Medicine Research Research Articles

Phytochemical Extraction, Analysis, and Characterization of Madhuca longifolia Leaf Compounds.

Objective: This study aimed to perform the extraction, phytochemical analysis, and compound characterization of Madhuca longifolia leaf extracts. Materials and Methods: Sequential extraction of M. longifolia leaves was performed using petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, and water. The yield of the extracts was measured and reported as 1.3 ± 0.10% for petroleum ether, 3.85 ± 0.15% for chloroform, 20.25 ± 1.22% for methanol, 30.1 ± 1.38% for ethanol, and 26.7 ± 0.21% for water. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was conducted to determine the presence of various compounds, including alkaloids, glucose-alkaloids, steroids, tannins, phenols, proteins, and flavonoids. The absence of ethyl and methyl alkalis in petroleum ether and chloroform extracts was noted. Additionally, the presence of saponins and alkaloids was observed only in methanol extracts, with cresol absent from these extracts. The isolated compounds were further characterized using thin layer chromatography (TLC), highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results: The Rf value of the isolated compound was 0.49 using TLC. HPLC analysis identified major constituents with retention times of 4.576 and 10.461 minutes. These findings highlight the diverse phytochemical composition of M. longifolia leaf extracts and provide a detailed analysis of the active compounds present. Conclusion: This comprehensive study of M. longifolia leaf extracts offers valuable insights into the plant’s medicinal potential. The identified active compounds could serve as a reference for future medicinal use and research.

A narrative overview of undergraduate geriatric medicine education worldwide.

There is a mismatch between the healthcare needs of the ageing population worldwide and the amount of education medical students receive in geriatric medicine. In 2014, Mateos-Nozal et al. published a systematic review of all undergraduate education surveys in geriatric medicine-a decade on, it is timely for an up-to-date overview of the state of undergraduate geriatric medicine education globally. In this review, we outline the international evidence in the field, exploring the results of national and multi-national teaching surveys, and discussing the relative strengths and weaknesses of nationally recommended curricula. We set these findings in the context of ageing population demographics, concluding with recommendations for the future of education and educational research in geriatric medicine, that aims to build capacity in the healthcare workforce and improve quality of care for older people.

Effect of nicotine mouth spray on urges to vape: A randomized, placebo-controlled, pharmacodynamic clinical trial in exclusive e-cigarette users.

To determine whether nicotine mouth spray provides rapid and prolonged relief of urges to vape and measure the steady-state plasma nicotine levels during vaping and ad libitum mouth spray usage in e-cigarette users. Randomized, parallel group, double-blind trial. Single site at Hammersmith Medicines Research Ltd (HMR), London, UK. 216 (25.9% females, average age 27.6±7.63 [standard deviation, SD]) exclusive vapers who used their e-cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up and had vaped about 2years on average. Two sprays of 1mg nicotine mouth spray (Nicorette QuickMist Freshmint, n = 109), or placebo (identical in appearance and presentation, n = 107). Urge to vape was rated on a 100 mm visual analogue scale before and repeatedly for 2hours after administration. The primary outcome measured average change from baseline in urges to vape ratings during the first hour. Nicotine mouth spray achieved statistically significantly greater reductions in urges to vape than placebo from the first assessment point at 30 seconds to 1hour, when the estimated mean treatment difference was 11.90 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.86-16.95, P < 0.001). The integrated urge to vape over 11 hours ad libitum usage showed a statistically significant benefit compared with placebo (2.00 [0.88 SD] vs 2.51 [0.84 SD], P< 0.001). Mean steady-state plasma nicotine concentrations were lower after nicotine mouth spray usage compared with vaping (6.22 [4.70 SD] ng/ml vs 9.91 [7.59 SD] ng/ml, respectively). Adverse events were more commonly reported in the nicotine mouth spray group and were mostly mild. Among regular e-cigarette users, nicotine mouth spray provided statistically significant and fast relief of urges to vape one hour after dosing. Nicotine mouth spray showed statistically significant reductions in urges to vape as soon as 30 seconds and up to 2hours after dosing compared with placebo, and nicotine mouth spray was well-tolerated and safe.

