Browse Articles

Age at onset and clinical course of RBM20-mediated cardiomyopathy

Effects of the fatty acid synthase inhibitors triclosan and lapatinib on dengue virus and Zika virus infection

C-reactive protein to platelet ratio as an early biomarker in differentiating neonatal late-onset sepsis in neonates with pneumonia

Network analysis of peer attachment and internet addiction among chinese adolescents

Global, regional, and national epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis among people aged 20–54 years from 1990 to 2021

Effects of storage time and temperature on coagulation factor and natural anticoagulant activities in healthy individuals

Abstract Coagulation test results are influenced by many pre-analytical variables, including clinical sample storage conditions. This study investigated the effects of storage time and temperature on coagulation factor (FII, FV, FVII, FX, FVIII, FIX, FXI, FXII, and FXIII) and natural anticoagulant (antithrombin, protein C, and free protein S) activities. Blood samples were collected from 78 healthy individuals, and 3 samples were used for each coagulation factor and natural anticoagulant. Plasma was tested after centrifugation and storage at room temperature (18 to 25 °C) or refrigerated (2 to 8 °C) for 2, 3, 4, and 5 h, or frozen (− 15 to − 25 °C) for 1, 2, 3, and 4 months. For all storage conditions, the mean percentage change from baseline in evaluated activities was < 15%, except for FV and FVIII. For FV activities after frozen storage at − 15 to − 25 °C and FVIII activities at all storage conditions, the mean percentage change was > 15%. For FV and FVIII activities, the mean percentage change was < 15% after frozen storage at − 75 to − 85 °C for 1, 2, 3, and 4 months. To ensure appropriate clinical testing results, especially for FV and FVIII activity, storage condition and time should be critically controlled.

Non-adherence and non-persistence of Direct Oral Anticoagulants among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a French retrospective cohort study

Colonial bacterial memetic algorithm and its application on a darts playing robot

Abstract In this paper, we present the Colonial Bacterial Memetic Algorithm (CBMA), an advanced evolutionary optimization approach for robotic applications. CBMA extends the Bacterial Memetic Algorithm by integrating Cultural Algorithms and co-evolutionary dynamics inspired by bacterial group behavior. This combination of natural and artificial evolutionary elements results in a robust algorithm capable of handling complex challenges in robotics, such as constraints, multiple objectives, large search spaces, and complex models, while delivering fast and accurate solutions. CBMA incorporates features like multi-level clustering, dynamic gene selection, hierarchical population clustering, and adaptive co-evolutionary mechanisms, enabling efficient management of task-specific parameters and optimizing solution quality while minimizing resource consumption. The algorithm’s effectiveness is demonstrated through a real-world robotic application, achieving a 100% success rate in a robot arm’s ball-throwing task usually with significantly fewer iterations and evaluations compared to other methods. CBMA was also evaluated using the CEC-2017 benchmark suite, where it consistently outperformed state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, achieving superior outcomes in 71% of high-dimensional cases and demonstrating up to an 80% reduction in required evaluations. These results highlight CBMA’s efficiency, adaptability, and suitability for specialized tasks. Overall, CBMA exhibits exceptional performance in both real-world and benchmark evaluations, effectively balancing exploration and exploitation, and representing a significant advancement in adaptive evolutionary optimization for robotics.

Prevalence and clinical risk factors of dental caries in Syrian children: a cross-sectional study

Numerical and experimental study of the optimal specimen geometry for direct tension strength tests in high tensile strength fiber reinforced concrete

Association between urinary volatile organic compound metabolites and sarcopenia in the US general population: a cross-sectional NHANES study from 2011 to 2018

Prevalence, correlates, and treatment behaviors for urolithiasis and renal colic-like pain symptoms at the population level in Poland

Accessibility of basic public health service promotes social integration of elderly migrants in China

Mapping drought characteristics in northern Algerian Basins using the ERA5-Land dataset

Doping effects of indium and copper on ferromagnetism in N-type magnetic semiconductor Ba(Zn,Co)2As2

Trying to use temporal and kinematic parameters for the classification in wheelchair badminton

