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Could the therapeutic effect of physical activity on irritable bowel syndrome be mediated through changes to the gut microbiome? A narrative and hypothesis generating review
Get PDFBackground: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal (GI) disorders worldwide. Defined as a disorder of gut-brain interaction, its pathophysiology is still not completely clear. Consequently, current treatments primarily target symptoms rather than addressing the cause of the condition. The gut microbiome is increasingly acknowledged as central to IBS pathophysiology and, thus, may have therapeutic potential. Several national treatment guidelines recommend increasing physical activity for IBS management.
Aims: This review summarises the evidence about the relationship between physical activity, IBS symptoms, and the gut mi- crobiome, investigating the hypothesis that physical activity's therapeutic effects on IBS may be explained via modulation of the gut microbiome.
Results: This review revealed that routine exercise was associated with a 15%–66% reduction in symptom severity and up to 41% enhanced QoL in IBS participants, and modulates the gut microbiome in healthy controls.
Discussion: This review generates the hypothesis that routine physical activity may favorably alter gut microbiome composition in IBS to improve IBS symptomology. While a plausible hypothesis, research needs to confirm whether gut microbiome modula- tion is involved in physical activity associated IBS symptom relief.
Conclusion: Furthermore, the establishment of the most effective mode, duration, and intensity of physical activity for each sex and IBS-subtype is needed, with patient input during this process crucial to successfully translate science into practice
Multimodal outlier optimizer for textual, numeric, and image data
Get PDFEnsuring the quality and reliability of multimodal video data is critical for applications that rely on accurate interpretation, such as medical imaging, surveillance, remote sensing and intelligent manufacturing. However, the presence of outliers across different data types such as visual, textual, and numerical poses a major challenge. To address this, we propose the Multimodal Outlier Optimizer (MOO), a unified framework designed to detect and filter outliers from heterogeneous data modalities within video files. MOO decomposes each video into still images, text, and numeric sequences, allowing specialized algorithms to handle each modality: Nonlocal Means (NLM) for removing Gaussian noise in image frames and Local Outlier Factor (LOF) for detecting contextual outliers in textual and numerical data. These filtered components are then recombined into a cleaned, optimized video. The system is trained and evaluated using synthetically generated datasets to simulate real-world noise while ensuring scalability and control. Performance is assessed using Jaccard Similarity Score (JSS) and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), with results demonstrating consistent improvements even under high contamination levels (up to 50%), achieving SSIM scores above 0.77 across three domains: medical imaging, remote sensing, and zoomed video data. These results highlight MOO’s potential as an effective and adaptable tool for enhancing the integrity of multimodal video data in complex, real-world environments
Systematic review: effects of cholinergic signaling on cognition in human pharmacological studies
Get PDFAcetylcholine (ACh) is one of the main neurotransmitters in central nervous systems across species. It has been extensively studied in animal models, and is known for its profound role in attention processes and adaptive responses to changing environments. Recent theories propose that this occurs by modulating the relative influence of top-down and bottom-up inputs during perceptual inference and regulating cue-validity updating in uncertain environments. However, the role of ACh in human cognition has mostly been investigated in memory and is less well established in other domains. Here we provide a systematic review of human studies investigating effects of ACh on cognitive functions using pharmacological modulators, with a focus on the cognitive processes needed for acute behavioural adaptation to situational changes. Results revealed that ACh is involved in sustained attention, perceptual detection, the updating of cue-response relationships and the speed of information processing, with differential cognitive effects associated with muscarinic and nicotinic modulators. This supports a role of ACh in prioritizing top-down and bottom-up information in humans, potentially enabling rapid updating of behavioural responses to situational changes. However, efforts to parse out the molecular roles of ACh signaling with pharmacological methodologies may be limited by their relative nonspecificity and an inability to mimic signaling dynamics. Integration of pharmacological findings with neuroimaging data such as functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy may be helpful to identify the effects of cholinergic modulators on whole-brain pharmacodynamics
Spatial sampling uncertainty for MODIS Terra land surface temperature retrievals
Get PDFLand surface temperature (LST) data are often required at coarser resolutions than the native satellite data for user applications. LST products from infrared sensors are clear-sky only, and thus, coarsening such data introduces a sampling uncertainty where the target domain is not fully sampled. In this manuscript, we calculate sampling uncertainty as a function of clear-sky fraction for 0.01° products re-gridded to 0.05° and 0.1°. We find that sampling uncertainty is dependent on both the underlying land cover (biome) and the solar geometry at the time of the observation. The largest sampling uncertainties are seen for mixed pixels (encompassing a variety of biomes) at 0.05° resolution (0.98 K) and for urban pixels at 0.1° resolution (2.5 K). The spatial sampling uncertainty methodology presented here is applicable to any infrared LST products provided at these resolutions (from a native resolution of 0.01°/~1 km), irrespective of retrieval algorithm or satellite, provided that the uncertainty due to noise can be removed
