Predicting Urinary Function Outcomes Following Low-dose-rate Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer.

Background And Objective: Our aim was to develop a tool using readily available clinical parameters to predict the probability of poor urinary function following low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) for localized prostate cancer.

Methods: Data from the multicentre, prospective Swiss LDR-BT cohort were analyzed for men treated with LDR-BT. Inclusion criteria were minimum follow-up of 3 yr or postoperative treatment with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Short-Term Effectiveness of a Stepped-Care Model to Address Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early-Stage Melanoma.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the Melanoma Care Programme when implemented into routine clinical practice coupled with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) screening and a stepped-care model of intervention delivery.

Methods: Using a Type-I hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, individuals with stage 0-II melanoma and a Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory FCR severity score of ≥ 13 were offered the Melanoma Care Programme. The programme included a psychoeducational booklet and 3 to 5 psychotherapeutic telehealth sessions with a clinical psychologist, timed around routine dermatological appointments.

Wave Function Engineering on Superconducting Substrates: Chiral Yu-Shiba-Rusinov Molecules.

Magnetic adatoms on superconductors give rise to Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states that hold considerable interest for the design of topological superconductivity. Here, we show that YSR states are also an ideal platform to engineer structures with intricate wave function symmetries. We assemble structures of iron atoms on the quasi-two-dimensional superconductor 2-NbSe.

Surface Lattice Resonance Lasers with Epitaxial InP Gain Medium.

Surface lattice resonance (SLR) lasers, where the gain is supplied by a thin-film active material and the feedback comes from multiple scattering by plasmonic nanoparticles, have shown both low threshold lasing and tunability of the angular and spectral emission at room temperature. However, typically used materials such as organic dyes and QD films suffer from photodegradation, which hampers practical applications. Here, we demonstrate photostable single-mode lasing of SLR modes sustained in an epitaxial solid-state InP slab waveguide.

Probing the Shape of the Weyl Fermi Surface of NbP Using Transverse Electron Focusing.

Weyl semimetals are defined by their unique Fermi surface, comprising pairs of Weyl points of opposite chirality, connected through topological surface states. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has been used to verify the existence of the Weyl points and the Fermi arcs. However, ARPES is limited in resolution, leading to significant uncertainty when characterizing the shape of the Fermi surface of semimetals and measuring features such as the distance between the Weyl points.

Unconventional magnetoresistance and resistivity scaling in amorphous CoSi thin films.

The resistivity scaling of Cu electrical interconnects represents a critical challenge in Si CMOS technology. As interconnect dimensions reach below 10 nm, Cu resistivity increases significantly due to surface scattering. Topological materials have been considered for application in ultra-scaled interconnects (below 5 nm), due to their topologically protected surface states that have reduced electron scattering.

Intrinsic negative magnetoresistance from the chiral anomaly of multifold fermions.

The chiral anomaly - a hallmark of chiral spin-1/2 Weyl fermions - is an imbalance between left- and right-moving particles that underpins phenomena such as particle decay and negative longitudinal magnetoresistance in Weyl semimetals. The discovery that chiral crystals can host higher-spin generalizations of Weyl quasiparticles without high-energy counterparts, known as multifold fermions, raises the fundamental question of whether the chiral anomaly is a more general phenomenon. Answering this question requires materials with chiral quasiparticles within a sizable energy window around the Fermi level that are unaffected by extrinsic effects such as current jetting.

In vitro blood sample assessment: investigating correlation of laboratory hemoglobin and spectral properties of dual-energy CT measurements (ρ/Z).

Objectives: Our study comprised a single-center retrospective in vitro correlation between spectral properties, namely ρ/Z values, derived from scanning blood samples using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) with the corresponding laboratory hemoglobin/hematocrit (Hb/Hct) levels and assessed the potential in anemia-detection.

Methods: DECT of 813 patient blood samples from 465 women and 348 men was conducted using a standardized scan protocol. Electron density relative to water (ρ or rho), effective atomic number (Z), and CT attenuation (Hounsfield unit) were measured.

Robust Spectral π Pairing in the Random-Field Floquet Quantum Ising Model.

Motivated by an experiment on a superconducting quantum processor [X. Mi et al., Science 378, 785 (2022).

Validation of the standardization framework SSTR-RADS 1.0 for neuroendocrine tumors using the novel SSTR‑targeting peptide [F]SiTATE.

Objectives: Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SSTR-PET/CT) using [Ga]-labeled tracers is a widely used imaging modality for neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Recently, [F]SiTATE, a SiFAlin tagged [Tyr3]-octreotate (TATE) PET tracer, has shown great potential due to favorable clinical characteristics. We aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of Somatostatin Receptor-Reporting and Data System 1.

Use of Cefiderocol in the Management of Children With Infection or Colonization With Multi-drug Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria: A Retrospective, Single-center Case Series.

