F-Naf PET/CT in pseudarthrosis after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Background Context: Pseudarthrosis is a well-known cause of persistent or recurrent pain after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Numerous radiographic criteria to determine the fusion status has been described in the literature, but their accuracies in clinical practice vary considerably and no 1 single method has proved superior. Fluorine-18 sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), depicting osteoblastic activity, might be useful to identify pseudarthrosis after ACDF.

Flux and fluence effects on the vacuum-UV photodesorption and photoprocessing of CO ices.

CO is a major component of the icy mantles surrounding dust grains in planet and star formation regions. Understanding its photodesorption is crucial for explaining gas phase abundances in the coldest environments of the interstellar medium irradiated by vacuum-UV (VUV) photons. Photodesorption yields determined experimentally from CO samples grown at low temperatures ( = 15 K) have been found to be very sensitive to experimental methods and conditions.

Comprehensive Genetic Profiling Reveals Frequent Alterations of Driver Genes on the X Chromosome in Extranodal NK/T-cell Lymphoma.

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related neoplasm with male dominance and a poor prognosis. A better understanding of the genetic alterations and their functional roles in ENKTCL could help improve patient stratification and treatments. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genetic analysis of 178 ENKTCL cases to delineate the landscape of mutations, copy number alterations (CNA), and structural variations, identifying 34 driver genes including six previously unappreciated ones, namely, HLA-B, HLA-C, ROBO1, CD58, POT1, and MAP2K1.

Value of F-FDG PET/CT to Identify Occult Infection in Presumed Aseptic Pseudarthrosis after Spinal Fusion: Correlation with Intraoperative Cultures.

 Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ( F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has gained attention as an emerging tool in case of suspicion of infection on spine, whether native or instrumented. However, the diagnostic performance of F-FDG PET/CT in clinically occult low-grade surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal fusion, an important risk factor for pseudarthrosis, remains unknown.  We retrospectively identified all the presumed aseptic patients with pseudarthrosis confirmed by revision surgery who underwent preoperative F-FDG PET/CT scans performed between April 2019 and November 2022.

Recurrent Campylobacter jejuni Infections with Selection of Resistance to Macrolides and Carbapenems: Molecular Characterization of Resistance Determinants.

We present two independent cases of recurrent multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infection in immunocompromised hosts and the clinical challenges encountered due to the development of high-level carbapenem resistance. The mechanisms associated with this unusual resistance for were characterized. Initial macrolide and carbapenem-susceptible strains acquired resistance to erythromycin (MIC > 256mg/L), ertapenem (MIC > 32mg/L), and meropenem (MIC > 32mg/L) during treatment.

Vacuum UV photodesorption of organics in the interstellar medium: an experimental study of formic acid HCOOH and methyl formate HCOOCH-containing ices.

Being a potential process that could explain gas phase abundances of so-called complex organic molecules (COMs) in the cold interstellar medium (ISM), the UV photon-induced desorption from organics-containing molecular ices has been experimentally studied. In this work, we focused on the observation of the photodesorbed products and the measurement of the associated photodesorption yields from pure and mixed molecular ices, each containing organic molecules whose detection has been achieved in the gas phase of the cold ISM, namely formic acid HCOOH and methyl formate HCOOCH. Each molecule, in pure ice or in ice mixed with CO or water, was irradiated at 15 K with monochromatic vacuum UV photons in the 7-14 eV range using synchrotron radiation from the SOLEIL synchrotron facility, DESIRS beamline.

F-NaF PET/CT in Presumed Aseptic Pseudarthrosis after Spinal Fusion: Correlation with Findings at Revision Surgery and Intraoperative Cultures.

 Conventional imaging is useful to assess interbody fusion by showing complete trabecular bony bridging, but has a low positive predictive value for pseudarthrosis. Because alterations of bone metabolism may precede structural anatomical changes on computed tomography (CT), we aimed to investigate the ability of fluorine 18 sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( F-NaF PET/CT) to identify pseudarthrosis after spinal fusion using surgical revision as the reference standard.  We retrospectively reviewed F-NaF PET/CT scans performed between February 2019 and September 2020 in patients experiencing pain after spinal fusion.

Indirect x-ray photodesorption of N215 and CO13 from mixed and layered ices.

X-ray photodesorption yields of N215 and CO13 are derived as a function of the incident photon energy near the N (∼400 eV) and O K-edge (∼500 eV) for pure N215 ice and mixed CO13:N215 ices. The photodesorption spectra from the mixed ices reveal an indirect desorption mechanism for which the desorption of N215 and CO13 is triggered by the photoabsorption of CO13 and N215, respectively. This mechanism is confirmed by the x-ray photodesorption of CO13 from a layered CO13/N215 ice irradiated at 401 eV on the N 1s → π* transition of N215.

Machine Learning Identifies Chronic Low Back Pain Patients from an Instrumented Trunk Bending and Return Test.

Nowadays, the better assessment of low back pain (LBP) is an important challenge, as it is the leading musculoskeletal condition worldwide in terms of years of disability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relevance of various machine learning (ML) algorithms and Sample Entropy (SampEn), which assesses the complexity of motion variability in identifying the condition of low back pain. Twenty chronic low-back pain (CLBP) patients and 20 healthy non-LBP participants performed 1-min repetitive bending (flexion) and return (extension) trunk movements.

