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Comparison of Oxford versus Japanese Histological Grading to predict renal function decline in IgA nephropathy: a Japanese prospective cohort study

Single cell RNA sequencing analysis and molecular biology experiments identify NAFLD-related fibroblasts and highlights seven hub genes in NAFLD

Background The Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major chronic liver condition, with its pathology remaining elusive. Consequently, a thorough exploration of the underlying mechanisms driving NAFLD progression is essential for a comprehensive understanding of this metabolism-associated disorder. Methods The scRNA-seq data from liver specimens of healthy and NAFLD subjects from GSE182365 was examined in the current study. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis and seven machine learning (ML) approaches were employed to identify and confirm a genetic profile that precisely detects this population. Subsequently, we utilized MCP counter and non-negative matrix factorization to explore immune cell infiltration patterns. Lastly, the comparative expression of seven optimal feature genes in vivo and in vitro were confirmed through wet experiments. Results Single-cell sequencing findings unveiled a distinct fibroblast subset, differentially infiltrated in NAFLD and control cohorts, expressing genes linked to NAFLD pathogenesis. HdWGCNA and ML algorithms screened and identified the essential signature defining this cohort, comprising 7 genes, with function enrichment analysis indicating their strong link to the cell cycle pathway. Notably, we established a connection between these 7 genes and immune cell infiltration and patient variability. Concurrently, wet experiments illustrated the actual expression disparities of our seven genes in NAFLD and normal models both in vivo and in vitro . Conclusions Our investigation has uncovered a distinct fibroblast population closely associated with NAFLD pathogenesis. The related genes, including CCL2, CRYAB, HSBP1, IFIT3, PSMB10, RBX1, and SPARC, with potential promoting or inhibitory roles in NAFLD pathogenesis, were subsequently identified and represented a crucial step in developing prospective clinical diagnostic method for this condition.

Patient empowerment outcomes in chronic disease care in Lebanon with validation of a measurement scale and associated determinants

A new multilayer tree structure belief rule base-based prediction method for key indicators of flotation process

The prediction of key indicators in the flotation process is crucial for optimizing operations, improving quality, and reducing consumption. However, indicator prediction itself suffers from complex nonlinear relationships, difficulties in model construction, and noise interference. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a new model based on a multilayer tree structure belief rule base (MTS-BRB), termed MTS-BRB with attribute reliability (MTS-BRB-R). First, an initial prediction model is constructed using the MTS-BRB framework. Second, the attribute reliability is embedded into the model structure to enhance the robustness of its inference and prediction accuracy. Finally, the prediction of the tailings silica content in the iron ore flotation process is used as a case study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Nonlinear fractional stochastic delay modeling and computational analysis of herpes simplex virus type II dynamics

Colonial signature of the alarm pheromone and chemical differences between hornet workers

The social organisation of eusocial insects is based on an effective communication system in which pheromones play a central role. Among these chemical compounds, the alarm pheromone is an essential component of colonial survival by inducing nestmates recruitment and defensive behaviours. In this study, we investigated the alarm pheromone composition produced in the venom gland of workers of the invasive Yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax , focusing on two aspects: first, variations between different colonies, and second, differences related to the activities of workers in the colony at a given time. Here, we examined four specific activities: animal foragers, builders, defenders and material foragers. Our results reveal significant chemical heterogeneity in the alarm pheromone among workers, highlighting a strong colony-specific chemical signature as well as a variability linked to workers’ activities. Notably, animal foragers and builders exhibited distinct pheromone profiles with discriminant chemical compounds. This study therefore suggests that the alarm pheromone could be used as a recognition signal in Vespidae species, both at the inter and intra-colonial levels. Such findings provide valuable insights into the chemical ecology of invasive species and open new perspectives on the role of pheromones in colony coordination and defense mechanisms.

