Measures Of Control Research Articles

Incubator-integrated electrochemical analysis platform for cell-based studies

Electrochemical analysis methods are critical for probing cellular behavior, offering sensitivity and versatility. However, challenges such as maintaining in-vivo-like conditions during electrochemical testing can affect data accuracy. To address this, we developed an incubator-integrated electrochemical analysis platform that bridges the gap between cell culture and testing environments, preserving physiological conditions. The platform integrates a microfluidic module for cell-electrode interactions, an incubator module for controlled culture and measurement environments, and a measurement module comprising a screen-printed electrode (SPE) and potentiostat for real-time monitoring. Additionally, the sample preparation apparatus ensures robust cell adhesion and mitigates surface degradation during incubation, enabling consistent and reliable measurements. Through extensive studies with cells, we demonstrated the platform’s capability to distinguish varying cell densities and accurately evaluate cell proliferation. Studies on standard-of-care drugs further showcased the platform’s utility in assessing drug efficacy, emphasizing its potential for drug screening and personalized medicine applications.

High-fidelity annotated triploid genome of the quarantine root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne enterolobii.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) of the genus Meloidogyne are obligatory plant endoparasites that cause substantial economic losses to agricultural production and impact the global food supply. These plant parasitic nematodes belong to the most widespread and devastating genus worldwide, yet few measures of control are available. The most efficient way to control RKN is deployment of resistance genes in plants. However, current resistance genes that control other Meloidogyne species are mostly inefficient on Meloidogyne enterolobii. Consequently, M. enterolobii was listed as a European Union quarantine pest requiring regulation. To gain insight into the molecular characteristics underlying its parasitic success, exploring the genome of M. enterolobii is essential. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly of M. enterolobii using the high-fidelity long-read sequencing technology developed by Pacific Biosciences, combined with a gap-aware sequence transformer, DeepConsensus. The resulting triploid genome assembly spans 285.4 Mb with 556 contigs, a GC% of 30 ± 0.042 and an N50 value of 2.11 Mb, constituting a useful platform for comparative, population and functional genomics.

Neural Activity for Uninvolved Knee Motor Control After ACL Reconstruction Differs from Healthy Controls

Recovery from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) induces bilateral functional and physiological adaptations. Neurophysiologic measures of motor control have focused on the involved knee joint, limiting understanding regarding the extent of bilateral neural adaptations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate differences in neural activity during uninvolved-limb motor control after ACLR compared to healthy controls. Methods: Fifteen participants with left ACLR (8 female and 7 male, 21.53 ± 2.7 years, 173.22 ± 10.0 cm, 72.15 ± 16.1 kg, Tegner 7.40 ± 1.1, 43.33 ± 33.1 mo. post-surgery, 2 patellar tendon, and 13 hamstring) and 15 matched controls (8 female, 23.33 ± 2.7 years, 174.92 ± 9.7 cm, 72.14 ± 15.4 kg, Tegner 7.33 ± 1.0) participated. Neural activity was evaluated using functional magnetic resonance imaging on a 3T Siemens Magnetom scanner during four 30-s cycles of a right (uninvolved) knee flexion-extension task paced with a metronome (1.2 Hz) and was completed interspersed with 30 s of rest. A significance threshold of p < 0.05 was used for all analyses, cluster corrected for multiple comparisons, and z-thresholds of >3.1 (subject level), and >2.3 (group level). Results: The ACLR group had greater neural activity in one statistically significant cluster corresponding to the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (834 voxels, z = 3.81, p < 0.01 multiple comparisons corrected) compared to controls. Conclusions: These data indicate a potential contribution to uninvolved-knee neuromuscular deficits after injury and support the limitations of using the uninvolved side as a clinical reference. Uninvolved knee motor control after ACLR may require greater cognitive demand. Clinicians should be aware that the uninvolved limb might also demonstrate whole brain alterations limiting clinical inference from functional symmetry.

