Performance improvement

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a successful renal replacement therapy for end-stage renal disease. Long-term PD causes mesothelial-mesenchymal transition (MMT) of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs), leading to peritoneal fibrosis (PF), which reduces the efficiency of PD. Macrophages are thought to play a role in the onset and perpetuation of peritoneal injury. However, the mechanisms by which macrophages-PMCs communication regulates peritoneal fibrosis are not fully understood resulting in a lack of disease-modifying drugs...

Increasing accuracy of the theory and experiment of the n=2 ^{3}P fine structure of helium has allowed for increasingly precise tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED), determinations of the fine-structure constant α, and limitations on possible beyond the standard model physics. Here we present a 2 ppb measurement of the J=1 to J=0 interval. The measurement is performed using frequency-offset separated-oscillatory fields. Our result of 29 616 955 018(60) Hz represents a landmark for helium fine-structure measurements, and, for the first time, will allow for a 1-ppb determination of the fine-structure constant when QED theory for the interval is improved...

BACKGROUND: The endorectal advancement flap repair is often performed for the treatment of cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistulas. However, this procedure fails in approximately one out of four patients. Based on its supposed healing properties platelet-rich plasma might enhance the outcome of this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and to compare the short- and long-term outcomes after endorectal advancement flap repair with and without platelet-rich plasma injection in patients with a cryptoglandular transsphincteric fistula...

Transcription factors (TFs) are proteins essential for regulating genetic transcriptions by binding to transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in DNA sequences. Accurate predictions of TFBSs can contribute to the design and construction of metabolic regulatory systems based on TFs. Although various deep-learning algorithms have been developed for predicting TFBSs, the prediction performance needs to be improved. This paper proposes a bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT)-based model, called BERT-TFBS, to predict TFBSs solely based on DNA sequences...

N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) is a modification found in ribonucleic acid (RNA) related to diseases. Expensive and labor-intensive methods hindered the exploration of ac4C mechanisms and the development of specific anti-ac4C drugs. Therefore, an advanced prediction model for ac4C in RNA is urgently needed. Despite the construction of various prediction models, several limitations exist: (1) insufficient resolution at base level for ac4C sites; (2) lack of information on species other than Homo sapiens; (3) lack of information on RNA other than mRNA; and (4) lack of interpretation for each prediction...

With the emergence of large amount of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, the exploration of computational methods has become critical in revealing biological mechanisms. Clustering is a representative for deciphering cellular heterogeneity embedded in scRNA-seq data. However, due to the diversity of datasets, none of the existing single-cell clustering methods shows overwhelming performance on all datasets. Weighted ensemble methods are proposed to integrate multiple results to improve heterogeneity analysis performance...

The structure and handling properties of a P407 hydrogel-based bone substitute material (BSM) might be affected by different poloxamer P407 and silicon dioxide (SiO2 ) concentrations. The study aimed to compare the mechanical properties and biological parameters (bone remodeling, BSM degradation) of a hydroxyapatite: silica (HA)-based BSM with various P407 hydrogels in vitro and in an in vivo rat model. Rheological analyses for mechanical properties were performed on one BSM with an SiO2 -enriched hydrogel (SPH25) as well on two BSMs with unaltered hydrogels in different gel concentrations (PH25 and PH30)...

Near-infrared (NIR) luminescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging have attracted increasing attention for the real-time monitoring of biological samples due to high sensitivity, resolution, and pronounced signal detection depth, respectively. For improved contrast, both techniques require imaging agents possessing high absorption in the red-NIR range. Herein, we took advantage of a ternary complex formed with the anionic ytterbium(III) tetrakis (2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) ([Yb(tta)4 ]- ) and the cationic NIR-absorbing chromophore, 1,1'-diethyl-2,2'-dicarbocyanine (Cy+ ), to evaluate its potential to act as a dual-mode NIR luminescence and PA imaging agent...

BACKGROUND: Single-tier newborn screening (NBS) for CAH using 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) measured by fluoroimmunoassay (FIA) in samples collected at 24-48 hours produces a high false-positive rate (FPR). 2nd tier steroid testing can reduce the FPR and has been widely implemented. We investigated the accuracy of an alternative multi-tier CAH NBS protocol that incorporates molecular testing of the CYP21A2 gene and reduces the 1st tier 17OHP cutoff to minimize missed cases. METHODS: Created a Minnesota-specific CYP21A2 pathogenic variants panel; develop a rapid, high-throughput multiplex, allele-specific-primer-extension assay; perform 1-year retrospective analysis of Minnesota NBS results comparing metrics between a conventional steroid-based two-tier protocol and a molecular-based multi-tier NBS protocol, applied post-hoc...

