Brain Hypertrophy in Patients With Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy With Hippocampal Sclerosis and Its Clinical Correlates.

Background And Objectives: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is generally associated with focal brain atrophy, but little knowledge exists on possible disease-related hypertrophy of brain structures. We hypothesized that repeated seizures or adaptive plasticity may lead to focal brain hypertrophy and aimed to investigate associated clinical correlates.

Methods: In this cohort study, we included patients with mTLE undergoing detailed epilepsy evaluations and matched healthy volunteers (HVs) from 2 tertiary centers (discovery and validation cohorts).

The effect of job loss on risky financial decision-making.

Job loss is a common and disruptive life event. It is known to have numerous long-term negative effects on financial, health, and social outcomes. While the negative effects of becoming unemployed on health and well-being are well understood, the influence of job loss on financial decisions has received little attention.

Ferroelectric Domain Wall Warp Memristor.

Domain walls are quasi-one-dimensional topological defects in ferroic materials, which can harbor emergent functionalities. In the case of ferroelectric domain wall (FEDW) devices, an exciting frontier has emerged: memristor-based information storage and processing approaches. Memristor solid-state FEDW devices presented thus far, however predominantly utilize a complex network of domain walls to achieve the desired regulation of density and charge state.

A novel placement method of a calibration-free pH capsule for continuous wireless measurement of intragastric pH in horses.

Background: Current methods to measure intragastric pH in horses have limitations. A wireless capsule has been designed for continuous esophageal pH monitoring in humans.

Objectives: To (1) determine the feasibility and describe the methodology of measuring intragastric pH wirelessly in horses; and (2) determine attachment duration of the capsules.

MixtureFinder: Estimating DNA mixture models for phylogenetic analyses.

In phylogenetic studies, both partitioned models and mixture models are used to account for heterogeneity in molecular evolution among the sites of DNA sequence alignments. Partitioned models require the user to specify the grouping of sites into subsets, and then assume that each subset of sites can be modelled by a single common process. Mixture models do not require users to pre-specify subsets of sites, and instead calculate the likelihood of every site under every model, while co-estimating the model weights and parameters.

Hypoglycaemia following physical exercise in a patient with novel SLC16A1 variant.

Rare defects in the promoter region of SLC16A1, the gene encoding monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT-1), result in exercise-induced hyperinsulinism. In this disorder inappropriate insulin secretion is triggered by anaerobic exercise with consequent hypoglycaemia. We describe the case of a 41 year old man presenting with a generalised tonic clonic seizure and severe hypoglycaemia following strenuous exercise.

Geocultural differences in pre-schooler sleep profiles and family practices: an analysis of pooled data from 37 countries.

Study Objectives: To examine 1) multidimensional sleep profiles in pre-schoolers (3-6 years) across geocultural regions and 2) differences in sleep characteristics and family practices between Majority World regions (Pacific Islands, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America) and the Minority World (the Western world).

Methods: Participants were 3507 pre-schoolers from 37 countries. Nighttime sleep characteristics and nap duration (accelerometer: n=1950) and family practices (parental questionnaire) were measured.

Outcomes of Total Ankle Replacement Versus Ankle Arthrodesis for the Treatment of End-Stage Ankle Arthritis: A Concise Follow-up, at a Minimum of 10 Years, of a Previous Report.

Abstract: Despite the increasing utilization of total ankle replacement (TAR) for end-stage ankle arthritis, there remains a paucity of long-term follow-up data comparing arthroplasty to arthrodesis. The aim of the current paper was to provide the long-term clinical outcomes of TAR and ankle arthrodesis (AA), measured with use of validated scoring instruments, in a prospective multicenter cohort of patients with ankle arthritis. This cohort from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) Prospective Ankle Reconstruction Database comprised patients who underwent TAR or AA between 2001 and 2007.

Seroepidemiology of human leptospirosis in the Dominican Republic: A multistage cluster survey, 2021.

Little is known about the epidemiology of leptospirosis in the Dominican Republic, the second most populous country in the Caribbean. We report on findings from a multi-stage household survey across two regions in the country that reveals a previously under-estimated burden of human Leptospira infection. Our findings, based on the reference-standard microscopic agglutination test, indicate a complex picture of serogroup diversity, spatial heterogeneity in infection and risk, and a marked discrepancy between reported cases and serologically estimated infections.

Extracting interpretable signatures of whole-brain dynamics through systematic comparison.

The brain's complex distributed dynamics are typically quantified using a limited set of manually selected statistical properties, leaving the possibility that alternative dynamical properties may outperform those reported for a given application. Here, we address this limitation by systematically comparing diverse, interpretable features of both intra-regional activity and inter-regional functional coupling from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data, demonstrating our method using case-control comparisons of four neuropsychiatric disorders. Our findings generally support the use of linear time-series analysis techniques for rs-fMRI case-control analyses, while also identifying new ways to quantify informative dynamical fMRI structures.

Abalones at risk: A global Red List assessment of Haliotis in a changing climate.

There is increasing awareness that marine invertebrates such as abalones are at risk from the combined stressors of fishing and climate change. Abalones are an important marine fishery resource and of cultural importance to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. A highly priced marine delicacy, they are inherently vulnerable: individuals are slow-growing and long-lived and successful reproduction requires dense assemblages.

