Can Hierarchical Transformers Learn Facial Geometry?

Human faces are a core part of our identity and expression, and thus, understanding facial geometry is key to capturing this information. Automated systems that seek to make use of this information must have a way of modeling facial features in a way that makes them accessible. Hierarchical, multi-level architectures have the capability of capturing the different resolutions of representation involved.

Development of Inhalable Spray Dried Nitrofurantoin Formulations for the Treatment of Emphysema.

A central characteristic of emphysematous progression is the continuous destruction of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM). Current treatments for emphysema have only addressed symptoms rather than preventing or reversing the loss of lung ECM. Nitrofurantoin (NF) is an antibiotic that has the potential to induce lung fibrosis as a side effect upon oral administration.

In vitro interactions of aerosol formulations with human nasal epithelium using real-time monitoring of drug transport in a nasal mucosa-on-a-chip.

The current organ-on-chip platforms used for studying respiratory drug delivery are limited to the administration of drug solutions and suspensions, lacking the in vivo aerosol drug administration and aerosol interaction with the respiratory tract barrier. Moreover, they mostly rely on conventional assays that require sample collection and 'off the chip' analyses, which can be labor-intensive and costly. In this study, a human nasal epithelial mucosa (NEM)-on-a-chip is developed that enables the deposition of aerosolized nasal formulations while emulating realistic shear stresses (0.

Efficacy of functional electrical stimulation in rehabilitating patients with foot drop symptoms after stroke and its correlation with somatosensory evoked potentials-a crossover randomised controlled trial.

Objective: The connectivity between somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and cortical plasticity remains elusive due to a lack of supporting data. This study investigates changes in pathological latencies and amplitudes of SEPs caused by an acute stroke after 2 weeks of rehabilitation with functional electrical stimulation (FES). Furthermore, changes in SEPs and the efficacy of FES against foot drop (FD) stroke symptoms were correlated using the 10-m walk test and foot-ankle strength.

Association of Mental Health Services Access and Reincarceration Among Adults Released From Prison in British Columbia, Canada.

Importance: Diagnosis of mental disorder is prevalent among people who have been incarcerated. Nevertheless, community mental health services are often limited following release from prison, and reincarceration rates are high. The prevalence of mental disorders is growing among people who are incarcerated in British Columbia (BC), Canada, increasing the urgency of timely and accessible mental health services after release.

Use of peripheral electrical stimulation on healthy individual and patients after stroke and its effects on the somatosensory evoked potentials. A systematic review.

Introduction: To date, a few studies have used somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) to demonstrate cortical sensory changes among healthy subjects or to estimate cortical plasticity and rehabilitation prognosis in stroke patients after peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) intervention. The primary aim was to systematically review whether PES has a role in changing latencies and amplitudes of SEPs in healthy subjects and stroke patients. Moreover, we searched for a correlation between sensory and motor function assessments and changes in SEP components of included studies.

Stimulant use disorder diagnosis and opioid agonist treatment dispensation following release from prison: a cohort study.

Background: Concurrent opioid and stimulant use is on the rise in North America. This increasing trend of use has been observed in the general population, and among people released from prison in British Columbia (BC), who face an elevated risk of overdose post-release. Opioid agonist treatment is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder and reduces risk of overdose mortality.

CD19/CD20 Bispecific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) in Naive/Memory T Cells for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Unlabelled: To address antigen escape and loss of T-cell functionality, we report a phase I clinical trial (NCT04007029) evaluating autologous naive and memory T (TN/MEM) cells engineered to express a bispecific anti-CD19/CD20 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR; CART19/20) for patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with safety as the primary endpoint. Ten patients were treated with 36 × 106 to 165 × 106 CART19/20 cells. No patient experienced neurotoxicity of any grade or over grade 1 cytokine release syndrome.

Real-time in-situ electrochemical monitoring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms grown on air-liquid interface and its antibiotic susceptibility using a novel dual-chamber microfluidic device.

Biofilms are communities of bacterial cells encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix that exhibit high tolerance toward environmental stress. Despite the plethora of research on biofilms, most P. aeruginosa biofilm models are cultured on a solid-liquid interface, and the longitudinal growth characteristics of P.

HIV Incidence, Recent HIV Infection, and Associated Factors, Kenya, 2007-2018.

Nationally representative surveys provide an opportunity to assess trends in recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection based on assays for recent HIV infection. We assessed HIV incidence in Kenya in 2018 and trends in recent HIV infection among adolescents and adults in Kenya using nationally representative household surveys conducted in 2007, 2012, and 2018. To assess trends, we defined a recent HIV infection testing algorithm (RITA) that classified as recently infected (<12 months) those HIV-positive participants that were recent on the HIV-1 limiting antigen (LAg)-avidity assay without evidence of antiretroviral use.

A multiarticulate pediatric prosthetic hand for clinical and research applications.

Although beginning to emerge, multiarticulate upper limb prostheses for children remain sparse despite the continued advancement of mechatronic technologies that have benefited adults with upper limb amputations. Upper limb prosthesis research is primarily focused on adults, even though rates of pediatric prosthetic abandonment far surpass those seen in adults. The implicit goal of a prosthesis is to provide effective functionality while promoting healthy social interaction.

Periodic limb movements in sleep are linked to decreased hippocampus and amygdala volumes in the population-based BiDirect Study.

Study Objectives: Even though numerous studies indicate that sleep disorders are associated with altered brain morphology, MRI studies focusing on periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) are scarce. Our aim was to investigate the association of PLMS with global and regional gray matter volumes as well as white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-nine subjects (57.

SARS-CoV-2 drives NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human microglia through spike protein.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is primarily a respiratory disease, however, an increasing number of reports indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection can also cause severe neurological manifestations, including precipitating cases of probable Parkinson's disease. As microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation is a major driver of neurodegeneration, here we interrogated whether SARS-CoV-2 can promote microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Using SARS-CoV-2 infection of transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) as a COVID-19 pre-clinical model, we established the presence of virus in the brain together with microglial activation and NLRP3 inflammasome upregulation in comparison to uninfected mice.

Hypothermic versus Normothermic Temperature Control after Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: The evidence for temperature control for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest is inconclusive. Controversy exists as to whether the effects of hypothermia differ per the circumstances of the cardiac arrest or patient characteristics. METHODS: An individual patient data meta-analysis of the Targeted Temperature Management at 33°C versus 36°C after Cardiac Arrest (TTM) and Hypothermia versus Normothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (TTM2) trials was conducted.

Early Active Mobilization during Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness often develops in patients who are undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation. Early active mobilization may mitigate ICU-acquired weakness, increase survival, and reduce disability.

Methods: We randomly assigned 750 adult patients in the ICU who were undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation to receive increased early mobilization (sedation minimization and daily physiotherapy) or usual care (the level of mobilization that was normally provided in each ICU).

Effect of Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract on Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Whether selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) reduces mortality in critically ill patients remains uncertain.

Objective: To determine whether SDD reduces in-hospital mortality in critically ill adults.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A cluster, crossover, randomized clinical trial that recruited 5982 mechanically ventilated adults from 19 intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia between April 2018 and May 2021 (final follow-up, August 2021).

Oxygen targets and 6-month outcome after out of hospital cardiac arrest: a pre-planned sub-analysis of the targeted hypothermia versus targeted normothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (TTM2) trial.

Background: Optimal oxygen targets in patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest are uncertain. The primary aim of this study was to describe the values of partial pressure of oxygen values (PaO) and the episodes of hypoxemia and hyperoxemia occurring within the first 72 h of mechanical ventilation in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. The secondary aim was to evaluate the association of PaO with patients' outcome.