Search Results (5,160)

The secure and efficient storage and sharing of medical images have become increasingly important due to rising security threats and performance limitations in existing healthcare systems. Centralized systems struggle to provide adequate privacy, rapid access, and reliable storage for sensitive medical images. This paper proposes a decentralized medical image-sharing framework to address these issues by integrating blockchain technology, the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), and edge computing. Blockchain technology enforces secure patient-centric access control through smart contracts that enable patients to directly manage their data-sharing permissions. The IPFS provides decentralized and scalable storage for medical images and effectively resolves the storage limitations associated with blockchain. Edge computing enhances system responsiveness by significantly reducing latency through local data processing to ensure timely medical image access. Robust security is ensured by using elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) for secure key management and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encrypting medical images to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches. Additionally, the system includes real-time monitoring to promptly detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts to ensure continuous protection against potential security threats. System results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves lower latency, higher throughput, and improved security compared to traditional centralized storage solutions, which makes our system suitable for practical deployment in modern healthcare settings. Full article

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is key to the regular functioning of the central nervous system. The dysfunction of the BBB has been described in various neurological disorders, including schizophrenia. Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic psychiatric disorder described by hallucinations, delusions, and negative symptoms. The Olanzapine (OLZ) drug is an electroactive species, and its levels can be monitored using electrochemical sensors. The detection of OLZ was demonstrated previously by using electrochemical sensors, and this technique can be used to monitor the levels of OLZ in real time. The challenge is to identify the permeability of OLZ through the BBB, so a replica model was designed with the BBB based on a Transwell membrane seeded with endothelial cells. A microfabricated electrode consisting of a 3 mm Au disk was modified with platinum black; this enables higher selectivity of electrochemical signals from OLZ. The dose–response of OLZ was characterized in phosphate buffer saline solution (10 mM, pH 7.4) by adding 20–200 nM (in steps 20) of OLZ stock solution. The observed chronoamperometric electrochemical signals showed an increasing current at 0.45 V vs. Ag/AgCl with an increasing OLZ concentration. The controls for the experiments were performed in phosphate-buffered saline solution (10 mM, pH 7.4). The detection limit was calculated as 9.96 ± 7.35 × 10⁻⁶ nM from the calibration curve. The membrane permeability of the OLZ drug tested with five SCZ patients was monitored by studying the TEER measurements and permeability rate constant data. Full article

A device was developed to study the evolution of fluorescence spectra as a function of time. A previously designed fluorimeter based on the diode array mini-spectrometer CM12880MA was used. The control and measurement were carried out by programming a SAM21D microcontroller. Considerations regarding the optimization of acquisition speed, memory, and computer interface have been analyzed and optimized. As a result, a very versatile device with great adaptability, reduced dimensions, portability, and a low budget (under EUR 500) has been built. The sensitivity, controlled by the integration time of the photodiodes, can be adjusted between 10 µs and 20 s, thus allowing sampling times ranging from 10 ms to more than 10 h. Under these conditions, chemical rate constants from 20 s⁻¹ to 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹ can be experimentally determined. It has a very wide operating range for the kinetic rate constant determination, over six orders of magnitude. As proof of the system performance, the oxidation reaction of Thiamine in a basic medium to form fluorescent Thiochrome has been employed. The evolution of the emission spectrum has been followed, and the decomposition rate constant has been measured at 2.1 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹, a value which matches those values reported in the literature for this system. A Thiochrome calibration curve has also been performed, obtaining a detection limit of 13 nM, consistent with literature data. Additionally, the stability of Thiochrome has been tested, being the photo-decomposition rate constants 1.8 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and 3.0 × 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹, in the presence and absence of UV light (365 nm), respectively. Finally, experiments have been designed to obtain, in a single measurement, the values of both rate constants: the formation of Thiochrome from Thiamine and its photo-decomposition under UV light to a non-fluorescent product. The rate constant values obtained are in good agreement with those previously obtained through independent experiments under the same experimental conditions. These results show that, under these conditions, Thiochrome can be considered an unstable intermediate in a chemical reaction with successive stages. Full article

Restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly reversed the slow decline of the diagnosis and mortality rates of gastric cancer (GC). This scenario highlights the importance of developing cost-effective methods for mass screening and evaluation of treatment response. In this study, we evaluated a non-invasive method based on the circulating methylated cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of Reprimo (RPRM), a tumor suppressor gene associated with the development of GC. Methylated RPRM cfDNA was analyzed in three de-identified cohorts: Cohort 1 comprised 81 participants with GC and 137 healthy donors (HDs); Cohort 2 comprised 27 participants with GC undergoing gastrectomy and/or chemotherapy analyzed at the beginning and after three months of treatment; and Cohort 3 comprised 1105 population-based participants in a secondary prevention program who underwent esophagogastroduodenal (EGD) endoscopy. This cohort includes 180 normal participants, 845 participants with premalignant conditions (692 with chronic atrophic gastritis [AG] and 153 with gastric intestinal metaplasia/low-grade dysplasia [GIM/LGD]), 21 with high-grade dysplasia/early GC [HGD/eGC], and 59 with advanced GC [aGC]). A nested case-control substudy was performed using a combination of methylated RPRM cfDNA and pepsinogens (PG)-I/II ratio. The dense CpG island of the promoter region of the RPRM gene was bisulfite sequenced and analyzed to develop a fluorescence-based real-time PCR assay (MethyLight). This assay allows the determination of the absolute number of copies of methylated RPRM cfDNA. A targeted sequence of PCR amplicon products confirmed the gastric origin of the plasma-isolated samples. In Cohort 1, the mean value of GCs (32,240.00 copies/mL) was higher than that of the HD controls (139.00 copies/mL) (p < 0.0001). After dividing this cohort into training–validation subcohorts, we identified an area under the curve of 0.764 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.683–0.845) in the training group. This resulted in a cut-off value of 87.37 copies/mL (sensitivity 70.0% and specificity 80.2%). The validation subcohort predicted a sensitivity of 66.67% and a specificity of 83.33%. In Cohort 2 (monitoring treatment response), RPRM levels significantly decreased in responders (p = 0.0042) compared to non-responders. In Cohort 3 (population-based participants), 18.9% %, 24.1%, 30.7%, 47.0%, and 71.2% of normal, AG, GIM/LGD, HGD/eGC, and aGC participants tested positive for methylated RPRM cfDNA, respectively. Overall sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing normal/premalignant conditions vs. GC were 65.0% (95% CI 53.52% to 75.33%) and 75.9% (95% CI 73.16% to 78.49%), respectively, with an accuracy of 75.11% (95% CI 72.45% to 77.64%). Logistic regression analyses revealed an OR of 1.85 (95% CI 1.11–3.07, p = 0.02) and an odds ratio (OR) of 3.9 (95% CI 1.53–9.93, p = 0.004) for the risk of developing GIM/LGD and HGD/eGC, respectively. The combined methylated RPRM cfDNA and PG-I/II ratio reached a sensitivity of 78.9% (95% CI 54.43% to 93.95%) and specificity of 63.04% (95% CI 52.34% to 72.88%) for detecting HGD/eGC vs. three to six age- and sex-matched participants with premalignant conditions. Our results demonstrate that methylated RPRM cfDNA should be considered a direct biomarker for the non-invasive detection of GC and a predictive biomarker for treatment response. Full article

Background: Post-production storage plays a pivotal role in developing the characteristic flavor profile of Baijiu, a traditional alcoholic beverage in China. While aging markers remain crucial for quality authentication, the identification of reliable metabolic indicators for chronological determination requires further exploration. Methods: This study establishes a novel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methodology for quantifying five linoleic acid-derived oxidative metabolites in Baijiu: 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10(E)-octadecenoic acid (9,12,13-TriHOME), 9,10-Dihydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (9,10-DiHOME), 9-oxo-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9-OxoODE), 9-hydroxy-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) and 13-hydroxyoctadeca-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). Results: The optimized protocol demonstrated exceptional sensitivity with limits of detection at 0.4 ppb through membrane-filtered direct dilution. Calibration curves exhibited excellent linearity (R² > 0.9990) across 1.0–100.0 ppb ranges. Method validation revealed satisfactory recovery rates (87.25–119.44%) at three spiking levels (10/20/50 ppb) with precision below 6.96% RSD. Application to authentic samples showed distinct temporal accumulation patterns. Light-aroma Baijiu exhibited storage duration-dependent increases in all five oxides. Strong aroma variants demonstrated significant positive correlations for 9,12,13-TriHOME, 9,10-DiHOME, and 9-OxoODE with aging time. Conclusions: These findings systematically characterize linoleic acid oxidation products as potential aging markers, providing both methodological advancements and new insights into Baijiu aging mechanisms. Full article

