Publications by authors named "Becker M"

Inversion of chromosome 16 [inv(16)] is one of the most common chromosomal rearrangements in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and generates the fusion gene , which initiates leukemogenesis. Patients with inv(16) at diagnosis invariably have the rearrangement at relapse, leading to the assumption that is required after leukemic transformation. However, this has yet to be shown experimentally.

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Background And Aims: Overweight and obesity are modifiable risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population, but their prevalence in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and whether they confer additional risk of ASCVD independent of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) remains unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 35 540 patients with HeFH across 50 countries, in the EAS FH Studies Collaboration registry. Prevalence of World Health Organization-defined body mass index categories was investigated in adults (n = 29 265) and children/adolescents (n = 6275); and their association with prevalent ASCVD.

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The discovery of ferroelectric phases in HfO-based films has reignited interest in ferroelectrics and their application in resistive switching (RS) devices. This study investigates the pivotal role of electrodes in facilitating the Schottky-to-Ohmic transition (SOT) observed in devices consisting of ultrathin epitaxial ferroelectric HfYO (YHO) films deposited on LaSrMnO-buffered Nb-doped SrTiO (NbSTO|LSMO) with Ti|Au top electrodes. These findings indicate combined filamentary RS and ferroelectric switching occurs in devices with designed electrodes, having an ON/OFF ratio of over 100 during about 10 cycles.

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Objectives: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and could predict progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD). We aimed to analyse (1) the prevalence of GERD among SSc-ILD patients, (2) its association with disease characteristics and (3) predictive factors for ILD progression in SSc-ILD patients with GERD.

Methods: SSc patients from the EUSTAR database with ILD were included.

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Insulin-secreting allogeneic cell therapies are a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes, with the potential to eliminate hypoglycemia and long-term complications of the disease. However, chronic systemic immunosuppression is necessary to prevent graft rejection, and the acute risks associated with immunosuppression limit the number of patients who can be treated with allogeneic cell therapies. Islet macroencapsulation in a hydrogel biomaterial is one proposed method to reduce or eliminate immune suppression; however, macroencapsulation devices suffer from poor oxygen transport and limited efficacy as they scale to large animal model preclinical studies and clinical trials.

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Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) drive metastasis, the leading cause of death in individuals with breast cancer. Due to their low abundance in the circulation, robust CTC expansion protocols are urgently needed to effectively study disease progression and therapy responses. Here we present the establishment of long-term CTC-derived organoids from female individuals with metastatic breast cancer.

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  • The study investigates CP symmetry violation in the decay of D^{+} particles into K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} using data from proton-proton collisions at a high energy of 13 TeV.
  • A unique model-independent method was employed to analyze the phase-space distributions of D^{+} and D^{-} particles, correcting for any instrumental biases using D_{s}^{+} decays.
  • The findings indicate no significant evidence of CP violation, with a p value of 8.1%, and measure specific CP asymmetry observables, marking this study as the most sensitive search of its kind in multibody decays.
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Background: A vestibular implant can partially restore vestibular function by providing motion information through implanted electrodes. During vestibular implantation, various obstructions of the semicircular canals, such as protein deposits, fibrosis, and ossification, can be encountered. The objective was to explore the relationship between preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings of semicircular canal obstruction and to develop surgical strategies for dealing with obstructions of the semicircular canal(s) in patients eligible for vestibular implantation.

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Background And Aims: Previous literature suggests that faecal calprotectin (FC) discriminates Crohn's disease perianal fistulas from cryptoglandular fistulas, irrespective of luminal disease. This study aims to prospectively validate this and analyse if increased local fistula calprotectin levels are associated with fistula characteristics.

Methods: In this prospective study, all consecutive patients with an active perianal fistula undergoing examination under anaesthesia were included.

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Safe, effective pain management remains one of the biggest challenges following surgical procedures. Despite widespread recognition of this problem and advances in the mechanistic understanding of pain signaling, post-surgical pain is often undermanaged, with opioid use remaining the clinical standard. As an alternative to current oral, systemic treatments, a degradable bupivacaine-loaded poly(ester urea) (PEU) thin film has been developed to deliver bupivacaine directly to the site of injury over an extended duration.

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The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein is indispensable for viral RNA genome processing. Although the N-terminal domain (NTD) is suggested to mediate specific RNA-interactions, high-resolution structures with viral RNA are still lacking. Available hybrid structures of the NTD with ssRNA and dsRNA provide valuable insights; however, the precise mechanism of complex formation remains elusive.

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We investigate the anisotropic frequency-dependent dielectric, THz and IR response of liquid water confined between two planar graphene sheets with force-field- and density-functional-theory-based molecular dynamics simulations. Using spatially resolved anisotropic spectra, we demonstrate the critical role of the volume over which the spectral response is integrated when reporting spatially averaged electric susceptibilities. To analyze the spectra, we introduce a unique decomposition into bulk, interfacial, and confinement contributions, which reveals that confinement effects on the spectra occur only for systems with graphene separation below 1.