Nationwide cross-sectional study results on long-term care and SARS-CoV-2 infection among older adults in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study investigates determinants of self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection, addressing a gap in understanding how social and care-related factors are associated with infection risk among older people. We analyzed the baseline wave of “Gesundheit 65+”, a German nationwide population-registry survey. This wave was performed between June 2021 and April 2022, with a sample of 3450 participants aged 65 to 100 living in private households. SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence was 3.5% (95% confidence interval, CI 2.6–4.5), slightly higher among those aged 85+, and higher among those receiving home care, and not having double vaccination. We identified with multivariable logistic regression that not having double vaccination (odds ratio, OR = 9.72; CI 4.81–19.61), receiving in-person visits (OR = 2.96; CI 1.12–7.80), and not living alone (OR = 1.96; CI 1.02–3.76) were independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but receiving formal or informal care at home, and participating in work and social activities were not. Our results emphasize the importance of vaccination and caution during in-person interactions. Despite receiving formal or informal care at home implying close personal contact, we did not detect increased infection risk in those receiving care at home.

Efficiency evaluation of Chinese Yunnan Province County Area Public Service for sports and fitness based on three-stage DEA model

County areas hold critical strategic significance in terms of population, gross domestic product, and their role within the National Fitness Strategy and National Fitness Public Service System.Analyzing the efficiency of county areas National Fitness public services in Yunnan Province can provide evidence-based support for advancing the development of a higher-level public service system for national fitness across Southwest China. Using a three-stage Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, this study evaluates the efficiency of public fitness services at the county-level administrative division in Yunnan Province for the year 2023. The analysis encompasses 129 county-level administrative divisions, comprising 17 municipal districts and 112 county areas within Yunnan Province. Research indicates that environmental factors such as regional GDP, sports and fitness infrastructure, local industrial structure, and population density significantly influence the efficiency of national fitness services. After excluding these variables in the second-stage stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) regression analysis, the Technical Efficiency (TE) of national fitness services in Yunnan Province’s municipal districts and county areas reached 0.919 and 0.824 respectively in 2023. Adjusted Scale Efficiency (SE) for municipal districts and county area generally exceeded Pure Technical Efficiency (PTE), with significant PTE disparities between the municipal districts and county area. Additionally, 47.06% of municipal districts and 72.32% of county area exhibited Increasing Returns to Scale (IRS). Accordingly, efforts should be made to continuously improve the county area supervision management system and investment mechanisms, broaden service types to achieve integrated development, and fully leverage IRS to promote the dissemination of regional and ethnic traditional cultures.

Stability of surrounding rock in roadways with fractured rock mass: mechanisms and effects of layout optimization

Differences and commonalities in barriers and facilitators experienced by participants enrolled in an online behavioral weight management program: A qualitative comparison

Online behavioral weight management programs offer a scalable solution to address overweight and obesity but often face high dropout rates and variable success. Understanding the barriers and facilitators experienced by participants who achieve weight loss targets versus those who do not is critical for optimizing programs. This study compared the barriers and facilitators reported by participants achieving ≥5% weight loss with those achieving <5%, using a social–ecological framework to capture influences across individual, interpersonal, and environmental levels. The framework was chosen to reflect the complex, interacting factors beyond the individual that shape behavior. Forty-eight participants completed semi-structured telephone interviews exploring factors affecting their weight loss journey. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic framework approach. Across both groups, key facilitators included willpower, knowledge, social support, and perceived safety in the local environment, with their absence acting as barriers. Food availability at home and in the workplace was also reported as a barrier due to temptation. Social roles could challenge behavior change, though perceiving themselves as role models provided motivation. Program-specific factors, such as group dynamics and difficulty using the platform, were barriers for both groups. Notable differences emerged between groups in responding to challenges. The ≥ 5% weight loss group proactively addressed stressors and sought solutions, while the < 5% weight loss group reported greater difficulty overcoming barriers, more interpersonal stressors, and dissatisfaction with their weight targets. This is the first study to compare qualitative experiences across social–ecological domains between participants achieving ≥5% and <5% weight loss during program participation. Findings highlight the need to address environmental infrastructure, interpersonal skills, and communication of weight targets to improve program effectiveness. Future research should examine how these factors can identify individuals at risk of not achieving 5% weight loss and inform tailored interventions.

