Browse Articles

Correction: The efficacy of acupuncture in relieving postoperative pain in patients with low simple anal fistula: Protocol of a prospective, randomised, controlled trial

Screening and validation of optimal real-time PCR reference genes for Abelmoschus Manihot

Potassium-sensitive loss of muscle force in the setting of reduced inward rectifier K ⁺ current: Implications for Andersen–Tawil syndrome

Andersen–Tawil syndrome (ATS) is an ion channelopathy with variable penetrance for the triad of periodic paralysis, arrhythmia, and dysmorphia. Dominant-negative mutations of KCNJ2 encoding the Kir2.1 potassium channel subunit are found in 60% of ATS families. As with most channelopathies, episodic attacks in ATS are frequently triggered by environmental stresses: exercise for periodic paralysis or stress with adrenergic stimulation for arrhythmia. Fluctuations in K + , either low or high, are potent triggers for attacks of weakness in other variants of periodic paralysis (hypokalemic periodic paralysis or hyperkalemic periodic paralysis). For ATS, the [K + ] dependence is less clear; with reports describing weakness in high-K + or low-K + . Patient trials with controlled K + challenges are not possible, due to arrhythmias. We have developed two mouse models (genetic and pharmacologic) with reduced Kir currents, to address the question of K + -sensitive loss of force. These animal models and computational simulations both show K + -dependent weakness occurs only when Kir current is <30% of wildtype. As the Kir deficit becomes more severe, the phenotype shifts from high-K + -induced weakness to a combination where either high-K + or low-K + triggers weakness. A K + channel agonist, retigabine, protects muscle from K + -sensitive weakness in our mouse models of the skeletal muscle involvement in ATS.

Cabergoline as a preventive migraine treatment: A randomized clinical pilot trial

Background Beneficial effects of dopamine agonist treatment on migraine have been reported but remain to be properly tested. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cabergoline as preventive treatment for migraine. Methods In a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 36 adults with ≥  6 monthly migraine days were enrolled at Aarhus University Hospital. Following a 28-days baseline period, participants were randomized to receive cabergoline 0.5 mg or placebo once weekly for 12 weeks as add-on treatment. An electronic headache diary was completed daily, and headache questionnaires and blood tests were collected at baseline and following the treatment period. Primary outcome was change in monthly migraine days. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05525611). Results Of 101 assessed participants, 36 were enrolled. Baseline monthly migraine days were 13.6 (4.1) in the cabergoline group and 14.0 (5.3) in the placebo group. No significant overall difference in the reduction of monthly migraine days was observed. However, among participants with episodic migraine (n = 20), the mean (SE) reduction in monthly migraine days from baseline to the last 28 days of the treatment period was -5.4 (1.3) with cabergoline compared to -1.8 (0.9) with placebo (p = 0.04) [odds ratio: 0.79 (95% CI 0.65 – 0.95), p = 0.014]. In participants with chronic migraine (n = 13), the reduction in monthly migraine days was not significantly different in the two groups. Patients’ global impression of change significantly improved after cabergoline treatment as compared to placebo in the entire group of participants (p = 0.006). The number of participants with episodic migraine achieving ≥  50% reduction in monthly migraine days tended to increase after cabergoline (p = 0.07). Adverse effects were reported by seven participants on cabergoline and four on placebo, none of which were serious. Conclusion Cabergoline significantly reduced monthly migraine days in episodic migraine without serious adverse effects, supporting further investigation into the use of cabergoline for migraine prevention.

Signal size and resolution of scanning thermal microscopy in air and vacuum

Abstract We present measurements comparing scanning thermal microscopy in air and vacuum. Signal levels are compared and resolution is probed by scanning over the edge of a nanofabricated Ag square embedded in $$\hbox {SiO}_{2}$$ . Signals measured in air were seen to be 2.5–40 times larger than in vacuum. Furthermore, the air signals were stable while the vacuum signals varied significantly. Edge widths measured in air were approximately 39% larger than those measured in vacuum. Our observations are consistent with the air measurements experiencing heat transfer from the surrounding sample through the air as well as the formation of a water-related meniscus at the tip-sample junction. These results contribute to the understanding of the complex heat exchange effects that can occur in scanning thermal microscopy when it is conducted in an ambient atmosphere.