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The Europa Imaging System (EIS) consists of a Narrow-Angle Camera (NAC) and a Wide-Angle Camera (WAC) that are designed to work together to address high-priority science objectives regarding Europa's geology, composition, and the nature of its ice shell. EIS accommodates variable geometry and illumination during rapid, low-altitude flybys with both framing and pushbroom imaging capability using rapid-readout, 8-megapixel (4k × 2k) detectors. Color observations are acquired using pushbroom imaging with up to six broadband filters.

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Background: Monitoring of somatic development through the assessment of anthropometric variables such as weight, height, and BMI is vital for evaluating the physical development and nutritional status of children. This approach aids in the early identification of somatic developmental disorders, enabling timely medical interventions. It traditionally relies on Z-scores, which compare anthropometric variables with reference standards.

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  • Caring for newborns limits mammalian females' ability to gather resources, especially during the energy-demanding early lactation period.
  • Different ungulates have developed various strategies for protecting their vulnerable newborns, from staying hidden to being mobile, which can influence their mothers' movement patterns.
  • A study of 54 populations of 23 ungulate species shows that maternal movements are affected by the resource availability and type of neonatal strategy, highlighting the importance of these tactics in understanding how species adapt to environmental changes.
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Biological neural networks effortlessly tackle complex computational problems and excel at predicting outcomes from noisy, incomplete data. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), inspired by these biological counterparts, have emerged as powerful tools for deciphering intricate data patterns and making predictions. However, conventional ANNs can be viewed as "point estimates" that do not capture the uncertainty of prediction, which is an inherently probabilistic process.

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Objective: Systemic sclerosis Impact of Disease (ScleroID) is the first comprehensive patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) specifically developed for systemic sclerosis (SSc). We investigated the performance of ScleroID in patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), as a prerequisite for its use in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing potentially disease-modifying drugs.

Methods: All patients with dcSSc from the large, multicentric, ScleroID cohort were included.

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Therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) face formidable challenges due to relapse, often driven by leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Strategies targeting LSCs hold promise for enhancing outcomes, yet paired comparisons of functionally defined LSCs at diagnosis and relapse remain underexplored. We present transcriptome analyses of functionally defined LSC populations at diagnosis and relapse, revealing significant alterations in IL-1 signaling.

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Background/objectives: Genetic newborn screening (NBS) has already entered the phase of common practice in many countries. In Germany, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and sickle cell disease (SCD) are currently a mandatory part of NBS. Here, we describe the experience of six years of genetic NBS including the prevalence of those three diseases in Germany.

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Recently, a deep learning algorithm (DLA) has been developed to predict the chronological age from retinal images. The Retinal Age Gap (RAG), a deviation between predicted age from retinal images (Retinal Age, RA) and chronological age, correlates with mortality and age-related diseases. This study evaluated the reliability and accuracy of RA predictions and analyzed various factors that may influence them.

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  • The study investigates the HIV epidemic among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in Kenya, emphasizing their disproportionate rates of infection and the need for tailored public health strategies.
  • Researchers collected dried blood spots from 2,450 participants in different counties and found that 18.5% were living with HIV, with only a small number successfully sequenced due to high rates of viral suppression.
  • Results indicated that the majority of identified HIV phylogenetic clusters involved GBMSM who sought partners online and tested less frequently than recommended, highlighting important gaps in HIV prevention and care within the community.
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We demonstrate divergent incorporation and washout patterns for EPA and DHA following high and low-dose EPA+DHA incubation in C2C12 myotubes, with higher concentrations favoring n-3 PUFA incorporation. Lower n-3 PUFA concentrations increased MPS without further upregulating the mTORC1 signaling pathway. Our study provides novel insights into the temporal incorporation and washout dynamics of EPA and DHA and, specifically, their combined effect on MPS, thereby advancing knowledge regarding dietary n-3 PUFA prescription to promote skeletal muscle health in humans.

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  • The study aimed to assess the reliability of retinal parameters from fundus photography using artificial intelligence, highlighting discrepancies in existing research results.
  • Two patient groups were used: one to measure reliability over time (intervisit) and another to measure it within a single session (intravisit) using AI-generated vessel segmentation maps.
  • Results showed varying levels of reliability with high accuracy in segmentation maps, yet significant differences in metrics across test sessions, indicating that while the technology is promising, consistency in measurements needs further evaluation.
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  • Concussions are common among young adults and can lead to persistent symptoms complicated by anxiety, which may affect recovery; a new program called TOR-C is designed to address both issues to improve outcomes after concussion.
  • The study involved five young adults participating in four weekly video sessions with a clinician, focusing on various psychological factors and measuring symptoms and feelings before, after, and three months later.
  • Results showed high feasibility and satisfaction, with strong adherence rates to the treatment and homework; most participants found the program credible and beneficial, indicating its potential for helping with concussion recovery.
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