P0945 Improvement in Endoscopic Score in Patients with Moderately to Severely Active UC Treated with Risankizumab in the Phase 3 INSPIRE and COMMAND Studies

Abstract Background The STRIDE-II recommendations highlighted the importance of targeting objective measures of disease control, including endoscopic healing, in patients (pts) with ulcerative colitis (UC).1 Risankizumab (RZB), an interleukin-23 specific inhibitor, showed improvement in the outcomes of clinical remission and endoscopic improvement compared to placebo in pts with moderately-to-severely active UC.2 Visualizing the changes of endoscopic scores from induction and maintenance may provide insight into pt disease course during treatment. Thus, this analysis sought to provide an overview of change in endoscopic scores of pts enrolled in UC clinical studies. Methods Using individual pt data from the Phase 2b/3 studies of RZB in UC, changes in Mayo endoscopic scores in induction and maintenance were assessed. For induction, pts received either intravenous (IV) placebo (PBO) or RZB for 12 weeks (wks). Pts from the Phase 2b and Phase 3 INSPIRE studies who had a clinical response to induction treatment were rerandomized into the maintenance study [COMMAND] and received subcutaneous PBO (withdrawal), RZB 180 mg, or RZB 360 mg every 8 wks for 52 wks. To be eligible for INSPIRE, pts had to have a baseline (BL) Mayo endoscopic score of 3 or 2 confirmed by central review. For this analysis, endoscopic scores are reported for induction BL and wk 12 and maintenance BL and wk 52 for each treatment. "Endoscopic improvement" was defined as a score of 1 or 0 at the time of follow-up. Results Among pts with a Mayo endoscopic score of 3 at induction BL, 28% achieved endoscopic improvement after 12-wk treatment with RZB 1200 mg; 57% of pts with a BL score of 2 showed endoscopic improvement (Fig. 1). In contrast, among PBO-treated pts with a score of 3 or 2 at BL, 11% and 18%, respectively, achieved endoscopic improvement after induction. Most PBO-treated pts (63%) had no score change at wk 12. During the maintenance study, 29%–35% of pts in the RZB treatment groups had an endoscopic score of 2 or 3 at maintenance BL. (Fig. 2). For those with a BL score of 3, most pts receiving RZB 360 mg achieved endoscopic improvement (62%); similarly, 65% of those with a BL score of 2 showed endoscopic improvement at wk 52. Trends were similar for RZB 180 mg with ≥80% of pts with a BL score of 1 or 0 maintained a 1 or 0 through wk 52. Among PBO-treated pts, ≥60% maintained a score of 3 or 2 from maintenance BL to wk 52; approximately one third of pts’ scores improved to 1 or 0. Conclusion This analysis showed that RZB treatment improved endoscopic outcomes from wk 0 to wk 12 of induction and wk 0 to wk 52 of maintenance. These findings may help inform treatment expectations and shared decision-making for pts with UC initiating RZB treatment.

Evaluation of macular retinal oximetry across different levels of diabetic retinopathy: a cross sectional study

BackgroundThis study evaluates retinal oxygen saturation and vessel density within the macula and correlates these measures in controls and subjects with type 2 diabetes (DM) with (DMR) and without (DMnR) retinopathy. Changes in retinal oxygen saturation have not been evaluated regionally in diabetic patients.MethodsData from seventy subjects (28 controls, 26 DMnR, and 16 DMR were analyzed. For those with DMR,8 were mild/moderate diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 8 severe NPDR/proliferative (PDR). Subjects were categorized with glycosylated hemoglobin A1c and fundus photography. Retinal oximetry measurements were performed within a 300–400 μm region at four diagonal locations 3.1 degrees from the center of the fovea in the superior nasal, superior temporal, inferior nasal, and inferior temporal locations adjacent to the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was performed and corrected for refractive error. Photoshop and ImageJ were utilized to calculate the superficial capillary plexus vascular density (SCP). Oximetry and OCTA vessel density were analyzed overall and by region.ResultsAverage retinal oxygen saturation was highest in DMR (p = 0.008). Average OCTA density was less in DMR compared to controls (p = 0.01), but not compared to DMnR subjects (p = 0.07). A significant inverse correlation was observed between averaged oxygen saturation and SCP vascular density for all subjects (p = 0.02). Duration of DM was positively associated with oxygen saturation (p = 0.01) and negatively with OCTA SCP vascular density (p = 0.009). There were no differential effects of retinal location.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the relationship between macular oxygen saturation and SCP vascular density at different levels of retinopathy. This may be useful to track patients with DM as they move through stages of retinopathy.

