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Aim: To describe lipid oxidation during physical activity (PA) in overweight and obese patients using a real-time capillary glycerol sensor and to propose a personalized strategy to optimize lipolysis., Methods: Healthy adult volunteers with a BMI >25 kg/m2 were recruited. All participants performed 27 sessions of 30-min PA covering all possible combinations of exercises (low, moderate, high intensities) and pre-exercise meals (high-carbohydrate, high-fat, or fasting) with 3 replicates. Glycerol measurements were performed five times during each session: at T0, T20, T30, T45, and T60. The evolution of capillary glycerolemia during PA was modeled by a nonlinear mixed-effects model. We developed a personalized PA recommendation based on the first 2 glycerolemia measurements that indicates whether a change in activity type is preferable., Results: Thirteen patients were included in the study and 1232 capillary glycerolemia measurements were performed. Hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic meals were associated with lower baseline glycerolemia (p < 0.0001 for both) compared to fasting. In contrast, the type of meal was not significantly associated with PA-induced lipolysis (p = 0.52 and p = 0.76 for high-carbohydrate and hyperlipidemic meal respectively). Compared with exercises done at low and moderate intensities, high intensity exercises were associated with a higher PA-induced lipolysis (p = 0.0002). Specific strength exercises were associated with a lower PA-induced lipolysis (p < 0.0001). The 2 initial glycerolemia measurements appeared to be a pertinent criterion which help the personalization of PA programs for such individuals (c-index 0.67)., Conclusion: The inter-individual lipolysis responses to PA and the availability of a real-time capillary blood glycerol sensor may enable the personalization of PA programs, thus promoting optimal lipolysis in subjects with overweight and obesity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All co-authors declare no relationship of interest with the study presented in this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Following concussion, symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and fatigue may transiently worsen or reemerge with increased exertion or activity. Standardized tests have been developed to assess symptom increases following aerobic, cognitive, or vestibular/oculomotor challenge. Although neurophysiological mechanisms are proposed to underlie symptom increases following exertion, psychological factors such as anxiety and misinterpretation of normal bodily sensations may also play a role. In this study, we examined the contribution of psychological factors to symptom provocation testing outcomes., Setting: Two outpatient concussion clinics in British Columbia, Canada., Participants: Adults with persistent symptoms following concussion ( N = 79; 62% women)., Design: In a single session, participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring the psychological factors of interest and underwent symptom provocation testing including aerobic (Buffalo Concussion Bike Test; BCBT), cognitive (National Institutes of Health Toolbox-Cognition Battery; NIHTB-CB), and vestibular/oculomotor (Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening for Concussion; VOMS) challenge., Main Measures: Psychological factors of interest included premorbid and current anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Adapted; PCS-A), fear avoidance behavior (Fear Avoidance Behavior after Traumatic Brain Injury; FAB-TBI), and somatization (Patient Health Questionnaire-15; PHQ-15). Our primary outcome variables were self-reported symptom change during each symptom provocation test., Results: We found that current anxiety ( B = 0.034; 95% CI = 0.003, 0.065), symptom catastrophizing ( B = 0.013; 95% CI = 0.000, 0.026), fear avoidance behavior ( B = 0.029; 95% CI = 0.008, 0.050), and somatization ( B = 0.041; 95% CI = 0.007, 0.075) were associated with increased symptoms during the VOMS in univariate models adjusted for time postinjury but not in a multivariable model that included all covariates. The psychological variables of interest were not significantly related to symptom change during the BCBT or NIHTB-CB., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that symptom provocation test failure should be interpreted with caution because it might indicate psychological maladjustment rather than lingering brain injury or incomplete neurophysiological recovery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no other conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation. The increased visceral adiposity near the affected intestinal area, of which mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) is the main component, is a feature of CD. Both protective and pathological roles have been attributed to this disease-associated tissue in CD. To understand the contribution of MAT to CD pathophysiology, a molecular and cellular signature of disease-associated MAT in CD patients was provided., Methods: We performed an observational study with whole transcriptional analysis by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of MAT and ileal mucosa from CD patients with active disease and controls. qPCR and immunohistology were performed for validation analysis., Results: RNA-seq identified 17 significantly regulated genes (|FC| > 1.5; FDR < 0.05) in CD-MAT compared to non-IBD controls, with a marked upregulation of plasma cell genes (i.e., IGLL5, MZB1, CD79A, POU2AF1, FCRL5, JCHAIN, DERL3, SDC1, PIM2). A less strict statistical cutoff value (|FC| > 1.5, nominal p ≤ 0.05) yielded a larger list of 651 genes in CD-MAT compared to controls. CD ileum showed the significant regulation compared to control ileum of 849 genes (|FC| > 1.5; FDR < 0.05) or 2654 genes (|FC| > 1.5, nominal p ≤ 0.05). