Analysis of goal, feedback and rewards on sustained attention via machine learning.

Introduction: Sustaining attention is a notoriously difficult task as shown in a recent experiment where reaction times (RTs) and pupillometry data were recorded from 350 subjects in a 30-min vigilance task. Subjects were also presented with different types of goal, feedback, and reward.

Methods: In this study, we revisit this experimental data and solve three families of machine learning problems: (i) RT-regression problems, to predict subjects' RTs using all available data, (ii) RT-classification problems, to classify responses more broadly as attentive, semi-attentive, and inattentive, and (iii) to predict the subjects' experimental conditions from physiological data.

Is Younger Age a Risk Factor for Failure Following Aseptic Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Background: Revision total knee arthroplasties (rTKAs) are being performed more frequently in the United States in younger patients. Few large studies have evaluated the effect of age following rTKA. The study sought to evaluate the effect of age on rTKA outcomes.

Biofilms and microbiome profiles in chronic wounds: links to antibiotic use and wound severity in a Sri Lankan cohort.

Aims: We have characterized the microbiome of infected chronic diabetic wounds (CDWs), exploring associations with antibiotic use and wound severity in a Sri Lankan cohort.

Methods And Results: Fifty CDW patients were enrolled, 38 of whom received antibiotics. Tissue biopsies were analysed by microbiome profiling, and wounds were graded using the University of Texas Wound Grading System.

Development and Evaluation of In-House ELISAs for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibodies in COVID-19 Patients in Sri Lanka.

COVID-19 serological tests complement the molecular diagnostics and can be used as important tool for serosurveillance and vaccine efficiency evaluation. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the diagnostic performance of an in-house ELISA for retrospective serosurveillance of SARS-CoV-2. Total IgG and IgM levels in sera of PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 patients ( = 50) from North Colombo Teaching Hospital were evaluated and compared with sera ( = 50) collected from prepandemic healthy individuals as controls.

Impact of Extended Prophylactic Antibiotics on Risk of Prosthetic Joint Infection in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Matched Cohort Analysis.

Background: Extended oral prophylactic antibiotics have been increasingly used in arthroplasty with the goal of reducing the risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). While a reduction in the rate of PJI has been noted with extended oral antibiotic regimens in high-risk patients, no large database study has assessed infection risk after primary total hip arthroplasty among well-balanced cohorts receiving and not receiving postoperative extended oral antibiotics.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a national database, TriNetX, to identify patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty.

High serum levels of reactive nitrogen species and low total antioxidant capacity in patients with resistant hypertension compared to those in age- gender matched healthy controls, controlled hypertension and follow up with propranolol treatment in the extended APPROPRIATE trial.

Objectives: To perform a comparative analysis of the extended APPROPRIATE trial of measures of reactive nitrogen species and antioxidant capacity in patients having resistant hypertension with controlled hypertension and healthy controls.

Results: Mean serum NO- and NOx levels were significantly lower and mean AOC was significantly higher in patients with controlled hypertension (n = 38) and healthy controls (n = 38) compared to resistant hypertension (RHTN) patients (n = 40) at the pre-intervention stage (p < 0.001).

A novel double stator hybrid-excited Halbach permanent magnet flux-switching machine for EV/HEV traction applications.

This research paper introduces the Double Stator (DS) Hybrid Excitation (HE) Halbach Permanent Magnet (HPM) Flux Switching (FS) machine. The machine construction and its optimization specifically designed for electric vehicle (EV)/hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) traction applications are investigated. The optimization using a multi-objective Genetic Algorithm is conducted following a sensitivity analysis-based identification of key optimization parameters and constraints.

Anxiety, depression, and Type D personality in ischaemic heart disease patients receiving treatment from outpatient clinics in a government hospital in Sri Lanka.

Background: Anxiety, depression, and Type D personality are strongly correlated with the prognosis of IHD and the effectiveness of therapy. The main purpose of this study was to assess the proportions and associations of anxiety, depression, and Type D personality among clinically stable IHD patients (aged 18-60) treated at an outpatient clinic operated by a government hospital in Sri Lanka, who were diagnosed with IHD within the preceding three months.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was analysed using SPSS® version 23.

A Comparison of Wound Complications Following Total Hip Arthroplasty Performed Through the Direct Anterior Versus Direct Lateral Approach.

