Molecular Mimicry Between Gut Microbiome and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Concepts.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents an autoimmune condition impacted by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with the gut microbiome (GMB) being one of the influential environmental factors. Patients with RA display notable modifications in the composition of their GMB, characterised by decreased diversity and distinct bacterial alterations. The GMB, comprising an extensive array of approximately 35,000 bacterial species residing within the gastrointestinal tract, has garnered considerable attention as a pivotal contributor to both human health and the pathogenesis of diseases.

Gut-brain axis and neuroplasticity in health and disease: a systematic review.

The gut microbiota emerged as a potential modulator of brain connectivity in health and disease. This systematic review details current evidence on the gut-brain axis and its influence on brain connectivity. The initial set of studies included 532 papers, updated to January 2024.

Aprotic electrolytes beyond organic carbonates: transport properties of LiTFSI solutions in sulphur based solvents.

This work illustrates a physico-chemical study of the structural, dynamic, and transport properties of electrolytes made of LiTFSI solutions in sulphoxide and sulphone solvent mixtures. Experimental measurements, by Raman and NMR spectroscopies, as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, reveal the formation of a variety of ionic aggregates depending on the solvent composition that significantly affect the ion mobility and conductivity of the electrolyte. Mixtures containing tetrahydrothiophene-1-oxide exhibit a larger ion mobility due to a rapid exchange mechanism between solvent molecules, whereas the use of tetramethylene sulphone favors the formation of ionic aggregates due to the strong dipolar interactions between solvent molecules.

Chemical profiling by HPLC-DAD and GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial potential of Achillea santolina plant extracts against ESBL- producing E. coli and fungal pathogens.

The study examines the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of petroleum ether and hydro-methanolic extracts of Achillea santolina(A. santolina)  from Algeria. Chemical profiling was performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) for the hydro-methanolic extract and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for the petroleum ether extract.

Protocol for high-resolution 3D spatial transcriptomics using Open-ST.

Spatial transcriptomics (ST) is fundamental for understanding molecular mechanisms in health and disease. Here, we present a protocol for efficient and high-resolution ST in 2D/3D with Open-ST. We describe all steps for repurposing Illumina flow cells into spatially barcoded capture areas and preparing ST libraries from stained cryosections.

The inactivation of the Niemann Pick C1 cholesterol transporter restricts SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells by decreasing ACE2 abundance at the plasma membrane.

Background: The Niemann Pick C1 (NPC1) protein is an intracellular cholesterol transporter located in the late endosome/lysosome (LE/Ly) that is involved in the mobilization of endocytosed cholesterol. Loss-of-function mutations in the NPC1 gene lead to the accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids in LE/Ly, resulting in severe fatal NPC1 disease. Cellular alterations associated with NPC1 inactivation affect both the integrity of lipid rafts and the endocytic pathway.

The ligamentum teres and its role in hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: a systematic review.

Background: The ligamentum teres (LT) has received attention in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy (HA) for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Indeed, a better understanding of the function of the LT and its implications for clinical outcomes in the presence of a torn LT is required. This systematic review analyses the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and the complication rate when an intact or torn LT is encountered during HA for FAI.

Arthroscopic lateral ligament reconstruction for isolated chronic lateral ankle instability is associated with longer recovery compared to arthroscopic Broström repair and inferior extensor retinaculum augmentation.

Background: Patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) can be managed with arthroscopic Broström repair and inferior extensor retinaculum augmentation or arthroscopic assisted lateral ligament reconstruction using ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft, with good functional outcomes in patients. It is unclear whether one offers better outcome that the other. This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data compared the outcomes of repair and reconstruction.

Early vs Late Anticoagulation After Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Covert Brain Infarcts.

Background And Objectives: Covert brain infarcts (CBIs) in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke (IS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence. We aimed to assess whether CBIs modify the treatment effect of early vs late initiation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with IS and AF.

Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the international, multicenter, randomized-controlled ELAN trial, which compared early (<48 hours after ischemic stroke for minor and moderate stroke, 6-7 days for major stroke) vs late (>48 hours for minor, 3-4 days for moderate, 12-14 days for major stroke) initiation of DOACs in patients with IS and AF.

Clinico-pathological predictors of radiologic complete response to first-line anti-HER2 therapy in metastatic breast cancer.

This study aimed to identify the clinico-pathological variables predictive of radiologic complete response (rCR) to first-line anti-HER2 therapy in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients were selected from the database of the GIM14 study and classified according to the best radiologic response obtained to first-line anti-HER2 therapy and upon time-to-treatment-discontinuation (TTD). A total of 545 patients were included in the analysis.

Similar efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections and other biologically active injections in patients with early stages knee osteoarthritis: a level I meta-analysis.

Introduction: The present meta-analysis compared the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections in patients with early to mild knee osteoarthritis (OA) (Kellgren Lawrence I-II) versus other commonly injected biologically active compounds using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The outcomes of interest were the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario McMaster Osteo-Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores.

Methods: This study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement.

On the anatomy of acoustic emission.

Abrupt, local frictional fault failure comprises a displacement that is normally accompanied by acoustic emission (AE)-an impulsive elastic wave broadcast with an amplitude proportional to particle velocity. The aggregate of these displacements is the basic fault motion. In laboratory shear experiments, the examination of a sequence of laboratory earthquakes includes continuous measurements of fault motion and the associated AE that is broadcast.

