Search

While metal materials historically have served as permanent implants and were designed to avoid degradation, next generation bioabsorbable metals for medical devices such as vascular stents are under development, which would elute metal ions and corrosion byproducts into tissues. The fate of these eluted products and their local distribution in vascular tissue largely under studied. In this study, we employ a high spatial resolution spectrometric imaging modality, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOF-MS) to map the metal distribution, (herein refered to as laser ablation mapping, or LAM) from Mg alloys within the mouse vascular system and approximate their local concentrations. We used a novel rare earth element bearing Mg alloy (WE22) wire implanted within the abdominal aorta of transgenic hypercholesterolemic mice (APOE−/−) to simulate a bioabsorbable vascular prosthesis for up to 30 days. We describe qualitatively and semi-quantitatively implant-derived corrosion product presence throughout the tissue cross sections, and their approximate concentrations within the various vessel structures. Additionally, we report the spatial changes of corrosion products, which we postulate are mediated by phagocytic inflammatory cells such as macrophages (MΦ’s).

Sports-related concussion (SRC) is a subset of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) occurring following an impulsive force transmitted to the brain during sporting activity. There is increased public recognition of the long-term consequences following SRC, particularly repetitive events. SRC remains a clinical diagnosis, although active research is ongoing in identifying objective tests to aid diagnosis and aid prognosis of persistent post-concussive symptoms. This editorial aims to summarise the state of the art of SRC assessment and management, reviewing literature evidence of contemporary pitchside and office clinical assessments, while highlighting return-to-play guidelines in several major sports. Additionally, ongoing research on objective biomarkers of SRC are highlighted, including fluid-based and imaging biomarkers.

The global pollution and waste crisis presents us with environmental and economic challenges which if not properly addressed could destabilise or threaten the survival and welfare of societies. The European Union is responding to the waste and pollution crisis through its circular economy agenda that adopts a broad life-cycle approach to the regulation of plastics from production, consumption, disposal, and recycling. To operationalise its agenda, the European Union seeks to inter aliamobilise all actors towards the objective of improving the economics of plastic recycling. Given the potential for conflicts and disputes to proliferate across a broad range of societal actors and interests, it is perhaps not surprising that when we examine the evolving EU legal and normative framework for a circular plastics economy, we observe a polycentric governance arrangement that includes the EU institutions, the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA), and European standardisation organisations (i.e. CEN and CENELEC). The normative interactions amongst these governance bodies will not easily be unveiled and understood if we enclose our perspectives and analyses within the limits of traditional legal paradigms that onlyfocus upon the formal law-making processes that flow through the European Parliament, Council, and Commission. However, by applying Karl Llewellyn’s law-jobs theory in this article, it is possible to analyse how a multiplicity of governance bodies perform certain legal functionsthat are contributing to the development of regulatory order for a European circular plastics economy. This article sets out a number of key findings in relation to the evolving legal and normative framework for a European circular plastics economy pertaining to the role of the CPA in framing problems, theorising solutions, and shaping the pathway of normative development towards a European circular plastics economy. To date, the CPA has identified obstacles to the expansion of the European recycled plastics market, and mapped the areas in need of standardisation if such obstacles are to be overcome This work by the CPA has prompted the European Commission to submit a standardisation request to the CEN and CENELEC calling for the development of harmonised standards to facilitate greater plastic recycling. While compliance with CEN and CENELEC standards would be voluntary, such standards could interact with the EU’s proposed Ecodesign Regulationand any delegated acts adopted thereto, thereby creating legal obligations for a wide range of actors across plastic value chains.

The incidence and histological type of spinal cancer is diverse. It is our role as physicians to explore the epidemiology of spinal cancers so that several projections can be made. Resource allocation, cost analyses, and the requirement of rehabilitation facilities all need to be considered.

I demonstrate an approach fostering inventive interpretation of short stories in Literary Studies and higher education generally. It involves constructing an ‘assemblage’—at its simplest, an evolving network of unusual connections for creative outcome. The assemblage of this article combines freshly located research literature, directly and indirectly related to a story’s themes, and/or the personality type of protagonists. Importantly, this assemblage also utilizes text analysis software revealing the relatively invisible (e.g. (in)frequent words, parts of speech, and topics) and Large Language Model (LLM) Generative AI to enrich the interpretation. The use of all these elements helps productively exceed initial intuitions about the story, facilitating creativity. I model the approach using Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Black Cat, whose protagonist is a homicidal psychopath. Specifically, the assemblage here includes relevant software-based research (a corpus analysis of homicidal psychopathic language), non-software-based research (psychoanalytical literary criticism of The Black Catusing the empirically validated concept of transference), text analysis software (WMatrix and Datayze), and the LLM Generative AI, ‘ChatGPT’ (using the freely available LLM GPT-3.5). One use of this approach is as a pedagogy in Literary Studies employing text analysis software (e.g. on a digital stylistics course). Yet given creative adaptability is a key 21st-century skill, with digital literacy—including the use of Generative AI—an important contemporary competence, and with the short story genre universally known, I highlight too the utility of this approach as a university-wide pedagogy for enhancing creative thinking.

