Re-thinking the link between exposure to mercury and blood pressure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure (BP) is a prevalent and manageable chronic condition which is a significant contributor to the total global disease burden. Environmental chemicals, including mercury (Hg), may contribute to hypertension onset and development. Hg is a global health concern, listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a top ten chemical of public health concern.

Safety and Efficacy of Remote Ischemic Conditioning in Patients With Intravenous Thrombolysis: The SERIC-IVT Trial.

Background: Approximately half of the patients with acute ischemic stroke who receive intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) do not achieve an excellent outcome. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) as a promising neuroprotective treatment may improve clinical outcomes in this population. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of RIC in patients with IVT.

αh-GeSe: a multifunctional semiconductor combining auxeticity and piezoelectricity.

Multifunctional materials with outstanding performance have enormous potential applications in the next generation of nanodevices. Using first principles calculations, we design a series of multifunctional two-dimensional materials in monolayer αh-GeSe (, = 1, 2) that combine auxeticity and piezoelectricity. Due to the similar local structures of α-GeSe and h-GeSe, monolayer αh-GeSe can be designed through the combination of these two materials.

A Study of Mixed Non-Motorized Traffic Flow Characteristics and Capacity Based on Multi-Source Video Data.

Mixed non-motorized traffic is largely unaffected by motor vehicle congestion, offering high accessibility and convenience, and thus serving as a primary mode of "last-mile" transportation in urban areas. To advance stochastic capacity estimation methods and provide reliable assessments of non-motorized roadway capacity, this study proposes a stochastic capacity estimation model based on power spectral analysis. The model treats discrete traffic flow data as a time-series signal and employs a stochastic signal parameter model to fit stochastic traffic flow patterns.

RSNA 2023 Abdominal Trauma AI Challenge: Review and Outcomes.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of the winning machine learning models from the 2023 RSNA Abdominal Trauma Detection AI Challenge. Materials and Methods The competition was hosted on Kaggle and took place between July 26 and October 15, 2023. The multicenter competition dataset consisted of 4274 abdominal trauma CT scans, in which solid organs (liver, spleen, and kidneys) were annotated as healthy, low-grade, or high-grade injury.

Artificial intelligence-enabled multipurpose smart detection in active-matrix electrowetting-on-dielectric digital microfluidics.

An active-matrix electrowetting-on-dielectric (AM-EWOD) system integrates hundreds of thousands of active electrodes for sample droplet manipulation, which can enable simultaneous, automatic, and parallel on-chip biochemical reactions. A smart detection system is essential for ensuring a fully automatic workflow and online programming for the subsequent experimental steps. In this work, we demonstrated an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled multipurpose smart detection method in an AM-EWOD system for different tasks.

Assessing the Performance of Models from the 2022 RSNA Cervical Spine Fracture Detection Competition at a Level I Trauma Center.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of the top models from the RSNA 2022 Cervical Spine Fracture Detection challenge on a clinical test dataset of both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced CT scans acquired at a level I trauma center. Materials and Methods Seven top-performing models in the RSNA 2022 Cervical Spine Fracture Detection challenge were retrospectively evaluated on a clinical test set of 1828 CT scans (from 1829 series: 130 positive for fracture, 1699 negative for fracture; 1308 noncontrast, 521 contrast enhanced) from 1779 patients (mean age, 55.8 years ± 22.

Fluid biomarkers in the context of amyloid-targeting disease-modifying treatments in Alzheimer's disease.

Clinical management and therapeutics development for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have entered a new era, with recent approvals of monoclonal antibody therapies targeting the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and modifying its trajectory. Imaging and fluid biomarkers are becoming increasingly important in the clinical development of AD therapeutics. This review focuses on the evidence of fluid biomarkers from recent amyloid-β-targeting clinical trials, summarizing biomarker data across 12 trials.

Introducing Hydrogen-Bonding Microenvironment in Close Proximity to Single-Atom Sites for Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

Inspired by enzymatic catalysis, it is crucial to construct hydrogen-bonding-rich microenvironment around catalytic sites; unfortunately, its precise construction and understanding how the distance between such microenvironment and catalytic sites affects the catalysis remain significantly challenging. In this work, a series of metal-organic framework (MOF)-based single-atom Ru catalysts, namely, Ru/UiO-67-X (X = -H, --(NH), --(NH)), have been synthesized, where the distance between the hydrogen-bonding microenvironment and Ru sites is modulated by altering the location of amino groups. The -NH group can form hydrogen bonds with HO, constituting a unique microenvironment that causes an increased water concentration around the Ru sites.

Engineering miniature IscB nickase for robust base editing with broad targeting range.

IscB has a similar domain organization to Cas9, but the small size of IscB is better suited for delivery by adeno-associated virus. To improve the low editing efficiency of OgeuIscB (IscB from human gut metagenome) in mammalian cells, we developed high-efficiency miniature base editors by engineering OgeuIscB nickase and its cognate ωRNA, termed IminiBEs. We demonstrated the robust editing efficiency of IminiCBE (67% on average) or IminiABE (52% on average).

Repression of PRMT activities sensitize homologous recombination-proficient ovarian and breast cancer cells to PARP inhibitor treatment.

An "induced PARP inhibitor (PARPi) sensitivity by epigenetic modulation" strategy is being evaluated in the clinic to sensitize homologous recombination (HR)-proficient tumors to PARPi treatments. To expand its clinical applications and identify more efficient combinations, we performed a drug screen by combining PARPi with 74 well-characterized epigenetic modulators that target five major classes of epigenetic enzymes. Both type I PRMT inhibitor and PRMT5 inhibitor exhibit high combination and clinical priority scores in our screen.

