Search Results (2,952)

Background: Because of the increased awareness of the clinical importance of ILAs on chest CT, this study aims to determine the prevalence of ILAs in an Italian health cohort undergoing CT for a lung cancer screening (LCS) program and quantify ILA using both visual and deep learning-based analyses. Methods: In this observational, retrospective monocentric study, 500 participants (ITALUNG2, n = 100; RISP, n = 400) underwent low-dose CT (CTDI < 2mGy). Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed the images and determined the presence and extent of ILAs, classifying them as fibrotic or non-fibrotic, while a lung texture analysis was performed by using commercially available deep learning–based software. Results: ILAs were present in 34 patients (11 females and 23 males), with a prevalence of 6,8%, with similar rates across both screening cohorts taken individually. Interobserver agreement between radiologists was almost perfect, whereas concordance between visual and automated quantification was substantial. Visual assessment tended to yield higher estimates of ILA extent compared with software-based analysis. Conclusions: These findings confirm that ILAs are relatively common in LCS populations and highlight the importance of their detection and characterization, particularly for fibrotic patterns. Differences between visual and automated approaches underline the need for further refinement and validation of quantitative tools. Full article

Background: Stretching exercises are strongly recommended as part of exercise training programs; however, their effects on blood pressure (BP) and other related cardiovascular parameters in adult individuals with elevated BP (pre-hypertension) or hypertension remain unclear. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and databases accessed via the EBSCO platform up to 30 September 2025, following the PRISMA guidelines. An additional search of Scopus was performed on 8 April 2026. Studies eligible for inclusion were randomized controlled trials, randomized crossover trials, non-randomized clinical trials and single-arm trials investigating stretching interventions in adults with pre-hypertension and or hypertension. Risk of bias assessment was performed using RoB 2 for randomized trials and ROBINS-I for the non-randomized trials. A random-effect meta-analysis was performed when at least two studies reported sufficiently comparable BP outcomes. The quantitative synthesis was considered exploratory. Results: Eleven records published between 2014 and 2025 met the eligibility criteria and were included. All protocols used static stretching, although only a small number were clearly described as active stretching. The results were heterogeneous across the design, duration of intervention and outcomes. Chronic interventions more often reported favorable changes in indices of arterial stiffness, whereas acute interventions demonstrated more variable immediate BP responses. In the exploratory meta-analysis, the pooled estimate suggested a reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in favor of stretching; however, this effect did not reach statistical significance (mean difference (MD) = −5.39 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI): −11.32 to 0.53; I² = 0%). For diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the pooled estimate favored stretching and reached statistical significance (MD = −3.93 mmHg, 95% CI: −7.25 to −0.60; I² = 0%). In sensitivity analyses including a third study, the pooled effects remained in favor of stretching for systolic BP (MD = −6.6 mmHg, 95% CI: −12.2 to −1.0; I² = 56%) and diastolic BP (MD = −5.4 mmHg, 95% CI: −7.1 to −3.7; I² = 8%). These pooled estimates should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies, heterogeneity in study design and participant characteristics, and overall limitations in methodological quality. Secondary findings suggested possible improvements in selected vascular parameters, including brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and cardio–ankle vascular index, whereas acute responses were more variable and protocol-dependent. Overall, the level of evidence was limited, with most randomized trials judged as having some concerns and non-randomized studies judged as having a critical risk of bias. Conclusions: Stretching interventions may improve BP and selected vascular parameters in adults with pre-hypertension and hypertension and may represent a practical adjunct within the non-pharmacological management of BP. However, the current evidence is limited by methodological heterogeneity, risk of bias, and the small number of studies available for quantitative synthesis. Therefore, the pooled findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than definitive. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to determine the optimal type, dose, and long-term clinical relevance of stretching interventions in this population. Full article