Autonomic cardiac control independently predicts incident hypertension and systolic blood pressure in a multi-ethnic population: The HELIUS study.

Cross-correlation baroreflex sensitivity (xBRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) are measures of autonomic cardiac control and are associated with hypertension. However, their value in predicting new-onset hypertension and changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) remains elusive. We used longitudinal data of participants with- and without a history of cardiovascular disease from the HEalthy Life In an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study. A non-invasive continuous finger blood pressure measurement at baseline was used to calculate xBRS and HRV. In normotensives at baseline we calculated the odds ratio (OR) of developing hypertension at follow-up. In the full cohort we assessed the change in SBP between baseline and follow-up using linear regression. Subgroup analyses were performed in the younger (<50 years) and older (≥50 years) participants. Median follow-up was 6.6 years (IQR 5.8-7.4). A 50% lower xBRS at baseline was independently associated with a 1.31 higher OR (95% CI 1.09-1.57) of developing hypertension at follow-up. No significant associations between the standard deviation normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) or the root mean square of differences in successive normal-to-normal interval (RMSDD), and new-onset hypertension were found. Compared to the lowest tertile, an xBRS in the highest tertile was associated with a 3.61 mmHg (95%CI 2.50-4.71) higher increase in SBP over time, whereas this was 1.11 mmHg (95%CI 0.12-2.09) and 1.76 mmHg (95%CI 0.73-2.79) for SDNN and RMSDD. In the general population, a lower xBRS is associated with increased odds of developing hypertension, and a steeper increase in SBP over time.

Serial systemic immune inflammation indices: markers of acute migraine events or indicators of persistent inflammatory status?

BackgroundMigraine is the most common complex neurological disorder, affecting over a billion people worldwide. Neurogenic inflammation has long been recognized as a key factor in the pathophysiology of migraine though little research has been directed to investigating whether inflammation is greatest in migraine with aura or without, and whether inflammation is a permanent state in migraine or whether is an event related transitory state. Thus, the primary aim of this single-centre, retrospective study was to explore the potential clinical utility of the Serial Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Indices (SSIIi) as a comparative measure of duration and severity of inflammation derived from routine blood cell counts in migraine patients with aura and no-aura both within an acute inpatient setting and as outpatients. Specifically, we assessed the role of two serial white blood cell counts to calculate the SSIIi using the formula: neutrophil count x platelet count/lymphocyte count) between aura and no-aura migraine patients at time of admission to a tertiary care centre in Melbourne, Australia, and following 24 h post admission versus comparable serial measures in 20 out patients with migraine and ongoing symptoms.Main bodyA retrospective analysis was conducted of medical records using baseline demographics and brain imaging findings from 186 migraine hospitalized in-patients who had at least two sets of white blood cell counts drawn within 24 h following their admission to the emergency department of Western Health a tertiary care center in Melbourne, Australia, over an 18-month period. Patients were categorized as having migraine with aura (MA) (N = 67) or without aura (MO) (N = 119) according to ICHD-3 criteria and compared to 2 serial measures in stable in-community acute migraineur controls (N = 20). A mixed-design ANOVA showed a significant main effect of SSIIi between patients with migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO) during acute inpatient presentation, in comparison to a convenience sample of outpatients with migraine (MA and MO).ConclusionSSIIi levels were significantly lower in patients with migraine with aura (MA), compared to MO. MA showed a greater, though non-significant, decrease between the two measurements compared to those with migraine without aura (MO) and outpatient controls, whose SSIIi levels remained consistently higher. The control group displayed similar findings to MO inpatients, suggesting persistent systemic inflammation in a subset of migraine patients regardless of in patient or outpatient of presentation and highlighting the need for future studies to more rigorously evaluate the role of systemic inflammation in migraine pathophysiology, chronicity, and progression though the multiple phases of migraine including the interictal phase.

