Dilemma of natural resource abundance: a case study of Kuwait

There is a lively debate about the relationship between a nation’s natural resource abundance and economic growth. Some view natural resource abundance as a curse, whereas others view it as a blessing. This study examines the economic, social, and political effects of resource abundance in an oil-rich country, Kuwait, using data from 1984 to 2014. This study analyzes the short- and long-run impacts of resource rents on per capita gross domestic product (GDP), productivity, human capital, and institutional quality. The study reveals through autoregressive distributed lag modeling and error correction modeling that resource rents increase per capita GDP merely in the short-run; however, resource rents deteriorate productivity, human capital, and institutional quality in both the short and the long-run. These results indicate that, for Kuwait, the overreliance on its natural resources has been detrimental over the long-run. The study suggests that there is a need to improve the quality of institutions and enhance the level of human capital to get economic sustainability and development over time

Deciphering vesicle-assisted transport mechanisms in cytoplasm to cilium trafficking

The cilium, a pivotal organelle crucial for cell signaling and proper cell function, relies on meticulous macromolecular transport from the cytoplasm for its formation and maintenance. While the intraflagellar transport (IFT) pathway has traditionally been the focus of extensive study concerning ciliogenesis and ciliary maintenance, recent research highlights a complementary and alternative mechanism—vesicle-assisted transport (VAT) in cytoplasm to cilium trafficking. Despite its potential significance, the VAT pathway remains largely uncharacterized. This review explores recent studies providing evidence for the dynamics of vesicle-related diffusion and transport within the live primary cilium, employing high-speed super-resolution light microscopy. Additionally, we analyze the spatial distribution of vesicles in the cilium, mainly relying on electron microscopy data. By scrutinizing the VAT pathways that facilitate cargo transport into the cilium, with a specific emphasis on recent advancements and imaging data, our objective is to synthesize a comprehensive model of ciliary transport through the integration of IFT-VAT mechanisms

Axonemal Lumen Dominates Cytosolic Protein Diffusion inside the Primary Cilium

Transport of membrane and cytosolic proteins in primary cilia is thought to depend on intraflagellar transport (IFT) and diffusion. However, the relative contribution and spatial routes of each transport mechanism are largely unknown. Although challenging to decipher, the details of these routes are essential for our understanding of protein transport in primary cilia, a critically affected process in many genetic diseases. By using a high-speed virtual 3D super-resolution microscopy, we have mapped the 3D spatial locations of transport routes for various cytosolic proteins in the 250-nm-wide shaft of live primary cilia with a spatiotemporal resolution of 2 ms and <16 nm. Our data reveal two spatially distinguishable transport routes for cytosolic proteins: an IFT-dependent path along the axoneme, and a passive-diffusion route in the axonemal lumen that escaped previous studies. While all cytosolic proteins tested primarily utilize the IFT path in the anterograde direction, differences are observed in the retrograde direction where IFT20 only utilizes IFT, and approximately half of KIF17 and one third of α–tubulin utilizes diffusion besides IFT

Optimal well-being after psychopathology: Prevalence and correlates

Optimal functioning after psychopathology is understudied. We report the prevalence of optimal well-being (OWB) following recovery after depression, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. Using a national Canadian sample (N = 23,491), we operationalized OWB as absence of 12-month psychopathology and scoring above the 25th national percentile on psychological well-being and functioning measures. Compared with 24.1% of participants without a history of psychopathology, 9.8% of participants with a lifetime history of psychopathology met OWB. Adults with a history of substance use disorders (10.2%) and depression (7.1%) were the most likely to report OWB. Persons with anxiety (5.7%), suicidal ideation (5.0%), bipolar 1 (3.3%), and bipolar 2 (3.2%) were less likely to report OWB. Having just one lifetime disorder increased the odds of OWB by 4.2 times relative to multiple lifetime disorders. While psychopathology substantially reduces the probability of OWB, many individuals with psychopathology attain OWB

Cost-effectiveness of intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes: a UK perspective

