Reduction In Size Research Articles

Fog assisted data size reduction based data management system for optimizing resources in medical IoT

Fog assisted data size reduction based data management system for optimizing resources in medical IoT

Modeling Sporadic Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in 3D Midbrain Organoids: Recapitulating Disease Features for In Vitro Diagnosis and Drug Discovery.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and tufted astrocytes. Developing treatments for PSP is challenging due to the lack of disease models reproducing its key pathological features. This study aimed to model sporadic PSP-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) using multi-donor midbrain organoids (MOs). The MOs were generated by pooling induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from 4 patients with sporadic probable PSP-RS and compared them with MOs from 3 healthy control (HC) subjects. We performed comprehensive analyses of MOs over 120 days to assess neuronal death, reactive gliosis, and the accumulation of 4R-tau and hyperphosphorylated tau forms (pThr231, pSer396, pThr181, and pSer202/pThr205 [AT8]) using immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot. On day 90, immunohistochemical analysis using pSer396 and AT8 antibodies was conducted to assess disease pathology. PSP-derived MOs showed progressive size reduction compared with HC-derived MOs, linked to upregulated apoptosis-related mRNA markers. Dopaminergic neuron degeneration was marked by decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and increased neurofilament light chain (NfL). Immunofluorescence and Western blot revealed accumulation of all investigated tau forms with a peak at 90 days, along with a significant rise in GFAP-positive cells in PSP-derived MOs. Immunochemistry confirmed typical PSP histological alterations, such as neurofibrillary tangles and tufted-shaped astrocytes, absent in HC-derived organoids. We developed a robust in vitro PSP model reproducing the key molecular and histologic features of the disease. This result holds promise for advancing basic and clinical research in PSP, paving the way for in vitro molecular diagnosis and identification of novel therapeutic targets. ANN NEUROL 2025.

P-41 THYROTROPHS HYPERPLASIA IN SEVER UNTREATED PRIMARY HYPOTHYROIDISM A RARE CAUSE OF MISLEADING PITUITARY ENLARGEMENT

Abstract Introduction Pituitary gland hyperplasia (PGH) due to primary hypothyroidism (PH) still underdiagnosed. It is reversible with proper thyroxine therapy. Unfortunately, patients may be referred to unnecessary pituitary surgery without thyroid function test (TFT) assessment. We present a case of a 13 years old female scheduled for pituitary surgery for macro adenoma diagnosed by PMRI but fortunately, endocrine assessment revealed intense PH, proper treatment produced dramatic resolution in PGH. Increase number of Pituitary gland (PG) cells causes PGH leads to abnormally enlarged PG on pituitary MRI (PMRI) (1). There is hypercellularity, polymorphism with large acini and intact reticulum (2). Firstly described at 1851 in cretins (3). It could be physiological in pregnancy or pathological due to primary hypothyroidism (PH), primary hypoadrenalism or primary gonadal insufficiency (4). Typical PMRI showed diffuse, regular, isointense enlargement of PG with homogenous uptake of gadolinium (5). Clinical Case We present a 13 years old female scheduled for PG surgery due to large mass, fortunately referred for endocrinological evaluation which showed very high TSH and low free T4 with normal other endocrine & vision assessment. Diagnosis of PH established and thyroxine therapy started with monitoring response to treatment by TSH and repeat the PMRI after 7 months which showed dramatic reduction in PG size and TSH normalized. At presentation TSH was > 100 mIU/L (0.27-4.2), while Free T4 was 0.08 ng/dL (0.93-1.70 ng/dL). Thyroxine 50 mcg had been started and increased gradually according to TSH level every 6 weeks. After 7months, TSH level became 3 mIU/L and new PMRI showed significant reduction in size of PG. Low thyroid hormones caused thyrotrophic hyperactivity resulting in PGH (6). Although thyrotrophs form 5-10% of anterior PG, trans conversion of somatotrophs to thyrotrophs with multiplication of thyrotrophs increase cells producing TSH (7). Hyperprolactinemia may occur in about 75% of cases and features of hypothyroidism are usual presentations in children and young patients rather than features due to sellar expansion (8). Thyroxine treatment reduces size of the PG in 85% of cases of PGH (9). Surgery may be indicated to decompress the optic chiasma or to confirm diagnosis when size not reduced or worsened with treatment (10). Although it is difficult to differentiate between tumor and PGH, prominent midline with smooth outlines suggests PGH (11). In PGH, there is a uniform hyperplasia causing homogenous enlargement on unenhanced T1,T2 images and post contrast there is an equal enhancement of hyperplastic PG (12). Biochemical, clinical and radiological follow up is indicated to check response and pick up early complications (13). Conclusion Prolonged, intense PH one of causes of PGH and should be kept in mind in every case of homogenously enlarged PG necessitating thyroid function and other pituitary hormones assessment before surgery.Figure 1:MRI picture before and after thyroxine therapyDramatic reduction in the size of pituitary gland after 7 month treatment with thyroxine.