IPFMC: an iterative pathway fusion approach for enhanced multi-omics clustering in cancer research.

Using multi-omics data for clustering (cancer subtyping) is crucial for precision medicine research. Despite numerous methods having been proposed, current approaches either do not perform satisfactorily or lack biological interpretability, limiting the practical application of these methods. Based on the biological hypothesis that patients with the same subtype may exhibit similar dysregulated pathways, we developed an Iterative Pathway Fusion approach for enhanced Multi-omics Clustering (IPFMC), a novel multi-omics clustering method involving two data fusion stages. In the first stage, omics data are partitioned at each layer using pathway information, with crucial pathways iteratively selected to represent samples. Ultimately, the representation information from multiple pathways is integrated. In the second stage, similarity network fusion was applied to integrate the representation information from multiple omics. Comparative experiments with nine cancer datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), involving systematic comparisons with 10 representative methods, reveal that IPFMC outperforms these methods. Additionally, the biological pathways and genes identified by our approach hold biological significance, affirming not only its excellent clustering performance but also its biological interpretability.

Exploring the role of traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation in stroke based on microRNA-mediated pyroptosis: A review.

Stroke, also known as "cerebrovascular accident," is a disease caused by acute impairment of brain circulation, which has a high rate of disability and mortality. Ischemic stroke (IS) is the most common type of stroke and a major cause of death and disability worldwide. At present, there are still many limitations in the treatment of IS, so it may be urgent to explore more treatments for IS. In recent years, the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation methods such as traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage, traditional exercises and modern rehabilitation technology has achieved good results in the treatment of IS. Concurrently, studies have identified microRNA (miRNA), which are intimately associated with traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation, as regulators of pyroptosis through their influence on microglia activity, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, angiogenesis and other factors, but at present, the mechanism of this direction has not been systematically summarized. Consequently, this article delineates in detail the specific role of miRNA in IS and the related activation pathways of pyroptosis in IS. This article presents a detailed discussion of the role of microRNA-mediated pyroptosis in IS, with a particular focus on the signaling pathways involved. The aim is to provide new insights for the research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) rehabilitation in the prevention and treatment of IS. In addition, the article explores the potential of TCM rehabilitation in regulating miRNA-mediated pyroptosis to intervene in IS.

Simulation and experimental demonstration of helium purification from He/N2 mixtures by pressure swing adsorption

Terrestrial helium is an indispensable non-renewable resource used in medicine, space, electronics, and nuclear research. This paper reports a high-pressure five-step pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycle using Zeolite 5A for purification of He from dilute He/N2 mixtures. A Dual-Site Langmuir (DSL) model fitted both the low-pressure N2 and high-pressure N2 isotherm data. Dynamic column breakthrough (DCB) experiments were used to confirm volumetric equilibrium loadings. The DCB model predicted the experimental breakthrough curves for a wide range of feed compositions (100% N2, 74.5% N2, and 51.5% N2) and feed pressures (1 bar and 11.2 bar). A large experimental campaign studied the impact of various operating conditions on the He purity and recovery achievable from the PSA process. The study showed that a single-stage PSA experiment could enrich He up to 13% purity with greater than 90% recovery from a feed containing 1% He. Helium purity of 95% and a recovery of 90% can be achieved from a feed containing 10% He. All trends were predicted well by numerical simulations. A multi-objective optimization was performed to maximize helium purity and recovery for various He feed compositions. The study also showed that points from the Pareto curve can be realized experimentally.