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed the significant regulation of pathways related to T- and B cell functionality in the MAT of CD patients. Despite the differences between the MAT and ileal signatures of CD patients, we identified a subset of 204 genes significantly modulated in both tissues compared to controls. This common signature included genes related to the plasma cell signature. Genes such as S100A8, S100A9 (calprotectin) and IL1B, which are associated with acute inflammatory response, were exclusively regulated in the ileal mucosa of CD disease. In contrast, some genes encoding for lymphocyte receptors such as MS4A1, CD3D and CD79A were exclusively regulated in CD-MAT, exhibiting a different pattern of immune cell activation compared to the ileal mucosa in CD patients. qPCR and immunohistology confirmed the presence of large infiltrates of CD3 + CD20 + lymphocytes and CD138 + plasma cells in CD-MAT., Conclusion: Our data strongly supports the role of CD-associated MAT as a site for T-, B- and plasma cell activation, and suggests that it could also act as a reservoir of memory immune responses.

The human perceptual system is responsive to numerical information within visual and auditory scenes. For example, when shown 2 displays of dots, observers can instantly, albeit approximately, identify the set that is more numerous. Theories in perceptual and cognitive psychology have focused on 2 mechanisms for how vision accomplishes such a feat: Under the domain-specific encoding theory, number is represented as a primary visual feature of perception, much like motion or color, while under the domain-general theory, the visual system represents number indirectly, through a complex combination of features such as the size of the dots, their total cluster, and so forth. Evidence for the latter theory often comes from "congruency effects:" the finding that participants frequently select the side where the dots on the screen are denser, larger, or brighter, rather than the side that is actually more numerous. However, such effects could also stem from response conflicts between otherwise independent dimensions. Here, we test these 2 competing accounts by embedding numerical displays within visual illusions that create large conflicts between number and other non-numeric dimensions-including contour length, convex hull, and density-and contrast participants' performance on a number discrimination task (i.e., "Which side has more dots?") against a number estimation task (i.e., "How many dots are there?"), which should eliminate response conflicts. Across 3 experiments, we find that while contour length illusions only affect number perception in discrimination tasks, the influences of convex hull and density on number perception persist in both discrimination and estimation tasks, supporting a more domain-general account of number encoding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The policy designed to address social inequalities in health (SIH) currently does not integrate the specificities of self-employed persons, who nevertheless occupy an intermediate position in the mortality gradient observed since the 1990s. Qualitative analysis of the care pathway of precarious people, financed by the French Directorate of health care services (DGOS), despite its limitations, highlights the difficulties encountered by self-employed persons in the use of the health system in its present state and shows the poor perception of these difficulties, due to the limitations of the available evaluation tools of individual precarity, the representations of professional and institutional actors, or the absence of response in the field of social solidarity. Supported by documentary analysis, these observations question the meaning of the concept of equity in terms of social protection measures for this socioeconomic category, the proportionate universalism of the measures taken, and suggest new approaches to globally and more effectively address SIH.

Copyright of Pixo: Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade is the property of Pixo Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Illusions are like holes in our effortless visual mechanism through which we can peep into the internal mechanisms of the brain. Scientists attempted to explain underlying physiological, physical, and cognitive mechanisms of illusions by the receptive field hierarchical organizations, information sampling, filtering, etc. Some antagonistic illusions cannot be explained by them and for this, deep learning networks were used recently as a model for illusion perception. To further broaden the scope of the perceptual functionality in the brightness contrast genre, handle the background removal effects on some illusions that reduce the illusory effects, and replicate the antagonistic illusions with the same parameter setup, we have