BioMedical Engineering OnLine最新文献

{"title":"Multimodal holotomography for volumetric monitoring of host-pathogen interactions.","authors":"Ziyang Yu, Lei Jin, Mingyang Liang, Aaron Au, Thaisa Luup Kannen, Peter Serles, Tobin Filleter, Laurence Pelletier, Scott D Gray-Owen, Christopher M Yip","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01577-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01577-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A strategic way to gain a deeper understanding of how infection occurs is to characterize the mechanisms of pathogen binding and uptake. To accomplish this, we have focused our efforts on developing approaches that enable real-time monitoring of the initial stages of pathogen binding and the dynamics of the corresponding cellular response, including how membrane receptors are recruited to the binding sites. Past efforts have relied largely on widefield fluorescence imaging to track receptor recruitment and pathogen uptake.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this work, we have applied holotomography (HT) to probe pathogen binding using 3D refractive index (RI) reconstruction and spatial-temporal bacteria tracking. While promising, we also report on the challenges encountered in developing a multimodal correlative HT-fluorescence approach for real-time visualization of pathogen uptake and engagement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We report here on an imaging platform that integrates HT with multicolor fluorescence microscopy. The system can reconstruct quantitative RI volumes and perform single particle and pathogen tracking. We applied this system to monitor the interaction of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria with live CEACAM-expressing HeLa cells, coupling HT with simultaneous two-channel highly inclined laminated optical sheet (HILO) fluorescence imaging to track the dynamics and spatial distribution of membrane receptors and bacteria within the same field of view. Simultaneous acquisition and co-registration of the phase and fluorescence channels resulted in a multicolor, temporally synchronized dataset of pathogen binding and receptor engagement, portending video-rate three-dimensional tracking of pathogen binding and uptake.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The coupled platform we have developed has enabled direct volumetric imaging of the dynamics of pathogen binding and concomitant recruitment of membrane receptors on live cells. The platform closes a critical gap between optically sectioned fluorescence and label-free 3D phase imaging and can be adapted to other receptor-ligand systems that would benefit from correlated structural and functional insights.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13317361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic review of instruments for measuring sex and gender attributes: assessment of measurement properties and utility in research on clinical and functional outcomes.","authors":"Nada Ahmad, Alicia Ruetas, Urooba Shaikh, Thaisa Tylinski Sant'Ana, Tatyana Mollayeva","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01563-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01563-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To identify and synthesize instruments used to assess sex and gender attributes in relation to clinical and functional outcomes in adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched four databases from inception to November 20, 2023, to identify English-language studies on clinical and functional outcomes that used instruments of sex and gender attributes. On July 20, 2025, we searched MEDLINE for studies on the measurement properties of the instruments previously identified. We used Holmbeck and colleagues' evidence-based criteria and rated quality based on measurement properties, including frequency of use by independent researchers, validity and reliability in relevant populations, and sufficiency of information for replication and appraisal.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 12,948 unique records identified through our primary searches, 46 studies met our inclusion criteria. Eighteen of the studies had male-only samples, five had female-only samples, and the remaining included samples featuring both sexes, of which one also featured transgender and nonbinary people. These studies utilized a total of 34 instruments, of which eight assessed sex and 26 assessed gender attributes, of which only one measure, the Gender Self Report, had its scores validated in samples other than binary gender. We assigned high quality ratings to three instruments measuring sex, and three measuring gender attributes, with the remaining instruments classified as moderate or lower based on the predefined rating criteria including measurement properties assessed in relevant populations. Construct validity was the most reported property, and test-retest reliability was the least reported on.