Browse Articles

RETRACTED: Application of IRSA-BP neural network in diagnosing diabetes

Within the healthcare sector, the application of machine learning is gaining prominence, notably enhancing the efficiency and precision of diagnostic procedures. This study focuses on this key area of diabetes prediction and aims to develop an innovative prediction method. Using the data set published by Kare, this paper constructs and compares various intelligent systems based on multilayer algorithms, and specifically introduces improved reptile search algorithm (IRSA) to optimize the weight and threshold initialization of traditional backpropagation (BP) neural networks. This improvement aims to improve the network performance and accuracy in diabetes detection. In the study, the IRSA-BP hybrid algorithm and many other machine learning algorithms were used for diabetes prediction, and the algorithm performance was comprehensively evaluated using multiple classification metrics. The experimental results showed that the IRSA-BP algorithm performed the best among all the evaluated algorithms, with an accuracy of up to 83.6%, showing its superior performance in diabetes prediction. Therefore, the IRSA-BP classifier has an important potential for application in the medical field. It can assist medical professionals to identify diabetes risk earlier and assess the condition more accurately, thus improving diagnostic efficiency and accuracy. This is important for early intervention and treatment of patients with diabetes and to improve their health status and quality of life.

The mitochondrial methylation potential gates mitoribosome assembly

Abstract S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the principal methyl donor in cells and is essential for mitochondrial gene expression, influencing RNA modifications, translation, and ribosome biogenesis. Using direct long-read RNA sequencing in mouse tissues and embryonic fibroblasts, we show that processing of the mitochondrial ribosomal gene cluster fails in the absence of mitochondrial SAM, leading to an accumulation of unprocessed precursors. Proteomic analysis of ribosome fractions revealed these precursors associated with processing and assembly factors, indicating stalled biogenesis. Structural analysis by cryo-electron microscopy demonstrated that SAM-dependent methylation is required for peptidyl transferase centre formation during mitoribosome assembly. Our findings identify a critical role for SAM in coordinating mitoribosomal RNA processing and large subunit maturation, linking cellular methylation potential to mitochondrial translation capacity.

Tissue tropism of toxic metals in northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) and northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) on Groote Eylandt, Australia

Mining is an essential part of the Australian economy, but can create environmental concerns due to toxic metal pollution. Surrounding active manganese (Mn) mining sites, such as those on Groote Eylandt, Australia, toxic metal exposure leads to variation in the internal distribution within animals (i.e., tissue tropism) and can exert long-term health effects on wildlife. We aimed to determine if hair of the endangered northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) or of the northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) would be sufficient to monitor internal contamination. We analyzed nine toxic metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in eight tissues/organs (cerebellum, hair, kidney, liver, lung, neocortex, olfactory bulb, testes) of quolls and bandicoots using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). We found six significant positive and five significant negative correlations between the concentration of metals in internal tissues and the concentration in hair in quolls, and four significant relationships in bandicoots, all negative. We also found that the concentrations of metals in quoll tissues/organs, except for hair, were significantly higher than in bandicoots. Differences in the magnitude and direction of these relationships may reflect differences in life histories or metabolic rates. The concentration of Mn in hair was significantly higher in quolls collected near the mining sites than in quolls collected at distant locations, and this also appeared to be the case for bandicoots, but we lacked a sufficient sample size to demonstrate this statistically. The concentration of Al in the hair of quolls was also significantly higher near the mining sites. The concentration of Mn in the hair of quolls reflected the concentration of Mn in the cerebellum and neocortex, while the concentration of Al in the hair of quolls reflected Al concentration in the cerebellum, neocortex, liver, and kidney. We conclude that hair analyzed with ICP-OES is an effective biomarker of local exposure to Mn and Al for quolls, and that hair Mn and Al concentration in quolls can be used as a biomarker of concentration of some tissues, such as cerebellum and neocortex. These findings point to hair as a valuable non-invasive method for assessing metal exposure in wildlife that can be useful for management and conservation efforts.

Topochemical Ring-Opening Polymerization of an Oxathianethione

Low frequency oscillations – neural correlates of stability and flexibility in cognition

Abstract Cognitive processing relies on the brain’s ability to balance flexibility for encoding new information with stability for maintaining it. We examined these dynamics in three magnetoencephalography (MEG) datasets of visuospatial working memory (vsWM) tasks. Across all tasks, we identified four distinct networks in the theta and alpha bands, which were used to define functional states. Optimal transitioning rate between states was associated with better cognitive performance. Further, two of the states were linked to flexibility and stability, respectively: an encoding state dominated by a posterior theta and a maintenance state dominated by a dorsal alpha. We simulated the states in an in-silico model with biologically realistic cortical connectivity. The model, featuring spiking and oscillatory cortical layers interacting via phase-amplitude coupling, demonstrated how frequency and spatial region could modulate information flow. Our findings suggest a cognitive control mechanism, where selective transitions between large-scale networks optimize information flow, enabling both stable and flexible visual representations.

