Publications by authors named "Betts R"

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in polluted air influences the composition of the skin microbiome, which in turn is associated with altered skin phenotypes. However, the interactions between PAH exposure and viromes are unclear. This study aims to elucidate how PAH exposure affects the composition and function of skin viruses, their role in shaping the metabolism of bacterial hosts, and the subsequent effects on skin phenotype.

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Tendon injury and healing involve significant changes to tissue biology and composition. Current techniques often require animal sacrifice or tissue destruction, limiting assessment of dynamic changes in tendons, including treatment response, disease development, rupture risk, and healing progression. Changes in tendon composition, such as altered collagen content, can significantly impact tendon mechanics and function.

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Machine learning is becoming a valuable tool in the characterisation and property prediction of liquid crystals. It is thus worthwhile to be aware of the possibilities but also the limitations of current machine learning algorithms. In this study we investigated a phase sequence of isotropic - fluid smecticA - hexatic smectic B - soft crystal CrE - crystalline.

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The possibility that the Amazon forest system could soon reach a tipping point, inducing large-scale collapse, has raised global concern. For 65 million years, Amazonian forests remained relatively resilient to climatic variability. Now, the region is increasingly exposed to unprecedented stress from warming temperatures, extreme droughts, deforestation and fires, even in central and remote parts of the system.

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Tendon injury and healing involve intricate changes to tissue metabolism, biology, and inflammation. Current techniques often require animal euthanasia or tissue destruction, limiting assessment of dynamic changes in tendon, including treatment response, disease development, rupture risk, and healing progression. Microdialysis, a minimally invasive technique, offers potential for longitudinal assessment, yet it has not been applied to rat tendon models.

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Background: Increasing evidence points to a pathophysiological role for the cerebellum in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, regional cerebellar changes associated with motor and non-motor functioning remain to be elucidated.

Objective: To quantify cross-sectional regional cerebellar lobule volumes using three dimensional T1-weighted anatomical brain magnetic resonance imaging from the global ENIGMA-PD working group.

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Introduction: Esthetic procedures are currently among the most effective options for consumers seeking to correct aging signs such as fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone unevenness. Currently, there is a scientific need for an adjunct active to be paired with esthetic procedures to encourage wound recovery and address postprocedure pigmentation concerns.

Objective: Toward that goal, this study assessed the efficacy of a peptide created from a multi-component reaction (multi-component peptide, MCP) as a model active for postprocedure care and evaluated its ability to promote skin healing in an ablative laser-induced wound model on the forearm.

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Article Synopsis
  • The central Congo Basin peatlands store approximately 29 billion tonnes of carbon, with a new model called DigiBog_Congo developed to simulate their carbon accumulation and loss over the last 20,000 years.
  • Key factors influencing peat carbon dynamics include water levels at the surface and the slow decay of resistant plant material, with periods of gaining and losing carbon observed between the Late Glacial and early Holocene.
  • A significant climatic dry phase starting around 5200 years ago led to extensive peat degradation, where 57% of the carbon stock was released, highlighting the potential impact of climate change on these vital carbon stores in the future.
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Introduction: Eating behaviors encompass disordered eating behaviors (e.g., overeating, binge eating, and associated symptoms of binge eating) and intuitive eating.

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The increase in greenhouse gasses (GHG) anthropogenic emissions and deforestation over the last decades have led to many chemical and physical changes in the climate system, affecting the atmosphere's energy and water balance. A process that could be affected is the Amazonian moisture transport in the South American continent (including La Plata basin), which is crucial to the southeast Brazilian water regime. The focus of our research is on evaluating how local (i.

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Experimental polarising microscopy texture images of the fluid smectic phases and sub-phases of the classic liquid crystal MHPOBC were classified as paraelectric (SmA*), ferroelectric (SmC*), ferrielectric (SmC*), and antiferroelectric (SmC*) using convolutional neural networks, CNNs. Two neural network architectures were tested, a sequential convolutional neural network with varying numbers of layers and a simplified inception model with varying number of inception blocks. Both models are successful in binary classifications between different phases as well as classification between all four phases.

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Afforestation and reforestation to meet 'Net Zero' emissions targets are considered a necessary policy by many countries. Their potential benefits are usually assessed through forest carbon and growth models. The implementation of vegetation demography gives scope to represent forest management and other size-dependent processes within land surface models (LSMs).

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Background: The effects of air pollutants, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on the skin microbiome remain poorly understood. Thus, to better understand the interplay between air pollutants, microbiomes, and skin conditions, we applied metagenomics and metabolomics to analyze the effects of PAHs in air pollution on the skin microbiomes of over 120 subjects residing in two cities in China with different levels of air pollution.

Results: The skin microbiomes differentiated into two cutotypes (termed 1 and 2) with distinct taxonomic, functional, resistome, and metabolite compositions as well as skin phenotypes that transcended geography and host factors.

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Background: In-hospital deterioration among ward patients is associated with substantially increased adverse outcome rates. In 2013 Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) developed and implemented a predictive analytics-driven program, Advance Alert Monitor (AAM), to improve early detection and intervention for in-hospital deterioration. The AAM predictive model is designed to give clinicians 12 hours of lead time before clinical deterioration, permitting early detection and a patient goals-concordant response to prevent worsening.

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The first evidence for X(3872) production in relativistic heavy ion collisions is reported. The X(3872) production is studied in lead-lead (Pb-Pb) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV per nucleon pair, using the decay chain X(3872)→J/ψπ^{+}π^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}π^{+}π^{-}.

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Background: Ultraviolet exposure has profound effect on the dermal connective tissue of human skin.

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate an evaluation method/methodology using a full-thickness reconstructed skin model, to assess the anti-photoaging efficacy of cosmetic ingredients and sunscreen formulas by blending multi relevant biological endpoints including the newly developed dermal collagen quantification method with Multi-photon microscopy.

Methods: The response of ex vivo human skin to UVA exposure was first characterized with multiphoton microscopy.

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The 880 million agricultural workers of the world are especially vulnerable to increasing heat stress due to climate change, affecting the health of individuals and reducing labour productivity. In this study, we focus on rice harvests across Asia and estimate the future impact on labour productivity by considering changes in climate at the time of the annual harvest. During these specific times of the year, heat stress is often high compared to the rest of the year.

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Background: Urban pollution is correlated with an increased prevalence of skin pigmentation disorders, however the physiological processes underlying this association are unclear.

Objectives: To delineate the relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a key constituent of atmospheric pollution, and immunity/skin pigmentation pathways.

Methods: We exposed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to PAHs and performed cytokines/chemokine profiling.

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