Scientific Reports[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Exploring key genes and prognostic validation of prostate cancer through transcriptome-wide association study.
Li J, Tao T, Zhang Y … +4 more , Kong X, Zhang Y, Chen S, Huang Y
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401728 · Full text
Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among men worldwide. Although treatment methods for localized PC are relatively well-established, challenges remain due to difficulties in early diagnosis a...
Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among men worldwide. Although treatment methods for localized PC are relatively well-established, challenges remain due to difficulties in early diagnosis and issues with treatment resistance. This study combines genome-wide association study (GWAS) data with tissue-specific expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data through a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) to explore key genes associated with PC. The study also includes differential expression analysis and survival analysis to further verify these findings. A total of 46 candidate genes were identified, and survival analysis using the Cancer Genome Atlas Prostate Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PRAD) dataset revealed that the upregulation of asparagine synthetase (ASNS) is associated with poor prognosis, while the downregulation of sulfatase modifying factor 2 (SUMF2) is linked to adverse prognosis. The results suggest that ASNS and SUMF2 play important roles in the progression of PC and may serve as candidate prognostic biomarkers associated with PC progression.
Hydrothermal synthesis of morus alba waste biomass-derived carbon dots with enhanced quantum yield for optoelectronic chitosan nanocomposites.
Mamand DM, Aziz DM, Aziz SB … +5 more , Mohammed HA, Kayani KF, Hamasalih GH, Mohammed SJ, Sangaraju S
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401720 · Full text
Sustainable strategies are increasingly required to enhance the optoelectronic performance of biopolymers while ensuring environmental safety. In this work, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized via a green hydroth...
Sustainable strategies are increasingly required to enhance the optoelectronic performance of biopolymers while ensuring environmental safety. In this work, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized via a green hydrothermal route using Morus alba waste biomass leaves. The CQDs exhibited abundant oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups, enabling strong interfacial interaction with the chitosan (CS) matrix and leading to significant modification of its optical properties. The composite system was designed primarily for optoelectronic and UV-optical applications, particularly for bandgap tuning and light-matter interaction control. The CQDs showed strong blue photoluminescence with a quantum yield of 9.46%, and characteristic π-π* and n-π* transitions at 251 nm and 356 nm. Structural analysis confirmed disruption of the semicrystalline CS matrix and strong CQD-polymer interaction. UV-Vis results revealed a substantial reduction in the optical bandgap from 4.97 eV (pure CS) to 2.35 eV (CS/CQDs-20), along with increased Urbach energy, indicating enhanced disorder and localized states. Further optical analysis showed improved refractive index, dielectric constant, and optical conductivity, accompanied by increased carrier concentration and reduced optical resistivity (from 0.0519 to 0.0033 Ω·m). These results demonstrate that CQD incorporation effectively tailors the optical and electronic behavior of chitosan, making the composites suitable for optoelectronic devices, UV-active coatings, and light-responsive polymer systems.
Performance enhancement of a wavy microchannel heat sink by geometric modification and porous copper foam integration.
Jafari B, Hosseinzadeh K, Mehrzad A … +1 more , Mohammadzadeh AM
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401719 · Full text
Rising heat flux in compact electronics demands advanced microchannel cooling with enhanced heat transfer and minimal pressure drop penalties. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the coupled effects of micr...
Rising heat flux in compact electronics demands advanced microchannel cooling with enhanced heat transfer and minimal pressure drop penalties. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the coupled effects of microchannel geometry, porous-medium characteristics, and operating conditions on the thermo-hydraulic performance of a porous-foam-enhanced wavy microchannel heat sink. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed and the governing mass, momentum, and energy equations were solved using the finite volume method. The porous copper foam was modeled as a homogeneous porous medium under the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) assumption. The thermo-hydraulic characteristics of a microchannel with wavy surfaces featuring cubic obstacles and copper foam have been studied through three different parameters: geometry (ratio of the height of the porous layer on the walls and the ratio of the height of the porous layer on the rib, varying from 0.1 to 0.9), microstructure of the material (copper foams with various porosity, permeability, and pore density), and operating conditions (Reynolds number from 100 to 900 and inlet temperature from 293 to 301 K). Results demostrate that the combination of an increase in both the height of the obstacle and the thickness of the porous material of the wall improves heat transfer. The comparison between 0.1/0.1 and 0.5/0.9 configurations indicate that the Nusselt number rises by 96%, while the highest temperature decreases by 1.6%. On the other hand, the friction factor is increased. In terms of operating conditions, increasing the Reynolds number from 100 to 900 boosts Nusselt by 108% and reduces friction by 58%; Re = 800 acts as a knee point, achieving 95% of the maximum PEC with 18-21% lower pressure drop than Re = 900. For Re = 600, an increase in the inlet temperature from 293 to 301 K leads to a relatively moderate improvement in terms of thermal efficiency. Indeed, in such conditions, the Nusselt number is increased by 1.3%, and the friction factor is decreased by 7.2%, leading to the PEC being improved by 3.86%. Therefore, the inlet temperature equal to 301 K provides a more effective thermo-hydraulic performance in the considered case. In general, the obtained data prove the fact that using porous copper foam in wavy microchannel with flow obstacles leads to the improvement of heat transfer in electronic devices. As this process is accompanied by increasing fluid mixing and heat transfer surface, the achieved result is positive considering the acceptable hydraulic losses.