used Convolutional Neural Network, Autoencoder, U-Net, and U-Net++ models for replicating the visual illusions. The networks are specialized in low-level vision tasks like De-noising, De-blurring, and a combination of both. A high number of brightness contrast visual illusions are tested on all the networks and most of the outcomes significantly matched human perceptions. Overall, our method will guide the development of neurobiological frameworks which might enrich the computational neuroscience study by distilling some biological principles. On the other hand, the machine learning community will benefit from knowing the inherent flaws of the networks so that the true image of reality can be taken into consideration, especially in imaging situations where experts too can be deceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired intestinal homeostasis is a major pathological feature of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Mannose and selenium (Se) both demonstrate potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. However, most lectin receptors bind free monosaccharide ligands with relatively low affinity and most Se species induce side effects beyond a very narrow range of dosage. This has contributed to a poorly explored therapies for IBD that combine mannose and Se to target intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) for normalization gut homeostasis. Herein, a facile and safe strategy for ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment was developed using optimized, mannose-functionalized Se nanoparticles (M-SeNPs) encapsulated within a colon-targeted hydrogel delivery system containing alginate (SA) and chitosan (CS). This biocompatible nanosystem was efficiently taken up by IECs and led to increased expression of Se-dependent glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), thereby modulating IECs' immune response. Using a mouse model of DSS-induced colitis, (CS/SA)-embedding M-SeNPs (C/S-MSe) were found to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation through the inhibition of the NF-kB pathway in the colon. This stabilized mucosal homeostasis of IECs and ameliorated colitis-related symptoms, thereby providing a potential new approach for treatment of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Guangdong Agricultural Sciences is the property of South China Agricultural University, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: Supplementing trace minerals is common for managing bovine respiratory disease in developing beef cattle; however, its effects on their immune and metabolic systems are not fully understood. In this study, we evaluated three different mineral supplement programs and assessed their impact on the concentrations of copper, manganese, cobalt, and zinc, along with the whole blood gene expression, in high-risk beef cattle that remained clinically healthy over a 60-day period. Our results demonstrated that one supplement program, which included amino acid (organically) complexed minerals, led to an increase in gene activity related to adaptive immune system function and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fat-soluble vitamins compared to cattle-fed sulfate (inorganically) sourced complexed minerals. Additionally, the cattle given organically sourced minerals resulted in higher liver concentrations of copper at the end of the study compared to cattle given inorganically sourced minerals. This suggests that tailored mineral supplement programs may improve cattle immunity and mineral absorption. Understanding these effects improves how we manage cattle for diseases such as respiratory disease. Supplementing trace minerals is common in managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in post-weaned cattle; however, its influence on host immunity and metabolism in high-risk cattle remains unclear. We aimed to assess the impact of three supplementation programs on liver and serum trace element concentrations and blood gene expression. Fifty-six high-risk beef steers were randomly assigned to one of three groups over 60 days: (1) sulfate-sourced Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn (INR), (2) amino acid-complexed Cu, Mn, Co, and Zn (AAC), or (3) AAC plus trace mineral and vitamin drench (COMBO). Serum and liver biopsies for Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn at d0, d28, and d60 were analyzed from cattle free of BRD (n = 9 INR; n = 6 AAC; n = 10 COMBO). Differences and correlations of mineral concentrations were analyzed via generalized linear mixed models and Spearman's rank coefficients, respectively (p < 0.05). Whole blood RNA samples from healthy cattle (n = 4 INR; n = 4 AAC; n = 4 COMBO) at d0, d13, d28, d45, and d60 were sequenced and analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) via glmmSeq (FDR < 0.05), edgeR (FDR < 0.10), and Trendy (p < 0.10). Serum and liver Cu and Co concentrations increased over time in all groups, with higher liver Cu in COMBO (487.985 μg/g) versus AAC (392.043 μg/g) at d60 (p = 0.013). Serum and liver Cu concentrations (ρ = 0.579, p = 6.59 × 10−8) and serum and liver Co concentrations (ρ = 0.466, p = 2.80 × 10−5) were linearly correlated. Minimal gene expression differences were found between AAC versus COMBO (n = 2 DEGs) and INR versus COMBO (n = 0 DEGs) over time. AAC versus INR revealed 107 DEGs (d13–d60) with increased traits