Benefits of Repeated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Virus-induced Cross-neutralization Potential in Immunocompromised Transplant Patients and Healthy Individuals.

Background: Current COVID-19 vaccines primarily target the Spike protein of defined virus variants, offering limited protection against emerging variants in immunocompetent individuals. Similarly, protective immunity following natural SARS-CoV-2 infection is variable and of short duration, raising concerns about immunocompromised individuals' vaccination strategies.

Methods: This prospective multicenter study examined 66 sera from 59 immunocompromised and 451 sera from 215 immunocompetent individuals from different pandemic periods.

Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform.

Reverse genetic systems enable the engineering of RNA virus genomes and are instrumental in studying RNA virus biology. With the recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, already established methods were challenged by the large genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Herein we present an elaborated strategy for the rapid and straightforward rescue of recombinant plus-stranded RNA viruses with high sequence fidelity using the example of SARS-CoV-2.

Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform.

Reverse genetic systems enable the engineering of RNA virus genomes and are instrumental in studying RNA virus biology. With the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, already established methods were challenged by the large genome of SARS-CoV-2. Herein we present an elaborated strategy for the rapid and straightforward rescue of recombinant plus-stranded RNA viruses with high sequence fidelity, using the example of SARS-CoV-2.

ROR2 regulates self-renewal and maintenance of hair follicle stem cells.

Hair follicles undergo cycles of regeneration fueled by hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). While β-catenin-dependent canonical Wnt signaling has been extensively studied and implicated in HFSC activation and fate determination, very little is known about the function of β-catenin-independent Wnt signaling in HFSCs. In this study, we investigate the functional role of ROR2, a Wnt receptor, in HFSCs.

Wnt Signaling Pathways in Keratinocyte Carcinomas.

The skin functions as a barrier between the organism and the surrounding environment. Direct exposure to external stimuli and the accumulation of genetic mutations may lead to abnormal cell growth, irreversible tissue damage and potentially favor skin malignancy. Skin homeostasis is coordinated by an intricate signaling network, and its dysregulation has been implicated in the development of skin cancers.

Multi-centre Randomised Controlled Trial of a Smartphone-based Event Recorder Alongside Standard Care Versus Standard Care for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Palpitations and Pre-syncope: The IPED (Investigation of Palpitations in the ED) study.

Background: Patients with palpitations and pre-syncope commonly present to Emergency Departments (EDs) but underlying rhythm diagnosis is often not possible during the initial presentation. This trial compares the symptomatic rhythm detection rate of a smartphone-based event recorder (AliveCor) alongside standard care versus standard care alone, for participants presenting to the ED with palpitations and pre-syncope with no obvious cause evident at initial consultation.

Methods: Multi-centre open label, randomised controlled trial.

Multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a smart phone-based event recorder alongside standard care versus standard care for patients presenting to the Emergency Department with palpitations and pre-syncope - the IPED (Investigation of Palpitations in the ED) study: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Palpitations and pre-syncope are together responsible for 300,000 annual Emergency Department (ED) attendances in the United Kingdom (UK). Diagnosis of the underlying rhythm is difficult as many patients are fully recovered on ED arrival; and examination and presenting electrocardiogram (ECG) are commonly normal. The only way to establish the underlying heart rhythm is to capture an ECG during symptoms.

Integrating Moving Platforms in a SLAM Agorithm for Pedestrian Navigation.

In 3D pedestrian indoor navigation applications, position estimation based on inertial measurement units (IMUss) fails when moving platforms (MPs), such as escalators and elevators, are not properly implemented. In this work, we integrate the MPs in an upper 3D-simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm which is cascaded to the pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR) technique. The step and heading measurements resulting from the PDR are fed to the SLAM that additionally estimates a map of the environment during the walk in order to reduce the remaining drift.

Diagnostic yield of an ambulatory patch monitor in patients with unexplained syncope after initial evaluation in the emergency department: the PATCH-ED study.

Objectives: Diagnosing underlying arrhythmia in ED syncope patients remains problematic. This study investigates diagnostic yield, event prevalence, patient satisfaction and compliance, and influence on resource utilisation of an ambulatory patch monitor in unexplained ED syncope patients.

Methods: Prospective pilot study conducted in a single tertiary ED in Scotland between 17 November 2015 and 16 June 2017 with a historical unmatched comparator group.

Concise Review: Wnt Signaling Pathways in Skin Development and Epidermal Stem Cells.

Mammalian skin and its appendages constitute the integumentary system forming a barrier between the organism and its environment. During development, skin epidermal cells divide rapidly and stratify into a multilayered epithelium, as well as invaginate downward in the underlying mesenchyme to form hair follicles (HFs). In postnatal skin, the interfollicular epidermal (IFE) cells continuously proliferate and differentiate while HFs undergo cycles of regeneration.

Transtemporal Investigation of Brain Parenchyma Elasticity Using 2-D Shear Wave Elastography: Definition of Age-Matched Normal Values.

The goal of our research was to assess the possibility of reliable investigation of brain tissue stiffness using ultrasonographic brain parenchyma elastography with an intact temporal bone. We enrolled 108 patients after exclusion of intracranial pathology or healthy volunteers. All patients were subdivided by age into groups: 20-40, 40-60 and >60 y.

47-year-old female with an apical mass.