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan transmitted via environmentally resistant oocysts present in food and water, as well as through the consumption of meat containing infective bradyzoites. This study evaluated the inactivation of T. gondii oocysts and bradyzoites (ME-49 strain) by Pulsed Electric Field technology (PEF). Treatment efficacy was determined by mouse bioassay combining brain qPCR and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), with complementary qPCR in Hs27 cells. The infectious dose (ID₅₀) of T. gondii was estimated at 34.6 oocysts. PEF-treated oocysts (15 kV/cm; 50 kJ/kg; 225 µs) showed a significant reduction in infectivity compared with untreated controls; accordingly, the dose required to establish infection increased to 85.3 oocysts after PEF treatment. Brain qPCR and IFA were highly correlated, whereas heart tissue was less sensitive. Bradyzoites recovered from PEF-treated meat (3.3 kV/cm; 27 kJ/kg; 1600 µs) showed a 50% infectivity reduction compared with untreated samples. In vitro assays confirmed an in vivo reduction in infectivity, indicating that cell cultures can serve as an ethical and efficient tool for preliminary viability assessment. This is the first evidence of T. gondii inactivation by PEF, highlighting its potential as a non-thermal strategy. Further studies are needed to optimize treatment parameters. Full article

Introduction: Antipsychotic (AP) medications are widely prescribed beyond psychotic disorders, yet their long-term safety profile regarding breast cancer (BC) risk remains uncertain. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies evaluating the association between AP exposure and incident BC. Eligible studies reported adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals for any AP, prolactin-increasing antipsychotics (PIAPs), or prolactin-sparing antipsychotics (PSAPs). Study quality was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (mNOS), and certainty of evidence was graded with the GRADE framework. Random-effect models were used to pool effect estimates by exposure category, duration, and cumulative Defined Daily Dose (DDD). Results: Nine high-quality observational studies encompassing 108 effect estimates were included. Most studies achieved mNOS scores of 9, yet GRADE certainty ranged from very low to moderate, with the overall body of evidence graded as low certainty due primarily to residual confounding. Any AP exposure was associated with a modestly increased BC risk, particularly with long-term use: use for >5 years yielded pooled ORs around 1.5–1.6, while short-to-medium duration (1–5 years) showed smaller increases (pooled ORs in the range 1.2–1.3). For PIAPs, both longer duration (>5 years) and higher cumulative exposure (>1000–2000 DDDs) were consistently associated with ORs/HRs in the 1.3–1.6 range, suggesting a possible dose–response pattern. Histological analyses indicated stronger associations for ductal than lobular BC, and elevated risks were observed across age strata, including women aged <55 and ≥70 years. Discussion: This meta-analysis suggests that chronic exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics is associated with a potentially clinically relevant increase in BC risk, whereas prolactin-sparing agents do not show a clear signal of harm. However, the certainty of this association is limited by inconsistently measured confounders and by the observational nature of the data. These findings support a cautious, individualized approach in which clinicians preferentially consider PSAPs when appropriate, discuss BC risk as part of shared decision-making, and integrate tailored screening strategies for women requiring long-term PIAP therapy. Further high-quality pharmacoepidemiologic studies with better confounder control and mechanistic integration are needed to refine risk estimates and inform preventive neuropsychopharmacology. Full article

Background: Past workplace exposure to asbestos in combination with tobacco smoking has increased the risk of lung cancer for some residents in an area within the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Northeast Italy. In light of studies showing that lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can reduce mortality, local stakeholders and decision-makers decided to assess the potential benefits, harms and cost-effectiveness of a single round of LCS with LDCT versus standard care among people aged 55 to 80 who were formerly exposed to asbestos and with at least 10 pack-years of smoking. Methods: An economic model was developed using a decision tree connected to a Markov cohort model. The primary outcome was the incremental cost per additional quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Other outcomes included the number of life years saved, the number of deaths averted and overdiagnosis. Results: Per 10,000 people screened, the intervention led to 395 additional QALYs (95% credible interval: 129 to 831) and incremental total costs of EUR 1,086,345 (95% credible interval: −852,607 to 2,155,826). The incremental cost per QALY gained was EUR 2750. There was a probability of cost-effectiveness of 99.5% relative to a threshold of EUR 25,000. Conclusions: The model estimated that the intervention was cost-effective. The model’s simplifications and limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings in relation to policy-making decisions. Further research could include the costs and benefits of incidental findings and could assess the cost-effectiveness of repeated rounds of screening for the same population. Full article