Background Doravirine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor recommended for the treatment of virologically suppressed and treatment naïve people living with HIV. The DRIVE-REAL study aimed to describe the characteristics, treatment patterns, and virological outcomes of doravirine users in a real-world cohort in the UK.Methods A retrospective, observational, multi-centre chart review was conducted for 300 adults living with HIV initiating doravirine-containing antiretroviral therapy.Results At baseline 83% of individuals were male, 45% aged ≥50 years, 65% white ethnicity. Median time since HIV diagnosis was 12 years. 96% were antiretroviral therapy-experienced, 87% had a HIV viral load <50 copies/ml, and 15% had resistance to at least one antiretroviral drug. 66% had comorbidities, most commonly depression (26%), and 70% were taking at least one co-medication. At six months, 94% (n= 283/300) were still receiving doravirine. Viral load data were available for n= 266/300 individuals and 95% (n= 253/266) had viral load <50 copies/ml.Conclusions Individuals initiating doravirine in this cohort are predominantly treatment-experienced white middle-aged males, with a high frequency of comorbidities and co-medication. The majority of individuals at 6 months remained on doravirine and maintained or achieved HIV viral suppression. This study provides epidemiologic characteristics that can inform clinical care and subsequent hypothesis-testing studies.

ObjectivesInjury/poor health is an important barrier to women’s participation in sport and physical activity. This study aimed to identify perceived challenges sport programme deliverers face when supporting physically inactive women to prevent/manage injury.MethodsSport programme deliverers, targeting physically inactive women in Victoria, participated in concept mapping to brainstorm, sort and rate (impact on their ability to prevent/manage injury, frequency of and difficulty to overcome the challenge on a 1 (low)–5 (high) scale) the challenges faced. Analysis included multidimensional scaling, hierarchical cluster analysis and descriptive statistics (eg, mean ratings).ResultsTwenty-five deliverers brainstormed 82 injury prevention/management-related challenges. An eight cluster map was considered the most appropriate representation of the participants’ sorting data (mean cluster impact, frequency and difficulty to overcome rating (1–5)): time constraints (3.42, 3.69, 3.12); perceived competence in injury prevention/management (3.36, 3.50, 3.27); navigating participant perceptions and knowledge (3.35, 3.74, 3.49); information and responsibility (3.32, 3.50, 3.26); session planning and structure (3.25, 3.45, 3.07); participant engagement (3.13, 3.47, 3.08); responding to individual needs (3.07, 3.42, 2.92) and access to injury management resources (2.87, 3.25, 3.17).ConclusionLimited time created injury prevention/management challenges for programme deliverers when planning and modifying sport programmes for physically inactive women. Injury prevention/management should be integrated into programme design and delivery principles. Programme deliverers need education/training and access to injury prevention/management resources (eg, activity modification) and engagement/communication strategies tailored for physically inactive women. Public health funders, coaching course accreditors, programme designers and deliverers can use these insights to develop strategies to minimise injury risk and effect systemic change in sport programme delivery.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and mRNA vaccination induce robust CD4+T cell responses. Using single-cell transcriptomics, here, we evaluated CD4+T cells specific for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the blood and draining lymph nodes (dLNs) of individuals 3 months and 6 months after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. We analyzed 1,277 spike-specific CD4+T cells, including 238 defined using Trex, a deep learning-based reverse epitope mapping method to predict antigen specificity. Human dLN spike-specific CD4+follicular helper T (TFH) cells exhibited heterogeneous phenotypes, including germinal center CD4+TFHcells and CD4+IL-10+TFHcells. Analysis of an independent cohort of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals 3 months and 6 months after infection found spike-specific CD4+T cell profiles in blood that were distinct from those detected in blood 3 months and 6 months after BNT162b2 vaccination. Our findings provide an atlas of human spike-specific CD4+T cell transcriptional phenotypes in the dLNs and blood following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection.

