F1000Research最新文献

Background: Neurodegeneration due to neurotoxicity is one of the phenomena in temporal lobe epilepsy. Experimentally, hippocampal excitotoxicity process can occur due to kainic acid exposure, especially in the CA3 area. Neuronal death, astrocyte reactivity and increased calcium also occur in hippocampal excitotoxicity, but few studies have investigated immediate effect after kainic acid exposure. The organotypic hippocampal slice culture (OHSC) is a useful model for studying the neurodegeneration process, but there are still many protocol differences. In this study, minor modifications were made in the OHSC protocol.

Methods: OHSC was obtained from three healthy wild type Wistar rats aged P10. Healthy culture slices were obtained and lasted up to 10 days in vitro (DIV 10). Bath application of kainic acid for 48 hours in DIV 10 followed by observation of its initial effects on neurons, astrocytes, and calcium via the expression of MAP2, GFAP, and intracellular calcium imaging, subsequently.

Results: After 48 h of kainic acid administration, there was a significant increase in intracellular calcium intensity (p = 0.006 < α), accompanied by a significant decrease in MAP2 (p = 0.003 < α) and GFAP (p = 0.010 < α) expression.

Conclusion: These findings suggest early neuronal and astrocyte damage at the initial onset of hippocampal injury. This implies that astrocyte damage occurs early before an increase in GFAP that characterizes reactive astrogliosis found in other studies. Damage to neurons and astrocytes may be associated with increased intracellular calcium. It is necessary to develop further research regarding regulation of calcium, MAP2, and GFAP at a spatial time after exposure to kainic acid and strategies to reduce damage caused by excitotoxicity.

Background: The work experience of seafarers differs significantly from other land-based occupations due to several factors, particularly remoteness and the restricted work environment. This study seeks to examine the impact of burnout and health impairment in the maritime industry, using the Job Demand-Resources theory as a framework.

Methods: To investigate these phenomena, an online questionnaire was sent to 239 Italian seafarers (94.6% men, Mage = 39.44, SD = 12.8). We tested a mediated Structural Equation Model (SEM) aimed at predicting negative health outcomes.

Results: The results show that burnout plays a mediating role between job demands (such as workload and cognitive strain) and resources (such as social support and transformational leadership), influencing variables related to health impairment (such as sleep quality and physical well-being). Furthermore, the findings highlight the direct influence of occupational resources on seafarers' health.

Conclusions: The discussion highlights the urgent need for more research in the field of organisational psychology in the maritime industry and the discrepancies between these findings, which are consistent with the existing maritime literature, and other studies that do not include seafarers in their sample groups.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly affects the respiratory tract, but different organs may be involved including the kidney. Data on acute kidney injury (AKI) in critical forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are scarce. We aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors and prognostic impact of AKI complicating critical forms of COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive case/control monocentric study conducted in a medical intensive care unit of a tertiary teaching hospital over a period of 18 months.

Results: We enrolled 144 patients, with a mean age of 58±13 years old and a male predominance (sex-ratio: 1.25). Forty-one (28%) developed AKI within a median of 4 days (Q1: 3, Q3: 8.5) after hospitalization. It was staged KDIGO class 3, in about half of the cases. Thirteen patients underwent renal replacement therapy and renal function improved in seven cases. Diabetes (OR: 6.07; 95% CI: (1,30-28,4); p: 0.022), nephrotoxic antibiotics (OR: 21; 95% CI: (3,2-146); p: 0.002), and shock (OR: 12.21; 95% CI: (2.87-51.85); p: 0.031,) were the three independent risk factors of AKI onset. Mortality was significantly higher in AKI group (HR:12; 95% CI: (5.81-18.18); p:0.041) but AKI didn't appear to be an independent risk factor of poor outcome. In fact, age > 53 years (p: 0.018), septic shock complicating hospital acquired infection (p: 0.003) and mechanical ventilation (p<0.001) were the three prognostic factors in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: The incidence of AKI was high in this study and associated to an increased mortality. Diabetes, use of nephrotoxic antibiotics and shock contributed significantly to its occurrence. This underlines the importance of rationalizing antibiotic prescription and providing adequate management of patients with hemodynamic instability in order to prevent consequent AKI.

Background: Higher education is experiencing an increase in students with disabilities, necessitating considering their interests and well-being when preparing educational services. Students with disabilities make up one of the most significant minority groups among students in terms of diversity.

