Enhanced brain tumor detection and segmentation using densely connected convolutional networks with stacking ensemble learning.

- Brain tumors (BT), both benign and malignant, pose a substantial impact on human health and need precise and early detection for successful treatment. Analysing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image is a common method for BT diagnosis and segmentation, yet misdiagnoses yield effective medical responses, impacting patient survival rates. Recent technological advancements have popularized deep learning-based medical image analysis, leveraging transfer learning to reuse pre-trained models for various applications.

Leveraging molecular dynamics, physicochemical, and structural analysis to explore OMP33-36 protein as a drug target in Acinetobacter baumannii: An approach against nosocomial infection.

The Acinetobacter baumannii is a member of the "ESKAPE" bacteria responsible for many serious multidrug-resistant (MDR) illnesses. This bacteria swiftly adapts to environmental cues leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant variants, particularly in hospital/medical settings. In this work, we have demonstrated the outer membrane protein 33-36 (Omp33-36) porin as a potential therapeutic target in A.

Task activation results in regional C-lactate signal increase in the human brain.

Hyperpolarized-C magnetic resonance imaging (HP-C MRI) was used to image changes in C-lactate signal during a visual stimulus condition in comparison to an eyes-closed control condition. Whole-brain C-pyruvate, C-lactate and C-bicarbonate production was imaged in healthy volunteers (N = 6, ages 24-33) for the two conditions using two separate hyperpolarized C-pyruvate injections. BOLD-fMRI scans were used to delineate regions of functional activation.

A-kinase anchor protein 12 promotes oligodendrogenesis and cognitive recovery in carbon monoxide therapy for traumatic brain injury.

Therapeutic drug development for central nervous system injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), presents significant challenges. TBI results in primary mechanical damage followed by secondary injury, leading to cognitive dysfunction and memory loss. Our recent study demonstrated the potential of carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) to improve TBI recovery by enhancing neurogenesis.

Efficient and Rapid Generation of Neural Stem Cells by Direct Conversion Fibroblasts with Single microRNAs.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have great potentials in the application of neurodegenerative disease therapy, drug screening, and disease modeling. However, current approaches for induced NSCs (iNSCs) generation from somatic cells are still slow and inefficient. Here we establish a rapid and efficient method of iNSCs generation from human and mouse fibroblasts by single microRNAs (miR-302a).

A Noncatalytic Cysteine Residue Modulates Cobalamin Reactivity in the Human B Processing Enzyme CblC.

Human CblC catalyzes the indispensable processing of dietary vitamin B by the removal of its β-axial ligand and an either one- or two-electron reduction of its cobalt center to yield cob(II)alamin and cob(I)alamin, respectively. Human CblC possesses five cysteine residues of an unknown function. We hypothesized that Cys149, conserved in mammals, tunes the CblC reactivity.

A mobile interactive cognitive self-assessment scale for screening cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.

Background: A mobile cognition scale for community screening in cognitive impairment with rigorous validation is in paucity. We aimed to develop a digital scale that overcame low education for community screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD.

Methods: A mobile cognitive self-assessment scale (CogSAS) was designed through the Delphi process, which is feasible for the older population with low education.

'It is scary to pause treatment': perspectives on HIV cure-related research and analytical treatment interruptions from women diagnosed during acute HIV in Durban, South Africa.

Background: HIV remains a major challenge in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, particularly for young women who face disproportionate risks and barriers to prevention and treatment. Most HIV cure trials, however, occur in high-income countries.

Objective: To examine the perspectives of young women diagnosed with acute HIV in a longitudinal study, focusing on their perceptions on ATI-inclusive HIV cure trials and the barriers and facilitators to participation.

The developmental lipidome of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

Background: Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-a nematode of rodents-is commonly used as a model to study the immunobiology of parasitic nematodes. It is a member of the Strongylida-a large order of socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes of animals. Lipids are known to play essential roles in nematode biology, influencing cellular membranes, energy storage and/or signalling.

Metabolic adaptations to acute glucose uptake inhibition converge upon mitochondrial respiration for leukemia cell survival.

One hallmark of cancer is the upregulation and dependency on glucose metabolism to fuel macromolecule biosynthesis and rapid proliferation. Despite significant pre-clinical effort to exploit this pathway, additional mechanistic insights are necessary to prioritize the diversity of metabolic adaptations upon acute loss of glucose metabolism. Here, we investigated a potent small molecule inhibitor to Class I glucose transporters, KL-11743, using glycolytic leukemia cell lines and patient-based model systems.

A Nomogram utilizing ECG P-wave parameters to predict recurrence risk following catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the predictive utility of perioperative P-wave parameters in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) undergoing catheter ablation, and to develop a predictive model using these parameters.

Methods: A total of 213 patients with PAF undergoing catheter ablation were retrospectively analyzed. P-wave parameters were measured within 3 days preoperatively and on the day postoperatively to determine their predictive significance for postoperative PAF recurrence.

Association between the hemoglobin A1c/High-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and stroke incidence: a prospective nationwide cohort study in China.

Background: Stroke has emerged as an escalating public health challenge among middle-aged and older individuals in China, closely linked to glycolipid metabolic abnormalities. The Hemoglobin A1c/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HbA1c/HDL-C) ratio, an integrated marker of glycolipid homeostasis, may serve as a novel predictor of stroke risk.

Methods: Our investigation utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study cohort (2011-2018).

