Association between multiple sclerosis and the risk of stroke: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background And Objectives: Previous studies addressing the association between multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke yielded conflicting results. The current study aimed to evaluate the association between MS and incident stroke, overall and by main stroke subtypes.

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study utilizing the Clalit Health Services database, the largest healthcare provider in Israel.

Diuretic strategies in acute heart failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Aims: Several diuretic strategies, including furosemide iv boluses (FB) or continuous infusion (FC), are used in acute heart failure (AHF).

Methods And Results: We systematically searched phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating diuretic regimens in admitted AHF patients within 48 hours and irrespective of clinical stabilization. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) of FC or FB plus another diuretic (sequential nephron blockade, SNB) compared to FB alone on 24-hour weight loss (WL) and worsening renal function (WRF), with a random-effects model with inverse variance weighting.

Comparison of 6-hour versus 12-hour cervical ripening balloon protocols in patients with prior cesarean delivery: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To compare the mode of delivery and other maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with one prior cesarean delivery undergoing labor induction with a cervical ripening balloon (CRB) for 6 h versus 12 h.

Methods: This retrospective study compared two protocols for mechanical cervical ripening: CRB placement for 12 h (12-h group, implemented from 2014 to 2017) versus 6 h (6-h group, implemented from 2020 to 2021). The study included patients with one prior low-segment cesarean delivery.

A New Family of Ternary Intermetallic Compounds with Dualistic Atomic Ordering - The ZIP Phases.

A new family of nanostructured ternary intermetallic compounds - named the ZIP phases - is introduced in this work. The ZIP phases exhibit dualistic atomic ordering, i.e.

Bioconversion of CO to methane energy by Methanococcus maripaludis in newly-designed bioreactor system: Kinetic characteristics, parameter optimization and grid-quality production.

Carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO-EOR) is widely used for carbon capture, utilization, and storage in Chinese oilfields, but part of injected CO returns with produced oil, reducing carbon-reduction efficiency. Bioconverting this CO to methane energy by methanogens benefits the technology, yet on-site high-efficiency conversion meeting natural-gas grid standards remains challenging. This study used a newly-designed triple-tank bioreactor to investigate CO-to-methane conversion and methanogenic kinetics of Methanococcus maripaludis.

Reduced Predictive Performance of the FIB-4 Index in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With Concurrent Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Liver Disease.

The coexistence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD) gained recognition, but the diagnostic performance of non-invasive markers regarding it remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the FIB-4 index for fibrosis prediction in CHB patients and investigate its performance in the distinct subgroup of CHB-MASLD. A prospective study from 2021 to 2022 included 109 CHB and 64 CHB-MASLD patients.

Death-associated protein kinase 1: a double-edged sword in health and disease.

Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) is a Ca/calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine kinase that orchestrates a wide array of cellular activities. It is intricately regulated through multiple mechanisms, including intramolecular signaling and interactions with other proteins, such as kinases and phosphatases. DAPK1 plays a pivotal role in regulating various biological processes, including apoptosis and autophagy, and is implicated in pathogenesis of several disorders, such as cancer, stroke and brain damage, neurodegenerative and within their kinase domains.

Mathematical model suggests current CAR-macrophage dosage is efficient to low pre-infusion tumour burden but refractory to high tumour burden.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophage therapy is a promising approach for tumour treatment due to antigen-specific phagocytosis and tumour clearance. However, the precise impact of tumour burden, dose and dosing regimens on therapeutic outcomes remains poorly understood. We developed ordinary differential equation (ODE) mathematical modelling and utilised parameter inference to analyse in vitro FACS-based phagocytosis assay data testing CD19-positive Raji tumour cell against CAR-macrophage, and revealed that phagocytosing efficiency of CAR-macrophage increases but saturates as both Raji cell and CAR-macrophage concentrations increase.

Association between live herpes-zoster vaccine and stroke risk: A population-based nested case-control study.

Background: Evidence on the role of herpes-zoster (shingles) vaccination in reducing stroke risk is inconsistent and limited, particularly concerning intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to examine the association between zoster live vaccine (ZVL) and overall stroke, as well as its main subtypes.

Methods: We conducted a population-based nested case-control study using the database of Israel's largest healthcare provider.

Conductive Hydrogel-Enabled Electrode for Scalp Electroencephalography Monitoring.

Scalp electroencephalography (EEG) serves as a pivotal technology for the noninvasive monitoring of brain functional activity, diagnosing neurological disorders, and assessing cognitive states. However, inherent compatibility barriers between traditional rigid electrodes and the hairy scalp interface significantly compromise signal quality, long-term monitoring comfort, and user compliance. This review examines conductive hydrogel electrodes' pivotal role in advancing scalp EEG, particularly their unique capacity to overcome hair-interface barriers.

Complications Following Hair Transplantation: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Hair transplant surgery is often tended to as a last resort for different types of alopecia. It involves importing hair from a donor site to recipient site using different surgical tools. Surgical interventions hold the risk of causing complications, due to the penetration of skin and exposure of internal tissue to tools and outer environment.

