Designing and clinical application of a 3D-printed personalized model of a radiofrequency needle guide with a maxillary fixator for puncture of the gasserian ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to present a newly designed 3D-printed personalized model (3D PPM) of a radiofrequency needle guide with a maxillary fixation for gasserian ganglion (GG) puncture.

Methods: Implementation of 3D CT-guided radiofrequency therapy of the GG with and without use of 3D PPM was analyzed. The following parameters were assessed: radiation time, dose area product, air kerma reference point, pain severity during the puncture needle insertion, prosopalgia regression degree (according to visual analog scale) and the severity of facial numbness (according to the Barrow Neurological Institute scale) in the early postoperative period, and postpuncture complications.

Critical Insights into LEAP2 Biology and Physiological Functions: Potential Roles Beyond Ghrelin Antagonism.

Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) has recently emerged as a novel hormone that reduces food intake and glycemia by acting through the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), also known as the ghrelin receptor. This discovery has led to a fundamental reconceptualization of GHSR's functional dynamics, now understood to be under a dual and opposing regulation. LEAP2 exhibits several distinctive features.

The Coexistence of Carotico-Clinoid Foramen and Interclinoidal Osseous Bridge: An Anatomo-Radiological Study With Surgical Implications.

Background And Objectives: The coexistence of complete carotico-clinoid bridge (CCB), an ossification between the anterior (ACP) and the middle clinoid (MCP), and an interclinoidal osseous bridge (ICB), between the ACP and the posterior clinoid (PCP), represents an uncommonly reported anatomic variant. If not adequately recognized, osseous bridges may complicate open or endoscopic surgery, along with the pneumatization of the ACP, especially when performing anterior or middle clinoidectomies.

Methods: According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a systematic scoping review was conducted up to June 5, 2023.

Clinical and Imaging Pulmonary Manifestations in IgG4-Related Disease.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to describe the frequency of pleuropulmonary computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and to compare clinical and laboratory characteristics between patients with and without pleuropulmonary involvement in chest CT.

Methods: This is a study conducted within the IgG4-RD study group of the Argentine Society of Rheumatology (GESAR IgG4) cohort of patients with IgG4-RD. Member centers of the group were requested to submit pulmonary CT scans of the patients.

Lack of context modulation in human single neuron responses in the medial temporal lobe.

In subjects implanted with intracranial electrodes, we use two different stories involving the same person (or place) to evaluate whether and to what extent context modulates human single-neuron responses. Nearly all neurons (97% during encoding and 100% during recall) initially responding to a person/place do not modulate their response with context. Likewise, nearly none (<1%) of the initially non-responsive neurons show conjunctive coding, responding to particular persons/places in a particular context during the tasks.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Labor Market in Argentina: The Intersection of Gender and Socioeconomic Background.

This paper investigates gender differences in the short- and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment status in Argentina. Using individual cross-sectional and panel data from household surveys, we compare employment status (inactive, unemployed, self-employed, or employed, distinguishing between the formal and informal sectors) before, immediately after, and a year after the pandemic. We examine how gender intersects with education and age in affecting employment status transitions and the extent to which COVID-19 deepened gender, educational, and age inequalities.

The Gendered Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment in Argentina: The Mediating Role of the Public vs. Private Sectors.

This study examines the COVID-19 pandemic's immediate and long-term impact on Argentina's labor market with a focus on gender disparities and the mediating role of the public vs. private sectors. Using household survey data, we assess men and women's employment trends before, during, and after the pandemic.

Statin use and dementia risk: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis.

Unlabelled: Dementia affects 55 million people globally, with the number projected to triple by 2050. Statins, widely prescribed for cardiovascular benefits, may also have neuroprotective effects, although studies on their impact on dementia risk have shown contradictory results. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

Association of Total Mortality and Cardiovascular Endpoints With the Timing of the First and Second Systolic Peak of the Aortic Pulse Wave.

Prognostic significance of the timing in the cardiac cycle of the first (TP1) and second (TP2) systolic peak of the central aortic pulse wave is ill-defined. Incidence rates and standardized multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of adverse health outcomes associated with TP1 and TP2, estimated by the SphygmoCor software, were assessed in the International Database of Central Arterial Properties for Risk Stratification (IDCARS) (n = 5529). Model refinement was assessed by the integrated discrimination (ID) and net reclassification (NR) improvement.

Democratization in abdominal ablation therapies: The impact of percutaneous robotic assistance on accuracy-A systematic review.

Advances in medical technology have revolutionized minimally invasive procedures. This study aims to determine the status of intra-abdominal ablation therapies, focusing on outcomes regarding technique improvement and benefits related to the learning curve. A systematic search in four databases was performed in March 2024 to identify relevant studies.

Diagnosis of Carotid Fibromuscular Dysplasia Using Transoral Ultrasound in the Intensive Care Unit.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a rare, non-atherosclerotic vascular disease affecting medium to large arteries, especially the renal and internal carotid arteries (ICAs). The string-of-beads appearance, indicative of alternating areas of stenosis and dilatation, is a key imaging feature typically observed in the distal ICAs. Diagnosing FMD in critically ill patients poses challenges due to the risks associated with traditional imaging methods such as computed tomography angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography, and digital subtraction angiography.

Environmental stress differentially affects phenotypic modularity and fluctuating asymmetry in generalist and specialist cactophilic Drosophila.