AI-powered risk factor analysis and development of a predictive model for lymphovascular invasion in bladder urothelial carcinoma.
Zhou Y, Wen H, Yang L … +5 more , Wang X, Tian J, Li Y, Wei D, He Y
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401718 · Full text
Although lymphovascular invasion is a major predictor of bladder urothelial carcinoma, postoperative pathological biopsy-an intrusive procedure-remains the only reliable diagnostic technique for this condition. By combin...
Although lymphovascular invasion is a major predictor of bladder urothelial carcinoma, postoperative pathological biopsy-an intrusive procedure-remains the only reliable diagnostic technique for this condition. By combining logistic regression with various machine learning techniques, this work seeks to assess its risk factors and create a non-invasive preoperative prediction model. 520 patients who had never received treatment were included in the retrospective data collection from two centers, lymphovascular invasion was the main result. Based on the originating center, the cohort was split into an cross-center validation set (176 patients) and a training set (344 patients). Six machine learning techniques and univariate/multivariate regression were used to examine risk factors for lymphovascular invasion and build models. Multi-criteria evaluation was used to choose the best model, while SHapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP) was used for interpretability analysis. Ultimately, the best model was used to create an interactive online calculator. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) for the regression model based on traditional techniques was 0.968 on the training set and 0.972 on the cross-center validation set. With AUC values of 0.986 and 0.982, respectively, the random forest model outperformed all other machine learning models. In contrast to conventional analytical techniques, our model highlighted the relative influence of seven different risk factors on lymphovascular invasion and uncovered additional relevant factors, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and alcohol consumption. A successful online lymphovascular invasion risk calculator was created.
Multidimensional clinical psychological and quality of life benefits of cyclosporine a therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Kulej W, Michalska-Bańkowska A, Stefaniak M … +4 more , Opalska L, Michalski P, Czupryna K, Grabarek BO
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401716 · Full text
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease associated not only with cutaneous manifestations but also with substantial psychosocial burden, including impaired quality of life, depression, anxiety, stigma...
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease associated not only with cutaneous manifestations but also with substantial psychosocial burden, including impaired quality of life, depression, anxiety, stigmatization, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. While cyclosporine A (CsA) is an established systemic therapy for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, its broader psychosocial effects remain insufficiently characterized. This prospective study enrolled 37 patients (20 men, 17 women; mean age 47.8 ± 4.9 years) with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis treated with oral CsA for 12 weeks. Therapy was initiated at 5 mg/kg/day for the first 42 days and subsequently reduced to 2.5 mg/kg/day until Day 84. Clinical severity was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Body Surface Area (BSA). Patient-reported outcomes included assessments of quality of life, illness acceptance, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety, fatigue, sexual satisfaction, stigmatization, disability, stress, and pruritus using validated psychometric instruments. Sociodemographic and metabolic determinants were additionally analyzed. CsA therapy resulted in rapid and marked clinical improvement, with PASI scores decreasing from 20.3 ± 4.2 at baseline to 0.9 ± 0.9 at week 12 (p < 0.001) and BSA involvement declining from 41.9% to 1.9% (p < 0.001). Significant improvements were additionally observed across multiple psychosocial domains, including dermatology-related quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, fatigue, sexual satisfaction, illness acceptance, stigmatization, disability, stress, and pruritus (all p < 0.05). Younger age, single marital status, urban residence, longer disease duration, and metabolic comorbidity burden were associated with greater baseline psychosocial impairment. CsA therapy provides multidimensional benefits in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, improving not only clinical disease severity but also psychological well-being, social functioning, fatigue, illness acceptance, and overall quality of life. These findings support the integration of psychosocial assessment into routine therapeutic evaluation and reinforce the continued role of CsA as a multidimensional therapeutic approach in contemporary psoriasis management.
Washed microbiota transplantation is associated with short-term changes in selected spirometric parameters in patients with abnormal spirometry.
Huang L, Lu C, Hu Y … +7 more , Chen J, Chen A, Zhong C, Chen D, Qin Z, He X, Wu L
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401711 · Full text
Gut microbiota may modulate pulmonary inflammation through the gut-lung axis. This study investigated the association between washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) and short-term changes in pulmonary function, inflamma...
