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The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treating patients with Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs) with the Muscle Pump Activation device (MPA, geko) in Canada. This is a cost-effectiveness analysis of the treatment of patients with VLUs, using MPA for 4 weeks in addition to standard of care compression therapy (SOC), compared to SOC alone using Canadian costs of VLU treatment. The authors determined the Canadian costs for each visit for a patient with a VLU to have their dressings performed at a nursing clinic. The total costs of treatment were determined based on healing rates from a randomized controlled trial from Wales that demonstrated a significant improvement in the healing of VLUs when MPA was used for 4 weeks in addition to SOC, compared to SOC alone. The cost per visit to a nursing clinic for the treatment of a VLU was estimated to be $109.71 CAD and dressing frequency was estimated to be an average of every 2.5 days. Using projected healing rates over a 12-month period based on the UK paper, the model indicated that treatment with MPA resulted in a cost savings of $983.61 CAD per patient. The average increase in ulcer free days was 56.6 days per patient. The Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) identified a saving of $17.38 per ulcer free day. This model based on Canadian costs resulted in faster healing of VLUs and a reduced average Direct Wound Care Cost of $983.61 per patient for the whole of their ulcer treatment when the MPA is used for 4 weeks in addition to SOC. This treatment has the potential for patient benefit as well as significant cost savings for the Canadian Health Care system.

Accurately converting pixel measurements into absolute real-world dimensions remains a fundamental challenge in computer vision, limiting progress in applications such as biomedicine, forensics, nutritional analysis, and e-commerce. We introduce RulerNet, a deep learning framework that robustly infers scale in the wild by reformulating ruler reading as a unified keypoint detection problem and representing rulers with geometric progression parameters that compactly approximate the non-uniform spacing induced by perspective transformations. Unlike traditional methods that rely on handcrafted thresholds or rigid, ruler-specific pipelines, RulerNet directly localizes centimeter markings using a mark-visibility-based annotation and training strategy that remains valid under mark-preserving transformations, enabling strong generalization across diverse ruler types and imaging conditions while mitigating data scarcity. Additionally, we introduce a scalable synthetic data generation pipeline that combines graphics-based ruler creation with ControlNet-enhanced realism, significantly expanding training diversity and improving model performance. Extensive experiments on both our datasets and public benchmarks demonstrate that RulerNet achieves accurate, consistent, and efficient scale estimation under challenging real-world conditions. Integration into a medical analysis pipeline further demonstrates its practical utility for scale-aware measurement. These results suggest that RulerNet can serve as a generalizable measurement component and be readily integrated with other vision modules, such as segmentation, monocular depth estimation, and diagnostic workflows, for automated analysis in medical and other domains. An online demo is provided. The code and data are publicly released with the paper.

Very low birth weight infants often require peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) for long-term venous access. Conventional securement methods are associated with high rates of catheter dislodgement and skin injury, but the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of modified combination securement methods remain insufficiently validated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel combination securement method on catheter dislodgement and skin injury in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) undergoing PICC placement, and to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis to inform evidence-based selection of the optimal securement strategy. This retrospective, single-center analysis comprised 181 VLBWIs who underwent PICC placement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between January 2018 and December 2025. Infants were assigned to either a conventional securement group (conventional group) or a modified combination fixation group (modified group), the latter consisting of four steps: pressure relief protection, tension-free fixation, buffer reinforcement, and sealing coverage (termed 'protection-pressure reduction-fixation-sealing'). A 1:1 nearest-neighbor propensity score matching (PSM) approach was used to balance baseline confounders. After matching, clinical outcomes and direct medical costs were compared between groups, and correlations between cost metrics and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Following matching, baseline characteristics were well balanced between groups, with no significant differences (all P>0.05). The modified group showed significantly lower rates of unplanned PICC removal and skin injury than the conventional group (P=0.02 and P<0.001, respectively). Logistic regression identified the modified securement method as an independent protective factor against unplanned PICC removal in VLBWIs [odds ratio (OR) =0.275, P=0.005]. Moreover, total direct medical cost per PICC placement was significantly lower in the modified group (P<0.001). The modified combination securement method significantly improves clinical outcomes associated with PICC placement in VLBWIs, reduces complication rates, and achieves overall cost savings. Offering both clinical and economic benefits, this approach warrants widespread adoption in the NICU.