Detection of Sleeping Pattern Using EEG Signals with Deep Learning

Background: Recorded brain activity analysis is a major tool used in modern medicine and sleep-based research. However, the volume and complexity of the data make manual investigation difficult. Furthermore, high inter-subject variability presents a challenge to deep learning techniques, especially in the detection of sleep-related EEG patterns and artifacts. Methods: Sleep Pattern Identifier (SPI), a hybrid classifier, was used in this study to address the aforementioned issues. SPI tests the efficacy of artifact detection while examining strategies and tactics used in real-world sleep research. A focus was on inter-subject variability, especially in data gathered from participants suffering from sleep disorders. For comparison and visual inspection of the data, formal statistical measures like accuracy, model loss, precision, recall, and ROC were employed. Results: With an accuracy of 94.85%, the suggested model outperformed current techniques and demonstrated higher accuracy. Further, the Sleep-EDF dataset was used in this investigation. Conclusion: The conclusion highlights the effectiveness of the SPI hybrid classifier in identifying EEG patterns, especially in situations where sleep research is conducted in the real world. Research methodologies based on sleep have made significant progress in handling artifacts and adapting to inter-subject variability.

The Societal Impact of the Papers Published in Blended Learning in Medicine on Social Network Sites: An Altmetrics Study.

Nowadays, blended learning in medicine (BLM) has gained the attention of most experts as an invaluable approach to improving the quality of medical education. The level of attention to articles in this field on social networks is substantial. This study aimed to study the effectiveness of published articles in blended learning, indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2013 and 2022, from an altmetrics perspective. The research is descriptive-analytical, with a scientometrics approach (using the Altmetrics index). The population includes all the articles on blended learning in medicine, indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases, two well-known citation databases worldwide. Data were extracted using the Altmetrics bookmarklet tool and analyzed with descriptive statistics methods in Excel software. Out of 1327 articles, 136 articles (10.25%) did not have a digital object identifier (DOI) or PMID number. Mendeley, X (previously Twitter), and Dimensions were the most widely used social networks in blended learning. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia had the highest number of tweets in blended learning in medicine. The number of articles with altmetrics indicators, categorized by publication year, demonstrates an improvement in the familiarity and use of social media by blended learning researchers in medicine. Blended learning researchers are advised to carefully select reputable journals - preferably with DOI - to increase the visibility and attention to their articles on social media.

Global emergency medicine research priorities: a mapping review.

Recognizing and prioritizing research areas in emergency care is crucial for generating evidence and advancing research programs, aiming to enhance health outcomes for both individuals and populations. The objective of this review is to document global clinical and nonclinical research priorities. The Emergency Medicine Education and Research by Global Experts network, consisting of 22 sites across six continents, conducted a mapping review of publications on emergency medicine research priorities (2000-2022) across seven databases. We included studies with replicable methodologies for determining research priorities, excluding those limited to individual diseases. Three reviewers independently screened, selected, and categorized results into clinical and nonclinical topics. Discrepancies were resolved by an independent investigator and consensus. Outcomes measures and analysis include descriptive analysis of research priorities grouped into clinical and nonclinical topics, characteristics of publications including countries represented in the author list, target audience (such as researchers or policy makers), participants (e.g. patients), and methods (e.g. Delphi) of priority setting. Among 968 screened papers, 57 publications from all WHO regions were included. Most (36, 63%) had authors from only a single country, primarily in North America and Europe. Patient representatives were included in only 10 (18%). Clinical research priorities clustered into resuscitation, cardiology, central nervous system, emergency medical services, infectious disease, mental health, respiratory disease, and trauma. Distribution was broad in North America and Europe but focused on infectious diseases and resuscitation in Africa and Asia. Eleven nonclinical topics included access to care, health policy, screening/triage, social determinants of health, staffing, technology/simulation, shared decision making, cross-sectoral collaboration, education, patient-centered care, and research networks. Nonclinical topics were broad in Europe and America, focused on access to care and health screening in Africa, and mostly absent in other WHO regions. Published research priorities in emergency medicine are heterogeneous and geographically limited, mostly containing groups of authors from the same country. The majority of publications in global research priority setting stem from Western countries, covering a broad spectrum of clinical and nonclinical topics. Research priorities from Africa and Asia tend to focus on specific issues more prevalent in those regions of the world.

