Predicting Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Using Transrectal Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound-Based Radiomics Model.

Background: Predicting tumor regression grade (TRG) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) preoperatively accurately is crucial for providing individualized treatment plans. This study aims to develop transrectal contrast-enhanced ultrasound-based (TR-CEUS) radiomics models for predicting TRG.

Methods: A total of 190 LARC patients undergoing NCRT and subsequent total mesorectal excision were categorized into good and poor response groups based on pathological TRG.

Refining Fall Risk Assessment Scale for Nursing Homes Among Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: A Mokken Analysis.

Aim: To refine fall risk assessment scale among older adults with cognitive impairment in nursing homes.

Design: A cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Mokken analysis was conducted to refine the assessment scale based on unidimensionality, local independence, monotonicity, dimensionality, and reliability.

Real-world observations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have potential beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: We conducted pharmacoepidemiologic studies using two large-scale real-world databases. We fitted covariate-adjusted Cox models to compare the risks of AD among initiators of GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and DPP-4 inhibitors.

Impact of evolving strategies for arteriovenous graft creation and management on patency outcomes.

Background: Arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are essential alternatives for hemodialysis patients who are unsuitable for arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). As surgical expertise and monitoring strategies evolve, understanding the long-term performance and influencing factors of AVGs is crucial.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 980 patients who underwent AVG creation at a single center between 2014 and 2022.

Forecasting the diabetic retinopathy progression using generative adversarial networks.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, making early prediction of DR progression crucial for effectively preventing visual loss. This study introduces a prediction framework DRForecastGAN (Diabetic Retinopathy Forecast Generative Adversarial Network), and investigates its clinical value in predicting DR development.

Methods: DRForecastGAN model, consisting of a generator, discriminator, and registration network, was trained, validated, and tested in training (12,852 images), internal validation (2734 images), and external test (8523 images) datasets.

Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of keloids uncovers novel susceptibility loci in diverse populations.

Keloids are raised scars that grow beyond original wound boundaries, resulting in pain and disfigurement. Reasons for keloid development are not well-understood, and current treatment options are limited. Keloids are more likely to occur in darker-skinned individuals of African and Asian descent than in Europeans.

DC Reactive-Sputtered NiO Hole Transport Layers with Tailored Nickel Vacancies for Perovskite Single-Junction and Textured Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.

Sputtered nickel oxide (NiO) is a promising material for hole transport layers (HTLs) in industrializing perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its scalable and conformal growth. However, its low conductivity and interfacial instability limit device performance. Herein, high-quality undoped NiO (DC-N) HTLs are developed fabricated via direct current (DC) reactive sputtering (Ni target) coupled with low-temperature (≤ 200 °C) air annealing.

 (Boraginaceae), a new species from Henan, China.

, a new species from the Muzhaling Scenic Area in Henan Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to and but differs from the former in the size of the basal leaves, calyx size, color and size of the corolla, and length of the style; and from the latter in cauline petiole length, calyx size, color and size of the corolla, stamen insertion, filament length, and style length. Additionally, the conservation status and other pertinent notes are provided.

Transformer patient embedding using electronic health records enables patient stratification and progression analysis.

Current studies regarding the secondary use of electronic health records (EHR) predominantly rely on domain expertise and existing medical knowledge. A powerful representation approach can unleash the potential of discovering new medical patterns underlying the EHR. Here, we introduce an unsupervised method for embedding high-dimensional EHR data at the patient level to characterize heterogeneity in complex diseases and identify novel disease patterns linked to disparities in clinical outcomes.

Retaining spatial resolution multifocal confocal fluorescence microscopy with deep learning.

Confocal microscopy is a standard modality for volumetric imaging of biological samples due to its high spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, the slow point-by-point scanning process limits its image acquisition speed. Multifocal illumination allows for faster acquisition but compromises spatial resolution.

Histogram-based Res-UNet model for optical sectioning HiLo endo-microscopy.

Optical sectioning endo-microscopy has become a crucial tool for deep brain imaging, but conventional methods face challenges such as time-consuming scanning processes and the need for expensive light sources. HiLo imaging addresses these issues by providing faster acquisition and high-quality images. In this study, we introduce a histogram matching-based Res-UNet model for optical sectioning HiLo endo-microscopy.

Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway in monocytes exacerbates pulmonary fibrosis induced by paraquat poisoning.

Paraquat (PQ), a total contact herbicide, triggers progressive pulmonary fibrosis and multiorgan failure. This toxicity occurs via DNA damage-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study systematically investigated monocytic cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling in PQ-associated fibrotic lung pathology, focusing on its mechanistic involvement in innate immune regulation.

