Dual gene set enrichment analysis (dualGSEA); an R function that enables more robust biological discovery and pre-clinical model alignment from transcriptomics data.

Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) tools can identify biological insights within gene expression-based studies. Although their statistical performance has been compared, the downstream biological implications that arise when choosing between the range of pairwise or single sample forms of GSEA methods remain understudied. We compare the statistical and biological results obtained from various pre-ranking methods/options for pairwise GSEA, followed by a stand-alone comparison of GSEA, single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA).

Impact of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a systematic review.

Objectives: This study aims to comprehensively explore the consequences of edentulism on community-dwelling adults in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.

Design: Systematic review and Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM).

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched from inception to 21 March 2023, in addition to grey literature searches, reference cross-checking and study recommendations.

Is there truth in fiction? Lessons from readers' responses to dementia fiction.

This paper addresses the question 'is there truth in fiction?', by synthesising a range of disciplinary approaches to the issue, as well as drawing on empirical research carried out with readers of fiction about dementia (hereafter, dementia fiction). We argue that fiction-perhaps because of its fictional status and apparatus-invites readers to consider its truth value, to explore the possibilities of human experience and interrogate issues relative to their subjective experience, community or society. The findings have significant implications for the Medical Humanities' use of fictional texts to explore lived medical conditions and experiences, as well as claims made about the potential for fiction to affect real-world understandings, awareness and empathy around the conditions depicted.

Adherence to diabetic retinopathy screening among children and young adults in Bangladesh.

Background: Effective diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) programmes are important in preventing vision impairment and blindness caused by diabetes. This study focuses on identifying the factors affecting attendance or non-adherence to DRS among children and young adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Bangladesh.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used, which included patients diagnosed with DM aged 12-26 years from Bangladesh who were registered at BIRDEM Women and Children hospital in Dhaka.

Evaluating and improving the connectivity of China's protected area networks for facilitating species range shifts under climate change.

Contemporary climate change is causing spatial redistributions of many species, potentially undermining the effectiveness of existing protected areas (PAs). This raises concerns about whether current PAs are connected enough to capture climate-induced range shifts and how to expand PAs to support this ecological process. Hence, we conducted a national-scale assessment of climate connectivity for the terrestrial PAs across mainland China.

Interplay between classical and quantum dissipation in light-matter dynamics.

A quantum-electrodynamics approach is presented to describe the dynamics of electrons that exchange energy with both photon and phonon baths. Our ansatz is a dissipative quantum Liouville equation, cast in the Redfield form, with two driving terms associated with radiative and vibrational relaxation mechanisms, respectively. Remarkably, within the radiative contribution, there is a term that exactly replicates the expression derived from a semiclassical treatment where the power dissipated by the electronic density is treated as the emission from a classical dipole [Bustamante et al.

Global strategies to reduce elective surgery waiting times for sustainable health outcomes: a systematic review.

Objective: Long waiting times for elective surgery reflect not just backlog issues but systemic inefficiencies that disrupt the smooth flow of patients through the surgical care pathway. This systematic review adopts a holistic approach to summarize global policies, strategies, and interventions aimed at reducing elective surgery wait times.

Method: A comprehensive electronic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from December 2019 to January 2020 and updated in April 2022.

Interplay between Lipids and Complement Proteins-How Multiomics Data Integration Can Help Unravel Age-related Macular Degeneration Pathophysiology: A Proof-of-concept Study.

Objective: Our objectives were to identify correlation patterns between complement and lipid pathways using a multiomics data integration approach and to determine how these interconnections affect age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Nested case-control study.

Subjects And Controls: The analyses were performed in a subset of the Singapore Indian Eye Study.

Environmental influences on the distribution and ecology of the fluke intermediate host : a systematic review.

is one of the most distributed intermediate hosts of across Europe, North Africa and South America. Therefore, understanding the environmental preferences of this species is vital for developing control strategies for fascioliasis and other trematodes such as . This systematic literature review evaluates the current understanding of the snail's environmental preferences to identify factors which might aid control and areas where further research is needed.

CATHETER II: a randomised controlled trial comparing the clinical effectiveness of various washout policies versus no washout policy in preventing catheter-associated complications in adults living with long-term catheters.

Objectives: Do weekly prophylactic saline or acidic catheter washouts in addition to standard long-term catheter (LTC) care improve the outcomes of adults with LTC compared with standard LTC care only.

Design: Three-arm superiority open-label randomised controlled trial.

Setting: UK community-based study.