Ketoacidosis at childhood type 1 diabetes onset negatively affects residual beta-cell functions during the first year after diagnosis

Insecticidal potential of Areca catechu nut extract against multiple life stages of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

This study investigates the insecticidal efficacy of Areca catechu nut extract against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus , in response to increasing insecticide resistance, declining effectiveness of conventional agents, and environmental safety concerns. The primary objectives were to evaluate the adulticidal, ovicidal, and oviposition deterrent activities of methanolic A. catechu nut extract across a concentration range of 300–2000 ppm, and to identify its major bioactive constituents. Laboratory bioassays were conducted following World Health Organization protocols. The extract induced dose-dependent adult mortality, with LC 50 values of 767.501 ppm for Ae. aegypti and 758.278 ppm for Ae. albopictus . Ovicidal assays showed progressive increases in egg mortality, reaching 100% at 1600 ppm for Ae. aegypti and 1400 ppm for Ae. albopictus . In oviposition deterrent tests, complete inhibition of egg-laying occurred at concentrations of 900 ppm and above under both dual-choice and non-choice conditions. Observational data confirmed strong repellence, as gravid females avoided treated substrates even in the absence of alternatives. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified arecoline, arecaidine, and N-lauryldiethanolamine as key constituents with known inhibitory effects on neural and detoxification enzymes in insects. This research provides a comprehensive assessment of A. catechu nut extract across multiple mosquito life stages and behavioural endpoints, demonstrating its broad-spectrum efficacy. The results support its potential as a sustainable, plant-derived bioinsecticide for integrated vector control programs targeting Aedes mosquitoes and associated disease transmission.

Design and immunogenicity of a recombinant Saccharomyces boulardii secreting the P2-VP8 subunit rotavirus vaccine

Viral zoonoses assessment in invasive rodent species from São Tomé and Príncipe

Zoonoses are diseases transmitted from animals to humans, highlighting the inseparable link between animal and human health. They are responsible for approximately 2.4 billion cases of illness and 2.2 million deaths annually, posing a significant challenge to public health and food security. Transmission of infectious agents from animals to humans occurs through direct contact, ingestion, inhalation, or inoculation of the infectious agent. Finding practical ways to monitor the presence and/or abundance of zoonotic pathogens is important to estimate the risk of spillover to humans. Since rodents are present almost everywhere, live in proximity with humans and host several zoonotic viruses, we conducted a screening in different tissue samples of black rats ( Rattus rattus ) and brown rats ( Rattus norvegicus) collected in São Tomé and Príncipe in 2021 and 2022 for the presence of five zoonotic families of viruses, including Arenaviridae , Coronaviridae , Flaviviridae , Hantaviridae , and Poxviridae . Although we found no evidence of the presence of these viral taxa among the rodent samples tested, our study does not exclude their presence in São Tomé and Príncipe. Continued monitoring of these and other zoonotic viruses is advisable to prevent or mitigate the emergence of viral diseases that are often fatal to humans.

Research on structural damage identification based on temporal power flow graph network

Personalized labeling: A strategy for supporting self-medicating patients’ decision-making during selection and use

Interactions between self-medicating consumers and over-the-counter medication (OTC) influence the quality of information processed and, hence, the appropriateness of medication-use decisions. Previous work has shown that information deemed necessary for the safe and effective use of an OTC, information that is required to be present in the Drug Facts Label (DFLs), is often overlooked, and that decision-making related to OTC use could be improved. We proposed the concept of “personalized labeling” to address these shortcomings. This strategy uses an augmented reality interface which presents users with recommendations related to an OTC’s appropriateness for that individual’s use They receive the recommendations via a smart phone app that allows them to point their camera at packages on the store shelf that they are considering purchasing. Specifically, a virtual green check mark or a red stop sign is imposed over the interrogated product after the theoretical app recognizes the OTC and compares product specific warnings with the individual’s health history and medication usage. To develop proof of concept evidence for this strategy, we utilized a computer-based absolute judgement task . Seventy-two participants were randomly assigned to either a concept-educated group (educated on how personalized labeling would work) or a control group (uninformed about the personalized labeling strategy). Both groups viewed stimulus which included both standard and personalized labels to make binary decisions (yes/ no) related to a drug’s appropriateness for use by a theoretical patient considering single-ingredient OTC products. Decision accuracy and decision time were measured as indicators of labeling effectiveness and efficiency, respectively. Results showed that within the concept-educated group, participants made significantly more accurate (ME = 0.977, SE = 0.007) and faster (ME = 9.584s, SE = 0.854) decisions with the personalized label when compared to the standard label (accuracy: ME = 0.933, SE = 0.017; p = 0.002; time: ME = 19.052s, SE = 2.322; p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant difference in accuracy or decision time between the two label types. Additionally, participants across both groups took longer to correctly answer “Yes” (appropriate for use) compared to “No” (not appropriate for use), reflecting that decision time are faster for target-present conditions than target-absent conditions. While educating consumers about the tool seems important, it overlooks that they must install the app and share their health and medication information to use it. As such, we interpret this finding as evidence that personalized labeling could significantly improve consumer decision-making related to the identification of appropriate products. However, future studies are needed with a broader range of populations, package types, use contexts, and real-world conditions.

