Search Results (3,725)

Background: Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) is widely used in both clinical and aesthetic settings to induce temporary neuromuscular paralysis by inhibiting acetylcholine release. Although generally regarded as safe and effective, complications such as iatrogenic ptosis or facial asymmetry may occur and persist for several weeks or even months, with no standardized method currently available to accelerate recovery. Objective: This article explores the hypothesis that photobiomodulation (PBM)—a non-invasive modality recognized for its neuroregenerative potential—may facilitate the reversal of BoNT/A-induced neuromuscular blockade. Discussion: PBM enhances mitochondrial activity by stimulating cytochrome c oxidase in nerve and muscle tissues, thereby increasing ATP production and modulating intracellular signaling pathways associated with neuroplasticity, cell survival, and synaptogenesis. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that PBM can upregulate neurotrophic factors (e.g., BDNF, NGF), enhance SNAP-25 expression, and promote structural remodeling of neurons in both young and aged brains. These mechanisms are biologically consistent with the regenerative processes required for recovery from BoNT/A-induced effects. While controlled clinical trials for this specific application are currently lacking, anecdotal clinical reports suggest that PBM may accelerate functional recovery in cases of BoNT/A-related complications. Conclusions: Although this approach has not yet been tested in clinical trials, we propose that photobiomodulation may hypothetically serve as a supportive strategy to promote neuromuscular recovery in patients experiencing adverse effects from BoNT/A. This hypothesis is grounded in robust preclinical evidence but requires validation through translational and clinical research. Full article

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) results from the deposition of either immunoglobulin light chain (AL) or transthyretin (ATTR) amyloid fibrils in the myocardium, causing restrictive cardiomyopathy and, if left untreated, can lead to early death. Advancements in non-invasive diagnostic modalities have led to an increased recognition of the disease. Monoclonal gammopathy plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic algorithm for CA, particularly in differentiating AL from ATTR. This review highlights the importance of monoclonal protein detection through serum protein electrophoresis, immunofixation electrophoresis, and serum free light chain assays as initial screening tools. However, these tests alone are insufficient for a definitive diagnosis due to the complexities associated with coexisting monoclonal gammopathies and the potential for false negative and positive results. Advanced imaging modalities, such as echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and nuclear scintigraphy, along with tissue biopsy, are crucial for confirming CA and accurately determining the CA subtype. Full article

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of mortality in children from middle- to low-income countries; diagnosing CAP includes clinical evaluation, laboratory testing and pulmonary imaging. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a sensitive, accessible, non-invasive, non-radiant method for accurately evaluating the lung involvement in acute diseases. Whether LUS findings can be correlated with CAP’s severity or sepsis risk remains debatable. This study aimed to increase the importance of LUS in diagnosing and monitoring CAP. We analyzed 102 children aged 1 month up to 18 years, hospital admitted with CAP. Mean age was 5.71 ± 4.85 years. Underweight was encountered in 44.11% of children, especially below 5 years, while overweight was encountered in 11.36% of older children and adolescents. Patients with CAP presented with fever (79.41%), cough (97.05%), tachypnea (18.62%), respiratory failure symptoms (20.58%), chest pain (12.74%) or poor feeding. Despite the fact that 21.56% had clinically occult CAP and six patients (5.88%) experienced radiologically occult pneumonia, CAP diagnosis was established based on anomalies detected using LUS. Conclusions: Detailed clinical examination with abnormal/modified breath sounds and/or tachypnea is suggestive of acute pneumonia. LUS is a sensitive diagnostic tool. A future perspective of including LUS in the diagnosis algorithm of CAP should be taken into consideration. Full article

To address the limitations of low detection efficiency and poor spatial resolution of traditional cable insulation diagnosis methods, a novel cable insulation diagnosis method based on impedance spectroscopy has been proposed. An impedance spectroscopy analysis model of the frequency response of high-voltage single-core cables under different aging conditions has been established. The initial classification of insulation condition is achieved based on the impedance phase deviation between the test cable and the reference cable. Under localized aging conditions, the impedance phase spectroscopy is more than twice as sensitive to dielectric changes as the amplitude spectroscopy. Leveraging this advantage, a multi-parameter diagnostic framework is developed that integrates key spectral features such as the first phase angle zero-crossing frequency, initial phase, and resonance peak amplitude. The proposed method enables quantitative estimation of aging severity, spatial extent, and location. This technique offers a non-invasive, high-resolution solution for advanced cable health diagnostics and provides a foundation for practical deployment of power system asset management. Full article

