Proteomic and Cytokine Profiling in Plasma from Patients with Normal-Tension Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is subdivided depending on eye pressure. Patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) have never had high intraocular pressure (IOP) measured while patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) have high eye pressure but no signs of glaucoma. Although IOP is considered to be a risk factor for all glaucoma patients, it is reasonable to assume that other risk factors such as inflammation play a role.

Demystifying Breast Disease Markers.

Breast imaging radiologists regularly perform image-guided biopsies of suspicious breast lesions based on features that are associated with a likelihood of malignancy ranging from 2% to greater than 95% (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories 4 and 5). As diagnostic partners, pathologists perform histopathologic assessment of these tissue samples to confirm a diagnosis. Correlating the imaging findings with the histopathologic results is an integral aspect of multidisciplinary breast care.

Evolutionary-scale prediction of atomic-level protein structure with a language model.

Recent advances in machine learning have leveraged evolutionary information in multiple sequence alignments to predict protein structure. We demonstrate direct inference of full atomic-level protein structure from primary sequence using a large language model. As language models of protein sequences are scaled up to 15 billion parameters, an atomic-resolution picture of protein structure emerges in the learned representations.

Patellar Proximo-Distal Displacement following Modified Maquet Technique Is Not Predictive of Patellar Luxation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the low sensitivity of the Allberg and Miles index to the stifle opening angle, evaluate the displacement of the patella after a Modified Maquet Technique using this index and assess the incidence of patellar luxation post-Modified Maquet Technique in dogs.

Study Design:  Medical records were reviewed from 2012 to 2017. Allberg Miles index were determined for each stifle pre- and postoperatively, as well as the stifle joint opening of each case.

Social determinants of health and the prediction of missed breast imaging appointments.

Background: Predictive models utilizing social determinants of health (SDH), demographic data, and local weather data were trained to predict missed imaging appointments (MIA) among breast imaging patients at the Boston Medical Center (BMC). Patients were characterized by many different variables, including social needs, demographics, imaging utilization, appointment features, and weather conditions on the date of the appointment.

Methods: This HIPAA compliant retrospective cohort study was IRB approved.

Calcified Axillary Lesions on Mammography: Review and Management.

When interpreting mammography, breast radiologists may identify radiopaque densities in the axilla on the mediolateral oblique or lateral projections. When such densities are encountered, true calcifications must be differentiated from pseudocalcifications (artifact). Using imaging, breast radiologists should be able to localize the finding as being dermal, within the soft tissues, within a lymph node, or intramuscular.

Equine ulcerative keratitis in Belgium: Associated bacterial isolates and in vitro antimicrobial resistance in 200 eyes.

Purpose: To describe bacterial isolates and associated antibiotic resistance from horses with ulcerative keratitis in Belgium.

Methods: Medical records from horses with ulcerative keratitis presented to the ophthalmology service of the Veterinary teaching hospital of Liege, Belgium, between 2014 and 2021 were evaluated. Bacterial isolates were identified and VITEK 2 (Biomérieux) provided antimicrobial susceptibility testing and resistance detection.

MRI Changes in Breast Skin Following Preoperative Therapy for Patients with Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Rationale And Objectives: Preoperative systemic therapy (PST) followed by mastectomy and radiation improves survival for patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Residual disease within the skin post-PST adversely impacts surgical outcome and risk of local-regional recurrence (LRR). We aimed to assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) breast skin changes post-PST with pathologic response and its impact on surgical resectability.

Comparative efficacy and safety of preserved versus preservative-free beta-blockers in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension: a systematic review.

Preservative-free topical medications have been introduced for glaucoma care to reduce ocular adverse events associated with preservatives. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy and safety of beta-blockers, or combination using beta-blockers, with and without preservatives. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were examined.

Isobutane dehydrogenation over high-performanced sulfide V-K/γ-AlO catalyst: Modulation of vanadium species and intrinsic effect of potassium.

Compared with industrial used Pt- and Cr-based catalyst in dehydrogenation (DH) of light alkanes, the sulfide V-K/γ-AlO catalyst reported in this study shows lower cost and toxicity, and significant DH performance. The yield to isobutene reached as high as 52.9%, which is among the highest reported to date.

Carbo-mer of Barrelene: A Rigid 3D-Carbon-Expanded Molecular Barrel.

After extensive studies of 1D and 2D skeletal carbo-mers based on C π-conjugating dialkynylbutatriene units (DABs: ∼C≡C-(R)C=C=C=C(R)-C≡C∼) bridging sp or sp centers in carbo-butene, carbo-xylylene or carbo-benzene derivatives, 3D versions are envisaged through carbo-barrelenes and partially reduced derivatives thereof where two or three DAB blades span a bridge between sp carbinol vertices or ether thereof. For R=Ph, stable representatives were synthesized through a pivotal [6]pericyclynedione, and extensively characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical and crystallographic methods. Density functional theory calculations allow detailed analysis of structural and electronic features of the 7 Å high C barrel-shaped molecules, and show that they can behave as cages for ionic species.

Biological structure and function emerge from scaling unsupervised learning to 250 million protein sequences.

In the field of artificial intelligence, a combination of scale in data and model capacity enabled by unsupervised learning has led to major advances in representation learning and statistical generation. In the life sciences, the anticipated growth of sequencing promises unprecedented data on natural sequence diversity. Protein language modeling at the scale of evolution is a logical step toward predictive and generative artificial intelligence for biology.

