SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “moderation”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

295 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed2026

Evolutionary conservation of heat shock proteins in Blattodea and their roles in wing morphogenesis and ovarian development of Blattella germanica.

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are essential molecular chaperones for protein homeostasis and stress responses. However, the Hsp repertoires and functions in Blattodea remain underexplored. Our genome-scale survey of nine Blattodea species revealed 37-46 conserved Hsp90, Hsp70, and DNAJ (Hsp40) genes, with DNAJ the most abundant and Hsp90 the least. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the evolutionary conservation of three Hsp90, seven Hsp70, and 29 DNAJ subclades in Blattodea. Selection pressure analysis revealed predominant purifying selection (dN/dS ≪ 1) across lineages, strongest in DNAJ and highest in Hsp90 conservation. In Blattella germanica, expression of six representative BgHsp genes progressively increased during development, peaking in fifth-instar nymphs. Tissue expression profiling revealed that BgHspA1-2/3/4 were predominantly expressed in legs, BgDNAJB5 and BgHsp90AB1-2 were enriched in the fat body, and BgHsp90AB1 was highly expressed in the head. dsRNA injection targeting conserved Hsp gene regions achieved 61.9-94.1% knockdown of all six target genes. RNAi knockdown of six BgHsp genes disrupted wing morphogenesis, causing distinct phenotypes: wing whitening (56.7%, dsBgHspA1-4), unequal length (66.7%, dsBgHspA1-3; 76.7%, dsBgDNAJB5), and wing wrinkling (70%, dsBgHspA1-2; 63.3%, dsBgHsp90AB1; 76.7%, dsBgHsp90AB1-2). During ovarian formation, the developmental delay was most severe in the dsBgHsp90AB1 group, moderate in the dsBgHsp90AB1-2 and dsBgHspA1-2/3/4 groups, and weakest in the dsBgDNAJB5 group. Besides, knockdown significantly downregulated key developmental genes (apterous-a, nubbin, scalloped, ultrabithorax, wingless, and vitellogenin). These findings provide a reference for understanding the evolutionary patterns of Hsps in Blattodea, and offer mechanistic insights into the developmental regulation mediated by Hsps in this important public-health pest.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Assessing the Concurrent Validity of the Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile in a Methamphetamine Dependent Treatment-Seeking Population.

