Efficacy and safety of transradial versus transfemoral approach for secondary access in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) requires a primary access to deliver the valve and a secondary access for angiographic guidance. Although transfemoral access (TFA) is most commonly employed, alternative access sites are gaining traction. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares the efficacy and safety of transradial (TRA) and TF secondary access.

Computer vision-based safe distance-estimation method to prevent forklift tip-overs.

The construction industry faces significant risks from forklift tip-overs, often caused by improper load positioning that shifts the center of gravity beyond the stability triangle. Manual safety inspections are time-consuming and require constant human presence. To address this, the study proposes a computer vision-based distance-estimation method using forklift length to measure the critical distance between forks and the load's center of gravity.

Evaluating safety countermeasures at suburban arterial intersections: Addressing unobserved heterogeneity and selection bias.

About 40% of road traffic crashes occur at intersections, with suburban arterial intersections facing significant safety challenges due to urban sprawl. Over the past two decades, highways in suburban areas of many Chinese cities, originally designed for medium- and long-distance vehicle travel, now accommodate more short- and medium-distance trips, including pedestrians and cyclists. Discrepancies between original planning characteristics and current usage have led to increased safety risks at suburban arterial intersections.

Fatal facial necrotizing fasciitis: a case report highlighting diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Background: Facial Necrotizing Fasciitis (FNF) is a rare but aggressive, life-threatening infection involving the face's subcutaneous tissues and underlying musculature. It can rapidly progress to septic shock and multi-organ failure if not promptly recognized and treated. The clinical course, including severe pain, disproportionate tenderness, and systemic signs, is often the most crucial factor in diagnosis.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of coumarin derivatives against tuberculosis: a pharmacophore-based approach.

Rising cases of drug resistance tuberculosis including multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant emphasize the need for development of drugs with novel mechanism of action. The study aimed to explore novel inhibitors targeting Mycobacterium thymidine monophosphate kinase (Mtb TMPK), a promising but unexplored drug target for tuberculosis treatment. A library of 200 coumarin derivatives was rationally designed and screened against Mtb TMPK, an essential enzyme in nucleotide biosynthesis of mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Toward standardization of GenAI-driven agentic architectures for radio access networks.

The adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Radio Access Networks (RAN) presents new opportunities for automation and intelligence across network operations. GenAI-powered agents, leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs), can enhance planning, execution, and decision-making for orchestration and real-time optimisation of 6G networks. Standardizing the implementation of the Agentic architecture for RAN is now essential to establish a unified framework for RANOps and AgentOps.

Heterogeneous and differential treatment effect analysis of safety improvements on freeways using causal inference.

Evaluating safety effectiveness of freeway design improvements is crucial for enhancing overall safety and confirming the efficacy of specific measures implemented. Limited research has addressed treatment heterogeneities that influence crash outcomes, and previous studies have often been susceptible to confounding biases, which may distort causal inference results. To mitigate confounding biases and establish reliable causal relationships between crashes and treatment interventions, this study employed a causal forest (CF) model to assess the safety efficacy of freeway exit improvements - including lane control, traffic signs, speed-limit signs, and crash attenuators - on freeways in Suzhou, China.

A Royal Flush: Carcinoid Heart Disease Complicated by Severe Tricuspid and Pulmonic Valve Regurgitation.

Carcinoid heart disease (CHD) is a severe complication of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), leading to fibrotic degeneration of right-sided heart valves. A 38-year-old male presented with progressive dyspnea, fatigue, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and facial flushing. Imaging revealed hepatic metastases and mesenteric lymphadenopathy, and biochemical markers confirmed a NET of likely gastrointestinal origin.

Detection of pulmonary tuberculosis through mobile X-ray based active case-finding in Pakistan: a retrospective analysis from programmatic screening of1 214 289 individuals from 2017 to 2021.

