Search Results (11,553)

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients frequently develop muscle wasting and chronic inflammation, conditions associated with functional decline and reduced quality of life (QoL). Nutritional strategies that provide targeted anabolic support without increasing nitrogen load may offer clinical benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible impact of a food for special medical purposes (FFSMP), composed of free-form branched-chain amino acids, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and zinc, on muscle mass and strength, laboratory parameters, physical performance (PP), and QoL in HD patients. Methods: in this randomized double-blind crossover study, 24 adult HD patients received the FFSMP (10 g/day; two sachets) supplementation or placebo for 12 weeks, separated by an 8-week wash-out (protocol code RS 29.23). Measured outcomes included quadriceps rectus femoris thickness (QRFT) muscle, body composition analysis, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress indices, other routine biochemical parameters, PP, and QoL (SF-36 questionnaire). Results: FFSMP supplementation resulted in significant increases in QRFT and in fat-free mass percentage. Reductions in oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers were observed. Routine biochemical parameters remained stable, with the exception of a decrease in pre-dialysis urea. Functional performance measures did not differ between treatment periods. Improvements were noted in selected SF-36 domains, specifically energy/fatigue and general health. No major adverse events occurred during the study. Conclusions: In HD patients, this FFSMP produced favorable changes in markers of muscle mass and systemic inflammation without affecting short-term physical performance. These findings support the potential clinical utility of targeted amino acid supplementation in this patient population, highlighting the need for larger, longer-term trials. Full article

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the rs7799039 variant in the leptin (LEP) gene and specific parameters of body composition in young healthy Slovak adults using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Methods: We assessed 467 young adults aged 18 to 30 years with an average age of 22.55 ± 2.56 years. Genotyping of SNP LEP G-2548A (rs7799039) was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 770). Results: Our results showed that the LEP rs7799039 variant was associated with total body mineral levels in women. The mean values of total body minerals (kg) were higher in LEP AA carriers than in carriers of the G allele (3.26 ± 0.52 kg compared to 3.09 ± 0.36 kg; p = 0.014). In addition, linear regression analysis showed statistically significant associations of the LEP gene rs7799039, vitamin D intake, body mass index (BMI) and height on total body mineral content in women (p < 0.05). The presence of the LEP AA genotype, reported vitamin D intake and higher BMI and height values were positively associated with higher total body mineral content. No association was found between the LEP rs7799039 variant and BMI, fat mass (FM) or FM distribution across body segments. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the rs7799039 variant in the LEP gene may be associated with small differences in total body mineral content in young adult women. These findings should be interpreted as exploratory associations, rather than evidence of biological specificity or an independent genetic effect. Full article

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of vision loss, yet publicly available Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) datasets lack demographic diversity, particularly from South Asian populations. Existing datasets largely represent Western cohorts, limiting AI generalizability. Moreover, raw OCT volumes contain redundant spatial information and speckle noise, hindering efficient analysis. Methods: We introduce BanglaOCT2025, a retrospective dataset collected from the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), Bangladesh, using Nidek RS-330 Duo 2 and RS-3000 Advance systems. We propose a novel preprocessing pipeline comprising two stages: (1) A constraint-based centroid minimization algorithm automatically localizes the foveal center and extracts a fixed 33-slice macular sub-volume, robust to retinal tilt and acquisition variability; and (2) A self-supervised volumetric denoising module based on a Flip-Flop Swin Transformer (FFSwin) backbone suppresses speckle noise without requiring paired clean reference data. Results: The dataset comprises 1585 OCT volumes (202,880 B-scans), including 857 expert-annotated cases (54 DryAMD, 61 WetAMD, and 742 NonAMD). Denoising quality was evaluated using reference-free volumetric metrics, paired statistical analysis, and blinded clinical review by a retinal specialist, confirming preservation of pathological biomarkers and absence of hallucination. Under a controlled paired evaluation using the same classifier with frozen weights, downstream AMD classification accuracy improved from 69.08% to 99.88%, interpreted as an upper-bound estimate of diagnostic signal recoverability rather than independent generalization. Conclusions: BanglaOCT2025 is the first clinically validated OCT dataset representing the Bengali population and establishes a reproducible fovea-centric volumetric preprocessing and restoration framework for AMD analysis, with future validation across independent and multi-centre test cohorts. Full article

