Search Results (15,345)

Background: Human exposure to microplastics (MPs) is an emerging public health concern, yet their presence and pathological significance in gastric tissues remain poorly understood. This study investigated suspected MP-like particles in human gastric autopsy specimens, examining their association with histopathological changes and routine biochemical parameters. Methods: A retrospective post-mortem study was conducted on gastric tissue samples from 55 adults who underwent autopsies between 2022 and 2025. Tissue samples were digested using a hydrogen peroxide method, vacuum-filtered, stained with Nile Red, and quantified via ImageJ. Histopathological evaluation using hematoxylin–eosin staining and polarized light microscopy identified tissue-embedded suspected MP-like particles and assessed inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis. Data were analyzed based on suspected MP-like particle detection status. Results: Suspected gastric MP-like particles were detected in 15 of 55 cases (27.3%). Most positive cases exhibited a low particle burden (median 1/g). Polarized light microscopy additionally served as a technical assessment tool, revealing birefringent structures measuring 26–84 μm within the gastric mucosa or lumen. All suspected MP-like particle-positive cases showed gastric inflammation compared to 35.0% of suspected MP-like particle-negative cases. Fibrosis and necrosis occurred exclusively in the suspected MP-like particle-positive group but lacked statistical significance. No significant associations were found between suspected MP-like particle detection and demographics, comorbidities, or systemic biochemical markers. Conclusions: Suspected gastric MP-like particles were identified in over a quarter of autopsy tissues and were strongly associated with localized gastric inflammation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Impacted mandibular third molars are associated with distal caries of the adjacent second molar and pericoronal follicle enlargement. This study evaluated the independent associations of both Winter angulation and Pell–Gregory classification with these complications on panoramic radiographs. Methods: This retrospective radiographic study evaluated 1491 impacted mandibular third molars from 1487 patients aged 18 years or older, reported in accordance with the STROBE guidelines for observational studies. Impaction patterns were classified using both the Winter and Pell–Gregory systems. Follicular space exceeding 2.5 mm was defined as follicle enlargement, measured digitally on panoramic images. Distal caries was defined as a radiolucent lesion on the distal surface of the adjacent second molar. Binary logistic regression (univariate and multiple models) was used to assess associations. Results: Among the 1487 patients (745 females, 742 males; mean age 25.21 ± 4.15 years), neither Winter angulation nor Pell–Gregory classification was associated with distal caries in univariate or multivariable analysis (all p > 0.05). Pericoronal follicle enlargement was significantly associated with deeper impaction: Pell–Gregory Class I carried lower risk than Class III (OR 0.296; 95% CI 0.184–0.478; p < 0.001), and Class A carried lower risk than Class C (OR 0.254; 95% CI 0.161–0.400; p < 0.001). Younger age independently predicted follicle enlargement (OR 0.964/year; p = 0.028). Winter angulation was not independently associated with follicle enlargement (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Neither Winter nor Pell–Gregory classification predicted distal second molar caries on panoramic radiography. Deeper Pell–Gregory impaction positions and younger age were independently associated with pericoronal follicle enlargement, supporting early radiographic surveillance in young patients with deep impactions. Full article

Urban streets are critical public spaces that support residents’ daily psychological recovery, and their landscape quality is directly related to pedestrians’ physical and mental well-being. In the rapid urbanization process, numerous urban streets have exhibited problems such as excessive building density, cluttered visual interfaces, a lack of natural elements, and an absence of regional characteristics, leading to a continuous decline in the psychological restorative capacity of street spaces and failure to meet residents’ demands for a healthy urban environment. Existing research mostly employs qualitative assessment methods to evaluate walking experiences and psychological restoration levels of street environments, lacking high-precision, pixel-level quantification of street landscape elements and rarely incorporating regional cultural elements into the analytical framework of restorative environments. This study takes Foshan, a famous historical and cultural city in China, as the research object, and selects five typical streets in the main urban area, including comprehensive streets, living streets, landscape streets, commercial streets, and historical–cultural