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Effects of music therapy in patients with diabetic retinopathy undergoing pan‑retinal photocoagulation

Objectives Pan-retinal photocoagulation is a common outpatient procedure for diabetic retinopathy that often causes procedural pain and anxiety. Nonpharmacologic interventions such as music therapy may provide relief but are underexplored in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-phase music therapy intervention in reducing pain, anxiety, and physiological responses during pan-retinal photocoagulation, and to explore its potential as a supportive outpatient strategy. Methods Quasi-experimental study. Setting Ophthalmology Outpatient Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Participants Participants were non-randomly allocated. This experimental study allocated participants to groups based on clinic visiting time. Patients attending on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were assigned to the intervention group, while those attending on Tuesday afternoons formed the control group receiving usual care. This time-based allocation minimized cross-contamination and facilitated implementation in routine practice. 116 patients with diabetes were assigned to experimental or control groups, out of which 59 patients completed the intervention. Intervention The intervention consisted of listening to pre-recorded three-phase classical music combined with audiovisual education. The control group only received the audiovisual education. Outcome measures Primary outcome was pain, measured by the Visual Analog Scale, it was taken during treatment and 5 minutes after treatment; secondary outcomes included state anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), heart rate and blood pressure (Omron electronic sphygmomanometer). Theses measurements were taken 15 minutes before and 5 minutes after treatment. Post-treatment satisfaction was evaluated using a study-specific, self-developed questionnaire comprising six items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Results Pain, anxiety, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were lower in the intervention group compared with control group ( p  < 0.05). No significant differences in heart rate were observed between groups. There were none adverse events occurred during intervention. Satisfaction was high in both groups, the intervention group rated staff education content and service attitude higher ( p  < 0.05), with no other between-group differences, and music acceptability was favorable. Conclusion A three-phase music therapy intervention is a safe and effective approach for reducing procedural pain, anxiety, and blood pressure in patients undergoing PRP. These results support its integration as a nonpharmacologic option in outpatient ophthalmologic care. Trial registration number: ChiCTR2500106330 .

Large thermoelastic effect in <b> <i>α</i> ″ </b> martensite of TiZrNbSn

Highly reversible elastic deformation endows the associated thermoelastic effect with considerable potential for solid-state cooling. In this work, we report a large adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) in a TiZrNbSn alloy with α″ martensite. To enhance ΔTad, a microstructure optimization strategy based on broadening single-variant martensite domains via compressive preloading is implemented. Unlike the stress-free, self-accommodated martensitic state, stress-induced detwinning promotes a single-variant state in which the [100] orientation aligns with the compression direction. In this state, the lattice deforms cooperatively under stress, leading to a significantly enhanced thermoelastic response. Consequently, ΔTad increases progressively with higher preloading stress, reaching a value three times greater at 800 MPa than that of the non-preloaded sample. However, excessive preloading activates dislocation slip, which degrades the thermoelastic response. The alloy also exhibits a wide operating temperature range of 295–475 K, achieving a ΔTad of 2.0 K at 475 K. This work provides insights into the microstructure–property relationship governing the thermoelastic effect in martensitic alloys.

Organophosphate pesticide DEDT promotes diabetic retinopathy progression via AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

Interoception in adolescence: Evidence from multidomain self-report of bodily sensations and cardiac behavioral measures

