A Novel Wearable Sensor for Measuring Respiration Continuously and in Real Time.

In this work, a flexible textile-based capacitive respiratory sensor, based on a capacitive sensor structure, that does not require direct skin contact is designed, optimised, and evaluated using both computational modelling and empirical measurements. In the computational study, the geometry of the sensor was examined. This analysis involved observing the capacitance and frequency variations using a cylindrical model that mimicked the human body.

Sex differences in neural projections of fear memory processing in mice and humans.

It remains unexplored in the field of fear memory whether functional neuronal connectivity between two brain areas is necessary for one sex but not the other. Here, we show that chemogenetic silencing of centromedial (CeM)- fibers in the lateral posterior BNST (BNSTpl) decreased fear memory consolidation in male mice but not females. Optogenetic excitation of CeM- fibers in the BNSTpl exhibited enhanced inhibitory postsynaptic currents in males compared to females.

Automated Growth Rate Measurement of the Facet Surfaces of Single Crystals of the β-Form of l-Glutamic Acid Using Machine Learning Image Processing.

Precision measurement of the growth rate of individual single crystal facets () represents an important component in the design of industrial crystallization processes. Current approaches for crystal growth measurement using optical microscopy are labor intensive and prone to error. An automated process using state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning to segment and measure the crystal images is presented.

Prevention of accidental awareness under general anaesthesia: A regional service evaluation.

The United Kingdom's Fifth National Audit Project investigated the incidence and causes of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia. Subsequently, guidelines produced by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland provide key recommendations to minimise awareness. These include using processed electroencephalogram for patients receiving total intravenous anaesthesia while paralysed and using audible low end-tidal anaesthetic concentration alarms.

Predicting DNA toehold-mediated strand displacement rate constants using a DNA-BERT transformer deep learning model.

Dynamic DNA nanotechnology is driving exciting developments in molecular computing, cargo delivery, sensing and detection. Combining this innovative area of research with the progress made in machine learning will aid in the design of sophisticated DNA machinery. Herein, we present a novel framework based on a transformer architecture and a deep learning model which can predict the rate constant of toehold-mediated strand displacement, the underlying process in dynamic DNA nanotechnology.

Organisation and delivery of a dedicated multidisciplinary prone ventilation team in the intensive care unit: Strategies and lessons from COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19 placed immense strain on healthcare systems, necessitating innovative responses to the surge of critically ill patients, particularly those requiring mechanical ventilation. In this report, we detail the establishment of a dedicated critical care prone positioning team at University Hospital Southampton in response to escalating demand for prone positioning during the initial wave of the pandemic.

Methods: The formation of a prone positioning team involved meticulous planning and collaboration across disciplines to ensure safe and efficient manoeuvrers.

Prone Positioning in Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients: Timing of Initiation and Outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a broad implementation of proning to enhance oxygenation in both self-ventilating and mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with acute severe hypoxic respiratory failure. However, there is little data on the impact of the timing of the initiation of prone positioning in COVID-19 patients receiving mechanical ventilation. In this study, we analyzed our proning practices in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients.

Data for crystallisation of a homologous series of single and mixed n-alkanes (C - C) from representative hydrocarbon fuel solvents.

The data presented in this article relates to the crystallisation of 8 single n-alkanes, CH - CH in representative diesel solvents dodecane and toluene, as well as a mixture of these 8-alkanes with a composition representative of real diesel fuel in the same solvents. For the single alkane systems, the data was collected over a range of 5 concentrations ranging from 0.09 - 0.

A common framework for mouse hypothalamic cell atlases.

An explosion of recent work has harnessed the power of single-cell biology to reveal the transcriptomic diversity of cell types in the mouse hypothalamus. Steuernagel, Lam and co-authors present HypoMap, a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the mouse hypothalamus.

Vertex protein PduN tunes encapsulated pathway performance by dictating bacterial metabolosome morphology.

Engineering subcellular organization in microbes shows great promise in addressing bottlenecks in metabolic engineering efforts; however, rules guiding selection of an organization strategy or platform are lacking. Here, we study compartment morphology as a factor in mediating encapsulated pathway performance. Using the 1,2-propanediol utilization microcompartment (Pdu MCP) system from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2, we find that we can shift the morphology of this protein nanoreactor from polyhedral to tubular by removing vertex protein PduN.

Dynamic blood oxygen indices in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure: A cohort study.

Background: Acute hypoxic respiratory failure (AHRF) is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 pneumonia and often requires supplementary oxygen therapy. Critically ill COVID-19 patients may require invasive mechanical ventilation, which carries significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding of the relationship between dynamic changes in blood oxygen indices and clinical variables is lacking.

Immuno-Modulatory Effects of Microparticles Formulated from Degradable Polystyrene Analogue.

