Studying actin-filament assembly into distinct subcellular structures can provide insights into both physiological cellular processes and the mechanisms of disease. However, there are a limited number of tools that can quantify the organization and abundance of different actin structures from confocal microscopy images of cells expressing Lifeact or fixed and stained with phalloidin. Filamentous actin segmentation tool (FAST) is a deep learning model trained with a unique approach of antibody-assisted annotation, resulting in accurate and efficient quantification of distinct classes of actin structures. Here, we detail the protocol for using antibody-assisted annotation to generate datasets that could be applied to train machine learning models. Additionally, we provide step-by-step instructions for applying FAST on phalloidin-stained or live-cell confocal imaging data using our pretrained model. FAST is open source and freely available, with user-friendly notebooks that enable quantification of different classes of actin structure, without the need for structure-specific antibodies. As such, FAST can be a practical tool for researchers investigating the role of cytoskeletal organization in a range of processes. Key features • This antibody-assisted labeling approach can be used for identifying different classes of actin structure and generating labeled datasets for training machine learning algorithms. • The trained FAST model then enables the detection of distinct classes of actin structure without the need for multiple structure-specific antibodies. • FAST generates segmentation masks that can be used to quantify the abundance and organization of detected classes. • This protocol provides a graphical user interface for fine-tuning custom phalloidin-stained images and provides instructions on using trained model on Ilastik interface.
Non-local muscle fatigue (NLMF) has been well-studied in young individuals following acute, higher intensity exercise; however, the effects of age on NLMF are unclear and limited research exist in women. Research examining age-related differences in NLMF following tasks mimicking everyday life such as fast-paced walking is needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential differences in NLMF for maximal and rapid force capacity between young and middle-aged women following an acute bout of fast-paced walking. Young (YW; n=16; 21±2 yrs) and post-menopausal, middle-aged (MW; n=14; 55±3 yrs) women completed a testing visit following a familiarization session. Handgrip testing was performed before and after a 6-min, fast-paced walking task. Maximal force, and early (0-100 ms) and late (0-200 ms) rapid force metrics were calculated from the force-time curve captured during handgrip testing. Rating of perceived exertion (0-10) was also obtained. Two-way mixed group × time ANOVAs were used to compare changes between groups. RPE was similar for YW (3.00±1.16) and MW (3.29±1.45) (p=0.560; d=0.22). Maximal force increased in YW (p=0.024; d=0.52) but remained unchanged in MW (p=0.092; d=0.56). Peak (p<0.001; =0.477) and early (p<0.001-p=0.002; = 0.284-0.365) rapid force decreased similarly for both groups. Late rapid force remained unchanged (p=0.210-0.688; =0.055-0.006). Despite no effect of age, NLMF was exhibited solely through early rapid force capacity following moderate intensity fast-paced walking. The divergent responses between maximal and rapid force are an important consideration for future research, given the implications for physical function in older populations.
Background: Hyperuricemia is a common problem in captive reptiles and is associated with gout and renal disease. Rasburicase is a recombinant urate oxidase that converts uric acid into allantoin, a more water-soluble metabolite. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of rasburicase in clinically healthy ball pythons (Python regius). Methods: Eight adult ball pythons were included in a prospective crossover study. Six experimental conditions were evaluated: fasting with and without rasburicase (0.2 mg/kg IM), feeding with a day-old chick with and without rasburicase, and feeding with a mouse with and without rasburicase. Plasma uric acid concentrations were measured at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Results: Rasburicase did not significantly affect fasting uric acid concentrations. Feeding increased plasma uric acid concentrations, with peak values occurring between 24 and 72 h. Following chick consumption, rasburicase promoted a faster decline in UA concentrations, although differences were not significant (p = 0.907). Following mouse consumption, rasburicase significantly reduced UA concentrations (p = 0.002), with a mean reduction of 37.85%. No changes were observed in behavior, appetite or defecation. Conclusions: Rasburicase was well tolerated and reduced postprandial uric acid concentrations in ball pythons.
