Optimization of x-ray dark-field CT for human-scale lung imaging.

Background: X-ray grating-based dark-field imaging can sense the small angle scattering caused by object's micro-structures. This technique is sensitive to the porous microstructure of lung alveoli and has the potential to detect lung diseases at an early stage. Up to now, a human-scale dark-field CT (DF-CT) prototype has been built for lung imaging.

Kurarinone Mitigates LPS-Induced Inflammatory Osteolysis by Inhibiting Osteoclastogenesis Through the Reduction of ROS Levels and Suppression of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Inflammatory bone resorption represents a pathological condition marked by an increase in bone loss, commonly associated with chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Current therapies primarily focus on anti-inflammatory drugs and bisphosphonates; however, these treatments are limited due to side effects, inadequate efficacy, and unpredictable long-term complications. Kurarinone (KR), a bioactive compound isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Sophora flavescens, exhibits a range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and cardiovascular protective effects.

The citizen perspective on challenges and rehabilitation needs among individuals treated for head and neck cancer: a qualitative study.

Purpose: In Denmark, the prevalence of head and neck cancer is approximately 17.000, and the incidence is increasing. The disease and treatment of this condition may lead to severe physical, psychological, and social consequences.

Age-threshold for increased risk of developing back disorders: prospective cohort with 74 000 individuals from the UK Biobank.

Objective: To investigate the prospective associations between age and the risk of low back disorders (LBD), dorsal disorders (DD), and cervical disorders (CD), and to identify a potential age-threshold for increased risk of back disorders.

Methods: Prospective cohort from the UK Biobank comprising adults with no history of back disorders. We examined different ages and their association with the risk of back disorders derived from diagnoses of hospital registers.

Risk and protective factors of disease flare during pregnancy in systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To synthesize available evidence on predictive factors associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares during pregnancy, we systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through January 2024 for observational studies on risk and protective factors of SLE flares during pregnancy. Odds ratios (OR) and mean differences (MD), as well as their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to quantify effect sizes. We employed fixed-effect or random-effect models based on heterogeneity assessments (I statistics).

c-di-GMP inhibits rRNA methylation and impairs ribosome assembly in the presence of kanamycin.

Cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial secondary messenger with diverse functions. A previous Escherichia coli proteome microarray identified that c-di-GMP binds to the 23S rRNA methyltransferases RlmI and RlmE. Here we show that c-di-GMP inhibits RlmI activity in rRNA methylation assays, and that it modulates ribosome assembly in the presence of kanamycin.

Rome Foundation Working Team Report on overlap in disorders of gut-brain interaction.

In patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), overlapping non-gastrointestinal conditions such as fibromyalgia, headaches, gynaecological and urological conditions, sleep disturbances and fatigue are common, as is overlap among DGBI in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract. These overlaps strongly influence patient management and outcome. Shared pathophysiology could explain this scenario, but details are not fully understood.

Analysis of the effect of platelet function and different doses of ticagrelor after flow diverter treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Ticagrelor has become the standard drug for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) with flow diverters (FDs), but the dosage has not been standardized. The effect of platelet function on clinical and imaging prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to show the effects of different doses of ticagrelor and platelet aggregation function on the clinical and imaging prognosis after FDs treatment of aneurysms.

Machine learning meta-analysis identifies individual characteristics moderating cognitive intervention efficacy for anxiety and depression symptoms.

Cognitive training is a promising intervention for psychological distress; however, its effectiveness has yielded inconsistent outcomes across studies. This research is a pre-registered individual-level meta-analysis to identify factors contributing to cognitive training efficacy for anxiety and depression symptoms. Machine learning methods, alongside traditional statistical approaches, were employed to analyze 22 datasets with 1544 participants who underwent working memory training, attention bias modification, interpretation bias modification, or inhibitory control training.

Effective eradication of acute myeloid leukemia stem cells with FLT3-directed antibody-drug conjugates.

Refractory disease and relapse are major challenges in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy attributed to survival of leukemic stem cells (LSC). To target LSCs, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) provide an elegant solution, combining the specificity of antibodies with highly potent payloads. We aimed to investigate if FLT3-20D9h3-ADCs delivering either the DNA-alkylator duocarmycin (DUBA) or the microtubule-toxin monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) can eradicate quiescent LSCs.

Plasma membrane-associated ARAF condensates fuel RAS-related cancer drug resistance.

RAF protein kinases are major RAS effectors that function by phosphorylating MEK. Although all three RAF isoforms share a conserved RAS binding domain and bind to GTP-loaded RAS, only ARAF uniquely enhances RAS activity. Here we uncovered the molecular basis of ARAF in regulating RAS activation.

Relationship between functional structures and horizontal connections in macaque inferior temporal cortex.

Horizontal connections in anterior inferior temporal cortex (ITC) are thought to play an important role in object recognition by integrating information across spatially separated functional columns, but their functional organization remains unclear. Using a combination of optical imaging, electrophysiological recording, and anatomical tracing, we investigated the relationship between stimulus-response maps and patterns of horizontal axon terminals in the macaque ITC. In contrast to the "like-to-like" connectivity observed in the early visual cortex, we found that horizontal axons in ITC do not preferentially connect sites with similar object selectivity.

