HELICOBACTER PYLORI ERADICATION TREATMENTS AND RISK OF ALZHEIMER DISEASE: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY NESTED IN THE FINNISH POPULATION.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been inconsistently associated with risk of Alzheimer disease. The exposure assessment period has often overlapped with the prodromal time of Alzheimer disease.

is a spermatid-specific gene required for spermatogenesis and male fertility.

Male infertility is a multifactorial condition for which the underlying causes frequently remain undefined. Genetic factors have long been associated with male fertility. However, many of them are poorly or not at all characterized and their biological functions are unknown.

Dual physiological responsive structural color hydrogel particles for wound repair.

Hydrogel-based patches have demonstrated their values in diabetic wounds repair, particularly those intelligent dressings with continuous repair promoting and monitoring capabilities. Here, we propose a type of dual physiological responsive structural color particles for wound repair. The particles are composed of a hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA)-sodium alginate (Alg) inverse opal scaffold, filled with oxidized dextran (ODex)/quaternized chitosan (QCS) hydrogel.

Desensitization With Imlifidase for HLA-Incompatible Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Delphi International Expert Consensus.

Highly sensitized (HS) patients in need of kidney transplantation (KTx) typically spend a longer time waiting for compatible kidneys, are unlikely to receive an organ offer, and are at increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Desensitization using imlifidase, which is more rapid and removes total body immunoglobulin G (IgG) to a greater extent than other methods, enables transplantation to occur between HLA-incompatible (HLAi) donor-recipient pairs and allows patients to have greater access to KTx. However, when the project was launched there was limited data and clinical experience with desensitization in general and with imlifidase specifically.

Interventions That Failed: Factors Associated with the Continuation of Bullying After a Targeted Intervention.

We examined how often teachers' targeted interventions fail in stopping bullying and to what extent this varies between schools vs. between students involved. In addition, we investigated which student-level factors were associated with intervention failure.

Recent development of micro-nano carriers for oral antineoplastic drug delivery.

Chemotherapy is widely recognized as a highly efficacious modality for cancer treatment, involving the administration of chemotherapeutic agents to target and eradicate tumor cells. Currently, oral administration stands as the prevailing and widely utilized method of delivering chemotherapy drugs. However, the majority of anti-tumor medications exhibit limited solubility and permeability, and poor stability in harsh gastrointestinal environments, thereby impeding their therapeutic efficacy for chemotherapy.

Defining quantum games.

In this research article, we survey existing quantum physics-related games and, based on this survey, propose a definition for the concept of quantum games. We define a quantum game as any type of rule-based game that either employs the principles of quantum physics or references quantum phenomena or the theory of quantum physics through any of three proposed dimensions: the perceivable dimension of quantum physics, the dimension of quantum technologies, and the dimension of scientific purposes, such as citizen science or education. We also discuss the concept of quantum computer games, which are games on quantum computers, as well as definitions for the concept of science games.

The redox aspects of lithium-ion batteries.

This article aims to present the redox aspects of lithium-ion batteries both from a thermodynamic and from a conductivity viewpoint. We first recall the basic definitions of the electrochemical potential of the electron, and of the Fermi level for a redox couple in solutions. The Fermi level of redox solids such as metal oxide particles is then discussed, and a Nernst equation is derived for two ideal systems, namely an ideally homogenous phase where the oxidised and reduced metal ions are homogeneously distributed and two segregated phases where the oxidised and the reduced metal ions are separated in two distinct phases such as observed, for example, in biphasic lithium iron phosphate.

Nano-Selenium Elevating Leaf Quality and Growth Via Microbial-Regulating Nitrogen Availability Under Ammonium and Nitrate Spraying in Tea Plants.

Nano-selenium fertilizers can promote plant growth and nitrogen availability. However, little information is available on the effects of nano-selenium on tea leaf quality, soil nutrient availability and associated microbe-driven mechanisms. This study examined the effects of nano-selenium on the tea leaf quality and soil nitrogen cycling in 20-year-old tea plantations when the leaves were sprayed with ammonium or nitrate.

Enhancing paediatric and congenital cardiology e-learning postgraduate education: insights from the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology directed webinar series.

Objective: A series of webinars covering widespread knowledge on paediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery topics was initiated by Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology, serving towards preparation for the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology certification in paediatric and congenital cardiology. This study investigated the impact of webinars as educational tools for junior paediatric cardiologists in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional survey design study using an online survey as a tool for the assessment of trainees.

'It benefits every moment': Understandings of and engagements in science-related practices in everyday life.

Drawing from science capital research and applying current practice theory, this study sheds light on people's perceptions of science and science-related practices in their everyday lives. The study develops a practice theoretical approach to examine understandings and engagements embedded in socially shared everyday science-related practices. The analysis of 51 interviews with Finnish people aged 20 to 88 with varied educational and socio-economic backgrounds brings participants' voices into a discussion.

Extracellular vesicles in ageing cold-stored whole blood may not compensate for the decreasing haemostatic function in vitro.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have procoagulative properties. As EVs are known to accumulate in stored blood products, we compared the EV content and coagulation capacity of leukoreduced cold-stored whole blood (CSWB) with current prehospital and in-hospital component therapies to understand the role of EVs in the haemostatic capacity of ageing CSWB.

