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A vasculature-resident innate lymphoid cell population in mouse lungs

Exploring and expanding the natural chemical space of bacterial diterpenes

Deep brain stimulation alleviates Parkinsonian motor deficits through desynchronizing GABA release in mice

Multivariate covalent organic frameworks with tailored electrostatic potential promote nitrate electroreduction to ammonia in acid

Climate change is projected to shrink phylogenetic endemism of Neotropical frogs

Structural basis for Polθ-helicase DNA binding and microhomology-mediated end-joining

Anion intercalation enables efficient and stable carboxylate upgrading via aqueous non-Kolbe electrolysis

Data-driven discovery of Pt single atom embedded germanosilicate MFI zeolite catalysts for propane dehydrogenation

ZnOx overlayer confined on ZnCr2O4 spinel for direct syngas conversion to light olefins

Validity and reliability of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) for critically ill pediatric patients

Introduction In some regions, critically ill pediatric and adult patients are cared for in the same intensive care unit, complicating pain assessment due to mixed age groups. To address this, it is essential to use pain scales that are applicable to a wide age range. The Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) was developed to assess pain in both intubated and non-intubated adult patients. However, its applicability in pediatric patients has not been confirmed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CPOT for critically ill pediatric patients. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in an eight-bed open PICU from January 2022 to March 2023. Three research nurses independently assessed pain using CPOT, the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale, and an Observational Visual Analog Scale (VAS obs). Criterion-related and construct validity were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients between CPOT, VAS obs, and FLACC. Diagnostic performance was evaluated via ROC analysis using a FLACC score ≥ 4 as the reference. CPOT scores with and without medical interventions were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test, and inter-rater reliability was assessed with Cohen’s weighted κ. Results Ninety-one patients were observed 165 times. CPOT strongly correlated with VAS obs (Spearman’s ρ =  0.87, p <  0.01) and FLACC (Spearman’s ρ =  0.84, p <  0.01). At a CPOT cut-off score of 3, sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 96.7%. CPOT effectively reflected pain levels during medical interventions (p <  0.01), and inter-rater reliability was high (weighted κ =  0.89, 95% CI: 0.799–0.941). Conclusions This study suggests that CPOT may be a useful tool for pain assessment in pediatric patients.

Oncolytic virotherapy provides a potent therapy option for squamous bladder cancer

Abstract Prognosis for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder is limited mostly because of lack of effective treatment regimens. Oncolytic virotherapy represents a promising option for bladder cancer and received in 2024 FDA therapy designation for the treatment of non-invasive high-grade bladder cancer (BLCA). For muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), preclinical studies demonstrated high efficacy of the oncolytic adenovirus XVir-N-31 in urothelial carcinoma (UC). We analyzed the potency of XVir-N-31 virotherapy as a novel treatment option in SCC. Replication of XVir-N-31 has been described to be facilitated by high expression level of Y-Box binding protein 1 (YB-1). Increased YB-1-mRNA expression was detected in basal/squamous subtype in TCGA BLCA cohort compared to urothelial and luminal BLCA and correlated with patient outcomes. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of 89 SCC on a tissue microarray confirmed strong YB-1 expression in squamous BLCA (sq-BLCA). In vitro, XVir-N-31 showed in subtype-specific cell cultures high rates of infection, replication and cell-killing capacity. In a novel in ovo xenograft model, XVir-N-31 impaired growth of xenografts of patient-derived ex vivo cell lines (p-SCC, p-UC) with growth suppression rates of 39–49%. We provide preclinical evidence ex vivo and in ovo for high efficacy of XVir-N-31 based oncolytic virotherapy as novel SCC therapy.

Spatial patterns and influencing factors of traditional villages in the Pearl River–Xijiang River Economic Belt (PRXREB)

The spatial patterns and influencing factors of traditional villages are critical for their preservation and heritage. This study employs spatial analysis and geostatistical methods to explore the spatial distribution of national traditional villages within the PRXREB as of 2023. The results indicate an uneven and clustered distribution, identifying four distinct clusters within the region. The analysis shows that most traditional villages are located near major rivers and roads, as well as in areas with slopes less than 10°. Importantly, the distribution of traditional villages in the PRXREB is shaped by the interplay of multiple factors rather than isolated individual factors, the complex interplay between natural factors and socio-economic conditions likely shapes the sustainable development of traditional villages by affecting long-term economic development path. Particularly, some traditional villages in Guangxi with challenging natural environments face risks due to population loss and inadequate transportation infrastructure. We find that the spatial distribution of traditional villages is significantly positively correlated with the spatial distribution of regional population and various economic indicators. The per capita disposable income of urban residents (PIUR) is the most influential factor, and economic development helps promote the protection and inheritance of traditional villages, but there are also regional differences. Based on these insights, we propose targeted recommendations to support the sustainable development and conservation of traditional villages in the PRXREB.

Dietary acid load and the odds of knee osteoarthritis: a case–control study

Covalently reactive microparticles imbibe blood to form fortified clots for rapid hemostasis and prevention of rebleeding

Abstract Owing to the inherently gradual nature of coagulation, the body fails in covalently crosslinking to stabilize clots rapidly, even with the aid of topical hemostats, thus inducing hemostatic failure and potential rebleeding. Although recently developed adhesives confer sealing bleeding sites independently of coagulation, interfacial blood hampers their adhesion and practical applications. Here, we report a covalently reactive hemostat based on blood-imbibing and -crosslinking microparticles. Once contacting blood, the microparticles automatically mix with blood via imbibition and covalently crosslink with blood proteins and the tissue matrix before natural coagulation operates, rapidly forming a fortified clot with enhanced mechanical strength and tissue adhesion. In contrast to commercial hemostats, the microparticles achieve rapid hemostasis (within 30 seconds) and less blood loss (approximately 35 mg and 1 g in the rat and coagulopathic pig models, respectively), while effectively preventing blood-pressure-elevation-induced rebleeding in a rabbit model. This work advances the development and clinical translation of hemostats for rapid hemostasis and rebleeding prevention.

