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The influence of hydrogel stiffness on axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury

The core challenge in spinal cord injury(SCI) treatment is promoting axonal regeneration and forming new neural connections in damaged areas. However, mature CNS neurons have limited regenerative capacity, causing long-term dysfunction. Axonal regeneration involves elongating axons guided by growth cones, which sense and respond to external mechanical signals, integrating them into cytoskeleton reconstruction. After injury, growth cones experience altered mechanical forces due to changes in ECM stiffness. However, systematic studies on matrix stiffness’s impact on axonal regeneration post-SCI remain insufficient. This study investigates the influence of hydrogel stiffness on axonal regeneration following SCI. Using gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels with varying stiffness levels, we cultured dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in vitro and applied the hydrogels to a complete transection SCI mouse model. Results demonstrated that higher stiffness GelMA (15% w/v) significantly enhanced axonal extension and sensory functional recovery compared to lower stiffness (7.5% w/v). The study highlights the critical role of ECM stiffness in regulating axonal regeneration and suggests that optimizing hydrogel stiffness can promote neural regeneration and functional recovery after SCI. These findings provide valuable insights for developing therapeutic strategies in SCI treatment.

TLINet: A defects detection method for insulators of overhead transmission lines using partially transformer block

The defects of insulators exhibit characteristics such as complex backgrounds, multi-scale variations, and small object sizes. Therefore, accurately focusing on these defects in dynamic and complex natural environments while maintaining inference speed remains a pressing challenge. To address this issue, this paper proposes an innovative insulator defect detection network, TLINet. First, a Multi-Branch Partially Transformer Block (MBPTB) is designed to enhance the backbone’s capability in capturing global features. Next, a Dynamic Downsampling Module (DyDown) is introduced to mitigate the issue of small-scale defect information blurring. Furthermore, considering the multi-scale variations of insulator defects, this paper proposes a Context-Guided Feature Fusion Network (CGFFN). This module enables fine-grained fusion of features at different scales, allowing the model to generate adaptive responses to defects of various sizes. Compared to the baseline model, the proposed method improves mAP50 by 5.3% on our self-constructed Insulator-DET dataset. On CPLID-D and CPLID-N, it achieves mAP50-95 improvements of 7.9% and 12.1%, respectively. Additionally, to verify the robustness of the proposed algorithm, TLINet is evaluated on the VOC07 + 12 dataset. Compared to the baseline model, TLINet improves mAP50 by 0.4% while reducing the number of parameters by 1/6. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of TLINet in addressing the complexities of insulator defect detection in power transmission lines. The code is available at https://github.com/mazilishang/TLINet.

Does darkness increase the risk of certain types of crime? A registered report article

Evidence about the relationship between lighting and crime is mixed. Although a review of evidence found that improved road/ street lighting was associated with reductions in crime, these reductions occurred in daylight as well as after dark, suggesting any effect was not due only to changes in visual conditions. One limitation of previous studies is that crime data are reported in aggregate and thus previous analyses were required to make simplifications concerning types of crimes or locations. We addressed this issue by working with a UK police force to access records of individual crimes. We used these data to determine whether the risk of crime at a specific time of day is greater after dark than during daylight, using a case and control approach to analyse ten years of crime data. We compared counts of crimes in ‘case’ hours, that are in daylight and darkness at different times of the year, and ‘control’ hours, that are in daylight throughout the year. From these counts we calculated odds ratios as a measure of the effect of darkness on risk of crime. The results supported our three hypotheses: 1) The risk of overall crime occurring after dark was greater than during daylight (OR: 1.28, 95%CI: 1.23–1.34); 2) The risk of crime occurring after dark varied depending on crime category, with five out of fourteen crime categories having odds ratios greater than 1.0; and 3) The risk of crime occurring after dark varied depending on geographical area, with 25 out of 172 Middle Super Output Areas in South Yorkshire having odds ratios greater than 1.0. Our results suggest darkness increases the risk of Bicycle Theft, Burglary, Criminal damage, Robbery – personal, and Vehicle offences, and that some areas may be at more risk of crime occurring after dark than others. These findings suggest the crime types where outdoor lighting may help reduce the risk of crime after dark.

