Knock-out mouse models and single particle ICP-MS reveal that SP-D and SP-A deficiency reduces agglomeration of inhaled gold nanoparticles in vivo without significant changes to overall lung clearance.

The role of surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) in lung clearance and translocation to secondary organs of inhaled nanoparticles was investigated by exposing SP-A and SP-D knockout (AKO and DKO) and wild type (WT) mice nose-only for 3 hours to an aerosol of 20 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Animals were euthanised at 0-, 1-, 7- and 28-days post-exposure. Analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) of the liver and kidneys showed that extrapulmonary translocation was below the limits of detection.

Predicting the impact of targeted fence removal on connectivity in a migratory ecosystem.

Fencing is one of the most widely utilized tools for reducing human-wildlife conflict in agricultural landscapes. However, the increasing global footprint of fencing exceeds millions of kilometers and has unintended consequences for wildlife, including habitat fragmentation, movement restriction, entanglement, and mortality. Here, we present a novel and quantitative approach to prioritize fence removal within historic migratory pathways of white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) across Kenya's Greater Masai Mara Ecosystem.

Accelerometer-measured physical activity timing with incident dementia.

Introduction: Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is linked to lower dementia risk, though the optimal timing remains unclear.

Methods: Using accelerometer-measured MVPA data from 90,329 dementia-free UK Biobank participants with at least 2 years of follow-up, we assessed associations between MVPA patterns (morning, afternoon, evening, mixed, inactive) and dementia risk via multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Compared to the inactive group, participants with a tendency of morning MVPA had a lower risk of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.

Identifying Primary Sites of Spinal Metastases: Expert-Derived Features vs. ResNet50 Model Using Nonenhanced MRI.

Background: The spinal column is a frequent site for metastases, affecting over 30% of solid tumor patients. Identifying the primary tumor is essential for guiding clinical decisions but often requires resource-intensive diagnostics.

Purpose: To develop and validate artificial intelligence (AI) models using noncontrast MRI to identify primary sites of spinal metastases, aiming to enhance diagnostic efficiency.

Avoiding causal fraud in the evaluation of clinical benefits of treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

Recent regulatory approvals of three amyloid-lowering monoclonal antibody therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have triggered a polarizing debate in the field on the clinical meaningfulness of their reported effects. The question of how to define clinical meaningfulness for any treatment that has a modest effect size is important and will likely be subject to influence from interested stakeholders. We warn of claims of evaluating meaningful within-individual change from randomized parallel-group trials of AD treatments, sometimes purportedly assessed by a commonly recognized "responder" analysis approach, and explain why it is likely to mislead and should simply be avoided.

Distinct single cell transcriptional profile in CD4+ T-lymphocytes among obese children with asthma.

Obesity is a risk factor for asthma morbidity, associated with less responsiveness to inhaled corticosteroids. CD4+ T-cells are central to the immunology of asthma and may contribute to the unique obese asthma phenotype. We sought to characterize the single cell CD4+ Transcriptional profile differences in obese children with asthma compared to normal weight children with asthma.

Differences in the effectiveness of individual-level smoking cessation interventions by socioeconomic status.

Background: People from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to smoke and less likely to succeed in achieving abstinence, making tobacco smoking a leading driver of health inequalities. Contextual factors affecting subpopulations may moderate the efficacy of individual-level smoking cessation interventions. It is not known whether any intervention performs differently across socioeconomically-diverse populations and contexts.

Frontline Voice: AO Spine Member Survey Regarding Spine Oncology Knowledge Generation and Translation Needs.

Study Design: cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: To evaluate AO Spine members' practices and comfort in managing metastatic and primary spine tumors, explore the use of decision-support and patient assessment tools, and identify knowledge gaps and future needs in spine oncology.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to AO Spine members to query comfort levels with key decisions in spinal oncology management, utilization of decision frameworks and spine oncology-specific instruments, and educational material preferences.

Heteroleptic "open ruthenocene" for deposition of Ru films from the gas phase.

A volatile heteroleptic open ruthenocene has been synthesised and characterised by NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Using this compound as a precursor and oxygen as a co-reactant, a highly conductive Ru film has been deposited on Si with native oxide at 220 °C. Under the same deposition conditions, the film thickness obtained with the new compound has almost doubled compared to its homoleptic analogue.

Caesarean myomectomy in pregnant women with uterine fibroids.

Rationale: Postpartum haemorrhage, defined as a blood loss of 500 mL or more within 24 hours of birth, is the leading global cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus, and affect an increasing number of women. Caesarean myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroids during a caesarean section.

Association Between Liver Fibrosis and Risk of Incident Stroke and Mortality: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: There is a well-established relationship between liver conditions and cardiovascular diseases. However, uncertainty persists regarding the contribution of liver fibrosis to major stroke types including ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage at the population level.

Methods: In this large prospective cohort study, participants without previous stroke or coronary heart disease at baseline from the UK Biobank were included.

A New Design for Aortic Arch Surgery: Ex Vivo Implantation and Computerized Flow Evaluation of the ISLAND Graft.