Gut microbiota may modulate pulmonary inflammation through the gut-lung axis. This study investigated the association between washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) and short-term changes in pulmonary function, inflammatory markers, and gut microbiota in patients with abnormal spirometric patterns. A total of 110 patients who underwent fecal microbiota transplantation, also referred to as WMT, were consecutively screened between March 2023 and January 2025. Of these, 47 patients with paired baseline and post-WMT spirometric data were included in the primary spirometric analysis. According to baseline spirometric patterns, WMT recipients were classified into an abnormal spirometric-pattern group (DG, n = 19) and a normal spirometric-pattern WMT-recipient group (HC, n = 28; HC denotes WMT recipients with normal spirometry rather than healthy community controls). In addition, 43 patients receiving conventional treatment without WMT were included as a non-WMT comparison group (CON). The WMT group underwent multi-course interventions with longitudinal monitoring of pulmonary function parameters, inflammatory markers, breath-holding time (BHT), and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores (SF-36). Gut microbiota composition and predicted functional profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. After one WMT course, DG patients showed increases in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Compared with the non-WMT comparison group, the change in FVC was greater in WMT recipients, whereas the between-group difference in FEV1 change was not statistically significant. Other spirometric indices, BHT, inflammatory markers, SF-36 scores, and microbiome-related findings were considered exploratory. Exploratory 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified differences in selected gut microbial taxa between WMT recipients with abnormal and normal spirometric patterns, including differences in Firmicutes, Faecalibacterium, and Alistipes. Predicted functional profiling suggested changes in glycerolipid metabolism-, Nod-like receptor signaling-, and bacterial chemotaxis-related functional potentials. WMT was associated with short-term changes in selected spirometric parameters, particularly FVC and FEV1, in patients with abnormal spirometric patterns. Changes in inflammatory markers, BHT, SF-36 scores, and microbiome-related findings were exploratory and hypothesis-generating. Further randomized, disease-specific studies with standardized pulmonary function testing and mechanistic validation are needed.
Preoperative whey protein supplementation for postoperative nausea, vomiting and recovery in well-nourished gynecologic tumor patients: a randomized controlled trial.
Zhang D, Zhao S, Yang P … +7 more , Gao X, Wang Y, Wang R, Zhang J, Cheng S, Sun Y, Liu M
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401710 · Full text
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common surgical complication, especially in breast and gynecologic surgery, with a high incidence despite prophylactic treatment. There is uncertainty about the effective dos...
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common surgical complication, especially in breast and gynecologic surgery, with a high incidence despite prophylactic treatment. There is uncertainty about the effective dose and therapeutic effect of drug therapy, leading to unsatisfactory results. This study aims to investigate the effect of preoperative whey protein (WP) supplementation on postoperative recovery and PONV in gynecologic tumor patients with good nutritional status, so as to optimize postoperative rehabilitation strategies. This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial involving 52 patients undergoing gynecologic tumor surgery. The experimental group received WP liquid daily for 3 days before surgery, while the R-M group received rice-milk (R-M) liquid daily. The primary endpoint was incidence of PONV and the secondary endpoints included postoperative recovery indicators such as length of hospital stay, time to first flatus and defecation, time to first ambulation, and nutritional indicators such as hemoglobin, total protein, albumin and prealbumin. Statistical analysis was performed using Python, and a P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results of the study showed that preoperative WP supplementation reduced the incidence of PONV within 24 h after surgery, and accelerated postoperative recovery, including shorter hospital stay and early exhaust, defecation, and ambulation time (P < 0.05). Preoperative WP supplementation reduced the incidence of PONV in the first 24 h after surgery and was associated with accelerated early postoperative recovery. This intervention may have clinical relevance in improving postoperative recovery.Clinical trial registration: Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2200059673; Clinical trial registration time: 06/05/2022.
The weibull model for evaluation of control reliability of carbapenem-sensitive acinetobacter baumannii infections: A case-series study.
Chin C
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401709 · Full text
Healthcare-associated infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii remain a major challenge. Reliable tools to evaluate intervention effectiveness are needed. This study applied a parametric survival analysis using the t...
