Brain Metabolic Resilience in Alzheimer's Disease: A Predictor of Cognitive Decline and Conversion to Dementia.

Objective: Brain atrophy measured by structural imaging has been used to quantify resilience against neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Considering glucose hypometabolism is another marker of neurodegeneration, we quantified metabolic resilience (MR) based on Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) and investigated its clinical implications.

Methods: We quantified the MR and other resilience metrics, including brain resilience (BR) and cognitive resilience (CR), using partial least squares path modeling from the ADNI database.

Loneliness Gets Under the Skin: A Scoping Review Exploring the Link Between Loneliness and Biological Measures of Inflammation.

Background: Research suggests that systemic inflammation may link loneliness to adverse health outcomes, yet there is a gap in comprehensively reviewing recent evidence on the relationship between loneliness and biological measures of inflammation in adults. This scoping review synthesizes current research to address the question: Is there a definitive link between loneliness and biological markers of inflammation in adults?

Methods: Following the methods outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, we developed a protocol, defined our research question, and systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus for English-language studies conducted from 2018 to 2023 exploring the relationship between loneliness and biomarkers of inflammation in adults.

Results: Twelve studies meeting the inclusion criteria displayed heterogeneity in terms of sample characteristics, loneliness scales, and inflammatory biomarkers.

Definition of Significant Platelet Clumping: Should We Review All Samples With a Platelet Clumping Flag From Automated Hematology Analyzer?

Objectives: This study aimed to determine a definition for significant platelet clumping (PC) and evaluate the performance of the Sysmex XN instrument for detecting platelet clumps.

Methods: For part 1, 372 specimens with a 'PLT_clump?' flag in XN-9000 were classified into five groups according to the average number of PCs. We compared the initial platelet count (measured by XN-9000 using impedance method) and corrected platelet count (counted optically or re-analyzed by XN-9000 using vortexed or re-collected sample) of each group.

Convolutional neural network based detection of early stage Parkinson's disease using the six minute walk test.

The heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease (PD) presents considerable challenges for accurate diagnosis, particularly during early-stage disease, when the symptoms may be extremely subtle. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of a convolutional neural network (CNN) technique based on the 6-min walk test (6MWT) measured using wearable sensors to distinguish patients with early-stage PD (n = 78) from healthy controls (n = 50). The participants wore six sensors, and performed the 6MWT.

Scoping Review on the Use of Music for Emotion Regulation.

With increasing interest in the emotional responses to music, some studies are specifically looking into music's regulatory function on emotion, known as "music emotion regulation (MER)". The purpose of this study was to examine the concepts on the regulatory impact of music on emotion using a scoping review procedure. Through an electronic database and manual searches based on the guidelines suggested by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis, a total of 47 studies were identified and included for analysis.

Immunophenotypic and molecular changes during progression of papillary urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: Urothelial carcinoma has various molecular subtypes, each with different tumor characteristics. Although it is known that molecular changes occur during tumor progression, little is known about the specifics of these changes. In this study, we performed transcriptional analysis to understand the molecular changes during tumor progression.

Testing the PEST hypothesis using relevant Rett mutations in MeCP2 E1 and E2 isoforms.

Mutations in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), such as the T158M, P152R, R294X, and R306C mutations, are responsible for most Rett syndrome (RTT) cases. These mutations often result in altered protein expression that appears to correlate with changes in the nuclear size; however, the molecular details of these observations are poorly understood. Using a C2C12 cellular system expressing human MeCP2-E1 isoform as well as mouse models expressing these mutations, we show that T158M and P152R result in a decrease in MeCP2 protein, whereas R306C has a milder variation, and R294X resulted in an overall 2.

Artificial intelligence model for enhancing the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound in detecting endometrial cancer and endometrial atypical hyperplasia.

Objectives: Transvaginal ultrasound is typically the initial diagnostic approach in patients with postmenopausal bleeding for detecting endometrial atypical hyperplasia/cancer. Although transvaginal ultrasound demonstrates notable sensitivity, its specificity remains limited. The objective of this study was to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound through the integration of artificial intelligence.

RECIST 1.1, mRECIST, and Choi criteria for evaluating treatment response and survival outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the early responder rates, defined as complete or partial responders, using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1, modified RECIST (mRECIST), and Choi criteria in advanced HCC patients treated with atezolizumab-bevacizumab (atezo-bev), and to correlate them with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Methods: This retrospective study included advanced HCC patients treated with ≥ 3 cycles of atezo-bev.

