Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial protocol to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of lyophilised faecal microbiota capsules amended with next-generation beneficial bacteria in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

Background: The spectrum of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is highly prevalent, affecting 30% of the world's population, with a significant risk of hepatic and cardiometabolic complications. Different stages of MASLD are accompanied by distinct gut microbial profiles, and several microbial components have been implicated in MASLD pathophysiology. Indeed, earlier studies demonstrated that hepatic necroinflammation was reduced in individuals with MASLD after allogenic faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors on a vegan diet.

Duration of antibiotic therapy in the intensive care unit: factors influencing decision-making during multidisciplinary meetings.

Objectives: In the intensive care unit (ICU), antibiotics are often given longer than recommended in guidelines. A better understanding of the factors influencing antibiotic therapy duration is needed to develop improvement strategies to effectively address these drivers of excessive duration. This study aimed to explore the determinants of adherence to recommended antibiotic therapy durations among healthcare professionals involved in antibiotic decision-making within the ICU, focusing on multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs).

The Long-Term Uptake of Home Spirometry in Regular Cystic Fibrosis Care: Retrospective Multicenter Observational Study.

Background: Home spirometers have been widely implemented in the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Frequent spirometry measurements at home could lead to earlier detection of exacerbations. However, previous research indicates that the long-term use of home spirometry is not well maintained by people with CF.

Outcomes and Complications of Chait Trapdoor Cecostomy in Pediatric Patients with Therapy-Resistant Constipation and Fecal Incontinence: A 14-Year Retrospective Study.

Aim of the study To assess the incidence and types of complications and patient-reported outcomes in pediatric patients with therapy-resistant constipation or fecal incontinence (FI) without constipation who underwent Chait TrapdoorTM cecostomy (CTC). The findings contribute to the discussion on selecting the optimal antegrade continence (ACE) procedure for this population. Materials and Methods A retrospective review was conducted on all pediatric patients with therapy-resistant constipation or FI without constipation who underwent a CTC procedure at our tertiary referral center between 2009 and 2023.

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.

Memory load influences our preparedness to act on visual representations in working memory without affecting their accessibility.

It is well established that when we hold more content in working memory, we are slower to act upon part of that content when it becomes relevant for behavior. Here, we asked whether this load-related slowing is due to slower access to the sensory representations held in working memory (as predicted by serial working-memory search), or by a reduced preparedness to act upon those sensory representations once accessed. To address this, we designed a visual-motor working-memory task in which participants memorized the orientation of two or four colored bars, of which one was cued for reproduction.

Determinants of Caregiver Burden Among Spouses of Patients With Kidney Failure: A Qualitative Study.

Rationale & Objective: Spousal caregivers participate extensively in the care of patients with kidney failure. Although previous studies suggested that these caregivers experience a high burden, a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of this burden and strategies to alleviate it are needed. Therefore, this study sought to explore the contributing and alleviating determinants of burden in spousal caregivers of patients with kidney failure.

Neurobiological mechanisms of antidepressant properties of psilocybin: A systematic review of blood biomarkers.

Psilocybin represents a novel therapeutic approach for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who do not respond to conventional antidepressant treatment. Investigating the influence of psilocybin on the pathophysiological processes involved in MDD could enhance our neurobiological understanding of the presumed antidepressant action mechanism. This systematic review aims to summarize the results of human studies investigating changes in blood-based biomarkers of MDD to guide future research on potentially relevant analytes that could be monitored in clinical trials.

Comparable performance between automatic and manual laryngeal and hypopharyngeal GTV delineations validated with pathology.

Purpose: Deep learning is a promising approach to increase reproducibility and time-efficiency of GTV delineation in head and neck cancer, but model evaluation primarily relies on manual GTV delineations as reference annotation, which are subjective and tend to overestimate tumor volume. This study aimed to validate a deep learning model for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal GTV segmentation with pathology and to compare its performance with clinicians' manual delineations.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective dataset of 193 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer patients was used to train a deep learning model with clinical GTV delineations as reference.

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.

Functional analysis of SRY variants in individuals with 46,XY Differences of Sex Development.

