Effect of Ripasudil on the Change Rates of the Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Patients With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

The effect of the Rho-kinase inhibitor ripasudil on the retinal optic nerve fiber layer (RNFL) remains unclear. We aimed to determine this effect in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements and linear mixed analysis. This study prospectively included outpatients from a single center with POAG without a history of vitreoretinal or glaucoma surgery from December 2014 to June 2020, in whom the circumpapillary RNFL thickness (cpRNFLT) was measured more than three times before and after ripasudil initiation, without additional medication or surgery during the period.

Life satisfaction around the world: Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used self-report measure of subjective well-being, but studies of its measurement invariance across a large number of nations remain limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset-with data collected between 2020 and 2022 -to assess measurement invariance of the SWLS across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups (N = 56,968). All participants completed the SWLS under largely uniform conditions.

Evidence-Based Application of Natriuretic Peptides in the Evaluation of Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in the Ambulatory Outpatient Setting.

Background: Plasma NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) is commonly used to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but its diagnostic performance in the ambulatory/outpatient setting is unknown because previous studies lacked objective reference standards.

Methods: Among patients with chronic dyspnea, diagnosis of HFpEF or noncardiac dyspnea was determined conclusively by exercise catheterization in a derivation cohort (n=414), multicenter validation cohort 1 (n=560), validation cohort 2 (n=207), and a nonobese Japanese validation cohort 3 (n=77). Optimal NT-proBNP cut points for HFpEF rule out (optimizing sensitivity) and rule in (optimizing specificity) were derived and tested, stratified by obesity and atrial fibrillation.

A novel bioassay reflecting response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in non-small cell lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has prolonged the survival of a proportion of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Histological quantification of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumors is a widely adopted marker for predicting the efficacy of ICI treatment. However, its use in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is occasionally challenging because of the difficulty of tissue sampling.

Exploring Integrin α5β1 as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Insights From Comprehensive Multicenter Preclinical Studies.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by obliterative vascular remodeling of the small pulmonary arteries (PAs) and progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right ventricular failure. Although several drugs are approved for the treatment of PAH, mortality rates remain high. Accumulating evidence supports a pathological function of integrins in vessel remodeling, which are gaining renewed interest as drug targets.

Transplantation of genome-edited retinal organoids restores some fundamental physiological functions coordinated with severely degenerated host retinas.

We have previously shown that the transplantation of stem cell-derived retinal organoid (RO) sheets into animal models of end-stage retinal degeneration can lead to host-graft synaptic connectivity and restoration of vision, which was further improved using genome-edited Islet1 ROs (gROs) with a reduced number of ON-bipolar cells. However, the details of visual function restoration using this regenerative therapeutic approach have not yet been characterized. Here, we evaluated the electrophysiological properties of end-stage rd1 retinas after transplantation (TP-rd1) and compared them with those of wild-type (WT) retinas using multi-electrode arrays.

Comments about the comparative bulk RNA sequencing between palmoplantar pustulosis and dyshidrotic palmoplantar eczema.

This correspondence discusses the recent findings by Straalen et al., highlighting molecular similarities and distinctions between palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and dyshidrotic palmoplantar eczema (DPE). The study emphasizes shared proinflammatory pathways and T-cell-related gene upregulation while detailing unique features such as neutrophil involvement in PPP and lipid antigen processing in DPE.

Ru(IV)-Ru(IV), Ru(III)-Ru(IV), and Ru(III)-Ru(III) complexes having a sulfato bridging ligand on the doubly oxido-/hydroxido-bridged core, and their crystallographic and electronic structures.

The Ru(IV,IV), Ru(III,IV), and Ru(III,III) complexes with the doubly oxido- and/or hydroxido-bridged diamond core {Ru(μ-O(H))}, bridged by an η:η:μ-type bidentate sulfato ligand, [{Ru(L)}(μ-O)(μ-OSO)] ( = 1: [III,IV]; = 2: [IV,IV]), [{Ru(L)}(μ-O)(μ-OH)(μ-OSO)] ([III,IV_1H]), and [{Ru(L)}(μ-OH)(μ-OSO)] ([III,III_2H]) (L = ethylbis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), were synthesised as ClO-salts, and their crystal and electronic structures investigated. The corresponding hydrogencarbonato-bridged Ru(III,III) complex, [{Ru(L)}(μ-OH)(μ-OCOH)] ([III,III(HCO3)_2H]), was also prepared and its crystallographic and electronic structures compared to those of the sulfato-bridged system, [III,III_2H]. All the sulfato-bridged complexes isolated were confirmed in the Pourbaix diagram, wherein the redox potential was plotted as a function of pH.

Medicine Meets Science: The Imperative of Scientific Research and Publishing for Physician-Scientists.

Physician-scientists serve as conduits between clinical practice and scientific research, leveraging their unique expertise to improve patient care and drive medical innovation. This article highlights the indispensable role of research and publishing in promoting evidence-based practices, facilitating professional growth, and shaping public health policy. Drawing on historical and contemporary examples, I examine the challenges faced by physician-scientists, such as ethical dilemmas and declining engagement in research, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

The Association of Sodium or Potassium Intake Timing with Athens Insomnia Scale Scores: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Insomnia is a significant public health problem affecting a large population. Although previous research has explored the relationship between specific nutrients and insomnia, comprehensive analyses of daily eating patterns of macro- and micronutrients remain limited. Since nocturnal hypertension is related to sodium/potassium intake and sleep disturbances, the present cross-sectional study hypothesized that daily eating patterns of potassium and sodium would be associated with Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) scores.