Impedance-based cellular assays allow determination of biological functions of cell populations in real-time by measuring electrical impedance. As compared to end-point assays, such as trans-epithelial electrical resistance assays, for example, they enable fast, non-invasive, and easy detection of cell kinetics—their growth, attachment, and interaction can be monitored over time. In our experiment, Caco-2 cells were cultured on E-plates 16. Next, fully differentiated cells were treated with either TNF-α or 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-DOPA). We aimed to verify the possibility of real-time testing of the viability, monolayer formation, and integrity (i.e., the presence of a functional and polarized monolayer) of Caco-2 cells by the xCELLigence real-time cell analyzer (RTCA) S16 system (Agilent Technologies). Full article

Introduction: Radiomics is the extraction of non-invasive and reproducible quantitative imaging features, which may yield mineable information for clinical practice implementation. Quantification of lung function through radiomics could play a role in the management of patients with pulmonary lesions. The aim of this study is to test the capability of radiomic features to predict pulmonary function parameters, focusing on the diffusing capacity of lungs to carbon monoxide (DL_CO). Methods: Retrospective data were retrieved from electronical medical records of patients treated with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) at a single institution. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) SBRT treatment performed for primary early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) or oligometastatic lung nodules, (2) availability of simulation four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scan, (3) baseline spirometry data availability, (4) availability of baseline clinical data, and (5) written informed consent for the anonymized use of data. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was segmented on 4DCT reconstructed phases representing the moment of maximum inhalation and maximum exhalation (Phase 0 and Phase 50, respectively), and radiomic features were extracted from the lung parenchyma subtracting the lesion/s. An iterative algorithm was clustered based on correlation, while keeping only those most associated with baseline and post-treatment DL_CO. Three models were built to predict DL_CO abnormality: the clinical model—containing clinical information; the radiomic model—containing the radiomic score; the clinical-radiomic model—containing clinical information and the radiomic score. For the models just described, the following were constructed: Model 1 based on the features in Phase 0; Model 2 based on the features in Phase 50; Model 3 based on the difference between the two phases. The AUC was used to compare their performances. Results: A total of 98 patients met the inclusion criteria. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scored as the clinical variable most associated with baseline DL_CO (p = 0.014), while the most associated features were mainly texture features and similar among the two phases. Clinical-radiomic models were the best at predicting both baseline and post-treatment abnormal DL_CO. In particular, the performances for the three clinical-radiomic models at predicting baseline abnormal DL_CO were AUC₁ = 0.72, AUC₂ = 0.72, and AUC₃ = 0.75, for Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3, respectively. Regarding the prediction of post-treatment abnormal DL_CO, the performances of the three clinical-radiomic models were AUC₁ = 0.91, AUC₂ = 0.91, and AUC₃ = 0.95, for Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3, respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that radiomic features extracted from healthy lung parenchyma on a 4DCT scan are associated with baseline pulmonary function parameters, showing that radiomics can add a layer of information in surrogate models for lung function assessment. Preliminary results suggest the potential applicability of these models for predicting post-SBRT lung function, warranting validation in larger, prospective cohorts. Full article

Thermoregulatory fanning behavior in honeybees is a vital indicator of colony health and environmental response. This study presents a novel dataset of 18,000 annotated video frames containing 57,597 instances capturing fanning behavior at the hive entrance across diverse conditions. Three state-of-the-art single-shot object detection models (YOLOv8, YOLO11, YOLO12) are evaluated using standard RGB input and two motion-enhanced encodings: Temporally Stacked Grayscale (TSG) and Temporally Encoded Motion (TEM). Results show that models incorporating temporal information via TSG and TEM significantly outperform RGB-only input, achieving up to 85% mAP@50 with real-time inference capability on high-performance GPUs. Deployment tests on the Jetson AGX Orin platform demonstrate feasibility for edge computing, though with accuracy–speed trade-offs in smaller models. This work advances real-time, non-invasive monitoring of hive health, with implications for precision apiculture and automated behavioral analysis. Full article

Hemoglobin plays a critical role in diagnosing various medical conditions, including infections, trauma, hemolytic disorders, and Mediterranean anemia, which is particularly prevalent in Mediterranean populations. Conventional measurement methods require blood sampling and laboratory analysis, which are often time-consuming and impractical during emergency situations with limited medical infrastructure. Although portable oximeters enable non-invasive hemoglobin estimation, they still require physical contact, posing limitations for individuals with circulatory or dermatological conditions. Additionally, reliance on disposable probes increases operational costs. This study presents a non-contact and automated approach for estimating total hemoglobin levels from facial video data using three-dimensional regression models. A dataset was compiled from 279 volunteers, with synchronized acquisition of facial video and hemoglobin values using a commercial pulse oximeter. After preprocessing, the dataset was divided into training, validation, and test subsets. Three 3D convolutional regression models, including 3D CNN, channel attention-enhanced 3D CNN, and residual 3D CNN, were trained, and the most successful model was implemented in a graphical interface. Among these, the residual model achieved the most favorable performance on the test set, yielding an RMSE of 1.06, an MAE of 0.85, and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.73. This study offers a novel contribution by enabling contactless hemoglobin estimation from facial video using 3D CNN-based regression techniques. Full article