Actuating superparamagnetic nanoparticle monolayers

Magnetically responsive, mechanically flexible microstructures are desirable for applications ranging from smart sensors to remote-controlled actuation for surgery or robotics. Embedding magnetic nanoparticles into a thin matrix of elastic material enables high flexibility while exploiting the magnetic response of the individual particles. However, in the ultrathin limit of such nanocomposite materials, the particles become too small to sustain a permanent dipole moment. This implies that now large magnetic field gradients are required for actuation, which are difficult to achieve with externally applied fields. Here, we demonstrate through experiment and simulation that monolayer sheets of close-packed paramagnetic nanoparticles in a uniform applied field can generate large local field gradients through particle interactions. As a result, a strong collective magnetization is obtained that leads to large deflections of freestanding sheets already in moderate applied fields. Exploiting the vector nature of the applied field, we furthermore find that it is possible to induce more complex curvature and twist the sheets. Finally, we show that paramagnetic nanoparticle monolayers applied as coatings can generate sufficient force to deflect strips of nonmagnetic material that is several orders of magnitude thicker.

Prevalence of scabies and associated factors among school age children in Qoloji IDP in Babile district, Somali, Eastern Ethiopia

Background Scabies is a contagious ectoparasite of the skin. It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. Scabies occurs worldwide among people of all ages, races, genders and social classes and has been identified as a neglected tropical infectious disease. In Ethiopia, there is currently social unrest, conflict, and human-made disasters, leading to the displacement of the population from one place to another. Scabies is one of the most common skin diseases among the internally displaced population, where hygiene and sanitation are poor. The aim of the study was to assess prevalence of scabies and associated factors among school age children in Qoloji IDP in Babile District, Somali, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional community-based study design was carried out in 422 among school aged children from June to July 2022. The data was collected by using observation (clinical investigation), structured questionnaires. Data was coded, entered and cleaned using with epi data version 3.1, and exported and analysis was done by using SPSS statistical software package version 22. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with scabies. Findings were presented by using 95% CI of Crude Odds Ratios (COR) and Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR). To declare statistical significance, a p-value of less than 0.05 was used. Results There were 63 cases of scabies with a prevalence of 14.92% CI at 95% (11.7%-18.1%). The multivariable logistic regression shows that age categories with 5-9 [AOR = 2.4 (95% CI: 1.01,6.39)], over-crowding index greater than 1.5 [AOR = 10 (95% CI: (3.6,27.8)] washing clothes infrequently [AOR =  14.7(95% CI: 3.6,25)), history of contact with scabies patients in the past 2 months [AOR =  5(95% CI: (1.2,23.0)], and Family having rash in the past two weeks [AOR = 9.9 (95% CI: 3.7,26)] having poor knowledge about scabies among children’s family [AOR = 8.9 (95% CI: 3.3,24)] were significant variables at p-value less than 0.05. Conclusion There was a higher prevalence of scabies in the study area. Age, overcrowding, washing clothes infrequently, history of contact with scabies patients in the past 2 months, family having a rash in the past two weeks, and poor knowledge about scabies among children’s families were significant factors. Health education on personal hygiene, avoiding sharing clothes with others, avoiding contact, sleeping with scabies-ill people, and sharing beds with others are important measures in reducing these risk factors.

Electrostatic InkJet printed silver grids for non-vacuum processed CIGS solar cells

An atlas of protein phosphorylation dynamics during interferon signaling

Interferons (IFNs, types I-III) have pleiotropic functions in promoting antiviral and antitumor responses, as well as in modulating inflammation. Dissecting the signaling mechanisms elicited by different IFNs is therefore critical to understand their phenotypes. Here, we use mass spectrometry to investigate the early temporal dynamics of cellular protein phosphorylation in a human lung epithelial cell-line as it responds to stimulation with IFNα2, IFNβ, IFNω, IFNγ, or IFNλ1, representing all IFN types. We report an atlas of over 700 common or unique phosphorylation events reprogrammed by these different IFNs, revealing both previously known and uncharacterized modifications. While the proteins differentially phosphorylated following IFN stimulation have diverse roles, there is an enrichment of factors involved in chromatin remodeling, transcription, and RNA splicing. Functional screening and mechanistic studies identify that several proteins modified in response to IFNs contribute to host antiviral responses, either directly or by supporting IFN-stimulated gene or protein production. Among these, phosphorylation of PLEKHG3 at serine-1081 creates a phospho-regulated binding motif for the docking of 14-3-3 proteins, and together these factors contribute to coordinating efficient IFN-stimulated gene expression independent of early Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling. Our findings map the global phosphorylation landscapes regulated by IFN types I, II, and III, and provide a key resource to explore their functional consequences.

