Lactococcus formosensis and its metabolite 4-acetamidobutanoic acid induced caspase-11 dependent myenteric neuronal pyroptosis in intractable functional constipation.

Intractable functional constipation (IFC), a severe form of chronic constipation characterized by slow transit and resistance to conventional treatments, posed a significant clinical challenge. Here, we identified Lactococcus formosensis (Lf), a Gram-positive bacterium prevalent in IFC patients, as a novel contributor to intestinal motility impairment. Clinically, IFC patients exhibited increased colonic mucosal colonization of Lf and significant myenteric neuronal loss and pyroptosis, particularly in excitatory choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) neurons, but not inhibitory neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) neurons.

Context Matching is not Reasoning: Assessing Generalized Evaluation of Generative Language Models in Clinical Settings.

Current discussion surrounding the clinical capabilities of generative language models (GLMs) predominantly center around multiple-choice question-answer (MCQA) benchmarks derived from clinical licensing examinations. While accepted for human examinees, characteristics unique to GLMs bring into question the validity of such benchmarks. Here, we validate four benchmarks using eight GLMs, ablating for parameter size and reasoning capabilities, validating via prompt permutation three key assumptions that underpin the generalizability of MCQA-based assessments: that knowledge is applied, not memorized, that semantic consistency will lead to consistent answers, and that situations with no answers can be recognized.

The efficacy and safety of remimazolam for the management of emergence agitation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Introduction: Emergence agitation (EA) is a common postoperative complication characterized by confusion, disorientation, and restless behavior that can lead to self-harm, the removal of medical devices, and other adverse events. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of a novel benzodiazepine, remimazolam, in the management of EA.

Methods: A total of 219 adults experienced EA (Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale SAS score ≥5) after otolaryngological surgery were randomly assigned (1:1:1 ratio) to receive one of the following three treatments: 2.

Microbial Mineral Gel Network for Enhancing the Performance of Recycled Concrete: A Review.

The dramatic increase in urban construction waste poses severe environmental challenges. Utilizing waste concrete to produce recycled aggregates (RA) for manufacturing recycled concrete (RC) represents an effective strategy for resource utilization. However, inherent defects in RA, such as high porosity, microcracks, and adherent old mortar layers, lead to significant performance degradation of the resulting RC, limiting its widespread application.

Deep Phenotyping of Obesity: Electronic Health Record-Based Temporal Modeling Study.

Background: Obesity affects approximately 40% of adults and 15%-20% of children and adolescents in the United States, and poses significant economic and psychosocial burdens. Currently, patient responses to any single antiobesity medication (AOM) vary significantly, making obesity deep phenotyping and associated precision medicine important targets of investigation.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of electronic health records (EHR) as a primary data source for obesity deep phenotyping.

Thermodynamic descriptor-guided ligand screening enables dendrite-free zinc deposition in alkaline flow batteries.

Alkaline zinc-based flow batteries suffer from poor zinc reversibility due to dendrite growth and parasitic reactions, which significantly shorten their cycling lifespan. A key challenge lies in the rational design of ligands to eliminate concentration polarization caused by mismatched diffusion and interfacial reaction rates, thereby inducing and regulating uniform zinc deposition. In this study, we propose a thermodynamic descriptor-guided ligand screening strategy, using the metal-ligand stability constant (log K) as a quantitative criterion to simultaneously optimize deposition morphology and interfacial ion kinetics.

Bibliometric analysis of publication trends in meningioma research (1992 - 2023).

The purpose of this study was providing an overview of meningioma research and its current situation. We conducted a bibliometric study of 14,027 articles and reviews on meningioma between January, 1992 to June, 2023 with the bibliometrix tool and VOSviewer. The distribution of authorship and collaboration patterns among countries, institutions, publications, and authors were analyzed.

Spontaneously assembled cellulose nanocrystal structural color films with tunable properties.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which possessing unique cholesteric liquid crystal properties, can self-assemble and then stack into layered structures to produce structural colouration. By controlling the periodicity of these layered structures, the films with various colors can be fabricated, which could be used as a new generation of environmentally friendly pigments. In this study bamboo-based CNC were utilized as the raw material for constructing vibrantly colored CNC film via layer-by-layer self-assembly process by adding hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) to regulate the pitch.

Effect of Intravenous, Inhalational, or Combined Anesthesia Maintenance on Postoperative Respiratory Adverse Events in Children Undergoing Adenotonsillectomy (AmPRAEC): A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: General anesthetic drugs may affect the risk of postoperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in children, but the effect of anesthesia maintenance strategies on these events has not yet been widely validated. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that anesthesia maintenance with propofol infusion in addition to inhalation anesthesia or alone would lead to a progressive reduction in the incidence of PRAEs.

Methods: This multicenter randomized clinical trial (AmPRAEC study) enrolled 760 children aged 0-12 years who underwent adenotonsillectomy at 12 hospitals in China.

Popliteal sciatic nerve block versus intrathecal anesthesia for Achilles tendon rupture repair surgery: a mono-centric retrospective comparative study.

Background: To compare the anesthetic and analgesic effects of popliteal sciatic nerve block and intrathecal anesthesia in acute Achilles tendon rupture patients undergoing surgery.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 115 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture who underwent surgery at Peking University Third Hospital between May and November 2023. After excluding cases lost to follow-up or declining participation, 96 patients were ultimately enrolled.

Pseudoprospective forecasting of failure time.

Power-law precursory acceleration of observable quantities has been accepted as an effective way to predict time to failure in both materials and structures. However, the form of the power-law exponent is seldom known a priori and is a key challenge in blind prediction. We report a linear relation with respect to time t of the estimated failure times t_{*} that are calculated step by step using the most recent updates of the monitored quantity.

