Efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation in gastrointestinal disorders: a systematic review.

Dysfunction of the vagus nerve has been suggested as a contributing factor in various gastrointestinal disorders, prompting interest in vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a non-pharmacological therapy. We performed a systematic review to determine the efficacy of invasive and non-invasive VNS in gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia (FD), functional constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gastroparesis. We applied a systematic search of the literature in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases in order to identify studies comparing VNS with an adequate control condition (sham stimulation) in patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

A mixed-methods investigation of an ecological momentary assessment protocol for cigarette-smoking youth: Psychometric properties and participant experiences.

Introduction: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is popular in smoking research to study time-varying processes and design just-in-time personalised cessation interventions. Yet, research examining the psychometric properties of EMA and user experiences with EMA protocols is lacking. We conducted a mixed-methods study to test the EMA component of a mobile intervention for middle to late-aged adolescents (16-20 years) who smoke cigarettes at least weekly.

Missing value replacement in strings and applications.

Missing values arise routinely in real-world sequential (string) datasets due to: (1) imprecise data measurements; (2) flexible sequence modeling, such as binding profiles of molecular sequences; or (3) the existence of confidential information in a dataset which has been deleted deliberately for privacy protection. In order to analyze such datasets, it is often important to replace each missing value, with one or more letters, in an efficient and effective way. Here we formalize this task as a combinatorial optimization problem: the set of constraints includes the of the missing value (i.

Secondary Subtalar Arthrodesis: Surgical Outcome and Predictors of Functional Outcome and Quality of Life After Bone Block Distraction vs In Situ Technique.

Background: The outcome of a secondary subtalar arthrodesis after prior calcaneal fracture has been widely described. However, the surgical treatment has evolved significantly over the past decade, paralleling the shifts observed in primary repair strategies. Therefore, we describe the outcome following a secondary arthrodesis after an intra-articular calcaneal fracture, comparing the in situ (ISA) and bone block distraction arthrodesis (BBDA) techniques.

The "Triangle" Sign: A Novel Ultrasound Marker for Diagnosing Total Choroidal Detachment and Total Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the diagnostic utility of ultrasound B-scan while introducing the "Triangle" sign as a novel indicator. It also validates the sign's efficacy in distinguishing between choroidal detachment (CD) and suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH) from retinal detachment (RD) and vitreous hemorrhage (VH).

Patients And Methods: Retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of total CD and SCH undergoing B-scan at a single tertiary imaging center.

Oral health care in older people in long-term care facilities: An updated systematic review and meta-analyses of implementation strategies.

Introduction: Oral health care of older people in long-term care facilities is insufficient, stressing the need for clear evidence-based implementation strategies to improve oral care. In 2013, a systematic review was performed and new evidence was published. This study aimed to gain insights into implementation strategies used to promote or improve oral health care for older people in long-term care facilities, explore their effectiveness and uncover strategy content in behavioral change techniques, and report the differences between the current results and those of the 2013 study.

Nurses' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy in evidence-based practice: Translation, construct validity and internal consistency of the Dutch scales.

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial for appropriate, effective, and affordable care. Despite EBP education, barriers like low self-efficacy and outcome expectancy limit nurses' engagement in EBP. Reliable scales are essential to evaluate interventions aimed at improving self-efficacy and outcome expectancy in EBP.

Proposing a two-stage screening approach to distinguish between transient and enduring postnatal depressive symptoms: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Screening for perinatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) improves detection and increases health service utilization. However, previous studies with antenatal samples indicate that positive screenings might reflect transient distress that resolves without intervention, raising concerns about over-pathologizing typical postnatal responses and inefficiencies in referral practices. Therefore, distinguishing between transient and enduring depressive symptoms for appropriate referrals to secondary services is crucial, highlighting the need for a refined screening practice.

Oxygenation and function of endocrine bioartificial pancreatic tissue constructs under flow for preclinical optimization.

Islet transplantation and more recently stem cell-derived islets were shown to successfully re-establish glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes under immunosuppression. These results were achieved through intraportal infusion which leads to early graft losses and limits the capacity to contain and retrieve implanted cells in case of adverse events. Extra-hepatic sites and encapsulation devices have been developed to address these challenges and potentially create an immunoprotective or immune-privileged environment.

Single-center off-label benralizumab use for refractory hypereosinophilic syndrome demonstrates satisfactory safety and efficacy.

Introduction: Benralizumab is an interleukin 5-receptor-blocking drug registered for the treatment of eosinophilic asthma. It has proven efficient and safe in a small phase-II trial in hypereosinophilic syndrome and is currently being investigated in a larger, randomized phase-III trial. We report on real-world experience with benralizumab in 15 patients with severe Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that were refractory to other treatments or on unacceptable steroid doses.

Serum metabolomic signatures of patients with rare neurogenetic diseases: an insight into potential biomarkers and treatment targets.

Introduction: To further advance our understanding of Muscular Dystrophies (MDs) and Spinocerebellar Ataxias (SCAs), it is necessary to identify the biological patterns associated with disease pathology. Although progress has been made in the fields of genetics and transcriptomics, there is a need for proteomics and metabolomics studies. The present study aimed to be the first to document serum metabolic signatures of MDs (DMD, BMD, and LGMD 2A) SCAs (SCA 1-3), from a South Asian perspective.

Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S co-administered with a quadrivalent standard-dose or high-dose seasonal influenza vaccine: a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial.

Background: Vaccine co-administration can increase vaccination coverage. We assessed the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of concomitant administration of Ad26.COV2.

Implementing IPE in a Workplace Setting: Educational Design Research Promotes Transformative Participation.

Background: Educators struggle to implement Interprofessional Education (IPE) in workplace settings. We adopted an educational design research (EDR) approach to implement an IPE activity and establish design principles supporting IPE implementation in workplace settings.

Method: We adopted an iterative process of analysis/exploration, design/construction and evaluation/reflection.

Effect of non-contact induction heating on HA coatings and bone cement, an ex vivo study.

Background: Prosthetic joint infection is a serious complication that can arise after total joint replacement surgery. When bacteria colonise an orthopaedic implant, they form biofilms that protect them from their environment, making them difficult to remove. Treatment is further complicated by a global rise of antimicrobial resistance.

Low Molecular Weight Biobased Aromatics from Pyrolysis Liquids Using Zeolites: Yield Improvements by Using Pyrolysis Oil Fractions.

Pyrolysis liquids from lignocellulosic biomass have the potential to be used as a feed for aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) using catalytic upgrading with zeolites. We here report an experimental study on the conversion of various pyrolysis oil fractions to determine the most suitable one for BTX synthesis. For this purpose, the pyrolysis liquid was fractionated using several extraction/distillation steps to give four fractions with different chemical compositions.

First-in-Men Online Adaptive Robotic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: Toward Ultrahypofractionation for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients.

Purpose: Ultrahypofractionation presents challenges for a subset of high-risk prostate cancer patients due to the large planning target volume (PTV) margin required for the seminal vesicles. Online adaptive radiation therapy could potentially reduce this margin. This paper focuses on the development, preclinical validation, and clinical testing of online adaptive robotic stereotactic body radiation therapy for this patient group.

Priority effects, nutrition and milk glycan-metabolic potential drive subspecies dynamics in the infant gut microbiome.

Background: The initial colonization of the infant gut is a complex process that defines the foundation for a healthy microbiome development. is one of the first colonizers of newborns' gut, playing a crucial role in the healthy development of both the host and its microbiome. However, exhibits significant genomic diversity, with subspecies ( subsp.

Three-dimensional analysis of facial morphology in nine-year-old children with different unilateral orofacial clefts compared to normative data.

Aim: To compare three-dimensional (3D) facial morphology of various unilateral cleft subphenotypes at 9-years of age to normative data using a general face template and automatic landmarking. The secondary objective is to compare facial morphology of 9-year-old children with unilateral fusion to differentiation defects.

Methods: 3D facial stereophotogrammetric images of 9-year-old unilateral cleft patients were imported into 3DMedX® for processing.

Multiwavelength constraints on the origin of a nearby repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster.

The precise origins of fast radio bursts (FRBs) remain unknown. Multiwavelength observations of nearby FRB sources can provide important insights into the enigmatic FRB phenomenon. Here we present results from a sensitive, broadband X-ray and radio observational campaign of FRB 20200120E, the closest known extragalactic repeating FRB source (located 3.

Recycled glass powder and calcium carbide residue geopolymer to stabilise silty sand soil: Mechanical performances and statistical analysis.

Geopolymerization is a soil improvement technique widely used for waste management in recent years. This study explores the potential of geopolymerization for roadbed improvement using waste materials. Recycled glass powder (RGP) and calcium carbide residue (CCR) were investigated as precursors and alkaline activators, respectively, to enhance the properties of silty sand soil.

ImmuNet: a segmentation-free machine learning pipeline for immune landscape phenotyping in tumors by multiplex imaging.

Tissue specimens taken from primary tumors or metastases contain important information for diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Multiplex imaging allows visualization of heterogeneous cell populations, such as immune cells, in tissue samples. Most image processing pipelines first segment cell boundaries and then measure marker expression to assign cell phenotypes.

Diagnosis and management of de novo non-specific spinal infections: European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) Spine Section Delphi consensus recommendations.

Introduction: The management of de novo non-specific spinal infections (spondylodiscitis - SD) remains inconsistent due to varying clinical practices and a lack of high-level evidence, particularly regarding the indications for surgery.

Research Question: This study aims to develop consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of SD, addressing diagnostic modalities, surgical indications, and treatment strategies.

Material And Methods: A Delphi process was conducted with 26 experts from the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS).

Prevalence and natural development of thoracolumbar kyphosis in achondroplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK) is a frequently reported spinal deformity in achondroplasia, which in combination with the characteristic narrow spinal canal in achondroplasia predisposes for symptomatic spinal stenosis. There is however no consensus on the optimal treatment, due to limited data on diagnostic criteria, the natural development and the prevalence of TLK.

Research Question: This study aims to assess the prevalence, natural development, and diagnostic criteria for pathological TLK in individuals with achondroplasia.