Estimated potassium intake and major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study with trans-ethnic validation.

Background: Data on the relationship between potassium intake and major cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with diabetes are scarce. We aim to study the association between estimated potassium intake and risk of MACE in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The discovery cohort consisted of 1572 participants with type 2 diabetes from a secondary hospital.

Incidence of hepatobiliary malignancies in primary sclerosing cholangitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a known risk factor for hepatobiliary malignancies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to determine the incidence and risk factors for hepatobiliary malignancies in people with PSC.

Methods: Pubmed and Embase databases were searched from inception to April 10, 2024 for cohort studies reporting data on the incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or gallbladder cancer (GBC) in PSC.

Individualized Antimicrobial Therapy using Antibiotic Combination Testing and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring to Treat Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infection.

Treatment of multidrug resistant infections is challenging due to limited therapeutic options. To maximise treatment success of such infections, our infectious disease-trained pharmacists employ a two-pronged approach, using both in vitro antibiotic combination testing and therapeutic drug monitoring, to individualise antibiotic combination regimens for our patients, akin to precision medicine. This approach ensures that the most optimal antibiotic combination and dosing regimens are prescribed for our patients with multidrug resistant infection, to ensure adequate antibiotic exposure and maximal clinical efficacy.

Bacterial clustering biomaterials as anti-infective therapies.

In Nature, bacterial clustering by host-released peptides or nucleic acids is an evolutionarily conserved immune defense strategy employed to prevent adhesion of pathogenic microbes, which is prerequisite for most infections. Synthetic anti-adhesion strategies present as non-lethal means of targeting bacteria and may potentially be used to avoid resistance against antimicrobial therapies. From bacteria-agglutinating biomolecules discovered in nature to synthetic designs involving peptides, cationic polymers and nanoparticles, the modes of actions appear broad and unconsolidated.

An expert consensus statement on biomarkers of ageing for use in intervention studies.

Biomarkers of ageing serve as important outcome measures in longevity-promoting interventions. However, there is limited consensus on which specific biomarkers are most appropriate for human intervention studies. This work aimed to address this need by establishing an expert consensus on biomarkers of ageing for use in intervention studies via the Delphi method.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Predicting Transarterial Chemoembolization Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Background: Major society guidelines recommend transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as the standard of care for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, predicting treatment response remains challenging.

Aims: As artificial intelligence (AI) may predict therapeutic responses, this systematic review aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of radiomics and AI-based models in predicting TACE outcomes in patients with HCC.

Clinical and Proteomic Risk Profiles of New-Onset Heart Failure in Men and Women.

Background: Previous studies have examined clinical predictors of incident heart failure (HF) in men and women. However, potential mechanisms through which these clinical predictors relate to the onset of HF remain to be established.

Objectives: The authors studied the association between clinical and proteomic risk profiles of new-onset HF in men and women.

Photocatalytic Partial Water Oxidation Promoted by a Hydrogen Acceptor-Hydroxyl Mediator Couple.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is an important chemical in synthetic chemistry with huge demands. Photocatalytic synthesis of HO via oxygen reduction and water oxidation reactions (ORR and WOR) is considered as a promising and desirable solution for on-site applications. However, the efficiency of such a process is low due to the poor solubility of molecular oxygen and the rapid reverse reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with hydrogen atoms (H).

Association between serum urate levels and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular and renal outcomes among gout patients in Singapore.

Objectives: We investigated the longitudinal association between Serum Urate (SU) level and Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Stroke, End Stage Renal Failure (ESRF) and all-cause mortality.

Design: We conducted a retrospective hospital-based cohort study of individuals with gout managed in specialist outpatient clinics. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate HR and 95% CI, with adjustments for potential confounders.

