Spatial distribution of enlarged perivascular spaces as a potential biomarker for distinguishing vascular dementia from Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

Objective: We aimed to examine the potential value of enlarged perivascular space (EPVS) volume as a biomarker for distinguishing between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD) in older people.

Methods: A total of 93 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 122 patients with vascular dementia, all aged > 65 years and diagnosed via clinical and neuropsychological assessments, were enrolled in this study. A deep learning model based on VB-Net was utilized to automatically quantify the EPVS volume in four brain regions: the basal nuclei (BN), centrum semiovale (CSO), temporal lobe (T), and midbrain (MB).

Advanced Analysis of X-ray Fluorescence Measurements of the Interfacial Density of Eu Ions at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces for Solvent Back-Extraction.

X-ray fluorescence near total reflection (XFNTR) is the primary technique used to measure the element-specific interfacial density of ions at liquid-liquid interfaces. Fluorescence from ions in the bulk liquids can complicate the determination of the interfacial density; consequently, measurements have been previously limited to samples without ions in the upper phase and with concentrations on the order of 10 μM or less in the lower phase. We modify the analysis of XFNTR data to account for ions in both bulk phases, then demonstrate its use in the context of rare-earth separations processes.

Feasibility and practicality of a novel teaching aid for microvascular anastomosis simulation training in neurosurgery generated by 3D printing.

Background: This study aimed to develop a novel teaching aid for microvascular anastomosis training in neurosurgery using 3D printing technology based on CT and MRI imaging data, and to evaluate its effectiveness and practicality.

Methods: Based on CT or MRI imaging data, a 3D model integrating micro-vessels, skull, and brain tissue was fabricated and connected to a peristaltic pump and a pipeline system to create a teaching aid for microvascular anastomosis simulation training. Twenty senior medical students were recruited and divided into two groups: a control group, which trained using traditional soft rubber tubes, and an observation group, which trained using the 3D-printed teaching aid.

Efficacy and safety of polymyxin B sulfate versus colistin sulfate in ICU patients with nosocomial pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: a multicenter, propensity score-matched, real-world cohort study.

Background: Despite the widespread use of colistin sulfate (CS) in clinical settings in China over recent years, supported by several studies demonstrating its clinical efficacy, there remains a lack of comparative data on the efficacy and safety of polymyxin B sulfate (PMB) versus CS, specifically for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB)-caused nosocomial pneumonia.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of PMB and CS in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with nosocomial pneumonia caused by CRAB.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study, including patients diagnosed with CRAB-caused nosocomial pneumonia and treated with intravenous PMB or CS in the ICU of the study hospitals between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2024.

Understanding oral care in the intensive care unit: A qualitative study of nurse experiences and practices with mechanically ventilated patients.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common hospital-acquired infection in the intensive care unit (ICU), often linked to poor oral care. Despite its importance, oral care is frequently neglected in ICU settings, leading to increased morbidity and health care costs.

Aim: To explore the challenges ICU nurses face in providing oral care to mechanically ventilated patients and identify their specific educational needs.

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Syt3 and GluA2 in Rats With Limb Spasms After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background: Clinical studies have confirmed that electroacupuncture (EA) has the potential to improve spasticity after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), yet its precise mechanism remains unclear. Synaptotagmin-3 (SYT-3), by mediating the internalization of the glutamate AMPA receptor GLUA2, may be related to EA's mechanism. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which EA improves limb spasticity after ICH, providing scientific evidence for its clinical application.

Structural basis for complement receptor engagement and virus neutralization through Epstein-Barr virus gp350.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and is associated with malignancies in humans. Viral infection of B cells is initiated by the viral glycoprotein 350 (gp350) binding to complement receptor 2 (CR2). Despite decades of effort, no vaccines or curative agents have been developed, partly due to lack of atomic-level understanding of the virus-host interface.

Molecular Effects of Zwitterionic Peptide on Monolayer Lipid Membranes upon Enzyme-Catalyzed Degradation.

Secretory phospholipase A (sPLA), an enzyme overexpressed in numerous diseases, has been used to trigger structural transformations in lipid-based drug delivery systems, enabling payload release at target sites. Zwitterionic peptides are known for their superior antifouling properties, often outperforming poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) surface modification by resisting protein adsorption. In this study, we examined lipid monolayers at the water-vapor interface on a Langmuir trough, incorporating varying molar fractions of zwitterionic peptide-conjugated lipids or PEG-conjugated lipids.

Electroacupuncture alleviates motor dysfunction after intracerebral hemorrhage via the PPARγ-EAAT2 pathway.

Nowadays, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the main cause of death and disability, and motor impairment is a common sequel to ICH. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been widely used for functional recovery after ICH. However, its role and associated regulatory mechanisms in rehabilitation after ICH remain poorly understood.

The correlation between intracranial atherosclerosis and white matter hyperintensities in cerebral small vessel disease: a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging study.

Objective: Recent studies have indicated a close relationship between intracranial arterial stenosis and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), but few have reported on the correlation between the characteristics of intracranial arterial wall plaques and WMHs. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the correlation between intracranial atherosclerosis plaques and WMHs using 3.0T high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI).

Prediction of mortality risk in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care unit using machine learning.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a machine learning-based mortality risk prediction model for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) in the intensive care unit (ICU). We collected data from two centers as the development and external validation cohorts. Variables were screened using the Recursive Feature Elimination method.