Healthcare-associated infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii remain a major challenge. Reliable tools to evaluate intervention effectiveness are needed. This study applied a parametric survival analysis using the two-parameter Weibull model to assess outcomes among patients with carbapenem-sensitive A. baumannii (CSAB) infections. Data were drawn from a retrospective case-series in a regional hospital in southern Taiwan, including both community and healthcare-associated cases. The intervention combined targeted antimicrobial therapy, intensified environmental disinfection with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite in four ICUs for one month, and an educational campaign. Weibull parameters were estimated via least squares regression to compare survival functions before and after intervention. Results showed improved survival, with scale (α) increasing from 33.88 to 56.05 days and shape (β) from 0.894 to 0.948, indicating a more favorable profile. The monthly incidence of healthcare-associated infections decreased from 3.18‰ to 2.87‰ in the subsequent year, with the most pronounced reduction occurring between months 2 and 4. These findings demonstrate the utility of Weibull modeling in monitoring intervention reliability and suggest that parameter trajectories may serve as early indicators for adjusting strategies. While the intervention appears cost-effective, further analyses incorporating covariates are warranted to strengthen conclusions.
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium and proliferation of intestinal stem cells in mesenteric ischemia and reperfusion.
Yamamoto R, Suzuki S, Homma K … +3 more , Maeshima K, Komura Y, Sasaki J
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401708 · Full text
Mesenteric ischemia frequently causes bowel necrosis even after recirculation, known as reperfusion injury, and no effective therapy has been validated for preserving the intestine. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-...
Mesenteric ischemia frequently causes bowel necrosis even after recirculation, known as reperfusion injury, and no effective therapy has been validated for preserving the intestine. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (MSC-CM), a tissue engineering and regenerative therapy, has been suggested as a feasible acute-phase treatment for organ damages. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of MSC-CM on intestinal tissue injuries by ischemia and reperfusion. Mice were categorized into three groups that underwent either 60-min mesenteric artery occlusion (ischemia group), 60-min reperfusion following 60-min occlusion (reperfusion group), or ischemia-reperfusion with the same duration following intravenous administration of 200-µL MSC-CM by retroorbital injection (MSC-CM group). The distal ileum was harvested, and immunofluorescence staining with caspase-3 and LGR5, an intestinal stem cell-specific marker, was performed for evaluating the injury location and type of cells protected by MSC-CM. Moreover, LGR5, Notch1, Jagged 1, Hes1, DLL1, DLL3, and DLL4 mRNA expressions were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Ischemia extensively damaged the epithelial layer, and reperfusion-induced cellular apoptosis at the epithelial layer. MSC-CM administration was associated with preservation of cells at the crypt base, which were identified as intestinal stem cells using double-immunofluorescence staining. The MSC-CM group demonstrated significantly higher LGR5 expression than the reperfusion and ischemia groups. Similarly, the MSC-CM group exhibited higher Notch1 and Jag1 expressions, whereas the reperfusion group showed a higher Notch1 expression. In conclusion, MSC-CM use was associated with preservation of the intestinal stem cells at the crypt of villi and higher Notch1 and Jag1 expressions.
Dynamic threshold-enhanced diffusion PPO for multi-UAV collaborative optimization in wireless rechargeable sensor networks.
Nie Y, Sun Z, Zhang Y
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401705 · Full text
To address the challenging problem of collaborative optimization of communication delay and UAV load balancing in multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-assisted wireless rechargeable sensor networks, a dynamic threshold-en...
To address the challenging problem of collaborative optimization of communication delay and UAV load balancing in multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-assisted wireless rechargeable sensor networks, a dynamic threshold-enhanced diffusion proximal policy optimization algorithm (DTD-PPO) is proposed. Firstly, a multi-objective optimization model of multi-UAV-assisted WRSNs is constructed, and multi-dimensional constraints are incorporated to enhance the feasibility and practicality of the optimization solution. Secondly, a Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework is designed to balance the conflict between the dual objectives through dynamic weighting. To improve the exploration ability and training stability of the algorithm, the diffusion model is integrated into the PPO policy network, generating diversified actions through an adaptive noise-adding and denoising process. Additionally, a dynamic threshold strategy based on the normalized reward change rate is proposed to adjust the policy update magnitude in real-time. The effectiveness of our proposed algorithm is validated by using metrics of the data collection delay, UAV's flight distance deviation and the energy efficiency. The simulation results verify the superiority and robustness of DTD-PPO algorithm compared to the other benchmark methods.
Deep learning & PSO-based optimisation of data centre energy costs using renewable sources.
Azeem F, Nazir H, Arshad J … +5 more , Joyo MK, Ahmad I, Kadir K, Chauhdary ST, Noaman NM
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401704 · Full text
In this research work, an energy management framework for a data centre powered by a combination of solar and grid energy is proposed. A service-level objective (SLO) is assigned to every individual zone of the data cent...