INTRODUCTION: The Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile (ATOP) is a brief clinical tool assessing substance use, health and well-being used in Australian alcohol and other drug treatment services. It is validated for use with clients using alcohol, opioids and cannabis, but not yet for clients who primarily use methamphetamine. METHODS: An embedded validation study was undertaken in treatment-seeking adults enrolled in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of lisdexamfetamine for methamphetamine dependence with sites in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Participant demographics were collected during study screening. The ATOP and comparators (Time Line Follow Back, Opiate Treatment Index, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, WHOQOL-BREF and Personal Wellbeing Index) were collected at baseline. Continuous ATOP items were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, and dichotomous items were analysed using Fleiss's κ. Agreement was rated as strong where measures were ≥ 0.50, moderate where agreement was 0.30-0.49, and weak where < 0.30. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen study participants (2018-2020) had data for concurrent validity analysis. Strong validity was demonstrated for physical health, psychological health, quality of life, injecting drug use and crime items, and for days of use for amphetamines, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. There was weak validity for days of use for benzodiazepines. Heroin use days and other opioid use days were endorsed by fewer than five participants and were therefore unable to be assessed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The ATOP is valid for use in a treatment-seeking methamphetamine-dependent population, expanding the range of tools for assessment and standardised outcome monitoring across different settings and services.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Can ChatGPT Replace Human Clinical Coders? A Comparative Study in Otology Billing.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the utility of the large language model (LLM), ChatGPT, for the analysis of operative notes and the generation of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes in comparison to human clinical coders. STUDY DESIGN: CPT billing codes assigned by ChatGPT were compared to existing billing data. Otology practice within a tertiary academic center. METHODS: About 191 operative notes from a single surgeon (9/2022-10/2023) were analyzed. ChatGPT-3.5 and 4 models were prompted for CPT codes based on operative notes. Assessment included determining exact and partial match rates, sensitivity and specificity for targeted procedures, and work Relative Value Units (wRVU) differences between ChatGPT-generated and human-assigned codes. RESULTS: ChatGPT-3.5 achieved exact matches in 22% of cases and partial matches in 32%, while ChatGPT-4 achieved 14% exact and 33% partial matches. When cochlear implantation (CI) was excluded, performance dropped significantly. For CI, ChatGPT-3.5 demonstrated a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 90%, while ChatGPT-4 showed a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 92%. In contrast, performance on cartilage grafting was poor, with sensitivities of 4.2% for ChatGPT-3.5 and 0% for ChatGPT-4. ChatGPT-3.5 and 4 showed moderate CPT code matching accuracy among themselves, with slight agreement to human coders. Both models tended to underbill for wRVUs compared to human coders, with significant differences in the values generated. CONCLUSION: This study assessed ChatGPT's effectiveness in automating CPT code assignment for otologic surgeries. While the models achieved high sensitivity values for assigning codes related to cochlear implantation, both models struggled with complex cases, failed to apply modifiers, and often assigned fewer wRVUs. The findings highlight ChatGPT's potential in medical billing but indicate a need for further refinement.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Symptom Burden After Dialysis Initiation and Its Association With Hospitalization.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Symptom burden is distressing for patients living with kidney failure, but there is limited information about the combination of symptoms and individual symptoms that most strongly predict health care use in this group. We classified and summarized patients' symptom burden levels and changes over time and estimated associations with hospitalizations among patients receiving incident hemodialysis. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal, observational. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Individuals initiating dialysis in the United States. EXPOSURE: Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36) measure. OUTCOME: First hospitalization after dialysis initiation. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Latent transition analysis was used to identify symptom burden classes using the KDQOL-36. Cox regression models were used to assess whether individual KDQOL-36 symptoms and symptom burden groups were associated with hospitalization risk after dialysis initiation, independent of demographics and comorbid conditions. RESULTS: 1,818 participants were Black (29%), were aged >65 years (59%), were women (42%), had diabetes (49%), and had hypertension (74%). Latent transition analysis identified the following 3 symptom burden groups: (1) low (low severity of all symptoms and kidney disease impacts), (2) moderate (high physical health impact and overall burden of kidney disease), and (3) high (high levels of all symptoms and kidney disease impact). After adjusting for patient characteristics, all KDQOL-36 scales except the Effects of Kidney Disease scale were associated with a higher hazard of hospitalization. Using the symptom burden groups, a high symptom burden was associated with a 20% increase in the hazard of hospitalization. A 1-category worsening in pain interference and in fatigue was associated with a 12% and an 8% increased hazard of hospitalization, respectively. LIMITATIONS: Findings may not generalize outside the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Pain interference and fatigue, as well as an overall symptom burden, are useful prognostic indicators in patients receiving in-center hemodialysis. Symptom burden should remain a treatment target in hemodialysis.