Restructuring and layoffs in the industry 4.0 era: the role of exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies
No full textThis study examines how Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) influence restructuring decisions. Analyzing data from European manufacturing firms (2013–2020), we find that greater AMT exposure correlates with a lower overall likelihood of restructuring. When restructuring occurs, AMTs reduce closure probabilities while increasing downsizing likelihood and minimizing layoffs. AMT exposure is measured through industry-level adoption and firm-level capital intensity. This study emphasizes the need to consider both the benefits and disruptions of automation in shaping strategies
Machine learning-guided prediction of formulation performance in inhalable ciprofloxacin–bile acid dispersions with antimicrobial and toxicity evaluation
Get PDFCiprofloxacin (CFX) is a potent antibiotic for respiratory infections, but its poor solubility and high crystallinity limit its effectiveness in dry powder inhaler (DPI) delivery. Although soluble forms such as CFX hydrochloride are available, their rapid dissolution may lead to systemic absorption, undermining localized lung targeting. To address this, we developed solid dispersions of CFX with primary bile acids, namely, cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDA), using spray drying and ball milling to enhance solubility in a controlled manner while maintaining deposition in the lungs. Differential scanning calorimetry showed glass-transition temperature (Tg) values were elevated for both bile acids, with CA dispersions showing slightly higher absolute values (114.16–131.77 °C vs 109.13–120.67 °C). However, Fourier transform infrared and dissolution data indicated that CDA formed stronger directional hydrogen bonding with CFX. X-ray diffraction confirmed partially amorphous dispersions with minimal residual crystallinity. Solubility enhancement was observed for both bile acids, showing slightly higher values with CA dispersions. Aerodynamic assessments using an Andersen cascade impactor revealed improved lung deposition with CFX–CDA, with a higher fine particle fraction (FPF: 30.81%) and lower mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD: 5.89 μm) compared to CFX–CA (FPF: 26.93%, MMAD: 6.19 μm). The emitted dose was highest in CDA with nearly 5 mg compared to CA dispersions (∼3 mg). In vitro antimicrobial studies showed that dispersions maintained comparable antimicrobial activity to pure CFX, while in vivo toxicology in rats indicated mild, dose-dependent hepatic changes. CDA formulations showed AST elevation at a low dose and ALP increase at a high dose, consistent with the known hepatic effects of this bile acid, while CA formulations were broadly comparable to pure CFX. Machine learning algorithms, including tree-based models and neural networks, were used to predict the formulation performance and identify critical variables. Feature selection was achieved using recursive elimination, and permutation analysis showed that the bile acid type, inlet temperature, and molar ratio were the most influential predictors of solubility and lung deposition. Models such as gradient boosting and elastic net showed a high predictive accuracy (R2 > 0.85). Overall, this study highlights the potential of primary bile acid-based DPI formulations as effective inhalable antibiotic therapies
The solar E-waste challenge: a Zambian case study of informal disposal, counterfeit technologies and low literacy
Get PDFThe exponential growth of off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has significantly improved rural electrification but has also introduced new environmental management challenges related to end-of-life disposal. In Zambia, where over one million solar devices were sold between 2018 and 2022, the short lifespan of many solar kits, often under four years, has resulted in a growing and unregulated stream of solar electronic waste (e-waste). More than 90% of these products are technically repairable yet rarely serviced. This study examines the environmental impacts of informal solar e-waste disposal practices in rural Zambia, where obsolete products are typically buried, burned, or repurposed, posing risks to both ecosystem and human health. Using the Rural Development Stakeholder Hybrid Adoption Model (RUDSHAM), the research investigates how counterfeit technologies, low literacy, and informal market dynamics intensify poor waste handling. Fieldwork conducted between October 2022 and May 2025 included 28 interviews and 2 focus group discussions across four rural districts (Mkushi, Kapiri, Chongwe, and Luano-Chingola). The study identifies key drivers of e-waste mismanagement, including inadequate policy frameworks, counterfeit solar imports, poverty, and low consumer awareness. Recommendations include the development of a national e-waste policy, enhanced border controls, formalisation of informal markets, and community-based solar literacy initiatives. The findings contribute empirical insights to environmental governance and waste policy debates in SSA, empasising the need for lifecycle-based solar waste strategies. This work holds practical relevance for environmental managers, policy-makers, and researchers focused on sustainable energy and waste systems in off-grid, low-income contexts
Lithic collaborations
No full textA two-day study workshop hosted by UNESCO World Heritage Site Stevns Klint, and Rønnebæksholm Kunsthal, Denmark. Over the two days, artists, educators, researchers, and geologists gather to jointly explore humanity's relationship with stones and earth. Based on the significance of the material in art, science, and mythology, the days will unfold perspectives on how stones not only carry physical weight but also store memory, warnings, and cosmology.
The programme is supported by:
Ny Carlsberg Foundation, Ulla and Erik Hoff-Clausen Family Foundation, and the Grosserer L.F. Foght Foundation