Phytocompound profiling and GC-MS analysis of Lantana camara leaf extract

The primary objective of this investigation was to conduct an initial analysis of the chemical composition of Lantana camara leaves, with a specific focus on identifying potential pharmacologically active compounds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to perform a preliminary phytochemical screening on various leaf extracts. The results identified multiple classes of phytoconstituents in Lantana camara leaves, including steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, quinones, carbohydrates, alkaloids, and phenols. A detailed analysis of the crude aqueous extract using GC-MS identified several biologically active components, such as 13-docosenamide, alpha-hydroxyisocaproic acid, cyclo(L-prolyl-L-valine), and 2,5-piperazinedione etc. These compounds were present in varying proportions, indicating a complex chemical composition within the leaves of Lantana camara. The study's findings suggest that these identified chemicals may contribute to the plant's pharmacological properties and hold significant potential for innovative medical applications. The plant's bioactive compounds, including pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexadecanoic acid, hexahydro and oleic acid, point to a wide range of possible therapeutic benefits. This investigation provides valuable insights into the chemical constituents of Lantana camara and underscores the potential significance of these compounds in medicinal research. Furthermore, it opens up promising avenues for future studies and the exploration of new pharmaceutical opportunities.

AtML: An Arabidopsis thaliana root cell identity recognition tool for medicinal ingredient accumulation

Arabidopsis thaliana synthesizes various medicinal compounds, and serves as a model plant for medicinal plant research. Single-cell transcriptomics technologies are essential for understanding the developmental trajectory of plant roots, facilitating the analysis of synthesis and accumulation patterns of medicinal compounds in different cell subpopulations. Although methods for interpreting single-cell transcriptomics data are rapidly advancing in Arabidopsis, challenges remain in precisely annotating cell identity due to the lack of marker genes for certain cell types. In this work, we trained a machine learning system, AtML, using sequencing datasets from six cell subpopulations, comprising a total of 6000 cells, to predict Arabidopsis root cell stages and identify biomarkers through complete model interpretability. Performance testing using an external dataset revealed that AtML achieved 96.50% accuracy and 96.51% recall. Through the interpretability provided by AtML, our model identified 160 important marker genes, contributing to the understanding of cell type annotations. In conclusion, we trained AtML to efficiently identify Arabidopsis root cell stages, providing a new tool for elucidating the mechanisms of medicinal compound accumulation in Arabidopsis roots.

Matching traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine-based research: Advanced nutraceutical development for proactive gastric cancer prevention.

Gastric cancer (GC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally, is complex and heterogeneous. This review explores multidisciplinary investigations of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with Western medical practices, emphasizing the development of nutraceuticals for cancer prevention. Using advanced analytical chemistry and food chemistry techniques, this study investigated how TCM components may be optimized for nutraceutical development. Focusing on molecular interactions with GC pathways, particularly the NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, we examined the effects of TCM polyherbal formulas, extracts, and isolated compounds. These agents modulate apoptosis and cellular proliferation, underscoring their potential in preventive strategies. The convergence of nutraceutical and medicine food homology studies highlights a significant shift towards integrating TCM-derived compounds in a preventive health framework. This approach aims not only to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects but also to champion a preventive paradigm using personalized medicine to advance proactive health maintenance and disease prevention. The combination of TCM and western medical practices offers promising avenues for future research and practical applications in GC prevention.