Clinical Introduction: A 47-year-old female with no medical history presented with a sudden collapse. Physical examination, chest X-ray and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I were normal, however ECG demonstrated anterior T-wave inversion. CT pulmonary angiography was performed which ruled out pulmonary embolism but revealed a non-calcified, homogenous mass at the left ventricular (LV) apex.

Anuria Secondary to Bilateral Obstructing Ureteral Stones in the Absence of Renal Colic.

Background: Obstructing ureteral stones are a rare cause of anuria, which is typically from prerenal or renal etiologies. Classically, obstructive stones cause moderate to severe renal colic. Urolithiasis is rarely considered during evaluation of painless anuria.

Surgical Management of a Heterotopic Cesarean Scar Pregnancy With Preservation of an Intrauterine Pregnancy.

Background: Spontaneously conceived heterotopic pregnancies are rare. A heterotopic cesarean scar pregnancy involves an intrauterine pregnancy and a second pregnancy in the cesarean scar. Treatment approaches include both medical and surgical management.

Development of Covalent Ligand-Receptor Pairs to Study the Binding Properties of Nonpeptidic Neurotensin Receptor 1 Antagonists.

The neurotensin receptor NTS1 has been suggested to be of pharmaceutical relevance, as it was found to exert modulatory effects on dopaminergic signal transduction and to be involved in tumor progression. Rational drug design of NTS1 receptor ligands requires molecular insights into the binding behavior of a particular lead compound. Although crystal structures of NTS1 have revealed the molecular determinants of peptide-agonist interactions, the binding mode of small-molecule antagonists remains largely unknown.

Factors Affecting Bleeding and Stent Thrombosis in Clinical Trials Comparing Bivalirudin With Heparin During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Patients treated with bivalirudin in randomized clinical trials of percutaneous coronary intervention generally have less bleeding but more acute stent thrombosis (ST) than do patients treated with heparin, but differences have varied among trials.

Methods And Results: We modeled the risk of major hemorrhage and ischemic outcomes 30 days after percutaneous coronary intervention by treatment assignment and the use of adjunctive therapies in 18 randomized clinical trials enrolling 41,871 patients. Overall bivalirudin caused less major bleeding (odds ratio [OR], 0.

Incidence and Predictors of Left Ventricular Thrombus After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Anterior ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The role of warfarin in anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and dual antiplatelet therapy is unclear. Warfarin may prevent cardioembolic events but significantly increases bleeding in the setting of dual antiplatelet therapy.

Hypothesis: The incidence of LV thrombus in anterior STEMI patients treated with PCI is low, and clinical predictors might be valuable in determining patients at risk.

Infrared transmissometer to measure the thickness of NbN thin films.

We present an optical setup that can be used to characterize the thicknesses of thin NbN films to screen samples for fabrication and to better model the performance of the resulting superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. The infrared transmissometer reported here is easy to use, gives results within minutes, and is nondestructive. Thus, the thickness measurement can be easily integrated into the workflow of deposition and characterization.

Outcomes after multivessel or culprit-Vessel intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in patients with multivessel coronary disease: a Bayesian cross-design meta-analysis.

Introduction: During primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary disease can undergo either multivessel intervention (MVI) or culprit-vessel intervention (CVI) only.

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support the use of MVI, but cohort studies support the use of CVI.

Methods: We developed Bayesian models that incorporated parameters for study type and study outcome after MVI or CVI.

A Valuable Option for the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases: Review on the Clinical Evidence of the Ivy Leaves Dry Extract EA 575®.

Preparations from ivy leaves (Hederae helicis folium, Hedera helix) dry extracts are well established in the treatment of different respiratory diseases. Until today, the efficacy and safety of ivy leaf preparations has been demonstrated in a variety of controlled clinical studies and non-interventional studies. These results were nearly exclusively obtained using the commercial ivy leaves dry extract EA 575®.

Modulation of ankle stiffness during postural sway.

Ankle stiffness is a nonlinear, time-varying system which contributes to the control of human upright stance. This study sought to examine the nature of the contribution of stiffness to postural control by determining how intrinsic and reflex stiffnesses varied with sway. Subjects were instructed to stand quietly on a bilateral electro-hydraulic actuator while perturbations were applied about the ankle.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography: state of the art in clinical practice.

Recent technological innovations in CT and MR imaging of the heart have vastly expanded the clinical utility of these modalities allowing them to complement and in some ways surpass the capabilities of more traditional methods. Cardiac MR (CMR) has an unrivaled ability to assess contractile function, characterize tissue, and detect minute areas of scar. In turn, CMR can reliably risk stratify ischemic heart disease and has emerged as a non-invasive gold standard technique for imaging non-ischemic cardiomyopathies.

Synthesis and evaluation of a (18)F-labeled diarylpyrazole glycoconjugate for the imaging of NTS1-positive tumors.

Aiming to image NTS1 overexpressing tumors, the diarylpyrazole glycoconjugate 8, derived from the potent NTS1 antagonist SR142948A, was synthesized taking advantage of the palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction. The glycoconjugate 8 displayed excellent affinity and selectivity toward NTS1. Radiosynthesis proceeded straightforwardly, obtaining [(18)F]8 with excellent stability and highly beneficial biodistribution in vivo as demonstrated by PET imaging in HT29 tumor-bearing nude mice.