Guillain-Barré syndrome after the Zika epidemic in Colombia: A multicenter, matched case-control study.

Background: Zika produced the highest increase in the incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Latin America in the last decade. The Neuroinfections Emerging in the Americas Study (NEAS) was established in 2016 to investigate the association of emerging infectious disorders with GBS in Colombia. The present study assessed the role of preceding infections, including arboviruses and other pathogens, as risk factors for GBS.

Molecular and immunological features associated with long-term benefits in metastatic NSCLC patients undergoing immune checkpoint blockade.

Introduction: Immunotherapy is firmly established as a treatment regimen in various solid tumors, driven by its exceptional benefits in a selected group of patients. Despite widespread adoption of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) across diverse solid tumors, the quest for a clinically informative biomarker for long-term benefit remains unmet.

Methods: A total of 49 patients with metastatic NSCLC treated with ICB were included.

Matrix Stiffness Regulates GBM Migration and Chemoradiotherapy Responses via Chromatin Condensation in 3D Viscoelastic Matrices.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression is associated with changes in matrix stiffness, and different regions of the tumor niche exhibit distinct stiffnesses. Using elastic hydrogels, previous work has demonstrated that matrix stiffness modulates GBM behavior and drug responses. However, brain tissue is viscoelastic, and how stiffness impacts the GBM invasive phenotype and response to therapy within a viscoelastic niche remains largely unclear.

Molecular hallmarks of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal resilience and resistance to Alzheimer's disease.

Background: A significant proportion of individuals maintain healthy cognitive function despite having extensive Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, known as cognitive resilience. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that protect these individuals can identify therapeutic targets for AD dementia. This study aims to define molecular and cellular signatures of cognitive resilience, protection and resistance, by integrating genetics, bulk RNA, and single-nucleus RNA sequencing data across multiple brain regions from AD, resilient, and control individuals.

Disseminated nocardiosis in a patient with AIDS and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a case report.

Background: Disseminated nocardiosis is a rare and potentially fatal disease, with a higher incidence in immunocompromised patients, such as those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hematological malignancies, including lymphoma. Information on Nocardia spp. infection in Venezuela is limited.

[Tacrolimus in Difficult to Treat Proteinuria Associated with Lupus Nephritis. Experience of 3 Centers].

Unlabelled: The management of proteinuria in patients with lupus nephritis represents a challenge for the specialist. Recently, Calcineurin Inhibitors have been positioned as an effective alternative in these patients, but their use is not widespread in our country. We report the experience of three centers in this regard.

Rapid Sterilization of Clinical Apheresis Blood Products using Ultra-High Dose Rate Radiation.

Background And Objectives: Apheresis platelets products and plasma are essential for medical interventions, but both still have inherent risks associated with contamination and viral transmission. Platelet products are vulnerable to bacterial contamination due to storage conditions, while plasma requires extensive screening to minimize virus transmission risks. Here we investigate rapid irradiation to sterilizing doses for bacteria and viruses as an innovative pathogen reduction technology.

Development of a Miniaturized 2-Joule Pulsed Plasma Source Based on Plasma Focus Technology: Applications in Extreme Condition Materials and Nanosatellite Orientation.

Plasma focus devices represent a class of hot and dense plasma sources that serve a dual role in fundamental plasma research and practical applications. These devices allow the observation of various phenomena, including the z-pinch effect, nuclear fusion reactions, plasma filaments, bursts, shocks, jets, X-rays, neutron pulses, ions, and electron beams. In recent years, considerable efforts have been directed toward miniaturizing plasma focus devices, driven by the pursuit of both basic studies and technological advancements.

Dosimetric calibration of anatomy-specific ultra-high dose rate electron irradiation platform for preclinical FLASH radiobiology experiments.

Background: FLASH radiation therapy (RT) offers a promising avenue for the broadening of the therapeutic index. However, to leverage the full potential of FLASH in the clinical setting, an improved understanding of the biological principles involved is critical. This requires the availability of specialized equipment optimized for the delivery of conventional (CONV) and ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) irradiation for preclinical studies.

A multi-institutional study to investigate the sparing effect after whole brain electron FLASH in mice: Reproducibility and temporal evolution of functional, electrophysiological, and neurogenic endpoints.

Background And Purpose: Ultra-high dose-rate radiotherapy (FLASH) has been shown to mitigate normal tissue toxicities associated with conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV) without compromising tumor killing in preclinical models. A prominent challenge in preclinical radiation research, including FLASH, is validating both the physical dosimetry and the biological effects across multiple institutions.

