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An automatic severity grading system using confocal laser endomicroscopy to evaluate inflammatory activity of ulcerative colitis: a prospective study

Health Kiosks in Market: A qualitative study of factors influencing the transferability of the program to a target context in Kenya

Public health kiosks can enhance access to healthcare in rural communities. To understand how to apply such an effective intervention and achieve results in another setting is key. This study explores the factors that influence the transferability of health kiosks in community markets in Kenya, with a focus on cardiovascular disease prevention and health promotion. The study was conducted in Vihiga and Nyeri counties, Kenya, between December 2023 and January 2024, among 64 participants. This qualitative exploratory study was nested in an implementation project dubbed Health Kiosks in Markets (HEKIMA). Six focus group discussions and sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted among purposively selected healthcare workers, market leaders, and policy actors. The conceptual framework, Population–intervention–environment–Transfer Model of Transferability (PIET‐T), guided the study design, data analysis, and identification of key themes. It also provided recommendations to optimize the program transfer. The successful transfer of a community-based health intervention to new settings depends on four key factors: its demonstrated effectiveness, compatibility with the local infrastructure, alignment with decision-makers’ priorities, and the level of institutional and stakeholder support. The findings provide valuable insights for guiding and informing the applicability of an intervention to other contexts. We demonstrate that active stakeholder participation should be encouraged.

Bridging the semantic gap in medical image segmentation via multi-scale dependency and attention-guided enhancement

Sensitivity analysis and integrated optimization of placement and parameters of rotational friction dampers based on seismic energy approach considering soil-structure interaction

The optimization of seismic resilience in steel moment-resisting frames (SMRFs) has driven extensive research into passive energy dissipation systems, particularly rotational friction dampers (RFDs). This study introduces a novel hybrid optimization framework that simultaneously determines the optimal placement and design parameters of RFDs in SMRFs. A sensitivity analysis of key RFD parameters, including frictional moment and rigid beam length, highlights their influence on seismic performance. The optimization problem is formulated based on the seismic energy dissipation concept, employing a modified binary and real-coded particle swarm optimization (BRPSO) algorithm. The study examines both 6- and 10-story SMRFs under artificial earthquake records, incorporating soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects to enhance accuracy. The results reveal that the optimal distribution of RFDs significantly reduces structural hysteretic energy and inter-story drift while improving energy dissipation efficiency. A comparative analysis shows that, for both SMRF configurations, an increase in the number of RFDs beyond the optimal threshold yields diminishing benefits in seismic mitigation. The proposed framework not only enhances structural resilience but also minimizes construction costs by ensuring an efficient damper layout. These findings provide valuable insights for designing cost-effective and high-performance seismic protection strategies for mid- to high-rise structures.

A lightweight large language model for regulatory affairs translation in pharmaceutical industry

Eliosin-an alternative product from the HmPKD1 locus is a component of endoplasmic reticulum mitochondria membrane contact sites

The human PKD1 gene locus region is the site that when mutated, causes 87% of the cases of human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This gene generates a full-length 14 kb message and encodes polycystin-1 (PC1). Informatic analysis of the PKD1 locus reveals 38 additional transcripts in the database, the most abundant cDNA is TESTI2047494 (GenBank ACC. No. DB056008) that maps to the 3’ region with active and open chromatin. This PKD1 locus region in human adult kidney cDNA probed by several sets of primers and sequencing produces an alternative transcript with a transcriptional start site in intron 40 that undergoes exon 42 skipping but aligns with exon 43−46 conventional splicing of the H mPKD1 gene. To assess the broader significance of this transcript, transcriptional characterization uncovered a highly similar murine renal alternative transcript suggesting a conserved functional role. The human alternative cDNA was analyzed for protein expression and only one of three reading frames led to a 47 kDa protein that is given the name Eliosin. Eliosin protein initiates from a non-canonical translation start site Leucine in exon 41 that generates 5 unique amino-terminal amino acids in a different frame from PKD1 . In 2D-gel analysis, Eliosin protein detected by anti-C terminal PC1 antibodies has a pI of 9.0 and the relative molecular weight was confirmed. Eliosin co-localizes with mitofusin-1, IP3R and dynamin related protein-1 (DRP1), proteins associated with ER mitochondria membrane contact sites (ERMCS). Eliosin observed in cotransfection studies with DRP1 support sequestration and/or competition mechanism at the ERMCS from classical interaction. Strikingly, exogenous Eliosin in immortalized ADPKD renal epithelial cells converts fragmented mitochondria populations to a filamentous shape. Our studies highlight the genomic complexity of the locus, a newly identified transcript and ERMCS protein, Eliosin with a role in mitochondria dynamics and potential impact in ADPKD progression.