Background: The common fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene variant rs9939609 has been linked to elevated risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Eating and sleeping windows gained clinical interest as factors in weight maintenance and have been linked to T2DM risk. Objective: To study the association and interaction between the common FTO rs9939609 variant and eating and sleeping windows to affect T2DM risk in a large community cohort. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 12,254 adult participants. Genetic, anthropometric, and lifestyle behaviors data including eating and fasting windows were analyzed. Logistic and linear regression models, as well as chi-square tests, were applied under additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models (adjusted for age, sex, and BMI). Results: Significant associations between FTO rs9939609 x eating and sleeping window interactions were demonstrated in relation to T2DM risk. Longer eating windows and later last meal timing were associated with an increased risk for T2DM under the additive model (OR = 1.029, 95% CI = 1.002–1.055, and OR = 1.066, 95% CI = 1.012–1.122, respectively), while longer fasting windows were found to be protective under additive model (OR = 0.972, 95% CI = 0.947–0.998). Later bedtime onset was associated with an increased risk for T2DM under additive model (OR = 1.101, 95% CI = 1.005–1.220). Hours of night sleep significantly interacted with FTO rs9939609 under additive genetic model. FTO rs9939609 risk allele carriers with prolonged sleeping windows (OR = 1.137, 95% CI = 1.039–1.354) and poorer sleeping quality (OR = 1.185, 95% CI = 1.038–1.354) had increased risk of T2DM. Conclusions: Eating and fasting windows, late last meal timing, hours of night sleep, late bedtime onset, and poorer sleep quality are significantly associated with T2DM risk among FTO rs9939609 risk carriers and may reflect metabolic vulnerability associated with FTO risk alleles. These findings highlight potential behavioral modification to attenuate genetic risk and provide evidence for actionable prevention strategies in genetically predisposed populations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communications and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests, affecting approximately 1% of children globally. While functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided insights into altered brain connectivity patterns in ASD, classification based on neuroimaging remains a challenging due to the heterogeneity of the disorder and variability in imaging data across sites. This study employs a network-based approach using large-scale, multi-site rs-fMRI dataset from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE I and II) to classify ASD and healthy controls using machine learning. Methods: A semi-blind Independent Component Analysis method, specifically the spatial constraint reference ICA, is applied to identify functional brain networks, and the ComBat harmonization technique is used to address site-specific variability across 11 independent datasets, ensuring consistency in feature representation. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) are employed for classification, focusing on three key networks: the Default Mode Network (DMN), Sensorimotor Network (SMN), and Visual Sensory Network (VSN). Results: The results demonstrate high classification accuracy, with the VSN achieving the highest performance (83.23% accuracy, 87.90% AUC), followed by the DMN (81.43% accuracy, 84.53% AUC) and the SMN (80.52% accuracy, 84.96% AUC), positioned with their recognized roles in social cognition and sensory–motor processing, respectively. Conclusions: The integration of ICA-based feature extraction with ComBat harmonization significantly improved classification accuracy compared to previous studies. These findings point out the potential of network-based approaches in ASD classification and point out the importance of integrating multi-site neuroimaging data for identifying reproduceable network-level features. Full article

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease. Quantifying neuronal damage is a critical step for patient care. Neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) are the most promising serum biomarkers reflecting neuronal damage and astroglial activation, respectively. This study analyzed sNfL and sGFAP in 177 MS patients and 71 healthy controls (HCs) using SIMOA technology, classifying patients as responders (Rs) or non-responders (NRs) based on “No Evidence of Disease Activity 3” (NEDA-3) status during two years of treatment. Longitudinal analyses were performed for Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and Ocrelizumab (OCRE) treatment. Biomarker–age correlation analysis in HCs confirmed correlation between both NfL and GFAP, with age and cut-off values specific for age decades being calculated. Both biomarkers were higher in MS patients compared to HCs. sNfL showed a significant increase in NR patients overall. In contrast, sGFAP was elevated in the low-to-moderate-efficacy treatment agents (LETAs) NR group and also in the DMF NR subgroup, suggesting that it monitors persistent astrogliosis. Longitudinal analysis showed that both biomarkers decreased during DMF treatment after one year. During OCRE treatment, sNfL rapidly reduced to HC levels within one year, while sGFAP decreased only after two years. This highlights that OCRE acts differently on the pathological processes linked to the two biomarkers. Full article

