Vibrational fiber photometry: label-free and reporter-free minimally invasive Raman spectroscopy deep in the mouse brain.

Optical approaches to monitor neural activity are transforming neuroscience, owing to a fast-evolving palette of genetically encoded molecular reporters. However, the field still requires robust and label-free technologies to monitor the multifaceted biomolecular changes accompanying brain development, aging or disease. Here, we have developed vibrational fiber photometry as a low-invasive method for label-free monitoring of the biomolecular content of arbitrarily deep regions of the mouse brain in vivo through spontaneous Raman spectroscopy.

Improved light transmission for III-V lasers monolithically integrated on Si platforms.

We propose a strategy to monolithically integrate active III-V lasers and passive dielectric devices, where the passive waveguides are fabricated after the MBE growth of the III-V semiconductors on a planar Si substrate. This avoids any airgap at the active/passive interface, replaced by a thin dielectric interface layer which improves the light coupling efficiency. We demonstrate GaSb DLs butt-coupled to SiN waveguides with ∼23% transmission after 2 mm SiN, corresponding to ∼35% transmission at the active/passive interface.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase gene inactivation induces hetero-cellular potentiation of microglial function in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Neuroinflammation has recently emerged as a crucial factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) etiopathogenesis. Microglial cells play an important function in the inflammatory response; specifically, the emergence of disease-associated microglia (DAM) has offered new insights into the conflicting perspectives on the detrimental or beneficial roles of microglia. We previously showed that modulating the endocannabinoid tone by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inactivation renders beneficial effects in an amyloidosis context, paradoxically accompanied by an exacerbated neuroinflammatory response and the enrichment of DAM population.

Polyphenols Regulate the Activity of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Having Both Positive and Negative Effects.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemical substances that can interfere with any hormone action. They are categorized according to origin and use, such as industrial chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), plastics like bisphenol A (BPA), plasticizers like phthalates, pesticides like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), fungicides like vinclozolin, and pharmaceuticals like diethylstilbestrol (DES). Natural EDCs, such as phytoestrogens, are present in the diet of both humans and animals.

Clinical significance of postoperative thrombocytosis after vats lobectomy for NSCLC.

Objectives: Thrombocytosis is a clinical condition generally associated with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. Thrombocytosis may be present after lung cancer resection, but the clinical significance of thrombocytosis remains unclear. Herein, we evaluated whether postoperative thrombocytosis was a negative prognostic factor in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer.

F-FDG positron emission tomography as a marker of disease activity and treatment response in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.

The ability of F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) to track disease activity and treatment response in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) or Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) remains unclear. Here, we assessed whether F-FDG uptake is a marker of disease activity and treatment response in AS or PsA, and explored the ability of F-FDG to predict treatment response. Patients with AS (n = 16) or PsA (n = 8) who were scheduled to initiate treatment with biologics were recruited.

Challenge of concomitant thymoma resection and myocardial revascularization: A Case Report.

Myocardial revascularization in patients presenting with an anterior mediastinal mass poses considerable challenges. In this report, we outline two cases involving patients with anterior mediastinal masses who underwent surgical resection alongside concurrent myocardial revascularization. One patient underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery, while the other was treated by percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent placement.

Protocol for the development and validation of a clinical measurement tool for fear of disease progression and recurrence in cardiac patients.

Introduction: One in two cardiac patients fear having another heart event or their heart condition getting worse. Research in other chronic illnesses demonstrates that screening for fear of progression and recurrence is vital for adequately addressing such concerns in clinical care. The current project aims to develop and validate a measure for fear of progression and recurrence in cardiac patients.

Optimization of Laminated Bio-Polymer Fabrication for Food Packaging Application: A Sustainable Plasma-Activated Approach.

The current level of packaging consumption imposes a need to fabricate single-use food packaging with renewable and compostable materials, such as bio-polyesters (e.g., polylactic acid, PLA and polybutylene succinate, PBS) or cellulose, but their use is still problematic.

Enhanced carbon dioxide drainage observed in digital rock under intermediate wetting conditions.

Carbon dioxide (CO ) trapping in capillary networks of reservoir rocks is a pathway to long-term geological storage. At pore scale, CO drainage displacement depends on injection pressure, temperature, and the rock's interaction with the surrounding fluids. Modeling this interaction requires adequate representations of both capillary volume and surface.

Support for banning sale of smoked tobacco products among adults who smoke: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys (2018-2022).

Background: Many people continue to smoke despite strong policies to deter use, thus stronger regulatory measures may be required. In four high-income countries, we examined whether people who smoke would support a total ban on smoked tobacco products under two differing policy scenarios.

