Reliability of the OMERACT Giant cell arteritis Ultrasonography Score (OGUS): results of a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Objective: To test the reliability of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Giant cell arteritis (GCA) Ultrasonography Score (OGUS) and other composite scores in a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Methods: Six GCA patients were scanned twice (two rounds separated ≥3 hours) by 12 experts and 12 non-experts. Non-experts received 90 min of theoretical and 240 min of practical training between rounds 1 and 2.

Improving organisation to improve care: ERN ReCONNET organisational reference model for systemic sclerosis patients' care pathway.

Objective: To optimise the organisation of care and encourage the adoption of good clinical practices, the RarERN Path methodology was designed within ERN ReCONNET. The aim of our work was to report the application of RarERN Path on systemic sclerosis within the ERN ReCONNET centres, providing a feasible and flexible organisational reference model for optimising the systemic sclerosis care pathway in different countries.

Methods: RarERN Path is a six-phase methodology which enables the creation of a reference organisational model co-designed on the basis of the expertise of different stakeholders.

The value of axillary, facial, occipital, subclavian and common carotid arteries ultrasound in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value for GCA in adding the axillary arteries (AX) to the temporal artery (TA) ultrasound, particularly in patients with a cranial phenotype of the disease; and to investigate the utility of facial (FA), occipital (OC), subclavian (SC), and common carotid (CC) ultrasound in patients with suspected GCA.

Methods: Patients with new-onset GCA and a positive ultrasound of the TA, AX, FA, OC, SC or CC, followed at the rheumatology departments of two academic centres, were retrospectively included.

Results: 230 patients were assessed.

Synthetic Strategies to Extended Aromatic Covalent Organic Frameworks.

π-Conjugated materials are highly attractive owing to their unique optical and electronic properties. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) offer a great opportunity for precise arrangement of building units in a π-conjugated crystalline matrix and tuning of the properties through choice of functionalities or post-synthetic modification. With this review, we aim at summarizing both the most representative as well as emerging strategies for the synthesis of π-conjugated COFs.

GPs' practices when prescribing buprenorphine in primary care: A survey among the Sentinelles network.

Introduction: France is a leading country for opioid agonist treatment providing, with a predominance of buprenorphine. General practitioners (GPs) are the main prescribers of buprenorphine, but they seem to be less involved over the last 10 years. This work is the second part of a larger study analysing buprenorphine prescribing among French GPs working in primary care, and aims to describe GPs' practices when prescribing buprenorphine.

Navigating the journey as a peer reviewer: A roadmap to success.

Peer review is an essential step in scientific progress and clinical improvement, providing opportunity for research to be critically evaluated and improved by one's colleagues. Pharmacists from all job settings are called to serve as peer reviewers in the ever-growing publication landscape of the profession. Despite challenges to engagement such as time and compensation, peer review provides considerable professional development for both authors and reviewers alike.

Digital skills among youth: A dataset from a three-wave longitudinal survey in six European countries.

This dataset provides longitudinal survey data from a European project, ySKILLS, which was focused on the role of digital skills in youths' development. It contains data from 10,821 participants from Grades 6-10 (in Wave 1) in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. The data was collected between Spring 2021 and Spring 2023, the participants were recruited through schools, where the data collection also took place, except for online data collections due to restrictions caused by COVID-19.

A potent and selective activator of large-conductance Ca-activated K channels induces preservation of mitochondrial function after hypoxia and reoxygenation by handling of calcium and transmembrane potential.

Aims: Ischaemic heart disease remains a significant cause of mortality globally. A pharmacological agent that protects cardiac mitochondria against oxygen deprivation injuries is welcome in therapy against acute myocardial infarction. Here, we evaluate the effect of large-conductance Ca-activated K channels (BKCa) activator, Compound Z, in isolated mitochondria under hypoxia and reoxygenation.

Heterogeneity and high prevalence of bone manifestations, and bone mineral density in congenital generalized lipodystrophy subtypes 1 and 2.

Introduction: Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in genes responsible for the formation and development of adipocytes. Bone abnormalities are described. However, there is a scarcity of data.

Neddylation orchestrates the complex transcriptional and posttranscriptional program that drives Schwann cell myelination.

Myelination is essential for neuronal function and health. In peripheral nerves, >100 causative mutations have been identified that cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a disorder that can affect myelin sheaths. Among these, a number of mutations are related to essential targets of the posttranslational modification neddylation, although how these lead to myelin defects is unclear.

Anxiety and depression in patients with giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with GCA with that in the general population, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and to identify independent predictors of these psychiatric manifestations in patients with GCA.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including all patients diagnosed with GCA followed during 1 year in a vasculitis outpatient clinic. The HADS and 36-item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires were prospectively collected.

Recommendations for early referral of individuals with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica: an initiative from the international giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica study group.

Objective: To develop international consensus-based recommendations for early referral of individuals with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

Methods: A task force including 29 rheumatologists/internists, 4 general practitioners, 4 patients and a healthcare professional emerged from the international giant cell arteritis and PMR study group. The task force supplied clinical questions, subsequently transformed into Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome format.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants: Probability of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism and Bleeding Risk in an Obese Population.

Background: Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have become the preferred drugs for managing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Despite their advantages over vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin, their use in obese patients remains controversial with many providers reluctant to switch patients managed on warfarin. Outcome research that opts to increase provider confidence when prescribing DOACs for patients with obesity will be invaluable.

Subclinical giant cell arteritis increases the risk of relapse in polymyalgia rheumatica.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical significance of subclinical giant cell arteritis (GCA) in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and ascertain its optimal treatment approach.

Methods: Patients with PMR who fulfilled the 2012 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology/American College of Rheumatology Provisional Classification Criteria for PMR, did not have GCA symptoms and were routinely followed up for 2 years and were stratified into two groups, according to their ultrasound results: isolated PMR and PMR with subclinical GCA. The outcomes (relapses, glucocorticoid use and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatments) between groups were compared.

A global empirical study on how street networks facilitate driving longer distances.

We simulated over 200 cities worldwide to investigate how the street network affects vehicle routes. We demonstrate that there is a ubiquitous super-linear relationship between time and distance when optimal route are chosen. More precisely, the average speed will be higher for longer trips when compared to shorter trips, showing that the street network makes driving further faster.

vascularized immunocompetent patient-derived model to test cancer therapies.

This work describes a patient-derived tumoroid model (PDTs) to support precision medicine in lung oncology. The use of human adipose tissue-derived microvasculature and patient-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) permits to achieve a physiologically relevant tumor microenvironment. This study involved ten patients at various stages of tumor progression.