Early life socioeconomic inequalities and type 2 diabetes incidence: Longitudinal analyses in the Maastricht study.

AIM: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common chronic disease that disproportionally affects groups with a low socioeconomic position (SEP). This study aimed to examine associations between childhood SEP and incident T2D, independent of adult SEP. METHODS: Longitudinal data from The Maastricht Study were used (N=6,727, 55.2 % female, mean (SD) age 58.7(8.7) years). Childhood SEP was determined by asking for the highest completed educational level for the father and mother and childhood income inadequacy. Adult SEP was determined by highest completed educational level, equivalent household income, and occupational position. Incident T2D was self-reported yearly (up to 12 years of follow-up). Associations were studied with Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: In participants without T2D at baseline, 3.7% reported incident T2D over 8.2 (median) years of follow-up. Incident T2D was most common in people with low childhood and adult SEP and lowest in those with high childhood and adult SEP (1.7 vs. 7.5 per 1,000 person years). The association between childhood SEP and incident T2D was mainly explained by adult SEP, except for childhood income inadequacy which was independently associated with incident T2D. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic inequalities in childhood and adulthood are risk factors for incident T2D. More attention is needed to reduce childhood poverty and improve adult SEP to reduce the T2D risk.

Improved deep neural network (EnhanceNet) for real-time detection of some publicly prohibited items.

Public safety is a critical concern, typically addressed through security checks at entrances of public places, involving trained officers or X-ray scanning machines to detect prohibited items. However, many places like hospitals, schools, and event centres lack such resources, risking security breaches. Even with X-ray scanners or manual checks, gaps can be exploited by individuals with malicious intent, posing significant security risks. Additionally, traditional methods, relying on manual inspections and conventional image processing techniques, are often inefficient and prone to high error rates. To mitigate these risks, we propose a real-time detection model - EnhanceNet using a customized Scale-Enhanced Pooling Network (SEP-Net) integrated into the YOLOv4. The innovative SEP-Net enhances feature representation and localization accuracy, significantly contributing to the model's efficacy in detecting prohibited items. We annotated a custom dataset of nine classes and evaluated our models using different input sizes (608 and 416). The 608 input size achieved a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 74.10% with a detection speed of 22.3 Frames per Second (FPS). The 416 input size showed superior performance, achieving a mAP of 76.75% and a detection speed of 27.1 FPS. These demonstrate that our models are accurate and efficient, making them suitable for real-time applications.

Hand gesture recognition using sEMG signals with a multi-stream time-varying feature enhancement approach.

Hand gesture recognition based on sparse multichannel surface electromyography (sEMG) still poses a significant challenge to deployment as a muscle-computer interface. Many researchers have been working to develop an sEMG-based hand gesture recognition system. However, the existing system still faces challenges in achieving satisfactory performance due to ineffective feature enhancement, so the prediction is erratic and unstable. To comprehensively tackle these challenges, we introduce a novel approach: a lightweight sEMG-based hand gesture recognition system using a 4-stream deep learning architecture. Each stream strategically combines Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN)-based time-varying features with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based frame-wise features. In the first stream, we harness the power of the TCN module to extract nuanced time-varying temporal features. The second stream integrates a hybrid Long short-term memory (LSTM)-TCN module. This stream extracts temporal features using LSTM and seamlessly enhances them with TCN to effectively capture intricate long-range temporal relations. The third stream adopts a spatio-temporal strategy, merging the CNN and TCN modules. This integration facilitates concurrent comprehension of both spatial and temporal features, enriching the model's understanding of the underlying dynamics of the data. The fourth stream uses a skip connection mechanism to alleviate potential problems of data loss, ensuring a robust information flow throughout the network and concatenating the 4 stream features, yielding a comprehensive and effective final feature representation. We employ a channel attention-based feature selection module to select the most effective features, aiming to reduce the computational complexity and feed them into the classification module. The proposed model achieves an average accuracy of 94.31% and 98.96% on the Ninapro DB1 and DB9 datasets, respectively. This high-performance accuracy proves the superiority of the proposed model, and its implications extend to enhancing the quality of life for individuals using prosthetic limbs and advancing control systems in the field of robotic human-machine interfaces.