CUSUM-based process capability control chart for detecting small shift during Phase-II monitoring

Control chart technique and process capability analysis are two of the most important measures of process control. A fusion of these two, viz. process capability control chart is also no-new to the literature. The process capability control charts, that have been designed till date, are mostly of Shewhart type. However, these charts are primarily used at the Phase-II quality control, where one can expect only small shifts in process parameter values, as the larger shifts should already have been taken care of in the Phase-I. Interestingly, cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts have been seen to outperform Shewhart-type control charts in detecting small shifts. In the present article, a fusion of CUSUM chart and C pk , one of the most famous process capability index, is proposed to address this problem. An extensive study has been carried out to compare the performance of the newly developed chart with the existing ones based on average run length. Two numerical examples have been discussed demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed method. The necessary R codes are also documented in the article to facilitate prospective future applications.

Development of Ketoprofen Impurity A (1-(3-Benzoylphenyl)ethanone) as a Certified Reference Material for Pharmaceutical Quality Control.

Background/Objectives: Reference materials are essential for ensuring the accuracy and traceability of measurements in the quality control of medicinal products. This study explores new principles for the preparation of impure materials of active pharmaceutical substances, focusing on 1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethanone ketoprofen impurity A (European Pharmacopoeia) as the reference material. Methods: The reference material was synthesised from commercially available acetanilide and benzoyl chloride. The obtained product was purified using preparative chromatography and characterised by infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry. The structure was verified using primary research methods to confirm its identity as the target product. Results: The characterisation confirmed the structure and purity of 1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethanone, achieving a purity of 99.86%, meeting regulatory documentation requirements. The synthesised product was demonstrated to be identical to the target compound and suitable for use as a reference material. Conclusions: The developed method provides a robust approach for the preparation and characterisation of 1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethanone, enabling its use as a certified reference material in the quality control of medicinal products. This approach ensures compliance with regulatory standards and enhances the reliability of pharmaceutical quality assurance practices.

Neural Markers of Attention at 6 Months Associate With Later Attentional Control Performance.

Attentional control is key to the development of executive functions. Previous research indicates that individual differences in attentional control behaviour may be stable from 6 months. Here, we analyse electroencephalogram data collected from 59 6-month-olds to gain insights into the neural processes underlying attentional control in infancy. First, we examine the neural activity preceding distinct looking behaviours in an attentional control task at 6 months. Second, we test whether those neural markers show predictive associations to behavioural measures of attentional control (Freeze-Frame task) and executive function (A-not-B task) in the same infants at 9 months. Whilst our data do not show evidence that 6-9Hz power is implicated in attentional control at 6 months, or that the P1 ERP component plays a role in our attentional control task, we do find evidence that corroborates and extends research linking 3-6Hz power to attentional control. At the group level, frontal 3-6Hz power recorded whilst looking to a central target before the onset of a peripheral distractor was greater during trials where infants subsequently looked to the distractor, compared with trials where they did not look. Higher 3-6Hz power in trials where the infant did not look to a peripheral distractor was predictive of less distractibility at 9 months, and higher 3Hz power in trials where infants did look to the distractor strengthened the predictive association from 6-month EEG to 9-month behaviour. We suggest 3-6Hz activity may be sensitive to multiple processes, such as anticipatory attention, and the ability to maintain attention on a target.

