[Purpose] This study investigated the biomechanical effects of metatarsal bars (MTB) and heel lifts (HL) on lower-limb kinematics and kinetics during gait. [Participants and Methods] Twenty healthy adults underwent three-dimensional gait analysis. Ankle dorsiflexion angle, internal plantarflexion moment, medial longitudinal arch (MLA) height, and gravity movement (GM) were evaluated at 0%, 12%, 31%, and 50% of the walking cycle (WC) and at peak stance. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (condition × WC), followed by Holm-adjusted post-hoc comparisons. [Results] Compared with HL, MTB significantly increased ankle dorsiflexion and decreased MLA height at 31% and 50% WC. Conversely, HL significantly reduced the plantarflexion moment at 12% WC but increased it at 50% WC and peak stance. No significant differences were found in GM, though MTB tended to shift GM posteriorly and HL anteriorly during the latter half of the stance phase. [Conclusion] MTB and HL exhibit distinct phase-specific biomechanical strategies. MTB increases dorsiflexion and reduces MLA height during mid-to-late stance (31-50% WC), suggesting a shock absorption-oriented strategy. In contrast, HL modulates plantarflexion moments to facilitate forward progression. These findings emphasize selecting orthotic components based on specific biomechanical demands at different gait phases.

Accurate assessment of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease is essential for guiding revascularization. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the reference standard for anatomical evaluation of intermediate LMCA stenosis, whereas quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is an angiography-derived, wire-free physiological index. Data comparing these modalities in LMCA disease remain limited. This prospective single-center study included 135 patients with LMCA lesions undergoing coronary angiography and IVUS between January 2024 and June 2025. Offline QFR was calculated using QAngio XA 3D. Significant LMCA disease was defined as IVUS-derived minimum lumen area (MLA) < 6 mm[2] or QFR < 0.80. Agreement, correlation, and diagnostic performance of QFR were evaluated against IVUS. The mean age was 63.4 ± 9.7 years, and 88.1% were male. IVUS identified significant LMCA disease in 92 patients (68.1%) versus 50 (37.0%) by QFR. Agreement was moderate (κ = 0.426, 95% CI 0.197-0.656; p = 0.0003). Using IVUS as the reference, QFR showed 54.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity. QFR correlated moderately with IVUS-derived MLA (r = - 0.416, p < 0.001) but consistently underestimated vessel dimensions (all p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, QFR < 0.80 (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.07-11.57; p = 0.039) and distal LMCA bifurcation lesions (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.03-5.64; p = 0.043) independently predicted IVUS-defined significant disease. QFR demonstrated moderate concordance with IVUS but limited sensitivity, particularly in distal bifurcation lesions, and underestimated vessel dimensions. These findings limit its utility for LMCA procedural planning and stent optimization, highlighting the need for larger multicenter prospective studies.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a central feature of stress-related affective disorders, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) initiate neuroendocrine stress responses. Although the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) has been implicated in emotional regulation, its role in PVN CREB/CRH signaling and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors remains unclear. Here, using male C57BL/6 mice, we found that pharmacological activation of α7 nAChR with PNU282987 induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors under control conditions and further exacerbated behavioral abnormalities following chronic restraint stress (CRS), without significantly affecting locomotor activity. PNU282987 also increased CREB phosphorylation and CRH expression in the PVN and elevated serum CRH, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT) levels. Conversely, in CRS mice, the α7 nAChR-preferring antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA) increased sucrose preference, OFT center exploration, and EPM open-arm time while reducing TST immobility. These behavioral effects were accompanied by reduced PVN CREB phosphorylation and CRH expression and decreased serum CRH, ACTH, and CORT levels. Notably, α7 nAChR protein abundance in the PVN was not significantly altered by CRS or drug treatment, suggesting that functional receptor activation rather than receptor upregulation may drive downstream signaling. Moreover, the CREB-mediated transcription inhibitor 666-15 attenuated PNU282987-induced behavioral abnormalities, serum CRH elevation, and PVN CRH upregulation. These findings indicate that α7 nAChR activation promotes anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors associated with enhanced PVN CREB phosphorylation, CRH upregulation, and HPA axis hyperactivity. CREB-associated CRH signaling may therefore represent a neuroendocrine mechanism linking α7 nAChR activation to stress-related affective disturbances.

The pasture mealybug Heliococcus summervillei Brookes (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is the cause of extensive pasture dieback in Australia and is an emerging biosecurity threat to pasture and crop grasses in the Americas. In this study, we present a morphological and molecular comparison of contemporary Australian specimens of H. summervillei and the primary bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Tremblaya phenacola Gruwell (Enterobacterales: Enterobacteriaceae) with reference to historical and published specimens. Molecular analyses were conducted using three host nuclear markers (18S, 28S-D2, dynamin) and the universal bacterial marker (16S V3-V4 region). Our results identify a new, highly invasive variant of H. summervillei associated with the ongoing dieback outbreak in Australia. This work uses 16S barcoding to support host-based morphological and molecular approaches to differentiate this new variant from the type specimens.

