CT-Defined Pectoralis Muscle Density Predicts 30-Day Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Nationwide Multicenter Study.

Rationale And Objectives: The prognostic role of computed tomography (CT)-defined skeletal muscle features in COVID-19 is still under investigation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of CT-defined skeletal muscle area and density in patients with COVID-19 in a multicenter setting.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study is a part of the German multicenter project RACOON (Radiological Cooperative Network of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Novel risk predictor of arrhythmias for patients with potassium channel-related congenital long QT syndrome.

Background: Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is characterized by delayed ventricular repolarization, predisposing to potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias. The variability in disease severity among patients remains largely unexplored, underscoring the limitations of current risk stratification methods.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the potential utility of electrocardiographic markers from the exercise stress test (EST) in identifying patients with high-risk LQTS.

Mixture of neonicotinoid and fungicide affects foraging activity of honeybees.

The use of plant protection products (PPPs) is a major factor contributing to global insect decline. We here use the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model to study combined effects of the last neonicotinoid in the EU (acetamiprid) and different fungicides on live-long foraging flights using radio frequency identification. The mixture of the sterol-biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicide difenoconazole and the insecticide acetamiprid significantly reduced the number of foraging trips per day compared to the control and each PPP alone, while a mixture of the insecticide with the non-sterol-biosynthesis inhibiting fungicide boscalid/dimoxystrobin did not affect behaviour.

Dipeptides in CSF and plasma: diagnostic and therapeutic potential in neurological diseases.

Dipeptides (DPs), composed of two amino acids (AAs), hold significant therapeutic potential but remain underexplored. Given the crucial role of AAs in central nervous system (CNS) function, this study investigated the presence of DPs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and their correlation with corresponding AAs, potentially indicating their role as AA donors. Plasma and CSF samples were collected from 43 children with neurological or metabolic conditions of unknown origin, including 23 with epilepsy.

Versatile MRI acquisition and processing protocol for population-based neuroimaging.

Neuroimaging has an essential role in studies of brain health and of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, requiring the availability of versatile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition and processing protocols. We designed and developed a multipurpose high-resolution MRI protocol for large-scale and long-term population neuroimaging studies that includes structural, diffusion-weighted and functional MRI modalities. This modular protocol takes almost 1 h of scan time and is, apart from a concluding abdominal scan, entirely dedicated to the brain.

Ferric carboxymaltose with or without phosphate substitution in iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia before elective surgery - The DeFICIT trial.

Background: Iron deficiency anemia in the perioperative setting is treated predominantly with intravenous iron formulation, of which ferric carboxymaltose may induce hypophosphatemia by modulating fibroblast growth factor 23.

Methods: In this single-center, prospective, randomized, double-blind trial, we consented 92 adult patients scheduled for elective major abdominal or thoracic surgery. These patients either had isolated iron deficiency (plasma ferritin <100 ng/mL or transferrin saturation < 20 %) or iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin (Hb) 100-130 g/L with plasma ferritin <100 ng/mL or transferrin saturation < 20 %).

The conserved noncoding RNA ModT coordinates growth and virulence in Clostridioides difficile.

Bacterial noncoding RNAs fulfill a variety of cellular functions as catalysts, as scaffolds in protein complexes or as regulators of gene expression. They often exhibit complex tertiary structures that are a key determinant of their biochemical function. Here, we characterize the structured "raiA motif" RNA from Clostridioides difficile, which is conserved in more than 2,500 bacterial species from the phyla Bacillota and Actinomycetota.

sp. nov., a member of the isolated from badland surfaces in the Red Desert, Wyoming, USA.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, black-pigmented bacterium, designated as WL48A , was isolated from the surface of badland sedimentary rock in the Red Desert of Wyoming and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Good growth occurred at 28-32 °C, pH 7-9, and NaCl less than 1% (w/v). Colonies, growing well on International Streptomyces Project media (ISP) 3 and ISP 7, were black and adhering to the agar.

Dual transcatheter edge-to-edge repair in a patient with cardiac amyloidosis and severe secondary mitral and tricuspid regurgitation: a case report.

Background: Mitral and tricuspid regurgitation in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its non-specific symptoms and limited treatment options. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is complicated by altered cardiac geometry, advanced restriction, and potential amyloid valve deposits.

Case Summary: We present the case of dual TEER in a 79-year-old male with advanced transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) and severe symptomatic mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.

Gut microbiota, physical activity and/or metabolic markers in healthy individuals - towards new biomarkers of health.

Background: The global prevalence of the metabolic disease Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is increasing. Risk factors contributing to the development of T2D include overweight and obesity, lack of physical activity (PA), and an unhealthy diet. In addition, the gut microbiota has been shown to affect metabolic regulation.

Discovery and Development of an Advanced Lead for the Treatment of African Trypanosomiasis.

African trypanosomiasis is a widespread disease of human and veterinary importance caused by various with a globally devastating impact and a need for novel treatment options. We here provide a comprehensive preclinical evaluation of nucleoside analogues, 6-thioether-modified tubercidins, with curative activity against African trypanosomiasis. Promising hits were identified following screening against the most relevant trypanosome species.

