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Assessing the efficacy of frankincense extract as a root canal irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis

Frankincense resin exhibits antibacterial potential against various microorganisms, but little is available on its effectiveness against dental root canal biofilm. This study aimed to assess its efficacy as a root canal irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. A standard E. faecalis strain underwent antibacterial sensitivity testing with frankincense derived from Boswellia sacra Flück and Boswellia frereana Birdw trees. Frankincense, demonstrating inhibition of bacterial growth, was further evaluated as an irrigant. Root canals of 50 single-canalled human teeth were prepared, then contaminated with E. faecalis and placed into three groups: Group A was irrigated with saline (negative control), Group B was irrigated with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), and Group C was irrigated with frankincense. Microbial sampling pre- and post-irrigation was conducted under aseptic conditions. Colony count reduction percentages were calculated, and the data was analyzed using one-way analyses of variance followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test (significance level set at 5%). The antibacterial susceptibility test revealed that only Boswellia sacra Flück frankincense was effective against E. faecalis. Both NaClO and frankincense significantly reduced colony counts compared to saline (p <  0.0001), with no difference between frankincense and NaClO irrigation. Therefore, root canal irrigation with B. sacra frankincense proved as effective against E. faecalis biofilm as NaClO. Further exploration of its potential as a root canal irrigant is recommended.

Life experiences after kidney transplantation in adolescents: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Purpose To systematically evaluate the life experience of adolescents after kidney transplantation. Methods We use computer search Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP database, search database to October 2024, screening after kidney transplant adolescents life experience of qualitative study. We used the Australian Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research to quality evaluation, and using the thematic analysis method to integrate the results. Results 7 articles were included, and 31 research results were integrated into 8 new categories and combined results are 3 integration results: complex emotional experience; eager for multifaceted support; self-adjustment. Conclusion Nursing staff should pay attention to the psychological experience and needs of adolescents, to eliminate their stigma, to promote positive cognition, and to improve their quality of life.

Reconstruction of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on competitive endogenous RNA reveals functional miRNAs and lncRNAs in burns and keloids

Backgrounds Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert their pharmacological functions by serving as sponges for related microRNAs (miRNAs), thereby modulating gene expression. Nevertheless, the regulatory roles of the lncRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism in the interplay between burns and keloids remain largely elusive. Objective To construct the ceRNA regulatory network of burns, leveraging network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses. Results 3576 DELs (Differentially Expressed lncRNAs), 1427 DEMis (Differentially Expressed miRNAs), and 2555 DEMs (Differentially Expressed mRNAs) were identified as differentially expressed genes. A ceRNA network composed of DELs-DEMis-DEMs in burns and keloids was constructed, with a prominent sub-network consisting of 23 DELs, 330 DEMs, and 8 DEMis. Subsequently, the clusterProfiler package in the R programming language was utilized to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The sub-network within the ceRNA network was extracted, in which three lncRNAs, namely lnc-WRB, lnc-SCNN1G, and LINC00271, and three miRNAs, namely hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-34a, and hsa-miR-155, were identified as key genes. Conclusion All nodes within the sub-ceRNA network exert either a direct or an indirect influence on the pathological processes of burns and post-burn keloids. The current study successfully constructed the ceRNA network in burns and keloids and provided a potentially novel perspective on the DELs-DEMis-DEMs ceRNA network, contributing to the elucidation of the ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of burns and keloids. Nevertheless, systematic and rigorous experimental validations are indispensable to confirm our findings.

Osteopontin, kidney injury molecule-1, and fetuin-A as prognostic markers of end-stage renal disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as a major renal disease is increasing rapidly. The progression of CKD may lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Current diagnostic and prognostic methods still have some limitations. This study aims to evaluate the potential and predictive ability of Osteopontin (OPN), Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and Fetuin-A on the incidence of ESRD in CKD patients. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out based on the PRISMA guideline on registered databases for studies published up to December 21, 2023. The concentrations of each marker were then reported in pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and hazard ratio (HR). Subgroup analysis was performed based on age, location, and KIM-1 specimen. Results We included 21 studies involving 15,983 patients. Meta-analysis revealed that increasing OPN (SMD = 5.52, 95% CI = 1.59–9.44, p = 0.01) and KIM-1 (SMD = 1.45, 95% CI = 0.50–2.39, p = 0.0027), as well as decreasing Fetuin-A level (SMD = -1.31, 95% CI = -2.37 – -0.26, p = 0.01) were significant in CKD patients with ESRD. Chronic kidney disease patients with increased KIM-1 levels showed 1.13 times increased risk of ESRD (HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.10–1.17, p <0.0001). Subgroup analysis showed that increased KIM-1 in urine or blood was strongly associated with ESRD, and decreased Fetuin-A levels in Asians had a significant association with the incidence of ESRD. Conclusion Osteopontin, KIM-1, and Fetuin-A significantly reflect ESRD in CKD patients, making them potential prognostic indicators.