Local anesthetics have been widely used in clinical analgesia due to their ability to provide effective regional pain management. Accurate measurement of local anesthetics in body fluids is crucial for ensuring patient medication safety and optimizing therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we present a convenient, economical, sensitive, and efficient TLC-SERS method for multiplex determination of six kinds of anesthetics (pro) in human plasma, including procaine hydrochloride (Pro), tetracaine hydrochloride (Tet), dibucaine (Dib), mepivacaine hydrochloride (Mep), lidocaine hydrochloride (Lid), and ropivacaine hydrochloride (Rop). The TLC method was adopted to separate six local anesthetics effectively. In order to improve the sensitivity, TLC spots were concentrated into smaller ones using methanol through solvent-driven enrichment, then Ag NPs staining was applied to enriched spots for a strong and unique SERS response of each anesthetic. As a result, linear calibration curves of SERS intensity ratio versus negative logarithm of spotting amounts sampled on TLC plates were obtained, along with the lowest detectable amounts in this study were 1 ng (Pro), 10 pg (Tet), 10 ng (Dib), 50 ng (Mep), 50 ng (Lid), and 0.1 μg (Rop), which were up to 2 × 10⁴ times more sensitive than our previous TLC-Raman method. Moreover, the method was successfully applied to human plasma samples, demonstrating the feasibility and potential for multiplex analysis of local anesthetics in clinical practice, criminal forensics, and aquaculture. Full article

The simultaneous determination of 166 pesticides using dispersive liquid–liquid micro extraction combined with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (DLLME–GC-MS/MS+LC-MS/MS) is presented here. In this work, DLLME was extended to complex residues in the ginseng wine matrix. This study first focused on the selection of an appropriate solvent that enabled the dissolution of analytes from ginseng wine. The matrix-matched calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 2–100 µg L⁻¹ for all pesticides, with coefficients of determination of 0.977–1. The mean recoveries were in the range of 3–124%, with 133 pesticides in the range of 60–130%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were between 0.4% and 31.4%. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) were within the ranges of 0.14–140 and 0.5–470 ng L⁻¹, respectively. Therefore, this analytical method contributes to residue analyses of 133 pesticides for the routine laboratory testing of ginseng wine. Research was also carried out by soaking the pesticide-positive samples in ginseng wine to monitor the migration and degradation of pesticides. The results showed that, the migration rates of thifluzamidewaslower than 60%, cyprodinil was 73.7, while azoxystrobin, pyrimethanil, carbendazim, dimethomorph, difenoconazole, pyraclostrobin, propiconazole, quintozene, pentachloroaniline, tebuconazole and phoximwere between 75% and 95%. Quintozene was more easily degraded into pentachloroaniline in the wine. Full article

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the most effective method for detecting breast cancer due to its high sensitivity. Yet multiple factors limit its widespread use, including high direct and indirect costs, a prolonged acquisition time with consequent patient discomfort, and a lack of trained radiologists. During the last decade, new strategies have been followed to increase the availability of breast MRI, including the omission of non-essential sequences to generate abbreviated MRI protocols (AB-MRIs) aimed at reducing the acquisition time with the potential of improving the patient’s experience and accommodating a higher number of MRI examinations per day. An alternative method is ultrafast MRI (UF-MRI), a novel technique that gathers kinetic data within the first minute after contrast injection, offering high temporal resolution. This enables the analysis of early contrast wash-in curves, showing promising outcomes. In this study, we reviewed the role of UF-MRI in breast imaging and detailed how the integration of this new approach with radiomics and mathematical models might further improve diagnostic accuracy and even have a prognostic role, a fundamental characteristic in the modern scenarios of personalized medicine. In addition, possible clinical applications and advantages of UF-MRI will be discussed. Full article

Research on endoparasites in pet dogs has been growing, but shepherd dogs have largely been overlooked. These dogs frequently share close proximity not only with sheep, which are reservoirs of zoonotic subtypes of Blastocystis, but also with their owners. This close contact increases the potential for shepherd dogs to act as intermediates in the transmission of Blastocystis. To clarify the role of these dogs as reservoirs for this parasite, this study investigated the presence of Blastocystis in shepherd dogs. Stool samples from Portuguese shepherd dogs were analyzed using SYBR-Green-based real-time PCR and melting curve analysis followed by targeted-amplicon NGS for mixed infections detection. Our results revealed a 60% occurrence of Blastocystis sp. in shepherd dog stools and frequent identification of zoonotic subtypes ST1–ST4 and ST14. Additionally, we observed mixed infections and subtype diversity within individual dogs, suggesting a potential role in cross-species transmission between livestock and humans. Full article

