19683 research outputs found
Sort by
Impact of prenatal tramadol exposure on cerebral and cerebellar development and amyloid precursor protein expression in newborn mice
No full textTramadol is a widely prescribed analgesic for pain management in adults, but its safety during pregnancy remains a subject of concern. While previous research has highlighted potential risks associated with Tramadol use during gestation, there is a need for a comprehensive investigation into its effects on foetal brain development. This preclinical study sought to address this gap in knowledge by examining the impact of Tramadol exposure on the cerebral and cerebellar cortices in a murine model. Pregnant mice were subjected to controlled exposure to varying doses of Tramadol during the initial stages of gestation. The foetal brains were examined through a combination of histopathological analysis, assessment of apoptotic changes, and evaluation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression. These investigative methods allowed for a detailed examination of structural alterations, cell death patterns, and molecular changes within the foetal brain tissues. The study’s findings were notable for several significant observations. Firstly, there was clear evidence of global shrinkage within the cerebral and cerebellar cortices of foetuses exposed to Tramadol. This shrinkage was associated with disrupted cellular organization, marked apoptosis of neural cells, and a notable upregulation in the expression of APP, particularly within the cerebral cortex. Specifically, a 23% reduction in cerebral cortex size was observed in Tramadol-exposed foetuses compared to the control group. Furthermore, a dose-dependent relationship was established, indicating that higher Tramadol doses corresponded to more pronounced alterations in foetal brain structure and molecular profile. Prenatal tramadol treatment induces neurodegenerative changes in newborn cerebellum with agenesis in the Purkinje cells layer and up regulation of APP in response to the neurotoxic effect that could be considered a neuroprotective role for neurons.</p
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in Endurance Runners Using Wearable Technology as a Clinical Monitoring Tool: Systematic Review
No full textBackground: In recent years, researchers have delved into the relationship between the anatomy and biomechanics of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain and dysfunction in endurance runners to elucidate the connection between lower back pain and the SIJ. However, the majority of SIJ pain and dysfunction cases are diagnosed and managed through a traditional athlete-clinician arrangement, where the athlete must attend regular in-person clinical appointments with various allied health professionals. Wearable sensors (wearables) are increasingly serving as a clinical diagnostic tool to monitor an athlete’s day-to-day activities remotely, thus eliminating the necessity for in-person appointments. Nevertheless, the extent to which wearables are used in a remote setting to manage SIJ dysfunction in endurance runners remains uncertain. Objective: This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature to enhance our understanding regarding the use of wearables in both in-person and remote settings for biomechanical-based rehabilitation in SIJ dysfunction among endurance runners. In addressing this issue, the overarching goal was to explore how wearables can contribute to the clinical diagnosis (before, during, and after) of SIJ dysfunction. Methods: Three online databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using various combinations of keywords. Initially, a total of 4097 articles were identified. After removing duplicates and screening articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 45 articles were analyzed. Subsequently, 21 articles were included in this study. The quality of the investigation was assessed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews. Results: Among the 21 studies included in this review, more than half of the investigations were literature reviews focusing on wearable sensors in the diagnosis and treatment of SIJ pain, wearable movement sensors for rehabilitation, or a combination of both for SIJ gait analysis in an intelligent health care setting. As many as 4 (19%) studies were case reports, and only 1 study could be classified as fully experimental. One paper was classified as being at the “pre” stage of SIJ dysfunction, while 6 (29%) were identified as being at the “at” stage of classification. Significantly fewer studies attempted to capture or classify actual SIJ injuries, and no study directly addressed the injury recovery stage. Conclusions: SIJ dysfunction remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in endurance runners. Moreover, there is a lack of clear diagnostic or treatment pathways using wearables remotely, despite the availability of validated technology. Further research of higher quality is recommended to investigate SIJ dysfunction in endurance runners and explore the use of wearables for rehabilitation in remote settings.</p
Aggregation‐Induced Emission of Naphthalene Diimides: Effect of Chain Length on Liquid and Solid‐Phase Emissive Properties
No full textThe aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties of a systematic series of naphthalene diimides (NDIs) varying the chain length at the imide positions have been studied. A solvophobic collapse of NDI units through the flash injection of THF NDI solutions in sonicating water triggers the formation of stable suspensions with enhanced fluorescence emissions. Shorter chains favor the π-π stacking of NDI units through H-aggregation producing a strong AIE effect showing remarkably high quantum yields that have not been observed for non core-substitued NDIs previously. On the other hand, NDIs functionalized with longer chains lead to more disordered domains where π-π stacking between NDI units is mainly given by J-aggregation unfavoring the AIE effect
Siamese Bi-Attention Pooling Network for Change Detection in Remote Sensing
No full textChange detection (CD) in remote sensing aims to identify variations in image pairs captured at the same location but different times. While recent deep learning approaches, particularly those incorporating attention mechanisms, have achieved encouraging results on this task, they often fall short of comprehensively exploiting the change relevant patterns that are present in paired images. In this study, we propose a novel deep learning architecture, namely Siamese Bi-Attention Pooling Network (SBA-PN), to emphasize broad-scale change patterns by exploiting both intraimage and interimage contexts. The overall structure of SBA-PN aligns with the U-Net based encoder-decoder paradigm. A Siamese Transformer-like encoder formulates paired multiscale feature maps. To effectively emphasize change relevant patterns, a spatial optimal pooling module is devised, replacing the conventional self-attention mechanism. A contrastive pixel-wise supervision scheme is designed for shallow encoder layers in pursuit of change-aware feature maps. Next, the decoder mirrors the multiscale design, which formulates difference maps using a novel biattention mechanism from paired feature maps. During the decoding phase, a channel deviation pooling module is devised to further emphasize salient change regions. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method with the state-of-the-art performance on two commonly used benchmark datasets, Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU)-CD and LEarning VIsion Remote sensing (LEVIR)-CD
