Recent Publications

Bioinformation. 2025 Oct 31;21(10):3703-3709. doi: 10.6026/973206300213703. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

The diagnostic performance of the BARD scoring system in detecting significant fibrosis (≥F2) among Bangladeshi patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD is of interest. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 adult NAFLD patients at Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka. Liver fibrosis was staged histologically from biopsy specimens. The BARD score was calculated for each patient and its diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and ROC curve analysis. Clinical and biochemical predictors of fibrosis were also assessed. Among the cohort, 45% had significant fibrosis (F2-F4). The BARD score demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 86.4%, positive predictive value of 83.3%, negative predictive value of 86.4% and an AUROC of 0.908 (p < 0.001). A strong positive correlation was observed between BARD score and fibrosis stage (r = 0.736). Multivariate analysis identified BMI ≥28 kg/m2 as an independent predictor of significant fibrosis (OR 17.53, p = 0.022). The BARD score is a reliable noninvasive tool for identifying significant liver fibrosis in Bangladeshi NAFLD patients, facilitating early risk stratification and management in resource-limited settings.

PMID:41623788 | PMC:PMC12859260 | DOI:10.6026/973206300213703

Plant Sci. 2026 Jan 29:113010. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) closes its trap only after two touches of its sensory hairs within approximately twenty seconds, reflecting a temporally gated threshold mechanism. Using a quantitative reinterpretation of published electrophysiological and mechanical measurements, this correspondence demonstrates that the bistable, memory-dependent closure of the Venus flytrap conforms to a multiplicative threshold framework (ARCH × Φ), in which four readiness domains, architecture (A), drive (D), context (C), and phase (Φ), jointly determine activation. The framework accounts for the two-trigger rule, refractory gating, and the all-or-none nature of trap closure, capturing the plant's energy-efficient bistability.

PMID:41619979 | DOI:10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113010

J Neurosurg Spine. 2026 Jan 30:1-9. doi: 10.3171/2025.9.SPINE25604. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of four-rod (4R) constructs and interbody cages (IBCs) on pseudarthrosis and rod breakage (PA/RB) in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) who had undergone surgery with pelvic fixation and Schwab grade 2 osteotomies, using a combined finite element model (FEM) and clinical data analysis.

METHODS: A validated FEM simulated Schwab grade 2 osteotomies at the L4-5 level in two-rod and 4R configurations, with or without IBCs at L4-5 and L5-S1. Rod strain and range of motion were calculated under a 7.5-Nm moment. Clinical analysis was conducted on ASD patients with pelvic fixation and Schwab grade 2 osteotomies and ≥ 2 years of follow-up. Patients were classified into 2 groups depending on the presence or absence of PA/RB. Demographic, surgical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) data were compared.

RESULTS: The FEM analysis revealed maximal rod strain of 399 MPa at the osteotomy site in flexion. The 4R constructs and IBCs reduced strain to 114 MPa at L4-5 and 80 MPa at L5-S1. Among the 213 patients included in the study, PA/RB occurred in 61 (28.6%). Multivariate analysis revealed the use of 4R constructs (OR 0.331, 95% CI 0.16-0.71, p = 0.004) and IBCs (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.94, p = 0.033) as protective factors. Patients with PA/RB experienced more unplanned reinterventions, worse scores on PROMs, and greater loss of sagittal alignment at 2 years postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS: Constructs with 4Rs and IBCs in ASD surgeries with pelvic fixation and Schwab grade 2 osteotomies significantly reduced rod strain and decreased the risk of PA/RB, leading to better scores on PROMs and decreasing unplanned reinterventions and loss of alignment.

PMID:41616294 | DOI:10.3171/2025.9.SPINE25604

Blood. 2026 Jan 29:blood.2025031266. doi: 10.1182/blood.2025031266. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex hematological malignancy with multiple disease sub-groups defined by somatic mutations and heterogeneous outcomes. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a small number of common genetic variants influencing AML risk, the heritable component of this disease outside of familial susceptibility remains largely undefined. Here we perform a meta-analysis of four published GWAS plus two new GWAS, totalling 4710 AML cases and 12938 controls. We identify a new genome-wide significant risk locus for pan-AML at 2p23.3 (rs4665765; P=1.35x10-8; EFR3B, POMC, DNMT3A, DNAJC27) which also significantly associates with patient survival (P=6.09x10-3). Our analysis also identifies three new genome-wide significant risk loci for disease sub-groups, including AML with deletions of chromosome 5 and/or 7 at 1q23.3 (rs12078864; P=7.0x10-10; DUSP23) and cytogenetically complex AML at 2q33.3 (rs12988876; P=3.28x10-8; PARD3B) and 2p21 (rs79918355; P=1.60x10-9; EPCAM). We also investigated loci previously associated with risk of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) or clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and identified several variants associated with risk of AML. Our results further inform on AML etiology and demonstrate the existence of disease sub-group specific risk loci.

PMID:41610418 | DOI:10.1182/blood.2025031266

Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 28;17(1):605. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-67787-1.