National trends in utilization and outcomes of elective open and minimally invasive colostomy reversal: A NSQIP analysis

Background Minimally invasive approach for reversal of Hartmann’s procedure remains understudied. This study examined the outcomes associated with open and minimally invasive approaches for colostomy reversal in a national cohort. Methods The 2012–2022 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program participant use file data was queried to identify all adult (≥18 years) patients undergoing elective open or minimally invasive colostomy takedown. Multivariable regression models were developed to assess the associations between operative modalities and outcomes of interest, including overall complications (cardiac, respiratory, infectious, wound, renal and thromboembolic postoperative sequelae as well as reoperation and transfusion), operative duration, postoperative length of stay, and 30-day Readmissions. Results Among the 20,163 patients who underwent colostomy takedown during the study period, 6,180 (30.7%) had a minimally invasive reversal. Utilization of minimally invasive colostomy reversal increased from 18.2% in 2012 to 41.9% in 2022 (nptrend < 0.001). Following risk adjustment, minimally invasive colostomy takedown was associated with reduced odds of overall complications compared to the open approach (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.51–0.62). The minimally invasive approach was associated with decremental operative duration by 16.9 minutes (95% CI 13.6 to 20.2 minutes) and postoperative length of stay by 1.70 days (95% CI 1.56 to 1.84 days), as well as decreased odds of 30-day readmission (AOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.67–0.85). Conclusions Over the past decade, utilization of minimally invasive colostomy reversal has more than doubled and yielded lower overall complication rates compared to the open approach. Our findings suggest that the minimally invasive approach may be appropriate for colostomy takedown in suitable cases.

Super-resolution upgrade for deep tissue imaging featuring simple implementation

Abstract Deep tissue imaging with high contrast close to or even below the optical resolution limit is still challenging due to optical aberrations and scattering introduced by dense biological samples. This results in high complexity and cost of microscopes that can facilitate such challenges. Here, we demonstrate a cost-effective and simple to implement method to turn most two-photon laser-scanning microscopes into a super-resolution microscope for deep tissue imaging. We realize this by adding inexpensive optical devices, namely a cylindrical lens, a field rotator, and a sCMOS camera to these systems. By combining two-photon excitation with patterned line-scanning and subsequent image reconstruction, we achieve imaging of sub-cellular structures in Pinus radiata , mouse heart muscle and zebrafish. In addition, the penetration depth of super-resolved imaging in highly scattering tissue is considerably extended by using the camera’s lightsheet shutter mode. The flexibility of our method allows the examination of a variety of thick samples with a variety of fluorescent markers and microscope objective lenses. Thus, with a cost-efficient modification of a multi-photon microscope, an up to twofold resolution enhancement is demonstrated down to at least 70 μ m deep in tissue.

Astragaloside IV combined with quercetin attenuates silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis by promoting autophagy and suppressing pyroptosis

Confirmation bias through selective readout of information encoded in human parietal cortex

Abstract Decision-makers often process new evidence selectively, depending on their current beliefs about the world. We asked whether such confirmation biases result from biases in the encoding of sensory evidence in the brain, or alternatively in the utilization of encoded evidence for behavior. Human participants estimated the source of a sequence of visual-spatial evidence samples while we measured cortical population activity with magnetoencephalography. Halfway through the sequence, participants were prompted to judge the more likely source category. We find that processing of subsequent evidence depends on its consistency with the previously chosen category. Evidence encoded in parietal cortex contributes more to the estimation report when that evidence is consistent with the previous choice compared to when it contradicts that choice. Our results indicate that information contradicting pre-existing beliefs has little impact on subsequent behavior, despite being precisely encoded in the brain. This provides room for deliberative control to counteract confirmation biases.

