Protocol for isolating and purifying murine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells for in vitro culture and functional assays.

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) line the liver sinusoids and play a crucial role in liver function. Isolating LSECs is beneficial for their functional evaluation in vitro. Here, we provide a protocol for obtaining purified LSECs from mice via gradient centrifugation and magnetic cell sorting (MACS), yielding cells suitable for culture and downstream analyses.

Physics-Based Synthetic Data Model for Automated Segmentation in Catalysis Microscopy.

In catalysis research, the amount of microscopy data acquired when imaging dynamic processes is often too much for nonautomated quantitative analysis. Developing machine learned segmentation models is challenged by the requirement of high-quality annotated training data. We thus substitute expert-annotated data with a physics-based sequential synthetic data model.

Direct Evidence of Anomalous Peierls Transition-Induced Charge Density Wave Order at Room Temperature in Metallic NaRu2O4.

In the field of quantum materials, understanding anomalous behavior under charge degrees of freedom through bond formation is of fundamental importance, with two key concepts: Dimerization and charge order at different cation sites. The coexistence of both dimerization and charge ordering is unusually found in NaRu2O4, even in its metallic state at room temperature. Our work unveils the origin of the interplay of these effects within metallic single-crystalline NaRu2O4.

Data reuse in agricultural genomics research: challenges and recommendations.

The scientific community has long benefited from the opportunities provided by data reuse. Recognizing the need to identify the challenges and bottlenecks to reuse in the agricultural research community and propose solutions for them, the data reuse working group was started within the AgBioData consortium framework. Here, we identify the limitations of data standards, metadata deficiencies, data interoperability, data ownership, data availability, user skill level, resource availability, and equity issues, with a specific focus on agricultural genomics research.

Control of Interlocking Mode in Pd4L8 Cage Catenanes.

Precise control over the catenation process in interlocked supramolecular systems remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a system in which a lantern-shaped Pd2L4 cage can dimerize to form two distinct Pd4L8 catenanes with different interlocking degree: a previously described quadruply interlocked double cage motif of D4 symmetry and an unprecedented triply interlocked structure of C2h symmetry. While the former structure features a linear arrangement of four Pd(II) centers, separated by three mechanically linked pockets, the new motif has a staggered shape.

Identification of Use Cases, Target Groups, and Motivations Around Adopting Smart Speakers for Health Care and Social Care Settings: Scoping Review.

Background: Conversational agents (CAs) are finding increasing application in health and social care, not least due to their growing use in the home. Recent developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing have enabled a variety of new uses for CAs. One type of CA that has received increasing attention recently is smart speakers.

Influence of Partnership Relationships on Long-Term Neurological Rehabilitation in Germany: Protocol for a Qualitative Retrospective Study.

Background: Acquired neurological diseases entail significant changes and influence the relationship between a patient and their significant other. In the context of long-term rehabilitation, those affected collaborate with health care professionals who are expected to have a positive impact on the lives of the affected individuals.

Objective: This study aims to examine the changes in the relationship between the patient and their loved ones due to acquired neurological disorders and the influence of health care professionals on this relationship.

Development of the First-in-Class FEM1B-Recruiting Histone Deacetylase Degraders.

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) represents a promising alternative to conventional occupancy-driven protein inhibition. Despite the existence of more than 600 E3 ligases in the human proteome, so far only a few have been utilized for TPD of histone deacetylases (HDACs), which represent important epigenetic anticancer drug targets. In this study, we disclose the first-in-class Fem-1 homologue B (FEM1B)-recruiting HDAC degraders.

Comparison of a Novel Ultra-Widefield Three-Color Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope to Other Retinal Imaging Modalities in Chorioretinal Lesion Imaging.

Purpose: To compare the assessment of clinically relevant retinal and choroidal lesions as well as optic nerve pathologies using a novel three-wavelength ultra-widefield (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscope with established retinal imaging techniques for ophthalmoscopic imaging.

Methods: Eighty eyes with a variety of retinal and choroidal lesions were assessed on the same time point using Topcon color fundus photography (CFP) montage, Optos red/green (RG), Heidelberg SPECTRALIS MultiColor 55-color montage (MCI), and novel Optos red/green/blue (RGB). Paired images of the optic nerve, retinal, or choroidal lesions were initially diagnosed based on CFP imaging.

Characterization of the Disorganization of the Inner Retinal Layers in Diabetics Using Increased Axial Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: To compare a novel high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) with improved axial resolution (High-Res OCT) with conventional spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) with regard to their capacity to characterize the disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL) in diabetic maculopathy.

