a less walkable (25th percentile) city to a more walkable city (75th percentile) increased walking by 1,100 daily steps, on average. These changes hold across different genders, ages and body mass index values, and are sustained over 3 months. The added activity is predominantly composed of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, which is linked to an array of associated health benefits 1 . Evidence against residential self-selection confounding is reported. Our findings provide robust evidence supporting the importance of the built environment in directly improving health-enhancing physical activity and offer potential guidance for public policy activities in this area.

Global hotspots of mycorrhizal fungal richness are poorly protected

Aficamten or Metoprolol Monotherapy for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

3D-printed micro ion trap technology for quantum information applications

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Diaper Need — An Underrecognized Social Driver of Health

Multidomain Rehabilitation for Older Patients with Myocardial Infarction

Long-Term Outcomes of the DanGer Shock Trial

Once-Weekly Mazdutide in Obesity or Overweight

Health and Medical Research Funding in a Divided America — How to Increase Support

Efruxifermin in Compensated Liver Cirrhosis Caused by MASH

Marburg Virus Disease in Rwanda, 2024 — Public Health and Clinical Responses

Infrastructure deficits and informal settlements in sub-Saharan Africa

Micropropagation and somaclonal variation in Iranian genotypes of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Garlic is an important bulb vegetable which is used for both culinary and medical purposes worldwide. In vitro propagation is considered a promising technic for production and conservation of disease-free garlic seed. The efficiency of in vitro culture was studied for micropropagation of native Iranian garlic genotypes. A factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted to optimize the in vitro culture media components for establishment, regeneration and conservation of four Iranian garlic genotypes. The highest number of bulblets were obtained and established on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mgL-1 BA (benzyl adenine) + 0.5 mgL-1 IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and 0.5 mgL-1 2-iP (2-isopentenyl adenine) + 0.25 mgL-1 NAA (naphthalene acetic acid), respectively. In the regeneration phase, however, the highest number of bulblets regenerated from in vitro grown plants on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mgL-1 2-iP + 0.1 mgL-1 NAA. A drastic increase in bulblet formation was also observed on this culture medium during conservation phase. At least 20 bulblets were formed per each explant in all genotypes in the first subculture. Interestingly, the bulblet formation in the second subculture was 4–5 times more than the first subculture, indicating a very efficient regeneration rate in micropropagation of Iranian garlic genotypes. Moreover, RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers were used to evaluate the genetic stability in regenerated garlic plantlets. All fragments amplified by five RAPDs were the same in regenerated plantlets and their mother plants showing no somaclonal variation in micropropagated Iranian garlics. Our results indicated that in vitro protocols used in this study can provide an efficient system for regeneration and conservation of garlic germplasm in an in vitro gene-bank.

An updated vocal repertoire of wild adult bonobos (Pan paniscus)

Research over the last 20 years has shed important light on the vocal behaviour of our closest living relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, but mostly relies on qualitative vocal repertoires, for which quantitative validations are absent. Such data are critical for a holistic understanding of a species` communication system and unpacking how these systems compare more broadly with other primate and non-primate species. Here we make key progress by providing the first quantitative validation of a Pan vocal repertoire, specifically for wild bonobos. Using data comprising over 1500 calls from 53 adult individuals collected over 33 months, we employ machine-learning-based random forest analyses and describe 11 acoustically distinguishable call types. We discuss issues associated with resolving vocal repertoires from wild data in great apes and highlight potential future approaches to further capture the complexity and gradedness of the bonobo vocal system.

