maximum likelihood

BACKGROUND: During health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of health care workers often occur. Recruiting students as volunteers could be an option, but it is uncertain whether the idea is well-accepted. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the global rate of willingness to volunteer among medical and health students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies reporting the number of health students willing to volunteer during COVID-19 from 2019 to November 17, 2023...

The atlas and axis are the first two vertebrae from the cervical series; these two vertebrae are responsible for neck flexion, extension, and rotation movements, while providing insertion points for muscles and tendons. Amphisbaenia is a group of fossorial squamates known for having four distinctive head shapes, which are related to different excavation methods. However, little is known about the relationship between these different digging patterns and the anatomy and evolution of the atlantoaxial complex...

The brown-eared bulbul ( Hypsipetes amaurotis) is a medium-sized songbird native to East Asia and characterized by its prominent reddish-brown ear-coverts. Previous studies on it have primarily been from the taxonomic and morphological aspects, with limited research in the realm of molecular biology. In this study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of H. amaurotis , which was the first reported complete mitogenome of the genus Hypsipetes . The mitogenome of H. amaurotis is 17,871 bp in length and was predicted to encode 37 typical mitochondrial genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs)...

BACKGROUND: The pathological Johnsen score (JS) is a quantitative histological scoring system used to assess spermatogenesis in men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), while elastic modulus derived from shear wave elastography (SWE) is a diagnostic tool for evaluating spermatogenic dysfunction. In this prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate whether testicular stiffness measured by SWE could serve as a substitute for JS in predicting sperm retrieval outcomes in men with NOA...

Oaks are the most abundant trees in naturally regenerated forests in China, play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and maintaining ecological stability (Du et al. 2022). Quercus guyavifolia H. Léveillé (Fagaceae family, Subgenus Cerris , section Ilex ), is endemic in China, distributed in the southeastern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with elevations from 2, 000 - 4, 500 m a.s.l. (Denk et al. 2018; Sun et al. 2016). Powdery mildew is a prevalent disease of oaks with up to 60% of foliage infection, which can induce leaf necrosis or deformation and might contribute to oak decline (Marçais and Desprez-Loustau 2014)...

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., commonly known as Indian jujube or ber, is a popular fruit crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of China. It is commonly stored at 4℃, relative humidity of about 90%, combined with waxing or sealing with film bag. In January 2023, a postharvest fruit rot was observed on Indian jujube in three markets located in Nanchang city of Jiangxi province, China, with a disease incidence of 4 to 10%. Initially, brown spots appeared on the surface or base of the fruit, which gradually expanded into irregular brown lesions...

AIMS: Genetic testing can be used to improve the safety and effectiveness of commonly prescribed medicines-a concept known as pharmacogenetics. This study aimed to quantify members of the UK public's preferences for a pharmacogenetic service to be delivered in primary care in the National Health Service. METHODS: Members of the UK population were surveyed via an online panel company. Respondents completed 1 of 2 survey versions, asking respondents to select their preferred pharmacogenetic testing service in the context of a presentation of low mood or pain...

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a bacterium belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family. In Mexico, only 2 species have been recorded in association with tick species and humans. The objective of the present study was to detect the presence of bacteria of the genus Ehrlichia in ticks collected from the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, Mexico. The collected ticks were identified and analyzed individually by polymerase chain reaction to amplify a fragment of the Anaplasmataceae 16S rRNA gene and the Ehrlichia-specific dsb gene...

This study presents the sequencing and annotation of mitochondrial genomes from five Rhingia species of the family Syrphidae, focusing on codon bias. Each species possessed 22 tRNAs genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs genes, and a control region, without any observed gene rearrangements. Nucleotide composition analysis revealed a higher AT content compared with GC content, indicating AT enrichment. Neutrality plot, Parity rule 2 bias, and effective number of codons plot analyses collectively indicated that natural selection primarily influences the codon usage bias in the five Rhingia species...

The refurbishment of dies by the deposition welding of wear areas is an efficient and economical process. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the lifetimes of different types of dies for the manufacturing of wagon wheels. The analyzed dies were manufactured by conventional processes (Type I) and reconditioned through a deposition welding procedure using a dedicated electrode (Type II). The Anderson-Darling test was conducted to analyze the goodness of fit of the lifetime data specific to the die types...

