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Lead Contamination in Milwaukee Schools — The Latest Episode in an Ongoing Toxic Pandemic
Triethylamine inhibits influenza A virus infection and growth via mechanisms independent of viral neuraminidase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
Triethylamine (Et3N) is a proton (H⁺) acceptor that is widely used in various industrial organic synthesis processes, including the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and polymers. Inhalation of high Et3N concentrations can damage human respiratory tract and lungs. Given the compound’s known reactivity and membrane-penetrating properties, we hypothesized that non-toxic concentrations of Et₃N may exert modulatory effects on virus–host interactions in epithelial cells. We thus investigated the anti-influenza activity of Et3N and found that it enhanced the viability of influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 virus-infected Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Non-cytotoxic Et3N concentrations reduced the number of infected cells and suppressed influenza A virus nucleoprotein expression as well as viral gene and antiviral host gene upregulation in infected MDCK cells. Selectivity index values of Et₃N against influenza A virus infection, ranging from approximately 10 to over 50. These findings indicated that Et3N inhibited influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 viral infections. Additionally, Et3N suppressed influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 virus titers in the infected MDCK cell culture supernatant, suggesting that it inhibited viral growth in infected cells. This implies that Et3N may suppress influenza A virus release and/or replication by targeting viral or host cell factors. However, Et3N did not inhibit influenza A viral neuraminidase or RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity, which are involved in viral release and replication, respectively. These results suggest that Et3N targets other viral proteins or host cell factors essential for influenza A virus growth. Our findings demonstrate that Et3N exerts anti-influenza activity, providing new insights into the development of antiviral agents based on Et3N skeleton.
<i>ER</i> and Me
The effect of macroeconomic shocks on non-performing loans and credit risk in the iranian banking system using time-varying parameter vector autoregressions
The increase in macroeconomic uncertainty leads to inefficiency in the financial and banking sectors, resulting in a rise in Non-Performing Loans (NPLs). When macroeconomic uncertainty increases, financial institutions experience higher inefficiencies, reflected in increased NPLs, and with proper management solutions, the economy can move toward sustainability. This research analyzes the effect of severe macroeconomic shocks on the NPLs of the Iranian banking system using the Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressions (TVP-VAR) model and a Panel Data Model. The study utilizes data from 2007 to 2021 on key macroeconomic indicators such as economic growth rate, inflation rate, interest rate, unemployment rate, and exchange rate, along with the ratio of Non-Current Claims to Total Facilities as an index of credit risk and the ratio of loans to total assets as a risk-taking index for banks. Our innovation lies in analyzing these variables dynamically, accounting for their correlation and mutual impact. The findings indicate that a 1% increase in inflation leads to a 0.0061% increase in NPLs, while a 1% rise in the unemployment rate results in a 0.0182% increase in NPLs. Conversely, a 1% increase in GDP growth reduces NPLs by 0.0036%. Furthermore, shocks to interest rates, exchange rates, and economic growth increase credit risk, with a 1% interest rate shock raising the default rate from 7.8% to 9.2% over time.
First-Line Camizestrant for Emerging <i>ESR1</i> -Mutated Advanced Breast Cancer
Risk factors for contracting malaria in six wards of Mudzi District, Zimbabwe: A case control-study
Despite a significant decline in burden in the last two decades, malaria remains a significant global public health threat. Vector behaviour, climate, ecology, human economic and social behaviour, and quality of housing are some of the established predictors for contracting malaria. Zimbabwe has recorded a significant decline in malaria burden, however, districts like Mudzi continue to experience persistent malaria transmission despite well-performing indoor residual spraying programs. Persistent malaria transmission despite high IRS coverages point to human socio-economic behavior and health system factors, which have not been fully investigated. We therefore conducted this unmatched case-control study to identify human socio-economic, behavioural, and health system primary factors responsible for persistent malaria transmission in the district. We recruited 94 cases and 91 controls into the study. Cases were randomly recruited from health facility malaria treatment registers, whilst controls were neighbors of a case randomly recruited from a village household register. A case was defined as an individual residing in a selected village with a positive RDT test result. A control was an individual with no recorded positive RDT result recruited from the same village as a case. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics of participants, behavior, perception of quality of health services, and knowledge on malaria causes, symptoms, and prevention. A key information guide was used to acquire perceptions of health managers on primary factors driving malaria in the district, as well as the performance of malaria control and treatment services. Kobo Collect was used for real-time data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using STATA 13 (StataCorp LLC) to generate frequencies and odds ratios. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors for malaria. Independent risk factors for contracting malaria were: engaging in night outdoor social and religious activities (AOR = 8.13; 95% CI,1.74–37.90), and having a garden (AOR = 4.51; 95% CI,1.55–13.12). Wearing full body clothing at night (AOR = 0.13;95% CI,0.03–0.0.53), and sleeping in a sprayed room (AOR = 0.04; 95% CI,0.01–0.31) were protective for contracting malaria. The majority of cases (96.74%) and controls (92.22%) had good knowledge of malaria transmission and preventative measures. Despite high knowledge, outdoor religious activities and outdoor socialization were significantly associated with contracting malaria. Increased night outdoor activity increases the likelihood of vector-human contact away from IRS-protected spaces. Sustaining IRS and intensifying integrated, targeted community engagement and malaria awareness programs will be key in eliminating malaria in Mudzi.