In this research work, an energy management framework for a data centre powered by a combination of solar and grid energy is proposed. A service-level objective (SLO) is assigned to every individual zone of the data centre, which is specified by each data centre's energy requirement. Jobs with the same SLO will be assigned to the same data centre zone, and each zone will be fuelled by renewable source with a chance of generating electricity equal to or greater than the area's need. To address the intermittency issues associated with renewable energy sources and reduce SLO violations, an effective mapping strategy for renewable energy sources and data centre zones was developed using the reinforcement learning technique Deep Q-Network (DQN) algorithm to ensure maximum data centre uptime. A Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm is then applied to maximise the use of renewable power in meeting the data centre demand. This research aids in reducing the energy utilisation impact of data centres on the national grid, thereby avoiding a national energy deficit. Consequently, the anticipated use of renewable energy will minimise environmental degradation while boosting the country's economy. Data centres are another potential energy buyer from geo-distributed renewable energy sources in Pakistan's power market, according to our analysis.
Multidimensional tolerance towards Asian elephants varies with demographic and spatial correlates among rural communities in Sri Lanka.
LaDue CA, Jayarathna KHDL, Jayawardena PDPJ … +4 more , Warnapura AGSM, Geest EA, Snyder RJ, Vandercone RPG
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401702 · Full text
Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) threatens both human communities and many wildlife populations. We investigated the sociodemographic and spatial factors shaping tolerance towards elephants in rural Sri Lanka, where human-e...
Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) threatens both human communities and many wildlife populations. We investigated the sociodemographic and spatial factors shaping tolerance towards elephants in rural Sri Lanka, where human-elephant conflict is prevalent. We surveyed residents near three protected areas (PAs: Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park, Hurulu EcoPark) frequently encountering elephants. We examined how perceived risks, social norms, and individual agency interact with sociodemographic variables to shape tolerance. We tested whether the tolerance-related construct structure published in a previous study from another region of Sri Lanka replicated in our data, using confirmatory factor analysis on the same survey instrument. Three of the five tolerance-related constructs replicated with acceptable reliability (community shooting norms, utilitarian wildlife value orientations, perceived agency) while two did not, reflecting culturally specific differences in how sacredness of wild elephants is interpreted and near-universal disagreement that elephants should be near homes or croplands. Tolerance-related responses varied significantly despite the respondents' ethnoreligious homogeneity. Gender effects appeared in two distinct constructs but with different magnitudes: men reported somewhat less permissive community-shooting norms but substantially lower perceived agency in their elephant interactions. Recent change in elephant-encounter frequency emerged as the most pervasive predictor, with increasing encounters associated with weaker emotional bonds, weaker coexistence belief, and more utilitarian wildlife value orientations. Distance to the nearest PA boundary was associated with weaker coexistence belief-the first explicit individual-level link between spatial setting and a tolerance-related response in this dataset. Analyses revealed a coherent gradient in affective and behavioral responses across PAs (Kaudulla = high-tolerance pole; Minneriya = opposite pole; Hurulu intermediate), while abstract value orientations and perceived agency were spatially uniform. These findings highlight the complex interplay of sociodemographic, experiential, and spatial factors in shaping tolerance-related responses and demonstrate that what varies across the landscape is how people feel about and act toward elephants, not how they fundamentally value wildlife. The integration of theory-anchored measurement with spatial analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of tolerance and can inform targeted interventions to mitigate HWC and promote coexistence.
Nonlinear and lagged climatic drivers of malaria incidence in sub-Saharan Africa using multi-country panel analysis 2015-2024.
Okeke OA, Adebanjo S
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401701 · Full text
Malaria remains a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where climatic variability continues to influence transmission dynamics despite ongoing control efforts. This study investigates the nonlinear...
Malaria remains a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where climatic variability continues to influence transmission dynamics despite ongoing control efforts. This study investigates the nonlinear and lagged effects of climatic factors on malaria incidence using a balanced monthly panel of 20 SSA countries covering the period 2015-2024 (N = 2400 observations). Monthly malaria incidence per 1000 population is modelled as a function of rainfall, 2-m air temperature, and vegetation greenness, while population density and elevation are included as demographic and topographic controls. Fixed-effects generalised additive models (GAMs) are employed to capture nonlinear exposure-response relationships, complemented by distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNMs) with lags of 0-3 months and a log-linear fixed-effects panel specification. Climatic and environmental variables are obtained from publicly accessible datasets, including CHIRPS, ERA5-Land, MODIS, WorldPop, and NASA SRTM, while malaria incidence data are compiled from national surveillance systems and World Health Organisation repositories. The results reveal significant nonlinear and temporally lagged effects of rainfall and temperature on malaria incidence, with evidence of threshold behaviour across climatic ranges. Vegetation greenness exhibits an increasing-then-saturating association with transmission. Population density is positively associated with malaria incidence, whereas elevation exerts a significant protective effect. The models explain approximately 70-73% of the observed variation in malaria incidence and satisfy key diagnostic requirements. These findings demonstrate the importance of accounting for nonlinear and delayed climatic influences when modelling malaria risk and provide evidence to support climate-informed early warning systems and adaptive malaria control strategies across SSA.