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The measurement properties of instruments measuring attributes of sex and gender in relevant populations varied. Validation of the scores in non-binary samples is limited. Further validation and application of highly rated instruments in diverse samples is timely for advancing equitable practices and policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13317429/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147832978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biodegradable synthetic polymers for biomedical and tissue engineering applications: tailoring degradation kinetics with tissue regeneration timeline.","authors":"Syafiqah Saidin, Saiful Irwan Zubairi, Jaweria Ambreen, Nurul Asmak Md Lazim, Madeeha Sadia, Jocelyn Tze Wei Lim, Mokhamad Fakhrul Ulum, Aisyah Elliyanti, Farshid Sefat","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01550-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01550-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The adoption of biodegradable synthetic polymers in biomedical and tissue engineering becomes a focal point, offering alternative solutions to organ transplantation and conventional permanent restoration. The key principle in developing scaffold-based for physiological implantation is the synchronisation of polymer's degradation kinetics with the regeneration timeline of host tissues. Different implantation lesions exhibit vastly different healing durations, ranging from a few weeks to several months or years. A mismatch timeline can be detrimental where premature degradation will remove the physical framework needed for cell integration, whereas overly slow degradation will restrict spaces for new tissue growth. This review study provides a comprehensive discussion on the degradation mechanisms of biodegradable synthetic polymers in physiological environments. Four widely studied polymers-polylactic acid (PLA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polyurethane (PU)-were reviewed in depth on the degradation mechanisms and influencing factors. Scientific experimental data from the previous studies were summarised, including degradation percentage, experimental conditions, degradation timeline, and estimated complete degradation period. Specifically, four degradation mechanisms are associated with the degradation of synthetic polymers in physiological environments including chemical hydrolysis, enzymatic-mediated metabolism, oxidative degradation, and pH-dependent degradation. Each of the mechanisms may act independently or synergistically under different biological conditions. The degradation of polymers is accordingly influenced by the chemical structures, fabrication routes, degradation pathways, and physicochemical factors. These data are correlated with their optimal use in biomedical and TE applications for fast regenerating tissues to slow-healing or load-bearing structures. Comprehensively, PVA is aligned well with short-to-intermediate healing tissues such as the skin and the cornea due to its high degradation capability, while PLA, PCL, and PU that degrade from weeks to years are suitable for mediate-healing soft tissues to long-term implantations such as load-bearing bone, cartilage, ligament, neural, and vascular implantations. By aligning polymer degradation profiles with the biological timelines of tissue regeneration, this review provides a translational framework for synthetic polymer selection to enable optimum scaffold's functionalities and clinical outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13289440/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147832959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of recent advances in exosome-mediated drug delivery for regenerative therapy and immunomodulation.","authors":"Mohammad Asim Azhar, Eman Alshehri, Abdullah M Assiri, Dieter C Broering, Ahmed Yaqinuddin, Tanveer Ahmad Mir","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01557-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01557-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exosomes are small, nanoscale extracellular vesicles that facilitate intercellular communication through the transport of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Recent advances in utilizing exosomes as promising vehicles for targeted delivery have opened up numerous opportunities for establishing next-generation exosome-based nanocarriers and therapeutics for multiple biomedical domains. Their inherent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, nanoscale size and ability to naturally cross biological barriers make them promising alternatives to traditional synthetic drug-delivery systems such as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. In this review, we analyzed existing literature and provided an overview of biogenesis, molecular composition, and functional diversity of exosomes followed by a review of recent reports on their application in regenerative therapies and immunomodulation. First, we outlined the role of exosomes in angiogenesis, tissue repair, and immunomodulation. Next, we critically evaluated existing engineering solutions, including isolation techniques, cargo-loading approaches, genetic programming of donor cells, and surface functionalization strategies. Furthermore, we provided a comprehensive overview of recent research on engineered systems that enable controlled release, stability, and multifunctional design of therapeutics, such as exosome-biomaterial hybrids, synthetic exosome mimics, and exosome-nanoparticle platforms. Finally, we highlighted the significant barriers, such as vesicle heterogeneity, optimized production and standardization, and other regulatory challenges in translating exosomal therapeutics from basic research to clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13289385/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147832988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ses: a Swin-Unet Edge-aware Segmentation network for uterine fibroid ultrasound images.","authors":"Xiaotong Wang, Liling Shi, Wenjuan Wang, Lijuan Guo","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01575-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01575-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Uterine fibroids represent one of the most prevalent gynecological tumors; however, their ultrasound images frequently exhibit indistinct boundaries and complex morphologies, thereby complicating accurate segmentation. An enhanced Swin-Unet-based framework, designated the Swin-Unet Edge-Sensitive Segmentation (SES) network, is proposed herein to advance boundary delineation and segmentation accuracy. The SES network incorporates the Residual Channel Attention Network (RCAN) to recalibrate feature responses via channel attention weighting, thereby reinforcing the representation of lesion regions, and the Richer Convolutional Features (RCF) module to preserve multi-scale spatial information through hierarchical feature integration, effectively addressing pixel-level classification in regions with blurred boundaries. The model was evaluated on annotated ultrasound images provided by Shanxi Provincial Children's Hospital. Experimental findings demonstrate that SES consistently outperforms established architectures, including U-Net, U-Net++, Attention U-Net, and TransUNet, achieving superior performance across multiple indices (Dice coefficient: 0.9452; IoU: 0.8721; accuracy: 0.9358). Ablation analyses further substantiate the pivotal contributions of the RCAN and RCF modules to the overall segmentation performance. The proposed SES framework integrates global modeling capacity, multi-scale attention mechanisms, and edge-sensitive feature extraction to deliver a more accurate and robust solution for the ultrasound image segmentation of uterine fibroids, highlighting its substantial potential for clinical application.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13289386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147832981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative advances and future perspectives in injectable hydrogels for wound healing: a comprehensive review.","authors":"Shohreh Fahimirad, Zohreh Ghazi Tabatabaei, Mohammad Reza Farahpour, Fatemeh Mahmoudian","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01541-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01541-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Injectable hydrogels constitute a highly versatile and promising class of biomaterials for therapeutic use in both acute and chronic wounds. Engineered to mimic the structural and functional attributes of the native extracellular matrix (ECM), these hydrogels form a biomimetic, hydrated three-dimensional network that facilitates critical wound healing processes, such as cellular infiltration, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Composed of a broad spectrum of biocompatible polymers, including naturally derived polysaccharides, such as alginate, hyaluronic acid, and chitosan, along with various synthetic polymers such as polyethylene glycol and polyvinyl alcohol injectable hydrogels can be precisely tailored in terms of viscoelastic properties, degradation kinetics, and bio-functionalization to meet specific clinical requirements. Their minimally invasive administration through a syringe or catheter, combined with in situ gelation triggered by physiological stimuli, such as pH, temperature, or ionic strength, allows conformal adaptation to complex wound geometries while minimizing surgical trauma. Furthermore, these hydrogels serve as adaptable scaffolds for the spatial and temporal controlled delivery of therapeutic agents, including growth factors, antimicrobial compounds, stem cells, and extracellular vesicles, enabling dynamic modulation of the wound microenvironment. Such functionalities facilitate regulated inflammation, oxidative stress mitigation, and tissue regeneration. Despite their substantial potential, challenges persist regarding mechanical stability under physiological load, immunomodulatory capacity, and regulatory pathways for clinical translation. Recent advancements-such as the integration of nanostructured components, stimuli-responsive crosslinking mechanisms, and bio-orthogonal chemistries-have expanded the functional capabilities of injectable hydrogels and improved their therapeutic efficacy. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the present status and future directions of injectable hydrogel systems for wound healing, emphasizing innovative material strategies, delivery mechanisms, and translational hurdles. These insights highlight the critical role of injectable hydrogels in advancing the development of next-generation, precision-guided wound management technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13277110/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147810602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visualisation of magnetic field-induced nanoparticle clusters and mechanical property changes in a breast phantom for inductive moderate hyperthermia.","authors":"Valerii B Orel, Alexandr I Tovstolytkin, Valerii E Orel, Serhii O Mamilov, Oleksandra S Ostapenko, Olga Yo Dasyukevich, Oleksandr Yu Rykhalskyi, Sergii A Lyalkin, Vadim I Dunaievskyi, Svitlana S Nazarchuk, Vitaliy