Ground segmentation is an essential preprocessing step for LiDAR-based perception in autonomous driving, as it directly affects subsequent object clustering and obstacle detection. This paper proposes a fast grid-based ground segmentation method for 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds using dual-seed expansion. The input point cloud is projected onto a two-dimensional Cartesian grid, where cell-wise height statistics, including minimum height, maximum height, mean height, and height variance, are computed. Initial ground candidates are selected by combining a global height-distribution-based seed and a LiDAR-mounting-height-based seed to reduce missed ground candidates in sloped or sparse regions. Ground cells are then expanded to nearby cells based on the local height difference. To reduce misclassification in cells containing both ground and non-ground points, a local height-band criterion is applied for point-level refinement. The proposed method was implemented in Robot Operating System 1 (ROS 1) and evaluated on the SemanticKITTI dataset. Experimental results showed an average accuracy of 96.34%, an F1-score of 97.11%, and a ground Intersection over Union (IoU) of 94.40%. The average processing time over SemanticKITTI sequences 00-10 was 12.15 ms per frame. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is suitable as a fast preprocessing module for LiDAR-based autonomous driving perception.
High ash andsss urea formaldehyde (UF) resin contents in particleboard sanding powder (SP) have restricted the effective resource utilization of SP and make it a hazardous biomass material for particleboard enterprises. To achieve high-value resource utilization of SP while addressing its hazardous disposal issues, different HCl concentration-oriented deashing pretreatments of SP coupled with fast pyrolysis was proposed for producing value-added pyrolytic sugar levoglucosan (LG) and high-quality pyrolytic char. The results show that H+ ions released from HCl solution could effectively remove structural ash, likely by disrupting the chemical linkages between the structural ash and lignocellulosic matrix. An amount of 2 mol/L HCl could achieve an over 95% removal rate of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in the ash while maintaining a low loss of polysaccharides. This considerably facilitated the glycosidic cleavage of cellulose into levoglucosan (LG), with the LG yield increasing from 2.18% of raw SP to 13.69% of 2 mol/L HCl deashed SP. Interestingly, it was found that HCl washing of SP facilitated the co-production of value-added platform chemical acetic acid via acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetyl groups in UF resin attached to the xylose unit, with the yield increasing from about 7% of raw SP to over 11% of HCl deashed one. Specifically, 2 mol/L HCl deashing pretreatment of SP significantly improved the quality of pyrolytic char with the ash content decreasing from 7.24% to 2.39% and fixed carbon content lifting from 54.08% to 76.04%, thus drastically improving the higher heating value (HHV) from 24.66% of raw SP-derived char to 30.05% of deashed SP-derived char. Moreover, the pyrolytic char CO2 gasification reactivity increased from 0.027 min-1 of raw SP-derived char to 0.034 min-1 of that derived from 2 mol/L HCl deashed SP, approaching that of the widely used industrial charcoal fuel. Pyrolysis kinetic analysis indicates that deashing pretreatment of SP makes the formation of value-added platform chemicals and high-quality carbonaceous fuel proceed more easily at a lower activation energy (214.39 kJ·mol-1) than that of raw SP (245.81 kJ·mol-1). This study offers a novel approach for the synergistic production of value-added chemicals and high-quality carbonaceous fuel from biomass waste materials with high contents of ash and UF resin, providing a feasible strategy for the clean and high-value resource utilization of wood-based industrial residues.
Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults. An important challenge is the recognition of its early asymptomatic stages and the monitoring of its progression, which requires reliable biomarkers. Growing evidence indicates that AMD-related biochemical changes are reflected in the proteome of tear fluid (TF). Although TF is a non-invasive and easily collectable diagnostic material, its proteomic analysis is complex and costly and therefore has limited clinical value. Methods: In this pilot single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, we developed a new method for dry AMD screening based on analysis of nano-differential scanning fluorimetry (nanoDSF) tear protein denaturation profiles (TDPs) within 15 min. The TDPs were recorded in representative groups of dry AMD patients (37% early, 48% intermediate, 15% geographic atrophy), and in control groups, including patients with refractive abnormalities (basic control), other retinal degenerative diseases (diabetic retinopathy, peripheral retinal dystrophy), or TF-affecting conditions (dry eye syndrome). High-dimensional TDP data were processed using unsupervised machine learning followed by k-means cluster analysis. Results: The presented pipeline distinguished AMD from the basic control with 74% accuracy and a sensitivity of 0.81 without relying on prior labels. The specificity of AMD detection was confirmed by its effective differentiation from diabetic retinopathy (72%; 0.74), peripheral retinal dystrophy (79%; 0.76) and dry eye disease (76%; 0.81). Classifying the AMD group from the entire population of other patients yielded an accuracy of 71% and a sensitivity of 85%, with a false-negative rate of only 15%. Conclusions: This study is a proof of concept for the nanoDSF-based approach, which can be considered a fast, cost-effective, and convenient tool for population screening for dry AMD, suitable for use in preventive medicine and public health.
