SARS-CoV-2 evolution on a dynamic immune landscape.

Since the onset of the pandemic, many SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged, exhibiting substantial evolution in the virus' spike protein, the main target of neutralizing antibodies. A plausible hypothesis proposes that the virus evolves to evade antibody-mediated neutralization (vaccine- or infection-induced) to maximize its ability to infect an immunologically experienced population. Because viral infection induces neutralizing antibodies, viral evolution may thus navigate on a dynamic immune landscape that is shaped by local infection history.

The Ronne Ice Shelf survived the last interglacial.

The fate of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is the largest cause of uncertainty in long-term sea-level projections. In the last interglacial (LIG) around 125,000 years ago, data suggest that sea level was several metres higher than today, and required a significant contribution from Antarctic ice loss, with WAIS usually implicated. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean were warmer than today, by amounts comparable to those expected by 2100 under moderate to high future warming scenarios.

Women's care satisfaction and birth experiences in a Danish urban university hospital: A comparative cross-sectional study on midwifery-led continuity of care and standard midwifery care models.

Problem: Despite solid evidence and national recommendations supporting midwife-led continuity-of-care models, Danish women's access to such programs remains limited.

Background: A public birth facility introduced a midwife-led continuity-of-care model, targeting a subset of women receiving antenatal and intrapartum care.

Aim: To compare care satisfaction during pregnancy and birth and birth experience between women receiving midwife-led continuity of care and those receiving standard midwifery care.

The Clinical Utility of a Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Approach to Detecting Circulating HPV DNA in Patients with Advanced Anal Cancer.

Background: To extend the practicality of liquid biopsy beyond the historical HPV circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays, we evaluated the clinical relevance of a novel next-generation sequencing HPV ctDNA assay in patients with locally advanced and metastatic squamous cell cancer of the anal canal (mSCCA).

Methods: ctDNA isolated from the plasma of patients with mSCCA was sequenced using a 1.4 Mb hybrid-capture target-enrichment panel covering the whole genome sequences of all 193 HPV types.

Meeting Cancer Detection Benchmarks in MRI/Ultrasound Fusion Biopsy for Prostate Cancer: Insights from a Retrospective Analysis of Experienced Urologists.

Background: The relationship between case volume and clinical outcomes is well established for most urological procedures but remains underexplored in prostate ultrasound/MRI fusion biopsy (UMFB). UMFB aims to detect clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) by adhering to cancer detection benchmarks for PI-RADS lesions identified via multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). These benchmarks, defined by Ahmed et al.

Association of Corticosteroid Inhaler Type with Saliva Microbiome in Moderate-to-Severe Pediatric Asthma.

: Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are common inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) inhaler devices. The difference in formulation and administration technique of these devices may influence oral cavity microbiota composition. We aimed to compare the saliva microbiome in children with moderate-to-severe asthma using ICS via MDIs versus DPIs.

Contextual cues facilitate dynamic value encoding in the mesolimbic dopamine system.

Adaptive behavior in a dynamic environmental context often requires rapid revaluation of stimuli that deviates from well-learned associations. The divergence between stable value-encoding and appropriate behavioral output remains a critical component of theories of dopamine's function in learning, motivation, and motor control. Yet, how dopamine neurons are involved in the revaluation of cues when the world changes, to alter our behavior, remains unclear.

A split-GAL4 driver line resource for neuron types.

Techniques that enable precise manipulations of subsets of neurons in the fly central nervous system (CNS) have greatly facilitated our understanding of the neural basis of behavior. Split-GAL4 driver lines allow specific targeting of cell types in and other species. We describe here a collection of 3060 lines targeting a range of cell types in the adult CNS and 1373 lines characterized in third-instar larvae.

Outcomes in stage IIA versus stage IIB/III in the PALLAS trial [ABCSG-42/AFT-05/PrE0109/BIG-14-13]).

Background: The PALLAS trial investigated the addition of palbociclib to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy to reduce breast cancer recurrence. This pre-specified analysis was conducted to determine whether adjuvant palbociclib benefited patients diagnosed with lower risk stage IIA disease compared to those with higher stage disease.

Methods: PALLAS was an international, multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III trial, representing a public-private partnership between Pfizer, the Austrian Breast Cancer Study Group, and the U.

Effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications on implant survival: a long-term retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: This large-scale retrospective study aimed to examine the long-term effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications intake on dental implant treatment outcome.

Materials And Methods: This study retrospectively examined data from patients who underwent dental implant procedures at several university dental clinics within the BigMouth network between 2011 and 2022. Patients' characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, race, tobacco use, systemic medical conditions and intake of antiplatelets and anticoagulants were analyzed.

Systemic disease activity measured with ESSDAI varies largely over 5 years in a prospective, longitudinal cohort of patients with Sjögren's disease.

Objectives: The objectives are to evaluate variation in systemic disease activity (European Alliance of Associations For Rheumatology (EULAR) Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI)) over time at group and individual patient level and to assess associations of ESSDAI low disease activity (LDA) with other outcome measures in a standard-of-care cohort of patients with Sjögren's disease (SjD).

Methods: Patients with SjD participating in a prospective longitudinal study (REgistry of Sjögren Syndrome LongiTudinal cohort) fulfilling the 2016 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria with ≥2 years of follow-up were included. ESSDAI was assessed at least yearly, up to 5 years.

An Atypical Case of Herpes Simplex 1 Meningitis.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is well known to cause Central Nervous System (CNS) infections, ranging from more common HSV-2 viral meningitis to the more rare and severe HSV-1 encephalitis. Here we present an atypical case of aseptic meningitis due to HSV-1. Intriguingly, despite the potential severity of HSV-1 infections, the patient had an uncomplicated course with only mild symptoms that resolved with conservative management alone.

