Publications by authors named "Baumann C"

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a frequent and life-threatening complication of cirrhosis, contributing to considerable morbidity and mortality.

Methods: A cross-sectional derivation study was conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of two sepsis-related calcitonin peptide family biomarkers, mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-pro-ADM) and procalcitonin, in ascitic fluid for identifying bacteriologically confirmed SBP (BC-SBP). In a subsequent validation study, the diagnostic performance of the 'SBP score' was evaluated in an independent patient cohort using an absolute polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte count threshold of ≥250 cells/mm as the diagnostic benchmark for diagnosing SBP.

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Background: Bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) and unilateral magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), with potential future second-side treatment targeting the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM), are currently the two best-established interventions for pharmaco-resistant tremors, but treatment selection is hampered by the lack of comparative evidence.

Objective: To provide the first direct within-center and within-surgeon comparison between bilateral VIM-DBS and unilateral VIM-MRgFUS, applying consistently timed and elaborated efficacy and safety assessements.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we included patients having received bilateral VIM-DBS (n = 30) or unilateral VIM-MRgFUS (n = 52) performed by one single neurosurgeon between 2014 and 2022.

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In mammalian oocytes, large-scale chromatin organization regulates transcription, nuclear architecture, and maintenance of chromosome stability in preparation for meiosis onset. Pre-ovulatory oocytes with distinct chromatin configurations exhibit profound differences in metabolic and transcriptional profiles that ultimately determine meiotic competence and developmental potential. Here, we developed a deep learning pipeline for the non-invasive prediction of chromatin structure and developmental potential in live mouse oocytes.

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Engineered living materials (ELMs) made of bacteria in hydrogels have shown considerable promise for therapeutic applications through controlled and sustained release of complex biopharmaceuticals at low costs and with reduced wastage. While most therapeutic ELMs use E. coli due to its large genetic toolbox, most live biotherapeutic bacteria in development are lactic acid bacteria due to native health benefits they offer.

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Objective: To study the sexuality of pregnant women after assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Methods: This was a prospective multicenter study based on two questionnaires: the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Couple Satisfaction Index 32 (CSI 32). Two groups were compared: pregnancies following ART and spontaneous pregnancies.

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Background: While the potentially hazardous effects of intraocular perfluorocarbon gases during air travel have been recognized, the equivalent risk of intraocular air tamponade is less known and has, to the best of our knowledge, not been reported yet.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old white female experienced a complete loss of vision and pain in her left eye during air travel following pars plana vitrectomy with air tamponade. Clinical and multimodal imaging findings only a few hours after emergency landing indicated a transient central retinal artery occlusion due to a significant increase in intraocular pressure during the flight.

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Background And Objectives: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is generally associated with focal brain atrophy, but little knowledge exists on possible disease-related hypertrophy of brain structures. We hypothesized that repeated seizures or adaptive plasticity may lead to focal brain hypertrophy and aimed to investigate associated clinical correlates.

Methods: In this cohort study, we included patients with mTLE undergoing detailed epilepsy evaluations and matched healthy volunteers (HVs) from 2 tertiary centers (discovery and validation cohorts).

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic alcohol-related myopathy (CAM) is a condition that results in muscle weakness and atrophy due to long-term excessive alcohol consumption.
  • The mechanisms behind how alcohol causes muscle loss are not fully understood, but this article explores how changes in lipid profiles may play a significant role.
  • The authors review existing studies on lipid changes in individuals with CAM and suggest that disrupted lipid regulation could be a key factor in the muscle wasting linked to alcohol use, proposing new directions for research and treatment.
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Objective: To evaluate the perioperative severity of acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same periods in 2018 and 2019 in the Nancy-Metz region, France. Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency that can lead to severe complications if not treated promptly. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns resulted in reduced hospital visits, potentially delaying treatment for appendicitis and increasing perioperative severity.

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  • Sleep changes are common in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, affecting brain health during deep sleep.
  • A new method called mouse closed-loop auditory stimulation (mCLAS) has been developed to enhance slow-wave activity during deep sleep in models of these diseases.
  • Initial findings show that mCLAS can improve sleep patterns in mice, with different effects seen in Alzheimer's versus Parkinson's models, suggesting potential for future sleep-based therapies in neurodegenerative conditions.
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Sequential decision-making, where choices are made one after the other, is an important aspect of our daily lives. For example, when searching for a job, an apartment, or deciding when to buy or sell a stock, people often have to make decisions without knowing what future opportunities might arise. These situations, which are known as optimal stopping problems, involve a risk associated with the decision to either stop or continue searching.

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Immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIgs) and subcutaneous use (SCIgs) can prevent recurrent and severe infections in patients with secondary antibody deficiencies that are frequently linked to haematological/oncological malignancies as well as other clinical conditions and their respective treatments. Even so, as IVIgs and SCIgs are costly and their supply is limited, their clinical use must be optimised. The aim of this position paper is to provide structured practical guidance on the optimal use of IVIgs and SCIgs in secondary antibody deficiencies, particularly in haematological and oncological practice.

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Metallothioneins (MTs) are small proteins that coordinate d-block metal ions in sulfur-metal clusters to control metal ion concentrations within the cell. Here we study metal cluster formation in the MT of the periwinkle Littorina littorea (LlMT) by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We demonstrate that the three Cd ions in each domain are taken up highly cooperatively, that is, in an all-or-none fashion, with a four- to six-fold higher affinity for the C-terminal domain.