Lanthanide binding peptide surfactants at air-aqueous interfaces for interfacial separation of rare earth elements.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical materials to modern technologies. They are obtained by selective separation from mining feedstocks consisting of mixtures of their trivalent cation. We are developing an all-aqueous, bioinspired, interfacial separation using peptides as amphiphilic molecular extractants.

An analysis of production efficiency in China's real estate industry based on a two-stage DEA model.

To examine the resource utilization in different phases such as development and sales within China's real estate industry, this paper employs a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the production efficiency of the real estate industry across 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions of China from 2014 to 2022. By examining both overall and phase-specific trends, the study utilizes a panel Tobit model to explore the factors affecting efficiency. Empirical results indicate that the leverage ratio of companies, per capita GDP of regions, and real estate regulatory policies significantly impact production efficiency.

Selective regulation of macrophage lipid metabolism via nanomaterials' surface chemistry.

Understanding the interface between nanomaterials and lipoproteins is crucial for gaining insights into their impact on lipoprotein structure and lipid metabolism. Here, we use graphene oxide (GOs) nanosheets as a controlled carbon nanomaterial model to study how surface properties influence lipoprotein corona formation and show that GOs have strong binding affinity with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). We use advanced techniques including X-ray reflectivity, circular dichroism, and molecular simulations to explore the interfacial interactions between GOs and LDL.

X-ray Induced Cycling of Rare-Earth Elements between Bulk and Interfacial Liquid.

Reversible cycling of rare-earth elements between an aqueous electrolyte solution and its free surface is achieved by X-ray exposure. This exposure alters the competitive equilibrium between lanthanide ions bound to a chelating ligand, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), in the bulk solution and to insoluble monolayers of extractant di-hexadecyl phosphoric acid (DHDP) at its surface. Evidence for the exposure-induced temporal variations in the lanthanide surface density is provided by X-ray fluorescence near total reflection measurements.

Association Between Antibodies That Bind Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) gp350 and gH/gL and Shedding of EBV in Saliva From Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Multiplex Family Members in Taiwan.

Elevated levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gp350 and gH/gL antibodies have been associated with a lower risk of developing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), although the evidence remains inconclusive and unexplained. We conducted a longitudinal study within a high-risk Taiwanese cohort, analyzing total immunoglobulin against EBV-gp350 and -gH/gL in blood and EBV DNA shedding in saliva. Contrary to our hypothesis-that elevated levels of antibodies previously shown to be associated with a lower NPC risk should result in a decrease in EBV shedding in saliva-higher anti-gp350 antibodies at baseline were significantly associated with detectable EBV DNA in saliva at follow-up (odds ratio [OR], 1.

Structural determinants of collapse by a monomolecular mimic of pulmonary surfactant at the physiological temperature.

Pulmonary surfactant forms a thin film on the liquid that lines the alveolar air-sacks. When compressed by the decreasing alveolar surface area during exhalation, the films avoid collapse from the air/water interface and reduce surface tension to exceptionally low levels. To define better the structure of compressed films that determines their susceptibility to collapse, we measured how cholesterol affects the structure and collapse of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers at physiological temperatures.

Modifying Specific Ion Effects: Studies of Monovalent Ion Interactions with Amines.

Specific ion effects in the interactions of monovalent anions with amine groups─one of the hydrophilic moieties found in proteins─were investigated using octadecylamine monolayers floating at air-aqueous solution interfaces. We find that at solution pH 5.7, larger monovalent anions induce a nonzero pressure starting at higher areas/molecules, i.

Electroacupuncture reduces oxidative stress response and improves secondary injury of intracerebral hemorrhage in rats by activating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ/nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2/γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase pathway.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke subtype. Secondary injury is a key factor leading to neurological deficits after ICH. Electroacupuncture (EA) can improve the neurological function after ICH, however, its internal mechanism is still unclear.

Metastable precipitation and ion-extractant transport in liquid-liquid separations of trivalent elements.

The extractant-assisted transport of metal ions from aqueous to organic environments by liquid-liquid extraction has been widely used to separate and recover critical elements on an industrial scale. While current efforts focus on designing better extractants and optimizing process conditions, the mechanism that underlies ionic transport remains poorly understood. Here, we report a nonequilibrium process in the bulk aqueous phase that influences interfacial ion transport: the formation of metastable ion-extractant precipitates away from the liquid-liquid interface, separated from it by a depletion region without precipitates.

Epstein-Barr virus gp42 antibodies reveal sites of vulnerability for receptor binding and fusion to B cells.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and is associated with B cell lymphomas. EBV glycoprotein 42 (gp42) binds HLA class II and activates membrane fusion with B cells. We isolated gp42-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), A10 and 4C12, which use distinct mechanisms to neutralize virus infection.

Activation and functional modification of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in patients with intracranial infection following craniotomy.

Intracranial infections are among the most common complications of neurosurgery, with their incidence remaining high despite advancements in current neurosurgical techniques and aseptic technology. While the role of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a subset of innate-like T lymphocytes, in bacterial defense is well-established, their involvement in intracranial infections remains unclear. In this study, we utilized flow cytometry to assess the phenotype and function of circulating and CSF MAIT cells.

MFG-E8: a model of multiple binding modes associated with ps-binding proteins.

Membrane-binding proteins often associate with lipid membranes through a singular binding interface which is generally modeled as a two-state system: bound or unbound. However, even a single interface can engage with more than one mode of binding since a variety of interactions can contribute to the binding event. Unfortunately, the ability to clearly delineate the different binding modes of a singular binding interface has been elusive with existing models.