Performance validity tests in people with epilepsy: A review of the literature.

Objective: Professional bodies recommend the use of performance validity tests (PVTs) to aid the interpretation of scores obtained in neuropsychological assessments, but base rates of failure differ according to neurological diagnosis and the associated impairments. This review summarises the PVT literature in people with epilepsy with the aim of establishing base rates of PVT failure and the factors associated with PVT performance in this population.

Methods: Ovid and PubMed databases were searched for studies reporting PVT test performance in people with epilepsy.

Association of organ iron levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus and glycemic traits: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Observational studies have found that higher iron levels are associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus. Given the limitations of causal inferences from observational studies and the expensive and time-consuming nature of randomized controlled trials, Mendelian randomization analysis presents a reasonable alternative to study causal relationships. Previous MR analyses studying iron levels and diabetes have used indirect markers of iron levels, such as serum ferritin, and found conflicting results.

Use of a hidden Markov model for interpretation of serial cow milk paratuberculosis antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results adjusted for milk yield and quality.

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease), caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a common, economically-important and potentially zoonotic contagious disease of cattle, with worldwide distribution. Disease management relies on identification of animals which are at high-risk of being infected or infectious.

Smallest microplastics intensify maize yield decline, soil processes and consequent global warming potential.

Microplastic pollution seriously affects global agroecosystems, strongly influencing soil processes and crop growth. Microplastics impact could be size-dependent, yet relevant field experiments are scarce. We conducted a field experiment in a soil-maize agroecosystem to assess interactions between microplastic types and sizes.

Effectiveness of 234 interventions to improve life satisfaction: A rapid systematic review.

This rapid review evaluates interventions aimed at improving life satisfaction and aids policymakers, researchers, and practitioners by identifying research strengths, gaps, and future directions for life satisfaction research. Intervention inclusion criteria were: use of a control group; delivered in high-income OECD country; randomised control trials or quasi-experimental studies; published between Jan 2011-Oct 2023; English language; uses a validated life satisfaction outcome measure. Of 9520 search results across five academic databases and grey literature sources, a total of 189 studies with 234 intervention arms met criteria for inclusion.

Disposable and sensitive electrochemical magneto-immunosensor for point-of-care HCV diagnostics: Targeting HCVcAg, the active viremia biomarker, in patient samples.

Early detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is crucial for eliminating this silent killer, especially in resource-limited settings. HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) represents a promising alternative to the current "gold standard" HCV RNA assays as an active viremia biomarker. Herein, a highly sensitive electrochemical magneto-immunosensor for the HCVcAg was developed.

Polarity-Sensitive fluorescent probes based on triphenylamine for fluorescence lifetime imaging of lipid droplets.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease closely associated with metabolic abnormalities. Lipid droplets (LDs) serve as organelles that store intracellular neutral lipids and maintain cellular energy homeostasis. Their abnormalities can cause metabolic disorders and disease, which is also one of the distinctive characteristics of NAFLD patients.

Acetochlor degradation in anaerobic microcosms with hyporheic sediments: Insights from biogeochemical data, transformation products, and isotope analysis.

Steep redox gradients and diverse microbial communities in the anaerobic hyporheic zone create complex pathways for the degradation of herbicides, often linked to various terminal electron-accepting processes (TEAPs). Identifying the degradation pathways and their controlling factors under various TEAPs is of great significance for understanding mechanisms of water purification in the hyporheic zone. However, current research on herbicides in this area remains insufficient.

Pro-renin Receptor (PRR) as a Target to Reduce Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Post Liver Transplantation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the main causes of chronic liver disorders following liver transplantation. The prorenin receptor (PRR) plays a role in glucose and lipid metabolism, and the hepatic dysregulation of PRR is associated with the upregulation of several molecular pathways, such as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) that promotes hepatic lipogenesis and leads to lipid accumulation in hepatocytes by upregulation of lipogenic genes. PRR inhibition leads to a reduction in the hepatic expression of sortilin-1 and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) levels and down-regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and reduces fatty acids synthesis in hepatocytes.

European Guideline on Chronic Nausea and Vomiting-A UEG and ESNM Consensus for Clinical Management.

Introduction: Chronic nausea and vomiting are symptoms of a wide range of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal conditions. Diagnosis can be challenging and requires a systematic and well-structured approach. If the initial investigation for structural, toxic and metabolic disorders is negative, digestive motility and gut-brain interaction disorders should be assessed.

Nonhuman primate antigenic cartography of SARS-CoV-2.

Virus neutralization profiles against primary infection sera and corresponding antigenic cartography are integral part of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccine strain selection processes. Human single variant exposure sera have previously defined the antigenic relationships among SARS-CoV-2 variants but are now largely unavailable due to widespread population immunity. Therefore, antigenic characterization of future SARS-CoV-2 variants will require an animal model, analogous to using ferrets for influenza virus.

Changing practices, procedures, and perceptions: A multi-year person-centered planning initiative in group homes for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Person-centered planning has been shown to benefit people with disabilities and their quality of life. However, we have little knowledge of how person-centered planning can benefit staff and administration within a group home organization, as well as the extent to which it results in changes to organizational practices and procedures, as well as perceptions of people with disabilities. In this qualitative study, we explored the perspectives of organizational employees, an affiliating behavioral consultant, and residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, taking into consideration key insights from person-centered planning consultant-coaches, to understand the effects of a person-centered planning initiative on the group home organization.

Investigating digital determinants shaping pharmacists' preparedness for interoperability and health informatics practice evolution: a systematic review.

