MPTN: A video-based multi-point tracking network for atrioventricular junction detection and tracking in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Background And Objective: To develop an end-to-end artificial intelligence solution-video-based Multi-Point Tracking Network (MPTN), for detecting and tracking atrioventricular junction (AVJ) points from cardiovascular magnetic resonance and deriving AVJ motion parameters.

Methods: The MPTN model consists of two modules: AVJ point detection and AVJ motion tracking. The detection module utilizes convolutional-based feature extraction and elastic regression to detect all candidate AVJ points.

Evaluation of cytomegalovirus cell-mediated immunity assays in the healthy Singapore cohort and challenges of test validation.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for transplant and immunocompromised patients. While cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is crucial for control of CMV and can influence the management of patients, commercial kits to measure CMI responses have only recently become available. In this study, we evaluated 2 different test kit platforms to determine their performance with the aim of implementing CMV-CMI testing to serve local needs.

Multi-scale design of the structure and mechanical performance of the deep-sea hydrothermal mussel (Bathymodiolus aduloides) shell.

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are renowned for being among the most extreme environments on Earth. However, the mussel shells found in these vent sites demonstrate remarkable productivity, despite being subjected to high pressure as well as unusual levels of heavy metals, pH, temperature, CO, and sulphides. To comprehend how these mussels endure such extreme conditions, a systematic comparative study was conducted, focusing on the unique chemical composition, structural designs, and mechanical properties of hydrothermal vent mussels (Bathymodiolus aduloides) in comparison to shallow-water mussels (Mytilus edulis).

DeepPhosPPI: a deep learning framework with attention-CNN and transformer for predicting phosphorylation effects on protein-protein interactions.

Protein phosphorylation regulates protein function and cellular signaling pathways, and is strongly associated with diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Phosphorylation plays a critical role in regulating protein activity and cellular signaling by modulating protein-protein interactions (PPIs). It alters binding affinities and interaction networks, thereby influencing biological processes and maintaining cellular homeostasis.

Dealing with manuscript rejections in academic medicine: It takes two hands to clap.

Academic publishing is increasingly prevalent in clinical training and practice, as part of the burgeoning field of academic medicine, where physicians are expected not only to perform their conventional clinical duties and responsibilities, but also increasingly have to engage in various forms of scholarly activities to contribute to evidence-based practice, as part of their key performance indicators. However, for physicians who are not trained as academics or scientists, the learning curve for scholarly endeavours can be steep and fraught with setbacks and rejections. Therefore, in this editorial article, we offer our perspectives as residents-in-training on the roles of both clinician-authors and journal editorial/peer review teams in facilitating healthy cognitive-emotional processing of unfavourable manuscript decisions in academic medicine.

Consortium profile: the methylation, imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) consortium.

Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, show potential as biological markers and mechanisms underlying gene-environment interplay in the prediction of mental health and other brain-based phenotypes. However, little is known about how peripheral epigenetic patterns relate to individual differences in the brain itself. An increasingly popular approach to address this is by combining epigenetic and neuroimaging data; yet, research in this area is almost entirely comprised of cross-sectional studies in adults.

Chronic kidney disease and incident cancer risk: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: Studies examining the association of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with cancer risk have demonstrated conflicting results.

Methods: This was an individual participant data meta-analysis including 54 international cohorts contributing to the CKD Prognosis Consortium. Included cohorts had data on albuminuria [urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR)], estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), overall and site-specific cancer incidence, and established risk factors for cancer.

Do purpose in life and self-directedness mediate the effects of child abuse on anxiety and depression symptoms 18 years later?

Background: Childhood maltreatment is a transdiagnostic risk factor that is robustly associated with the development of anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms in adulthood. This study thus aimed to investigate potential mediators between early childhood abuse and adult psychopathology severity using data from an 18-year longitudinal study among community-dwelling adults in the U.S.

Predicting Treatment Response in Retinal Vein Occlusions Using Baseline Optical Coherence Tomography Biomarkers: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines the prognostic value of baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers in predicting visual acuity (VA) outcomes for eyes with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusions (RVO) treated with anti-VEGF therapies, steroids, laser photocoagulation, or combination treatments. VA predictions at 6, 12, and 24 months post-treatment were assessed using a narrative synthesis approach and vote counting based on effect direction relative to a minimal clinically important difference. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE guidelines.

Managing root caries with silver diamine fluoride, sodium fluoride and direct restorations: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) relative to sodium fluoride (NaF) and traditional resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGIC) restorations for the management of root caries in older adults aged 60 and above.

Methods: A Markov model design was chosen and two models were constructed: 1) Clinic-based model - with access to dental facility that allows for placement of traditional restorations, 2) Community-based model - without access to dental facility due to mobility, lack of executive function, or financial barriers. Modelling was done over a 10-year time horizon with a cycle length of one year.

A comprehensive framework of health risk assessment for antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments: Status, progress, and perspectives.

Antibiotic resistance (AR), driven by antibiotics as emerging pollutants, has become a critical global health threat, jeopardizing both environmental and human health. The persistence and spread of AR in aquatic ecosystems are governed by the intricate interplay between antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), which collectively influences its occurrence, transportation, and fate in aquatic ecosystems. However, most assessments focus primarily on antibiotics and ARGs, often relying on single-factor criteria while overlooking critical influence factors such as ARG forms, non-antibiotic chemicals, antibiotic pressure, and microbial competition.

Chemical alteration of UO micro-particles in model lung systems.