This study presents an enhanced Faster R-CNN framework that incorporates elliptical bounding boxes to significantly improve building detection in off-nadir imagery, effectively reducing severe geometric distortions caused by oblique sensor angles. Off-nadir imagery enhances architectural detail capture and reduces occlusions, but conventional bounding boxes, such as axis-aligned and rotated bounding boxes, often fail to localize buildings distorted by extreme perspectives. We propose a hybrid method integrating elliptical bounding boxes for curved structures and rotated bounding boxes for tilted buildings, achieving more precise shape approximation. In addition, our model incorporates a squeeze-and-excitation mechanism to refine feature representation, suppress background noise, and enhance object boundary alignment, leading to superior detection accuracy. Experimental results on the BONAI dataset demonstrate that our approach achieves a detection rate of 91.96%, significantly outperforming axis-aligned bounding boxes (65.75%) and rotated bounding boxes (87.13%) in detecting irregular and distorted buildings. By providing a highly robust and adaptable detection strategy, our approach establishes a new standard for accurate and shape-aware building recognition in off-nadir imagery, significantly improving the detection of distorted, rotated, and irregular structures. Full article

The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of the surface deformations of an open inflatable wing section on aerodynamic performance and boundary layer separation phenomena. The inflation/deflation processes are allowed by an air intake placed on the bottom side of the model. Due to its low rigidity, non-contact measurements are required. Therefore, an infrared thermography technique was applied in order to detect local surface deformations and local separation phenomena. Additionally, the inflation and deflation of the whole wing were studied through an innovative approach, introduced by the authors, based on a piezoelectric sensor. It is important to note that open and closed wing sections exhibit very different aerodynamic behavior. For these reasons, both cases were investigated in the following research. The impact of deformation on the wing’s aerodynamic performance was assessed by means of wind tunnel tests. The inflatable wing presented lower lift and higher drag than the corresponding rigid wing due to the fabric’s deformations. Furthermore, the lift and moment coefficient curves were strongly related to the wing’s inflation. In particular, there was a change in the slope of the lift curve and a drop in the moment coefficient when the wing inflated. Lastly, the results provided evidence that a thermographic approach can be used to qualitatively detect local deformations of an inflatable wing and that a piezoelectric sensor can be used feasibly in detecting the inflation and deflation phases of a wing. Full article

Background/Objectives: The accurate preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis is essential to optimizing surgical management in renal pelvis urothelial carcinoma (RPUC) and ureteral urothelial carcinoma (UUC). This study evaluates the predictive value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) findings in detecting LN metastasis and determining primary metastatic LN location based on the tumor site. Methods: This retrospective study included 48 RPUC and 97 UUC patients who underwent surgery with lymph node dissection (LND) between 2005 and 2023. Preoperative CT images were assessed for tumor size, location, multifocality, peritumoral fat infiltration, hydronephrosis grade, LN status, and metastatic LN location. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses identified predictive factors for LN metastasis, while Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests determined the association between locations of LN metastasis and primary tumor sites after categorizing UUC into upper and lower UUC. Results: In RPUC, 13 of 48 patients had LN metastasis, with tumor size and peritumoral fat infiltration emerging as significant predictors (p < 0.05). In UUC, 39 of 97 patients had LN metastasis, with tumor size and hydronephrosis grade being significant predictors (p < 0.001). An optimal tumor size threshold of 4 cm was identified for predicting LN metastasis in UUC, and 4.4 cm for RPUC. Additionally, a hydronephrosis grade of 3 or higher was found to be a strong predictor in UUC. ROC analysis showed high accuracy, yielding an AUC of 0.907 in RPUC and 0.904 in UUC. Cross-validation supported the robustness of these findings. Primary LN metastatic sites were predominantly ipsilateral hilar nodes in RPUC and ipsilateral pelvic nodes in lower UUC (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative CT imaging provides a reliable, noninvasive tool for predicting LN metastasis in RPUC and UUC. Identifying key imaging-based predictors can facilitate risk stratification and surgical decision-making, particularly regarding the necessity and extent of LND. Full article