Comparative Analysis of Somatosensory-Evoked Potentials and Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound for Cerebral Ischemia Detection in Carotid Endarterectomy: Insights from Network Meta-Analysis and Clinical Data.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the diagnostic efficacy of somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) and transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) for monitoring cerebral tissue ischemia during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) using network meta-analysis and retrospective analysis of clinical data. METHODS: For the meta-analysis, we conducted a comprehensive search of 4 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science) from inception to September 2023, resulting in the inclusion of 52 relevant articles. Additionally, a retrospective study was conducted at our hospital, involving patients who underwent CEA surgery from July 2019 to July 2021. RESULTS: The network meta-analysis incorporated 52 articles, with ranking results indicating that SEP demonstrated superior performance in specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy with surface under the cumulative ranking curve values of 99.9%, 93.8%, 96.6%, and 99.9%, respectively. Furthermore, TCD exhibited the highest sensitivity with a surface under the cumulative ranking value of 92.0%. A total of 190 patients meeting inclusion criteria were included in the retrospective study. The area under the curve for SEP's receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.787, compared to TCD's area under the curve of 0.606. SEP demonstrated a sensitivity of 66.67%, with a specificity of 90.76%, PPV of 19.05%, NPV of 98.82%, and accuracy of 90%. For TCD, the diagnostic performance measures included a sensitivity of 50.00%, specificity of 71.19%, PPV of 5.35%, NPV of 97.76%, and accuracy of 70.53%. The Fisher's exact test for sensitivity yielded a result of P = 1.000. The χˆ2 test for specificity resulted in χˆ2 = 22.863, with P < 0.001. Continuous correction χˆ2 tests for PPV and NPV showed χˆ2 = 2.005 (P = 0.157) and χˆ2 = 0.069 (P = 0.793), respectively. Additionally, the χˆ2 test for accuracy showed χˆ2 = 22.742, with P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: During CEA, SEP appears to provide a slightly more reliable indication of the ischemic condition in cerebral tissues compared to TCD.

Insights into the interaction between UGGT, the gatekeeper of folding in the ER, and its partner, the selenoprotein SEP15.

The enzyme UDP-glucose: glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) is the gatekeeper of protein folding within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). One-third of the human proteome traverses the ER where folding and maturation are facilitated by a complex protein homeostasis network. Both glycan modifications and disulfide bonds are of key importance in the maturation of these ER proteins. The actions of UGGT are intimately linked to the glycan code for folding and maturation of secretory proteins in the ER. UGGT selectively glucosylates the N-linked glycan of misfolded proteins so that they can reenter the lectin-folding chaperone cycle and be retained within the ER for further attempts at folding. An intriguing aspect of UGGT function is its interaction with its poorly understood cochaperone, the 15 kDa selenoprotein known as SELENOF or SEP15. This small protein contains a rare selenocysteine residue proposed to act as an oxidoreductase toward UGGT substrates. AlphaFold2 predictions of the UGGT1/SEP15 complex provide insight into this complex at a structural level. The predicted UGGT1/SEP15 interaction interface was validated by mutagenesis and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. These results serve as a springboard for models of the integrated action of UGGT1 and SEP15.

A clinical trial inclusion criteria to enrich for patients presenting with canonical symptom structure in bipolar depression.

