Secukinumab efficacy in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa assessed by the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4): A post hoc analysis of the SUNSHINE and SUNRISE trials.

Introduction: The International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4) is a validated tool that measures inflammatory lesions, including draining tunnels, in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

Objective: To evaluate secukinumab efficacy using IHS4 in patients with moderate to severe HS.

Methods: Data from the SUNSHINE and SUNRISE trials, which assessed subcutaneous secukinumab 300 mg every 2 (SECQ2W) and 4 (SECQ4W) weeks in adults with moderate to severe HS, were analyzed.

Newest Methods and Approaches to Enhance the Performance of Optical Frequency-Domain Reflectometers.

In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the design of optical frequency-domain reflectometers (OFDRs), digital signal processing, and sensors based on special optical fibers. We discuss state-of-the-art approaches to improving metrological characteristics, such as spatial resolution, SNR, dynamic range, and the accuracy of determining back reflection coefficients. We also analyze the latest achievements in the OFDR-based sensors: the accuracy of spatial localization of the impact, the error in detecting temperatures, deformation, and other quantities, and the features of separate measurement of various physical quantities.

Microwave-free BOTDA based on a continuous-wave self-sweeping laser.

This Letter presents the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of a Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) system based on a self-sweeping fiber laser. The unique feature of such laser sources is the generation of a narrowband tunable radiation with a small (6 MHz) tuning step and a reasonably large tuning range (3 GHz) making self-sweeping lasers extremely attractive for use in BOTDA systems. Since the wavelength tuning occurs solely due to internal processes occurring in the laser cavity, there is no need to use complex current/temperature control and feedback systems.

Laser vibrometer-rangefinder based on self-sweeping fiber laser.

A vibrometer-rangefinder based on principles of coherent optical frequency-domain reflectometry (C-OFDR) is experimentally demonstrated. A self-sweeping ytterbium-doped fiber laser, which does not require any spectrally selective elements and drivers for wavelength tuning, with a sweeping range of 1056-1074 nm is used as a tunable source of probe radiation for the C-OFDR measurements. We demonstrate the possibility of measuring target vibrations in the frequency range from 2 Hz to 5 kHz with an amplitude of down to ∼5 nm at a distance of up to ∼13 m.

Experimental demonstration of optical stochastic cooling.

Particle accelerators and storage rings have been transformative instruments of discovery, and, for many applications, innovations in particle-beam cooling have been a principal driver of that success. Stochastic cooling (SC), one of the most important conceptual and technological advances in this area, cools a beam through granular sampling and correction of its phase-space structure, thus bearing resemblance to a 'Maxwell's demon'. The extension of SC from the microwave regime up to optical frequencies and bandwidths has long been pursued, as it could increase the achievable cooling rates by three to four orders of magnitude and provide a powerful tool for future accelerators.

Bending induced output power concentration in a core of a 4-core Yb-doped fiber laser.

An all-fiber 4-core Yb-doped laser with a cavity formed by fiber Bragg gratings directly inscribed in each core with femtosecond laser pulses and 4% Fresnel reflection from the output fiber end face is demonstrated. It has been shown that the diameter of the active fiber winding significantly affects the power distribution between the cores, since it affects both the pump power distribution and the cross-coupling between the cores. In particular, with an active fiber winding diameter of 21 cm, the cores behave independently, and the power is distributed almost evenly over all cores.

Scientific Applications of Distributed Acoustic Sensing: State-of-the-Art Review and Perspective.

This work presents a detailed review of the development of distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) and their newest scientific applications. It covers most areas of human activities, such as the engineering, material, and humanitarian sciences, geophysics, culture, biology, and applied mechanics. It also provides the theoretical basis for most well-known DAS techniques and unveils the features that characterize each particular group of applications.

Reach, engagement and effectiveness of in-person and online lifestyle change programs to prevent diabetes.

Background: COVID-19 has accelerated interest in and need for online delivery of healthcare. We examined the reach, engagement and effectiveness of online delivery of lifestyle change programs (LCP) modelled after the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in a multistate, real-world setting.

Methods: Longitudinal, non-randomized study comparing online and in-person LCP in a large multistate sample delivered over 1 year.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Eyes with Intraocular Inflammation after Brolucizumab: Post Hoc Analysis of HAWK and HARRIER.

Purpose: This analysis of the pivotal phase 3 HAWK and HARRIER trials aimed to provide insights on the timing of presentation, management, and outcomes of intraocular inflammation (IOI)-related adverse events (AEs), as reported by investigators in these trials.

Design: Post hoc analysis of investigator-reported IOI-related AEs in HAWK and HARRIER.

Participants: Of 1088 brolucizumab-treated eyes (3 or 6 mg), 49 eyes demonstrated at least 1 IOI-related AE and were included in this analysis.

Transverse Beam Emittance Measurement by Undulator Radiation Power Noise.

Generally, turn-to-turn power fluctuations of incoherent spontaneous synchrotron radiation in a storage ring depend on the 6D phase-space distribution of the electron bunch. In some cases, if only one parameter of the distribution is unknown, this parameter can be determined from the measured magnitude of these power fluctuations. In this Letter, we report an absolute measurement (no free parameters or calibration) of a small vertical emittance (5-15 nm rms) of a flat beam by this method, under conditions, when it is unresolvable by a conventional synchrotron light beam size monitor.

Post-lumpectomy breast calcifications: Can original tumor features assist in determining need for biopsy?

