Persistent symptoms and clinical findings in adults with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19/post-COVID-19 syndrome in the second year after acute infection: A population-based, nested case-control study.

Background: Self-reported health problems following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are common and often include relatively non-specific complaints such as fatigue, exertional dyspnoea, concentration or memory disturbance and sleep problems. The long-term prognosis of such post-acute sequelae of COVID-19/post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is unknown, and data finding and correlating organ dysfunction and pathology with self-reported symptoms in patients with non-recovery from PCS is scarce. We wanted to describe clinical characteristics and diagnostic findings among patients with PCS persisting for >1 year and assessed risk factors for PCS persistence versus improvement.

Association between non-insulin-based insulin resistance indicators and frailty progression: a national cohort study and mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is linked to an increased risk of frailty, yet it remains unclear whether the non-insulin-based IR indicators are associated with frailty trajectories and physical function decline. It aimed to examine the associations of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) and with long-term deficit-accumulation frailty trajectories and physical function decline.

Methods: Data from 6722 participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analyzed.

Revisiting ascending aortic resection in the elective valve-sparing root replacement: assessing the benefits and necessity of hemiarch replacement at three centres.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the indication and optimal timing for performing a hemiarch procedure in patients undergoing valve-sparing root replacement (VSRR).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 986 patients undergoing VSRR at three tertiary care centres. Inclusion criteria were all patients undergoing elective VSRR.

Survival of Eurasian lynx in the human-dominated landscape of Europe.

Survival and cause-specific mortality rates are vital for evidence-based population forecasting and conservation, particularly for large carnivores, whose populations are often vulnerable to human-caused mortalities. It is therefore important to know the relationship between anthropogenic and natural mortality causes to evaluate whether they are additive or compensatory. Further, the relation between survival and environmental covariates could reveal whether specific landscape characteristics influence demographic performance.

Shape-matching-based fracture reduction aid concept exemplified on the proximal humerus-a pilot study.

Purpose: Optimizing fracture reduction quality is key to achieve successful osteosynthesis, especially for epimetaphyseal regions such as the proximal humerus (PH), but can be challenging, partly due to the lack of a clear endpoint. We aimed to develop the prototype for a novel intraoperative C-arm-based aid to facilitate true anatomical reduction of fractures of the PH.

Methods: The proposed method designates the reduced endpoint position of fragments by superimposing the outer boundary of the premorbid bone shape on intraoperative C-arm images, taking the mirrored intact contralateral PH from the preoperative CT scan as a surrogate.

Predictors and outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection requiring concomitant veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support-a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: The study aim was to investigate the outcomes and risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) receiving concomitant veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

Methods: Patients from five European centers who underwent surgery for ATAAD and received perioperative veno-arterial ECMO support were included. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for thirty-day mortality.

Conservation benefits of a large marine protected area network that spans multiple ecosystems.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely implemented tools for long-term ocean conservation and resource management. Assessments of MPA performance have largely focused on specific ecosystems individually and have rarely evaluated performance across multiple ecosystems either in an individual MPA or across an MPA network. We evaluated the conservation performance of 59 MPAs in California's large MPA network, which encompasses 4 primary ecosystems (surf zone, kelp forest, shallow reef, deep reef) and 4 bioregions, and identified MPA attributes that best explain performance.

PGM3 insufficiency: a glycosylation disorder causing a notable T cell defect.

Background: Hypomorphic mutations in the () gene cause a glycosylation disorder that leads to immunodeficiency. It is often associated with recurrent infections and atopy. The exact etiology of this condition remains unclear.

Biofabrication of anisotropic articular cartilage based on decellularized extracellular matrix.

Tissue-engineered grafts that mimic articular cartilage show promise for treating cartilage injuries. However, engineering cartilage cell-based therapies to match zonal architecture and biochemical composition remains challenging. Decellularized articular cartilage extracellular matrix (dECM) has gained attention for its chondro-inductive properties, yet dECM-based bioinks have limitations in mechanical stability and printability.

Crystal Lattice Analysis for 2D Nanomorphology Prediction of Phase-Separated Materials.

Spontaneous phase separation of materials is a powerful strategy to generate highly defined 2D nanomorphologies with novel properties and functions. Exemplary are such morphologies in block copolymers or amphiphilic systems, whose formation can be well predicted based on parameters such as volume fraction and shape factor. In contrast, the formation of 2D nanomorphologies is currently unpredictable in materials perfectly defined at the molecular level, in which crystallinity plays a significant role.

Post mortem cadaveric and imaging mapping analysis of the influence of cochlear implants on cMRI assessment regarding implant positioning and artifact formation.