streets, to construct a technical route of “data collection–element quantification–model construction–effect analysis.” Leveraging the pre-trained Mask2Former semantic segmentation model and pedestrian-perspective street-view images (SVIs), combined with field research, the study quantifies 22 street landscape elements across five dimensions: environment, transportation, social interaction, facilities, and culture. Through PCA principal component analysis and K-means clustering, 20 typical photos were objectively sampled, and public psychological evaluations were conducted using the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS). A stepwise multiple linear regression model was then employed to construct an exploratory explanatory model for street psychological restoration, identifying key influencing factors and their effect intensities. The results indicate the following: (1) Environmental and cultural elements are the core characteristics associated with pedestrians’ psychological restoration, whereas transportation, social, and facility elements are correlated only with certain restoration dimensions and show no significant association with the overall psychological restoration level. (2) Among the 22 element indicators, the Green View Index showed the strongest positive association with psychological restoration (β = 0.681, p < 0.001); historical memory markers and the Blue View Index also exhibited significant positive associations. (3) By integrating the elements associated with pedestrians’ psychological restoration and their association strengths, an exploratory explanatory model of the psychological restoration benefits of urban street landscapes was constructed, with an adjusted coefficient of determination of 69.8%, accounting for 69.8% of the variation in street psychological restoration levels. The findings establish an exploratory analytical framework and furnish empirical evidence for healthy city planning and street renewal in similar historical and cultural cities. Full article

Objective: The aim of the study was to sonographically evaluate the thickness of the abdominal, multifidus lumborum and gluteal muscles in professional dancers and the relationship between anthropometric, demographic and professional characteristics and clinical tests of the hip and groin. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed, examining ultrasound imaging in 20 elite professional ballet dancers to assess the thickness of the abdominal muscles, lumbar multifidus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The associations between the ultrasound variables and hip and groin function were tested using the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) and the Beighton score. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to find the relationship between muscle thickness, Beighton score and HAGOS. Results: The increase in muscle thickness from rest to activity was greater in the transversus abdominis left (62.6%) and the internal oblique left (38.7%). The strongest correlations between muscle thickness and HAGOS were observed for the gluteus medius left at rest (0.55) and active (0.58) in Physical Function in Sport and Recreation and right active in Symptoms (0.42), Physical Function in Sport and Recreation (0.48), and Participation in Physical Activities (0.54). The correlation of the Beighton score with muscle thickness was inverse for the internal oblique left at rest (−0.50) and active (−0.48), the transversus abdominis active left (−0.52) and right (−0.56), the rectus abdominis right at rest (−0.55), and the gluteus minimus right at rest (−0.51). Conclusions: The muscle thickness of the gluteus medius was positively correlated with the HAGOS questionnaire, whereas joint hypermobility was negatively correlated with internal oblique, transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis and gluteus minimus muscle thickness. Ultrasound imaging should be considered for the measurement of muscle thickness in hip and groin pain. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0565416. Date of registration: 8 December 2022. Full article

Forest fires are among the most critical disturbance agents reshaping Mediterranean ecosystems under accelerating climate change. This study employs a multi-scale remote sensing approach to examine the relationship between post-fire vegetation dynamics and climate variability in high-fire-risk areas of southern İzmir, Türkiye. Burned areas were delineated using the Burned Area Index (BAI) and differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) applied to Landsat imagery (1990–2024) and Sentinel-2 imagery (2017–2024). Post-fire vegetation recovery was quantified through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products. Climate variables, including soil moisture, precipitation, and maximum, minimum, and mean air temperature, were derived from the TerraClimate dataset. Long-term spatiotemporal trends were assessed using the non-parametric