Overall Inhibitory Control Modulated the Comprehension of Chinese Ideographic Idioms Where the Minor Glyph Message Pertains

ABSTRACT Idioms are the unity of figurative and formulaic expressions, driving a variety of creative variants used in everyday life. This study explored how Chinese readers made sense of Chinese idioms and their variants, with possible constraints from their strength in overall inhibitory control (OIC). Our new attempt at a comprehensive measure of inhibitory control managed to predict the readers’ self-paced reading behavior in the context of the idioms written in the Chinese ideographic script. Those with poorer OIC were assumed to show more difficulties in inhibiting the literal meaning of a Chinese idiom as the supportive context unfolded. Such constraints from OIC also resurfaced during the comprehension of the Chinese variants employed in this study that were likely treated as novel idioms. We thereby assumed a hybrid route for the comprehension of Chinese idiomatic expressions. Nonetheless, idiom familiarity or decomposability exerted limited influence during these processes. The current study enriches the individual-difference approach to idiom comprehension by further expounding how its account varies with an ideographic writing system characterized by symbolic glyphs.

PUBLIC CONTROL AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN COMBATING CORRUPTION

This article examines the formation of the institution of public control within the framework of the development of civil society in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and presents the features of its improvement based on the most significant events in the evolution of anti-corruption policy. The legal basis of interaction between the state and the non-governmental sector, the legal status of the subjects of these legal relations is considered. In modern Kazakhstan, the issue of developing a mechanism of public control over the activities of state bodies is very relevant. Currently, the process of establishing a system of public control is underway, attempts are being made to form a regulatory legal framework that strengthens the mechanisms of public control. It is necessary to develop mechanisms for equal partnership between Kazakh society and the state at the national, regional and local levels. The concept of the institution of public control is revealed, including its stages of formation, principles, content, forms of implementation, and structural characteristics. The main forms of interaction between government agencies and civil society institutions in the field of anti-corruption are characterized. The article analyzes the system of public control and the conditions of its functioning based on freedom of public association, access to information, independent media, democracy and openness of state bodies. The purpose of the study is to study the measures of public control of anti-corruption at the current stage of development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Keywords: anti-corruption, public control, civil society, anti-corruption culture, non-governmental sector, anti-corruption monitoring, public control.

Characteristics of Russian poultry farms by diseases of different etiology

Industrial poultry farming is accompanied by various infectious and invasive diseases. They have a wide distribution and occupy a large share in the contagious pathology of birds, despite the measures of prevention and control taken by veterinary specialists, which negatively affects the epizootic situation in poultry farming. The article presents materials on retrospective analysis of morbidity of birds with infectious and invasive diseases for 5 years (2018-2022) in Russian poultry farms according to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. During the study period, viral and bacterial diseases (avian influenza, colibacillosis, Newcastle disease, ornithosis, pseudomonosis, tuberculosis, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, mycoplasmosis, typhus-pullorosis, infectious laryngotracheitis, avian infectious bronchitis, Marek’s disease) and parasitic and fungal diseases (coccidiosis, spirochetosis, sarcoptosis, nematodosis and aspergillosis) were registered. The highest number of sick poultry with viral diseases was recorded in 2021, bacterial diseases in 2018, and parasitic and fungal diseases in 2020, which amounted to 28.289, 15.778 and 0.036%, respectively. In regions with developed poultry farming it is necessary to assess the epizootic situation in order to determine the degree of epizootic risk in specific conditions, the level of potential epidemic threat of the most common zooanthroponotic diseases of birds and timely implement a set of measures to prevent and eliminate diseases in poultry farms.