in AAC including metabolism of carbohydrates/fat-soluble vitamins, antigen presentation, ATPase activity, and B- and T-cell activation, while osteoclast differentiation and neutrophil degranulation decreased in AAC compared to INR. Our study identifies gene expression differences in high-risk cattle fed inorganic or amino acid-complexed mineral supplements, revealing adaptive immune and metabolic mechanisms that may be improved by organically sourced supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban disparity has been extensively studied using geospatial technology, yet a comprehensive review of GIS applications in this field is essential to address the current research status, potential challenges, and future trends. This review combines bibliometric analysis from two databases, Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus, encompassing 145 articles from WOS and 80 from Scopus, resulting in a final list of 201 articles after excluding 24 duplicates. This approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of urban disparities and the extensive applications of GIS technology. The review highlights and characterizes research status and frontiers into research clusters, future scopes, and gaps in urban disparity analysis. The use of both WOS and Scopus ensures the review's credibility and comprehensiveness. Findings indicate that most research has focused on accessibility analysis of urban services and facilities. However, there is a recent paradigm shift toward environmental justice, demonstrated by increasing GIS applications in analyzing pollution exposure, urban heat islands, vegetation distribution, disaster vulnerability, and health vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: CD138 (syndecan-1) expression has been confirmed in plasma cells and normal tissues, particularly in epithelial cell types. As a cell surface protein, CD138 regulates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. CD138 may also regulate cell proliferation, migration, and cytoskeletal organization. In addition, positive CD138 plasma cells can also be detected with extreme infiltration in inflammatory diseases such as chronic endometritis. Purpose: Investigation of the prognostic significance of the infiltration of CD 138 plasma cells in endoscopic material from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Materials and methods: The study group included 34 patients with ulcerative colitis and 8 patients diagnosed with CD. The expression of CD138 was performed by immunohistochemistry and assessed as a membrane-cytoplasmic color reaction in plasma cells localized in the lamina propria and glandular epithelium. We also examined the insensitivity of general CD138-positive cells and divided them into 4 groups: 0-absent, 1-mild increase, 2-moderate increase, and 3-marked increase. Results: The study group consists of 16 females and 18 males in UC and 2 female and 6 male of CD. The UC lesions were mainly located in the rectum (19/34 cases), sigmoid (8/34cases), and others (7/34 cases). Crohn's disease was observed in the small intestine (3/8 cases), caecum (4/8 cases) and rectum (1/8 cases). The inflammatory infiltration consists of CD138+ cells in less than 90% of inflammatory cells in UC (median 52.39%) and in less than 60% of inflammatory cells in CD (36.50%). The increase in CD138+ plasma cells in UC was mild in 3 cases, moderate in 10 cases and marked in 15 cases. CD138+ plasma cells in UC were found to correlate with Geboes score (R=0.404), CD15+ neutrophils (R=0.467) and CD15+macrophages (R=0.459). Plasma cells were slightly increased in 2 cases and moderately increased in 5 cases of CD. Infiltration of CD138+ cells in CD sections was associated with age (R= - 0.481) and crypt destruction (R=0.606). Loss of CD138 expression in glandular epithelium was detected in 4/38 cases of UC and 1/8 cases of CD. Conclusion: Our results showed that infiltration of CD138-positive plasma cells is closely related to the degree of inflammation and architectural changes that could allow anti-CD138 treatment in inflammatory bowel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is preliminary evidence that children after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF), i.e., an adequate learning and memory performance in standardized memory tests, but an excessive rate of forgetting over delays of days or weeks. The main aim of this study was to investigate episodic memory performance, including delayed retrieval 1 week after learning, in children after mild TBI (mTBI). Methods: This prospective study with two time-points (T1: 1 week after injury and T2: 3–6  months after injury), included data of 64 children after mTBI and 57 healthy control children aged between 8 and 16  years. We assessed episodic learning and memory using an auditory word learning test and compared executive functions (interference control, working memory, semantic fluency and flexibility) and divided attention between groups. We explored correlations between memory performance and executive functions. Furthermore, we examined predictive factors for delayed memory retrieval 1  week after learning as well as for forgetting over time. Results: Compared to healthy controls, patients showed an impaired delayed recall and recognition performance 3–6  months after injury. Executive functions, but not divided attention, were reduced in children after