Impact of feeding strategies on the welfare and behaviour of horses in groups: An experimental study

Finding feeding strategies that meet horses’ needs without compromising health is essential for optimising welfare, particularly in group housing, where limited hay availability increases aggression and injury risks. Recently, two strategies have emerged: portioning daily intake into smaller, frequent meals using time-controlled hay racks, or slowing intake with “slow-feeders.” However, the effects of such management practices on horse behaviour remain underexplored. We conducted a cross-over study with 18 mares divided into four groups to compare three feeding strategies: “traditional” (3 of 2-hours meals during daylight, TD), “portioned” (6 of 1-hour meals spread over 24h, PO) and “slow-feeding” (ad libitum hay covered by a net, SF). Each treatment included 3 weeks of habituation and 2 weeks of data collection. We continuously recorded social interactions for 15 hours and noted the position and activity of all horses every 15 minutes. We also recorded injuries periodically and measured the lying behaviour using accelerometers. We analysed the effects of treatment on agonistic and affiliative behaviour within groups using generalised mixed model and selected the best model using AIC. We used the same procedure for the injuries and lying behaviour at the individual level. Horses in SF exhibited activity time budgets resembling natural conditions, while TD and PO resulted in time budgets similar to box-stall systems, despite the loose-housing system. Surprisingly, our results suggest that PO may be more frustrating for the horses than TD. Indeed, there was no significant reduction of agonistic behaviours during feeding times in PO compared to TD and lying behaviour tended to be impaired in PO (−11.3 min/day, 95% CI [−25.8; 3.1]) compared to SF and TD (37.5 min/day on average). In our study, portioning into smaller, more frequent meals did not reduce the stress in horses. This highlights the need for further research on portioning strategies to find optimal feeding management. In addition, slow-feeding was a more suitable feeding strategy for horses than portioning. However, more research is required to substantiate the initial findings on the efficacy of ad libitum slow-feeding on the horse’s health and behaviour.

A Tailored Quinoline-Locked Covalent Organic Framework for Metal-Free Photocatalytic α-Amino C–H Annulation

X-ray parametric down-conversion reveals EUV-polariton

Abstract Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (PDC) of photons is a gateway into the quantum realm – thoroughly studied in nonlinear optics and ubiquitously used to generate non-classical states of light. Extending PDC from the visible regime towards shorter wavelengths further enables microscopic resolution of electronic structure and quantum-enhanced X-ray detection, but remained challenging due to the process’ inherently low conversion rate. Here, we resolve the full signal cone of non-degenerate down-conversion at X-ray wavelengths and identify imprints of a polariton in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regime. We confirm our finding of the EUV-polariton with theoretical simulations and establish that our approach directly images the characteristic anti-crossing of polaritonic dispersion branches. This insight could open a pathway to explore strong-coupling phenomena of EUV-light-matter interaction.

Examining equity-related eligibility criteria in clinical trials supporting 2022 US drug approvals

There has been substantial recent attention to the importance of diversity in clinical trials supporting US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approvals, including both Congressional action and FDA guidance. One factor that can contribute to a lack of diverse enrollment is overly strict eligibility criteria not supported by scientific or safety considerations. The aim of this study was to examine equity-related eligibility criteria in pivotal trials supporting all new molecular entities and therapeutic biologics approved by FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in 2022. We qualitatively coded these criteria, using a codebook developed through inductive and deductive methods. The codebook consisted of categories relevant to equitable inclusion across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, pregnancy, disability, and age; explanations of the potential relevance to equity, as well as potential scientific and regulatory justifications. We found that adolescents, pregnant/lactating individuals, and individuals with limited literacy were most commonly excluded and that about 1 trial in 5 excluded individuals based on weight/obesity, had general exclusions for hepatitis, or excluded adults aged 80 and up. Ultimately, our results indicate that several common eligibility criteria are likely to negatively influence equitable inclusion, especially based on age, pregnancy/lactation, and characteristics associated with race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. To minimize unnecessary equity-related exclusions, eligibility should focus on specific issues expected to influence safety or efficacy (e.g., liver function, drug interaction, uncontrolled comorbid disease), rather than blanket exclusion based on broad diagnoses or characteristics. Investigators, sponsors, institutional review boards, and regulators should scrutinize eligibility criteria with equity in mind.

Quantitative Determination of Electronic Effects in Free Radicals through Open-Shell Hammett Substituent Constants

Enhancing autophagy by redox regulation extends lifespan in Drosophila

Abstract Dysregulation of redox homeostasis is implicated in the ageing process and the pathology of age-related diseases. To study redox signalling by H2O2 in vivo, we established a redox-shifted model by manipulating levels of the H2O2-degrading enzyme catalase in Drosophila. Here we report that ubiquitous over-expression of catalase robustly extends lifespan in females. As anticipated, these flies are strongly resistant to a range of oxidative stress challenges, but interestingly are sensitive to starvation, which could not be explained by differences in levels of energy reserves. This led us to explore the contribution of autophagy, which is an important mechanism for organismal survival in response to starvation. We show that autophagy is essential for the increased lifespan by catalase upregulation, as the survival benefits are completely abolished upon global autophagy knock-down. Furthermore, using a specific redox-inactive knock-in mutant, we highlight the in vivo role of a key regulatory cysteine residue in Atg4a, which is required for the lifespan extension in our catalase model. Altogether, these findings confirm the redox regulation of autophagy in vivo as an important modulator of longevity.

