Engineered nanofiber scaffolds prime chromatin reorganization to sensitize cells for long-term and low-dose chemical hazard detection.

Fast and early detection of low-dose chemical toxicity is a critical unmet need in toxicology and human health, as conventional 2D culture models often fail to capture subtle cellular responses induced by sub-toxic exposures. Here, we present a bioengineered three-dimensional (3D) electrospun nanofibrous scaffold composed of polycaprolactone that enhances chromatin accessibility and primes fibroblasts for improved sensitivity to low-dose chemical stimuli in a short period. The scaffold mimics the extracellular matrix, providing topographical cues that reduce cytoskeletal tension and promote nuclear deformation, thereby increasing chromatin openness.

Risk prediction of mechanical complications in acute myocardial infarction patients with prior malignancy.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with prior malignancy have been largely understudied, despite potentially facing higher risks of adverse outcomes. This case-control study aimed to identify independent risk factors for in-hospital mechanical complications among AMI patients with prior malignancies.

Methods: This study enrolled AMI patients with prior malignancy who were hospitalized for treatment.

Evaluating Vitamin D Deficiency-Linked Digestive Issues by Bridging Endocrinology With Gastrointestinal Disorders.

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is increasingly recognized as a significant and underlying contributor to a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in gastrointestinal (GI) and endocrine health. The study aims to determine the clinical relationship between vitamin D status and the severity of GI symptoms, while also assessing the impact of related endocrine disturbances.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 120 adult patients with GI problems, including constipation, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and dyspepsia in a tertiary care hospital over a six-month duration.

Causal Relationship Between Sjögren's Syndrome and Atherosclerosis: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample, Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: There is growing evidence that Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and atherosclerosis (AS) might share underlying immunological and inflammatory processes. Observational data have pointed toward a potential association between SS and a heightened likelihood of developing AS, though the causal direction and specific dynamics of this relationship have not been clearly verified. This Mendelian randomization (MR) investigation opts to investigate potential bidirectional causality between SS and three types of AS: coronary, cerebral, and peripheral.

Serum S100A12 in the clinical diagnosis of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction: an integrated bioinformatics and clinical data analysis.

Objective: Sepsis is a common and life-threatening syndrome in intensive care units, frequently accompanied by myocardial dysfunction, which significantly worsens patient outcomes. S100A12, a calcium-binding protein associated with inflammation, is upregulated in various inflammatory conditions. However, its role in sepsis and related cardiac injury remains unclear.

Machine learning-based prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes in antiphospholipid syndrome using pregnancy antibody levels.

Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a major immune-related disorder that leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO), including recurrent miscarriage, placental abruption, preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction. Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs), particularly anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GP1), and lupus anticoagulant (LA), are considered key biomarkers for APS and are closely associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This is a prospective observational cohort study to use machine learning model to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes in APS patients using early pregnancy aPL levels and clinical features.

Diagnostic Challenges of Six-Pathogen Detected by mNGS in an Immunocompromised ICU Patient with Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia-Induced Sepsis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) in immunocompromised patients is often caused by rare atypical pathogens, which are difficult to detect using conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) and can progress to sepsis in severe cases. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), an emerging pathogen detection technique, enables rapid identification of mixed infections and provides valuable guidance for clinical treatment decisions. SCAP-induced sepsis caused by a six-pathogen co-infection has not been previously reported, but interpretation remains a challenge.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Exchange Combined with Intrathecal Antibiotic Injection for the Management of Severe Intracranial Infection Caused by Hypervirulent : A Case Report.

Hypervirulent is a recently identified pathotype characterized by high virulence and rapid dissemination. It is associated with invasive infections at multiple anatomical sites, including liver abscesses, necrotizing fasciitis, meningitis, myositis, and endophthalmitis. It has emerged as a significant threat to public health due to its aggressive clinical course and high mortality rate.

Stability of microRNAs in serum and plasma reveal promise as a circulating biomarker.

Purpose: To verify the stability and reliability of circulating microRNA (miRNA) profiles in plasma and serum under different processing and storage conditions to inform future applications to circulating biomarker analyses.

Background: The development of blood-based methods for early disease detection has become increasingly desirable across various medical fields. RNA profiles have been investigated but have been a challenge due to rapid degradation of the analyte by ubiquitous RNases.

Progress in Molecular Mechanisms of Depression Induced by Mother-Infant Separation and Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Depression is a serious mental and emotional disorder and is considered to be the greatest cause of non-fatal disease worldwide. Early life stress (ELS) refers to the exposure of an individual to physical and psychological stress events such as neglect or abuse in early life that has a long-term impact on brain development, thus inducing emotional and cognitive disorders in adulthood. It is the main susceptibility and risk factor for depression.

Gender-affirming healthcare in the Nordic countries: An overview.

This narrative review examines gender-affirming healthcare in the Nordic countries, highlighting historical developments, legal frameworks, epidemiological trends, and current clinical practices. Transgender healthcare dates back to the early 20th century and gained international attention in the early 1950s following one of the first widely publicized gender-affirming surgeries performed in Denmark. Since then, care models have evolved, supported by policy, research, and clinical practice across Europe and North America.

Congenital hearing loss in Palestine: Mapping the socioeconomic and clinical factors on infant health in Gaza.

Introduction: Congenital hearing loss (CHL) is a significant chronic condition affecting children's development and communication skills. Globally, its incidence is 1.33 per 1000 newborns, but data from Gaza is limited, this study aims to investigate clinical profile, and risk factors associated with congenital hearing loss (CHL) in infants within the Gaza Strip, focusing on the period before the 2023 military escalation.