Methods: Diabetic patients underwent multimodal retinal imaging (SD-OCT, High-Res OCT, and color fundus photography). Best-corrected visual acuity and diabetes characteristics were recorded.

Global Prevalence of Sexual Violence Against Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Sexual violence against children is a global concern, yet worldwide figures of its prevalence are scant.

Objective: To estimate the global prevalence of sexual violence against children using national-level population-based studies.

Data Sources: We searched the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, and APA PsycArticles databases from their respective inceptions to March 2022.

Estimating the contribution of early and late noise in vision from psychophysical data.

Human performance in psychophysical detection and discrimination tasks is limited by inner noise. It is unclear to what extent this inner noise arises from early noise (e.g.

Real-World Evaluation of i-gel Introduction on Intraoperative Airway-Related Safety Events: A Retrospective Cohort Study From a New England Hospital Network.

Background: Several health care networks have fully adopted second-generation supraglottic airway (SGA) i-gel. Real-world evidence of enhanced patient safety after such practice change is lacking. We hypothesized that the implementation of i-gel compared to the previous LMA®-Unique™ would be associated with a lower risk of airway-related safety events.

Safety and Efficacy of IV Onasemnogene Abeparvovec for Pediatric Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: The Phase 3b SMART Study.

Background And Objectives: Safety and efficacy of IV onasemnogene abeparvovec has been demonstrated for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) weighing <8.5 kg. SMART was the first clinical trial to evaluate onasemnogene abeparvovec for participants weighing 8.

CryoCrane: an open-source GUI for analyzing cryo-EM screening data sets.

Screening of cryo-EM samples is essential for the generation of high-resolution cryo-EM structures. Often, it is cumbersome to correlate the appearance of specific grid squares and micrograph quality. Here, CryoCrane (Correlate atlas and exposures), a visualization tool for cryo-EM screening data, is presented.

Interactions between contaminants and the trophic ecology of two seabirds in a coastal lagoon of the Gulf of California.

Monitoring the dynamics of contaminants in ecosystems helps understand their potential effects. Seabirds have been used as biomonitors of marine ecosystems for this purpose. However, exposure and vulnerability to pollutants are understudied in tropical species, and the relationships between various pollutants and the trophic ecology of seabirds are poorly understood.

A hypocaloric protein-rich diet before metabolic surgery improves liver function in patients with obesity and diabetes : A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are major risk factors for hepatic steatosis. Diet or bariatric surgery can reduce liver volume, fat content, and inflammation. However, little is known about their effects on liver function, as evaluated here using the LiMAx test.

Food for Thoughts for Prospective Biomanufacturing.

While rising greenhouse gases cause climate change, global economies ask for resilient solutions for the business of the future. Biomanufacturing may well serve as a pillar of a circular economy with minimised environmental impact. Therefore, innovations of the lab need to successfully bridge the imminent 'death-valley of innovation' for making commercial production happen.

Enhancing safety in CT-guided lung biopsies: correlation of MinIP imaging with pneumothorax risk prediction.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether minimum-intensity projection (MinIP) images could predict complications in CT-guided lung biopsies.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 72 procedures from January 2019 to December 2023, categorizing patients by pneumothorax and the severity of hemorrhage (grade 2 or higher). Radiodensity measurements were performed using lung window (LW) and MinIP (10-mm slab) images.

Focusing on microvascular function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Heart failure is a prevalent global health issue. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which already represents half of all heart cases worldwide, is projected to further increase, driven by aging populations and rising cardiovascular risk factors. Effective therapies for HFpEF remain limited, particularly due to its pathophysiological heterogeneity and incomplete understanding of underlying pathomechanisms and implications.

Macrophages co-loaded with drug-associated and superparamagnetic nanoparticles for triggered drug release by alternating magnetic fields.

Two features of macrophages make them attractive for targeted transport of drugs: they efficiently take up a broad spectrum of nanoparticles (NPs) and, by sensing cytokine gradients, they are attracted to the sites of infection and inflammation. To expand the potential of macrophages as drug carriers, we investigated whether macrophages could be simultaneously coloaded with different types of nanoparticles, thus equipping individual cells with different functionalities. We used superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONs), which produce apoptosis-inducing hyperthermia when exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), and co-loaded them on macrophages together with drug-containing NPs (inorganic-organic nanoparticles (IOH-NPs) or mesoporous silica NPs (MSNs)).