Modularity and developmental (in)stability have the potential to influence phenotype production and, consequently, the evolutionary trajectories of species. Depending on the environmental factors involved and the buffering capacity of an organism, different developmental outcomes are expected. Cactophilic Drosophila species provide an established eco-evolutionary model with well-studied ecological conditions, making them ideal for studying these phenomena.

Revisiting the neuroanatomy of Massetognathus pascuali (Eucynodontia: Cynognathia) from the early Late Triassic of South America using Neutron Tomography.

This paper analyzes the paleoneurology (cranial endocast and maxillary canal) of Massetognathus pascuali, an iconic non-mammaliaform cynodont from the early Late Triassic of South America, using Neutron Tomography. The application of neutron tomography holds the potential for uncovering more refined anatomical and quantitative data. The newly examined cranial endocast shows a forebrain with a tubular shape without an interhemispheric fissure, presence of a pineal body (with a closed parietal foramen), and a marked unossified zone.

Long-term safety and efficacy of Oleogel-S10 (birch bark extract) in epidermolysis bullosa: 24-month results from the Phase III EASE Study.

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare, severe, genetic disorders characterised by persistent skin fragility and open wounds. EB manifests as cutaneous and mucosal blistering, erosions and impaired wound healing.

Objectives: To determine the long-term efficacy, tolerability and safety of Oleogel-S10 (birch bark extract) in dystrophic (DEB) and junctional (JEB) EB in the 24-months open-label phase (OLP) of the EASE study.

Is the subischial socket better than others in subjects with transfemoral amputation? A systematic review of randomized and controlled clinical trials.

Rehabilitation is often complex for persons with transfemoral amputation, and poor socket fit is one of the main factors affecting gait re-education, rehabilitation, and quality of life. The present study systematically reviewed the literature to test whether the subischial socket provides better outcomes in comfort, quality of life, and mobility than other transfemoral sockets. Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The mobility of polypeptide chains in cow femur bones controlled by an electric field.

The influence on the mobility of polypeptide chains caused by strain misfit due to molecular electric dipole distortions under applied electric fields up to 769 kV m, in cow cortical femur samples annealed at 373 K, 423 K, and 530 K, is determined. The behaviour of strain misfit as a function of the electric field strength is determined from a mean-field model based on the Eshelby theory. In addition, Friedel's model for describing the mobility of dislocations in continuum media has been modified to determine the interaction energy between electrically generated obstacles and the polypeptide chains.

Multiple physiological response analyses of Chlorella vulgaris exposed to silver nanoparticles, ciprofloxacin, and their combination.

The combination of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) can be considered an alternative to combat multidrug-resistant microbial infections. However, knowledge about their combined toxicity is scarce after being released in an aquatic environment. The present study evaluated the individual toxicity of AgNPs and CIP and their combined toxicity on the unicellular green microalga Chlorella vulgaris, evaluating cellular responses and conducting metabolomic analysis.

Accuracy of flow volume estimation in the dilated aorta using 4D flow MRI: a pulsatile phantom study.

Aortic dilatation is a severe pathology that increases the risk of rupture and its hemodynamics could be accurately assessed by using the 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) technique but flow assessment under complex flow patterns require validation. The aim of this work was to develop an in vitro system compatible with CMR to assess the accuracy of volume flow measurements in dilated aortas. Approach.

Determining event-related desynchronization onset latency of foot dorsiflexion in people with multiple sclerosis using the cluster depth tests.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks structures of the central nervous system, resulting in lesions that can occur throughout the brain and spinal cord. Cortical lesions, in particular, can contribute to motor dysfunction. Walking disability is reported as the main impairment by people with MS (pwMS), often due to limited ankle movement.

Electrical Impedance Tomography meets Reduced Order Modelling: a framework for faster and more reliable electrical conductivity estimations.

Objective: Inclusion of individualised electrical conductivities of head tissues is crucial for the accuracy of electrical source imaging techniques based on electro/magnetoencephalography and the efficacy of transcranial electrical stimulation. Parametric electrical impedance tomography (pEIT) is a method to cheaply and non-invasively estimate them using electrode arrays on the scalp to apply currents and measure the resulting potential distribution. Conductivities are then estimated by iteratively fitting a forward model to the measurements, incurring a prohibitive computational cost that is generally lowered at the expense of accuracy.

Assessment of Rare Cancers and Sarcoma Policy and Sarcoma Drug Approvals in Latin America: A Report From the LACOG Sarcoma Group.

Purpose: The availability of drugs and national public policies for patients with rare cancers, including sarcomas, varies in different parts of the world.

Methods: In this manuscript, we have conducted a comprehensive analysis to evaluate rare cancer policies in Latin American countries' national policy documents. Additionally, we have reviewed the approvals for sarcoma drugs in selected Latin American countries and compared them with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approvals.

Lactation, mastitis, and probiotics.

Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, and prolonged with complementary feeding until 2 years of age or more, is the best nutritional approach in the first stage of life. Mastitis is a pathology that can jeopardize the continuity of breastfeeding. Different methods have been proposed for the prevention and treatment of mastitis, including probiotics.

Middle ear ventilation tubes and water precautions: A survey of otolaryngologists and pediatricians on their recommendations.

Introduction. Middle-ear ventilation tubes are commonly placed in pediatric patients because of the high frequency of otitis media. Although avoidance of water activity has been recommended to prevent otorrhea, studies indicate that exposure to water does not increase these episodes.