Long-Term Resistance Trained Human Muscles Have More Fibers, More Myofibrils, and Tighter Myofilament Packing Than Untrained.

Introduction: Increases in skeletal muscle size occur in response to prolonged exposure to resistance training that is typically ascribed to increased muscle fiber size. Whether muscle fiber number also changes remains controversial, and a paucity of data exists about myofibrillar structure. This cross-sectional study compared muscle fiber and myofibril characteristics in long-term resistance-trained (LRT) versus untrained (UNT) individuals.

Prolonged mass azithromycin distributions and macrolide resistance determinants among preschool children in Niger: A sub-study of a cluster-randomized trial (MORDOR).

Background: Randomized controlled trials found that twice-yearly mass azithromycin administration (MDA) reduces childhood mortality, presumably by reducing infection burden. World Health Organization (WHO) issued conditional guidelines for mass azithromycin administration in high-mortality settings in sub-Saharan Africa given concerns for antibiotic resistance. While prolonged twice-yearly MDA has been shown to increase antibiotic resistance in small randomized controlled trials, the objective of this study was to determine if macrolide and non-macrolide resistance in the gut increases with the duration of azithromycin MDA in a larger setting.

Measuring coefficient of thermal expansion of materials of micrometre size using SEM/FIB microscope with in situ MEMS heating stage.

A new method is proposed to measure the linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of solid metals and ceramics of micron-sized dimensions. This approach uses a focused ion beam (FIB) to extract and transfer a slab of the sample, typically (15-20) ×10 × (3-5) µm onto a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in situ heating holder inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). CTE is thereafter calculated by image correlating the change of length (ΔL) between the fiducial marks on the slab as a function of temperature, taking advantage of the temperature calibration of the MEMS heating holder and nanometre resolution of the scanning electron microscope.

Dance/movement therapy for improving metabolic parameters in long-term veterans with schizophrenia.

Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, its effect on body weight and metabolic profile in SCZ remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of a 12-week DMT session on weight and lipid profile in patients with SCZ using a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial design.

Gut Microbiome Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance After a Single Dose of Oral Azithromycin in Children: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Mass antibiotic distribution to preschool children resulted in alterations of the gut microbiome months after distribution. This individually randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated changes in the gut microbiome and resistome in children aged 8 days to 59 months after one dose of oral azithromycin in Burkina Faso. A total of 450 children were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either placebo or azithromycin.

The Role of Self-Assembled Monolayers in the Surface Modification and Interfacial Contact of Copper Fillers in Electrically Conductive Adhesives.

Printing of electrical circuits and interconnects using isotropic conductive adhesives (ICAs) is of great interest due to their low-temperature processing and compatibility with substrates for applications in sensors, healthcare, and flexible devices. As a lower cost alternative to silver (Ag), copper (Cu)-filled ICAs are desirable but limited by the formation of high-resistivity Cu surface oxides. To overcome this limitation, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of octadecanethiol (ODT) have been demonstrated to reduce the oxidation of micrometer-scale Cu powder particles for use in ICAs.

Treatment of donors' asymptomatic small kidney stones and post-transplant outcomes: a meta-analysis.

Kidney donors with asymptomatic small kidney stones were increasingly accepted in kidney transplantation (KT) due to organ shortage and advances in endoscopic urology. However, recipients' clinical outcomes using these donors remained unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize transplant outcomes using these donors with asymptomatic small kidney stones.

Dance/movement therapy for improving balance ability and bone mineral density in long-term patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

Fractures are common accidents for long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia (SZ) in psychiatric hospitals, and once they occur, patients usually endure the pain of fractures for a long time. Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with SZ. However, no research has been conducted to investigate its role in balance ability in SZ.

Psoriasis and risk of chronic kidney diseases: A population-based cross-sectional study and Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Conflicting results have been reported regarding the association between psoriasis and risk of chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Furthermore, the causal nature of the possible association remains unexplored.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Breakdown and Modification of Microplastic Beads by Aeolian Abrasion.

Saltation is an important wind erosion process that can cause the modification and breakdown of particles by aeolian abrasion. It is recognized that microplastic particles can be transported by wind, but the effect of saltation on microplastic properties is unknown. This study examined the impact of simulated saltation alongside quartz grains on the size, shape, and surface properties of spherical microplastic beads.

When the Neighboring Village is Not Treated: Role of Geographic Proximity to Communities Not Receiving Mass Antibiotics for Trachoma.

Background: Mass administration of azithromycin is an established strategy for decreasing the prevalence of trachoma in endemic areas. However, nearby untreated communities could serve as a reservoir that may increase the chances of chlamydia reinfection in treated communities.

Methods: As part of a cluster-randomized trial in Ethiopia, 60 communities were randomized to receive mass azithromycin distributions and 12 communities were randomized to no treatments until after the first year.

Magnesium Depletion Score is Associated with Long-Term Mortality in Chronic Kidney Diseases: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Magnesium deficiency is common in patients with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) due to restricted magnesium intake and impaired magnesium reabsorption. Based on pathophysiological risk factors influencing kidney magnesium reabsorption, a magnesium depletion score (MDS) was developed. Using MDS as a novel indicator for assessing body magnesium status, we hypothesized that it was associated with clinical prognosis.

