Publications by authors named "Spies J"

Background And Aims: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is difficult to distinguish from mimicking disorders, with misdiagnosis resulting in IVIG overutilization. We evaluate a clinical-electrophysiological model to facilitate CIDP versus mimic neuropathy prediction.

Methods: Using the European Academy of Neurology/Peripheral Nerve Society (EAN/PNS) 2021 CIDP guidelines we derived 26 clinical and 144 nerve conduction variables.

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Solid-state high harmonic generation (sHHG) spectroscopy is an emerging ultrafast technique for studying key material properties such as electronic structure at and away from equilibrium. sHHG anisotropy measurements, where sHHG spectra are recorded depending on the driving electric field relative to the crystal lattice, have become a powerful tool for studying crystal symmetries. Previous works on two-dimensional materials and other quantum materials have often used substrate-supported samples, assuming that all sHHG signals originate from the sample due to the relatively large bandgap of the substrate.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on sequencing and annotating the genome of the sacoglossan sea slug Elysia timida, a species that can store chloroplasts from its food algae, in order to improve understanding of genome architecture and evolution in molluscs.
  • The researchers achieved a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly using advanced techniques, resulting in higher scaffold and contig N50s than previous sacoglossan genomes, alongside the identification of nearly 20,000 protein-coding genes.
  • Findings also indicated that while no horizontal gene transfer was detected, the presence of polyketide synthase genes suggests the production of polypropionates, highlighting the unique biochemical capabilities of this sea slug.
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Populations of various economic species of wireworms are increasing in the key cereal crop production areas of Canada and the United States. To address this problem, seed treatments are under development that both provide crop protection and significantly reduce populations equivalent in effectiveness to the formerly used but now deregistered organochlorine lindane. Herein, we evaluated isocycloseram (PLINAZOLIN technology), the first isoxazoline (GABA-gated Chloride Channel Allosteric Modulator) agricultural insecticide, as a seed treatment for the protection of cereal crops from the sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim).

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The dynamics of photoinduced electron transfer were measured at dye-sensitized photoanodes in aqueous (acetate buffer), nonaqueous (acetonitrile), and mixed solvent electrolytes by nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) and ultrafast optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy (OPTP). Higher injection efficiencies were found in mixed solvent electrolytes for dye-sensitized SnO/TiO core/shell electrodes, whereas the injection efficiency of dye-sensitized TiO electrodes decreased with the increasing acetonitrile concentration. The trend in injection efficiency for the TiO electrodes was consistent with the solvent-dependent trend in the semiconductor flat band potential.

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Reproductive outcomes after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for the treatment of uterine fibroids are challenging to study, leaving several unanswered questions surrounding the future fertility of patients undergoing the procedure. Subject matter experts from interventional radiology, diagnostic radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and reproductive medicine participated in a Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Foundation Research Consensus Panel to discuss and prioritize critical research topics focusing on fertility and reproductive outcomes in patients undergoing UAE for symptomatic uterine fibroids. After presentations and discussion of research ideas, the panelists prioritized the following topics for further investigation: (a) a prospective study of factors that influence implantation and gene expression in patients undergoing UAE or myomectomy over 1 year; (b) refinement of a classification system for uterine fibroids that can allow for more focused study design, which may include burden of fibroid disease; and (c) conjoint analysis/discrete choice experiments to better characterize those patients for whom fertility preservation is a high priority.

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In the long-standing quest to synthesize fundamental building blocks with key functional group motifs, photochemistry in the recent past has comprehensively established its attractiveness. Amino alcohols are not only functionally diverse but are ubiquitous in the biologically active realm of compounds. We developed bench-stable bifunctional reagents that could then access the sparsely reported γ-amino alcohols directly from feedstock alkenes through energy transfer (EnT) photocatalysis.

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Members of the genus Clivia show considerable variation in flower pigmentation and morphology. Such variation is affected by mutations that emerge in candidate flower development genes over time. Besides population history, mutations can further illuminate the effects of demographic events in populations in addition to population genetic parameters including selection, recombination, and linkage disequilibrium (LD).

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Solid-state high harmonic generation (sHHG) spectroscopy is a promising technique for studying electronic structure, symmetry, and dynamics in condensed matter systems. Here, we report on the implementation of an advanced sHHG spectrometer based on a vacuum chamber and closed-cycle helium cryostat. Using an in situ temperature probe, it is demonstrated that the sample interaction region retains cryogenic temperature during the application of high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses that generate high harmonics.

