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CircuLating micrornas in post-COVID-19 patients and its association with cognitive impairment

Radical-Mediated Dynamic Reconstruction of Ni–N–C Single-Atom Catalysts for Wide-Potential CO ₂ -to-CO Electroreduction

Association between preoperative serum albumin and long-term all-cause mortality after percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fracture

Purpose Albumin levels have demonstrated superior predictive value for surgical outcomes across a variety of surgeries. However, their effect on long-term survival after vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fracture has not yet been well studied. This study aims to investigate the relationship between preoperative albumin levels and long-term survival in patients who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures. Materials and methods We enrolled patients who underwent vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fracture between the period of May 1, 2013 to June 30, 2020 in a single medical center. Patients who were diagnosed with a pathologic compression fracture, underwent additional spinal instrumentation during the same surgery, and those without data regarding their bone mineral density (BMD) were excluded. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to examine the effects of hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dL) on all-cause mortality after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), osteoporosis. Results A total of 145 patients were analyzed, and the median follow-up period was 2.12 (interquartile range 1.51–3.28) years (mean follow-up 2.65 [SD 1.78] years). Compared with normal albumin levels, patients with hypoalbuminemia were found to be independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 3.154, p = 0.014). These findings remained significant when albumin was examined as a continuous variable (hazard ratio 0.242, p = 0.001) and even after multivariate adjustment as well (hazard ratio 0.192, p = 0.004). Conclusion Hypoalbuminemia was associated with all-cause mortality among patients who underwent vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures. Our findings highlighted the impact of nutritional status on long-term mortality in an elderly surgical population.

Compartmentalized biomarker correlations in HIV: plasma-CSF relationships vary by blood-brain/blood-CSF barrier permeability and viral suppression

Abstract Neuroinflammation is common in people with HIV (PWH) and may be reflected also in plasma biomarkers; the latter are sometimes used as surrogates for CSF. However, use of plasma biomarkers in this way risks obscuring compartment-specific processes since distribution across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) varies between proteins with some reaching the CNS more readily than others. We tested the hypothesis that BBB and viral suppression status shape cross-compartment biomarker coupling, clarifying when plasma proteins do or do not represent neuroinflammation. Paired CSF and plasma samples from 567 PWH in the CHARTER cohort were analyzed with the Olink Target-96 Inflammation Panel. Using regression, canonical correlation, and machine learning, we evaluated viral suppression and BBB permeability (indexed by CSF total protein levels, which are more readily available clinically and highly correlated with the CSF to serum albumin ratio) as effect modifiers of CSF–plasma biomarker correlations. Intra-CSF and intra-plasma correlations were consistently strong, but cross-compartment correlations were weak and inconsistent. Some proteins had strong correlations when CSF total protein was high, including CD8A, IL-12B, TNFRSF9, and TNFB. Unsuppressed viremia amplified broader cross-compartment signaling (e.g., IL-12B, CXCL9, CXCL10). BBB permeability and viral suppression moderate biomarker compartmentalization in PWH. These findings support a hypothesis-driven framework in which biomarkers can be classified as CNS-restricted, peripherally driven, or BBB-dependent. This mechanistic structure informs biomarker selection for clinical trials and provides testable models of neuroinflammation in PWH.

Photoacid Mediated Spin State Switching in Spin-Crossover Systems: The Example of an Fe(II)-Acylhydrazone Complex

Shy or bold, all get caught: Two active capture methods show no behavioural bias in a large herbivore

Behavioural studies often assume that sampled individuals represent the broader population, yet behaviour-dependent capture bias can distort behavioural and ecological inferences. While more risk-prone individuals are likely to be overrepresented in captured samples, the potential for bias in wild animals, particularly large mammals, remains unclear due to the inherent difficulties in assessing it. This study tested whether chemical immobilisation and drop nets yielded samples of Northern chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ) representative of the population with respect to ecologically relevant behaviours related to the individual exposure to risks. We recorded the spontaneously exhibited behaviours of 25 free-ranging adult chamois previously captured and tagged, alongside their non-captured counterparts. First, we assessed the repeatability of key behaviours with expected positive (eating, walking, aggression) or negative (standing, resting, group centrality) associations with risk exposure in captured chamois, to evaluate their individual consistency and suitability as indicators of inter-individual behavioural variation. Eating, standing, resting, and group centrality were significantly repeatable, while walking and aggression were not. Second, we compared the frequency of these repeatable behaviours across chamois being captured using either method and their non-captured counterparts observed in the same sessions, controlling for demographic and environmental confounding factors. Both frequentist likelihood ratio tests and Bayesian analyses provided strong evidence against the presence of capture bias, indicating that both methods yielded a behaviourally representative sample in terms of eating, standing, resting, and group centrality. With this first explicit assessment of capture bias in a large mammal, we challenge the assumption that capture systematically skews behavioural data in wild animals, demonstrating that chemical immobilisation and drop nets can provide unbiased samples of behavioural diversity in chamois, and possibly in other large herbivores. Given the importance of minimising sampling biases in ecological research, we highlight the good opportunity to validate capture methods before extrapolating behavioural and ecological inferences.

Income´s association with COVID-19 outcomes in healthcare workers and general working-age population

Abstract While higher income is generally associated with better health outcomes, this study examined whether that pattern applied to healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using register-based data from Finland’s Capital region, we analyzed 26,271 confirmed COVID-19 cases among working-age individuals, including 2,201 HCWs, over the first 15 months of the pandemic, assessing hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality across income levels. HCWs had slightly higher odds of hospitalization than the general working-age population (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04–1.56), with no significant differences in ICU admission or mortality. Unexpectedly, higher income among HCWs was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.17–3.49), contrary to its usual protective effect. These findings suggest that occupational exposure may override typical socioeconomic advantages, underscoring the need for tailored protective measures and further research on HCW-specific risks.