Hemodialysis↗

PubMed2026

Role of nicotine metabolite ratio in pharmacological interventions on smoking cessation: A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Emerging evidence suggests that the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) may influence the efficacy of smoking cessation, yet its role across pharmacotherapies remains unclear. This study aims to investigate how NMR affects cessation outcomes under different medications to guide personalized treatment. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (inception to September 30, 2024) for randomized controlled trials on pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation with NMR data. Data were synthesized using random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessment. The primary outcome was verified smoking cessation rate at the end of treatment or the closest time-point. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs with accessible full text were included in the qualitative analyses and nine were included in the quantitative synthesis. For non-titratable nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), normal/fast metabolizers demonstrated lower odds of smoking cessation than slow metabolizers (Odds Ratio, OR=0.81, 95% confidence interval, CI=0.68-0.96; 5 studies, I²=62.5%). No significant associations were shown between normal/fast and slow metabolizers using titratable NRT (OR=1.04, 95% CI=0.95-1.14; 2 studies, I²=0%), bupropion (OR=0.67, 95% CI=0.38-1.16; 2 studies, I²=51.4%), or varenicline (OR=1.17, 95% CI=0.79-1.74; 4 studies, I²=59.8%). CONCLUSION: Current evidence demonstrates that NMR moderates' treatment efficacy among those who smoke using non-titratable NRT, with slow metabolizers achieving significantly better cessation outcomes than normal/fast metabolizers. Substantial further research is needed to determine optimal medication hierarchies across metabolic profiles.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Sustained effects of auricular point acupressure on chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial follow-up study.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN) is a persistent condition that impairs function and quality of life. Auricular point acupressure (APA) has shown short-term benefit for CIN, but the durability of these effects after treatment completion is unknown. This study evaluated the sustainability of symptom improvements for 3 months following a 4-week APA intervention. METHODS: This prespecified secondary analysis of a randomized wait-list controlled trial compared mobile-supported APA (mAPA) and virtual APA (vAPA) in adults with moderate or greater CIN who received APA during the initial treatment phase (mAPA, n = 80; vAPA, n = 75). Outcomes at 1, 2, and 3 months post-intervention were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with multiple imputation. The primary outcome was CIN severity, measured with an individualized composite outcome (ICO); the secondary outcome was CIN interference. RESULTS: Reductions in CIN severity and interference were maintained throughout follow-up in both groups (all p < .001). ICO scores decreased by 3.10, 3.36, and 3.61 points in mAPA and by 2.88, 2.90, and 3.21 points in vAPA at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively. Benefits were maintained post-treatment, with higher retention in the mAPA group. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in CIN severity and interference after APA were sustained for up to 3 months post-treatment, suggesting a durable benefit as a self-management strategy. Larger studies with longer follow-up and untreated comparison groups are needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: APA may offer survivors a durable, self-administered, nonpharmacologic option for managing CIN well beyond active treatment, without requiring ongoing clinical visits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT04920097 registered on 3 June 2021.

Acupressure↗

PubMed2026

Assay-dependent variability in peptide biomarker quantification: experimental evidence from renalase in chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Renalase is a promising biomarker for kidney disease, but published levels vary widely between studies. We hypothesised that variability in commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) kits and matrix effects (serum vs plasma) drive these inconsistencies. METHODS: Paired serum and plasma samples from 56 participants (28 chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 2-5, 28 healthy controls) were tested using three commercial renalase ELISAs (BTLAB, Cloud-Clone, EIAab). We assessed intra-assay precision, inter-assay agreement (Spearman's rank correlation and Bland-Altman analysis on log10-transformed values), matrix effects, and associations with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Diagnostic performance was evaluated by Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Inter-assay renalase concentrations differed markedly (up to orders of magnitude), with weak inter-assay correlations (r ≤ 0.25). Bland-Altman analyses revealed large, systematic biases between kits. Only the BTLAB assay showed consistent serum/plasma agreement, a significant correlation with eGFR (ρ ≈ 0.32-0.42, p < 0.05), and moderate discriminatory performance for CKD in serum (AUC = 0.70) and plasma (AUC = 0.68). Cloud-Clone and EIAab produced divergent results and strong matrix-dependent biases. CONCLUSIONS: Observed variability among commercial ELISA platforms may compromise comparability between studies. Harmonisation, standardised reference materials, and cross-validation are necessary before renalase assays can be used reliably in clinical practice.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Water intake, switching between bites and sips, and drinking behavior are associated with food intake across meals varying in spiciness: A secondary analysis of two randomized crossover studies.

