Disentangling the neural underpinnings of response inhibition in disruptive behavior and co-occurring ADHD.

While impaired response inhibition has been reported in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), findings in disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) have been inconsistent, probably due to unaccounted effects of co-occurring ADHD in DBD. This study investigated the associations of behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition with DBD and ADHD symptom severity, covarying for each other in a dimensional approach. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were available for 35 children and adolescents with DBDs (8-18 years old, 19 males), and 31 age-matched unaffected controls (18 males) while performing a performance-adjusted stop-signal task.

Rationale and Ethical Assessment of an Oropharyngeal Gonorrhoea Controlled Human Infection Model.

Infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhoea, causes significant morbidity worldwide and can have long-term impacts on reproductive health. The greatest global burden of gonorrhoea occurs in low- and middle-income settings. Global public health significance is increasing due to rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which threatens future gonorrhoea management.

Immunotherapy-Resistant Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue Predict Quality-of-Life in Contactin-Associated Protein-Like 2 Antibody Disease.

The long-term clinical outcomes and associated prognostic factors in contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2)-antibody diseases are unknown. A total of 75 participants with CASPR2 antibodies were longitudinally assessed for disability, quality-of-life, and chronic pain. Although most symptoms improved within 6 months of treatment, neuropathic pain and fatigue were the most immunotherapy refractory, and persisted for up to 6 years.

ENHANCED RESTORATION OF VISUAL CODE AFTER TARGETING ON BIPOLAR CELLS COMPARED TO RETINAL GANGLION CELLS WITH OPTOGENETIC THERAPY.

Optogenetic therapy is a promising vision restoration method where light sensitive opsins are introduced to the surviving inner retina following photoreceptor degeneration. The cell type targeted for opsin expression will likely influence the quality of restored vision. However, a like-for-like pre-clinical comparison of visual responses evoked following equivalent opsin expression in the two major targets, ON bipolar (ON BCs) or retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), is absent.

Arteriolar Elasticity Measurement in the Fingertip Based on Photoplethysmographic Volume-Oscillometry: A New Approach to the Assessment of Vasomotor Functions in the Microvasculature.

Purpose: Dysfunction of vasomotor reactions due to arteriolar smooth muscle causes serious adverse events, such as loss of hemodynamic coherence. This in turn can increase risks of cardiovascular-related diseases. A noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of microvascular disorder is therefore very important for early diagnosis and treatment.

Examining memory reconsolidation as a mechanism of nitrous oxide's antidepressant action.

There is an ongoing need to identify novel pharmacological agents for the effective treatment of depression. One emerging candidate, which has demonstrated rapid-acting antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant groups, is nitrous oxide (NO)-a gas commonly used for sedation and pain management in clinical settings and with a range of pharmacological effects, including antagonism of NMDA glutamate receptors. A growing body of evidence suggests that subanaesthetic doses of NO (50%) can interfere with the reconsolidation of maladaptive memories in healthy participants and across a range of disorders.

Energy and climate policy implications on the deployment of low-carbon ammonia technologies.

The economic feasibility of low-carbon ammonia production pathways, such as steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage, biomass gasification, and electrolysis, is assessed under various policy frameworks, including subsidies, carbon pricing, and renewable hydrogen regulations. Here, we show that employing a stochastic techno-economic analysis at the plant level and a net present value approach under the US Inflation Reduction Act reveals that carbon capture and biomass pathways demonstrate strong economic potential due to cost-effectiveness and minimal public support needs. Conversely, the electrolytic pathway faces significant economic challenges due to higher costs and lower efficiency.

Interferon-α promotes HLA-B-restricted presentation of conventional and alternative antigens in human pancreatic β-cells.

Interferon (IFN)-α is the earliest cytokine signature observed in individuals at risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D), but the effect of IFN-α on the antigen repertoire of HLA Class I (HLA-I) in pancreatic β-cells is unknown. Here we characterize the HLA-I antigen presentation in resting and IFN-α-exposed β-cells and find that IFN-α increases HLA-I expression and expands peptide repertoire to those derived from alternative mRNA splicing, protein cis-splicing and post-translational modifications. While the resting β-cell immunopeptidome is dominated by HLA-A-restricted peptides, IFN-α largely favors HLA-B and only marginally upregulates HLA-A, translating into increased HLA-B-restricted peptide presentation and activation of HLA-B-restricted CD8 T cells.

LSD600: the first corpus of biomedical abstracts annotated with lifestyle-disease relations.

Lifestyle factors (LSFs) are increasingly recognized as instrumental in both the development and control of diseases. Despite their importance, there is a lack of methods to extract relations between LSFs and diseases from the literature, a step necessary to consolidate the currently available knowledge into a structured form. As simple co-occurrence-based relation extraction (RE) approaches are unable to distinguish between the different types of LSF-disease relations, context-aware models such as transformers are required to extract and classify these relations into specific relation types.

Psychometric validation of the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) and Oxford Hip Score (OHS) in patients with hip-abductor tendon pathology.

Objective: Validated patient-reported outcome measures for patients with hip-abductor tendon pathology are lacking. Recent studies indicate that the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS), in the original or the revised scoring format, and the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) may be relevant for use in patients with hip-abductor tendon pathology. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the Danish version of the HAGOS, the revised HAGOS, and the OHS psychometrically in patients with hip-abductor tendon pathology.

The effect of a general practitioner's perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: secondary analysis of a point prevalence audit survey in 18 European countries.