Mann–Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope estimator for the 2000–2023 period. Results indicate a statistically significant increase in mean temperature (p < 0.05) and a concurrent decline in soil moisture over the past three decades, consistent with progressive atmospheric aridification. Vegetation indices exhibited marked seasonal asymmetry: significant declines in NDVI, SAVI, and LAI were recorded during summer months, whereas partial recovery was confined to the winter–spring wet season. A pronounced warm-dry shift was identified in the post-2015 period, characterized by positive Land Surface Temperature anomalies and compressed vegetation recovery windows. These findings highlight that increasing thermal stress and diminishing soil moisture collectively constrain post-fire ecosystem resilience in the Mediterranean climatic zone (MCZ). The integrated remote sensing framework developed here provides a robust and transferable basis for fire ecosystem monitoring and the formulation of climate adaptation strategies in fire-prone dryland regions. Full article

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to compare the clinical, functional, and graft-related outcomes of two tibial fixation constructs used in primary hamstring autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR): tibial cortical button fixation and bioabsorbable interference screw fixation reinforced with a U-shaped staple. Materials and Methods: This retrospective two-center comparative cohort study included 58 patients with isolated anterior cruciate ligament injuries who underwent primary ACLR and had a minimum postoperative follow-up of 12 months. Patients were classified into the cortical button group (n = 26) or the U-staple group (n = 32) according to the initial graft diameter, which strictly dictated the tibial fixation construct documented in the operative report. Both the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were used in each group. A shorter quadrupled graft construct was prepared in the cortical button group, whereas a longer doubled graft construct was used in the U-staple group. Donor-site pain measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), graft diameter, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, knee range of motion (ROM), Lachman and pivot-shift findings, and graft failure were compared between the groups. Graft failure was defined as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of graft discontinuity or insufficiency accompanied by grade 2–3 Lachman laxity or a positive pivot-shift test. Numerical variables were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, whereas categorical variables were compared using the Pearson chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Results: Donor-site pain was significantly higher in the cortical button group than in the U-staple group [median VAS score: 2.5 (2.0–4.0) vs. 2.0 (0–2.0), respectively; p = 0.007]. Graft diameter was also significantly greater in the cortical button group [10.0 mm (10.0–10.0) vs. 9.0 mm (8.0–9.0); p < 0.001]. In contrast, IKDC scores were significantly higher in the U-staple group [71.0 (51.5–78.0) vs. 60.0 (55.0–62.8); p = 0.017]. No significant differences were observed in Lysholm scores (p = 0.701), knee ROM (p = 0.508), positive pivot-shift findings (11.5% vs. 6.3%; p = 0.648), clinically relevant Lachman laxity (30.8% vs. 18.8%; p = 0.287), or graft failure rates (11.5% vs. 18.8%; p = 0.495). Conclusions: No significant between-group differences were observed in Lysholm scores, knee ROM, clinical stability, or graft failure rates after hamstring autograft ACLR. The U-staple group demonstrated lower donor-site pain and higher IKDC scores, whereas the cortical button group had larger graft diameters, likely reflecting the shorter quadrupled graft configuration. Overall, neither tibial fixation construct showed a consistent advantage across all clinical outcomes. Full article

Interpreting multispectral remote sensing data for hydrothermal alteration mapping remains challenging in complex mountainous metallogenic belts because dense pixel-level field labels are difficult to obtain and weak spectral responses are affected by lithological background, vegetation, snow/ice cover, and topographic shadow. This study proposes a principal component analysis (PCA)-guided weakly supervised workflow for mapping hydroxyl- and iron-oxide-related spectral anomalies in the Bulong–Maidan–Tuoyun gold–copper metallogenic belt, southwestern Tianshan, China, using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery. PCA was used as a spectral prior to generate PCA-derived positive spectral anomaly samples for model training. A Residual-ECA Alteration Information Extraction (REA-AIE) model was developed to refine PCA-derived anomalies by learning local spectral–spatial features from multispectral image patches. Under the PCA-constrained random sample-level evaluation, REA-AIE achieved F1 scores of 95.90% and 97.09% for hydroxyl- and iron-oxide-related spectral anomalies, respectively; these values indicate agreement with PCA-derived pseudo-labels rather than spatially independent estimates of mapping performance. Petrography-constrained site-level assessment showed that REA-AIE-predicted spectral anomalies occurred within 90 m of 43 of the 53 altered sites, corresponding to a site-level recall of 81.13% and supporting their consistency with field-based geological evidence. Full article