Assessing diagnostic accuracy of intravascular imaging for functionally significant coronary stenosis: updated findings from a meta-analysis.

Background: Accurate discrimination of functionally significant coronary stenosis using intravascular imaging remains uncertain, particularly with regard to vessel size. This meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic performance of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for identifying functionally significant coronary stenosis as confirmed by fractional flow reserve (FFR).

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar identified studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of IVUS and OCT by minimal luminal area (MLA) with FFR as the reference standard.

Pathological findings at invasive assessment in MINOCA: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pathological mechanisms of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) are heterogeneous, with an unknown impact on prognosis, and often remain unrecognised in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic impact of pathological findings by invasive coronary angiography (ICA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and coronary function testing in MINOCA.

Methods: Studies published until August 2023 were searched on PubMed and SCOPUS and included if reporting the prevalence of patients with non-obstructive coronary arteries (NObs-CA; 1-49% coronary stenosis) versus normal coronary arteries (NCA; 0% coronary stenosis) by ICA, pathological findings by OCT, and/or coronary vasomotor tests in MINOCA.

Inter- and intra-molecular charge redistributions in H-bonded Cyanuric Acid*Melamine (CA*M) networks: insight from core level spectroscopy and natural bond orbital analysis.

In this work, we elucidate the electronic charge redistributions that occur within the cyanuric acid (CA) and melamine (M) molecules upon formation of the triple H-bond between the imide group of CA and the diaminopyridine group of M. To achieve this, we investigated 2D H-bonded assemblies of M, CA and CA*M grown on the Au(111) surface, using X-ray photoemission (XPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopies. Compared to the homomolecular networks, the spectra of the mixed sample reveal core level shifts in opposite directions for CA and M, indicating a nearly complementary charge accumulation on the CA molecule and a charge depletion on the M molecule.

Anaesthesia practice in Europe: A survey of the National Anaesthesiologists Societies Committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.

Background: Similar to other continents, Europe is experiencing a shortage of anaesthesia workforce, which profoundly impacts the national healthcare systems of affected countries.

Objective: To assess the current landscape of the anaesthesia workforce, organisational practices, rules and responsibilities of anaesthesiologists and other anaesthesia providers in operating rooms.

Design: Survey.

Enhancing Autism Detection Through Gaze Analysis Using Eye Tracking Sensors and Data Attribution with Distillation in Deep Neural Networks.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and repetitive behaviors, often associated with atypical visual attention patterns. In this paper, the Gaze-Based Autism Classifier (GBAC) is proposed, which is a Deep Neural Network model that leverages both data distillation and data attribution techniques to enhance ASD classification accuracy and explainability. Using data sampled by eye tracking sensors, the model identifies unique gaze behaviors linked to ASD and applies an explainability technique called TracIn for data attribution by computing self-influence scores to filter out noisy or anomalous training samples.

A Review of the Literature on Videoscopic and Robotic Inguinal-Iliac-Obturator Lymphadenectomy in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma.

Inguinal-iliac-obturator lymph node dissection is essential in the treatment of patients with cutaneous melanoma exhibiting the clinical or radiological involvement of pelvic lymph nodes. The open procedure is associated with elevated mortality rates. Numerous minimally invasive approaches have been suggested to mitigate the impact of this surgery on the patient's quality of life.

No Effect of Cigarette Smoking in the Outcome of Arthroscopic Management for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review.

The impact of smoking in arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabolar impingement (FAI) is controversial. This systematic review updates and discusses current evidence on the influence of cigarette smoking on the outcome of arthroscopic management of FAI. The outcomes of interest were to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and complications.

Management of Clinically Negative Neck in Early-Stage (T1-2N0) Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma (OSCC): Ten Years of a Single Institution's Experience.

: Oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma is among the most frequent head and neck neoplasms. Early-stage T1/T2N0 accounts for 40/45% of new diagnoses. Of these, about 30% of cases hide occult metastases in the neck.

Bioguided Identification of Polymethoxyflavones as Novel Vascular Ca1.2 Channel Blockers from Citrus Peel.

The huge amount of citrus peel produced worldwide represents an economic burden for society. However, this agricultural by-product is a rich source of natural molecules, potentially endowed with interesting pharmacological activities. In this regard, we decided to investigate if the polymethoxyflavones contained in citrus peel waste could be exploited as novel vasorelaxant agents.

Early Experience with Inner Branch Stent-Graft System for Endovascular Repair of Thoraco-Abdominal and Pararenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the technical and clinical outcomes of the E-nside stent graft for thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) and pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (PAAA) endovascular treatment at our University Hospital Center.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients electively treated by inner branched EVAR (iBEVAR) between 05/2021 and 03/2023. Demographic, procedural, and clinical data were analyzed.

A Meta-Analysis of Mitral Surgery in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Anomalous Left Coronary Artery: When to Perform Repair?

The present study is the first meta-analysis comparing long-term outcomes in patients undergoing correction for anomalous left coronary artery (ALCAPA) regarding concomitant mitral valve surgery. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all relevant studies with comparative data on mitral valve surgery performed during surgery for ALCAPA correction. Predefined primary end points included mortality and mitral valve (re)operation.

Epidemiological Assessment of Malaria Prevalence among Children Under 5 in Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Cameroon, particularly affecting children under 5 years of age. Despite these efforts, its prevalence persists, highlighting the need for comprehensive epidemiological studies to guide interventions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five randomly selected health areas across five regions of Cameroon.