Factors associated with tuberculosis treatment initiation among bacteriologically negative individuals evaluated for tuberculosis: An individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Globally, over one-third of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) disease diagnoses are made based on clinical criteria after a negative bacteriological test result. There is limited information on the factors that determine clinicians' decisions to initiate TB treatment when initial bacteriological test results are negative.

Methods And Findings: We performed a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis using studies conducted between January 2010 and December 2022 (PROSPERO: CRD42022287613).

Mercury exposure in an endangered songbird: influence of marsh hydrology and evidence for early breeding impairment.

Songbird reproductive success can decline from consuming mercury-contaminated aquatic insects, but assessments of hydrologic conditions influencing songbird mercury exposure are lacking. We monitored breast feather total mercury (THg) concentrations and reproductive success in the U.S.

Towards a unified fold-cusp model for bond polarity scaling: electron rearrangements in the pyrolytic isomerization of cubane to cyclooctatetraene.

Context: This study meticulously examines the criteria for assigning electron rearrangements along the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) leading to bond formation and breaking processes during the pyrolytic isomerization of cubane (CUB) to 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (COT) from both thermochemical and bonding perspectives. Notably, no cusp-type function was detected in the initial thermal conversion step of CUB to bicyclo[4.2.

Host-virus interactions during infection with a wild-type ILTV strain or a glycoprotein G deletion mutant ILTV vaccine strain in an system.

Previous studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a live-attenuated glycoprotein G (gG) deletion mutant vaccine strain of ILTV (∆gG-ILTV). In the current study, transcriptional profiles of chicken tracheal organ cultures (TOCs), 24 h post inoculation with ∆gG-ILTV or the gG-expressing parent wild-type strain, CSW-1 ILTV were explored and compared with the mock-infected TOCs using RNA-seq analysis. Transcriptomes of the vaccine and wild-type ILTV were also compared with each other.

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics.

Plasmids play a vital role in synthetic biology by enabling the introduction and expression of foreign genes in various organisms, thereby facilitating the construction of biological circuits and pathways within and between cell populations. For many applications, maintaining functional plasmids without antibiotic selection is critical. This study introduces an open-hardware-based microfluidic workflow for analyzing plasmid retention by culturing single cells in gel microdroplets and quantifying microcolonies using fluorescence microscopy.

Microwave assisted synthesis of TiC-MXene for supercapacitor application.

Two-dimensional TiC MXene has been successfully synthesized using an ultrafast microwave-assisted method. Material characterization studies have confirmed the formation of a layered MXene structure. Additionally, the electrochemical performance observed for the synthesized material indicates its promising potential for use in supercapacitor applications.

Overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry.

Background And Aims: Overweight and obesity are modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population, but their prevalence in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and whether they confer additional risk of ASCVD independent of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) remains unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 35 540 patients with HeFH across 50 countries, in the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry. Prevalence of World Health Organization-defined body mass index categories was investigated in adults (n = 29 265) and children/adolescents (n = 6275); and their association with prevalent ASCVD.

Development and validation of a search strategy and an automated classifier for retrieving temporomandibular disorders studies.

The objective was to develop and evaluate a comprehensive search strategy (SS) and automated classifier (AC) for retrieving temporomandibular disorders (TMD) research articles. An initial version of SS and AC was created by compiling terms from various sources, including previous systematic reviews (SRs) and consulting with TMD specialists. Performance was assessed using the relative recall (RR) method against a sample of all the primary studies (PS) included in 100 TMD-related SRs, with RR calculated for both SS and AC based on their ability to capture/classify TMD PSs.

Genetic diversity and intercontinental dispersal of temperate and subarctic populations of Dibothriocephalus dendriticus (Cestoda; Diphyllobothriidea), a causative agent of dibothriocephalosis.

The diphyllobothriid tapeworm Dibothriocephalus dendriticus, one of the causative agents of the fish-borne zoonosis dibothriocephalosis, is mainly distributed in the Arctic/subarctic and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, North America, and Asia), but also in the southern cone region of South America (Patagonia). The genetic structure and gene flow among 589 individuals of D. dendriticus, representing 20 populations, were studied using the mitochondrial cox1 gene as the first choice marker and 10 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci as a dominant molecular tool.

Intranasal delivery of extracellular vesicles: A promising new approach for treating neurological and respiratory disorders.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles secreted by all types of cells, including bacteria, animals, and plants. These vesicles contain proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids from their parent cells and can transfer these components between cells. EVs have attracted attention for their potential use in diagnosis and therapy due to their natural properties, such as low immunogenicity, high biocompatibility, and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Microscale intertidal habitats modulate shell break resistance of the prey; Implications for prey selection.

