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A unified continuous staging framework for Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body dementia via hierarchical anatomical features
No full textAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) often exhibit overlapping pathologies, leading to common symptoms that make diagnosis challenging and protracted in clinical settings. While many studies achieve promising accuracy in identifying AD and LBD at earlier stages, they often focus on discrete classification rather than capturing the gradual nature of disease progression. Since dementia develops progressively, understanding the continuous trajectory of dementia is crucial, as it allows us to uncover hidden patterns in cognitive decline and provides critical insights into the underlying mechanisms of disease progression. To address this gap, we propose a novel multi-scale learning framework that leverages hierarchical anatomical features to model the continuous relationships across various neurodegenerative conditions, including Mild Cognitive Impairment, AD, and LBD. Our approach employs the proposed hierarchical graph embedding fusion technique, integrating anatomical features, cortical folding patterns, and structural connectivity at multiple scales. This integration captures both fine-grained and coarse anatomical details, enabling the identification of subtle patterns that enhance differentiation between dementia types. Additionally, our framework projects each subject onto continuous tree structures, providing intuitive visualizations of disease trajectories and offering a more interpretable way to track cognitive decline. To validate our approach, we conduct extensive experiments on our in-house dataset of 308 subjects spanning multiple groups. Our results demonstrate that the proposed tree-based model effectively represents dementia progression, achieves promising performance in intricate classification task of AD and LBD, and highlights discriminative brain regions that contribute to the differentiation between dementia types. Our code is available at https://github.com/tongchen2010/haff
Microplastics in the air: Weather and polymer influences on deposition trends across a rural–urban gradient
No full textAtmospheric microplastics are an emerging concern, yet their deposition dynamics across different landscapes and weather conditions remain poorly understood. We investigated microplastic deposition along a rural-to-urban gradient in England, sampling Wytham Woods (rural), Summertown (suburban), and Oxford City (urban) every 2–3 days from May to July 2023. Using high-resolution μFTIR spectroscopy, we quantified 21 polymer types across four size fractions (25–50 μm, 50–75 μm, 75–100 μm, and >100 μm) and analysed their deposition patterns in relation to weather variables. Deposition rates varied from 12 to 500 particles/m²/day, with Wytham Woods recording the highest overall deposition and Oxford City exhibiting the greatest polymer diversity. The 25–50 μm size fraction dominated in all sites, comprising up to 99 % of total deposition during high-concentration events. Polymer prevalence varied by site, with polyethylene terephthalate most abundant in Wytham Woods, polyethylene in Summertown, and ethylene vinyl alcohol in Oxford City. Weather conditions influenced deposition trends. Higher atmospheric pressure suppressed deposition, while increased wind speed and winds from the northeast enhanced it. Rainfall reduced overall deposition but increased the proportion of larger microplastics (50–75 μm). These findings challenge the assumption that urban areas consistently experience the highest microplastic loads, emphasising the impact of weather patterns on microplastic dispersion and deposition. This study highlights the need for further research into long-term deposition patterns of microplastics, focusing on specific polymer types and sizes, and their relationship with short-term and seasonal weather variations across diverse landscapes
Patient Perspectives on Inpatient Mealtimes: Insights on Swallowing, Mental Wellbeing and Recovery
No full textAlthough the prevalence of swallowing difficulties in adults with mental health conditions has been highlighted in research, the relationship between swallowing difficulties and psychosocial aspects of mealtime experiences is not known. In the context of a need for person-centred and holistic approaches to nursing and healthcare, the paucity of research relating to the impact of mealtimes on hospital wards on patient wellbeing and safety reveals a significant gap in knowledge. To understand patient views and experiences of mealtimes on inpatient mental health wards, including both positive and negative aspects affecting their wellbeing and safety, this ethically-approved study was qualitative in design and involved collaboration with service-user groups who co-designed interview questions. Participants were 13 inpatients on mental health wards for working-age adults. Interviews were conducted in person, de-identified and analysed using thematic analysis. Themes were first constructed from transcripts and then verified with service-user groups and the research team. The overarching theme of ‘heightened emotions associated with mealtimes’ encapsulated four themes: ‘experiencing anxiety and stress, connecting with others at mealtimes, loss of autonomy and choice, and experiences of swallowing difficulty’. Heightened emotions, anxiety and stress experienced during mental health ward mealtimes were counter to patients' wellbeing, which impacted on their wider recovery. Mealtime and swallowing safety, particularly when dysphagia is present, may be negatively affected by emotional pressures during mealtimes. These findings suggest a need to address barriers to wellbeing at mealtimes, and to raise awareness around integrating mealtimes into recovery pathways and person-centred care
“Hiding the label”:‘passing’ as drinkers and reinforcing drinking norms through No and Low Alcohol consumption
No full textLow-input proteomics identifies vWF as a negative regulator of Tet2 mutant hematopoietic stem cell expansion
No full textDespite rapid advances in mapping genetic drivers and gene expression changes in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), few studies exist at the protein level. We perform a deep, multi-omics characterization (epigenome, transcriptome, and proteome) of HSCs in a mouse model carrying a loss-of-function mutation in Tet2, a driver of increased self-renewal in blood cancers. Using state-of-the-art, multiplexed, low-input mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, we profile TET2-deficient (Tet2 -/-) HSCs, revealing previously unrecognized molecular processes that define the pre-leukemic HSC molecular landscape. Specifically, we obtain more accurate stratification of wild-type and Tet2 -/- HSCs than transcriptomic approaches and identify extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules as being dysregulated upon TET2 loss. HSC expansion assays using ECM-functionalized hydrogels confirm a selective effect on the expansion of Tet2-mutant HSCs. Taken together, our study represents a comprehensive molecular characterization of Tet2-mutant HSCs and identifies a previously unanticipated role of ECM molecules in regulating self-renewal of disease-driving HSCs
How effective are video animations as information tools for patients and the general public? An updated systematic review
No full textAntibacterial activity of cerium oxide nanoparticles: a systematic review and meta-analysis study
No full textIntroduction
This meta-analysis examined the antibacterial efficacy of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) through statistical analysis of published data.
