Measuring and estimating the GFR in children: state of the art in 2025.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can be measured directly, or estimated from biomarkers like serum creatinine and cystatin C, or both. Measuring GFR in children is cumbersome, as it requires the intravenous injection of an exogenous filtration marker like iohexol, and several blood samples to determine the concentration-time decay curve. Serum creatinine (SCr) measurement is inexpensive and is part of the routine biochemical blood tests that are commonly requested in daily clinical practice.

Adjuvant Aspirin Treatment in PIK3CA Mutated Colon Cancer Patients: The SAKK 41/13 - Prospective Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Trial.

Purpose: We assessed the benefit of adjuvant aspirin in resected PIK3CA-mutated colon cancer patients.

Patients & Methods: This was a phase III, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter, and multinational trial. Patients with resected colon cancer stage II and III harbouring an activating PIK3CA mutation were included.

Regularly updated benchmark sets for statistically correct evaluations of AlphaFold applications.

AlphaFold2 changed structural biology by providing high-quality structure predictions for all possible proteins. Since its inception, a plethora of applications were built on AlphaFold2, expediting discoveries in virtually all areas related to protein science. In many cases, however, optimism seems to have made scientists forget about data leakage, a serious issue that needs to be addressed when evaluating machine learning methods.

BioArchLinux: community-driven fresh reproducible software repository for life sciences.

Motivation: The BioArchLinux project was initiated to address challenges in bioinformatics software reproducibility and freshness. Relying on Arch Linux's user-driven ecosystem, we aim to create a comprehensive and continuously updated repository for life sciences research.

Results: BioArchLinux provides a PKGBUILD-based system for seamless software packaging and maintenance, enabling users to access the latest bioinformatics tools across multiple programming languages.

Neural correlates of the sense of agency in free and coerced moral decision-making among civilians and military personnel.

The sense of agency, the feeling of being the author of one's actions and outcomes, is critical for decision-making. While prior research has explored its neural correlates, most studies have focused on neutral tasks, overlooking moral decision-making. In addition, previous studies mainly used convenience samples, ignoring that some social environments may influence how authorship in moral decision-making is processed.

Amikacin dosing in neonates: evaluation of target attainment using a simplified and complex pharmacokinetic model-derived dosing regimen in clinical practice.

Amikacin is frequently used for the treatment of neonatal sepsis. The Dutch Pediatric Formulary recommends a complex pharmacokinetic (PK) model-derived dosing regimen, which consists of dosing categories based on postnatal age and weight that results in adequate PK/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target attainment. However, a simplified dosing regimen may be easier to apply in clinical practice.

Influence of Remifentanil on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Remimazolam in Healthy Volunteers.

Background: Synergistic effects between opioids and remimazolam on Bispectral Index (BIS) and Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (MOAAS) score were previously described. This study aimed to characterize the influence of remifentanil on the sedative properties of remimazolam as measured by MOAAS, BIS, and tolerance to laryngoscopy or tetanic stimulation (TOL or TOTS) and to determine target concentrations that maximize MOAAS 2 or 3.

Methods: A three-period, crossover, dose-ranging clinical trial was performed in 24 healthy volunteers.

Resistance to quorum sensing inhibition spreads more slowly during host infection than antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is a rising problem and new and sustainable strategies to combat bacterial (intestinal) infections are therefore urgently needed. One promising strategy under intense investigation is the inhibition of quorum sensing, bacterial cell-to-cell communication with small molecules. A key question with respect to the application of quorum sensing inhibition is whether it will impose selective pressure for the spread of resistance.

Robotic ileal ureter replacement vs kidney autotransplantation for long ureteric strictures.

Objective: To compare functional and surgical outcomes of robot-assisted ileal ureter replacement (RAIUR) vs robot-assisted kidney autotransplantation (RAKAT).

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent RAIUR or RAKAT for long ureteric strictures at eight European tertiary centres (2017-2024). Primary endpoints were maintenance of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and postoperative complications within 30 days of surgery, described using the Clavien-Dindo classification.

Primary Endometrial Gastric (Gastrointestinal)-type Mucinous Adenocarcinoma: A Detailed Clinicopathologic and Molecular Analysis of 27 Cases.

Endometrial gastric (gastrointestinal)-type mucinous adenocarcinoma (EmGA) is rare and was introduced as a new entity in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) classification of female genital tumors. Herein, we report a detailed clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular study of 27 EmGA, the largest published series to date. The cohort consisted of 27 patients (median age 69 y; range 42 to 87 years).

Parallelized Droplet Vitrification for Single-Run Vitrification of Hepatocytes from an Entire Rat Liver.

Drug discovery pipelines rely on the availability of isolated primary hepatocytes for investigating potential hepatotoxicity prior to clinical application. These hepatocytes are isolated from livers rejected for transplantation and subsequently cryopreserved for later usage. The gold standard cryopreservation technique, slow-freezing, is a labor-intensive process with significant poststorage viability loss.

Metabolic pathways to sustainability: review of purple non-sulfur bacteria potential in agri-food waste valorization.

