Sex Differences in Fat Distribution and Muscle Fat Infiltration in the Lower Extremity: A Retrospective Diverse-Ethnicity 7T MRI Study in a Research Institute Setting in the USA.

Fat infiltration in skeletal muscle is related to declining muscle strength, whereas excess subcutaneous fat is implicated in the development of metabolic diseases. Using multi-slice axial T2-weighted (T2w) MR images, this retrospective study characterized muscle fat infiltration (MFI) and fat distribution in the lower extremity of 107 subjects (64M/43F, age 11-79 years) with diverse ethnicities (including White, Black, Latino, and Asian subjects). MRI data analysis shows that MFI, evaluated by the relative intensities of the pixel histogram profile in the calf muscle, tends to increase with both age and BMI.

Joint learning of nonlinear representation and projection for fast constrained MRSI reconstruction.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a novel method for computationally efficient reconstruction from noisy MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data.

Methods: The proposed method features (a) a novel strategy that jointly learns a nonlinear low-dimensional representation of high-dimensional spectroscopic signals and a neural-network-based projector to recover the low-dimensional embeddings from noisy/limited data; (b) a formulation that integrates the forward encoding model, a regularizer exploiting the learned representation, and a complementary spatial constraint; and (c) a highly efficient algorithm enabled by the learned projector within an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework, circumventing the computationally expensive network inversion subproblem.

Results: The proposed method has been evaluated using simulations as well as in vivo H and P MRSI data, demonstrating improved performance over state-of-the-art methods, with about 6 fewer averages needed than standard Fourier reconstruction for similar metabolite estimation variances and up to 100 reduction in processing time compared to a prior neural network constrained reconstruction method.

A method to efficiently and rapidly approximate the vectorial fields generated by large area metasurfaces.

In order to calculate the electromagnetic fields that are produced after light passes through a metasurface, simulation methods such as the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method are often employed. While these provide a good approximation to the fields, the level of detail at which the volume of space that the light is propagating in needs to be modelled and the time for which simulations need to run, mean that as the area of the metasurface is increased these simulations rapidly become unwieldy. In this paper we show how the result of a FDTD simulation of a unit cell can be used to generate a good approximation of the vectorial field that large area metasurfaces will generate, but using a fraction of the computational resources.

Acute Interstitial Inflammation on Skin Biopsies and Positive Tissue Cultures in Cellulitis Patients Are Associated a Worse Prognosis.

Background: Cellulitis is a significant public health burden and lacks a gold standard for diagnosis. Up to 1/3 of patients are incorrectly diagnosed. The skin biopsy has been proposed as the gold standard.

Comparison of intramyocellular lipid metabolism in patients with diabetes and male athletes.

Despite opposing insulin sensitivity and cardiometabolic risk, both athletes and patients with type 2 diabetes have increased skeletal myocyte fat storage: the so-called "athlete's paradox". In a parallel non-randomised, non-blinded trial (NCT03065140), we characterised and compared the skeletal myocyte lipid signature of 29 male endurance athletes and 30 patients with diabetes after undergoing deconditioning or endurance training respectively. The primary outcomes were to assess intramyocellular lipid storage of the vastus lateralis in both cohorts and the secondary outcomes were to examine saturated and unsaturated intramyocellular lipid pool turnover.

Gray matter gamma-hydroxy-butyric acid and glutamate reflect beta-amyloid burden at old age.

Unlabelled: Gamma-hydroxy-butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are neurotransmitters with essential importance for cognitive processing. Here, we investigate relationships between GABA, glutamate, and brain ß-amyloid (Aß) burden before clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thirty cognitively healthy adults (age 69.

H and P magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals potential pathogenic and biomarker metabolite alterations in Lafora disease.

Lafora disease is a fatal teenage-onset progressive myoclonus epilepsy and neurodegenerative disease associated with polyglucosan bodies. Polyglucosans are long-branched and as a result precipitation- and aggregation-prone glycogen. In mouse models, downregulation of glycogen synthase, the enzyme that elongates glycogen branches, prevents polyglucosan formation and rescues Lafora disease.

An Unusual Case of Microcystic Serous Cystadenoma in a 19-Year-Old Male Patient.

Introduction: Microcystic serous cystadenomas are uncommon, benign neoplasms rarely known to progress to malignancy. They are typically asymptomatic and inadvertently discovered during imaging for another unrelated condition. When discovered, they are commonly found in females over 60 years of age.

17β-Estradiol Effects in Skeletal Muscle: A P MR Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) Study of Young Females during Early Follicular (EF) and Peri-Ovulation (PO) Phases.

The natural variation in estrogen secretion throughout the female menstrual cycle impacts various organs, including estrogen receptor (ER)-expressed skeletal muscle. Many women commonly experience increased fatigue or reduced energy levels in the days leading up to and during menstruation, when blood estrogen levels decline. Yet, it remains unclear whether endogenous 17β-estradiol, a major estrogen component, directly affects the energy metabolism in skeletal muscle due to the intricate and fluctuating nature of female hormones.

Neurometabolic profile of the amygdala in smokers assessed with H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Tobacco smoking is one of the main causes of premature death worldwide and quitting success remains low, highlighting the need to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying relapse. Preclinical models have shown that the amygdala and glutamate play an important role in nicotine addiction. The aims of this study were to compare glutamate and other metabolites in the amygdala between smokers and controls, and between different smoking states.

Self- and observer ratings of capacity limitations in patients with neurological conditions.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the self- and observer ratings of capacity limitations in patients with neurological conditions. Research on this topic is relevant for assessing the patients' ability to participate in work and social life and improving collaborative patient-clinician relationships.

Method: The self- and observer ratings of capacity limitations in a sample of = 245 patients with neurological conditions from a rehabilitation facility were compared and assessed using the short rating of activity limitations and participation restrictions in mental disorders according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (Mini-ICF-APP) and the equivalent self-rating questionnaire (Mini-ICF-APP-S).

Development of a hospital-academic collaboration to implement an interprofessional telehealth breastfeeding support group.

Accessible lactation support for breastfeeding parents, even in well-resourced areas, is often insufficient. At the same time, opportunities for real-life, sustainable interprofessional learning experiences for health professions students are scarce. Delivery of lactation support via telehealth allows for greater accessibility for both consumers and students.

Identification of candidate metabolite biomarkers for metabolic syndrome and its five components in population-based human cohorts.

Background: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is characterized by risk factors such as abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hypertension, and hyperglycemia, which contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Here, we aim to identify candidate metabolite biomarkers of MetS and its associated risk factors to better understand the complex interplay of underlying signaling pathways.

Methods: We quantified serum samples of the KORA F4 study participants (N = 2815) and analyzed 121 metabolites.

A Deadly Case of Dehydration: Organic Acidemias in the Emergency Department.

Background: Organic acidemias are rare genetic mutations, most commonly identified in the newborn period. Late-onset presentations present a diagnostic conundrum. Early identification and appropriate management can be lifesaving.

Goldilocks and RNA: where Mg2+ concentration is just right.

Magnesium, the most abundant divalent cation in cells, catalyzes RNA cleavage but also promotes RNA folding. Because folding can protect RNA from cleavage, we predicted a 'Goldilocks landscape', with local maximum in RNA lifetime at Mg2+ concentrations required for folding. Here, we use simulation and experiment to discover an innate and sophisticated mechanism of control of RNA lifetime.

A rare tonsillar metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma: A case report.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) metastasis to the tonsil is extremely rare with five published cases. We report the case of a patient with palatine tonsillar MCC metastasis, who presented without oropharyngeal symptoms, which contrast prior reported cases.