Effectiveness of Root Canal Irrigation and Dressing for the Treatment of Asymptomatic Apical Periodontitis: A Systematic Review Assessing Complementary Timeframes.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) are used in root canal treatment. However, further research is needed to assess their effectiveness at time points not considered in previous guidelines. This review complements the systematic review by Rossi-Fedele and Rödig (2023) by considering time points excluded by the latter. A search was conducted in PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and repositories between March and May 2024. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, providing data from 212 teeth for irrigation and 108 for dressings. No significant differences in pain reduction within 7 days or radiographic reduction of apical lesion size were found between 2% chlorhexidine, 5.25% NaOCl, EDTA, and various NaOCl concentrations. Single and multiple visit protocols also showed no significant differences in postoperative pain.Two studies had a 'low risk' of bias and two 'some concerns'. Evidence suggests that Ca(OH)2 dressings may not offer additional benefits.

Mechanical property strengthening by post-heat treatments in NiTiCu shape memory alloys fabricated by twin-wire arc additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT To address the challenges of wide transformation hysteresis as well as the poor properties of NiTi-based alloys fabricated by twin-wire arc additive manufacturing, post-heat treatments were employed in as-deposited NiTiCu alloys. After aging at 450°C, 550°C, and 650°C, the alloys exhibited significant reduction in the precipitate sizes, narrow transformation hysteresis, uniform distribution of microhardness, and substantial improvement in mechanical properties. With the increase of the aging temperature, the matrix grain size and the precipitate size coarsened, which was detrimental to the resultant mechanical properties. The alloys aged at 450°C exhibited the narrowest transformation hysteresis of 11.7°C and optimal mechanical properties (tensile strength of 539 MPa and fracture strain of 6.9%). The enhancement of mechanical properties can be attributed to the smaller matrix grain size and precipitate size and the higher proportion of high-angle grain boundaries in this material condition. This work provides practical significance for the twin-wire arc additive manufacturing and performance optimisation of NiTi-based ternary alloys.

Does Pre-Acclimation Enhance the Tolerance of Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo Seedlings to Drought?

Mediterranean forests are severely threatened by increasing seedling mortality due to harsh environmental conditions, especially drought. In this study, we investigate whether seedlings of Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo, previously exposed to water deficit, acquired tolerance to summer drought. Seedlings of the two species were grown from April to September in a plastic tunnel greenhouse and exposed to two irrigation regimes (control, 100% water holding capacity; water-stressed, 50% of control). In mid-August, the irrigation of all plants was suspended for three weeks. The response of the species was analyzed to evaluate survival, growth, ecological, and anatomical traits of wood produced under stressful conditions and marked through the pinning technique. The results suggest that both species show pre-acclimation to drought, with Q. ilex demonstrating a marked increase in survival percentage. This is likely due to a reduction in vessel size in response to previous water stress. In contrast, in A. unedo, the higher frequency of narrower vessels allowed safer water transport compared to Q. ilex, thus explaining the slight increase in survival. Overall results indicated that the two species adopt different strategies to overcome drought, providing valuable insights for managing seedlings in natural ecosystems and urban green spaces.