Aims: This study explored the experiences of students with disabilities at a university in the United Arab Emirates. It also aimed to understand students with disabilities' social and academic experiences and the factors affecting their university persistence.

Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative research approach to understand how students with disabilities experience the phenomenon under study. Twenty-five students participated, chosen via purposeful sampling. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using content analysis.

Results: We found four themes that emerged from this study: (1) perceptions about the university, (2) socialization and integration, (3) barriers to the university journey, and (4) support for the journey.

Conclusion: We found that students with disabilities indicated positive and negative perspectives and experiences. We recommend modifying the physical, social, and educational environments to support the education of students with disabilities. Future studies should employ a more varied sample and include academics and students to collect different perspectives while stressing the students' experiences.

Background: Synthetic data's utility in benchmark studies depends on its ability to closely mimic real-world conditions and reproduce results obtained from experimental data. Building on Nearing et al.'s study (1), who assessed 14 differential abundance tests using 38 experimental 16S rRNA datasets in a case-control design, we are generating synthetic datasets that mimic the experimental data to verify their findings. We will employ statistical tests to rigorously assess the similarity between synthetic and experimental data and to validate the conclusions on the performance of these tests drawn by Nearing et al. (1). This protocol adheres to the SPIRIT guidelines, demonstrating how established reporting frameworks can support robust, transparent, and unbiased study planning.

Methods: We replicate Nearing et al.'s (1) methodology, incorporating synthetic data simulated using two distinct tools, mirroring the 38 experimental datasets. Equivalence tests will be conducted on a non-redundant subset of 46 data characteristics comparing synthetic and experimental data, complemented by principal component analysis for overall similarity assessment. The 14 differential abundance tests will be applied to synthetic and experimental datasets, evaluating the consistency of significant feature identification and the number of significant features per tool. Correlation analysis and multiple regression will explore how differences between synthetic and experimental data characteristics may affect the results.

Conclusions: Synthetic data enables the validation of findings through controlled experiments. We assess how well synthetic data replicates experimental data, try to validate previous findings with the most recent versions of the DA methods and delineate the strengths and limitations of synthetic data in benchmark studies. Moreover, to our knowledge this is the first computational benchmark study to systematically incorporate synthetic data for validating differential abundance methods while strictly adhering to a pre-specified study protocol following SPIRIT guidelines, contributing to transparency, reproducibility, and unbiased research.

Background: Muscarinic receptor agonism and positive allosteric modulation is a promising mechanism of action for treating psychosis, not present in most D2R-blocking antipsychotics. Xanomeline, an M1/M4-preferring agonist, has shown efficacy in late-stage clinical trials, with more compounds being investigated. Therefore, we aim to synthesize evidence on the preclinical efficacy of muscarinic receptor agonists and positive allosteric modulators in animal models of psychosis to provide unique insights and evidence-based information to guide drug development.

Methods: We plan a systematic review and meta-analysis of in vivo animal studies comparing muscarinic receptor agonists or positive allosteric modulators with control conditions and existing D2R-blocking antipsychotics in animals subjected to any method that induces behavioural changes of relevance for psychosis. We will identify eligible studies by searching multiple electronic databases. At least two independent reviewers will conduct the study selection and data extraction using prespecified forms and assess the risk of bias with the SYRCLE's tool. Our primary outcomes include locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition measured with standardized mean differences. We will examine other behavioural readouts of relevance for psychosis as secondary outcomes, such as social interaction and cognitive function. We will synthesize the data using multi-level meta-analysis with a predefined random-effects structure, considering the non-independence of the data. In meta-regressions we will explore potential sources of heterogeneity from a predefined list of characteristics of the animal population, model, and intervention. We will assess the confidence in the evidence considering a self-developed instrument thatconsiders the internal and external validity of the evidence.

Protocol registration: PROSPERO-ID: CRD42024520914.

Objective: To compare iodine density (ID) and contrast-enhanced attenuation value (CEAV) from dual-layer spectral computed tomography (DLSCT) scans of lymphomatous, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA), and normal cervical lymph nodes.