Clinical drug development in psychiatry is challenging due to heterogeneous patient populations and the uncertainty of measuring neuropsychiatric constructs with symptom rating scales. Here we describe the development and implementation of an enrichment algorithm that identifies canonical versus anomalous symptom presentations, at the individual subject level, based on MADRS ratings obtained at screening and baseline. Data from 5 randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials in bipolar I disorder was used (N = 2026 subjects and 15,239 MADRS assessments). A variance-covariance difference (VCD) vector was developed to encode individual symptom structure using the 10 items of MADRS from the two sequential assessments. An anomaly score, calculated from each subject's VCD vector was derived by isolation forest to quantify the degree of disparity from the hypothesized canonical item structure. A retrospective application of the algorithm reliably identified a threshold anomaly score above which the psychometric properties of MADRS deteriorate. Consistent with increasing the certainty of MADRS ratings, subjects with a canonical symptom structure at baseline demonstrated greater effect sizes post-baseline in a phase 2 placebo-controlled trial of non-racemic amisulpride (SEP-4199) for bipolar depression, analyzed retrospectively. Our analyses show that the developed algorithm can reduce the symptom structure heterogeneity at baseline and thus improve the measurement certainty of psychiatric symptoms in clinical trials. This novel enrichment method has been prospectively implemented in a Phase 3 clinical study of SEP-4199 and is consistent with regulatory guidelines aimed at increasing the statistical power and lowering patient-burden in clinical trials. Clinical Trials Registry: NCT00868452, NCT00868699, NCT01284517, NCT01986101, NCT03543410, NCT05169710.

Intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) monitoring: an updated position statement by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are used to assess the functional status of somatosensory pathways during surgical procedures and can help protect patients' neurological integrity intraoperatively. This is a position statement on intraoperative SEP monitoring from the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring (ASNM) and updates prior ASNM position statements on SEPs from the years 2005 and 2010. This position statement is endorsed by ASNM and serves as an educational service to the neurophysiological community on the recommended use of SEPs as a neurophysiological monitoring tool. It presents the rationale for SEP utilization and its clinical applications. It also covers the relevant anatomy, technical methodology for setup and signal acquisition, signal interpretation, anesthesia and physiological considerations, and documentation and credentialing requirements to optimize SEP monitoring to aid in protecting the nervous system during surgery.

Electrophysiological responses to digit stimulation in a tactile oddball paradigm.

Sensory memory traces are assessed via oddball paradigms in which deviant (infrequent) stimuli are interspersed into a string of standard (frequent) stimuli. Once a memory trace for the standard is established, the deviant spurs a change detection response measured via the resulting event related potential (ERP). Response magnitude is sensitive to the differences in stimuli properties or categories and influenced by individual experience. The goal of the present study was to use ERPs to test the relation between individual digits in the somatosensory cortex and the extent to which digit representations are influenced by individual differences in experience such as independent mobility and playing video games. The present study of 60 undergraduates utilized a passive tactile oddball paradigm, stimulating the thumb, middle, and little fingers. The oddball paradigm was fully matched with each digit serving as the standard and deviant. A temporal principal component analysis (tPCA) identified factors that matched three a priori ERP components: N80, somatosensory mismatch negativity (sMMN), and P300. Analyses confirmed the anticipated differences between standards and deviants and provided some support for prior ERP work suggesting the thumb is in a different functional category than the other digits. Independent control of individual digits (such as the little finger) was positively related to only one aspect of the ERP (P3a) while video game experience was not associated with ERP differences. Cumulatively, these results provide a more nuanced examination of tactile oddball paradigms and how ERP methods can shed light on the relations between different digits.

Cellular function of the GndA small open reading frame-encoded polypeptide during heat shock.

Over the past 15 years, hundreds of previously undiscovered bacterial small open reading frame (sORF)-encoded polypeptides (SEPs) of fewer than fifty amino acids have been identified, and biological functions have been ascribed to an increasing number of SEPs from intergenic regions and small RNAs. However, despite numbering in the dozens in Escherichia coli, and hundreds to thousands in humans, same-strand nested sORFs that overlap protein coding genes in alternative reading frames remain understudied. In order to provide insight into this enigmatic class of unannotated genes, we characterized GndA, a 36-amino acid, heat shock-regulated SEP encoded within the +2 reading frame of the gnd gene in E. coli K-12 MG1655. We show that GndA pulls down components of respiratory complex I (RCI) and is required for proper localization of a RCI subunit during heat shock. At high temperature GndA deletion (ΔGndA) cells exhibit perturbations in cell growth, NADH+/NAD ratio, and expression of a number of genes including several associated with oxidative stress. These findings suggest that GndA may function in maintenance of homeostasis during heat shock. Characterization of GndA therefore supports the nascent but growing consensus that functional, overlapping genes occur in genomes from viruses to humans.