The Machiavellian Approach and Avoidance Questionnaire: Further Validation and Evidence of Cross-National Validity.

Researchers on antagonistic personality traits debate about an appropriate measurement approach to Machiavellianism. One measure intended to resolve this discourse, the Machiavellian Approach and Avoidance Questionnaire (MAAQ), distinguishes motivational aspects of Machiavellianism (https://doi.org/10.

Co-resident grandparent and maternal employment. A Northern Ireland cross-sectional administrative data analysis.

The trade-off between the costs of childcare provision and the benefits of having an increased proportion of women, particularly women with dependent children, in employment is one of the most taxing social issues for Western governments. In countries like Northern Ireland, the limited subsidised childcare provision for preschool and primary school children has been partially offset by a rise in informal childcare though this has been considerably hard to assess both in terms of magnitude and effect. Using the entire 2011 Census cohort of mothers with children aged 1 to 16 years of age, we argue that co-resident grandparents have a substantial positive impact on maternal labour force participation in Northern Ireland.

Exploring the current provision of pancreatic transplantations in low- and middle-income countries: Current landscape, challenges, future prospects.

This comprehensive review addresses the global health challenge of disparities in pancreas transplant access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries. Despite advancements in surgical techniques and immunosuppression for procedures like simultaneous pancreas-kidney, pancreas-after-kidney, and pancreas-transplant alone, LMICs face significant challenges, including limited infrastructure, financial constraints, and a shortage of skilled medical professionals. Donation after brain death remains constrained by sociocultural barriers.

On the Instrumental Discrepancies in Lyman-Alpha Observations of Solar Flares.

Despite the energetic significance of Lyman-alpha (Ly ; 1216 Å) emission from solar flares, regular observations of flare related Ly have been relatively scarce until recently. Advances in instrumental capabilities and a shift in focus over previous solar cycles mean it is now routinely possible to take regular co-observations of Ly emission in solar flares. Thus, it is valuable to examine how the instruments selected for flare observations may influence the conclusions drawn from the analysis of their unique measurements.

Longitudinal Assessment of AMD using Ultrawide Field Imaging - The Optos PEripheral RetinA (OPERA) Follow-up Study.

Purpose: With the widespread availability of ultrawide field imaging, peripheral retinal abnormalities in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have garnered attention. However, longitudinal studies on AMD peripheral findings are limited. This study aims to characterize and quantify these features over five years.

Sitagliptin eye drops prevent the impairment of retinal neurovascular unit in the new Trpv2 rat model.

Impaired function of the retinal neurovascular unit (NVU) is an early event in diabetic retinopathy (DR). It has been previously shown that topical delivery of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin can protect against diabetes-mediated dysfunction of the retinal NVU in the db/db mouse. The aim of the present study was to examine whether sitagliptin could prevent the DR-like lesions within the NVU of the new non-diabetic model of DR, the Trpv2 knockout rat (Trpv2).

Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinases in early psychosis, anxiety and depression: Evidence from the ALSPAC cohort.

Background: Converging evidence supports the role of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) in psychiatric disorders. Originally identified as regulators of the extracellular matrix (ECM), MMPs' functions span multiple processes, including inflammation, synaptic plasticity, neuronal migration, and blood-brain barrier maintenance. Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are major regulators of MMPs.

Leveraging Machine Learning Potentials for In-Situ Searching of Active sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis.

This Perspective explores the integration of machine learning potentials (MLPs) in the research of heterogeneous catalysis, focusing on their role in identifying active sites and enhancing the understanding of catalytic processes. MLPs utilize extensive databases from high-throughput density functional theory (DFT) calculations to train models that predict atomic configurations, energies, and forces with near-DFT accuracy. These capabilities allow MLPs to handle significantly larger systems and extend simulation times beyond the limitations of traditional methods.

Pericytes require physiological oxygen tension to maintain phenotypic fidelity.

Pericytes function to maintain tissue homeostasis by regulating capillary blood flow and maintaining endothelial barrier function. Pericyte dysfunction is associated with various pathologies and has recently been found to aid cancer progression. Despite having critical functions in health and disease, pericytes remain an understudied population due to a lack of model systems which accurately reflect in vivo biology.

A modified Delphi consensus regarding the clinical utility of triplet therapy in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients in the UK.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the clinical utility of the androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)+docetaxel (DOCE)+androgen receptor-targeted agent (ARTA) triplet therapy in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in the UK.

Design: A modified Delphi method. A steering group of eight UK healthcare professionals experienced in prostate cancer care discussed treatment challenges, developing 39 consensus statements across four topics.