The impact of civil unrest on child health care: Evidenced by acute medical complications at presentation – A retrospective comparative study

Background Civil unrest is a collective term that includes limited political violence, sporadic violent collective action, or nonviolent and mildly violent collective action that causes dissatisfaction over political, economic, or social changes. It had deadly impacts on the lives of children and adolescents. It often results in difficulties for civilian to access basic services including healthcare. Objective Evaluate the effect of civil unrest on child healthcare provision evidenced by the proportion of children admitted with acute medical complications. Methods Institution-based retrospective comparative study of Difference in Difference with Propensity Score Matching (PSM-DID) was implemented. Setting and participants The study was conducted on children admitted to pediatric ward of Bahir Dar University Tibebe-Ghion specialized teaching hospital. Data were collected from medical records for the months of January 01, 2023 – July 31, 2023 (pre-civil unrest) and August 01, 2023 – February 29, 2024 (into the civil unrest), on a retrospective basis. 632 Participants (345 in the treatment and 247 in the control group) were selected randomly using Microsoft Excel based on their medical record number (MRN) from the HMIS registry with treatment assignment (rural residency or not). Results PSM was conducted on 7 covariates. In the unmatched sample, significant differences between groups were found for two of the 7 covariates. PSM successfully adjusted for bias in all covariates in the matched sample. The civil unrest has increased acute medical complications at presentation to our hospital for rural residents, with a DID value of 0.241 (p-value = 0.009). Conclusion Our study has concluded that civil unrest has an immediate impact on child health care evidenced by an increased proportion of acute medical complications at presentation. It affects more children coming from rural areas compared to those from urban communities.

Quality and costs of commissioned vs. researcher-led NIHR research: retrospective cohort study of randomised controlled trials

The NIHR provides two main funding pathways: ‘commissioned’ (CP) and ‘researcher-led’ (RLP) projects. CPs are used to ensure NHS priorities are addressed. However, there is uncertainty regarding which provides the highest quality, best value for money, research. We compared the quality and cost of commissioned and research-led projects. We searched the NIHR Funded Portfolio database for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) funded by programmes offering both CP and RLP funding. The main outcome was journal impact factor for the main results paper. Other outcomes included: Altmetric score, relative citation ratio, total and per participant funding. T-tests were used to compare mean values. 82 eligible RCTs were identified, 30 commissioned and 52 researcher-led. One RLP did not progress beyond pilot; two (one CP and one RLP) did not publish a monograph; and 78 published main study results in a peer-reviewed journal. Among these, RLP projects had higher means scores than CP projects for: journal impact factor (111.2 and 40.8, respectively, p < 0.001); Altmetric score (223.8 and 116.8, p = 0.05); and relative citation ratio (8.0 and 4.4, p = 0.06). Among the full 82 RCTs, RLP mean total study and per participant funding were lower than CP: £1,429,913 vs. £1,353,034, p = 0.59; and £11,271 vs. £4425, p = 0.08. Researcher-led projects are more likely to result in higher impact research compared with commissioned studies. Further research is needed to understand the reasons, which could include: commissioned research addressing harder-to-do questions; commissioning brief quality; and/or research team motivation.

Precision Self-assembly of 3D DNA Crystals Using Microfluidics

Machine learning approach for the prediction of 30-day mortality in patients with sepsis-associated delirium

This study aimed to develop models for predicting the 30-day mortality of sepsis-associated delirium (SAD) by multiple machine learning (ML) algorithms. On the whole, a cohort of 3,197 SAD patients were collected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Among them, a total of 659 (20.61%) patients died following SAD. The patients who died were about 73.00 (62.00, 82.00) years old and mostly male (56.75%). Recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used to distinguish risk factors. Subsequently, six ML algorithms including artificial neural network (NNET), gradient boosting machine (GBM), adaptive boosting (Ada), random forest (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) and logistic regression (LR) were employed to establish models to predict the 30-day mortality of SAD. The performance of models was assessed via both discrimination and calibration by cross-validation with 100 resamples. Overall, 10 independent predictors, including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), anion gap (AG), continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), temperature, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), vasopressor, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), base excess (BE), and bicarbonate were identified as independent predictors for the 30-day mortality of SAD. The validation cohort demonstrated that all these six models had relatively favorable differentiation, while among them, the GBM model had the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.845 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.816, 0.874). Furthermore, the calibration curve of these six models was close to the diagonal line in the validation sets. As for decision curve analysis, the predictive models were clinically useful as well. Based on real-world research, we developed ML models to provide personalized predictions of delirium-related mortality in sepsis patients, potentially enabling clinicians to identify high-risk SAD patients more promptly.

