Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Prurigo Nodularis: A Systematic Review.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic pruritic inflammatory skin condition characterized by nodular skin lesions in a typical distribution pattern caused by various dermatological and/or non-dermatological conditions. In recent years, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the cutaneous pathophysiology of PN resulting in novel treatment options such as Interleukin-4, -13, -17, -31- or Januskinase inhibitors. However, many aspects of the neurophysiology are largely unknown, including the processing in the central structural and functional network involved in PN.

Deep representation learning for clustering longitudinal survival data from electronic health records.

Precision medicine requires accurate identification of clinically relevant patient subgroups. Electronic health records provide major opportunities for leveraging machine learning approaches to uncover novel patient subgroups. However, many existing approaches fail to adequately capture complex interactions between diagnosis trajectories and disease-relevant risk events, leading to subgroups that can still display great heterogeneity in event risk and underlying molecular mechanisms.

Effective targeting of PDGFRA-altered high-grade glioma with avapritinib.

PDGFRA is crucial to tumorigenesis and frequently genomically altered in high-grade glioma (HGG). In a comprehensive dataset of pediatric HGG (n = 261), we detect PDGFRA mutations and/or amplifications in 15% of cases, suggesting PDGFRA as a therapeutic target. We reveal that the PDGFRA/KIT inhibitor avapritinib shows (1) selectivity for PDGFRA inhibition, (2) distinct patterns of subcellular effects, (3) in vitro and in vivo activity in patient-derived HGG models, and (4) effective blood-brain barrier penetration in mice and humans.

Impacts of food, temperature, and humidity on recovery in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) after exposure to a contact pyrethroid insecticide.

Insects that infest postharvest commodities cause significant damage or destruction, costing billions of dollars in lost products yearly. Insecticide treatments applied as contact insecticides are effective in managing insect populations. However, recovery of the insects after exposure to these insecticides is increased if food is present, reducing the efficacy of surface treatments and leading to continued infestations.

Diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease-what is the impact of lifestyle modification?

Diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) represent an escalating global health challenge, contributing significantly to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Evidence from large cohort studies and clinical trials underscores the impact of diabetes and obesity as major risk factors for CVD, causing systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and neurohormonal activation. Frequently, a sedentary lifestyle and unbalanced dietary habits are associated with these risk factors.

Optomechanical Pumping of Collective Molecular Vibrations in Plasmonic Nanocavities.

In surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), vibrations of molecules couple with optical modes of a plasmonic nanocavity via a molecular optomechanical interaction. This molecule-plasmon coupling gives rise to optomechanical effects such as vibrational pumping-the excitation of molecular vibrations due to Stokes scattering. Here, we investigate the influence of vibrational pumping and collective effects on biphenyl-4-thiol (BPT) molecules in nanoparticle-on-mirror nanocavities, both experimentally by pulsed SERS spectroscopy and theoretically with optomechanical modeling.

Case Report: Ultralow-field portable MRI improves the diagnosis of congenital hydrocephalus.

Introduction: Congenital hydrocephalus is an increasing condition both in high as in low and middle income countries. Main causes include aqueductal stenosis, neonatal central nervous system infections, intracranial hemorrhage, malformations and tumors. Investigation of its etiology should include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect especially pathologies of the fossa cranii posterior.

Effects of exercise training on nitric oxide metabolites in heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction: a secondary analysis of the SMARTEX-HF and OptimEx-Clin trials.

Aims: Exercise has been shown to affect the nitric oxide (NO) pathway, which is involved in the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction in heart failure (HF) with reduced (HFrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the effects of different exercise modes on NO metabolites in patients with HF are uncertain.

Methods: Blood samples from two randomized controlled HF trials evaluating 1.

Presurgical three-dimensional palatal morphology in children with different cleft types compared to healthy controls.

Palatal morphology in patients with clefts can be accurately assessed during the presurgical period, providing insights into how cleft type affect palatal development. These early observations are unbiased by treatment, making them broadly applicable. This study aimed to identify differences in palatal morphology among untreated patients with various cleft types before surgery.

Circulating follistatin-like 3 and its association with postpartum cardiovascular dysfunction and severe maternal morbidity.

Objectives: Despite postpartum cardiovascular dysfunction being the leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, it is difficult to identify at-risk patients. The objective of this study was to determine if antepartum follistatin-like 3 levels correlate with postpartum cardiovascular dysfunction and maternal morbidity.

Study Design: This observational cohort study included pregnant patients ≥ 18 years old and singleton gestation < 41 weeks who delivered at the University of Chicago between May 2017 and November 2020.

Prognostic value of assessing ctDNA in patients with endometrial carcinoma - an international multicenter study.

Objective: At present, no reliable blood-based biomarkers have been established for patients with endometrial cancer. Liquid biopsies, which can detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), provide a non-invasive way to assess prognosis, monitor tumor evolution and treatment response. We aimed to examine the feasibility and performance of ctDNA as a prognostic tool in a multi-center cohort of EC patients with matched tumor samples.

The genomic landscape of distant metastatic endometrial cancer.

Objective: The molecular underpinnings of primary treatment-naïve endometrial carcinoma (EC) are well described. Here we sought to characterize the genomic landscape of distant metastatic EC.

Methods: Distant metastatic ECs from a total of 1888 cases subjected to a clinical panel sequencing between 4/2015 and 6/2020 were identified, and their genomic profiles, affected pathways and actionable alterations were compared to those of 711 primary ECs.

International, multicenter analysis of endoscopic full-thickness resection of duodenal neuroendocrine tumors.