Agri-food waste (AFW) represents a significant fraction of the material generated by the agri-food industry, which itself accounts for almost one-third of the annual global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Considering the growing global population and the consequent rise in food demand, the management and valorization of this waste are essential to ensure the sustainability of the entire food chain for future generations. Recycling agri-food waste offers a promising strategy to mitigate the sector's environmental impact, particularly when the waste consists of food-grade materials that enhance its intrinsic value.

Modeling thoracic aortic genetic variants in the zebrafish: useful for predicting clinical pathogenicity?

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) significantly impact cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A large subset of TAAD cases, particularly those with an earlier onset, is linked to heritable genetic defects. Despite progress in characterizing genes associated with both syndromic and non-syndromic heritable TAAD, the causative gene remains unknown in most cases.

What role for real-world evidence in market access of biosimilars?

Experience with the use of biosimilars in real-life practice provides an excellent opportunity to collect real-world evidence aimed at addressing residual uncertainties about biosimilars. Hence, this aims to explore the role of real-world evidence on biosimilars by showcasing how real-world evidence studies have contributed to addressing key questions affecting biosimilar market access. We find that the comparable efficacy and safety of a biosimilar and the reference product is corroborated by real-world evidence.

Severe Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis in 2 Patients Who Required Plasmapheresis Before Thyroidectomy.

Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic medication known for its complex interplay with thyroid physiology. Its prolonged half-life can result in persistent effects on thyroid function even after discontinuation. Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) is a serious and challenging complication due to these lasting effects.

Nephrometry Scores Based on Three-dimensional Virtual Models Improve the Accuracy of Predicting Postoperative Complications After Robotic Partial Nephrectomy: Results from a Collaborative ERUS Validation Study.

Background And Objective: The aim of our study was to compare assessment of PADUA and RENAL nephrometry scores and risk/complexity categories via two-dimensional (2D) imaging and three-dimensional virtual models (3DVM) in a large multi-institutional cohort of renal masses suitable for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN), and evaluate the predictive role of these imaging approaches for postoperative complications.

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled from six international high-volume robotic centers, calculating PADUA and RENAL-nephrometry scores and their relative categories with 2D-imaging and 3DVMs. The concordance of nephrometry scores and categories between the two approaches was evaluated using χ tests and Cohen's κ coefficient.

Prevalence and Determinants of Elevated High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Concentrations in Belgian Children and Adolescents With Overweight or Obesity.

Background: Low-grade inflammation, indicated by elevated serum high-sensitivity CRP (hS-CRP), is commonly observed in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. This study evaluated serum hS-CRP in relation to body fat parameters, lifestyle characteristics, and potential biological determinants (leptin, HDL cholesterol, and 25-OH vitamin D) in a Belgian population.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements, biochemical results, and lifestyle questionnaires were analyzed from 267 children and adolescents with overweight or obesity.

Neural tracking of natural speech: an effective marker for post-stroke aphasia.

After a stroke, approximately one-third of patients suffer from aphasia, a language disorder that impairs communication ability. Behavioural tests are the current standard to detect aphasia, but they are time-consuming, have limited ecological validity and require active patient cooperation. To address these limitations, we tested the potential of EEG-based neural envelope tracking of natural speech.

Prevalence and associated factors of recent HIV-1 infection among newly identified HIV-positive individuals tested with the Asante Rapid Recency assay in Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the immune system. Globally, more than 79.3 million people have been infected with it, and about 36.

Embodiment and simulated interaction in online stance expression.

The expression and exchange of stance drives much social media discourse, including internet memes. We demonstrate how, even in the absence of actual face-to-face communication, online discourse and memes rely on the dynamics of embodiment and dialogue in comparable ways, while also developing specific constructional forms for this with no direct face-to-face equivalent. We introduce the notion of simulated interaction to refer to the combinations of embodied expression, images, and the structures of (apparent) quotation and dialogue allowing online communicators to vividly represent experience and signal stance.

Quantitative Ethnobotany of Multiple-Use Species and Management of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (YBR) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces significant challenges regarding the livelihoods of local communities and biodiversity conservation. The lack of scientific information on the spatial distribution of useful woody species hinders sustainable forest resource management and is a development constraint. This study was conducted in the villages of Yaselia, Lilanda, and Bagbanye on the outskirts of the protected area and aimed to identify the most useful woody species, analyze their socio-cultural value, assess their uses based on local community involvement, and evaluate their abundance beyond village forests to contribute to reforestation and conservation policies.

Multiple Pathways of Visual Adaptations for Water Column Usage in an Antarctic Adaptive Radiation.

Evolutionary transitions in water column usage have played a major role in shaping ray-finned fish diversity. However, the extent to which vision-associated trait complexity and water column usage is coupled remains unclear. Here we investigated the relationship between depth niche, eye size, and the molecular basis of light detection across the Antarctic notothenioid adaptive radiation.

Time-Resolved Hierarchical Modeling Highlights Metabolites Influencing Productivity and Cell Death in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells.

Biopharmaceuticals are medical compounds derived from biological sources and are often manufactured by living cells, primarily Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CHO cells display variation among cell clones, leading to growth and productivity differences that influence the product's quantity and quality. The biological and environmental factors behind these differences are not fully understood.