Exploring the effect and mechanism of fucoidan on liver cancer depending on network pharmacology and experimental verification.

Objective: This research investigates the anti-liver cancer mechanisms of fucoidan by integrating network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, and validation.

Methods: Potential targets of fucoidan were first predicted using the SwissTargetPrediction platform. Subsequently, targets associated with liver cancer were identified through data extraction from three established databases: GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD, and the intersection between the targets of fucoidan and liver cancer was identified.

High-Power Coupled Wideband Low-Frequency Antenna Design for Enhanced Long-Range Loran-C Timing Synchronization.

Precise timing synchronization remains a fundamental requirement for modern navigation and communication systems, where the miniaturization of Loran-C infrastructure presents both technical challenges and practical significance. Conventional miniaturized loop antennas cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of the Loran-C signal for both radiation intensity and bandwidth due to inherent quality factor (Q) limitations. A sub-cubic-meter impedance matching (IM) antenna is proposed, featuring a -20 dB bandwidth of 18 kHz and over 7-fold radiation enhancement.

Instruments for measuring fatigue in patients with brain tumours: protocol for a COSMIN--based systematic review.

Introduction: Cancer-related fatigue occurs at high rates and can harm patients' quality of life and even reduce survival, especially in patients with brain tumours. Many measures have been developed to assess this condition, but there have been no systematic reviews evaluating the metrological properties of these tools, and it is difficult to determine the measures with optimal properties and the conditions under which they should be applied. Therefore, we need to collect existing evidence and choose the most reasonable instrument.

Targeting p-FGFR1 Enhances CD8+ T Cells Infiltration and Overcomes Immunotherapy Resistance in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Regulating the CXCL8-CXCR2 Axis.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a fatal malignant tumor. Several studies have demonstrated that immune checkpoint inhibitors can provide clinical benefits to patients with ESCC. However, the single-agent efficacy of these agents remains limited.

Precisely tuning band gaps of graphene/h-BN lateral heterostructures toward enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Constructing heterojunctions is a proven strategy for developing efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution catalysts. In this work, we design graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) lateral heterostructures that combine graphene's exceptional charge transport with h-BN's stability. Using state-of-the-art many-body green's function theory (MBGFT) simulations, we establish a band engineering framework through dimensional control, demonstrating that precise modulation of graphene and h-BN domain sizes enables continuous visible-spectrum band gap tuning for efficient hydrogen generation.

Targeted therapies and immunotherapies for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal malignancy with steadily increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Since most CCA cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, play a crucial role in the management of unresectable CCA. The recent advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies brought more options in the clinical management of unresectable CCA.

Organic Thermoluminescence Driven by Electron Back Transfer: Microsecond Explosive Emission to Persistent Multi-Hour Afterglow.

Precise control over the release of light energy, distinct from conventional thermal energy management, poses significant challenges in luminescent technologies. This study pioneers organic above-room-temperature thermoluminescent materials using radical pairs as energy storage centers (ESCs), enabling controlled light energy release from multi-hour afterglows to microsecond-scale explosive bursts, accelerating the energy release rate by up to 1.8 × 10 times.

High-resolution monochromatic backlit imaging of the Cu Kα characteristic line using a toroidal crystal system for plasma diagnostics.

Laser-driven plasma diagnostics commonly rely on high-resolution monochromatic x-ray imaging using α-quartz (211) spherical crystals at an 88.7° Bragg angle for the Cu Kα characteristic line. However, the performance of this imaging approach is constrained by astigmatism-induced resolution limits (<10 μm) and background noise interference.

Effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on sleep quality, pain, and mental and psychiatric disorders among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep quality and mental and psychological disorders in breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: The study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study.

Multi-task reinforcement learning and explainable AI-Driven platform for personalized planning and clinical decision support in orthodontic-orthognathic treatment.

This study presents a novel clinical decision support platform for orthodontic-orthognathic treatment that integrates multi-task reinforcement learning with explainable artificial intelligence. The platform addresses the challenges of personalized treatment planning in complex dentofacial deformities by formulating treatment as a sequential decision-making process optimizing multiple clinical objectives simultaneously. We developed a comprehensive framework comprising: (1) a multi-task reinforcement learning core with specialized state-action representations for craniofacial structures; (2) complementary explainable AI components that render complex model decisions interpretable within clinical contexts; and (3) an interactive interface facilitating collaborative human-AI decision-making.

Drought and rewatering effects on soybean photosynthesis, physiology and yield.

Drought stress is a common environmental stress factor for soybeans ( L.), significantly impeding the growth and yield. Therefore, studying the photosynthetic and physiological characteristics during two crucial growth and development periods, namely the flowering and grain-filling stages, under drought stress and rewatering conditions is of great significance for clarifying the physiological and photosynthetic regulatory response mechanisms of soybeans to drought stress.

Teaching innovation in a pharmacy course: integration of "Questioning-Training of Comprehensive Knowledge Application" and a "Teacher-AI-Student Interaction Model".

Background: In the context of the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, questioning has become an increasingly active and critical component of effective collaboration with AI. Also, the ability to apply knowledge from various disciplines to analyze and address problems is essential for enhanced learning. Despite its importance, studies on training students in questioning and knowledge integration within course teaching are lacking.

Hierarchical in-out fusion for incomplete multimodal brain tumor segmentation.

Fusing multimodal data play a crucial role in accurate brain tumor segmentation network and clinical diagnosis, especially in scenarios with incomplete multimodal data. Existing multimodal fusion models usually perform intra-modal fusion at both shallow and deep layers relying predominantly on traditional attention fusion. Rather, using the same fusion strategy at different layers leads to critical issues, feature redundancy in shallow layers due to repetitive weighting of semantically similar low-level features, and progressive texture detail degradation in deeper layers caused by the inherent feature of deep neural networks.