Efficacy of LaAg Vaccine Associated with Saponin Against Leishmania amazonensis Infection

Background/Objectives: The total lysate of Leishmania amazonensis (LaAg) is one of the most extensively studied vaccine formulations against leishmaniasis. Despite demonstrating safety and immunogenicity when administered intramuscularly, LaAg has failed to show efficacy in clinical trials and, in some cases, has even been associated with an enhanced susceptibility to infection. Adjuvants, which are molecules or compounds added to antigens to enhance the immunogenicity or modulate the immune response, are frequently employed in vaccine studies. This study aimed to evaluate different adjuvants to improve the protective efficacy of LaAg in L.amazonensis infection using a BALB/c mouse model. Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized with LaAg in combination with various adjuvants. The delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) test was assessed by measuring the infected paw and was used to evaluate the immunogenicity and to determine the most effective adjuvant. The immune response was analyzed through flow cytometry, focusing on cytokine production, immune cell recruitment and lesion size, alongside the control of parasite load at the infection site. The expression levels of iNOS and TGF-β were quantified using RT-qPCR, while IgG1, IgG2a and IgE antibody levels were determined via ELISA. Results: Among the adjuvants tested, only saponin (SAP) elicited a significant DTH response following LaAg challenge. SAP enhanced the immunogenicity of LaAg, as evidenced by increased IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the draining lymph nodes at 18 h post-challenge. Additionally, SAP facilitated the recruitment of lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and eosinophils to the infection site. Conclusions: The LaAg + SAP combination conferred partial protection, as demonstrated by a reduction in lesion size and the partial control of parasite load. In conclusion, the addition of SAP as an adjuvant to LaAg effectively modulates the immune response, enhancing the vaccine’s protective efficacy. These findings provide valuable insights into the development of improved vaccines against L.amazonensis infection.

Influence of Sample Preparation Method on Total Dietary Fiber Content Measurement of Low Carbohydrate Bread Containing High Levels of Cross‐Linked Phosphorylated RS4 Wheat Starch

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivesCross‐linked phosphorylated (CLP) RS4 wheat starch has been approved as a dietary fiber source by FDA because it can reduce insulin levels following a meal containing a carbohydrate that raises blood glucose levels. It has been successfully formulated in many high‐fiber and low‐carbohydrate bread products. This study aimed to determine the influence of sample preparation methods on the total dietary fiber content of these fiber‐fortified bread products during the assay with AOAC Method 991.43. In addition, the effects of CLP RS4 wheat starch on the morphology, crystallinity, and thermal properties of the bread were investigated.FindingsThe total dietary fiber content of breads formulated with unmodified wheat starch or CLP RS4 wheat starch was influenced by the sample preparation methods (drying, grinding, and sieving). Preferred methods are forced air oven over freeze‐drier and vacuum oven; coffee grinder over mortar and pestle; and 35‐mesh over 70‐mesh sieve. The proposed method excludes influence of operator and shows more repeatable results. CLP RS4 wheat starch in the bread was gelatinized and had restricted swelling, reduced enthalpy, and reduced crystallinity.ConclusionsThe proposed sample preparation method generated from this study involves drying the bread in a forced air oven at 40°C, particle size reduction using a coffee grinder, and screening the ground samples in a 35‐mesh sieve before total dietary fiber assay using AOAC Method 991.43.Significance and NoveltyOur study provided new and useful information on sample preparation methodology for total dietary fiber measurement of high‐fiber or low‐carbohydrate bread products containing CLP RS4 wheat starch. This methodology has potential applications in many high‐fiber flour‐based products other than bread.

