Comparison of liver histology and fibrosis-4 scoring as tools for evaluating healthcare resource utilization and costs in patients with MASLD: a Swedish cohort study.

Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is associated with substantial clinical and economic burden. Fibrosis detection is key to disease management, but biopsy-defined staging is invasive, expensive, and associated with complications. We evaluated healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs by disease stage using biopsy-defined staging and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4; a simple, well-validated, non-invasive tool for assessing fibrosis severity), and compared their utility for predicting long-term outcomes in MASLD.

Effect of Hypertension on Long-term Adverse Clinical Outcomes and Liver Fibrosis Progression in MASLD.

Background & Aims: Hypertension is common in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but its impact on long-term clinical outcomes and disease progression remains unclear. This study investigated the association of hypertension and risk of adverse clinical outcomes and progression of liver stiffness/fibrosis in MASLD.

Methods: Three multicenter prospective cohorts were analyzed: the UK BioBank (UKBB) cohort to assess the risk of adverse clinical outcomes, the VCTE-Prognosis cohort to assess liver stiffness/fibrosis progression, and the Paired Liver Biopsy cohort to assess histologic liver fibrosis progression.

Subsurface drainage enhances the cadmium enrichment efficiency of flax-sesame crop rotation by inhibiting the immobilization effect of iron oxides.

Flax-sesame crop rotation is an effective phytoremediation method for cadmium (Cd)-contaminated farmland. To investigate the effect of drainage on the uptake efficiency of soil Cd by the crops, field experiments were conducted to analyze the migration of Cd, iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), and the soil microbial community. Compared with conventional drainage, the deep furrow treatment increased the Cd accumulated in the flax and sesame organs by up to 73.

The Efficacy and Adverse Reactions of 755 nm Picosecond Alexandrite Laser on the treatment of Nevus of Ota at Different Endpoints: A Split-Lesion, Single-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Comparison Study.

Background: The Picosecond alexandrite laser (PSAL) is a first-line treatment for Nevus of Ota. However, low-fluence PSAL(LF-PSAL) that does not produce immediate whitening (IW) as treatment endpoint, remains unexplored.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of LF-PSAL versus conventional high fluence PSAL(HF-PSAL) for treating Nevus of Ota.

Longitudinal Changes in Fibrosis Markers: Monitoring Stiffness/Fibrosis Progression and Prognostic Outcomes in MASLD.

Background & Aims: Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) is a noninvasive tool for assessing liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, its role of dynamic FIB-4 for assessing fibrosis progression and predicting clinical outcomes remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the association between changes in FIB-4 and changes in liver stiffness, fibrosis progression, and outcomes in MASLD.

A Novel Risk Prediction Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in MASLD: A Multinational, Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background And Aims: It is unclear that which cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) are significantly associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We aimed to develop and validate a novel CMRF-based HCC risk prediction model in MASLD.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study recruited 77,677 MASLD patients from 20 medical centers in Korea and other Asian and Western countries (2004-2023).

Novel melasma therapy using combined low fluence and microsecond pulse Q switched 1064 nm neodymium doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser.

Low-fluence Q-switched (LFQS) 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser treatment has become a standard approach for managing melasma. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a dual-mode approach-LFQS combined with microsecond pulse width (MPW) mode-for treating melasma. In this prospective, single-center, evaluator-blinded, split-face clinical trial, 28 patients with melasma were enrolled.

Propofol-assisted deep extubation in the dental treatment of pediatrics: a randomized controlled triple-blind trial.

Objectives: To verify whether propofol-assisted deep extubation is associated with fewer complications in pediatric patients undergoing dental treatment.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study enrolled 60 pediatric candidates undergoing elective dental interventions, with randomized allocation to either deep extubation (DE; n = 30) or awake extubation (AE; n = 30) protocols. The primary endpoint was the incidence of at least 1 respiratory adverse event, whereas time to extubation (TOE), time to wake-up (TOW), hemodynamic fluctuations during extubation, incidence of emergence agitation (EA), nasal obstruction, epistaxis, sore throat, and hoarse voice after extubation were the secondary endpoints.

