Relationships among commercial practices and author conflicts of interest in biomedical publishing.

Recently, concerns have been raised over the potential impacts of commercial relationships on editorial practices in biomedical publishing. Specifically, it has been suggested that certain commercial relationships may make editors more open to publishing articles with author conflicts of interest (aCOI). Using a data set of 128,781 articles published in 159 journals, we evaluated the relationships among commercial publishing practices and reported author conflicts of interest.

Different Predictors Shape the Diversity Patterns of Epiphytic and Non-epiphytic Liverworts in Montane Forests of Uganda.

We studied the influence of regional and local variables on the liverwort diversity within natural forest vegetation of Uganda to contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms and processes determining species richness. To this end, we compared the species richness distribution patterns of epiphytic and non-epiphytic liverworts (Marchantiophytina) in 24 plots in the forests of four Ugandan national parks. We recorded a total of 119 species and subspecies from 18 families, including 16 new species records for the country.

Atrial fibrillation ablation in heart failure patients: improved systolic function after cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are the most common cardiac diseases and often coexist leading to increased mortality and morbidity compared with AF patients without HF. As shown previously, AF ablation using radio frequency (RF) in HF patients leads to a reduction of AF burden, an increase of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and consequently to reduced hospitalization and mortality. Previous AF ablation studies on HF patients have been liberal about additional targets beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

Stress cardiomyopathy associated with the first manifestation of multiple sclerosis: a case report.

Background: We present a case with a close temporal association of the first diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and stress cardiomyopathy.

Case Presentation: A 19-year-old man experienced severe dyspnoea. The cardiac biomarkers troponin T and NT-proBNP were elevated, and transthoracic echocardiography showed basal hypokinesia.

Understanding the vapochromic response of mixed copper(i) iodide/silver(i) Iodide nanoparticles toward dimethyl sulfide.

We report on the vapochromic behavior of a series of homo- and heterometallic copper(i) iodide/silver(i) iodide nanoparticles when exposed to dimethyl sulfide (DMS) vapor. These systems show remarkable colorimetric sensing behavior via emission color upon DMS exposure, shifting from pink to green emission. Kinetics measurements of CuI/AgI nanoparticle reactions with DMS show a significant rate increase with increasing Ag(i) content.

Matrix factorization and transfer learning uncover regulatory biology across multiple single-cell ATAC-seq data sets.

While the methods available for single-cell ATAC-seq analysis are well optimized for clustering cell types, the question of how to integrate multiple scATAC-seq data sets and/or sequencing modalities is still open. We present an analysis framework that enables such integration across scATAC-seq data sets by applying the CoGAPS Matrix Factorization algorithm and the projectR transfer learning program to identify common regulatory patterns across scATAC-seq data sets. We additionally integrate our analysis with scRNA-seq data to identify orthogonal evidence for transcriptional regulators predicted by scATAC-seq analysis.

Preparation of Nanoscale Semi-IPNs with an Interconnected Microporous Structure via Cationic Polymerization of Bio-Based Tung Oil in a Homogeneous Solution of Poly(ε-caprolactone).

Nanoscale semi-interpenetrating polymer networks of bio-based poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polymerized tung oil have been prepared via in situ cationic polymerization and compatibilization in a homogeneous solution. This novel blending technique produced a nanoscale morphology of poly(ε-caprolactone) with average particle sizes as small as 100 nm dispersed in a cross-linked tung oil matrix for 20 and 30 wt % PCL blend compositions. In addition, the exothermic cationic polymerization of tung oil in the presence of the PCL homogeneous solution created a microporous morphology with open three-dimensional interconnected cluster structures.

Shifts in food plant abundance for flower-visiting insects between 1900 and 2017 in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

Adult flower-visiting insects feed on nectar and pollen and partly collect floral resources to feed their larvae. The reduction in food availability has therefore been proposed as one of the main causes for the drastic decline in flower-visiting insects in Central Europe. We compared the current (2012-2017) abundances of food plants of different groups of flower-visiting insects to that of 1900-1930 in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

Reliable quantification of F-GE-180 PET neuroinflammation studies using an individually scaled population-based input function or late tissue-to-blood ratio.

Purpose: Tracer kinetic modeling of tissue time activity curves and the individual input function based on arterial blood sampling and metabolite correction is the gold standard for quantitative characterization of microglia activation by PET with the translocator protein (TSPO) ligand F-GE-180. This study tested simplified methods for quantification of F-GE-180 PET.

Methods: Dynamic F-GE-180 PET with arterial blood sampling and metabolite correction was performed in five healthy volunteers and 20 liver-transplanted patients.

Evolutionary history of modern Samoans.