Background: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) perform well in histopathological classification of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but their robustness across distinct tissue domains remains insufficiently studied. This study assessed whether a CNN trained only on primary oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma images remained transferable to an independent metastatic lymph node histopathology dataset. Methods: Three public datasets containing 14,760 OSCC/OPSCC and 8530 normal oral mucosa images were combined for model development. An ImageNet-pretrained EfficientNetB0 backbone was used as a fixed feature extractor with a task-specific binary classification head. Performance was first assessed on an independent internal testing subset and subsequently evaluated on 20,000 H&E-stained normal and metastatic lymph node patches from a separate public dataset. Results: The model achieved an internal testing accuracy of 91.48%, with 92.95% sensitivity, 88.92% specificity, 93.56% precision, a 93.25% F1-score, and a Youden’s J index of 0.819. External validation resulted in a substantial decrease in overall classification performance, with an accuracy of 56.91%, specificity of 33.32%, precision of 48.71%, F1-score of 63.37%, balanced accuracy of 61.99%, MCC of 0.279, and a Youden’s J index of 0.240. Nevertheless, sensitivity for metastatic tissue remained high at 90.66%, indicating a markedly asymmetric external error profile characterized predominantly by false-positive classifications. Conclusions: The marked performance decrease during external validation demonstrates the limitations of direct cross-domain transfer between substantially different histopathological environments. However, the preserved sensitivity suggests that some discriminative information remained transferable beyond the development domain. These findings support partial rather than universal cross-domain generalization and emphasize the importance of independent out-of-distribution evaluation when assessing deep learning robustness in computational pathology. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate patient positioning is essential for diagnostic quality in conventional knee radiography. Although established anatomical landmarks are routinely used to judge projection quality, assessment remains qualitative and observer-dependent. We therefore developed and validated the Radiographic Projection Quality Score for the Knee (RPQS-Knee), a standardized scoring system for objective projection quality assessment. Methods: The RPQS-Knee was derived from established radiographic positioning criteria, anatomical reference landmarks, and predefined geometrically based measurement thresholds. The final score was evaluated in 153 consecutive knee radiographic examinations, independently assessed by one radiologist and two orthopedic surgeons. Inter rater reliability was assessed using quadratically weighted Gwet’s AC2, intra rater reliability using weighted Cohen’s κ, and construct validity by correlation with separately assigned diagnostic adequacy ratings. Results: The RPQS-Knee comprises four projection-related criteria assessing fibular-head superimposition, tibial plateau alignment, and femoral-condyle congruency. Inter rater reliability was excellent for the total score (AC2 = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92–0.95) and good to excellent for all individual items (AC2 = 0.76–0.85). Intra rater reliability ranged from κ = 0.59 to 0.81. RPQS-Knee subscores correlated strongly with diagnostic adequacy ratings (ρ = −0.69 and −0.78; both p < 0.001), providing evidence supporting construct validity. Conclusions: The RPQS-Knee translates established radiographic positioning criteria into a standardized, reproducible instrument for objective assessment of projection quality. Its excellent reliability and evidence supporting construct validity suggest that it may facilitate standardized quality assessment in clinical practice, quality assurance, and research. Full article

