Computerized adaptive resting with the I-HaND scale for monitoring patients with upper limb nerve pathology.

The Impact of Hand Nerve Disorders scale is a patient-reported outcome measure for upper limb nerve pathology. We aimed to assess its structural validity using item response theory and to develop computerized adaptive testing algorithms. We conducted a series of psychometric studies to assess constructs measured, applied an item response theory model to the data, then developed computerized adaptive testing algorithms.

Exploring the Anion Site Disorder Kinetics in Lithium Argyrodites.

Lithium argyrodites LiPS ( = Cl, Br, I) are a promising class of solid-state electrolytes with the potential to achieve high conductivities (>10 mS·cm) necessary for use in solid-state batteries. Previous research has shown that structural factors, in particular, site disorder between the sulfide and halide anions, can impact the ionic conductivity of lithium argyrodites. One current hypothesis for this correlation between anion site disorder and ionic transport is a connection to the lithium-ion substructure.

Using Triazabutadienes as a Protected Source of Diazonium Cations to Facilitate Electrografting to a Variety of Conductive Surfaces.

Aryl diazonium electrografting is a versatile methodology for the functionalization of electrode surfaces, yet its usage has been hampered by both the short lifespan of aryl diazonium cations in aqueous solution and the harsh conditions required to generate them . This can make accessing complicated aryl diazonium cations and derivatized surfaces thereof difficult. The usage of triazabutadienes has the potential to address many of these issues as triazabutadienes are stable enough to endure multiple-step chemical syntheses and can persist for several hours in aqueous solution, yet upon UV exposure rapidly release aryl diazonium cations under mild conditions (i.

Association of family history of cardiovascular disease with the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults in the United Arab Emirates: The UAE healthy future study.

Introduction: Family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, and the risk increases with number of family members affected. It offers insights into shared genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that influence heart disease risk. In this study, we aimed to estimate the association of family history of CVD and its risk factors, as well as the number of affected parents or siblings, with the prevalence of major cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) such as hypertension, dysglycemia, dyslipidemia and obesity in a sample of young adults.

Incidence of Scrub Typhus in Rural South India.

Background: Hospital studies suggest that scrub typhus is a leading cause of severe undifferentiated fever in regions across Asia where the disease is endemic, but the population-based incidence of infection and illness has been little studied.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study to assess epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of scrub typhus in 37 villages in Tamil Nadu, India, where the disease is highly endemic. Study participants were visited every 6 to 8 weeks over a period of 2 years; a venous blood sample was obtained from those who had had fever since the last visit.

Using a smartphone app to monitor Raynaud's attacks and quantify skin colour changes-towards objective outcome measures for Raynaud's.

Objectives: Our overall aim was to develop a smartphone app to collect photographic images of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) attacks alongside patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). Specific objectives included assessing the feasibility of patients documenting RP attacks using mobile phones, developing image analysis methods to document colour change, and comparing photographic parameters to 'non-imaging' app and paper diary parameters.

Methods: Study 1: 36 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related RP photographed RP attacks over 15 days as well as completing an RP paper diary.

Mechanism-Based Middle-Range Theories: Using Realist Syntheses to Reconcile Specificity to Context and Generalizability.

Realist synthesis is a recognized methodological approach to evidence synthesis to inform evidence-based health policy and practice. The implicit assumption behind research synthesis is that the evidence it generates should be generalizable--drawing broad inferences from specific observations. While this understanding is generally shared among social scientists, tensions exist between having generalizable evidence and how this evidence can be useful in specific contexts.

Atrial fibrillation burden in clinical practice, research, and technology development: a clinical consensus statement of the European Society of Cardiology Council on Stroke and the European Heart Rhythm Association.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac diseases and a complicating comorbidity for multiple associated diseases. Many clinical decisions regarding AF are currently based on the binary recognition of AF being present or absent with the categorical appraisal of AF as continued or intermittent. Assessment of AF in clinical trials is largely limited to the time to (first) detection of an AF episode.

A flexible pressure sensor array for self-powered identity authentication during typing.

The keyboard, a staple tool for information entry and human-machine interaction, faces demands for enhanced information security due to evolving internet technologies. This study introduces a self-powered flexible intelligent keyboard (SFIK) that harnesses the giant magnetoelastic effect to convert the mechanical pressure from key presses into electrical signals. The sensor boasts a wide sensing range (35 to 600 kPa) and a rapid response time (∼300 ms), allowing it to record and recognize individual keystroke dynamics.

Confronting Earth System Model trends with observations.

Anthropogenically forced climate change signals are emerging from the noise of internal variability in observations, and the impacts on society are growing. For decades, Climate or Earth System Models have been predicting how these climate change signals will unfold. While challenges remain, given the growing forced trends and the lengthening observational record, the climate science community is now in a position to confront the signals, as represented by historical trends, in models with observations.

Thermosensory predictive coding underpins an illusion of pain.