Microlens-array (MLA) homogenizers imprint a periodic interference lattice on the flat-top spot when the illumination is highly coherent, degrading uniformity. We propose a phase-coded microlens array (PC-MLA) that superimposes an optimized deterministic piston step on each lenslet, breaking the constructive-interference condition among the beamlets while leaving the aperture, curvature, and focal length unchanged. The step-height matrix is optimized using simulated annealing to suppress the array-factor lattice. Because the phase coding is decoupled from the geometric mapping, the PC-MLA suppresses the interference lattice while largely preserving the beamlet-overlap condition of a dual-MLA homogenizer. The fabricated device attains a uniformity of 92.24% and a modulation depth of 3.95%, outperforming both a periodic MLA and a random MLA while maintaining a sharp square flat-top boundary in a compact, static configuration.

Ferroptosis is caused by lethal peroxidative damage to cell membrane phospholipids (PL) containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) tail groups. Mechanisms to control cell membrane PL oxidation and ferroptosis include cellular expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4), which repairs oxidized cell membrane PL, and the lipophilic antioxidant alpha-tocopherol (α-toc), an active form of Vitamin E. Data show that α-toc can rescue cells from ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo even in the absence of GPx4. Yet, pathways by which α-toc is transported in blood, for instance in high- and low-density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL), for delivery to target cells to prevent PL oxidation and ferroptosis are unknown. We hypothesized that HDLs specifically target delivery of α-toc to the cell membrane to regulate PL oxidation and sensitivity to ferroptosis. We employed native lipoproteins and synthetic HDL-like nanoparticles made using either organic or gold nanoparticle cores (ocHDL NP or Au-HDL NP, respectively). The bottom-up synthesis strategies enabled control over the physicochemical properties of HDL NP, including α-toc content. Using cancer and neuronal cell models, our data show native HDLs and synthetic HDL NPs deliver α-toc by binding cell membrane receptor scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1) to prevent PL oxidation and ferroptosis. Additionally, data show Au-HDL NP, previously shown to bind SR-B1, reduce GPx4, and induce ferroptosis can rescue cells from ferroptosis when synthesized to contain α-toc. Overall, our data demonstrate a tunable cellular redox axis whereby HDLs containing α-toc target SR-B1 to regulate sensitivity to ferroptosis.

Mite-induced allergic respiratory diseases are a major global health concern, and evidence on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) combining allergens from different mite families remains limited, particularly for Lepidoglyphus destructor. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy containing glutaraldehydempolymerized extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, and L. destructor in mite-allergic patients in Spain. This retrospective multicenter study included 199 patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, with or without asthma. Effectiveness outcomes included combined symptom and medication scores (CSMS), symptom scores, and medication use. Safety outcomes included adverse reactions. Mixed models for repeated measures showed significant improvements in rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma outcomes (all p < 0.001). Adjusted LS-mean rhinoconjunctivitis CSMS decreased by 50.7% at T1 and 76.1% at T4; symptom and medication scores decreased by 85.3% and 69.3%, respectively, at T4. Asthma CSMS decreased by 43.1% at T1 and 89.0% at T5, while symptom and medication scores decreased by 93.4% and 88.5%, respectively. Similar patterns were observed in children. No systemic reactions occurred. Twenty mild local reactions were recorded in 17 patients (8.5%), corresponding to an estimated rate of 0.32% across 6169 injections. This AIT was associated with sustained clinical improvement and a favorable safety profile in adults and children.

As a core growth driver of China's digital economy, live commerce faces intergenerational trust gaps-Gen Z (18-24 years, digital natives) prioritizes interactive experiences, while older adults (55+ years, digital immigrants) rely on streamer professionalism and after-sales support, leading to low repurchase rates. This study constructs a moderated mediation model with service quality (streamer professionalism, interactive experience, after-sales support) as the independent variable, trust as the mediator, digital generations as the moderator, and repurchase intention as the dependent variable. Using 600 valid questionnaires (300 Gen Z, 300 older adults) from Chinese platforms (Douyin, Taobao), we tested hypotheses via SPSS 26.0 (reliability/validity) and Mplus 8.4 (SEM + multi-group analysis). Results show: (1) All three service quality dimensions positively predict trust (β=0.22-0.31, p<0.001) and repurchase intention (β=0.12-0.32, p<0.01); (2) Trust partially mediates these relationships (indirect effects=0.033-0.057, 95% CI no zero); (3) Digital generations moderate: older adults are more sensitive to streamer professionalism (β=0.37 vs. Gen Z's 0.22) and after-sales support (β=0.32 vs. Gen Z's 0.15), while Gen Z responds stronger to interactive experiences (β=0.43 vs. older adults' 0.18). The study enriches intergenerational trust theory in Chinese live commerce and provides practical strategies (e.g., AR try-on for Gen Z, streamer certification for older adults).

We present a 66-year-old undergoing ostial-to-mid right coronary artery (RCA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) lesion proximal to an existing stent in the mid-to-distal segment. The patient underwent PCI, with intravascular imaging using the Novasight Hybrid IVUS OCT (Conavi, Toronto, CA) which revealed a proximal edge dissection and distal dissection involving the media on OCT, less discernable on IVUS, which required an additional distal stent. Proximally, based on OCT minimal luminal area (MLA) measurements of the dissection, the size of the dissection flap and lack of involvement of the media, a stent was not placed. The patient did well with no periprocedural complications.