Yo Kotovskyi, Lyudmyla V Garmanchuk, Olexander Yu Galkin","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01576-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01576-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Visualising magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) clusters is important for inductive moderate hyperthermia (IMH) as their formation influences mechanical force transduction and heat generation in malignant tumours. An applied inhomogeneous stationary magnetic field (ISMF) can direct the arrangement of MNP clusters and the force exerted on cancer cells. Herein, we analysed MNP cluster formation and changes in mechanical properties using digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) for a breast phantom containing MCF-7 breast cancer cells under the influence of IMH with ISMF.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Texture analysis of the tumour-mimicking region revealed that ISMF induced a 13% increase in fractal dimension and a twofold decrease in lacunarity of MNP clusters on DBT images, as well as a 20% decrease in lacunarity of apparent stiffness within fixed regions of interest on SWE images, as compared with non-targeted MNPs (p < 0.05). While the addition of MNPs increased the maximum temperature in the tumour-mimicking region only by 1.3 °C, it led to a 3.8-fold decrease in lacunarity and a 10% increase in fractal dimension on thermal images, as well as an 87% lower fraction of viable MCF-7 cells than IMH with ISMF (p < 0.05). We also considered the clinical relevance for breast cancer patients, given that the heat-pain threshold (~ 42 °C) is close to the temperatures observed during IMH, whereas the forces generated by ISMF remain below typical pressure-pain thresholds.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ISMF initiated a more uniform spatial distribution of MNP clusters, altering the SWE-derived apparent stiffness and temperature patterns in the tumour-mimicking region. While causing only a moderate temperature increase (< 42 °C), IMH combination with ISMF and MNPs significantly reduced MCF-7 viability, indicating the additional role of magneto-mechanical effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13255342/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147761325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of multimodal nanotechnology and standardized nursing management in ventricular arrhythmia.","authors":"Xueqin Ding, Lianghong Zhang, Fangming Guo, Xuhong Pan, Xiaona Wei, Lingfei Su, Ling Wu, Li Min, Ming Zhang, Li Han","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01571-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01571-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ventricular arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, remain a leading cause of sudden cardiac death and pose persistent clinical challenges due to limitations in targeted therapy and the complexity of arrhythmogenic substrates. multimodal nanotechnology has emerged as a promising platform enabling integrated diagnostic and therapeutic functions; however, direct evidence for its application in cardiology remains limited compared to oncology, and significant translational barriers persist. Concurrently, comprehensive nursing and standardized management are critical for optimizing patient outcomes through continuous monitoring, timely intervention, and holistic care. This review critically synthesizes current evidence on multimodal nanotechnology applications in ventricular arrhythmia management, distinguishing between established cardiovascular findings and conceptual extrapolations from other fields. It analyzes technological advantages alongside cardiac-specific limitations-including myocardial targeting challenges, pro-arrhythmic risks, and regulatory complexity. Furthermore, it examines how nanotechnology-based therapies will impact nursing workflows, monitoring protocols, and competency requirements, proposing a framework for integrating these innovations with standardized nursing management. By bridging cutting-edge technological advances with clinical nursing strategies, this article provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and advancing comprehensive, patient-centered treatment paradigms for ventricular arrhythmias.</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13217935/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incorporating normal periventricular changes for enhanced pathological white matter hyperintensity segmentation: on multiclass deep learning approaches.","authors":"Mahdi Bashiri Bawil, Mousa Shamsi, Ali Fahmi Jafargholkhanloo, Abolhassan Shakeri Bavil","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01555-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01555-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>White matter hyperintensities (WMH) detected on FLAIR MRI sequences serve as important biomarkers for cerebrovascular pathology, correlating with increased risks of cognitive decline, stroke, and demyelination. Contemporary automated segmentation approaches face substantial challenges in distinguishing pathological lesions from normal age-related periventricular hyperintensities, resulting in elevated false-positive rates that limit clinical utility. This investigation examines whether incorporating normal WMH as an explicit class during deep learning model training enhances pathological lesion detection