The human brain has a remarkable ability to learn and update its beliefs about the world. Here, we investigate how thermosensory learning shapes our subjective experience of temperature and the misperception of pain in response to harmless thermal stimuli. Through computational modeling, we demonstrate that the brain uses a probabilistic predictive coding scheme to update beliefs about temperature changes based on their uncertainty.

Genetically supported targets and drug repurposing for brain aging: A systematic study in the UK Biobank.

Brain age gap (BAG), the deviation between estimated brain age and chronological age, is a promising marker of brain health. However, the genetic architecture and reliable targets for brain aging remains poorly understood. In this study, we estimate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based brain age using deep learning models trained on the UK Biobank and validated with three external datasets.

On-demand heralded MIR single-photon source using a cascaded quantum system.

We propose a mechanism for generating single photons in the mid-infrared (MIR) using a solid-state or molecular quantum emitter. The scheme uses cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects to selectively enhance a Frank-Condon transition, deterministically preparing a single Fock state of a polar phonon mode. By coupling the phonon mode to an antenna, the resulting excitation is then radiated to the far field as a single photon with a frequency matching the phonon mode.

Synaptic-dependent developmental dysconnectivity in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Disruption of large-scale functional connectivity in 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) has been widely reported, but the biological factors driving these changes remain unclear.

Seabirds in crisis: Plastic ingestion induces proteomic signatures of multiorgan failure and neurodegeneration.

Understanding plastics' harmful impacts on wildlife would benefit from the application of hypothesis agnostic testing commonly used in medical research to detect declines in population health. Adopting a data-driven, proteomic approach, we assessed changes in 745 proteins in a free-living nonmodel organism with differing levels of plastic exposure. Seabird chicks heavily affected by plastic ingestion demonstrated a range of negative health consequences: Intracellular components that should not be found in the blood were frequently detected, indicative of cell lysis.

Targeting the NPY/NPY1R signaling axis in mutant p53-dependent pancreatic cancer impairs metastasis.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly metastatic malignancy. More than 80% of patients with PC present with advanced-stage disease, preventing potentially curative surgery. The neuropeptide Y (NPY) system, best known for its role in controlling energy homeostasis, has also been shown to promote tumorigenesis in a range of cancer types, but its role in PC has yet to be explored.

Augmenting rehabilitation robotics with spinal cord neuromodulation: A proof of concept.

Rehabilitation robotics aims to promote activity-dependent reorganization of the nervous system. However, people with paralysis cannot generate sufficient activity during robot-assisted rehabilitation and, consequently, do not benefit from these therapies. Here, we developed an implantable spinal cord neuroprosthesis operating in a closed loop to promote robust activity during walking and cycling assisted by robotic devices.

Deciphering the structural consequences of R83 and R152 methylation on DNA polymerase β using molecular modeling.

DNA polymerase β, a member of the X-family of DNA polymerases, undergoes complex regulations both in vitro and in vivo through various posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation and methylation. The impact of these modifications varies depending on the specific amino acid undergoing alterations. In vitro, methylation of DNA polymerase β with the enzyme protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) at R83 and R152 enhances polymerase activity by improving DNA binding and processivity.

Comparative analysis of protein expression between oesophageal adenocarcinoma and normal adjacent tissue.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is the 7th most common cancer in the United Kingdom (UK) and remains a significant health challenge. This study presents a proteomic analysis of seven OAC donors complementing our previous neoantigen identification study of their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) immunopeptidomes. Our small UK cohort were selected from donors undergoing treatment for OAC.

A Phase-Space View of Vibrational Energies without the Born-Oppenheimer Framework.

We show that following the standard mantra of quantum chemistry and diagonalizing the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) Hamiltonian () is not the optimal means to construct potential energy surfaces. A better approach is to diagonalize a phase-space electronic Hamiltonian, (, ), which is parameterized by both nuclear position and nuclear momentum . Such a nonperturbative phase-space electronic Hamiltonian can be constructed using a partial Wigner transform and the method has exactly the same cost as BO for a semiclassical calculation (and only a slight increase in cost for a quantum nuclear calculation).

Menadione reduces the expression of virulence- and colonization-associated genes in .

Novel treatment options are needed for the gastric pathogen due to its increasing antibiotic resistance. The vitamin K analogue menadione has been extensively studied due to interest in its anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. Here, we investigated the effects of menadione on growth, viability, antibiotic resistance, motility and gene expression using clinical isolates.

Diagnosis and Monitoring Pathways Using Non-Invasive Tests in Patients With Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency-Associated Liver Disease: Results From an Expert Delphi Panel.

Background And Aims: The severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) genotype Pi*ZZ increases the risk of liver disease (AATD-LD) and lung disease. While non-invasive tests (NITs) are widely used for fibrosis stage and monitoring of all liver diseases, the consensus for use in AATD-LD is limited. A Delphi panel study was conducted to address this need.