Biases in Volumetric Versus Surface Analyses in Population Receptive Field Mapping.

Population receptive field (pRF) mapping is a quantitative functional MRI (fMRI) analysis method that links visual field positions with specific locations in the visual cortex. A common preprocessing step in pRF analyses involves projecting volumetric fMRI data onto the cortical surface, typically leading to upsampling of the data. This process may introduce biases in the resulting pRF parameters.

Randomised In Vitro Study Investigating PEEP-Stability During Application of CPAP With Binasal Prongs and Face Masks.

Aim: Face masks and binasal prongs are commonly used interfaces for applying continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in neonatology. We aimed to assess CPAP stability in a randomised controlled in vitro study.

Methods: In a simulated resuscitation scenario of a 1000-g preterm infant with respiratory distress, 20 operators (10 with/without neonatology experience) aimed to maintain a CPAP of 5 cmHO as precisely as possible using face masks or binasal prongs in random order.

Tolerance for uncertainty and medical students' specialty choices: A myth revisited.

Background: In 1962, the idea emerged that medical students' tolerance of uncertainty could determine their specialty choice. While some studies supported this claim, others refuted it, often using independently developed instruments. We explored whether the reported link between specialty choice and uncertainty tolerance is more myth than evidence by employing established instruments to investigate whether specialty choice could be explained by variance in uncertainty tolerance.

Maximal Fat Oxidation Rate in Healthy Young Adults. Influence of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Level and Sex.

Introduction: The maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and the exercise intensity that provokes MFO (FATMAX) are inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy young sedentary adults. However, how both cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level and sex influence MFO during exercise and the FATMAX is seldom analyzed.

Objectives: This study is aimed at determining the influence of CRF and sex on MFO.

Realistic total-body J-PET geometry optimization: Monte Carlo study.

Background: Total-body (TB) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is one of the most promising medical diagnostics modalities, opening new perspectives for personalized medicine, low-dose imaging, multi-organ dynamic imaging or kinetic modeling. The high sensitivity provided by total-body technology can be advantageous for novel tomography methods like positronium imaging, demanding the registration of triple coincidences. Currently, state-of-the-art PET scanners use inorganic scintillators.

Repurposing diacerein for the treatment of chronic wounds in recessive-dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients by modulating matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression.

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is caused by mutations in COL7A1, leading to loss or dysfunction of type-VII collagen (C7), a protein essential for skin stability. Clinically, patients suffer from severe skin blistering, chronic or recurrent wounds, and scarring, which predispose to early onset of aggressive squamous cell carcinoma. Previous studies showed that RDEB-keratinocytes (RDEB-KC) express high levels of matrix-metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), a molecule known to play a crucial role in wound chronification if dysregulated.

How the Consideration of Spiritual Types Could Help in Coping With Moral Distress in Intensive Care: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Moral distress is highly prevalent among health care workers in intensive care in which spirituality has been identified both as a risk factor for moral distress and as a resource to mitigate it.

Objectives: Considering these contradictory findings, this study examined why moral distress is perceived in different ways and to what extent spirituality influences the ability to cope with moral distress.

Methods: In a qualitative study in German-speaking countries, semistructured interviews were evaluated using thematic analysis and typology construction according to Stapley et al.

Epigenomics-guided precision oncology: Chromatin variants in prostate tumor evolution.

Prostate cancer is a common malignancy that in 5%-30% leads to treatment-resistant and highly aggressive disease. Metastasis-potential and treatment-resistance is thought to rely on increased plasticity of the cancer cells-a mechanism whereby cancer cells alter their identity to adapt to changing environments or therapeutic pressures to create cellular heterogeneity. To understand the molecular basis of this plasticity, genomic studies have uncovered genetic variants to capture clonal heterogeneity of primary tumors and metastases.

Defining Health Management: A Conceptual Foundation for Excellence Through Efficiency, Sustainability and Equity.

The practice of healthcare management is essential for the efficient operation of health services, encompassing leadership, management, and direction within healthcare organisations. 'Health management' extends beyond healthcare management by integrating principles of public health and health policy. As health management is commonly practised but not cohesively recognised, the European Health Management Association (EHMA) conducted this study to develop a cohesive definition of health management.

Patients with antiphospholipid antibodies preferentially seek health information from physicians: a cross-sectional online patient quantitative survey.

Little is known about how patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) access and trust health information. This research aimed to: describe the sources of information most frequently accessed/trusted by patients with APS/aPL; identify if individuals with APS/aPL perceived their health had been negatively impacted by various sources and document obstacles to accessing health information. Patients meeting Revised Sapporo Criteria for APS or with ≥1 positive aPL on ≥2 occasions were recruited to an online survey regarding their health information use at diagnosis and within 6 months preceding survey completion.

The brainstem reticular formation pivots abnormal neural transmission in the course of Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) represents an eating disorder, which features the highest rate of mortality among all psychiatric disorders. The disease prevalence is increasing steadily, and an effective cure is missing. The neurobiology of the disease is largely unknown, and only a few studies were designed to disclose specific brain areas, where altered neural transmission may occur.

Systemic Mastocytosis: Current Status and Challenges in 2024.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare disease and has had significant discoveries in its biology, prognostication, and management in the past two decades. The latest update of the WHO classification and the new ICC classification are current standards in the diagnosis and prognostication of SM. In clinical practice, SM can be divided into two main categories: non-advanced SM (nonAdvSM) and advanced SM (AdvSM).