Limited access to fresh produce and persistent nutrition risk in long-term care (LTC) can affect dietary quality and rehabilitation capacity, particularly where seasonality and supply constraints affect food environments. Indoor hydroponic systems may support on-site production of leafy greens and herbs, but their adoption depends on practical feasibility. This study evaluated the routine staffing time and labour-only costs associated with maintaining hydroponic green wall units in LTC settings. A prospective, multi-site observational quantitative service evaluation was conducted from March 2023 to September 2024 across four LTC settings in Western Canada. Staff and volunteers logged routine interactions with wall-mounted hydroponic green wall units using adjacent mounted iPads. Entries captured task type(s), duration, using prespecified time categories, and staff role. Descriptive analyses summarized entries and actions by role and site. Labour costs were estimated using province-specific wage bands. Workload and costs were normalized using active weeks as weeks with &#x2265;1 logged interaction. A total of 112 log entries were recorded, corresponding to 362 logged actions and 962.0 min of recorded staff engagement time. Recreation therapists/dietitians submitted 45.5% of entries (n = 51), followed by care aides (27.7%, n = 31), volunteers (17.0%, n = 19), management (7.1%, n = 8), and registered nurses (2.7%, n = 3). Actions were dominated by monitoring and routine maintenance; 36.0% of time-recorded interactions were 0-5 min. Mean engagement was 8.7 min per time-recorded entry. Normalized to 59 active site-weeks, average workload was 16.3 min per active site-week (range 11.8-21.3), with labour-only costs of approximately 7.24 CAD per week (5.96-8.34) and 28.9 CAD per 4-week month (23.84-33.36). Routine upkeep of hydroponic green wall units required modest, predictable staff time and low labour-only costs, with responsibilities largely distributed across non-registered nurse roles. These findings provide feasibility parameters relevant to sustaining hydroponics as an enabling infrastructure component of nutrition-supportive LTC food environments and may be of value to inform future outcome-focused evaluations incorporating production, utilization, nutrition and rehabilitation-relevant endpoints.

Background: The QIAstat-Dx Gastrointestinal Panel (QGP), a rapid multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, provides high diagnostic accuracy for ruling in common gastrointestinal pathogens. Its short turnaround time supports earlier therapeutic decisions and antibiotic stewardship, but its high cost highlights the need for more selective testing. This study aimed to develop a clinical score to identify paediatric patients most likely to have a positive bacterial QGP result. To our knowledge, no such score exists. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including 70 paediatric patients (median age 1.08 years) who underwent QGP testing between April and October 2025 in a tertiary hospital in Bucharest, Romania. Clinical and biological variables, along with sonographic indicators of bowel inflammation, were evaluated for their association with positive bacterial QGP results. Results: No pathogens were detected in 40% of cases, a single pathogen was detected in 32.9% of samples, two pathogens in 21.4%, and three or more in 5.7%. Bacterial organisms were identified in 45.7% of tests, with Salmonella being most common (17.6% of all tests; 28.6% of positive tests). Of all evaluated variables, fever, bloody stools, C-reactive protein (CRP) > 2 mg/dL, sonographic evidence of bowel inflammation, and exclusion of other infectious foci were included in our prediction score, each assigned one point (with a maximum of 5 points). Other laboratory markers showed no significant association with a positive bacterial QGP result. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.758 (95% CI: 0.596-0.920, p = 0.005). The optimal cut-off, determined using Youden's index, was 2.5, with 80% sensitivity and 67.7% specificity. A score &#x2265; 3 indicated a markedly increased likelihood of a positive bacterial QGP result. Conclusions: The proposed QGP clinical score may support selective use of QGP testing, improving diagnostic efficiency and reducing unnecessary costs. Prospective multicentre validation is warranted.