Method
Following a comprehensive literature search and systematic screening, data were extracted and analyzed using STATA software to calculate pooled standard mean differences and effect sizes.
Results
Analysis of data from 58 articles (218 experiments) demonstrated significant antibacterial activity. Analysis of 189 agar diffusion tests showed substantial effect (EF = 15.04; 95% CI = 14.793–15.277; p < 0.0001). Subgroup analysis revealed greater efficacy for particles larger than 50 nm and rod-shaped nanoparticles. CeO2 NPs were effective against both Gram-positive (EF = 18.194) and Gram-negative (EF = 14.049) bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Compared to conventional antibiotics, CeO2 NPs were generally less effective (SMD = -2.846, p < 0.0001) but performed comparably to Amoxicillin, Streptomycin, Linezolid, and Clindamycin. MIC and CFU tests confirmed significant growth-inhibitory effects across multiple bacterial species.
Conclusion
CeO2 NPs demonstrate significant broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, suggesting potential against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Future research should explore synergistic effects with standard antibiotics
Trial design and enrolment characteristics of LATA (long-acting treatment in adolescents): A randomised, open-label, non-inferiority, 96-week trial evaluating the virological efficacy, safety, acceptability and quality-of-life of the dual long-acting injectable regimen cabotegravir/ rilpivirine compared to daily oral therapy in virologically suppressed adolescents with HIV-1 infection, aged 12 to
No full textBackground Alternatives to daily oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) are important for adolescents with HIV (AHIV) to improve adherence and outcomes. Long-Acting-injectable (LAI) cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) has demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety and strong patient preference in adults. Methods LATA is an ongoing randomised, open-label, 96-week, non-inferiority trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and acceptability of LAI CAB/RPV vs. daily oral therapy with tenofovir (disoproxil fumarate or alafenamide)/lamivudine/dolutegravir (TLD). Participants are virologically suppressed AHIV aged 12
Inter-tropical African precipitation regime shifts dominated by tropical easterly jet
No full textSince the 1990s, inter-tropical Africa (ITA) has experienced consecutive calamitous droughts during the boreal spring. Although the observed precipitation regime changes have been attributed to tropical Indian Ocean-western Pacific warming and/or tropical Pacific La Niña-like cooling, the model-projected past-to-future widespread wetting response to anthropogenic warming overshadows qualitative attributions of decadal shifts in historical precipitation regimes and the reliability of near-term projections. The causes of ITA precipitation regime shifts and the likelihood of their future continuation remain unclear. Here, we reveal that the observed monopolar precipitation changes in ITA are primarily driven by the tropical easterly jet (TEJ)-dominated pattern, with a secondary contribution from the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)-mediated pattern. The Indo-Pacific warming-induced TEJ strengthening favors a monopolar drying trend from 1950 to 2022, while the northward-shifted ITCZ drives a west drying-east wetting dipolar pattern. Considering an observational TEJ constraint, an accelerated TEJ with an amplitude of -2 standard deviations could cause an almost threefold increase in extreme drying trends in the near term (2026–2045). Instead, ITA could face a higher likelihood of extreme wetting tendency due to a near-term TEJ weakening. Our findings underscore the importance of realistic TEJ simulations in enhancing confidence in future precipitation projections across hydroclimate-vulnerable Africa
Applying NovaGenesis: A service-oriented, self-organizing, and programmable IoT architecture for LoRa and Wi-Fi-based environmental monitoring
No full textThis work integrates NovaGenesis (NG), a clean-slate IoT architecture, with LoRa technology within low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN), extending previous efforts on NG connectivity with Wi-Fi. The research aims to update the embedded version of NG and develop devices for seamless LoRa and Wi-Fi IoT operation. It evaluates NG’s performance on LoRa and Wi-Fi, focusing on throughput, delay, and packet loss. Despite LPWAN limitations, the results show that the NG deployment is feasible, validating its self-organizing IoT life cycle to maintain service continuity between an ESP-32 and a data client. Performance meets the needs of IoT applications in agribusiness, logistics, and smart monitoring. In addition, a 24-hour environmental monitoring experiment was conducted in Santa Rita do Sapucaí(SRS), Minas Gerais, Brazil, where a commercial weather station was modified to integrate NG, allowing accurate collection of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind conditions, solar radiation and UV index. The results met expected diurnal patterns in SRS, proving the reliability and precision of the sensors and communication infrastructure. This solution overcomes common IETF IoT stack limitations in devices naming, information provenance, entities identification, programmability via digital twins, programmability, services and devices self-organization, and trust formation, offering a robust platform for varied IoT scenarios in LPWAN environments. These are the key benefits of applying NovaGenesis for LoRa and Wi-Fi-based environmental monitoring