Interoception, the sense of inner bodily signals, plays a key role in emotional regulation, cognition and mental health. While its relevance in adulthood has been extensively explored, less is known about how interoceptive  abilities develop during adolescence, a period characterised by significant physical and psychological changes. This study aimed to investigate different interoceptive dimensions in adolescents and adults to better understand the developmental profile of this sense. Fifty-four adolescents (aged 12–14) and 50 adults (aged 25–34) completed the Heartbeat Counting Task (HCT) to assess their actual ability to detect heartbeats, their confidence in this ability, and the confidence-accuracy correspondence, and a questionnaire on the tendency to focus on different bodily sensations. The study also examined where participants localised bodily sensations during the HCT. No clear group differences emerged in the accuracy during the HCT. Also, both age groups exhibited similar body localisation patterns, primarily focusing on the chest during heartbeat detection. However, adolescents showed significantly lower metacognitive awareness of their ability to perceive cardiac signals, and higher focus on interoceptive sensations, as reflected in their higher confidence ratings in the HCT and elevated scores on a questionnaire assessing the perceived frequency of internal bodily sensations. There were no significant correlations among the interoceptive measures in either group, suggesting that they may capture partially distinct aspects of interoceptive functioning and contributing to the ongoing debate on how interoceptive dimensions should be conceptualized and measured. Overall, these findings suggest that, while basic interoceptive detection may be established by early adolescence, the capacity to accurately reflect on these internal sensations continues to mature into adulthood, at least for what attains the cardiac domain. Also, the mismatch observed between adolescents’ heightened bodily focus and their limited metacognitive insight may partly help explain why adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability to mental health difficulties.

AlGaN (2.5%) fully vertical FinFETs: Influence of <i>m</i> - and <i>a</i> -plane substrate alignments

We demonstrate the first fully vertical single-fin AlGaN FinFETs (Al = 2.5%) on ammonothermal n+-GaN substrates, featuring a gate length of Lg = 200 nm and excellent gate control. This work presents a systematic study of the impact of fin orientation along the a- and m-crystallographic planes on the electrical performance of AlGaN vertical FinFETs. We report that threshold voltage is maximized at fin width, Wfin = 100 nm, with VT = 1.9 V (a-plane) and 1.75 V (m-plane). The highest ON-current density taken at an overdrive voltage VOV = 1.5 V and peak extrinsic transconductance are achieved at Wfin = 200 nm, with JON = 4.4 kA/cm2 (a-plane) and 4.1 kA/cm2 (m-plane), and gme,peak = 4.1 kS/cm2 (a-plane) and 3.6 kS/cm2 (m-plane). The minimum specific on-resistance of FinFETs with Wfin = 200 nm, extracted at VOV = 1.5 V, is as follows: RON,sp = 0.85 mΩ cm2 (a-plane) and 0.97 mΩ cm2 (m-plane). The single-fin device area, including current spreading in the drift layer, is used for normalization. Among all variants, a-plane devices with narrower fins delivered the superior electrical performance. These results establish the critical role of crystallographic alignment in optimizing vertical AlGaN device performance and represent a significant step toward scalable vertical AlGaN power transistors.

Triplet versus doublet therapy in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

Abstract First-line treatment options for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC) are divided into two groups: androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI)-based doublet therapy and triplet therapy (which includes chemotherapy in addition to doublet therapy). However, differences in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups remain unclear. The aim of the study was to perform a comparative analysis between the two groups and to identify predictors of treatment response. We retrospectively recruited 500 patients with mHSPC treated with doublet or triplet therapy from our hospital and affiliated hospitals between 2013 and 2025. The cohort of patients with mHSPC treated with doublet therapy received ABI, ENZ, or APA in combination with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog, such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The cohort of those treated with triplet therapy received darolutamide plus ADT and docetaxel. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors of overall survival in patients with mHSPC. Propensity score matching was used to adjust the clinical background of patients. The outcome (prostate-specific antigen-progression-free survival, second progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS)) of triplet therapy was significantly better than that of doublet therapy in matched high-risk patients with mHSPC. Univariate and multivariate analyses of OS in matched patients with high-risk mHSPC treated with triplet or doublet therapy suggested that treatment choice (triplet or doublet), pretreatment LDH levels, and presence of Gleason pattern 5 influenced OS in patients with high-risk mHSPC. Subgroup analysis suggested that LDH levels and the presence of Gleason pattern 5 may be predictive factors of the treatment of patients with mHSPC. Our results showed that triplet therapy achieved a better outcome than doublet therapy in patients with mHSPC.

