ABME

Sun exposure can silently damage the surface of the eye, and measuring that exposure has traditionally required specialized and expensive imaging equipment. To make this assessment more widely available, researchers evaluated whether a smartphone-based clip-on device could accurately measure conjunctival ultraviolet autofluorescence (CUVAF), an imaging biomarker of ultraviolet-related eye damage. In a study of 95 participants, nasal and temporal eye images were captured using both a traditional digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera system and the smartphone device, and CUVAF was quantified by comparing fluorescent area and brightness relative to surrounding tissue. The smartphone system produced intensity measurements nearly identical to the DSLR standard and showed strong overall agreement, with small differences in measured area likely reflecting optical differences between devices rather than biological variation. Affordable, portable eye imaging tools could make it far easier to detect and monitor ultraviolet-related eye damage in clinics, screenings, and community settings. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Validation of a Portable Tool for Conjunctival Ultraviolet Autofluorescence Imaging 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Priya Bahra, Lea Damnjanovic, Koko Faen, Ashish Agar, @MGolzan, and Minas T. Coroneo @UNSW @UNSWMedicine @UTSEngage @UTS_GSH 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

In some children born with congenital heart defects, a fibrous membrane can gradually form beneath the aortic valve, a process that scientists are working to better characterize. Investigating whether abnormal blood flow forces contribute to this problem, researchers studied how endocardial endothelial cells – the cells lining the left ventricular outflow tract – respond to different levels of fluid shear stress in a controlled laboratory system. Using a cone-and-plate device to reproduce both normal and disease-like flow conditions, they found that elevated shear stress caused the cells to align and activated endothelial-to-mesenchymal transformation (EndMT), a fibrosis-associated signaling program partly driven by increased SNAI1 expression. A small-molecule inhibitor targeting the Snail1 protein briefly reduced some EndMT markers, but shear stress had a stronger and more sustained effect on cell behavior. Understanding how abnormal blood flow forces reshape the cells lining the heart may help explain why this membrane forms and point toward future strategies to prevent or slow its development. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Shear Stress Initiates Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Endocardial Endothelial Cells 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Kathleen N. Brown, Hong Kim T. Phan, Tasneem Mustafa, Elysa Jui, Fariha N. Ahmad, Ravi K. Birla, Philippe Sucosky, Jennifer P. Connell, @sgkeswani, and @JGrandeAllen 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Many promising drugs fail late in development because predicting dangerous heart rhythm side effects remains difficult. Researchers tested whether combining several machine learning models could improve the ability to predict these dangerous drug-induced rhythm disturbances. They analyzed electrical activity from lab-grown human heart cells exposed to known reference drugs and used two simple measurements of how that activity changed to train a stacked ensemble model that integrates multiple algorithms. When evaluated on 16 previously unseen drugs, the combined model predicted risk more reliably and accurately than any individual model. Earlier and more reliable detection of dangerous rhythm effects could help keep unsafe drugs out of development while speeding the arrival of lower-risk treatments. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Stacking Ensemble Machine Learning for Cardiac Safety Assessment Using hiPSC-CM MEA Data 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Muhammad Adnan Pramudito, Yunendah Nur Fuadah, Yoo Seok Kim, and Ki Moo Lim @TelUniversity 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Breast implants change shape and feel, but measuring how they alter the mechanical behavior of breast tissue has been difficult. To address this challenge, researchers developed a subject-specific finite element modeling framework to estimate breast tissue mechanical properties from in vivo deformation. Using prone MRI and standing 3D surface scans from participants with natural breasts and silicone implant augmentations, they simulated how breast tissue deforms under gravity and tuned the model to match the observed upright breast shape. The simulations reproduced breast morphology with millimeter-level accuracy and showed that augmented breasts required higher effective shear modulus values, indicating greater apparent organ-level stiffness. Better tools for predicting how breast tissue deforms under gravity could help surgeons choose implants and plan procedures that lead to more natural-feeling and reliable outcomes. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Evaluation of Natural Breasts and Post-Augmentation Breasts with Silicone Implants Using Subject-Specific Finite Element Modeling 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Yuwei Zhang, Hailin Zhang, Jingqi Hu, Yiwen Jiang, Fuling Zheng, Ang Zeng, Xiao Long, and Xiaojun Wang @Tsinghua_Uni 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Diabetes can silently affect joints long before structural damage to the knee becomes visible on conventional imaging. Exploring this, researchers compared knee cartilage and meniscus tissue in adults with and without diabetes mellitus using T₂ mapping on MRI to detect subtle biochemical changes in joint structures. In scans from 42 participants, several cartilage regions in the femorotibial joint of individuals with diabetes showed significantly elevated T₂ values, a signal associated with early compositional changes in tissue. Differences were also observed in specific meniscus subregions, suggesting that metabolic disease may alter the microstructure of multiple knee tissues. Identifying these changes earlier may open the door to interventions that preserve joint health before irreversible damage occurs. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: T₂ Mapping at 3 T of Cartilage and Menisci in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Ningfan Hu, Xiaoyun Liang, Jiangtao Zhu, and Ligong Wang 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Accurately measuring how often young football players experience head impacts is critical for assessing and managing concussion risk, but the estimated number of impacts can vary widely depending on how the data are processed. Researchers investigated how different data-cleaning strategies affect estimates of head acceleration events recorded by instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) in youth tackle football. Fifty athletes ages 8–12 wore iMGs during games across one season, and the research team compared six approaches for filtering the raw sensor data, including time-windowing, proprietary classification algorithms, and video verification. Key findings: 🔹 Unfiltered data produced the highest head acceleration event rates. 🔹 The most rigorous approach (combining time-windowing, algorithm classification, and video verification) reduced estimated events from 67.75 to 0.70 per athlete exposure. 🔹 Data-cleaning choices had minimal effect on impact magnitude, including peak linear acceleration and peak rotational velocity. Standardized and transparent data-cleaning practices will be essential for generating reliable head impact exposure estimates and strengthening efforts to reduce concussion risk in youth sports. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Comparison of Six Data Cleaning Methods for Determining Repetitive Head Impact Exposure in Youth Tackle Football 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: @samdeangelo32, @adam_c_phd, @EnoraLeFlao, Nick Shoaf, Durshil Doshi, Ryan Tracy, Nii-Ayi Aryeetey, Anna Quatrale, @dr_smith_dpt, Jianing Ma, Jeff Pan, Jingzhen Yang, Sean C. Rose, @jimmyonatePhD, @_N_Edwards, @z_saygin, and @jaclyn_caccese @OhioState, @OSUWexMed, @OhioStateMed, @osuhrs, @OSU_HPC, @ASCatOSU, @OhioStatePsych, @iuindySHHS, @IUDPT, @nationwidekids 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Much of what we know about spinal motion comes from unloaded laboratory conditions, even though the spine normally moves while supporting body weight. Researchers explored this disconnect by measuring how seated weight-bearing changes the rotational motion of lumbar facet joints in healthy adults. Using CT-based three-dimensional spine models combined with a dual fluoroscopic imaging system, they tracked vertebral motion at L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 as participants rotated their trunks under non-weight-bearing and 10 kg weight-bearing conditions. Weight-bearing reduced small sliding motions between facet joints in several directions, with the most pronounced changes occurring at the L5/S1 level. Characterizing how everyday loading alters spinal joint mechanics helps provide a stronger biomechanical foundation for preventing and managing lumbar degenerative disorders. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: The Influence of Seated Weight-Bearing on Rotational Positional Alterations of Lumbar Facet Joints 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Ye Han, Liqi Luo, Xiong Zhang, Jun Miao, Shaosong Sun, and Xiaodong Wang 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Treating tumors or abnormal tissue with electric pulses can be effective, but current systems often rely on extremely high voltages and provide limited real-time feedback on whether the treatment worked. Confronting these issues, researchers developed a contact-electrode system that enables low-voltage irreversible electroporation while simultaneously monitoring tissue changes through electrical impedance spectroscopy. Computer simulations helped refine a concentric electrode design that focuses the electric field, and tests in potato tissue produced a 2 mm ablation depth using only 125 volts. Electrical measurements taken during treatment revealed predictable changes in tissue properties, allowing ablation depth to be estimated with less than 10% error. Lower-voltage electroporation paired with real-time monitoring could make targeted tissue ablation safer, more precise, and easier to verify during treatment. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Integrated Diagnosis and Therapy Using Flexible Contact Electrodes: Low-Voltage Irreversible Electroporation and Quantitative Assessment of Therapeutic Efficacy 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Yuchen Cheng, Bowang Cheng, Jingyu Li, Zhuoqun Li, Fulai Lin, Yuan Qi, Haorui Xue, Jiawei Wang, Jian Lv, Fenggang Ren, and Weidong Ding @XJTU_China 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Understanding how thigh muscles activate during cycling is critical for designing training that improves strength without unnecessary strain. To determine how different cycling approaches recruit thigh muscles, researchers used electrical impedance tomography to track conductivity changes in distinct muscle compartments during pedaling. They compared two pedaling strategies – high pedal rate with low torque (HPLT) and low pedal rate with high torque – and also evaluated the effect of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) combined with cycling. Across quadriceps, hamstrings, and other thigh muscle compartments, conductivity changes increased as cycling power rose, with stronger responses observed during HPLT and when EMS was added to the task. Better insight into how muscles respond during cycling could guide training and rehabilitation programs that build strength more efficiently while reducing the risk of overloading vulnerable tissues. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Conductive Response Imaging in Thigh Muscle Compartments by Electrical Impedance Tomography for Efficient Bicycle Training Strategy 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Daichi Furukawa, Kiagus Aufa Ibrahim, Tomoyuki Shirai, and Masahiro Takei 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Smoking may damage the spine in ways that go beyond inflammation or structural wear. Researchers examined how cigarette smoke extract and low-nutrient conditions affect energy metabolism in cells from different regions of the intervertebral disc. They measured how tissue from these regions used glucose and produced lactate under normal, smoke-exposed, and nutrient-poor conditions, then used computer modeling to estimate how much adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the cells could generate. Key findings: 🔹 Cigarette smoke extract reduced glucose use and lactate production in nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells. 🔹 Low-nutrient conditions increased reliance on glycolysis in disc cells. 🔹 Modeling showed that smoke exposure and nutrient deprivation sharply reduced ATP availability within the disc. By clarifying how smoking deprives spinal disc cells of the energy required to maintain healthy tissue, this work identifies one of the biological pathways linking tobacco use to disc degeneration and chronic back pain. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: A Comparison of Cigarette Smoking Effects on Intervertebral Disc Cell Metabolism in a Rat Tissue Model 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Nathan Buchweitz, Avery Madden, Joshua Kelley, Hui Li, Zhaoxu Meng, Michael Kern, Danyelle M. Townsend, Hai Yao, and Yongren Wu @ClemsonUniv @ClemsonCECAS @ClemsonBIOE @MedUnivSC @MUSC_COM @ResearchMUSC 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Accurately guiding a flexible needle through soft tissue is far more difficult than it appears, limiting the precision of many minimally invasive procedures. Engineers, working to improve robotic needle guidance, developed a path-planning method that helps the robot find a safer and more efficient route to its target. The approach combines a rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm with a reinforcement learning technique called soft actor critic (SAC) to guide the search process and reduce wasted trial paths. Integrated with a robotic navigation system, the method guided the needle to within about a millimeter of its intended target on average in synthetic tissue models. More precise robotic needle navigation could make image-guided procedures safer and more reliable when targeting delicate structures deep within the body. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: A Guided Sampling Enhanced Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree Path Planning Algorithm for Robot-Assisted Flexible Needle Insertion 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Jiale Zhang, Shan Jiang, Zhiyong Yang, Zeyang Zhou, and Chengsi Xing @TianjinUniv1895 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Stents placed in the leg often fail because the artery bends and twists with every step, placing extreme mechanical demands on the device. Researchers tackled this challenge by applying computational modeling and response surface methodology to optimize the geometry of nitinol stents used to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD). They systematically varied five design parameters – strut width, thickness, amplitude, number of struts, and link amplitude – and evaluated how each influenced stent–artery contact, arterial wall stress, and pinching during limb flexion. The analysis identified two optimized configurations that achieved more than 97% stent–artery apposition while maintaining low arterial stress and minimal pinching under simulated bending conditions. Designing stents that better tolerate the natural motion of the leg could improve the durability of PAD treatments and reduce the risk of repeat procedures. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Computational Optimization of a Stent for the Femoropopliteal Artery 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Alexey Kamenskiy, Jason MacTaggart, and Anastasia Desyatova @UNOmaha @UNOCEHHS @UNOBiomechanics @unmc @UNMCCOM 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Lab-grown heart cells often lack the structural organization and electrical behavior needed to function like real heart muscle. Seeking to improve the maturity of these lab-grown cells, researchers recreated physical cues that guide heart development in the body. They grew human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) on tiny grooved surfaces that encourage the cells to line up, then applied gentle, rhythmic stretching to mimic the mechanical motion of a beating heart. Together, these conditions produced cells with more organized contractile structures, stronger expression of key cardiac proteins, greater mitochondrial content, and electrical activity that more closely resembled mature heart tissue. Reproducing the physical environment of the developing heart brings engineered cardiac tissue closer to supporting reliable drug testing, disease modeling, and future regenerative therapies. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Microgroove and Cyclic Stretch-Based Stem Cell Gym Enhance Maturation of Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Jing Na, Lulin Zhou, Shuyun Bai, Yue Ma, and Lisha Zheng @Beihang1952 @CAS__Science 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Subtle dysfunction in the body’s smallest blood vessels can precede serious cardiovascular disease, but clinicians lack a simple way to detect it early. Scientists addressed this by developing a smartphone-based method that measures the elasticity of fingertip arterioles as an indicator of vasomotor function. An iPhone using green light photoplethysmography was paired with a fingertip device that applied controlled pressure, allowing the researchers to estimate arteriolar blood pressure and calculate elasticity measures across different pressure levels. In 13 healthy volunteers, cold-water stimulation triggered measurable increases in arteriolar stiffness and decreases in distensibility, confirming that the system captured expected vasoconstrictive responses. Turning a common smartphone into a window on microvascular health could make early cardiovascular risk detection far more accessible. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Smartphone-based Assessment of Vasomotor Function via Fingertip Arteriolar Elasticity Using the Volume-Oscillometric Method with Green Light Photoplethysmography 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Takehiro Yamakoshi, Peter Rolfe, and Ken-ichi Yamakoshi @HIT_1920 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

A simple sideways fall can break the hip, and predicting who is most at risk remains a major challenge. To improve assessment of hip fracture risk, researchers developed an automated workflow to build biofidelic finite element models of sideways falls using CT data. They tested how common clinical imaging limitations – such as incomplete CT coverage of the femur, small alignment errors, and use of a morphed template pelvis – affect predictions of impact and femur forces. Across simulated scenarios, the models closely matched experimental results and showed only small errors even when scan coverage was limited, suggesting the approach remains reliable under typical clinical imaging conditions. More scalable and clinically practical fall simulations could help identify fragile hips earlier and guide interventions that reduce the likelihood of a devastating fracture. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Investigating the Influence of Limited CT Scan Coverage Using an Automated Workflow with Biofidelic Sideways Fall FE Models 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Alexander Baker, @IFleps, Fang-Chi Hsu, @pierreguyubc, @pcripton, Stephen J. Ferguson, and Benedikt Helgason @ETH_en @FergusonLabETH @wakeforestmed @WakeBDS @UBC @VCHResearch @Aging_SMART @ubcorthopaedics @ubcengineering @SBME_UBC @ubcmech 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Neck biomechanics models that guide everything from injury research to surgical planning may be relying on motion assumptions that have never been validated in living humans. Engineers sought to bridge this disconnect by developing a new head–neck musculoskeletal model using cervical spine motion measured in living people with dynamic stereo-radiography, rather than relying only on cadaver studies. Fourteen participants bent their necks forward and backward through a full range of motion while researchers recorded vertebral movement with the imaging system and surface motion markers. They then built individualized models in OpenSim and compared the new approach with the widely used HYOID model, demonstrating substantially closer agreement with the in vivo measurements and greatly improving how accurately the model reproduced motion across the cervical spine. Grounding head–neck modeling in validated in vivo kinematics strengthens the foundation for studying cervical injury, refining rehabilitation strategies, and improving surgical and device planning for disorders of the neck. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: An Improved Head–Neck Musculoskeletal Model Incorporating Cervical Spine Rhythms Measured by Dynamic Radiography In Vivo 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Yu Zhou, @c12reddy, Wei Yin, and Xudong Zhang @TAMU @TAMUEngineering @bmestamu 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Repetitive strain on the spine can silently damage the discs long before symptoms become severe. Exploring how this damage develops, researchers built a constitutive model of the annulus fibrosus (the tough outer ring of the intervertebral disc) that predicts both short-term injury and longer-term fatigue under repetitive loading. They modeled the tissue as three interacting parts – the ground matrix, collagen fibers, and elastin fibers – and trained the model using controlled laboratory data collected under both safe and damaging cycles of loading. The model closely matched measured forces and relaxation behavior, showing that elastin fibers remain largely intact at low strain but sustain increasing damage as strain rises. Providing a more reliable way to predict how disc tissue breaks down over time, this work supports clearer activity guidelines, smarter rehabilitation planning, and more proactive spine care. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Modeling Fatigue and Damage Development in the Annulus Fibrosus Using a Reactive Viscoelastic Framework 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: @lancelfrazer, Sarah K. Shaffer, Jack Seifert, @bdstemper, and @dan_nicolella @swrighteconomy @MedicalCollege @MU_MCW_BME 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Many powerful cancer drugs never reach their full potential because the body cannot deliver them safely and effectively to where they are needed most. In a review, the authors examine how nanotechnology-based delivery systems are being engineered to overcome long-standing limitations of camptothecin, a plant-derived compound with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity. They analyze platforms such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, and micelles, detailing how each improves stability and delivery of the drug in the body. The review also surveys recent fabrication methods, patent activity, and clinical trial progress to identify formulation strategies with the strongest translational potential. By defining how drug delivery systems can turn materials engineering advances into real therapeutic gains, the pathway from experimental design to clinical application becomes more efficient and deliberate. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Camptothecin Nanoformulations: Recent Advances in Preparation, Bioactivities, and Clinical Perspectives 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Jiaenli Bolati, Donghua Yu, Meng Li, and Chunmiao Yu 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Cancer that spreads to bone weakens its internal structure, but the very drugs used to treat the disease can further reshape how that bone holds up under stress. Researchers investigated how systemic cancer therapies alter structural integrity and load-bearing performance in a controlled model of mixed femoral metastases, comparing treatment with docetaxel (DTX) or zoledronic acid (ZA) against no therapy. They used high-resolution microcomputed tomography (μCT), tissue analysis and compression testing to measure bone structure, microscopic damage and overall strength. Although DTX reduced bone mineral density and trabecular number, it limited microdamage and increased the force required to cause fracture in metastatic bone, while ZA improved structural metrics, reduced damage volume fraction and enhanced strength relative to untreated metastasis. The results show that systemic cancer therapies do more than target tumors – they materially influence whether vulnerable, cancer-involved bone is more likely to withstand daily loading or fail under it. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Systemic Treatments Impact Bone Quality in a Preclinical Model of Mixed Femoral Metastases 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Azin Mirzajavadkhan, Leanna E. Abraham, Margarete K. Akens, Michael Hardisty, and Cari M. Whyne @UofT @UofTEngineering @bme_uoft @uoftmedicine @UofTSurgery @MBPatUofT @Sunnybrook @UHN @pmcancercentre 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439

Seizures often strike again within minutes, and clinicians currently have little ability to predict when that second episode will occur. In a proof-of-concept study using electroencephalography (EEG) data from the CHB-MIT database, investigators analyzed brain activity during the immediate post-seizure period to determine whether it signaled a return to seizure (postictal-to-ictal) or recovery (postictal-to-interictal). They segmented 73 postictal episodes into 10-second windows, extracted 50 wavelet-based features from low-sample entropy channels, and classified transitions using a decision tree model and a Long Short-Term Memory model. They found: 🔹 In subject-independent nested cross-validation, the decision tree model achieved 75% accuracy, while the Long Short-Term Memory model achieved 71% accuracy. 🔹 Performance declined to approximately 65–67% accuracy under patient-stratified evaluation, highlighting substantial inter-individual variability and limited cross-person generalizability. If refined and validated at scale, this line of work could move seizure care closer to real-time risk forecasting, enabling earlier intervention during one of the most vulnerable moments in epilepsy management. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10.100… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Unlocking Insights from Postictal EEGs: Investigating Predictive Markers of Seizure Recurrence 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Lyna Henaa Hasnaoui and Abdelghani Djebbari 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10439