Morbidity of the Free Fibular Flap in Reconstructive Surgery.

Background: Our study evaluated long-term morbidities in patients and compared subjective morbidities to those measurable objectively.

Methods: Patients completed a questionnaire regarding long-term morbidity, filled out the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire by Ruscheweyh et al. and were examined physically.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Seasonal Patterns of Bone Stress Injury Incidence in Division I Collegiate Distance Runners.

Background: A bone stress injury (BSI) is a common overuse injury in collegiate athletes, particularly cross-country and track and field runners. Limited work describes the seasonality of BSIs or the differences in rates and anatomic locations of BSIs in collegiate runners.

Purpose: To describe seasonally related trends in anatomic locations of BSIs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I male and female middle- and long-distance runners.

Impact of invasive infections on clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis: early predictive factors and implications for prophylactic anti-infective therapy.

Background: The use of antibiotic therapy in acute pancreatitis remains controversial and is currently recommended only for confirmed infections of peripancreatic necrosis. However, reliable early predictors of septic complications and unfavorable outcomes are substantially lacking.

Methods: Patients with acute pancreatitis were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups: one with a septic course defined by pathogen detection [GERM(+)] and one without [GERM(-)].

Consensus molecular subtyping of colorectal carcinoma brain metastases reveals a metabolic signature associated with poor patient survival.

The transcriptomic classification of primary colorectal cancer (CRC) into distinct consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) is a well-described strategy for patient stratification. However, the molecular nature of CRC metastases remains poorly investigated. To this end, this study aimed to identify and compare organotropic CMS frequencies in CRC liver and brain metastases.

Microsurgical Education in Reproductive Urology: A Review of Current Techniques and Opportunities for Improved Access to Learning Experiences.

Infertility is a common problem. Despite this, a dearth of urologists are trained in infertility care. Improved training opportunities may improve proficiency and interest in subspecialized training.

Combining steric exclusion with anion exchange - development of a universal and scalable adeno-associated virus downstream process.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are among the leading vectors for in vivo gene therapy. The purification of AAV remains a bottleneck as it typically requires multiple individual process steps, often resulting in product loss and high costs. Current downstream processes are usually serotype-specific and rely primarily on expensive affinity resins.

Hospitalization outcomes among older adults living undiagnosed or unaware of dementia.

Introduction: Many persons with dementia are undiagnosed or unaware of dementia, which may affect hospitalization outcomes.

Methods: We evaluated differences in length of stay, days not at home, discharge destination, and 30-day readmissions over 1 year in 6296 older adults in the National Health and Aging Trends Study with linked Medicare claims. Multivariable-adjusted models compared outcomes across no dementia, undiagnosed dementia, unaware but diagnosed with dementia, and aware and diagnosed with dementia.

Optimization of a micro-scale air-liquid-interface model of human proximal airway epithelium for moderate throughput drug screening for SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Many respiratory viruses attack the airway epithelium and cause a wide spectrum of diseases for which we have limited therapies. To date, a few primary human stem cell-based models of the proximal airway have been reported for drug discovery but scaling them up to a higher throughput platform remains a significant challenge. As a result, most of the drug screening assays for respiratory viruses are performed on commercial cell line-based 2D cultures that provide limited translational ability.

Solvent Selection as a Key Factor in the Performance of Semitransparent Heterojunctions Composed of Hydrogenated Nanotubes and Bismuth Sulfides.

Research on titanium nanotubes modified with metal sulfides, particularly bismuth sulfide (BiS), aims to create heterostructures that efficiently absorb sunlight and then separate photogenerated charge carriers, thereby enhancing the energy conversion efficiency. This study shows a key role of solvent used for sulfide and bismuth salt solutions used during successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) onto the morphology, structure, and photoresponse of the heterojunction where one element is represented by semitransparent titania nanotubes (gTiNT) and the second is BiS. Using 2-methoxyethanol and methanol during SILAR, results in remarkably photoactive 3D heterostructure and recorded photocurrents were 44 times higher compared to bare titania nanotubes.

Safety and efficacy of the ROCK-2-inhibitor Belumosudil in cGvHD treatment - a retrospective, German-Swiss multicenter real-world data analysis.

Belumosudil is a first in class ROCK2-inhibitor approved by the FDA for the 3rd line treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD). In this retrospective real-world analysis, we report safety and efficacy data of belumosudil treatment from 5 German/Swiss transplant centers. A total of 33 adult patients (median age 59 years) with moderate (n = 2) or severe (n = 31) cGvHD were treated on individual request due to lack of EMA approval.

The effect of mandibular advancement on pharyngeal airway space in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: A monocentric prospective study with computed tomography.

Objectives: The presented study aimed to evaluate the effect of mandibular protrusion with a temporarily applied mandibular advancement device (MAD) on the posterior airway space and to determine a reliable metric constant based on a three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) evaluation.

Materials And Methods: The study population consisted of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma who were treated at least six months prior to the follow-up CT in supine position. Each patient received an individually adjusted MAD that was temporarily applied with three different protrusion distances (P = 0 mm, P = 4 mm, and P = 8 mm) during follow-up CT.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic change the importance of health for life satisfaction? Evidence from France.

COVID-19 has brought health protection to the top of the political agenda in many countries, at the cost of reduced freedoms, social relationships, and economic opportunities. This context may have led individuals to pay more attention to their health and to attach greater importance to it in life satisfaction. This paper examines the possibility of an increase in the correlation between life and health satisfaction after the onset of the pandemic using repeated cross-sectional data in France between 2016 and 2021 and an original jittering strategy to smooth the ordinal variables of life and health satisfaction in regression models of subjective well-being.