Feasible band boundaries computation in bilinear matrix decomposition using essential data.

Background: Multivariate curve resolution methods are usually confronted with non-unique pure component factors. This rotational ambiguity can be represented by ranges of feasible profiles, which are equally compatible with the imposed constraints. Sensor-wise N-BANDS is an effective algorithm for the calculation of the bounds of feasible profiles in the presence of noise, but suffers from high computational cost.

Prevalence and characteristics of microspurs in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension compared to the general population.

Background And Purpose: In patients diagnosed with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH), microspurs are considered the culprit lesion in most ventral dural leaks (type I). The imaging characteristics of discogenic spurs, and their prevalence in the general population has not been reported in the literature.

Materials And Methods: This observational case-control study was conducted comparing the prevalence and characteristics of discogenic microspurs between SIH patients with a type I leak treated at a tertiary hospital between 2013 and 2023 and an age-and sex matched cohort of trauma patients.

Effectiveness of an 8-week neck exercise training on pain, jaw function, and oral health-related quality of life in women with chronic temporomandibular disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

To test the effectiveness of an 8-week exercise program targeted to the neck muscles compared to manual therapy, and placebo treatments on orofacial pain intensity, jaw function, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and jaw range of motion (ROM) in women with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). In this randomized controlled trial, fifty-four women (between 18-45 years old) with a diagnosis of myofascial or mixed TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) were randomized into three groups: Neck motor control training (NTG), Manual Therapy Group (MTG), and Placebo Group (PG). All patients were evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale, Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and jaw Range of Motion (ROM) at baseline, immediately after treatment (after 8 weeks of treatment), one month, and three-month follow-up.

A Novel Microbe, Immunization Deaths, and Vaccination on Trial: BCG and the Lübeck Disaster of 1930.

Today's controversies of gain-of-function virological research and mRNA COVID vaccination policies had an antecedent nearly a century ago in an event often referred to as "the Lübeck disaster." From April through September 1930, 77 newborn infants in Lübeck, Germany, died after receiving oral BCG immunizations tainted with active human . The tragedy threatened to end BCG immunizations.

Comparison of Maximum Isometric Strength of the Hip Joint Abductor and Knee Joint Extensor Muscles between Knee Osteoarthritis Patients with and without Self-reported Instability.

Patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) often have impaired muscle function of the weight-bearing muscles, particularly in the knee and hip joints. This can lead to a significant loss of strength and power and may play a role in the perceived instability of the knee joint. The purpose of this study was to compare the maximum isometric strength of the hip abductor and knee extensor muscles between patients with KOA with and without perceived instability.

[How to identify cystic lateral neck mass from CUP-like lesions: a diagnostic challenge].

A cystic lateral neck mass in adults represents a major challenge, as it can be difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. The incidence of carcinoma in initially benign treated neck cysts is estimated to be as high as 24%. The objective of this study was to ascertain the malignancy rate of cystic cervical masses and to provide a differentiation of cervical metastases in comparison to benign cervical cysts, utilising current guidelines.

Conformation and binding of 12 Microcystin (MC) congeners to PPP1 using molecular dynamics simulations: a potential approach in support of an improved MC risk assessment.

Microcystins (MCs) occur frequently during cyanobacterial blooms worldwide, representing a group of currently about 300 known MC congeners, which are structurally highly similar. Human exposure to MCs via contaminated water, food or dietary supplements can lead to severe intoxications with ensuing high morbidity and in some cases mortality. Currently, one MC congener (MC-LR) is almost exclusively considered for risk assessment (RA) by the WHO.

Improving the antimicrobial potential of the peptide CIDEM-501 through acylation: A computational approach.

Acylation is a common method used to modify antimicrobial peptides to enhance their effectiveness. It increases the interactions between the peptide and the bacterial cell membranes. However, acylation can also reduce the selectivity of the peptides by making them more active on eukaryotic membranes, which can lead to unintended toxicity.

Elucidating the structure and function of a membrane-active plant protein domain using in silico mutagenesis.

The Solanum tuberosum (common potato) plant specific insert (StPSI) is an antimicrobial protein domain that exhibits membrane-disrupting and membrane-fusing activity upon dimerization at acidic pH, activity proposed to involve electrostatic attraction and membrane anchoring mediated by specific positively-charged and conserved tryptophan residues, respectively. This study is the first to employ an in silico mutagenesis approach to clarify the structure-function relationship of a plant specific insert (PSI), where ten rationally-mutated StPSI variants were investigated using all-atom and coarse-grained molecular dynamics. The tryptophan (W) residue at position 18 (W18) of wild-type StPSI was predicted to confer structural flexibility to the dimer and mediate a partial separation of the assembled monomers upon bilayer contact, while residues including W77 and the lysine (K) residue at position 83 (K83) were predicted to stabilize secondary structure and influence association with the model membrane.

Drivers of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales colonization among residents of long-term health care facilities: a European multicentric prospective cohort study.

Background: ESBL-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) are highly prevalent in long-term healthcare (LTCF) settings. In order to estimate the acquisition rate of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in LTCF settings and identify clinical and environmental risk factors, a multicentric, prospective cohort study was conducted in six LTCFs in Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Methods: Longitudinal screening of residents was performed over 32 weeks, collecting epidemiological and clinical data and environmental samples.

Association of Residential Greenness and Sleep Duration in Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study in China.

Background: Exposure to residential greenness has been linked with improved sleep duration; however, longitudinal evidence is limited, and the potential mediating effect of ambient fine particulate matter (PM) has yet to be assessed.