Methods: Data were from 14 363 adults (≥18) who smoked cigarettes (≥monthly) and participated in at least one of the 2018, 2020 or 2022 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys in Australia, Canada, England and the USA.

Enhanced Fano resonances in a silicon nitride photonic crystal nanobeam-assisted micro ring resonator for dual telecom band operation.

Silicon-based Micro Ring Resonators (MRR) are a powerful tool for the realization of label free optical biosensors. The sharp edge of a Fano resonance in a Silicon Nitride (SiN) platform can boost photonic sensing applications based on MRRs. In this work, we demonstrate enhanced Fano resonance features for a SiN Micro Ring Resonator assisted by a Photonic Crystal Nanobeam (PhCN-MRR) operating in the TM-like mode at the O-band wavelengths.

Correction: Psychosocial and lifestyle impacts of spontaneous coronary artery dissection: A quantitative study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Do Australians use the prescription pathway when using nicotine vaping products to quit smoking?

Background: In Australia, nicotine vaping products (NVPs) are only legally available to those with a prescription from a doctor. We investigated the proportion of people using NVPs to quit smoking who had a prescription, and whether this increased following regulatory changes in 2021 that strengthened the prescription requirement.

Methods: Australian data from the 2018, 2020 and 2022 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Project Survey were analysed using GEE models with Poisson regressions to analyze differences between years.

Link budget analysis of bi-directional LEO and GEO optical feeder links advancing the beam wander model's accuracy.

The telecommunications of the future rely on the concept of a three-dimensional architecture able to integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks with the goal to ensure a reliable and high-speed connectivity to users located anywhere. In this context, free space optical communications constitute a candidate technology for feeder links, thanks to their advantages in terms of bandwidth and achievable data rates. Nonetheless, due to the propagation impediments encountered by an optical beam travelling through atmosphere, flexible and accurate instruments able to support the design of optical feeder links are needed.

Does coping style mediate the relationship between knowledge and psychosocial outcomes in women with atrial fibrillation?

Introduction: In patients affected by atrial fibrillation (AF) disease-specific knowledge and coping style may be associated with psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to determine if coping style (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance-focused) mediated the relationship between patient knowledge and three psychosocial outcomes (anxiety, depression and life satisfaction).

Methods: In 2021 a total of 188 women with reported AF, and ages ranging from 18 to 83 years (mean 48.

Dietary Polyphenols Effects on Focal Adhesion Plaques and Metalloproteinases in Cancer Invasiveness.

Focal adhesion plaques (FAPs) play an important role in the communication between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) and in cells' migration. FAPs are macromolecular complexes made by different proteins which also interact with matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Because of these fundamental properties, FAPs and MMPs are also involved in cancer cells' invasion and in the metastatic cascade.

Aragonite crystallization in a sulfate-rich hypersaline wetland under dry Mediterranean climate (Laguna Honda, eastern Guadalquivir basin, S Spain).

This research investigates the influence of water composition, the presence of seasonal algal mats, detrital inputs and the activity of microorganisms on the crystallization of aragonite in the sediments deposited in the hypersaline Laguna Honda wetland (S of Spain). The high alkaline and hypersaline waters (pH > 9.2 and C.

Body CT examinations in oncologic patients: the impact of subspecialty radiology on radiation exposure in the clinical practice. A quality care study.

Purposes: The primary objective of this retrospective study was to assess whether the CT dose delivered to oncologic patients was different in a subspecialty radiology department, compared to a general radiology department. The secondary explorative objective was to assess whether the objective image quality of CT examinations was different in the two settings.

Materials And Methods: Chest and abdomen CT scans performed for oncologic indications were selected from a general radiology department and a subspecialty radiology department.

Modified blade: an interventional option in rigid bronchoscopy for non-resectable benign tracheal stenosis.

Introduction: Benign tracheobronchial stenosis is a abnormal tracheal lumen narrowing that may incur progressive dyspnea and life-threatening hypoxemia. There is no consensus on which patients should be treated with endoscopic or surgical method. This study investigates the outcomes of bronchoscopic dilatation in the treatment of benign tracheal stenosis using a device equipped with a blade to cut the stenotic lesions with dense fibrosis.

Compact angled multimode interference duplexers for multi-gas sensing applications.

A compact, low-loss 2 × 1 angled-multi-mode-interference-based duplexer is proposed as an optical component for integrating several wavelengths with high coupling efficiency. The self-imaging principle in multimode waveguides is exploited to combine two target wavelengths, corresponding to distinctive absorption lines of important trace gases. The device performance has been numerically enhanced by engineering the geometrical parameters, offering trade-offs in coupling efficiency ratios.