Publications by authors named "David Thomas"

Objectives: Periodontitis is a serious periodontal infection that damages the soft tissues and bone around teeth and is linked to systemic conditions. Accurate diagnosis and staging, complemented by radiographic evaluation, are vital. This systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023480552) explores Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in assessing alveolar bone loss and periodontitis on dental panoramic and periapical radiographs.

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Purpose: To identify candidate susceptibility genes for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP).

Methods: All individuals with DFSP from the International Sarcoma Kindred Study ( = 3767 individuals with sarcoma diagnoses from Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and United States) and cohorts that were not ascertained based on sarcoma status or other phenotypes (Geisinger MyCode,  = 170,503 individuals, United States; UK Biobank,  = 469,789 individuals, United Kingdom) were evaluated for germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 156 cancer genes.

Results: There were 92 unrelated individuals with DFSP across the 3 cohorts.

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  • The choroid plexus (CP) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier (BCSFB) play a critical role in producing and clearing cerebrospinal fluid, and their dysfunction is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • This study utilized advanced MRI techniques to measure water delivery across the BCSFB in a triple transgenic mouse model of AD, observing significant changes in CP function even before clinical symptoms appear.
  • Results indicated increased BCSFB-mediated water delivery in younger mice, with notable behavioral differences arising around 20 weeks, suggesting that CP changes could serve as early biomarkers for AD.
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  • - Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDL) is a rare and aggressive subtype typically found in the retroperitoneum, with challenging diagnostics, especially when it occurs in the mesentery as documented in very few cases.
  • - A 76-year-old woman was discovered to have a large mesenteric mass incidentally while being treated for pneumonia, leading to surgery where a tumor adherent to the intestine was removed and identified as intermediate-grade DDL.
  • - The case emphasizes the need to include mesenteric DDL in the differential diagnosis of large abdominal masses, highlighting that complete surgical resection is crucial for treatment, alongside regular follow-ups due to its aggressive nature.
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The allosteric SERCA (Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca-ATPase) activator CDN1163 has been recently added to the group of pharmacological tools for probing SERCA function. We chose to investigate the effects of the compound on T lymphocyte Ca stores, using the well-described Jurkat T lymphocyte as a reliable cell system for Ca signaling pathways. Our study identified the lowest concentrations of the SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin (TG) and 2,5-di-( butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (tBHQ) capable of releasing Ca, permitting the differentiation of the TG-sensitive SERCA 2b Ca store from the tBHQ-sensitive SERCA 3 Ca store.

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Efforts to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health problem must include people who inject drugs (PWID). We describe the design and baseline characteristics of the Supporting Treatment Outcomes among PWID (STOP-C) trial which evaluates whether HCV treatment outcomes in PWID can be optimized by tailoring treatment support in 7 PWID-focused integrated HIV/HCV prevention/treatment centers. The design is a 3-arm, individual-level precision-randomized trial.

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While the associations of mid-life cardiovascular risk factors with late-life white matter lesions (WMH) and cognitive decline have been established, the role of cerebral haemodynamics is unclear. We investigated the relation of late-life (69-71 years) arterial spin labelling (ASL) MRI-derived cerebral blood flow (CBF) with life-course cardiovascular risk factors (36-71 years) and late-life white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load in 282 cognitively healthy participants (52.8% female).

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Despite available curative treatments, global rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection persist with significant burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Long-acting (LA) antiviral products are in development. This study explored the challenges and opportunities in LA-HCV treatment across three LMICs: Egypt, Ethiopia and India.

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Objectives: While some metals have been reported as carcinogens or potential carcinogens, only few modern-standard datasets including a large number of elements are available. The present analysis established a first trace elements spectrum by relating the concentration of metals and trace elements in the serum of sarcoma patients with survival data.

Methods: Patients with sarcoma and controls were retrospectively selected from the International Sarcoma Kindred Study database (ISKS).

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Deoxynivalenol (DON), a prevalent and highly toxic mycotoxin in animal feed, poses significant risks to livestock health and productivity. This study evaluates the effectiveness of iron-manganese oxide (Fe/Mn oxides) in degrading DON. The DON degradation rate of Fe/Mn oxide reached 98.

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On the 20th anniversary of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the role of arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in understanding perfusion changes in the aging brain and the relationship with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology and its comorbid conditions. We summarize previously used acquisition protocols, available data, and the motivation for adopting a multi-post-labeling delay (PLD) acquisition scheme in the latest ADNI MRI protocol (ADNI 4). We also detail the process of setting up this scheme on different scanners, emphasizing the potential of ASL imaging in future AD research.

