Leaf anatomical structure of dominant shrubs and their influencing factors across habitats in hyper-arid region.

We analyzed the drought adaptation mechanism of shrub species in three typical habitats (oasis, transition zone, and desert) of the extremely arid area in the lower reaches of the Heihe River, with 15 species as the objects. Using paraffin sectioning technology combined with microscopic observation, we measured 14 anatomical traits, including leaf epidermal thickness, total leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness, spongy tissue thickness, and main vein vascular bundle thickness, etc. The results showed that leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness, and leaf structure compactness (palisade tissue thickness/total leaf thickness) significantly varied among different habitats, and increased with the aggravation of drought degree.

Attributable burden of steatotic liver disease on cardiovascular outcomes in Asia.

Background & Aims: The associations between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and specific cardiovascular events, as well as their attributable burdens, remain inconsistent and underexplored within a single population. This large-scale prospective cohort evaluated the associations between MASLD and various cardiovascular outcomes. Two additional steatotic liver disease (SLD) subtypes - MASLD with increased alcohol consumption (MetALD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) - were also evaluated.

Cognitive impairment, physical frailty and depression in older adults from culturally and linguistically diverse community: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: To assess cognitive impairment, frailty, and depression among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older adults, and to examine their associations with age, cultural background, education, and health-related factors.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Data were collected from June to September 2023 across two community healthcare organisations in Sydney.

Early-Life Prevention of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome: The DOHaD Perspective on Resveratrol and Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome underscores the interconnected biology of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although now recognized as a growing global health burden, accumulating preclinical evidence suggests that CKM syndrome may originate in early life-a concept rooted in the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) framework. Animal studies have greatly enhanced our comprehension of these mechanisms, emphasizing the promise of early interventions that focus on antioxidants and gut microbiota modulation to mitigate the development of CKM conditions.

Renal function and post-thrombectomy outcomes and safety: nationwide registry study.

Background: The impact of renal function on patients receiving endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains uncertain due to inconsistent results from previous studies. We investigated the effects of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at admission on outcomes.

Methods: This cohort study analyzed data from the Taiwan Registry of EVT for Acute Ischemic Stroke (2019-24).

Association Between Age and Endovascular Treatment Outcomes: Binational Registry of 9934 EVT Cases From Korea and Taiwan.

Background: As populations age, there is an increasing need to optimize endovascular treatment (EVT) and to understand country-specific differences in East Asia. We harmonized stroke registries from Korea and Taiwan to enable comparisons of patient characteristics and outcomes, with a particular focus on the impact of age.

Methods: Multicenter prospective stroke registries in Korea (CRCS-K [Clinical Research Collaboration for Stroke in Korea]) and Taiwan (TREAT-AIS [Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke]) were harmonized to form a unified data set of patients undergoing EVT.

Design of Antimicrobial Peptides against Carbapenem-Resistant Infections with Enhanced Activity by Nanoformulation.

Carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) has emerged as a critical public health menace. Its resistance to last-resort antibiotics highlights the urgent need for innovative treatment approaches. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates to address this challenge.

Evaluation of generative AI assistance in clinical nephrology: Assessing GPT-4, GPT-4o, Gemini 1.0 Ultra, and PaLM 2 in patient interaction and renal biopsy interpretation.

Importance: Compares the responses of four AI models to common nephrology-related questions encountered in clinical settings.

Objective: To evaluate generative AI models in enhancing nephrology patient communication and education.

Design: Generative AI in Nephrology.

Chinese Sausage Simulates High Calorie-Induced Obesity In Vivo, Identifying the Potential Benefits of Weight Loss and Metabolic Syndrome of Resveratrol Butyrate Monomer Derivatives.

This study examined the health benefits of 3-O-butanoylresveratrol (ED4), a monoester derivative of resveratrol butyrate esters. Using a high-calorie diet model simulation with Chinese sausage, ED4 was tested against changes in physiological indices like body weight (BW), body fat, blood pressure, and SCFA levels (stools and serum) in rats. This study found that the obesity-inducing model utilizing sausage as a high-calorie diet worked, and that supplementing rats with ED4 (20 mg/kg BW/day) for 5 weeks inhibited BW increase and body fat buildup.

Supporting parents with disability and other challenges through occupational therapy: What is needed?

Introduction: Parenting is a highly valued and challenging occupational role in which many parents experience challenges. Yet the involvement of occupational therapy in supporting parenting for adults with disability and other challenges is relatively low. This paper explores what is needed to increase occupational therapy support for parents with disability and other challenges.

An Electrode Design Strategy to Minimize Ferroelectric Imprint Effect.

The phenomenon of ferroelectric imprint, characterized by an asymmetric polarization switching behavior, poses significant challenges in the reliability and performance of ultra-low-voltage ferroelectric devices, including MagnetoElectric Spin-Orbit devices, Ferroelectric Random-Access Memory, Ferroelectric Field-Effect Transistors, and Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions. In this study, the influence of electrode configuration in different device architectures are systematically investigated on their imprint effect. By tuning the work function of LaSrMnO (LSMO) electrodes through oxygen pressure during deposition, precise control over the built-in voltage offset (V) in ferroelectric capacitors are demonstrated.

Stent-Edge Hinge Movement in a Calcified Lesion Is Associated With Increased Prevalence of a Calcified Nodule at Follow-Up.

Background: Coronary stenting alters vessel dynamics, displacing hinge movement closer to stent edges. We aimed to investigate whether calcified nodules (CNs) are more frequent at stent edges associated with calcium.

Methods: In vessels with previously implanted stents evaluated by optical coherence tomography, 4 different calcified lesions were studied: stent-edge calcified lesions with or without a CN, and unstented native calcified lesions with or without a CN.