Methods: We obtained data for 19,567 participants across seven counties in a prospective cohort in Ningbo, China. Greenness was estimated using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 250-m, 500-m and 1000-m buffer zones, while yearly average PM concentrations were measured using validated land-use regression models, both based on individual residential addresses.

Serological evidence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in domestic animals from eight regions of Namibia.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease endemic to regions of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Asia, with increasing reports of cases in southern Europe. Human transmission occurs primarily through the bite of infected ticks and by body fluids from infected human. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) affects a broad host range, including both domestic and wild vertebrates.

Mechanical power density, spontaneous breathing indexes, and weaning readiness following prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Introduction: Evidence suggests that mechanical power (MP) normalized to dynamic compliance, which equals power density, may help identify prolonged ventilated patients at risk for spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) failure. This study compared MP density with traditional spontaneous breathing indexes to predict a patient's capacity to sustain a short trial of unassisted breathing.

Methods: A prospective observational study on 186 prolonged ventilated, tracheotomized patients.

Biosorption of heavy metals by microalgae: hazardous side effects for marine organisms.

Biosorption is nowadays recommended as an ecological and environmentally friendly alternative to remove metals from contaminated regions. Even in situ incubations of algae on the seabed are conducted to investigate potential future ways of reducing metal contamination. Our study investigated the negative effects on microorganisms when metal-enriched algae are released into the marine environment.

Effects of group music therapy on depressive symptoms in women - The MUSED-study: Results from a randomized-controlled trial.

Background: Music can directly influence emotions, the regulation of which are known to be impaired in major depressive disorder (MDD). While music therapy (MT) could be an effective complement to treat MDD, studies investigating such effects have not yet yielded conclusive results. We hypothesized that group music therapy (GMT) might lead to a significant reduction of depressive symptoms (DS).

Overfeeding and overweight rapidly reprogram inflammatory signaling.

Epidemiologic studies have shown a continuous increase in mortality risk associated with overweight, thus highlighting the health risks beginning before the onset of obesity. However, early changes in inflammatory signaling induced by an obesogenic diet remain largely unknown since studies of obesity typically utilize models induced by months of continuous exposure to a high-fat diet. Here, we investigated how short-term overfeeding remodels inflammatory signaling.

Brain imaging and electrophysiological markers of anaphoric reference during speech production.

Pronouns create cohesive links in discourse by referring to previously mentioned elements. Here, we focus on pronominalization during speech production in three experiments employing ERP and fMRI methodologies. Participants were asked to produce two short sentences describing a man or woman using an object.

Neural Correlates of Olfactory Working Memory in the Human Brain.

Previous research has revealed that the insula, pallidum, thalamus, hippocampus, middle frontal gyrus, and supplementary motor area are activated during odor memory and that the performance of olfactory working memory is affected by the verbalization of odors. However, the neural mechanisms underlying olfactory working memory and the role of verbalization in olfactory working memory are not fully understood. Twenty-nine participants were enrolled in a study to complete olfactory and visual n-back tasks using high- and low-verbalizability stimuli while undergoing fMRI imaging.

Severe local and systemic haematotoxic envenoming caused by a Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) in a pregnant woman in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Snakebite envenoming in pregnant women is rare, accounting for approximately 0.5-1.8% of all snakebite cases.

Everolimus with or without mycophenolate mofetil for GVHD prophylaxis after allogeneic HSCT in children with acute kidney injury - a single-center retrospective analysis.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) serves as a therapeutic intervention for various pediatric diseases. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are decisive determinants for allogeneic HSCT success. The immunosuppressive agent, ciclosporin A, is most often used to prevent GVHD in pediatric patients, but is known to be nephrotoxic.

Cannabinoid type-1 receptors in CaMKII neurons drive impulsivity in pathological eating behavior.

Overconsumption of palatable food and energy accumulation are evolutionary mechanisms of survival when food is scarce. This innate mechanism becomes detrimental in obesogenic environment promoting obesity and related comorbidities, including mood disorders. The endocannabinoid system favors energy accumulation and regulates reward circuits.

Determination diabetes mellitus disease markers in tear fluid by photothermal AFM-IR analysis.

The tear fluids from three healthy individuals and three patients with diabetes mellitus were examined using atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The dried tear samples showed different surface morphologies: the control sample had a dense network of heart-shaped dendrites, while the diabetic sample had fern-shaped dendrites. By using the AFM-IR technique we identified spatial distribution of constituents, indicating how diabetes affects the structural characteristics of dried tears.

Neurocan regulates axon initial segment organization and neuronal activity.

The neural extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulates in the form of perineuronal nets (PNNs), particularly around fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons in the cortex and hippocampus, but also around synapses and in association with the axon initial segments (AIS) and nodes of Ranvier. Increasing evidence highlights the role of Neurocan (Ncan), a brain-specific component of ECM, in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Ncan localizes at PNNs, perisynaptically, and at the nodes of Ranvier and the AIS, highlighting its potential role in regulating axonal excitability.

Temperature preferences of dairy calves for heated calf hutches during winter in temperate climate.

Newborn calves face challenges adapting from the warm uterine environment to cold ambient temperatures, often experiencing cold stress. The objective of this study was to assess the preferred inside hutch temperature of dairy calves in their first week after birth during Central European winter and to compare lying behavior in heated and non-heated hutches. Sixteen matched pairs of dairy calves (2.