VDMNet: A Deep Learning Framework with Vessel Dynamic Convolution and Multi-Scale Fusion for Retinal Vessel Segmentation.

Retinal vessel segmentation is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring ophthalmic and systemic diseases. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) enables detailed imaging of the retinal microvasculature, but existing methods for OCTA segmentation face significant limitations, such as susceptibility to noise, difficulty in handling class imbalance, and challenges in accurately segmenting complex vascular morphologies. In this study, we propose VDMNet, a novel segmentation network designed to overcome these challenges by integrating several advanced components.

Circulating Tumor DNA Combining with Imaging Analysis for Lesion Detection of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in Children.

Background: The detection of mutations from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) represents a promising enrichment technique. In this retrospective study, the significance of ctDNA and imaging in Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) monitoring was first examined, and the broader role of ctDNA in monitoring LCH was additionally explored.

Methods: First, data visualization and survival analysis models were used to generalize the concordance between cfBRAF molecular response and radiographic response on clinical outcomes.

IL-6R Inhibitors and Gastrointestinal Perforations: A Pharmacovigilance Study and a Predicting Nomogram.

IL-6R inhibitors are widely used in many inflammation-related diseases, especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their relationship with gastrointestinal perforations (GIPs) has been reported more and more. We comprehensively analyzed IL-6R inhibitors in association with GIPs from the United States FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

The Promising Potency of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in the Prevention of and as Treatment for Cognitive Impairment Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), accounting for the majority of diabetes mellitus prevalence, is associated with an increased risk of cognition decline and deterioration of cognition function in diabetic patients. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), located in the renal proximal tubule, plays a role in urine glucose reabsorption. SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), have shown potential benefits beyond cardiac and renal improvement in preventing and treating cognitive impairment (CI), including mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in T2DM patients.

The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Liver Fibrosis: Friends or Foes?

Liver fibrosis represents a common pathway in the progression of various chronic liver diseases towards cirrhosis and liver failure. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed particles secreted by diverse cell types, including exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic vesicles, and the recently identified migrasomes. These vesicles can be taken up by recipient cells, thereby modulating their function through the transport of cargo molecules.

Next-Generation Sequencing of Chinese Children with Congenital Hearing Loss Reveals Rare and Novel Variants in Known and Candidate Genes.

Hearing loss (HL) is the most common disorder in newborns with a highly heterogeneous genetic background. Despite significant progress in screening and identifying genes related to congenital hearing loss, there are still candidate genes implicated in HL that remain undiscovered. We investigated HL in 43 Chinese families by segregating bilateral sensorineural HL via whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing.

Impact of Petty Tyranny on Employee Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Roles of Toxic Workplace Environment and Emotional Exhaustion in Academia.

Based on social exchange theory, social psychology theories, and despotic leadership theory, this study explored the impact of petty tyranny on employee turnover intentions. Specifically, the authors examined the mediating effect of toxic workplace environments through emotional exhaustion on this relationship among academicians. The authors surveyed 421 employees using a five-point Likert scale across six universities in Lahore, Pakistan and employed a time-lag research design.

The Influence of Mission Valence on Faculty's Voice Behavior: The Role of Thriving at Work and Servant Leadership.

Faculty's voice behavior is crucial in promoting institutional reform and sustainable development in higher education institutions. However, there is still significant room for exploration regarding how to effectively stimulate such behavior among faculty. This study, based on data collected from 630 Chinese university faculty, investigates the conditions under which mission valence can promote voice behavior in higher education settings.

A Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Oncogenic Role of CD276 in Human Tumors.

: B7 homolog 3 protein (B7-H3, also known as CD276) is a member of the B7 family that has been found to be associated with the growth and progression of a variety of tumors, but no pan-cancer evaluations of CD276 have been performed so far. In this study, we aimed to perform a pan-cancer analysis of the oncogenic role of CD276 in human tumors; : We used a series of databases to perform a pan-cancer analysis of CD276, including the expression level of CD276 in pan-cancer and its relationship to tumor progression, patient survival duration, the immune cell infiltration within the tumor, and the potential signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms associated with CD276; : We found that CD276 was a potential biomarker for the prognosis of most cancers. The high expression of CD276 was associated with tumor progression, leading to poor survival.

The Effect of Medium-Chain Triglycerides Oil on and in Planktonic and Mucosal Models.

Despite MCT oil's potential antimicrobial benefits for gastrointestinal health, its effects on disrupting cariogenic pathogens on oral mucosal surfaces remain underexplored. This study evaluated the impact of MCT oil on the adhesion and invasion of and using planktonic and mucosal models. First, a planktonic model was used to assess the impact of various concentrations of MCT on the growth of and .

Radiation-Induced Brain Injury: Mechanistic Insights and the Promise of Gut-Brain Axis Therapies.