Background: Some studies have suggested the risk of wound complications may be higher using the direct anterior (DA) approach to total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study aimed to compare the risk of early postoperative wound complications between the DA and direct lateral (DL) approaches to THA and to determine patient risk factors that may contribute to this problem.

Methods: All patients who underwent primary THA with a single surgeon over a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed.

Preanalytical considerations for clinical assays of circulating human miRNA-451a, miRNA-423-5p and miRNA-199a-3p for diagnostic purposes.

Circulating miRNA has recently emerged as important biomolecules with potential clinical values as diagnostic markers for several diseases. However, to be used as such, it is critical to accurately quantify miRNAs in the clinic. Yet, preanalytical factors that can affect an error-free quantification of these miRNAs have not been explored.

Unravelling Streptococcus agalactiae: Serotype distribution, virulence factors, obstetrics history and clinical presentation correlations in tertiary care hospitals of the western province of Sri Lanka.

Purpose: This study investigated to detect serotypes and virulence genes of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolated from pregnant women.

Methods: Forty-five samples of GBS isolates from January to August 2019 at antenatal clinics of 4 teaching hospitals in Western Province, Sri Lanka were included. Isolated GBS were carried to identify 9 serotypes by multiplex PCR.

A CTCF-binding site in the Mdm1-Il22-Ifng locus shapes cytokine expression profiles and plays a critical role in early Th1 cell fate specification.

Cytokine expression during T cell differentiation is a highly regulated process that involves long-range promoter-enhancer and CTCF-CTCF contacts at cytokine loci. Here, we investigated the impact of dynamic chromatin loop formation within the topologically associating domain (TAD) in regulating the expression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-22 (IL-22); these cytokine loci are closely located in the genome and are associated with complex enhancer landscapes, which are selectively active in type 1 and type 3 lymphocytes. In situ Hi-C analyses revealed inducible TADs that insulated Ifng and Il22 enhancers during Th1 cell differentiation.

Development of a smartphone screening test for preclinical Alzheimer's disease and validation across the dementia continuum.

Background: Dementia prevalence is predicted to triple to 152 million globally by 2050. Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes 70% of cases. There is an urgent need to identify individuals with preclinical AD, a 10-20-year period of progressive brain pathology without noticeable cognitive symptoms, for targeted risk reduction.

Repeatability and reproducibility of prostate apparent diffusion coefficient values on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance linear accelerator.

Background And Purpose: Integrated magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR-Linac) systems offer potential for biologically based adaptive radiation therapy using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Accurate tracking of longitudinal ADC changes is key to establishing ADC-driven dose adaptation. Here, we report repeatability and reproducibility of intraprostatic ADC using deformable image registration (DIR) to correct for inter-fraction prostate changes.

Updated adult ferritin reference intervals based on a large, healthy UK sample, measured on Roche Cobas series analysers.

Background: There is a lack of standardization of reference intervals (RIs) for ferritin across laboratories, particularly for postmenopausal women. Depending on the RI used, there can be more than a 4-fold difference in the upper limit of normal between laboratories, resulting in potential misinterpretation.

Methods: This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over a 7-year period.

Perioperative nutritional status thought to be important, but poorly understood.

Objectives: Malnutrition has been shown to increase complications and leads to poor outcomes in surgical patients, but it has not been studied extensively in orthopedic trauma. This study's purpose is to determine the perspective and assessment of nutrition by orthopedic traumatologists.

Methods: A survey was created and distributed via REDCap to orthopedic traumatologists at 60 U.

Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) and Bard: Artificial Intelligence Does not yet Provide Clinically Supported Answers for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the creation of large language models (LLMs), such as Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) and Bard, that analyze online resources to synthesize responses to user queries. Despite their popularity, the accuracy of LLM responses to medical questions remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the responses of ChatGPT and Bard regarding treatments for hip and knee osteoarthritis with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) recommendations.

Extended Prophylactic Antibiotics for Primary and Aseptic Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: There is growing interest in extended antibiotic prophylaxis (EAP) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA); however, the benefit of EAP remains controversial. For this investigation, both oral and intravenous antibiotic protocols were included in the EAP group.

Methods: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Ovid Embase, Elton B.