This study assessed the economic viability of interseeding a legume-grass mixture in an existing organic pasture system, focusing on the implications for milk yield, milk composition, and profitability. Using net present value analysis, financial and production data were analyzed from the University of Minnesota Farm Financial FINBIN database and university feeding trials (University of Minnesota and University of New Hampshire). The analysis modeled a baseline 88-cow organic dairy herd with an average milk yield of 7,185 kg. A 10-yr net present value analysis was used to account for the time value of money at a discount rate of 7% and fluctuating pasture productivity, with interseeding occurring in years 1, 5, and 10. The analysis found a positive net present value of $394,274, which indicated that the investment was financially feasible for organic dairy farms. Sensitivity testing found that although the modeled farm was resilient to increased seed costs, profitability was more dependent on milk price and production. Specifically, an 18.7% decrease in milk price or a reduction in annual milk yield to 5,844 kg/cow would be required to reduce the net present value to zero. In conclusion, integrating legume-grass mixtures into organic rotational grazing systems was economically feasible and could support long-term profitability.

Mangrove ecosystems are among the most productive and carbon-dense coastal forests globally, playing a critical role in plant diversity conservation and climate regulation. However, spatial variability in plant diversity, biomass allocation, and vegetation biomass carbon storage remains insufficiently quantified at regional scales, particularly in biogeographically complex regions such as Hainan Island, China. Here, we investigated four representative mangrove regions in Hainan Province: Dongzhai Port (DPMD), Qinglan Port (QPMD), Yalong Bay (YBMD), and Xinying Port (XPMD). Based on 73 field plots (0.5 ha each), we quantified species composition, community diversity, importance value index (IVI), organ-level biomass allocation (leaves, stems, and roots), and vegetation biomass carbon storage using species-specific allometric equations and published carbon concentration factors. A total of 12 mangrove species from 7 families were recorded, with Rhizophora stylosa Griff. consistently dominating across all sites (IVI range: 19.8-58.7%). Significant spatial heterogeneity was observed in all measured parameters. QPMD exhibited the highest total biomass (92.2 t ha-1) and plant vegetation biomass carbon storage (40.1 t C ha-1), whereas YBMD showed the lowest biomass (26.1 t ha-1) and XPMD exhibited the strongest species dominance (Simpson's D = 0.58). Stem biomass contributed the largest proportion (60-80%) across all sites, while root and leaf allocation varied significantly among regions, reflecting differences in community structure and stand characteristics. Vegetation biomass carbon storage patterns closely followed biomass distribution, demonstrating the dominant role of vegetation productivity in determining plant carbon accumulation. Our results reveal substantial spatial variation in mangrove diversity, biomass production, and vegetation biomass carbon storage. This study provides essential baseline information on mangrove vegetation biomass carbon stocks for region-specific conservation prioritization and climate mitigation strategies in tropical China.

Genetic risk factors for neuropsychiatric disorders are well documented. However, some individuals with high genetic risk remain unaffected, and the mechanisms underlying such resilience remain poorly understood. The presence of protective resilience factors that mitigate risk could help explain the disconnect between predicted risk and reality, particularly when genetic contributions are substantial but incompletely understood. Identifying and studying resilience factors could improve our understanding of pathology, enhance risk prediction, and inform preventive measures or treatment strategies. However, such efforts are complicated by the difficulty of identifying resilience that is separable from low risk. We developed a novel adversarial multi-task neural network model to detect genetic resilience markers. The model learns to separate high-risk unaffected individuals from affected individuals at similar risk while "unlearning" patterns found in low-risk groups using adversarial learning. In simulated and existing Alzheimer's disease (AD) datasets, we identified markers of resilience with a feature-importance-based approach that prioritized specificity, generated resilience scores, and analyzed associations with polygenic risk scores (PRS). In simulations, our model had high specificity and sensitivity in identifying resilience markers, significantly outperforming traditional approaches. Applied to AD data, the model generated genetic resilience scores protective against AD and independent of PRS. We identified five resilience-associated SNPs, including known AD-associated variants, underscoring their potential involvement in resilience. Our findings support the utility of resilience scores in modifying risk predictions, particularly for high-risk groups. Expanding this method could aid in understanding resilience mechanisms, potentially improving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies for AD and other brain disorders.