Testosterone Treatment in Middle-Aged and Older Men with Hypogonadism
Diagnostic accuracy evaluation of a point-of-care antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in UK primary care (RAPTOR-C19)
Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Roche SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Rapid Antigen Test at the point of care. Design Prospective diagnostic accuracy study. Setting 17 primary care practices in England. Participants 500 individuals with symptoms consistent with possible SARS-CoV-2 or influenza infection identified upon presentation to primary care or via medical note review. Primary and secondary outcome measures Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, compared to a laboratory reference standard of real-time reverse transcription PCR, using samples collected using a combined nasal and oropharyngeal swab. Results Of 481 participants with available index and reference test results, 5.6% (27/481) were reference standard-positive for SARS-CoV-2, 11.4% (55/481) for Influenza A and 1.9% (9/481) for Influenza B. The sensitivity of the antigen test to detect SARS-CoV-2 was 70.4% (19/27, 95% CI 49.6–86.2%) and specificity was 99.3% (451/454, 95%CI 98.1–99.9%). For Influenza A, sensitivity was 29.1% (16/55, 95% CI 17.6–42.9%) and specificity 98.6% (420/426, 97.0–99.5%), and for Influenza B, sensitivity was 22.2% (2/9, 2.8–60.0%) and specificity 98.1% (463/472, 96.4–99.1%). Conclusions In a primary care population of symptomatic individuals, the assay was highly specific and had moderate sensitivity to detect SARS-CoV-2, but did not detect the majority of influenza infections. Registration ISRCTN14226970.
Xenon — Propelling Climbers to the Summits of the World’s Highest Mountains?
Higher fall rates and broader kinematic diversity in bilateral versus unilateral unconstrained slips
Identifying and categorizing slip types by their risk level is essential for developing effective training protocols to prevent slip-induced falls. While previous research has thoroughly examined various slip types in sagittally constrained and unconstrained unilateral slips, little is known about the broader range of unconstrained unilateral or bilateral slips that closely mirror real-world conditions. In this study, we addressed three primary questions: (1) Do bilateral slips produce higher fall rates than unilateral slips? (2) Do bilateral slips exhibit greater slip diversity? (3) Does separating diverse slips by slip type reveal differences in severity, such as whole-body angular momentum and foot velocities? We administered three sudden, unconstrained unilateral or bilateral slips, using a wearable perturbation device, during over-ground walking to 20 younger adults (age: 27 ± 4.71 years in the unilateral group, 26.5 ± 4.03 years in the bilateral group), with whole-body kinematics and ground reaction forces recorded. Probabilistic Graphical Models assessed slip diversity and severity for each group, while multivariate general linear models examined whole-body angular momentum and average foot velocities after trailing leg touchdown across slip types. Six falls (21.42% fall rate) occurred in the bilateral slip group, whereas no falls were observed in the unilateral group, indicating that bilateral slips are more severe. Entropy analyses showed that bilateral slips had 21.44% greater outcome diversity compared to unilateral slips. We identified three slip types, high, medium, and low severity, based on frontal and sagittal foot movements following trailing foot touchdown. These categories differed significantly in whole-body angular momentum and foot velocities, suggesting distinct severities and underlying biomechanics. Future studies should examine whether different slip contexts (unilateral vs. bilateral) and slip types demand unique coordination strategies for fall prevention.