Background/Objectives: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric condition characterized by persistent low mood and cognitive dysfunction. Vortioxetine, a multimodal antidepressant, modulates serotonin receptor activity and inhibits the serotonin transporter. This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence and in vitro dissolution performance of a generic 20 mg vortioxetine formulation compared to the reference product under fasting conditions in healthy Mexican volunteers. Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, two-period, crossover study. Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled, and 18 completed both periods, with a 4-week washout period between them. Plasma concentrations were quantified using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Results: The 90% confidence intervals (CI) for the geometric mean ratios (Test/Reference) of Cmax and AUC0-72 were 92.32% [84.51-100.85] and 96.77% [91.10-102.80], respectively. Both parameters fell within the 80.00-125.00% bioequivalence acceptance range. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: The generic vortioxetine formulation is bioequivalent to the reference product, supporting its therapeutic interchangeability for the treatment of MDD. NCT07624357.
Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) are considered promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries owing to their high theoretical capacity and suitable redox potential, yet their practical application is limited by sluggish reaction kinetics and severe volume variation during cycling. Herein, a spatially confined single-phase ternary FeP1-xSex embedded in Se-doped carbon polyhedra (FeP1-xSex@C) is rationally constructed through a synergistic anion-substitution and spatial-confinement strategy. Partial substitution of P by Se effectively modulates the electronic structure, induces lattice distortion, and accelerates Na+ diffusion and charge-transfer kinetics. Meanwhile, the Se-doped carbon framework provides enhanced conductivity, abundant active sites, and robust structural confinement to alleviate volume expansion and suppress particle agglomeration. As a result, the FeP1-xSex@C electrode delivers a reversible capacity of 412.0 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1 and maintains 344.8 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1, together with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 74.8%. Furthermore, full cells paired with Na3V2(PO4)3 exhibit excellent rate capability and cycling stability, highlighting an effective strategy for advanced sodium-storage materials.
Background/Objectives: Convenience-oriented dietary behaviors acquired during the transition to university life may be associated with overweight and obesity status in young adults. This study aimed to characterize the dietary behaviors of Romanian university students and to evaluate their associations with overweight and obesity. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 921 university students aged 18-24 years (60.6% female; 67.8% urban residents). Self-reported dietary variables included fast-food consumption, sweets intake, fruit and vegetable intake, water intake, and replacement of meals with desserts. BMI categories were classified according to WHO criteria. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests, Cramer's V, and multivariable logistic regression adjusted for sex, age group, and residence environment. A five-item Dietary Risk Score (DRS; range 0-5) was constructed as an exploratory composite indicator of cumulative dietary behavioral burden. Cluster analysis was additionally performed to identify dietary behavioral phenotypes. Results: A total of 24.1% of participants were classified as overweight/obese, including 19.4% overweight and 4.7% obesity. Frequent replacement of meals with desserts (aOR 7.20; 95% CI 4.26-12.17) and fast-food consumption ≥3 times/week (aOR 1.98; 95% CI 1.26-3.10) were independently associated with overweight/obesity after adjustment for demographic variables. Male sex, older age, and urban residence were also independently associated with overweight/obesity. Distinct dietary behavioral phenotypes were identified, including a convenience-oriented cluster characterized by higher fast-food and sweets intake and the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity. The DRS demonstrated a dose-response relationship with overweight/obesity prevalence, increasing from 19.8% at DRS = 0 to 50.0% at DRS = 4, with an adjusted OR of 1.43 per one-point increase (95% CI 1.23-1.66; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Frequent meal replacement with desserts, higher fast-food consumption, and greater cumulative dietary behavioral burden were associated with overweight and obesity status among Romanian university students. The findings support the relevance of evaluating cumulative dietary behavioral patterns in young adults; however, the cross-sectional design precludes conclusions regarding causality or temporal directionality.