Active control of flexible spacecraft in orbit based on partial differential equations

Flexible spacecraft possess the ability to adapt to complex environments and use energy more efficiently, offering enhanced flexibility and stability in space missions, particularly in tasks with significant external disturbances such as deep space exploration and satellite attitude control. However, vibration suppression in flexible spacecraft remains a critical challenge. This study addresses the problem of vibration suppression in flexible spacecraft systems under external disturbances and input constraints. First, a partial differential equation (PDE) with boundary initial conditions is derived using Hamilton’s principle, accurately describing the dynamic characteristics of the flexible structure. A backstepping controller based on the Nassbaum function and a disturbance observer is then designed to ensure system stability in the presence of input constraints and external disturbances. A Lyapunov function is constructed, and appropriate control parameters are selected to further guarantee system stability. Numerical simulations confirm the superiority of the proposed control method, with results showing an 80% reduction in settling time and a 94% decrease in peak overshoot compared to conventional PD control. The proposed scheme significantly enhances the performance and stability of flexible spacecraft systems, demonstrating its potential for improving spacecraft dynamics in challenging space environments.

Predicting the future risk and outcomes of severe heart failure and coronary artery disease with machine learning in the UK Biobank Cohort

Background In order to seriously impact the global burden of heart failure (HF) and coronary artery disease (CAD), identifying at-risk individuals as early as possible is vital. Risk calculator tools in wide clinical use today are informed by traditional statistical methods that have historically yielded only modest prediction accuracy. Methods This study uses machine learning algorithms to generate predictions models for the development and progression of severe HF and CAD. Participants (~485,000 followed in the UK Biobank over 7 years) were stratified by cardiac status at the time of enrollment (asymptomatic, high-risk and affected); separate prediction models were built for each stratum. Participants were split between a training set (80%) and holdout dataset (20%), all performance metrics are reported for the holdout dataset. Results Out of 6 machine learning algorithms screened, artificial neural networks (ANN) most successfully predicted future disease across the various strata (area under the curve: 0.77–0.86 for 10/12 models), results were very consistent between methodologies. Models trained using ANN showed excellent calibration in all strata and across the entire spectrum of risk (0.4–1.2% average observed/predicted difference across 10 deciles of risk). Key predictive features included age, frailty, adiposity, history of hypertension and diabetes, tobacco use and family history of heart disease and were consistent between models for HF and CAD. Conclusions When deployed as a patient-facing application, the prediction models presented here will be able to provide both user-specific predictions and simulate the effect of changes in lifestyle and of prophylaxis interventions, thus resulting in an individualized patient counselling and management tool.

Atelocollagen exhibits superior performance compared to growth factors in upregulating proteins associated with tendon healing

Purpose We aimed to compare the effects of atelocollagen (AC) and individual growth factors on the expression of key molecular markers associated with tendon healing. Methods C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and treated with 1 nM or 10 nM of Atelocollagen (AC), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for 5 days. After 5 days of treatment, cells were harvested from the culture medium, and Western blot analysis was performed to quantify the expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), Collagen type I (Col I), Collagen type Ⅲ (Col Ⅲ), and Tenascin C (TnC). Additionally, immunofluorescence staining was conducted to qualitatively assess cytoskeletal organization and cell adhesion, which are key factors in tendon healing. Results In the AC-treated groups, the expression levels of p-ERK, Col I/Col Ⅲ, and TnC were significantly higher compared to the groups treated with individual growth factors (BMP-2, IGF, VEGF, and TGF-β1) (p < 0.05). These changes were dose-dependent, as there was no significant difference in protein expression between AC and the growth factors at 1 nM, whereas at 10 nM, AC treatment resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05). In the cell proliferation assay, C2C12 myoblasts treated with AC at 10 nM exhibited significantly higher proliferation rates compared to those treated with individual growth factors (p < 0.05). Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed greater cytoskeletal alignment in AC-treated cells, suggesting enhanced cell adhesion, structural organization, and mechanical stability. Conclusions AC significantly upregulated key molecular markers involved in cell proliferation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and tendon structural integrity more effectively than individual growth factors. The increased expression of these genes in myoblasts suggests AC’s potential role in promoting tendon healing. Clinical relevance Through the modulation of key molecular pathways critical to tendon healing, AC presents strong potential as an effective biological augmentation strategy for improving tendon-to-bone interface healing after surgical repair.