Persistent entropy links irregularities in daily and weekly rest and activity cycles during gestation week 22 and 32 to maternal and neonate health outcomes: A prospective cohort study

Though rest (i.e., sleep and periods of inactivity) and activity levels are known to be altered during pregnancy, the effect of day-to-day consistency in rest-activity cycles on maternal-neonate health is not well characterized. Actigraphy objectively measures rest-activity; however, the large datasets it generates often reveal irregular patterns that are challenging to interpret. We introduce a novel approach that applies persistent homology and entropy, quantitative measures in the field of topological data analysis, to quantify disorder in actigraphic data and examine their association with maternal and neonate health. Actigraphic data were collected from a prospective observational cohort study of pregnant women, with observations at gestational weeks 22 (G22; n = 41) and 32 (G32; n = 44). Persistent entropy was computed for daily and weekly actigraphic data. Participants who experienced maternal or neonate complications, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, etc., and adverse birth outcomes had higher average daily entropy at G22 and G32, indicating greater temporal disorder in rest-activity. Furthermore, complicated pregnancies had higher odds of exhibiting high entropy compared to uncomplicated pregnancies OR = 10.38, 95% CI [2.03, 74.68]; Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.001), especially in participants with high BMI (OR = 24.00, 95% CI [1.76, 1549.19]; Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.005. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that weekly entropy at G22 had acceptable predictive power (AUC = 0.70; threshold = 8.24; sensitivity = 0.86; specificity = 0.70), whereas entropy at G32 was a weaker predictor. While the analysis yielded a significant association between high entropy at G22 and complicated pregnancies, the wide 95% CI [1.76, 1549.19] suggests that the magnitude of this effect should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size. These findings suggest that persistent entropy may be a useful tool for linking rest-activity irregularities to maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Larger studies are needed to evaluate its potential as a predictive model.

Targeted passivation via ammonium benzoate for suppressing deep-level defects of doctor-bladed CH3NH3PbI3 films

Large-scale processing of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with superior performance under air conditions is deemed as an inevitable trajectory for low-cost and efficient commercial manufacturing. Herein, a strategy of targeted passivation using ammonium benzoate (C7H7NO2) is developed to greatly enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of PSCs fabricated via large-area doctor-blading under air conditions. The conjunction of experimental and theoretical findings conclusively validates the strong interactions between the carboxylate group in C7H7NO2 and the Pb2+ within the perovskite structure. This not only effectively neutralizes deep-level defects in the CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskite film but also significantly fortifies the stability of the perovskite lattice. Consequently, PSCs with a structure of ITO/SnO2/MAPbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Ag achieve an impressive efficiency of up to 22.78%. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated devices can maintain 92.4% of their initial efficiencies after aging for 840 h. Furthermore, doctor-bladed mini modules with an area of 1.6 and 9.5 cm2 exhibit PCEs of 19.73% and 18.62%, respectively.

UltraReporter for transforming spoken diagnostic cues into structured ultrasound reports with large language models

Abstract Ultrasound reporting remains a manual, time-consuming process prone to errors and variability. We present UltraReporter, a compact 8B-parameter LLM pipeline that converts real-time spoken cues into structured ultrasound reports. To overcome data scarcity, we developed a multi-agent framework for synthesizing high-quality Chinese cue-report pairs from unpaired narratives. The model was further refined through template-augmented fine-tuning and defect-oriented preference optimization to ensure institutional consistency and minimize hallucinations. Evaluated on 1,311 gold-standard cases, UltraReporter outperformed nine state-of-the-art LLMs, achieving superior clinical scores (e.g. accuracy: 4.82) and NLG metrics (BLEU-4: 89.42). In a blinded reader study, its reports surpassed chief physicians in quality across normal, common, and rare cases, and 72% of prospective reports were deemed equivalent to original ones. UltraReporter integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows, generating ready-to-use reports in 1 second, significantly reducing documentation burden and demonstrating strong potential for clinical integration.

