A CRISPR-Cas12a-based universal rapid scrub typhus diagnostic method targeting 16S rRNA of Orientia tsutsugamushi.

Scrub typhus is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection and occurs frequently in an area called the Tsutsugamushi Triangle. Currently, there is no vaccine for O. tsutsugamushi, and its infection is treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline.

Citrus diseases detection using innovative deep learning approach and Hybrid Meta-Heuristic.

Citrus farming is one of the major agricultural sectors of Pakistan and currently represents almost 30% of total fruit production, with its highest concentration in Punjab. Although economically important, citrus crops like sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, and mandarins face various diseases like canker, scab, and black spot, which lower fruit quality and yield. Traditional manual disease diagnosis is not only slow, less accurate, and expensive but also relies heavily on expert intervention.

Automated extracellular volume fraction measurement for diagnosis and prognostication in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.

Aims: T1 mapping on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is useful for diagnosis and prognostication in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA). We conducted this study to evaluate the performance of T1 mapping parameters, derived from artificial intelligence (AI)-automated segmentation, for detection of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and their prognostic values in patients with AL-CA.

Methods And Results: A total of 300 consecutive patients who underwent CMR for differential diagnosis of LVH were analyzed.

Vanadate reduction by gram-positive fermentative bacteria isolated from deep-sea sediments on the northern Central Indian Ridge.

The oxidation states of vanadium determine its mobility and toxicity, and dissimilatory vanadate reduction has been reported in several microorganisms, highlighting the potential significance of this pathway in the remediation of vanadium contamination and the biogeochemical cycle. However, to date, most known microorganisms capable of reducing vanadate are Gram-negative respiratory bacteria belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria. In this study, we isolated Tepidibacter mesophilus strain VROV1 from deep-sea sediments on the northern Central Indian Ridge and investigated its ability to reduce vanadium and the impact of vanadate on its cellular metabolism.

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.

Therapeutic gene target prediction using novel deep hypergraph representation learning.

Identifying therapeutic genes is crucial for developing treatments targeting genetic causes of diseases, but experimental trials are costly and time-consuming. Although many deep learning approaches aim to identify biomarker genes, predicting therapeutic target genes remains challenging due to the limited number of known targets. To address this, we propose HIT (Hypergraph Interaction Transformer), a deep hypergraph representation learning model that identifies a gene's therapeutic potential, biomarker status, or lack of association with diseases.

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.

Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Review of its Current Clinical Application.

Background: Bone marrow aspiration concentrate (BMAC) has gained acceptance as a safe orthobiologic for treating osteoarthritis (OA), despite lacking robust supporting evidence. Although several publications have documented the use of BMAC in OA, evidence confirming its unequivocal efficacy remains limited.

Methods: This review aims to summarize the current clinical evidence regarding BMAC as a therapeutic for OA, while also presenting the author's perspective.

Performance of the FORD Versus Other Available Models for the Noninvasive Prediction of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease.

Purpose: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with morbidity and mortality in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Several prediction models have been proposed to predict PH in ILD patients. We sought to discern how previously described prediction models perform in predicting PH in patients with ILD.

Differentiation of intrapancreatic accessory spleen from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor using MRI R2.

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of R2* in distinguishing intrapancreatic accessory spleens (IPASs) from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).

Methods: Two radiologists (R1 and R2) retrospectively reviewed the MRIs of 20 IPAS and 20 PNET patients. IPASs were diagnosed with uptake on 99mTc labeled heat-damaged red blood cell scintigraphy or characteristic findings on CT/MRI and ≥ 12 month-long-stability.

Inter-reader reliability of Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System US: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) US provides a standardized lexicon for ovarian and adnexal lesions, facilitating risk stratification based on morphological features for malignancy assessment, which is essential for proper management. However, systematic determination of inter-reader reliability in O-RADS US categorization remains unexplored. This study aimed to systematically determine the inter-reader reliability of O-RADS US categorization and identify the factors that affect it.

Ravulizumab demonstrates long-term efficacy, safety and favorable patient survival in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Ravulizumab is a second-generation complement component 5 (C5) inhibitor (C5i) approved for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) following positive results from two pivotal trials in patients with PNH originally naive to C5i treatment and eculizumab-experienced patients with PNH. In both trials, after the 26week primary evaluation period, all patients received ravulizumab for up to 6 years. To report ravulizumab treatment outcomes in patients with PNH originally naive to C5i treatment and eculizumab-experienced patients with PNH treated for up to 6 years.

Assessing the Association Between Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents and Parkinson Disease: Insights From the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between the use of linear and macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) and the subsequent development of Parkinson disease (PD).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, comprising 1,038,439 individuals. From this population, 175,125 adults aged 40 to 60 years with no history of brain disease were identified.

BCL6 coordinates muscle mass homeostasis with nutritional states.

Nutritional status is a determining factor for growth during development and homeostatic maintenance in adulthood. In the context of muscle, growth hormone (GH) coordinates growth with nutritional status; however, the detailed mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we show that the transcriptional repressor B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) maintains muscle mass by sustaining GH action.

A periplasmic protein modulates the proteolysis of peptidoglycan hydrolases to maintain cell wall homeostasis in .

Bacterial cell wall assembly and remodeling require activities of peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolases as well as PG synthases. In particular, the activity of DD-endopeptidases, which cleave the 4-3 peptide crosslinks in PG, is essential for PG expansion in gram-negative bacteria. Maintaining optimal levels of DD-endopeptidases is critical for expanding PG without compromising its integrity.