Association between time in tight range and incident diabetic retinopathy in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Time spent in the glucose range of 70-180 mg/dL (TIR) has become entrenched as a key measure of glycaemic control, which was linked to diabetes-related outcomes in previous studies. However, there has been a recent debate about whether to instead emphasize time in the target range of 70-140 mg/dL (time in tight range, TITR). We aimed to assess the association between TITR and incident diabetic retinopathy in adults with type 2 diabetes. This is a dynamic cohort study conducted at a tertiary hospital. 2518 adults with type 2 diabetes and without diabetic retinopathy at baseline were finally included. TITR was obtained from continuous glucose monitoring data at baseline. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to assess the relationships of TITR with the risk of incident diabetic retinopathy. During a mean follow-up period of 5.43 years, 646 patients developed retinopathy. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for incident retinopathy across descending TITR quartiles (Q4: >58% [reference], Q3: 38% ~ 57%, Q2: 19% ~ 37%, and Q1: <19%) were 1.00, 1.47 (95%CI 1.16, 1.87), 1.52 (95%CI 1.20, 1.93) and 1.93 (95%CI 1.53, 2.43), respectively. For per 10% decrease in TITR, the risk of diabetic retinopathy was increased by 9% (HR = 1.09, 95%CI 1.06, 1.13) after full adjustment for covariates. In the TIR >70% subgroup, the significant association between TIR, as a continuous variable and the risk of incident retinopathy disappeared, whereas TITR remained significantly associated with the outcome. Similar results were observed in the TIR >80% and TIR >90% subgroups. TITR is inversely associated with the incidence of diabetic retinopathy in adults with type 2 diabetes. Among adults with well-controlled TIR (70% or higher), TITR may provide added value regarding glucose control.

Power Distance Moderates the Relation Between Income Inequality and Life Satisfaction: A Cross-Country Longitudinal Analysis.

Despite extensive research, the relationship between income inequality and life satisfaction remains unclear, with some countries experiencing negative consequences, while others show neutral or positive outcomes. Using data from the Gallup World Poll (2006-2022) with nearly two million respondents from more than 110 countries, we disentangle the distinct within-country and between-country effects of inequality. Our multilevel analyses reveal a significant within-country effect: Temporal increases in inequality are associated with decreases in life satisfaction. At the between-country level, power distance-a cultural dimension reflecting tolerance for social disparities-moderates the relationship. In low power distance countries, higher inequality strongly predicts lower life satisfaction, whereas in high power distance countries, the effect is nonsignificant. These findings are robust across two measures of income inequality and controls for wealth and individualism, offering a refined methodological and cultural interpretation to resolve inconsistencies in prior cross-national research.

Individual differences in the dynamics of attention control.

Individual differences in the dynamics of attention control were examined in two studies. Participants performed mouse tracker versions of Stroop (Studies 1 and 2) and flankers (Study 2), along with additional measures of attention control and working memory to better examine individual differences in how conflict resolution processes unfold over time. Attention control abilities were related to the amount of attraction to the incorrect response and the time to move toward the correct response on incongruent trials in the Stroop task. In the flanker task, attention control abilities were not related to the amount of attraction to the incorrect response but were related to the time to move toward the correct response on incongruent trials. Mouse tracker measures in both Stroop and flankers demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and tended to load moderately on an attention control factor along with other attention control tasks. These results are consistent with the notion that conflict resolution processes in Stroop and flankers likely reflect both overlapping and distinct (i.e., restraining and constraining attention) processes that are related to broader attention control abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

EXPRESS: Naming speed during language production in younger and older adults: Examining the effects of sentence context.

Word retrieval during speech production has been found to slow down with ageing. Usually, words are produced in sentence contexts. The current studies examined how different sentence contexts influence lexical retrieval in younger and older adults. We also examined the potential influence of semantic knowledge and control on sentence-context effects. Study 1 was completed by 48 younger and 48 older adults. They named pictures that were preceded by a matched context (which predicted that specific target word), a mismatched context (predicting another word), a neutral context (that did not predict one specific word), or no context. In comparison to the neutral context, both younger and older adults' word production was faster in matched contexts, suggesting both age groups benefited from sentence contexts facilitating the retrieval of predictable words. Neither age group was slowed down by the mismatched contexts (compared to the neutral contexts), suggesting these contexts did not create (sufficient) interference to hinder lexical retrieval. In Study 2, participants completed measures of semantic knowledge, verbal fluency, semantic control, and inhibition. Older adults showed larger semantic knowledge but poorer inhibition and (on some measures) semantic control than younger adults. However, none of these measures predicted the sentence context effects observed in Study 1. Together, this suggests older adults' lexical retrieval can continue to benefit from sentence contexts predictive of upcoming words during language production.