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine whether, in the digital era, imaging features of a primary breast tumor can be used to influence the decision to biopsy ipsilateral breast calcifications that occur following surgery in women treated with breast conservation surgery (BCS).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively identified women treated with BCS who subsequently developed suspicious calcifications in the treated breast (BI-RADS 4 or 5) from January 2012 - December 2018. Only cases with histopathological diagnosis by stereotactic or surgical biopsy were included.

Dual-longitudinal-mode CW self-sweeping operation in Er-doped fiber laser.

A new type of sweeping operation-dual-mode continuous-wave (CW) self-sweeping-is demonstrated in an erbium-doped fiber laser with a sweeping range of 2.8 nm in a region of 1605 nm. The laser generates two adjacent longitudinal modes of equal intensity, but at some moments of time, one of the modes with lower frequency begins to vanish and a new one with even higher frequency starts to grow.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Amyloid versus F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Autopsy-Confirmed Dementia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of antemortem C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) versus autopsy diagnosis in a heterogenous sample of patients.

Methods: One hundred one participants underwent PIB and FDG PET during life and neuropathological assessment. PET scans were visually interpreted by 3 raters blinded to clinical information.

A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effects of cannabis and its derivatives in adults with malignant CNS tumors.

Background: Primary CNS tumors constitute a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that share a considerable morbidity and mortality rate. To help control tumor growth and clinical outcomes (overall survival, progression-free survival, quality of life) symptoms, patients often resort to alternative therapies, including the use of cannabis. Despite rapidly growing popularity, cannabis and its impact on patients with primary malignant CNS tumors is understudied.

Performance of screening MRI in high risk patients at initial versus subsequent screen.

Purpose: To compare the characteristics, outcomes, and performance metrics in women undergoing initial breast MRI screening versus subsequent screening.

Methods: A retrospective database search identified screening MRIs performed at an academic practice from 2013 to 2015. MRIs were divided into two groups: (1) initial screens and (2) subsequent screens (interpreted with at least one prior MRI for comparison).

Factors Predicting Metastatic Disease in Ga-PSMA-11 PET-Positive Osseous Lesions in Prostate Cancer.

Bone is the most common site of distant metastatic spread in prostate adenocarcinoma. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) uptake has been described in both benign and malignant bone lesions, which can lead to false-positive findings on Ga-PSMA-11 PET. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Ga-PSMA-11 PET for osseous prostate cancer metastases and improve bone uptake interpretation using semiquantitative metrics.

Pathogenic DDX3X Mutations Impair RNA Metabolism and Neurogenesis during Fetal Cortical Development.

De novo germline mutations in the RNA helicase DDX3X account for 1%-3% of unexplained intellectual disability (ID) cases in females and are associated with autism, brain malformations, and epilepsy. Yet, the developmental and molecular mechanisms by which DDX3X mutations impair brain function are unknown. Here, we use human and mouse genetics and cell biological and biochemical approaches to elucidate mechanisms by which pathogenic DDX3X variants disrupt brain development.

Pericardial Fat Enhancement: New Computed Tomography Biomarker Influences the Relationship Between Pericardial Fat and Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose: Studies have shown a modest association between pericardial fat volume (PFV) and coronary artery disease (CAD), potentially mediated by local inflammation. We aimed to investigate the association between a new biomarker of pericardial fat inflammation, named pericardial fat enhancement (PFE), and the severity of CAD on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Materials And Methods: We evaluated 114 patients referred for CCTA from 2007 to 2011.

Hyperpolarized pH imaging reveals grade-dependent acidification in prostate cancer.

There is an unmet clinical need for new and robust imaging biomarkers to distinguish indolent from aggressive prostate cancer. Hallmarks of aggressive tumors such as a decrease in extracellular pH (pH) can potentially be used to identify aggressive phenotypes. In this study, we employ an optimized, high signal-to-noise ratio hyperpolarized (HP) C pH imaging method to discriminate between indolent and aggressive disease in a murine model of prostate cancer.

A Simple Approximation to Bias in Gene-Environment Interaction Estimates When a Case Might Not Be the Case.

Case-control genetic association studies are often used to examine the role of the genetic basis in complex diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The role of the genetic basis might vary by nongenetic (environmental) measures, what is traditionally defined as gene-environment interactions (G×E). A commonly overlooked complication is that the set of clinically diagnosed cases might be contaminated by a subset with a pathologic state that presents with the same symptoms as the pathologic state of interest.

Case-control versus case-only estimates of gene-environment interactions with common and misclassified clinical diagnosis.

Genetic studies provide valuable information to assess if the effect of genetic variants varies by the nongenetic "environmental" variables, what is traditionally defined to be gene-environment interaction (GxE). A common complication is that multiple disease states present with the same set of symptoms, and hence share the clinical diagnosis. Because (a) disease states might have distinct genetic bases; and (b) frequencies of the disease states within the clinical diagnosis vary by the environmental variables, analyses of association with the clinical diagnosis as an outcome variable might result in false positive or false negative findings.

Spectral characterization technique of self-organized distributed feedback in a self-sweeping fiber laser.

We report on spectral characterization technique of self-organized dynamical distributed feedback (DDFB) in a self-sweeping Yb-doped fiber laser. The DDFB is originated from gain and refraction index gratings formed (recorded by standing waves) in the laser's active medium and dynamically changes during frequency self-sweeping operation. Dynamic nature of the feedback requires fast characterization (reading) of corresponding reflection spectrum.