Explainable artificial intelligence to identify follicles that optimize clinical outcomes during assisted conception.

Infertility affects one-in-six couples, often necessitating in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF). IVF generates complex data, which can challenge the utilization of the full richness of data during decision-making, leading to reliance on simple 'rules-of-thumb'. Machine learning techniques are well-suited to analyzing complex data to provide data-driven recommendations to improve decision-making.

Aurora B inhibition induces hyper-polyploidy and loss of long-term proliferative potential in RB and p53 defective cells.

Polyploidy is a common outcome of chemotherapies, but there is conflicting evidence as to whether polyploidy is an adverse, benign or even favourable outcome. We show Aurora B kinase inhibitors efficiently promote polyploidy in many cell types, resulting in the cell cycle exit in RB and p53 functional cells, but hyper-polyploidy in cells with loss of RB and p53 function. These hyper-polyploid cells (>8n DNA content) are viable but have lost long-term proliferative potential in vitro and fail to form tumours in vivo.

Reconstitution of human DNA licensing and the structural and functional analysis of key intermediates.

Human DNA licensing initiates replication fork assembly and DNA replication. This reaction promotes the loading of the hMCM2-7 complex on DNA, which represents the core of the replicative helicase that unwinds DNA during S-phase. Here, we report the reconstitution of human DNA licensing using purified proteins.

Predicting cell morphological responses to perturbations using generative modeling.

Advancements in high-throughput screenings enable the exploration of rich phenotypic readouts through high-content microscopy, expediting the development of phenotype-based drug discovery. However, analyzing large and complex high-content imaging screenings remains challenging due to incomplete sampling of perturbations and the presence of technical variations between experiments. To tackle these shortcomings, we present IMage Perturbation Autoencoder (IMPA), a generative style-transfer model predicting morphological changes of perturbations across genetic and chemical interventions.

Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK.

Uncertainty remains regarding the role of diet in colorectal cancer development. We examined associations of 97 dietary factors with colorectal cancer risk in 542,778 Million Women Study participants (12,251 incident cases over 16.6 years), and conducted a targeted genetic analysis in the ColoRectal Transdisciplinary Study, Colon Cancer Family Registry, and Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO).

Bright and stable anti-counterfeiting devices with independent stochastic processes covering multiple length scales.

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are considered the most promising approach to address the global issue of counterfeiting. Current PUF devices are often based on a single stochastic process, which can be broken, especially since their practical encoding capacities can be significantly lower than the theoretical value. Here we present stochastic PUF devices with features across multiple length scales, which incorporate semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) as fluorescent taggants.

Revisiting episodic-like memory in scrub jays: Is there more we can still learn from what-where-when caching behaviour?

Professor Nicola Clayton is perhaps best known for her work on food-caching scrub jays. Her seminal 1998 paper, together with Anthony Dickinson, showed that scrub jays could remember what food they had cached, where and how long ago, suggesting memory ability that is 'episodic-like' in nature. Here, we present data from a previously unpublished study that sought to replicate and extend these findings.

Only Children by Choice vs. Only Children by Circumstances: Why Do Some Women Have Only One Child?

In an attempt to stimulate further theory and research on only children, we introduce two conceptual distinctions: Only children as independent variables vs. only children as dependent variables; and only children by choice vs. only children by circumstances.

Comparing Patient-Specific Variations in Intra-Cochlear Neural Health Estimated Using Psychophysical Thresholds and Panoramic Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potentials (PECAPs).

Purpose: Variations in neural survival along the cochlear implant electrode array leads to off-place listening, resulting in poorer speech understanding outcomes for recipients. Therefore, it is important to develop and compare clinically viable tests to identify these patient-specific intra-cochlear neural differences.

Methods: Nineteen experienced cochlear implant recipients (9 males and 10 females) were recruited for this study.

Addressing Factors that Impact Sexual Well-Being and Intimacy in IBD Patients.

Purpose Of Review: This review details the pathophysiologic mechanisms from medical, surgical to psychosocial factors that illustrate how and why sexual health and intimacy are impacted in IBD.

Recent Findings: Recent clinical surveys of practicing gastroenterologists document that clinicians should routinely address sexual health when addressing patient reported outcomes but very few actually make direct inquiry or suggest management into this important aspect of human life. Example 'patter' are suggested to clinicians to demonstrate how to introduce the subject of sexual intimacy and well-being and engender patient trust on this sensitive topic.

Low-temperature vacuum evaporation as a novel dehydration process for the long-term preservation of transplantable human corneal tissue.