(1) Background/Objectives: Blood-based biomarkers have emerged as practical tools for identifying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Among them, plasma phosphorylated Tau217 (p-Tau217) demonstrates strong associations with cerebral amyloid deposition. In parallel, the easy Z-score Imaging System (eZIS), a quantitative brain perfusion SPECT analysis tool, has been widely used to detect characteristic AD-related hypoperfusion patterns. Although both measures reflect distinct AD processes, the relationship between plasma p-Tau217 and eZIS in MCI remains unclear. (2) Methods: This retrospective study included 62 patients with MCI who underwent plasma p-Tau217 testing and brain perfusion SPECT with eZIS analysis. Associations between plasma p-Tau217 and the three eZIS indices (severity, extent, and ratio) were evaluated. Exploratory subgroup analyses were performed using a previously reported plasma p-Tau217 threshold of 0.63 pg/mL. In addition, a validation sub-cohort of 21 participants who underwent plasma p-Tau217 testing, eZIS, and amyloid PET was analyzed to assess concordance with cerebral amyloid pathology. (3) Results: Among the three eZIS indices, severity demonstrated the highest sensitivity relative to elevated plasma p-Tau217 levels. However, all eZIS indices showed limited discriminative performance. Optimal eZIS cutoff values derived from the present cohort were higher than previously reported thresholds. In the amyloid PET-validated sub-cohort, plasma p-Tau217 demonstrated closer concordance with amyloid positivity than any individual eZIS parameter. The reduced performance of eZIS appeared to be associated with advanced age, substantial vascular burden, white matter lesions, and cerebral atrophy. (4) Conclusions: Plasma p-Tau217 showed a stronger association with cerebral amyloid pathology than eZIS indices in this elderly MCI cohort. Nevertheless, eZIS may provide complementary information regarding downstream neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular processes that are not directly captured by plasma biomarkers. This integrated approach highlights plasma p-Tau217 as a primary screening tool for amyloid pathology to guide disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), alongside eZIS for tracking follow-up mixed co-pathologies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) can be an early manifestation of systemic amyloidosis, particularly transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). The primary purpose of this retrospective case series was to describe the presence of amyloid deposits in tenosynovial tissue and explore potential cardiac involvement in patients undergoing carpal tunnel release surgery. Methods: From a cohort of 54 patients diagnosed with bilateral idiopathic CTS with surgical indication, 12 patients were selected for tenosynovial tissue samples, which were subsequently evaluated using Congo red staining and proteomic confirmation via mass spectrometry. Before the procedure, patients underwent a clinical assessment of medical history, electrocardiogram, and cardiac scintigraphy with Technetium-99 m 3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (^99mTc-DPD). Transthoracic echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance were subsequently performed in all patients with positive scintigraphy, while a subset of scintigraphy-negative patients underwent an echocardiogram. Results: Congo red staining identified amyloid deposits in 3 of the 12 patients (25%). Proteomic analysis confirmed ATTR amyloidosis deposits in 2 of these patients (17%). One of these 2 patients presented Perugini grade 3 uptake on cardiac scintigraphy, suspicious for ATTR-CA. Complete concordance across histology, proteomics, and cardiac imaging was observed in only 1 patient (8.3%). Three discordances were noted: one case of tenosynovial ATTR without evident cardiac disease, one patient with a discordant Congo red result likely reflecting low amyloid burden or tissue heterogeneity, and one with imaging findings suspicious for ATTR-CA despite a negative tenosynovial biopsy. Conclusions: Tenosynovial biopsy obtained during CTS surgery can reveal early amyloid deposition, which may precede overt cardiac involvement. The variability observed across findings underscores the need for a multimodal diagnostic approach that integrates histological, proteomic, and imaging data, thereby mitigating the risk of amyloidosis misclassification. Full article

UAVs increasingly rely on accurate SLAM for aerial mapping and inspection in GPS-denied environments. 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) has opened a new direction for UAV mapping by allowing SLAM systems to build dense, photorealistic, and renderable maps. Yet in 3DGS SLAM the map is optimized from the pose graph, so a false loop closure can deform both the UAV trajectory and the Gaussian map consumed by downstream UAV autonomy. Reliable loop admission is therefore relevant to safe GPS-denied operation because it protects the state and map estimates on which autonomous functions depend. The present work evaluated this upstream estimation-integrity problem; it did not measure closed-loop guidance, control, or navigation-safety outcomes. We address the loop-admission problem that arises after a place-recognition (PR) module proposes a candidate loop and relative-pose seed. GSSeq is a rendered-reference sequential verifier that uses the current Gaussian map as active evidence before inserting a loop