Segmentation Matters: Recognizing the Cell Segmentation Challenge in Spatial Transcriptomics.

Probe-based hybridization spatial transcriptomics has emerged as a state-of-the-art for neuroscience research. Accurate segmentation of neurons and non-neuronal cells, a critical step for downstream analysis, remains a big challenge. Using human sensory ganglia neurons as an example, we systematically explore this problem.

Cytomegalovirus-Associated Septic Shock Leading to Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is typically asymptomatic in the immunocompetent but can cause deadly complications in the immunosuppressed. We report a rare case of a 58-year-old woman with stage IIIb chronic kidney disease, membranous glomerulonephritis, and diabetes mellitus who presented with profound weakness, watery diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. First managed for suspected infectious colitis, urinary tract infection, and acute kidney injury, she deteriorated quickly with confusion, hypotension, and fever.

Comparing Medical and Surgical Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Systematic Review of Dupilumab and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial condition that significantly impacts patients' quality of life through persistent nasal obstruction, loss of smell, and facial pain. Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has historically been the definitive option for patients who fail first-line therapies, yet emerging evidence suggests that Dupixent (dupilumab), an IL-4/IL-13 inhibitor, may provide robust medical management by directly targeting the underlying type 2 inflammatory pathways. This systematic review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, examining randomized clinical trials and prospective intervention studies identified through multiple databases.

Evaluating Ground State Energies of Chemical Systems with Low-Depth Quantum Circuits and High Accuracy.

Quantum computers have the potential to efficiently solve the electronic structure problem but are currently limited by noise and shallow circuits. We present an enhanced Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) ansatz based on the Qubit Coupled Cluster (QCC) approach that requires optimization of only parameters, where is the number of Pauli string generators, rather than the typical + 2 parameters, where is the number of qubits. We evaluate the ground state energies and molecular dissociation curves of strongly correlated molecules, namely O and Li, using active spaces of varying sizes in conjunction with our enhanced QCC ansatz, Unitary Coupled Cluster Single-Double (UCCSD) ansatz, and the classical Coupled Cluster Singles and Doubles (CCSD) method.

Follow-up Adherence After Teleretinal Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Aim: Determine the follow-up rate for patients referred following an abnormal teleretinal imaging (TRI) screening and examine patient characteristics predictive of follow-up nonadherence.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients screened between August 2014 and July 2016 in the Harris Health System (HHS) in Houston, TX. All diabetic patients referred for in-person examination, who had data for all study variables, and who did not have established ophthalmic care in the HHS within the previous 2 years were included.

A Dopamine Detection Sensor Based on Au-Decorated NiS and Its Medical Application.

This article reports a simple hydrothermal method for synthesizing nickel disulfide (NiS) on the surface of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, followed by the deposition of 5 nm Au nanoparticles on the electrode surface by physical vapor deposition. This process ensures the uniform distribution of Au nanoparticles on the NiS surface to enhance its conductivity. Finally, an Au@NiS-FTO electrochemical biosensor is obtained for the detection of dopamine (DA).

Transit Time Theory for a Droplet Passing through a Slit in Pressure-Driven Low Reynolds Number Flows.

Soft objects squeezing through small apertures are crucial for many in vivo and in vitro processes. Red blood cell transit time through splenic inter-endothelial slits (IESs) plays a crucial role in blood filtration and disease progression, while droplet velocity through constrictions in microfluidic devices is important for effective manipulation and separation processes. As these transit phenomena are not well understood, we sought to establish analytical and numerical solutions of viscous droplet transit through a rectangular slit.

Predicting surfactant phase behavior with a molecularly informed field theory.

Hypothesis: The computational study of surfactants and self-assembly is challenging because 1) models need to reflect chemistry-specific interactions, and 2) self-assembled structures are difficult to equilibrate with conventional molecular dynamics. We propose to overcome these challenges with a multiscale simulation approach where relative entropy minimization transfers chemically-detailed information from all-atom (AA) simulations to coarse-grained (CG) models that can be simulated using field-theoretic methods. Field-theoretic simulations are not limited by intrinsic physical time scales like diffusion and allow for rigorous equilibration via free energy minimization.

Molecularly Informed Field Theories from Bottom-up Coarse-Graining.

Polymer formulations possessing mesostructures or phase coexistence are challenging to simulate using atomistic particle-explicit approaches due to the disparate time and length scales, while the predictive capability of field-based simulations is hampered by the need to specify interactions at a coarser scale (e.g., χ-parameters).

Transcriptomic expression of AMPA receptor subunits and their auxiliary proteins in the human brain.