The impact of cues on language switching: do spoken questions reduce the need for bilingual language control?

Abstract The classical language switching paradigm using arbitrary cues to indicate the language to speak in has revealed switching between languages comes at a cost (i.e., switch cost) and makes one slower in the first than in the second language (i.e., reversed language dominance). However, arbitrary cues can create artificial requirements not present during everyday language interactions. Therefore, we investigated whether simulating elements of real-life conversations with question cues (‘Co?’ versus ‘What?’) facilitates language switching in comparison to the classical paradigm (Experiment 1: red versus blue outline; Experiments 2 and 3: low versus high tone). We revealed a dissociation between the two indices of language control: (1) question cues, compared to arbitrary cues, reduced switch costs but (2) did not modulate (in Experiment 1) or increase the reversed language dominance (Experiments 2 and 3). We propose that this conversational switching paradigm could be used as a conceptually more ‘true’ measure of language control.

Low-Dose Oral Ginger Improves Daily Symptom Scores in Asthma.

Background/Objective: A significant number of individuals with asthma have poorly controlled daily symptoms and utilize dietary supplements such as ginger in a quest for improved symptom control; however, its effectiveness at improving the control of symptoms is unproven. We questioned whether low-dose oral ginger would improve subjective and objective measurements of asthma control in mild-to-moderate asthmatics. Methods: We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study of a low dose (1 g twice daily) of a dietary supplement of ginger in 32 mild-to-moderate uncontrolled asthmatics over a 2-month trial period while maintaining daily conventional asthma therapies. The planned primary outcomes included an increased tolerance to inhaled methacholine and decreased concentrations of fractional excretion of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Secondary planned outcomes included measurements of asthma control by the Asthma Control Test (ACT), a 2-week symptom recall test, and the Juniper mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), and blood eosinophils and asthma-associated cytokines. Results: Exhaled nitric oxide or blood eosinophils were not changed by oral ginger. However, three different measures of asthma symptom control were improved by the 28-day time point of oral ginger. Asthma-associated serum cytokines (IL-13 and IL-17A) were modulated by oral ginger. Conclusions: This is the first demonstration that a small daily dose of a dietary supplement of ginger may improve asthma symptoms and reduce inflammation in human asthmatics. These findings support the need for additional studies using larger doses of ginger in specific endotypes of asthmatics that may identify a novel therapeutic for asthma.

Genetic diversity, drug resistance, and biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae associated with nosocomial infection in Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

Antibiotic resistance and the potential persistence of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in hospital environments is an important challenge for human medicine. This research aims to detect resistance to antibiotics, biofilm formation, and the genetic pattern among clinical isolates associated with nosocomial infection obtained from a university hospital in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Twenty-eight isolates were identified at the species level by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and were characterized regarding the profile of biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The genetic relationship was determined through pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The antibiotic resistance profile was made following the standards established by CLSI. All clinical isolates included in this study were confirmed as belonging to the species K. pneumoniae, 96.42% were considered strong biofilm formers and all were positive in the Congo Red agar (CRA) test. Thus, 64.29% of isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), 25% as extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and 7.14% as pandrug-resistant (PDR). PFGE fingerprint analysis revealed 18 clones and of these, 15 have a unique pattern and another three were groups with patterns > 80% similarity. The clinical isolates used were collected over two years and revealed a genetic relationship. The same clone was identified in different types of samples and different years, demonstrating the permanence of the strain in the hospital environment. Our results reaffirm the need for greater measures of control and disinfection within the hospital environment, and the priority of therapeutic measures to contain the propagation of K. pneumoniae.