Somatosensory temporal sensitivity in adults on the autism spectrum: A high-density electrophysiological mapping study using the mismatch negativity (MMN) sensory memory paradigm.

Atypical reactivity to somatosensory inputs is common in autism spectrum disorder and carries considerable impact on downstream social communication and quality of life. While behavioral and survey work have established differences in the perception of somatosensory information, little has been done to elucidate the underlying neurophysiological processes that drive these characteristics. Here, we implemented a duration-based somatosensory mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm to examine the role of temporal sensitivity and sensory memory in the processing of vibrotactile information in autistic (n = 30) and neurotypical (n = 30) adults. To capture the variability in responses between groups across a range of duration discrepancies, we compared the electrophysiological responses to frequent standard vibrations (100 ms) and four infrequent deviant vibrations (115, 130, 145, and 160 ms). The same stimuli were used in a follow-up behavioral task to determine active detection of the infrequent vibrations. We found no differences between the two groups with regard to discrimination between standard and deviant vibrations, demonstrating comparable neurologic and behavioral temporal somatosensory perception. However, exploratory analyses yielded subtle differences in amplitude at the N1 and P220 time points. Together, these results indicate that the temporal mechanisms of somatosensory discrimination are conserved in adults on the autism spectrum, though more general somatosensory processing may be affected. We discuss these findings in the broader context of the MMN literature in autism, as well as the potential role of cortical maturity in somatosensory mechanisms.

"You are either sporty or you are not" a qualitative exploration of pre-teen girls of low-socioeconomic position experiences of being physically active.

BACKGROUND: Eighty one percent of adolescents do not meet the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines with levels of physical activity declining steadily with age and more pronounced in girls of low socioeconomic position (SEP). Furthermore, early adolescence is a time when the rate of decline in PA is most severe amongst girls, placing them at an increased likelihood of developing negative health outcomes associated with physical inactivity. In response, the aim of this study was to explore low-SEP pre-teen girls' experiences of being physically active and to understand their perceptions of the individual, social and environmental factors that influence these experiences. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with 107 girls aged 10-12 years from four urban and three rural primary schools. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, with themes mapped to the relevant domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). RESULTS: Themes highlighted how skills and confidence underpin girls' self-identity for PA. Girls described how their social network (i.e., peers, family, coaches and teachers) shaped their experiences of being active. Girls recognised how being active was impacted by the challenges and opportunities in their local community (e.g., lack of facilities and anti-social behaviour). CONCLUSION: This study provides insight into low-SEP pre-teen girls' experiences of being physically active in both rural and urban locations, while highlighting the complex interplay of individual, social and environmental factors. Additionally, the use of the TDF presents an in-depth behavioural diagnosis which can be used to inform future theory-based interventions to promote low-SEP pre-teen girls PA.

TAARs as Novel Therapeutic Targets for the Treatment of Depression: A Narrative Review of the Interconnection with Monoamines and Adult Neurogenesis.

Depression is a common mental illness of great concern. Current therapy for depression is only suitable for 80% of patients and is often associated with unwanted side effects. In this regard, the search for and development of new antidepressant agents remains an urgent task. In this review, we discuss the current available evidence indicating that G protein-coupled trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) might represent new targets for depression treatment. The most frequently studied receptor TAAR1 has already been investigated in the treatment of schizophrenia, demonstrating antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. In fact, the TAAR1 agonist Ulotaront is currently undergoing phase 2/3 clinical trials testing its safety and efficacy in the treatment of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Other members of the TAAR family (TAAR2, TAAR5, TAAR6, TAAR8, and TAAR9) are not only involved in the innate olfaction of volatile amines, but are also expressed in the limbic brain areas. Furthermore, animal studies have shown that TAAR2 and TAAR5 regulate emotional behaviors and thus may hold promise as potential antidepressant targets. Of particular interest is their connection with the dopamine and serotonin systems of the brain and their involvement in the regulation of adult neurogenesis, known to be affected by the antidepressant drugs currently in use. Further non-clinical and clinical studies are necessary to validate TAAR1 (and potentially other TAARs) as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of depression.