Microelectromechanical systems are being increasingly deployed in nuclear industry robotics, where their great sensitivity and mechanically stable silicon structures enable reliable sensing in radiation-exposed environments. An ultra-thin silicon strain gauge without an oxide substrate layer designed for robotic electronic skin is evaluated under Co-60 γ irradiation, representative of nuclear decommissioning conditions. The sensor performance is evaluated based on electrical measurements conducted before and after irradiation, focusing on cumulative radiation-induced effects. The results show that silicon strain gauge signal maintains a high linearity (R² > 0.99) under strain. Across an accumulated dose range up to approximately 15 Gy, only minor variations are observed, including a resistance increase within 1.3% and a reduction in gauge factor within 5% for most specimens. The radiation-induced resistance increases and sensitivity degradation results in a maximum strain estimation error of approximately 22.5 με (≈3.5%) within the tested operating range below 700 με. Full article

Background/Objectives: Inguinal hernia and hydrocele are common pediatric surgical conditions resulting from failed obliteration of the processus vaginalis during fetal development. Although prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to adverse perinatal outcomes and congenital anomalies, its role in structurally defined pediatric surgical diseases remains unclear. We examined the association between maternal PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy and the risk of inguinal hernia or hydrocele in offspring. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1093 mother–offspring pairs delivering at a tertiary referral center (July 2016–June 2019). Monthly residential PM2.5 levels were estimated at geocoded maternal addresses using kriging interpolation from fixed-site monitoring stations. Offspring diagnosed with inguinal hernia or hydrocele through March 2024 were identified using ICD-10 codes. Perinatal characteristics were compared using t-tests and chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression assessed trimester-specific PM2.5 exposure and risk. Results: During follow-up, 53 offspring (4.85%) developed inguinal hernia or hydrocele. Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 24.71; 95% CI, 5.95–102.54; p < 0.001) and second-trimester PM2.5 exposure (OR, 1.07 per µg/m³; 95% CI, 1.01–1.14; p = 0.028) were independent risk factors. A dose–response pattern was observed across quartiles of second-trimester exposure; an interquartile range increase was associated with a 64% higher risk (OR, 1.64). The model showed good discrimination (AUC, 0.804). Conclusions: Elevated maternal PM2.5 exposure during the second trimester was independently associated with increased risk of inguinal hernia or hydrocele in offspring. Prenatal air pollution may contribute to persistence of the processus vaginalis and represents a potentially modifiable environmental risk factor. Full article

Atmospheric corrosion of carbon and low-alloy steels causes direct economic losses that are estimated at around 3.4% of the global GDP, and its accurate multi-year prediction is essential for protective coating selection, service-life estimation, and infrastructure maintenance scheduling. In this study, machine learning (ML) algorithms, including gradient boosting regressor (GBR), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), and ridge regression, were trained on a 600-sample physics-grounded dataset to predict the cumulative atmospheric corrosion loss (µm) of low-alloy steels over 1–10 years of exposure. The dataset was constructed using the exact ISO 9223:2012 dose–response function (DRF) for a first-year corrosion rate and the ISO 9224:2012 power-law multi-year kinetic model (C(t) = C₁·t0.5), spanning ISO 9223 corrosivity categories C2–CX across 11 environmental and material input features. All models were evaluated on the original (untransformed) corrosion scale under an 80/20 train/test split and five-fold cross-validation. Gradient boosting achieved the best overall performance with test set R² = 0.968, CV-R² = 0.969, RMSE = 10.58 µm, MAE = 5.99 µm, and MAPE = 12.6%. XGBoost was a close second (R² = 0.958, CV-R² = 0.960). RF achieved an R² of 0.944. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis identified SO₂ deposition rate, exposure time, relative humidity, Cl⁻ deposition rate, and temperature as the five most influential predictors. The dominance of the SO₂ deposition rate (mean |SHAP| = 26.37 µm) and the high second-place ranking of exposure time (13.67 µm) are fully consistent with the ISO 9223:2012 dose–response function and ISO 9224:2012 power-law kinetics, respectively, while among the material features, Cu and Cr contents showed the strongest negative SHAP contributions, confirming their corrosion-inhibiting roles in weathering steels. These results establish a physics-consistent, interpretable ML benchmark exceeding R² = 0.90 for multi-year cumulative corrosion loss prediction and provide a quantitative tool for alloy screening, coating selection in aggressive atmospheric environments, and service-life planning. Full article