Retraction: Machine learning-based e-commerce platform repurchase customer prediction model

Retraction: High-precision positioning of mine personnel based on wireless pulse technology

Effectiveness of an intervention designed based on the Health Action Process Approach on obesity surgery outcomes in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery after one year: A randomized controlled trial

Background Bariatric surgery is effective in treating severe obesity. However, surgery alone, without additional behavior change management, may not lead to optimal long-term weight loss and maintenance. This study aimed to evaluate an intervention designed based on the Health Action Process Approach to improve outcomes of obesity surgery in patients who underwent bariatric surgery in Tehran, Iran. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 100 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery after the past year were randomly assigned to two intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. The intervention group received educational intervention for two months. Health action process approach (HAPA) constructs, the Bariatric Surgery Self-Management Behaviors Questionnaire (BSSQ), dietary recall, blood chemistry parameters, BMI, percentage of body weight loss, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAC) were measured at baseline and four months after the intervention. To compare the changes between the two groups before and four months after the educational intervention, the interaction of group and time was analyzed using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The educational intervention resulted in improvements in various aspects of self-efficacy, including task and coping self-efficacy constructs (P = 0.02), action planning (P < 0.01) and behavioral intention (P < 0.01) related to diet self-management. There were also statistically significant improvements in action planning (P = 0.02), risk perception (P = 0.01) and Recovery self- efficacy (P = 0.01) related to the self-management of physical activity. There were significant improvements in the iron blood test results (P =  0.01) among the patients. Conclusion Our intervention, designed based on the Health Action Process Approach, led to improvements in dietary and physical activity outcomes among patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Trial Registration: Iran Randomized Clinical Trials IRCT20230722058887N1.

Associations between different measures of SARS-CoV-2 infection status and subsequent economic inactivity: A pooled analysis of five longitudinal surveys linked to healthcare records

Introduction Following the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of people became economically inactive in the UK. We investigated the association between coronavirus infection and subsequent economic inactivity among people employed pre-pandemic, and whether this association varied between self-report versus healthcare recorded infection status. Methods We pooled data from five longitudinal studies (1970 British Cohort Study, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, 1958 National Child Development Study, Next Steps, and Understanding Society), in two databases: the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UKLLC), which links study data to NHS England records, and the UK Data Service (UKDS), which does not. The study population were aged 25-65 years between April 2020 to March 2021. The outcome was economic inactivity measured at the time of the last survey (November 2020 to March 2021). The exposures were COVID-19 status, indicated by a positive SARS-CoV-2 test in NHS records (UKLLC sample only), or by self-reported measures of coronavirus infection (both samples). Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic variables and pre-pandemic health. Results Within the UKLLC sample (N = 8,174), both a positive SARS-CoV-2 test in NHS records (5.9% of the sample; OR 1.08, 95%CI 0.68-1.73) and self-reported positive tests (6.5% of the sample; OR 1.07, 95%CI 0.68-1.69), were marginally and non-significantly associated with economic inactivity (5.3% of the sample) in adjusted analyses. Within the larger UKDS sample (n = 13,881) reliant on self-reported ascertainment of infection (6.4% of the sample), the coefficient indicated a null relationship (OR 0.98, 95%CI 0.68-1.40) with economic inactivity (5.0% of sample). Conclusions Among people employed pre-pandemic, testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 was not associated with increased economic inactivity, although we could not exclude small effects. Ascertaining infection through healthcare records or self-report made little difference to results. However, processes related to record linkage may introduce small biases.