Recent evidence suggests that community-wide active case finding (ACF) can reduce tuberculosis (TB) incidence and prevalence. Mass-screening at the community level, supported by mobile digital chest X-ray units, is now being scaled up by programmes across high burden countries. However, there is limited evidence of case-detection yields from programmes conducting ACF at scale in low-resource settings.

A comprehensive atlas of full-length Arabidopsis eccDNA populations identifies their genomic origins and epigenetic regulation.

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) has been described in several eukaryotic species and has been shown to impact phenomena as diverse as cancer and herbicide tolerance. EccDNA is thought to arise mainly through transposable element (TE) mobilization. Because studies based on short-read sequencing cannot efficiently identify full-length eccDNA forms generated from TEs, we employed the CIDER-Seq pipeline based on long-read sequencing, to obtain full-length eccDNAs from Arabidopsis.

Ablation of Steroidogenic Superoxide Dismutase 2 Increases Oxidative Stress and Diminishes Steroid Hormone Production.

Mitochondria are a major source of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide anion (O2●─), contain the enzyme complexes of the electron transport chain and, in steroidogenic tissues, steroid hormone synthesizing P450 enzymes. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) is the main antioxidant enzyme localized in mitochondria for protection from oxidative insult by enzymatically converting O2●─ into H2O2, which is further degraded into H2O and O2. Although expressed at high levels in steroidogenic tissues and transcriptionally regulated by trophic hormones, SOD2's role in the regulation of steroid hormone production is not fully explored.

Avicenna's approach to the treatment of rabies in the perspective of current medicine.

The current study explores Avicenna's approach to rabies management, which is documented in his seminal work, The Canon of Medicine. His diagnostic strategies, therapeutic principles, and suggested medicinal plants against rabies are elucidated. Moreover, we use the current literature to shed light on the extent of alignment of Avicenna's views and therapies with contemporary medical practice.

Diagnosis and Management of a Large RCA Aneurysm Treated With IVUS-Guided PCI Using Covered Stents.

Background: An 82-year-old man received a diagnosis of a large right coronary artery (RCA) aneurysm after subsequent visualization of an epicardial mass at the inferior aspect of the right ventricle on a chest CT scan.

Case Summary: Our patient presented with an extensive vascular history with a growing RCA aneurysm. Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention isolated the aneurysm, and 2 overlapping covered stents were successfully deployed, thereby restoring distal RCA perfusion.

Murine cell lines with defined mutations model different histological subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Preclinical modeling of epithelial ovarian cancer in immune-competent mice progressing to orthotopic, spontaneous tumors is challenging, requiring multiple genetic modifications in the host. Transplantable models using cell lines are easier to implement than spontaneous animal models, given that they reproduce the key disease characteristics. To create new in vivo ovarian tumor models, we generated 28 murine ovarian cancer cell lines with distinct genetic traits, such as deletion of Trp53, activation of KrasG12D, or deletion of Pten or KrasG12D/Pten-/- combination.

Myeloid ACAT1/SOAT1: a novel regulator of dyslipidemia and retinal neovascularization.

Pathological retinal neovascularization (RNV) is a major cause of vision loss and blindness during ischemic retinopathies. Our investigations in the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) demonstrate a novel mechanism of pathological RNV and neurovascular injury. We show that OIR-induced activation of macrophage/microglial cells, retinal inflammation, and pathological RNV are mediated by increases in cholesterol ester (CE) formation due to activation of the acyl-CoA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase 1/Sterol O-Acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1/SOAT1) enzyme.

Machine learning prediction and explainability analysis of high strength glass powder concrete using SHAP PDP and ICE.

Achieving high-strength concrete (HSC) with sustainable supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) remains a significant challenge in the construction industry. Although glass powder has shown promise as a partial cement substitute, its specific impact on HSC growth is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the compressive strength (CS) of high strength glass-powder concrete (HSGPC) using machine learning (ML) models and enhance predictive accuracy through hybrid optimization techniques.