The intranasal delivery of exogenous mitochondria is a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The regulatory mechanisms and effectiveness in genetic models remains uncertain, as well as the impact of modulating the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in grafts. Utilizing UQCRC1 (p.Tyr314Ser) knock-in mice, and a cellular model, this study validated the transplantation of mitochondria with or without cyclosporin A (CsA) preloading as a method to treat mitochondrial dysfunction and improve disease progression through intranasal delivery. Liver-derived mitochondria were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), incubated with CsA to inhibit mPTP opening, and were administered weekly via the nasal route to 6-month-old mice for six months. Both treatment groups showed significant locomotor improvements in open-field tests. PET imaging showed increased striatal tracer uptake, indicating enhanced dopamine synthesis capacity. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased neuron survival in the dentate gyrus, a higher number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum (ST), and a thicker granule cell layer. In SN neurons, the function of mitochondrial complex III was reinstated. Additionally, the CsA-accumulated mitochondria reduced more proinflammatory cytokine levels, yet their therapeutic effectiveness was similar to that of unmodified mitochondria. External mitochondria were detected in multiple brain areas through BrdU tracking, showing a 3.6-fold increase in the ST compared to the SN. In the ST, about 47% of TH-positive neurons incorporated exogenous mitochondria compared to 8% in the SN. Notably, GFAP-labeled striatal astrocytes (ASTs) also displayed external mitochondria, while MBP-labeled striatal oligodendrocytes (OLs) did not. On the other hand, fewer ASTs and increased OLs were noted, along with lower S100β levels, indicating reduced reactive gliosis and a more supportive environment for OLs. Intranasally, mitochondrial transplantation showed neuroprotective effects in genetic PD, validating a noninvasive therapeutic approach. This supports mitochondrial recovery and is linked to anti-inflammatory responses and glial modulation. Full article

Early diagnosis is critical for the effective management of neurodegenerative disorders, and retinal alterations have emerged as promising early biomarkers due to the retina’s close developmental and functional link to the brain. The zebrafish (Danio rerio), with its rapid development, transparent embryos, and evolutionarily conserved visual system, represents a powerful and versatile model for studying retinal degeneration. This review discusses a range of behavioral assays—including visual adaptation, motion detection, and color discrimination—that are employed to evaluate retinal function in zebrafish. These methods enable the detection of subtle visual deficits that may precede overt anatomical damage, providing a non-invasive, efficient strategy for early diagnosis and high-throughput drug screening. Importantly, these behavioral tests also serve as sensitive functional readouts to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatments over time. Compared to traditional murine models, zebrafish offer advantages such as lower maintenance costs, faster development, optical transparency for live imaging, and ethical benefits due to reduced use of higher vertebrates. However, variability in experimental protocols highlights the need for standardization to ensure reliability and reproducibility. Full article

Background and Aims: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease frequently associated with fatigue and mild cognitive impairment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays key roles in neuroplasticity, immune regulation, and metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate plasma BDNF levels in early-stage PBC and examine their clinical and biochemical associations. Methods: In this observational study, plasma BDNF, IL-6, and IL-18 concentrations were measured by ELISA in 45 patients with early-stage PBC and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (mean age 60.5 years; 96% women). All participants underwent liver elastography using point shear wave elastography (ElastPQ), Doppler ultrasound, laboratory testing, and assessment of cognitive function (PHES) and fatigue severity (MFIS). Non-invasive fibrosis scores (APRI, FIB-4) were calculated. Results: Median plasma BDNF concentrations were significantly higher in PBC patients than in controls [median: 21.04 ng/mL (IQR: 10.68–38.07) vs. 5.80 ng/mL (IQR: 4.58–7.54); p < 0.0001]. In PBC patients, higher BDNF levels correlated inversely with liver stiffness measured by ElastPQ (R = −0.39, p = 0.0258), spleen dimensions, splenic vein flow volume (R = −0.49, p = 0.0018), suggesting an association with milder liver fibrosis and early hemodynamic alterations. A trend toward association between BDNF and IL-6 levels was observed in multivariate analysis. No significant associations were found between BDNF concentrations and markers of hepatocellular injury, cognitive performance, or fatigue severity. Conclusions: Plasma BDNF concentrations are elevated in early-stage PBC and inversely correlate with liver fibrosis severity. No significant associations were found with hepatocellular injury, cognitive function, or fatigue. These findings suggest that BDNF may play a protective role against hepatic fibrogenesis, or alternatively, that BDNF concentrations may decline with advancing liver disease. Further studies are needed to clarify its significance in PBC. Full article