The assessment of physiotherapy practice is a robust measure of entry-level physiotherapy standards: Reliability and validity evidence from a large, representative sample

The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a 20-item assessment instrument used to assess entry-level physiotherapy practice in Australia, New Zealand and other international locations. Initial APP reliability and validity evidence supported a unidimensional or single latent factor as the best representation of entry-level physiotherapy practice performance. However, there remains inconsistency in how the APP is interpreted and operationalised across Australian and New Zealand universities offering entry-level physiotherapy programs. In essence, the presumption that the psychometric integrity of the APP generalises across people, time, and contexts remains largely untested. This multi-site, archival replication study utilised APP assessment data from 8,979 clinical placement assessments, across 19 Australian and New Zealand universities, graduating entry-level physiotherapy students (n=1865) in 2019. Structural representation of APP scores were examined via confirmatory factor analysis and penalised structural equation models. Factor analyses indicated a 2-factor representation, with four items (1–4) for the professional dimension and 16 items (5–20) for the clinical dimension, is the best approximation of entry-level physiotherapy performance. Measurement invariance analyses supported the robustness of this 2-factor representation over time and across diverse practice areas in both penultimate and final years of study. The findings provide strong evidence for the psychometric integrity of the APP, and the 2-factor alternative interpretation and operationalisation is recommended. To meet entry-level standards students should be assessed as competent across both professional and clinical dimensions of physiotherapy practice.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy guided radiotherapy boost for patients with glioblastoma

Abstract To assess the feasibility and efficacy of delivering a radiation dose boost to high-risk glioblastoma (GBM) tumor regions, identified using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after standard radiotherapy (RT). This retrospective study included patients newly diagnosed with GBM between January 2017 and July 2023. All patients received Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and concurrent temozolomide. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRS were performed prior to radiotherapy and after the administration of 60Gy. A biological gross tumor volume (bGTV) was delineated on the simulation CT using the image fusion with the T1 sequence with MRS data after 60Gy. Based on the bGTV volume, patients received an additional 10-20Gy. Survival outcomes were estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods, and Cox regression analysis was applied to explore associations between clinical factors and survival. A total of 114 patients were analyzed. The median patient age was 51 years (range: 18–78 years), and 60.5% were male. Gross total resection was performed in 76 patients prior to RT. IDH1/2 wild-type was identified in 99 patients, and MGMT methylation was present in 40 patients. The median follow-up period was 34.0 months (95% CI, 27.1–40.9 months). The median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were 30.0 months (95%. CI 21.5–38.5 months), and 12.0 months (95%CI 9.5–14.5 months), respectively. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the type of surgical resection and IDH1/2 mutation status were significantly associated with OS and PFS. Headache and fatigue were the most frequently reported symptoms. Delivering a RT boost to high-risk tumor regions identified by MRS after standard RT is feasible in patients with GBM and demonstrate acceptable toxicity. Further prospective clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings.

Ferromagnetism in LaFeO3/LaNiO3 superlattices with high Curie temperature

The dependency structure of the financial multiplex network model: New evidence from the cross-correlation of idiosyncratic returns, volatility, and trading volume

This work describes the design of a novel financial multiplex network composed of three layers obtained by applying the MST-based cross-correlation network, using the data from 465 companies listed on the US market. The study employs a combined approach of complex multiplex networks, to examine the statistical properties of asset interdependence within the financial market. In addition, it performs an extensive analysis of both the similarities and the differences between this financial multiplex network, its individual layers, and the commonly studied stock return network. The results highlight the importance of the financial multiplex network, demonstrating that its network layers offer unique information within the multiplex dataset. Empirical analysis reveals dissimilarities between the financial multiplex network and the stock return monoplex network, indicating that the two networks provide distinct insights into the structure of the stock market. Furthermore, the financial multiplex network outperforms the singleplex network of stock returns because it has a structure that better determines the future Sharpe ratio. These findings add substantially to our understanding of the financial market system in which multiple types of relationship among financial assets play an important role.

A method to design polarization reconfigurable antenna with simple switching mechanism and compact size characteristics

Abstract A reconfigurable antenna with simple polarization switching mechanism and compact size characteristics is presented in this paper. The primary radiating aperture of the proposed design is four parasitic elements arranged in a 2 $$\times$$ 2 configuration. This radiating aperture is coupled with an excitation source whose polarizations can be controlled by a switchable feeding network. By employing only two PIN diodes, the proposed antenna can produce unidirectional beams with different polarizations, including linearly polarized (LP), left-hand and right-hand circularly polarized (LHCP, RHCP) modes. It is worth mentioning that employing a switchable feeding network helps to minimize the negative effect of the biasing circuit to the antenna operation characteristics. Experimental results indicate that the consistent operational bandwidth across all states spans from 2.44 to 2.47 GHz. Furthermore, the recorded broadside gain reaches approximately 4.8 dBi. In comparison with existing studies, the proposed antenna achieves multiple polarization configurations while utilizing the least number of diodes and maintaining a compact design.

Zero-field Hall effect emerging from a non-Fermi liquid in a collinear antiferromagnet V1/3NbS2