Noncontrast CT Selected Thrombectomy vs Medical Management for Late-Window Anterior Large Vessel Occlusion.

Background And Objectives: There is uncertainty whether patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) presenting in the late 6-hour to 24-hour time window can be selected for endovascular therapy (EVT) by noncontrast CT (NCCT) and CT angiography (CTA) for LVO detection. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of patients selected for EVT by NCCT compared with those medically managed in the extended time window.

Methods: This multinational cohort study was conducted at 66 sites across 10 countries.

"Don't keep me waiting": estimating the impact of reduced vein-to-vein time on lifetime US 3L+ LBCL patient outcomes.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T) has revolutionized the treatment of hematological cancers. Its production requires a complex logistical process, and the time from leukapheresis to patient infusion (known as the vein-to-vein time [V2VT]) can be long during which a patients clinical condition may deteriorate. This study was designed to estimate the benefits of reduced V2VT for third-line or later (3L+) relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL) patients treated with CAR T.

Real-world and clinical trial outcomes in large B-cell lymphoma with axicabtagene ciloleucel across race and ethnicity.

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Despite extensive data supporting its use, outcomes stratified by race and ethnicity groups are limited. Here, we report clinical outcomes with axi-cel in patients with R/R LBCL by race and ethnicity in both real-world and clinical trial settings.

Hemodynamic property incorporated brain tumor segmentation by deep learning and density-based analysis of dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a primary non-invasive imaging modality for tumor segmentation, leveraging its exceptional soft tissue contrast and high resolution. Current segmentation methods typically focus on structural MRI, such as T-weighted post-contrast-enhanced or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences. However, these methods overlook the blood perfusion and hemodynamic properties of tumors, readily derived from dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) enhanced MRI.

Inhibition of MER proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase by an antisense oligonucleotide enhances treatment efficacy of immunoradiotherapy.

Background: The combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy (immunoradiotherapy) has been increasingly used for treating a wide range of cancers. However, some tumors are resistant to immunoradiotherapy. We have previously shown that MER proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase (MerTK) expressed on macrophages mediates resistance to immunoradiotherapy.

Human Cytomegalovirus mRNA-1647 Vaccine Candidate Elicits Potent and Broad Neutralization and Higher Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Responses Than the gB/MF59 Vaccine.

Background: MF59-adjuvanted gB subunit (gB/MF59) vaccine demonstrated approximately 50% efficacy against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) acquisition in multiple clinical trials, suggesting that efforts to improve this vaccine design might yield a vaccine suitable for licensure.

Methods: A messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine candidate encoding HCMV gB and pentameric complex (PC), mRNA-1647, is currently in late-stage efficacy trials. However, its immunogenicity has not been compared to the partially effective gB/MF59 vaccine.

Immunomodulatory effects and improved outcomes with cisplatin- versus carboplatin-based chemotherapy plus atezolizumab in urothelial cancer.

In metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), cisplatin versus carboplatin leads to durable disease control in a subset of patients. The IMvigor130 trial reveals more favorable effects with atezolizumab combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GemCis) versus gemcitabine and carboplatin (GemCarbo). This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of cisplatin as a potential explanation for these observations.

A broad-spectrum gas sensor based on correlated two-dimensional electron gas.

Designing a broad-spectrum gas sensor capable of identifying gas components in complex environments, such as mixed atmospheres or extreme temperatures, is a significant concern for various technologies, including energy, geological science, and planetary exploration. The main challenge lies in finding materials that exhibit high chemical stability and wide working temperature range. Materials that amplify signals through non-chemical methods could open up new sensing avenues.

Development of a gene edited next-generation hematopoietic cell transplant to enable acute myeloid leukemia treatment by solving off-tumor toxicity.

Immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been challenging because the lack of tumor-specific antigens results in "on-target, off-tumor" toxicity. To unlock the full potential of AML therapies, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically ablate the myeloid protein CD33 from healthy donor hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), creating tremtelectogene empogeditemcel (trem-cel). Trem-cel is a HSPC transplant product designed to provide a reconstituted hematopoietic compartment that is resistant to anti-CD33 drug cytotoxicity.

Integrated urban water management by coupling iron salt production and application with biogas upgrading.

Integrated urban water management is a well-accepted concept for managing urban water. It requires efficient and integrated technological solutions that enable system-wide gains via a whole-of-system approach. Here, we create a solid link between the manufacturing of an iron salt, its application in an urban water system, and high-quality bioenergy recovery from wastewater.

Real-Time Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori Infection by Convolution Neural Network During White-Light Endoscopy: A Prospective, Multicenter Study (With Video).

Introduction: Convolutional neural network during endoscopy may facilitate evaluation of Helicobacter pylori infection without obtaining gastric biopsies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnosis accuracy of a computer-aided decision support system for H. pylori infection (CADSS-HP) based on convolutional neural network under white-light endoscopy.

An engineered bispecific nanobody in tetrameric secretory IgA format confers broad neutralization against SARS-CoV-1&2 and most variants.

SARS-CoV-2, a type of respiratory virus, has exerted a great impact on global health and economy over the past three years. Antibody-based therapy was initially successful but later failed due to the accumulation of mutations in the spike protein of the virus. Strategies that enable antibodies to resist virus escape are therefore of great significance.