Background and Objectives: Accurate noninvasive differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains a clinical challenge. This study aimed to assess the dignostic performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from diffusion-weighted MRI in distinguishing between HCC and ICC, with histological confirmation as the gold standard. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 61 patients (41 HCC, 20 ICC) who underwent liver MRI and percutaneous biopsy between 2019 and 2024. ADC values were measured from diffusion-weighted sequences (b-values of 0, 500, and 1000 s/mm²), and regions of interest were placed over solid tumor areas. Statistical analyses included t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and ROC curve analysis. Results: Mean ADC values did not differ significantly between HCC (1.09 ± 0.19 × 10⁻³ mm²/s) and ICC (1.08 ± 0.11 × 10⁻³ mm²/s). ROC analysis showed poor discriminative ability (AUC = 0.520; p = 0.806). In HCC, ADC values decreased with lower differentiation grades (p = 0.008, η² = 0.224). No significant trend was observed in ICC (p = 0.410, η² = 0.100). Immunohistochemical markers such as CK-7, Glypican 3, and TTF-1 showed significant diagnostic value between tumor subtypes. Conclusions: ADC values have limited utility for distinguishing HCC from ICC but may aid in HCC grading. Immunohistochemistry remains essential for accurate diagnosis, especially in poorly differentiated tumors. Further studies with larger cohorts are recommended to improve noninvasive diagnostic protocols. Full article

Common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae), is an invasive weed that causes problems in cropping systems and to human health both in its native range in North and Central America and the introduced range in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Ophraella communa, an herbivorous chrysomelid beetle from North America, was accidentally introduced into East Asia and Europe, where it significantly reduces weed populations and pollen production. Despite extensive research on its host specificity and risk assessment, the potential environmental risk of this biological control agent in southeastern Central Europe, one of the most heavily invaded areas by A. artemisiifolia, remains to be determined. This literature review attempts to summarize the results of host-range testing conducted so far and identifies plant taxa native to southeastern Central Europe that have not been tested yet. The results suggest that the host range of O. communa is not yet entirely clear, but may include some plant species from the tribes Heliantheae, Inuleae, Anthemideae, Cardueae, Astereae, and/or Coreopsideae. So far, only some of the 21 genera from those tribes with species in southeastern Central Europe have been tested. We therefore suggest further host specificity studies with representatives of these plant genera to fully assess the potential non-target risks by O. communa in agricultural and natural habitats. Full article

Background: This study aimed to develop a nomogram based on the most relevant clinical, CT, and radiomic features comprising 11 key signatures (2 clinical, 2 CT-based, and 7 radiomic) for the non-invasive prediction of the EGFR mutation status and to support the timely initiation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma. Methods: Retrospective real-world data were collected from 521 patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC adenocarcinoma who underwent CT imaging and either surgical resection or pathological biopsy for EGFR mutation testing. Five Random Forest classification models were developed and trained on various datasets constructed by combining clinical, CT, and radiomic features extracted from CT image regions of interest (ROIs), with and without feature preselection. Results: The model trained exclusively on the most relevant clinical, CT, and radiomic features demonstrated superior predictive performance compared to the other models, with strong discrimination between EGFR-mutant and wild-type cases (AUC = 0.88; macro-average = 0.90; micro-average = 0.89; precision = 0.90; recall = 0.94; F1-score = 0.91; and accuracy = 0.87). Conclusions: A nomogram constructed using a Random Forest model trained solely on the most informative clinical, CT, and radiomic features outperformed alternative approaches in the non-invasive prediction of the EGFR mutation status, offering a promising decision-support tool for precision treatment planning in NSCLC. Full article

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder and a leading genetic cause of infant mortality. Advances in disease-modifying therapies have significantly improved outcomes when treatment is initiated early, underscoring the importance of timely diagnosis. With the growing availability of prenatal genetic screening and high-resolution molecular diagnostics, opportunities for early detection, and potentially in utero intervention, are rapidly expanding. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the prenatal management of SMA, focusing on diagnostic strategies, the clinical application of fetal genetic testing, and the emerging potential of fetal therapy. We explore both invasive and non-invasive diagnostic approaches and evaluate experimental prenatal treatment modalities, while critically addressing the associated ethical, regulatory, and economic considerations. As the field progresses, integrating in utero strategies into clinical care may reshape perinatal medicine and offer transformative potential for genetic neurodegenerative disorders diagnosed before birth. The convergence of early diagnosis, fetal intervention, and personalized genetic counseling will be central to optimizing care pathways and outcomes in the era of precision medicine. Although significant challenges remain, the translation of fetal therapy into routine clinical practice is approaching feasibility. Future clinical trials, anchored in definitive prenatal diagnosis, will be essential, with benefits potentially outweighing the inherent procedural risks. Full article