Objective: Both the en bloc island technique and the branched graft technique (BGT) present advantages but also limitations in aortic arch surgery. Here is the first presentation of an innovative prosthesis for aortic arch replacement, conceived to overcome the disadvantages of both techniques.

Methods: The novel ISLAND graft is a tubular Dacron or hybrid prosthesis with an additional extended Dacron graft ("bubble") on the superior aspect, for en bloc island graft anastomosis.

Prevalence of dementia in Singapore: Changes across a decade.

Introduction: The study aimed to assess changes in the prevalence of dementia in Singapore over the past decade.

Methods: The Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) 2023 and the WiSE 2013 studies were comprehensive, single-phase, cross-sectional surveys conducted among older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore. WiSE 2023 included 2010 older adults and 1798 informants, whereas WiSE 2013 comprised 2565 older adults and 2421 informants.

Maintenance of prehospital anaesthesia in trauma patients: inconsistencies and variability in practice.

Background: Literature on prehospital anaesthesia predominantly focuses on preparation and induction, while there is limited guidance on anaesthesia maintenance. The hypothesis of this study was that for prehospital trauma patients, protocols and practice for anaesthesia maintenance may vary considerably between services. Hence, we sought to describe the practice of prehospital anaesthesia maintenance for trauma patients in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Occurrence and management of thrombosis recurrence and bleeding in low-molecular-weight heparin-treated patients with cancer-associated thrombosis: a French nationwide cohort study.

Background: Rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence and bleeding remain high in patients with cancer who are prescribed anticoagulants (ACs) such as low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) after an initial VTE event.

Objectives: To identify patient characteristics associated with VTE recurrence and bleeding in patients receiving LMWH for cancer-associated VTE and to explore secondary AC management and clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods: An observational study was conducted using nationwide French data for adults with active cancer who were hospitalized with VTE in 2013-2018 and were reimbursed for LMWH ≤ 30 days after hospital discharge.

Retinal biomarkers for the risk of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Purpose: Differentiating between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be challenging due to overlapping cognitive and behavioral manifestations. Evidence regarding non-invasive and early-stage biomarkers remains limited. Our aim was to identify retinal biomarkers for the risk of AD and FTD in populations without dementia and explore underlying brain structural mechanisms.

Incorporating thermal co-evaporation in current-matched all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells.

Thermal co-evaporation of halide perovskites is a solution-free, conformal, scalable, and controllable deposition technique with great potential for commercial applications, particularly in multi-junction solar cells. Monolithic triple-junction perovskite solar cells have garnered significant attention because they can achieve very high efficiencies. Nevertheless, challenges arise in fabricating these devices, as they require multiple layers and precise current matching across complex absorber stacks.

Bidirectional effects of neutrophils on biofilms .

Background: is a commensal bacterium and an early biofilm coloniser found in the human oral cavity. One of the biofilm matrix constituents is bacterial extracellular DNA (eDNA). Neutrophils are innate immune cells that respond to biofilms, employing antimicrobial mechanisms such as neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) release.

ILCOR World Restart a Heart - Spreading global CPR awareness and empowering communities to save lives since 2018.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) World Restart a Heart (WRAH) Initiative is helping to save countless lives by promoting a culture of preparedness and encouraging widespread lay cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. In total from 2018 to 2023 at least 12.6 million people were trained, and 570.

Mean gene conversion tract length in humans estimated to be 459 bp from UK Biobank sequence data.

Non-crossover gene conversion is a type of meiotic recombination characterized by the non-reciprocal transfer of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. Gene conversions are thought to occur within relatively short tracts of DNA, estimated to be in the order of 100-1,000 bp in humans. However, the number of observable gene conversion tracts per study has so far been limited by the use of pedigree or sperm-typing data to detect gene conversion events.

Atlas of plasma metabolic markers linked to human brain morphology.

Background: Metabolic processes form the basis of the development, functioning and maintenance of the brain. Despite accumulating evidence of the vital role of metabolism in brain health, no study to date has comprehensively investigated the link between circulating markers of metabolic activity and in vivo brain morphology in the general population.

Methods: We performed uni- and multivariate regression on metabolomics and MRI data from 24,940 UK Biobank participants, to estimate the individual and combined associations of 249 circulating metabolic markers with 91 measures of global and regional cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume.

SwarmMAP: Swarm Learning for Decentralized Cell Type Annotation in Single Cell Sequencing Data.

Rapid technological advancements have made it possible to generate single-cell data at a large scale. Several laboratories around the world can now generate single-cell transcriptomic data from different tissues. Unsupervised clustering, followed by annotation of the cell type of the identified clusters, is a crucial step in single-cell analyses.

Environmental impacts of restructuring the EU's natural gas supply and consumption: Learnings from the 2022 energy crisis.

In 2022, the European Union put forward the REPowerEU plan in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, aiming at enhancing short-term energy security by diversifying imports and reducing natural gas demand while accelerating the deployment of renewable alternatives in the long term. Here, we quantify the life cycle environmental impacts of both REPowerEU's short-term measures, including the controversial extended coal-fired power plant operations, and how the first year of the crisis was managed in practice. We find that the policy measures' impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would be negligible, although they could have detrimental effects on other environmental categories.