Funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong: An exploratory study of their effectiveness.

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong. Via a questionnaire, service users were asked to report their psychosocial status in different domains before and after the services. A quasi-experimental design was also used to compare service users with non-service users in different psychosocial domains after the funerals had taken place.

Functional evolution of thyrotropin-releasing hormone neuropeptides: Insights from an echinoderm.

Feeding behavior is regulated by a complex network of endogenous neuropeptides. In chordates, this role is suggested to be under the control of diverse factors including thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). However, whether this regulatory activity of TRH is functionally conserved in non-chordate metazoans, and to what extent this process is underpinned by interactions of TRH with other neuropeptides such as cholecystokinin (CCK, known as a satiety signal), remain unclear.

Therapeutic Approaches to Tackle the Challenge of Depression That Is Resistant to Treatment-A Narrative Review.

Background And Aims: The lack of therapeutic response characterizes treatment-resistant depression despite undergoing at least two adequate monotherapy trials with medications from distinct pharmacologic classes. The inability to attain remission in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant issue of concern within public health. Therefore, the management of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses significant obstacles for both patients and healthcare professionals.

The impact of advertising on women's self-perception: a systematic review.

This systematic review explores the multifaceted psychological impact of advertising on women's self-perception, examining traditional advertising, femvertising, and the emerging effects of digital transformation. By synthesizing evidence from 95 peer-reviewed studies, this review examines the relationship between media portrayals of women and key psychological outcomes, including body image, self-esteem, self-objectification, and gender role attitudes. Our analysis reveals that traditional advertising, which often features idealized and stereotypical portrayals of femininity, continues to be associated with negative psychological outcomes such as increased body dissatisfaction and self-objectification.

Outcomes of pediatric patients with suspected allergies to COVID-19 vaccines.

Background: Adverse effects following immunizations (AEFIs) can contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

Objective: We evaluated clinical outcomes of AEFIs subsequent to administration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at 2 pediatric allergy centers.

Methods: Data on pediatric patients referred for COVID-19 AEFI concerns between March 2021 and October 2022 were reviewed.

Acute high-intensity interval exercise is superior to moderate-intensity continuous exercise in enhancing endothelial function and its associated biomarkers in sedentary young individuals: the possible involvement of lactate.

Objectives: Our study investigated the effects of acute high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) on endothelial function and its associated biomarkers in sedentary young individuals.

Methods: Fifteen subjects (10M / 5F; 22 ± 2 years; BMI: 23.07 ± 4.

ID3RSNet: cross-subject driver drowsiness detection from raw single-channel EEG with an interpretable residual shrinkage network.

Accurate monitoring of drowsy driving through electroencephalography (EEG) can effectively reduce traffic accidents. Developing a calibration-free drowsiness detection system with single-channel EEG alone is very challenging due to the non-stationarity of EEG signals, the heterogeneity among different individuals, and the relatively parsimonious compared to multi-channel EEG. Although deep learning-based approaches can effectively decode EEG signals, most deep learning models lack interpretability due to their black-box nature.

Mapping subcortical brain lesions, behavioral and acoustic analysis for early assessment of subacute stroke patients with dysarthria.

Introduction: Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder frequently associated with subcortical damage. However, the precise roles of the subcortical nuclei, particularly the basal ganglia and thalamus, in the speech production process remain poorly understood.

Methods: The present study aimed to better understand their roles by mapping neuroimaging, behavioral, and speech data obtained from subacute stroke patients with subcortical lesions.

Multi-center real-world data-driven web calculator for predicting outcomes in IDH-mutant gliomas: Integrating molecular subtypes and treatment modalities.

Background: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas generally have a better prognosis than IDH-wild-type glioblastomas, and the extent of resection significantly impacts prognosis. However, there is a lack of integrated tools for predicting outcomes based on molecular subtypes and treatment modalities. This study aimed to identify factors influencing gross total resection (GTR) rates and to develop a clinical prognostic tool for IDH-mutant gliomas.

Asymmetric Intraocular Pressure Changes in Dominant and Contralateral Eyes: The Dark Room Prone Provocative Test.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in dominant and contralateral eyes following the dark room prone provocative test (DRPPT) in the study subjects with shallow anterior chamber.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, non-randomized controlled trial of 43 subjects (86 eyes) with shallow anterior chamber. The dominant eye was identified using the card-hole method.

