Peer reviewers' conflicts of interest in biomedical research: scoping review.

Background: Peer review may improve the quality of research manuscripts and aid in editorial decisions, but reviewers can have conflicts of interest that impact on their recommendations.

Objectives: The objective was to systematically map and describe the extent and nature of empirical research on peer reviewers' conflicts of interest in biomedical research.

Design: Scoping review METHODS: In this scoping review, we included studies investigating peer reviewers' conflicts of interest in journal manuscripts, theses and dissertations, conference abstracts, funding applications and clinical guidelines.

How much resources are reasonable to spend on radiological protection?

In short terms, a society's available resources are finite and must be prioritised. The more resources that are spent on radiological protection, the lesser resources are available for other needs. The ALARA principle states that exposure of ionising radiation should be kept as low as reasonably achievable, taking into account economic and societal factors.

Thermally induced neuronal plasticity in the hypothalamus mediates heat tolerance.

Heat acclimation is an adaptive process that improves physiological performance and supports survival in the face of increasing environmental temperatures, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we identified a discrete group of neurons in the mouse hypothalamic preoptic area (POA) that rheostatically increase their activity over the course of heat acclimation, a property required for mice to become heat tolerant. In non-acclimated mice, peripheral thermoafferent pathways via the parabrachial nucleus activate POA neurons and mediate acute heat-defense mechanisms.

coexpressing neurons modulate the suppression of food intake and body weight by a GLP-1/leptin dual agonist.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and leptin signal recent feeding and long-term energy stores, respectively, and play complementary roles in the modulation of energy balance. Previous work using single-cell techniques in mice revealed the existence of a population of leptin receptor ()-containing dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) neurons marked by the expression of GLP-1 receptor (; LepR neurons) that play important roles in the control of feeding and body weight by leptin. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a population of LepR neurons in the DMHs of nonhuman primates (NHPs), suggesting the potential translational relevance of these neurons.

Combined plasma lens and rephasing stage for a laser wakefield accelerator.

Electrons from a laser wakefield accelerator have a limited energy gain due to dephasing and are prone to emittance growth, causing a large divergence. In this paper, we experimentally show that adjusting the plasma density profile can address both issues. Shock-assisted ionisation injection is used to produce 100 MeV quasi-monoenergetic electron bunches in the primary part of the accelerator.

Probabilistic analysis of tumor growth inhibition models to Support trial design.

A large enough sample size of patients is required to statistically show that one treatment is better than another. However, too large a sample size is expensive and can also result in findings that are statistically significant, but not clinically relevant. How sample sizes should be chosen is a well-studied problem in classical statistics and analytical expressions can be derived from the appropriate test statistic.

The Fragmentation of Specialty Care. The Role of Referral Location, Type of Referral, and Demographic Factors in Determining Completion Rates for Uninsured Patients in a Student-Run Free Clinic.

Little is known about how location of specialty care affects accessibility for uninsured patients at free clinics. To address this gap, the specialty referral completion rate by location and role of demographic and referral-specific factors were analyzed at an urban-based free clinic. A retrospective review was performed at a single site, student-run free clinic exclusively serving uninsured patients.

The SAM-Krom biomonitoring study shows occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium and increased genotoxicity in Denmark.

Background: Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a carcinogen. Exposure to Cr(VI) may occur in different industrial processes such as chrome plating and stainless steel welding. The aim of this study was to assess occupational exposure to Cr(VI) in Denmark.

Real World Evidence of User Experience with Microenemas for Relief of Constipation.

Background: Constipation is a commonly reported gastrointestinal complaint. Research on this widespread condition focuses mainly on clinical trials for chronic constipation with less emphasis on patient experience and nonchronic situations. Sufferers report that constipation interferes with daily activities and quality of life.

A survey of experts to identify methods to detect problematic studies: stage 1 of the INveStigating ProblEmatic Clinical Trials in Systematic Reviews project.

Background And Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) inform health-care decisions. Unfortunately, some published RCTs contain false data, and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesize all RCTs which have been conducted on a given topic.

