Associations between potential risk factors and blood-brain barrier water permeability in middle-aged and older adults.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is suggested to be a potential mediator between vascular risk factors and cognitive impairment, leading to vascular cognitive impairment. To investigate the relationships between age, sex, and vascular risk factors and BBB water permeability as well as their relationship with cognition. To measure BBB permeability, a novel arterial spin labelling MRI technique (ME-ASL) was applied to derive the time of exchange (Tex), arterial time transit (ATT), and cerebral blood flow (CBF).

Initial Decline in Glomerular Filtration Rate With Finerenone in HFmrEF/HFpEF: A Prespecified Analysis of FINEARTS-HF.

Background: An initial decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) often leads to reluctance to continue life-saving therapies in patients with heart failure (HF).

Objectives: The goal of this study was to describe the association between initial decline in eGFR and subsequent clinical outcomes in patients randomized to placebo or finerenone.

Methods: In this prespecified analysis of FINEARTS-HF (Finerenone Trial to Investigate Efficacy and Safety Superior to Placebo in Patients with Heart Failure), we examined the association between initial decline in eGFR (≥15%) from randomization to 1 month and subsequent outcomes in patients assigned to finerenone or placebo.

Can large language models fully automate or partially assist paper selection in systematic reviews?

Background/aims: Large language models (LLMs) have substantial potential to enhance the efficiency of academic research. The accuracy and performance of LLMs in a systematic review, a core part of evidence building, has yet to be studied in detail.

Methods: We introduced two LLM-based approaches of systematic review: an LLM-enabled fully automated approach (LLM-FA) utilising three different GPT-4 plugins (Consensus GPT, Scholar GPT and GPT web browsing modes) and an LLM-facilitated semi-automated approach (LLM-SA) using GPT4's Application Programming Interface (API).

Association between patient perception of disease status and different components of the Minimal Disease Activity (MDA) criteria in psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship between the criteria met of the Minimal Disease Activity (MDA) score for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and patient-perceived disease status.

Methods: We analysed data from the ReFlaP study (NCT03119805), a cross-sectional international study of adult patients with PsA. Patients self-reported if they felt their PsA was in remission (REM), low disease activity (LDA) or neither.

The impact of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer: an international multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess the association between neoadjuvant therapy and overall survival (OS) in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) compared to upfront surgery.

Background: Left-sided pancreatic cancer is associated with worse OS compared to right-sided pancreatic cancer. Although neoadjuvant therapy is currently seen as not effective in patients with RPC, current randomized trials included mostly patients with right-sided RPC.

Heterogeneous entity representation for medicinal synergy prediction.

Motivation: Forecasting the synergistic effects of drug combinations facilitates drug discovery and development, especially regarding cancer therapeutics. While numerous computational methods have emerged, most of them fall short in fully modeling the relationships among clinical entities including drugs, cell lines, and diseases, which hampers their ability to generalize to drug combinations involving unseen drugs. These relationships are complex and multidimensional, requiring sophisticated modeling to capture nuanced interplay that can significantly influence therapeutic efficacy.

Adaptations of neutrophils in cancer.

There is a renewed interest in neutrophil biology, largely instigated by their prominence in cancer. From an immunologist's perspective, a conceptual breakthrough is the realization that prototypical inflammatory, cytotoxic leukocytes can be tamed to promote the survival and growth of other cells. This has sparked interest in defining the biological principles and molecular mechanisms driving the adaptation of neutrophils to cancer.

Nanoplastic-induced antibody liquid-liquid phase separation: Insights into potential immunotoxic implications.

The increasing environmental prevalence of micro/nano plastics (MNPs) has raised significant concerns regarding their potential impact on human health, particularly in terms of immunotoxicity. However, the direct effects of MNPs on immune molecules, especially how they may influence protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-a critical process implicated in various aspects of immune function-remain largely unexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) with different surface modifications and sizes on LLPS in immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies, critical components of the avian immune system.

Enhancing catalytic activity in MoC nanodots via nitrogen doping and graphene integration for efficient hydrogen evolution under alkaline conditions.

Due to its exceptional electronic properties and catalytic activity, MoC has garnered significant attention for its application in electrocatalysis, particularly for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, several critical challenges continue to impede its widespread use, especially under strongly alkaline conditions. A primary obstacle is the enhancement of its intrinsic activity through further modification strategies, which remains a key limitation for its broader utilization.

Validation of the 9th edition of the TNM staging system for limited-stage small cell lung cancer after Resection: A multicenter study.

Objectives: The 9th edition of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system for lung cancer was proposed at the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore. This study aimed to externally validate and compare the latest staging of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: Four hundred and eight patients with limited-stage SCLC were collected after lung resection from four centers.

Current Concepts of the Management of Painful Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Neuromas.

Painful neuromas are a complex clinical condition that results in notable disability and functional impairment after injury to a peripheral nerve. When regenerating axons lack a distal target, they form a stump neuroma. Up to 60% of neuromas are painful because of mechanical sensitivity and crosstalk between nerve fibers.