The role of inflammatory gene polymorphisms in severe COVID-19: a review.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has profoundly impacted global healthcare systems and spurred extensive research efforts over the past three years. One critical aspect of the disease is the intricate interplay between the virus and the host immune response, particularly the role of inflammatory gene expression in severe COVID-19. While numerous previous studies have explored the role of genetic polymorphisms in COVID-19, research specifically focusing on inflammatory genes and their associations with disease severity remains limited.

Genetic susceptibility of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a meta genome-wide association study in Asian population.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive malignancy and the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that occurs worldwide. To discover risk factors and pathogenesis of DLBCL, we performed the largest GWAS of DLBCL to date in samples of East Asian ancestry, consisting of 2,888 patients with DLBCL and 12,458 controls. The meta-analysis identified three novel loci, rs2233434 on 6p21.

Reproductive factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: results from the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Background: There are scarce data on risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Asian populations. Our goal was to advance knowledge on reproductive -related risk factors for EOC in a large population of Asian women.

Methods: This study used pooled individual data from baseline questionnaires in 11 prospective cohorts (baseline years, 1958-2015) in the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Perforated imprinting on high moisture meat analogue confers long range mechanical anisotropy resembling meat cuts.

Meat cuts, when cooked and masticated, separate into fibrous structures because of the long-range mechanical anisotropy (LMA) exhibited by muscle fascicles, which is not fully recapitulated in alternative proteins produced using molecular alignment technology like high moisture extrusion. We have developed a scalable perforated micro-imprinting technology to greatly enhance LMA in high moisture meat analogue (HMMA). By imprinting 1 mm thick HMMA sheets with perforated patterns (optimized by AI), we observed up to 5 × more anisotropic separation of fibrous structures in a one-dimensional pulling LMA analysis, to match the fibrousness of the cooked chicken breast, duck breast, pork loin and beef loin.

Epitranscriptomic regulation through phase separation in plants.

Epitranscriptomic regulation has emerged as a crucial layer of gene control where RNA modifications, particularly N-methyladenosine (mA), introduce complexity and versatility to gene regulation. Increasing evidence suggests that epitranscriptomic regulation through phase separation plays critical roles in mediating RNA metabolism during plant development and stress responses. mA-associated biomolecular condensates formed via phase separation act as dynamic cellular hotspots where mA effectors, RNAs, and other regulatory proteins coalesce to facilitate RNA regulation.

In-situ Oxygen-Supplying ROS Nanopurifier for Enhanced Healing of MRSA-Infected Diabetic Wounds via Microenvironment Modulation.

Hypoxia, high ROS levels and chronic inflammation are the main factors that hinder the healing of diabetic wounds. Long-term exposed wounds are prone to bacterial infection, especially MRSA infection, which exacerbates the complex wound microenvironment of diabetes and threatens patients' lives. Here, we developed a ROS nanopurifier (CSVNP), which was prepared by loading superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and vancomycin into nanogels through in-situ polymerization.

Sustainable antimicrobial resistance surveillance: time for a global funding mechanism.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is predicted to outstrip malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis combined as the leading infectious cause of death by 2050. Strengthening the knowledge and evidence base for AMR with surveillance and research is one of the five main objectives of the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR. While recent efforts to strengthen diagnosis and surveillance have been encouraging, these are unlikely to be sustainable without continued funding support in most low-resource settings.

Microembolic signal detection in acute ischemic stroke: Clinical relevance and impact on treatment individualization-A narrative review.

Background: Microembolic signals (MES) can be detected using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound in several clinical scenarios, including acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This narrative review aims to provide insights into their role in AIS patient management and outcomes.

Methods: The present narrative review consolidates current observational and randomized evidence on the prevalence and clinical relevance of MES in different AIS subtypes and settings.

Enhancing AI reliability: A foundation model with uncertainty estimation for optical coherence tomography-based retinal disease diagnosis.

Inability to express the confidence level and detect unseen disease classes limits the clinical implementation of artificial intelligence in the real world. We develop a foundation model with uncertainty estimation (FMUE) to detect 16 retinal conditions on optical coherence tomography (OCT). In the internal test set, FMUE achieves a higher F1 score of 95.