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a valuable tool for presurgical brain mapping, traditionally implemented with task-based paradigms (tb-fMRI) that measure blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes during controlled motor or cognitive tasks. Tb-fMRI is a well-established tool for non-invasive localization of cortical eloquent areas, yet its dependence on patient cooperation and intact cognition limits use in individuals with aphasia, cognitive impairment, or in pediatric and other vulnerable populations. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) provides a task-free alternative by leveraging spontaneous low-frequency BOLD fluctuations to delineate intrinsic functional networks, including motor and language systems that show good spatial concordance with tb-fMRI and with direct cortical stimulation. This narrative review outlines the methodological foundations of tb-fMRI and rs-fMRI, comparing acquisition protocols, preprocessing and denoising pipelines, analytic approaches, and validation strategies relevant to presurgical planning. Particular emphasis is given to the technical and physiological foundations of BOLD imaging, statistical modeling, and the influence of motion, noise, and standardization on data reliability. Emerging evidence indicates that rs-fMRI can reliably expand mapping to patients with limited task compliance and may serve as a robust complementary modality in complex clinical contexts, though its methodological heterogeneity and absence of unified practice guidelines currently constrain widespread adoption. Future advances in harmonized preprocessing, multicenter validation, and integration with connectomics and machine learning frameworks are likely to be critical for translating rs-fMRI into routine, reliable presurgical workflows. Full article

Agricultural leftovers from oilseed crops represent an underutilized lignocellulosic resource for integrated biorefinery. In this work, rapeseed straw (RS) and sunflower stalk (SS) were evaluated as raw materials for the simultaneous recovery of hemicelluloses, lignin, and cellulose-rich fibers. Direct soda pulping (20% NaOH, 160 °C, 45 min) or a combination of soda pulping with water pretreatment or alkaline extraction (water or 2% NaOH, 110 °C, 40 min) were the methods used in the process. Acid precipitation was used to remove lignin from the process fluids, whereas ethanol was used to separate hemicelluloses. FTIR spectroscopy, HPLC of acidic hydrolysates, and chemical composition analysis were used to analyze solid fractions and recovered biopolymers. The combination alkaline extraction–soda pulping produced the greatest material removal: 55% for RS and 70% for SS. Xylan was the main component of the isolated hemicellulose fraction: 44.86% for RS and 40.09% for SS. Paper sheets produced from the resulting pulps exhibited tensile strength indices of 35–55 N·m/g and burst indices of 1.1–2.4 kPa·m²/g, meeting requirements for hygiene and fluting packaging papers. These results prove that RS and SS are suitable feedstocks for integrated, multi-stream biorefinery, enabling the concurrent production of paper-making fibers and value-added biopolymers. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy, for which predicting clinical outcomes remains challenging. Although immune-checkpoint pathways are known to influence tumor biology, the impact of their germline variants on DLBCL susceptibility and prognosis has not been fully elucidated. Methods: Variants in PD-L1 gene CD274 (rs4143815, rs822336), and miR-155 gene MIR155HG (rs767649, rs1893650), assessed by TaqMan assays in 99 DLBCL patients and 113 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, were associated with clinicopathological features, treatment response, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and disease susceptibility. Results: The PD-L1 variant rs822336 was significantly associated with relapse status (p = 0.005) and RFS (p = 0.008), with the wild-type GG genotype showing the poorest RFS that remained independent in the multivariate Cox analysis (HR = 2.387, p = 0.003). Conversely, rs4143815 showed a nominal association with treatment resistance (p = 0.026), while patients carrying the GG genotype had worse OS (p = 0.006). In susceptibility analyses, miR-155 variant rs767649 showed a nominal association with DLBCL risk, with the rare AA genotype showing an increased risk of DLBCL (OR = 5.234, p = 0.045), which did not remain significant after Bonferroni correction. Conclusions: In a hypothesis-generating manner, these findings suggest that PD-L1 genetic variants may predominantly influence disease progression and outcomes, while miR-155 variation may contribute to DLBCL susceptibility. These findings highlight germline immunogenetic variants as stable, treatment-independent markers that may inform future studies on risk stratification and prognosis in DLBCL. Full article

