Skull Base Repair following Resection of Vestibular Schwannoma: A Systematic Review (Part 1: The Retrosigmoid Approach).

 Despite advances in skull-base reconstruction techniques, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks remain a common complication following retrosigmoid (RS) vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. We aimed to review and classify the available strategies used to prevent CSF leaks following RS VS surgery.  A systematic review, including studies of adults undergoing RS VS surgery since 2000, was conducted.

Skull Base Repair following Resection of Vestibular Schwannoma: A Systematic Review (Part 2: The Translabyrinthine Approach).

 Despite advances in skull base reconstruction techniques, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks remain a relatively common complication after translabyrinthine (TL) vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize the repair techniques and materials used in TL VS surgery to prevent CSF leaks.  A systematic review of studies published since 2000 reporting techniques to prevent CSF leaks during adult TL VS surgery was conducted.

Damping excessive viral-induced IFN-γ rescues the impaired anti-Aspergillus host immune response in influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis.

Background: Influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) is a severe fungal superinfection in critically ill influenza patients that is of incompletely understood pathogenesis. Despite the use of contemporary therapies with antifungal and antivirals, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. We aimed to unravel the IAPA immunopathogenesis as a means to develop adjunctive immunomodulatory therapies.

Cross-talk between ILC2 and Gata3 T locally constrains adaptive type 2 immunity.

Regulatory T cells (T) control adaptive immunity and restrain type 2 inflammation in allergic disease. Interleukin-33 promotes the expansion of tissue-resident T and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s); however, how T locally coordinate their function within the inflammatory niche is not understood. Here, we show that ILC2s are critical orchestrators of T function.

The tissue-resident regulatory T cell pool is shaped by transient multi-tissue migration and a conserved residency program.

The tissues are the site of many important immunological reactions, yet how the immune system is controlled at these sites remains opaque. Recent studies have identified Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells in non-lymphoid tissues with unique characteristics compared with lymphoid Treg cells. However, tissue Treg cells have not been considered holistically across tissues.

High carrier mobility along the [111] orientation in CuO photoelectrodes.

Solar fuels offer a promising approach to provide sustainable fuels by harnessing sunlight. Following a decade of advancement, CuO photocathodes are capable of delivering a performance comparable to that of photoelectrodes with established photovoltaic materials. However, considerable bulk charge carrier recombination that is poorly understood still limits further advances in performance.

TGF-β specifies T versus T17 cell fates in murine CD4 T cells through c-Maf.

T follicular helper (T) cells are essential for effective antibody responses, but deciphering the intrinsic wiring of mouse T cells has long been hampered by the lack of a reliable protocol for their generation in vitro. We report that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) induces robust expression of T hallmark molecules CXCR5 and Bcl6 in activated mouse CD4 T cells in vitro. TGF-β-induced mouse CXCR5 T cells are phenotypically, transcriptionally, and functionally similar to in vivo-generated T cells and provide critical help to B cells.

Barriers and facilitators to establishing a clinical academic career in clinical education research in the UK: A focus group study.

In a rapidly changing healthcare environment, we need a robust evidence base to inform effective education and training. This study aimed to examine factors perceived to determine career progression in clinical education research in the UK. Six online focus groups were conducted, with 35 participants from a range of medical, dental, nursing, and allied health professions who identified as aspiring or early career clinical education researchers.

Acquisition of suppressive function by conventional T cells limits antitumor immunity upon T depletion.

Regulatory T (T) cells contribute to immune homeostasis but suppress immune responses to cancer. Strategies to disrupt T cell-mediated cancer immunosuppression have been met with limited clinical success, but the underlying mechanisms for treatment failure are poorly understood. By modeling T cell-targeted immunotherapy in mice, we find that CD4 Foxp3 conventional T (T) cells acquire suppressive function upon depletion of Foxp3 T cells, limiting therapeutic efficacy.

A Deep Learning Approach to Classify Surgical Skill in Microsurgery Using Force Data from a Novel Sensorised Surgical Glove.

Microsurgery serves as the foundation for numerous operative procedures. Given its highly technical nature, the assessment of surgical skill becomes an essential component of clinical practice and microsurgery education. The interaction forces between surgical tools and tissues play a pivotal role in surgical success, making them a valuable indicator of surgical skill.

Electrochemically-gated graphene broadband microwave waveguides for ultrasensitive biosensing.

Identification of non-amplified DNA sequences and single-base mutations is essential for molecular biology and genetic diagnostics. This paper reports a novel sensor consisting of electrochemically-gated graphene coplanar waveguides coupled with a microfluidic channel. Upon exposure to analytes, propagation of electromagnetic waves in the waveguides is modified as a result of interactions with the fringing field and modulation of graphene dynamic conductivity resulting from electrostatic gating.

How to … define clinical education research terminology: A glossary.

Clinical education research (ClinEdR) utilises diverse terminology, which can lead to confusion. A common language is essential for enhancing impact. An expert panel drawn from various workstreams within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Incubator for Clinical Education Research was tasked with reviewing an initial list of terms for the development of a glossary of terms in the field of ClinEdR.

Fast Twist Angle Mapping of Bilayer Graphene Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometric Contrast Microscopy.

Twisted bilayer graphene provides an ideal solid-state model to explore correlated material properties and opportunities for a variety of optoelectronic applications, but reliable, fast characterization of the twist angle remains a challenge. Here we introduce spectroscopic ellipsometric contrast microscopy (SECM) as a tool for mapping twist angle disorder in optically resonant twisted bilayer graphene. We optimize the ellipsometric angles to enhance the image contrast based on measured and calculated reflection coefficients of incident light.

The Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio for Small Renal Cell Carcinomas after Image-Guided Cryoablation or Radio-Frequency Ablation.

There is a lack of cheap and effective biomarkers for the prediction of renal cancer outcomes post-image-guided ablation. This is a retrospective study of patients with localised small renal cell cancer (T1a or T1b) undergoing cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) at our institution from 2003 to 2016. A total of 203 patients were included in the analysis.

Putting High-Index Cu on the Map for High-Yield, Dry-Transferred CVD Graphene.

Reliable, clean transfer and interfacing of 2D material layers are technologically as important as their growth. Bringing both together remains a challenge due to the vast, interconnected parameter space. We introduce a fast-screening descriptor approach to demonstrate holistic data-driven optimization across the entirety of process steps for the graphene-Cu model system.

Automated Computer Vision-Enabled Manufacturing of Nanowire Devices.

We present a high-throughput method for identifying and characterizing individual nanowires and for automatically designing electrode patterns with high alignment accuracy. Central to our method is an optimized machine-readable, lithographically processable, and multi-scale fiducial marker system─dubbed LithoTag─which provides nanostructure position determination at the nanometer scale. A grid of uniquely defined LithoTag markers patterned across a substrate enables image alignment and mapping in 100% of a set of >9000 scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images (>7 gigapixels).

Defect seeded remote epitaxy of GaAs films on graphene.

Remote epitaxy is an emerging materials synthesis technique which employs a 2D interface layer, often graphene, to enable the epitaxial deposition of low defect single crystal films while restricting bonding between the growth layer and the underlying substrate. This allows for the subsequent release of the epitaxial film for integration with other systems and reuse of growth substrates. This approach is applicable to material systems with an ionic component to their bonding, making it notably appealing for III-V alloys, which are a technologically important family of materials.