Non-caloric sweeteners are increasingly used as alternatives to sugar to reduce energy intake, yet their metabolic effects remain controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sucrose, saccharin, and steviol glycosides on glucose regulation and cardiometabolic risk markers in healthy adults. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, 39 healthy, normal-weight adults consumed beverages containing sucrose (66 g/day), saccharin (220 mg/day), or steviol glycosides (220 mg/day) for 14 days, with washout periods between interventions. Metabolic outcomes were assessed at baseline and after each intervention under fasting conditions and during a 2 h postprandial test. Primary outcomes were glucose and insulin responses; secondary outcomes included gut hormones, lipids, inflammatory markers, and subjective appetite. Compared with baseline, fasting glucose increased after sucrose and saccharin, and fasting insulin increased after stevia (p < 0.01). All interventions increased postprandial insulin responses and reduced indices of insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05). Fasting PYY and GLP-2 increased following all treatments (p < 0.001), without differences between sweeteners. Triglycerides were higher after sucrose than saccharin (p < 0.05), while no differences were seen for cholesterol, apolipoproteins, or CRP. Appetite ratings were unchanged, with a trend (p = 0.053) towards a reduced desire to eat after stevia in the late postprandial phase. Short-term intake of sucrose and non-caloric sweeteners resulted in broadly similar metabolic responses, with no significant differences in glucose regulation. However, triglyceride concentrations were higher following sucrose than saccharin, whereas no consistent differences were observed across the remaining outcomes. Observed deviations from baseline should be interpreted with caution. Further long-term studies in diverse populations are warranted.
The mode of athletic training exerts a profound influence on both physiological parameters and gut microbiota composition; yet, comprehensive integrative analyses in elite athletes are scarce. This study systematically profiled and contrasted body composition, bone health, resting metabolic rate (RMR), fasting respiratory quotient (RQ), hematological indices, dietary intake, and key gut bacterial taxa among elite Indian endurance athletes, strength athletes, and sedentary controls. Male participants were classified as endurance athletes (n = 27), strength athletes (n = 29), or sedentary controls (n = 24). Body composition and bone mineral density were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); RMR and RQ were measured via indirect calorimetry; hematological parameters and inflammatory markers were measured from fasting blood samples; dietary intake was assessed via 24-h recalls; and gut microbiota abundance was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Strength athletes had significantly greater body weight, lean mass, bone mineral density, and absolute RMR than both endurance athletes and controls. Endurance athletes exhibited lower body fat, elevated fasting fat oxidation, and hematological profiles indicative of enhanced oxygen transport. Athletes showed higher relative abundances of bile-tolerant and proteolytic taxa, including Bacteroides spp., Prevotella, and Streptococcus spp., compared with controls. Endurance athletes had higher relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter, whereas strength athletes exhibited higher abundance of Desulphovibrio spp. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. was highest in controls, while Fecalibacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, Bifidobacterium spp., and Akkermansia did not differ between groups. Elite Indian endurance and strength athletes present distinctive, sport-specific physiological and gut microbial signatures. This integrative approach uncovers novel associations and underscores the complex interplay between training modality, nutrition, and the host-microbiome axis in elite athletic populations.