Fluorinated Pentanidium-Enabled Enantioselective Desymmetrization of Phosphinic Acids

Self-reported perception of statistical literacy: Evidence from a National Survey of U.S. Adults

Amid growing recognition of the role statistical literacy plays in informed decision-making, we examined self-reported statistical literacy and willingness to apply statistical reasoning in everyday contexts using data if they understood statistics better through secondary data analysis of a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. The survey showed that 62% of U.S. adults self-report having little to no idea what statistics or statistical concepts like p-values are, but 90% of them would base decisions on reported statistics at least sometimes if they understood them better. Survey-weighted ordinal regression revealed that higher educational attainment was positively associated with perceived statistical literacy, while older generational cohorts reported lower levels. Individuals who rated themselves as more statistically literate expressed greater willingness to use statistical information provided they understood it better. These findings highlight the urgent need to further expand statistical education across both formal curricula and informal learning environments to empower public engagement with data-driven issues.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico characterization of chalcone derivatives as antidiabetic hits

Government attention allocation in promoting strategic emerging industries in China’s less-developed central region: A policy text analysis of Shanxi province

Government attention is recognized as a crucial factor in facilitating the sustainable and leapfrog development of strategic emerging industries (SEIs) in less-developed central regions. Focusing on Shanxi province, a typical less-developed central region in China, this study investigates the allocation logic of government attention by analyzing 60 policy documents from 2010 to 2025. Drawing on the attention-based view and policy instrument theory, we establish an Actor-Instrument-Theme framework, and employ a mixed-methods approach combining case study, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Social Network Analysis (SNA). The results reveal weak collaboration among policy actors, an over-reliance on supply-side and environmental policy instruments, and a pyramid-shaped thematic priority structure. This pattern is defined as a foundation-first, gradient-layout approach. While this model may be efficient for early-stage industrial takeoff, it risks long-term distortions such as innovation crowding-out, market entry barriers, and path-dependence lock-in. To promote the sustainable development of SEIs, it is recommended that local governments strengthen policy coordination, optimize policy instrument portfolios, and ensure a balanced deployment of industrial resources.

Improving decision reliability in transport safety engineering through a machine learning-based model

Electrochemical Strain-Release Difunctionalization of Azabicyclo-[1.1.0]butanes with Nitroarenes

Time-Evolving Reversible Circularly Polarized Luminescence Enabled by Light-Fueled Dissipative Self-Assembly of Covalent Organic Frameworks

Family support mediates the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life among patients with hypertension in Ghana: A cross-sectional study

Background Hypertension poses significant challenges to quality of life globally. While medication adherence is essential for managing hypertension, psychosocial factors like family support may influence both adherence and quality of life. This study investigated the mediating role of family support in the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life among persons with hypertension in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 365 patients with hypertension attending Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, including the Short Form-36 for quality of life assessment, the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve scale for family support measurement, and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Mediation analysis was performed using R statistical software. Results Five models with increasing levels of adjustment were constructed for the mediation analysis. Higher medication adherence was significantly associated with better quality of life (Total Effect: (β) = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.63–1.50, p < 0.001). Family support significantly mediated this relationship (Average Causal Mediation Effect = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02–0.19, p = 0.008), accounting for 8% of the total effect. The direct effect of medication adherence on quality of life remained significant after adjusting for family support (Average Direct Effect = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.52–1.42, p < 0.001). The mediation effect persisted after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge score, healthcare access, and lifestyle factors (mediated proportion: 8.9%, p = 0.038). Patients from highly functional families demonstrated better quality of life with a unit increase in medication adherence score. Conclusion Family support partially mediates the relationship between medication adherence and quality of life of persons with hypertension. Interventions to improve medication adherence and quality of life should incorporate strategies to enhance family support systems. Healthcare providers should consider the complex family dynamics when developing comprehensive management plans for persons with hypertension.

Primary tumor resection in de novo metastatic tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a real-world study

A High-Performance Bimetallic Ru ₁ Mo ₆ Active Site for Thermal Ammonia Synthesis under Mild Conditions

Geographic equity in multiple micronutrient deficiencies among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia: a spatial multiscale weighted regression analysis

Effects of silicone-based formulations on laser-induced microscopic lesions: results from a randomized trial using an in vivo human wound healing model

Abstract Inherent intra-individual variability in wound pathophysiology presents significant challenges in establishing appropriate control conditions for clinical studies. As a result, the scientific evidence supporting the clinical efficacy of interventions designed to enhance wound healing remains frequently limited. Here, we assess the effects of silicone-based formulations on wound healing using a non-invasive, in vivo multimodal approach. Fractional photothermolysis-induced skin microlesions will be used as in human wound model. Two approved silicone-based formulations, authorized as medical devices for the management of acute and chronic wounds, were randomly applied to distinct test sites on the proximal volar forearm, which had been ablated in a fractional pattern using a CO₂ laser. A third laser ablated test site was left without silicone gel treatment and served as the control. Erythema severity and lesion microarchitecture were assessed using dermoscopy and three-dimensional line-field confocal optical coherence tomography at predefined time points between Day 1 and Day 14 following laser irradiation. The silicone-based formulations significantly reduced acute erythema and its overall intensity. Treatment with these formulations also resulted in a highly significant reduction in lesion area and depth, in addition to a lower inter-individual variability compared to the untreated control. LC-OCT imaging furthermore showed faster restoration of the epidermal barrier, potentially minimizing the risk of infection and related complications, supporting faster wound healing and skin recovery in this in-vivo wound healing model.

Syngas Production from Methane Reforming by Integrating Aqueous Microdroplets with Heterogeneous ZnO