Therapeutic effects of probiotics on symptoms of irritability/emotional lability associated with neurodevelopmental conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials.

Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the efficacies of probiotics in alleviating the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability in individuals with a neurodevelopmental condition.

Methods: Randomized placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major electronic databases from inception to December, 2023. The outcome of interests included improvements in the symptoms of irritability/emotional lability.

Validation of Muscle Ultrasound Speckle Tracking and the Effect of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Biceps Femoris Displacement.

Objective: This study aimed to validate the ultrasound speckle tracking (UST) algorithm, determine the optimal probe location by comparing normalized cross-correlation (NCC) values of muscle displacement at two locations (proximal vs. middle) of the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) using the UST, and investigate the effects of Nordic hamstring curl exercise (NHE) training on BFlh displacement.

Methods: UST efficacy was verified with ex vivo uniaxial testing of porcine leg muscles.

Enhancing public health outcomes with AI-powered clinical surveillance: Precise detection of COVID-19 variants using qPCR and nanopore sequencing.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of integrating the Varia5 multiplex assay (qPCR) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) for monitoring SARS-CoV-2, focusing on their overall performance in identifying various virus variants.

Methods: This study included 140 naso-pharyngeal swab samples from individuals with suspected COVID-19. We utilized our self-developed Varia5 multiplex assay, which targets five viral genes linked to COVID-19 mutations, in conjunction with comprehensive genomic analysis performed through whole genome sequencing (WGS) using the Oxford Nanopore system.

Impact of Probiotics on Triglyceride Level After Bariatric Surgery: A Trial Sequential Analysis.

This meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on triglyceride levels in patients after bariatric surgery. A comprehensive literature search identified seven randomized controlled trials involving 411 participants. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in triglyceride levels favoring probiotic supplementation (mean difference =  - 18.