Globally there is a shortage of available donor corneas with only 1 cornea available for every 70 needed. A large limitation to corneal transplant surgery is access to quality donor tissue due to inadequate eye donation services and infrastructure in many countries, compounded by the fact that there are few available long-term storage solutions for effectively preserving spare donor corneas collected in countries with a surplus. In this study, we describe a novel technology termed low-temperature vacuum evaporation (LTVE) that can effectively dry-preserve surplus donor corneal tissue, allowing it to be stored for approximately 5 years, shipped at room temperature, and stored on hospital shelves before rehydration prior to ophthalmic surgery.

Additively manufactured ready-to-use platform using conductive recycled PLA for ketamine sensing.

The use of 3D-printed electrodes is reported fabricated from in-house conductive filament composed of a mixture of recycled poly (lactic acid) (rPLA), graphite (Gpt), and carbon black (CB) for fast detection of the abused drug ketamine. Firstly, the performance of these electrodes was evaluated in comparison to 3D-printed electrodes produced employing a commercially available conductive filament. After a simple pretreatment step (mechanical polishing), the new 3D-printed electrodes presented better performance than the electrodes produced from commercial filament in relation to peak-to-peak separation of the redox probe [Fe(CN)]/ (130 mV and 759 mV, respectively), charge transfer resistance (R = 1.

In vitro culture and confocal microscopy study of Maritrema gratiosum Nicoll, 1907 (Digenea): From metacercaria to ovigerous adult.

This study set out to characterise the in vitro development, including musculature, of the microphallid parasite of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides (Linnaeus, 1767), Maritrema gratiosum Nicoll, 1907 collected in Scotland. An in vitro culture model was developed to obtain ovigerous adults of M. gratiosum and their morphology was observed.

GOLD grade-specific characterization of COPD in the COSYCONET multi-center trial: comparison of semiquantitative MRI and quantitative CT.

Objectives: We hypothesized that semiquantitative visual scoring of lung MRI is suitable for GOLD-grade specific characterization of parenchymal and airway disease in COPD and that MRI scores correlate with quantitative CT (QCT) and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters.

Methods: Five hundred ninety-eight subjects from the COSYCONET study (median age = 67 (60-72)) at risk for COPD or with GOLD1-4 underwent PFT, same-day paired inspiratory/expiratory CT, and structural and contrast-enhanced MRI. QCT assessed total lung volume (TLV), emphysema, and air trapping by parametric response mapping (PRM, PRM) and airway disease by wall percentage (WP).

A Bibliometric Review of Software Tools in Plastic Surgery: How They Benefit Surgeons and Improve Practice from 2004 to 2024.

Background: Bibliometric analyses of software applications in plastic surgery are relatively limited. This study aims to address this gap by summarizing current research trends and providing insights that may guide future developments in this field.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection.

Between the lines: a discursive analysis of the non-specific low back pain literature.

Background: The term nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is often ambiguously defined and inconsistently used in scientific literature. Yet, there is limited discussion and reflection on the meaning of the term and how different meanings influence research and clinical practice.

Aim: The aim of this study was to critically analyze the meaning of NSLBP in scientific literature and its consequent influence on research and clinical practice.

TEMPORARY REMOVAL: Targeting the kappa opioid receptor for analgesia and antitumour effects.

The publisher regrets that this article has been temporarily removed. A replacement will appear as soon as possible in which the reason for the removal of the article will be specified, or the article will be reinstated. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.

Benefit and Harms of Radical Nephroureterectomy as Part of a Multimodal Treatment Strategy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Patients Presenting with Clinical Evidence of Regional Lymph Node Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by the European Association of Urology Guidelines.

Background And Objective: Given the uncertainty regarding the role of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) as part of a multimodal treatment strategy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients with cN+ disease, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the corresponding literature.

Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, we identified 17 observational comparative and noncomparative studies, published between January 2000 and September 2024, evaluating UTUC patients with cTanyN+M0 disease (P) who received RNU as part of a multimodal treatment strategy (I), as compared with any treatment strategy if applicable (C), to assess oncological or postoperative outcomes (O). Meta-analyses were further performed, as appropriate.

Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping localizes residual visual function in hemianopia.

Damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) results in visual field deficits on the contralateral side of the world corresponding to the damaged region. Patients with such loss nonetheless show varying residual vision within this apparently blind region, with the neural mechanisms underlying this ability obscured by small study populations. We identified lesions on structural scans from 39 patients (12 female) with hemianopia and occipital lobe damage.

Independent companies in the tobacco supply chain: transparency and environmental social governance.

Objective: Previous research has identified that transnational tobacco companies lack transparency and that they hide their harms to health and nature behind environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting. Our objective was to find whether independent tobacco supply chain companies similarly lack transparency on tobacco-related activities while prominently displaying ESG.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mentions of tobacco supply chain activities and ESG company official documentation and websites were explored for independent tobacco supply chain companies (n=80) with identified annual reports included in the Tobacco Supply Chain Database.