In vivo subcutaneous biocompatibility evaluation of decellularized tilapia fish skin in a rat model

Abstract Decellularized tilapia fish skin (DTFS) has emerged as a promising biocompatible implant for wound healing due to its high collagen content, retained extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and structural similarity to human skin. This study investigates the decellularization of tilapia fish skin using two protocols including sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium chloride (Treatment 1) and Triton X-100 and sodium hydroxide (Treatment 2) and evaluates their efficacy and biocompatibility. Decellularization efficiency was assessed through DNA quantification, histological analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The DNA content in DTFS was significantly reduced (8.65 ± 1.25 ng/mg in Treatment 1 and 18.05 ± 0.85 ng/mg in Treatment 2) compared to native tilapia fish skin (286 ± 11 ng/mg), confirming effective removal of cellular material. Structural integrity of ECM was preserved in both treatments. In vivo biocompatibility was assessed by implanting the native and DTFS subcutaneously in Wistar rats, followed by hematological, biochemical (Urea, ALT, ALP, and LDH), and histological analysis of skin and liver tissues over 28 days. No significant abnormalities were observed in serum parameters or tissue morphology, indicating high biocompatibility. These results support the potential use of DTFS which are biocompatible as viable wound dressing for burn and chronic wound applications.

Weakly-supervised explainable infection severity classification from chest CT scans

Novel respiratory diseases can have a devastating impact on healthcare systems, which underlines the importance of developing methods to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and prognosis of such diseases. Developing computer-aided diagnosis tools that determine infection severity can aid healthcare professionals in deciding treatment strategies and preventing cross-infection. In such manner, lung infection severity classification from chest CTs is crucial for deciding treatment plans and interventions needed to block illness progression in individual patients and reduce cross infection. However, current techniques face performance, generalizability, and explainability challenges for automated infection severity classification methods due to the high spatial complexity of 3D volumes. Significant efforts have been focused on segmentation approaches to quantify lung infection and assess infection severity, but such segmentation methods require expensive data annotation and clinical expertise. In this work, we propose a weakly-supervised classification approach to distinguish between different levels of infection, while providing clinicians with explainable results. To mimic clinical practice, the different stages in our approach focus on low-level infection patterns as well as high-level infection coverage in lung CT scans. We then fuse the high-level features with the positionally encoded low-level features to provide volume-level infection classification. Testing on the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) multi-centre multi-region datasets, our approach shows promising performance gains compared to existing state-of-the-art methods, where we achieve state-of-the-art severity classification performance. Furthermore, we show significant performance gains on cross-site train/test splits. Finally, we quantitatively and qualitatively demonstrate the explainability of our weakly-supervised approach, where we can achieve substantial infection coverage.

Sugarcane genomes offer sweet surprise: mystery ancestor

A systematic review and meta-analysis of seropositive detection rate of Brucella abortus in blood donor populations

Significance of the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test for various oral mesalamines in ulcerative colitis with mesalamine intolerance

This study aimed to determine if the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) for various oral mesalamines can diagnose mesalamine intolerance and predict the success of retreatment in patients with adverse events (AEs) due to the first oral 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) formulations administered. Data from patients with ulcerative colitis who experienced AEs after administration of the first oral 5-ASA and underwent DLSTs for two or more types of mesalamine, including the first oral 5-ASA were retrospectively analyzed. Mesalamine intolerance was defined as AEs within 6 months of starting the first oral 5-ASA and the inability to take oral mesalamine. Clinical characteristics, symptoms, type of first oral 5-ASA, DLST results, and the efficacy of retreatment with oral mesalamine were compared. The DLST for the first oral 5-ASA (F-DLST), highest DLST among the different oral mesalamine types (H-DLST), and mean DLST (M-DLST) were analyzed. Twenty-eight patients (median age 39 years, 57.1% male) were eligible; six patients were tolerant to oral mesalamine and22 were intolerant. Positive F-DLST (odds ratio [OR], 2.300; p = 0.002), positive M-DLST (OR, 2.667; p = 0.007), and older age at diagnosis (median 24.5 vs. 41.5; p = 0.006) were associated with mesalamine intolerance. Fourteen of the 28 patients underwent mesalamine retreatment. Higher F-DLST (median 88.0 vs. 174.0; p = 0.026), M-DLST (median 118.5 vs. 170.3; p = 0.040), and older age at diagnosis (median 24.5 vs. 39.0; p = 0.033) were associated with retreatment failure for oral mesalamine. DLSTs for various oral mesalamine formulations may be useful in predicting mesalamine intolerance and retreatment outcomes. However, their clinical utility should be interpreted with caution due to the risk of false-positive and false-negative results.