factor. It renders RGB-D references with the PR seed, checks LiDAR/rendered-depth consistency and image/rendered-reference consistency over active support, and propagates the seed through a short query trajectory window. A loop is admitted only when this evidence remains geometrically supported and photometrically stable. On fixed LiDAR-PR candidate sets spanning MARS-LVIG, MUN-FRL, and independent NTU-VIRAL aerial sequences together with ground-mobility benchmarks, GSSeq provides a competitive precision-oriented operating point while suppressing false loop admissions. Thresholds calibrated only on NTU-VIRAL spms_01 combine rendered RGB agreement with LiDAR-submap geometry and are then frozen for spms_02. On this held-out sequence, GSSeq rejects all seven false-positive BTC factors while retaining one of three true-positive factors. The trajectory-to-map experiment reduced ATE RMSE from $2.609\mathrm{m}$ to $1.417\mathrm{m}$ and improved selected-view PSNR from $13.80\mathrm{dB}$ to $16.46\mathrm{dB}$. These results show that rendered verification can preserve an aligned, renderable UAV trajectory-map pair before unsupported loop factors reshape the SLAM map. Full article

Background/Objectives: Primary biliary neuroendocrine tumors (PBilNETs) are exceptionally rare biliary tract neoplasms that are frequently misdiagnosed preoperatively as cholangiocarcinoma because of overlapping clinical and radiological findings. This systematic review aimed to summarize overall evidence regarding presentation, diagnostic evaluation, surgical management, and outcomes of PBilNETs. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases was performed according to PRISMA guidelines for studies published between January 2000 and December 2025. Studies including adult patients with histologically confirmed and surgically treated PBilNETs were eligible. Data regarding demographics, symptoms, imaging findings, surgical treatment, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and outcomes were extracted and analyzed. Results: Fifty-eight studies involving 79 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age at diagnosis was 49 years, with female predominance. Obstructive jaundice, abdominal pain, and pruritus were the most common presenting symptoms. Most tumors originated from the hilar or extrahepatic bile ducts. Preoperative diagnosis was challenging, as most lesions were initially considered cholangiocarcinomas. Surgical resection was the main therapeutic approach and included bile duct excision with biliary reconstruction, pancreaticoduodenectomy, or hepatic resection according to tumor location. Histopathological analysis demonstrated predominantly well- or moderately differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms with frequent chromogranin A and synaptophysin positivity. Favorable long-term outcomes were reported, with high postoperative survival and limited recurrence during follow-up. Conclusions: PBilNETs remain diagnostically challenging because of their rarity and nonspecific presentation; however, they appear to exhibit a less aggressive biological behavior than conventional biliary adenocarcinomas. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of treatment, while further multicenter studies are required to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The findings also support an individualized multidisciplinary approach integrating clinical presentation, advanced imaging, histopathological grading, and immunohistochemical profiling to optimize personalized management of these rare tumors. Full article

Background: The rotator cable is thought to contribute to load transmission and preservation of shoulder function in rotator cuff tears; however, its detectability on arthroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), agreement between these modalities, and clinical relevance remain incompletely defined. This study evaluated rotator cable visibility on arthroscopy and MRI, factors associated with arthroscopic cable visibility, and its relationship with preoperative active shoulder motion. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 128 patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy for supraspinatus tears between January 2019 and February 2023. Arthroscopic video recordings were reviewed for rotator cable visibility. Standardized preoperative MRI review was available in 58 patients. Agreement between MRI and arthroscopic visualization was assessed using Cohen’s kappa and percentage agreement measures. Multivariable binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with arthroscopic cable non-visibility. Results: The rotator cable was visible arthroscopically in 79 of 128 patients (61.7%) and on MRI in 38 of 58 patients (65.5%). Overall agreement between MRI and arthroscopy was 67.2% (95% CI, 53.7–79.0%), with a Cohen’s kappa of 0.315 (95% CI, 0.090–0.540; p = 0.011), indicating fair agreement. Positive and negative percent agreement were 78.8% and 52.0%, respectively. Although increasing