Paromomycin is a more effective selection agent than kanamycin in Arabidopsis harboring the neomycin phosphotransferase II transgene

Neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) is a selectable marker gene that is commonly used in plant molecular genetics and crop improvement, helping researchers to identify and select transgenically modified plants. The NPTII enzyme binds to and phosphorylates the aminoglycoside family of antibiotics, which are known translation inhibitors. Once the aminoglycoside is phosphorylated it is unable to bind to the ribosome and can no longer disrupt translation. Currently, the most widely used selection agent for screening NPTII expressing seedlings is kanamycin. Because the nptII transgene is frequently silenced epigenetically, kanamycin can be too toxic to seedlings that weakly express NPTII, leading to false negatives and making it harder to accurately identify transgenic plants. In this study we investigate the related aminoglycoside, paromomycin, as an alternative, non-lethal, selection agent to kanamycin across a series of transgenic Arabidopsis lines with varying NPTII expression. We investigated phenotypes of transgenic seedlings during and after antibiotic exposure. Seedling pigmentation and size are useful phenotypes for selecting seedlings with low nptII expression. Additionally, monitoring the photosynthetic efficiency and flowering time can help reduce the risk of false-positive results when treating seedlings with paromomycin.

Associations between dietary microbe intake and mortality risk in individuals with sleep disorders: Evidence from NHANES

Objective To investigate the association between dietary microbial intake, sleep patterns, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among U.S. adults. Methods This study is conducted using data from the 2005–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Kaplan-Meier curves are used to preliminarily explore the relationship between dietary microbial intake, sleep disorders, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the population. The Cox proportional hazards model is applied for both individual and combined analyses to examine the relationship between dietary microbial intake, sleep disorders, and mortality risk, with subgroup and sensitivity analyses performed to assess model stability. Results This study included 21,233 participants, among whom 2,814 all-cause deaths and 877 cardiovascular deaths were documented. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significant association between low dietary microbial intake or sleep disorders and elevated mortality. Cox proportional hazards modeling showed that, among individuals with sleep disorders, those with moderate dietary microbe intake had a lower mortality hazard ratio compared to those with low intake. Conversely, the combination of low dietary microbe intake and sleep disorders was associated with the highest all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses demonstrated consistent associations across prespecified strata, with the inverse relationship between dietary live microbe intake and sleep disorder–related mortality remaining robust after adjustment for confounders. Conclusion Low dietary microbial intake and sleep disorders were independently and jointly associated with higher rates of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in population. The observed inverse association between higher dietary microbial intake and mortality outcomes, particularly among individuals with sleep disorders, suggests a potential protective trend.

Optical coherence tomography analysis at initial diagnosis in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and associated cystoid macular edema

This retrospective study analyzed optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in 130 eyes of 130 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) at initial diagnosis, including 42 with cystoid macular edema (CME) and 88 without, between September 2016 and March 2024. The CME group exhibited increased central macular thickness (CMT) (257.50 ± 104.98 µm vs. 171.40 ± 73.15 µm, p = 0.000), whereas the non-CME group had greater subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) (294.52 ± 122.85 µm vs. 246.98 ± 87.31 µm, p = 0.043), total choroidal area (TCA) (4.64 ± 1.98 mm² vs. 3.82 ± 1.34 mm², p = 0.031), stromal area (SA) (1.85 ± 0.76 mm² vs. 1.53 ± 0.54 mm², p = 0.025), luminal area (LA) (2.79 ± 1.22 mm² vs. 2.30 ± 0.81 mm², p = 0.033), and foveal avascular zone in the superficial capillary plexus (FAZ_SCP) (0.42 ± 0.31 mm² vs. 0.27 ± 0.12 mm², p = 0.022). The CME group had more moderate stage cases (47.62% vs. 26.14%, p = 0.015), while the non-CME group had more advanced cases (39.77% vs. 9.52%, p = 0.000). Visual acuity (logMAR) worsened in advanced stages for both groups (CME: 1.62 ± 0.79, p = 0.003; Non-CME: 1.12 ± 0.80, p = 0.000). In the CME group, FAZ in the deep capillary plexus (FAZ_DCP) enlarged from moderate to advanced stages (0.28 ± 0.12 mm² to 0.64 ± 0.09 mm², p = 0.025), and vessel density in the deep capillary plexus (VD_DCP) decreased from early to moderate stages (31.83 ± 3.94% to 28.75 ± 2.71%, p = 0.036), whereas superficial capillary plexus vessel density (VD_SCP) remained stable across stages (early: 32.82 ± 2.59%, moderate: 31.04 ± 2.37%, advanced: 31.52 ± 1.26%, all p > 0.1). The non-CME group exhibited progressive declines in CMT (early: 226.27 ± 38.60 µm, moderate: 195.04 ± 52.56 µm, advanced: 108.83 ± 59.72 µm, all p < 0.01) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) (early: 0.61 ± 0.02, moderate: 0.60 ± 0.02, advanced: 0.58 ± 0.04, all p < 0.05). In the CME group, visual acuity (logMAR) was positively correlated with cyst area (p = 0.019, rho = 0.361) and FAZ_DCP (p = 0.002, rho = 0.564). These findings suggest that RP-CME may be associated with choroidal atrophy regardless of disease stage and could have a compensatory mechanism to SCP. Cyst area and FAZ_DCP may serve as indicators of visual acuity in RP-CME.