Gender differences in the context of interventions for improving health literacy in migrants: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

Background: Health literacy can be defined as a person's knowledge, motivation and competence in four steps of health-related information processing - accessing, understanding, appraising and applying health-related information. Individuals with experience of migration may encounter difficulties with or barriers to these steps that may, in turn, lead to poorer health outcomes than those of the general population. Moreover, women and men have different health challenges and needs and may respond differently to interventions aimed at improving health literacy.

Large-scale brainstem neuroimaging and genetic analyses provide new insights into the neuronal mechanisms of hypertension.

While brainstem regions are central regulators of blood pressure, the neuronal mechanisms underlying their role in hypertension remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the structural and genetic relationships between global and regional brainstem volumes and blood pressure. We used magnetic resonance imaging data from n = 32,666 UK Biobank participants, and assessed the association of volumes of the whole brainstem and its main regions with blood pressure.

Neutralizing GDF-15 can overcome anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 resistance in solid tumours.

Cancer immunotherapies with antibodies blocking immune checkpoint molecules are clinically active across multiple cancer entities and have markedly improved cancer treatment. Yet, response rates are still limited, and tumour progression commonly occurs. Soluble and cell-bound factors in the tumour microenvironment negatively affect cancer immunity.

Prognostic relevance of treatment deviations in children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia who were treated in the ALL-REZ BFM 2002 study.

Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is among the most common causes of cancer-associated deaths in children. However, little is known about the implications of deviations from ALL treatment protocols on survival rates. The present study elucidates the various characteristics of treatment deviations in children with relapsed ALL included in the ALL-REZ BFM 2002 (i.

PICNIC accurately predicts condensate-forming proteins regardless of their structural disorder across organisms.

Biomolecular condensates are membraneless organelles that can concentrate hundreds of different proteins in cells to operate essential biological functions. However, accurate identification of their components remains challenging and biased towards proteins with high structural disorder content with focus on self-phase separating (driver) proteins. Here, we present a machine learning algorithm, PICNIC (Proteins Involved in CoNdensates In Cells) to classify proteins that localize to biomolecular condensates regardless of their role in condensate formation.

Preventive effect of MitoQ supplementation and endurance training on glioblastoma and its consequences: TLR4/CREB/ NF-κβ /IL-1β pathway and behaviors.

Objective: The present study investigated the preventive effect of MitoQ supplementation and endurance training (ET) on the TLR4/CREB/ NF-κβ signaling pathway, antioxidant indices, and behaviors in C6-induced glioblastoma (GBM) in rats.

Methods: 60 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 12); Sham, Tumor, MitoQ, ET, and MitoQ + ET. Rats in the training groups performed endurance training (5 days per week), and MitoQ at the dose of 250 µM/L daily was administered in drinking water for 8 weeks.

Design, construction and validation of a magnetic particle imaging (MPI) system for human brain imaging.

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) was introduced in 2005 as a promising, tracer-based medical imaging modality with the potential for high sensitivity and spatial resolution. Since then, numerous preclinical devices have been built but only a few human-scale devices, none of which targeted functional neuroimaging. In this work, we probe the challenges of scaling the technology to meet the needs of human functional neuroimaging with sufficient sensitivity for detecting the hemodynamic changes following brain activation with a spatio-temporal resolution comparable to current functional magnetic resonance imaging approaches.

Accuracy of Reaction Coordinate Based Rate Theories for Modelling Chemical Reactions: Insights From the Thermal Isomerization in Retinal.

Modern potential energy surfaces have shifted attention to molecular simulations of chemical reactions. While various methods can estimate rate constants for conformational transitions in molecular dynamics simulations, their applicability to studying chemical reactions remains uncertain due to the high and sharp energy barriers and complex reaction coordinates involved. This study focuses on the thermal cis-trans isomerization in retinal, employing molecular simulations and comparing rate constant estimates based on one-dimensional rate theories with those based on sampling transitions and grid-based models for low-dimensional collective variable spaces.

Palbociclib plus letrozole in estrogen receptor-positive advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer: Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized phase II ENGOT-EN3/PALEO trial.

Purpose: The CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib inhibits cyclin A, which is overexpressed in endometrial cancer. Combining palbociclib with endocrine therapy improves efficacy in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. We investigated palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-positive advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer.

Biomechanically induced regulation of Damage-Regulated Autophagy Modulator 1 in periodontal cells and tissues.

Purpose: Autophagy is an important adaptive process for mechanotransduction, in which Damage-Regulated Autophagy Modulator 1 (DRAM1) has a key function in cell fate determination. This study aimed to analyze the influence of biomechanical loading on DRAM1 expression in periodontal cells and tissues.

Methods: Human periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts were stimulated with different pressure protocols, physiological load and overload, in the presence and absence of autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and compared with untreated cells.

Prognostic Value of Coronary CT Angiography-Derived Quantitative Flow Ratio in Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.

Background The prognostic value of coronary CT angiography (CTA)-derived quantitative flow ratio (CT-QFR) remains unknown. Purpose To determine the prognostic value of CT-QFR in predicting the long-term outcomes of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in comparison with invasive coronary angiography (ICA)/SPECT and to determine the influence of prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the prognostic value of CT-QFR. Materials and Methods In this secondary analysis of the prospective international CORE320 study, 379 participants who underwent coronary CTA and SPECT within 60 days before ICA between November 2009 and July 2011 were included for follow-up.