A BAC-guided haplotype assembly pipeline increases the resolution of the virus resistance locus CMD2 in cassava.

Background: Cassava is an important crop for food security in the tropics where its production is jeopardized by several viral diseases, including the cassava mosaic disease (CMD) which is endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Resistance to CMD is linked to a single dominant locus, namely CMD2. The cassava genome contains highly repetitive regions making the accurate assembly of a reference genome challenging.

Tilting Implants, Shifting Perspectives: A Mixed Methods Study of All-On-4 Among Postgraduate Dental Trainees.

Background: Edentulism remains common in resource-constrained settings, where conventional dentures often fail to meet patient needs. The 'All-On-4' concept offers immediate loading and reduced treatment duration for atrophic jaws, although its integration into clinical practice remains inconsistent. This study aimed to quantify postgraduate dental trainees' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding All-On-4 in Karachi and explore their lived experiences with this technique.

Determinants of high vaccine confidence and uptake among the Australian public: insights from a cross-sectional study.

Background: In 2021, Australia launched a national COVID-19 vaccine rollout strategy, but encountered setbacks that resulted in negative press and media controversy. This study aimed to confirm factors influencing vaccine confidence and uptake in Australian adults and validate the use of a Vaccine Confidence Scale.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 to 21 September 2021, coinciding with the expansion of COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine eligibility to all adults in Australia.

Clinical Outcomes and Long-Term Effects of Consolidative Radiotherapy in Paediatric Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects and disease outcomes of consolidative radiotherapy in paediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma (PHL).

Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Paediatric Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, from March to November, 2023.

Novel Role of Copper Transporter CTR1 and Therapeutic Potential of Copper Chelators in Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Retinal ischemia contributes to vision loss in ischemic and diabetic retinopathies through oxidative stress, neurovascular injury, and inflammation. Copper (Cu), while essential, can be toxic in excess and is regulated by Cu transporters such as CTR1. However, the role of CTR1 in ischemic retinopathy remains unclear.

Efficient De Novo Assembly and Recovery of Microbial Genomes from Complex Metagenomes Using a Reduced Set of k-mers.

De novo assembly and genome binning are fundamental steps for genome-resolved metagenomics analyses. However, the availability of limited computational resources and extensive processing time limit the broader application of these analyses. To address these challenges, the optimization of the parameters employed in these processes can improve the effective utilization of available metagenomics tools.

Rural Pakistan's smokeless tobacco epidemic: a need for tailored interventions.

Background: Oral cancer is a leading cause of death in Pakistan, with a significant burden among rural populations. The primary risk factor for oral cancer in this region is the widespread use of smokeless tobacco (SLT). Despite international efforts to reduce tobacco consumption, SLT use remains prevalent.

Comparison of thrombectomy alone versus bridging thrombolysis in a US population using regression discontinuity analysis.

The role of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in combination with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for the treatment of large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke has been evaluated exclusively outside the US, in randomized clinical trials which failed to demonstrate non-inferiority of skipping IVT. Because practice patterns and IVT dosing differ within the US, and prior observational US-based cohorts suggested improved clinical outcomes in patients who received IVT before EVT, a US-based evaluation is needed. This is a quasi-experimental study of a large US cohort using a regression discontinuity design (RDD) that enables the estimation of causal effects when randomization is not feasible.

Structure-Guided Development of Mycobacterial Thymidine Monophosphate Kinase (MtbTMPK) Inhibitors: Unlocking New Frontiers in Tuberculosis Research.

Researchers are actively engaged in developing new antitubercular drugs targeting the enzyme Mycobacterial Thymidine Monophosphate Kinase (MtTMPK). This newer target has specificity and selectivity over other thymidylate kinases and especially differs from human thymidylate kinase (hTMPK). Over the last two decades, various potent MtTMPK inhibitors comprised of both nucleoside and non-nucleoside structures have been developed.