Retraction: The influence of machine learning-based knowledge management model on enterprise organizational capability innovation and industrial development

Extracellular vesicle release in an experimental ventilator-induced lung injury porcine model

Harmful effects of mechanical ventilation with large tidal volumes, volutrauma, may contribute much to diffuse acute lung injury. Extracellular vesicles have been noted in the context of vital organ injury. We hypothesized that extracellular vesicles from acutely injured lung can be found in both lung and blood. In a two-hit experimental porcine model, we tested if extracellular vesicles could be detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in plasma over a six-hour period of large tidal volume ventilation after surfactant depletion. After 2 hours of volutrauma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed increased levels of extracellular vesicles containing nucleic acids (stained by SYTO 13) and those positive for both SYTO 13 and HMGB1. No such increase was detected in plasma at any timepoint during the six-hour experiments. This shows that nucleic acid-containing extracellular vesicles appear to be involved in progression of lung injury, possibly indicating cellular damage, but their potential to serve as diagnostic biomarkers of acute lung injury progression, based on plasma sampling, and in the very early phase, is not confirmed by these findings.

Deep learning-based improved side-channel attacks using data denoising and feature fusion

Deep learning, as a high-performance data analysis method, has demonstrated superior efficiency and accuracy in side-channel attacks compared to traditional methods. However, many existing models enhance accuracy by stacking network layers, leading to increased algorithmic and computational complexity, overfitting, low training efficiency, and limited feature extraction capabilities. Moreover, deep learning methods rely on data correlation, and the presence of noise tends to reduce this correlation, increasing the difficulty of attacks. To address these challenges, this paper proposes the application of an InceptionNet-based network structure for side-channel attacks. This network utilizes fewer training parameters. achieves faster convergence and demonstrates improved attack efficiency through parallel processing of input data. Additionally, a LU-Net-based network structure is proposed for denoising side-channel datasets. This network captures the characteristics of input signals through an encoder, reconstructs denoised signals using a decoder, and utilizes LSTM layers and skip connections to preserve the temporal coherence and spatial details of the signals, thereby achi-eving the purpose of denoising. Experimental evaluations were conducted on the ASCAD dataset and the DPA Contest v4 dataset for comparative studies. The results indicate that the deep learning attack model proposed in this paper effectively enhances side-channel attack performance. On the ASCAD dataset, the recovery of keys requires only 30 traces, and on the DPA Contest v4 dataset, only 1 trace is needed for key recovery. Furthermore, the proposed deep learning denoising model significantly reduces the impact of noise on side-channel attack performance, thereby improving efficiency.

Factors affecting out-of-pocket expenditures for chronic and acute illnesses in Bangladesh

Background In the absence of universal healthcare protection, out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures are the main source of healthcare financing in Bangladesh. This study assesses the disparities in the overall and the components of OOP expenditures among households with both chronic and acute illnesses compared to those having acute illnesses only. It also identifies factors influencing OOP expenditures over time and examines patterns related to various illness conditions. Materials and methods Data from the Household Income and Expenditure Surveys (HIES) of 2016–17 and 2022 were used. A Log-linear Multiple Regression Model was employed to identify factors influencing OOP expenditures in households with different disease profiles. Results The average OOP expenditures increased significantly from 2016 to 2022, even after inflation adjustments. Higher expenditures were observed in urban households BDT 939.34 in 2016 and BDT 1605.36 in 2022, and in households having both chronic and acute illness conditions with OOP expenditure of BDT 2290.43 and BDT 3525.32 in 2016 and 2022 respectively. Wealthier households spent more on healthcare, with the cost of medicines being the largest component with over 50% of total OOP expenditures. The regression analysis suggests that area of residence (urban vs rural), household size, level of education of the household head, the presence of elderly members (≥60 years), the number of employed members and sick household members, and hospitalisation of household members were mainly responsible for higher OOP expenditure. Conclusion Our study provides valuable insights on the determinants of OOP expenditures over time, with a notable increase among households managing both chronic and acute illnesses, and in urban areas. Key contributors to increased expenditures include medicines, medical tests and surgery costs, with cancer causing higher expenses. This study recommends improving treatment protocols help reduce unnecessary prescriptions of medicine and investigations, and alleviate financial burdens of the vulnerable population.

Are quality assessments in science affected by anchoring effects? – Empirical results from a survey of authors assessing previously cited papers

Many studies have investigated anchoring effects. Anchoring occurs when initial values are used by humans as starting points in assessments. We investigated the prevalence of anchoring effects in the quality assessments of scientific papers. This study, which is preregistered, is a follow-up study that is intended to answer open questions from a previous study with the same topic. One open question concerns causal conclusions: it is necessary that randomly selected respondents assess the same paper under different conditions. In a survey, we asked corresponding authors to assess the quality of articles they have cited in previous papers. The respondents were randomly assigned to several experimental groups receiving numerical anchors such as citation counts or numerical access codes to the questionnaire. Although our results reveal scarcely effects of citation counts presented to the respondents as possible anchors, there is a small, but statistically significant effect of the random number (the numerical access code) presented to the respondents. Similar to other studies that have investigated the existence of anchoring effects in assessments in various contexts, our study could demonstrate the existence of an anchoring effect in research evaluation. Researchers seem to be influenced by numbers without any relationship to the quality of the evaluated paper in their assessment of papers.