Background: Fragmented healthcare systems hinder pharmacists' access to comprehensive patient data, limiting their clinical role and posing health risks. Enhancing system interoperability and evaluating factors influencing pharmacists' readiness for technology-driven practice change is a crucial step.

Aim: This systematic review aimed to investigate the digital determinants of pharmacists' readiness for technology-oriented practice change and interoperability.

Novel Selective Cardiac Myosin-Targeted Inhibitors Alleviate Myocardial Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Purpose: Reperfusion of the ischaemic heart is essential to limit myocardial infarction. However, reperfusion can cause cardiomyocyte hypercontracture. Recently, cardiac myosin-targeted inhibitors (CMIs), such as Mavacamten (MYK-461) and Aficamten (CK-274), have been developed to treat patients with cardiac hypercontractility.

Implant waste and associated costs in trauma and orthopaedic surgery: a systematic review.

Purpose: Trauma and orthopaedic (T&O) surgery relies on medical implants and materials, often resulting in metalwork wastage (prosthesis, screws, nails, and plates). This places an economic strain on healthcare services and the environment. Our primary outcome is to quantify the implant wastage across the literature, and secondarily investigate the associated costs in this specialty.

Long-term efficacy and safety of sacral neuromodulation for diarrhoea-predominant and mixed irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common condition worldwide. Treatment options for severe IBS are few. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for patients with IBS has been shown to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in the medium term.

Molecular and computational analysis of a novel pathogenic variant in emopamil-binding protein (EBP) involved in cholesterol biosynthetic pathway causing a rare male EBP disorder with neurologic defects (MEND syndrome).

Background: Male EBP disorder with neurologic defects (MEND syndrome) is an extremely rare disorder with a prevalence of less than 1/1,000,000 individuals worldwide. It is inherited as an X-linked recessive disorder caused by impaired sterol biosynthesis due to nonmosaic hypomorphic EBP variants. MEND syndrome is characterized by variable clinical manifestations including intellectual disability, short stature, scoliosis, digital abnormalities, cataracts, and dermatologic abnormalities.

Exploring SERPINA3 as a neuroinflammatory modulator in Alzheimer's disease with sex and regional brain variations.

SERPINA3, a serine protease inhibitor, is strongly associated with neuroinflammation, a typical condition of AD. Its expression is linked to microglial and astrocytic markers, suggesting it plays a significant role in modulating neuroinflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the SERPINA3 expression levels, along with CHI3L1, in various brain regions of AD patients and non-demented healthy controls (NDHC).

Sustainable solar energy deployment: a multi-criteria decision-making approach for site suitability and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Conventional power generation methods have led to adverse environmental impacts. Thus, the need for a strategic transition to alternative energy sources arises. This study presents a comprehensive approach to sustainable solar energy deployment using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques.

Pharmacotherapeutic options for coronary thrombosis treatment: where are we today?

Introduction: Advances in pharmacotherapy for coronary thrombosis treatment and prevention have transformed the clinical outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease but increased the complexity of therapeutic decision-making. Improvements in percutaneous coronary intervention techniques and stent design have reduced the incidence of thrombotic complications, which consequently has increased the challenge of adequately powering clinical trials of novel antithrombotic strategies for efficacy outcomes. Knowledge of the pathophysiology of coronary thrombosis and the characteristics of antithrombotic drugs can help with therapeutic decisions.

ATP Regeneration from Pyruvate in the PURE System.

The "Protein synthesis Using Recombinant Elements" ("PURE") system is a minimal biochemical system capable of carrying out cell-free protein synthesis using defined enzymatic components. This study extends PURE by integrating an ATP regeneration system based on pyruvate oxidase, acetate kinase, and catalase. The new pathway generates acetyl phosphate from pyruvate, phosphate, and oxygen, which is used to rephosphorylate ATP .

Fine-Tuning Genetic Circuits via Host Context and RBS Modulation.

The choice of organism to host a genetic circuit, the chassis, is often defaulted to model organisms due to their amenability. The chassis-design space has therefore remained underexplored as an engineering variable. In this work, we explored the design space of a genetic toggle switch through variations in nine ribosome binding site compositions and three host contexts, creating 27 circuit variants.

Anthelmintic Potential of Conjugated Long-Chain Fatty Acids Isolated from the Bioluminescent Mushroom .

With praziquantel being the sole available drug for schistosomiasis, identifying novel anthelmintic agents is imperative. A chemical investigation of the fruiting body of the bioluminescent mushroom Berk. resulted in the isolation of new conjugated long-chain fatty acids (8,10,12,13)-12,13-dihydroxy-7-oxo-octadeca-8,10-dienoic acid () and (7,8,9,11)-7,8-dihydroxy-13-oxo-octadeca-9,11-dienoic acid () and three previously described compounds, (7,8,9)-7,8-dihydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid (), (2)-dec-2-ene-1,10-dioic acid (), and a ketolactone marasmeno-1,15-dione ().

Apical periodontitis microbiome association with salivary and serum inflammatory burden.

Aims: Apical Periodontitis (AP) involves complex interactions between the root canal microbiome and the host immune response, with potential risk of local and systemic inflammatory burden, however there is no evidence available regarding correlation between microbiome and inflammatory marker levels. This study aims to identify the microbiome of saliva, intracanal and blood samples in AP subjects and investigate the correlation between intracanal and blood microbiomes with serum inflammatory biomarker levels, and salivary microbiomes with salivary inflammatory biomarker levels.

Methodology: Saliva, Intracanal and blood samples were collected from AP patients undergoing root canal retreatment.