Leading four generations at work

The generation and dispensing of microdroplets is a vital process in various fields such as biomedicine, medical diagnosis and chemistry. However, most methods still require the structures of nozzles or microchannels to assist droplet generation, which leads to limitations on system flexibility and restrictions on the size range of the generated droplets. In this paper, we propose a nozzle-free acoustic-based method for generating droplets using a gigahertz (GHz) bulk acoustic wave (BAW). Unlike most of the acoustofluidic approaches, the proposed method produces the droplet by pinching-off the liquid column generated by the acoustic body force at the oil-water interface...

OBJECTIVE: Although hyperandrogenism is a frequent cause of consultation in adolescent girls, more severe forms with virilization must lead to suspect an adrenal or ovarian tumor. However, they may also reveal a 46,XY disorder of sexual development (DSD). Here, we describe four adolescent girls referred for pubertal virilization and in whom we diagnosed a 46,XY DSD. METHODS: We performed gene mutation screening by Sanger sequencing and by next generation sequencing (NGS) in one patient...

BACKGROUND: Aberrant protein kinase regulation leading to abnormal substrate phosphorylation is associated with several human diseases. Despite the promise of therapies targeting kinases, many human kinases remain understudied. Most existing computational tools predicting phosphorylation cover less than 50% of known human kinases. They utilize local feature selection based on protein sequences, motifs, domains, structures, and/or functions, and do not consider the heterogeneous relationships of the proteins...

The sluggish four-electron oxygen evolving reaction is one of the key limitations of photoelectrochemical water decomposition. Optimizing the binding of active sites to oxygen in water and promoting the conversion of *O to *OOH are the key to enhancing oxygen evolution reaction. In this work, W-doped Cu2 V2 O7 (CVO) constructs corner-sharing tetrahedrally coordinated W-V dual active sites to induce the generation of electron deficiency active centers, promote the adsorption of ─OH, and accelerate the transformation of *O to *OOH for water splitting...

Early warning systems for harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) that enable precautional control measures within water bodies and in water works are largely based on inferential time-series modelling. Among deep learning techniques, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely applied for recognition of pictorial, acoustic and thermal images. Time-frequency images of environmental drivers generated by wavelets may provide crucial signals for modelling of HCBs to be recognized by CNNs. This study applies CNNs for time-series modelling of HCBs of Microcystis sp...

STUDY QUESTION: Can blastocyst aneuploidy be predicted for patients with previous aneuploid pregnancy loss (PAPL) and receiving preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A)? SUMMARY ANSWER: Multivariable logistic regression models were established to predict high risk of blastocyst aneuploidy using four identified factors, presenting good predictive performance. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Aneuploidy is the most common embryonic chromosomal abnormality leading to pregnancy loss...

CONTEXT: Provider-enacted stigma is a barrier for people with substance use disorder (SUD) who interface with the healthcare system, and it has been shown to lead to worse healthcare outcomes. This has given urgency to the need for stigma reduction interventions such as education- and contact-based approaches. The positive effect of interprofessional education (IPE) in reducing graduate health students' stigmatizing attitudes on opioids has been examined before, and we contribute to the existing literature by examining the attitudes across the following four health disciplines-osteopathic medicine, physician assistant (PA) studies and public health, pharmacy, and nursing-following a single half-day IPE event focused on opioid use disorder (OUD)...

Gene expression data generated from whole blood via next generation sequencing is frequently used in studies aimed at identifying mRNA-based biomarker panels with utility for diagnosis or monitoring of human disease. These investigations often employ data normalization techniques more typically used for analysis of data originating from solid tissues, which largely operate under the general assumption that specimens have similar transcriptome composition. However, this assumption may be violated when working with data generated from whole blood, which is more cellularly dynamic, leading to potential confounds...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The specific effects of antiseizure medications (ASMs) on cognition are a rich field of study, with many ongoing questions. The aim of this study was to evaluate these effects in a homogeneous group of patients with epilepsy to guide clinicians to choose the most appropriate medications. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 287 refractory patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy associated with hippocampal sclerosis. Scores measuring general cognition (global, verbal and performance IQ), working memory, episodic memory, executive functions, and language abilities were correlated with ASM type, number, dosage and generation (old vs...

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability globally. It generates considerable direct costs (healthcare) and indirect costs (lost productivity). The many available treatments for LBP include exercise therapy, which is practised extensively worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of exercise therapy for acute non-specific low back pain in adults compared to sham/placebo treatment or no treatment at short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term follow-up...