Impact of value-based care on quality of life, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and enhanced financial protection among hypertensive patients in Ghana: A protocol for a mixed method evaluation, 2024

Background Evidence on which hypertensive intervention is cost-effective is essential to inform strategy, policy development, practice, implementation, and resource allocation. Value-Based Care (VBC) is a healthcare delivery model that emphasizes improving patient outcomes while optimizing costs. It shifts the focus from the volume of services provided to the value delivered to patients. We hypothesize that innovative VBC intervention would be more cost-effective compared to standard care among individuals with poorly controlled hypertension. Methods This study in Ghana will employ a mixed-methods evaluation design, a comprehensive and thorough approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative component will involve a quasi-experimental study to measure the impact of the VBC intervention on quality of life, improved clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and enhanced financial protection among hypertensive patients registered with the National Health Insurance Authority. We will use a difference-in-difference analytic approach and a generalized estimation equation model with cluster-robust standard errors to quantify the impact of VBC, accounting for potential confounding variables. The qualitative component will involve in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to gather insights into the experiences and perceptions of the patients, caregivers, and policymakers involved in the VBC intervention and the benefits, barriers, costs of treatment, and challenges associated with the VBC intervention. Discussions Despite the availability of safe treatment options for hypertension, most people with hypertension in LMICs do not have it controlled. There is currently a paucity of knowledge about the cost-effectiveness of VBC interventions in developing countries. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap and pave the way for more cost-effective hypertension treatment worldwide. The Ghana VBC intervention described in this paper is a pioneering approach to achieving safer, more consistent, and cost-effective care for hypertensive patients.

Metal surface defect detection using SLF-YOLO enhanced YOLOv8 model

In situ cavitation bubble manometry reveals a lack of light-activated guard cell turgor modulation in bryophytes

Diversification of plant hydraulic architecture and stomatal function coincides with radical changes in the Earth’s atmosphere over the past 400 my. Due to shared stomatal anatomy with the earliest land plants, bryophyte stomatal behavior may provide insights into the evolution of stomatal function, but significant uncertainty remains due to technical limitations of measuring guard cell turgor pressure in situ. Here, we introduce a method for monitoring cell turgor pressure by nucleating microbubbles within the guard cells of intact plant tissue and then examining microbubble growth and dissolution dynamics. First, we show that maximum microbubble radius decreases with increasing pressure as the pressure of the surrounding fluid constrains its growth according to a modified version of the Epstein–Plesset equation. We then apply this method to monitor turgor pressure in dark- vs. light-acclimated guard cells across bryophyte taxa with stomata, where their role in gas-exchange remains ambiguous, and in vascular plants with well-documented light-dependent turgor modulation. Our findings show no light-activated change in turgor in bryophyte guard cells, with pressures not significantly different than neighboring epidermal cells. In contrast, vascular plants show distinct pressure modulation in response to light that drives reversible changes in stomatal aperture. Complete guard cell turgor loss had no effect on bryophyte stomatal aperture but resulted in partial or complete closure in vascular plants. These results suggest that despite conserved stomatal morphology, the sampled bryophytes lack dynamic control over guard cell turgor that is critical for sustaining photosynthesis and inhibiting desiccation.

Correction: Cost-effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) as destination therapy in the UK: An economic modelling study

Comparing the strength of the confidence-accuracy versus response time-accuracy relationship for eyewitness identification

Abstract Research indicates that eyewitness identification (ID) accuracy increases with faster IDs and those supported with immediate high confidence, but it is not clear which measure, confidence or response time, is the better reflector of accuracy. It is also important to know how well these patterns hold up across important factors affecting eyewitness ID accuracy such as memory strength for the perpetrator’s face. We conducted four pre-registered experiments to investigate these issues across different levels of target memory strength (via encoding time or image quality) and ID procedure (showups vs. lineups of different filler quality). Correct IDs were faster than false IDs regardless of memory strength, and this difference was greater for lineups than showups. There was a consistently strong positive CA relationship for those who made an ID, but the RTA relationship was significantly weaker. Both relationships were weaker for those who made a rejection decision, but the CA relationship remained stronger than the RTA relationship. We conclude that immediate confidence may be a more important reflector of accuracy than response time, regardless of the quality of the memory for the perpetrator’s face.