Comparative mRNA profile analysis from NAc of adolescent male mice after binge-like alcohol exposure eliciting deficits in context fear extinction learning

Introduction Stressor-related disorders frequently co-occur with alcohol use disorder (AUD). This necessitates an understanding of the physiological and genetic factors contributing to this relationship. Binge drinking is the most common method of alcohol consumption among adolescent males and significantly increases the risk of developing comorbid stressor-related disorders and AUD. In experiments modeling the effects of a single binge-like alcohol exposure in male adolescent mice, we observed a clear deficit in context extinction learning. This exposure led to a significant initial increase in subsequent voluntary drinking on day one, as measured by the every-other-day (EOD) two-bottle choice drinking assay, which normalized thereafter. Methods For this study we performed an mRNASeq analysis of mice nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region intricately involved in regulating both aversive contextual fear responses and reward, after EOD to profile the differential expression of mRNAs within this region. We also used immunohistochemistry of coronal brain slices to characterize expression of proteins associated with stress-related disorders and molecular alcohol tolerance, such as FKBP5, GSK3ß, and ß-catenin, within the striatum, nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala (BLA). Results Comparative mRNA profile analysis reveals significant long-term changes in gene expression induced by binge-like alcohol exposure, even 30 days after the initial exposure. Immunohistochemistry showed a full recovery of previously observed altered levels of target proteins prior to EOD. Conclusions These findings suggest that the temporal activation of specific gene subsets plays a crucial role in the comorbidity of AUD and stressor-related diseases. Understanding these mechanisms can help develop more effective, integrated treatment approaches to improve outcomes for affected individuals.

Correction: Research and application of digital measure management and control technology for characteristic low-efficiency gas wells in Gas Field A

Prevalence of symptom exaggeration among North American independent medical evaluation examinees: A systematic review of observational studies

Background Independent medical evaluations (IMEs) are commonly acquired to provide an assessment of impairment; however, these assessments show poor inter-rater reliability. One potential contributor is symptom exaggeration by patients, who may feel pressure to emphasize their level of impairment to qualify for incentives. This study explored the prevalence of symptom exaggeration among IME examinees in North America, which if common may represent an important consideration for improving the reliability of IMEs. Methods We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception to July 08, 2024. We included observational studies that used a known-group design or multi-modal determination method. Paired reviewers independently assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We performed a random-effects model meta-analysis to estimate the overall prevalence of symptom exaggeration and explored potential subgroup effects for sex, age, education, clinical condition, and confidence in the reference standard. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. Results We included 44 studies with 46 cohorts and 9,794 patients. The median of the mean age was 40 (interquartile range [IQR] 38–42). Most cohorts included patients with traumatic brain injuries (n = 31, 67%) or chronic pain (n = 11, 24%). Prevalence of symptom exaggeration across studies ranged from 17% to 67%. We found low certainty evidence suggesting that studies with a greater proportion of women (≥40%) may be associated with higher rates of exaggeration (47%, 95%CI 36–58) vs. studies with a lower proportion of women (<40%) (31%, 95%CI 28–35; test of interaction p = 0.02). Possible explanations include biological differences, greater bodily awareness, or higher rates of negative affectivity. We found no significant subgroup effects for type of clinical condition, confidence in the reference standard, age, or education. Conclusion Symptom exaggeration may occur in almost 50% of women and in approximately a third of men undergoing IMEs. The high prevalence of symptom exaggeration among IME attendees provides a compelling rationale for clinical evaluators to formally explore this issue. Future research should establish the reliability and validity of evaluation criteria for symptom exaggeration and develop a structured IME assessment approach.