This communication will present an educative and research project that has linked the creation of 3D Assistive Technology (AT) for people with disabilities with the training of students of secondary education. STEMBach educational program aims to provide quality scientific education to secondary school students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through research projects. Specifically, the text focuses on one project proposed by the TALIONIS research group, which uses 3D printers to design and create assistive technology (AT) for people with disabilities...

Preclinical MRI studies have been utilized for the discovery of biomarkers that predict post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). However, these single site studies often lack statistical power due to limited and homogeneous datasets. Therefore, multisite studies, such as the Epilepsy Bioinformatics Study for Antiepileptogenic Therapy (EpiBioS4Rx), are developed to create large, heterogeneous datasets that can lead to more statistically significant results. EpiBioS4Rx collects preclinical data internationally across sites, including the United States, Finland, and Australia...

OBJECTIVE: Night shift workers are at a 20 to 40% increased risk of metabolic diseases, which may be associated with their disrupted eating patterns. This qualitative study explores factors that influence night shift workers' eating habits, within and outside of the workplace, to identify target areas for health promotion strategies. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Eligible participants resided in Australia, working at least 3 overnight shifts per month. DESIGN: The photovoice method was used, whereby participants were asked to take photos that represent their typical eating habits...

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the first work of T1 -based magnetic resonance thermometry using magnetic resonance fingerprinting (dubbed MRFT). We compared temperature estimation of MRFT with proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) thermometry on ex vivo bovine muscle. We demonstrated MRFT's feasibility in predicting temperature on ex vivo bovine muscles with deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead. B0 maps generated from MRFT were compared with gold standard B0 maps near lead. 
All experiments were performed on a 3 Tesla whole-body GE Premier system equipped with a 21-channel receive head coil...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Despite increased emphases on reducing racial disparities in the U.S. health care system, interprofessional care teams may inadvertently perpetuate health disparities through lack of awareness or experience in supporting individualized, patient-centered goals of care. Racial disparities can lead to health inequity. Persistent health disparity gaps exist among Black patients with multiple myeloma (MM) when compared with non-Black patients. Black patients experience a two-fold increase in MM risk and earlier age of onset compared with non-Black patients...

BACKGROUND: The oral microbiome is incredibly complex, containing a diverse complement of microbiota that has previously been categorized into 6 broad phyla. While techniques such as next-generation sequencing have contributed to a better understanding of the composition of the oral microbiome, the role it plays in human health and disease is still under investigation. Previous studies have identified that a more diverse microbiome is advantageous for health. Therefore, alterations to the physical or mental health that are of interest in this study, such as stress, are the factors that decrease microbial diversity, leading to the potential for dysbiosis and disease disposition...

BACKGROUND: Stroke significantly impacts individuals, leading to the need for long-lasting rehabilitation and adaptation to environmental demands. Rehabilitation after stroke is increasingly performed in patients' homes, and it is argued that rehabilitation in this context is more person-centred and positively impacts client outcomes. However, the role of environmental factors in this process is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore how multidisciplinary healthcare practitioners working with rehabilitation in the home after stroke consider possibilities and challenges in the environment and how environmental factors are documented in patients' records...

OBJECTIVE: The septum pellucidum is a virtual cavity located at the anterior part of the brain midline, which only in fetal life has a certain amount of fluid inside. The presence of an obliterated cavum septi pellucidi (oCSP) in the prenatal period is poorly described in the literature but, nevertheless, it constitutes an important clinical dilemma for the fetal medicine specialist in terms of significance and prognosis. Moreover, its occurrence is increasing maybe because of the widespread of high-resolution ultrasound machine...

To improve the characterization of snake venom protein profiles, we report the application of a new generation of proteomic methodology to deeply characterize complex protein mixtures. The new approach, combining a synergic multi-enzymatic and a time-limited digestion (MELD), is a versatile and straightforward protocol previously developed by our group. The higher number of overlapping peptides generated during MELD increases the quality of downstream peptide sequencing and of protein identification. In this context, this work aims at applying the MELD strategy to a venomics purpose for the first time, and especially for the characterization of snake venoms...

STUDY QUESTION: What are some pathogenic mutations for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and their effects on spermatogenesis? SUMMARY ANSWER: Biallelic missense and frameshift mutations in ADAD2 disrupt the differentiation of round spermatids to spermatozoa causing azoospermia in humans and mice. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: NOA is the most severe cause of male infertility characterized by an absence of sperm in the ejaculate due to impairment of spermatogenesis...