WearMoCap: multimodal pose tracking for ubiquitous robot control using a smartwatch.

We present WearMoCap, an open-source library to track the human pose from smartwatch sensor data and leveraging pose predictions for ubiquitous robot control. WearMoCap operates in three modes: 1) a Watch Only mode, which uses a smartwatch only, 2) a novel Upper Arm mode, which utilizes the smartphone strapped onto the upper arm and 3) a Pocket mode, which determines body orientation from a smartphone in any pocket. We evaluate all modes on large-scale datasets consisting of recordings from up to 8 human subjects using a range of consumer-grade devices.

P-Glycoprotein Drives Glioblastoma Survival and Chemotherapy Resistance: Potential as a Promising Liquid Biopsy Biomarker.

Drug resistance is a major challenge in cancer therapy, and the expression of efflux pumps such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) often correlates with poor prognosis in various tumors, including glioblastoma (GB). Considering that different roles for these proteins have been established in the biology of various tumors, this study aimed to investigate the functions of P-gp in GB-derived cells by evaluating its survival, migratory, and apoptosis-regulating capabilities, as well as its potential as a liquid biopsy biomarker. P-gp expression was diminished via siRNA to determine its exact role in GB biology.

A Case of Leukemia Cutis (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) With Epidermotropism.

Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer involving uncontrolled proliferation of hematopoietic cells. Cutaneous involvement is referred to as leukemia cutis (LC). The histopathologic presentation of LC is variable, and may present with perivascular, periadnexal, dermal, or subcutaneous infiltrate.

Using digital PCR to investigate the prevalence of KRAS variants in pituitary tumours.

Pituitary tumours (PT) are formed in the pituitary gland, a small gland situated at the base of the brain. These tumours can be categorized according to their histological origin and hormone production. In surgical series, non-functioning PT are the commonest subtype, followed by functioning somatotroph and corticotroph tumours.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Novel Insights into the Dual Mode of Action of Bisacodyl: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial in Constipation.

Bisacodyl is a widely used laxative that stimulates both motility and secretion. Our aim was to exploit the unique capabilities of MRI to define bisacodyl's mode of action. Two placebo-controlled cross-over trials were performed, one using a single dose of Bisacodyl 5 mg while the second dosed daily for 3 consecutive days.

Assessing the kinetics of oxygen-unloading from red cells using FlowScore, a flow-cytometric proxy of the functional quality of blood.

Background: Metrics evaluating the functional quality of red blood cells (RBCs) must consider their role in oxygen delivery. Whereas oxygen-carrying capacity is routinely reported using haemoglobin assays, the rate of oxygen exchange is not measured, yet also important for tissue oxygenation. Since oxygen-unloading depends on the diffusion pathlength inside RBCs, cell geometry offers a plausible surrogate.

Development of molecular sterility assay for rapid quality release of cord blood erythrocytes units for transfusion.

Background: Umbilical cord blood (CB) units stored in banks are an important source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation and other cell therapies. New applications, such as their use in transfusions, require rapid quality release as cord blood red blood cells (CB-RBC) have a shorter shelf life.

Study Design And Methods: This project aims to investigate the most prevalent microbial contaminants in CB preparations and validate a rapid sterility testing strategy for CB-RBC based on an automated system (BACT/ALERT®) in tandem with a molecular assay (real-time PCR) capable of detecting at least 100 CFU/mL of Cutibacterium acnes in CB-RBC to accelerate the detection of the most common slow-growing bacteria.

Prognostic Factors Associated With Increased Mortality in Pediatric Veno-Occlusive Disease Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

Background: Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a life-threatening complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and is categorized as a transplant-related, systemic endothelial disease. Severe VOD can lead to multi-organ dysfunction (MOF) and is associated with a high mortality rate.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of VOD in children after HCT and analyze the outcomes and risk factors associated with increased mortality.