Introduction This study explores the potential for the temporal and kinematic datas link to propulsion technique and athlete performance collected here to contribute to evidence-based classification for wheelchair badminton athletes. Materials and methods Nineteen experienced wheelchair badminton players underwent propulsion tests with a badminton racket. Wheelchair were equipped with inertial measurement units. The first analysis conducted involved comparing the parameters between class WH1 and WH2. Subsequently, a hierarchical clustering analysis was performed on the parameters with significant differences. Results Regarding propulsion technique parameters, WH1 athletes exhibit a longer braking phase compared to WH2 athletes. Generally, the performance of WH1 athletes is inferior to that of WH2 athletes. Concerning hierarchical clustering analysis, the results reveal the formation of three clusters based on principal components explaining 70% of the variation in the parameters considered in the analysis. Conclusion Thus, the results of this study indicate a longer braking time for WH1 athletes compared to WH2, along with lower overall performance. The clusters results could suggest a potential evolution of the current classification towards three distinct classes of wheelchair badminton players. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, given that the included performance parameters can be influenced by numerous factors, potentially undermining the robustness of the clustering methodology employed. This study highlights the need to strengthen the current classification process in wheelchair badminton.

Functional and structural analysis of SITTER patients with spinal muscular atrophy

Cytochemical analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in tuberculous meningitis versus other etiologies

Background Meningeal tuberculosis (TBM) is the most severe form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis due to its high mortality and long-term sequelae in survivors. Methods A cross-sectional study of diagnostic tests was carried out in a private clinical laboratory in Lima, Peru. All cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with suspected meningitis were analyzed with cytochemical and biochemical studies, as well as smear microscopy, India ink, the FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis panel, Xpert® MTB/RIF or Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, and culture for common bacterias, fungi or mycobacterial. Results 450 CSF samples were included. The main microorganisms detected were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (8.9%), Cryptococcus neoformans (6.0%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (2.4%). 97.5% of patients with TBM presented positive Xpert MTB/RIF or Ultra. The median number of red blood cells, leukocytes, and percentage of mononuclear cells, glucose, and proteins in the CSF was 57.5 cells/μl, 91.5 cells/μl, 70%, 22.5 mg/dL and 218.3 mg/dL, respectively. Likewise, patients with TMB had the lowest glucose levels (median: 22.5, IQR: 11 - 35) compared to other etiologies of meningitis. While bacterial meningitis had the highest leukocyte (median: 173 μl; IQR: 17 - 520) and protein levels (median: 289.7; IQR: 92 - 556). Conclusion The characteristics of the cytochemical study of CSF can guide the differential diagnosis by identifying general trends of tuberculous meningitis and other meningitis etiologies. However, it remains necessary to establish methods with greater precision to properly define the etiological agent causing meningitis.

Revisiting eye blink in Parkinson’s disease

TsRNA-49–73-Glu-CTC: A promising serum biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer

Objective Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rates globally, with the majority of cases classified as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to the absence of specific tumor biomarkers, most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, the identification of novel molecular biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis is deemed crucial for enhancing the treatment of NSCLC. Transfer RNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA) is closely associated with malignant tumors and holds promise as a potential biomarker for tumor diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate whether serum tsRNA could serve as a biomarker for NSCLC. Methods Differentially expressed tsRNAs were identified through high-throughput sequencing of serum samples obtained from patients with NSCLC and healthy individuals. Additional serum samples were collected for validation using Reverse Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). The diagnostic performance of these tsRNAs was assessed through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve Analysis. Furthermore, preliminary functional exploration was undertaken through cell experiments. Results tsRNA-49-73-Glu-CTC is highly expressed in the serum of patients with NSCLC and demonstrates superior diagnostic value compared to commonly used tumor markers in clinical practice, such as Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE), and Cytokeratin 19 Fragment (CYFRA). A combined diagnostic approach enhances the accuracy of NSCLC detection. Additionally, tsRNA-49-73-Glu-CTC is highly expressed in A549 cells, and transfection with a tsRNA-49-73-Glu-CTC inhibitor significantly reduces both proliferation and migration capabilities. Conclusions tsRNA-49-73-Glu-CTC has the potential to serve as a novel molecular diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC and plays a significant role in the biological processes associated with NSCLC proliferation and migration.