Enhanced removal of Ni and Co from wastewater using a novel 2-hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid modified Mg/Fe-LDH composite adsorbent.

While technological advancements in treating electroplating wastewater continue, removing high concentrations of Ni and Co remains a challenge. Surface functionalization of clay has emerged as a pivotal approach for effectively removing heavy metals, rivaling intercalation modification in its effectiveness. This study investigated the adsorption performance and mechanisms of a phosphonate-modified layered double hydroxide material, employing batch experiments and simulation calculations to elucidate the impact of surface modification on adsorption behavior.

How Parents' Marital Quality Influences Intergenerational Support Between Older Adults and Their Children: Evidence From Malaysia.

With Asia's rapid population aging, intergenerational exchanges between older adults and children are becoming increasingly important for old-age support. However, the relationship between older adults' marital quality and intergenerational support remains underexplored, particularly in multi-ethnic and developing settings. To address this, we examine a subsample of currently married older adults (60+) with at least one child (n = 1575) from Wave 1 (2018) of the Malaysian Aging and Retirement Survey.

BEOL Three-Dimensional Stackable Oxide Semiconductor CMOS Inverter with a High Voltage Gain of 233 at Cryogenic Temperatures.

Targeting high-performance computing at cryogenic temperatures, we report back-end-of-line (BEOL)-compatible p-type Te-TeO field effect transistors (FETs) deposited using a sputtering method that is cost-effective, large-scale manufacturable, and highly controllable. Combined with the indium tin oxide channel n-FETs employing a common gate and HfO gate dielectric, BEOL three-dimensional stackable oxide semiconductor complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverters were further realized, demonstrating excellent threshold voltage matching, with a high voltage gain of 132 with a 2 V supply voltage () at room temperature. At cryogenic temperatures, the CMOS inverter exhibits significantly enhanced performance, achieving a voltage gain of 233 at a of 2 V with a wide noise margin of 86%.

Artificial intelligence guided search for van der Waals materials with high optical anisotropy.

The exploration of van der Waals (vdW) materials, renowned for their unique optical properties, is pivotal for advanced photonics. These materials exhibit exceptional optical anisotropy, both in-plane and out-of-plane, making them an ideal platform for novel photonic applications. However, the manual search for vdW materials with giant optical anisotropy is a labor-intensive process unsuitable for the fast screening of materials with unique properties.

Enhancing Rashba Spin-Splitting Strength by Orbital Hybridization.

A Rashba spin-splitting state with spin-momentum locking enables the charge-spin interconversion known as the Rashba effect, induced by the interplay of inversion symmetry breaking (ISB) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Enhancing spin-splitting strength is promising to achieve high spin-orbit torque (SOT) efficiency for low-power-consumption spintronic devices. However, the energy scale of natural ISB at the interface is relatively small, leading to the weak Rashba effect.

The corrosion resistance of white ultra-high performance concrete under the coupling environment of acid rain and carbonization.

Acid rain and carbonization are two primary types of environmental corrosion that threaten the health of urban concrete structures over time. However, the coupling effects of acid rain and carbonization on concrete deterioration have been rarely reported. In this paper, four coupling regimes were designed using accelerated simulation experiments to investigate the deterioration properties of white ultra-high performance concrete (WUHPC).

Insights into the regulation of CHIP E3 ligase-mediated ubiquitination of neuronal protein BNIP-H.

BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa protein-interacting protein 2 homolog (BNIP-H or Caytaxin), a pivotal adaptor protein that facilitates cerebellar cortex growth and synaptic transmission, is posttranslationally modified to regulate neuronal function. This study reports the ubiquitination of BNIP-H by Carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-Interacting Protein (CHIP), a U-box containing E3 ligase that is also regulated autoubiquitination. Specifically, it was observed that CHIP autoubiquitinated itself primarily at Lys23 and Lys31 .