Deep learning-based aberration compensation improves contrast and resolution in fluorescence microscopy.

Optical aberrations hinder fluorescence microscopy of thick samples, reducing image signal, contrast, and resolution. Here we introduce a deep learning-based strategy for aberration compensation, improving image quality without slowing image acquisition, applying additional dose, or introducing more optics. Our method (i) introduces synthetic aberrations to images acquired on the shallow side of image stacks, making them resemble those acquired deeper into the volume and (ii) trains neural networks to reverse the effect of these aberrations.

Evaluation of the specificity of the 2023 European Society of Cardiology classification for infective endocarditis.

Background: The 2023 Duke-ISCVID and 2023 ESC classifications have recently issued independent diagnostic criteria for infective endocarditis (IE), updating the 2015 ESC criteria.

Objectives: The specificity of the 2023 ESC criteria should be evaluated and compared to the two other classifications in IE suspected patients.

Methods: We retrospectively collected the characteristics of patients hospitalised in Bichat University Hospital, in 2021, who had been evaluated for suspicion of IE, and in whom IE diagnosis was finally rejected.

Patient comfort with sexual orientation and gender identity questions in adult congenital cardiology clinics.

Background: Lack of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data creates barriers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people in health care. Barriers to SOGI data collection include physician misperception that patients do not want to answer these questions and discomfort asking SOGI questions. This study aimed to assess patient comfort towards SOGI questions across five quaternary care adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) centres.

A high-throughput microfabricated platform for rapid quantification of metastatic potential.

Assays that measure morphology, proliferation, motility, deformability, and migration are used to study the invasiveness of cancer cells. However, native invasive potential of cells may be hidden from these contextual metrics because they depend on culture conditions. We created a micropatterned chip that mimics the native environmental conditions, quantifies the invasive potential of tumor cells, and improves our understanding of the malignancy signatures.

Development and validation of a race-agnostic computable phenotype for kidney health in adult hospitalized patients.

Standard race adjustments for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and reference creatinine can yield a lower acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence among African American patients than non-race adjusted estimates. We developed two race-agnostic computable phenotypes that assess kidney health among 139,152 subjects admitted to the University of Florida Health between 1/2012-8/2019 by removing the race modifier from the estimated GFR and estimated creatinine formula used by the race-adjusted algorithm (race-agnostic algorithm 1) and by utilizing 2021 CKD-EPI refit without race formula (race-agnostic algorithm 2) for calculations of the estimated GFR and estimated creatinine. We compared results using these algorithms to the race-adjusted algorithm in African American patients.

Antibiotic Skeletal Diversification via Differential Enoylreductase Recruitment and Module Iteration in -Acyltransferase Polyketide Synthases.

Microorganisms are remarkable chemists capable of assembling complex molecular architectures that penetrate cells and bind biomolecular targets with exquisite selectivity. Consequently, microbial natural products have wide-ranging applications in medicine and agriculture. How the "blind watchmaker" of evolution creates skeletal diversity is a key question in natural products research.

More than just 'added value': The perils of not establishing shared core facilities in resource-constrained communities.

The accelerating pace of technological advancements necessitates specialised expertise and cutting-edge instruments to maintain competitive research in life sciences. Core facilities - collaborative laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art tools and staffed by expert personnel - are vital resources that support diverse scientific endeavours. However, their adoption in lower-income communities has been comparatively stagnant due to both financial and cultural challenges.

Evaluation of the Specificity of the 2023 Duke-International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases Classification for Infective Endocarditis.

Background: The 2023 Duke-ISCVID (International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases) classification is a new diagnostic tool for infective endocarditis, updating the 2000 modified Duke and the 2015 European Society for Cardiology (ESC) classifications. In comparison, its sensitivity is higher; however, its specificity remains to be evaluated and compared to that of the 2 other classifications in endocarditis suspected patients.

Methods: We retrospectively collected the characteristics of patients hospitalized in Bichat University's Hospital, Paris, in 2021, who had been evaluated for clinical suspicion of endocarditis, have had at least a transthoracic echocardiography, 2 pairs of blood cultures, 3-month follow-up and in whom endocarditis diagnosis was finally rejected.

Psychometric Properties and Validity of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders: Parent Version (SCARED-P) in an Early Childhood Sample.

The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders: Parent Version (SCARED-P) was originally developed for use in middle childhood and adolescence. The present study examined the psychometric properties and validity of the SCARED-P in an early childhood sample (predominantly aged 4-7 years). The 41-item version of the SCARED-P was administered to the parents of 233 children (mean age = 6.

Cool and hot executive function problems in young children: linking self-regulation processes to emerging clinical symptoms.

Self-regulation (SR) difficulties are implicated in a wide range of disorders which develop in childhood, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), anxiety and depression. However, the integration of the existing research evidence is challenging because of varying terminology and the wide range of tasks used, as well as the heterogeneity and comorbidity within and across diagnostic categories. The current study used the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework to guide the examination of different SR processes in young children showing a wide range of symptomatology.

Lessons from assembling a microbial natural product and pre-fractionated extract library in an academic laboratory.