Dual-energy CT-derived virtual noncalcium imaging to assess bone marrow lesions in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

To determine the diagnostic performance of dual-energy CT (DECT) virtual noncalcium (VNCa) technique in the detection of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in knee osteoarthritis, and further analyze the correlation between the severity of BMLs on VNCa image and the degree of knee pain. 23 consecutive patients with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis were underwent DECT and 3.0T MRI between August 2017 and November 2018.

Codeveloping a community-based, peer-led psychosocial support intervention to reduce stigma and depression among people with tuberculosis and their households in Indonesia: a mixed-methods participatory action study.

Evidence relating to peer support and community-based psychological and social (psychosocial) interventions to reduce stigma and depression among people with tuberculosis (TB) and their households is limited. This study aimed to engage with multisectoral stakeholders in Indonesia to co-develop a peer-led, community-based psychosocial intervention that is replicable, acceptable, and sustainable. We used a participatory action design and engaged key national, multisectoral stakeholders to ensure that the intervention co-design was relevant and appropriate to the TB health system and the sociocultural context of Indonesia.

A retrospective analysis on maternal and neonatal outcomes in pSS/AITD pregnancies.

The combined impact of concurrent primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) on pregnancy outcomes remains underreported. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 115 pregnant patients diagnosed with pSS and delivering at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2009 to July 2023. The effects of AITD on maternal and neonatal outcomes were examined and compared to a control group without AITD.

PCMMD: A Novel Dataset of Plasma Cells to Support the Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cytogenetically heterogeneous clonal plasma cell proliferative disease whose diagnosis is supported by analyses on histological slides of bone marrow aspirate. In summary, experts use a labor-intensive methodology to compute the ratio between plasma cells and non-plasma cells. Therefore, the key aspect of the methodology is identifying these cells, which relies on the experts' attention and experience.

Stromal architecture and fibroblast subpopulations with opposing effects on outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dissecting the spatial heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is vital for understanding tumor biology and therapeutic design. By combining pathological image analysis with spatial proteomics, we revealed two stromal archetypes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different biological functions and extracellular matrix compositions. Using paired single-cell RNA and epigenomic sequencing with Stereo-seq, we revealed two fibroblast subsets CAF-FAP and CAF-C7, whose spatial enrichment strongly correlated with the two stromal archetypes and opposing patient prognosis.

Splicing accuracy varies across human introns, tissues, age and disease.

Alternative splicing impacts most multi-exonic human genes. Inaccuracies during this process may have an important role in ageing and disease. Here, we investigate splicing accuracy using RNA-sequencing data from >14k control samples and 40 human body sites, focusing on split reads partially mapping to known transcripts in annotation.

Evidence-Based Surgical Guidelines for Treating Children With Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Background: Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in children. However, there is considerable variation in surgical management practices worldwide, highlighting the need for standardized Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG).

Methods: The CPG development involved assembling a multidisciplinary group, prioritizing 10 key topic areas, conducting evidence searches, and synthesizing findings.

Volumetric response after closure of a spinal CSF leak in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension: a multicompartmental longitudinal study.

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss in spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is accompanied by volume shifts between the intracranial compartments. This study investigated tricompartimental and longitudinal volume shifts after closure of a CSF leak.

Methods: Patients with SIH and suitable pre-therapeutic and post-therapeutic imaging for volumetric analysis were identified from our tertiary care center between 2020 and 2023.

A Study on the Effects of Gluteal Muscle Activation on the Electromyography of Lower Limb Muscles in Young Male Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

Objective: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common knee issue, and hip joint function significantly affects knee health. Gluteus activation exercises are a promising treatment for PFPS. This study aims to investigate the impact of gluteal muscle activation exercises on the muscle involvement and movement patterns of young male patients with PFPS.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of intensive care unit physicians towards the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome in China: a cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of intensive care unit (ICU) physicians in China towards acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November 2022.

Participants: A total of 497 ICU physicians participated, with 258 (51.

Evaluating the Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nursing Labor Support Practices and Cesarean Birth Rates.

Over 30% of births in the United States occur via cesarean section despite increased risks to the birthing person and neonate. Evidence-based nursing practice related to fetal monitoring, patient positioning, and management of the second stage of labor can decrease the incidence of cesarean birth. The objective is to decrease the cesarean birth rate by 3% in a Midwestern suburban hospital.

Jigsaw technique: Will it help Gen Z nursing students?

This research focuses on Generation Z (Gen Z) students, specifically those in nursing colleges. Gen Z individuals display unique characteristics in terms of thinking, personality, lifestyle, and learning preferences compared to preceding generations, necessitating adaptations in teaching methodologies within nursing schools. This study explores the effectiveness of the Jigsaw Technique (JST) in engaging first-year undergraduate nursing students in learning process.