Biogenic amines are nitrogenous compounds that may occur in foods through plant metabolism, bee enzymatic activity, or microbial decarboxylation. This study evaluated biogenic amines content in monofloral honeys from Algeria and Morocco, integrating compositional analysis, quality indices, and dietary exposure assessment within a toxicological risk characterization framework. Eight amines were quantified by HPLC-FLD, and Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) was calculated under adult and pediatric low- and high-consumption scenarios. Composite indices, including Total Biogenic Amines (TBA), Biogenic Amine Index (BAI), Vasoactive Amine Load (VAL), Potentiation Index (PI), and Quality Index (QI), were determined. Marked intra- and inter-city variability was observed, particularly for serotonin, tryptamine, and tyramine. Algerian Euphorbia orientalis L. samples showed the highest TBA and VAL values. However, histamine concentrations generally remained below 1 mg/kg, and tyramine levels were markedly lower than doses associated with hypertensive effects. Worst-case EDI values were in the order of 10⁻³–10⁻⁴ mg/kg body weight/day, including high-consumption pediatric scenarios. PI values were low, indicating limited synergistic amplification by diamines. Overall, despite botanical and geographical variability, the analyzed honeys exhibit a wide safety margin and based on the applied screening-level assessment, no immediate risk is indicated under the considered scenarios. Full article

Background: Hormone receptor-positive (HR+), Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2-negative) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) represents a substantial proportion of breast cancer cases in Saudi Arabia. Despite the established efficacy of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, particularly Palbociclib, in randomized control trials, real-world data from local institutions in Saudi Arabia remain limited. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity profile among HR+, HER2-negative MBC female patients treated with Palbociclib at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on female patients with HR+/HER2-negative MBC treated with oral palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy (ET) at KFMC between January 2021 and September 2024. Data were collected from electronic health records. Descriptive statistics were conducted using mean for continuous variables and frequency for categorical variables. Survival analyses were conducted using Cox regression, log-rank tests and Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results: A total of 169 female patients with HR+/HER2− MBC were included. In the first-line setting, the median PFS was 20.14 months (95% CI: 14.65–30.49), compared with 11.3 months (95% CI: 7.98–not estimable) in the second-line setting. For OS, the median OS values were 53.1 months (95% CI: 41.2–not estimable) in the first-line group and 23.7 months (95% CI: 18.5–not estimable) in the second-line group. Significant predictors of shorter PFS included age, Body Mass Index (BMI), type of ET, cancer type, line of therapy, family history of cancer, and history of VTE. Visceral metastasis (HR = 3.087; p = 0.0229) and ECOG performance status of 4 (HR = 13.86; p = 0.0156) were associated with significantly shorter OS. The most common hematological adverse events (AEs) were neutropenia (45.6%), followed by anemia (5.9%), leukopenia (5.3%), and back pain (5.3%). Most toxicities were managed with dose reduction, holding treatment, or supportive care. Conclusions: Palbociclib demonstrated favorable survival outcomes and a manageable safety profile, with neutropenia being the most common AE. This study provides region-specific real-world evidence supporting the use of Palbociclib in HR+/HER2− MBC. These findings align with global trial data and highlight the importance of individualized treatment in clinical practice. Full article

Background: Evaporative water loss from burn wounds is a major but often neglected component of early fluid requirements. Despite its physiological importance, no dedicated review has quantified acute post-burn evaporative water loss (TEWL) and its interaction with modern resuscitation strategies in over 40 years. Recent mass-casualty burn events in specialized centers have re-emphasized the clinical importance of accurate early fluid balance, which is particularly challenging. Methods: A scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) of historical quantitative studies and 23 contemporary (2015–2025) adult major-burn resuscitation cohorts was conducted. Expected TEWL was derived from Lamke benchmarks; interstitial edema was estimated from the only available regression of simultaneous fluid input and 24 h weight change. A novel TEWL/edema ratio was tested against resuscitation volume (mL/kg/%TBSA) and the established input/output (I/O) ratio. Results: In the acute phase, the median TEWL normalized to total body surface area was 71 mL/m²/h [52–79 mL/m²/h], allowing for calculation of the TEWL/edema ratio. The TEWL/edema ratio was inversely correlated with the resuscitation fluid dose (R² = 0.811) and the I/O ratio as well (R² = 0.86), crossing unity at 2.85 mL/kg/%TBSA. A ratio > 1 signals high evaporative drive and/or possible under-resuscitation; a ratio < 1 alerts to fluid creep before significant weight gain. Conclusions: The TEWL/edema ratio is the first physiology-grounded, easily calculable resuscitation endpoint that complements urine output by providing insight into whether administered fluid is lost as obligatory evaporation or sequestered as edema. Routine estimation of expected TEWL and early monitoring of the TEWL/edema ratio may help guide goal-directed burn resuscitation, especially when early excision is delayed or impossible. Given the substantial inter-individual variability, the ratio derived from aggregate data should not be interpreted as a patient-specific predictor. Full article