Primipaternity in multiparas as a predominant high risk factor for preeclampsia over prolonged birth intervals: A study of 33,000 singleton pregnancies in Reunion Island.

Objectives: To evaluate the relative importance of changing paternity ("primipaternity", direct inquiry with patients) in multiparas versus prolonged birth/pregnancy interval as risk factors for preeclampsia (PE) by a logistic regression model comparing the adjusted odds ratios of both exposures.

Design: Assessment of all consecutive singleton deliveries (from 22 weeks onwards) at South-Reunion University's maternity (Reunion Island, Indian Ocean) over 23 years (2001-2023) using an epidemiological perinatal database on obstetrical factors (264 items in total, of which, chronic or gestational hypertension, proteinuria, HELLP syndrome).

Results: Among the 53,572 multiparous singleton pregnancies, we identified 33,312 (62%) of multiparas who gave consecutive births, allowing calculation of birth intervals.

Temporal response patterns of Layer 4 rat barrel cortex neurons across various naturalistic whisker motions.

A central topic in neuroscience is the neural coding problem which aims to decipher how the brain signals sensory information through neural activity. Despite significant advancements in this area, the characterisation of information encoding through the precise timing of spikes in the somatosensory cortex is limited. Here, we utilised a comprehensive dataset from previous studies to identify and characterise temporal response patterns of Layer 4 neurons of the rat barrel cortex to five distinct stimuli with varying complexities: Basic, Contact, Whisking, Rough, and Smooth.

Parametric analysis on the global design of flexible riser under different environmental conditions using OrcaFlex.

The application of flexible risers has led to increased production of fluid contents in the marine industry. This paper presents the design challenges of a flexible riser subjected to internal pressure under deep-water conditions, at a water depth of 2000 m. Parametric variations with extensive dynamic analysis were carried out.

Robot-Assisted Synthesis of Structure-Controlled Star-Cluster Hydrogels with Targeted Mechanophysical Properties for Biomedical Applications.

Advancements in polymer chemistry have enabled the design of macromolecular structures with tailored properties for diverse applications. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization is a controlled technique for precise polymer design. Automation tools further enhance polymer synthesis by enabling the rapid, reproducible preparation of polymer libraries.

Flexible X-Ray Detector for Cumulative Dose Monitoring Through Reversible Photochromism and Luminescence Modulation.

This study presents a multi-mode X-ray detection and imaging strategy by integrating photochromism, photoluminescence, and radioluminescence into Tb-doped CaAlSiO. CaAlSiO: Tb exhibits stable radioluminescence, oxygen vacancy-related photochromism, and photoluminescence modulation, all of which showed a linear relationship with X-ray exposure. This multi-mode response enables high-quality imaging and detection in both bright and dark conditions, facilitating time-dependent cumulative X-ray radiation dose assessments.

Characterizing the Effect of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure and mTBI on Adolescent Collision Sports Players' Brain with Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Athletes in collision sports frequently sustain repetitive head impacts (RHI), which, while not individually severe enough for a clinical mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) diagnosis, can compromise neuronal organization by transferring mechanical energy to the brain. Although numerous studies target athletes with mTBI, there is a lack of longitudinal research on young collision sport participants, highlighting an unaddressed concern regarding cumulative RHI effects on brain microstructures. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the microstructural changes in the brains' of high school rugby players due to repeated head impacts and to establish a correlation between clinical symptoms, cumulative effects of RHI exposure, and changes in the brain's microstructure.

Acid-Catalyzed Redox Isomerizations of 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-4-ols Provide Mechanistic Insights for Levoglucosenone Formation.

Levoglucosenone is an important platform chemical and the principal product of acid-catalyzed cellulose pyrolysis, formed through several intermediates including levoglucosan. An acid-catalyzed redox isomerization of substituted 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.

A Multi-Center Study of Ossiculoplasty Hearing Outcomes and a Grading Scale of Ear Environment Risk.

Objective: To determine which ear environment risk factors impact ossiculoplasty hearing outcomes and to generate a statistically-valid grading system for ossiculoplasty outcome reporting.

Study Type: Retrospective case series.

Methods: A multi-institutional database was generated from cases performed between 2011 and 2019.

Highly Efficient Transpeptidase-Catalyzed Isopeptide Ligation.

Transpeptidases are specialized enzymes that have evolved for site-selective modification of peptides and proteins at their backbone termini. Approaches for adapting transpeptidases to catalyze side chain modifications are substantially more restricted, and typically rely on large recognition tags or require specific reaction conditions that are not easily compatible with broader applications. Here we show that the engineered asparaginyl ligase AEP1 catalyzes direct isopeptide ligation by accepting an internal 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) residue adjacent to Leu, a motif that mimics the canonical N-terminal Gly-Leu substrate.

Making Video Games More Inclusive for People Living With Motor Neuron Disease: Scoping Review.

Background: Evidence suggests that individuals with motor neuron disease (MND), a terminal illness, find enjoyment and social connection through video games. However, MND-related barriers can make gaming challenging, exacerbating feelings of boredom, stress, isolation, and loss of control over daily life.

Objective: We scoped the evidence to describe relevant research and practice regarding what may help reduce difficulties for people with MND when playing video games.