Widespread nutrition advice instructs consumers to drink water with meals to increase fullness and reduce energy intake. However, recent data indicates greater water intake is associated with more food intake at a meal, not less. Switching between meal components (e.g., alternating between food and water), has also been associated with increased food intake at a pasta meal, but it remains unclear whether this applies to other foods. In a secondary analysis, we pooled existing data from 2 crossover experiments (total n = 86) where adults ate an ad libitum lunch consisting of 650 g of beef chili (n = 52) or chicken tikka masala (n = 34) with 450 g of water twice in the laboratory while being video-recorded. For both experiments, the spiciness of the lunch was varied by adding different ratios of hot:sweet paprika. Videos were coded to measure sip number, sip size (g/sip), drinking rate (g/min), and number of switches between bites of food and sips of water. As we previously reported, increasing spiciness slowed eating rate and reduced food intake; in secondary analyses described here, the reduction in food intake was not moderated by water intake, switching, or drinking behaviors (all p > 0.73). Notably, across all meals, greater water intake (p < 0.001) and switching (p = 0.02) associated with greater food intake. Overall, individuals ate more when they drank more and switched between bites and sips more often, highlighting the potential influence of water and drinking behaviors on food consumption. This finding challenges the widespread dietary advice to drink water with meals to reduce food intake.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Muscle mechanical and architectural adaptations in response to different endurance training modalities in older adults.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the effects of various cycling endurance training modalities, matched for total workload, on muscle mechanical and architectural characteristics in older adults. METHODS: Fifty healthy participants (25 females, 59-79 yrs) were randomly assigned to five age and sex matched groups: one control and four workload-matched training groups (moderate-intensity continuous, heavy-intensity continuous, high-intensity interval, and heavy-intensity continuous in eccentric cycling). Training consisted of three weekly sessions over 8 weeks, with evaluations conducted at the beginning and end of the intervention with maximal voluntary isometric contractions at five different knee angles (90, 75, 60, 45, 30°) and maximal concentric and eccentric isokinetic contractions at five different knee angular velocities (45, 90, 150, 210, 250°/s). Maximum voluntary isometric torque (Tmax) and optimal knee angle (KAopt) were obtained from the isometric contractions; eccentric torque (Tecc) and maximum concentric knee angular velocity (Vmax) were obtained from the isokinetic contractions. The muscle architecture of vastus lateralis (VL) at rest (muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length) was investigated as well. RESULTS: No statistical differences were detected between groups or time points in VL architecture, in KAopt and in Vmax. A main effect of time was observed for Tmax (p < 0.001, η2p = 0.458) and Tecc (p = 0.002, η2p = 0.191) in all the investigated training groups. The within-group comparisons indicate significant increases in Tmax in the training groups, but not in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly applied endurance exercises improve muscle mechanical capacity (Tmax and Tecc) in older adults, with no structural (architectural) muscle remodelling, when matched for workload.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

TNF-NF-κB signaling mediates immune-biomineralization crosstalk during shell repair under ocean acidification in Mytilus edulis.

Ocean acidification (OA) impairs biomineralization in bivalves, but its effects on immune-biomineralization crosstalk during shell repair remain unknown. Here, we exposed adult Mytilus edulis bearing standardized shell perforations to three pH levels (8.1, 7.9, and 7.7) for up to 40 days. OA slowed early repair and caused microstructural disorganization and an approximately 87% reduction of compressive strength at pH 7.7, yet the damaged area appeared largely closed by day 15, suggesting a decoupling between morphological closure and functional recovery. In addition, transcriptomic profiling of hemocytes and mantle tissue, based on an average of 6.5 Gb of clean reads per sample mapped to the M. edulis reference genome (NCBI Assembly GCF_000511035.1), revealed that these shell-level defects were accompanied by coordinated immune and metabolic reprogramming. Hemocytes, the primary immune effector cells of bivalves, exhibited pH- and time-dependent shifts with moderate acidification (pH 7.9) promoting inflammatory transcripts, whereas severe acidification (pH 7.7) suppressed these signals while upregulating stress-associated pathways; both treatments consistently downregulated lysosomal proteases and NF-κB negative regulators. The mantle, a primarily mineralizing organ, paradoxically upregulated immune-related genes while suppressing oxidative phosphorylation and extracellular matrix pathways. This tissue-level imbalance, with hemocytes recruited but functionally constrained and mantle metabolically suppressed yet immunologically activated, points to TNF-NF-κB pathway modulation as a key mediator of shell repair under acidification. Our findings demonstrate that visible shell closure masks underlying structural and mechanical failure, and that immune regulation, rather than simple suppression or activation, critically shapes the repair outcome. These results advocate for multifunctional indicators beyond closure area to assess shell integrity in acidified marine environments.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Therapeutic approaches for the treatment of bovine metritis: a systematic review of clinical, reproductive and productive outcomes.