Background: The onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often preceded by prediabetes, a reversible state of insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation driven by the chronic consumption of a high-calorie diet and sedentary lifestyle. Prediabetes is characterised by impaired glucose tolerance and elevated glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Although metformin improves insulin sensitivity, adherence limitations to lifestyle interventions highlight the need for alternative drugs that can be effective even without dietary intervention. In our laboratory, we synthesised a novel ruthenium complex that exhibits elevated biological activity. Accordingly, this study investigated the metabolic effects of a novel ruthenium (II)-uracil Schiff base complex in HFHC diet-induced prediabetic rats, with and without dietary intervention. Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-180 g) were divided into two groups, the standard diet (n = 12) and HFHC diet groups (n = 36), for prediabetic induction. Prediabetic animals were randomly assigned to respective treatment groups. The ruthenium complex was administered to prediabetic rats once a day, every third day, for 12 weeks, while monitoring changes in blood glucose, caloric intake, and body weight. Results: Diet-induced prediabetes resulted in increased fasting blood glucose and elevated HbA1c. The administration of the ruthenium (II)-uracil Schiff base complex reduced fasting blood glucose, improved insulin levels and ghrelin, enhanced GLUT4 expression, and significantly increased skeletal muscle glycogen, especially when combined with dietary intervention. Conclusions: The findings showed that the ruthenium complex exerts a pronounced effect on ameliorating glucose homeostasis, enhancing skeletal muscle glucose uptake, and improving overall metabolic function.
High-performance sensorless operation in multiphase electric drives requires speed estimation techniques capable of providing fast dynamic response, reduced oscillatory behavior, and low implementation complexity. In this context, a sliding-mode observer (SMO) based on an exponential reaching law (ERL) is proposed for rotor speed estimation in asymmetrical six-phase induction machines operating under indirect rotor field-oriented control. Unlike conventional SMO implementations, the proposed approach avoids auxiliary low-pass filtering (LPF) stages by employing an ERL-based adaptive gain mechanism, thereby preventing the phase delay and bandwidth reduction commonly associated with LPF-based observers. As a result, the proposed observer preserves fast transient dynamics, attenuates chattering near the sliding surface, and improves the smoothness of the estimated signals. The proposed technique is particularly suitable for multiphase drive applications, where sensorless operation reduces hardware complexity and improves system reliability by eliminating mechanical speed sensors and associated wiring. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis is presented to demonstrate the convergence properties of the observer and discuss the influence of the ERL parameters on the estimation dynamics. Simulation and experimental results obtained on a real-time test bench validate the digital implementation of the proposed SMO + ERL, demonstrating improved transient tracking, smoother estimated signals, stable low-speed operation, satisfactory speed reversal performance, and effective operation under loaded conditions.
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors are increasingly used for temperature and strain monitoring in both fission and fusion facilities, whereas their long-term mechanical reliability under intense γ-neutron fields remains insufficiently understood. Although radiation-resistant FBGs and optical fibers have demonstrated tolerance to fast-neutron fluences approaching 1020 n/cm2, the post-irradiation behavior of complete sensor assemblies, including their metallic packaging and joining regions, has received much less attention. This work presents methodology and results of assessing the post-irradiation mechanical properties of packaged FBG-based temperature and strain sensors. The investigated sensors were based on Cu-coated FBGs embedded in 316L stainless-steel bodies and joined using STEMET-1101 brazing filler metal. The sensors were irradiated in the cores of the IVG.1M and WWR-K research reactors to fast-neutron fluences of 4.5 × 1017 and 1.8 × 1020 n/cm2, with absorbed γ-doses of 29.1 MGy and 2.3 GGy, respectively. After decay storage and hot-cell disassembly, tensile testing, microhardness measurements, and SEM-EDS analysis were performed. The results demonstrate that the investigated metal-packaged FBG sensor of this design retained mechanical integrity under high-fluence reactor irradiation.
Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major metabolic disorder associated with hyper-glycemia and oxidative stress. Traditional medicinal plants remain important sources of bioactive compounds with potential antidiabetic activity. Salacia reticulata and Caralluma tuberculata are two important medicinal plants that have been reported to have antidiabetic effects. The growing burden of type 2 diabetes and the need for therapies that address both hyperglycemia and oxidative stress underscore the necessity to investigate these two medicinal plants. Therefore, the current study evaluated the antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, and protective effects of Salacia reticulata and Caralluma tuberculata in an alloxan-induced diabetic female rat model. Methods: Ethanolic extracts of S. reticulata and C. tuberculata were characterized by total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH radical-scavenging assay, and UPLC-MS/MS metabolite profiling. Female Wistar rats (n = 42) were randomly assigned to seven groups (n = 6/group), including normal control, diabetic control, extract-treated non-diabetic groups, diabetic extract-treated groups, and a metformin-treated diabetic group. Diabetes was induced by alloxan (130 mg/kg), followed by oral treatment for 8 days with extracts or metformin (500 mg/kg/day). Fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant markers (SOD1, GSH, and CAT), and liver and kidney histopathology were assessed. Results: Both plant extracts significantly reduced fasting blood glucose compared with baseline, with S. reticulata showing a greater reduction (22.8%) than C. tuberculata (12.3%), and a response comparable to metformin (27.4%). Diabetic rats exhibited increased MDA and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities. C. tuberculata significantly lowered MDA levels and increased SOD1 activity, suggesting moderate antioxidant effects, whereas S. reticulata showed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents and the highest DPPH scavenging activity. UPLC-MS/MS identified 33 compounds in S. reticulata and 24 in C. tuberculata. Histopathological findings supported improvement of diabetes-associated renal and hepatic damage. Conclusions: Within the eight-day experimental period, both extracts demonstrated significant acute antidiabetic and antioxidant effects with distinct redox-metabolic profiles. However, further long-term studies are recommended to evaluate their sustained efficacy, safety, and potential as complementary therapeutic agents for diabetes management.
Post-COVID-19 metabolic complications, such as diabetes, are linked to systemic inflammation. The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) may help predict these outcomes; however, evidence from non-Western populations remains limited. In this retrospective cohort study, 2,060 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in 2020 in Iran were followed for two years. SII was calculated and categorized as normal or elevated. The incidence of diabetes and prediabetes was assessed using fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c levels. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between SII and metabolic outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders. Among participants, 73.4% remained normoglycemic, 7.5% developed prediabetes, and 19.1% developed diabetes. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant but modest positive association between SII and FBS levels (β = 0.018; 95% CI: 0.004-0.032; P = 0.011). Other inflammatory markers showed no significant associations. Elevated SII was modestly associated with higher fasting blood sugar levels two years after COVID-19 infection. Although the effect size was small, these findings suggest that systemic inflammation may play a role in long-term glycemic dysregulation, underscoring the importance of metabolic follow-up in individuals with heightened post-COVID inflammatory profiles.
Women with insulin-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS-IR) and sonographically suspected endometrial polyps carry an elevated risk of endometrial premalignant and malignant lesions. This study aimed to characterize clinical and metabolic profiles across pathological subgroups and develop an exploratory risk-stratification model for endometrial neoplasia in this high-risk population, with a specific focus on insulin resistance as a core pathophysiological driver. A total of 185 PCOS-IR patients with ultrasound-detected endometrial polyps were retrospectively enrolled and stratified into benign (n=125), atypical hyperplasia (AH, n=34), and endometrial carcinoma (EC, n=26) groups. For modeling, AH and EC were combined into an endometrial neoplasia endpoint. A two-stage strategy combining LASSO regression and stepwise logistic regression was used for variable selection and model construction. Model performance was assessed via ROC curve, calibration curve, decision curve analysis, and multicollinearity diagnostics using the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF). Compared with the benign group, the endometrial neoplasia group exhibited significantly higher HOMA-IR, fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour OGTT glucose, and fasting insulin, and significantly lower HDL-C (all P< 0.05). The final model incorporated age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), free androgen index (FAI), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), achieving moderate discrimination (AUC = 0.767) with high sensitivity (0.913) and specificity of 0.500. All variables had VIF values<5, confirming no significant multicollinearity. Good calibration and net clinical benefit were demonstrated in internal validation. Insulin resistance is linked to early metabolic alterations in PCOS-IR patients with endometrial polyps, and is a core component of the final predictive model. This four-variable model shows moderate discriminatory performance as an exploratory adjunctive tool for pre-hysteroscopy risk stratification, with high sensitivity to minimize missed diagnoses of endometrial neoplasia. Given the lack of external validation and the heterogeneity of the combined neoplasia endpoint, the model remains hypothesis-generating. Further external validation in independent cohorts is required before clinical application.