Decision Regret About Treatment Amongst Women With Early Breast Cancer: An Integrative Review.

Aims: To synthesise evidence on decision regret about treatment amongst women with early breast cancer, including (1) the type of treatment related to decision regret, (2) the level of decision regret, and (3) factors associated with decision regret.

Design: Integrative review.

Methods: Studies published between January 2000 and December 2023 were searched from five online databases to provide up-to-date evidence.

Deciphering the Differences Between Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated and Negative Gastric Cancer in the Prospect of CDKN2A Genomic Alterations and Lymphoid Infiltration.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health concern worldwide. One important contributing factor is the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). However, the molecular pattern of how EBV participates in the malignant transition process remains unclear.

Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa YK01, a sequence type 16 isolated from a patient with keratitis.

Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, is frequently associated with multidrug resistance and global epidemic outbreaks, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. However, P. aeruginosa belonging to the sequence type (ST) 16 was rarely reported.

Can a brief guided nature walk reduce distress and improve resilience, mindful attention, and sleep quality? Evidence from a pilot study with two-week follow-up.

Despite trends of deteriorating mental health globally, help-seeking remains suboptimal. Identifying less stigmatising, low-cost, and scalable approaches to mental health care is critical. We investigated the acceptability and psychological benefits of a 30-minute guided nature walk programme in an accessible country park in Hong Kong among 100 community members.

Treadmill exercise prevents stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors via enhancing the excitatory input from the primary motor cortex to the thalamocortical circuit.

Physical exercise effectively prevents anxiety disorders caused by environmental stress. The neural circuitry mechanism, however, remains incomplete. Here, we identified a previously unrecognized pathway originating from the primary motor cortex (M1) to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) via the ventromedial thalamic (VM) nuclei in male mice.

Are associations of adulthood overweight and obesity with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-related cancer modified by comparative body weight at age 10 years in the UK Biobank study?

Objective: Adults living with overweight or obesity do not represent a single homogenous group in terms of mortality and disease risks. The aim of our study was to evaluate how the associations of adulthood overweight and obesity with mortality and incident disease are modified by (i.e.

Random resistive memory-based deep extreme point learning machine for unified visual processing.

Visual sensors, including 3D light detection and ranging, neuromorphic dynamic vision sensor, and conventional frame cameras, are increasingly integrated into edge-side intelligent machines. However, their data are heterogeneous, causing complexity in system development. Moreover, conventional digital hardware is constrained by von Neumann bottleneck and the physical limit of transistor scaling.

Comparison of radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and high-intensity focused ultrasound for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Background: The recommended first-line treatment for respectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgical resection, but local ablation has gained popularity as a safe alternative. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA) and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as first-line treatments for HCC.

Methods: In this single-centre retrospective study, 352 patients receiving RFA, MWA, or HIFU as first-line treatment for HCC were included.

Research Progress in Saltiness Perception and Salty Substitutes.

Salty taste in foods is a key sensory attribute for appetite enhancement, however, consumption of a high salt diet is associated with a high risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart diseases. To address this issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended reducing the global per capita salt consumption by 30% by 2025, with adults optimally consuming less than 5 g/day of salt. Therefore, the search for new salty substitutes to reduce salt intake in foods has become a research hotspot.

Automated Laser-Assisted Single-Cell Sorting for Cell Functional and RNA Sequencing.

Accurate and efficient sorting of single target cells is crucial for downstream single-cell analysis, such as RNA sequencing, to uncover cellular heterogeneity and functional characteristics. However, conventional single-cell sorting techniques, such as manual micromanipulation or fluorescence-activated cell sorting, do not match current demands and are limited by low throughput, low sorting efficiency and precision, or limited cell viability. Here, we report an automated, highly efficient single-cell sorter, integrating laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) with a high-throughput picoliter micropore array.

Gamma and theta/alpha-band oscillations in the electroencephalogram distinguish the content of inner speech.

Inner speech refers to the silent production of language in one's mind. As a purely mental action without obvious physical manifestations, inner speech has been notoriously difficult to quantify. Inner speech is thought to be closely related to overt speech.