Crusted Scabies
Merging of magnetic plasma ‘flux ropes’ is driven by turbulence
Long-range hyperbolic polaritons on a non-hyperbolic crystal surface
Bridging local and global tortuosity of retinal vessels: Objective testing of index performance
Retinal vessel tortuosity is a clinically significant parameter that aids in the diagnosis and risk stratification of various ocular and systemic diseases. While local tortuosity indices aim to quantify the winding nature of vessels in the intuitive way perceived by ophthalmologists, their integration into global measures for entire networks remains challenging. This study introduces a novel framework for objectively evaluating global tortuosity indices based on the concept of vessel compositionality. Within this framework, we compare the tortuosity of an unbranched vessel segment to the combined tortuosities of its constituent sub-segments. By analyzing the relationship between local and global tortuosity measures across a representative set of vessel segments, we can objectively assess (using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient) their performance and identify optimal combinations of local indices and global weighting schemes. This approach eliminates the need for subjective assessments of the global tortuosity by specialists, providing a purely mathematical and objective evaluation. Our findings demonstrate the influence of different factors on global tortuosity, including vessel partitioning, local index selection, and weighting schemes. This framework provides a valuable tool for understanding the behavior of tortuosity measures and optimizing their application in clinical settings.
A Gilded Age for Patients? The Broken Promises of Profit-Driven Medicine
Medical staff’s perspectives on patients’ anxieties and interventions in a rehabilitation ward: A qualitative study
Background Anxiety and depression in rehabilitation patients can adversely impact clinical outcomes. They may have anxieties about the differences in their physical conditions and living environments compared to before hospitalization. Although medical staff address patients’ anxieties, the content of anxieties and the type of intervention have not been clarified. This study aimed to highlight the contents of anxieties and interventions for patients undergoing rehabilitation, based on medical staff’s perspectives. Methods Seventeen medical staff were interviewed about the anxieties they perceived patients experience at the convalescent rehabilitation ward (early, middle, and late phases of hospitalization) and the corresponding interventions. Text mining and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to classify the contents of anxieties and interventions. This study was conducted based on the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Results Patients’ anxieties were classified into six clusters. Among the clusters, prospects for rehabilitation plans, hospital life (e.g., unfamiliar hospital environment), and family situation (e.g., concerns about family life at home) were identified in the early to middle phases, and life at home after discharge was identified in the late phase. The prognosis of physical function and prospects of social life (e.g., return to work) were identified throughout all phases. The types of interventions for these anxieties were classified into eight clusters. The medical staff provided information about patients’ prospects and helped them contact family members in the early phase. In the middle phase, feedback on patients’ improvement in physical function was incorporated. In the late phase, information on social resources was provided to address anxieties about life after discharge. Conclusion This study showed that patients’ anxiety and interventions varied according to hospitalization phases. The findings underscore appropriate ways and the timing of interventions to keep patients in a better psychological state, potentially leading to better rehabilitation outcomes.
Combination Therapy for Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes — A Promising Prelude
Nerve-to-cancer transfer of mitochondria during cancer metastasis
Assessing the reliability and educational value of YouTube videos on computer-controlled local anesthesia in dentistry
Objective This study aimed to assess the scientific accuracy, content quality, and educational value of YouTube™ videos related to computer-controlled local anesthesia (CCLA) techniques in dentistry. Materials and methods A total of 100 videos were screened using predefined keywords, and 48 met the inclusion criteria. Videos were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), DISCERN tool, JAMA benchmark criteria, and the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI). Scientific content was scored using a structured rubric across six domains. Interobserver reliability was evaluated using Weighted Kappa and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Confidence intervals were calculated for key metrics. Group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and correlations were analyzed using Spearman’s rho (p < 0.05). Results Videos from academic sources had significantly higher scores across all quality and reliability indicators. The mean GQS was 2.6 (95% CI: 2.3–2.9), DISCERN 11.7 (95% CI: 10.8–12.6), JAMA 1.8 (95% CI: 1.7–1.9), and VIQI 12.5 (95% CI: 11.7–13.3). Strong positive correlations were found between DISCERN and VIQI (r = 0.809), and between total content score and both DISCERN (r = 0.803) and VIQI (r = 0.655). Conclusion Although YouTube™ provides accessible information on CCLA, many videos lack scientific rigor and educational depth. Content produced by academic institutions is significantly more reliable. Dental educators are encouraged to integrate high-quality video content into curricula to improve media literacy and student learning outcomes.