Unlabelled: Microbial natural products are specialized metabolites that are sources of many bioactive compounds including antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, anticancer agents, and probes of biology. The assembly of libraries of producers of natural products has traditionally been the province of the pharmaceutical industry. This sector has gathered significant historical collections of bacteria and fungi to identify new drug leads with outstanding outcomes-upwards of 60% of drug scaffolds originate from such libraries.

Angucyclinones rescue PhLOPS antibiotic activity by inhibiting Cfr-dependent antibiotic resistance.

Cfr is an antibiotic resistance enzyme that inhibits five clinically important antibiotic classes, is genetically mobile, and has a minimal fitness cost, making Cfr a serious threat to antibiotic efficacy. The significance of our work is in discovering molecules that inhibit Cfr-dependent methylation of the ribosome, thus protecting the efficacy of the PhLOPS antibiotics. These molecules are the first reported inhibitors of Cfr-mediated ribosome methylation and, as such, will guide the further discovery of chemical scaffolds against Cfr-mediated antibiotic resistance.

Deep learning-based aberration compensation improves contrast and resolution in fluorescence microscopy.

Optical aberrations hinder fluorescence microscopy of thick samples, reducing image signal, contrast, and resolution. Here we introduce a deep learning-based strategy for aberration compensation, improving image quality without slowing image acquisition, applying additional dose, or introducing more optics into the imaging path. Our method (i) introduces synthetic aberrations to images acquired on the shallow side of image stacks, making them resemble those acquired deeper into the volume and (ii) trains neural networks to reverse the effect of these aberrations.

Imagining the future of optical microscopy: everything, everywhere, all at once.

The optical microscope has revolutionized biology since at least the 17 Century. Since then, it has progressed from a largely observational tool to a powerful bioanalytical platform. However, realizing its full potential to study live specimens is hindered by a daunting array of technical challenges.

Migraine management for the otolaryngologist.

Objective: To characterize migraine pathophysiology, presentation, and current treatment strategies, specifically in regard to vestibulocochlear manifestations of migraine.

Methods: Narrative review of available literature.

Results: Migraine disorder can be described as a spectrum of otologic manifestations, with vestibular migraine now recognized with fully-fledged diagnostic criteria.

Dimensional associations between executive function processes and symptoms of ADHD, ASD, oppositional defiance and anxiety in young school-referred children.

Executive function (EF) difficulties are implicated in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Because NDDs are highly comorbid and frequently co-occur with additional clinical problems, it is unclear how specific EF problems are associated with symptoms of ASD and ADHD, whilst accounting for co-occurring anxiety or oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) symptoms. The current study utilised a large sample of young children (n = 438, aged 4-8) referred to Cardiff University's Neurodevelopment Assessment Unit (NDAU) by teachers for cognitive and/or socio-emotional problems.

Methods and Protocols for Using Extracellular Vesicles as Delivery Vehicles in Neuronal Research.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) transport nucleic acids, proteins, and lipid molecules for intercellular communication. The biomolecular cargo from EVs can modify the recipient cell genetically, physiologically, and pathologically. This innate ability of EVs can be harnessed to deliver the cargo of interest to a specific organ or a cell type.

Extracellular matrix assembly stress initiates Drosophila central nervous system morphogenesis.

Forces controlling tissue morphogenesis are attributed to cellular-driven activities, and any role for extracellular matrix (ECM) is assumed to be passive. However, all polymer networks, including ECM, can develop autonomous stresses during their assembly. Here, we examine the morphogenetic function of an ECM before reaching homeostatic equilibrium by analyzing de novo ECM assembly during Drosophila ventral nerve cord (VNC) condensation.

Inattention symptom severity and cognitive processes in children at risk of ADHD: the moderating role of separation anxiety.

Impairments in cognitive processes and their associations with dimensional measures of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity and anxiety were examined in children at risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Children referred by teachers for exhibiting ADHD-type problems ( = 116; 43 meeting full diagnostic criteria for ADHD; 4-8 years) completed computerized tasks measuring episodic memory, response inhibition, visuomotor control and sustained attention, while parents were interviewed (DAWBA) to assess ADHD and anxiety symptoms. Of the 116 children assessed, 72% exhibited impaired cognitive processes; 47% had impaired visuomotor control, 37% impaired response inhibition, and 35% had impaired episodic memory.

Disentangling the relationships between motor control and cognitive control in young children with symptoms of ADHD.

Children with ADHD experience difficulties with motor and cognitive control. However, the relationships between these symptoms are poorly understood. As a step toward improving treatment, this study investigated associations between specific aspects of motor control and cognitive control in children with varying levels of hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.

The challenges and opportunities of open-access microscopy facilities.

Microscopy core facilities are increasingly utilised research resources, but they are generally only available to users within the host institution. Such localised access misses an opportunity to facilitate research across a broader user base. Here, we present the model of an open-access microscopy facility, using the Advanced Imaging Center (AIC) at Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus as an example.

Practical considerations for quantitative light sheet fluorescence microscopy.

Fluorescence microscopy has evolved from a purely observational tool to a platform for quantitative, hypothesis-driven research. As such, the demand for faster and less phototoxic imaging modalities has spurred a rapid growth in light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). By restricting the excitation to a thin plane, LSFM reduces the overall light dose to a specimen while simultaneously improving image contrast.