Graphical abstract:

In the context of model-based product and system design, the capability to assess the impact of potential component faults, undesired interactions, and fault propagation is important for design decision-making. Addressing these potential negative outcomes should occur as early in the design process as possible to enable designers to make impactful changes to the design. To this end, a set of tools and methods have been developed over the last 20 years that leverage a function-based approach assessing the potential faults and fault propagation and develop system health management strategies. These tools and methods must overcome challenges of high abstraction and satisfaction of safety or risk requirements with limited design specification. This paper provides a detailed survey of a particular function-based analysis tool as a lens to understanding the challenges for other tools in this domain. Specifically, development and evolution of the Function Failure Identification and Propagation Framework (FFIP) is used as a lens to survey the challenges of this field. The objective of this paper is to explore the specific challenges and advancements of the FFIP framework and related tools that address similar modeling and analysis challenges. We provide an overall categorization and summary of the research efforts to date and identify specific known limitations and unaddressed challenges in the area of design-stage system risk and safety analysis.

The article focuses on the transformative impact of steam power on 19th-century transportation, as illustrated by John D'Alton's 1844 history of Drogheda. Topics include the excitement of rail travel, the fusion of ancient and modern through the carriage window, and the railway's role in connecting historical sites, emphasizing the Dublin to Drogheda line's journey through time and space.

Recently, nonthermal pulsed field ablation using electroporation has generated a lot of interest as a potential treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The electrical properties, especially the conductivity of cardiac tissues, are used in the treatment planning of nonthermal pulsed field ablation. However, there is no standard approach to measure conductivity, particularly for the left atrial appendage (LAA). Electrical conductivity characterization studies, focusing on cardiac tissues, have used different probe typologies with different electrode sizes. Furthermore, no study has investigated the effect of the probe design on the acquired conductivity. In this study, common leading probe typologies with different electrode sizes are compared in terms of accuracy and measurement repeatability. Using liquid phantoms, differences in terms of measurement accuracy and repeatability are observed between the probe designs that suggest that the measurement probe design influences the data acquisition quality. Based on these results, a custom probe design is proposed suitable for the characterization of the conductivity of the LAA. The probe is tested using ten ex vivo bovine tissue samples between 0.1 Hz and 100 kHz. The mean conductivity of the LAA acquired from the ten samples is 2.5 mS/cm with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.24 mS/cm, which is in line with the conductivity of cardiac tissues in the literature. The conductivity values of the LAA may be useful in electroporation treatment planning. Furthermore, this study suggests that adapting the probe design to the tissue under study can be important.

A poem on the life of St Breacán sheds light on the use of literary devices to advance proprietorial interests in the late medieval diocese of Killaloe. The poem enumerates land grants and dues that, taken together, represent a charter of rights owed to the saint and his coarb (comharba). Previous analysis of the poem indicates that it was produced at Clare Abbey under the auspices of Clann Chraith (the McGrath lineage), who were the hereditary abbots during the fifteenth century. An assessment of the available evidence not only adds weight to this proposal but also reveals the probable impetus behind the poem: a need to bolster allegiances and revenues owed to Clare Abbey by neighbouring ecclesiastical sites in the face of waning influence. A comparative analysis of a poem on the rights of St Molaise of Devenish, county Fermanagh, will show that the use of hagiographic poetry as a tool of policy was not unique to Thomond and was in use in other late medieval Gaelic Irish lordships.

This article from Kiplinger Personal Finance features letters from readers discussing various topics. One reader suggests establishing scholarships at community colleges, as they believe it has a larger impact. Another reader mentions using CharityWatch for charitable giving and questions why it wasn't mentioned in the article. The editor responds by acknowledging CharityWatch as a good source of information. Other letters discuss the importance of keeping tax records for reference, checking Social Security earnings records, age discrimination in relation to technology, and a caveat regarding health savings accounts in California. The article also provides an update on estate tax exemptions in Massachusetts. [Extracted from the article]

Autonomy-supportive health environments can assist patients in achieving behavior change and can influence adherence positively. Telerehabilitation may increase access to rehabilitation services, but creating an autonomy-supportive environment may be challenging.