Assessing the Reliability of the Bleeding Assessment Scale in Critically Ill Children (BASIC) Definition: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To determine the reliability of the Bleeding Assessment Scale in critically Ill Children (BASIC) definition of bleeding severity in a diverse cohort of critically ill children.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Eight mixed PICUs in the Netherlands, Israel, and the United States.

Generation of the CTRL EiPS J9 mR6F-8 iPSC line derived from healthy human outgrowth blood endothelial cells (BOECs) using mRNA reprogramming methodology.

mRNA reprogramming is a technology for generating iPSCs with high efficiency and safety. However, it is not suitable for reprogramming non-adherent cells, the primary cell type in blood. An alternative is to obtain adherent cells from blood for this technology.

Parental Representations and Emotional Availability: The Case of Children with Autism and Severe Behavior Problems.

Studies suggest that parents' emotional availability (EA) is associated with children's wellbeing, including in the case of children with autism. Our study extended prior research by examining the role of parents' representations in fostering parental EA and by focusing on fathers and on children with autism and severe behavior problems. We expected that parents' positive representations would be associated with higher EA and compared mothers' and fathers' representations and EA.

Exploring the role of HIF-1α on pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutic approaches.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a crucial transcription factor that regulates cellular responses to low oxygen levels (hypoxia). In Alzheimer's disease (AD), emerging evidence suggests a significant involvement of HIF-1α in disease pathogenesis. AD is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), leading to neuronal dysfunction and cognitive decline.

A potential role of gut microbiota in stroke: mechanisms, therapeutic strategies and future prospective.

Rationale: Neurological conditions like Stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD) often include inflammatory responses in the nervous system. Stroke, linked to high disability and mortality rates, poses challenges related to organ-related complications. Recent focus on understanding the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke includes aspects like cellular excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, cell death mechanisms, and neuroinflammation.

In Vitro Evaluation of New 5-Nitroindazolin-3-one Derivatives as Promising Agents against .

Chagas disease is a prevalent health problem in Latin America which has received insufficient attention worldwide. Current treatments for this disease, benznidazole and nifurtimox, have limited efficacy and may cause side effects. A recent study proposed investigating a wide range of nitroindazole and indazolone derivatives as feasible treatments.

Inhibition of osteosarcoma metastasis in vivo by targeted downregulation of MMP1 and MMP9.

Osteosarcoma (OS) mortality stems from lung metastases. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) facilitate metastatic dissemination by degrading extracellular matrix components. Herein we studied the impact of targeted MMP downregulation on OS metastasis.

Emerging roles of cannabinoid receptor CB2 receptor in the central nervous system: therapeutic target for CNS disorders.

Rationale: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family of cell membranes and is associated with neuropsychiatric conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases. Cannabinoid 2 receptors (CB2) are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) on microglia and subgroups of neurons and are involved in various behavioural processes via immunological and neural regulation.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to summarize and explore the impact of CB2 receptors on neuronal modulation, their involvement in various neurological disorders, and their influence on mood, behavior, and cognitive function.

The potential of circulating cell-free RNA in CNS tumor diagnosis and monitoring: A liquid biopsy approach.

Early detection of malignancies, through regular cancer screening, has already proven to have potential to increase survival rates. Yet current screening methods rely on invasive, expensive tissue sampling that has hampered widespread use. Liquid biopsy is noninvasive and represents a potential approach to precision oncology, based on molecular profiling of body fluids.

Artificial Intelligence and cancer: Profile of registered clinical trials.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides due to advancements in processing algorithms and data availability. Recent years have shown a resurgence in AI, driven by breakthroughs in deep machine learning. AI has attracted particular interest in the medical sector, especially in the field of personalized medicine, which for example uses large-scale genomic and molecular data to predict individual patient treatment responses.

The pluripotency state of human embryonic stem cells derived from single blastomeres of eight-cell embryos.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from blastocyst stage embryos present a primed state of pluripotency, whereas mouse ESCs (mESCs) display naïve pluripotency. Their unique characteristics make naïve hESCs more suitable for particular applications in biomedical research. This work aimed to derive hESCs from single blastomeres and determine their pluripotency state, which is currently unclear.