SEP-363856 exerts neuroprotection through the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß signaling pathway in a dual-hit neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia-like mice.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a serious, destructive neurodevelopmental disorder. Antipsychotic medications are the primary therapy approach for this illness, but it's important to pay attention to the adverse effects as well. Clinical studies for SZ are currently in phase ΙΙΙ for SEP-363856 (SEP-856)-a new antipsychotic that doesn't work on dopamine D2 receptors. However, the underlying action mechanism of SEP-856 remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the impact and underlying mechanisms of SEP-856 on SZ-like behavior in a perinatal MK-801 treatment combined with social isolation from the weaning to adulthood model (MK-SI). First, we created an animal model that resembles SZ that combines the perinatal MK-801 with social isolation from weaning to adulthood. Then, different classical behavioral tests were used to evaluate the antipsychotic properties of SEP-856. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1ß), apoptosis-related genes (Bax and Bcl-2), and synaptic plasticity-related genes (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] and PSD-95) in the hippocampus were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to observe the morphology of neurons in the hippocampal DG subregions. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of BDNF, PSD-95, Bax, Bcl-2, PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, GSK-3ß, p-GSK-3ß in the hippocampus. MK-SI neurodevelopmental disease model studies have shown that compared with sham group, MK-SI group exhibit higher levels of autonomic activity, stereotyped behaviors, withdrawal from social interactions, dysregulated sensorimotor gating, and impaired recognition and spatial memory. These findings imply that the MK-SI model can mimic symptoms similar to those of SZ. Compared with the MK-SI model, high doses of SEP-856 all significantly reduced increased activity, improved social interaction, reduced stereotyping behavior, reversed sensorimotor gating dysregulation, and improved recognition memory and spatial memory impairment in MK-SI mice. In addition, SEP-856 can reduce the release of proinflammatory factors in the MK-SI model, promote the expression of BDNF and PSD-95 in the hippocampus, correct the Bax/Bcl-2 imbalance, turn on the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß signaling pathway, and ultimately help the MK-SI mice's behavioral abnormalities. SEP-856 may play an antipsychotic role in MK-SI "dual-hit" model-induced SZ-like behavior mice by promoting synaptic plasticity recovery, decreasing death of hippocampal neurons, lowering the production of pro-inflammatory substances in the hippocampal region, and subsequently initiating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß signaling cascade.

Redefined giant somatosensory evoked potentials: Evoked epileptic complexes of excitatory and inhibitory components.

OBJECTIVE: Giant somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are observed in patients with cortical myoclonus. Short-latency components (SLC), are regarded as evoked epileptic activities or paroxysmal depolarization shifts (PDSs). This study aimed to reveal the electrophysiological significance of the middle-latency component (MLC) P50 of the SEPs. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with cortical myoclonus having giant SEPs (patient group) and 15 healthy controls were included in this study. Waveform changes in SEPs before and after perampanel (PER) treatment were evaluated in the patient group. The wide range, time-frequency properties underlying the waveforms were compared between the groups. RESULTS: After PER treatment, SLC was prolonged and positively correlated with PER concentration, whereas MLC showed no correlation with PER concentration. Time-frequency analysis showed a power increase (156 Hz in all patients, 624 Hz in benign adult familial myoclonus epilepsy patients) underlying SLC and a power decrease (156 Hz, 624 Hz) underlying MLC in the patient group. CONCLUSIONS: The high-frequency power increase in SLCs and decrease in MLCs clearly reflected PDS and subsequent hyperpolarization, respectively. This relationship was similar to that of interictal epileptiform discharges, suggesting that giant SEPs evoke epileptic complexes of excitatory and inhibitory components. SIGNIFICANCE: MLCs of giant SEPs reflected inhibitory components.

Health behavior interventions among people with lower socio-economic position: a scoping review of behavior change techniques and effectiveness.