Phase I trial of hydroxychloroquine to enhance palbociclib and letrozole efficacy in ER+/HER2− breast cancer

Endocrine therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors is standard for estrogen receptor-positive, HER2−negative metastatic breast cancer (ER+/HER2− MBC), yet clinical resistance develops. Previously, we demonstrated that low doses of palbociclib activate autophagy, reversing initial G1 cell cycle arrest, while high concentrations induce off-target senescence. The autophagy inhibitor hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) induced on-target senescence at lower palbociclib doses. We conducted a phase I trial (NCT03774472 registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 8/20/2018) of HCQ (400, 600, 800 mg/day) with palbociclib (75 mg/day continuous) and letrozole, using a 3 + 3 design. Primary objectives included safety, tolerability, and determining the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of HCQ. Secondary objectives included tumor response and biomarker analysis. Fourteen ER+/HER2− MBC patients were evaluable [400 mg (n = 4), 600 mg (n = 4), 800 mg (n = 6)]. Grade 3 adverse events (AEs) included hematological (3 at 800 mg), skin rash (2 at 600 mg), and anorexia (1 at 400 mg), with no serious AEs. The best responses were partial (2), stable (11), and progression (1). Tumor reductions ranged from 11% to 30%, with one 55% increase. The two partial responders sustained tumor size reductions of 30% to 55% over an extended treatment period, lasting nearly 300 days. Biomarker analysis in responders demonstrated significant decreases in Ki67, Rb, and nuclear cyclin E levels and increases in autophagy markers p62 and LAMP1, suggesting a correlation between these biomarkers and treatment response. This phase I study demonstrated that HCQ is safe and well-tolerated and the RP2D was established at 800 mg/day with continuous low-dose palbociclib (75 mg/day) and letrozole (2.5 mg/day). These findings suggest that adding HCQ could potentially enhance the efficacy of low-dose palbociclib and standard letrozole therapy, pending verification in larger randomized studies.

A Systematic Review of Indications and Clinical Outcomes of Electrochemotherapy in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most difficult cancers to treat, with a dismal 5-year survival rate of only 8–10%. This challenging prognosis highlights the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for patients with PDAC. Electrochemotherapy (ECT), which enhances intracellular chemotherapeutic uptake via electric pulses, has been explored for resectable, borderline resectable (BR), locally advanced (LA), recurrent, and metastatic PDAC, either as a complement to conventional treatments or as an alternative when these are not feasible or effective, offering possible benefits in symptomatic palliation and local tumor control. Methods: A systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines for studies assessing the efficacy of ECT in PDAC. After searching Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, five studies with a combined total of 43 patients in various disease stages were identified. Results: ECT showed promise in improving tumor control, alleviating cancer-related pain, and improving quality of life. One study noted a trend towards tumor size reduction of 8.3% at one-month and 16.1% at six-months follow-up (p = 0.211 and p = 0.315), although these findings were derived from studies conducted without specific comparative control groups. Severity of complication was mainly mild (Clavien–Dindo I-II), while severe complications occurred in only 2.3% of patients. Median overall survival was reported in two studies as 8 months (range 2–19) and 11.5 months (range 1–74). ECT showed efficacy for symptom management, with 60% of patients reporting reduced pain/discomfort and 40% showing enhanced quality of life in one study, while another reported pain scores as decreasing from 6 to 3 at one month and to 2 at six months. Conclusions: ECT appears to be a new promising and safe adjunct treatment modality in PDAC management across different disease stages, with potential benefits in tumor control, cancer-related pain reduction, and quality of life. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings and identify patients who could benefit most.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Droplet Deformation and Fragmentation Under Shock Wave Impact

This study employs the large-eddy simulation (LES) approach, together with the hybrid volume of fluid—discrete phase model, to examine the deformation and breakup of a water droplet impacted by a traveling shock wave. The research investigates the influence of Weber number on transient deformation and breakup characteristics. Particular focus is given to the detailed analysis of sub-droplet-size distributions, which are frequently overlooked in existing studies, providing a novel insight into droplet fragmentation dynamics. The predicted deformation and breakup patterns of droplets in the shear breakup regime align well with experimental data, validating the computational approach. Notably, LES is able to reproduce the underlying physical mechanisms, highlighting the significant role of recirculation zones and the progression of Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities in droplet breakup. Additionally, it is shown that higher Mach numbers significantly amplify both cross-stream and streamwise deformations, leading to earlier breakup at higher airflow pressures. Increasing the Weber number from 205 to 7000 results in 25% reduction in the average size of the sub-droplets, indicating the strong influence of aerodynamic forces on droplet fragmentation. This comprehensive analysis, while aligning with experimental observations, also provides new insights into the complex dynamics of droplet breakup under post-shock conditions, highlighting the robustness and applicability of the proposed hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation for such advanced applications in fluid engineering.