mTBI. Furthermore, parents rated episodic memory as impaired 3–6  months after injury. Additionally, verbal learning and group, but not executive functions, were predictive for delayed recall performance at both time-points, whereas forgetting was predicted by group. Discussion: Delayed recall and forgetting over time were significantly different between groups, both post-acutely and in the chronic phase after pediatric mTBI, even in a very mildly injured patient sample. Delayed memory performance should be included in clinical evaluations of episodic memory and further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of ALF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers in numerical cognition have extensively studied the number sense-the innate human ability to extract numerical information from the environment quickly and effortlessly. Much of this research, however, uses abstract stimuli (e.g., dot configurations) that are also strictly controlled for their low-level visual confounds, such as size. Nonetheless, individuals rarely extract numerical information from abstract stimuli in everyday life. Yet, numerical judgments of familiar objects remain poorly understood and understudied. In the current study, we examined the cognitive mechanisms underlying the numerical decisions of familiar objects. In two experiments, we asked adult participants (Experiment 1) and two groups of children (aged 7-9 years and 11-12 years, Experiment 2) to perform an animal numerosity task (i.e., "Which animal is more numerous?"), while the conceptual congruency (i.e., the congruency between an object's real-life size and its numerosity) and physical congruency (the congruency between the number of items and the total space they occupy on the screen) were manipulated. Results showed that the conceptual congruency effect (i.e., better performance when the animal with a larger size in real life is more numerous) and a physical congruency effect (i.e., better performance when the physically larger animal is more numerous) were present in adults and children. However, the effects differed across the age groups and were also a subject of developmental change. To our knowledge, this study is the first one to demonstrate that conceptual knowledge can interfere with numerosity judgements in a top-down manner. This interference effect is distinct from the bottom-up interference effect, which comes from the physical properties of the set. Our results imply that the number sense is not a standalone core system for numbers but is embedded in a more extensive network where both low-level and higher-order influences are possible. We encourage numerical cognition researchers to consider employing not only abstract but also familiar objects when examining numerosity judgements across the lifespan., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This research was conducted and written according to APA ethical standards. The ethical committee at the KU Leuven approved the study’s design, methods, and protocol (G-2021–4583). Prior to participation, written informed consent was sought from each participant or their legal representative., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To analyze the longitudinal epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI) in Germany., Methods: Post-hoc analysis of prospectively documented BSI due to Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii from six university hospitals between 2016 and 2020. In a subanalysis 1228 episodes of BSI (E. coli N = 914, Klebsiella spp. N = 314) were analyzed for clinical endpoints and risk factors., Results: E. coli was the most prevalent cause of BSI, with 5412 cases, followed by Klebsiella spp. (2148 cases), P. aeruginosa (789 cases), Enterobacter spp. (696 cases), and A. baumannii (31 cases). BSI incidence rates were particularly high in haematology/oncology, with E. coli BSI reaching 13.9 per 1000 admissions. Most (58%) of the BSI episodes were community-acquired. A notable finding was the moderate increase of third-generation cephalosporin resistant Enterobacterales (3GCREB) for E. coli from 13.9% in 2016 to 14.4% in 2020 and a decrease for Klebsiella spp. from 16.5% in 2016 to 11.1% in 2020 corresponding to extended-spectrum betalactamase (ESBL) phenotype. In our analysis, the 3GCREB phenotype was not associated with a higher risk of death or discharge with sequelae for E. coli and Klebsiella spp., Conclusion: Our study provides longitudinal data on Gram-negative BSI in Germany on a clinical basis for the first time. These data underscores the critical need for ongoing surveillance and more pathogen-related clinical data., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The epithelium is a dynamic barrier and the damage to this epithelial layer governs a variety of complex mechanisms involving not only epithelial cells but all resident tissue constituents, including immune and stroma cells. Traditionally, diseases characterized by a damaged epithelium have been considered "immunological diseases," and research efforts aimed at preventing and treating these diseases have primarily focused on immuno-centric therapeutic strategies, that often fail to halt or reverse the natural progression of the disease. In this review, we intend to focus on specific mechanisms driven by the epithelium that ensure barrier function. We will bring asthma