BACKGROUND: Dating violence has become a problem of social relevance with short- and long-term health consequences. Nurses are in a privileged position to detect and address this problem in health facilities and as school nurses in schools, providing health education and detecting this violence correctly. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural validation of the Portuguese version of the Multidimensional Scale of Dating Violence-Short (MSDV 2...

Herb genomics, at the forefront of traditional Chinese medicine research, combines genomics with traditional practices, facilitating the scientific validation of ancient remedies. This integration enhances public understanding of traditional Chinese medicine's efficacy and broadens its scope in modern healthcare. Stachys species encompass annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, exhibiting simple petiolate or sessile leaves. Despite their wide-ranging applications across various fields, molecular data have been lacking, hindering the precise identification and taxonomic elucidation of Stachys species...

BACKGROUND: Electronic waste (e-waste) proliferation and its implications underscore the imperative for advanced analytical methods to mitigate its environmental impact. It is estimated that e-waste production stands at a staggering 20-50 million tons yearly, of which merely 20-25% undergo formal recycling. The e-waste samples evaluated contain computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. RESULTS: Forty-one samples were processed, involving the disassembly and separation of components...

The purpose of this study was to identify meaningful response patterns in self-report survey data collected from Canadian military veterans with chronic pain and to create an algorithm intended to facilitate triage and prioritization of veterans to the most appropriate interventions. An online survey was presented to former members of the Canadian military who self-identified as having chronic pain. Variables collected were related to pain, physical and mental interference, prior traumatic experiences, and indicators from each of seven potential drivers of the pain experience...

The aim of this study was to evaluate Cu-64 PET phantom image quality using Bayesian Penalized Likelihood (BPL) and Ordered Subset Expectation Maximum with point-spread function modeling (OSEM-PSF) reconstruction algorithms. In the BPL, the regularization parameter β was varied to identify the optimum value for image quality. In the OSEM-PSF, the effect of acquisition time was evaluated to assess the feasibility of shortened scan duration. 

Methods: A NEMA IEC PET body phantom was filled with known activities of water soluble Cu-64...

The perceptual response to achromatic incremental (A+) and decremental (A-) visual stimuli is known to be asymmetrical, due most likely to differences between ON and OFF channels. In the current study, we further investigated this asymmetry psychophysically. In Experiment 1, maximum likelihood difference scaling (MLDS) was used to estimate separately observers' perceptual scales for A+ and A-. In Experiment 2, observers performed two spatial alternative forced choice (2SAFC) pedestal discrimination on multiple pedestal contrast levels, using all combinations of A+ and A- pedestals and tests...

Erythroneurini is the largest tribe of the microleafhopper subfamily Typhlocybinae. Most prior research on this tribe has focused on traditional classification, phylogeny, and control of agricultural pests, and the phylogeography of the group remains poorly understood. In this study, the mitochondrial genomes of 10 erythroneurine species were sequenced, and sequences of four genes were obtained for 12 geographical populations of Seriana bacilla . The new sequence data were combined with previously available mitochondrial DNA sequence data and analyzed using Bayesian and Maximum-Likelihood-based phylogenetic methods to elucidate relationships among genera and species and estimate divergence times...

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that immune response underlies the pathology of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Nevertheless, the specific inflammatory regulators involved in this pathogenesis remain unclear. METHODS: We systematically explored circulating inflammatory proteins that are causally associated with T2D via a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study and further investigated them in prevalent complications of T2D. Genetic instruments for 91 circulating inflammatory proteins were derived from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that enrolled 14,824 predominantly European participants...

BACKGROUND: The "woody clade" in Saxifragales (WCS), encompassing four woody families (Altingiaceae, Cercidiphyllaceae, Daphniphyllaceae, and Hamamelidaceae), is a phylogenetically recalcitrant node in the angiosperm tree of life, as the interfamilial relationships of the WCS remain contentious. Based on a comprehensive sampling of WCS genera, this study aims to recover a robust maternal backbone phylogeny of the WCS by analyzing plastid genome (plastome) sequence data using Bayesian inference (BI), maximum likelihood (ML), and maximum parsimony (MP) methods, and to explore the possible causes of the phylogenetic recalcitrance with respect to deep relationships within the WCS, in combination with molecular and fossil evidence...

OBJECTIVE: Conflicting evidence for the association between COVID-19 and adverse perinatal outcomes exists. This study examined the associations between maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes including preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational age (SGA), large-for-gestational age (LGA) and fetal death; as well as whether the associations differ by trimester of infection. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study used a retrospective Mexican birth cohort from the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Mexico, between January 2020 and November 2021...