Personalized federated learning with hierarchical reweighting for multi-center clinical prediction.

Background And Objective: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) depicting patient-related information have been accumulated in a distributed manner and significantly contributed to clinical prediction. Although federated learning can collaborate with multiple medical centers without data sharing, the heterogeneity within multi-center EHRs poses a difficulty to achieve satisfactory predictive performance among different individuals. The objective is to train a personalized model for each client that performs well on local data while simultaneously benefiting from federated training.

Molecular manipulation of polyamide nanostructures reconciles the permeance-selectivity threshold for precise ion separation.

Membrane nanofiltration (NF) has emerged as a prominent technology for efficient separations of ions, but state-of-the-art polyamide (PA) NF membranes are constrained by a pernicious tradeoff between water permeance and selectivity. This work conceives a versatile molecular engineering strategy to simultaneously improve water permeance and co-cation selectivity through molecular construction of cationic triazolyl heterocyclic polyamide (CTHP) nanofilms via scalable interfacial polymerization. Experimental data and molecular simulations reveal that the CTHP structures precisely regulate the subnanometer pore architecture and binding affinity with water and ions, affording advanced size-sieving and Donnan exclusion while facilitating water partitioning and transport.

What does "success" look like in compliance check decisions by the European Chemicals Agency? The curious cases of accepted read-across adaptations.

Under the European Union's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is required to assess the compliance of safety data submitted by chemical registrants. ECHA must check a proportion of registration dossiers for compliance. From 2010 to 2023, 4,854 compliance checks (CCHs) were conducted.

Mechanical signaling regulates vascular smooth muscle cell adaptation in aging.

Aging is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Preventing age-induced arterial dysfunction and the associated risk of cardiovascular disease remains a significant clinical challenge. Aerobic exercise, which induces a temporary increase in both blood flow and pressure in active tissue, has been shown to reduce macroscale arterial stiffening in humans.

Use of Glucose/Fructose to Enhance the Exon Skipping Efficacy.

Exon skipping antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) are promising treatments for muscle-related genetic ailments, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), but clinical translation is unfortunately hampered by insufficient systemic delivery. Here, we describe how one can employ a glucose/fructose injection mixture to improve muscle uptake and functional outcomes of DMD AOs in energy-deficient peripheral muscles of mdx mice. The potentiating effect of glucose/fructose on AOs in energy-deficient muscles offers a simple and economical method for enhancing AO potency, reducing screening costs for researchers and accelerating the translation of nucleic acid-based therapeutics in DMD and other muscular dystrophies.

Caregiving burdens of task time and task difficulty among paid and unpaid caregivers of persons living with dementia.

Background: Demands of caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) are often influenced by the context of their caregiving situation. This study examines common and unique factors associated with caregiving burden in terms of task time and task difficulty among paid and unpaid caregivers of PLWD.

Methods: Cross-sectional baseline survey data were analyzed from 107 paid and unpaid caregivers of PLWD participating in a larger NIH-funded study assessing the feasibility of using a novel in-situ sensor system.

Silver Modified Covalent Organic Framework Nanotraps for Efficient Radioiodine Capture: Synergizing Charge-Transfer Interaction and Redox Chemisorption Under Extreme Conditions.

Efficient sequestration of radioiodine is imperative for safeguarding ecosystems and advancing sustainable nuclear energy development. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are emerging iodine adsorbents, while their practical application is hindered by suboptimal decontamination efficiency under extreme nuclear reprocessing conditions, particularly for ppm-level iodine. For ultra-efficient iodine capture, a tailored linker engineering strategy is developed to precisely control the uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles within a robust sp-amine-linked COF (Ag-SCU-COF-5).

Risk profiles of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias care partners: A latent profile analysis to inform intervention.

Objectives: Identify risk factors for profiles of caregiver burden, depression, and social disconnectedness among Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) care partners.

Methods: Latent Profile Analysis of baseline caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and social disconnectedness among 95 ADRD care partners enrolled in a problem-solving intervention clinical trial. Multivariable linear regressions determined risk factors associated with these profiles.

