SegTom: A 3D Volumetric Medical Image Segmentation Framework for Thoracoabdominal Multi-Organ Anatomical Structures.

Accurate segmentation of thoracoabdominal anatomical structures in three-dimensional medical imaging modalities is fundamental for informed clinical decision-making across a wide array of medical disciplines. Current approaches often struggle to efficiently and comprehensively process this region's intricate and heterogeneous anatomical information, leading to suboptimal outcomes in diagnosis, treatment planning, and disease management. To address this challenge, we introduce SegTom, a novel volumetric segmentation framework equipped with a cutting-edge SegTom Block specifically engineered to effectively capture the complex anatomical representations inherent to the thoracoabdominal region.

Bioinformatics analysis combined with untargeted metabolomics reveals lipid metabolism-related genes and their biological markers in chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an immune-driven skin condition with a multifaceted and not yet fully understood pathogenesis. Although substantial research has been conducted, viable therapeutic targets are still scarce. Studies indicate that disruptions in lipid metabolism significantly influence the development of immune-related disorders.

Effects of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Gastric Cancer Patients with Malnutrition-Sarcopenia Syndrome.

Malnutrition and sarcopenia may occur concurrently (Malnutrition-sarcopenia syndrome, MSS) in gastric cancer patients, affecting the prognosis and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate MSS prevalence and oral nutritional supplements (ONS) efficacy. This study included a retrospective analysis of 761 gastric cancer patients post-resection to assess MSS prevalence/prognosis, and a prospective non-randomized trial enrolled 81 MSS patients comparing ONS (500 kcal/day ×4 wk) versus standard care.

A cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of American orthopaedic foot and ankle society hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scale (AOFAS-Hallux-MTP-IP) in patients with hallux valgus.

Background: Hallux valgus (HV) is a common deformity of the hallux, which affects the functional ability of patients and reduces their quality of life. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hallux Metatarsophalangeal (MTP)-Interphalangeal (IP) scale is a questionnaire widely used to comprehensively assess the condition of hallux deformities. The purpose of this study was to translate the AOFAS-MTP-IP scale into a Chinese version (AOFAS-MTP-IP-CV), conduct cross-cultural adaptation, and simultaneously evaluate its validity and reliability.

Effects of bisphenol A on nitrogen removal in sulfur autotrophic denitrification-Anammox microbial consortia: Resilience, biotransformation, and toxicity.

This study investigated the impact of bisphenol A (BPA) on nitrogen removal in sulfur autotrophic denitrification-Anammox (SAD/A) microbial consortia. Batch tests revealed a concentration-driven biphasic response: 1 μg/L-50 mg/L BPA stimulated denitrification, increasing nitrate removal efficiency by 9.82-29.

Activation of M1 macrophages promotes diabetic kidney disease by modulating glycolysis via HIF-1α-HK2 signaling pathway.

Objective: Macrophages and glycolysis play a pivotal role in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the regulation of macrophage glycolysis and its mechanism are still unclear in DKD. Thus, this research intends to investigate the regulatory mechanism of macrophage glycolysis during DKD.

Tioconazole exerts anti-TB activity by destroying cell integrity.

The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), coupled with the lengthy and toxic nature of conventional treatments and the complicating factor of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection, underscores the urgent need for the development of effective anti-TB drugs and robust stockpiles to combat this global health crisis. In this study, the anti-tubercular activity and potential antibacterial mechanisms of tioconazole were investigated. Tioconazole exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Mtb H37Ra and H37Rv, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4 μg/mL and 1 μg/mL respectively.

Global, regional, and national burden of caries in primary teeth from 1990 to 2021: results from the global burden of disease study 2021.

Objective: To investigate the disease burden of caries in primary teeth across global, 21 regions, and 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021.

Methods: Data on caries in primary teeth from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 Study. The global incidence, prevalence of caries in primary teeth associated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were analyzed.

Differences in Growth Responses to Climate of Three Conifer Species in Lugu Lake of Northwestern Yunnan, Southwestern China.

Responses of tree radial growth to climate are usually species-specific. Northwestern Yunnan has become a hotspot for the study of dendrochronology due to its sensitivity to climate change and the relative integrity of vegetation preservation. In this paper, we take three dominant conifers-, and -as the research objects and analyze their tree-ring width chronologies in order to reveal the main climate factors affecting tree growth in northwestern Yunnan and to evaluate species-specific variation in climate response.

Association between constipation and risk of stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between constipation and stroke risk, with subgroup analyses exploring effects on stroke subtypes.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until February 2025. Published studies reporting adjusted odds ratios (ORs), hazard ratios (HRs), or relative risks (RRs) for stroke in constipated versus non-constipated individuals were included.

[Research advances in the mechanisms of circadian regulation in heart failure].

The circadian clock is an endogenous time-keeping system that maintains physiological homeostasis by integrating environmental and genetic interactions. Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by structural abnormalities and/or functional impairment of the heart. Growing evidence suggests that core circadian components, such as BMAL1 and REV-ERBα, play important roles in modulating myocardial energy metabolism, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress, contributing to myocardial structural and metabolic remodeling during heart failure progression.