Materials And Methods: Blood was obtained from 12 O RhD-positive male donors.

Precision in Liver Diagnosis: Varied Accuracy Across Subgroups and the Need for Variable Thresholds in Diagnosis of MASLD.

Background And Aims: The performance of non-invasive liver tests (NITs) is known to vary across settings and subgroups. We systematically evaluated whether the performance of three NITs in detecting advanced fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) varies with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status or liver enzymes.

Methods: Data from 586 adult LITMUS Metacohort participants with histologically characterised MASLD were included.

Structural Variant Analysis of Complex Karyotype Myelodysplastic Neoplasia Through Optical Genome Mapping.

Myelodysplastic neoplasia with complex karyotype (CK-MDS) poses significant clinical challenges and is associated with poor survival. Detection of structural variants (SVs) is crucial for diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment decision-making in MDS. However, the current standard-of-care (SOC) cytogenetic testing, relying on karyotyping, often yields ambiguous results in cases with CK.

Defining Excellence: The First Core Set of Quality Indicators for the European Paediatric Surgical Audit on Hirschsprung's Disease Care.

Aim: This study aimed to develop a universally applicable core set of quality indicators for Hirschsprung's disease care through a consensus-driven process, to standardise and improve care quality across Europe.

Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to achieve consensus among healthcare professionals (HPs) and patient representatives (PRs) across Europe. Participants completed three rounds of anonymous surveys, rating quality indicators for Hirschsprung's disease care.

Impacts of irrigation expansion on moist-heat stress based on IRRMIP results.

Irrigation rapidly expanded during the 20 century, affecting climate via water, energy, and biogeochemical changes. Previous assessments of these effects predominantly relied on a single Earth System Model, and therefore suffered from structural model uncertainties. Here we quantify the impacts of historical irrigation expansion on climate by analysing simulation results from six Earth system models participating in the Irrigation Model Intercomparison Project (IRRMIP).

Troponins and Skeletal Muscle Pathologies.

Skeletal muscles account for ~30-40% of the total weight of human body and are responsible for its most important functions, including movement, respiration, thermogenesis, and glucose and protein metabolism. Skeletal muscle damage negatively impacts the whole-body functioning, leading to deterioration of the quality of life and, in severe cases, death. Therefore, timely diagnosis and therapy for skeletal muscle dysfunction are important goals of modern medicine.

The quality of orientation for newly hired nurses in acute care settings in a university hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: This study aims to describe how newly hired nurses assess the quality of the orientation in acute care settings in a university hospital.

Background: Orientation for newly hired nurses in acute care settings, where special competence, ability to collaborate with different professional groups, and wide technical and technological skills are required, is crucial to ensure patient safety and high-quality standards in nursing care.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied.

Global impact of 10- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on pneumococcal meningitis in all ages: the PSERENADE project.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) introduced in childhood national immunization programs lowered vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), but replacement with non-vaccine-types persisted throughout the PCV10/13 follow-up period. We assessed PCV10/13 impact on pneumococcal meningitis incidence globally.

Methods: The number of cases with serotyped pneumococci detected in cerebrospinal fluid and population denominators were obtained from surveillance sites globally.

Effect of inulin supplementation on fecal and blood metabolome in alcohol use disorder patients: A randomised, controlled dietary intervention.

Background And Aims: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized notably by gut microbial dysbiosis and insufficient dietary fiber intake. This study aims to investigate the effect of dietary fiber placebo-controlled intervention in patients suffering from AUD during a three-week period of alcohol withdrawal, in order to discover microbial-derived metabolites that could be involved in metabolic and behavioral status.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed with 50 AUD patients supplemented with inulin (prebiotic dietary fiber) or maltodextrin (placebo) during 17 days.

Toward Product Safety and Circularity: Understanding the Information Structure of Global Databases on Chemicals in Products and Articles.

Access to information about chemicals in products and articles is critical for supporting enforcement of chemical regulations, assessing risks from chemicals, allowing informed consumer choices, and enabling product circularity. In this work, we identified and evaluated available databases (DBs) on chemicals in products and articles from the literature using a defined protocol and from European national market surveillance authorities, nongovernmental agencies, and industrial sector groups using questionnaires. This is the first comprehensive review of DBs that provide information about chemicals in products and articles.

Age group classification based on optical measurement of brain pulsation using machine learning.

Optical techniques, such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), contain high potential for the development of non-invasive wearable systems for evaluating cerebral vascular condition in aging, due to their portability and ability to monitor real-time changes in cerebral hemodynamics. In this study, thirty-six healthy adults were measured by single channel fNIRS to explore differences between two age groups using machine learning (ML). The subjects, measured during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at Oulu University Hospital, were divided into young (age ≤ 32) and elderly (age ≥ 57) groups.

Metabolic profiles of meconium in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies.

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common vascular pregnancy disorder affecting maternal and fetal metabolism with severe immediate and long-term consequences in mothers and infants. During pregnancy, metabolites in the maternal circulation pass through the placenta to the fetus. Meconium, a first stool of the neonate, offers a view to maternal and fetoplacental unit metabolism and could add to knowledge on the effects of PE on the fetus and newborn.