Background/Objectives: The KRAS rs61764370 T>G single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), located in a let-7 microRNA binding site within the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the KRAS gene, may modulate tumor aggressiveness by altering post-transcriptional gene regulation. This study evaluated its association with adverse histopathological features in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: A preliminary study on 83 CRC patients carrying either the TT (wild-type, n = 64) or TG (heterozygous, n = 19) genotype was analyzed. Clinicopathological variables included patient sex, tumor location, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, histological grade, perineural invasion (PNI), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI). A composite “tumor aggressiveness” score was defined based on the presence of Grade 3 differentiation, LVI, and/or PNI. Group comparisons were performed using the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in sex (p = 0.689), tumor location (p = 0.781), or stage at diagnosis (p = 0.812). Poorly differentiated tumors (Grade 3) were present in 20.3% of TT patients and absent in TG carriers (p = 0.06), while low-grade tumors (Grade 1) were more prevalent among TG patients (47.4%) compared to TT (29.7%). The composite high-aggressiveness score was lower in TG (36.8%) than in TT (48.4%), while co-occurrence of PNI and LVI was similar in both groups (~26%). Conclusions: Although no significant associations were identified, TG carriers showed a tendency toward lower-grade, less aggressive tumors. Given the limited sample size, these findings should be interpreted with caution, necessitating larger cohorts in order to validate results. Full article

This study investigates the seismic response of double- and triple-buried steel pipeline systems using finite-element modeling in RS2, with particular emphasis on soil–pipeline interaction and symmetry-breaking behavior under pseudo-static seismic loading. Although the pipeline systems are initially symmetric in geometry, material properties, and boundary conditions, the analysis demonstrates that directional seismic excitation induces quantitatively measurable asymmetric responses in shear force, displacement, and spacing due to nonlinear soil–pipeline interaction. Five parametric scenarios were examined, including burial depth (1–5 m), pipeline diameter (8–56 in.), groundwater table (1.4–20 m), peak ground acceleration (0.1–0.6 g), and soil type. The results show that maximum shear forces increase with burial depth and diameter, reaching approximately 15–17 kN in clayey soils at a PGA of 0.4 g, whereas sandy and heterogeneous soils produce lower shear forces (≈12–14 kN). Horizontal displacements are strongly governed by groundwater and PGA, increasing from about 1.2–1.8 m in dry or deep groundwater conditions to more than 2.8 m for shallow groundwater and exceeding 5 m at PGA = 0.6 g. Triple-pipeline systems exhibit higher shear demand due to confinement effects, with the middle pipeline often developing the largest shear force, while the pipeline facing the seismic load consistently experiences the greatest displacement. This study makes two primary contributions. First, it demonstrates that initially symmetric multilined buried pipeline systems exhibit systematic, quantifiable symmetry-breaking behavior under directional seismic loading, manifested as unequal shear forces, displacements, and interaction effects among adjacent pipelines. Second, it presents an integrated multi-parameter coupling analysis that simultaneously accounts for burial depth, pipeline diameter, groundwater level, soil type, and peak ground acceleration, revealing interaction mechanisms that cannot be captured through single-parameter or single-pipeline assessments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pregnancy is characterized by complex immunological adaptations that may increase susceptibility to infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a key pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays a crucial role in the immune response and has been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Genetic variations in the IL6 gene, particularly single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region, can modulate IL-6 expression and potentially influence individual susceptibility to viral infections. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between promoter region IL6 gene polymorphisms and COVID-19 susceptibility, as well as the inflammatory response, in pregnant women. Methods: We enrolled in this study 204 pregnant women with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and 134 pregnant women with no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past. Genotyping was conducted for the two functional SNPs in the IL6 promoter region, rs1800796 and rs1800797, via Sanger sequencing, and for associations with COVID-19 susceptibility and IL-6 levels were analyzed. Results: No significant association was found between IL6 polymorphisms and COVID-19, IL-6 levels, age, or immunization status. IL-6 levels > 5 pg/mL were more frequent in SARS-CoV-2-negative pregnant women than in SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women (p = 0.032). Among vaccinated participants, IL-6 levels were significantly higher in SARS-CoV-2-negative pregnant women (p = 0.044), while no difference was observed in the unvaccinated group. Conclusions:IL6 polymorphisms rs1800797 and rs1800796 were not associated with infection susceptibility or IL-6 levels. These results highlight the complex immunological interplay between pregnancy, infection, and genetic background and support the need for further research in larger cohorts. Full article

