Effects of light on biological functions and human sleep.

The nonvisual effects of light in humans are mainly conveyed by a subset of retinal ganglion cells that contain the pigment melanopsin which renders them intrinsically photosensitive (= intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, ipRGCs). They have direct connections to the main circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus and modulate a variety of physiological processes, pineal melatonin secretion, autonomic functions, cognitive processes such as attention, and behavior, including sleep and wakefulness. This is because efferent projections from the SCN reach other hypothalamic nuclei, the pineal gland, thalamus, basal forebrain, and the brainstem.

Fannyhessea vaginae and clearance of Lactobacillus iners are associated with incident non-chlamydial non-Mycoplasma genitalium urethritis in men who have sex with women.

Background: The etiology of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is incompletely understood. We sought to determine if genitourinary bacterial diversity or specific taxa were associated with incident NGU.

Methods: From August 2014-July 2018, men who have sex with women attending a sexual health clinic were clinically evaluated, including Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) testing, at enrollment and six monthly visits.

Combining sequential extractions with bulk and micro X-ray spectroscopy to elucidate iron and phosphorus speciation in sediments of an iron-treated peat lake.

In shallow lakes, mobilization of legacy phosphorus (P) from the sediments can be the main cause for persisting eutrophication after reduction of external P input. In-lake remediation measures can be applied to reduce internal P loading and to achieve ecosystem recovery. The eutrophic shallow peat lake Terra Nova (The Netherlands) was treated with iron (Fe) to enhance P retention in the sediment.

Initial construct stability of long cephalomedullary nails with superior locking for a complex trochanteric fracture model AO31A2.2- a biomechanical study.

Background: Complex fractures of the trochanteric region, as well as fractures located in the directly subtrochanteric region, are controversially discussed around the world regarding the nail type to be used. A long nail is recommended by manufacturers but requires longer surgical and fluoroscopy times. A possible solution could be a nail with an appropriate length which can be locked in a minimally invasive manner by the main aiming device.

Insights into physiological roles of flavonoids in plant cold acclimation.

Flavonoids represent a diverse group of plant specialised metabolites which are also discussed in the context of dietary health and inflammatory response. Numerous studies have revealed that flavonoids play a central role in plant acclimation to abiotic factors like low temperature or high light, but their structural and functional diversity frequently prevents a detailed mechanistic understanding. Further complexity in analysing flavonoid metabolism arises from the different subcellular compartments which are involved in biosynthesis and storage.

Application of quality indicators and critical lessons learned assessment as a research approach for the evaluation of rescue missions during terrorist attacks.

In Wuerzburg, Germany, a terrorist attack and a killing rampage occurred five years apart (2016 and 2021). Following a structured evaluation of the rescue mission in 2016, a bundle of quality indicators and ten "lessons learned" were defined. Aim of the presented study was to compare the two rescue missions and to critically review the lessons learned from 2016 for their implementation and feasibility.

Serious adverse events reporting in recent randomised clinical trials in intensive care medicine - A methodological study protocol.

Background: Serious adverse events (SAEs) are common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Reporting of SAEs in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) varies why underreporting is likely. We aim to describe the reporting of SAEs from 2020 onwards and to illustrate the recent reporting of SAEs published in major medical journals.

Metadata recommendations for light logging and dosimetry datasets.

Background: Light exposure significantly impacts human health, regulating our circadian clock, sleep-wake cycle and other physiological processes. With the emergence of wearable light loggers and dosimeters, research on real-world light exposure effects is growing. There is a critical need to standardize data collection and documentation across studies.

Gardnerella Species and Their Association With Bacterial Vaginosis.

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition marked by high vaginal bacterial diversity. Gardnerella vaginalis has been implicated in BV but is also detected in healthy women. The Gardnerella genus has been expanded to encompass 6 validly named species and several genomospecies.

Towards an evidence-based integrative lighting score: a proposed multi-level approach.

Human circadian clocks are synchronized daily with the external light-dark cycle and entrained to the 24-hour day. There is increasing evidence that a lack of synchronization and circadian entrainment can lead to adverse health effects. Beyond vision, light plays a critical role in modulating many so-called non-visual functions, including sleep-wake cycles, alertness, mood and endocrine functions.

Open-Source Python Module for the Analysis of Personalized Light Exposure Data from Wearable Light Loggers and Dosimeters.

Light exposure fundamentally influences human physiology and behavior, with light being the most important of the circadian system. Throughout the day, people are exposed to various scenes differing in light level, spectral composition and spatio-temporal properties. Personalized light exposure can be measured through wearable light loggers and dosimeters, including wrist-worn actimeters containing light sensors, yielding time series of an individual's light exposure.

A prospective cohort study examining the association between the periconceptual vaginal microbiota and first-trimester miscarriage in Kenyan women.

Background: Studies evaluating the association between the vaginal microbiota and miscarriage have produced variable results.

Objective: This study evaluated the association between periconceptual and first-trimester vaginal microbiota and women's risk for miscarriage.

Methods: At monthly preconception visits and at 9-12 weeks gestation, women collected vaginal swabs for molecular characterisation of the vaginal microbiota.

Empirical meropenem versus piperacillin/tazobactam for adult patients with sepsis (EMPRESS) trial: Protocol.

Background: Piperacillin/tazobactam may be associated with less favourable outcomes than carbapenems in patients with severe bacterial infections, but the certainty of evidence is low.