Impact of Testosterone Recovery on Oncologic Outcomes in High-Risk, Localized Prostate Cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the only cancer in men to exhibit androgen sensitivity at diagnosis, which has allowed for the development of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, outcomes in high-risk PCa (HRPCa) remain significantly worse than low risk disease and the use of ADT varies among treatment algorithms and medical specialties. In men treated with radiation, testosterone recovery after completing ADT has been associated with oncologic outcomes.

Randomized Clinical Trial on Caries Prevention of Silver Diamine Fluoride.

This 30-mo double-blind randomized clinical superiority trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of semiannual application of 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) solution in preventing early childhood caries in primary upper anterior teeth. The active comparator was 5% sodium fluoride varnish (FV). The primary outcome was the mean number of new carious tooth surfaces per child at the 30-mo follow-up.

Early prediction of orthodontic gingival enlargement using S100A4: a biomarker-based risk stratification model.

Orthodontic-induced gingival enlargement (OIGE) affects approximately 15-30% of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and remains largely unpredictable, often relying on subjective clinical assessments made after irreversible tissue changes have occurred. S100A4 is a well-characterized marker of activated fibroblasts involved in pathological tissue remodeling. This was a cross-sectional precision biomarker study that analyzed gingival tissue samples from three groups: healthy controls (n = 60), orthodontic patients without gingival enlargement (n = 31), and patients with clinically diagnosed OIGE (n = 61).

Lung volume segmentation in fetal MRI: super-resolution reconstructions improve inter-rater reliability.

Background: Fetal MRI is increasingly used to investigate fetal lung pathologies, and super-resolution (SR) algorithms could be a powerful clinical tool for this assessment. Our goal was to investigate whether SR reconstructions result in an improved agreement in lung volume measurements determined by different raters, also known as inter-rater reliability.

Materials And Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, fetal lung volumes calculated from both SR reconstructions and the original images were analyzed.

The X-Age Project to construct a Chinese aging clock.

The global surge in the population of people 60 years and older, including that in China, challenges healthcare systems with rising age-related diseases. To address this demographic change, the Aging Biomarker Consortium (ABC) has launched the X-Age Project to develop a comprehensive aging evaluation system tailored to the Chinese population. Our goal is to identify robust biomarkers and construct composite aging clocks that capture biological age, defined as an individual's physiological and molecular state, across diverse Chinese cohorts.

Local activity alterations in individuals with autism correlate with neurotransmitter properties and ketamine-induced brain changes.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with altered resting-state brain function. An increased excitation-inhibition ratio is discussed as a pathomechanism but in-vivo evidence of disturbed neurotransmission underlying functional alterations remains scarce. We compare local resting-state brain activity and neurotransmitter co-localizations between autism (N = 405, N = 395) and neurotypical controls (N = 473, N = 474) in two independent cohorts and correlate them with excitation-inhibition changes induced by glutamatergic (ketamine) and GABAergic (midazolam) medication.

A prediction nomogram for mild cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the Chinese visceral adiposity index.

Visceral adiposity has been proposed to be closely linked to cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of Chinese Visceral Adiposity Index (CVAI) for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to develop a quantitative risk assessment model. A total of 337 hospitalized patients with T2DM were included and randomly assigned to a training cohort (70%, n = 236) and a validation cohort (30%, n = 101).

The lifespan trajectories of brain activities related to conflict-driven cognitive control.

Cognitive control is fundamental to human goal-directed behavior. Understanding its trajectory across the lifespan is crucial for optimizing cognitive function throughout life, particularly during periods of rapid development and decline. While existing studies have revealed an inverted U-shaped trajectory of cognitive control in both behavioral and anatomical domains, the age-related changes in functional brain activities remain poorly understood.

[Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing related to neuromuscular diseases].

Neuromuscular diseases are often accompanied by various types of sleep-related breathing disorders, which can exacerbate the underlying condition and are associated with a poor prognosis. Early identification is essential, and interventions such as non-invasive ventilation, oxygen therapy, and respiratory rehabilitation should be initiated promptly to mitigate disease progression and improve outcomes. Nevertheless, the rates of missed and misdiagnosed cases remain common in clinical practice.

[Diagnosis and management of severe pneumonia secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis: a clinical mission for pulmonary and critical care medicine physicians].

Severe pneumonia is a common clinical respiratory disease that is frequently managed by physicians in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM). The development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis are critical factors that contribute to the disease progression and a poor prognosis in severe pneumonia patients. As a key focus in the diagnosis and treatment of critical illnesses, the management of severe pneumonia leverages the strengths of the discipline for pulmonary and critical care physicians.

Combining algorithms for the automated detection of auditory brainstem responses in newborns.

Congenital hearing loss is a significant health problem, with a worldwide incidence of >6 per 1000 live births. Late diagnosis will delay appropriate treatment, leading to potential neurodevelopment problems. Early diagnosis requires neonatal hearing screening, where one of the most used techniques is automated Auditory Brainstem Responses (aABR).

Development of a Social Communication Intervention Mobile App for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social communication disorder (SCD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication that hinder social adaptation, with limited pharmacological options for therapy owing to the absence of identified biomarkers. Individuals with ASD or SCD require lifelong interventions tailored to their development stages. However, most existing interventions primarily focus on early childhood, leaving adolescents relatively underserved.

Artificial Intelligence in allergy and immunology: recent developments, implementation challenges, and the road towards clinical impact.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized for its capacity to transform medicine. While publications applying AI in allergy and immunology have increased, clinical implementation substantially lags behind other specialties. By mid-2024, over 1,000 FDA-approved AI-enabled medical devices existed, but none specifically addressed allergy and immunology.