To examine rheumatology-related litigation claims over a 5-year period to describe trends and identify learning opportunities. Data were extracted from NHS Resolution for all claims within rheumatology or claims referencing 'giant cell arteritis (GCA)' or 'vasculitis' within any specialty over 5&#x2009;years (2018/19-2022/23). Variables for each claim included cause, injury, costs and claim status. We identified 152 rheumatology claims (total cost &#xa3;28.2 million). The most frequent injuries were unnecessary pain [n&#x2009;=&#x2009;70 (46%)], fatality [n&#x2009;=&#x2009;14 (9%)] and psychiatric/psychological damage [n&#x2009;=&#x2009;13 (9%)]. Where specified, 37 claims (24%) involved inflammatory arthritis and 22 (14%) related to rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RAIRDs), such as vasculitis. Only 23 of the 152 claims were closed by the end of the study period, with just 4 being settled in favour of the claimant. Of these four, three involved soft tissue steroid injections. All 14 fatality cases with specified underlying conditions were RAIRDs. Diagnostic issues accounted for 38% of claims and treatment issues for 30%. Six claims exceeded &#xa3;1 million. Forty-four GCA-related claims (total cost &#xa3;13.1 million) were identified, mostly in ophthalmology or emergency medicine rather than rheumatology, representing a doubling compared with the previous 5-year period. Sixteen vasculitis-related claims (&#xa3;3.4 million) were identified. High-cost, high-harm claims persist in rheumatology, with most remaining open for several years, creating personal, financial and professional strain. GCA-related claims are increasing and occur mostly outside rheumatology, highlighting the need for pan-speciality awareness agreed-upon care pathways. RAIRD-related claims seemed overrepresented in cases of fatality, highlighting the importance of timely suspicion, close monitoring and careful management.

The burden experienced by caregivers of people with severe disabilities is a multidimensional issue influenced by various sociodemographic factors. Identifying these factors is essential for developing interventions and public policies that support this vulnerable population. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the sociodemographic factors that influence caregiver burden in individuals caring for people with severe disabilities, including age, sex, education level, kinship, and caregiving challenges. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, and explanatory study was conducted. The sample comprised 686 Peruvian caregivers of individuals with severe disabilities, selected through non-probabilistic sampling. Data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Significant differences in caregiver burden were found according to age, kinship, education level, caregiving duration, caregiving-related problems, and consultation with a health professional (all P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001). Multiple regression analysis (adjusted R2&#x2009;=&#x2009;.197, P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001) showed that caregiving-related problems (&#x3b2;&#x2009;=&#x2009;.212), kinship, education level, age, and professional consultation were the main predictors of caregiver burden. The findings confirm that caregiver burden is influenced by multiple sociodemographic and contextual factors. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions and policies to reduce caregiver burden and improve their overall well-being.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding organic-certified raw whole milk (WM) versus organic-certified milk replacer (MR) on growth performance, skeletal development, and blood metabolites in preweaning Jersey calves, and the economic efficiency of these 2 liquid feeding regimens. Thirty organic-certified Jersey calves (18 females and 12 males) averaging (mean &#xb1; SD) at birth 24.8 &#xb1; 2.31 kg (heifers) and 28.7 &#xb1; 1.80 kg (bulls), were assigned to WM (n = 15) or MR (22.1% crude fat, 21.3% CP; n = 15) in a randomized complete block design. Calves were fed 4 L/d of WM or MR until weaning at 8 wk of age. Starter intake was greater in calves receiving MR (329 g/d) than WM (178 g/d), particularly from wk 4 to 8. Compared with WM calves, MR calves had lower final BW (49.3 vs. 54.7 kg) and ADG (411 vs. 483 g/d). Heart girth (80.8 vs. 82.8 cm), withers height (72.3 vs. 73.9 cm), hip height (75.1 vs. 76.6 cm), and body length (72.9 vs. 75.6 cm) were all lower in MR than WM calves at wk 8 of age, with treatment by week interactions observed for heart girth and withers height. In addition, the plasma concentrations of glucose (98.8 vs. 106 mg/dL) and urea N (8.34 vs. 9.66 mg/dL) were lower with feeding MR than WM, with a treatment by week interaction seen for plasma urea N. However, the plasma concentrations of BHB and ketones did not differ between treatments. The economic analysis showed that feeding MR was less cost-effective than feeding WM due to increased total feed costs per calf (median = $228.89 vs. $157.31) and per kilogram of BW gain (median = $9.94 vs. $5.82). In conclusion, feeding MR to preweaning organic-certified Jersey calves reduced ADG, skeletal development, and profitability compared with WM.

