Tumor sequencing before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: Genetic tumor characterization and clinical outcome.

Background And Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is a standard treatment option for locally advanced rectal cancer. However, there is still conflicting data about the genetic landscape and potential dynamics during and after NCRT. This study evaluated oncogenic driver mutations before NCRT and investigated corresponding resection samples after treatment.

The walking surface influences vertical ground reaction force and centre of pressure data obtained with pressure-sensing insoles.

Background: Gait can be continuously monitored via vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and centre of pressure (COP) measurement with pressure-sensing insoles. During daily living, a variety of walking surfaces will be encountered, which could affect the collected data. These effects might need to be taken into account when analysing disease- or injury-related gait characteristics to prevent misinterpretation, especially when drawing conclusions from data obtained in clinical populations.

Predictors for improvement in personality functioning during outpatient psychotherapy: A machine learning approach within a psychodynamic psychotherapy sample.

Background: Since its introduction in the diagnostic manuals DSM-5 and ICD-11, the construct of personality functioning has gained increasing attention. However, it remains unclear which factors might predict improvement in personality functioning.

Methods: We examined a sample of 648 completed psychodynamic psychotherapies conducted by 172 therapists at the Heidelberg Institute for Psychotherapy.

Dynamics of cell-free tumor DNA correlate with early MRI response during chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Background: In locally advanced rectal cancer, the prediction of tumor response during and after neoadjuvant treatment remains challenging. In terms of organ preservation, adaptive radiotherapy, and intensified (total) neoadjuvant therapies, biomarkers are desirable for patient stratification.

Methods: In 16 patients, weekly blood samples (n = 86) to detect cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) during long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were analyzed.

Complete genome sequences of sucrose non-fermenting non-O1/non-O139 isolated from human soft tissue infection.

This paper describes the hybrid genome assembly of sucrose non-fermenting non-O1/non-O139 isolated from human soft tissue infection. The hybrid assembled genome comprises two circular chromosomes with lengths of 3,001,999 bp and 1,264,051 bp, respectively, with a G + C content of 47.38%.

Practice improves older adults' attentional control and prospective memory more than HD-tDCS: a randomized controlled trial.

Frontal and parietal brain regions are involved in attentional control and prospective memory. It is debated, however, whether increased or decreased activity in those regions is beneficial for older adults' task performance. We therefore aimed to systematically modulate activity in those regions using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation.

Examining childhood experiences and personality functioning as potential predictors for the speed of recovery during psychotherapy of patients with anxiety disorders.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences were previously identified as relevant risk factors for the development of anxiety disorders. Furthermore, anxiety disorders were shown to be associated with impairments of personality functioning. The objective of this study was to investigate adverse and protective childhood experiences as well as personality functioning, as defined by the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis system, as potential predictors for the speed of recovery during psychotherapy for patients with anxiety disorders.

Characteristic Changes of the Stance-Phase Plantar Pressure Curve When Walking Uphill and Downhill: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Monitoring of gait patterns by insoles is popular to study behavior and activity in the daily life of people and throughout the rehabilitation process of patients. Live data analyses may improve personalized prevention and treatment regimens, as well as rehabilitation. The M-shaped plantar pressure curve during the stance phase is mainly defined by the loading and unloading slope, 2 maxima, 1 minimum, as well as the force during defined periods.

Posttranscriptional regulation of by miR-124-3p at rs3512 underlies onset-delaying genetic modification in Huntington's disease.

Many Mendelian disorders, such as Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxias, arise from expansions of CAG trinucleotide repeats. Despite the clear genetic causes, additional genetic factors may influence the rate of those monogenic disorders. Notably, genome-wide association studies discovered somewhat expected modifiers, particularly mismatch repair genes involved in the CAG repeat instability, impacting age at onset of HD.

Experimental and virtual testing of bone-implant systems equipped with the AO Fracture Monitor with regard to interfragmentary movement.