Archaeological studies estimate the initial settlement of Samoa at 2,750 to 2,880 y ago and identify only limited settlement and human modification to the landscape until about 1,000 to 1,500 y ago. At this point, a complex history of migration is thought to have begun with the arrival of people sharing ancestry with Near Oceanic groups (i.e.

Impact of a community health conversation upon advance care planning attitudes and preparation intentions.

: Advance care planning conversations and preparations do not occur as frequently as they should. Framing advance care planning as a health behavior and an opportunity for community engagement can help improve community-dwellers' intentions to have discussions and preparations regarding facing serious illness, death and dying.: A multi-setting confidential pre/post paper survey assessing advance care planning discussions and preparation intentions was given to community-dwelling citizens residing in the New York metropolitan area.

Modifiable risk factors for 9-year mortality in older English and Brazilian adults: The ELSA and SIGa-Bagé ageing cohorts.

To quantify and compare 9-year all-cause mortality risk attributable to modifiable risk factors among older English and Brazilian adults. We used data for participants aged 60 years and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Bagé Cohort Study of Ageing (SIGa-Bagé). The five modifiable risk factors assessed at baseline were smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity.

Predictors of left ventricular reverse remodeling after percutaneous therapy for mitral regurgitation with the MitraClip system.

Objectives: To investigate the predictors and clinical impact of left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) after MitraClip (MC) therapy for degenerative (DMR) and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR).

Background: MC therapy induces LVRR in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) at high-risk for surgery. However, specific data on predictors of LVRR therapy are limited.

[Severe Metformin-Associated Lactic Acidosis in a 67-Year-Old Patient].

Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is a difficult to diagnose and potentially life-threatening disease. We report a rare case of severe MALA treated at our hospital's intensive care unit. Suspected diagnosis of MALA and quick initiation of an adequate therapy containing renal replacement therapy led to successful management of this complicated MALA-case.

Stable expansion of high-grade serous ovarian cancer organoids requires a low-Wnt environment.

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) likely originates from the fallopian tube (FT) epithelium. Here, we established 15 organoid lines from HGSOC primary tumor deposits that closely match the mutational profile and phenotype of the parental tumor. We found that Wnt pathway activation leads to growth arrest of these cancer organoids.

De novo mutations across 1,465 diverse genomes reveal mutational insights and reductions in the Amish founder population.

De novo mutations (DNMs), or mutations that appear in an individual despite not being seen in their parents, are an important source of genetic variation whose impact is relevant to studies of human evolution, genetics, and disease. Utilizing high-coverage whole-genome sequencing data as part of the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, we called 93,325 single-nucleotide DNMs across 1,465 trios from an array of diverse human populations, and used them to directly estimate and analyze DNM counts, rates, and spectra. We find a significant positive correlation between local recombination rate and local DNM rate, and that DNM rate explains a substantial portion (8.

Computerized Advisory Decision Support for Cardiovascular Diseases in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of an outpatient computerized advisory clinical decision support system (CDSS) on adherence to guideline-recommended treatment for heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia.

Methods: Twenty care teams (109 clinicians) in a primary care practice were cluster-randomized to either access or no access to an advisory CDSS integrated into the electronic medical record. For patients with an outpatient visit, the CDSS determined if they had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, hyperlipidemia, or atrial fibrillation; and if so, was the patient receiving guideline-recommended treatment.

Liquid crystalline networks based on photo-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry.

Photo-initiated thiol-ene click chemistry is used to develop shape memory liquid crystalline networks (LCNs). A biphenyl-based di-vinyl monomer is synthesized and cured with a di-thiol chain extender and a tetra-thiol crosslinker using UV light. The effects of photo-initiator concentration and UV light intensity on the curing behavior and liquid crystalline (LC) properties of the LCNs are investigated.

Macroimmunology: The drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defence.

The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales.

Use of Cardiac Biomarkers for Monitoring Improvement of Left Ventricular Function by Immunoadsorption Treatment in Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Immunoadsorption and subsequent administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) have shown beneficial effects on cardiac function and symptoms in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Biomarkers play an emerging role in disease monitoring and outcome prediction of heart failure (HF) patients. We aimed to analyze cardiac biomarkers as predictor for improvement of left ventricular (LV) function after immunoadsorption treatment in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Slowly but surely: gradual diversification and phenotypic evolution in the hyper-diverse tree fern family Cyatheaceae.

Background And Aims: The tremendously unbalanced distribution of species richness across clades in the tree of life is often interpreted as the result of variation in the rates of diversification, which may themselves respond to trait evolution. Even though this is likely a widespread pattern, not all diverse groups of organisms exhibit heterogeneity in their dynamics of diversification. Testing and characterizing the processes driving the evolution of clades with steady rates of diversification over long periods of time are of importance in order to have a full understanding of the build-up of biodiversity through time.