Metallic Electro-optic Effect in Gapped Bilayer Graphene.

Electro-optic (EO) modulation is a critical device action in photonics. Recently, the non-Drude dynamics induced by the Berry curvature dipole (BCD) in metals have attracted attention as a potential candidate for terahertz EO modulation. However, such BCD-induced EO effects can be challenging to realize, often requiring flat bands and complex materials such as a strained magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene on hexagonal boron nitride.

Enhancing Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution by Regulating H and OH Binding Strength through Strong Metal-Support Interactions.

Establishing optimized metal-support interaction (MSI) between active sites and the substrate is essential for modulating the adsorption properties of key reaction intermediates during catalysis, thereby enhancing the catalytic performance. In this study, catalyst composites with varying degrees of MSI are constructed using ruthenium (Ru) and different carbon nanotubes, and their performance for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is systematically investigated. Detailed kinetic assessments reveal that catalysts with a strong MSI exhibit superior HER activity.

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy for medium vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke patients with ASPECTS 4-5 vs. 6-7: a retrospective, multicenter, and multinational study.

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) efficacy in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke, particularly in patients with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS), remains less explored.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 443 AIS patients treated with MT for MeVO and low ASPECTS (4-7) at 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe, from September 2017 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into ASPECTS of 4-5 and 6-7.

Aptamer-Driven Multifunctional Nanoplatform for Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging and Rapid Inactivation of .

() is a prominent pathogen responsible for intestinal infections, primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water. This underscores the critical need for precise and biocompatible technologies enabling early detection and intervention of bacterial colonization . Herein, a multifunctional nanoplatform (IR808-Au@ZIF-90-Apt) was designed, utilizing an -specific aptamer to initiate cascade responses triggered by intracellular ATP and GSH.

Simultaneous Toughening and Strengthening of Ductile Polymer by Rigid Polymeric Fillers: The Role of Interfacial Entanglement.

The modification of thermoplastic polymers is frequently impeded by the inherent contradiction between their toughness and strength. In this study, an effective strategy to significantly improve the mechanical properties of ductile polymers by simply adding a complimentary rigid polymer is introduced. This work uses a semi-crystalline polymer aliphatic polyketone (POK) as the matrix material and a small quantity of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the rigid polymer, through establishing molecular chain entanglements at the interface to produce POK/PMMA blends with exceptional mechanical property.

Interfacial Water Orientation in Neutral Oxygen Catalysis for Reversible Ampere-scale Zinc-air Batteries.

The neutral oxygen catalysis is an electrochemical reaction of the utmost importance in energy generation, storage application, and chemical synthesis. However, the restricted availability of protons poses a challenge to achieving kinetically favorable oxygen catalytic reactions. Here, we alter the interfacial water orientation by adjusting the Brønsted acidity at the catalyst surface, to break the proton transfer limitation of neutral oxygen electrocatalysis.

The Impact of Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis on Concomitant Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Both anxiety and depression are prevalent among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and associated with poorer outcomes following treatment for CRS. However, the impact of treatment on CRS on mental health remains uncertain. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate if surgical intervention for CRS may alleviate comorbid depression and anxiety.

Utilizing deep learning to predict Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment with optical coherence tomography.

Introduction: Diagnostic performance of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains limited. We aimed to develop a deep-learning algorithm using OCT to detect AD and MCI.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study involving 228 Asian participants (173 cases/55 controls) for model development and testing on 68 Asian (52 cases/16 controls) and 85 White (39 cases/46 controls) participants.

Emerging trends in the optimization of organic synthesis through high-throughput tools and machine learning.

The discovery of the optimal conditions for chemical reactions is a labor-intensive, time-consuming task that requires exploring a high-dimensional parametric space. Historically, the optimization of chemical reactions has been performed by manual experimentation guided by human intuition and through the design of experiments where reaction variables are modified one at a time to find the optimal conditions for a specific reaction outcome. Recently, a paradigm change in chemical reaction optimization has been enabled by advances in lab automation and the introduction of machine learning algorithms.

Robustness of machine learning predictions for Fe-Co-Ni alloys prepared by various synthesis methods.

Developing high-performance alloys is essential for applications in advanced electromagnetic energy conversion devices. In this study, we assess Fe-Co-Ni alloy compositions identified in our previous work through a machine learning (ML) framework, which used both multi-property ML models and multi-objective Bayesian optimization to design compositions with predicted high values of saturation magnetization, Curie temperature, and Vickers hardness. Experimental validation was conducted on two promising compositions synthesized using three different methods: arc melting, ball milling followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS), and chemical synthesis followed by SPS.

Roles for the long non-coding RNA / in pancreatic beta cell function.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as crucial regulators of beta cell function. Here, we show that an lncRNA-transcribed antisense to Pax6, annotated as Pax6os1/PAX6-AS1, was upregulated by high glucose concentrations in human as well as murine beta cell lines and islets. Elevated expression was also observed in islets from mice on a high-fat diet and patients with type 2 diabetes.