Bovine metritis is a complex multifactorial disease associated with substantial clinical and economic impact due to reduced milk production, subfertility, and increased culling rates. Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the comparative efficacy of the many therapeutic strategies used to manage it. This systematic review aimed to summarize and critically evaluate the available evidence on therapeutic approaches for bovine metritis, with respect to clinical cure, reproductive performance, productive performance, and culling. A literature search conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and CABI Digital Library (2010-2025) identified 18 randomized controlled clinical trials eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Given substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies, findings were synthesized narratively by outcome, without meta-analytic pooling, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE for the comparisons supported by more than one study. Overall, systemic antimicrobial therapies consistently improved short-term clinical cure rates, although their effects on long-term reproductive and productive performance remained inconsistent. In selected cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) showed clinical outcomes comparable to antimicrobial treatments, allowing reductions in antimicrobial use ranging from 50% to 92%. Alternative approaches, such as intrauterine flavonoid, chitosan or dextrose-based therapies, produced inconsistent results that appeared to correlate with disease severity and treatment protocol. The evidence base is limited by substantial heterogeneity in disease definitions, postpartum timing of diagnosis, and cure criteria across studies, and by the near-universal absence of allocation concealment in the primary literature; these limitations restrict the certainty of most conclusions to low or moderate. Therefore, effective metritis control should move beyond symptom resolution and incorporate integrated and preventive strategies targeting inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation during the transition period.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP051 Probiotic on Body Composition, Microbiome and Mood in Healthy Overweight Adults.

Obesity and mental health disorders are among the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century. Interestingly, an altered microbiome profile has been associated with both conditions. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with a specific probiotic strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP051) on body composition and gut microbiome balance, together with measures of mood state, in a population of healthy overweight subjects. Sixty healthy, moderately stressed, nondepressed and overweight or obese volunteers were supplemented for 12 weeks with probiotic (L. plantarum KABP051; 1 billion colony forming units/day) or placebo (microcrystalline cellulose). The KABP051 group experienced significantly greater improvements compared with placebo on body composition measurements, including a reduction in body weight and waist circumference, which decreased in 1.97 ± 0.77 (mean ± SE) kg and 2.15 ± 0.81 (mean ± SE) cm versus placebo at the end of the intervention (both P < .05, mixed model for repeated measures [MMRM] and post-hoc analysis). Microbiome composition improved in KABP051 group, with significant increase in the relative abundance of Lactiplantibacillus spp. versus placebo. Body fat percentage, profile of mood states fatigue, and confusion sub-scores showed a global trend toward improvement compared with placebo, with the change at 12 weeks being significant in the three measurements in post-hoc analysis (P = .015, P = .014, and P = .016, respectively). No serious adverse events were registered during the intervention period. These results suggest that a specific strain of probiotic bacteria (L. plantarum KABP051) may have both metabolic and psychobiotic effects and may be beneficial for enhancing weight loss and body composition, improving energy (less fatigue) and mood levels while embarking on a healthy lifestyle regimen. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06808061.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Life-course stress exposure and cognitive decline in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: The role of sex differences and educational protection.

BACKGROUND: Stressful life events (SLEs) across the life course have been associated with cognitive decline, but evidence on their cumulative impact and potential modifiers remains limited. We aimed to examine the associations between SLE exposure in childhood, adulthood, or both life stages and cognitive trajectories, and to investigate whether these associations vary by sex and education. METHODS: We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative cohort of adults aged ≥45 years. Participants with complete data on SLEs, cognition, and covariates were included (n = 5922). SLEs were retrospectively assessed for childhood and adulthood. Cognitive function was measured using a composite score (range 0-21) across three waves (2011-2015). Linear mixed-effects models examined longitudinal associations, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and chronic conditions, with interaction analyses for sex and education. RESULTS: Compared with participants reporting no SLEs, cumulative exposure showed the strongest association with cognitive decline (β = -0.52, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.35), followed by childhood-only (β = -0.34, -0.48 to -0.20) and adulthood-only exposure (β = -0.22, -0.37 to -0.07). Sex significantly moderated the associations for childhood and cumulative exposure, with women exhibiting greater cognitive vulnerability. Higher educational attainment attenuated the associations between single-period stress and cognitive decline, with only partial protection observed against cumulative adversity. CONCLUSION: Cumulative life-course stress is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Women appear more vulnerable to stress-related cognitive effects, whereas higher education confers partial resilience, highlighting the need for sex-sensitive and education-informed prevention strategies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Peripheral immune markers and choroid plexus volumes as predictors of change in depressive symptoms: Insights from the EMBARC study.

