Diameter of cystoid spaces and choroidal hypertransmission as novel prognostic biomarkers in myopic foveoschisis
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Current hydroclimatic spaces will be breached in half of the world’s humid high-elevation tropical ecosystems
Humid high-elevation tropical ecosystems (HETEs), known as páramos, jalca, or moorlands, are essential for biodiversity conservation and water supply. Yet, a key question remains of how future climate change will affect their hydroclimatic spaces: the multidimensional hydroclimatic conditions in which they currently thrive. We use CMIP6-downscaled climate data to assess the potential breaching of these hydroclimatic spaces concerning the long-term means, extremes, and seasonality of temperature and precipitation. Our results show that HETEs in Northern South America will experience the largest increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation, leading to the breaching of their current hydroclimatic space by up to 100%. In the Afrotropics and Australasia, HETEs will experience a breaching of their hydroclimatic spaces related to long-term means and extremes. Our findings provide relevant information on the vulnerability of HETEs to climate change, offering insights to inform the integration of adaptation measures into policy development and management strategies for conserving these key ecosystems and their services.
Early detection of Parkinson’s disease through multiplex blood and urine biomarkers prior to clinical diagnosis
Blood and urine biomarkers are commonly used to diagnose and monitor chronic diseases. We initially screened 67 biomarkers, including 4 urine biomarkers and 63 blood biomarkers, and identified 13 blood biomarkers significantly associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Among these, we discovered three novel markers demonstrating strong associations: phosphate (P = 1.81 × 10−3), AST/ALT ratio (P = 8.53 × 10−6), and immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) (P = 3.49 × 10−20). We also substantiated eight well-studied biomarkers and elucidated the roles of two previously ambiguous biomarkers. Our analyses confirmed IGF-1 (P = 7.46 × 10−29) as a risk factor, and C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 1.43 × 10−3) as protective against PD. Genetic analysis highlighted that IRF, CRP, and IGF-1 share significant genetic loci with PD, notably at MAPT, SETD1A, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQA1. Furthermore, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis suggested potential causal associations between IGF-1, CRP, and PD. We identified several blood biomarkers that may be associated with the risk of developing PD, providing valuable insights for further exploration of PD-related biomarkers.
Neuroinflammatory fluid biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic literature review
Neuroinflammation is associated with both early and late stages of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Fluid biomarkers are gaining significance in clinical practice for diagnosis in presymptomatic stages, monitoring, and disease prognosis. This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to identify fluid biomarkers for neuroinflammation related to clinical stages across the AD continuum and examined long-term outcomes associated with changes in biomarkers.
Post construction infrastructural adaptation of social practices in Dhaka’s under flyover spaces
Transportation infrastructures often impose a rigid and controlled formation over the organic dynamism of urban areas. This blend of infrastructure and urban context redefines transportation systems beyond their purely functional roles, creating opportunities for new land uses, social interactions in the spaces beneath them. The management and adaptation of these urban void spaces under elevated infrastructure can become either assets or liabilities, particularly under the unique conditions prevalent in the Global South Megacities. Using participatory action research datasets and zoning models, this study explores the spatial relationships between physical infrastructure and its contextually accommodating opportunities. This article highlights how the squatter community under the Tejgaon-Nabisco Flyover in Dhaka, Bangladesh, autonomously organizes and utilizes these spaces, fostering adaptive place-making and developing local economic practices supported by the flyover’s structural elements.
A hybrid multi model artificial intelligence approach for glaucoma screening using fundus images
Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, requires accurate early detection. We present an AI-based Glaucoma Screening (AI-GS) network comprising six lightweight deep learning models (total size: 110 MB) that analyze fundus images to identify early structural signs such as optic disc cupping, hemorrhages, and nerve fiber layer defects. The segmentation of the optic cup and disc closely matches that of expert ophthalmologists. AI-GS achieved a sensitivity of 0.9352 (95% CI 0.9277–0.9435) at 95% specificity. In real-world testing, sensitivity dropped to 0.5652 (95% CI 0.5218–0.6058) at ~0.9376 specificity (95% CI 0.9174–0.9562) for the standalone binary glaucoma classification model, whereas the full AI-GS network maintained higher sensitivity (0.8053, 95% CI 0.7704–0.8382) with good specificity (0.9112, 95% CI 0.8887–0.9356). The sub-models in AI-GS, with enhanced capabilities in detecting early glaucoma-related structural changes, drive these improvements. With low computational demands and tunable detection parameters, AI-GS promises widespread glaucoma screening, portable device integration, and improved understanding of disease progression.
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