Neural network prediction model based on Levy flight and natural biomimetic technology for its application in cancer prediction

Precise forecasting of cancer outcomes is essential for medical professionals to assess the well-being of patients and develop customized therapeutic plans. Despite its importance, achieving precise forecasts remains a formidable challenge. To tackle this issue, we present an innovative method that harmonizes the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) with Levy flight to optimize the weights and biases of a Backpropagation (BP) neural network—a prominent machine learning model extensively employed in classification tasks. Our novel approach, LGWO-BP, is tailored to augment the precision of cancer prognosis predictions. We performed comparative analyses against other methodologies across various functions and public datasets to assess their effectiveness. The experimental results show the exceptional strengths of the proposed LGWO-BP method, particularly its accuracy and reliability compared to GWO-BP, and show that it achieves comparative results against state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. Our assessment of the LGWO-BP technique’s efficacy involved undertaking empirical tests across half a dozen openly accessible datasets. For the early-stage diabetes dataset, LGWO-BP achieved an accuracy of 0.92, a recall of 0.93, a precision of 0.88, an F1-score of 0.91, and an AUC of 0.95. Utilizing the diabetes dataset from 130 U.S. hospitals, the LGWO-BP algorithm achieved a precision rate of 0.97, a sensitivity of 1.00, a correct classification rate of 0.99, a harmonic mean of precision and recall (F1-score) of 0.98, and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 1.00. For the diabetes health indicators dataset, LGWO-BP achieved an accuracy of 0.9 and an AUC of 1. Leveraging data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) — a U.S.-led initiative conducting in-depth molecular research to elucidate the causative mechanisms of cancer — this study focuses on three specific cancer types within the dataset: lung, breast, and esophageal cancers. TCGA provides a rich repository of genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and patient-specific clinical data across 33 cancer types. In evaluating the prognostic performance of the LGWO-BP (Lévy flight-enhanced Grey Wolf Optimizer integrated with Back Propagation) model, we observed AUC (Area Under the Curve) scores of 0.70 for miRNA expression, 0.72 for gene expression, and 0.72 for DNA methylation. Regarding precision, the model achieved accuracies of 0.67, 0.69, and 0.66 for miRNA expression, gene expression, and DNA methylation, respectively. For recall, the corresponding values were 0.71, 0.61, and 0.62. Notably, the F1-scores, which balance precision and recall, were 0.69 for miRNA expression, 0.65 for gene expression, and 0.62 for DNA methylation. This research not only advances the application of machine learning in medical prognosis but also offers crucial guidance for clinicians in developing more precise and reliable prognostic tools for cancer patients. By enhancing the efficacy of machine learning-driven cancer prognosis, our proposed LGWO-BP approach has the potential to improve patient care and treatment outcomes significantly.

Drivers of Lassa fever in an endemic area of southwestern Nigeria (2017–2021): An epidemiological study

Background Reporting two million human Lassa fever (LF) cases with around 10,000 associated annual mortality, the West African sub-region is endemic for Lassa fever virus (LASV). The true incidence of LF is difficult to determine because most LASV-infected individuals show no differentiating clinical signs and symptoms. We investigated the distribution of cases, post-hospitalization survival patterns, and evaluated factors contributing to infection and clinical course of the disease during an outbreak of LF in Ondo State, Nigeria, from 2017 to 2021. Methods We extracted LF data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response weekly report of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control for 2017–2021. Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to describe the probability of survival among the LF cases. Also, a univariable binary logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with mortality among the study participants. Key informant was interviewed and environmental assessments were also done. Results LASV infection was confirmed in 1,115 (24.5%) of 4,551 cases with clinical signs suggestive of LF (age 35.24 ± 20.77) and case fatality rate of 25.5%. Hospitalized patients who did not recover within 17 days had less than 50% chance of survival. Age is a strong predictor of survival; hospitalized patients >40 years were significantly more likely than younger ones to experience mortality (Odds ratio:2.46; 95% CI = 1.67–3.62; p < 0.01). Similarly, male patients were significantly less likely than the females to survive beyond 10 days of hospitalization. Open sun drying of food items and congested urban residential settings with history of frequent rat sightings are possible factors for the increase of LF cases in the study area. Conclusion Current case definition in Ondo State identified close to 25% of laboratory confirmed LASV infection. Human activities during the dry season (October–March) are associated with increased LF cases. We propose a One Health disease surveillance approach that synchronizes farming activities with educational campaigns as a mitigation strategy against LASV infection and mortality in Nigeria.