Outcome correlates of approved CD19-targeted CAR T cells for large B cell lymphoma

Tetrapod species–area relationships across the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction

Mass extinctions are rare but catastrophic events that profoundly disrupt biodiversity. Widely accepted consequences of mass extinctions, such as biodiversity loss and the appearance of temporary “disaster taxa,” imply that species–area relationships (SARs, or how biodiversity scales with area) should change dramatically across these events: Specifically, both the slope (the rate of accumulation of new species with increasing area) and intercept (the density of species at local scales) of the power–law relationship should decrease. However, these hypotheses have not been tested, and the contribution of variation in the SAR to diversity dynamics in deep time has been neglected. We use fossil data to quantify nested SARs in North American terrestrial tetrapods through the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction (Campanian–Ypresian). We show that SARs vary substantially through time and among groups. In the pre-extinction interval (Maastrichtian), unusually shallow SAR slopes (indicating low beta diversity or provinciality) drive low total regional diversity in dinosaurs, mammals, and other tetrapods. In the immediate postextinction interval (Danian), the explosive diversification of mammals drove high regional diversity via a large increase in SAR slope (indicating higher beta diversity or provinciality), and only a limited increase in SAR intercept. This contradicts the expectation that postextinction biotas should be regionally homogenized by the spread of disaster taxa and impoverished by diversity loss. This early postextinction increase in SAR slope was followed in the Thanetian–Selandian ( ∼ 4.4. myr later) by increases in the intercept, indicating that diversity dynamics at local and regional scales did not change in synchrony.

Meta-analytical approaches to ordinal outcome data in clinical interventional studies: A scoping review with reproducible research

Background Conducting meta-analyses on ordinal outcome data is more complex than on binary or continuous data. This study aims to summarise the current biomedical literature on meta-analytical methods for ordinal outcomes and attempts to reproduce the results of previous studies. Methods A systematic search was conducted in three databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO, from inception to 05/05/2024. Forward and backward citation searches were also performed. The screening was conducted in two phases using Covidence software. Studies were included if they reported or compared methods for meta-analysis of ordinal outcomes in clinical interventional studies. Relevant studies were summarised and discussed. If sufficient data for methods comparison were available, either in the retrieved reports or after contacting the authors, an attempt at reproducible research was made. Results 333 records were screened, yielding four methodological studies that met the inclusion criteria. These studies addressed meta-analytical methods for ordinal scales ranging from 5 to 20 ordered categories. The three primary approaches identified were (1) ordinal models (proportional odds and generalised odds), (2) binary models (dichotomisation of ordinal scales), and (3) continuous models (treating ordinal scales as continuous variables). None of the included studies provided a comprehensive comparison of all three approaches. Two studies compared different proportional odds models; one compared binary with proportional odds, but the full results were not published, and one compared continuous and generalised odds models using simulated data with one scenario. The latter study allowed for reproducibility, but our analysis produced different results, and attempts to clarify the discrepancy with the authors were unsuccessful. Conclusions A significant knowledge gap exists regarding the optimal meta-analytical method for ordinal outcomes in clinical interventional studies. Further methodological research is required to establish a robust evidence base for choosing the most appropriate approach.

A double blinded randomized placebo trial of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 on sleep quality and gut microbiota in healthy adults

Observation of odd-parity superconductivity in UTe ₂

Symmetry properties of the order parameter are among the most fundamental characteristics of a superconductor. UTe 2 , which was found to feature an exceedingly large upper critical field and striking reentrant behavior at low temperatures, is widely believed to possess a spin-triplet pairing symmetry. However, unambiguous evidence for such a pairing symmetry is still lacking, especially at zero and low magnetic fields. The presence of an inversion crystalline symmetry in UTe 2 requires that, if it is indeed a spin-triplet superconductor, the order parameter must be of odd parity. We report here phase-sensitive measurements of the symmetry of the orbital part of the order parameter using the Josephson effect. The selection rule in the orientation dependence of the Josephson coupling between In, an s -wave superconductor, and UTe 2 suggests strongly that UTe 2 possesses the odd-parity pairing state of B 1 u symmetry near zero magnetic field, making it a spin-triplet superconductor. We also report the apparent formation of Andreev surface bound states on the (1−10) surface of UTe 2 .

Assessing construct reliability through open-ended survey response analysis

Online surveys often include quantitative attention checks, but inattentive participants might also be identified using their qualitative responses. We used the software Turnitin™ to assess the originality of open-ended responses in four mixed-method surveys that included validated multi-item rating scales (i.e., constructs). Across surveys, 18-35% of participants (n =  3,771) were identified as having copied responses from online sources. We assessed indicator reliability and internal consistency reliability and found that both were lower for participants identified as using copied text versus those who wrote more original responses. Those who provided more original responses also provided more consistent responses to the validated scales, suggesting that these participants were more attentive. We conclude that this process can be used to screen open-ended responses from online surveys. We encourage future research to replicate this screening process using similar tools, investigate strategies to reduce copying behaviour, and explore the motivation of participants to search for information online, including what sources they find compelling.