Light pollution: time to consider testicular effects.

Technological advances have led to a modern-day lighting and smartphone revolution, with artificial light exposure at night increasing to levels never before seen in the evolutionary history of living systems on Earth. Light as a pollutant, however, remains largely unrecognized, and the reproductive effects of light pollution are mostly if not entirely unconsidered. This is despite the reproductive system being intricately linked to metabolism and the circadian system, both of which can be disturbed even by low levels of light.

Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis and Dietary Related Metabolites Associated with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a complex sleep problem that affects approximately 33% of the United States population. Although EDS usually occurs in conjunction with insufficient sleep, and other sleep and circadian disorders, recent studies have shown unique genetic markers and metabolic pathways underlying EDS. Here, we aimed to further elucidate the biological profile of EDS using large scale single- and pathway-level metabolomics analyses.

A sociodemographic index identifies sex-related effects on insomnia in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Study Objectives: Sex differences are related to both biological factors and the gendered environment. We constructed measures to model sex-related differences beyond binary sex.

Methods: Data came from the baseline visit of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Deterministic Fabrication of Liquid Metal Nanopatterns for Nanophotonics Applications.

Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) are widely used for stretchable and reconfigurable electronics thanks to their fluidic nature and excellent conductivity. These LMs possess attractive optical properties for photonics applications as well. However, due to the high surface tension of the LMs, it is challenging to form LM nanostructures with arbitrary shapes using conventional nanofabrication techniques.

Cardiovascular phenotypes in type 2 diabetes: Latent class analysis of the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trial.

Aim: To identify unique clinical phenotypes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and investigate their treatment response to canagliflozin using latent class analysis.

Methods: This was a pooled latent class analysis of the individuals in the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trial. The co-primary endpoints were hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) and the composite of cardiovascular death (CVD) or HHF.

Timing of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor initiation and post-discharge outcomes in acute heart failure with diabetes: A population-based cohort study.

Aims: Results from randomized trials suggest benefit of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor initiation in clinically stable acute heart failure. We aim to examine the real-world effectiveness of early versus delayed post-discharge SGLT2 inhibitor initiation in people with acute heart failure and type 2 diabetes.

Methods And Results: Using linkable administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, individuals aged 66 years or older with type 2 diabetes who were discharged to the community from acute care hospitals for heart failure between 1 July 2016 and 31 March 2020 were included in this retrospective, population-based cohort study.

Point Cloud Registration in Laparoscopic Liver Surgery Using Keypoint Correspondence Registration Network.

Laparoscopic liver surgery is a newly developed minimally invasive technique and represents an inevitable trend in the future development of surgical methods. By using augmented reality (AR) technology to overlay preoperative CT models with intraoperative laparoscopic videos, surgeons can accurately locate blood vessels and tumors, significantly enhancing the safety and precision of surgeries. Point cloud registration technology is key to achieving this effect.

The Continuing Scourge of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Importance of Multidisciplinary and Innovative Person-Centred Approaches.

This article discusses the complex approach to managing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), focusing on person-centred care (PCC) to align treatment strategies with individual patient narratives, values, and preferences. It identifies significant challenges in management of ASCVD, such as the necessity for multidisciplinary strategies and the need for enhanced patient care, particularly given the coexistence of ASCVD with other cardiometabolic risk factors. The paper points out existing practice gaps, including limited patient-provider information sharing and decision making, and considers the role of technology in personalizing care and improving outcomes.

The Peritoneum: Anatomy, Pathologic Findings, and Patterns of Disease Spread.

Disease spread in the abdomen and pelvis generally occurs in a predictable pattern in relation to anatomic landmarks and fascial planes. Anatomically, the abdominopelvic cavity is subdivided into several smaller spaces or compartments by key ligaments and fascial planes. The abdominal cavity has been traditionally divided into peritoneal, retroperitoneal, and pelvic extraperitoneal spaces.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to 23 genes.

Simulating blood accumulation with improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics in surgical simulation system.

Background: Blood accumulation often occurs during bleeding in surgery. Simulating the blood accumulation in surgical simulation system not only enhances the realism and immersion of surgical training, but also helps researchers better understand the physical properties of blood flow.

Methods: To realistically simulate the blood accumulation during the bleeding, this paper proposes a novel kernel function with non-negative second derivatives to improve the SPH method.

A new model of electrosurgical tissue damage for neurosurgery simulation.

Background: Bipolar hemostasis electrocoagulation is a fundamental procedure in neurosurgery. A precise electrocoagulation model is essential to enable realistic visual feedback in virtual neurosurgical simulation. However, existing models lack an accurate description of the heat damage and irreversible tissue deformation caused by electrocoagulation, thus diminishing the visual realism.

Impact of cannabidiol on myocardial recovery in patients with acute myocarditis: Rationale & design of the ARCHER trial.

Aims: Acute myocarditis, although a rare disease, can be associated with sudden cardiac death or the need for transplantation in both children and young adults. To date, there is no definitive evidence to support the routine use of immunosuppressive therapy or treatment targeting inflammation in patients with myocarditis. Animal models of cardiovascular (CV), as well as neurological diseases, have demonstrated that cannabidiol has significant anti-inflammatory properties and may represent a promising therapy in acute myocarditis.

Use of Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and the Incidence of Retinal Vein Occlusion in Taiwan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of newly diagnosed retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i).

Methods: Claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan were used in this nationwide retrospective cohort study. A target trial emulation framework was applied.

Combining descriptive and predictive modeling to systematically design depth filtration-based harvest processes for biologics.

Advances in upstream production of biologics-particularly intensified fed-batch processes beyond 10% cell solids-have severely strained harvest operations, especially depth filtration. Bioreactors containing high amounts of cell debris (more than 40% particles <10 µm in diameter) are increasingly common and drive the need for more robust depth filtration processes, while accelerated timelines emphasize the need for predictive tools to accelerate development. Both needs are constrained by the current limited mechanistic understanding of the harvest filter-feedstream system.

The global clinical studies of long COVID.

People with long COVID are those who still have symptoms, signs, and conditions after the initial phase of infection of SARS-CoV-2. The incidence of long COVID varies among regions-31% in North America, 44% in Europe, and 51% in Asia, which is challenging the healthcare system, but there is limited guidelines for its treatment. With more and more nationwide projects funded by the government such as the RECOVER initiative in the United States and National Institute for Health Research funding in the United Kingdom, an increasing number of ongoing clinical trials are investigating the efficacy of diverse therapies on reversing long COVID.

A fully autonomous robotic ultrasound system for thyroid scanning.

The current thyroid ultrasound relies heavily on the experience and skills of the sonographer and the expertise of the radiologist, and the process is physically and cognitively exhausting. In this paper, we report a fully autonomous robotic ultrasound system, which is able to scan thyroid regions without human assistance and identify malignant nod- ules. In this system, human skeleton point recognition, reinforcement learning, and force feedback are used to deal with the difficulties in locating thyroid targets.