Distribution of alveolar echinococcosis according to environmental and geographical factors in Germany, 1992-2018.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. Despite its low world-wide prevalence, this disease shows differences in the regional distribution of cases. In the present cohort study, we analyse the distribution of AE according to environmental and geographical factors in Germany.

Context-Dependent IL-1 mRNA-Destabilization by TTP Prevents Dysregulation of Immune Homeostasis Under Steady State Conditions.

The bioavailability of the major pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α and IL-1β is tightly controlled by transcription and post-translational processing to prevent hyperinflammation. The role of mRNA decay in maintenance of physiological IL-1 amounts remained unknown. Here we show that the down-regulation of and mRNA by the mRNA-destabilizing protein TTP (gene ) is required for immune homeostasis.

European maize genomes highlight intraspecies variation in repeat and gene content.

The diversity of maize (Zea mays) is the backbone of modern heterotic patterns and hybrid breeding. Historically, US farmers exploited this variability to establish today's highly productive Corn Belt inbred lines from blends of dent and flint germplasm pools. Here, we report de novo genome sequences of four European flint lines assembled to pseudomolecules with scaffold N50 ranging from 6.

Transplanting neural progenitor cells to restore connectivity after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury remains a scientific and therapeutic challenge with great cost to individuals and society. The goal of research in this field is to find a means of restoring lost function. Recently we have seen considerable progress in understanding the injury process and the capacity of CNS neurons to regenerate, as well as innovations in stem cell biology.

Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Residency Application Process Through a Virtual Subinternship.

Senior medical students are facing an unparalleled experiential gap left by COVID-19 restrictions. Due to a shared commitment to safety, equity, and well-being, away rotations are actively being discouraged or even prohibited. As a result, students transitioning to residency encounter reduced clinical training experiences and decreased access to advising, mentorship, and research opportunities.

Do Xylylenes Isomerize in Pyrolysis?

We report infrared spectra of xylylene isomers in the gas phase, using free electron laser (FEL) radiation. All xylylenes were generated by flash pyrolysis. The IR spectra were obtained by monitoring the ion dip signal, using a IR/UV double resonance scheme.

Plectin dysfunction in neurons leads to tau accumulation on microtubules affecting neuritogenesis, organelle trafficking, pain sensitivity and memory.

Aims: Plectin, a universally expressed multi-functional cytolinker protein, is crucial for intermediate filament networking, including crosstalk with actomyosin and microtubules. In addition to its involvement in a number of diseases affecting skin, skeletal muscle, heart, and other stress-exposed tissues, indications for a neuropathological role of plectin have emerged. Having identified P1c as the major isoform expressed in neural tissues in previous studies, our aim for the present work was to investigate whether, and by which mechanism(s), the targeted deletion of this isoform affects neuritogenesis and proper nerve cell functioning.

Robot technology identifies a Parkinsonian therapeutics repurpose to target stem cells of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a heterogeneous lethal disease, regulated by a stem-cell hierarchy and the neurotransmitter microenvironment. The identification of chemotherapies targeting individual cancer stem cells is a clinical need. A robotic workstation was programmed to perform a drug concentration to cell-growth analysis on an model of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs).

Toxicity testing is evolving!

The efficient management of the continuously increasing number of chemical substances used in today's society is assuming greater importance than ever before. Toxicity testing plays a key role in the regulatory decisions of agencies and governments that aim to protect the public and the environment from the potentially harmful or adverse effects of these multitudinous chemicals. Therefore, there is a critical need for reliable toxicity-testing methods to identify, assess and interpret the hazardous properties of any substance.

Resurrecting the Mysteries of Big Tau.

Tau, a microtubule-associated protein that modifies the dynamic properties and organization of microtubules in neurons and affects axonal transport, shows remarkable heterogeneity, with multiple isoforms (45-65 kDa) generated by alternative splicing. A high-molecular-weight (HMW) isoform (110 kDa) that contains an additional large exon termed 4a was discovered more than 25 years ago. This isoform, called Big tau, is expressed mainly in the adult peripheral nervous system (PNS), but also in adult neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) that extend processes into the periphery.

A Preoperative Clinical Risk Score Including C-Reactive Protein Predicts Histological Tumor Characteristics and Patient Survival after Surgery for Sporadic Non-Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: An International Multicenter Cohort Study.

Oncological survival after resection of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNEN) is highly variable depending on various factors. Risk stratification with preoperatively available parameters could guide decision-making in multidisciplinary treatment concepts. C-reactive Protein (CRP) is linked to inferior survival in several malignancies.

Ge(Sn) nano-island/Si heterostructure photodetectors with plasmonic antennas.

We report on photodetection in deep subwavelength Ge(Sn) nano-islands on Si nano-pillar substrates, in which self-aligned nano-antennas in the Al contact metal are used to enhance light absorption by means of local surface plasmon resonances. The impact of parameters such as substrate doping and device geometry on the measured responsivities are investigated and our experimental results are supported by simulations of the three-dimensional distribution of the electromagnetic fields. Comparatively high optical responsivities of about 0.