Persistent Poverty, Rural Location, and Racial Segregation Are Factors in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Low-Income and Uninsured Populations.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between geographical factors, including rurality, persistent poverty counties, racial residential segregation, and adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among low-income uninsured and underinsured individuals in Texas.

Methods: Utilizing retrospective survey data collected by the A&M Texas Cancer Screening program from 2011 to 2022, linear mixed-effects models were employed. The models examined CRC screening adherence within the recommended time frame as the primary outcome, with geographical county-level characteristics (rurality, racial residential segregation, and persistent poverty) as the main predictors, controlling for other sociodemographic variables.

Inverted Chiral Response in Folded Anisotropic van der Waals Materials.

In-plane anisotropic van der Waals (vdW) materials possess chirality-related degrees of freedom that can be identified by distinct vertical orientations. Despite their novel functionality, the realization of distinct vertical orientations in anisotropic vdW materials remains challenging. Herein, we propose a folding-based one-step approach for constructing structural differences.

Colon Enzyme-Activated Prebiotic Nanomedicine for Targeted Therapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease is commonly treated with conventional therapies that suffer from poor drug bioavailability and significant side effects. This work develops a nanoparticle system using inulin, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, to address these challenges. This colon-targeted oral drug delivery system enables precise and efficient treatment of IBD by leveraging the colon-specific degradation of inulin by the enzyme inulinase.

Perceived Discrimination in Medical Care Settings on A1c Data From the Program.

Approximately 11.3% of the U.S.

Near-infrared spatiotemporal color vision in humans enabled by upconversion contact lenses.

Humans cannot perceive infrared light due to the physical thermodynamic properties of photon-detecting opsins. However, the capability to detect invisible multispectral infrared light with the naked eye is highly desirable. Here, we report wearable near-infrared (NIR) upconversion contact lenses (UCLs) with suitable optical properties, hydrophilicity, flexibility, and biocompatibility.

[Effects of different tree forms and grass mulching on microclimate in orchards in the plain regions of southern Xinjiang, China].

Tree form training and inter-row grass mulching are important components of modern orchard management. To explore optimal cultivation and management measures for mitigating the hazard effects of continuous high temperatures on dwarfed in the plain regions of southern Xinjiang, we conducted a split-plot experiment in a orchard with three tree forms (open-center shape, OS; low spindle shape, LS; high spindle shape, HS) and two inter-row management practices (grass mulching, GR; clean cultivation control, CK). During a period of continuous high temperatures and irrigation suspension in August of the grass mulching year, we mea-sured air temperature and relative humidity at the upper, middle, and lower parts of the outer canopy (UC, MC, LC) at 10:00 and 16:00 every second day, as well as soil temperature and moisture at different soil depths (10 and 20 cm) under the canopy projection.

The Burden of Comorbid Depression and Type 2 Diabetes: An Empirical Study Using Commercial Insurance Data.

Introduction: Despite rising rates of depression and diabetes, assessments of depression's burden on diabetes management and its economic burden remain limited. In this study, we evaluate the burden of depression on diabetes management and quantify the financial implications of comorbid depression and diabetes.

Methods: We performed propensity score matching on Texas commercial claims data (2016-2019) to match type 2 diabetes patients with depression (n = 613) to those without (n = 583).

Fracture Analysis of Concrete Structures: Prediction Based on Boundary Effect Model.

A simple design model, able to link test results of small concrete samples to failures of large structures, is desirable for fracture analysis of concrete structures, particularly if the model has no special requirements on small samples, e.g., size, notched or un-notched.

Predicting high-cost, commercially-insured people with diabetes in Texas: Characteristics, medical utilization patterns, and urban-rural comparisons.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent chronic disease in the United States and healthcare resources used to manage the disease are disproportionately consumed by a small subset of users. Consequently, there is a potential to reduce the healthcare costs and to improve the health outcomes through the early detection and consistent management of high-cost users.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to characterize the pattern of medical utilization and cost of commercially-insured people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Texas and to identify predictors of high-cost users.

