Safety Assessment and Evaluation of Probiotic Potential of IDCC 3601 for Human Use.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are probiotic microorganisms widely used for their health benefits in the food industry. However, recent concerns regarding their safety have highlighted the need for comprehensive safety assessments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety of IDCC 3601, isolated from homemade plain yogurt, via genomic, phenotypic, and toxicity-based analyses.

Prognostic Value of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameters after Acute Ischemic Stroke According to Slice Thickness on Computed Tomography.

The optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) can predict intracranial pressure and outcomes in neurological disease, but it remains unclear whether a small ONSD can be accurately measured on routine CT images with a slice thickness of approximately 4-5 mm. We measured the ONSD and ONSD/eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) ratio on routine-slice (4 mm) and thin-slice (0.6-0.

Pseudobulk with proper offsets has the same statistical properties as generalized linear mixed models in single-cell case-control studies.

Motivation: Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), such as the negative-binomial or Poisson linear mixed model, are widely applied to single-cell RNA sequencing data to compare transcript expression between different conditions determined at the subject level. However, the model is computationally intensive, and its relative statistical performance to pseudobulk approaches is poorly understood.

Results: We propose offset-pseudobulk as a lightweight alternative to GLMMs.

Simulation of a randomly percolated CNT network for an improved analog physical unclonable function.

Carbon nanotube networks (CNTs)-based devices are well suited for the physically unclonable function (PUF) due to the inherent randomness of the CNT network, but CNT networks can vary significantly during manufacturing due to various controllable process conditions, which have a significant impact on PUF performance. Therefore, optimization of process conditions is essential to have a PUF with excellent performance. However, because it is time-consuming and costly to fabricate directly under various conditions, we implement randomly formed CNT network using simulation and confirm the variable correlation of the CNT network optimized for PUF performance.

Gate Capacitance Coupling of Double-Gate Carbon Nanotube Network Transistors.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) network channels constructed using a high-purity CNT solution for use in CNT thin-film transistors have the advantages of the possibility of requiring a low-temperature process and needing no special equipment. However, there are empty spaces between individual CNTs, resulting in unexpected effects. In this study, double-gate (DG) CNT network transistors were fabricated and measured in four different configurations to observe the capacitive coupling effects between the top gate (TG) and bottom gate (BG) in the DG structure.

Exploring the health literacy status of people with hearing impairment: a systematic review.

Background: People with hearing impairment have many problems with healthcare use, which is associated with health literacy. Research on health literacy is less focused on people with hearing impairments. This research aimed to explore the levels of health literacy in people with hearing impairment, find the barriers to health literacy, and summarize methods for improving health literacy.

A case of recurring acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy successfully treated with intravitreal Ozurdex injection.

Introduction: We describe a case of acute exudative polymorphous vitelliform maculopathy (AEPVM) that recurred 9 years after the initial event. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of recurrent AEPVM showing recovery of retinal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) function and good visual outcome following treatment with intravitreal corticosteroid.

Case Description: A 45-year-old Caucasian woman first presented with AEVPM in 2009.

Outcomes of Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty performed in combination with, before, or after cataract surgery in Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy: A review of the literature and meta-analysis.

This review aimed to compare the outcomes of Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) in combination with (category 1), before (category 2), or after cataract surgery (category 3) in patients with Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy (FED). Primary outcome was gain in best-corrected log of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity (BCVA). Secondary outcomes were graft detachment, rebubbling rates, rejection, failure, and endothelial cell loss (ECL).

Iron-Catalyzed, Directed Benzylic Borylation.

Herein, we describe an iron-catalyzed benzylic C-H borylation reaction. The reaction targets primary and secondary C(sp)-H bonds to deliver high-value boronic esters under mild conditions with short (7-8 min) reaction times. Functional groups are well tolerated, and complete site selectivity is observed in the presence of multiple benzylic C-H bonds.

FastRNA: An efficient solution for PCA of single-cell RNA-sequencing data based on a batch-accounting count model.

Almost always, the analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data begins with the generation of the low dimensional embedding of the data by principal-component analysis (PCA). Because scRNA-seq data are count data, log transformation is routinely applied to correct skewness prior to PCA, which is often argued to have added bias to data. Alternatively, studies have proposed methods that directly assume a count model and use approximately normally distributed count residuals for PCA.

A theory-based practical solution to correct for sex-differential participation bias.