Cefiderocol, a novel siderophore cephalosporin, represents a treatment option for infections with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, of which rates are rising worldwide. Clinical data on its use in children is limited. In our pediatric case series, the largest reported to date, cefiderocol seems safe and well tolerated, with more favorable clinical outcomes when compared to the literature reviewing adult cases.

Prostatic Artery Embolisation Versus Transurethral Resection of the Prostate for Benign Prostatic Obstruction: 5-year Outcomes of a Randomised, Open-label, Noninferiority Trial.

Background And Objective: Prostatic artery embolisation (PAE) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) are two of the surgical options for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic obstruction (LUTS/BPO). Our aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of PAE and TURP for LUTS/BPO treatment at long-term follow-up.

Methods: We conducted a randomised, open-label, single-centre trial at a Swiss tertiary care centre.

Single-Mode Laser in the Telecom Range by Deterministic Amplification of the Topological Interface Mode.

Photonic integrated circuits are paving the way for novel on-chip functionalities with diverse applications in communication, computing, and beyond. The integration of on-chip light sources, especially single-mode lasers, is crucial for advancing those photonic chips to their full potential. Recently, novel concepts involving topological designs introduced a variety of options for tuning device properties, such as the desired single-mode emission.

Current methodologies of greenspace exposure and mental health research-a scoping review.

Introduction: Greenspaces can provide an important resource for human mental health. A growing body of literature investigates the interaction and the influence of diverse greenspace exposures. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex connection between greenspace and mental health, a variety of perspectives and methodological combinations are needed.

Prostatic Artery Embolization in Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Single Center Pilot Study.

Purpose: To assess efficacy and safety of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials And Methods: In this prospective single-center, single-arm, pilot study, 9 men with advanced PCa underwent PAE. PAE was performed with the use of 250-400 µm Embozene microspheres (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts, USA).

Long indium-rich InGaAs nanowires by SAG-HVPE.

We demonstrate the selective area growth of InGaAs nanowires (NWs) on GaAs (111)B substrates using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). A high growth rate of more than 50m hand high aspect ratio NWs were obtained. Composition along the NWs was investigated by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy giving an average indium composition of 84%.

Magnetoresistive-coupled transistor using the Weyl semimetal NbP.

Semiconductor transistors operate by modulating the charge carrier concentration of a channel material through an electric field coupled by a capacitor. This mechanism is constrained by the fundamental transport physics and material properties of such devices-attenuation of the electric field, and limited mobility and charge carrier density in semiconductor channels. In this work, we demonstrate a new type of transistor that operates through a different mechanism.

Energy-use efficiency of organic and conventional plant production systems in Germany.

Sustainable and efficient energy use in agriculture helps tackle climate change by reducing fossil energy use. We evaluated German farming systems by analysing energy input and output. Data from 30 organic and 30 conventional farms (12 arable, 18 dairy farms each) between 2009 and 2011 was used.

Novel Organism Verification and Analysis (NOVA) study: identification of 35 clinical isolates representing potentially novel bacterial taxa using a pipeline based on whole genome sequencing.

Background: Reliable species identification of cultured isolates is essential in clinical bacteriology. We established a new study algorithm named NOVA - Novel Organism Verification and Analysis to systematically analyze bacterial isolates that cannot be characterized by conventional identification procedures MALDI-TOF MS and partial 16 S rRNA gene sequencing using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

Results: We identified a total of 35 bacterial strains that represent potentially novel species.

Association between perioperative prophylaxis with cefuroxime plus metronidazole or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and surgical site infections in paediatric uncomplicated appendectomy: a Swiss retrospective cohort study.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between post-appendectomy SSI rates and the two most commonly used regimens for perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in Swiss children.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, analysing data from the Swiss national SSI surveillance database with a study period from 2014 to 2018. All hospitals undertaking paediatric appendectomies in Switzerland participate in the surveillance.

[Melanosis of the bladder-a rare diagnosis].

Melanosis of the urinary bladder is an extremely rare benign condition in which melanin deposits occur in the urothelial and stromal cells. We report such a case in which melanosis of the urinary bladder was detected in a 55-year-old woman with known multiple sclerosis during an extended workup due to urinary urgency complaints. The findings were confirmed by biopsy.

Clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection during the Omicron period in relation to baseline immune status and booster vaccination-A prospective multicentre cohort of health professionals (SURPRISE study).

The effects of different types of pre-existing immunity on the frequency of clinical symptoms caused by the SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection were prospectively assessed in healthcare workers during the Omicron period. Among 518 participants, hybrid immunity was associated with symptom reduction for dizziness, muscle or limb pain and headache as compared to vaccination only. Moreover, the frequencies of dizziness, cough and muscle or limb pain were lower in participants who had received a booster vaccine dose.