An assessment of nurse practitioner low-value care use in primary care.

Objectives: To establish baseline prevalence rates associated with nurse practitioner (NP) use of 3 of the most commonly observed primary care low-value-care (LVC) services and to examine whether practice location and patient characteristics impact NP LVC use.

Study Design: Cross-sectional, secondary analysis.

Methods: Data for 14,579 adult beneficiaries in the 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico were analyzed.

Daily Movement Activities Are Associated With Within-Person Instability of Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Evidence From an Ambulatory Assessment Study.

Background And Objectives: Physical inactivity and excessive sedentary time (ST) are associated with poor cognitive health in older adults. However, current literature largely relies on cross-sectional designs or in-lab cognitive assessments, which do not adequately reflect cognitive function in naturalistic settings. Further, existing studies have largely overlooked the variability or the instability in daily cognitive function, which represents a critical marker of cognitive decline.

Full complex amplitude control of second-harmonic generation via electrically tunable intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces.

Nonlinear intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces based on coupling of the intersubband nonlinear optical response of quantum-engineered semiconductor heterostructures and electromagnetic modes of nanoresonators provide efficient frequency mixing with moderate pump intensities. The resonant nonlinear optical response, represented as a complex function, can be modulated via Stark tuning of intersubband transition energies under applied voltages. However, achieving full complex amplitude control (both phase and magnitude) remains challenging.

Assessment of established prognostic factors and artificial intelligence-based evaluation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Traditional risk assessment for tongue cancer relies on clinicopathological parameters. Although tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are promising prognostic markers, their evaluation lacks standardization. This study aimed to validate established prognostic factors and introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based TIL assessment method.

Experimental demonstration of third-order memristor-based artificial sensory nervous system for neuro-inspired robotics.

The sensory nervous system in animals enables the perception of external stimuli. Developing an artificial sensory nervous system has been widely conducted to realize neuro-inspired robots capable of effectively responding to external stimuli. However, it remains challenging to develop artificial sensory nervous systems that possess sophisticated biological functions, such as habituation and sensitization, enabling efficient responses without bulky peripheral circuitry.

Lipid metabolism in cancer stem cells: reprogramming, mechanisms, crosstalk, and therapeutic approaches.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a highly plastic subpopulation of tumor cells with capabilities for self-renewal, therapy resistance, and metastasis. Recent evidence highlights lipid metabolic reprogramming as a central mechanism supporting these malignant traits. This review synthesizes current findings on key lipid metabolic processes in CSCs-including lipid uptake via CD36, intracellular storage in lipid droplets, de novo fatty acid synthesis by fatty acid synthase (FASN), fatty acid oxidation (FAO) regulated by carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), and cholesterol biosynthesis through the mevalonate pathway.

Superior Storage and Controlled Release of Oxygen by Solid Clathrates under Ambient Conditions.

A concentrated O supply is essential in medical systems, submarines, aircraft, and in space technology. However, it remains challenging to discover solid materials for O storage, particularly those that offer structural stability and O-capturing characteristics under ambient conditions. Here, we report solid hydroquinone clathrate crystals encapsulating O molecules, potentially allowing long-term storage and recycling at room temperature and ambient pressure.

Erbin interacts with NHERF1 and Ezrin to stabilize a membrane ErbB2 signaling complex in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Approximately 20% of breast cancers overexpress ErbB2/HER2/Neu, a receptor tyrosine kinase. Our previous studies demonstrated that HER2 interacts with the calcium pump, PMCA2, and the scaffolding molecules, NHERF1 and Ezrin to stabilize HER2/HSP90 interactions and contribute to the retention of active HER2 at the plasma membrane. In the normal mammary epithelium where apical/basal polarity is tightly regulated by junctional proteins, HER2 is expressed at low levels in the basolateral membrane and interacts with the LAP family member, Erbin, whereas PMCA2, NHERF1, and Ezrin localize to the apical membrane.

Flexible self-rectifying synapse array for energy-efficient edge multiplication in electrocardiogram diagnosis.

Edge computing devices, which generate, collect, process, and analyze data near the source, enhance the data processing efficiency and improve the responsiveness in real-time applications or unstable network environments. To be utilized in wearable and skin-attached electronics, these edge devices must be compact, energy efficient for use in low-power environments, and fabricable on soft substrates. Here, we propose a flexible memristive dot product engine (f-MDPE) designed for edge use and demonstrate its feasibility in a real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system.

Whole slide image-level classification of malignant effusion cytology using clustering-constrained attention multiple instance learning.

Background: Cytological diagnosis of pleural effusion plays an important role in the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancers. Recently, attempts have been made to overcome low diagnostic accuracy and interobserver variability using artificial intelligence-based image analysis. However, such analysis is primarily performed at the image-patch level and not at the whole-slide image (WSI) level.

Quantum imaging with ultra-thin metasurfaces.

Nonlinear optical metasurfaces, which relax the phase-matching constraints of bulk nonlinear crystals and allow for precise engineering, are opening new possibilities in the field of quantum photonics. Recent advancements have experimentally demonstrated high-resolution 2D imaging using a 1D detector array by combining quantum ghost imaging and all-optical scanning with spatially entangled photon pairs generated from a nonlinear metasurface. These findings establish metasurfaces as a promising platform for quantum imaging, communications, and sensing applications.

Walking Interventions and Cognitive Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

ObjectiveThis systematic review summarizes the effectiveness and the dose of walking interventions on specific cognition domains in older adults, including executive function, memory, attention, processing speed, and global cognition.Data sourcePublished randomized controlled trials in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science until 10 May 2023.Study Inclusion and Exclusion CriteriaStudies include older adults without Alzheimer's or related dementias, involving a walking intervention and performance-based neuropsychological assessments for executive function, memory, processing speed, attention, or global cognition.