Environmental accumulation of non-degradable polystyrene (PS) microparticles from plastic waste poses potential adverse impact on marine life and human health. Herein, microparticles from a degradable PS analogue (dePS) are formulated and their immuno-modulatory characteristics are comprehensively evaluated. Both dePS copolymer and microparticles are chemically degradable under accelerated hydrolytic condition.

Backbone degradable poly(acrylic acid) analogue via radical ring-opening copolymerization and enhanced biodegradability.

Degradable poly(acrylic acid) has been prepared via free radical ring-opening copolymerization of tert-butyl acrylate and 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane followed by tert-butyl deprotection, under acidic conditions. The resulting degradable poly(acrylic acid) analogue possesses ester groups within the backbone, which facilitate environmental hydrolysis into short chain oligomers, which subsequently undergo biodegradation. The degradable poly(acrylic acid) reported displays a significant degree of biodegradability (27.

Pharmacological characterization of a structural hybrid P2X7R antagonist using ATP and LL-37.

Antagonists of the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) have the potential to treat diseases where neuroinflammation is present such as depression, chronic pain and Alzheimer's disease. We recently developed a structural hybrid (C1; 1-((adamantan-1-yl)methyl)-2-cyano-3-(quinolin-5-yl)guanidine) of a purported competitive P2X7R antagonist (C2; 2-cyano-1-((1S)-1-phenylethyl)-3-(quinolin-5-yl)guanidine) and a likely negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of the P2X7R (C3; N-((adamantan-1-yl)methyl)-2-chloro-5-methoxybenzamide). Here we aimed to pharmacologically characterize C1, to gain insights into how select structural components impact antagonist interaction with the P2X7R.

Neurokinin B-Expressing Neurons of the Central Extended Amygdala Mediate Inhibitory Synaptic Input onto Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neuron Subpopulations.

The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) is a highly conserved brain region critical for maintaining physiological homeostasis and goal-directed behavior. LHA neurons that express melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) are key regulators of arousal, energy balance, and motivated behavior. However, cellular and functional diversity among LHA neurons is not well understood.

Cellular taxonomy and spatial organization of the murine ventral posterior hypothalamus.

The ventral posterior hypothalamus (VPH) is an anatomically complex brain region implicated in arousal, reproduction, energy balance, and memory processing. However, neuronal cell type diversity within the VPH is poorly understood, an impediment to deconstructing the roles of distinct VPH circuits in physiology and behavior. To address this question, we employed a droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach to systematically classify molecularly distinct cell populations in the mouse VPH.

Conscious prone positioning during non-invasive ventilation in COVID-19 patients: experience from a single centre.

Critically ill patients admitted to hospital following SARS-CoV-2 infection often experience hypoxic respiratory failure and a proportion require invasive mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygenation. The combination of prone positioning and non-invasive ventilation in conscious patients may have a role in improving oxygenation. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of prone positioning in spontaneously ventilating patients receiving non-invasive ventilation admitted to the intensive care.

GABA receptor density alterations revealed in a mouse model of early moderate prenatal ethanol exposure using [F]AH114726.

Introduction: Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) has been shown to alter the level and function of receptors in the brain, one of which is GABA receptors (GABAR), the major inhibitory ligand gated ion channels that mediate neuronal inhibition. High dose PEE in animals resulted in the upregulation of GABAR, but the effects of low and moderate dose PEE at early gestation have not been investigated. This study aimed at examining GABAR density in the adult mouse brain following PEE during a period equivalent to the first 3 to 4 weeks in human gestation.

A general strategy for degradable single-chain nanoparticles via cross-linker mediated chain collapse of radical copolymers.

Radical ring-opening copolymerization (rROP) between 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) and methacrylic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHSMA) furnishes a reactive polyester-based linear copolymer precursor. Subsequent cross-linker mediated chain collapse affords degradable single-chain nanoparticles (DSCNPs). This methodology is an experimentally robust and straightforward route to main-chain degradable polymeric nanoparticles in the sub-30 nm size range.

Perylene Diimide Nanoprobes for In Vivo Tracking of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Using Photoacoustic Imaging.

Noninvasive bioimaging techniques are critical for assessing the biodistribution of cellular therapies longitudinally. Among them, photoacoustic imaging (PAI) can generate high-resolution images with a tissue penetration depth of ∼4 cm. However, it is essential and still highly challenging to develop stable and efficient near-infrared (NIR) probes with low toxicity for PAI.

Unraveling the History and Revisiting the Synthesis of Degradable Polystyrene Analogues via Radical Ring-Opening Copolymerization with Cyclic Ketene Acetals.

Degradable analogues of polystyrene are synthesized via radical ring-opening (co)polymerization (rROP) between styrene and two cyclic ketene acetals, namely 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) and 5,6-benzo-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (BMDO). This approach periodically inserts ester bonds throughout the main chain of polystyrene, imparting a degradation pathway via ester hydrolysis. We discuss the historical record of this approach, with careful attention paid to the conflicting findings previously reported.