Background: Early postoperative changes in creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after bariatric surgery can be misread as a kidney injury. During rapid weight loss, indexing eGFR to a fixed body surface area (BSA) of 1.73 m² may alter apparent trajectories. We compared absolute (mL/min) and BSA-indexed (mL/min/1.73 m²) eGFR changes after sleeve gastrectomy, stratified by baseline glomerular hyperfiltration (GH). Methods: In this retrospective cohort of 145 adults undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, serum creatinine was obtained at baseline (≤30 days pre-op) and 3 months (post-op days 75–105). Indexed eGFR was calculated with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) 2021 creatinine equation; BSA with the Mosteller formula; and absolute eGFR as indexed eGFR × (BSA/1.73). GH was defined as indexed eGFR ≥ 120 mL/min/1.73 m². A REML mixed-effects model (Group, Time, Group × Time) with patient-cluster bootstrap inference was used. An age-adjusted sensitivity model including Age and Age × Time was also fitted. Results: Fifty-four participants (37%) met the GH criteria. Absolute eGFR declined by −26.6 mL/min in GH versus −17.3 mL/min in non-GH (difference-in-differences [DiD] −9.3 mL/min; 95% CI −13.9 to −4.7; p < 0.001). The indexed eGFR changes were smaller (−4.2 vs. −0.5 mL/min/1.73 m²; DiD −3.7; 95% CI −7.3 to −0.03; p = 0.048; bootstrap p_sign = 0.052). In the age-adjusted sensitivity model, the Group × Time interaction for absolute eGFR attenuated but remained statistically significant (−6.57 mL/min; 95% CI, −13.09 to −0.06; p = 0.048), whereas the corresponding interaction for indexed eGFR was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (−3.99 mL/min/1.73 m²; 95% CI −9.15 to 1.16; p = 0.129). Conclusions: Within three months after sleeve gastrectomy, participants with higher baseline indexed filtration showed a larger decline in absolute eGFR but only a small change in indexed eGFR. These results show that early postoperative creatinine-based eGFR trajectories are scale dependent and should be interpreted cautiously during rapid weight loss. Because postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) was not adjudicated and direct kidney function markers were unavailable, this study does not distinguish physiological hemodynamic change from structural kidney injury. Reporting both absolute and indexed eGFR may improve early postoperative interpretation and help align dosing decisions with rapid changes in body size. Full article

In the SARS-CoV-2 endemic phase, assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 booster doses in children is essential for public health policy. This study evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of three doses (primary series plus booster) against severe outcomes, comparing the pandemic and endemic periods and children with and without comorbidities. We carried out a cohort study based on the population, utilizing comprehensive Brazilian data from individuals under 18 years of age with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, spanning from February 2020 to June 2025. The primary exposure of interest was three or more doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The primary outcome of interest was COVID-19-related death. VE and the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one death were estimated in a propensity score-matched cohort, with adjustments for confounders. Among 3,730,007 reported pediatric cases, 5472 (0.1%) died, 99% of whom did not receive a booster dose. During the pandemic, the VE against death was higher in children with comorbidities (92.7% [95% CI, 63.5–99.0]; NNV = 23 [19–30]) than in those without (68.2% [25.7–86.4]; NNV = 2000 [1111–9774]). During the endemic period, the VE against death remained high and was comparable between groups: 89.4% (29.8–98.7) and 75.8% (36.4–95.7) for children with and without comorbidities, respectively. Nevertheless, NNV levels were significantly lower in children with comorbidities, reflecting an increased risk at baseline. Although booster doses continue to offer substantial protection against fatal COVID-19 outcomes, the magnitude of this benefit is directly correlated with the baseline risk. Consequently, these findings support the implementation of risk-based prioritization strategies in public health decision-making for children. Full article