The UK government uses news conferences, press releases, official websites, mainstream and social media to provide advice and information about the COVID-19 pandemic. This information has become ‘source material’ for social media users to react to government announcements in ‘digital popular culture’; that is, memes and short videos shared on social media. Close examinations of both reveal how different views of the nation are articulated whilst giving and reacting to pandemic information and advice. Here, we analyse a sample of official government webpages on COVID-19 announcements and reactions to these in digital popular culture. We employ Multimodal Critical Discourse Studies to understand how the modes of lexica and images work individually and together to articulate views on the nation. Through such an analysis, we reveal not only what the public ‘receive’ from the government, but also broadly held ideas and beliefs by the public on the nation.

Background: Concussion nondisclosure and poor management after a concussion are a concern in Irish collegiate sports. How athletes perceive concussions and appraise their own concussion may affect their decisions and behaviors after a suspected concussion. However, this has yet to be examined in an Irish context. This study aimed to (1) establish concussion perceptions and associated anxiety in Irish collegiate athletes; (2) examine how sex, concussion, and mood disorder history influenced their perceptions; and (3) investigate factors associated with higher anxiety perceptions.Hypothesis: Irish collegiate athletes will display negative concussion perceptions and anxiety related to concussion, especially in female athletes and those without a concussion history.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Level of Evidence: Level 3.Methods: Irish collegiate athletes [n = 268 (141 women,127 men), mean age = 21.5 ± 2.2 years] from high-risk sports completed a survey including the Perceptions of Concussion Inventory for Athletes (PCI-A), demographics, diagnosed concussion history, self-reported mood disorder history, and a concussion knowledge assessment. Differences in concussion perceptions by sex, concussion history, mood disorder history were examined using Mann-Whitney Utests, and factors associated with anxiety-related concussion perceptions were identified using multivariate logistic regression.Results: Over half (53.0%, n = 142) of participants reported concerns regarding concussion. The thoughts of sustaining a concussion made participants feel upset (63.4%, n = 170), fearful (47.7%, n = 128), and anxious (35.1%, n = 94). Women reported significantly higher anxiety (P< 0.01, r= 0.23), effects (P= 0.04, r= 0.12), and clarity (P= 0.01, r= 0.16) perception scores. Participants with a diagnosed concussion history displayed greater symptom variability perception scores (P= 0.04, r= 0.12), but lower anxiety (P= 0.03, r= 0.13) and treatment (P< 0.01, r= 0.19) beliefs on the PCI-A. No differences were observed for those with a history of a mood disorder (P> 0.05). A significant multivariate model was established (χ2= 55.44, P< 0.01), with female sex [odds ratio (OR) = 1.53], concussion history (OR = 0.63), effects (OR = 1.31), and treatment (OR = 1.15) subscales associated with greater anxiety.Conclusion: Concerns about sustaining a concussion are prevalent in Irish collegiate athletes. Women displayed more negative perceptions and those with a concussion history displayed fewer perceived benefits of treatment.Clinical Relevance: The findings support the need for concussion awareness campaigns to provide accurate concussion information to mitigate anxiety-related concussion perceptions and injury belief misconceptions.

Racial disparities in the outcomes of adult community-acquired pneumonia are well described. However, the presence of racial and ethnic disparities in paediatric community-acquired pneumoniaand the mechanisms underlying these disparities remain unclear. Motivated by disparities related to age and geography in paediatric sepsis, we evaluated the association between the joint exposure of race/ethnicity, age, and geographic region and mortality for community-acquired pneumonia to provide opportunities for assessment of future interventions that provide equitable healthcare. We hypothesized that geographic region and age would inform the association between race or ethnicity and mortality in community-acquired pneumonia .

•Physical therapists can proficiently deliver motivational interviewing (MI)•MI produced a small increase in physical activity compared to minimal intervention.•Usual-care physical therapy may sufficiently address health-related behaviour change.•MI may be most beneficial for patients not actively receiving physical therapy care.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy of the adrenal cortex that is associated with a poor prognosis. Developing effective treatment options for ACC is challenging owing to the current lack of representative preclinical models. This study addressed this limitation by developing and characterizing 3-dimensional (3D) cell cultures incorporating the ACC cell lines, MUC-1, HAC15, and H295R in a type I collagen matrix. ACC tissue samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry to determine the presence of type I collagen in the tumor microenvironment. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes and steroid secretion was analyzed by comparing the 3D and monolayer cell culture models. All cells were successfully cultured in a type I collagen matrix, which is highly expressed in the ACC tumor microenvironment and showed optimal viability until day 7. All 3 models showed increased metabolic and proliferative activity over time. Three-dimensional cell cultures were steroidogenic and demonstrated increased resistance to the gold standard chemotherapy, mitotane, compared with monolayer. The use of these models may lead to an improved understanding of disease pathology and provide a better representative platform for testing and screening of potential therapies.

ABSTRACTPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used in consumer goods and flame retardants have been replaced by alternatives such as tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). TBBPA does not readily undergo global distal transport, but local sources still threaten aquatic ecosystems. We studied the photofate of TBBPA with a specific focus on how Arctic-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects its reaction kinetics, degradation pathways and formation of photoproducts in artificial and natural sunlight. Our results corroborate earlier studies that reveal a pH-dependent trend in TBBPA’s direct photolysis with longer degradation times for its acidic form. DOM either plays no role or it slightly reduces TBBPA’s rate of photodegradation via inner-filter effects. Photolysis experiments conducted at our Arctic field site, Toolik Lake Field Station, revealed slower than anticipated degradation, which magnified the half-life significantly during in-lake experiments. Importantly, the composition of DOM was found to influence the type and distribution of TBBPA photoproducts formed, which suggests that different degradation pathways occur in the presence of DOM. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate interplay of environmental variables that govern the fate of TBBPA in sunlit aquatic ecosystems globally.

ObjectivesTo systematically review the scientific literature regarding the assessment of sport-related concussion (SRC) in the subacute phase (3–30 days) and provide recommendations for developing a Sport Concussion Office Assessment Tool (SCOAT6).Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science searched from 2001 to 2022. Data extracted included study design, population, definition of SRC diagnosis, outcome measure(s) and results.Eligibility criteria(1) Original research, cohort studies, case–control studies, diagnostic accuracy and case series with samples >10; (2) SRC; (3) screening/technology that assessed SRC in the subacute period and (4) low risk of bias (ROB). ROB was performed using adapted Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy classification.ResultsOf 9913 studies screened, 127 met inclusion, assessing 12 overlapping domains. Results were summarised narratively. Studies of acceptable (81) or high (2) quality were used to inform the SCOAT6, finding sufficient evidence for including the assessment of autonomic function, dual gait, vestibular ocular motor screening (VOMS) and mental health screening.ConclusionCurrent SRC tools have limited utility beyond 72 hours. Incorporation of a multimodal clinical assessment in the subacute phase of SRC may include symptom evaluation, orthostatic hypotension screen, verbal neurocognitive tests, cervical spine evaluation, neurological screen, Modified Balance Error Scoring System, single/dual task tandem gait, modified VOMS and provocative exercise tests. Screens for sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression are recommended. Studies to evaluate the psychometric properties, clinical feasibility in different environments and time frames are needed.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020154787.

The primary two-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series are strongly immunogenic in humans, but the emergence of highly infectious variants necessitated additional doses and the development of vaccines aimed at the new variants1–4. SARS-CoV-2 booster immunizations in humans primarily recruit pre-existing memory B cells5–9. However, it remains unclear whether the additional doses induce germinal centre reactions whereby re-engaged B cells can further mature, and whether variant-derived vaccines can elicit responses to variant-specific epitopes. Here we show that boosting with an mRNA vaccine against the original monovalent SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine or the bivalent B.1.351 and B.1.617.2 (Beta/Delta) mRNA vaccine induced robust spike-specific germinal centre B cell responses in humans. The germinal centre response persisted for at least eight weeks, leading to significantly more mutated antigen-specific bone marrow plasma cell and memory B cell compartments. Spike-binding monoclonal antibodies derived from memory B cells isolated from individuals boosted with either the original SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, bivalent Beta/Delta vaccine or a monovalent Omicron BA.1-based vaccine predominantly recognized the original SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Nonetheless, using a more targeted sorting approach, we isolated monoclonal antibodies that recognized the BA.1 spike protein but not the original SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from individuals who received the mRNA-1273.529 booster; these antibodies were less mutated and recognized novel epitopes within the spike protein, suggesting that they originated from naive B cells. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 booster immunizations in humans induce robust germinal centre B cell responses and can generate de novo B cell responses targeting variant-specific epitopes.