Methods: The Empirical Meropenem versus Piperacillin/Tazobactam for Adult Patients with Sepsis (EMPRESS) trial is an investigator-initiated, international, parallel-group, randomised, open-label, adaptive clinical trial with an integrated feasibility phase. We will randomise adult, critically ill patients with sepsis to empirical treatment with meropenem or piperacillin/tazobactam for up to 30 days.

The infraacetabular screw versus the antegrade posterior column screw in acetabulum fractures with posterior column involvement: a biomechanical comparison.

Introduction: Traditionally, plate osteosynthesis of the anterior column combined with an antegrade posterior column screw is used for fixation of anterior column plus posterior hemitransverse (ACPHT) acetabulum fractures. Replacing the posterior column screw with an infraacetabular screw could improve the straightforwardness of acetabulum surgery, as it can be inserted using less invasive approaches, such as the AIP/Stoppa approach, which is a well-established standard approach. However, the biomechanical stability of a plate osteosynthesis combined with an infraacetabular screw instead of an antegrade posterior column screw is unknown.

Empirical carbapenems or piperacillin/tazobactam for infections in intensive care: An international retrospective cohort study.

Background: Critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU) are frequently administered broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., carbapenems or piperacillin/tazobactam) for suspected or confirmed infections.

A practical guide for the preparation of C1-labeled α-amino acids using aldehyde catalysis with isotopically labeled CO.

Isotopically carbon-labeled α-amino acids are valuable synthetic targets that are increasingly needed in pharmacology and medical imaging. Existing preparations rely on early stage introduction of the isotopic label, which leads to prohibitive synthetic costs and time-intensive preparations. Here we describe a protocol for the preparation of C1-labeled α-amino acids using simple aldehyde catalysts in conjunction with [*C]CO (* = 14, 13, 11).

Examining the structure validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index among female workers during New Zealand's initial COVID-19 lockdown.

Sleep is important for good physical and mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown created a unique context that impacted psychological and social drivers for sleeping well. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a widely used measurement tool assessing subjective sleep quality.

An omics-based machine learning approach to predict diabetes progression: a RHAPSODY study.

Aims/hypothesis: People with type 2 diabetes are heterogeneous in their disease trajectory, with some progressing more quickly to insulin initiation than others. Although classical biomarkers such as age, HbA and diabetes duration are associated with glycaemic progression, it is unclear how well such variables predict insulin initiation or requirement and whether newly identified markers have added predictive value.

Methods: In two prospective cohort studies as part of IMI-RHAPSODY, we investigated whether clinical variables and three types of molecular markers (metabolites, lipids, proteins) can predict time to insulin requirement using different machine learning approaches (lasso, ridge, GRridge, random forest).

Late Local Recurrence after Neoadjuvant Therapy and Radical Resection for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) and lately total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) improved local recurrence rates of rectal cancer significantly compared to total mesorectal excision (TME) alone. Yet the occurrence and impact of late local recurrences after many years appears to be a distinct biological problem. We included = 188 patients with rectal cancer after RCT and radical resection in this study; = 38 of which had recurrent disease (sites: local (8.

Heterogeneity of treatment effect of higher dose dexamethasone by geographic region (Europe vs. India) in patients with COVID-19 and severe hypoxemia - a evaluation of the COVID STEROID 2 trial.

Background: In the COVID-STEROID 2 trial there was suggestion of heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE) between patients enrolled from Europe vs. India on the primary outcome. Whether there was HTE for the remaining patient-centred outcomes is unclear.

Impact of iron addition on phosphorus dynamics in sediments of a shallow peat lake 10 years after treatment.

Internal phosphorus (P) loading is a key water quality challenge for shallow lakes. Addition of iron (Fe) salts has been used to enhance P retention in lake sediments. However, its effects on sediment geochemistry are poorly studied, albeit pivotal for remediation success.

Photocatalyzed radiosynthesis of C-phenylacetic acids.

Fast and straightforward incorporation of radionuclides into pharmaceutically relevant molecules is one of the main barriers to preclinical and clinical tracer research. Late-stage direct incorporation of cyclotron-produced [C]CO to afford carbon-11-labeled radiopharmaceuticals has the potential to provide ready-to-inject positron emission tomography agents in less than an hour. The present work describes photocatalyzed carboxylation of alkylbenzene derivatives to afford C-phenylacetic acids.

Ultradian sleep cycles: Frequency, duration, and associations with individual and environmental factors-A retrospective study.

Objective: Sleep varies between individuals in response to sleep-wake history and various environmental factors, including light and noise. Here we report on the intranight variation of the ultradian nonrapid eye movement-rapid eye movement (NREM-REM) sleep cycle in 369 participants who have contributed to different laboratory studies from 1994 to 2020 at the Centre for Chronobiology, Basel, Switzerland.

Results: We observed a large interindividual variability in sleep cycle duration, including NREM and REM sleep episodes in healthy participants who were given an 8-hour sleep opportunity at habitual bedtime in controlled laboratory settings.

Dexamethasone doses in patients with COVID-19 and hypoxia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal dose of dexamethasone for severe/critical COVID-19 is uncertain. We compared higher versus standard doses of dexamethasone in adults with COVID-19 and hypoxia.

Methods: We searched PubMed and trial registers until 23 June 2023 for randomised clinical trials comparing higher (>6 mg) versus standard doses (6 mg) of dexamethasone in adults with COVID-19 and hypoxia.

[Not Available].

Platform trials focus on the perpetual testing of many interventions in a disease or a setting. These trials have lasting organizational, administrative, data, analytic, and operational frameworks making them highly efficient. The use of adaptation often increases the probabilities of allocating participants to better interventions and obtaining conclusive results.