Constrained Tensor Factorization for Cancer Phenotyping and Mortality Prediction.

Electronic health records (EHR) enable machine learning methods like tensor factorization to extract computational phenotypes. Using Northwestern Medicine data (2000-2015), we analyzed breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer cohorts to predict five-year mortality. Adding a supervised term, indication filtering, and social determinants of health (SDOH) covariates improved interpretability and performance.

Crystal facet engineering of {100}-dominant Co-impregnated cubic CeO₂ catalysts for enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation and bisphenol A degradation.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a persistent endocrine disruptor, poses critical water treatment challenges. In this study, cubic catalysts dominated by {100} crystal facets (i@Co@CeO CNs) were synthesized via crystal surface engineering combined with a cobalt (Co) impregnation strategy. This approach aimed to enhance activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of BPA by modulating the exposed crystal facets of cerium dioxide (CeO) carriers.

Identification of immune signatures associated with both SARS-CoV-2 infection and lung transplantation.

Lung transplantation (lung-tx) offers the last life-saving option for patients with COVID-19-associated lung injury (CALI). We show that the RBD-specific antibodies are dramatically reduced in these CALI lung-tx patients despite a comparable frequency of CD19 B cells in circulating blood between CALI lung-tx patients and sero-negative controls. In contrast, non-transplant COVID-19 groups maintain a high level of RBD-specific antibodies.

FHIR-GPT Enhances Health Interoperability with Large Language Models.

Advancing health data interoperability can significantly benefit research, including phenotyping, clinical trial support, and public health surveillance. Federal agencies such as the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are collectively promoting interoperability by adopting the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard. However, the heterogeneous structures and formats of health data present challenges when transforming electronic health record data into FHIR resources.

Radial-balanced phase transfer functions for accurate retrieval in quantitative differential phase contrast microscopy.

Quantitative differential phase contrast microscopy (qDPC) is a potent quantitative phase imaging (QPI) technique for biological applications due to its high resolution and rapid image acquisition. Traditionally, qDPC employs an asymmetric 12 axis illumination pattern and reconstructs the phase using Tikhonov regularization. Numerous endeavors have been made to enhance qDPC performance, including reducing the number of illumination patterns and refining retrieval algorithms.

Inhibiting the Interaction Between Phospholipase A2 and Phospholipid Serine as a Potential Therapeutic Method for Pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a severe lower respiratory tract infection. This study demonstrates that phospholipase A2 (PLA2), a potential biomarker for pneumonia, contributes to alveoli damage by hydrolyzing pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. This process impairs gas exchange and generates hemolytic phospholipids that disrupt cellular membranes, exacerbating pulmonary injury.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of floating needle in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

Background: To evaluate the clinical effect of floating needle on primary dysmenorrhea.

Methods: Wanfang database, Chinese Journal Full-text database, VIP database, PubMed, Embase, OVID, and Cochrane library were searched by computer to collect randomized controlled studies on floating acupuncture in the treatment of primary dysmorrhea published during the period from establishment to November 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, conducted multilevel screening, quality evaluation, extracted relevant data, and used Revman5.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Crude Polysaccharides in UVB-Induced Acute Skin Damage.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation drives skin photodamage, prompting exploration of natural therapeutics. This study investigated the reparative effects and mechanisms of crude polysaccharides (GP) on UVB-induced acute skin damage. GP was extracted from fresh via water extraction and alcohol precipitation.

An ovarian insulin-like peptide specifically regulates energy allocation and oocyte development in nutrition-restricted cockroaches.

Background: Insects exhibit remarkable resilience and maintain high levels of reproduction despite frequently encountering nutritional restriction. However, the mechanisms governing their adaptive reproductive strategies under nutrition-restricted conditions remain poorly understood. The German cockroach Blattella germanica, a widespread urban pest, exhibits remarkable reproductive capabilities even in domestic environments where food resources are frequently limited.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in postoperative cognitive dysfunction: From preclinical mechanisms to multimodal diagnostics and precision intervention.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) poses a significant clinical challenge with far-reaching implications for patient recovery and long-term quality of life. Growing evidence underscores the central role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of POCD, uncovering an intricate interplay of molecular mechanisms that influence cognitive function. This study reviews the key mechanistic pathways involving mitochondria: bioenergetic impairment and metabolic irregularities, oxidative stress pathways and neuroinflammation, disruptions in calcium signaling, and deficiencies in mitochondrial quality control mechanisms-including kinetic abnormalities, defective mitophagy, and mitochondrial genetic material damage.

Correction: Neurological diagnoses in hospitalized COVID-19 patients associated with adverse outcomes: A multinational cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.