Morphofunctional indicators of the body students of the medical university

Introduction. The period of adolescence accounts for the completion of the growth processes of the body, and the beginning of stabilization of functional indicators, which, as more plastic factors, are more sensitive to environmental conditions. Measuring, evaluating, and predicting morphofunctional parameters of the body of medical university students, taking into account regional standards of physical development, is one of the priorities of modern medicine and scientific research in general.The aim of the study is to study the features of anthropometric and functional characteristics, vegetotype of medical university students in comparison with the current regional standard.Materials and methods. Anthropometric and functional parameters were measured in 300 medical students (77 males, 223 females), aged 19,1±0,88 years.Results. It is shown that anthropometric characteristics of students significantly exceed the regional standard, in boys it is body length (p&lt;0,01), and weight-height ratio (p&lt;0,05), in girls it is body length, chest circumference and weight-height ratio (p&lt;0,01). Cardiointervalography parameters revealed 4,01 % vagotonics, 88,33 % eutonics and 7,62 % sympathotonics, a significant difference (p&lt;0,01) was also found in linear cardiointervalogram parameters in cohorts of these vegetotypes. Functional indices in absolute terms revealed compliance with the regional standard only in vital capacity of lungs, carpal dynamometry is significantly lower than the standard, in girls (p&lt;0,01), boys (p&lt;0,05), haemodynamics in terms of diastolic blood pressure and heart rate significantly (p&lt;0,01) exceeds the reference values. Integral functional indices: vital index, vegetative index, minute volume of respiration differ significantly by sex (p&lt;0,05); Kerdo index, minute volume of blood circulation showed a significant difference by vegetotype (p&lt;0,05); pulse pressure showed a significant difference by sex and vegetotype (p&lt;0,01).Conclusion. The studies showed statistically significant excesses relative to the regional standard in young men in body length (p&lt;0,01) and mass-height ratio (p&lt;0,05), in chest circumference in girls (p&lt;0,01); in diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in boys and girls (p&lt;0,01). Absolute and integral indices of cardio-respiratory system are significantly higher in sympathotonics than in vagotonics. Young men, relative to girls, demonstrate higher absolute, linear values of cardiointervalogram (p&lt;0,01), in the whole population these indices are within the range of norm of the regional standard. Among students the majority 88,33 % have normotonic type of ANS. The obtained results, in our opinion, show the need for systematic monitoring of objective morphofunctional state of modern youth.

An Evaluation of the Technical Review Process of the UP PGH Department of Medicine.

The technical review process involves an evaluation of the scientific merits of the research proposal and is a necessary part of the ethics review but can be done separately and ahead of the formal ethics evaluation. The aim of this paper is to determine the efficiency and quality of the technical review process of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Department of Medicine Research Office. This is a cross-sectional study which involved retrieval of the technical review forms of protocols evaluated in the PGH Department of Medicine from the years 2018-2019, and then an evaluation of these metrics: timelines of the review process indicating efficiency, including time from (1) receipt of submission to receipt of reviewer (secretariat efficiency); (2) receipt of reviewer to first decision (reviewer metric); (3) initial receipt to final decision (total review time); and (4) number of re-submissions. To evaluate the quality of the reviews, the specific review findings in each part or section of the protocol were also extracted. In the years 2018-2019, a total of 199 protocols underwent technical review, with one protocol having no further data after the submission so only 198 proposals were analyzed. Majority of the protocols or 139/198 (70.2%) were submitted only once and were approved without comments, while the remaining 59/198 (29.8%) were submitted twice for technical review (mode of 1, mean of 1.32). The protocols were sent to the reviewers within the same day of receipt 100% of the time. The time from receipt of submission to receipt of reviewer was within the same day and the time from receipt of reviewer to first decision (mean, standard deviation working days) was 10.52, 8.54 days, range 0-51 days. Around one-fourth (21.51%) of the protocols were returned to the secretariat beyond the 14-working day deadline. The time from second review of technical reviewer to return to secretariat was a mean, SD of 6.72, 6.45 days, with a range of 1 day to 36 days, and time from initial receipt to final decision was a mean of 16.16 days, SD 18.3 days, range 0-111 days. The most common reason for the delay was the failure of the author to resubmit the paper for the second review in 17/23 (74%), while the other reason was the long duration of the initial review by the reviewer in 6/23 (26%). Half of the protocols (49.5%) were returned without comments. Majority of the comments were on the methodology. The technical review process is generally efficient with each step within the acceptable timelines. However, for 12% of the protocols, the over-all review process was still prolonged (>28 working days) because of the failure of the author to submit the paper for the second review in 74% of cases, and the long duration of the initial review in 26% of papers.