Mitigating the Risk of Skeletal Events in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Bone metastases affect approximately one-third of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and contribute to substantial skeletal complications and shorter survival. Management of these metastases requires a multidisciplinary approach combining systemic therapies, localized treatments, and supportive care. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based combinations, especially doublets comprising an ICI and a VEGF-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, have shown significant efficacy in mRCC with bone involvement.

Factors Associated With Chronic Stent Recoil and its Impact on Revascularization: A Serial Optical Coherence Tomography Study.

Background: Chronic stent recoil can vary according to both stent materials and designs.

Objectives: The authors sought to use serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate the incidence of chronic stent recoil and its impact on target lesion revascularization (TLR) in second- or newer-generation drug-eluting stent implantation.

Methods: Patients undergoing clinically indicated serial OCT studies (baseline and either at TLR or after more than 6-month follow-up) were studied.

Global Legal Environment for LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Public Health.

In 2023 the Supreme Court of Mauritius cited human rights and public health arguments to strike down a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual same-sex sex. The parliament of Singapore recently did the same through legislative means. Are these aberrations or a shifting global consensus? This article documents a remarkable shift international legal shift regarding LGBTQ+ sexuality.

Deciphering the Impact of Graphene Oxide Incorporation on Structural, Chemical, and Electrochemical Properties of NaFe(SO) Cathode Materials.

The performance of polyanionic NaFe(SO) (NFS) cathode materials is hindered by their low electronic conductivity and is correlated to their structural and chemical instability. Herein, we incorporated graphene oxide (GO) to modify NFS materials, which can build a carbon layer on the surface and alleviate NaFe(SO) phase formation and Fe oxidation in the lattice. Meanwhile, the performance of NFS materials has been significantly improved, such as the capacity retention showing an increase from 56% to 87% after 200 cycles at 0.

5-Methoxytryptophan attenuates oxidative stress-induced downregulation of PINK1 and mitigates mitochondrial damage and apoptosis in cardiac myocytes.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. 5-Methoxytryptophan (5-MTP), an intrinsic amino acid metabolite, exerts cardioprotective effects potentially through the preservation of mitochondrial integrity. This study investigates the mechanisms and contexts in which 5-MTP positively impacts mitochondrial function using cultured human cardiac myocyte cells and HL-1 cardiac cells subjected to oxidative stress (OS).

Recent Developments in the Management of Renal Cell Cancer.

The management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has seen significant advancements in recent years with the introduction of novel therapeutic agents and combination regimens. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape, particularly for advanced and metastatic RCC, where ICI-based combinations have shown substantial improvements in survival outcomes. Dual immunotherapy combinations, such as nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and ICI-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combinations, including pembrolizumab with axitinib, nivolumab with cabozantinib, and pembrolizumab with lenvatinib, have demonstrated overall survival (OS) benefits in first-line treatment, redefining the standard of care for advanced RCC.

Mechanistic Investigations of a Hydrogen-Evolving Cobalt Diimine-Dioxime Complex in an Oxygen Environment: Roles of Secondary Coordination Sphere, Bro̷nsted Acid, and Axial Ligand.

The concept of a secondary coordination sphere (SCS) has been widely adopted in designing molecular electrocatalysts to promote energy-conversion reactions, such as the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) or the reduction of carbon dioxide. The role of SCS in the oxygen-tolerant properties of molecular electrocatalysts is less explored. An HER electrocatalyst, the cobalt diimine-dioxime complex, is one of the metal complexes designed by the concept of SCS to facilitate HER and retain its reactivity in an oxygen environment.

Predictive Modeling of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Following Endovascular Thrombectomy: Insights From the Nationwide TREAT-AIS Registry.

Background And Purpose: Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking.

Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS).

Association between neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio and efficacy outcomes with avelumab plus axitinib or sunitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: post hoc analyses from the JAVELIN Renal 101 trial.

Objective: We report post hoc analyses of efficacy with first-line avelumab plus axitinib or sunitinib according to baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) from the JAVELIN Renal 101 phase 3 trial.

Methods And Analysis: Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and objective response per baseline NER were analysed in the overall population and in patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1+) tumours. Multivariable Cox regression analyses to assess the effect of NER after adjustment for other baseline variables were conducted.

Red blood cell pyruvate kinase properties in Townes and Berkeley sickle cell disease mouse models - Of mice and men.

Pyruvate kinase (PK), a key ATP-generating enzyme in glycolysis, is a target for novel sickle cell disease (SCD) therapies. Enhancing PK activity lowers 2,3-diphosphyglycerate (2,3-DPG), increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and may prevent red blood cell (RBC) sickling. Townes and Berkeley SCD mouse models are commonly used for the development of novel drugs for SCD, but differ from humans in 2,3-DPG and ATP levels, which could be related to underlying differences in PK properties.

Serial Examination of Platelet Function Tests Might Predict Prognosis of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke-A Cohort Study.

Background: This study investigated whether point-of-care platelet function measurements could predict favorable outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin, are known to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke by 20-30%. However, identifying nonresponders to therapy remains a clinical challenge.

Therapeutic Potential of Oligo-Fucoidan in Mitigating Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Fibrosis.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) serves as a home-based kidney replacement therapy with increasing utilization across the globe. However, long-term use of high-glucose-based PD solution incites repeated peritoneal injury and inevitable peritoneal fibrosis, thus compromising treatment efficacy and resulting in ultrafiltration failure eventually. In the present study, we utilized human mesothelial MeT-5A cells for the in vitro experiments and a PD mouse model for in vivo validation to study the pathophysiological mechanisms underneath PD-associated peritoneal fibrosis.