Dung beetle optimization for probabilistic force analysis of heliostat support structures

Making cigarette taxes more effective in Mozambique: A simulation analysis using the Tobacco Excise Tax Simulation Model (TETSiM)

Cigarette price tax shares in Mozambique are among the lowest in Southern Africa. The excise tax share of the price of the most-sold brand is 14.7%, and the total tax share is 28.5%. The average excise tax share for the Southern African Development Community is 36.7% and the average total tax share is 51.6%. We used the Tobacco Excise Tax Simulation Model (TETSiM), to simulate the impact of a substantial cigarette excise tax increase on prices, tax shares, consumption, tax revenue, and smoking prevalence, between 2023 and 2028. We simulated three scenarios. Scenario 1 assumes that the cigarette excise tax adjustments are as stipulated in the Excise Tax on Specific Products Law for 2023–2025, and then increase by 4% annually between 2026 and 2028. Scenario 2 proposes that the excise tax increases by the sum of inflation, income growth, and an additional 30%, annually. We assume full tax pass-through for both scenarios 1 and 2 . In scenario 3 , we use the same annual tax adjustments as scenario 2 , but assume tax over-shifting for imported and most-sold brands. Our findings indicate that, by 2028, the excise tax share decreases from 14.7% to 13.9% in scenario 1 , but increases to 40.2% in scenario 2, and to 35.8% in scenario 3 . The total tax share drops from 28.5% to 27.7% in scenario 1 , but increases to 53.9% in scenario 2 , and to 48.1% in scenario 3 . Smoking prevalence is expected to drop from 9.80% to 9.77% in scenario 1, to 8.23% in s cenario 2, and to 8.08% in scenario 3 . Scenario 2 results in the highest expected total tax revenues (173% increase). The study provides insights on the importance of appropriately revising cigarette tax policies in Mozambique. Substantial tax increases will contribute to a healthier population and a more sustainable fiscal landscape.

Correction: Association between prenatal exposure to antihypertensive medication and neurodevelopmental and educational outcomes in children

Impact of an infectious disease specialist-led antimicrobial stewardship program and consultations during multiple antimicrobial shortages: A bayesian structural time-series analysis

Since antimicrobial shortages are becoming common owing to manufacturing issues and sudden demand, individualized antimicrobial optimization by infectious disease specialists is essential. We evaluated the effects of a 12-month antimicrobial stewardship program at a university-affiliated hospital in Japan during antimicrobial shortages. In this single-center retrospective observational study, from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, we compared the pre-intervention (antimicrobial stewardship program without infectious disease specialists) and post-intervention (antimicrobial stewardship program with infectious disease specialists and formal consultation service) periods. The evaluated outcomes included antimicrobial use, microbiological indicators (number of culture specimens submitted and hospital-acquired resistant organisms), patient outcomes (in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay), and antimicrobial costs. A Bayesian structural time-series analysis adjusted for seasonality was used to assess intervention effects. In total, 24,601 inpatients were included (11,782 before intervention and 12,819 after). Shortages affected nine intravenous and two oral antibiotics. The antimicrobial stewardship program team provided 1110 feedback instances (acceptance rate, 74.1%) and conducted 172 infectious disease consultations in the post-intervention period. Carbapenem use, antipseudomonal agent use, incidence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and the cost of carbapenems per patient-day significantly decreased. Narrow-spectrum antibiotic use, anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agent use, all intravenous antimicrobial use, total intravenous and oral antimicrobials, and the number of inpatient specimens were significantly increased. All antimicrobial costs, in-hospital mortality, and length of hospital stay remained unchanged. Antimicrobial stewardship program supported by infectious disease specialists/consultants significantly reduced carbapenem and antipseudomonal agent use without negatively affecting patient outcomes. These findings highlight infectious disease specialists’ critical role in supporting effective antimicrobial stewardship programs, particularly during limited antimicrobial supply and increased clinical complexity.