Metabolomics analysis of five cultivars of Sorghum bicolor reveals the contribution of flavonoid pathway to tannin content

This study aims to utilize metabolomics to elucidate the key metabolites and metabolic pathways contributing to the quality differences among the grains of ‘hongyingzi’ (hyz) sorghum and four other varieties naming ‘jinuoliang’ (Jinl), ‘jinnuoliang’ (Jinnl), ‘lunuohong’ (lnh) and ‘liaoza 19’ (lz19). By analyzing the metabolomics data of the five sorghum varieties, we identified a total of 384 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). Among these, flavonoids, phenolic acids and lipid compounds were the most abundant, exhibiting varying degrees of upregulation and downregulation. Compared to the four cultivars, the hyz sorghum differently exhibited 78, 40, 59 and 63 flavonoids; 29, 54, 30 and 30 phenolic acids; and 9, 27, 26 and 20 lipids, respectively. Multiple comparisons among the five sorghum varieties also identified 38 common DAMs, and the flavonoid pathway is particularly significant in KEGG enrichment. Additionally, as a high tannin content variety, correlation analysis revealed in sorghum that ellagic acid-4-O-glucoside plays a central role in tannin synthesis. These findings would highlight significant differences in the metabolomic profiles between hyz and the control varieties, providing valuable insights for the exploration of key genes involved in flavonoid metabolism and biosynthesis pathways in sorghum seeds.

Changes in postural sway and cortical activities after napping

Lowered arousal state after napping may lead to poorer standing balance and the need to recalibrate the sensory organization system. This study aimed to examine the changes in postural sway and sensory associated cortical activities immediately after waking from a nap. A convenience sample of young adults (7 males and 5 females, 21.0 ± 2.3 yr.) was recruited. Before and after a 50-min lying-down nap, participants were asked to stand quietly with eyes open/closed on a firm/foam surface, and electroencephalography (EEG) in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands in sensory association areas was recorded. All participants self-reported that they fell asleep during the 50-min period provisioned for nap (Karolinska Napiness Scale before nap 4.2 ± 1.1, after nap 5.7 ± 0.8). The average time taken to finish data collection after waking the participants was 19.0 ± 4.0 minutes. The results showed less postural sway (t11 =  2.726, p =  0.02) and increased frequency of postural sway (t11 =  -3.339, p =  0.007) after nap in the eyes-open firm-surface condition. The EEG results revealed decreased activity in the alpha (F1,9 =  15.540, p =  0.003) and gamma (F1,9 =  6.626, p =  0.030) bands in the right parietal area after nap, and increased beta power in the left occipital area (Z =  -2.241, p =  0.025). In conclusion, after waking from a nap, healthy adults show increased changes in direction of postural sway which is effective in decreasing postural sway in eyes-open firm-surface condition. Even in healthy adults without worsen postural performance after nap, the EEG results suggested a decrease of efficacy in dealing with sensory challenges within twenty minutes post napping. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying changes in balance control after napping, which might help fall prevention programs for the elderly.

Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) beehives have no impact on honey bee (Apis mellifera) overwintering colony survival or detoxification enzyme expression

In North America, wooden honey bee hives are most often constructed from pine, but some companies also produce and sell boxes made of western red cedar ( Thuja plicata ) as a result of its local availability and desirable properties. However, there is debate within the beekeeping community about whether cedar is a safe hive material for bees, since resins within the wood are known to be insecticidal or insect deterrents. There is very little empirical evidence to support or refute these arguments. Here, we recorded health metrics of honey bee nucleus colonies hived in western red cedar and pine boxes (n = 10 each) to determine if the type of wood affects colony outcomes. Colonies were produced and introduced into these boxes in late July, with monitoring continued until the following spring. We found no significant differences in adult bee populations, brood areas, or Varroa mite prevalence among colonies hived in cedar versus pine boxes at either the end of summer (September 1st) or spring (April 1st) assessments. Overwintering survival was identical in the two groups at 90%. Hemolymph detoxification enzyme expression differed strongly between callow (day-old) workers and foragers but did not differ with hive material. Overall, we did not find evidence that hiving honey bee colonies in boxes constructed of western red cedar had any negative or positive effect on bee physiology or colony outcomes.