Texture Size Reduction Through Symmetric Overlap and Texture Carving

Maintaining memory efficient 3D assets is critical for game development due to size constraints for applications, and runtime costs such as GPU data transfers. While most prior work on 3D modeling focuses on reducing triangle count, few works focus on reducing texture sizes. We propose an automatic approach to reduce the texture size for 3D models while maintaining the rendered appearance of the original input. The two core components of our approach are: (1) Overlapping identical UV charts and folding mirrored regions within charts through an optimal transport optimization, and (2) Carving redundant and void texels in a UV-aware and texture-aware way without inverting the UV mesh. The first component creates additional void space, while the second removes void space, and their combination can greatly increase texels utilized by the UV mesh at lower texture resolutions. Our method is robust and general, and can process a 3D model with arbitrary UV layout and multiple textures without modifying the 3D mesh. We evaluate our approach on 110 models from the Google Scanned Object dataset and 64 models from Sketchfab. Compared to other approaches, ours has on average 1-3 dB PSNR higher rendering similarity and reduces pixelation in visual comparisons.

Drosophila modeling to identify causative genes and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms for primary ovarian insufficiency.

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a disease defined as a reduction in ovarian function under the age of 40 and represents the main cause of female infertility. In recent years, many genetic mutations associated with POI have been identified using high-throughput sequencing technology. However, one big challenge today is to determine the disease-causing gene associations through functional assessment. Here, we develop a Drosophila model to study the POI-associated genes and provide in vivo functional evidence to validate the POI-causing genes. We use two different Gal4 drivers, in combination with RNAi transgene, and systematically knockdown 51 genes associated with POI. We show that 22 and 17 genes are required for female fertility and ovarian development in somatic and germline cells, respectively. Moreover, we also focus on AlaRS-m, the Drosophila ortholog of the human AARS2 gene, for further functional characterization. Depletion of AlaRS-m in ovarian somatic cells leads to decreased female fertility and a reduction in ovary size, as well as egg chamber degeneration. We also provide evidence that AlaRS-m deficiency causes mitochondrial dysfunction, overproduction of ROS, and apoptotic cell death. Our findings demonstrate that Drosophila can be used as a platform to assess the functional significance of POI-associated genes identified in genomic studies and illustrate the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of POI. KEY MESSAGES: • One hundred fourteen genes associated with POI are identified, and 76 of them have Drosophila orthologs. • Twenty-two genes and 17 genes are required for female fertility when knocked down in the Drosophila ovarian somatic cells and germline cells, respectively. • AlaRS-m/AARS2 deficiency causes female fertility defects with egg chamber degeneration.

Vvax001, a Therapeutic Vaccine for Patients with HPV16-positive High-grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: a Phase II Trial.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major cause of (pre)malignant cervical lesions. We previously demonstrated that Vvax001, a replication-incompetent Semliki Forest virus (SFV) vaccine encoding HPV type 16 (HPV16) E6 and E7, induced potent anti-E6 and -E7 cytotoxic T-cell responses. Here, we investigated the clinical efficacy of Vvax001 in patients with HPV16-positive cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3). Patients with newly diagnosed HPV16-positive CIN3 were eligible for participation. Patients received 3 immunizations of Vvax001 (5x107 infectious particles) at a three-week interval. Up to 19 weeks after the last immunization patients were monitored for regression of CIN3 by colposcopy. A colposcopy-guided biopsy was taken at the last visit and a standard of care loop excision was performed only in case of remaining CIN2/3. Histopathologic response rates, HPV16 clearance, treatment-related adverse events (trAEs), and vaccine-induced immune responses were assessed. A total of 18 patients were enrolled and fully immunized. Colposcopic examination revealed a reduction in CIN3 lesion sizes in 17/18 patients (94%) already evident from 3 weeks onwards after the last immunization. A histopathological complete response (regression to CIN1 or no dysplasia) was observed in 9/18 patients (50%), and HPV16 clearance in 10/16 patients (63%). Vvax001 did not induce clearance of other HPV types. To date, no recurrences have been observed, with a median and longest disease-free survival of 20 and 30 months, respectively. No serious AEs were observed. Treatment with Vvax001 is safe, feasible, and shows preliminary clinical effectiveness in patients with HPV16-associated CIN3 lesions.

