The efficacy and safety of L. leaves extract combined with ACEI/ARB on diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 41 randomized controlled trials.

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the world. However, the current conventional approaches have not yet achieved satisfactory efficacy. As one of the most influential products in botanical medicine, L.

Late modern war and the : The ecological 'beforemaths' of advanced military technologies.

This article develops the idea that late modern war's relationship with the (the ground and the life it sustains) is doubly destructive. While part of this is recognized in a recent focus on slow violence and ecological aftermaths, there is little consideration of the 'beforemath', or the sites of extraction that make advanced military technologies possible. Drawing attention to mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the article connects military technologies to arms manufacturers and their use of extracted minerals (e.

Places to be young: The dispossession of public space in Old Havana.

The touristification of Old Havana is resulting in unique patterns of gentrification that rely on a new spatial imaginary, the enforcement of which is resulting in the loss of places for residents to be young. The Cuban state's preservation of significant proportions of social housing as part of its investments in the heritage tourism industry is disrupting common housing-led displacement in the city. The neighbourhood's economic transition is concentrated instead in public spaces, as squares and streets are taken over by new tourist-serving businesses.

Temporal Trends in Parkinson's Disease Related Mortality from 1999-2020: A National Analysis.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder and is associated with significant disability. The prevalence is rising, and studies have reported potential sex and race disparities in patient outcomes. Data about the demographic trends in PD-related mortality in the United States (US) is limited.

Mycodiversity in a micro-habitat: twelve species, including four new taxa, isolated from uredinia of coffee leaf rust, .

During surveys in the centres of origin of the coffee leaf rust (CLR), in Africa, as well as in its exotic range in Brazil, 23 isolates of the genus were obtained from uredinial pustules. Using a phylogenetic analysis of all isolates involving a combination of partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS) and two gene regions: actin ( and translation elongation factor-1α (), 12 species were delimited; including four new species - , , and . GCPSR criteria were employed for species recognition, supported by morphological and cultural characters.

Social Determinants of Health and Functional Brain Connectivity Predict Long-Term Physical Activity in Older Adults with a New Cardiovascular Diagnosis.

Background: Physical activity is essential for preventing cognitive decline, stroke and dementia in older adults. A new cardiovascular diagnosis offers a critical window for positive lifestyle changes. However, sustaining physical activity behavior change remains challenging and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

Non-Contact Optical Blood Pressure Biometry Using AI-Based Analysis of Non-Mydriatic Fundus Imaging.

Background: This study was developed to determine whether a machine learning model could be developed to assess blood pressure with accuracy comparable to arm cuff measurements.

Methods: A deep learning model was developed based on the UK Biobank dataset and was trained to detect both systolic and diastolic pressure. The hypothesis was formulated after data collection and before the development of the model.

Role of Fe Impurity Reactions in the Electrochemical Properties of MgFeBO.

We investigate magnesium-iron pyroborate MgFeBO as a potential cathode material for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries. Synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy confirm its successful synthesis and iron stabilization in the high-spin Fe(II) state. Initial electrochemical testing against a lithium metal anode yields a first charge capacity near the theoretical value (147.

"Nano-In-Nano" Schottky Diodes Fabricated by Combining Self-Aligned Nanogap Patterning with Bottom-Up ZnO Nanowire Growth.

Nanoscale semiconductors offer significant advantages over their bulk semiconductor equivalents for electronic devices as a result of the ability to geometrically tune electronic properties, the absence of internal grain boundaries, and the very low absolute number of defects that are present in such small volumes of material. However, these advantages can only be realized if reliable contacts can be made to the nanoscale semiconductor using a scalable, low-cost process. Although there are many low-cost "bottom-up" techniques for directly growing nanomaterials, the fabrication of contacts at the nanoscale usually requires expensive and slow techniques like e-beam lithography that are also hard to scale to a level of throughput that is required for commercialization.

Basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 1 regulates the function of immune cells and participates in the development of immune-related diseases.

The circadian clock is an internal timekeeper system that regulates biological processes through a central circadian clock and peripheral clocks controlling various genes. Basic helix-loop-helix ARNT-like 1 (), also known as aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (), is a key component of the circadian clock. The deletion of alone can abolish the circadian rhythms of the human body.

An umbrella review of physical-activity therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing fear of falling among community-dwelling older adults: insights on intervention intensity and duration.

Introduction: Data about the impact of varying physical-activity therapy (PAT) intensities and the ideal duration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on older adults is inadequate. In this umbrella review, we seek to comprehensively synthesize and analyze findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding the optimal PAT intensity for lowering FOF and the duration of CBT interventions for effectively lowering FOF.

Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched up to April 2024.

Livestock farmer-reported knowledge and attitudes regarding agroforestry planning and management.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes of livestock farmers from the United Kingdom regarding agroforestry planning and management issues. The farmers (n = 48) answered an online survey with demographic, open, closed and Likert scale questions. Almost half of the participants said they need more information to successfully plan and manage an agroforestry system, and self-reported low knowledge on management practices related to trees.

Using primary and routinely collected data to determine prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in rural China: a representative cross-sectional study of 6474 Chinese adults.

