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Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Trump wants to put humans on Mars: what scientists think of the plan
‘Integrity index’ flags universities with high retraction rates
Daily briefing: The energy-drink ingredient taurine doesn’t seem to boost lifespan after all
Second ispace craft has probably crash-landed on Moon
How Trump’s budget cuts could derail global science collaborations
Randomised active controlled trial examining effects of aerobic exercise, cognitive and music interventions on depression, balance and mobility in schizophrenia
Abstract Schizophrenia significantly impairs daily functioning, requiring innovative, cost-effective treatments beyond standard antipsychotics, and cognitive interventions. This study examined the individual and combined effects of cognitive, music, and aerobic exercise interventions on depression, balance, and mobility in patients with schizophrenia and severe depression. Eighty-four male patients with schizophrenia and severe depression from an inpatient psychiatric centre participated in a 12-week, single-blind, randomised active-controlled trial. Participants were systematically assigned to one of seven equal groups (n = 12 each): aerobic exercise (AerG), cognitive rehabilitation/treatment-as-usual (CogG), music intervention (MusG), aerobic exercise + music intervention (A&MG), aerobic exercise + cognitive intervention (A&CG), cognitive intervention + music intervention (C&MG), and a comprehensive combination of all three modalities (ACMG). Each intervention was delivered over 60 min, three times weekly for 12 weeks. The study employed the Beck Depression Inventory Short Form, Stork Balance Test, and modified Timed Up and Go Test to assess improvements in depression, balance, and mobility. Statistical analyses were conducted using paired t-tests for within-group comparisons and ANCOVA with Bonferroni post hoc tests for between-group differences, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results showed significant improvements in depression, balance, and mobility across all treatment groups. The CogG group outperformed both AerG and MusG in all outcomes, establishing it as the gold-standard comparator. A&CG yielded greater benefits than other single or dual-modality groups, while the multimodal ACMG group demonstrated the most substantial improvements across all measures. These findings highlight the practical value of incorporating multimodal interventions into standard care to improve both mental health and physical function, offering a scalable, cost-effective approach to addressing the diverse needs of this population of patients with schizophrenia and severe depression. Implementing such interventions in psychiatric care settings could lead to more comprehensive and effective treatment strategies for improving patient outcomes.
Therapeutic efficacy of BSA formulated hydrogels in corneal wound healing and epithelial cell regeneration: an ex vivo study
The value of intratumoral and peritumoral ultrasound radiomics model constructed using multiple machine learning algorithms for non-mass breast cancer
Effects of staking techniques on growth and yield of tomato varieties in northwestern Ethiopia
Machine learning of automatic hierarchical multi-label classification method for identifying metal failure mechanisms
Universal and economical experimental platform for colloidal mixing lab-on-chip in parabolic flight
Abstract This study presents an economical experimental platform designed to investigate colloid and emulsion mixing under parabolic flight conditions. The compact 20 kg system integrates a modular fluidic device with real-time imaging capabilities to enable the observation of fluid interactions at the millimeter scale. The platform focuses on safety, like a double containment system, while remaining accessible for quick experimental modifications. Experiments using four distinct colloids, Thailand Lunar Simulant (TLS-01A), emulsions with Span 80 (50% v/v) and Tween 80 (10% v/v), and a control without additives, enabled analysis of surface tension and particle effects on mixing behavior. Through 29 experimental trials during parabolic flight cycles, each with approximately 20 s of microgravity, the system captured fluid dynamics at 240 frames per second. The platform enables future research to observe effects of surfactant and mixer geometry in real-world scale, with potential for improvements in automation and imaging capabilities. Using a simple measure of color distribution entropy, the Span 80 sample exhibited the highest degree of mixing, with a 24.2% improvement over the microgravity control and a 19.4% increase relative to ground-based Span sample.
Impact of perinatal factors on breast milk composition and volume in preterm infants
405 nm light microbicidal efficacy on Treponema pallidum spiked in ex vivo human platelets
Abstract Pathogen reduction technologies using chemicals and or UV light have been demonstrated to improve the safety of ex vivo platelets from infectious diseases. However, UV light exposure also may affect the treated products, depending on wavelength and exposure. Alternatively, visible spectra 405 nm violet-blue light has broad-spectrum microbicidal activity. Here we tested the effect of 405 nm light on Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. We contaminated platelets stored in plasma with two treponemal concentrations (low and high titers) and treated an aliquot with 270 J/cm2 dose (irradiance = 15 mW/cm2) of 405 nm light while another aliquot remained untreated. Next, we inoculated intradermally an aliquot of both samples into rabbits. Rabbits inoculated with untreated samples developed syphilis while animals inoculated with light-treated samples did not. Thus, inactivation was demonstrated to the limit of detection of the bioassay. We estimated > 2 log10 and > 4 log10 reduction in the low and high dose studies, respectively. These results provide proof-of-concept that 405 nm light is effective in reducing syphilis risk in ex vivo platelets.
The effect of educational intervention based on the health action model on safe use of pesticides in Iranian farmers
Combustion and emission characteristics of ammonia-diesel marine high pressure direct injection low-speed dual-fuel engine
Persistent Lagrangian transport patterns in the Black Sea identified from climatological Lagrangian Coherent Structures
Prolonged irrigation time in endoscopic aqueous medium impairs MSC/β-TCP adhesion and osteogenic potential
Silencing FGL1 promotes prostate cancer cell apoptosis and inhibits EMT progression
Plasma and MRI biomarkers capture neuronal damage in former professional boxers
Abstract Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) in boxing may increase the risk for neuronal damage. We evaluated blood-based biomarkers for neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathology, clinical features, and MRI biomarkers in former professional boxers compared to patients with AD or patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Nine former boxers were compared to age-matched patients (without single TBI or RHI) with biomarker confirmed AD (N = 15) or SCD (N = 14). Plasma samples were analyzed for amyloid beta (Aβ)42, Aβ42/40 ratio, phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181, p-tau217, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light (NfL) concentrations. Brain MRI images were processed through Freesurfer to compute disease-related regions-of-interest (ROIs) for AD, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Cognitive performance was assessed in memory and executive functioning (EF) domains. Five boxers had follow-up measurements after ~ 7 years. Former boxers had higher plasma GFAP, p-tau181 and p-tau217 than patients with SCD, lower volumes in all pre-specified disease-related brain regions. No differences on neuropsychological test scores between boxers and those with SCD were observed. Longitudinal analysis in the boxer group demonstrated elevation of plasma NfL and p-tau181 over time. The current study suggests the presence of biological processes indicative for neurodegeneration in former boxers, without evident clinical decline. Plasma GFAP, p-tau181 and p-tau217 may be promising biomarkers for indicating risk for neuronal damage following RHI.