Materials And Methods: We previously demonstrated dosimetric reproducibility of two different electron FLASH devices at separate institutions using standardized phantoms and dosimeters.

Soil Microbial Communities and Wine Terroir: Research Gaps and Data Needs.

Microbes found in soil can have a significant impact on the taste and quality of wine, also referred to as wine terroir. To date, wine terroir has been thought to be associated with the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. However, there is a fragmented understanding of the contribution of vineyard soil microbes to wine terroir.

Feldenkrais method and clinical psychology: A systematic literature review exploring the potential of Feldenkrais Method in psychiatric care.

Background: In psychotherapy, physical exercise has gained recognition and extensive research attention, displaying promise in various mental health conditions. Practices such as yoga, tai chi, and the Feldenkrais Method® (FM) have also emerged as effective mental health interventions.

Objectives: This systematic literature review (SLR) explores the applicability of FM, a somatic practice, in psychiatric care and emotional regulation, as it emphasizes the interplay between bodily sensations, action patterns, and cognitive processes.

A unified model for interpretable latent embedding of multi-sample, multi-condition single-cell data.

Single-cell analysis across multiple samples and conditions requires quantitative modeling of the interplay between the continuum of cell states and the technical and biological sources of sample-to-sample variability. We introduce GEDI, a generative model that identifies latent space variations in multi-sample, multi-condition single-cell datasets and attributes them to sample-level covariates. GEDI enables cross-sample cell state mapping on par with state-of-the-art integration methods, cluster-free differential gene expression analysis along the continuum of cell states, and machine learning-based prediction of sample characteristics from single-cell data.

Accurate isoform quantification by joint short- and long-read RNA-sequencing.

Accurate quantification of transcript isoforms is crucial for understanding gene regulation, functional diversity, and cellular behavior. Existing RNA sequencing methods have significant limitations: short-read (SR) sequencing provides high depth but struggles with isoform deconvolution, whereas long-read (LR) sequencing offers isoform resolution at the cost of lower depth, higher noise, and technical biases. Addressing this gap, we introduce Multi-Platform Aggregation and Quantification of Transcripts (MPAQT), a generative model that combines the complementary strengths of different sequencing platforms to achieve state-of-the-art isoform-resolved transcript quantification, as demonstrated by extensive simulations and experimental benchmarks.

Combinatorial characterization of bacterial taxa-driven differences in the microbiome of oyster reefs.

Oyster reefs are invaluable ecosystems that provide a wide array of critical ecosystem services, including water filtration, coastal protection, and habitat provision for various marine species. However, these essential habitats face escalating threats from climate change and anthropogenic stressors. To combat these challenges, numerous oyster restoration initiatives have been undertaken, representing a global effort to preserve and restore these vital ecosystems.

Amiodarone triggered Kounis syndrome complicated by refractory cardiac arrest rescued with VA-ECMO.

Key Clinical Message: An interesting case that shows an infrequent cause of cardiorespiratory arrest such as coronary vasospasm due to intravenous amiodarone induced Kounis syndrome. It highlights the usefulness of circulatory support with ECMO in the scenario of CPR.

Abstract: A patient with atrial fibrillation was admitted for an elective electrical cardioversion.

Laminin-associated integrins mediate Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma infiltration and therapy response within a neural assembloid model.

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive and fatal pediatric brain cancer. One pre-requisite for tumor cells to infiltrate is adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) components. However, it remains largely unknown which ECM proteins are critical in enabling DIPG adhesion and migration and which integrin receptors mediate these processes.

Physical performance and body composition reference values for modern US Marine Corps women.

Unlabelled: Women's roles in the US military have progressively changed over the past several decades. Previously women were barred from combat roles. Recent change in policy allow women into combat roles in the Marine Corps, and this has led to women being trained for combat specialties.

Interpretable Spatial Gradient Analysis for Spatial Transcriptomics Data.

Cellular anatomy and signaling vary across niches, which can induce gradated gene expressions in subpopulations of cells. Such spatial transcriptomic gradient (STG) makes a significant source of intratumor heterogeneity and can influence tumor invasion, progression, and response to treatment. Here we report (LSGI), a computational framework that systematically identifies spatial locations with prominent, interpretable STGs from spatial transcriptomic (ST) data.