A mixed-methods evaluation of a Polish international researcher mobility grant scheme

This paper examines the quantitative and qualitative effects of the first call of the Bekker Programme, funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The program supports the outgoing temporary international mobility of scholars. Its first call funded 152 scholars. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative analysis using the interrupted time series method and qualitative analysis of final reports submitted by Bekker Programme beneficiaries. Quantitative data from the Web of Science database were analyzed to measure the number of papers published, the number of internationally co-authored works, and the number of citations for beneficiaries before and after the program’s implementation. The quantitative findings did not show a statistically significant increase in the number of publications or citations attributable to the program. However, there was a significant positive impact on international collaboration, as evidenced by an increase in internationally co-authored publications. Qualitative analysis of the beneficiary final reports revealed a broader spectrum of impacts, including enhanced scientific competencies, experience of different organizational cultures, networking and collaboration. The contributions of this article to the literature are threefold. First, empirical findings on the impact of a mobility program from a scientific periphery are presented, highlighting its possible transformative benefits. Second, a mixed-methods approach is employed that captures both objective quantitative effects and subjective outcomes, thereby acknowledging the multidimensional impact of mobility grants and offering practical insights for policymakers. Third, an empirical analysis of the eightfold mobility impacts framework is provided through a bottom-up coding analysis of qualitative data, demonstrating the framework’s applicability and robustness in a novel context.

Cation-Driven Modulation of Interfacial Solvation Structures for Enhanced Alkaline Hydrogen Oxidation Kinetics

How do multimedia and blended learning enhance music elective courses? examining the roles of learning attitudes, styles, and teaching presence

This study aims to explore the possibility of using Internet resources to enhance the educational effect of music elective courses in colleges and universities. Moreover, this study analysed students’ perception of blended learning mode and their continuous learning intention. The study adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the theory of sustained learning intention as theoretical frameworks, combined with factors such as learning attitude and learning style, to explore the impact of these factors on students’ learning outcomes. The study found that learning attitudes and styles are positively correlated with students continuous learning intention via questionnaire surveys and quantitative analysis, supporting the research hypothesis. The research results are of great significance for optimizing the design and teaching methods of music elective courses, providing theoretical support and empirical basis for promoting innovation in music education.

Isomerization of Poly(ethylene glycol): A Strategy for the Evasion of Anti-PEG Antibody Recognition

Responses of candidate intensity measures to different mental and motor load levels using upper limb exergames in typically developing children and adolescents

Background In (pediatric) neurorehabilitation, high-intensity therapy is well-recognized for enhancing rehabilitative outcomes. However, measures that consider the different aspects of therapy intensity are lacking. Therefore, a better understanding of how to measure therapy intensity during upper-limb neurorehabilitation is needed. Objectives To investigate the response of heart rate variability (HRV), skin conductance (SC), activity counts and movement repetitions normalized for the maximal capacity (%ACmax and %MOVmax, respectively), and the NASA-TLX scale to different mental and motor intensity levels of two self-developed upper limb exergames in typically developing children. We also investigate the effects of age on the responses of the measures. Methods In this cross-sectional study, participants engaged in one mental and one motor exergame. For each exergame, they played three personalized intensity levels (“very easy,” “challenging,” and “very difficult”), each lasting three minutes. We analyzed the responses of all measures for each intensity level and exergame. Results 21 children and adolescents (9 females) aged 5.2 to 17.9 years participated in the study. HRV, %ACmax, and %MOVmax responded to increased motor intensity. SC did not respond to increases in mental or motor intensity levels. The NASA-TLX responded to increases in motor intensity levels but only partially to increases in mental intensity. Finally, age showed significant effects only on %MOVmax. Conclusion Changes in mental intensity were more challenging to capture than changes in motor intensity. As each measure responded to different aspects of therapy intensity, a combination of measures, e.g., HRV, %ACmax, and NASA-TLX effort, might be the best strategy for assessing therapy intensity multidimensionally. Although the measures hold considerable potential, future studies should determine the responses of the measures and their psychometric properties in the target group.