age was associated with cable non-visibility in univariable analysis, this association did not remain statistically significant after multivariable adjustment. Higher Lafosse grade was independently associated with cable non-visibility in the overall cohort (adjusted OR, 1.43 per grade; 95% CI, 1.04–1.97; p = 0.028), whereas increasing tear size was independently associated with cable non-visibility among patients with full-thickness tears (adjusted OR, 2.78 per category; 95% CI, 1.19–6.52; p = 0.019). The unadjusted association between massive tear size and reduced MRI cable visibility did not remain significant after false discovery rate adjustment (q = 0.276). No statistically significant associations were detected between cable visibility or MRI-measured cable dimensions and preoperative active abduction or forward elevation. Conclusions: MRI and arthroscopy demonstrated fair agreement in the assessment of rotator cable visibility. After multivariable adjustment, cable non-visibility was more closely associated with tear-related characteristics than with patient age. No statistically significant associations were detected between cable characteristics and the assessed preoperative range-of-motion measures; however, smaller or moderate associations cannot be excluded, particularly within the MRI subgroup. Rotator cable visibility should primarily be interpreted as a marker of detectability and tear morphology rather than as a direct surrogate for structural integrity or shoulder function. Full article

Cibotium barometz (L.) J.Sm., a medicinal fern, relies on three interconnected processes for in vitro propagation: spore germination, ordered gametophyte development, and successful initiation and early establishment of the sporophyte generation. However, during aseptic subculture, gametophytes frequently deviate from this developmental trajectory. The predominant abnormalities include filamentous arrest, thick fan-shaped blades, and irregular spatulate blades, all of which were associated with reduced archegonial maturation and subsequent sporophyte establishment. In this study, developmental time-course observation, paraffin-section histology, and medium-regulation experiments were integrated to establish a diagnosis–recovery–initiation framework for Cibotium barometz gametophytes. Spore germination and gametophyte development were divided into eight practical checkpoints: spore imbibition, spore-wall rupture, rhizoid emergence, rhizoid elongation, filamentous prothallus, lamellar prothallus, cordate gametophyte, and sporophyte formation. The ontogeny of archegonia was delineated into six histological stages, ranging from the initial-cell stage to the pre-fertilization stage. Based on an integrative assessment of population appearance, individual morphology, and anatomical sections, abnormal gametophytes were classified into three diagnostic categories. Filamentous arrest manifested as wool-like or thread-like growth patterns, featuring persistent chain-like cellular organization and failure to develop a two-dimensional blade. Thick fan-shaped blades showed pronounced enlargement and thickening; section images revealed narrow, densely packed cells, accumulation of storage compounds, and localized wall thickening, a pattern consistent with, but not sufficient to demonstrate, a preferential shift toward vegetative proliferation. Irregular spatulate blades were narrow and asymmetric and showed morphological and histological features suggestive of disrupted tissue polarity. Although archegonial initial cells or primordium-like structures were intermittently detected, they infrequently advanced to mature archegonia. Medium treatment significantly affected arrest rate, hypertrophy rate, sporophyte initiation, and mean young-sporophyte height (p < 0.001). Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with IAA, 6-BA, and activated carbon was associated with the highest arrest rate, whereas full-strength MS medium was associated with the most pronounced hypertrophy. Among hormone-free subculture treatments, 1/2 MS + activated carbon gave the highest sporophyte initiation rate (71.45% ± 9.16%); the same formula also performed well in primary hormone-free cultures (70.54% ± 9.07%). Correlation analysis showed a strong positive association between sporophyte initiation rate and mean young-sporophyte height (r = 0.935, p < 0.001), while arrest and hypertrophy were negatively associated with sporophyte initiation. These results support evaluating in vitro propagation using quantified developmental outcomes—arrest rate, hypertrophy rate, sporophyte initiation rate, and mean young-sporophyte height—rather than biomass alone. Under the tested conditions, hormone-free 1/2 MS + activated carbon was associated with the most favorable recovery outcomes; the underlying mechanisms require validation by quantitative histology, gene-expression analysis, endogenous-hormone profiling, and direct measurement of compounds adsorbed by activated carbon. Full article