Background: Illness severity, comorbidity, fever, age and symptom duration influence antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTI). Non-medical determinants, such as patient expectations, also impact prescribing.

Aim: To quantify the effect of general practitioners' (GPs') perception of a patient request for antibiotics on antibiotic prescribing for RTI and investigate effect modification by medical determinants and country.

Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert® Mpox and STANDARD™ M10 MPX/OPX for the detection of monkeypox virus.

Objectives: Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of two point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic tests for the detection of monkeypox virus (MPXV): Xpert® Mpox (Cepheid, Inc., USA) and STANDARD™ M10 MPX/OPX (SD Biosensor, Inc., Korea).

Aspirin after completion of standard adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (ASCOLT): an international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Aspirin is a simple, globally available medication that has been shown to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of aspirin in the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer.

Methods: This phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 66 centres across 11 countries and territories (ten in Asia-Pacific; one in the Middle East).

Bi-allelic KICS2 mutations impair KICSTOR complex-mediated mTORC1 regulation, causing intellectual disability and epilepsy.

Nutrient-dependent mTORC1 regulation upon amino acid deprivation is mediated by the KICSTOR complex, comprising SZT2, KPTN, ITFG2, and KICS2, recruiting GATOR1 to lysosomes. Previously, pathogenic SZT2 and KPTN variants have been associated with autosomal recessive intellectual disability and epileptic encephalopathy. We identified bi-allelic KICS2 variants in eleven affected individuals presenting with intellectual disability and epilepsy.

A constitutive interferon-high immunophenotype defines response to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Fewer than 50% of metastatic deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Identifying and expanding this patient population remains a pressing clinical need. Here, we report that an interferon-high immunophenotype locally enriched in cytotoxic lymphocytes and antigen-presenting macrophages is required for response.

Regulatory workshop on standardisation of clinical procedures, endpoints and data robustness of human challenge studies - A stakeholder meeting report.

Inno4Vac, a public-private partnership funded by the IMI2/EU/EFPIA Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU), brings together academic institutions, SMEs, and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate and de-risk vaccine development. The project has made significant strides in the selection and production of challenge agents for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and toxigenic Clostridioides difficile for controlled human infection model studies (CHIMs). A regulatory workshop held on March 20, 2024, addressed the standardisation of clinical procedures, ethical considerations, endpoints, and data integrity, highlighting the ongoing initiatives related to these CHIMs.

Implementing active learning approach to promote motivation, reduce anxiety, and shape positive attitudes: A case study of EFL learners.

Active Learning (AL) represents a transformative instructional approach that departs from traditional methods by immersing students in experiential learning activities such as problem-solving, discussions, role-plays, interactive engagement, and case studies. Despite its widely recognized potential, the effects of AL on psycho-affective constructs in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts remain underexplored. Hence, this study explored the impact of AL on EFL learners' motivation, attitudes, and anxiety in Iran.

Protecting monoclonal antibodies via competitive interfacial adsorption of nonionic surfactants.

Hypothesis: Bioengineered monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have gained significant recognition as medical therapies. However, during processing, storage and use, mAbs are susceptible to interfacial adsorption and desorption, leading to structural deformation and aggregation, and undermining their bioactivity. To suppress antibody surface adsorption, nonionic surfactants are commonly used in formulation.

The impact of vaccination on the length of stay of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil.

Background: The length of hospital stays for severe COVID-19 cases significantly impacts the overall burden on the health system. Current COVID-19 vaccines have proven effective at reducing severe cases. However, the influence of vaccination status on the progression of COVID-19 after hospitalization is not well understood.

"Clinical outcomes and healthcare costs in status epilepticus: A multivariable analysis from a tertiary center in a resource-limited setting".

Background: As a debilitating and severe repercussion, the clinical and economic impact of Status epilepticus (SE) has not been thoroughly explored in various regions around the world, especially those with limited resources. Therefore, we aimed to identify the predictors of mortality and healthcare costs associated with SE in one tertiary care center with limited resources.

Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study, carried out at Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, included 130 SE cases from March 21, 2021, to March 20, 2022.

Intersection between individual, household, environmental and system level factors in defining risk and resilience for children in Kenya's ASAL: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Children growing up in arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face heightened risks, often resulting in poor developmental outcomes. In Kenya, the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) exhibit the lowest health and developmental indicators among children. Despite these risks, some children grow up successfully and overcome the challenges.

Translation, adaptation and validation of an epilepsy screening instrument in two Ghanaian languages.

Introduction: The prevalence of epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa varies considerably, and the exact estimate for Ghana remains unclear, particularly in peri-urban areas where data are scarce. More community-based studies are required to understand better the actual burden of epilepsy in these areas and the difficulties in accessing healthcare.

Objective: To adapt and validate a household survey epilepsy-screening instrument in Shai-Osudoku and Ningo-Prampram District of Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

Private, non-profit, and plantation: Oil palm smallholders in management-assistance programs vary in socio-demographics, attitudes, and management practices.

Smallholder farmers produce over 40% of global palm oil, the world's most traded and controversial vegetable oil. Awareness of the effects of palm oil production on ecosystems and human communities has increased drastically in recent years, with ever louder calls for the private and public sector to develop programs to support sustainable cultivation by smallholder farmers. To effectively influence smallholder practices and ensure positive social outcomes, such schemes must consider the variety in perspectives of farmers and align with their priorities.