Differential effects of paraquat-induced oxidative stress on functional aging and lifespan in male and female Drosophila melanogaster

Aging is accompanied by loss of motor function driven by mitochondrial oxidative stress. To examine how genotype and sex modulate this process, we exposed Oregon-R (wild-type) and vestigial (wing-deficient) Drosophila of both sexes to chronic paraquat a mitochondrial stressor generating sustained ROS production at 0, 10, or 20 mM. We tracked climbing performance from day 5–50 alongside survival. Paraquat impaired locomotion dose- dependently, with effects modified by genotype and sex (four-way ANOVA, all p &lt; 0.001). Under control conditions, behavioral half-life (T₅₀) occurred at 21.4 days in Oregon-R males and 25.7 days in females. Vestigial flies declined earlier: 14.8 days (males), 18.3 days (females). At 20 mM, T₅₀ fell 48–53% across groups. Female advantage persisted at 10 mM but narrowed at 20 mM, especially in vestigial flies. Survival mirrored functional decline. The T₅₀-to-lifespan interval compressed under severe stress: 18–28 days (controls) versus 8–12 days (20 mM). Functional-survival coupling was strong (r = 0.87, p &lt; 0.001). Oxidative stress accelerates functional aging through mechanisms shaped by genotype and sex. Climbing performance predicts healthspan and may serve as a translational biomarker for neuromuscular aging.

Vortex dynamics governing oscillations in a high-pressure xenon laser-sustained plasma

This study demonstrates that the intrinsic oscillation of the laser-sustained plasma (LSP) flow field originates from the periodic and coherent evolution of vortex rings (VRs) attached to the outer boundary of the main thermal plume. The complete formation and shedding process of vortical structures was clearly captured through high-speed schlieren imaging. In parallel, a multiphysics model coupling laser transport, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics successfully reproduces the periodic oscillation of the LSP plume. Dynamic mode decomposition and circulation analysis quantitatively confirm these vortical structures take the form of VRs and play the dominant role in the formation evolution of the oscillatory convective flow in the LSP source. Further hydrodynamic analysis reveals that the VR formation and plume oscillation are driven by baroclinic torque and buoyancy-induced vorticity, together with velocity shear that rolls up vorticity near the plume base, from where the oscillatory flow originates. This work establishes an integrated framework combining experiment and simulation to offer new physical insights into the instability mechanisms governing LSP as an advanced broadband radiation source.

High prevalence of bancroftian filariasis and comorbidities in the eastern coalfield regions of West Bengal, India following COVID-19 disruption

Inside Back Cover: Coumarin‐30 Enables Site‐Resolved Detection of Tubulin Ligands by Microscale Thermophoresis (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 12/2026)

Age-associated accumulation of carbamylation-derived products in tissues is independent from the myeloperoxidase pathway in mice

Carbamylation is a nonenzymatic post-translational modification that alters protein structural and functional properties and is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases. It results from isocyanic acid binding to protein amino groups, generating carbamylation-derived products, including homocitrulline (HCit) when the reaction targets the ε-amino group of lysine residues. Isocyanic acid is produced by two major sources in vivo , the spontaneous dissociation of urea and the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-catalyzed conversion of thiocyanate, but their respective contribution to carbamylation is disputed in literature. Here, we compared tissue accumulation of HCit in wild-type versus MPO-deficient mice during ageing. Our results showed that the kinetics and amplitude of carbamylation were not reduced in MPO-deficient mice. Furthermore, carbamylation was intriguingly enhanced in younger MPO-deficient mice, suggesting the presence of compensatory mechanisms. These findings suggest that the MPO pathway is not necessarily required for age-associated systemic carbamylation.

