Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk based on SCORE algorithms and reclassification based on preclinical atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the number of carotid and common femoral bifurcations with plaque (NBP) detected by ultrasound in reclassifying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk obtained from SCORE algorithms. Data from the cohort of 1000 individuals free from ASCVD in the Cyprus Epidemiological Study on Atherosclerosis was used.

Methods: In each predicted ASCVD risk class (low, moderate, high) based on SCORE algorithms and baseline data, the observed 10-year risk of subgroups according to the NBP was used to reclassify participants.

Assessing the impact of ultrasound image standardization in deep learning-based segmentation of carotid plaque types.

Background And Objective: Carotid B-mode ultrasound (CBUS) imaging is often used to detect and assess atherosclerotic plaques. Doctors often need to segment plaques in the CBUS images to further examine them. Multiple studies have proposed two-dimensional CBUS plaque segmentation deep learning (DL)-based solutions, achieving promising results.

TERRA long noncoding RNA: At the interphase of telomere damage, rescue and signaling.

TERRA long noncoding RNAs play key roles in telomere function and maintenance. They can orchestrate telomeric chromatin remodeling, regulate telomere maintenance by telomerase and homology-directed repair, and they participate in the telomeric DNA damage response. TERRA associates with chromosome ends through base-pairing forming R-loops, which are mediated by the RAD51 DNA recombinase and its partner RAD51AP1.

Emergency Department Length of Stay Classification Based on Ensemble Methods and Rule Extraction.

This study employs machine learning techniques to identify factors that influence extended Emergency Department (ED) length of stay (LOS) and derives transparent decision rules to complement the results. Leveraging a comprehensive dataset, Gradient Boosting exhibited marginally superior predictive performance compared to Random Forest for LOS classification. Notably, variables like triage acuity and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) emerged as robust predictors.

Centromere structure and function: lessons from Drosophila.

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster serves as a powerful model organism for advancing our understanding of biological processes, not just by studying its similarities with other organisms including ourselves but also by investigating its differences to unravel the underlying strategies that evolved to achieve a common goal. This is particularly true for centromeres, specialized genomic regions present on all eukaryotic chromosomes that function as the platform for the assembly of kinetochores. These multiprotein structures play an essential role during cell division by connecting chromosomes to spindle microtubules in mitosis and meiosis to mediate accurate chromosome segregation.