Search

Given the replication crisis in cognitive science, it is important to consider what researchers need to do in order to report results that are reliable. We consider three changes in current practice that have the potential to deliver more realistic and robust claims. First, the planned experiment should be divided into two stages, an exploratory stage and a confirmatory stage. This clear separation allows the researcher to check whether any results found in the exploratory stage are robust. The second change is to carry out adequately powered studies. We show that this is imperative if we want to obtain realistic estimates of effects in psycholinguistics. The third change is to use Bayesian data-analytic methods rather than frequentist ones; the Bayesian framework allows us to focus on the best estimates we can obtain of the effect, rather than rejecting a strawman null. As a case study, we investigate number interference effects in German. Number feature interference is predicted by cue-based retrieval models of sentence processing (Van Dyke & Lewis, 2003; Vasishth & Lewis, 2006), but it has shown inconsistent results. We show that by implementing the three changes mentioned, suggestive evidence emerges that is consistent with the predicted number interference effects.

Elevated levels of matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9) and neutrophil elastase (NE) are associated with bronchiectasis and lung function decline in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). MMP-9 is a potent extracellular matrix-degrading enzyme which is activated by NE and has been implicated in structural lung damage in CF. However, the role of MMP-9 in the in vivo pathogenesis of CF lung disease is not well understood. Therefore, we used β-epithelial Na+ channel-overexpressing transgenic (βENaC-Tg) mice as a model of CF-like lung disease and determined the effect of genetic deletion of Mmp9 (Mmp9-/-) on key aspects of the pulmonary phenotype. We found that MMP-9 levels were elevated in the lungs of βENaC-Tg mice compared with wild-type littermates. Deletion of Mmp9 had no effect on spontaneous mortality, inflammatory markers in bronchoalveolar lavage, goblet cell metaplasia, mucus hypersecretion and emphysema-like structural lung damage, while it partially reduced mucus obstruction in βENaC-Tg mice. Further, lack of Mmp9 had no effect on increased inspiratory capacity and increased lung compliance in βENaC-Tg mice, whereas both lung function parameters were improved with genetic deletion of NE. We conclude that MMP-9 does not play a major role in the in vivo pathogenesis of CF-like lung disease in mice.

The article focuses on the year-end gathering of the Berlin-Brandenburg Pirckheimer group, highlighting achievements such as a record number of 14 events and collaborations with institutions like the Friends of the State Library. Topics include notable acquisitions and gifts, including a significant donation of book editions to the Humboldt-Saal and cultural excursions to museums. It mentions members shared highlights from their collections, emphasizing historical and artistic significance.

A template‐assisted synthesis was used to synthesize porous carbon scaffolds with silica gel as a template via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The process was mathematically modeled and simulated by varying different reaction parameters to optimize the carbon deposition. The experimental results could be reproduced well with the models. The additional description of the laminar flow significantly improves the simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In 2017, the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Healthcare (IQTIG) introduced a quality assurance system for the surveillance of surgical site infections (SSI) on behalf the Federal Joint Committee. The establishment of the new system was made in parallel to existing methods, such as the “Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System” (KISS). The aim of this work was to perform a comparative analysis.Methods: All 2,233 cases at the University Medical Center Goettingen requiring an assessment of the presence of SSI as part of the IQTIG procedure in 2018 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively according to the KISS protocol.Results: In total, 2,050 patients were included in the comparative evaluation. Overall, 1,779 (79.7%) had a surgical anamnesis (surgery during the stay or in the past), and 1,716 (83.7%) showed identical results for both surveillance strategies. Different results were found for 334 patients (16.3%), with 160 of these (7.8%) positive for SSI according to IQTIG and 174 (8.5%) positive for KISS. Risk factors were identified for a discordant assessment between the methods. Conclusion: The congruence of the two strategies was consistently high over the study period. There is evidence that the efficiency of the documentation algorithm can be increased without the loss of documentation of SSI, while preserving the precision of the documentation through training.

RTS,S is the leading malaria vaccine in development, but has demonstrated only moderate protective efficacy in clinical trials. RTS,S is a virus-like particle (VLP) that uses the human hepatitis B virus as scaffold to display the malaria sporozoite antigen, circumsporozoite protein (CSP). Particle formation requires four-fold excess scaffold antigen, and as a result, CSP represents only a small portion of the final vaccine construct. Alternative VLP or nanoparticle platforms that reduce the amount of scaffold antigen and increase the amount of the target CSP antigen present in particles may enhance vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy. Here, we describe the production and characterization of a novel VLP that uses the small surface antigen (dS) of duck hepatitis B virus to display CSP. The CSP-dS fusion protein successfully formed VLPs without the need for excess scaffold antigen, and thus CSP represented a larger portion of the vaccine construct. CSP-dS formed large particles approximately 31-74 nm in size and were confirmed to display CSP on the surface. CSP-dS VLPs were highly immunogenic in mice and induced antibodies to multiple regions of CSP, even when administered at a lower vaccine dosage. Vaccine-induced antibodies demonstrated relevant functional activities, including Fc-dependent interactions with complement and Fcγ-receptors, previously identified as important in malaria immunity. Further, vaccine-induced antibodies had similar properties (epitope-specificity and avidity) to monoclonal antibodies that are protective in mouse models. Our novel platform to produce VLPs without excess scaffold protein has wide implications for the future development of vaccines for malaria and other infectious diseases.

BackgroundThe Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative was established to provide a roadmap to reduce new HCV infections by 80% and HCV-related deaths by 65% by 2030. An estimate of the burden of HCV infections in San Diego County is necessary to inform planning and evaluation efforts. Our analysis was designed to estimate the HCV burden in San Diego County in 2018.MethodsWe synthesized data from the American Community Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health, Public Health Branch of California Correctional Health Care Services, San Diego Blood Bank, and published literature. Burden estimates were stratified by subgroup (people who inject drugs in the community [PWID], men who have sex with men in the community [MSM], general population in the community [stratified by age and sex], and incarcerated individuals). To account for parameter uncertainty, 100,000 parameter sets were sampled from each parameter's uncertainty distribution, and used to calculate the mean and 95% confidence interval estimates of the number of HCV seropositive adults in San Diego in 2018.FindingsWe found there were 55,354 (95% CI: 25,411-93,329) adults with a history of HCV infection in San Diego County in 2018, corresponding to an HCV seroprevalence of 2.1% (95% CI: 1.1-3.4%). Over 40% of HCV infections were among the general population aged 55-74 and one-third were among PWID.ConclusionOur study found that the largest share of infections was among adults aged 55-74, indicating the importance of surveillance, prevention, testing, and linkages to care in this group to reduce mortality. Further, programs prioritizing PWID for increased HCV testing and linkage to care are important for reducing new HCV infections.

We present a model written in python to evaluate data from comprehensive 85Kr collection schemes comprising 11 datasets from different monitoring stations around the globe. The model is designed to (1) calculate atmospheric input functions for the application of 85Kr as a dating tracer and (2) to investigate atmospheric circulation based on a two-box model of the atmosphere. Different functions were implemented, to (1) filter the data, (2) fit polynomials and running means, (3) extrapolate fits from the northern to the southern hemisphere, (4) calculate interhemispheric exchange times and 85Kr emission rates and (5) export data to a csv file.Although the model is designed to evaluate atmospheric 85Kr datasets, some functionality and basic concepts can be applied to other dating tracers, like tritium and SF6. • Standardized method to systematically analyse atmospheric 85Kr activity concentration time series for dating water and ice and to investigate atmospheric circulation. • Easily modifiable python script to adapt functions for similar data analysis procedures.