Changes in choroid plexus (ChP) volume and peripheral inflammation have been associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), yet their individual and combined impact on depressive symptoms is unclear. This study investigated whether baseline immune markers and ChP volumes predict changes in depressive symptoms during the 8-week treatment period among Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care (EMBARC) study participants who received either sertraline or placebo. Adults (n = 222) with MDD with peripheral blood samples were included. Circulating chemokines and cytokines were examined using a 40-plex assay. Depressive symptoms were assessed over 8 weeks using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimension reduction. Mixed-effects models were used to examine whether immune profiles and ChP volumes, and their interaction predicted HAMD-17, adjusting for demographic/clinical covariates and baseline depression severity. PCA identified three immune profiles. One profile, characterized by higher levels of cytokines and chemokines including IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, was associated with greater depression severity, higher BMI, age, and CRP at baseline. Higher levels of these immune markers were associated with less improvement in depressive symptoms at 8 weeks (estimate = 1.211, p = 0.018) in models adjusting for right and left ChP volume (right ChP model: estimate = 1.034, p = 0.005; left ChP model: estimate = 0.993, p = 0.007). Interactions between immune markers and ChP volumes were not significant. Future investigations are warranted to examine the relationships between immune markers and ChP volume beyond structural changes in the context of depression symptoms.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Ventriculostomy-Related Infections by Country-Income Level: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Hierarchical Meta-analysis.

Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature on ventriculostomy-related infection (VRI) and evaluate temporal and global trends. We conducted a systematic review and Bayesian hierarchical random-effects meta-analysis of VRI rates in adults, stratified by country-income level (high-income countries [HIC]; low- or middle-income countries [LMIC]), study design, sample size, enrollment period, VRI intervention, and VRI definition. We identified 159 articles published between 1989 and 2025 that included 523,704 patients with 7293 VRIs. The pooled VRI rate was 8.64% [95% CI: 7.44-9.97], with moderate heterogeneity and good model fit. The leave-one-out sensitivity analysis showed a mean absolute change of 0.06% and a maximum change of 0.2%, indicating robust analysis. Five of the 33 represented countries had VRI rates below the global pooled rate of 8.64%. Four were HICs: Singapore (VRI rate 3.3% [0.8-7]), the United States (VRI rate 4.6% [3.4-5.9]), Germany (VRI rate 6.1% [1.1-18.9]), Norway (8.3% [0.3-68.4]), with 1 LMIC: China (8.5% [5.4-12.4]). VRI was significantly higher in studies using definitions beyond CSF culture alone for VRI (+3.16% [0.11- 6.52]) and in those from Europe (+7.29% [4.62-10.10]) and the Western Pacific (+4.09% [1.55-6.98]). No other subgroup demonstrated significant differences. This Bayesian meta-analysis provides global estimates and factors associated with VRI. Standardization of VRI definitions is critical for future benchmarking of VRI rates.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Uce-based phylogeny and classification of Megachilini.

