Vitamin D Supplementation Is Associated with Inflammation Amelioration and Cognitive Improvement in Decompensated Patients with Cirrhosis.

Decompensated cirrhosis is characterized by systemic inflammation and innate and adaptive immune dysfunction. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a prevalent and debilitating condition characterized by cognitive disturbances in which ammonia and inflammation play a synergistic pathogenic role. Extraskeletal functions of vitamin D include immunomodulation, and its deficiency has been implicated in immune dysfunction and different forms of cognitive impairment.

BabyFM: Towards accurate 3D baby facial models using spectral decomposition and asymmetry swapping.

In this paper, we present the first publicly available 3D statistical facial shape model of babies, the Baby Face Model (BabyFM). Constructing a model of the facial geometry of babies entails specific challenges, such as occlusions, extreme and uncontrollable expressions, and data shortage. We address these challenges by proposing (1) a non-template dependent method that jointly estimates a 3D facial baby-specific template and the point-to-point correspondences; (2) a novel method to establish correspondences based on the spectral decomposition of the Laplace Beltrami Operator, which provides a more robust theoretical foundation than state-of-the-art methods; and (3) an asymmetry-swapping strategy to alleviate the shortage of large scale datasets by decoupling the identity-related and the asymmetry-related shape deformation fields.

Cellulose-based poly(ionic liquid)s: Correlations between degree of substitution and alkyl side chain length with conductive and morphological properties.

Ion transport in solid polymer electrolytes is crucial for applications like energy conversion and storage, as well as carbon dioxide capture. However, most of the materials studied in this area are petroleum-based. Natural materials (biopolymers) have the potential to act as alternatives to petroleum-based products and, when derived with ionic liquid (IL) functionalities, present a sustainable alternative for conductive materials by offering tunable morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties.

Management of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Degeneration With Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI in SAVR): Experience in Nicaragua.

Severe aortic valve stenosis poses a significant risk for the aging population, often escalating from mild symptoms to life-threatening heart failure and sudden death. Without timely intervention, this condition can lead to disastrous outcomes. The advent of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has gained popularity, emerging as an effective alternative for managing severe aortic stenosis (AS) in high-risk patients experiencing deterioration of previously implanted bioprosthetic surgical aortic valves (SAV), which introduces complex challenges such as device compatibility and anatomical considerations.

Toward Safety Protocols for Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS): A Computational and Experimental Approach.

As the clinical applicability of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) expands, the need for PNS-specific safety criteria becomes pressing. This study addresses this need, utilizing a novel machine learning and computational bio-electromagnetics modeling platform to establish a safety criterion that captures the effects of fields and currents induced on axons. Our approach is comprised of three steps: experimentation, model creation, and predictive simulation.