Receptors to glutamate of the AMPA type (AMPARs) serve as the major gates of excitation in the human brain, where they participate in fundamental processes underlying perception, cognition and movement. Due to their central role in brain function, dysregulation of these receptors has been implicated in neuropathological states associated with a large variety of diseases that manifest with abnormal behaviors. The participation of functional abnormalities of AMPARs in brain disorders is strongly supported by genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic studies.

Evolving drug regulatory landscape in China: A clinical pharmacology perspective.

In order to encourage innovative medicine to address Chinese unmet medical needs, China has changed its drug regulatory landscape to speed up access to new medicines. In order to understand the fast-changing landscape and to enable planning of more global drug development programs and study designs in China, we reviewed 15 published clinical pharmacology-related guidances by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and compared them with reference guidances from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), to understand the similarities and differences, especially any China-specific requirements, such as ethnic sensitivity analysis. Overall, by reviewing these clinical pharmacology-related NMPA guidances, it is clear that NMPA guidances are very similar to FDA, EMA, and ICH guidances.

Isolated Pancreatic Tail Injury in Paediatrics; A Case Report and Literature Review.

Pancreatic injury in paediatrics is a rare condition and can be difficult to diagnose. The diagnostic challenge is due to its symptom of vague abdominal pain which usually results in late presentation. Elevated biochemical markers such as amylase and lipase can aid in the evaluation of pancreatic injury, however, it is not specific and is only evident after several hours of trauma.

Learning composition-transferable coarse-grained models: Designing external potential ensembles to maximize thermodynamic information.

Achieving thermodynamic faithfulness and transferability across state points is an outstanding challenge in the bottom-up coarse graining of molecular models, with many efforts focusing on augmenting the form of coarse-grained interaction potentials to improve transferability. Here, we revisit the critical role of the simulation ensemble and the possibility that even simple models can be made more predictive through a smarter choice of ensemble. We highlight the efficacy of coarse graining from ensembles where variables conjugate to the thermodynamic quantities of interest are forced to respond to applied perturbations.

Regional transcriptome analysis of AMPA and GABA receptor subunit expression generates E/I signatures of the human brain.

Theoretical and experimental work has demonstrated that excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) currents within cortical circuits stabilize to a balanced state. This E/I balance, observed from single neuron to network levels, has a fundamental role in proper brain function and its impairment has been linked to numerous brain disorders. Over recent years, large amount of microarray and RNA-Sequencing datasets have been collected, however few studies have made use of these resources for exploring the balance of global gene expression levels between excitatory AMPA receptors (AMPARs) and inhibitory GABA receptors.

Mechanisms of spontaneous chain formation and subsequent microstructural evolution in shear-driven strongly confined drop monolayers.

It was experimentally demonstrated by Migler and his collaborators [Phys. Rev. Lett.

Human brain transcriptome analysis finds region- and subject-specific expression signatures of GABAR subunits.

Altered expression of GABA receptors (GABARs) has been implicated in neurological and psychiatric disorders, but limited information about region-specific GABAR subunit expression in healthy human brains, heteromeric assembly of major isoforms, and their collective organization across healthy individuals, are major roadblocks to understanding their role in non-physiological states. Here, by using microarray and RNA-Seq datasets-from single cell nuclei to global brain expression-from the Allen Institute, we find that transcriptional expression of GABAR subunits is anatomically organized according to their neurodevelopmental origin. The data show a combination of complementary and mutually-exclusive expression patterns that delineate major isoforms, and which is highly stereotypical across brains from control donors.

Accuracy of Detection and Grading of Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema Using Teleretinal Screening.

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of a county teleretinal screening program of detecting referable diabetic retinopathy (DR) and treatable diabetic macular edema (DME), as well as to evaluate patient compliance with clinic follow-up after referral from teleretinal screening.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Participants: Patients in the Harris Health System (HHS, Houston, TX) older than 18 years of age who underwent teleretinal screening between July 2014 and July 2016.

Clinical Pearl: The "Rule of 8".

Preschool-aged children typically perform worse than 20/20 on visual acuity testing in the absence of ocular or visual pathway abnormalities due to non-ocular issues, including concentration, cooperation, and/or confidence. As a result, vision screening for this age group can be a challenge. The "Rule of 8" is an easy-to-remember, highly effective mnemonic that clinicians can use to help differentiate children who are performing visual acuity testing at age-appropriate levels from those who may need further evaluation.

Electrostatic correlations and the polyelectrolyte self energy.

We address the effects of chain connectivity on electrostaticfluctuations in polyelectrolyte solutions using a field-theoretic, renormalizedGaussian fluctuation (RGF) theory. As in simple electrolyte solutions [Z.-G.