In vivo MRI assessment of position dependent capsulolabral gap differences between neutral and flexion abduction external rotation hip positions.
Tsutsumi M, Ueda J, Nimura A … +5 more , Utsunomiya H, Fukushima K, Yamaguchi I, Akita K, Kudo S
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401699 · Full text
The acetabular labrum plays an essential role in resisting distraction stress by closely coupling the femoral head. A previous cadaveric study suggested that specific hip postures allow the joint capsule to approximate t...
The acetabular labrum plays an essential role in resisting distraction stress by closely coupling the femoral head. A previous cadaveric study suggested that specific hip postures allow the joint capsule to approximate the labrum, potentially enhancing labral adherence to the femoral head. However, whether such position-dependent changes occur in vivo remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate differences in the capsulolabral gap-the distance between the anterosuperior-joint capsule and labrum-between the hip neutral and flexion-abduction-external rotation (FABER) positions, and the location where these differences occur. Twenty-four hips of 24 healthy volunteers were examined using magnetic resonance imaging. A capsulolabral gap was evident around the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) in the hip neutral but not in the FABER position. The largest capsulolabral gap (2.11 ± 0.93 mm) was significantly associated with the AIIS location (r = 0.65, p = 0.004). The maximal gap distance in the hip neutral position was positively significantly correlated with the articular-cavity area at the femoral neck in FABER (r = 0.85, p < 0.001). The capsulolabral gap around the AIIS in the hip neutral position was reduced in FABER owing to close capsule-labrum contact as the entire joint capsule changed, suggesting that the hip capsule contributes to a position-dependent labral-support mechanism.
Clinical, phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance profile of diabetic foot ulcer-associated bacterial isolates.
Khan AA, Imdad K, Khan J … +5 more , Khan MN, Ali I, Dabiellil M, Al-Emam A, Hassan HM
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401698 · Full text
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a leading cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus and a major driver of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection in low- and middle-income countries. This cross-sectiona...
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a leading cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus and a major driver of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection in low- and middle-income countries. This cross-sectional study characterised the clinical profile, microbial spectrum and phenotypic/genotypic resistance patterns of DFU-associated bacteria in 224 patients recruited from six tertiary hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan, between November 2023 and December 2024. Wound swabs, pus aspirates and deep tissue biopsies were collected aseptically and processed on selective and non-selective media; isolates were identified by colony morphology, Gram staining and standard biochemical tests with ATCC reference strains as controls. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion against 15 antibiotics following CLSI M100 (2023) guidelines. Plasmid DNA was extracted from all phenotypically β-lactam- or aminoglycoside-resistant isolates and screened by PCR for β-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaSHV) and aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes (aac(6')-Ib, ant(4')-Ia, aph(3')-IIIa). Bacterial growth was obtained from 208/224 (92.9%) samples; six species were recovered: Staphylococcus aureus 41.3% (86/208), Escherichia coli 20.2% (42/208), Staphylococcus epidermidis 12.5% (26/208), Proteus vulgaris 10.6% (22/208), Proteus mirabilis 7.7% (16/208) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7.7% (16/208). Resistance to gentamicin was uniformly high (S. aureus 91.9%; E. coli 90.5%; S. epidermidis 84.6%); cefoperazone-sulbactam was the most active β-lactam against S. aureus (43.0% resistance) and colistin retained activity against E. coli (35.7% resistance). PCR detected aac(6')-Ib in 114/208 (54.8%), blaTEM in 91/208 (43.8%), blaCTX-M in 83/208 (39.9%), blaSHV in 82/208 (39.4%), ant(4')-Ia in 78/208 (37.5%) and aph(3')-IIIa in 76/208 (36.5%) of isolates. Fisher's exact test confirmed strong, statistically significant associations between aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes and gentamicin resistance, and between β-lactamase genes and cefotaxime resistance (specificity and positive predictive value = 100% at the reference antibiotic). DFUs in this Pakistani cohort were predominantly polymicrobial with a high burden of plasmid-mediated β-lactam and aminoglycoside resistance determinants. Strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, expanded molecular surveillance and patient-centred foot-care education are critical to reduce amputation risk and the public-health burden of DFU.
Thoracic ratio and diaphragmatic excursion predict lung function impairment in COPD patients.
Zhuang YN, Zhan QQ, Lin BQ … +4 more , Lin DD, Zheng LL, Lin K, Ruan LJ
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401696 · Full text
To investigate the correlation between the thoracic transverse diameter/anteroposterior diameter (TTD/ATD) ratio and diaphragmatic excursion during deep breathing (DE-DB) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary di...