ABSTRACT

A discrete time crystal (DTC) is an out-of-equilibrium phase of matter that spontaneously breaks discrete time-translation symmetry. Previous studies have been limited to a set of models with Ising-like couplings - and mostly only in one dimension - thus precluding our understanding of the existence (or not) of DTCs in models with more realistic interactions. In this work, by combining the latest generation of IBM quantum processors with state-of-the-art tensor network methods, we demonstrate the existence of a DTC in a two-dimensional system governed by anisotropic Heisenberg interactions. We uncover a rich phase diagram encompassing spin-glass, ergodic, and time-crystalline phases, and identify the interplay of initialization, interaction anisotropy, and driving protocols in stabilizing the DTC phase. By extending the study of Floquet matter beyond simplified models, we lay the groundwork for exploring how driven systems bridge the gap between quantum coherence and emergent non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

PMID:41605888 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-67787-1

PLoS One. 2026 Jan 28;21(1):e0328745. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328745. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide, with cases rising at an alarming rate. While the causes of cancer are complex and varied, certain risk factors - such as exposure to environmental pollutants and specific lifestyle choices - are modifiable and can be addressed. A case-control study was conducted in Bangladesh from 25 August 2023 to 18 April 2024 to examine the association between cancer risk and a range of lifestyle and environmental factors. The study specifically focused on six common cancer types: breast, hematological, oral, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer. This study identified several lifestyle and environmental factors positively associated with cancer risk. Individuals using wood or kerosene for cooking had higher odds of cancer compared to those using supplied gas (AOR = 3.886). Consumption of overcooked or poorly cooked food was associated with an increased risk of cancer compared to the consumption of well-cooked food (AOR = 2.478). Oral hygiene also showed a relationship, with participants brushing their teeth only 2-3 times a week having a higher chance of cancer compared to those who brush regularly (AOR = 3.103). In addition, frequent exposure to mosquito repellent was positively associated with cancer risk (AOR = 1.569), and exposure to inorganic dust showed a similar association (AOR = 1.673). These findings highlight modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors that could inform future cancer prevention strategies in Bangladesh.

PMID:41604443 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0328745

Ann Bot. 2026 Jan 28:mcag013. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcag013. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Primed acclimation (PA) is a phenomenon where an abiotic stressor early in a plant's vegetative stage primes defense pathways to the same stressor at later developmental stages. Similarly, cross-stress tolerance is a response where an exposure to one abiotic stressor creates a 'stress memory' that can more quickly respond to a later, different abiotic stressor. Cross-priming is a phenomenon where an early abiotic stressor confers defense to a late season biotic stressor. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), an economically important crop in the United States, has exhibited beneficial primed acclimation responses in previous studies. Sclerotium rolfsii, the causal agent of southern blight, can inflict significant economic damage to peanut operations. The purpose of this study was therefore to test for cross-priming against southern blight in two peanut cultivars.

METHODS: In this factorial greenhouse study, we instituted four sequential treatments each with two levels: (1) cv. Florun 331/cv. Georgia-06G, (2) Primary Water Stress (P-50FC)/Primary Well-Watered (P-100FC), (3) Inoculated/Control, and (4) Secondary Water Stress (S-0FC)/Secondary Well-Watered (S-100FC), yielding a total of 16 treatments. The primary water stress (PWS) consisted of irrigating plants to 50% field capacity for 35 days and the secondary water stress (SWS) was the withholding of any water for seven days.

KEY RESULTS: We documented the absence of a beneficial cross-priming result as we did not see reduced southern blight progression among plants exposed to the PWS. Crucially, we observed a three-way interaction between cultivar, PWS, and SWS in inoculated plants, whereby the treatment combinations "Georgia-06G→P-50FC→S-0FC" and "Florun331→P-50FC→S-100FC" had substantially greater disease severity than their P-100FC counterparts. Serendipitously, we observed reduced secondary transmission of southern blight in P-50FC treated plants. Overall, our results caution that drought acclimation may not only fail to deliver crop production benefits but could even have an adverse influence on peanut yields and disease severity.

PMID:41601275 | DOI:10.1093/aob/mcag013

Diagnostics (Basel). 2026 Jan 21;16(2):338. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics16020338.

ABSTRACT

Background/Objectives: Stool-based GeneXpert testing has become a useful approach for diagnosing pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study compared two stool-processing methods, centrifugation-based processing (CBP) and simple one-step (SOS), for detecting PTB in children using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra). Methods: Children with presumptive PTB were screened cross-sectionally, and stool samples were collected and tested with Ultra using the CBP method from March 2022 to December 2024 across seven divisions of Bangladesh. A subset of stool samples (n = 281) that tested positive (n = 191) and negative (n = 90) by the CBP method were re-tested again with the same sample by Ultra using the SOS method. The results of the Ultra with SOS-processed stool were compared with the CBP method to evaluate overall agreement and detection efficiency across different bacterial burdens. Results: The SOS method detected 97 of 191 CBP-positive samples, resulting in a positive percentage agreement of 50.8% (95% CI: 43.5-58.1). All 90 Ultra-negative stool were also negative by the SOS method, yielding a negative percentage agreement of 100% (95% CI: 96.0-100.0). Overall agreement between the methods was 66.6% (Kappa: 0.398). The SOS method detected 100% of high- (4/4) and medium- (7/7), 97.3% (36/37) of low-, and 83.3% (35/42) of very-low-bacterial-burden samples, but only 14.9% (15/101) of the trace-detected samples that were identified by the CBP method. Conclusions: Stool testing with Ultra using the SOS processing method missed a significant number of the most prevalent form of child TB-the 'trace-detected' category identified by the CBP method. For increased detection of childhood TB nationwide, the national program should prioritize the use of Ultra on stool samples processed by the CBP method.

PMID:41594314 | DOI:10.3390/diagnostics16020338