Electric field-tunable Luttinger compensated antiferromagnetism in CrCl2 double chains

Luttinger compensated antiferromagnets (LcAFMs), combining spin polarization with vanishing net magnetization, offer distinct advantages for next-generation spintronic applications. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that conventional antiferromagnetic CrCl2 double chains can be transformed into one-dimensional LcAFMs under an external electric field, exhibiting pronounced isotropic spin splitting. The magnitude of the splitting, as well as the bandgap, can be effectively tuned by both in-plane and out-of-plane fields, thereby providing greater controllability than in two-dimensional counterparts. To further enhance the tunability, we design a nearly lattice-matched CrCl2/MoTe2 heterostructure and uncover that interfacial charge transfer generates a built-in electric field, inducing spin splitting comparable to that driven by external fields. These results establish interfacial engineering as a highly efficient route to realize and manipulate LcAFM states in low-dimensional magnets, expanding the design principles for spintronic functionalities at the nanoscale.

Deep learning-based physiological risk stratification in night-shift hospital workers

Abstract This cross-sectional study of 2,250 hospital workers attempted to identify potential physiological risk structures for night workers by utilizing the nonlinear manifold learning framework. Unlike conventional mean-centered linear analysis, this study applied the Potential of Heat-diffusion for Affinity-based Transition Embedding (PHATE) for topological visualization and Neural Additive Models (NAM) to predict interpretable risk. The ‘cholesterol homeostasis profile’ was defined as the main latent indicator. Analysis showed that the systemic metabolic load (PHATE-1) was higher after age correction, despite the night-shift group being younger than the non-night shift group (p &lt; 0.001). This axis showed a positive correlation with body mass index (r = 0.71) and triglyceride (r = 0.56). The NAM model captured the risk slope with an average AUC of 0.864 (range 0.832–0.901) and confirmed a nonlinear risk transition when it exceeded the triglyceride 2 mmol/L threshold. The predicted risk of night workers in the highest risk cluster (cluster 1) was 0.71, and the metabolic load and cholesterol homeostasis profile risk were increased. Ultimately, the PHATE-NAM framework moves beyond traditional group averages. It provides a purely data-driven way to pinpoint individual physiological vulnerabilities, giving hospitals the exact evidence needed to design safer, more sustainable shift-work environments.

The modified 30-second chair stand test (m-30s-CST) is more sensitive than handgrip strength in detecting muscle strength changes and predicting physical performance in hospitalized geriatric patients

Objectives To compare the modified-30s-Chair-Stand-Test (m-30s-CST) with handgrip strength (HGS) in measuring muscle strength in acutely ill geriatric patients. The aim of this study was to compare the responsiveness and predictive value of the m-30s-CST and HGS for physical performance and two-year mortality in hospitalized geriatric patients. Methods Responsiveness of the m-30s-CST and HGS was assessed in 92 patients (mean age 84 ± 6 years, 53.5% female) by comparing the performance at hospital admission and the day before discharge. These changes were then compared with changes in the ADL-Barthel-Index (ADL-BI) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results The number of repetitions on the m-30s-CST increased significantly during hospitalization in patients who improved on ADL-BI (n = 43) and SPPB (n = 33) and did not change in those who remained stable or worsened (ADL-BI: n = 32 and SPPB: n = 26). There was no significant change in HGS in either patients who improved on respectively ADL-BI (n = 43) and SPPB (n = 41), nor in those who remained stable or worsened (ADL-BI: n = 31 and SPPB: n = 34). The m-30s-CST showed a trend towards prediction of two-year mortality (AUC 0.609; P = 0,071) while HGS did not (AUC 0.573; P = 0.221). Two-year mortality was significantly higher in geriatric patients (n = 92) with less than 6 repetitions compared with patients with more than 5 repetitions on the m-30s-CST (HR 2.739; CI-95%: 1.173–6.396; P = 0.020). HGS according the EWGSOP-2 criteria was not associated with 2-year mortality (HR 0.969; CI-95%: 0.495–1.900; P = 0.928). Conclusion The m-30s-CST is superior to HGS for assessing changes in muscle strength and serves as a better proxy for physical performance, and is probably a predictor of two-year mortality in hospitalized geriatric patients.