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Purpose: To evaluate OCT features for vitreomacular traction (VMT) release and change in macular hole (MH) size after treatment with ocriplasmin.

Methods: Patients who had undergone treatment with ocriplasmin for VMT with or without MH ≤400 µm were included. The main outcomes were VMT release and changes in minimum linear diameter MH size at 4 weeks in MHs that persisted.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the metabolic and bioenergetic changes in the spinal cord of a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson's disease (M83) that overexpresses a mutated form of alpha-synuclein, comparing it to non-transgenic mice.!* -
  • Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers found that the M83 mice had lower oxygen saturation levels in their spinal cords, but there were no significant changes in spinal cord volume or vascular organization despite the presence of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein.!* -
  • The study highlights the development of deep learning tools for analyzing spinal cord MRI data, and underscores the complexity of Parkinson's disease by showing reduced oxygen levels without related structural changes in the spinal cord.!
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Article Synopsis
  • Poor sleep quality may increase the risk and worsening of neurodegenerative diseases by disrupting the brain's ability to clear waste during sleep.
  • This study analyzed MRI images of 20 Parkinson’s disease patients and 17 healthy individuals to examine the relationship between enlarged perivascular spaces (a potential marker of sleep-related waste clearance) and sleep quality and motor symptoms.
  • The findings showed that in Parkinson's patients, more perivascular spaces were linked to deeper sleep issues and worsened motor symptoms, suggesting that poor sleep may hinder brain waste clearance, potentially exacerbating disease symptoms.
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Colicins are antimicrobial proteins produced by certain strains of that function as offensive weapons against closely-related competitor strains. Their bactericidal properties and narrow bacterial targeting range has made them of therapeutic interest. Furthermore, the applications of engineered non-bactericidal colicins are of interest as a cell surface-directed protein anchor for decorating with biomolecules.

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Boosting slow-wave activity (SWA) by modulating slow waves through closed-loop auditory stimulation (CLAS) might provide a powerful non-pharmacological tool to investigate the link between sleep and neurodegeneration. Here, we established mouse CLAS (mCLAS)-mediated SWA enhancement and explored its effects on sleep deficits in neurodegeneration, by targeting the up-phase of slow waves in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD, Tg2576) and Parkinson's disease (PD, M83). We found that tracking a 2 Hz component of slow waves leads to highest precision of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep detection in mice, and that its combination with a 30° up-phase target produces a significant 15-30% SWA increase from baseline in wild-type (WT) and transgenic (TG) mice versus a mock stimulation group.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) are crucial for advancing heart disease research, but their production is inconsistent due to variability during differentiation.
  • - Establishing early quality markers helps predict the success of producing high-purity cardiomyocytes, with specific genes identified as indicators of successful differentiation.
  • - The study reveals that understanding the mechanisms behind differentiation failures and the emergence of non-target cell types is essential for enhancing the quality and reliability of hPSC-CM production.
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  • The study investigates how the cytoskeletal protein Keratin 18 (Krt18) affects muscle adaptations after eccentric exercise, particularly noting differences between young and older muscles.
  • Krt18 was found to be upregulated after eccentric contractions, with higher levels in young muscle compared to older muscle, leading researchers to explore its role in muscle adaptation.
  • Results showed that the absence of Krt18 did not hinder muscle strength or adaptation to exercise, suggesting that Krt18 might not be essential for exercise-induced muscle remodeling, highlighting the complexity of molecular mechanisms in muscle plasticity.
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  • Abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and iron in the brain contributes significantly to Parkinson's disease, prompting researchers to visualize these elements in M83 (A53T) mouse models.
  • The study utilized THK-565, a fluorescent probe, alongside various imaging techniques like fluorescence and multispectral optoacoustic tomography (vMSOT) to detect αSyn inclusions and iron deposits in vivo and post-mortem.
  • Results showed that THK-565 effectively targets αSyn, indicating its higher retention in M83 mice brains compared to nontransgenic controls, and iron accumulation was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging (SWI) and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM).
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Objective: Parkinsonian motor symptoms are linked to pathologically increased beta oscillations in the basal ganglia. Studies with externalised deep brain stimulation electrodes showed that Parkinson patients were able to rapidly gain control over these pathological basal ganglia signals through neurofeedback. Studies with fully implanted deep brain stimulation systems duplicating these promising results are required to grant transferability to daily application.

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Biofilm formation is integral to the pathogenesis of numerous adherent bacteria and contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The rising threat of AMR means the need to develop novel nonbactericidal antiadhesion approaches against such bacteria is more urgent than ever. Both adherent-invasive (AIEC, implicated in inflammatory bowel disease) and uropathogenic (UPEC, responsible for ∼80% of urinary tract infections) adhere to terminal mannose sugars on epithelial glycoproteins through the FimH adhesin on their type 1 pilus.

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Background: Enhancing slow waves, the electrophysiological (EEG) manifestation of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, could potentially benefit patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) by improving sleep quality and slowing disease progression. Phase-targeted auditory stimulation (PTAS) is an approach to enhance slow waves, which are detected in real-time in the surface EEG signal.

Objective: We aimed to test whether the local-field potential of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-LFP) can be used to detect frontal slow waves and assess the electrophysiological changes related to PTAS.

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