Background: Behavior change interventions can unintendedly widen existing socio-economic health inequalities. Understanding why interventions are (in)effective among people with lower socio-economic position (SEP) is essential. Therefore, this scoping review aims to describe what is reported about the behavior change techniques (BCTs) applied within interventions and their effectiveness in encouraging physical activity and healthy eating, and reducing smoking and alcohol consumption according to SEP. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in 12 electronic databases, and 151 studies meeting the eligibility criteria were included and coded for health behavioral outcomes, SEP-operationalization, BCTs (type and number) and effectiveness. Results: Findings suggest that approaches for measuring, defining and substantiating lower SEP vary. Current studies of behavior change interventions for people of different SEP do not systematically identify BCTs, making systematic evaluation of BCT effectiveness impossible. The effectiveness of interventions is mainly evaluated by overall intervention outcomes and SEP-moderation effects are mostly not assessed. Conclusion: Using different SEP-operationalizations and not specifying BCTs hampers systematic evidence accumulation regarding effective (combinations of) BCTs for the low SEP population. To learn which BCTs effectively improve health behaviors among people with lower SEP, future intervention developers should justify how SEP is operationalized and must systematically describe and examine BCTs.

A Multi-Faceted Analysis Showing CRNDE Transcripts and a Recently Confirmed Micropeptide as Important Players in Ovarian Carcinogenesis.

CRNDE is considered an oncogene expressed as long non-coding RNA. Our previous paper is the only one reporting CRNDE as a micropeptide-coding gene. The amino acid sequence of this micropeptide (CRNDEP) has recently been confirmed by other researchers. This study aimed at providing a mass spectrometry (MS)-based validation of the CRNDEP sequence and an investigation of how the differential expression of CRNDE(P) influences the metabolism and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer (OvCa) cells. We also assessed cellular localization changes of CRNDEP, looked for its protein partners, and bioinformatically evaluated its RNA-binding capacities. Herein, we detected most of the CRNDEP sequence by MS. Moreover, our results corroborated the oncogenic role of CRNDE, portraying it as the gene impacting carcinogenesis at the stages of DNA transcription and replication, affecting the RNA metabolism, and stimulating the cell cycle progression and proliferation, with CRNDEP being detected in the centrosomes of dividing cells. We also showed that CRNDEP is located in nucleoli and revealed interactions of this micropeptide with p54, an RNA helicase. Additionally, we proved that high CRNDE(P) expression increases the resistance of OvCa cells to treatment with microtubule-targeted cytostatics. Furthermore, altered CRNDE(P) expression affected the activity of the microtubular cytoskeleton and the formation of focal adhesion plaques. Finally, according to our in silico analyses, CRNDEP is likely capable of RNA binding. All these results contribute to a better understanding of the CRNDE(P) role in OvCa biology, which may potentially improve the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease.

Partitioning and Mobility of Chromium in Iron-Rich Laterites from an Optimized Sequential Extraction Procedure.

Chromium (Cr) leached from iron (Fe) (oxyhydr)oxide-rich tropical laterites can substantially impact downstream groundwater, ecosystems, and human health. However, its partitioning into mineral hosts, its binding, oxidation state, and potential release are poorly defined. This is in part due to the current lack of well-designed and validated Cr-specific sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) for laterites. To fill this gap, we have (i) first optimized a Cr SEP for Fe (oxyhydr)oxide-rich laterites using synthetic and natural Cr-bearing minerals and laterite references, (ii) used a complementary suite of techniques and critically evaluated existing non-laterite and non-Cr-optimized SEPs, compared to our optimized SEP, and (iii) confirmed the efficiency of our new SEP through analyses of laterites from the Philippines. Our results show that other SEPs inadequately leach Cr host phases and underestimate the Cr fractions. Our SEP recovered up to seven times higher Cr contents because it (a) more efficiently dissolves metal-substituted Fe phases, (b) quantitatively extracts adsorbed Cr, and (c) prevents overestimation of organic Cr in laterites. With this new SEP, we can estimate the mineral-specific Cr fractionation in Fe-rich tropical soils more quantitatively and thus improve our knowledge of the potential environmental impacts of Cr from lateritic areas.

Intact Somatosensory Temporal Sensitivity in Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A High-Density Electrophysiological Mapping Study Using the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) Sensory Memory Paradigm.