On routine non-cardiac PET/computed tomography (CT), myocardial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake demonstrates substantial interindividual variability and may complicate image interpretation. However, the systemic metabolic and clinical determinants associated with different myocardial FDG uptake patterns remain incompletely understood. This retrospective single-center study included 292 patients who underwent whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT following a minimum 6-h fast, without dedicated cardiac preparation. Myocardial FDG uptake was visually categorized into three ordered patterns: no/low, focal, and diffuse uptake. Clinical, laboratory, hemodynamic, and treatment-related variables were analyzed using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression to identify factors associated with increasing uptake categories. Exploratory prediction models for higher myocardial uptake patterns and diffuse uptake were additionally constructed to support clinical interpretability. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration analysis. Among the 292 patients, 122 (41.8%) demonstrated no/low uptake, 60 (20.5%) focal uptake, and 110 (37.7%) diffuse uptake. In multivariable ordinal logistic regression, blood pressure control remained strongly associated with myocardial uptake patterns. Compared with poor blood pressure control, no hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 0.155, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.072-0.334, P < 0.001] and good blood pressure control (OR 0.054, 95% CI 0.019-0.151, P < 0.001) were associated with lower odds of higher uptake categories. Absence of hormone therapy was also independently associated with lower odds of higher uptake patterns (OR 0.216, 95% CI 0.098-0.476, P < 0.001). Fasting glucose, diabetes, blood-pool maximum standardized uptake value, and chemotherapy were not independently significant after adjustment. The higher uptake model achieved an area under the curve of 0.898, while the diffuse uptake model achieved an area under the curve of 0.839, with satisfactory calibration performance. Myocardial FDG uptake patterns observed on routine non-cardiac PET/CT were associated with a graded spectrum of systemic metabolic and hemodynamic characteristics. These findings may provide a framework for more structured interpretation of myocardial FDG uptake in routine PET/CT imaging. These findings should be interpreted as observational associations rather than evidence of causal relationships.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may play a protective role in the progression of heart failure; however, controversial results also exist. This study investigates the association between fasting serum BCAA levels and plasma NT-proBNP concentrations in individuals with fragmented QRS (fQRS) on ECGs within the HOZUGAWA health-checkup cohort in Japan, offering insights into cardiac health. This analysis included 252 participants who attended health check-ups. Fasting blood samples were analyzed using a standardized laboratory test. Unitless internal-standard-normalized relative peak-area ratios of BCAAs and selected amino-acid-related organic acids were measured and log-transformed for analysis. NT-proBNP levels did not differ significantly between individuals with and without fQRS. Among those with fQRS, higher levels of BCAAs and 2-hydroxybutyric acid (2-HB) were associated with lower NT-proBNP levels: leucine (r = -0.38, p = 0.0001), while valine (r = -0.28, p = 0.0053) and isoleucine (r = -0.21, p = 0.041); 2-HB (r = -0.21, p = 0.039). After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n = 252), leucine remained inversely associated with NT-proBNP in individuals with fQRS (r = -0.28, p = 0.0072) and positively associated in those without fQRS (r = 0.23, p = 0.0048). fQRS showed an interaction with leucine levels regarding NT-proBNP levels. Associations between relative leucine abundance and NT-proBNP levels varied by fQRS status, with significant inverse associations observed only among participants with fQRS, suggesting that lower relative BCAA abundance may be associated with markers of cardiac dysfunction and that leucine-related metabolic signatures may be linked to NT-proBNP levels in individuals with fQRS. Additional longitudinal and mechanistic studies are necessary to confirm these findings, particularly in individuals with cardiac fibrosis. Further research is warranted to explore therapeutic implications.
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model green alga extensively used to study photosynthesis and cilia using molecular biology and genetics. Electroporation is a very common technique to integrate DNA into the nuclear genome, which is essential to generate mutant collections and express transgenes. Here, we describe a simple, fast, and efficient protocol to transform strains with an intact cell wall. The technique achieves good transformation efficiency without cell wall digestion or the use of commercial kits and is compatible with the widely available Gene Pulser electroporation system. Key features • High transformation efficiency of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains with an intact cell wall. • Faster than currently available electroporation protocols.