Many patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) do not respond well to aspirin therapy. This study employed a multi-omics approach to identify key genes associated with aspirin non-responsiveness, thereby providing potential molecular targets and theoretical basis for improving the precision treatment strategies for ASCVD patients. One aspirin non-responsiveness dataset and two atherosclerosis-related datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After identifying differentially expressed genes through weighted gene co-expression network analysis and differential expression analysis, we used machine learning techniques to screen for key genes and establish predictive models. The results showed that two key genes (CLEC7A and RGS1) performed well in diagnosing aspirin non-responsiveness and ASCVD (area under the curve = 0.701-0.986). Among them, CLEC7A was significantly overexpressed in the aspirin non-responsiveness and ASCVD datasets (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.0001) and was identified as a potential risk factor. Furthermore, ELISA results showed overexpression of CLEC7A in the aortic tissue and serum of ASCVD mice (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.0001). In addition, immune infiltration analysis suggested that aspirin non-responsiveness mediated by CLEC7A may involve natural killer cells (P&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.04). However, CLEC7A-mediated ASCVD may involve regulatory T cells and neutrophils (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.0001), a finding further supported by immunofluorescence co-localization analyses. We constructed a regulatory network for CLEC7A and conducted small-molecule virtual screening for CLEC7A. In summary, CLEC7A can serve as a potential biomarker to identify ASCVD patients with a low aspirin response.

This study investigates consumers' intentions to purchase high-risk, near-expired fresh meat via a supermarket mobile app, addressing food waste in a digital retail context. An integrated framework combining the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behavior was employed, incorporating price discounts and food and environmental safety concerns. Data from 418 users of Taiwan's leading supermarket chain were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that perceived usefulness strongly drives app usage attitude while environmental concern shows no significant effect, highlighting the decoupling between environmental awareness and actual digital adoption behavior. Furthermore, although price discounts emerged as the strongest driver of purchase intention, heightened food safety concerns paradoxically stimulated purchases. This counterintuitive result demonstrates how a reputable retailer's established credibility effectively mitigates consumer fears. Practically, this study provides actionable guidelines for retailers to optimize digital clearance strategies: retailers should prioritize real-time inventory transparency and economic incentives, while strategically leveraging their institutional credibility within the app to overcome consumer safety concerns regarding high-risk foods.