Generation of prostate cancer assembloids modeling the patient-specific tumor microenvironment.

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among men and contributes significantly to cancer-related mortality. While recent advances in in vitro PC modeling systems have been made, there remains a lack of robust preclinical models that faithfully recapitulate the genetic and phenotypic characteristics across various PC subtypes-from localized PC (LPC) to castration-resistant PC (CRPC)-along with associated stromal cells. Here, we established human PC assembloids from LPC and CRPC tissues by reconstituting tumor organoids with corresponding cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), thereby incorporating aspects of the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Levelized Electrode Utilization of Silicon-Enriched Pouch-Type Lithium-Ion Batteries from External Stress-Induced Overpotential Modulation.

The sectional utilization of the Si negative electrode resulted from the appropriate physical treatment of the pouch cell based on the distribution of electrical resistance. Active materials loaded near the tab have low electrical resistance, leading to a higher degree of lithiation in the Si near the tab. This localized utilization in large pouch cells causes significant polarization growth of the electrode due to mechanical and interphasial degradation.

Geometric Design of Interface Structures and Electrolyte Solvation Chemistry for Fast Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The grain sizes of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and solvation structure of electrolytes can affect Li ion transport across SEI and control the desolvation kinetics of solvated Li ions during fast-charging of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the impact of the geometric structure of SEI grains on the fast charging capability of LIBs is rarely examined. Here, the correlation between the SEI grain size and fast charging characteristics of cells is explored, and the desolvation kinetics is controlled by replacing the strongly binding ethylene carbonate (EC) solvent with a weakly binding nitrile-based solvent under fast charging conditions.

The Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes to Treat Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a fatal metabolic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. In recent studies, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes, which are being investigated clinically as a cell-free therapy for various diseases, have gained attention due to their biomimetic properties that closely resemble natural cellular communication systems. These MSC-derived exosomes inherit the regenerative and protective effects from MSCs, inducing pancreatic β-cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis, as well as ameliorating insulin resistance by suppressing the release of various inflammatory cytokines.

Therapeutic effect of novel drug candidate, PRG-N-01, on NF2 syndrome-related tumor.

Background: NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN) is associated with multiple benign tumors in the nervous system. NF2-SWN, caused by mutations in the NF2 gene, has developed into intracranial and spinal schwannomas. Because of the high surgical risk and frequent recurrence of multiple tumors, targeted therapy is necessary.

Broadband giant nonlinear response using electrically tunable polaritonic metasurfaces.

Intersubband transitions in semiconductor heterostructures offer a way to achieve large and designable nonlinearities with dynamic modulation of intersubband energies through the Stark effect. One promising approach for incorporating these nonlinearities into free space optics is a nonlinear polaritonic metasurface, which derives resonant coupling between intersubband nonlinearities and optical modes in nanocavities. Recent work has shown efficient frequency mixing at low pumping intensities, with the ability to electrically tune the phase, amplitude, and spectral peak of it.

Impact of ciprofloxacin with autophagy on renal tubular injury.

Backgrounds: Renal tubular injury caused by oxidative stress and inflammation results in acute kidney injury. Recent research reported that antibiotics may protect renal tubules from progressive deterioration, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of action of antibiotics against renal tubular injury.

Permeability monitoring of underground concrete structures using elastic wave characteristics with modified Biot's model.

This study aims to develop a theoretical model for predicting the permeability of concrete in underground structures using compressive elastic waves. This research is motivated by the necessity of monitoring the permeability of concrete used in critical underground infrastructure, such as tunnels and radioactive waste disposal sites, to ensure their long-term safety. Increased permeability owing to crack generation can lead to groundwater inflow, undermining the structural integrity of these facilities.

Predictive biomarkers for metachronous gastric cancer development after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.

Objectives: We aimed to identify predictive markers for metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) in early gastric cancer (EGC) patients curatively treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Materials And Methods: From EGC patients who underwent ESD, bulk RNA sequencing was performed on non-cancerous gastric mucosa samples at the time of initial EGC diagnosis. This included 23 patients who developed MGC, and 23 control patients without additional gastric neoplasms for over 3 years (1:1 matched by age, sex, and Helicobacter pylori infection state).

Nuclear Chloride Ion-Selective Fluorescent Probe and Its Biological Applications.

Owing to the biological significance of Cl in cells, several chemical fluorescent probes and biosensors have been constructed to monitor this anion in the cytosol and subcellular organelles. However, a fluorescent probe for the selective detection of nuclear Cl has not been described thus far. In the current study, we developed the first nuclear Cl-selective biosensor, Cl-YFP-NLS, whose fluorescence was effectively quenched by this anion, and demonstrated that it is an efficient and powerful tool for determining the levels of nuclear Cl.

Electrically tunable third-harmonic generation using intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces.

Nonlinear intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces, which integrate giant nonlinear responses derived from intersubband transitions of multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with plasmonic nanoresonators, not only facilitate efficient frequency conversion at pump intensities on the order of few tens of kW cm but also enable electrical modulation of nonlinear responses at the individual meta-atom level and dynamic beam manipulation. The electrical modulation characteristics of the magnitude and phase of the nonlinear optical response are realized through Stark tuning of the resonant intersubband nonlinearity. In this study, we report, for the first time, experimental implementations of electrical modulation characteristics of mid-infrared third-harmonic generation (THG) using an intersubband polaritonic metasurface based on MQW with electrically tunable third-order nonlinear response.