Early Adversity and Socioeconomic Factors in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis: A Case-Control Study.

Background And Objectives: Psychosocial adversity and stress, known to predispose adults to neurodegenerative and inflammatory immune disorders, are widespread among children who experience socioeconomic disadvantage, and the associated neurotoxicity and proinflammatory profile may predispose these children to multiple sclerosis (MS). We sought to determine associations of socioeconomic disadvantage and psychosocial adversity with odds of pediatric-onset MS (POMS), age at POMS onset, and POMS disease activity.

Methods: This case-control study used data collected across 17 sites in the United States by the Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study.

Long-term kidney outcomes of semaglutide in obesity and cardiovascular disease in the SELECT trial.

The SELECT trial previously reported a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events with semaglutide (n = 8,803) versus placebo (n = 8,801) in patients with overweight/obesity and established cardiovascular disease, without diabetes. In the present study, we examined the effect of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg on kidney outcomes in the SELECT trial.

Long-term weight loss effects of semaglutide in obesity without diabetes in the SELECT trial.

In the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial, semaglutide showed a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events in 17,604 adults with preexisting cardiovascular disease, overweight or obesity, without diabetes. Here in this prespecified analysis, we examined effects of semaglutide on weight and anthropometric outcomes, safety and tolerability by baseline body mass index (BMI). In patients treated with semaglutide, weight loss continued over 65 weeks and was sustained for up to 4 years.

Knowledge and competences in hematological malignancies amongst radiation oncology residents in Germany-results from a national survey.

Introduction: Radiation oncology is a pivotal modality in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. To enable state-of-the-art patient care, structured education during residency is essential. However, given the lack of detailed data, the scope of educational opportunities available to trainees remains elusive.

Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes.

Background: Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has been shown to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes. Whether semaglutide can reduce cardiovascular risk associated with overweight and obesity in the absence of diabetes is unknown.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, event-driven superiority trial, we enrolled patients 45 years of age or older who had preexisting cardiovascular disease and a body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 27 or greater but no history of diabetes.

Identifying the core genome of the nucleus-forming bacteriophage family and characterization of Erwinia phage RAY.

We recently discovered that some bacteriophages establish a nucleus-like replication compartment (phage nucleus), but the core genes that define nucleus-based phage replication and their phylogenetic distribution were still to be determined. Here, we show that phages encoding the major phage nucleus protein chimallin share 72 conserved genes encoded within seven gene blocks. Of these, 21 core genes are unique to nucleus-forming phage, and all but one of these genes encode proteins of unknown function.

Glycemia Reduction in Type 2 Diabetes - Glycemic Outcomes.

Background: The comparative effectiveness of glucose-lowering medications for use with metformin to maintain target glycated hemoglobin levels in persons with type 2 diabetes is uncertain.

Methods: In this trial involving participants with type 2 diabetes of less than 10 years' duration who were receiving metformin and had glycated hemoglobin levels of 6.8 to 8.

Dietary fiber and probiotics influence the gut microbiome and melanoma immunotherapy response.

Gut bacteria modulate the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment in cancer, but the effect of diet and supplements on this interaction is not well studied. We assessed fecal microbiota profiles, dietary habits, and commercially available probiotic supplement use in melanoma patients and performed parallel preclinical studies. Higher dietary fiber was associated with significantly improved progression-free survival in 128 patients on ICB, with the most pronounced benefit observed in patients with sufficient dietary fiber intake and no probiotic use.

Prevention of the Postthrombotic Syndrome with Anticoagulation: A Narrative Review.

The postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) is chronic venous insufficiency secondary to a prior deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is the most common complication of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and, while not fatal, it can lead to chronic, unremitting symptoms as well as societal and economic consequences. The cornerstone of PTS treatment lies in its prevention after DVT.

The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences: Optimal cut-off scores for detecting individuals with a psychotic disorder.

Objectives: The need for a brief screening tool for psychosis is widely recognized. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) is a popular self-report measure of psychosis, but a cut-off score that can detect those most likely to fulfill diagnostic criteria for psychotic disorder is not established.

Methods: A case-control sample from the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis Project study (N = 1375, healthy individuals, n = 507, and individuals with a psychotic disorder, n = 868), was used to examine cut-off scores of the CAPE with receiver operating curve analyses.

Individualized tDCS modeling predicts functional connectivity changes within the working memory network in older adults.