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies improve biodistribution of intravenously administered oncolytic adenovirus in human CD46-transgenic mice

Oncolytic viruses are a unique modality with multifaceted mechanisms of action for killing cancer cells and have been developed as a promising therapeutic approach in cancer treatment. The first-in-class agent, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), has shown clinical benefit in patients with advanced melanoma. However, intratumoral administration of oncolytic viruses has several limitations which prevent use against a broader range of cancer types. Here, we propose a novel treatment strategy consisting of the intravenous administration of a genetically engineered oncolytic adenovirus type 11 (Ad11) mixed with anti-Ad11 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. Ad11, which has minimum binding affinity to human erythrocytes, was modified to selectively replicate in cancer cells. New anti-Ad11 antibody clones were generated which inhibit binding between Ad11 fibers and their natural receptor, CD46. The neutralizing antibodies suppressed viral accumulation in the lungs by about 10-fold in human CD46-transgenic mice without loss of infectivity to cancer cells. Our findings are important in ensuring safe and efficient virus delivery following intravenous administration in humans and may expand treatment options.

Treatment and control of blood pressure in Welsh patients with and without depression: A study of whole-population electronic health records

Background To explore differences in blood pressure treatment and control in patients with and without depression and a diagnosis of hypertension (HTN). Also to examine the possible impact of sex, socio-economic status (deprivation) and location of residence on any differences. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study (2010–2019) using individual level linked anonymised routinely-collected electronic health record (EHR) data sources was carried out. Patients with a prior or new diagnosis of hypertension, with and without depression were included. Outcome variables were prescription of antihypertensive therapy (AHT) within one year of entering the study for prior HTN or post for new HTN and documentation of blood pressure <140/90 mmHg. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between depression and outcome variables adjusting for sex, age group, deprivation, location of residence and other risk factors. Results Depression was associated with higher likelihood of AHT prescription in both prior (OR 1.71 95%CI 1.64–1.78 p < 0.001) and new HTN patients (OR 2.67 95%CI 2.38–3.00 p < 0.001). Similarly, depression was associated with successful blood pressure control in both prior (OR 1.42 95%CI 1.37–1.46 p < 0.001) and new HTN (OR 1.23 95%CI 1.08–1.40 p < 0.001). Females were less likely to be prescribed AHT than males, mainly driven by non-depressed females in both HTN groups. Depressed females were the most likely to have controlled blood pressure in both HTN groups. Conclusion Patients with depression are more likely to be prescribed AHT and have documented blood pressure control. Sex differences existed in treatment and control, indicating opportunities for potential improvements in these areas.

Major adverse cardiac events with haloperidol: A meta-analysis

Background Haloperidol is a commonly used antipsychotic drug and a frequent source of medication safety alerts because of its listing as a “known risk” QT interval-prolonging medication (QTPmed). We aimed to summarize the high-quality literature on the frequency and nature of proarrhythmic major adverse cardiac events (MACE) associated with haloperidol. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Central for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients 18 years or older comparing haloperidol to placebo. The FDA-adapted MACE composite included death, non-fatal cardiac arrest, ventricular tachyarrhythmia including torsades de pointes, and seizure or syncope. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed with a treatment-arm continuity correction for single and double zero event studies. Results 84 RCTs (n = 12180, 46% female), 23.8% of trials reported mean or median ages of their participants to be older than 65 years with 37 (44.0%) involving participants with psychiatric diagnoses, and 50 (59.5%) including electrocardiograms. Median follow-up duration was 28.0 days (interquartile range [IQR]=51.0). There were 1144 events, of which 97.8% were deaths, with 22 ventricular arrhythmias and 3 seizures or syncope. There was no difference in MACE with exposure to haloperidol compared to placebo (risk ratio [RR] 0.93, 95% CI: 0.80–1.08; I2 = 0%). IV haloperidol was not associated with increased risk of mortality (n = 5873, RR: 0.88, 95%CI:0.72–1.08). Conclusions We did not find that haloperidol was arrhythmogenic or increased mortality in these largely short-duration trials. Further research to clarify actual clinical outcomes related to QTPmeds is important to inform safe prescribing practices.