Background: use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved clinical outcomes over angiography alone. Despite this, the adoption of IVUS in clinical practice remains low.Aims: to examine the cost-effectiveness of IVUS-guided PCI compared to angiography alone in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).Methods and results: a 1-year decision tree and lifetime Markov model were constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of IVUS-guided PCI to angiography alone for two hypothetical adult populations consisting of 1000 individuals: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI) patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. The United Kingdom (UK) healthcare system perspective was applied using 2019/20 costs. All-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat PCI, lifetime costs, life expectancy, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were assessed. Over a lifetime horizon, IVUS-guided PCI was cost-effective compared to angiography alone in both populations, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £3649 and £5706 per-patient in STEMI and UA/NSTEMI patients, respectively.In the 1-year time horizon, the model suggested that IVUS was associated with reductions in mortality, MI, and repeat PCI by 51%, 33%, and 52% in STEMI and by 50%, 29%, and 57% in UA/NSTEMI patients, respectively. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the robustness of the model with IVUS being 100% cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of £20 000 per QALY-gained.Conclusions: from a UK healthcare perspective, an IVUS-guided PCI strategy was highly cost-effective over angiography alone amongst ACS patients undergoing DES implantation due to the medium- and long-term reduction in repeat PCI, death, and MI

De Novo Synovial Chondromatosis following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report

In this case report, we present a rare case of a female patient who developed pain and swelling after a total knee arthroplasty. An extensive diagnostic workup including serum and synovial testing to rule out infection was performed in addition to advanced imaging including an MRI of the knee, but it was only after an arthroscopic synovectomy that the diagnosis of secondary synovial chondromatosis was confirmed. The purpose of this case report is to highlight the occurrence of secondary synovial chondromatosis as a rare cause of pain and swelling after total knee arthroplasty, thereby assisting clinicians in providing prompt diagnosis, surgical treatment, and efficient recovery in the setting of secondary synovial chondromatosis after total knee arthroplasty

Cost-effectiveness of intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes: A UK perspective

Background Use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved clinical outcomes over angiography alone. Despite this, the adoption of IVUS in clinical practice remains low. Aims To examine the cost-effectiveness of IVUS-guided PCI compared to angiography alone in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods A one-year decision tree and lifetime Markov model were constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of IVUS-guided PCI to angiography alone for two hypothetical adult populations consisting of 1,000 individuals: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and unstable angina/ non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI) patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. The UK healthcare system perspective was applied using 2019/20 costs. All-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat PCI, lifetime costs, life expectancy and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were assessed. Results Over a lifetime horizon, IVUS-guided PCI was cost-effective compared to angiography alone in both populations, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £3,649 and £5,706 per-patient in STEMI and UA/NSTEMI patients, respectively. In the one-year time horizon, the model suggested that IVUS was associated with reductions in mortality, MI and repeat PCI by 51%, 33% and 52% in STEMI and by 50%, 29% and 57% in UA/NSTEMI patients, respectively. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the robustness of the model with IVUS being 100% cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of £20,000 per QALY-gained. Conclusions From a UK healthcare perspective, an IVUS-guided PCI strategy was highly cost-effective over angiography alone amongst ACS patients undergoing DES implantation due to the medium- and long-term reduction in repeat PCI, death, and MI

Return of the Ritonavir: A Study on the Stability of Pharmaceuticals Processed in Orbit and Returned to Earth

Despite notable progress in realizing the benefits of microgravity, the physical stability of therapeutics processed in space has not been sufficiently investigated. Environmental factors including vibration, acceleration, radiation, and temperature, if not addressed could impact the feasibility of in-space drug processing. The presented work demonstrates the successful recovery of the metastable Form III of ritonavir generated in orbit. The test samples and passive controls containing each of the anhydrous forms of ritonavir; Form I, Form II, Form III, and amorphous exhibit excellent stability. By providing a detailed experimental dataset centered on survivability, we pave the way for the future of in-space processing of medicines that enable the development of novel drug products on Earth and benefit long-duration human exploration initiatives