Background and Objectives: Despite notable advances in diagnosing and managing laryngeal cancer, the disease continues to present challenges, particularly in the advanced stages. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized as accessible biomarkers for cancer detection and follow-up. This exploratory study centers on identifying and evaluating miRNAs that are specifically downregulated in laryngeal carcinoma patients, aiming to clarify their clinical relevance in distinguishing pre- and post-therapeutic states. Methods: A total of 30 patients with laryngeal cancer provided paired blood samples before and after undergoing surgical or non-surgical treatment. To reduce variability and resource demand, each set of 10 samples was pooled into three pre-treatment groups (P1, P2, and P3) and three corresponding post-treatment groups (C1, C2, and C3). Total RNA, including miRNAs, was isolated from both plasma and exosomes, followed by qPCR-based profiling (Qiagen platform). Downregulated miRNAs were singled out through statistical comparisons using Mann–Whitney U tests; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and logistic regression were further applied to assess diagnostic utility. Results: Seven miRNAs demonstrated significant downregulation in the pre-treatment samples (fold changes ranging from 0.20 to 0.64, p < 0.05). Notably, hsa-miR-107 and hsa-let-7a-5p both showed marked reductions of approximately fivefold (p < 0.01), suggesting a strong association with active tumor presence. In ROC analysis, hsa-miR-107 achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.62–0.90) with 72% sensitivity and 74% specificity in differentiating pre- from post-treatment states. A logistic regression model incorporating downregulated candidates produced odds ratios between 0.52 and 0.64 (p < 0.05), pointing to their potential additive value in clinical decision-making. Conclusions: These preliminary findings indicate that certain miRNAs, when suppressed in circulation, may be linked to the oncogenic milieu of laryngeal cancer. Confirming these observations in larger, multicenter investigations is critical, but this pilot work underscores the promise of downregulated miRNAs as biomarkers of disease activity and potential guides to therapy response. Full article

Background: The accuracy of fracture diagnosis through radiographic imaging largely depends on image quality and the interpreter’s experience. In resource-limited settings (minimal-resource settings), imaging quality is often lower than in standard-resource facilities, potentially affecting diagnostic accuracy. Objective: This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of plain radiograph interpretations between minimal-resource and standard-resource methods and assess the influence of interpreter experience on diagnostic precision. Methods: This cross-sectional study is based on secondary data from patients’ medical records at the Dr. Zainoel Abidin General Hospital (RSUDZA) Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Comparisons between minimal-resource and standard-resource interpretations were made and validated using a reference standard (gold standard). Statistical analyses included diagnostic testing, Chi-square tests, and ROC curve analysis to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Results: The findings indicate that standard-resource radiographs have significantly higher accuracy than minimal-resource radiographs (p < 0.05). Radiologists demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy compared to general practitioners and radiology residents. Conclusions: The standard-resource method is superior in detecting fractures compared to the minimal-resource method. Enhancing imaging quality and providing additional training for medical personnel are essential to improve diagnostic accuracy in resource-limited settings. Full article

Background and Objectives: Laryngeal cancer poses a significant clinical challenge, with late-stage diagnosis contributing to high morbidity and mortality. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) represent promising, minimally invasive biomarkers for earlier detection and improved therapeutic monitoring. This pilot study focused exclusively on miRNAs found to be upregulated in laryngeal carcinoma patients, aiming to elucidate their diagnostic and prognostic relevance. Methods: A total of 50 participants meeting standardized inclusion criteria were recruited from the ENT Clinic in Timișoara. Of these, 30 patients provided paired blood samples before and after treatment (surgical or non-surgical). Samples were pooled into three preoperative groups (P1, P2, P3) and three corresponding postoperative groups (C1, C2, C3). miRNAs were extracted from plasma and exosomes, and relative expression was measured by qPCR (Qiagen platform). Statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney U tests, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and logistic regression. Results: Seven miRNAs consistently exhibited significant upregulation preoperatively. Notably, hsa-miR-424-5p displayed a mean fold change of 4.59 (p = 0.0091) relative to postoperative samples, while hsa-miR-186-5p increased by 2.19-fold (p = 0.0030). hsa-miR-15b-5p also showed a substantial preoperative upregulation of 1.77-fold (p = 0.0057). In ROC analyses, hsa-miR-424-5p yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.70–0.94), with 78% sensitivity and 80% specificity in distinguishing preoperative from postoperative status. Logistic regression indicated that elevated levels of hsa-miR-424-5p (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.10–2.20) and hsa-miR-186-5p (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.02–1.68) significantly predicted the preoperative disease state. Conclusions: These data underscore the potential of upregulated circulating miRNAs to serve as biomarkers for active laryngeal cancer and to monitor treatment response. Although preliminary, the findings encourage further research with larger cohorts and additional endpoints. With thorough validation, upregulated miRNAs could be integrated into clinical workflows, enhancing diagnostic precision, risk stratification, and postoperative surveillance in laryngeal cancer. Full article