Background: Working memory decline has been associated with normal aging. The frontal brain structure responsible for this decline is primarily located in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Our previous neuroimaging study demonstrated a significant change in functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and left ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) when applying 2 mA tDCS in MRI scanner during an N-Back task.

Familial History of Autoimmune Disorders Among Patients With Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether family members of patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) have an increased prevalence of autoimmune conditions compared with controls.

Methods: Data collected during a pediatric MS case-control study of risk factors included information about various autoimmune diseases in family members. The frequency of these disorders was compared between cases and controls.

Therapeutic Anticoagulation with Heparin in Noncritically Ill Patients with Covid-19.

Background: Thrombosis and inflammation may contribute to the risk of death and complications among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). We hypothesized that therapeutic-dose anticoagulation may improve outcomes in noncritically ill patients who are hospitalized with Covid-19.

Methods: In this open-label, adaptive, multiplatform, controlled trial, we randomly assigned patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19 and who were not critically ill (which was defined as an absence of critical care-level organ support at enrollment) to receive pragmatically defined regimens of either therapeutic-dose anticoagulation with heparin or usual-care pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.

Prevention and Management of the Post-Thrombotic Syndrome.

The post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a form of chronic venous insufficiency secondary to prior deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It affects up to 50% of patients after proximal DVT. There is no effective treatment of established PTS and its management lies in its prevention after DVT.

Hypernatremia without water depletion.

Hypernatremia is generally thought to be a condition in which water depletion raises the serum sodium concentration despite some salt loss. However, many patients with hypernatremia have been shown to have normal or increased total body water, indicating that these patients are salt- and frequently water-overloaded. Possible pathophysiological reasons for these abnormalities are discussed.

A dipicolinate lanthanide complex for solving protein structures using anomalous diffraction.

Tris-dipicolinate lanthanide complexes were used to prepare derivative crystals of six proteins: hen egg-white lysozyme, turkey egg-white lysozyme, thaumatin from Thaumatococcus daniellii, urate oxidase from Aspergillus flavus, porcine pancreatic elastase and xylanase from Trichoderma reesei. Diffraction data were collected using either synchrotron radiation or X-rays from a laboratory source. In all cases, the complex turned out to be bound to the protein and the phases determined using the anomalous scattering of the lanthanide led to high-quality electron-density maps.

Structure-function perturbation and dissociation of tetrameric urate oxidase by high hydrostatic pressure.

Structure-function relationships in the tetrameric enzyme urate oxidase were investigated using pressure perturbation. As the active sites are located at the interfaces between monomers, enzyme activity is directly related to the integrity of the tetramer. The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the enzyme was investigated by x-ray crystallography, small-angle x-ray scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Early course of schizophrenia in a representative Dutch incidence cohort.

Purpose: To describe the early course of psychotic disorders in general and to examine whether certain variables can predict the early course of schizophrenic disorders (DSM-IV: schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder).

Subjects And Method: Follow-up and re-diagnosis of a highly representative Dutch incidence cohort (N=181), thirty months after first contact with a physician for a psychotic disorder. Poor course was defined as a continuous psychotic illness or a score of less than 39 on the Global Assessment of Functioning scale.

Migration and schizophrenia.

Purpose Of Review: An exploration of the evidence that a history of migration is a risk factor for schizophrenia and an evaluation of those studies that seek an explanation for this.

Recent Findings: A meta-analysis found an increased risk for schizophrenia among first-generation and second-generation migrants and found a particularly high risk for migrants from countries where the majority of the population was Black. The latter finding was confirmed and extended by a large first-contact incidence study in the UK, which found excessive risks for schizophrenia and mania in the African-Caribbean and black-African sections of the population.

The avian hippocampus, homing in pigeons and the memory representation of large-scale space.

The extraordinary navigational ability of homing pigeons provides a unique spatial cognitive system to investigate how the brain is able to represent past experiences as memory. In this paper, we first summarize a large body of lesion data in an attempt to characterize the role of the avian hippocampal formation (HF) in homing. What emerges from this analysis is the critical importance of HF for the learning of map-like, spatial representations of environmental stimuli used for navigation.

First-contact incidence of schizophrenia in Surinam.

We tested the hypothesis that the increased incidence of schizophrenia among Surinamese immigrants to The Netherlands could be explained by a similarly high incidence in Surinam. We conducted a 1-year first-contact incidence study in Surinam and compared the findings with data from a similar study conducted in The Netherlands using the same inclusion criteria and instruments. The risk of developing a schizophrenic disorder was 2.