Objectives: Non-exposed endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) using a dedicated full-thickness resection device (FTRD) can be used to perform en bloc resection of subepithelial lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Here we aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EFTR for the management of duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (dNET).

Methods: International multicenter retrospective study of device assisted EFTR for dNET.

Cerebellocerebral connectivity predicts body mass index: a new open-source Python-based framework for connectome-based predictive modeling.

Background: The cerebellum is one of the major central nervous structures consistently altered in obesity. Its role in higher cognitive function, parts of which are affected by obesity, is mediated through projections to and from the cerebral cortex. We therefore investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cerebellocerebral connectivity.

Time of Flight Transmission Mode Ultrasound Computed Tomography with Expected Gradient and Boundary Optimization.

Objective: Quantitative time of flight in transmission mode ultrasound computed tomography (TFTM USCT) is a promising, cost-effective, and non-invasive modality, particularly suited for functional imaging. However, TFTM USCT encounters resolution challenges due to path information concentration in specific medium regions and uncertainty in transducer positioning. This study proposes a method to enhance resolution and robustness, focusing on low-frequency TFTM USCT for pulmonary imaging.

Germline analysis of an international cohort of pediatric diffuse midline glioma patients.

Background: Factors that drive the development of diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are unknown. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants in pediatric patients with DMG.

Methods: We assembled an international cohort of 252 pediatric patients with DMG, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (n=153), with germline whole genome or whole exome sequencing.

Discovery of Galactopyranose-1-Carboxamides as a New Class of Small, Novel, Potent, Selective, and Orally Active Galectin-3 Inhibitors.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, is implicated in diverse cellular functions ranging from immune response modulation to tissue homeostasis. Notably, increased Gal-3 expression has been linked to the progression of numerous diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, and cardiovascular disorders, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic target. Small molecule inhibitors have been discovered and are valuable tools to study such diseases.

Behavioral and neural effects of temporoparietal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia: a preliminary study.

Background: High-definition-tDCS (HD-tDCS) is a recent technology that allows for localized cortical stimulation, but has not yet been investigated as an augmentative therapy while targeting the left temporoparietal cortex in logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA). The changes in neuronal oscillatory patterns and resting-state functional connectivity in response to HD-tDCS also remains poorly understood.

Objective: We sought to investigate the effects of HD-tDCS with phonologic-based language training on language, cognition, and resting-state functional connectivity in lvPPA.

Clinical performance of long-term temporary fixed dental prostheses fabricated from CAD/CAM resin-based composite.

Objectives: To determine the clinical performance of long-term temporary fixed dental prostheses (LTFDPs) manufactured from CAD/CAM temporary resin-based composite.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data of 46 patients supplied with 73 LTFDPs (partial coverage crowns, crowns, fixed dental prostheses) manufactured from a CAD/CAM resin-based composite luted either temporarily, selfadhsesively, or adhesively were analyzed for failures and complications.

Results: Datasets of 44 patients with 71 LTFDPs (12 partial-coverage crowns, 31 crowns, 28 fixed dental prostheses) were included in the analyses; median observation time was 362.

Radiosynthesis, Characterization, and PET Neuroimaging of [F]F-4 for Tau Protein: A First-in-Human PET Study.

[F]PI-2620 is a promising radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-Alzheimer's disease (non-AD) tauopathies in humans. An array of fluorinated derivatives of the carbazole scaffold of PI-2620 were synthesized and evaluated. binding assays with [H]PI-2620 in human tissues with AD, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration, combined with predictions of blood-brain barrier permeability, led to the selection and radiosynthesis of [F]F-4 as a promising radiotracer.

Explainable XR: Understanding User Behaviors of XR Environments Using LLM-assisted Analytics Framework.

We present Explainable XR, an end-to-end framework for analyzing user behavior in diverse eXtended Reality (XR) environments by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for data interpretation assistance. Existing XR user analytics frameworks face challenges in handling cross-virtuality - AR, VR, MR - transitions, multi-user collaborative application scenarios, and the complexity of multimodal data. Explainable XR addresses these challenges by providing a virtuality-agnostic solution for the collection, analysis, and visualization of immersive sessions.

Effect of surgical approach to hip arthroplasty on postoperative pain and mobilization and on efficacy of intrathecal oxytocin for pain.

Objective: Compare the effect of posterior surgical approach (PA) vs direct anterior approach (DAA) on speed of recovery from pain and dysfunction and on intrathecal oxytocin analgesia after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Study Design: Nested cohort within a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial.

Setting: Hospital.

Gut microbiota and microbial metabolites are associated with body composition in 5-year-old children: A cross-sectional study in the Gen3G cohort.

Objective: To examine gut microbiota diversity, composition and metabolites in relation to overall mass (OM), fat mass (FM) and lean soft tissue mass (LSTM) measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 5-year-old children.

Methods: Mothers of the Gen3G cohort were enrolled prenatally in 2010-2013 in Quebec, Canada; 153 children from the cohort had data on gut microbiota and DXA scans at 5-6.4 years of age, and 140 also had plasma metabolite data.

Effects of feeding expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans in broiler diets on growth performance, blood profile, and meat quality.

This study evaluated the effects of expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans (TruSoya) on growth performance, blood immune and antioxidant status, and meat quality of broilers compared with conventional soybean meal (SBM) and expeller-extruded conventional soybeans. A total of 288 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb500; initial BW: 37.2 g) were allotted to one of 3 dietary treatments: 1) a corn basal diet with conventional SBM (CSBM); 2) a corn basal diet with expeller-extruded conventional soybeans (EECS); 3) a corn basal diet with expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans (EEHS) in a randomized complete block design.