Overexpression of MEKK18 from Arabidopsis pumila in rice significantly enhances stress resistance at the early stage

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is a crucial signaling component of eukaryotic cells. It senses endogenous or exogenous stimuli and exerts a critical regulatory influence on stress responses. The MAP kinase kinase kinase (MEKK) gene is located upstream in the MAPK cascade. It is extensively engaged in plant growth and development, playing a pivotal role in tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salt, drought, and extreme temperatures. Arabidopsis pumila, a short-lived cruciferous plant native to the southern desert area of the Gurbantünggüt Desert in Xinjiang exhibits excellent stress adaptation and contains a rich array of stress resistance genes. Previous research has demonstrated that the expression of ApMEKK18 is continuously upregulated under saline stress, although its function in the response to this type of abiotic stress is unclear. The findings of this study reveal that the ApMEKK18 protein is localized in the cell nucleus, and the ApMEKK18 gene is upregulated in response to abscisic acid (ABA), NaCl, PEG6000, and mannitol, exhibiting varying expression patterns under different conditions. Using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, we overexpressed ApMEKK18 in rice. Compared to the control variety Nipponbare (NP), no substantial differences were observed in plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, grain width, and thickness in the ApMEKK18-overexpressing transgenic rice. However, the number of tillers, panicle length, grain length, 1,000-grain weight, and single-plant yield were significantly increased. Furthermore, ApMEKK18 overexpression enhanced seed germination under high salt and ABA stress conditions, while reducing sensitivity to exogenous ABA and improving salt tolerance in seedlings. The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for further research on the function of ApMEKK18 and lay the groundwork for mining stress-resistance genes from A. pumila. Additionally, the findings offer insights into improving crop stress tolerance through genetic engineering.

Contemporary eDNA methods complement conventional microscopy in zooplankton diet studies: Case study with American lobster postlarvae

The diets of pelagic marine larvae are difficult to analyze due to their small size and even smaller prey. Furthermore, different methods may lead to alternative interpretations of trophic interactions. Conventionally, diet studies have relied primarily on visual identification of prey through dissection and microscopy. While microscopy has clear benefits, it can yield an incomplete assessment of diet since smaller and soft-bodied prey items are often difficult to identify. Here, we combined conventional microscopy and two contemporary environmental DNA (eDNA) methods: DNA metabarcode sequencing (metabarcoding) and real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rtPCR), comparing their advantages/disadvantages in a diet analysis of planktonic American lobster (Homarus americanus) postlarvae. This is the first application of these molecular techniques on the postlarval lobster diet. We also describe the testing and development of a novel blocking primer designed to inhibit the amplification of lobster DNA, enhancing prey amplification. This approach allowed finer-scale identification of a greater variety of prey than microscopy. The targeted rtPCR approach identified a specific prey taxon with high fidelity – but involves a priori decisions regarding the choice of target. Here, an rtPCR assay was developed to target Calanus finmarchicus, an abundant copepod species in the Gulf of Maine, suspected to be an important prey item of larval lobsters. Microscopy revealed broad prey categories and the importance of arthropod prey in the postlarval diet. Metabarcoding confirmed the importance of arthropod prey, while filling in the gaps with additional prey species. Finally, rtPCR was able to detect a significant level of predation on Calanus finmarchicus that neither of the other two approaches identified. The combination of methods provided a richer understanding of diet than any single method alone and future diet studies of a wide range of consumers would benefit from the application of a mixture of microscopy and molecular-based methodologies.