Digoxin for reduction of circulating tumor cell cluster size in metastatic breast cancer: a proof-of-concept trial.

The presence of circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters is associated with disease progression and reduced survival in a variety of cancer types. In breast cancer, preclinical studies showed that inhibitors of the Na+/K+ ATPase suppress CTC clusters and block metastasis. Here we conducted a prospective, open-label, proof-of-concept study in women with metastatic breast cancer, where the primary objective was to determine whether treatment with the Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor digoxin could reduce mean CTC cluster size. An analysis of nine patients treated daily with a maintenance digoxin dose (0.7-1.4 ng ml-1 serum level) revealed a mean cluster size reduction of -2.2 cells per cluster upon treatment (P = 0.003), meeting the primary endpoint of the study. Mechanistically, transcriptome profiling of CTCs highlighted downregulation of cell-cell adhesion and cell-cycle-related genes upon treatment with digoxin, in line with its cluster-dissolution activity. No treatment-related adverse events occurred. Thus, our data provide a first-in-human proof of principle that digoxin treatment leads to a partial CTC cluster dissolution, encouraging larger follow-up studies with refined Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors and that include clinical outcome endpoints. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03928210 .

Pupillary dynamics in diabetic and nondiabetic patients following uneventful phacoemulsification

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Although laser refractive surgeries and multifocal intraocular lens implantation are generally avoided in patients with diabetic retinopathy, a substantial proportion of well-glycaemic-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus patients are considered for these procedures. Pupil dynamics play a significant role in determining postoperative satisfaction in these patients. Background To evaluate pupillary dynamics in patients with and without diabetes following uneventful phacoemulsification surgery. Method This retrospective study involved 86 patients with type-2 diabetes and 41 non-diabetic patients undergoing phacoemulsification. Pupillary measurements were performed using the Sirius Topographer (CSO, Firenze, Italy) preoperatively and at the 1-month and 3-month postoperatively. Diabetic patients were categorised into non-diabetic retinopathy (without diabetic retinopathy), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) subgroups based on the presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy. Baseline and postoperative pupillometric values were then evaluated for all groups. Results Preoperatively, baseline scotopic, mesopic, and photopic pupil diameters, and pupil redilation velocity were smaller in the NPDR and PDR subgroups compared to the control group (p < 0.05, for all). At 1-month postoperatively, pupil diameters in all lighting conditions significantly decreased in both the control and non-diabetic retinopathy groups (p < 0.05, for all), while pupil dilation rate increased (p = 0.011 and p = 0.002, respectively). In the PDR group, a significant increase in photopic pupil diameter was observed at 1 and 3 months postoperatively (p = 0.018 and p = 0.030, respectively). The PDR and NPDR groups showed a significant decrease in postoperative first- and third-month scotopic pupil diameter (p < 0.05, for all). Conclusion Pupil diameter was smaller in diabetic patients compared to controls pre-and postoperatively. Patients with non- diabetic retinopathy and NPDR, who already exhibited smaller pupil diameters in all lighting conditions than the controls (in mesopic condition, 3.54 cf. 3.66, and 3.11 cf. 3.66 mm, respectively), experienced a further reduction in pupil size following phacoemulsification.

Sclerotherapy combined with sirolimus for the treatment of complex cervicofacial lymphatic malformations in infants: avoiding the need for tracheostomy

BackgroundLymphatic malformations (LMs) are low-flow, congenital lesions commonly presenting as asymptomatic masses in the head and neck. However, large lymphangiomas can significantly affect breathing or swallowing, posing considerable treatment challenges.MethodsA...

Upregulation of FAM129B protects against glucocorticoid-induced skeletal muscle atrophy via regulating long non-coding RNA NEAT1.