and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases into the spotlight, as we believe that these two diseases serve as pertinent examples of epithelium derived pathologies. Finally, we will argue how targeting the epithelium is emerging as a novel therapeutic strategy that holds promise for addressing these chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyze the dynamics of the interaction between dark matter and curvature-driven dark energy in viable f(R) gravity models using the framework of dynamical system analysis. We incorporate this interaction by introducing a source term in their respective continuity equations, given by Q = κ 2 α 3 H ρ ~ m ρ curv , and examine two f(R) gravity models that comply with local gravity constraints and cosmological viability criteria. Our findings reveal subtle modifications to fixed points and their stability criteria when compared to the conventional dynamical analysis of f(R) gravity models without matter-curvature interactions as proposed and examined in prior literature. We determine the parameter limits associated with the stability criteria of critical points of the dynamical system for both the models. Additionally, the introduction of interaction reveals variations in the dynamical aspects of cosmic evolution, contingent on the range of values for the relevant model parameters. These results are consistent with the observed features of cosmic evolution within specific limits of the f(R) models parameters and the coupling parameter α . We also examine the evolutionary dynamics of the universe in the interacting scenario through cosmological and cosmographic parameters. Our analysis demonstrates that the interacting scenario comprehensively accounts for all the observed phases of the universe's evolution and also results in a stable late-time cosmic acceleration. Additionally, we've studied how the coupling parameter affects evolutionary dynamics, particularly its impact on the matter-to-curvature energy density ratio. Our findings suggest that the chosen form of interaction can also address the cosmic coincidence problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To critically review contemporary theoretical models, diagnostic approaches, clinical features, and assessment findings in Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD), and make recommendations for neuropsychological evaluation of this condition. Method: Narrative review. Results: FCD is common in neuropsychological practice. It is characterized by cognitive symptoms that are not better explained by another medical or psychiatric disorder. The cognitive symptoms are associated with distress and/or limitations in daily functioning, but are potentially reversible with appropriate identification and treatment. Historically, a variety of diagnostic frameworks have attempted to capture this condition. A contemporary conceptualization of FCD positions it as a subtype of Functional Neurological Disorder, with shared and unique etiological factors. Patients with FCD tend to perform normally on neuropsychological testing or demonstrate relatively weak memory acquisition (e.g. list learning trials) in comparison to strong attention and delayed recall performance. Careful history-taking and behavioral observations are essential to support the diagnosis of FCD. Areas of ongoing controversy include operationalizing "internal inconsistencies" and the role of performance validity testing. Evidence for targeted interventions remains scarce. Conclusions: Neuropsychologists familiar with FCD can uniquely contribute to the care of patients with this condition by improving diagnostic clarity, richening case formulation, communicating effectively with referrers, and leading clinical management. Further research is needed to refine diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare mortality and length of hospital stay between patients with ESBL-producing E. coli bloodstream infections (BSIs) and patients with non-ESBL E. coli BSIs. We also aimed at describing risk factors for ESBL-producing E. coli BSIs and time to effective antibiotic treatment for the two groups. A retrospective case-control study among adults admitted between 2014 and 2021 to a Norwegian University Hospital. A total of 468 E. coli BSI episodes from 441 patients were included (234 BSIs each in the ESBL- and non-ESBL group). Among the ESBL-producing E. coli BSIs, 10.9% (25/230) deaths occurred within 30 days compared to 9.0% (21/234) in the non-ESBL group. The adjusted 30-day mortality OR was 1.6 (95% CI 0.7–3.7, p = 0.248). Effective antibiotic treatment was administered within 24 hours to 55.2% (129/234) in the ESBL-group compared to 86.8% (203/234) in the non-ESBL group. Among BSIs of urinary tract origin (n = 317), the median length of hospital stay increased by two days in the ESBL group (six versus four days, p < 0.001). No significant difference in the length of hospital stay was found for other sources of infection (n = 151), with a median of seven versus six days (p = 0.550) in the ESBL- and non-ESBL groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in 30-day mortality in ESBL-producing E. coli compared to non-ESBL E. coli BSI, despite a delay in the administration of an effective antibiotic in the former group. ESBL-production was associated with an increased length of stay in BSIs of urinary tract origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]