Silicon/Silica Colloidal Waste in the Semiconductor Industry: Challenges in Recovery and Potential Use.

The backgrinding of silicon (Si) wafers has resulted in a loss of ∼70% of valuable Si materials. Consequently, an effluent known as diluted backgrinding wastewater (DBGW) is generated, containing nanosized silicon/silica colloids. Here, we discussed the challenges associated with the effective separation of Si-based waste from the DBGW based upon two perspectives, namely, a nanosized effect and a colloidal stability effect.

Comparison between Phacoemulsification-iStent Inject W and Phacoemulsification-Micropulse Transscleral Laser Therapy in Asian Eyes with Mild-Moderate Open Angle Glaucoma.

Prcis: In this retrospective cohort study, the 1-year cumulative probability of failure was comparable, achieving 52.20% in the phacoemulsification-iStent inject W (phaco/iStent) group and 47.80% in the phacoemulsification-micropulse transscleral laser therapy (phaco/MPTLT) group (P=0.

Breathing Laser-Spectral Mapping of Cavity-Enhanced Redox Reactions with Subcellular Resolution.

Precise and dynamic observation of redox reactions in living organisms holds significant importance for the study of physiological processes and pathological mechanisms. However, the current technologies still make it challenging to monitor this process in a nondestructive and highly sensitive manner. Herein, we introduced a bioactive laser approach for ultrasensitive and real-time monitoring of intracellular redox reactions.

Ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces activate selective tumor cell apoptosis.

Recent studies show that tumor cells undergo apoptosis after mechanical stretching, which promotes normal cell growth. Since ultrasound can produce similar sub-cellular mechanical stresses on the nanoscale, here we test the effect of ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces on tumors and normal cell survival. Surprisingly, tumor cells undergo apoptosis through a calpain-dependent mitochondrial pathway that relies upon calcium entry through the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels.

Association of quality of care and long-term mortality risk for individuals presenting with ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) by diabetes mellitus status: A nationwide cohort study.

Aims: This study aimed to assess how diabetes influences the quality of care and longer-term outcomes in contemporary STEMI cohorts.

Methods: We analysed 283,658 adults hospitalised with STEMI from the United Kingdom Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) registry between 2005 and 2019. This was linked with Office of National Statistics data to provide out of hospital mortality outcomes.

Deciphering immune predictors of immunotherapy response: A multiomics approach at the pan-cancer level.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has transformed cancer treatment, yet many patients fail to respond. Employing single-cell multiomics, we unveil T cell dynamics influencing ICB response across 480 pan-cancer and 27 normal tissue samples. We identify four immunotherapy response-associated T cells (IRATs) linked to responsiveness or resistance and analyze their pseudotemporal patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and T cell receptor clonal expansion profiles specific to each response.

Facilitators and Barriers to the Implementation of Digital Health Technologies in Hospital Settings in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries Since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

Background: Although the implementation process of digital health technologies (DHTs) has been extensively documented in high-income countries, the factors that facilitate and prevent their implementation in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may differ for various reasons.

Objective: To address this gap in research, this scoping review aims to determine the facilitators and barriers to implementing DHTs in LMIC hospital settings following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the review outlined the types of DHTs that have been implemented in LMICs' hospitals during this pandemic and finally developed a classification framework to categorize the landscape of DHTs.

Codevelopment of an mHealth App With Health Care Providers, Digital Health Experts, Community Partners, and Families for Childhood Obesity Management: Protocol for a Co-Design Process.

Background: Childhood obesity is increasing in Singapore, with most cases persisting into adulthood and leading to poor health outcomes. The current evidence for childhood obesity interventions shows a clear dose-response effect, where effectiveness improves with an increasing number of treatment hours. A minimum threshold of ≥26 hours over a 2- to 12-month period is required to achieve significant outcomes.

Disease phenotypic and outcome of very-early onset inflammatory bowel disease in Asian children: an understudied population.

Background: There is a paucity of knowledge on disease phenotype and outcome of very early-onset (VEO) inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) from recently developed and developing countries, including from Southeast Asia. We studied disease phenotype, clinical characteristics, management and outcome of VEO-IBD in South and Southeast Asian children.

Materials And Methods: We extracted data from a multicentre Asian pediatric (onset <18 years) IBD registry.

Single-cell transcriptomics of melanoma sentinel lymph nodes identifies unique immune cell signatures associated with metastasis.

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is the first lymph node encountered by a metastatic cancer cell and serves as a predictor of poor prognosis, as patients with clinically occult SLN metastases are classified as stage III with elevated rates of recurrence and diminished overall survival. However, the dynamics of immune infiltrates in SLNs remain poorly characterized. Here, using an unbiased Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq) technique, we profiled 97,777 cells from SLN tissues obtained from patients with stages I/II and III cutaneous melanoma.

Gene expression and soluble protein level of PD-1 and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) in endometrial cancer.

Checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligands (PD-Ls) are negative immunoregulatory molecules that assist tumour cells in evading the immune system. The interaction of PD-1 and PD-Ls inhibits T cells and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) while increasing the function of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs). This leads to the evasion of the immune response by tumour cells.

AI-assisted facial analysis in healthcare: From disease detection to comprehensive management.

Medical conditions and systemic diseases often manifest as distinct facial characteristics, making identification of these unique features crucial for disease screening. However, detecting diseases using facial photography remains challenging because of the wide variability in human facial features and disease conditions. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into facial analysis represents a promising frontier offering a user-friendly, non-invasive, and cost-effective screening approach.

Vision-language large learning model, GPT4V, accurately classifies the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale score.

Introduction: Large learning models (LLMs) such as GPT are advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models. Originally developed for natural language processing, they have been adapted for multi-modal tasks with vision-language input. One clinically relevant task is scoring the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS).

Echocardiographic Parameters of Right Ventricular Size and Function Associated With Right Heart Failure After Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Late-onset Right Ventricular (RV) failure is an established complication of Durable Left-Ventricular Assist Device (D-LVAD) implantation. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains the primary imaging modality for serial monitoring in this population, but its interpretation remains challenging due to device-related changes in RV size and function and a lack of guidelines addressing this impact. This study aims to examine the diagnostic and prognostic utility of TTE parameters of RV size and function in the detection of late-onset RV failure post-implantation.

Adult bilateral primary B-lymphoblastic lymphoma of the testis.

A man in his late 20s presented with a 7 day history of painless right scrotal swelling. Scrotal ultrasound revealed complete tumour infiltration of the right testis and two-thirds infiltration of the left testis. A right radical orchidectomy and left testicular biopsy confirmed B-lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma.

Chemically Informed Coarse-Graining of Electrostatic Forces in Charge-Rich Biomolecular Condensates.

Biomolecular condensates composed of highly charged biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, chromatin, and nucleic-acid binding proteins, are ubiquitous in the cell nucleus. The biophysical properties of these charge-rich condensates are largely regulated by electrostatic interactions. Residue-resolution coarse-grained models that describe solvent and ions implicitly are widely used to gain mechanistic insights into the biophysical properties of condensates, offering transferability, computational efficiency, and accurate predictions for multiple systems.

Transition to Adult Care for Young People Living with HIV.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this narrative review is to delineate the challenges of transitioning young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) to adult-based care and to review recent literature including both qualitative and interventional studies focused on the process of transitioning.

Methods: A search in PubMed and Embase was conducted using the key words "adolescent." "young adult," "transition to adult care," "HIV," and "AIDS," including only articles published from 2019 onwards.

A differentiated β-globin gene replacement strategy uses heterologous introns to restore physiological expression.

β-hemoglobinopathies are common monogenic disorders. In sickle cell disease (SCD) a single mutation in the β-globin (HBB) gene results in dysfunctional hemoglobin protein, while in β-thalassemia, over 300 mutations distributed across the gene reduce β-globin levels and cause severe anemia. Genetic engineering replacing the whole HBB gene through homology directed repair (HDR) is an ideal strategy to restore a benign genotype and rescue HBB expression for most genotypes.

Association between physical activity and cognitive function in a multi-ethnic Asian older adult population.

Physical activity (PA) is regarded as a non-pharmacological preventive strategy against cognitive decline. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PA and cognitive function in cognitively normal older Malaysian adults from a multi-ethnic, urban-dwelling community. Participants completed a questionnaire with questions on demographic details, socioeconomic status, health conditions, and short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

Dual-Functional Antimicrobial and Low-Fouling Cellulose Coatings.

Surfaces contaminated with pathogens raise significant concerns due to their potential role in increasing the risk of disease transmission and subsequent infection. Existing surface coatings face several challenges that undermine their effectiveness and their broader applicability. These include the impact of surface topography on pathogen adhesion, which leads to biofouling, high production costs, scalability issues, as well as environmental concerns stemming from the utilization of toxic antifoulants and biocides.

Surgery with compassion: A potential shift in surgical paradigms.

Modern surgical advances have improved outcomes, yet compassion remains underemphasized in surgical practice. There is ample evidence demonstrating the benefits of compassionate care for both providers and patients. The "Surgery with Compassion" initiative aims to incorporate this essential quality into surgical practice.

The Incidence and Consequences of Endovascular Technical Failure in Patients with Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia: Results from the BEST-CLI Trial.

Purpose: To analyze the causes and clinical impacts of endovascular technical failure (ETF) in the BEST-CLI trial, which compared endovascular therapy to bypass surgery in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) METHODS: Patients with CLTI were randomized to infrainguinal bypass or endovascular therapy. ETF was defined as the inability to complete the endovascular procedure. Patients with ETF were compared with no ETF.