Slim UNETRV2: 3D Image Segmentation for Resource-Limited Medical Portable Devices.

Medical portable devices are increasingly requiring high accuracy, speed, and low inference jitter to meet the urgent demands of healthcare. Modern hybrid attention-based segmentation frameworks enhance segmentation accuracy but add complexity that can slow operational speed, complicating practical deployment in resource-limited settings. We propose Slim UNETRV2, a simplified framework that utilizes only basic convolutional operations in both the encoder and decoder, thereby reducing execution time and inference jitter.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator-Assisted High-Risk Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Data regarding the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (VA-ECMO) assisted high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the impact of the operator experience is limited.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing VA-ECMO-assisted PCI and the effect of the operator experience.

Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study that consecutively enrolled patients who were declined by the Heart Team for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) due to high surgical risk and treated with VA-ECMO-assisted PCI from November 1, 2016, to March 1, 2024, in Xijing Hospital, China.

Intelligent Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Detection Method Based on Three-Dimensional Measurements.

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a prevalent latent disorder among adolescents. Early detection and screening are crucial for preventing the progression of deformities. Current assessment methods for spinal curvature rely on X-ray imaging to measure the Cobb angle and detect scoliosis.

Glycemic variability in type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a case-control study.

Aims: A case-control study was conducted to assess glycemic variability (GV) in individuals diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as in those with either condition independently.

Methods: This study encompassed 2897 consecutive inpatients diagnosed with diabetes at the Department of Endocrinology, Ningbo No.2 Hospital.

Ultraelastic Nanomembrane with Controllable Hotspots and Enhanced Photon Recovery for Single-Molecule Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

The controlled assembly of noble metal nanomaterials at water-oil interfaces holds significant potential for enhancing the sensitivity and stability of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology. However, developing highly efficient nanomaterial assembly techniques to create structures with controllable plasmonic hotspots and easily transferable functionalities remains a critical challenge. Herein, we propose a hydrophobic modification-enhanced float assembly strategy to fabricate an ultraelastic nanomembrane (UE-nanomembrane) by reducing adsorption kinetic barriers.

A mitochondria-targeted sequence-activated fluorescent probe responsive to HO and viscosity for imaging and surgical navigation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe (HV) sequentially activated by HO and viscosity was constructed. Probe HV exhibits high specificity and excellent biocompatibility. Due to the upregulation of mitochondrial HO and viscosity in cancer cells, HV is capable of illuminating hepatocellular carcinoma.

Assessing global border controls in response to COVID-19 pandemic using real-world data and target trial emulation.

Objective: To examine whether more stringent border controls (BCs), including quarantine, ban on regions, and total border closure, are associated with slower initial-stage epidemic progression compared to screening.

Methods: Using real-world BCs and COVID-19 epidemic data from 174 countries and regions from 1 January to 31 July 2020, we compared the effectiveness of different stringency BCs in slowing countries from reaching the first infection peak. To account for the immortal time bias due to staggered BC adoptions across countries, the target-trial-emulation and cloning-censoring-weighting approaches were applied.

A Mixed-Linkage-Selective β-1,4-Glucanase from : Functional Characterization and Mechanistic Insights into Substrate Cleavage Specificity.

Macrofungal β-glucanases hold promise for the targeted bioconversion of dietary polysaccharides, yet their functional diversity and mechanistic specificity remain limited. In this study, a β-1,4-glucanase (PTRBGL4) was identified from genome via CAZy and dbCAN3-guided mining and heterologously expressed in . Biochemical assays revealed that PTRBGL4 exhibits low activity toward typical β-1,4-linked substrates, but demonstrates high specificity for mixed-linked β-1,3-1,4-glucans, including oat and barley β-glucans.

Liver-targeted degradation of BRD4 reverses hepatic fibrosis and enhances metabolism in murine models.

Liver fibrosis, characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition, is a precursor to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and current treatments are often limited by off-target toxicities. We repurposed the liver-targeting chimera (LIVTAC) XZ1606, a novel proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) conjugated with a triantennary -acetylgalactosamine (tri-GalNAc) moiety, to degrade BRD4 in hepatic stellate cells. , XZ1606 induced potent, dose- and time-dependent BRD4 degradation in LX-2 cells via the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway after ASGPR-mediated endocytosis, with minimal cytotoxicity in normal hepatocytes.

hUC-MSCs and derived exosomes attenuate DEX-induced muscle atrophy through modulation of estrogen signaling pathway.

Background: Sarcopenia, a multifactorial syndrome characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, combined with impaired physical function, is associated primarily with aging but also driven by chronic inflammation, immobility, and endocrine dysregulation. It leads to increased risks of frailty, falls, and loss of independence, posing a major public health challenge for aging populations. Although human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and their derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have demonstrated remarkable potential in regenerative medicine, their safety and efficacy in treating sarcopenia remain unclear.

Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy-Like Retinal Findings in Adams-Oliver Syndrome Type 2.

Background: This study investigated the clinical characteristics and the genotype-phenotype correlation of DOCK6-associated autosomal recessive Adams-Oliver Syndrome in a large cohort of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy patients.

Methods: Comprehensive ocular examinations were conducted on probands and their family members. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the probands, with Sanger sequencing validation for family members.