Non-invasive risk-based surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects over 30% of the general population and is the fastest growing cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Current guidelines recommend HCC surveillance in patients with cirrhosis when annual HCC incidence exceeds 1% without specifying the role of non-invasive tests in patient selection.

Objective: To define non-invasive test thresholds to select patients with MASLD for HCC surveillance.

Effect of Antidiabetic Drug Classes on the Risk of Liver-Related Events in Individuals With T2D and MASLD.

Background: We investigated the use of type 2 diabetes (T2D) medications, including pioglitazone, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, in individuals with T2D and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and explored the effect of these medications on long-term risk of liver-related events (LREs) and progression of liver stiffness in a retrospective cohort study.

Methods: We enrolled 7867 individuals with T2D and MASLD from 16 tertiary referral centers between February 2004 and January 2023. We recorded the use of pioglitazone, GLP-1RAs, and SGLT-2 inhibitors and analyzed the effects of these antihyperglycemic medications on the risk of developing incident LREs and the progression of liver stiffness over a median of 5.

A Study on the Current Situation of Stigma and Its Influencing Factors Among Chinese Patients with Port-Wine Stains.

Background: Port-wine stains (PWS) are obvious skin lesions, most commonly located on the face and neck, which may lead to varying degrees of stigma in patients. In Chinese culture, where facial appearance is strongly tied to social identity, the stigma associated with PWS may be particularly intense. However, there is no study which examined stigma among Chinese patients with PWS yet.

Controlling Secondary Crystallization with 1-Butanol for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

Regulating nucleation and crystallization is crucial for achieving high-quality, pinhole-free, and defect-minimized perovskite films for efficient solar devices. This study explores the impact of alcoholic antisolvents as ecofriendly alternatives to the commonly used chlorobenzene (CB) on the optoelectronic properties of perovskite films, including crystallization, film quality, and defect density in perovskite films. The findings show that 1-butanol (BuOH) is the most effective, promoting both primary and secondary crystallization with MACl, reducing defects, and enhancing film quality.

WDR62 affects the progression of ovarian cancer by regulating the cell cycle.

Background: Ovarian Cancer (OC) is a gynecological malignant tumor with an extremely high mortality rate, seriously endangering women's health. Due to its insidious clinical manifestations, most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage of the disease. The currently clinically relied CA125 has limited specificity for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Short-Term Effect of Ozone Exposure on Small Airway Function in Adult Asthma Patients with PM Exacerbating the Effect.

Ambient ozone (O) has been associated with asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The impairment of small airway function leads to worse control, more frequent exacerbations and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma patients. However, the impact of O on small airway function in asthma remains underexplored.

A High-Throughput Approach to Identifying Environment-Friendly Artificial Antisolvents for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Rapid crystallization facilitated by antisolvents is widely employed for producing high-quality perovskite films, but constrained by the limited variety and high toxicity of conventional solvents, underscoring the need for sustainable and low-toxicity solvent systems for large-scale production. In this study, a systematic screening of over 40 antisolvents is conducted using a high-throughput platform, uncovering a significant correlation between the antisolvent properties within Hansen solubility space and the structural and optoelectronic characteristics of the resultant perovskite films. A Hansen solubility sphere is subsequently constructed, pinpointing a specific region within this space that is most conducive to the formation of high-quality perovskite films.

Phosphatidylethanol levels distinguish steatotic liver disease subgroups and are associated with risk of major liver outcomes.

Background & Aims: Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an ethanol metabolite used as a specific biomarker for recent alcohol consumption. We aimed to determine the proportion of patients with or at risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) who had PEth levels indicative of harmful alcohol consumption, and to assess associations between PEth levels and the risk of major adverse liver outcomes (MALOs).

Methods: We conducted a cohort study involving persons tested for PEth in Stockholm, Sweden between 2012 and 2020 (N = 46,406), including patients with various steatotic liver disease (SLD) subtypes and individuals without SLD.