Improved RF power performance in GaN-on-SiC HEMTs through thermal design of the GaN buffer layer

This study investigates the thermal dissipation capability and electrical performance of GaN-on-SiC high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) through the thermal design of the GaN epilayer. The Debye–Callaway model was employed to analyze the relationship between impurity concentrations, GaN thickness, and GaN thermal conductivity. An optimized Fe/C co-doped buffer design was proposed to mitigate the effect of Fe impurities on thermal conduction within GaN epilayers. The thermal conductivity of the GaN epilayer was extracted through transducer-less transient thermoreflectance, which was improved by 40 W/m K compared to the reference structure, resulting in a 25 °C reduction in device peak temperature at a dissipated power density of 10 W/mm. Consequently, the output power density of the GaN HEMTs with the designed Fe/C co-doped buffer was improved from 16.4 to 19.1 W/mm, and the power added efficiency increased from 48.0% to 52.3% at 3.6 GHz under Vd = 70 V, illustrating the critical role of the thermal design for the GaN epilayer in advancing the RF power performance of GaN-based HEMTs.

Spectroscopic fingerprinting of extracellular vesicles from diverse cellular origins by ATR-FTIR for vibrational biomarkers of vector–host interactions

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale lipid bilayer structures that facilitate intercellular communication across biological systems. Although extensively studied in mammals, their spectral and biochemical characteristics in invertebrate hosts relevant to viral transmission remain poorly understood. In this study, Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize and discriminate EVs derived from human dermal fibroblasts (FibEVs), hepatocytes (HepEVs), and Aedes albopictus mosquito cells (MosqEVs), alongside synthetic EV-like vesicles (SynEVs). Spectral data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates (CAP), and sparse Partial Least Squares–Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA). PCA revealed clear clustering according to EV origin, while CAP showed strong group separation (R² ≈ 0.99), with the first two canonical axes explaining 89% of total variance. sPLS-DA identified discriminant wavenumbers associated with lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, achieving 93% classification accuracy and an average AUC of 0.99. MosqEVs displayed lipid-enriched spectral profiles consistent with insect membrane composition, whereas mammalian EVs were protein-dominant. These findings demonstrate that ATR-FTIR is a rapid, label-free approach for EV discrimination and provide the first vibrational characterization of mosquito-derived EVs, supporting future applications in vector biology, infection surveillance, and exosome quality assessment.

Swertiamarin fails to induce cytotoxicity in colon cancer cell lines: Evidence against a direct anticancer effect

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, with rising incidence linked to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) remains a standard therapy, its efficacy is often limited by resistance and adverse effects. These limitations have driven interest in plant-derived bioactive compounds as complementary or alternative therapies. This study investigated the potential anticancer effects of Swertiamarin (SWT), a seco-iridoid glycoside with reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Methods Three human CRC cell lines (HT-29, HCT-116, and Caco-2) and a non-cancerous (Vero E6) cell line were treated with SWT sourced from three independent suppliers to ensure reproducibility. Cell viability was evaluated using Trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays, while scratch assay and microscopic analyses were used to assess migration and morphological changes. The antioxidant capacity of SWT was measured using hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays, and its antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ). Results SWT exhibited minimal or no effect on cell proliferation across all cell lines, concentrations, and time points, while 5-FU significantly reduced cell viability. Co-treatment with SWT and 5-FU did not enhance cytotoxicity, indicating no synergistic effect. SWT also had no impact on cell migration or morphology. However, it demonstrated strong antioxidant activity comparable to ascorbic acid and displayed antimicrobial effects, transiently inhibiting E. coli and persistently suppressing S. aureus . Conclusion SWT does not exert direct cytotoxic or antimigratory effects in CRC models but possesses potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These findings suggest a possible chemopreventive or protective role for SWT rather than a therapeutic one. This study underscores the importance of rigorous and reproducible evaluation of pure natural products to accurately define their biological and therapeutic potential.