To investigate the correlation between the thoracic transverse diameter/anteroposterior diameter (TTD/ATD) ratio and diaphragmatic excursion during deep breathing (DE-DB) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to evaluate their predictive value for lung function impairment, and to elucidate the underlying mechanism and clinical utility using mediation and decision curve analysis (DCA). This cross-sectional study enrolled 120 COPD patients from a tertiary hospital between June 2024 and June 2025. All pulmonary function measurements were obtained pre-bronchodilation, with each maneuver repeated at least three times to ensure reproducibility. The TTD/ATD ratio and ultrasonographic diaphragmatic parameters were measured. Analyses included Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, logistic regression, mediation effect analysis, and DCA. Both the TTD/ATD ratio and DE-DB significantly decreased with increasing COPD severity (P < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was observed between TTD/ATD and DE-DB (r = 0.569, P < 0.001). Both parameters were also significantly positively correlated with FEV1/FVC and FEV1% predicted (r values ranging from 0.73 to 0.81, all P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that DE-DB partially mediated the relationship between TTD/ATD and FEV1% predicted, accounting for 26.2% of the total effect. The combined predictive model (TTD/ATD + DE-DB) achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.963, which was significantly superior to either parameter alone (P < 0.05). DCA demonstrated that the combined model provided a higher net benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities. Joint variable analysis stratified patients into four risk tiers. The dual-high-risk group (Q1) had a 20.83-fold higher risk (OR = 0.048, P < 0.001) of severe COPD compared to the dual-low-risk group (Q4). Thoracic configuration is closely associated with diaphragmatic function in COPD patients, and both are independent predictors of lung function. Diaphragmatic function plays a significant partial mediating role in the impact of thoracic configuration on lung function. The combined assessment of these two non-invasive measures enables effective risk stratification, offering a powerful tool for the early identification and personalized management of COPD.
Prediction of difficult airways in elderly patients using bedside ultrasound: a prospective single-blind observational study.
Liu B, Wu Q, Ma W … +6 more , Chen L, Du R, Zou Q, Ding Z, Zheng X, Zheng Z
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401695 · Full text
This prospective, single-blind observational study evaluated the predictive performance of selected ultrasound airway predictors and a combined prediction model for difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation in elde...
This prospective, single-blind observational study evaluated the predictive performance of selected ultrasound airway predictors and a combined prediction model for difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation in elderly patients. A total of 242 elderly patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation were enrolled. During the preanaesthesia phase, demographic information, classic clinical airway assessments, and ultrasound predictors were collected. The ultrasound predictors included mandibular condylar translation distance (MCTD), tongue thickness (TT), tongue volume (TV), hyomental distance in the extended position (HMDe), and hyomental distance ratio (HMDR). After anaesthesia induction, laryngoscopic views were graded, and intubation difficulty was scored. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression with tenfold cross-validation was used for variable selection. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed for predicting difficult laryngoscopy, visualized as a nomogram, and internally validated using bootstrap resampling with 1000 repetitions. The final analysis included 226 elderly patients, 44 (19.5%) of whom experienced difficult laryngoscopy and 25 (11.1%) of whom experienced difficult intubation. MCTD showed the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) among individual predictors for both difficult laryngoscopy (AUC 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84-0.94; P < 0.001) and difficult intubation (AUC 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86-0.97; P < 0.001). For difficult laryngoscopy, LASSO selected MCTD, HMDR, IID, TMD, MMS, and sex. In the multivariable model, lower MCTD, HMDR, IID, and male sex were independently associated with increased odds of difficult laryngoscopy. The six-predictor model showed an apparent AUC of 0.944 (95% CI: 0.914-0.974) and an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.924 (95% CI: 0.885-0.958). Several ultrasound measurements showed diagnostic value for predicting difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation in elderly patients. Mandibular condylar translation distance demonstrated the strongest individual ultrasound performance and remained an independent predictor of difficult laryngoscopy in the multivariable model. A combined model incorporating ultrasound and clinical airway parameters may provide individualized risk estimation for difficult laryngoscopy.Trial registration Retrospectively registered at www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2300076196), 27 September 2023.
Structural equation modeling of exercise intention in patients recovering from stroke: a cross-sectional study.
Gao Y, Zhu L, Zhang J … +1 more , Liu R
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401694 · Full text
To investigate the factors influencing exercise intention among the people after stroke by developing a comprehensive causal model. This study is the first to examine the factors influencing exercise intention among peop...