LI-RADS Ultrasound Surveillance Version 2024: Comparison With Version 2017 for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Detection and Risk Factors for Visualization Score C.

The LI-RADS Ultrasound Surveillance algorithm was updated in 2024, incorporating alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and visualization score of VIS-C into management recommendations after nonpositive results. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of LI-RADS Ultrasound Surveillance version 2017 (v2017) and version 2024 (v2024) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detection in at-risk patients and to identify predictors of VIS-C on follow-up surveillance examinations. This retrospective analysis included 407 patients (median age, 56 years; 230 male, 177 female) with cirrhosis who underwent rounds of semi-annual surveillance ultrasound as part of a prospective trial from November 2011 to December 2012.

Attractor Landscape Analysis Reveals a Reversion Switch in the Transition of Colorectal Tumorigenesis.

A cell fate change such as tumorigenesis incurs critical transition. It remains a longstanding challenge whether the underlying mechanism can be unraveled and a molecular switch that can reverse such transition is found. Here a systems framework, REVERT, is presented with which can reconstruct the core molecular regulatory network model and a reversion switch based on single-cell transcriptome data over the transition process is identified.

Unraveling Redox Mediator-Assisted Chemical Relithiation Mechanism for Direct Recycling of Spent Ni-Rich Layered Cathode Materials.

The increasing demand for Li-ion batteries across various energy storage applications underscores the urgent need for environmentally friendly and efficient direct recycling strategies to address the issue of substantial cathode waste. Diverse reducing agents for Li supplements, such as quinone molecules, have been considered to homogenize the Li distribution in the cathode materials obtained after cycling; however, the detailed reaction mechanism is still unknown. Herein, the ideal electrochemical potential factor and reaction mechanism of the redox mediator 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (DTBQ) for the chemical relithiation of high-Ni-layered cathodes are elucidated.

Indirubin-3'-oxime as a dual-action agent: mitigating heat-induced male infertility in and inhibiting soluble epoxide hydrolase.

This study investigated the potential of the indirubin-3'-oxime (I3O) compound to mitigate temperature-induced male infertility in . Elevated temperatures significantly reduced egg-hatching rates, but I3O supplementation improved these rates, suggesting it can partially restore fertility under heat stress. Additionally, I3O was found to inhibit soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme involved in the metabolism of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, which are vital for reproductive health.

South Korean study to prevent cognitive impairment and protect brain health through multidomain interventions via face-to-face and video communication platforms in mild cognitive impairment (SUPERBRAIN-MEET): A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: We investigated the efficacy of a multidomain intervention (MI) via face-to-face and video communication platforms using a tablet personal computer application in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Three hundred participants with MCI and ≥ 1 modifiable dementia risk factor, aged 60-85 years, were randomly assigned to either the MI group, who underwent a 24-week intervention, or the control group, who received usual care.

Results: The overall adherence rate to MI was 84.

Drug-Coated Balloon-Based Treatment of Left Main True Bifurcation Lesion.

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment in the context of left main (LM) true bifurcation lesions.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DCB-based treatment for unprotected LM true bifurcation lesions.

Methods: A total of 39 patients with LM true bifurcation lesion (Medina: 1,1,1/0,1,1/1,0,1) who were successfully treated with DCB alone or in combination with drug-eluting stent (DES) were retrospectively enrolled into the DCB-based group.

Factors associated with early onset hypocalcemia: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Early onset hypocalcemia, occurring within 3 days of birth, is prevalent among preterm infants. A central line is required to deliver calcium (Ca). The prediction of hypocalcemia is therefore clinically important when the requirement for initial intravascular calcium administration is anticipated.

"Popping the Ion-Basket": Enhancing Thermoelectric Performance of Conjugated Polymers by Blending with Latently Dissociable Perovskite Quantum Dots.

A novel additive method to boost the Seebeck coefficient of doped conjugated polymers without a significant loss in electrical conductivity is demonstrated. Perovskite (CsPbBr) quantum dots (QDs) passivated by ligands with long alkyl chains are mixed with a conjugated polymer in a solution phase to form polymer-QD blend films. Solution sequential doping of the blend film with AuCl solution not only doped the conjugated polymer but also decomposed the QDs, resulting in a doped conjugated polymer film embedded with separated ions dissociated from the QDs.

Design Rule of Tetradentate Ligand-Based Pt(II) Complex for Efficient Singlet Exciton Harvesting in Fluorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

Controlling intermolecular interactions, such as triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) and triplet-polaron annihilation (TPA), is crucial for achieving high quantum efficiency in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by suppressing exciton loss. This study investigates the molecular design of tetradentate Pt(II) complexes used for singlet exciton harvesting in fluorescent OLEDs to elucidate the relationship between the chemical structure of the ligands and exciton quenching mechanisms. It was discovered that the bulkiness of substituents is pivotal for maximizing quantum efficiency in these devices.

Backbone Engineering of Bithiophene Imide Dimer-Based Polymeric Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors for High-Performance n-Type Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

Polymeric mixed ionic-electronic conductors (PMIECs) are gaining significant attention due to their potential applications in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). However, the performance of n-type OECTs still lags behind that of their p-type counterparts. Here, the structure-performance correlation of fused bithiophene imide dimer (BTI2)-based PMIECs is systematically investigated with the backbone evaluation from acceptor-strong donor (A-SD) to acceptor-donor (A-D), to acceptor-weak donor (A-WD), to acceptor-weak acceptor (A-WA), and finally to A-A structures.