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To assess the economic burden, cost components, and individual-level determinants of outpatient epilepsy care in adults in Georgia. This longitudinal study of epilepsy-related costs in adults with active epilepsy attending a tertiary epilepsy centre in Tbilisi collected clinical and sociodemographic data over 6&#x2009;months. Direct and indirect costs were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression. Median total epilepsy-related costs in 351 adults (median age 31&#x2009;years; 44.4% male) for six months were USD 402.22 (IQR: 293.33-578.15), with a mean cost of USD 572.54&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;789.29, indicating a highly skewed distribution. Direct medical costs, mainly antiseizure medications, accounted for 83.5% of the mean total. Costs were similar across urban and rural residents. In multivariable analysis, males incurred lower total costs than females (CR&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.86; 95% CI: 0.74-0.99), employment in non-professional roles (CR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.47; 95% CI: 1.19-1.81), health insurance coverage (overall p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.010), epilepsy type (overall p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.014), monotherapy compared with polytherapy (CR&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.75; 95% CI: 0.64-0.88), and greater seizure frequency (per additional seizure: CR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.08; 95% CI: 1.05-1.11). Age showed a weak inverse association with costs, whereas epilepsy duration and disability/social benefit status were not significant predictors. Most participants incurred costs below 40% of their six-month income, although a subset faced a disproportionately high financial burden. Epilepsy in Georgia imposes a significant economic burden on adults, driven mainly by medication costs, specialized services, and poor seizure control. This highlights the need for affordable therapies, optimized management, strengthened health system support, and expanded social protection. Future research needs to assess the long-term economic impact of drug-resistant epilepsy. People with epilepsy often need lifelong treatment, but little is known about the financial burden of epilepsy in Georgia. We studied the cost of epilepsy care for 351 adults over six months. Most spending was on antiseizure medications and medical tests. People who had more seizures or needed more than one antiseizure medication had higher treatment costs. For most people, the cost of epilepsy care was not extremely high, but some experienced much greater expenses than others. Our findings show where the biggest costs come from and may help improve epilepsy care and make treatment more affordable in Georgia.

Background/Objectives: Financial monitoring of public health programmes frequently relies on budget execution indicators, which may not fully reflect operational performance. This study evaluated the financial and operational performance of Romania's National Programme for Women's and Children's Health at the county level and examined how resource utilisation coexisted with programme activity, coverage of the eligible population, and local implementation profiles during 2021-2024. Methods: A longitudinal descriptive observational study was conducted using aggregated administrative data from Bac&#x103;u County, Romania. Financial indicators included annual budget allocations, actual expenditures, budget execution rates, and mean cost per beneficiary. Operational indicators included activity volume, reported coverage of eligible populations, and continuity of implementation. Monetary values were converted into constant 2024 prices. Descriptive and comparative trend analyses were performed. Results: The mean budget execution rate was 84.08%, ranging from 68.70% to 94.93%. Screening interventions generated the highest activity volumes and lowest unit costs, whereas prophylactic and nutritional interventions accounted for most programme expenditure. Reported coverage varied substantially across interventions, particularly for neonatal hearing screening. Similar budget execution rates were associated with distinct operational profiles. Conclusions: Budget execution alone did not adequately reflect programme performance. Integrated monitoring of financial and operational indicators may support more effective programme management and resource allocation.