Outcome in Patients Treated With Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC for Gastric Cancer With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

Background/aim: We compared patients with advanced gastric cancer [Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) III] versus patients with stage UICC IV and peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) versus patients with stage UICC IV treated without HIPEC to ascertain if CRS and HIPEC improve overall survival (OS).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analysed thirty-seven advanced gastric cancer patients who had been treated at our department from 2012 to 2017. The endpoint was median OS.

Condylar remodeling after osteosynthesis of fractures of the condylar head or close to the temporomandibular joint.

Purpose: Condylar head fractures (CHFs) are increasingly treated by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). However, there are no reports on the three-dimensional postoperative volumetric transformation of the condyle, especially with regard to fragmented cases. Protruding hardware can lead to severe complications, so the goal of this study was to examine the amount of condylar bony resorption occurring after ORIF.

Examination of the relationships between religiosity and death attitudes in Turkey and the United States.

This study examined the relationship between religious orientation and death attitudes in Christian U.S. students and Muslim Turkish students.

Endovascular aneurysm closure during out of office hours is not related to complications or outcome.

Purpose: A possible disadvantage of endovascular occlusion outside work hours is that complex procedures might expose patients to additional risk when performed in a suboptimal setting. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated whether treatment during out of office hours is a risk factor for per-procedural complications and clinical outcome.

Methods: We included 471 endovascular-treated, consecutive aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients (56.

Sulfur Hexafluoride and Potassium Bromide as Groundwater Tracers for Managed Aquifer Recharge.

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF ) is an established tracer for use in managed aquifer recharge projects. SF exsolves from groundwater when it encounters trapped air according to Henry's law. This results in its retardation relative to groundwater flow, which can help determine porous media saturation and flow dynamics.

Making Fall Risk Assessment Clinically Relevant in an Adult Psychiatric Setting.

The purpose of this non-experimental descriptive study was to measure psychiatric clinical nurses' (N = 25) perceptions of the Edmonson Psychiatric Falls Risk Assessment Tool (EPFRAT) compared to the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and to evaluate patient falls with injury rates 12 months before and after the study. The setting was a 27-bed, adult psychiatric unit in a community-based teaching hospital located in the Northeast region of the United States. The EPFRAT and MFS were used to assess fall risk in 216 patients over 3 months.

FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE-PRODUCING PITUITARY ADENOMA: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

Objective: To describe an unusual presentation of a follicle-stimulating hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma leading to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. We also discuss the pathophysiology and subsequent management of these tumors.

Methods: This is a case report and review of the literature.

Association between aneurysm hemodynamics and wall enhancement on 3D vessel wall MRI.

Objective: Aneurysm wall enhancement (AWE) on 3D vessel wall MRI (VWMRI) has been suggested as an imaging biomarker for intracranial aneurysms (IAs) at higher risk of rupture. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies have been used to investigate the association between hemodynamic forces and rupture status of IAs, the role of hemodynamic forces in unruptured IAs with AWE is poorly understood. The authors investigated the role and implications of abnormal hemodynamics related to aneurysm pathophysiology in patients with AWE in unruptured IAs.

Vascularization of self-assembled peptide scaffolds for spinal cord injury repair.

The disruption of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) following spinal cord injury contributes to inflammation and glial scarring that inhibits axon growth and diminishes the effectiveness of conduits transplanted to the injury site to promote this growth. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether scaffolds containing microvessels that exhibit BSCB integrity reduce inflammation and scar formation at the injury site and lead to increased axon growth. For these studies, a self-assembling peptide scaffold, RADA-16I, is used due to its established permissiveness to axon growth and ability to support vascularization.

Intestinal ultrasound for monitoring therapeutic response in patients with ulcerative colitis: results from the TRUST&UC study.

Objective: Prospective evaluation of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for disease monitoring of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in routine medical practice.

Design: TRansabdominal Ultrasonography of the bowel in Subjects with IBD To monitor disease activity with UC (TRUST&UC) was a prospective, observational study at 42 German inflammatory bowel disease-specialised centres representing different care levels. Patients with a diagnosis of a proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis or pancolitis currently in clinical relapse (defined as Short Clinical Colitis Activity Index ≥5) were enrolled consecutively.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of boron-containing reactive intermediates using synchrotron radiation: BH, BH, and BF.

Mass selected slow photoelectron spectra (SPES) of three boron-containing reactive species, BH, BH, and BF were recorded by double imaging photoion-photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy (iPEPICO) using synchrotron radiation. All species were generated in a flow reactor from the H-abstraction of BH by F atoms created in a F microwave discharge. The spectrum of BH exhibits a long bending mode progression with a 970 cm spacing due to the large geometry change from bent to linear upon ionization.

Cross-predicting the dynamics of an optically injected single-mode semiconductor laser using reservoir computing.

In real-world dynamical systems, technical limitations may prevent complete access to their dynamical variables. Such a lack of information may cause significant problems, especially when monitoring or controlling the dynamics of the system is required or when decisions need to be taken based on the dynamical state of the system. Cross-predicting the missing data is, therefore, of considerable interest.