Objectives: This study investigates the association of pretreatment underweight, sarcopenia, and cancer cachexia with survival outcome in hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) radiotherapy. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed 167 patients with newly diagnosed HPC treated with definitive radiotherapy. The definitions of underweight, sarcopenia, and cancer cachexia are based on the international consensus of the European Palliative Care Research Collaborative. Underweight and sarcopenia were analyzed in all 167 patients, while cachexia analyses were restricted to the 117 patients for whom pretreatment weight-loss data were available. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test, and subsequently analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The median follow-up period was 28 months. Cachexia analyses were restricted to the 117 patients for whom pretreatment weight-loss data were available; of these, 45 (38%) met criteria for cancer cachexia. Patients with underweight (n = 76, 46%) or cancer cachexia had significantly lower locoregional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival compared to those not underweight and without cachexia, respectively, whereas there was no difference in any outcome between patients with sarcopenia (n = 54, 32%) and those without. Given the definitional overlap among underweight, sarcopenia, and cachexia, these three variables were entered into the multivariate analysis separately—which included age, sex, performance status, double cancer, T-classification, N-classification, chemotherapy administration, treatment era, and radiation dose—confirming that underweight and cancer cachexia remained independently associated with worse LRC, DFS, and OS. In the fully adjusted multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, the hazard ratios for mortality risk were 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–3.4; p = 0.030) and 2.0 (95% CI, 1.1–3.8; p = 0.032) for patients with underweight or cancer cachexia, respectively. Conclusions: Pretreatment underweight and cancer cachexia negatively impact survival outcomes, including locoregional control, in HPC radiotherapy. Prospective studies with standardized nutritional assessment protocols, pre-specified intervention arms, and sufficient sample sizes are essential to validate these findings and to establish the clinical benefit of pre-treatment nutritional optimization in this patient population. Full article

Glucocorticoid-induced hypertension affects over 30% of treated patients, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear, particularly how glucocorticoids regulate renin within the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Modeling these dynamics is difficult because only four dose-response measurements are available at a single 24-h timepoint (36 observations total), while the system depends on roughly eleven biochemical parameters spanning minutes-long receptor interactions to days-long protein secretion. Classical parameter estimation becomes unreliable in this extremely underdetermined setting, and purely data-driven methods offer limited biological interpretability. In this paper, we introduce a physics-informed neural network (PINN) framework that integrates ELISA measurements from As4.1 juxtaglomerular cells, ordinary differential equations describing glucocorticoid receptor signaling and renin transcription, and automatic differentiation to enforce mechanistic constraints. By systematically tuning synthetic-data weights (SW in {0.2, 0.3, 0.5}), we identify an intermediate value of SW = 0.3 that provides the best overall balance between predictive accuracy, accepted ensemble size, and biologically plausible parameter estimates among the tested configurations. The framework uses adaptive constraint scheduling with a plateau ramp to reduce premature convergence and introduces calibrated plausibility thresholds reflecting experimental noise. The accepted PINN ensemble (n = 5, 50% success rate) achieved R² = 0.803, compared with 0.759 for the SW = 0.5 baseline and −0.220 for the ODE-only baseline, with RMSE = 0.024. Key learned parameters (IC₅₀ = 2.925 ± 0.012 mg/dL, Hill = 1.950 ± 0.009) are biologically plausible within the model assumptions, and the best single accepted model attained R² = 0.891. Information criteria favored the PINN over the ODE model, with improvements of approximately 77× (AIC) and 5.9× (BIC). Despite training on a single timepoint, the PINN also infers full 48-h trajectories and reproduces non-monotonic dose-response behavior. This work presents, to our knowledge, the first PINN framework for glucocorticoid-mediated renin regulation and should be interpreted as a proof-of-concept approach for integrating sparse biomedical data with mechanistic constraints. The inferred parameters and temporal dynamics are best viewed as model-dependent, hypothesis-generating estimates rather than validated biological quantities. Full article