Prognostic Factors of Pulmonary Metastasectomy for Oligometastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Spread to the Lungs.

: Pulmonary metastasis is the most prevalent type of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. International guidelines recommend systemic treatment for patients with HCC having pulmonary metastases. However, the role of pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) remains relatively unexplored.

Machine learning approach to classifying declines of physical function and muscle strength associated with cognitive function in older women: gait characteristics based on three speeds.

Background: The aging process is associated with a cognitive and physical declines that affects neuromotor control, memory, executive functions, and motor abilities. Previous studies have made efforts to find biomarkers, utilizing complex factors such as gait as indicators of cognitive and physical health in older adults. However, while gait involves various complex factors, such as attention and the integration of sensory input, cognitive-related motor planning and execution, and the musculoskeletal system, research on biomarkers that simultaneously considers multiple factors is scarce.

A preoperative scoring system for predicting the extraprostatic extension of prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy using magnetic resonance imaging and clinical factors.

Purpose: We aimed to develop a preoperative prediction model for extraprostatic extension (EPE) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients following radical prostatectomy (RP) using MRI and clinical factors.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 266 consecutive patients who underwent RP for PCa in 2022. These patients were divided into a training set (n = 187) and a test set (n = 79) through random assignment.

Reliability of the DI-60 Digital Image Analyzer for Detecting Platelet Clumping and Obtaining Accurate Platelet Counts.

Pseudothrombocytopenia caused by platelet clumping (PC) can lead to unnecessary platelet transfusions or underdiagnosis of hematologic neoplasms. To overcome these limitations, we assessed the capacity of the Sysmex DI-60 digital morphology analyzer (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) for detecting PC and determining an accurate platelet count in the presence of PC. For this purpose, 135 samples with or without PC (groups Y and N, respectively) were processed by an examiner (a hematologic specialist) using both the Sysmex XN-9000 and DI-60 analyzers.

Interpretation of Complete Tumor Response on MRI Following Chemoradiotherapy of Rectal Cancer: Inter-Reader Agreement and Associated Factors in Multi-Center Clinical Practice.

Objective: To measure inter-reader agreement and identify associated factors in interpreting complete response (CR) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study involved 10 readers from seven hospitals with experience of 80-10210 cases, and 149 patients who underwent surgery after CRT for rectal cancer. Using MRI-based tumor regression grading (mrTRG) and methods employed in daily practice, the readers independently assessed mrTRG, CR on T2-weighted images (T2WI) denoted as mrCR, and CR on all images including diffusion-weighted images (DWI) denoted as mrCR.

Protamines and the sperm nuclear basic proteins Pandora's Box of insects.

Insects are the largest group of animals when it comes to the number and diversity of species. Yet, with the exception of , no information is currently available on the primary structure of their sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs). This paper represents the first attempt in this regard and provides information about six species of Neoptera: , and .

The sperm nuclear basic proteins of the sword fern ().

Sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs) were isolated from extracted antheridia-rich male gametophytes raised from spores of the swordfern, . Electrophoretic (acetic acid-urea PAGE and SDS-PAGE) and chromatographic (rp-HPLC) characterization of the nuclear proteins exhibited the characteristics of the histone (H-type). In both types of gel electrophoresis, histones H1, H2A, and H2B showed an altered electrophoretic mobility corresponding to that which is routinely observed for the histones in other plants.

The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Focused Interventions for Adults With Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

Background: Adults with diabetes and impaired memory and executive functions are more likely to experience difficulties in diabetes self-management and achieving glycemic targets. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence of the effects of cognitive-focused interventions on cognitive ability, diabetes self-management, and management of glycemic levels for middle-aged adults and older adults with diabetes.

Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled/clinical trials published in English between 2012 and 2022 was conducted.

Analysis of the interplay between MeCP2 and histone H1 during differentiation of human ReNCell neural progenitor cells.

An immortalized neural cell line derived from the human ventral mesencephalon, called ReNCell, and its MeCP2 knock out were used. With it, we characterized the chromatin compositional transitions undergone during differentiation, with special emphasis on linker histones. While the WT cells displayed the development of dendrites and axons the KO cells did not, despite undergoing differentiation as monitored by NeuN.