KPRR: a novel machine learning approach for effectively capturing nonadditive effects in genomic prediction.

Nonadditive genetic effects pose significant challenges to traditional genomic selection methods for quantitative traits. Machine learning approaches, particularly kernel-based methods, offer promising solutions to overcome these limitations. In this study, we developed a novel machine learning method, KPRR, which integrated a polynomial kernel into ridge regression to effectively capture nonadditive genetic effects.

Nanoparticle-Based gene therapy strategies in retinal delivery.

Vision loss and blindness are significant issues in both developed and developing countries. There are a wide variety of aetiologies that can cause vision loss, which are outlined in this review. Although treatment has significantly improved over time for some conditions, nearly half of all people with vision impairment are left untreated.

Integrating environmental physiotherapy into New Zealand undergraduate education: exploring current practice.

This paper describes the integration of environmental physiotherapy education into the physiotherapy curriculum in a New Zealand university in response to the environmental physiotherapy agenda and the University of Otago Sustainability Framework. We describe and discuss three learning activities, the associated challenges and lessons learnt, and the current position. Given the encompassing nature of environmental and health interactions, we aimed for multilayer immersive experiences using a range of pedagogical approaches.

Access to Healthy Built and Natural Environments and Physical Activity and Screen Time in New Zealand Adolescents: A Geospatial Cross-Sectional Study.

The built and natural environment can facilitate (un)healthy behaviors in adolescence. However, most previous studies have focused on examining associations between singular aspects of the environment. This study examined the association between the mixture of health-promoting and health-constraining environmental features in a Healthy Location Index (HLI) and physical activity and screen time among adolescents.

The use of patient-generated health data in the management of low anterior resection syndrome: a qualitative study.

Background: The cornerstone of low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) treatment is self-management, which requires patient engagement. Colorectal surgeons and nurses may use patient-generated health data (PGHD) to help guide patients in their use of self-management strategies for LARS. However, the perspectives of LARS experts on the use of PGHD remain largely unexplored.

Biomarkers for immunotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), significantly improving survival outcomes and offering renewed hope to patients with advanced disease. However, the majority of patients experience limited long-term benefits from immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) due to the development of primary or acquired immunotherapy resistance. Accurate predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy resistance are essential for individualising treatment strategies, improving survival outcomes, and minimising potential treatment-related harm.

Estimating undiagnosed dementia in England using capture recapture techniques.

Background: To our knowledge capture-recapture techniques have not been used to estimate dementia prevalence using routinely collected data in England, nor have they been used to estimate changes in undiagnosed dementia over time. In this study we aimed to use routinely collected electronic health records to estimate the number of undiagnosed dementia cases there are in England and how this has changed over time. We also aimed to assess whether proportion of undiagnosed cases differed by age group, ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation and sex.

Relationship between gout flare states and patient-reported outcomes following allopurinol initiation.

Objective: Gout flares are the most important clinical feature of the disease. A hypothetical maximum flare occurrence in the preceding six-months has been suggested to be no flares for a patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) and only one flare for low disease activity (LDA). The aim of this analysis was to determine the relationship between gout flare states (PASS, LDA, and not in LDA or PASS (non-LDA/PASS)) and patient reported outcomes.

Soil phosphorus stocks could prolong global reserves and improve water quality.

Combining existing databases, we estimated global phosphorus stocks in croplands and grasslands that are not readily available to plants as 32-41% of the 2020 estimated geologic phosphorus reserves, representing 146-186 years of the 2020 mass of phosphorus fertilizer applied annually. Especially if accessed by more efficient crops, this stock could reduce the need for additional fertilizer, improve water quality and contribute to all-round phosphorus sustainability.

A safety and feasibility randomized placebo controlled trial exploring electroencephalographic effective connectivity neurofeedback treatment for fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition contributing to significant disability worldwide. Neuroimaging studies identify abnormal effective connectivity between cortical areas responsible for descending pain modulation (pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, pgACC) and sensory components of pain experience (primary somatosensory cortex, S1). Neurofeedback, a brain-computer interface technique, can normalise dysfunctional brain activity, thereby improving pain and function.

Radiocarbon monoxide indicates increasing atmospheric oxidizing capacity.

Hydroxyl (OH) is the atmosphere's main oxidant removing most pollutants including methane. Its short lifetime prevents large-scale direct observational quantification. Abundances inferred using anthropogenic trace gas measurements and models yield conflicting trend estimates.

Temporal dynamics of activation and suppression in a spatial Stroop task: A distribution analysis on gaze and arrow targets.

Directional judgments of an arrow became slower when the direction and location were incongruent in a spatial Stroop task (i.e., a standard congruency effect).

Genomic microsatellite characterization and development of polymorphic microsatellites in Eospalax baileyi.

Microsatellite markers are cost-effective, rapid, efficient, and show great advantages in in large-sample kinship analysis and population structure studies. However, microsatellite loci are seriously underdeveloped in non-model organisms. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi) is a key species living underground in the Tibetan Plateau, the effective management of which has long been challenging.

Assessing left main bifurcation anatomy and haemodynamics as a potential surrogate for disease risk in suspected coronary artery disease without stenosis.