compared to conventional binary segmentation approaches. We evaluated four established architectures (U-Net, Attention U-Net, DeepLabV3Plus, and Trans-U-Net) across two training paradigms using 2,750 FLAIR images from 115 patients with neurodegenerative diseases, sourced from local and public datasets with expert radiological annotations. The first paradigm employed traditional binary classification (background versus pathological WMH), while the second utilized multiclass classification incorporating normal periventricular hyperintensities as a distinct category. Statistical evaluation included paired comparative analysis and effect size quantification using Cohen's d. The U-Net architecture demonstrated the most pronounced improvement with the multiclass approach, achieving 0.271 improvement in Dice coefficient (0.768 versus 0.497) and 1.9 improvement in Hausdorff distance (11.5 vs 13.4) (p < 0.0001, Cohen's d = 0.5643). All architectures demonstrated medium practical effects (d = 0.44-0.57) beyond statistical significance. In the present data regime, convolutional neural network-based architectures demonstrated more stable training dynamics and larger performance improvements compared to the transformer-based models, though all architectures showed statistically significant benefits from multiclass training. The multiclass training methodology substantially improves pathological WMH identification while preserving clinical practicality, offering a robust framework for enhancing automated neuroimaging diagnostic capabilities.Trial Registration Number Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (IR.TBZMED.REC.1402.902).</p>","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13202883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147697441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cardiometabolic disease and mental health within the spinal cord injury population: a systematic review.","authors":"Thomas P Walden, Matthew Cleland, Philemon Tsang, Emilia Main, B Catharine Craven","doi":"10.1186/s12938-026-01566-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12938-026-01566-x","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein crucial to the survival, growth, and differentiation of neurons in the brain and spinal cord. BDNF is monitored across many populations as an indicator of one's cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and mental health (MH) risk. Adults living with a traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) are at a higher risk of developing CMD and MH issues, with symptoms often going unrecognized. Establishing serum BDNF as a screening tool within the tSCI population has the potential to improve CMD and MH symptom recognition.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;This systematic review aims to: (1) explore the tSCI literature to determine whether an association exists between serum BDNF, MH, and CMD risk(s); and; (2) identify best-practice BDNF sampling techniques within the tSCI population.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A comprehensive search strategy was developed in collaboration with a University Health Network Librarian. Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL Ultimate, and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched to identify English-language studies published from inception to July 2025. Studies which reported serum BDNF in the tSCI population in addition to either MH or CMD and have three or more human participants with acute or chronic tSCI were included. Duplicate abstracts were removed and the remaining titles and abstracts reviewed and selected for full-text screening. Study quality was assessed for potential risk of bias using Downs and Black Checklist (Clinical Trials), Newcastle-Ottawa Score (Case-Control Study), or Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist (Cross-sectional Study), prior to data extraction. The serum BDNF analytic methods were reviewed in detail.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 2,148 potential studies were identified via the searches, of which 631 duplicates were removed, 1,488 abstracts were excluded for inappropriate population, outcome measure, or study design, and 29 articles were selected for full-text screening, with four studies included in the final review. All studies sampled and analyzed serum BDNF. A total of 271 participants (AIS: A-D, NLI: C1-L5), predominantly male (n = 224), with acute (n = 165) and chronic (n = 51) injuries aged 14-75 as well as healthy controls (n = 55) were included. One study investigated the influence of an intervention and three studies were cross-sectional. No identified study included a description or indication of the prevalence for MH conditions or CMD risk factors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Based on the reviewed literature, links between serum BDNF and MH disorders or CMD risk have not yet been established for individuals with acute or chronic tSCI. The selected studies demonstrated no consistent sampling or analysis methods, with limited adherence to prior established standards in the general population, bringing into question the reliability, validity, and quality of the availa","PeriodicalId":8927,"journal":{"name":"BioMedical Engineering OnLine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13214318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147688119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}