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Ontology-driven association rule mining for biomedical entity relationships: integrating hierarchical knowledge to improve gene-disease discovery
Association between lactate-to-albumin ratio and 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis-associated acute kidney injury
Abstract In recent years, the lactate-to-albumin ratio (LAR) has emerged as a novel prognostic marker in various critical illnesses, including sepsis, heart failure, and acute respiratory failure. However, its predictive value in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP)—particularly those who develop acute pancreatitis–associated acute kidney injury (AP-AKI)—has not been fully evaluated. Given the high short-term all-cause mortality observed in AP-AKI patients, this study aims to examine the association between admission LAR levels and 30-day all-cause mortality in this population, with the goal of providing new evidence for clinical risk stratification and early intervention. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 877 critically ill patients with AP-AKI using the MIMIC-IV/III database, and used the eICU-CRD database and a cohort of AP-AKI patients admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University ( FAHFMU ) for external validation. Patients were stratified into four groups according to LAR quartiles. Confounding was assessed via linear or logistic regression with stepwise covariate removal, and univariable and multivariable Cox models were used to identify predictors of mortality. ROC analysis (AUC) evaluated LAR and other markers, establishing an optimal cut-off for Kaplan–Meier survival curves (log-rank test). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) functions were used to explore the potential nonlinear relationship between LAR and 30-day mortality. Subgroup analyses were conducted across age, sex, comorbidities, and treatment categories. The study found that higher LAR levels were significantly associated with increased 30-day mortality in AP-AKI patients. After adjusting for potential confounders, LAR remained an independent predictor of mortality (HR 1.172, 95% CI 1.054–1.303, P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.695 for LAR, surpassing that of lactate alone (0.683) or albumin (0.589), and comparable to the SOFA score (0.684). Compared with the low LAR group, the high LAR group had a significantly higher mortality rate ( P < 0.001), and a nonlinear association between LAR and 30-day mortality was observed. LAR is an independent predictor of 30-day all-cause mortality in AP-AKI. Given its simplicity and accessibility yet modest discrimination, LAR may serve as a useful adjunct for early risk assessment, particularly when combined with established scores or used serially.
Coherent Electron Spin Precession Enabled by Ultrafast Hole Transfer in Type-II Two-Dimensional Perovskites
Stakeholder-based assessment of historical urban landscapes as cultural heritage within the context of sustainable development: a case study of İznik (Nikaia)
Peptidic Catalysts Conformationally Tuned for Fluoride Binding and Delivery
Detection of mutated KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4 in tumor cell-free DNA of Brazilian pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients using next-generation sequencing
Low-Temperature Non-Oxidative Coupling of Methane on Atomically Dispersed Titanium–Aluminum–Boron Nanopowder
Baseline and three-month De Ritis ratio and gamma-glutamyltransferase as prognostic biomarkers in metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy
Fluorine Mediates the Deprotonation Pathway over Ruthenium Oxide for Stable Water Electrolysis
Decrypting chaotic visual ciphers via quasi quantum neural networks (Q²NNs)
Child marriages plunged when girls stayed in school in Nigeria
Probing Terra Incognita of Ni–P Catalysts: <i>Operando</i> Explorations during Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Nisin bacteriocin blocks T. denticola-triggered MMP2 activation and pathogen internalization via TLR2
Abstract We examined Treponema denticola -induced dysregulation of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling and its downstream effects on matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) expression and activation in periodontal cells, and whether the antimicrobial peptide nisin could modulate this process. T. denticola and its outer membrane protease dentilisin/PrtP activated MMP2, whereas a dentilisin/PrtP-deficient T. denticola mutant did not, and nisin attenuated this response. Dentilisin/PrtP directly activated recombinant MMP2 in vitro. T. denticola -mediated MMP2 activation was TLR2-dependent, since TLR2 suppression abrogated MMP2 activation, reduced MMP2 mRNA expression, and reduced T. denticola internalization. Nisin significantly inhibited T. denticola internalization. Computational modeling suggests dentilisin/PrtP directly binds pro-MMP2, whereas nisin binds dentilisin/PrtP but not pro-MMP2. Thus, nisin may interfere with MMP2 activation by binding to dentilisin/PrtP. These findings reveal a novel mechanism by which T. denticola and nisin regulate MMP2, and underscore nisin’s potential as a therapeutic for modulating bacterial-mediated tissue damage during periodontal disease.
Defective Single-Site Nanozymes with Exposed Unsaturated Cu–N <sub>2</sub> Sites for Antitumor Immunotherapy via Innate Immune-Checkpoint Blockade
Enhanced antifungal and cytotoxic potential of essential oils encapsulated in polydopamine nanocapsules against Candida albicans and Pichia kudriavzevii
Abstract Oral fungal infections, particularly those caused by Candida albicans and Pichia kudriavzevii , pose significant health challenges, especially in immunocompromised individuals. This study systematically investigates the antifungal efficacy, antioxidant, and antiproliferative of essential oils (EOs) from Mentha longifolia and Cupressus macrocarpa , encapsulated in polydopamine (PDA) nanocapsules to enhance their stability and bioactivity. Compositional analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified key bioactive compounds contributing to their antifungal and antioxidant properties. The nanocapsules were further characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis, confirming their successful encapsulation, nanoscale morphology, and surface charge stability. The encapsulated EOs demonstrated significantly enhanced antifungal activity, with lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) than their non-encapsulated counterparts. Additionally, they exhibited strong antioxidant potential in the DPPH assay and notable cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 and HepG-2 cancer cell lines. TEM provided direct evidence of fungal cell disruption, including chromatin condensation, membrane damage, and cytoplasmic leakage, indicating apoptosis and necrosis. The synergistic interaction between EOs and PDA, confirmed by fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) analysis, highlights their potential as effective antifungal agents. These findings strongly support EO-PDA nanocapsules as a promising alternative for treating oral fungal infections while also exhibiting potential anticancer properties.