Guardians of precision: advancing radiation protection, safety, and quality systems in nuclear medicine
No full textBackground: In the rapidly evolving field of nuclear medicine, the paramount importance of radiation protection, safety, and quality systems cannot be overstated. This document provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate regulatory frameworks and guidelines, meticulously crafted and updated by national and international regulatory bodies to ensure the utmost safety and efficiency in the practice of nuclear medicine. Methods: We explore the dynamic nature of these regulations, emphasizing their adaptability in accommodating technological advancements and the integration of nuclear medicine with other medical and scientific disciplines. Results: Audits, both internal and external, are spotlighted for their pivotal role in assessing and ensuring compliance with established standards, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and excellence. We delve into the significant contributions of entities like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and relevant professional societies in offering universally applicable guidelines that amalgamate the latest in scientific research, ethical considerations, and practical applicability. Conclusions: The document underscores the essence of international collaborations in pooling expertise, resources, and insights, fostering a global community of practice where knowledge and innovations are shared. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of the practical applications, challenges, and opportunities presented by these regulatory frameworks and audit processes. The ultimate goal is to inspire and inform ongoing efforts to enhance safety, quality, and effectiveness in nuclear medicine globally
Effectiveness of exercise intervention on physical and health outcomes in patients admitted to an acute medical ward: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textObjective: To evaluate the effectiveness of inpatient medical ward exercise on physical and health outcomes in adults compared with usual care. Data sources: Medline, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched from inception to 20 April 2023. Review methods: Randomised-controlled trials in English that reported physical and health outcomes of adults who received an exercise intervention on an acute medical ward were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro and TESTEX scales. The GRADE rating assessed the quality of evidence to evaluate the certainty of effect. Meta-analyses were performed where possible. Results: Thirteen studies were included, with 1273 unique participants (mean [SD] age, 75.5 [11] years), which compared exercise intervention with usual care. Low quality evidence demonstrated a significant improvement in aerobic capacity ([MD], 1.39 m [95% CI, 0.23, 2.55], p = 0.02) and maximum isometric strength ([MD], 2.3 kg [95% CI, 2.2, 2.4], p < 0.001) for the exercise intervention compared with usual care. Low quality evidence demonstrated no difference for in-hospital falls count ([OR], 1.93 [95% CI, 0.61, 6.12] p = 0.27) or mortality ([OR], 0.77 [95% CI, 0.48, 1.23], p = 0.27). Moderate quality evidence demonstrated no difference for length of stay ([MD], −0.10 days [95% CI, −0.31, 0.11] p = 0.36). Conclusion: Exercise prescribed during an acute medical ward stay improves aerobic capacity and maximum isometric strength but may not reduce length of stay, in-hospital falls or mortality
Development of the Impact of Diagnosis Scale-Revised (IODS-R)
No full textNo tools quantify the experience, psychological, and practical impact of receiving a diagnosis from a non-deficit perspective. Autism is increasingly late diagnosed in adulthood. The Impact of Diagnosis Scale (IODS) was initially developed for borderline personality disorder. We aimed to develop a revised version suitable for autistic adults and potentially other diagnostic groups. Following a trial of a preliminary revision, the researchers and autistic research advisors co-produced an expanded pool of 46 items, scored on 7-point Likert-type scale, within 6 hypothesized domains. Scale reduction processes were applied to data from 125 formally diagnosed autistic adults. Following iterative rounds of factor analysis using maximum likelihood estimation with Promax rotation, 22 items were retained across 4 domains to comprise the IODS-R. The IODS-R adds new understanding to the experience of receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood. It may be useful for evaluating diagnostic services and other diagnostic groups
Psychological therapies for depression in older adults residing in long‐term care settings
No full textNo description supplied.</p
SARS-CoV-2 Mpro responds to oxidation by forming disulfide and NOS/SONOS bonds
No full textAbstract: The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for viral function and a key drug target. Mpro is only active when reduced; turnover ceases upon oxidation but is restored by re-reduction. This suggests the system has evolved to survive periods in an oxidative environment, but the mechanism of this protection has not been confirmed. Here, we report a crystal structure of oxidized Mpro showing a disulfide bond between the active site cysteine, C145, and a distal cysteine, C117. Previous work proposed this disulfide provides the mechanism of protection from irreversible oxidation. Mpro forms an obligate homodimer, and the C117-C145 structure shows disruption of interactions bridging the dimer interface, implying a correlation between oxidation and dimerization. We confirm dimer stability is weakened in solution upon oxidation. Finally, we observe the protein's crystallization behavior is linked to its redox state. Oxidized Mpro spontaneously forms a distinct, more loosely packed lattice. Seeding with crystals of this lattice yields a structure with an oxidation pattern incorporating one cysteine-lysine-cysteine (SONOS) and two lysine-cysteine (NOS) bridges. These structures further our understanding of the oxidative regulation of Mpro and the crystallization conditions necessary to study this structurally.</p