To investigate the factors influencing exercise intention among the people after stroke by developing a comprehensive causal model. This study is the first to examine the factors influencing exercise intention among people after stroke using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) theory and structural equation modeling. Data were collected from 299 people after stroke. Perceived benefits and barriers to exercise were evaluated with the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS). Exercise self-efficacy was assessed using the Exercise self-efficacy scale. Exercise intention was assessed using the Exercise Intention Scale. People after stroke's EBBS score was (112.54 ± 13.67); exercise self-efficacy score was (41.68 ± 10.95); and exercise intention score was (14.41 ± 3.48). The total score of EBBS was positively correlated with the total score of exercise self-efficacy and the total score of exercise intention (r = 0.623, 0.681, both P < 0.05), and the total score of exercise self-efficacy was positively correlated with the total score of exercise intention (r = 0.646, P < 0.05). Structural equation modeling showed several causal pathways. Perceived barriers to exercise had an indirect effect on exercise intentions through exercise self-efficacy (β = -0.183, 95% CI -0.286 to -0.101, P < 0.05). Perceived benefits to exercise not only directly affected exercise intentions (β = 0.246, 95% CI 0.073 to 0.424, P < 0.05), but also indirectly affected exercise intentions through exercise self-efficacy (β = 0.152, 95% CI 0.084 to 0.231, P < 0.05). Additionally, perceived benefits and perceived barriers to exercise negatively influenced each other (β = -0.681, P < 0.05). The perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, exercise intention and exercise self-efficacy level of people after stroke need to be improved. Among them, the influence of exercise self-efficacy on exercise intention is the most significant. Consequently, attention and active measures should be directed toward improving exercise self-efficacy in this population, as this would increase their exercise intention and reduce the risk of relapse.
Modeling injury severity in embankment-related roadway departure crashes.
Polock SBB, Starewich M, Chowdhury TI … +1 more , Das S
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401693 · Full text
Embankment-related roadway departure crashes pose significant safety risks due to slope geometry, vehicle instability, and elevated impact forces, yet limited research addresses how injury mechanisms vary across roadway...
Embankment-related roadway departure crashes pose significant safety risks due to slope geometry, vehicle instability, and elevated impact forces, yet limited research addresses how injury mechanisms vary across roadway environments and over time. This study examines embankment-related crash severity using Texas Crash Records Information System (CRIS) data from 2021 to 2024, employing a hybrid framework combining Random Parameters Logit models with Heterogeneity in Means (RPLHM), partially constrained temporal stability testing, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) based narrative analysis. The framework captures persistent and time-varying effects of roadway geometry, environmental conditions, crash characteristics, and driver attributes across three severity outcomes: no injury, possible/non-incapacitating injury, and fatal/incapacitating injury. Results reveal that roadway alignment, lighting conditions, fixed-object involvement, and occupant protection consistently shape severity, while heterogeneity in geometric and environmental factors indicates strong context-dependent risk patterns. Curved alignments and certain roadway environments increase the likelihood of severe injury, whereas seatbelt use substantially increases the probability of non-injury, though its protective effect varies across contexts. Temporal analyses show that while several determinants remain stable, selected parameters exhibit year-specific variation. Narrative topic modeling highlights recurring mechanisms involving loss of control, slope interaction, and environmental influences. These findings underscore that uniform countermeasures are insufficient and emphasize, the need for context-specific roadside design, slope treatment, speed management, and occupant protection strategies.
Metastable multimeric G-quadruplex 2'FY-RNA aptamers that selectively bind pyoverdines.
Anisuzzaman S, Nilsen-Hamilton M
Sci Rep · 2026 Jul · PMID 42401691 · Full text
Two 2'FY-RNA aptamers with distinct sequences were selected for specific binding to pyoverdine-Pf5 (PVD-Pf5), increasing chromophore fluorescence upon binding. They also recognized the peptide portion of pyoverdines, as...
Two 2'FY-RNA aptamers with distinct sequences were selected for specific binding to pyoverdine-Pf5 (PVD-Pf5), increasing chromophore fluorescence upon binding. They also recognized the peptide portion of pyoverdines, as shown by their differential specificity for related variants. Computational analysis and experimental data (NMM binding, CD spectra) identified G-quadruplex structures that were thermally metastable but reformed in the presence of PVD-Pf5. Further structural studies mainly with one aptamer revealed imino proton peaks in 1D H-NMR and pressure stability up to 2 kbar. Electrophoretic evidence identified dimeric G-quadruplexes formed by the 2'FY-RNA aptamers and their RNA equivalents. While cations were necessary for PVD-Pf5 binding, they were not required for G-quadruplex formation. Given the established role of G-quadruplexes as protein interaction sites, multimeric G-quadruplexes offer a potential framework for structure-based regulatory mechanisms in cellular RNAs. In addition to previously characterized multimeric G-quadruplexes, these aptamers contribute novel sequences that expand the repertoire of known multimeric G-quadruplexes.
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