Comparative effectiveness of diabetes self-management education and support intervention strategies among adults with type 2 diabetes in Texas.

Background: With approximately 1-in-10 Texas estimated to be living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), and the steadily rising healthcare costs associated with non-managed T2DM, efforts are needed to help patients manage their diabetes and avoid costly health consequences. While many diabetes self-management interventions and solutions exist to improve health among people living with T2DM, less is known about the relative effectiveness of these interventions based on their delivery format and when used in combination. The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of three intervention modalities to reduce hemoglobin A1c (A1c) among Texans with T2DM living in rural and urban settings.

Unraveling the Surface Chemistry of Aluminum Oxo Archimedean Cages for Efficient Serial Adsorption.

Multifunctional materials that meet diverse application needs hold profound significance in resource optimization, efficiency enhancement, and environmental sustainability. However, the development of these materials faces numerous challenges, including raw material acquisition, design feasibility, and long-term stability. This study demonstrates the innovative application of the surface chemistry of aluminum oxo Archimedean cages in efficient serial adsorption.

Differentiation of high risk prostate cancer with a facile urinary exosome detection workflow.

Clear differentiation of high-grade and clinically insignificant prostate cancer (PCa) is critical for clinical decision-making. Here, we developed a proprietary urinary exosome isolation approach (EVLatch) and established a facile diagnostic workflow. We discovered that levels, abundantly expressed on urinary exosomes, positively correlate to urinary exosome counts irrespective of source and collection time and demonstrated that enables in-assay quantification of urinary exosomes.

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in primary melanoma are associated with a better prognosis.

Background: The relationship between tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and survival in melanoma is poorly understood. We present a large multicenter study assessing the association between TIL and survival.

Methods: The Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group database was queried from 1993 to 2024 for cases with known TIL and survival data.

Interface-Confined Catalytic Synthesis of Anisotropic Covalent Organic Framework Nanofilm for Ultrafast Molecular Sieving.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as prominent membrane materials for efficiently fractionating organic molecules and ions due to their unique pore structure. However, the fabrication of free-standing COF nanofilms with high crystallinity remains an arduous undertaking, and feasible methods that can enable precise control over the film microstructure are barely reported. This work conceives an exquisite interface-confined catalytic strategy to prepare Tp-BD(OH) COF nanofilm with an anisotropic structure analogously to conventional polymeric membranes.

Determining the threshold time in restricted mean survival time analysis for two group comparisons with applications in clinical and epidemiology studies.

The restricted mean survival time analysis has been used extensively in clinical research involving time-to-event endpoints. The threshold time up to which the restricted mean survival is calculated has a critical impact on the analysis results. However, identifying an optimal threshold time for treatment comparison, which corresponds to the greatest restricted mean lifetime difference between groups, remains unclear in practice and no analytical method has been developed on this topic.

Heterogeneous Activation of NaClO by Nano-CoMnO Spinel for Methylene Blue Decolorization.

In this study, the nano-spinel CoMnO was synthesized by coprecipitation pyrolysis and employed to heterogeneously activate hypochlorite (NaClO) for the oxidative decolorization of methylene blue (MB). The crystal structure, elemental composition, surface morphology, and microstructure of the prepared CoMnO nano-spinel were analyzed using a series of characterization techniques. The pyrolysis temperature was screened on the basis of MB decolorization efficiency and the leaching of metal ions during the reaction.

Advanced diffusion-weighted imaging biomarkers for non-invasive assessment of tumor microenvironment in rectal cancer: restricted spectrum imaging.

Purpose: To explore the heterogeneity of the rectal cancer microenvironment (TME) using restricted spectrum imaging (RSI) and investigate its association with tumor stroma and Ki67 as key histopathologic indicators.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, 66 patients with rectal cancer underwent pretreatment MRI with RSI. The optimal model format was determined by Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).