Sampling of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced Rat's Retina Damage and Multi-index Evaluation of Pathological Changes.

Retinopathy can be observed in most ocular diseases and the late complications of diabetes mellitus. The specific pigment epithelial cells and optic cells' damage and degeneration are the main features of retinopathy. Manytraditional medicines have shown substantial clinical efficacy in treating retinopathy. How to obtain a retina quickly and completely is a key step in traditional medicine research for the treatment of retinopathy. In this study, we aim to provide a standardized and exercisable procedure for sampling of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced rat's retina damage and multi-index evaluation of pathological changes. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg MNU once to induce retina damage, and retina samples were obtained after 7 days. Additionally, we performed hematoxylin-eosin staining to assess retinal pathologicalchanges.Determination of the apoptosis rate and apoptosis protein by TUNEL and Western blot. These standardized protocols for retinal sampling and evaluation of pathological changes are helpful in promoting the exploration of the mechanism of retinopathy and the discovery of novel and effective traditional herbs.

Conservative Management and Postoperative Return to Sport in Endurance Athletes with Flow Limitations in the Iliac Arteries: A Scoping Review.

Flow limitations in the iliac arteries (FLIA) is a sport-related vascular condition increasingly recognised as an occupational risk for professional cyclists and other endurance athletes. Surgical reconstruction is the definitive treatment for athletes wishing to continue competition. However, less information has been published regarding conservative management options and return-to-sport (RTS) guidelines. Our aim was to review the existing literature on conservative treatment of FLIA, identify knowledge gaps and propose an RTS framework for athletes returning to competition. A comprehensive literature review was performed using the Ovid-MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase and PEDro databases for publications relevant to conservative management of FLIA. A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Original, peer-reviewed publications in English describing conservative or postoperative management for athletes with FLIA were included. Additional grey literature and clinical expertise were consulted to inform RTS guidelines. Overall, 62 studies were included in this review. In total, 11 categories of conservative modalities were extracted and presented qualitatively in terms of the information source (discussion or results statements) and perspective of the authors (positive, negative or mixed). We have proposed RTS guidelines covering pre-operative preparation and postoperative rehabilitation based on the available literature, clinical experience, and drawing from other areas of sports medicine research. There is insufficient literature evaluating the effectiveness of conservative management options for FLIA to establish best practices. Considering the importance of RTS for competitive athletes, we proposed practical guidelines to help with clinician and patient decision making. Future consensus should be sought for RTS best practices.

Spheroid-Hydrogel-Integrated Biomimetic System: A New Frontier in Advanced Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Technology.

Despite significant advances in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technologies, creating accurate in vitro models that faithfully recapitulate complex in vivo environments remains a major challenge in biomedical research. Traditional culture methods often fail to simultaneously facilitate critical cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions while providing control over mechanical and biochemical properties. This review introduces the spheroid-hydrogel-integrated biomimetic system (SHIBS), a groundbreaking approach that synergistically combines spheroid culture with tailored hydrogel technologies. SHIBS uniquely bridges the gap between traditional culture methods and physiological conditions by offering unprecedented control over both cellular interactions and environmental properties. We explore how SHIBS is revolutionizing fields ranging from drug discovery and disease modeling to regenerative medicine and basic biological research. The review discusses current challenges in SHIBS technology, including reproducibility, scalability, and high-resolution imaging, and outlines ongoing research addressing these issues. Furthermore, we envision the future evolution of SHIBS into more sophisticated organoid-hydrogel-integrated biomimetic systems and its integration with cutting-edge technologies such as microfluidics, 3D bioprinting, and artificial intelligence. SHIBS represents a paradigm shift in 3D cell culture technology, offering a unique solution to recreate complex in vivo environments. Its potential to accelerate the development of personalized therapies across various biomedical fields is significant. While challenges persist, the ongoing advancements in SHIBS technology promise to overcome current limitations, paving the way for more accurate and reliable in vitro models. The future integration of SHIBS with emerging technologies may revolutionize biomimetic modeling, potentially reducing the need for animal testing and expediting drug discovery processes. This comprehensive review provides researchers and clinicians with a holistic understanding of SHIBS technology, its current capabilities, and its future prospects in advancing biomedical research and therapeutic innovations.