The continued rise in fishmeal prices and the scarcity of fishery resources have led to an increase in the use of plant-based protein sources in compound feed, making mold contamination in compound feed a frequent occurrence. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination in aquaculture feed can seriously harm fish growth and liver health; it is extremely toxic, posing an even greater risk to carnivorous fish such as grouper. Lycopene, a natural carotenoid, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory physiological functions and may act as a functional feed additive to mitigate damage induced by mycotoxins. This study utilized hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus &#x2640; &#xd7; E. lanceolatus &#x2642;) as the experimental model. An 8-week feeding trial was performed to systematically assess the impact of lycopene supplementation at levels of 0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg to a basal diet containing 800 &#x3bc;g/kg AFB1 on the fish's growth performance, antioxidant capacity, liver health, inflammation-related gene expression, and hepatic transcriptome. The results showed that adding 200 mg/kg lycopene to the feed significantly increased the FWB and SGR (p < 0.05) of hybrid grouper. An appropriate amount of lycopene could enhance the antioxidant capacity of serum and liver, significantly increase the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and significantly decrease serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity while increasing albumin (ALB) levels (p < 0.05). An amount of 200 mg/kg lycopene significantly alleviated AFB1-induced hepatocyte vacuolation, steatosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration, while the protective effect of higher doses was weakened. The gene expression results showed that 200 mg/kg lycopene significantly upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes such as cat, sod, and nrf-2, and increased the expression level of the anti-inflammatory factor il10 (p < 0.05). The transcriptome analysis identified a total of 621 differentially expressed genes, which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, fatty acid metabolism, PPAR signaling pathway, redox process, ferroptosis, NF-&#x3ba;B signaling pathway, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. In summary, the addition of 200 mg/kg lycopene to the feed can effectively alleviate the growth inhibition and liver damage caused by AFB1 in hybrid grouper. Its mechanism of action may be related to enhancing antioxidant defenses, improving liver tissue structure, regulating lipid metabolism, and maintaining immune homeostasis. The research results indicate that lycopene can be used as a natural functional feed additive to alleviate AFB1 toxicity in hybrid grouper aquaculture.

The purpose of this project was to investigate the nutrient density and nutritional value of meat products, seafood products, and plant-derived protein food products using the 2015 Canadian Nutrient File database. Particular emphasis was placed on comparing nutrient density before and after cooking or preparation, as well as evaluating the cost of foods relative to the nutrients they provide using Canadian retail prices collected over a five-month period. Overall, meat and seafood products were consistently rich sources of protein and key micronutrients, including zinc and vitamin B12, whereas many plant-derived protein foods, including kale, broccoli, spinach, lentils, beans, and quinoa, contained substantially lower protein concentrations on both an uncooked (as purchased) and cooked (as prepared) basis. Although the concentrations of nutrients such as fat, iron, phosphorus, and sodium varied among food products, these findings demonstrate meaningful differences in nutrient density and nutrient cost across protein food categories. These results provide a useful framework for consumers, health professionals, and policymakers when evaluating nutrient-rich protein food choices and underscore the importance of considering both nutrient composition and economic value in dietary recommendations. Future research should extend these comparisons by incorporating direct analytical measurements of foods, assessments of protein quality and indispensable amino acid digestibility, mineral bioavailability, and the effects of food processing and preparation on nutrient utilization to better characterize the nutritional contributions of diverse protein food sources.

Background The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a public list of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-enabled medical devices that have received marketing authorization. Prior published analyses examined this list at earlier time points and reported a marked dominance of radiology applications. Methodology We performed a longitudinal descriptive analysis of all 1,430 AI/ML-enabled medical device authorizations recorded by the FDA between September 1995 and December 2025 to characterize the cumulative growth, specialty distribution, and manufacturer concentration of authorized devices. Results The annual authorization volume increased from a mean of 1.8 per year between 1995 and 2014 to 264 per year between 2023 and 2025, with 331 authorizations recorded in 2025 alone. Devices reviewed by the FDA's Radiology panel accounted for 1,094 of 1,430 authorizations (76.5%), and the three most represented panels (Radiology, Cardiovascular, and Neurology) accounted for 90.6% of all authorizations. Several large clinical specialties were represented by very small numbers of authorized devices, including Pathology (n = 9, 0.6%), Microbiology (n = 6, 0.4%), and Obstetrics and Gynecology (n = 4, 0.3%). No authorizations were recorded under a psychiatry or behavioral health review panel. Of 740 unique companies, 502 (67.8%) had a single authorized device, while 13 (1.8%) companies accounted for 247 (17.3%) devices. Conclusions The cumulative regulatory record demonstrates rapid growth that has been concentrated in image-rich diagnostic specialties, with limited representation across many specialties that account for substantial clinical activity in the United States. These findings may inform policy discussions about where regulatory, infrastructure, and dataset investments are most needed to broaden the clinical scope of medical AI.