This study analyzed the phenotypic and internal fruit quality diversity of six superior Nai plum trees to provide detailed phenotypic profiles and preliminary relational hypotheses, supporting superior genotype re-selection for breeding. Using leaves and mature fruits, we conducted diversity, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA) on all quantitative traits. The average Shannon–Wiener index (H′) for qualitative traits was 0.543, and the average coefficient of variation for quantitative traits was 19.98%. Correlation analysis revealed complex trait relationships, including the synchronous variation between the total number of soluble solids (TSS) and reducing sugars (RS) or soluble sugars (SS) and the opposite trends between the TSS and potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), or soluble protein (SP). PCA extracted four principal components (cumulative contribution: 91.074%) from all traits. Based on factor scores, S6 ranked highest, indicating its potential as a comprehensive candidate. The findings offer a theoretical basis for Nai plum cultivation and breeding. Full article

We present a panoramic view of several scaling relations (ScRs) of galaxies of different morphology. The ScRs are obtained from the data of two large surveys (WINGS and MANGA). We analyze the distribution (parameterized by the percent over the total) of galaxies in each region of the diagnostic planes that are set up by means of suitable physical quantities. In addition to this, we discuss the origin of the differences observed in the ScRs between the two samples. Finally, we compare the observational data with the theoretical ones taken from two subsets of the Illustris large-scale simulations (TNG50 and TNG100), and we discuss how the comparison should be performed for a correct statistical answer. Full article

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key driver of invasion, metastasis, and treatment resistance in gastric cancer, yet its post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) is not fully delineated. We performed a structured literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies evaluating miRNAs in relation to EMT in gastric cancer and synthesised tumor-intrinsic, microenvironmental, and circulating EMT-related miRNA networks. Downregulated, predominantly tumor-suppressive miRNAs, including miR-34a, miR-200 family, miR-148a, miR-204, miR-30a, miR-101, miR-218, miR-26a, miR-375, miR-506, and others, converge on EMT transcription factors and pathways such as ZEB1/2, Snail, TGF-β/SMAD, Wnt/β-catenin, c-Met, and PI3K/AKT, and their restoration reverses EMT phenotypes in preclinical models. Upregulated oncomiRs, such as miR-21, miR-17-5p, miR-106b-5p, miR-23a, miR-130a-3p, miR-196a-5p, miR-181a, miR-616-3p, miR-301a-3p, miR-150, miR-27a-3p and miR-192/215, target tumor suppressors and reinforce these pathways. Cancer-associated fibroblast, macrophage, neutrophil, and natural killer cell-derived miRNAs, together with systemic indices such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mediators like FAM3C, add microenvironmental layers of EMT regulation. Several EMT-related miRNAs show consistent associations with invasion, metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, prognosis, and chemoresistance, and many are detectable in circulation. Overall, EMT-related miRNAs orchestrate gastric cancer cell plasticity and tumor-microenvironment crosstalk and represent promising biomarker and therapeutic candidates that warrant validation in prospective, subtype-stratified, and translational studies. Full article