Background: In China, rising chronic diseases has coincided with the increasing burden of multimorbidity, particularly for vulnerable populations. Limited primary data are available to understand the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity, especially in resource-limited rural areas. This study aims to conduct robust evaluations of the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity among rural adults in China, and to compare the differences in prevalence and patterns when using primary data alone versus in combination with routinely collected data.

Biological sensing of fluid flow-lessons from PIEZO1.

The flow sensing endothelial cell lining of blood and lymphatic vessels is essential in vertebrates. While the mechanisms are still mysterious in many regards, several critical components became apparent through molecular biology studies. In this article, we focus on PIEZO1, which forms unusual force-sensing ion channels capable of rapid transduction of force into biological effect.

Friction in soft biological systems and surface self-organization: the role of viscoelasticity.

Friction is a critical factor in the proper functioning of human organs as well as in the potential development of disease. It is also important for the design of diagnostic and interventional medical devices. Nanoscale surface roughness, viscoelastic or plastic deformations, wear, and lubrication all influence the functions of individual cells.

Biophysical assays to test cellular mechanosensing: moving towards high throughput.

Mechanosensitivity is the ability of cells to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli. In order to do this, cells are endowed with different components that allow them to react to a broad range of stimuli, such as compression or shear forces, pressure, and vibrations. This sensing process, mechanosensing, is involved in fundamental physiological mechanisms, such as stem cell differentiation and migration, but it is also central to the development of pathogenic states.

Hydrogel models of pancreatic adenocarcinoma to study cell mechanosensing.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the predominant form of pancreatic cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide, with an extremely poor prognosis after diagnosis. High mortality from PDAC arises partly due to late diagnosis resulting from a lack of early-stage biomarkers and due to chemotherapeutic drug resistance, which arises from a highly fibrotic stromal response known as desmoplasia. Desmoplasia alters tissue mechanics, which triggers changes in cell mechanosensing and leads to dysregulated transcriptional activity and disease phenotypes.

Structural changes in troponin during activation of skeletal and heart muscle determined in situ by polarised fluorescence.

Calcium binding to troponin triggers the contraction of skeletal and heart muscle through structural changes in the thin filaments that allow myosin motors from the thick filaments to bind to actin and drive filament sliding. Here, we review studies in which those changes were determined in demembranated fibres of skeletal and heart muscle using fluorescence for in situ structure (FISS), which determines domain orientations using polarised fluorescence from bifunctional rhodamine attached to cysteine pairs in the target domain. We describe the changes in the orientations of the N-terminal lobe of troponin C (TnC) and the troponin IT arm in skeletal and cardiac muscle cells associated with contraction and compare the orientations with those determined in isolated cardiac thin filaments by cryo-electron microscopy.

Phylogenetic and Sequence Analyses of the Variable Region in the Glycoprotein Gene of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Isolated from Iraqi Patients.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common aetiological agent that causes respiratory infections, especially among infants. Identifying circulating RSV genotypes is an essential strategy for understanding the spread of the virus in a certain area. Sequencing the variable regions of the attachment glycoprotein (G) gene of RSV is a quick and direct approach for identifying the genotypes.

Enhanced Proton Conductivity Promoted by Structural Transition in a 2D Interwoven Metal-Organic Framework.

We report enhanced proton conductivity promoted by a structural phase transition of MFM-504(Cu)-DMF to MFM-504(Cu)-MeOH and to MFM-504(Cu)-OH via ligand substitution upon exposure to MeOH and HO vapors, respectively. MFM-504(Cu)-DMF can be synthesized by the solvothermal reaction of Cu(NO)·3HO and the flexible zwitterionic ligand, imidazolium-1,3-bis(methylenedicarboxylate) (imidc), to afford a unique layered interwoven network structure. MFM-504(Cu)-OH shows a proton conductivity of 5.

Meta-analyses of the effects of high-intensity interval training in elite athletes-part I: mean effects on various performance measures.

Introduction: Meta-analysts have found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves physical performance, but limited evidence exists regarding its effects on highly trained athletes, measures beyond maximum oxygen uptake ( O), and the moderating effects of different types of HIIT. In this study, we present meta-analyses of the effects of HIIT focusing on these deficits.

Methods: The effects of 6 types of HIIT and other moderators were derived from 34 studies involving highly trained endurance and elite athletes in percent units via log-transformation from separate meta-regression mixed models for sprint, time-trial, aerobic/anaerobic threshold, peak speed/power, repeated-sprint ability, O, and exercise economy.

mHealth-based exercise vs. traditional exercise on pain, functional disability, and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: This study aims to compare the efficacy of mHealth-based exercise interventions with traditional exercise in improving pain intensity, functional disability, and quality of life in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Method: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from their inception to 23 August 2024 were searched in Cochrane, Embase, Medline, Web of Science. Reviewer pairs independently extracted data and evaluated bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Perceptions of Cardiovascular Healthcare Professionals Regarding Clinical Trials: A Survey-Based Study from the Middle East.

Background: Low-middle income countries harbor the highest burden of cardiovascular diseases globally, but there is an under-representation of these countries in cardiovascular clinical trials. This limits the generalizability of the trial results to these countries. There is a lack of data on insights of cardiologists in these countries regarding conducting and participating in clinical trials.