Author Correction: EBI2 augments Tfh cell fate by promoting interaction with IL-2-quenching dendritic cells

Sustainable Gossypium arboreum biodiesel production using an industrial waste heterogeneous catalyst for RCCI engine applications

Mathematical modelling and compensation strategies for printing dot gain

In contemporary printing processes, dot gain is a pivotal factor influencing print quality. This phenomenon, characterized by the loss of image details and the potential for chromatic aberration, poses significant challenges to enhancing print quality. Despite extensive research that has been conducted by numerous scholars on dot gain, effective control and correction of this phenomenon in practical printing operations remain an urgent concern. This study utilized newsprint, offset paper, and coated paper as research objects, and employed the least squares method and MATLAB tools to calculate dot gain compensation values through the “coordinate transformation method” and fit the compensation curve of dot gain. The novelty of this research lies in its development of an integrated mathematical modeling approach that combines least squares optimization with coordinate transformation, providing a computationally efficient alternative to traditional inverse function methods. The experimental results demonstrated that the compensation strategy was effective in the mid-tone and dark-tone areas, significantly enhancing printing accuracy and stability. However, in the bright tone area, further optimization of the compensation effect is necessary. The study proposes a dot gain compensation strategy based on the least squares method, providing the printing industry with new ideas and technical support for enhancing printing quality.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Zaleya pentandra and investigation of their biological activities

Correction: Direct evidence for processing Isatis tinctoria L., a non-nutritional plant, 32–34,000 years ago

Building retrofit multiobjective optimization using neural networks and genetic algorithm three for energy carbon and comfort

Predicting hypertension and identifying most important factors among married women in Bangladesh using machine learning approach

Introduction Hypertension is a leading contributor to maternal and cardiometabolic morbidity in Bangladesh. We developed and interpreted machine-learning (ML) models to predict hypertension and rank associated factors among married women with the goal of informing targeted screening and policy in low-resource settings. Methods We analyzed 4,253 married women from the nationally representative BDHS 2017–18 survey (hypertension prevalence: 23.1%). Twelve ML algorithms were trained under six class-balancing strategies with hyperparameters tuned via random search. Validation used a hold-out test set (80/20) and repeated stratified k-fold cross-validation; bootstrap confidence intervals were estimated for the selected model. Model performance was compared with parametric and non-parametric tests. To interpret results, SHAP was used to rank the top 20 predictors and visualize feature effects. Models quantify associations rather than causation. Results The Extra Trees classifier with SMOTE+ENN achieved the best discrimination (F1 = 0.94; AUC-PR = 0.95; ROC-AUC = 0.95). Compared with the original imbalanced training, minority-class detection improved substantially (Extra Trees F1 increased from 0.08 to 0.94; recall from 0.04 to 0.95) while accuracy and ROC-AUC remained relatively stable across samplers. Statistical testing favored SMOTE+ENN for recall, F1, G-mean and AUC-PR. SHAP identified age, parity, recent births, contraceptive use, spousal education and BMI as key predictors. Younger age (<35 years) and normal/underweight status were protective, while parity ≥2–3, husbands’ age ≥ 40 years and overweight/obesity increased risk. Conclusions An interpretable ensemble model built primarily on sociodemographic and behavioral variables supplemented by limited biometric markers (BMI, glucose) can accurately flag hypertensive risk among married women in Bangladesh. Findings support programmatic integration of risk scores into eRegistries, routine blood pressure checks in family planning and postpartum visits, husband-focused education/SMS interventions and prioritization of high-parity households in high-risk regions. External validation on BDHS-2022 is planned to assess generalizability.

Correction: In situ FRET measurement of cellular tension using conventional confocal laser microscopy in newly established reporter mice expressing actinin tension sensor

Effect of nutrient omissions on bread wheat and tef crops grain yield in Western Amhara, Ethiopia

The decline in soil nutrients in Ethiopia, particularly in Western Amhara, is causing low crop productivity. Some researchers have argued that the application of K, S, Zn, and B in blended, individual, and complex forms affects crop yield. Identification of the prime yield-limiting nutrient is the key to solvesoil nutrient problems. A field experiment was conducted at Burie-Wemeberema, Debere Elias, Gozamen and Gonji Qolela districts of Western Amhara in the 2022 cropping season. A composite soil sample was taken at a depth of 0–20 cm to determine soil chemical properties. Bread wheat and tef were used as a test crop. The gross plot sizes were 4m x 3m and the spacing between blocks and rows was 1.0 and 0.2 m, respectively. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications and comprised of nine treatments: control, NPKSZnB-blended, NPKZnB, NPKSB, NPKSZnB, NPSZnB, NP, NPKSZnB-individually applied, and NPSZnB-compound+K. R programming software version 4.2.2 was used for data analysis, and treatment means were separated at P < 0.05 using the LSD test. The analysis of variance results showed that nitrogen and phosphorus are the most yield-limiting nutrients so far in the study area. Besides, omissions of potassium, sulfur, zinc, and boron did not show a significant (P < 0.05) effect on bread wheat and tef grain yield reduction as compared to the applied recommended nitrogen and phosphorus at all landscape positions of all study sites. Blended and compound nutrients also didn’t show a significant grain yield advantage as compared to the applied NP nutrients. Applied potassium, sulfur, zinc, and boron nutrients in blended, individual, and compound forms did not increase wheat and tef grain and biomass yields in all study areas. Currently, additions of K, S, Zn, and B nutrients in the fertilizer package do not have a significant grain yield advantage as compared to the recommended NP nutrients. We believe the present information on fertilizers in blended, compound, and individual forms is insufficient to draw any concrete conclusions. Therefore, we suggested further research to confirm which form of fertilizer and nutrient source is better for future crop production.