This 20-week quality improvement study describes implementation of a hypertension identification and management program with use of a standardized oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement protocol, provider education, and audit/feedback of hypertension control in a Veterans Affairs primary care clinic. A total of 692 male Veterans ages 18–85 years with treated hypertension and at least one clinic visit in the previous year were included for analysis. Mean age was 69.7 years (standard deviation 7.6) and race and ethnicity were 42.0% White, 29.1% Black and 3.0% Hispanic. Prior to program implementation, clinic BP was measured using the auscultatory method with a manual syphgmomanometer. Baseline BP measurements demonstrated bias as determined by terminal digit preference for digits 0 and 8 in 29.5% and 25.2% of systolic (SBP) and 31.6% and 21.8% of diastolic BP measurements, respectively (p< 0.001). Post-implementation of the standardized oscillometric BP measurement protocol, digit preference was eliminated. Protocol compliance was 89.1% at 5 weeks and 92.4% at 20 weeks. Overall average SBP was significantly higher in the post-implementation period compared to average SBP in the 12-month pre-implementation period (137.4 [Standard Deviation (SD) 17.4] vs. 126.3 [SD 15.3]; P< 0.001). Uncontrolled hypertension, (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg), increased from 17.8% at baseline to 41.8% post-implementation while provider therapeutic inertia declined from 84.5% at baseline to 55.8% after 20 weeks. This study shows that terminal digit preference is reduced with implementation of standardized oscillatory BP measurement and a quality improvement program can reduce therapeutic inertia of hypertension treatment.

All eukaryotic cells require a minimal iron threshold to sustain anabolic metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which cells sense iron to regulate anabolic processes are unclear. Here we report a previously undescribed eukaryotic pathway for iron sensing in which molecular iron is required to sustain active histone demethylation and maintain the expression of critical components of the pro-anabolic mTORC1 pathway. Specifically, we identify the iron-binding histone-demethylase KDM3B as an intrinsic iron sensor that regulates mTORC1 activity by demethylating H3K9me2at enhancers of a high-affinity leucine transporter, LAT3, and RPTOR. By directly suppressing leucine availability and RAPTOR levels, iron deficiency supersedes other nutrient inputs into mTORC1. This process occurs in vivo and is not an indirect effect by canonical iron-utilizing pathways. Because ancestral eukaryotes share homologues of KDMs and mTORC1 core components, this pathway probably pre-dated the emergence of the other kingdom-specific nutrient sensors for mTORC1.

BackgroundPhysical activity levels are known to decline following hospitalisation for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). However, optimal physical activity promotion strategies are unclear. This study investigated the effect of a web-based application (ActivOnline) in promoting physical activity in young pwCF.MethodsMulticentre randomised controlled trial with assessor blinding and qualitative evaluation. People with CF (12–35 years) admitted to hospital for a respiratory cause were eligible and randomised to the 12-week ActivOnline intervention (AO) or usual care (UC). The primary outcome was change in device-based time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from baseline to post-intervention. Follow-up was at 6 months from hospital discharge when qualitative evaluation was undertaken.Results107 participants were randomised to AO (n=52) or UC (n=55). Sixty-three participants (59%) contributed to the intention-to-treat analysis. Mean (SD) age was 21 (6) years (n=46, <18 years). At baseline, physical activity levels were high in both groups (AO 102 (52) vs UC 127 (73) min/day). There was no statistically significant difference in MVPA between groups at either timepoint (post-intervention mean difference (95% CI) −14 mins (−45 to 16)). Uptake of the intervention was low with only 40% (n=21) of participants accessing the web application.ConclusionA web-based application, including individualised goal setting, real-time feedback and motivation for behavioural change, was no better than usual care at promoting physical activity in young pwCF following hospital discharge. High levels of baseline physical activity levels in both groups, and limited engagement with the intervention, suggest alternative strategies may be necessary to identify and support young pwCF who would benefit from enhanced physical activity.Trial registration numberACTRN12617001009303, 13 July 13 2017.

Knowledge of dielectric properties of lung tissue is fundamental for the improvement of lung disease diagnostics and therapeutic solutions [e.g., microwave imaging (MWI) and microwave thermal ablation (MWA) treatment]. Although lung disease rates are increasing, lung tissue remains one of the least characterized tissues due to its heterogeneity, variability in air content, and handling difficulties. In this work, the dielectric properties of ex vivo ovine lung tissue samples were measured in the frequency range 500 MHz–8 GHz, together with measurements of sample density (air content). Different Cole–Cole models were applied to the measured dielectric properties values. The best fitting model was chosen, and results were compared with available literature. Furthermore, the dielectric property measurements were correlated with the air content of the samples. Updated Cole–Cole models for the lung tissue of different densities are provided in the 500 MHz–8 GHz range. The existence of air content threshold in lung is shown. Below this limit, the properties begin to change drastically with the change in density.