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Background: Thyroid cancers with mutations in the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/AKT pathway have a poorer prognosis. However, knowledge about the relationship between histology, mutation profile, and outcomes is still developing. This study assessed the prognostic value of genomic profiles for patients with advanced thyroid cancer who experienced progression on conventional treatment.

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  • Phagocytosis is a key immune function of white blood cells (leucocytes), but current models can't measure it in human tissues directly.
  • Researchers developed a new method using intradermal injection of methylene blue-labelled E. coli (MBEC) that allows for the measurement of this process in human skin.
  • The study showed that neutrophils and monocytes from inflamed tissue took up more MB than those in blood, demonstrating the model's potential for various research applications, including understanding phagocyte biology and infection risks in specific populations.
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  • Crohn's disease (CD) is linked to an increased risk of cancer, partly due to disease characteristics and immunosuppressive treatment; this study focuses on data from a northern Indian cohort to shed light on CD-related malignancies in Asia.
  • A total of 952 participants, with a mean age of 36.9 years and a follow-up period of 34 months, were analyzed, revealing a malignancy occurrence rate of 1.05%, which is 10.45 times higher than the general population.
  • By 30 years of diagnosis, the cumulative cancer risk for Indian individuals with CD was found to be 13.4%, covering various types of malignancies including bowel and extraintestinal cancers, but no cases of
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Background: In patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone reduces acute severity and improves survival, but longer-term effects are unknown. We hypothesised that systemic corticosteroid administration during acute COVID-19 would be associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 1 year after discharge.

Methods: Adults admitted to hospital between February 2020 and March 2021 for COVID-19 and meeting current guideline recommendations for dexamethasone treatment were included using two prospective UK cohort studies (Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium).

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Assessing the behaviour and physical attributes of domesticated dogs is critical for predicting the suitability of animals for companionship or specific roles such as hunting, military or service. Common methods of behavioural assessment can be time consuming, labour-intensive, and subject to bias, making large-scale and rapid implementation challenging. Objective, practical and time effective behaviour measures may be facilitated by remote and automated devices such as accelerometers.

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  • * These sites reveal some of the earliest year-round Native American villages in the Eastern Woodlands of North America, containing artifacts like pottery and faunal remains along with the shells.
  • * Research shows that these communities thrived for over 1000 years, adapting to changing sea levels that influenced their fishing practices, particularly targeting oyster reefs.
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  • Metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) effectively identified novel and rare pathogens in patients with unexplained acute febrile illness in Uganda, surpassing traditional clinical microbiology methods.
  • The study involved 42 participants, aged around 28, who exhibited symptoms suggestive of viral infections, with 10 of them (23.8%) showing significant viral, bacterial, or fungal signals.
  • This research confirmed the presence of Rickettsia conorii, causing Mediterranean Spotted Fever, marking the first documented case in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the potential of mNGS for future disease surveillance.
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard tool to image the human brain In this domain, digital brain atlases are essential for subject-specific segmentation of anatomical regions of interest (ROIs) and spatial comparison of neuroanatomy from different subjects in a common coordinate frame. High-resolution, digital atlases derived from histology (e.g.

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Background: High priority efforts are underway to support the development of novel mucosal COVID-19 vaccines, such as the US Government's Project NextGen and the Center for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations' goal to respond to the next pandemic with a new vaccine in 100 days. However, there is limited consensus about the complementary role of mucosal immunity in disease progression and how to evaluate immunogenicity of mucosal vaccines. This study investigated the role of oral mucosal antibody responses in viral clearance and COVID-19 symptom duration.

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The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Core has been operating since Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative's (ADNI) inception, providing 20 years of data including reliable, multi-platform standardized protocols, carefully curated image data, and quantitative measures provided by expert investigators. The overarching purposes of the MRI Core include: (1) optimizing and standardizing MRI acquisition methods, which have been adopted by many multicenter studies and trials worldwide and (2) providing curated images and numeric summary values from relevant MRI sequences/contrasts to the scientific community. Over time, ADNI MRI has become increasingly complex.

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Water exchange rate (Kw) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important physiological parameter that may provide new insight into ageing and neurodegenerative disease. Recently, two non-invasive arterial spin labelling (ASL) MRI methods have been developed to measure Kw, but results from the different methods have not been directly compared. Furthermore, the association of Kw with age for each method has not been investigated in a single cohort.

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