Radiation therapy is widely recognized as an efficacious modality for treating neoplasms located within the craniofacial region. Nevertheless, this approach is not devoid of risks, predominantly concerning potential harm to the neural structures. Adverse effects may encompass focal cerebral necrosis, cognitive function compromise, cerebrovascular pathology, spinal cord injury, and detriment to the neural fibers constituting the brachial plexus.

Neural Precursor Cell-Expressed Developmentally Downregulated Protein 4 (NEDD4)-Mediated Ubiquitination of Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4): A Key Pathway in High-Glucose-Induced Ferroptosis in Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cells.

Pharmacological treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) has become increasingly challenging due to the limited efficacy of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i). As the global prevalence of DM continues, there is a critical need for novel therapeutic strategies to address DMED. In our previous studies, we found that Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a ferroptosis inhibitor, can ameliorate DMED in diabetic rats.

From Adipose to Ailing Kidneys: The Role of Lipid Metabolism in Obesity-Related Chronic Kidney Disease.

Obesity has emerged as a significant public health crisis, closely linked to the pathogenesis and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review explores the intricate relationship between obesity-induced lipid metabolism disorders and renal health. We discuss how excessive free fatty acids (FFAs) lead to lipid accumulation in renal tissues, resulting in cellular lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation, ultimately contributing to renal injury.

Whole-genome sequencing identified ALK as a novel susceptible gene of Hirschsprung disease.

Background And Study Aims: Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a complex developmental disease that resulted from impaired proliferation and migration of neural crest cells. Despite the genetic causation of enteric nervous system have been found to be responsible for part of HD cases, the genetic aetiology of most HD patients still needs to be explored.

Patients And Methods: Whole-genome sequencing and subsequent Sanger sequencing validation analysis were performed in 13 HD children and their unaffected parents.

[Advances in the genetics of venous thromboembolic disease].

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is clinically manifested as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE is the third most prevalent vascular disease after coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases. VTE is a multifactorial disease caused by the interaction of genetic and acquired risk factors.

Odontogenic exosomes simulating the developmental microenvironment promote complete regeneration of pulp-dentin complex in vivo.

Introduction: Establishing an optimized regenerative microenvironment for pulp-dentin complex engineering has become increasingly critical. Recently, exosomes have emerged as favorable biomimetic nanotherapeutic tools to simulate the developmental microenvironment and facilitate tissue regeneration.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the multifaceted roles of exosomes from human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) that initiated odontogenic differentiation while sustaining mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) characteristics in odontogenesis, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis during pulp-dentin complex regeneration.

Spectral adversarial attack on graph via node injection.

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have shown remarkable achievements and have been extensively applied in various downstream tasks, such as node classification and community detection. However, recent studies have demonstrated that GNNs are vulnerable to subtle adversarial perturbations on graphs, including node injection attacks, which negatively affect downstream tasks. Existing node injection attacks have mainly focused on the limited local nodes, neglecting the analysis of the whole graph which restricts the attack's ability.

Navigation-assisted endoscopic U-flap technique and steroid-eluting stent for choanal atresia repair.

Objectives: Surgery is the only treatment for congenital choanal atresia (CCA). It is crucial to avoid postoperative restenosis or re-occlusion of the neo-choana. This study investigated the efficacy of a navigation-assisted endoscopic endonasal U-flap technique and a bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stent for CCA repair.

Kojic acid alleviates osteoarthritis by attenuating inflammation and restoring impaired autophagy through regulating NF-κB and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways: An in vivo and in vitro study.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disorder globally, causing a substantial and increasing socioeconomic burden. Kojic acid (KA) presented potential biological roles in regulating inflammation and autophagy, which was implicated in OA progression. However, its role in chondrocytes and OA has not been reported.

Characterization of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) damaged utricle transcriptome in the adult mouse utricle.

Utricle is an important vestibular sensory organ for maintaining balance. 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN), a prototype nitrile toxin, has been reported to be neurotoxic and vestibulotoxic, and can be used to establish an damage model of vestibular dysfunction. However, the mechanism of utricular HCs damage caused by IDPN is unclear.

Prognostic significance of preoperative prognostic nutritional index in hepatocellular carcinoma after curative hepatectomy: a meta-analysis and systemic review.

Background: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), which reflects both nutritional and immune status, has emerged as a potential predictor of survival outcomes in cancer patients. However, its role in forecasting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following curative hepatectomy remains unclear. To further investigate the association between PNI and survival outcomes in HCC patients, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Durvalumab and pembrolizumab in advanced biliary tract cancer: a reconstructed patient-level mimic head-to-head comparative analysis.

Background: The addition of durvalumab or pembrolizumab to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) has been approved to statistically improve survival outcomes in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. However, since the survival time was only prolonged by about two months, doubts have been raised. In this analysis, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combining durvalumab or pembrolizumab with GP chemotherapy.

MFSD2A Overexpression Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through TGF-β/Smad Signaling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary malignancy of the liver and has a high mortality. Major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2 (MFSD2A) was previously demonstrated to inhibit tumor progression in several cancers. Here, we elucidated the association between MFSD2A expression and HCC progression and also investigated the underlying mechanism.