Skeletal muscle atrophy, manifested by a reduction in muscle size and quantity, is primarily attributed to excessive protein catabolism. FAM129B, an antioxidant protein, has been previously implicated in muscle growth and development in cattle. Aim of this study is to elucidate the role of FAM129B in muscle atrophy. FAM129B was consistently down-regulation in muscle atrophy models in vitro and in vivo and in human steroid-treated gluteus muscles. FAM129B depletion resulted in myotubes atrophy with reduced diameter, increased MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1. Conversely, FAM129B overexpression ameliorated muscle atrophy by increasing myotube diameter and reducing Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1. Mice overexpressing FAM129B exhibited resistance to muscle atrophy, evidenced by increased grip strength, increased tibial anterior weight, increased myofiber cross-sectional area and decreased MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1. RNA sequencing revealed NEAT1 as a downstream gene of FAM129B. Mechanistically, FAM129B was found to influence the stability of NEAT1 by directly binding to it. The enhanced stability of NEAT1 subsequently led to increased FoxO1 expression and subsequent protein degradation. Our study has provided evidence that the upregulation of FAM129B rescues the Dex-induced skeletal muscle atrophy, suggesting that FAM129B may be a potential target for alleviating skeletal muscle atrophy.

Core–Shell Composite GaP Nanoparticles with Efficient Electroluminescent Properties

Gallium-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs), including AlGaInP and GaN, have become the most widely used light-emitting devices in modern scientific research and practical applications. However, structures like carrier injection layers, active layers, and quantum well layers ensure the high luminescence efficiency of LEDs but also limit their applications at the micro- and nanoscale. Although the next generation of micrometer-scale light-emitting diodes (Micro-LEDs) has alleviated these issues to some extent, challenges such as edge effects and etching damage caused by size reduction lead to lower luminous efficiency and shorter lifetimes. Inspired by LED structure, this study designed and synthesized core–shell composite GaP:Zn/GaP/GaInP and GaP:Te/GaP nanoparticles using a thermal injection method. After high-temperature annealing, these composite materials demonstrated efficient electroluminescent performance under electric field excitation through band-edge transitions and the ZnGa-OP recombination mechanism. Experimental results show that the GaP:Zn/GaP/GaInP-GaP:Te/GaP composite samples with doping concentrations of 15%Zn-8%Te, a core–shell precursor ratio of 1:1:1, and reaction times of 1 h:20 min:20 min exhibit the best electron–hole injection efficiency and bound-recombination efficiency. Under excitation by an external electric field, they demonstrated optimal electroluminescence performance, with a relative luminous intensity of 11,109.21 at 600 nm, approximately 15 times higher than that of the initial condition samples. In addition, this study systematically investigated the structure, morphology, and elemental composition of the composite materials using various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These GaP-doped nanoparticles with a core–shell composite structure, inspired by LED design, exhibited outstanding electroluminescent performance, providing new insights into the development of novel micro- and nanoscale electroluminescent materials.

Optimizing IoT Video Data: Dimensionality Reduction for Efficient Deep Learning on Edge Computing

The rapid loss of biodiversity significantly impacts birds’ environments and behaviors, highlighting the importance of analyzing bird behavior for ecological insights. With the growing adoption of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in the Internet of Things (IoT) domain, edge computing has become essential to ensure data privacy and enable real-time predictions by processing high-dimensional data, such as video streams, efficiently. This paper introduces a set of dimensionality reduction techniques tailored for video sequences based on cutting-edge methods for this data representation. These methods drastically compress video data, reducing bandwidth and storage requirements while enabling the creation of compact ML models with faster inference speeds. Comprehensive experiments on bird behavior classification in rural environments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. The experiments incorporate state-of-the-art deep learning techniques, including pre-trained video vision models, Autoencoders, and single-frame feature extraction. These methods demonstrated superior performance to the baseline, achieving up to a 6000-fold reduction in data size while reaching a classification accuracy of 60.7% on the Visual WetlandBirds Dataset and obtaining state-of-the-art performance on this dataset. These findings underline the potential of using dimensionality reduction to enhance the scalability and efficiency of bird behavior analysis.