Addition by Subtraction: Reversing Epikeratophakia and Stromal Scarring in a Patient With Myopia Magna.

Purpose: To describe a three-phase surgical approach for managing progressive visual decline in a patient with myopia magna and a history of epikeratophakia.

Methods: A 55-year-old woman with previous epikeratophakia surgery in both eyes experienced progressive visual deterioration. The three-phase approach included: (1) removal of the epikeratophakia lenticule, (2) cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation, and (3) transepithelial topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (trans-PRK).

Quantification of physiological tilt of the phakic eye using biometry parameters and anterior segment optical coherence tomography: Measuring Eye Tilt with High-Res Swept Source OCT.

Purpose: To comprehensively evaluate the tilt of the crystalline lens in phakic eyes and its relationship with optical biometry parameters.

Setting: The retrospective analysis was conducted at the Department for Ophthalmology and Optometry, Kepler University Clinic in Linz, Austria.

Design: Lens tilt assessment was performed through a combined analysis of optical biometry (IOL Master 700) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) data to understand its relationship.

Fusarium Head Blight in Argentina, a Profile of Produced Mycotoxins and a Biocontrol Strategy in Barley During Micro-Malting Process.

Barley ( L.) is the second winter crop in Argentina. In the national market, grains are mainly destined to produce malt for beer manufacture.

Characterisation of Strains and Their Prophages That Carry Horse-Specific Leukocidin Genes .

Leukocidins of (.) are bicomponent toxins that form polymeric pores in host leukocyte membranes, leading to cell death and/or triggering apoptosis. Some of these toxin genes are located on prophages and are associated with specific hosts.

Optical Coherence Tomography in Huntington's Disease-A Potential Future Biomarker for Neurodegeneration?

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which, until now, only symptomatic treatment has been available. Lately, there have been multiple ongoing clinical trials targeting therapeutic agents for preventing disease onset or slowing disease progression in HD. These studies are in constant need of reliable biomarkers for neurodegeneration in HD.

"Beyond the Finish Line" the Epidemiology of Injury and Illness in Professional Cycling: Insights from a Year-Long Prospective Study.

Injury and illness rates within cycling are a growing concern for riders, medical personnel, and event organisers. This study is the first to document injury and illness rates in professional cyclists throughout one competitive season including training and racing. A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted with 47 professional cyclists (30 males and 17 females) over the 2024 season (1 November 2023-31 October 2024).

Reliability, Objectivity, Validity and Reference Levels of the Austrian Balance Check (ABC)-A Novel Balance Field Test for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults to Assess Static Balance.

Balance is a relevant indicator of physical fitness and correlates with intellectual abilities. Due to limited resources, however, balance tests are underrepresented in fitness checks. To develop an effective field test to assess static balance with minimal cost, little spatial requirement and short testing time, a cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in three different school types (primary school, secondary school, and high school) and the reliability, objectivity and validity of the novel Austrian Balance Check (ABC) were assessed, with the generation of age- and gender-specific reference values.

Effects of Microstructured and Anti-Inflammatory-Coated Cochlear Implant Electrodes on Fibrous Tissue Growth and Neuronal Survival.

Cochlear implants are well established devices for treating severe hearing loss. However, due to the trauma caused by the insertion of the electrode and the subsequent formation of connective tissue, their clinical effectiveness varies. The aim of the current study was to achieve a long-term reduction in connective tissue growth and impedance by combining surface patterns on the electrode array with a poly-L-lactide coating containing 20% diclofenac.

Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia and the Kidney: Lessons from the URRAH Study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent global health concern affecting approximately 850 million people worldwide, with a significant and rising mortality rate. CKD often coexists with hyperuricemia (HSUA), which is also increasingly common due to its association with hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The interplay between hyperuricemia and CKD is complex; while in vitro studies and animal models support a role for uric acid mediating glomerular and tubule-interstitial damage, and HSUA has been shown to predict the onset and progression of CKD, the expectations of renal protection by the use of urate lowering treatment (ULT) are inconsistent.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Advancing Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a widely performed surgical procedure that has evolved significantly due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. As demand for THA grows, reliable tools are essential to enhance diagnosis, preoperative planning, surgical precision, and postoperative rehabilitation. AI applications in orthopedic surgery offer innovative solutions, including automated hip osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis, precise implant positioning, and personalized risk stratification, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Fundamentals and Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels and Their Applications: A Review.

This review summarizes the fundamental concepts, recent advancements, and emerging trends in the field of stimuli-responsive hydrogels. While numerous reviews exist on this topic, the field continues to evolve dynamically, and certain research directions are often overlooked. To address this, we classify stimuli-responsive hydrogels based on their response mechanisms and provide an in-depth discussion of key properties and mechanisms, including swelling kinetics, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility/biodegradability.

Rapid Multi-Well Evaluation of Assorted Materials for Hydrogel-Assisted Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Production: Empowering Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology.

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are versatile cell models in biomedical and environmental research. Of the various GUV production methods, hydrogel-assisted GUV production is most easily implemented in a typical biological laboratory. To date, agarose, polyvinyl alcohol, cross-linked dextran-PEG, polyacrylamide, and starch hydrogels have been used to produce GUVs.