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a common autoimmune disease that often involves the skeletal muscle of the whole body and seriously affects patients' quality of life. Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of MG has unique advantages, the aim is to evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on MG. METHODS: The literature on acupuncture and moxibustion treating MG in PubMed, CochraneLibrary, EMBASE, SCI, China Academic Journals full-text database, China Biology Medicine disc, VIP and Wanfang database were searched through computers from the establishment of the database to December 2022...

The Rasch Rating Scale Model (RSM) is widely used in questionnaire analysis, providing insights into how individuals respond to item-level stimuli. Existing software for Rasch RSM parameter estimation, while powerful, often presents a steep learning curve. An accessible online tool can greatly benefit novice users, particularly students and clinicians, by simplifying the analytical process. This study introduces an online tool, an intuitive online RSM analysis tool designed to facilitate questionnaire data analysis for applied researchers, students, and clinicians...

INTRODUCTION: Multiple pharmacological interventions have been studied for managing eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We performed a comprehensive systematic review and network meta-analysis of all available randomized controlled trials (RCT) to assess the efficacy and safety of these interventions in EoE in adults and children. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive review of Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE OVID, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science through May 10, 2023. We performed frequentist approach network meta-analysis using random effects model...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Salvage robot assisted radical prostatectomy (sRARP) is performed for patients with biochemical or biopsy proven, localized prostate cancer recurrences after radiation or ablative therapies. Traditionally, sRARP has been avoided by lower volume surgeons due to technical demand and high complication rates. Post-radiation sRARP outcomes studies exist but remain few in number. With increasing use of whole gland and focal ablative therapies, updates on sRARP in this setting are needed...

OBJECTIVE: Adults typically receive only one cochlear implant (CI) due to cost constraints, with a contralateral hearing aid recommended when there is aidable hearing. Standard hearing aids differ from a CI in terms of processing strategy and function as a separate entity, requiring the user to integrate the disparate signals. Integrated bimodal technology has recently been introduced to address this challenge. The aim of the study was to investigate the performance of unilateral CI users with and without an integrated bimodal fitting and determine whether binaural streaming technology offers additional benefit...

Fiber has been considered as an ideal material for virus insulation due to the readily available electrostatic adsorption. However, restricted by the electrostatic attenuation and filtration performance decline, their long-lasting applications are unable to satisfy the requirements of medical protective equipment for major medical and health emergencies such as global epidemics, which results in both a waste of resources and environmental pollution. We overcame these issues by constructing a fiber-in-tube structure, achieving the robust reusability of fibrous membranes...

BACKGROUND: Improving acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among nursing students is an important strategy for both preventing infection and building public confidence in the vaccine. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the views of intern nursing students on the COVID-19 vaccine and to evaluate their experiences in the COVID-19 vaccination unit. METHODS: This was a phenomenological qualitative study with a descriptive design. The 46 intern nursing students included in this study were all trained in the COVID-19 vaccination unit...

BACKGROUND: Autonomic dysfunction precedes endothelial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) and causes blood pressure and circulation abnormalities that are highly disruptive to one's quality of life. While exercise interventions have proven helpful for motor symptoms of PD, improving associated non-motor symptoms is limited. Low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction (LIRT-BFR) improves autonomic dysfunction in non-PD patients and high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) is recommended for motor symptom improvements for people with PD (PwPD)...

Medical acts, such as imaging, lead to the production of various medical text reports that describe the relevant findings. This induces multimodality in patient data by combining image data with free-text and consequently, multimodal data have become central to drive research and improve diagnoses. However, the exploitation of patient data is problematic as the ecosystem of analysis tools is fragmented according to the type of data (images, text, genetics), the task (processing, exploration) and domain of interest (clinical phenotype, histology)...

BACKGROUND: Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) syndrome often report navigation difficulties, accompanied by impairments in egocentric and allocentric spatial memory. However, studies have shown that both bodily (e.g., motor commands, proprioception, vestibular information) and visual-cognitive (e.g., maps, directional arrows, attentional markers) cues can support spatial memory in MCI. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess navigation cues for innovative spatial training in aging...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) is rising. Primary care providers (PCPs) will increasingly be required to play a role in its detection but lack the training to do so. OBJECTIVE: To develop a model for cognitive evaluation which is feasible in primary care and evaluate its implementation in a large health system. METHODS: The Cognition in Primary Care Program consists of web-based training together with integrated tools built into the electronic record...