Efficient optimisation of physical reservoir computers using only a delayed input.

Reservoir computing is a machine learning algorithm for processing time dependent data which is well suited for experimental implementation. Tuning the hyperparameters of the reservoir is a time-consuming task that limits is applicability. Here we present an experimental validation of a recently proposed optimisation technique in which the reservoir receives both the input signal and a delayed version of the input signal.

α-Synuclein fibrils enhance HIV-1 infection of human T cells, macrophages and microglia.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and viral reservoirs in the brain remain a significant challenge. Despite their importance, the mechanisms allowing HIV-1 entry and replication in the central nervous system (CNS) are poorly understood. Here, we show that α-synuclein and (to a lesser extent) Aβ fibrils associated with neurological diseases enhance HIV-1 entry and replication in human T cells, macrophages, and microglia.

Cortical areas associated to higher cognition drove primate brain evolution.

Although intense research effort is seeking to address which brain areas fire and connect to each other to produce complex behaviors in a few living primates, little is known about their evolution, and which brain areas or facets of cognition were favored by natural selection. By developing statistical tools to study the evolution of the brain cortex at the fine scale, we found that rapid cortical expansion in the prefrontal region took place early on during the evolution of primates. In anthropoids, fast-expanding cortical areas extended to the posterior parietal cortex.

Ethics and trustworthiness of artificial intelligence in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary surgery: a snapshot of insights from the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA) survey.

Background: Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) surgery is a complex specialty and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications have the potential to improve pre- intra- and postoperative outcomes of HPB surgery. While ethics guidelines have been developed for the use of AI in clinical surgery, the ethical implications and reliability of AI in HPB surgery remain specifically unexplored.

Methods: An online survey was developed by the Innovation Committee of the E-AHPBA to investigate the current perspectives on the ethical principles and trustworthiness of AI in HPB Surgery among E-AHPBA membership.

Fine-tuning of gene expression through the Mettl3-Mettl14-Dnmt1 axis controls ESC differentiation.

The marking of DNA, histones, and RNA is central to gene expression regulation in development and disease. Recent evidence links N6-methyladenosine (mA), installed on RNA by the METTL3-METTL14 methyltransferase complex, to histone modifications, but the link between mA and DNA methylation remains scarcely explored. This study shows that METTL3-METTL14 recruits the DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 to chromatin for gene-body methylation.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in HER2-positive breast cancer: potential impact and challenges.

Introduction: In this review, we evaluate the role of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) as a biomarker in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, exploring the prognostic and predictive potential in various treatment settings.

Methods: Data from multiple clinical trials in the early and metastatic settings, focusing on TILs' correlation with pathologic complete response (pCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival across early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer were summarized. This review also discusses TILs' assessment methods, interobserver variability, and emerging technologies to assess TILs.

Purification of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons and separation based on the number of aromatic rings using a liquid chromatography silica column. An alternative to epoxidation.

The analysis of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in vegetable oils is currently associated with high uncertainty due to various factors ranging from sample preparation to data interpretation. One significant factor is the coelution of biogenic compounds of terpenic origin with the MOAH fraction during chromatographic analysis. The common purification method is epoxidation, a chemical reaction that changes the polarity of the interferences, allowing their separation from MOAH.

Apical horizontal incision with periosteum graft wall technique for periodontal regeneration: A case study.

Background: The periosteum consists of an outer fibrous layer and an inner cellular layer, where bone cells reside. Hence, it has been suggested that applying periosteum to a periodontal defect may help new bone formation. The purpose of this case study is to present the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a vestibular regenerative approach and the application of a connective tissue graft (CTG) with periosteum to improve the periodontal prognosis of a pathologically migrated hopeless tooth with an endo-periodontal lesion (EPL).

Decision support guided fluid challenges and stroke volume response during high-risk surgery: a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Intravenous fluid is administered during high-risk surgery to optimize stroke volume (SV). To assess ongoing need for fluids, the hemodynamic response to a fluid bolus is evaluated using a fluid challenge technique. The Acumen Assisted Fluid Management (AFM) system is a decision support tool designed to ease the application of fluid challenges and thus improve fluid administration during high-risk surgery.

Effect of Balloon-Dilated Restenosis on Exercise Performance and Cardiac Function in Children After Coarctation Repair.

Restenosis occurs commonly after aortic coarctation (CoA) repair, usually requiring treatment by balloon dilation. Its effect on physical exercise performance is not documented. A retrospective analysis of exercise testing and echocardiographic assessment was performed in children after CoA repair.

