Sap flow through partially embolized xylem vessel networks.

Sap is transported through numerous conduits in the xylem of woody plants along the path from the soil to the leaves. When all conduits are functional, vessel lumen diameter is a strong predictor of hydraulic conductivity. As vessels become embolized, sap movement becomes increasingly affected by factors operating at scales beyond individual conduits, creating resistances that result in hydraulic conductivity diverging from diameter-based estimates.

Metabolic imaging of human cumulus cells reveals associations with pregnancy and live birth.

Study Question: Can fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) detect associations between the metabolic state of cumulus cell (CC) samples and the clinical outcome of the corresponding embryos?

Summary Answer: FLIM can detect significant variations in the metabolism of CC associated with the corresponding embryos that resulted in a clinical pregnancy versus those that did not.

What Is Known Already: CC and oocyte metabolic cooperativity are known to be necessary for the acquisition of developmental competence. However, reliable CC biomarkers that reflect oocyte viability and embryo developmental competency have yet to be established.

Same-day discharge after atrial fibrillation ablation under a nurse-coordinated standardized protocol.

Aims: Same-day discharge (SDD) after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is an effective means to spare healthcare resources. However, safety remains a concern, and besides structural adaptations, SDD requires more efficient logistics and coordination. Therefore, in this study, we implement a streamlined, nurse-coordinated SDD programme following a standardized protocol.

Gender perspective in the implementation of hygiene in cardiology intensive care.

Introduction: Hygiene in critical patients is an essential daily care, provided under safe conditions, to promote comfort and maintain the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, however, it can generate feelings of dependence and vulnerability in patients. The aim of this post hoc study is to know the differences in satisfaction and lived experience regarding bed hygiene in an intensive care unit according to biological sex and gender perspective.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and prospective study in which an ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 148 conscious and oriented patients of legal age.

BlastAssist: a deep learning pipeline to measure interpretable features of human embryos.

Study Question: Can the BlastAssist deep learning pipeline perform comparably to or outperform human experts and embryologists at measuring interpretable, clinically relevant features of human embryos in IVF?

Summary Answer: The BlastAssist pipeline can measure a comprehensive set of interpretable features of human embryos and either outperform or perform comparably to embryologists and human experts in measuring these features.

What Is Known Already: Some studies have applied deep learning and developed 'black-box' algorithms to predict embryo viability directly from microscope images and videos but these lack interpretability and generalizability. Other studies have developed deep learning networks to measure individual features of embryos but fail to conduct careful comparisons to embryologists' performance, which are fundamental to demonstrate the network's effectiveness.