A PDA@ZIF-8-Incorporated PMIA TFN-FO Membrane for Seawater Desalination: Improving Water Flux and Anti-Fouling Performance.

Forward osmosis (FO) technology, known for its minimal energy requirements, excellent resistance to fouling, and significant commercial potential, shows enormous promise in the development of sustainable technologies, especially with regard to seawater desalination and wastewater. In this study, we improved the performance of the FO membrane in terms of its mechanical strength and hydrophilic properties. Generally, the water flux () of polyisophenylbenzamide (PMIA) thin-film composite (TFC)-FO membranes is still inadequate for industrial applications.

Mechanisms of Low Temperature Thickening of Different Materials for Deepwater Water-Based Drilling Fluids.

During deepwater drilling, the low mudline temperatures and narrow safe density window pose serious challenges to the safe and efficient performance of deepwater water-based drilling fluids. Low temperatures can lead to physical and chemical changes in the components of water-based drilling fluids and the behavior of low temperature gelation. As a coarse dispersion system, water-based drilling fluid has a complex composition of dispersed phase and dispersing medium.

Trigeminal neuralgia within the disease course of MS: Diagnostic and therapeutic implications from a multicenter cohort.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is commonly associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether TN should be considered a clinical relapse or evidence of active disease lacks consensus. TN was diagnosed in 0.

Co-stimulating the left vmPFC compensates for apathy after levodopa withdrawal in Parkinson's patients with STN DBS.

Introduction: Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) improves motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but its effect on motivation is controversial. Apathy, the lack of motivation, commonly occurs in PD and is often exacerbated after surgery and its concomitant levodopa reduction. Apathy and reward processing are associated with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which standard targeting strategies avoid by targeting the dorsolateral STN.

Optimizing Catheter Verification: An Understandable AI Model for Efficient Assessment of Central Venous Catheter Placement in Chest Radiography.

Purpose: Accurate detection of central venous catheter (CVC) misplacement is crucial for patient safety and effective treatment. Existing artificial intelligence (AI) often grapple with the limitations of label inaccuracies and output interpretations that lack clinician-friendly comprehensibility. This study aims to introduce an approach that employs segmentation of support material and anatomy to enhance the precision and comprehensibility of CVC misplacement detection.

A Systematic Method to Detect Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Microsatellite Instability in Plasma Cell-Free DNA: plasmaMSI.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) detection using tumor tissue is a well-established prognostic and predictive biomarker for certain types of cancers. However, tumor tissue samples are less convenient to obtain than blood plasma samples. The main challenge facing next-generation sequencing-based MSI detection in blood plasma samples is the ultralow signal/noise ratio in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

Penalizing underage alcohol use is associated with lower mortality for young drivers: Use/lose laws and their association with motor vehicle collision mortality.

Background: Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) continue to be a leading cause of mortality for youth in the United States. Since 2010, seven states have revoked mandatory laws that suspended licenses for underage alcohol use, also known as use/lose laws. This study analyzed whether each state's policy change was associated with increased youth MVC mortality.

Impact of annotation imperfections and auto-curation for deep learning-based organ-at-risk segmentation.

Background And Purpose: Segmentation imperfections (noise) in radiotherapy organ-at-risk segmentation naturally arise from specialist experience and image quality. Using clinical contours can result in sub-optimal convolutional neural network (CNN) training and performance, but manual curation is costly. We address the impact of simulated and clinical segmentation noise on CNN parotid gland (PG) segmentation performance and provide proof-of-concept for an easily implemented auto-curation countermeasure.

Assessing Lung Ventilation and Bronchodilator Response in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with F MRI.

Background Pulmonary function tests are central to diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases but do not provide information on regional lung function heterogeneity. Fluorine 19 (F) MRI of inhaled perfluoropropane permits quantitative and spatially localized assessment of pulmonary ventilation properties without tracer gas hyperpolarization. Purpose To assess regional lung ventilation properties using F MRI of inhaled perfluoropropane in participants with asthma, participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and healthy participants, including quantitative evaluation of bronchodilator response in participants with respiratory disease.

Influence of age and sex on the diagnostic yield of inherited cardiac conditions in sudden arrhythmic death syndrome decedents.

Aims: Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) refers to a sudden death, which remains unexplained despite comprehensive post-mortem examination and a toxicological screen. We aimed to investigate the impact of age and sex on the overall diagnostic yield and underlying aetiology in decedents with SADS using a combined approach of familial evaluation (FE) and molecular autopsy (MA).

Methods And Results: Consecutive referrals to a single centre for FE only, MA only or both, following a SADS death were included.

Data-driven synapse classification reveals a logic of glutamate receptor diversity.

The rich diversity of synapses facilitates the capacity of neural circuits to transmit, process and store information. We used multiplex super-resolution proteometric imaging through array tomography to define features of single synapses in mouse neocortex. We find that glutamatergic synapses cluster into subclasses that parallel the distinct biochemical and functional categories of receptor subunits: GluA1/4, GluA2/3 and GluN1/GluN2B.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting the FimH adhesin protect against uropathogenic UTI.

As antimicrobial resistance increases, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are expected to pose an increased burden in morbidity and expense on the healthcare system, increasing the need for alternative antibiotic-sparing treatments. Most UTIs are caused by uropathogenic (UPEC), while causes a significant portion of non-UPEC UTIs. Both bacteria express type 1 pili tipped with the mannose-binding FimH adhesin critical for UTI pathogenesis.

Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Liver Resection: A Nationwide Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Objective: To compare nationwide outcomes of robotic liver resection (RLR) with laparoscopic liver resection (LLR).

Background: Minimally invasive liver resection is increasingly performed using the robotic approach as this could help overcome inherent technical limitations of laparoscopy. It is unknown if this translates to improved patient outcomes.

Long-term Comparative Outcomes of All-Inside Versus Inside-Out Repair of Bucket-Handle Meniscal Tears: A Cohort Study.

Background: Bucket-handle meniscal tears (BHMTs) are a common subtype of meniscal tears that represent a clinical challenge. Arthroscopic inside-out repair has been considered the gold standard in treatment; however, an all-inside approach has gained widespread popularity, with limited long-term evidence.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to (1) compare long-term clinical outcomes and rates of failure after surgical repair of BHMTs using the all-inside versus inside-out technique, and 2) identify risk factors for failure at long-term follow-up.

Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE-J) Scale.

Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE-J) Scale to measure attitudes towards epilepsy among the general Japanese population.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design using an online survey of 537 participants from the general public in Japan, with follow-up surveys at 2 weeks and 3 months. The PATE Scale was translated following standard guidelines and validated by conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the complete data set to assess the original two-factor structure of the PATE Scale.

COVID-19 Diagnosis Within 6 Weeks of Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Leads to Higher Risk for Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism.

Purpose: To determine if preoperative infection with COVID-19 increased risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

Methods: PearlDiver Mariner 165 database was queried for patients undergoing knee arthroscopy between 2010 and October 2022. Patients were categorized by history of COVID-19 diagnosis and timing in relation to surgery.

Evaluating the need for standardised disease manifestation categories in patients infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus: A Delphi panel.

Categorization systems for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection lack consistency in classifying disease severity. To evaluate the need for a standard, consensus-based categorisation system for TBEV infection across subtypes, we gathered an expert panel of clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection. Consensus was sought using the Delphi technique, which consisted of 2 web-based survey questionnaires and a final, virtual, consensus-building exercise.

Clinician Perspectives Highlight the Need for Early Dyadic Coping Skills for People Living With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Context: A diagnosis of ALS can be challenging, and many people find ways to adapt. At the same time, emotional distress can arise early after an ALS diagnosis even when high quality multidisciplinary care is provided. When emotional distress occurs, it can become chronic over time, and can affect both the person living with ALS and their care-partner (together called a dyad).

Synthetic organizer cells guide development via spatial and biochemical instructions.

In vitro development relies primarily on treating progenitor cells with media-borne morphogens and thus lacks native-like spatial information. Here, we engineer morphogen-secreting organizer cells programmed to self-assemble, via cell adhesion, around mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in defined architectures. By inducing the morphogen WNT3A and its antagonist DKK1 from organizer cells, we generated diverse morphogen gradients, varying in range and steepness.

Neurostatus-SMARTCARE clinical trial: Enabling health care professionals to assess EDSS for decentralized trials in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Neurostatus-Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the standard measure used to assess impairment and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) trials but requires trained expert neurologists.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the concordance of Neurostatus-EDSS assessments from specially trained health care professionals (HCPs) and standardized trained neurologists.

Methods: A Swiss multicenter, randomized, cross-over study with 100 people with MS.

Relationship Between Coronary Artery Calcium Score and Vulnerability of Culprit Plaque Assessed by OCT in Patients With Established Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is widely used for risk stratification. However, in patients with established coronary artery disease, its clinical implication and relationship with plaque vulnerability are unclear. We sought to correlate the CACS and plaque vulnerability assessed by optical coherence tomography.

Breast organoid suspension cultures maintain long-term estrogen receptor expression and responsiveness.

Organoid cultures offer a powerful technology to investigate many different aspects of development, physiology, and pathology of diverse tissues. Unlike standard tissue culture of primary breast epithelial cells, breast organoids preserve the epithelial lineages and architecture of the normal tissue. However, existing organoid culture methods are tedious, difficult to scale, and do not robustly retain estrogen receptor (ER) expression and responsiveness in long-term culture.

DiffMAP-GP: Continuous 2D diffusion maps from particle trajectories without data binning using Gaussian processes.

Diffusion coefficients often vary across regions, such as cellular membranes, and quantifying their variation can provide valuable insight into local membrane properties such as composition and stiffness. Toward quantifying diffusion coefficient spatial maps and uncertainties from particle tracks, we develop a Bayesian framework (DiffMAP-GP) by placing Gaussian process (GP) priors on the family of candidate maps. For sake of computational efficiency, we leverage inducing point methods on GPs arising from the mathematical structure of the data giving rise to nonconjugate likelihood-prior pairs.

A Bedside-to-Bench-to-Bedside Journey to Advance Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation towards Biologic Joint Restoration.

More than 70 million adults in the United States are impacted by osteoarthritis (OA). Symptomatic articular cartilage loss that progresses to debilitating OA is being diagnosed more frequently and earlier in life, such that a growing number of active patients are faced with life-altering health care decisions at increasingly younger ages. Joint replacement surgeries, in the form of various artificial arthroplasties, are reliable operations, especially for older (≥65 years), more sedentary patients with end-stage OA, but have major limitations for younger, more active patients.