Atypical reactivity to somatosensory inputs is common in autism spectrum disorder and carries considerable impact on downstream social communication and quality of life. While behavioral and survey work have established differences in the perception of somatosensory information, little has been done to elucidate the underlying neurophysiological processes that drive these characteristics. Here, we implemented a duration-based somatosensory mismatch negativity paradigm to examine the role of temporal sensitivity and sensory memory in the processing of vibrotactile information in autistic (n=30) and neurotypical (n=30) adults. To capture the variability in responses between groups across a range of duration discrepancies, we compared the electrophysiological responses to frequent standard vibrations (100 ms) and four infrequent deviant vibrations (115, 130, 145, and 160 ms). The same stimuli were used in a follow-up behavioral task to determine active detection of the infrequent vibrations. We found no differences between the two groups with regard to discrimination between standard and deviant vibrations, demonstrating comparable neurologic and behavioral temporal somatosensory perception. However, exploratory analyses yielded subtle differences in amplitude at the N1 and P220 time points. Together, these results indicate that the temporal mechanisms of somatosensory discrimination are conserved in adults on the autism spectrum, though more general somatosensory processing may be affected. We discuss these findings in the broader context of the MMN literature in autism, as well as the potential role of cortical maturity in somatosensory mechanisms.

Se-p Orbitals Induced "Strong d-d Orbitals Interaction" Enable High Reversibility of Se-Rich ZnSe/MnSe@C Electrode as Excellent Host for Sodium-Ion Storage.

The heterostructure of transition-metal chalcogenides is a promising approach to boost alkali ion storage due to fast charge kinetics and reduction of activation energy. However, cycling performance is a paramount challenge that is suffering from poor reversibility. Herein, it is reported that Se-rich particles can chemically interact with local hexagonal ZnSe/MnSe@C heterostructure environment, leading to effective ions insertion/extraction, enabling high reversibility. Enlightened by theoretical understanding, Se-rich particles endow high intrinsic conductivities in term of low energy barriers (1.32 eV) compared with those without Se-rich particles (1.50 eV) toward the sodiation process. Moreover, p orbitals of Se-rich particles may actively participate and further increase the electronegativity that pushes the Mn d orbitals (dxy and dx2-y2) and donate their electrons to dxz and dyz orbitals, manifesting strong d-d orbitals interaction between ZnSe and MnSe. Such fundamental interaction will adopt a well-stable conducive electronic bridge, eventually, charges are easily transferred from ZnSe to MnSe in the heterostructure during sodiation/desodiation. Therefore, the optimized Se-rich ZnSe/MnSe@C electrode delivered high capacity of 576 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 100 cycles and 384 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 2500 cycles, respectively. In situ and ex situ measurements further indicate the integrity and reversibility of the electrode materials upon charging/discharging.

Beyond SEP-1 Compliance: Assessing the Impact of Antibiotic Overtreatment and Fluid Overload in Suspected Septic Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Performance Measure bundle (SEP-1) metric to improve sepsis care, but evidence supporting this bundle is limited and harms secondary to compliance have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effect of an emergency department (ED) sepsis quality-improvement (QI) effort to improve CMS SEP-1 compliance, looking specifically at antibiotic overtreatment and harm from fluid resuscitation. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study conducted between March and July 2021 with patients for whom a sepsis order set was initiated. The primary outcomes included the number of patients treated with antibiotics who were ultimately deemed nonseptic and the number of patients who developed pulmonary edema, with or without need for positive pressure ventilation (PPV), within 48 h of receiving a 30 mL/kg fluid bolus. Data were collected via nonblinded chart reviews, with a free marginal κ-calculation indicating excellent interrater reliability. RESULTS: The study cohort included 273 patients, 170 (62.3%) who were ultimately determined to be septic and 103 (37.7%) who were nonseptic. Of the 103 nonseptic patients, 82 (79.6%) received antibiotics in the ED. Of the 121 patients (44.3%) who received a 30 mL/kg bolus, 5 patients (4.1%) developed pulmonary edema and 0 of 121 patients required PPV within 48 h. CONCLUSIONS: The QI effort led to moderate rates of antibiotic overtreatment and very few patients developed pulmonary edema due to a 30 mL/kg fluid bolus.