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Author Response: Rectus Femoris Cross-sectional Area Remains a Vague Outcome Predictor of Polyradiculitis as Long as Not All Influencing Factors are Considered

Conversion of Lactate from mg/dL to mmol/L: Beware of the AI-derived Google Search Error!

Author Response: Critical Appraisal of the Bayesian Application of Modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill Score: Caution Against Overextension as a Mortality Predictor

Spectrum and Outcome of Acute Kidney Injury in Nonsurgical Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Prospective Observational Study

Author Response: Comment on: Nucleotidase as a Clinical Prognostic Marker in Snakebites: A Prospective Study

What Every Intensivist Should Know About Remimazolam

Bridging Gaps in Fluid Choices and Management in Critically Ill Patients

Comparative Performance of Pediatric Risk of Mortality IV and Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 in Critically Ill Children with Cancer: A Prospective Observational Study

Epidemiology and Clinical Outcome of Common Multi-drug Resistant Gram-negative Bacterial Infections in a Network of Hospitals in India (IMPRES): A Multicenter Intensive Care Unit-based Prospective Clinical Study

Author Response: Bridging Gaps in Fluid Choices and Management in Critically Ill Patients

Trump’s call for ‘gold-standard science’ has prompted an outcry: here’s why

Critical Appraisal of the Bayesian Application of Modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill Score: Caution Against Overextension as a Mortality Predictor

Effect of Early and Progressive Rehabilitation Protocol on Fatigue, Functional Outcome, and Kinesiophobia in Patients on Non-invasive Ventilation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The ‘pivot penalty’: scientists get cited less after switching fields, analysis finds

The perfect storm for dust storms, thanks to global warming

TERT translocation as a Novel condition in Intrauterine Growth Restriction rats with early catch-up growth

Infants born with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) followed by postnatal rapid catch-up growth are prone to develop metabolic diseases later in life. However, its effects and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Male offspring from mothers fed a low-protein diet (maternal diet, 8% protein) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: normal diet (RC group) and low-protein diet (RR group). Offspring were fed a normal-protein diet (maternal diet, 20% protein, control group). In our study, at birth, approximately 93.33% of the offspring fats from mothers fed a low-protein diet were born with IUGR. Following weaning, all IUGR groups showed catch-up growth. The RC groups showed accelerated and early postnatal catch-up growth and regained the same weight as the controls from 3 to 9 months. At 9 months of age, the RC group animals had shorter telomere length (TL) than the Control and RR groups and also showed higher oxidative stress levels and lipid levels. Furthermore, compared to the control group, there was increased mitochondrial translocation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) under conditions of elevated oxidative stress in the RC group. There was no significant difference in mtDNA content between the RC and control groups. Moreover, at 9 months of age, only in the RC group were liver and pancreas Sirt3 expression levels higher than in the Control and RR groups. These data indicate that IUGR with early and rapid catch-up growth is exposed to chronic oxidative stress and subsequently affects TL and TERT translocations. Chronic oxidative stress may promote the translocation of TERT from the nucleus to mitochondria and protect tissues from oxidative stress damage.

Mental health literacy in nursing students: Insights from a cross-sectional analysis

Mental health literacy is crucial for nursing students to deliver effective patient care; however, its development throughout their academic journey remains underexplored. This study aimed to assess mental health literacy among nursing students in the UAE and examine factors influencing their literacy levels. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2024 to August 2024 using convenience sampling. A total of 295 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Data were collected using the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLq) and analyzed using SPSS software (version 24). Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to calculate means, standard deviations, percentages, and measures of association using t-tests for students’ sociodemographic variables, dimensions, and global scores, with a significance level of 0.05 for the tests. The findings indicated that participants (all female, with a mean age of 20.7 ± 1.85 years) had a mean MHLq score of 108.19 ± 10.53. Fourth-year students scored higher (110.78 ± 9.79) than lower-year students (106.85 ± 10.68). Students with family or friends who were affected had higher scores (48.00 ± 6.16) than those without (45.97 ± 6.16). The highest-scoring domain was knowledge of mental health problems (46.59 ± 6.40), while self-help strategies scored lowest (16.99 ± 2.61). Students with a personal history of mental illness had lower scores. The study also indicated a statistically significant association between students’ marital status, their level of study, and their first-aid skills and help-seeking behavior. The study highlights the importance of integrating mental health literacy into undergraduate nursing curricula to enhance student’s ability to provide patient-centered care for individuals with mental health disorders. Implementing targeted educational strategies focusing on awareness, recognition, and communication may strengthen students’ competency and preparedness for mental health care practice.

RNA-mediated gene silencing can reduce azole resistance, growth and pathogenicity in Pseudocercospora fijiensis

The use of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) gene silencing has allowed significant advances in the understanding of gene function in many organisms and has the potential for use in disease control. At present, there are no adequate methods to induce gene silencing in Pseudocercospora fijiensis (synonym Mycosphaerella fijiensis), the causal agent of black sigatoka, the most economically important disease affecting banana and plantain production. In this work, we developed methods for effective transient gene silencing in both conidial and mycelial cells of P. fijiensis. The results revealed that treatment with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the PfCyp51 gene was able to reduce the tolerance of a P. fijiensis azole-resistant strain to propiconazole. Furthermore, the selective repression of the Cyp51, adenylate cyclase, and Fus3 genes resulted in inhibited germ tube and mycelial growth, as well as a decrease in the severity of infection in banana leaves. This study suggests that the analyzed genes may be targets for the control of fungicide resistance in P. fijiensis and black Sigatoka disease. RNA interference (RNAi) might be used in the future as a control mechanism in P. fijiensis if appropriate delivery methods are found.

How a freezing pond could kick-start life’s self-replication

Innovating under different competitive strategies: The impact of R&D on risk and return in dynamic environments

The prevailing narrative in the management literature views R&D as a high-risk, high-return activity. Although firms with varying risk-return preferences pursue R&D, this conventional perspective continues to influence decision-making in both corporate strategy and economic policy. This paper questions the narrative by using a novel statistical framework that accounts for competitive strategy and environmental turbulences. Drawing on firm innovation data from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS), we apply semiparametric regression for location and scale to model both the mean and the variance of turnover growth as a function of the interaction between R&D intensity and environmental turbulence, across four common competitive strategy regimes. The findings reveal that for firms prioritizing price leadership across a broad product range, R&D is associated with reduced risk and minimal impact on average growth. Only for firms specifically focused on high quality or small product ranges, the results align with prior research, confirming the expected high-risk, high-return relationship associated with R&D.