A Decentralized Study Setup Enables to Quantify the Effect of Polymerization and Linkage of α-Glucans on Post-Prandial Glucose Response.

The complexity of the carbohydrate structure is associated with post-prandial glucose response and diverse health benefits. The aim of this study was to determine whether, thanks to the usage of minimally invasive glucose monitors, it was possible to evaluate, in a decentralized study setup, the post-prandial glycemic response (PPGR) of α-glucans differing systematically in their degree of polymerization (DP 3 vs. DP 60) and in their linkage structure (dextrin vs.

Rotranslational dynamics of confined water. II. Spectroscopic evidence of confinement effects on the far-infrared spectra of water isotopologues in argon and krypton matrices.

Water molecules trapped in rare gas matrices exhibit conspicuous shifts in their far-infrared (FIR), rotranslational spectral features compared with the corresponding transitions observed in the gas phase. These confinement-induced perturbations have been related not only to the quantization of translational motion but also to the coupling between the orientational and positional degrees of freedom: the rotation-translation coupling (RTC). As the propensity displayed by the nuclear spin isomers (NSI) of water to undergo interconversion in confinement is intimately related to how its nuclear spin degrees of freedom are coupled with those for intra- and intermolecular motions, confinement-induced RTC should also strongly impact the NSI interconversion mechanisms and rates.

Intramolecular Ring-Opening Decomposition of Aryl Azetidines.

The ring strain present in azetidines can lead to undesired stability issues. Herein, we described a series of N-substituted azetidines which undergo an acid-mediated intramolecular ring-opening decomposition via nucleophilic attack of a pendant amide group. Studies were conducted to understand the decomposition mechanism enabling the design of stable analogues.

Removal of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Waters.

Harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms and cyanotoxins currently pose a major threat to global society, one that exceeds local and national interests due to their extremely destructive effects on the environment and human health [...

Hot-clot artifact in the lung parenchyma on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography mimicking malignancy with a homolateral non-small cell lung cancer.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) is an important tool widely used in the oncology to stage and restage various malignancies. Intense focal FDG uptake in the lung parenchyma associated with the absence of anatomical lesion detected on CT can be explained by a lung microembolism, known as hot-clot artifact. We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case describing a single hot-clot artifact located in the same lung as a histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer.

X-Ray induced desorption and photochemistry in CO ice.

We report an investigation of X-ray induced desorption of neutrals, cations and anions from CO ice. The desorption of neutral CO, by far the most abundant, is quantified and discussed within the context of its application to astrochemistry. The desorption of many different cations, including large cations up to the mass limit of the spectrometer, is observed.

Prevalence and determinants of poor glycaemic control amongst patients with diabetes followed at Vanga Evangelical Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing dramatically in developing countries, where diabetic patients usually present with poor glycaemic control, leading to complications and worsening the prognosis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of poor glycaemic control and its determinants in diabetic patients.

Setting: The study was conducted in a rural area of the province of Kwilu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Direct observation of spin correlations in an artificial triangular lattice Ising spin system with grazing-incidence small-angle neutron scattering.

The triangular lattice with Ising magnetic moments is an archetypical example of geometric frustration. In the case of dipolar-coupled out-of-plane moments, the geometric frustration results in a disordered classical spin-liquid state at higher temperatures while the system is predicted to transition to an anti-ferromagnetic stripe ground state at low temperatures. In this work we fabricate artificial triangular Ising spin systems without and with uniaxial in-plane compression to tune the nature and temperature of the correlations.

Electrodeposited Ni-Rich Ni-Pt Mesoporous Nanowires for Selective and Efficient Formic Acid-Assisted Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone.

In pursuit of friendlier conditions for the preparation of high-value biochemicals, we developed catalytic synthesis of γ-valerolactone by levulinic acid hydrogenation with formic acid as the hydrogen source. Both levulinic and formic acid are intermediate products in the biomass transformation processes. The objective of the work is twofold: the development of a novel approach for milder synthesis conditions to produce γ-valerolactone and the reduction of the economic cost of the catalyst.

18F-FDG PET/CT Detection of a Popliteal Mycotic Aneurysm Complicating Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

A 75-year-old man presented with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, fever, and right posterior knee pain. Venous Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremity showed an isolated right calf muscle vein thrombosis, without any sign of deep vein thrombosis. 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed an intense focal uptake on the right popliteal artery, suggesting a mycotic aneurysm (MA).

BPDCN: When polychemotherapy does not compromise allogeneic CD123 CAR-T cell cytotoxicity.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematological malignancy with poor prognosis and no treatment consensus. Combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy is a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic effect. Before combining these therapies, the influence of one on the other has to be explored.

Risk prediction in surgery using case-based reasoning and agent-based modelization.

Managing the risks arising from the actions and conditions of the various elements that make up an operating room is a major concern during a surgical procedure. One of the main challenges is to define alert thresholds in a non-deterministic context where unpredictable adverse events occur. In response to this problematic, this paper presents an architecture that couples a Multi-Agent System (MAS) with Case-Based Reasoning (CBR).