Coronary anatomy governs local haemodynamics associated with atherosclerotic development, progression and ultimately adverse clinical outcomes. However, lack of large sample size studies and methods to link adverse haemodynamics to anatomical information has hindered meaningful insights to date. The Left Main coronary bifurcations of 127 patients with suspected coronary artery disease in the absence of significant stenosis were segmented from CTCA images before computing the local haemodynamics.

Immune correlates of early clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among tuberculosis household contacts in Indonesia.

Some individuals, even when heavily exposed to an infectious tuberculosis patient, do not develop a specific T-cell response as measured by interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). This could be explained by an IFN-γ-independent adaptive immune response, or an effective innate host response clearing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) without adaptive immunity. In heavily exposed Indonesian tuberculosis household contacts (n = 1347), a persistently IGRA negative status was associated with presence of a BCG scar, and - especially among those with a BCG scar - with altered innate immune cells dynamics, higher heterologous (Escherichia coli-induced) proinflammatory cytokine production, and higher inflammatory proteins in the IGRA mitogen tube.

Pt/IrO enables selective electrochemical C-H chlorination at high current.

Employing electrochemistry for the selective functionalization of liquid alkanes allows for sustainable and efficient production of high-value chemicals. However, the large potentials required for C(sp)-H bond functionalization and low water solubility of such alkanes make it challenging. Here we discover that a Pt/IrO electrocatalyst with optimized Cl binding energy enables selective generation of Cl free radicals for C-H chlorination of alkanes.

Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canterbury, New Zealand, 2018-2023.

Background: New diagnoses of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), can highlight health system burden and potentially give clues to disease aetiology. This population-based study aimed to measure the annual incidence of IBD over six years (2018-2023) in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

Methods: The medical records from public and private gastroenterology clinics were examined for new patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2023.

Effects of New Zealand Black Currant Extract on Exercising Substrate Utilization and Postexercise Blood Pressure in Men and Women.

New Zealand black currant extract (NZBC) has been shown to increase fat oxidation during exercise and decrease the postexercise blood pressure in men and women. The change in fat oxidation by NZBC has also been shown to be correlated to body composition in men and women. There has never been a comparison of sex responses within the same study.

Discovery of a Potent and Selective GSPT1 Molecular Glue Degrader for the Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

The treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a significant challenge, necessitating the development of new and promising therapeutic strategies. Utilizing molecular glue to degrade previously intractable cancer drivers represents an emerging and promising therapeutic approach to cancer treatment. In this study, we developed a novel CRBN-interacting molecular glue, (XYD049), which exhibits potent and selective degradation of G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1), a well-known untargetable cancer driver in diverse cancer cells.

Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of the MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine Trial.

Objective: To evaluate descriptive efficacy data, exploratory immunogenicity data, and safety follow-up through study completion from the global, phase 3 MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) maternal vaccination trial of bivalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F protein vaccine (RSVpreF).

Methods: MATISSE was a phase 3, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Healthy pregnant participants aged 49 years or younger at 24-36 weeks of gestation were randomized (1:1) to receive a single RSVpreF 120 micrograms or placebo dose.

Revealing the Solution Conformation and Hydration Structure of Type I Tropocollagen Using X-ray Scattering and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Hydration plays a crucial role in regulating the dispersion behavior of biomolecules in water, particularly in how pH-sensitive hydration water network forms around proteins. This study explores the conformation and hydration structure of Type-I tropocollagen using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results reveal that tropocollagen exhibits a significant softening conformation in solution, transitioning from its rod-like structure in tissues to a worm-like conformation, characterized by a reduced radius of gyration of 50 nm and a persistent length of 34 nm.

Dropping the baton: Cognitive biases in emergency physicians.

Introduction: Clinical medicine is becoming more complex and increasingly requires a team-based approach to deliver healthcare needs. This dispersion of cognitive reasoning across individuals, teams and systems (termed "distributed cognition") means that our understanding of cognitive biases and errors must expand beyond traditional "in-the-head" individual mental models and focus on a broader "out-in-the-world" context instead. To our knowledge, no qualitative studies thus far have examined cognitive biases in clinical settings from a team-based sociocultural perspective.

Self-Assembled Piezoelectric Films from Aligned Lysozyme Protein Fibrils.

Piezoelectric organic polymers are promising alternatives to their inorganic counterparts due to their mechanical flexibility, making them suitable for flexible and wearable piezoelectric devices. Biological polymers such as proteins have been reported to possess piezoelectricity, while offering additional benefits, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, questions remain regarding protein piezoelectricity, such as the impact of the protein secondary structure.

Dosing optimisation of intravenous lidocaine in patients with class 1-3 obesity by population pharmacokinetic analysis.

Introduction: Evidence to support intra-operative lidocaine infusion regimens in patients with obesity is lacking, risking underdosing or toxicity. We aimed to measure the plasma concentrations of lidocaine and its active metabolites to develop a pharmacokinetic model and optimised dosing regimen in patients with obesity.

Methods: A standardised weight-based intravenous lidocaine regimen was administered to patients with a BMI ≥ 30 kg.