Systemic diseases affecting the breast: Imaging, diagnosis, and management.

Various systemic diseases of benign or malignant etiologies can clinically manifest in the breast. Some imaging findings of breast lesions can be pathognomonic for a given condition, while others are non-specific, mimicking primary breast carcinoma and requiring tissue biopsy for definitive diagnosis. In addition to obtaining a detailed clinical history, radiologists should be familiar with the diverse clinical and imaging characteristics of these conditions to help exclude primary breast cancer and avoid unnecessary interventions.

Dendrogenin A synergizes with Cytarabine to Kill Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells In Vitro and In Vivo.

Dendrogenin A (DDA) is a mammalian cholesterol metabolite that displays potent antitumor properties on acute myeloid leukemia (AML). DDA triggers lethal autophagy in cancer cells through a biased activation of the oxysterol receptor LXRβ, and the inhibition of a sterol isomerase. We hypothesize that DDA could potentiate the activity of an anticancer drug acting through a different molecular mechanism, and conducted in vitro and in vivo combination tests on AML cell lines and patient primary tumors.

Fertility preservation in boys: recent developments and new insights .

Background: Infertility is an important side effect of treatments used for cancer and other non-malignant conditions in males. This may be due to the loss of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and/or altered functionality of testicular somatic cells (e.g.

Improving Freezing Protocols and Organotypic Culture: A Histological Study on Rat Prepubertal Testicular Tissue.

Testicular tissue freezing before gonadotoxic treatments allows the preservation of fertility for children suffering from cancer. Recently, the testis organ culture method was presented as a relevant method to restore the fertility of these patients. However, the yield of spermatozoa production is low in the mouse model and no gamete has been obtained in vitro in the rat model.

Exposure to Chemotherapy During Childhood or Adulthood and Consequences on Spermatogenesis and Male Fertility.

Over the last decade, the number of cancer survivors has increased thanks to progress in diagnosis and treatment. Cancer treatments are often accompanied by adverse side effects depending on the age of the patient, the type of cancer, the treatment regimen, and the doses. The testicular tissue is very sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Cannabis consumption might exert deleterious effects on sperm nuclear quality in infertile men.

Research Question: Can cannabis consumption alter sperm nuclear integrity in infertile men?

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study conducted between July 2003 and December 2013, which included 54 men who consulted for male-factor infertility. Twenty-seven infertile men who were regular cannabis users were matched to 27 infertile men who were cannabis non-users. To complement the conventional semen parameter and plasma hormone level assessments, sperm nuclear alterations were explored using fluorescence in-situ hybridization to assess numerical chromosomal abnormalities, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling to investigate DNA fragmentation, aniline blue staining to examine chromatin condensation and a motile sperm organelle morphology examination to detect vacuoles in sperm heads.

A Comprehensive Map of the Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cell Transcriptional Network Engaged upon Innate Sensing of HIV.

Transcriptional programming of the innate immune response is pivotal for host protection. However, the transcriptional mechanisms that link pathogen sensing with innate activation remain poorly understood. During HIV-1 infection, human dendritic cells (DCs) can detect the virus through an innate sensing pathway, leading to antiviral interferon and DC maturation.

Vitamin E but Not GSH Decreases Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation and Enhances Sperm Production during In Vitro Maturation of Frozen-Thawed Prepubertal Mouse Testicular Tissue.

Freezing-thawing procedures and in vitro culture conditions are considered as a source of stress associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, leading to a damaged cell aerobic metabolism and consequently to oxidative stress. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether vitamin E (Vit E) or reduced glutathione (GSH) enhances sperm production by decreasing ROS accumulation during in vitro maturation of prepubertal mice testes. Testes of prepubertal mice were cryopreserved using a freezing medium supplemented or not supplemented with Vit E and were cultured after thawing.

A fast UPLC-HILIC method for an accurate quantification of dendrogenin A in human tissues.

Dendrogenin A (DDA) is a newly-discovered steroidal alkaloid, which remains to date the first ever found in mammals. DDA is a cholesterol metabolites that induces cancer cell differentiation and death in vitro and in vivo, and thus behave like a tumor suppressor metabolite. Preliminary studies performed on 10 patients with estrogen receptor positive breast cancers (ERBC) showed a strong decrease in DDA levels between normal matched tissue and tumors.

DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications in the mouse germline following in-vitro maturation of fresh or cryopreserved prepubertal testicular tissue.

Research Question: Do cryopreservation and in-vitro culture procedures affect the expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) and histone-modifying enzymes, as well as the establishment of DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications (PTM) in germ cells in prepubertal mouse testicular tissue?

Design: This study investigated the expression of epigenetic modification enzymes, DNA methylation and histone PTM, and the spermatogenic progression after in-vitro maturation of fresh or cryopreserved mouse prepubertal testicular tissue. Fresh or cryopreserved testicular fragments from 6-7 days post-partum mice were cultured for 30 days in the presence of retinol with or without FSH.

Results: The in-vitro maturation of fresh or cryopreserved tissue allowed the differentiation of spermatogonia into spermatozoa.

Sperm chromatin condensation defects, but neither DNA fragmentation nor aneuploidy, are an independent predictor of clinical pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Purpose: The impact of sperm DNA damage on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes remains controversial. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of several types of sperm nuclear damage on ICSI clinical pregnancy.

Methods: Our retrospective study included a total of 132 couples who consulted for male or mixed-factor infertility that benefited from ICSI cycles from January 2006 to December 2015.