Repression of PFKFB3 sensitizes ovarian cancer to PARP inhibitors by impairing homologous recombination repair.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC), particularly high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), is the leading cause of mortality from gynecological malignancies worldwide. Despite the initial effectiveness of treatment, acquired resistance to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) represents a major challenge for the clinical management of HGSOC, highlighting the necessity for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This study investigated the role of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a pivotal regulator of glycolysis, in PARPi resistance and explored its potential as a therapeutic target to overcome PARPi resistance.

Specialized pediatric palliative care in Italy: where are we going? The Palliped 2022-2023 study.

Background: The PalliPed project is a nationwide, observational, cross-sectional study designed with the aim of providing a constantly updated national database for the census and monitoring of specialized pediatric palliative care (PPC) activities in Italy. This paper presents the results of the first monitoring phase of the PalliPed project, which was developed through the PalliPed 2022-2023 study, to update current knowledge on the provision of specialized PPC services in Italy.

Methods: Italian specialized PPC centers/facilities were invited to participate and asked to complete a self-reporting, ad-hoc, online survey regarding their clinical activity in 2022-2023, in the revision of the data initially collected in the first PalliPed study of 2021.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and short-term mortality in patients having anti-MDA5-positive dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease: a retrospective study.

Background: In this study, we aimed to explore the association between baseline and early changes in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the 30-day mortality rate in patients having anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)-positive dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease (DM-ILD).

Methods: Overall, 263 patients with anti-MDA5 DM-ILD from four centers in China were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of baseline NLR on the 30-day mortality rate in patients with anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD.

Expansion of medical school admission quotas in Korea, is it really necessary?

Background: In 2024, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare enforced a policy to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 over the next 5 years, despite opposition from doctors. This study aims to predict the trend of excess or shortage of medical personnel in Korea due to the policy of increasing the number of medical school students by 2035.

Methods: Data from multiple sources, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Insurance Corporation, and the Korean Medical Association, were used to estimate supply and demand.

Amelioration of premature aging in Werner syndrome stem cells by targeting SHIP/AKT pathway.

Background: Pathogenic or null mutations in WRN helicase is a cause of premature aging disease Werner syndrome (WS). WRN is known to protect somatic cells including adult stem cells from premature senescence. Loss of WRN in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) not only drives the cells to premature senescence but also significantly impairs the function of the stem cells in tissue repair or regeneration.

Temporary ectopic banking as a treatment option for mangled thumb: a case report.

Background: Management of the extensive soft tissue injuries remains a significant challenge in orthopedic and plastic reconstructive surgery. Since the thumb is responsible for 40% of the functions of the hand, saving and reconstructing a mangled thumb is essential for the patient's future.

Case Presentation: This case report describes the management of a severe occupational thumb injury in a 25-year-old white Persian male who sustained an occupational injury to his left thumb, resulting in extensive burn, crush injury to the distal and proximal phalanx, and severe soft tissue damage to the first metacarpal, thenar, and palmar areas.

Lay views in Southern France of the acceptability of refusing to provide treatment because of alleged futility.

Aim: To carry out a detailed study of existing positions in the French public of the acceptability of refusing treatment because of alleged futility, and to try to link these to people's age, gender, and religious practice.

Method: 248 lay participants living in southern France were presented with 16 brief vignettes depicting a cancer patient at the end of life who asks his doctor to administer a new cancer treatment he has heard about. Considering that this treatment is futile in the patient's case, the doctor refuses to prescribe it.

Semaglutide and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in an adolescent with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase: a case report.

Background: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, primarily due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, leads to impaired cortisol and aldosterone production and excess adrenal androgens. Lifelong glucocorticoid therapy is required, often necessitating supraphysiological doses in youth to manage androgen excess and growth acceleration. These patients experience higher obesity rates, hypertension, and glucose metabolism issues, complicating long-term health management.

Estimates and trends in death and disability from atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter due to high sodium intake, China, 1990 to 2019.

Objective: The effect of sodium intake on atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter (AFL), with respect to sex and age, has yet to be elucidated. This study aims to compare long-term trends in AF/AFL death and disability due to high sodium intake in China from 1990 to 2019.

Methods: We utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease study to assess the mortality and disability burden of AF/AFL attributable to high sodium intake (> 5 g/d) in China from 1990 to 2019.

Distress and coping mechanisms among people with diabetes: cross-sectional assessment from an NCD screening clinic of a tertiary care hospital in North India.

Background: Of the numerous complications encountered by people with diabetes (PWD), the effect on mental health is concerning. Within mental health, diabetes distress (DD) occurs when a patient has unfavourable emotional stress while managing their condition, which can be managed by coping strategies but are less studied together in Indian settings. So, the present study aimed to determine the proportion of DD and associated factors and coping skills among the PWD.

Blood-based epigenome-wide association study and prediction of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.

Depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment in school-going adolescents in Uganda.

Background: During adolescence, a critical developmental phase, cognitive, psychological, and social states interact with the environment to influence behaviors like decision-making and social interactions. Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in adolescents than in other age groups which may affect socio-emotional and behavioral development including academic achievement. Here, we determined the association between depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment among adolescents enrolled in secondary schools of Eastern and Central Uganda.

Predicting early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness in septic patients using critical ultrasound and biological markers.

Objective: Early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is crucial for improving the outcomes of critically ill patients. Hence, this study was designed to identify predisposing factors for ICUAW and establish a predictive model for the early diagnosis of ICUAW.

Methods: This prospective observational multicenter study included septic patients from the comprehensive ICUs of West China Hospital of Sichuan University and 10 other hospitals between September and November 2023.