The management of fractured bones is a key domain within orthopedic trauma surgery, with the prevention of delayed healing and non-unions forming a core challenge. This study evaluates the efficacy of the AO Fracture Monitor in conjunction with biomechanical simulations to better understand the local mechanics of fracture gaps, which is crucial for comprehending mechanotransduction, a key factor in bone healing. Through a series of experiments and corresponding simulations, the study tests four hypotheses to determine the relationship between physical measurements and the predictive power of biomechanical models.

Long-term continuous instrumented insole-based gait analyses in daily life have advantages over longitudinal gait analyses in the lab to monitor healing of tibial fractures.

Monitoring changes in gait during rehabilitation allows early detection of complications. Laboratory-based gait analyses proved valuable for longitudinal monitoring of lower leg fracture healing. However, continuous gait data recorded in the daily life may be superior due to a higher temporal resolution and differences in behavior.

Modification of Huntington's disease by short tandem repeats.

Expansions of glutamine-coding CAG trinucleotide repeats cause a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease and several of spinocerebellar ataxias. In general, age-at-onset of the polyglutamine diseases is inversely correlated with the size of the respective inherited expanded CAG repeat. Expanded CAG repeats are also somatically unstable in certain tissues, and age-at-onset of Huntington's disease corrected for individual CAG repeat length (i.

The Traumatic Inoculation Process Affects TSPO Radioligand Uptake in Experimental Orthotopic Glioblastoma.

Background: The translocator protein (TSPO) has been proven to have great potential as a target for the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of glioblastoma. However, there is an ongoing debate about the potential various sources of the TSPO PET signal. This work investigates the impact of the inoculation-driven immune response on the PET signal in experimental orthotopic glioblastoma.

Huntington's disease affects mitochondrial network dynamics predisposing to pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutations.

Huntington's disease (HD) predominantly affects the brain, causing a mixed movement disorder, cognitive decline and behavioural abnormalities. It also causes a peripheral phenotype involving skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been reported in tissues of HD models, including skeletal muscle, and lymphoblast and fibroblast cultures from patients with HD.

Reappraisal of clinical trauma trials: the critical impact of anthropometric parameters on fracture gap micro-mechanics-observations from a simulation-based study.

The evidence base of surgical fracture care is extremely sparse with only few sound RCTs available. It is hypothesized that anthropometric factors relevantly influence mechanical conditions in the fracture gap, thereby interfering with the mechanoinduction of fracture healing. Development of a finite element model of a tibia fracture, which is the basis of an in silico population (n = 300) by systematic variation of anthropometric parameters.

"Fall Risk Scoring" in Outpatient Gait Analysis: Validation of a New Fall Risk Assessment for Nursing Home Residents.

Falls in senior home residents are common. Individual preventive training can lower the fall risk. To detect the need for training, a systematic assessment of the individual fall risk is needed.

The effect of loss incentives on prospective memory in healthy older adults: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial using ultra-high field fMRI.

Background: Prospective memory is important for our health and independence but declines with age. Hence, interventions to enhance prospective memory, for example by providing an incentive, may promote healthy ageing. The neuroanatomical correlates of prospective memory and the processing of incentive-related prospective memory changes in older adults are not fully understood.

A novel minimally invasive and press-fit method for symphysiodesis - a biomechanical analysis.

Purpose: Does the cylindrical shaped bone block allow a stable construct for the arthrodesis of the pubic symphysis compared to a rectangular shaped bone block. The cylindrical shaped bone block stabilized by a 3.5 symphyseal plate is inferior to the stabilization with an internal fixator.

Direct and indirect effects of adverse and protective childhood experiences on symptom improvement in psychotherapy.

To investigate the effects of adverse and protective childhood experiences on symptom improvement in outpatient psychotherapy. We evaluated  = 648 completed outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapies. First, we estimated the rate of symptom improvement for each patient using a two-stage hierarchical linear model.

[Clavicle fractures: practical approach in clinical routine].

Fractures of the clavicle are among the most common fractures. They typically result from a fall onto the lateral shoulder or the extended arm and are often related to sports and bicycle accidents. Obtaining the exact trauma mechanism, proper clinical findings and adequate X‑rays usually lead to the correct diagnosis.