Most genomic cohorts are retrospective where the exposures and outcomes are predetermined prior to sample collection. Therefore, a spurious association between an exposure and an outcome can arise if both variables affect study participation. Such concerns were raised in previous studies questioning the representativeness of the UK Biobank.

MarcoPolo: a method to discover differentially expressed genes in single-cell RNA-seq data without depending on prior clustering.

The standard analysis pipeline for single-cell RNA-seq data consists of sequential steps initiated by clustering the cells. An innate limitation of this pipeline is that an imperfect clustering result can irreversibly affect the succeeding steps. For example, there can be cell types not well distinguished by clustering because they largely share the global structure, such as the anterior primitive streak and mid primitive streak cells.

Quantitative assessments of pupillary light reflexes in hospital-onset unresponsiveness.

Background: Patients who develop hospital-onset unresponsiveness should be promptly managed in order to avoid clinical deterioration. Pupillary examination through pupillary light reflex is the gold standard method in the initial evaluation of unresponsive patients. However, the current method of shining light and subjective description often shows poor reliability.

Evaluation of left ventricular function with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography after administration of dobutamine and esmolol in healthy beagle dogs.

Unlike echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI) results in a near-exact assessment of cardiac structures and function. However, most veterinary studies have focused on dogs with normal cardiac function. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in cardiac measurements between cardiac MRI and echocardiography when left ventricular (LV) function was abnormal.

Aerosol generation through pars plana vitrectomy.

Purpose: To assess whether pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) in an ex vivo experimental model.

Methods: In this ex vivo study on 10 porcine eyes, optical particle counter was used to measure particles ≤10 μm using cumulative mode in the six in-built channels: 0.3 μm, 0.

Flammability Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Casein Based Polymeric Composites.

Even though casein has an intrinsic potential ability to act as a flame retardant (FR) additive, the research regarding the FR performance of casein filled polymeric composites has not been thoroughly conducted. In the present work, two commercial casein products, such as lactic casein 720 (LAC) and sodium casein 180 (SC), were chosen to investigate their effects on the performances of the polypropylene (PP) composites. The melt compounding and compression moulding processes were employed to fabricate these casein-based composites.

Aerosol generation through phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To evaluate whether phacoemulsification is an aerosol-generating procedure in an ex vivo experimental model.

Setting: Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom.

Design: Experimental study.

Are Genetic Variants Associated with the Location of Cerebral Arterial Lesions in Stroke Patients?

Background: Genetic variants may play a role in determining the location of cerebral atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate the association between RNF213, MMP2, and genetic polymorphisms linked to vascular tortuosity with the location of cerebral arterial atherosclerosis.

Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted on patients with ischemic stroke and age- and sex-matched stroke-free controls.

New Onset Alacrima as a Presenting Feature of a Skull Base Chondrosarcoma.

Acquired unilateral alacrima as a presenting sign of an intracranial tumor is exceptionally rare, and only described once previously in a case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The authors present a 32-year-old female patient who presents with a year-long history of alacrima and arhinorrhea. She was subsequently diagnosed with a petroclival chondrosarcoma extending into Meckel's cave and the cavernous sinus and underwent surgical debulking.

Neurological Emergencies in Patients Hospitalized With Nonneurological Illness.

Objective: We aimed to present neurological profiles and clinical outcomes of patients with acute neurological symptoms, which developed during hospitalization with nonneurological illness.

Methods: We organized the neurological alert team (NAT), a neurological rapid response team, to manage in-hospital neurological emergencies. In this registry-based study, we analyzed the clinical profiles and outcomes of patients who were consulted to the NAT.

Machine Learning Approach to Identify Stroke Within 4.5 Hours.

Background and Purpose- We aimed to investigate the ability of machine learning (ML) techniques analyzing diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging to identify patients within the recommended time window for thrombolysis. Methods- We analyzed DWI and FLAIR images of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke within 24 hours of clear symptom onset by applying automatic image processing approaches. These processes included infarct segmentation, DWI, and FLAIR imaging registration and image feature extraction.

CT and radiographic evaluation of bronchial collapsibility at forced expiration in asymptomatic brachycephalic dogs.

Bronchial collapse due to bronchomalacia is an important cause of chronic coughing in dogs. Radiographic and CT evidence of bronchial collapse has previously been reported in healthy Beagle dogs under forced expiration. However, published studies in brachycephalic dog breeds that are prone to bronchial collapse are currently lacking.