Uranium dioxide (UO) particles can be released from mines, nuclear fuel manufacturing, reactor accidents, and weapons use. They pose inhalation risks, yet their behavior in the human lung remains poorly understood. This study investigates the long-term chemical alteration and dissolution of µm-sized UO particles in two model lung fluids: Simulated Lung Fluid (SLF) and Artificial Lysosomal Fluid (ALF), representing extracellular and intracellular lung environments, respectively.

Accelerating iron redox cycling via acetate modification: a ligand engineering for sustainable fenton-like oxidation.

Accelerating the rate-limiting surface Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycling is pivotal for efficient iron-mediated Fenton-like decontamination, yet conventional reductants (e.g., toxic hydroxylamine, thiosulfate) suffer from secondary toxicity, self-quenching, and heavy metal leaching.

Targeting PAR-2 in atopic dermatitis: Preclinical evaluation of the novel inhibitor E6795.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous lesions, intense itching, and compromised skin barrier function. Despite the advent of new therapeutics, many individuals still face insufficient disease control, high costs, and relapse. Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), overexpressed in AD lesions, plays a central role in promoting inflammation, itch, and alterations in epidermal homeostasis.

Predictors of Final Place of Care in People With Advanced Dementia Receiving Home-Based Palliative Care in Singapore: A Multivariate Regression Analysis.

As the prevalence of dementia rises exponentially globally, instituting practices to support the dying process of people affected by dementia is a public health priority. However, end-of-life quality indicators such as place of death provide limited information about the totality of the dying process. Hence, this study's aim was to identify factors affecting the relatively understudied concept of final place of care (where care was received in the last three days of life i.

Drought inhibits thermomorphogenesis via salicylic acid-mediated suppression of ELF3 phase separation.

Plants are constantly exposed to environmental changes and must respond carefully to ensure survival and growth. Under high temperatures, many plants exhibit a series of morphological and developmental adjustments, including increased hypocotyl and petiole elongation. These adaptations, collectively termed thermomorphogenesis, promote transpiration and water loss, thereby enhancing evaporative cooling.

Salicylic acid reduces ELF3 phase separation and suppresses thermomorphogenic growth in Arabidopsis.

Salicylic acid (SA), a long-characterized defense hormone, is increasingly recognized for its roles in plant growth and development. However, its involvement in mediating plant growth responses to environmental cues remains less understood. Here, we show that SA negatively affects thermomorphogenic growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Nanomedicine Reimagined: Translational Strategies for Precision Tumor Theranostics.

Nanomedicine has shown remarkable promise in advancing tumor imaging and therapy through its ability to achieve targeted delivery, precision imaging, and therapeutic efficacy. However, translating these preclinical successes into clinical practice remains fraught with challenges, including inconsistent tumor targeting, off-target organ accumulation, and a lack of comprehensive understanding of in vivo behavior of nanomedicines. In this perspective, the current state of nanomedicine research is critically analyzed, emphasizing the translational bottlenecks and offering a forward-looking view on potential solutions.

Structural integrity and failure of transfemoral prosthetic socket fabricated using carbon prepreg technique: Influence of fiber orientation and curing conditions.

This study provides valuable guidance for simplifying fabrication procedures and enhancing the structural integrity and safety of carbon fiber (CF) laminate transfemoral (TF) prosthetic sockets. While the high specific strength of CF laminate sockets offers advantages over conventional plastics, essential production data-their orientation-dependent strength and optimal cure conditions-are lacking, often requiring complex, costly cure cycles. This study investigated (i) the influence of fiber orientation on TF prosthetic CF socket strength via finite element analysis (FEA) during standing, and (ii) optimal single-step Vacuum-Bag-Only (VBO) cure conditions for prepreg in a low-cost conventional oven.

In Situ Electrochemical Oxidation for High-Energy-Density Aqueous Batteries: Mechanisms, Materials, and Prospects.

To advance the commercial utilization of aqueous electrochemical devices for grid-scale energy storage, it is crucial to address the current limitations related to energy density and cycle stability. Indeed, the lack of high-performance cathodes is still an obstructive issue, not to mention the limited capacities related to the monotonic cation intercalation/deintercalation mechanism. Fortunately, conversion chemistries with redox reactions bring a new dimension, where materials with multiple valence states facilitate multi-electron redox reactions, offering the potential for high-energy-density storage.

Grief, Uncertainty and Community: A Qualitative Study on Parental Experiences of Paediatric Feeding Disorders and Feeding Tube Use in Singapore.

Aim: To explore the perceptions and experiences of parents caring for children with paediatric feeding disorders requiring feeding tubes (PFD-T).

Study Design: A descriptive qualitative approach was adopted in this study.

Methods: Using purposive sampling, 12 parents were recruited from paediatric inpatient wards and the outpatient paediatric feeding clinic at a tertiary public hospital in Singapore.

Transcriptional regulation in heart development, disease and regeneration: reassessing the fetal gene hypothesis.

A central paradigm in cardiac biology is the reactivation of the fetal gene programme in the adult heart in response to stress. This so-called 'fetal gene hypothesis' was first proposed almost 40 years ago following the observation that certain fetal contractile protein isoforms were re-expressed in hypertrophied ventricles in the rodent heart in response to haemodynamic overload. Consequently, this concept was broadly adopted, and activation of the fetal gene programme became synonymous in the literature with the cardiac stress response.

Cellular fibronectin exacerbates α-synuclein aggregation via integrin alpha4beta1 mediated PARP1 and SCD elevation.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid metabolic disturbance may promote pathologic α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation, accelerating the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether extracellular matrices are associated with those pathological mechanisms in PD remains elusive. Here, we aimed to identify if cellular fibronectin (cFn), a component of extracellular matrices, contributes to α-syn abnormality via inducing mitochondrial energy depletion or disrupting lipid homeostasis.