Epigenetic Mechanisms Driving Adaptation in Tropical and Subtropical Plants: Insights and Future Directions.

Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and Noncoding RNAs, play a critical role in enabling plants to adapt to environmental changes without altering their DNA sequence. These processes dynamically regulate gene expression in response to diverse stressors, making them essential for plant resilience under changing global conditions. This review synthesises research on tropical and subtropical plants-species naturally exposed to extreme temperatures, salinity, drought, and other stressors-while drawing parallels with similar mechanisms observed in arid and temperate ecosystems.

Effects of Oral Ingestion of L-Ornithine on Mental Stress and Fatigue Based on the Trier Social Stress Test in Healthy Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Trial.

With changes in the social environment typified by COVID-19, an increasing number of people are suffering from mental stress in interpersonal relationships and the resulting fatigue in recent years. L-ornithine oral ingestion reportedly suppresses the secretion of cortisol, a stress marker, through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, there is insufficient research to determine whether L-ornithine exerts an ameliorative effect on social stress.

Decoding the Nexus: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Linking Stroke and Neurotoxic Microenvironments in Brain Cancer Patients.

Stroke is an often underrecognized albeit significant complication in patients with brain cancer, arising from the intricate interplay between cancer biology and cerebrovascular health. This review delves into the multifactorial pathophysiological framework linking brain cancer to elevated stroke risk, with particular emphasis on the crucial role of the neurotoxic microenvironment (NTME). The NTME, characterized by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, creates a milieu that promotes and sustains vascular and neuronal injury.

System vaccinology analysis of predictors and mechanisms of antibody response durability to multiple vaccines in humans.

We performed a systems vaccinology analysis to investigate immune responses in humans to an H5N1 influenza vaccine, with and without the AS03 adjuvant, to identify factors influencing antibody response magnitude and durability. Our findings revealed a platelet and adhesion-related blood transcriptional signature on day 7 that predicted the longevity of the antibody response, suggesting a potential role for platelets in modulating antibody response durability. As platelets originate from megakaryocytes, we explored the effect of thrombopoietin (TPO)-mediated megakaryocyte activation on antibody response longevity.

Associated Factors of Long-Term Functional Outcome and Recovery Pattern After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Population-Based Study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Background: Long-term patterns of functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have not been well elucidated in population-based studies from low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to define long-term functional outcomes, associated prognostic factors, and recovery patterns for patients with acute ICH.

Methods: We conducted a prospective population-based stroke incidence study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with prospective follow-up.

Greater Rotational Knee Laxity Observed at Second-Look Arthroscopy in Patients With Failed Meniscal Repair Performed at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To evaluate the healing of meniscal repair performed concomitantly with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using second-look arthroscopy, as well as the relationship between meniscal healing and knee laxity using quantitative evaluation under anesthesia.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent primary double-bundle ACLR with meniscal repair between June 2016 and June 2021, with a 2-year minimum follow-up. Meniscal healing was evaluated by second-look arthroscopy at least 1 year postoperatively, and knee laxity was measured under general anesthesia preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at second-look arthroscopy.

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.

Designing strong inducible synthetic promoters in yeasts.

Inducible promoters are essential for precise control of target gene expression in synthetic biological systems. However, engineering eukaryotic promoters is often more challenging than engineering prokaryotic promoters due to their greater mechanistic complexity. In this study, we describe a simple and reliable approach for constructing strongly inducible synthetic promoters with minimum leakiness in yeasts.

Evaluation of N-NOSE as a surveillance tool for recurrence in gastric and esophageal cancers: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: Early detection of recurrent gastric and esophageal cancers remains a critical challenge. Innovative and non-invasive cancer screening technologies, such as N-NOSE, can improve early detection. N-NOSE is a urine-based scent test that leverages the olfactory abilities of the nematode C.

M2BPgs-HCC: An Automated Multilectin Bead Array Indicating Aberrant Glycosylation Signatures Toward Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis.

Regular monitoring of patients with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is critical for the detection and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) has been used to monitor fibrosis progression and predict HCC. However, HCC prediction based on M2BPGi has not been optimized.

π-HuB: the proteomic navigator of the human body.

The human body contains trillions of cells, classified into specific cell types, with diverse morphologies and functions. In addition, cells of the same type can assume different states within an individual's body during their lifetime. Understanding the complexities of the proteome in the context of a human organism and its many potential states is a necessary requirement to understanding human biology, but these complexities can neither be predicted from the genome, nor have they been systematically measurable with available technologies.

Kaonic nuclear clusters- a new paradigm of particle and nuclear physics.

Λ = Λ(1405) plays an essential role in the formation of kaonic nuclear clusters (KNC). The simplest KNC, Kpp, has the structure Λp = (Kp)p, in which a real kaon migrates between two nucleons, mediating super-strong Λp attraction. Production data of Kpp have been accumulated by DISTO, J-PARC E27 and J-PARC E15 experiments.

Causes of COVID-19 Outbreaks During Sports and Exercise: A Systematic Review.

Background: Physical activity is beneficial for preventing non-communicable and infectious diseases, such as pneumonia. Physical activity is also a potential protective factor for reducing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Conversely, outbreaks of respiratory viral infections are more likely to occur owing to group activities, opportunities for contact with individuals and vocalisations.