Methods: Data including ID and CEAV were retrospectively collected from patients who underwent DLSCT of the neck between January 2020 and August 2023. Results from each group (lymphomatous, metastatic SCCA, and normal) were compared and analyzed using one-way ANOVA and receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results: 129 cervical lymph nodes were collected from patients who met the inclusion criteria (50, 41, and 38 nodes from the lymphomatous, metastatic SCCA, and normal group, respectively). The mean ID of lymphomatous, metastatic SCCA, and normal nodes was 1.01±0.27, 1.36±0.28, and 1.45±0.29 mg/mL, respectively. Comparing lymphomatous nodes with metastatic SCCA nodes, the lymphomatous nodes had significantly lower values of ID (p<0.002) and CEAV (p<0.001). Similarly, when comparing lymphomatous nodes with normal nodes, the lymphomatous nodes had significantly lower values of ID (p<0.001) and CEAV (p<0.001). The optimal ID cut-off value for distinguishing between lymphomatous and metastatic SCCA nodes was 1.175 mg/ml (specificity of 84.2%, sensitivity 77.8%, AUC 0.788, P = 0.003). The optimal CEAV cut-off value was 77.5 HU (specificity 88.9%, sensitivity 78.9%, AUC 0.851, P<0.001).

Conclusions: The ID and CEAV measurements from DLSCT were significantly different between lymphomatous, metastatic SCCA, and normal lymph nodes. These findings indicate that DLSCT can be used to distinguish between these conditions in the diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes.

Background: This study applied geographical standards (coverage distance) and demographic standards to investigate the capabilities of primary healthcare facilities to cover the largest area of the study area and the service area that can be accessed. This study was conducted to find out the sufficient number of primary healthcare (PHC) centers required to provide healthcare services to the entire community.

Methods: Data was obtained by applying geographic information system (GIS) techniques to analyze primary care facilities using the demographic and geographic standards for primary care facilities.

Results: PHC centers cover 79% of the study area according to the geographical standard. The study area needs 41 additional centers to cover the shortfall in service provision per the demographic and geographic standards.

Conclusions: A significant deficiency in the number of primary care centers found in the study area compared to the large population at the geographical and demographic standards level.

Background: Stool consistency is an important outcome measure to evaluate in the investigation of several gastrointestinal diseases. The Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) is one of the most commonly used tools for evaluation of stool consistency. BSS ranges from 1-7 and each score is assigned to a given consistency of the feces. Self-reported characterizations can differ from an expert evaluation, and the reliability of BSS is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the reliability of BSS by comparing patient scores with expert scores.

Methods: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease collected stool samples throughout a 3-year follow-up. The stool´s consistency was evaluated with BSS by the patients and matched with an expert score. Agreement between patient and expert scores was assessed using Cohen's kappa.

Results: BSS scores from 2280 fecal samples collected from 992 patients at up to five time points were included. When all samples were compared, there was good to substantial agreement between patient and expert scores (Cohen's weighted kappa: 0.66-0.72). When the BSS scores were simplified and categorized as 1 (scores 1-2), 2 (scores 3-5) or 3 (scores 6-7), the agreement improved slightly (Cohen's weighted kappa: 0.73-0.77). When the scores from the first sample per patient were compared, the experts were more likely to assign higher scores compared to the patient. The proportion of the lowest assigned scores (1-2) was 12.1% for patients and 8.1% for experts.

Conclusions: The agreement between patient and expert BSS scores is good to substantial, especially when the BSS scores are simplified into three categories.

Background: The neglect of visual identity (VI) at the organizational level within higher education institutions (HEIs) has become a critical issue, while previous studies over the past decade has focused on HEI branding and reputation. This creates a potential gap in understanding HEI branding processes. Thus, this study aims to explore the relationship between VI and HEI reputation by integrating the Expressiveness Quotient (EQ) and experiential brand meaning at the organizational level.

Method: Using a qualitative case study approach, the study involves semi-structured interviews with 29 employees from five top-ranked universities in Indonesia. Furthermore, it analyzes the integration of experiential brand meaning across the stages of awareness, interpretation, appropriation, and communication, alongside the EQ framework to assess how visual identity impacts visibility, distinctiveness, transparency, authenticity, and consistency.

Result: The findings indicate that visual identity significantly influences perceptions of institutional identity and reputation. Effective management of visual identity elements enhances competitive advantage in academia and aligns internal stakeholder perceptions with external branding, which is essential for a cohesive organizational identity.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes the strategic importance of visual identity in enhancing institutional reputation and provides a model for universities aiming to strengthen their reputational power through effective visual identity management. The study also reveals strong awareness and acceptance of brand identity.