In mammals, male sexual development is initiated by the expression of the Sex-determining-Region-Y (SRY) gene. SRY contains a highly conserved High Mobility Group (HMG) box essential for DNA binding and activity. Variants in SRY cause Differences of Sex Development (DSD), accounting for 10-15% of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis cases.

Microvessels-on-chip: Exploring endothelial cells and COVID-19 plasma interaction with nitric oxide metabolites.

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), primarily manifests as a flu-like illness with lung injury, often necessitating supplemental oxygen. Elderly individuals and those with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases are at increased risk of mortality. The endothelial barrier disruption observed in patients indicates systemic viral invasion and widespread endotheliitis.

The mitochondriotropic antioxidants AntiOxBEN and AntiOxCIN are structurally-similar but differentially alter energy homeostasis in human skin fibroblasts.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation play an import role in different human pathologies. In this context, mitochondrial targeting of potentially protective antioxidants by their coupling to the lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP) is widely applied. Employing a six‑carbon (C) linker, we recently demonstrated that mitochondria-targeted phenolic antioxidants derived from gallic acid (AntiOxBEN) and caffeic acid (AntiOxCIN) counterbalance oxidative stress in primary human skin fibroblasts by activating ROS-protective mechanisms.

Nutritional Value of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Oil in Calf Milk Replacers.

Sustainable alternatives to high environmental input feed ingredients are important to reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Protein and oil extracted from cultivation of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) on waste feedstocks such as manure, food waste and plant residues could be a suitable source of nutrients. The oil from BFSL contains large amounts of saturated fatty acids, particularly lauric acid, and may be a more sustainable alternative to palm and coconut oils that are currently used in calf milk replacers in many parts of the world.

Consequences of weaning and separation for feed intake and milking characteristics of dairy cows in a cow-calf contact system.

In cow-calf contact (CCC) systems breaking the maternal bond may induce stress for the cow, thereby affecting feed intake, milk yield, milk flow rate, and milk electrical conductivity. This study aimed to determine the consequences of weaning and separation strategies in CCC systems for feed intake and milking characteristics of the cow. In 2 experiments, Swedish Holstein and Swedish Red cows either had (experiment 1) whole-day CCC (CCC1, n = 12) for 8.

Learning to fear novel stimuli by observing others in the social affordance framework.

Fear responses to novel stimuli can be learned directly, through personal experiences (Fear Conditioning, FC), or indirectly, by observing conspecific reactions to a stimulus (Social Fear Learning, SFL). Although substantial knowledge exists about FC and SFL in humans and other species, they are typically conceived as mechanisms that engage separate neural networks and operate at different levels of complexity. Here, we propose a broader framework that links these two fear learning modes by supporting the view that social signals may act as unconditioned stimuli during SFL.

Toward a functional future for the cognitive neuroscience of human aging.

The cognitive neuroscience of human aging seeks to identify neural mechanisms behind the commonalities and individual differences in age-related behavioral changes. This goal has been pursued predominantly through structural or "task-free" resting-state functional neuroimaging. The former has elucidated the material foundations of behavioral decline, and the latter has provided key insight into how functional brain networks change with age.

Morphological and morphometric investigations on testate amoebae from Mongolia with descriptions of a new genus and four new species.

Testate amoebae are a polyphyletic and highly diverse group of unicellular protists, inhabiting various habitats and successfully used as indicators of property of environmental variables, providing information on hydrology, pH and pollution of ecosystems. However, despite numerous studies, there is still a lack of data regarding their species diversity, geographical distribution and population dynamics in various habitats from previously unexplored or poorly investigated regions such as Mongolia. In this study, we describe the morphology and morphometry of a new genus and four new species: Armatura murmillo gen.

Barriers and facilitators for adequate calcium intake during pregnancy: A mixed methods study.

Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of calcium supplementation as a preventive measure for pregnant women with insufficient calcium intake, examining adherence to the recommended 1000 mg daily intake and identifying influencing factors.

Methods: A survey (Expect cohort II, n = 823) evaluated calcium adherence among pregnant women, followed by interviews with sixteen purposefully selected participants. Verbatim transcripts were independently analyzed to identify key themes.