Direct cost of inpatient wound dressing in South West Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Background Wound dressing is an integral part of wound care protocol. However, the cost of dressing changes with the associated wound aetiology has not been well studied. The study investigates the cost implications of wound dressing across wound aetiology among hospitalized patients. Methods The study followed a descriptive cross-sectional research design to determine the cost of dressing changes and the associated wound aetiology among hospitalized patients. Study sites included medical-surgical units in three selected hospitals in southwest Nigeria. The study was conducted between May to July 2021. One hundred and ninety patients were recruited for the study. The eligibility criteria focused on patients hospitalized for at least four weeks or about to be discharged. Data collection was via a researcher-administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was received from the university and each of the hospitals. Results The finding shows that 34.2% of the respondents had road traffic accidents, followed by cancers, 22.6%, and surgical wound infections, 16.8%. Most patients were involved in daily (41.6%) or alternate-day (38.4%) wound dressing. Over 50% of the respondents earn less than US$30 per month, 34.7% earn between US$30 – US$60, while only 3.2% earn more than US$ 120. Also, 55.7% require 1–5 moderate or significant dressing packs per week. 75% had wound care paid for by relatives. The average burn injuries cost of wound dressing per week is estimated to be $8.42, while falls ($5.31), occupational injuries ($3.77), gunshot injuries ($3.74), and road traffic accidents ($3.49). The average cost of hospitalization for burn injuries per week was estimated to be $22.35, while for falls, road traffic accidents, and surgical wound infections, was $19.58, $19.32, and $18.37, respectively. Conclusions The cost requirements for prosperous wound dressing place a high financial burden on hospitalized patients in Nigeria. There is a need to scale Nigeria’s health insurance database to include the low socioeconomic class.

Effects of attentional focus on the regulation of torque complexity

Recent scientific evidence suggests that an external focus of attention (vs. an internal focus of attention) promotes a greater number of motor solutions, rendering the system more adaptable and complex. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of the attentional focus (external vs. internal) on torque complexity and variability as well as its associated intermuscular coordination processes. Fourteen participants performed maximal and submaximal isometric knee extension tasks in three conditions (control, external focus, internal focus) to assess immediate effects of the focus of attention in a within-subjects comparison. Peak torque was extracted from maximal trials. Regarding submaximal trials, torque complexity and the magnitude of variability were assessed through Sample Entropy (SampEn), i.e., a measure of regularity in the temporal structure of torque output and coefficient of variation (CV), respectively. The intermuscular coordination was assessed through co-contraction index. An external focus led to an increase in SampEn (i.e., decreased regularity) when compared to an internal focus (p = 0.032) and a control condition (p = 0.036). Conversely, no differences were found for CV and peak torque. The external focus promoted a decrease in muscular activity of vastus medialis in comparison with the internal focus (p = 0.040) and an increase in muscular activity when compared to the control condition (p < 0.001). Furthermore, an external focus led to decreased muscular activity of semitendinosus as well as a decrease in the co-contraction indices involving semitendinosus in comparison with the internal focus and the control condition (all p < 0.05). The present findings suggest that an external focus leads to an enhanced flexibility of motor control. Moreover, the general decrease in co-contraction and in muscular activity without affecting maximal force parameters that we observed with an external focus suggest a higher efficiency of the motor system caused by intermuscular coordination processes.

Effects of patient race on processes and experiences of clinical interactions in US emergency departments: A mixed-methods systematic review

Background Evidence shows that patients identified as Black experience worse emergency department (ED) care compared to patients identified as White. Clinical interactions (CI) are thought to affect racial disparities, but no systematic reviews to date have synthesized the evidence on the effects of patient race on CI processes and experiences. Objective We synthesized evidence from published studies comparing observed and/or patient-reported CI processes and experiences between patients identified as Black and White in US EDs. Methods This was a mixed-methods systematic review following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and registered a priori with PROSPERO (CRD42021281653). We used a broad search strategy to query six databases. Peer-reviewed original research reports comparing processes or experiences of CIs between Black and White patients in US EDs from 2004 to 2024 were eligible for inclusion. Results Nine studies met inclusion criteria. Of these, three focused on observational CI processes and six focused on patient-reported CI experiences. Evidence of differences in CI processes and patient-reported experiences between Black and White patients was inconclusive. We identified four themes across measures used in studies of patient reported CI experiences, however, including responsive nonverbal behavior, effective verbal communication, person centeredness, and patient satisfaction. Discussion Research on the effects of patient race on ED CIs is lacking, especially research with observed real-world CI processes. Psychometrically robust instruments and conceptual clarity in the study of racial disparities in CI experiences are needed. We provide groundwork for future research development on racial disparities in ED CIs.

Current status of bed bug <i>Cimex lectularius</i> (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) infestation and prevalence of insecticide-resistant amino acid substitutions in Osaka Prefecture, Japan