Network Meta-Analysis: Comparison of Endoscopic Dysplasia Detection Technologies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Novel colorectal cancer endoscopic surveillance techniques for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have recently been developed.

Aims: Compare the efficacy of currently available techniques for dysplasia detection in colonic IBD.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search from inception to March 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective cohort studies enrolling adults with IBD and having surveillance colonoscopy for dysplasia screening.

Early CRPS Is a Heterogeneous Condition: Results From a Latent Class Analysis.

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating condition characterised by significant heterogeneity. Early diagnosis is critical, but limited data exists on the condition's early stages. This study aimed to characterise (very) early CRPS patients and explore potential subgroups to enhance understanding of its mechanisms.

AOPs to connect food additives' effects on gut microbiota to health outcomes.

The gut microbiota is unanimously acknowledged as playing a central role in human health, notably through the production of various metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, vitamins or neurotransmitters. Beyond contributing to gut health itself, these microbial metabolites significantly impact multiple organ systems by participating in key signaling pathways along the well documented gut-organ axes. Chemicals ingested through food might interact with our gut microbiota, altering metabolites production with consequences on health.

Strategies for introducing and implementing vaccines for adults into national immunization programs in Europe: Good practices and key insights of the adult immunization board meeting.

In April 2024, the Adult Immunization Board convened a technical meeting to explore the latest strategies and identify exemplary approaches regarding the implementation of vaccines for adults into Europe's National Immunization Programs (NIPs). The meeting was built around three pillars: decision making for introducing a new vaccine, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The increasing number of new vaccines available in a context of competing health priorities warrants transparent and evidence-based decision-making processes for vaccine introduction.

Management Measures and Trends of Biological Invasions in Europe: A Survey-Based Assessment of Local Managers.

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales.

Pollution, stress response, and obesity: A systematic review.

Limited literature addresses the association between pollution, stress, and obesity, and knowledge synthesis on the associations between these three topics has yet to be made. Two reviewers independently conducted a systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection databases to identify studies dealing with the effects of semi-volatile organic compounds, pesticides, conservatives, and heavy metals on the psychosocial stress response and adiposity in humans, animals, and cells. The quality of papers and risk assessment were evaluated with ToxRTool, BEES-C instrument score, SYRCLE's risk of bias tool, and CAMARADES checklist.

The challenges of evidence-based prehabilitation in a real-life context for patients preparing for colorectal surgery-a cohort study and multiple case analysis.

Background: Multimodal prehabilitation programs are effective at reducing complications after colorectal surgery in patients with a high risk of postoperative complications due to low aerobic capacity and/or malnutrition. However, high implementation fidelity is needed to achieve these effects in real-life practice. This study aimed to investigate the implementation fidelity of an evidence-based prehabilitation program in the real-life context of a Dutch regional hospital.

A case of fatal cerebral air embolism in a patient with Osler-Weber-Rendu Disease.

Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), is a rare vascular disorder characterized by arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in various organs, including the lungs. Pulmonary AVMs (PAVMs) are especially worrisome due to their potential to form right-to-left shunts, resulting in life-threatening complications such as paradoxical embolism and stroke . We present a case of fatal air embolism in a young patient with a known history of HHT and recurring hemoptysis.

Anatomical investigation of safety determining factors for keyhole drilling trajectories for robotic cochlear implant surgery.

Purpose: Cochlear implants (CI) are the most successful bioprosthesis in medicine probably due to the tonotopic anatomy of the auditory pathway and of course the brain plasticity. Correct placement of the CI arrays, respecting the inner ear anatomy are therefore important. The ideal trajectory to insert a cochlear implant array is defined by an entrance through the round window membrane and continues as long as possible parallel to the basal turn of the cochlea.

Sleep quality and physical fitness as modifiable contributors of fatigue in childhood cancer survivors.

Purpose: Advances in cancer treatment have increased childhood cancer patient's survival rates. However, many childhood cancer survivors (CCS) face long-term effects such as fatigue. This study assessed fatigue in CCS and healthy controls (HCs), its contributors, and associated outcomes.

Genomic reanalysis of a pan-European rare-disease resource yields new diagnoses.

Genetic diagnosis of rare diseases requires accurate identification and interpretation of genomic variants. Clinical and molecular scientists from 37 expert centers across Europe created the Solve-Rare Diseases Consortium (Solve-RD) resource, encompassing clinical, pedigree and genomic rare-disease data (94.5% exomes, 5.