Intertidal microhabitats provide special conditions to the organisms that inhabit them and to some of their morpho-protective characteristics. Tidal pools, under the influence of acidified freshwater, may affect the characteristics of the protective shells of prey and have repercussions on predation. The shells of Perumytilus purpuratus from such tidepools are more fragile than those of their counterparts from the vertical intertidal walls of the same area.

Exploring the relationship between upwelling intensity and socio-ecological attributes of marine exploitation areas for benthic resources (MEABRs), along the southern Humboldt Current system.

The Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) sustains some of the most productive marine systems on Earth. Within each of these systems, the upwelling process exhibits spatial and temporal variation resulting in marked differences in upwelling intensity and seasonality along extensive coastlines. The study of this variation is well needed, given the magnitude of the services provided by upwelling, and the impending impacts of global warming on EBUS.

Artificial enforcement of the unfolded protein response (UPR) reduces disease features in multiple preclinical models of ALS/FTD.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) are part of a spectrum of diseases that share several causative genes, resulting in a combinatory of motor and cognitive symptoms and abnormal protein aggregation. Multiple unbiased studies have revealed that proteostasis impairment at the level of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a transversal pathogenic feature of ALS/FTD. The transcription factor XBP1s is a master regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR), the main adaptive pathway to cope with ER stress.

Japi 2.0, a gaming platform to stimulate cognitive and non-cognitive skills in early childhood: protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mental health disorders are one of the leading causes of illness globally. The importance of psychosocial skills acquired in early childhood, such as executive functions, inhibitory control, emotional regulation, and social problem-solving, in preventing mental disorders has been reported. Furthermore, mental health care delivery is evolving, and mobile technology is becoming the medium for assessment and intervention.

Isotemporal substitution of physical activity patterns and sitting time with obesity indicators among workers in São Paulo.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between substituting 10, 30, and 60 min/day of physical activity and sitting time with obesity indicators among workers. It is a cross-sectional study involving 394 adults (76.6% women) from São Paulo, Brazil.

Specific activity of mouse liver desaturases and elongases: Time course effects using n-3 and n-6 PUFA substrates and inhibitory responses of delta-6 desaturase.

The synthesis of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated acids (PUFAs) is associated with physiological functions in mammals, being catalyzed by Δ-5D and Δ-6D desaturases and elongases Elovl-2 and Elovl-5. In this context, we aimed to study the chief kinetic features of PUFA liver anabolism, looking upon (i) the time-dependency for the specific activity of Δ-6D, Δ-5D, Elovl2, Elovl2/5 and Elovl5, using n-3 and n-6 precursors between 0 and 240 min ex vivo in mouse liver.; and (ii) the specific activity-substrate (α-linolenic acid; ALA) concentration responses of Δ-6D in the absence and presence of linoleic acid (LA), arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an enzyme regarded as the rate-limiting step in PUFA anabolism.

Joint Associations of Sedentary Time and Intensity-Specific Physical Activity With Cancer Mortality: A Device-Based Cohort Study of 72,458 UK Adults.

Background: There are no studies examining the prospective joint association of device-based measures of sedentary time and physical activity (PA) with cancer mortality. We examined the joint associations of sedentary time and intensity-specific PA with cancer mortality in 72,458 adults from UK Biobank.

Methods: Participants wore an Axivity AX3 accelerometer on their dominant wrist for at least 3 days (with at least 1 weekend day).

Transport mechanisms of the anthropogenic contaminant sulfamethoxazole in volcanic ash soils at equilibrium pH evaluated using the HYDRUS-1D model.

The volcanic soils in Chile, where a significant portion of agricultural activities take place, are impacted by the presence of veterinary drugs, including sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The study examines how different soil types influence the movement and retention of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) across four regions of Chile, focusing on conditions at a neutral pH of 7.0.

goChem: A Composable Library for Multi-Scale Computational Chemistry Data Analysis.

Data analysis is a major task for Computational Chemists. The diversity of modeling tools currently available in Computational Chemistry requires the development of flexible analysis tools that can adapt to different systems and output formats. As a contribution to this need, we report the implementation of goChem, a versatile open-source library for multiscale analysis of computational chemistry data.

Plasmon-Enhanced Luminescence of Gold Nanoclusters by Using Silver and Gold Metal Nanostructures.

Plasmonic materials can be utilized as effective platforms to enhance luminescent signals of luminescent metal nanoclusters (LMNCs). Both surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) and shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced fluorescence (SHINEF) strategies take advantage of the localized and increased external electric field created around the plasmonic metal surface when excited at or near their characteristic plasmonic resonance. In this context, we present an experimental and computational study of different plasmonic composites, (Ag) Ag@SiO and (Au) Au@SiO nanoparticles, which were used to enhance the luminescent signal of Au nanoclusters coated with glutathione (GSH) molecule (AuGSH NCs).