Ex vivo electrical bioimpedance measurements and Cole modelling on the porcine colon and rectum

Different pathological changes in the large intestine wall, associated with the development of different chronic diseases, including colorectal cancer, could be reflected in electrical bioimpedance readings. Thickness and composition of the mucus bilayer covering it in the luminal side, abundance of bacteria of the intestinal microbiota, the permeability of the epithelium and inflammation are some of these. However, scientific literature on electrical passive properties of the large intestine is scarce. In this study, complex impedance measurements at 8 frequencies were carried out on 6 specimens of porcine colorectal tissue, within half ab hour post-mortem, obtained from a local abattoir. For 5 different distances, measured proximally from the border of the anus, 3 readings were taken at 3 different points with a tetrapolar probe. The results show 2 different dielectric dispersions in the α and β regions and it seems that there is a relationship between the values of resistivities and the thickness of the wall. Also, parameter values both for the Cole and the geometrical models are given. Another set of electrical bioimpedance readings was carried out in order to assess the effect of the mucus layer on electrical properties of the tissue. It seems that these layers are related to the low frequency dispersion. Finally, electrical passive properties of porcine colorectal tissue, reported in this work, give reference values and behaviour patterns that could be applied for further research in human medicine, based on bioimpedance measurements.

Personalized embryo transfer guided by rsERT with hourly precision improves pregnancy outcomes in patients with a receptive window of implantation: a pilot study.

To investigate whether personalized embryo transfer (pET) predicted by a modified RNA-sequencing-based endometrial receptivity test (rsERT) model can improve intrauterine pregnancy rate (IPR) in patients with a receptive window of implantation (WOI). A retrospective pilot study was conducted in the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Central South University, from January 2018 to December 2023. A total of 524 patients with receptive WOI results from rsERT were assigned into two groups based on whether they underwent conventional embryo transfer (conventional ET) or pET. Patients in the conventional ET were matched with those in the pET group at a 1:1 ratio using propensity score matching (PSM). Before PSM, the IPR (55.73% vs. 46.19%, P = 0.032) and implantation rate (IR) (47.51% vs. 34.03%, P = 0.000) in the pET group were significantly higher than that in the conventional ET group. However, the number and types of transferred embryos differed significantly between the two groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, IPR (57.38% vs. 44.81, P = 0.016) and IR (46.81% vs. 33.10%, P = 0.001) remained significantly higher in the pET group compared to the conventional ET group. The implantation failure rate was significantly lower in the pET group compared to controls (42.62% vs. 55.19%, P = 0.016). Additionally, the multiple-pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the pET group compared to the conventional ET group (10.29% vs. 1.68%, P = 0.001). Women with receptive WOI results could benefit from the receptivity-timed pET predicted by the newly refined rsERT. These findings provide a basis for future research in precision medicine for embryo transfer.

MIBLood-EV: An Online Reporting Tool to Facilitate the Standardized Reporting of Preanalytical Variables and Quality Control of Plasma and Serum to Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility in Liquid Biopsy Research.

Pre-analytical variability significantly impacts the reproducibility of liquid biopsy research, which is critical for precision medicine and biomedical research. This report highlights the challenges and variability in the pre-analytical processes of liquid biopsies, especially regarding extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are crucial for diagnostics in oncology. The MIBlood-EV initiative aims to standardize the reporting of pre-analytical variables and the quality control of plasma and serum samples to enhance reproducibility in EV research. By providing a comprehensive and flexible reporting framework, MIBlood-EV seeks to improve the reliability of EV studies and facilitate the development of evidence-based protocols, ultimately advancing the field of liquid biopsy research.