Concordance of ompA types in children re-infected with ocular Chlamydia trachomatis following mass azithromycin treatment for trachoma.

Background: The chlamydial major outer membrane protein, encoded by the ompA gene, is a primary target for chlamydial vaccine research. However, human studies of ompA-specific immunity are limited, and prior studies have been limited in differentiating re-infection from persistent infection. The purpose of this study was to assess whether children living in trachoma-endemic communities with re-infections of ocular chlamydia were more likely to be infected with a different or similar genovar.

Effect of Azithromycin on the Ocular Surface Microbiome of Children in a High Prevalence Trachoma Area.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the 4 times per year mass azithromycin distributions on the ocular surface microbiome of children in a trachoma endemic area.

Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, children aged 1 to 10 years in rural communities in the Goncha Seso Enesie district of Ethiopia were randomized to either no treatment or treatment with a single dose of oral azithromycin (height-based dosing to approximate 20 mg/kg) every 3 months for 1 year. Post hoc analysis of ocular surface Chlamydia trachomatis load, microbial community diversity, and macrolide resistance determinants was performed to evaluate differences between treatment arms.

Gut Resistome of Preschool Children After Prolonged Mass Azithromycin Distribution: A Cluster-randomized Trial.

Unlabelled: We evaluated the gut resistome of children from communities treated with 10 twice-yearly azithromycin distributions. Although the macrolide resistance remained higher in the azithromycin arm, the selection of non-macrolide resistance observed at earlier time points did not persist. Longitudinal resistance monitoring should be a critical component of mass distribution programs.

Community Hand-Dug Wells for Trachoma: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

The WHO recommends improving access to water as part of a comprehensive strategy for elimination of trachoma as a public health problem; however, this recommendation is not based on evidence from randomized trials. In a region of Ethiopia with hyperendemic trachoma, seven communities were randomized to a hand-dug well (HDW) and seven communities to no intervention to determine the impact of HDWs on the community prevalence of ocular chlamydia infection (primary prespecified outcome). All communities continued to receive government hygiene and sanitation services and outreach.

Precision of the Abbott RealTime Assay in the Detection of Ocular in a Trachoma-Endemic Area of Ethiopia.

Nucleic acid amplification tests are increasingly used to detect ocular chlamydia infection in trachoma research and programs. To evaluate the reliability of detection by the Abbott RealTime CT/NG assay (Abbott Molecular, Inc., Des Plaines, IL) on the m2000 platform, three conjunctival samples were collected from each of 200 children aged 0-9 years in Ethiopia: two from the right eye and one from the left eye.

Droplet factories: Synthesis and assembly of metal nanoparticles on magnetic supports.

The interface between two immiscible liquids represent an ideal substrate for the assembly of nanomaterials. The defect free surface provides a reproducible support for creating densely packed ordered materials. Here a droplet flow reactor is presented for the synthesis and/or assembly of nanomaterials at the interface of the emulsion.

Focused ion beam preparation of microbeams for in situ mechanical analysis of electroplated nanotwinned copper with probe type indenters.

A site-specific xenon plasma focused ion beam preparation technique for microcantilever samples (1-20 µm width and 1:10 aspect ratio) is presented. The novelty of the methodology is the use of a chunk lift-out onto a clean silicon wafer to facilitate easy access of a low-cost probe type indenter which provides bending force measurement. The lift-out method allows sufficient room for the indenter and a line of sight for the electron beam to enable displacement measurement.

High-throughput sequencing of pooled samples to determine community-level microbiome diversity.

Purpose: Community-level interventions in cluster randomized controlled trials may alter the gut microbiome of individuals. The current method of estimating community diversities uses microbiome data obtained from multiple individual's specimens. Here we propose randomly pooling a number of microbiome samples from the same community into one sample before sequencing to estimate community-level microbiome diversity.

Safety of azithromycin in infants under six months of age in Niger: A community randomized trial.

Background: Mass azithromycin distribution reduces under-5 child mortality. Trachoma control programs currently treat infants aged 6 months and older. Here, we report findings from an infant adverse event survey in 1-5 month olds who received azithromycin as part of a large community-randomized trial in Niger.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Chlamydial Infection and Trachomatous Inflammation Following Mass Azithromycin Distribution.

Background: Mass azithromycin distributions are effective for clearing ocular strains of Chlamydia trachomatis, yet infection frequently returns in areas with hyperendemic trachoma. A better understanding of the factors associated with chlamydial reinfection could be helpful to plan trachoma elimination strategies.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in a trachoma-hyperendemic region of Ethiopia in 2003.

Mass Azithromycin Distribution and Community Microbiome: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

Background: Mass distributions of oral azithromycin have long been used to eliminate trachoma, and they are now being proposed to reduce childhood mortality. The observed benefit appears to be augmented with each additional treatment, suggesting a possible community-level effect. Here, we assess whether 2 biannual mass treatments of preschool children affect the community's gut microbiome at 6 months after the last distribution.