An Effective and Safe Laser Treatment Strategy of Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser for Chinese Populations with Periorbital Wrinkles: A Randomized Split-Face Trial.

Introduction: Ablative carbon dioxide fractional laser (CO AFL) can alleviate static wrinkles; however, its use in East Asian populations can predispose them to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). We aimed to explore the optimum energy and coverage parameters of CO AFL for treating static periorbital wrinkles in a Chinese population and to minimize PIH incidence.

Methods: In total, 30 patients with static periorbital wrinkles were recruited.

Cause-specific mortality in 13,099 patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in Sweden.

Background & Aims: Data on cause-specific mortality in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are limited. We aimed to determine the rate and risk of death from different causes in patients with MASLD compared to the general population in Sweden.

Methods: In this population-based cohort study, we identified individuals with an ICD-10 code for MASLD in inpatient or specialized outpatient care using Swedish healthcare registers from 2002-2020 (n = 13,099) and matched them with up to 10 controls (median 9) from the general population for age, sex, municipality, and calendar year (n = 118,884).

From "Burnt-Out" to "Burning-Out": Capturing Liver Fat Loss in Patients With Advanced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease From a Dynamic Perspective.

Background & Aims: The absence of hepatic fat in advanced fibrosis has been documented in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease ("burnt-out" MASLD). However, whether hepatic fat loss occurs continuously with fibrosis progression is controversial. We proposed a "burning-out" concept to describe this process and analyze the long-term outcomes of "burnt-out" and "burning-out" MASLD.

Systematic review of natural coumarins in plants (2019-2024): Chemical structures and pharmacological activities.

Coumarins constitute one of the most substantial classes of secondary metabolites, characterised by a fundamental α-benzopyranone skeleton, which serves as an overarching nomenclature for o-hydroxycinnamyl lactone moieties. These chemical constituents are widely distributed in various plant species. Based on the nature and loci of their substituents, these compounds can be further classified into simple coumarins, furanocoumarins, pyranocoumarins, isocoumarins, biscoumarins and other coumarins.

Ultrafast all-optical modulation based on graphene-microfiber.

We proposed and studied an all-optical modulator based on graphene-microfiber (GMF), and prepared GMF by transferring graphene to the surface of the tapered region of the microfiber. The all-optical modulation characteristics and ultrafast all-optical modulation characteristics of GMF under different light source combinations were studied, and the all-optical modulator was completed. The experimental results show that GMF can achieve all-optical modulation, and broadband pump light can modulate single-pulse signal light.

Antibiotic Resistance Profiles and Genomic Analysis of Endophytic Bacteria Isolates from Wild Edible Fungi in Yunnan.

The use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, posing significant challenges in the prevention, control, and treatment of microbial diseases, while threatening public health, the environment, and food safety. In this study, the antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes of 56 endophytic bacteria isolates from three species of wild edible fungi in Yunnan were analyzed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and PCR amplification. The results revealed that all isolates were sensitive to ofloxacin, but resistance was observed against 17 other antibiotics.

What is the optimal timing for advising patients to wash the treatment areas after laser therapy? A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Background: Despite ongoing advancements in medical aesthetics, there remains a lack of consensus regarding a standardized postoperative care protocol following laser treatment for skin pigmentation disorders.

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of postoperative facial cleansing practices on the efficacy and safety of laser therapy among patients diagnosed with pigmentary skin diseases.

Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with pigmented lesions (freckles and/or solar lentigines) were randomly allocated to two distinct groups.

Risk of hepatic decompensation or HCC is similar in patients with ALD- and MASLD-cirrhosis: A population-based cohort study.

Background: It is unclear if the risk of hepatic decompensation or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differs between patients with compensated alcohol-related liver disease (ALD)- and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-cirrhosis. We investigated the risk to develop hepatic decompensation or HCC based on ALD or MASLD as the underlying etiology of cirrhosis.

Methods: All patients with a new diagnosis in hospital-based outpatient care of ALD- or MASLD-cirrhosis in Sweden between 2002 and 2020 were identified using national registers.