Cognitive biases: potential behavioral marker for future development of postpartum depression and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Childbirth Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CB-PTSD) are psychiatric conditions that cause significant distress. Yet despite their high prevalence and decades of research, knowledge about causal cognitive mechanisms that may assist in predicting or preventing these conditions is still missing. One characteristic of PPD and CB-PTSD that may contribute to their early prevention is the existence of cognitive biases concerning future parenting.

Fe-modified biochar-driven ROS generation in the rhizosphere and their role in microplastic transformation.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critical mediators of soil biogeochemical processes. While the production of ROS with biochar (BC) in the rhizosphere has not been explored. We demonstrate that BC and Fe-modified biochar (FeBC), prepared at 400°C and 600°C, influence ROS generation in paddy soil containing biodegradable (polybutylene succinate: PBS) and conventional (polystyrene) microplastics (MPs).

A novel closed-system drug-transfer device for oral dosage forms: Enhancing safety and administration of hazardous oral therapies in patients with dysphagia.

BackgroundMany oral medications are manufactured as solid dosage forms, posing challenges for patients with dysphagia-including older adults and children-and creating occupational hazards for healthcare workers who must crush or manipulate hazardous drugs. Existing methods for preparing such medications often involve open systems, exposing staff to cytotoxic agents and risking cross-contamination.ObjectiveTo develop and evaluate a novel, single-use closed-system drug-transfer device (CSTD) designed to crush and dissolve or suspend solid oral medications within a sealed environment, enhancing safety for healthcare workers and improving medication access for patients with swallowing difficulties.

Microbial-photoelectrochemical cell for the conversion of raw cellulose materials into electrical power and chemicals.

Exploiting biomass as a fuel source has attracted increasing attention over the last few decades. Combined biotic-abiotic systems can enhance conversion efficiency, but biotic reactions often require oxygen-free conditions, which are hindered by oxygen evolution at the photoanode. Herein, we develop a modular microbial-photoelectrochemical cell (MPEC) that facilitates the one-pot degradation and light-induced conversion of cellulosic material into electrical power and added-value compounds.

HulaChrimson: A Chrimson-like cation channelrhodopsin discovered using freshwater metatranscriptomics from Lake Hula.

Chrimson is cation-conducting channelrhodopsin (CCR) with the most red-shifted absorption spectrum, rendering itself as one of the most promising optogenetic tools. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its red-shifted absorption have not been completely clarified yet. Here, we found a CCR gene showing high sequence similarity to Chrimson from Lake Hula through freshwater metatranscriptome sampling.

Real-world evidence of tezepelumab for severe asthma: a retrospective multicentre cohort.

Background: Tezepelumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin, has demonstrated efficacy for severe asthma in clinical trials, but real-world evidence remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients initiating tezepelumab in a real-world setting.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre cohort study across four tertiary care centres to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of tezepelumab in patients with severe asthma.

A human-mouse atlas of intrarenal myeloid cells identifies conserved disease-associated macrophages in lupus nephritis.

Monocytes and macrophages in patients with lupus nephritis exhibit altered behavior compared with healthy kidneys. How to optimally use mouse models to develop treatments targeting these cells is poorly understood. This study compared intrarenal myeloid cells in four mouse models and 155 lupus nephritis patients using single-cell profiling, spatial transcriptomics, and functional studies.

Classification: Biological Sciences - Biophysics and Computational Biology Membrane Morphologies Arising from Multi-Conformational Protein States.

Dynamic compartmentalization by lipid membranes is a hallmark of living cells. The shapes of membrane surfaces are tightly coupled to their various functions, resulting in the myriad of complex membranal geometries. It has long been established by both theory and experiment that cells actively sculpt the shapes of membranes by utilizing curvature-stabilizing proteins that modulate the effective elastic properties of the membrane.

High-throughput DNA repair monitoring in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggests SSB- and DSB-induced chromatin reconfiguration.

Unlabelled: DNA repair is critical for cellular function and genomic stability across organisms. Yeast mating-type switching serves as an established model for studying DNA break repair and chromosome dynamics. However, real-time tracking of mating-type switching in live cells remains challenging due to resolution limitations of existing techniques.

Targeted deprivation of STAT6 sensitizes acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells to cytarabine in vivo and in vitro: clinical implications.

Chemotherapy is the leading treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, many ALL patients eventually develop relapses, the treatment of which remains a major challenge due to their chemoresistance phenotype. As a step towards this end, we here uncovered that relapsed ALL specimens exhibit a significantly lower expression of STAT6 but not of other STATs, when compared with their paired diagnosis specimens.

Ethnic bias in risk assessment of patients with early-onset first episode psychosis.

Background: First episode psychosis (FEP) constitutes a common psychiatric emergency. A key decision in the management of FEP involves risk assessment, which directly influences the need for involuntary hospitalization. However, the impact of demographic variables of patients and psychiatrists on FEP risk assessment remains incompletely characterized.