Sex and Gender Differences in Alzheimer's Disease: Genetic, Hormonal, and Inflammation Impacts.

Two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are women, indicating a profound variance between the sexes. Variances exist between the sexes in the age and intensity of the presentation, cognitive deficits, neuroinflammatory factors, structural and functional brain changes, as well as psychosocial and cultural circumstances. Herein, we summarize the existing evidence for sexual dimorphism and present the available evidence for these distinctions.

Interventions facilitating the involvement of relatives of patients with acquired brain injury or malignant brain tumour: A scoping review.

Aim: To identify and map the evidence on interventions facilitating the involvement of relatives of patients with an acquired brain injury (ABI) or a malignant brain tumour (MBT).

Background: An ABI or a MBT are severe diseases that have profound impact on the lives of patients and their relatives. The well-being of the patient may be deteriorated, and relatives may experience a new role and changing caregiving tasks.

Microbial communities in feed, bedding material, and bulk milk: Experiences from a feeding trial.

There is an increasing interest in the microbiota of the dairy value chain, from field to fork. Studies to understand the effects of environmental, feed, and management factors on the raw milk microbiota have been performed to elucidate the origin of the bacteria and find ways to control the presence or absence of specific bacteria. In this study, we explored the microbiota in feedstuff, bedding material, and milk on a Swedish dairy farm to investigate the effects of feeding different silages on bacterial compositions throughout the dairy value chain.

Computed tomography (CT) scanning to visualize eye formation and internal structure in Grevé cheese.

The Grevé cheese, a semi-hard Swedish cheese, is well-known for its characteristic flavor and shape of eye formation. The size and distribution of the eyes play a crucial role for the sensory attributes, aesthetic value and quality of the cheese. This article focuses on investigating the feasibility of using computed tomography (CT) scanning as a non-destructive tool to observe early-stage eye formation in Grevé cheese within an industrial trial.

The microbiota of ensiled forages and of bulk tank milk on dairy cattle farms in northern Sweden.

Factors contributing to variations in the quality and microbiota of ensiled forages and in bulk tank microbiota in milk from cows fed different forages were investigated. Nutritional quality, fermentation parameters and hygiene quality of forage samples and corresponding bulk tank milk samples collected in 3 periods from 18 commercial farms located in northern Sweden were compared. Principal coordinates analysis revealed that the microbiota in forage and bulk milk, analyzed using 16S rRNA gene-based amplicon sequencing, were significantly different.

An Estimation of the Monetary Value of the Person-Sievert Useful for Occupational Radiological Protection within the Healthcare System of Sweden.

The As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle includes taking into account economic and societal factors. To consider these factors, decision-aiding techniques such as cost-benefit analysis were introduced by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 50 y ago. Over the years, developments in health economics have led to new ways of deriving the concept of a value of a statistical life (VSL), which now is influencing the monetary value assigned to a unit of collective dose for radiological protection purposes (the α value) used in cost-benefit analyses.

Person, Population, Mechanism. A Rejoinder to Critics and an Elaboration of the Three-Branch Model.

In a previous paper (Lundh, 2023), it was argued that psychological science can be seen as having three main branches, corresponding to three levels of research: research at the person level, at the population level, and at the mechanism level. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the critique that has been raised against this model by Lamiell (2024) and Nilsson (2024) and to elaborate and specify the three-branch model in more detail. This is done by an incorporation of Nilsson's concept of person-sensitivity into the model, and by a clearer differentiation between the two contrasts involved: (1) the focus either on individual persons or on populations of individuals; and (2) the focus either on whole-person functioning or on sub-personal mechanisms.

Mindfulness, Phenomenology, and Psychological Science.

Most present-day research on mindfulness treats mindfulness as a variable that is studied in relation to other variables. Although this research may provide us with important knowledge at the population level and mechanism level, it contributes little to our understanding of the phenomenon of mindfulness as it is experienced and enacted at the person level. The present paper takes a person-oriented phenomenological perspective on mindfulness, comparing this perspective with that of von Fircks' (2023).