Objectives: In times of an aging society and considering the escalating health economic costs, the indications for imaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), must be carefully considered and strictly adhered to. This cadaver study aims to examine the influence of cochlear implant (CI) on the assessment of intracranial structures, artifact formation, and size in cranial MRI (cMRI). Furthermore, it seeks to evaluate the potential limitations in the interpretability and diagnostic value of cMRI in CI patients.

Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction normalizes patellar kinematics but fails to predict cartilage contact area: A prospective 3D MRI study.

Introduction: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is the main patellar stabilizer in low knee flexion degrees (0-30°). Isolated MPFL reconstruction (MPFLr) is therefore considered the gold standard of surgical procedures for low flexion patellofemoral instabilities (PFIs). Despite excellent clinical results, little is known about the effect of MPFLr on kinematic parameters (KPs) of the patellofemoral joint in vivo.

Practical algebraic calculus and Nullstellensatz with the checkers Pacheck and Pastèque and Nuss-Checker.

Unlabelled: Automated reasoning techniques based on computer algebra have seen renewed interest in recent years and are for example heavily used in formal verification of arithmetic circuits. However, the verification process might contain errors. Generating and checking proof certificates is important to increase the trust in automated reasoning tools.

A xenogenic-free culture medium for cell micro-patterning systems as cell-instructive biomaterials for potential clinical applications.

Cell micro-patterning controls cell fate and function and has potential for generating therapeutically usable mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) populations with precise functions. However, to date, the micro-patterning of human cells in a translational context has been impossible because only ruminant media supplements, e.g.

Food insecurity and lifestyle behaviours in university students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative survey across three countries.

Background: University students, often unemployed and reliant on low-nutrition foods, are susceptible to food insecurity (FI) with potential physical and mental health challenges. This study explores FI and its impact on lifestyle behaviours among university students.

Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was performed by sending an online questionnaire to university students in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Excessive health behaviors in sports: links of orthorexia nervosa and exercise addiction with well-being, exercise activity in sports categories, and gender effects.

Background And Aims: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe), the obsessive fixation on healthy eating, and exercise addiction (ExAdd) have been discussed as correlated excessive health behaviors with potential mental health implications. The role of gender-and sports-specific differences remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the links of ExAdd, OrNe, and the non-pathological interest in healthy eating (healthy orthorexia; HeOr) with well-being and exercise activity in various sports, considering gender effects.

Intra-operative and post-operative management of conduits for coronary artery bypass grafting: a clinical consensus statement of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Coronary Task Force.

The structural and functional integrity of conduits used for coronary artery bypass grafting is critical for graft patency. Disruption of endothelial integrity and endothelial dysfunction are incurred during conduit harvesting subsequent to mechanical or thermal injury and during conduit storage prior to grafting, leading to acute thrombosis and early graft failure. Late graft failure, in particular that of vein grafts, is precipitated by progressive atherogenesis.

Immunological effects of CD19.CAR-T cell therapy in systemic sclerosis: an extended case study.

Objective: The high potential of CD19.CAR-T cells to treat autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) supposedly relies on the disappearance of autoantibodies. Here we investigated effects of CAR-T cells on the innate immune system which is an important contributor to pathology in SSc.

Comparative analysis of cell morphology in patient-paired primary human osteoblasts from the jaw and the fibula.

Previous studies hint at possible differences in osteogenic, osteoimmunologic, and angiogenetic potential among primary human osteoblasts (HOBs) from different origins (iliac and alveolar bone) within the same patient. In this study, HOBs from the jaw and the fibula were investigated for the first time to gain further knowledge about the similarities and differences on the cellular morphological level. Patient-paired HOB cultures from the jaw and fibula of 14 patients (60.

Psychometric Evaluation of the New Translated and Culturally Adapted Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire in German-Speaking Women.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the newly adapted German version of the Parental Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) in a group of mothers drawn from the general population, with children aged 12-24 weeks. This assessment followed a thorough linguistic validation, which was conducted through a systematic, multi-step translation process.

Methods: 363 women completed the PBQ online 12-24 weeks after delivery.

ChatGPT as a Source for Patient Information on Patellofemoral Surgery-A Comparative Study Amongst Laymen, Doctors, and Experts.

Introduction: In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT for public use through a free online platform. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot trained on a broad dataset encompassing a wide range of topics, including medical literature. The usability in the medical field and the quality of AI-generated responses are widely discussed and are the subject of current investigations.

JNK1 inhibitors target distal B cell receptor signaling and overcome BTK-inhibitor resistance in CLL.

Inhibition of the proximal B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway by BTK inhibitors is highly effective in the treatment of CLL, but drug resistance or intolerance occurs. Here, we investigated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1) as an alternative drug target in the distal BCR pathway. JNK1 was preferentially overexpressed and activated in poor prognostic CLL with unmutated IGHV.