The generic-level classification of the bee tribe Megachilini (Megachilidae) has remained controversial due to poor phylogenetic resolution at the base of the group, particularly among the brood parasitic genera and the numerous dauber ("Chalicodoma s. l.") lineages. We present a phylogenomic analysis of Megachilini based on ultraconserved elements (UCEs), sampling 52 ingroup taxa with emphasis on the dauber lineages. We also present a combined UCE + six-gene analysis to improve taxon coverage, resulting in a dataset with 127 ingroup taxa. Maximum likelihood, coalescent, and Bayesian analyses of multiple UCE matrices recover largely congruent topologies with substantially improved support relative to previous studies. Our results strongly support the monophyly of Megachilini, the early divergence of Noteriades and Gronoceras, and a single origin of brood parasitism. All remaining non-parasitic Megachilini form a moderately supported clade sister to the brood parasitic lineage. The leafcutter bees are monophyletic and nested within dauber lineages. Several major dauber clades are consistently recovered, including an exclusively Australian clade corresponding to the Hackeriapis group of subgenera, while several recognized subgenera are paraphyletic. The lineage known as Morphella, previously placed in synonymy with the subgenus Callomegachile, was not closely related to that subgenus and is here treated as a valid subgenus. Divergence-time analyses place the crown age of Megachilini in the late Eocene to early Oligocene, with major extant lineages diversifying during the Miocene. Limited morphological diagnosability of several clades indicates that splitting non-parasitic lineages into numerous genera would result in an impractical classification that would widen the gap between taxonomists and non-specialists and exacerbate the taxonomic impediment in bees. We therefore advocate retaining a single genus Megachile for non-parasitic Megachilini (excluding Noteriades and Gronoceras), as the classification best supported by phylogenomic evidence and most robust to future taxon sampling.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Immunogenicity and safety of prophylactic HPV vaccines in people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major global public health concern, causing genital warts and cancers of the cervix, anus, oropharynx, vulva, and penis. People living with HIV (PLWH) face a disproportionately elevated burden of HPV infection and HPV-related malignancies due to chronic immunosuppression. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis searching six databases from January 2006 to June 2026 without language restrictions. Twenty-five studies were included in the systematic review; 12 independent studies (N = 1,493 for HPV16) were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. Using a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with logit transformation, pooled seroconversion rates were: HPV16 97.8% (95% CI: 94.9-99.1%; I2 = 89.6%; 15 datasets), HPV18 94.2% (95% CI: 86.1-97.7%; I2 = 95.8%; 13 datasets), HPV6 97.0% (95% CI: 93.7-98.6%; I2 = 66.1%; 10 studies), and HPV11 97.1% (95% CI: 90.5-99.1%; I2 = 95.5%; 10 studies). CD4 count was the most consistently reported modifier of immunogenic response: HPV16 seroconversion was 98.5% in PLWH with CD4 > 350 cells/μL vs. 71.1% in those with CD4 ≤ 200 cells/μL (ACTG A5240). All three vaccine generations demonstrated high immunogenicity. Two doses of the nonavalent vaccine were non-inferior to three doses in virologically suppressed women (Papillon RCT). No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. GRADE certainty of evidence was moderate for HPV16, HPV6, and HPV11, and low for HPV18. Prophylactic HPV vaccination achieves high seroconversion rates across all vaccine generations in PLWH. CD4 count significantly modifies vaccine response, underscoring the importance of vaccination before severe immunosuppression develops. These findings support current international recommendations advocating HPV vaccination for all PLWH.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Online Social Anxiety in the Digital Age: Transitions, Predictors, and Mental Health Associations in Emerging Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Online social anxiety (OSA), a multidimensional form of social evaluative anxiety in online social contexts, disproportionately affects emerging adults who constitute the largest active group of media users and face heightened psychological sensitivity due to growing pressures and immature sociocognitive regulation during the transition to adulthood. However, its heterogeneity, transitions, and longitudinal associations with mental health outcomes remain underexplored. METHODS: This study utilized data from two waves of a three-wave longitudinal survey, with 849 Chinese participants (Meanage = 21.6 years; 50.4 percent female) assessed at 4-month intervals. Individuals were classified using latent profile analysis and the stability and changes of profiles were assessed via latent transition analysis (LTA). Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted separately at baseline and follow-up to identify correlates of profile membership. Predictors of profile transitions were examined using manual three-step LTA models, and associations between latent transition patterns and follow-up mental health outcomes were examined using BCH-LTA distal outcome analyses controlling for the corresponding baseline symptom level. RESULTS: Four profiles of OSA were identified: low, privacy-sensitive, moderate-high, and high OSA. Extreme profiles (low/high OSA) showed high stability (80.4 percent and 79.1 percent), while privacy-sensitive OSA exhibited the lowest stability (55.1 percent). Profile memberships were influenced by social-cognitive biases and digital interaction, particularly fear of negative evaluation and online interpersonal trust, whereas profile transitions were mainly associated with anxiety. Transitions toward less severe OSA profiles were generally associated with better subsequent mental health, whereas transitions toward more severe profiles corresponded to poorer outcomes, particularly for offline social anxiety. CONCLUSION: OSA was heterogeneous in its manifestation, severity and transitions. Personalized and early interventions targeting profile-specific vulnerabilities are critical to prevent the worsening of OSA and mitigate its psychological burden.

Humans↗