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Many interventional radiologists express concern about communicating their practice needs to their radiology department chairs. As a result, they may have difficulty getting support for hiring of additional physicians and staff, capital investments in equipment, and marketing of IR services. Some perceive that chairs have a preference for diagnostic radiology initiatives over interventional and want to know why.

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We present a dedicated end-station for solution phase high repetition rate (MHz) picosecond hard x-ray spectroscopy at beamline 15-2 of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. A high-power ultrafast ytterbium-doped fiber laser is used to photoexcite the samples at a repetition rate of 640 kHz, while the data acquisition operates at the 1.28 MHz repetition rate of the storage ring recording data in an alternating on-off mode.

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Purpose: To evaluate rates of fibroid expulsion after uterine artery embolization (UAE) and risk factors.

Materials And Methods: Single-center retrospective study of UAEs for fibroids between 2016 and 2020. Preoperative UAE and patients with incomplete follow-up were excluded.

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Multifunctional organoboron compounds increasingly enable the simple generation of complex, Csp -rich small molecules. The ability of boron-containing functional groups to modify the reactivity of α-radicals has also enabled a myriad of chemical reactions. Boronic esters with vacant p-orbitals have a significant stabilizing effect on α-radicals due to delocalization of spin density into the empty orbital.

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Background: Few studies have directly compared different surgical procedures for uterine fibroids with respect to long-term health-related quality of life outcomes and symptom improvement.

Objective: We examined differences in change from baseline to 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-up in health-related quality of life and symptom severity among patients who underwent abdominal myomectomy, laparoscopic or robotic myomectomy, abdominal hysterectomy, laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy, or uterine artery embolization.

Study Design: The COMPARE-UF registry is a multiinstitutional prospective observational cohort study of women undergoing treatment for uterine fibroids.

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Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of vena cava filters (VCFs).

Methods: A total of 1429 participants (62.7 ± 14.

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Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of vena cava filters (VCFs).

Methods: A total of 1429 participants (62.7 ± 14.

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Huntington's disease (HD) is a disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the brain. DNA damage has been implicated in many neurological disorders; however, the association between this damage and the impaired signaling related to neurodegeneration is still unclear. The transcription factor c-AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) has a relevant role in the neuronal plasticity process regulating the expression of several genes, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

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To compare 12-month post-treatment health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and symptom severity (SS) changes among patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids (SUF) not seeking fertility and undergo a hysterectomy, abdominal myomectomy (AM), or uterine artery embolization (UAE). The Comparing Options for Management: Patient-Centered Results for Uterine Fibroids (COMPARE-UF) Registry is a multi-institutional prospective observational cohort study of patients treated for SUF. A subset of 1465 women 31-45 years of age, who underwent either hysterectomy ( = 741), AM ( = 446), or UAE ( = 155) were included in this analysis.

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 The sinus fungus ball is an agglomeration of debris and hyphae, mainly caused by , within the paranasal sinus, commonly affecting a single sinus, and it only rarely affects the frontal sinus.  To identify the state of the art of fungus ball in paranasal sinuses, especially related to the epidemiology of the disease in the frontal sinus. Additionally, this article reports a rare case of fungus ball in the frontal sinus in an adult male, and discusses the variables of this condition related to the patient.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured sports cardiology multidisciplinary team (MDT) in managing athletes' cardiac health and practices.
  • Over 115 athletes received reviews from an expert panel, resulting in improved diagnosis accuracy, reduced cardiac pathology classifications, and tailored sports guidance.
  • The findings indicate that the MDT approach leads to better outcomes in terms of definitive diagnoses, increased adherence to advice, and fewer restrictions on athletic participation.
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Background: COVID-19 vaccine-associated peripheral and central neuroimmunological disorders have been well described. We present the case of a 56 year old male who developed α3-ganglionic AChR antibody positive Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy (AAG) after completion of a two-dose course of mRNA (Comirnaty) vaccination for COVID19.

Results: A previously hypertensive 56 year old male presented with the subacute onset of severe constipation, urinary retention, erectile dysfunction, sudomotor failure, sicca symptoms, non-reactive pupils and severe orthostatic hypotension shortly after receiving the second dose of an mRNA vaccine against COVID19.

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Light-induced microbial electron transfer has potential for efficient production of value-added chemicals, biofuels and biodegradable materials owing to diversified metabolic pathways. However, most microbes lack photoactive proteins and require synthetic photosensitizers that suffer from photocorrosion, photodegradation, cytotoxicity, and generation of photoexcited radicals that are harmful to cells, thus severely limiting the catalytic performance. Therefore, there is a pressing need for biocompatible photoconductive materials for efficient electronic interface between microbes and electrodes.

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