The Clinical Neuroscience of Lucid Dreaming.

During most dreams, the dreamer does not realize that they are in a dream. In contrast, lucid dreaming allows to become aware of the current state of mind, often accompanied by considerable control over the ongoing dream episode. Lucid dreams can happen spontaneously or be induced through diverse behavioural, cognitive or technological strategies.

Risk of atherosclerosis-related diseases in polymyositis and dermatomyositis patients: A large-scale population-based study.

Background And Aims: Several systemic autoimmune diseases predispose to the enhancement of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). These findings underline the role of inflammation in atherogenesis. Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are polygenic autoimmune disorders involving mainly skeletal muscles.

Bernoulli trial under subsystem restarts: Two competing searchers looking for a target.

We study a pair of independent searchers competing for a target under restarts and find that introduction of restarts tends to enhance the search efficiency of an already efficient searcher. As a result, the difference between the search probabilities of the individual searchers increases when the system is subject to restarts. This result holds true independent of the identity of individual searchers or the specific details of the distribution of restart times.

Reduced Theta Inter-Trial Phase Coherence in Error Processing: A Marker of Neural Dysfunction in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Cognitive control deficits and increased intra-subject variability have been well established as core characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there is a growing interest in their expression at the neural level. We aimed to study neural variability in ADHD, as reflected in theta inter-trial phase coherence (ITC) during error processing, a process that involves cognitive control. We examined both traditional event-related potential (ERP) measures of error processing (i.

Epitaxial CuO Thin Films Deposited from Solution: the Enabling Role of Cu Diffusion into the GaAs Substrate.

Cuprous oxide (CuO) thin films were chemically deposited from a solution onto GaAs(100) and (111) substrates using a simple three-component solution at near-ambient temperatures (10-60 °C). Interestingly, a similar deposition onto various other substrates including Si(100), Si(111), glass, fluorine-doped tin oxide, InP, and quartz resulted in no film formation. Films deposited on both GaAs(100) and (111) were found alongside substantial etching of the substrates.

Altering the mechanical properties of self-assembled filaments through engineering of EspA bacterial protein.

Protein-based biomaterials are in high demand due to their high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. In this study, we explore the bacterial secreted protein A (EspA), which self-assembles into long extracellular filaments, as a potential building block for new protein-based biomaterials. We investigated the morphological and mechanical properties of EspA filaments and how protein engineering can modify them.

Embracing Nature's Wisdom: Liposome-Mediated Amplification of Electrochemiluminescence for the Sensitive and Selective Immunoassay of Serum Amyloid A.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a key biomarker for diagnosing inflammatory responses in diseases like influenza and COVID-19. An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor has been constructed for signal enhancement in SAA detection by encapsulating 4,4',4″,4‴-(1,3,6,8-pyrenetetrayl) tetrakis-benzoic acid (TBAPy) into liposomes. Such biomimetic encapsulation shields the biologically important membrane to avoid aggregation of TBAPy and prevents quenching.

XIS-Temperature: A daily spatiotemporal machine-learning model for air temperature in the contiguous United States.

The challenge of reconstructing air temperature for environmental applications is to accurately estimate past exposures even where monitoring is sparse. We present XGBoost-IDW Synthesis for air temperature (XIS-Temperature), a high-resolution machine-learning model for daily minimum, mean, and maximum air temperature, covering the contiguous US from 2003 through 2023. XIS uses remote sensing (land surface temperature and vegetation) along with a parsimonious set of additional predictors to make predictions at arbitrary points, allowing the estimation of address-level exposures.

Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after abnormal hysterosalpingography.

Objective: To investigate the association between an abnormal hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.

Design: A retrospective cohort study comparing outcomes between women with normal versus abnormal tubal patency and uterine cavity on HSG.

Results: Among 2181 women included in the study, 494 (22.

A proposed algorithm for management of patients with left bundle branch block post-TAVR: 1-year follow-up.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has revolutionized the management of aortic stenosis and has become the standard of care across a broad spectrum of patients with aortic stenosis. However, it is still associated with high incidence of conduction abnormalities, particularly new left bundle branch block (LBBB). Management of these patients remains a challenge.

The use of a ChatGPT-4-based chatbot in teledermatology: A retrospective exploratory study.

Background And Objectives: Integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare, particularly ChatGPT, is transforming medical diagnostics and may benefit teledermatology. This exploratory study compared image description and differential diagnosis generation by a ChatGPT-4 based chatbot with human teledermatologists.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study compared 154 teledermatology consultations (December 2023-February 2024) with ChatGPT-4's performance in image descriptions and diagnoses.

Reduction in EEG theta power as a potential marker for spatial disorientation during flight.

During flight, spatial disorientation (SD) commonly occurs when a pilot's perception conflicts with the aircraft's actual motion, attitude, or position. A prevalent form of SD is the somatogyral illusion, which is elicited by constant speed rotation and causes a false perception of motion in the opposite direction when the rotation ceases. This research aimed to investigate changes in brain activity that occur when experiencing a somatogyral illusion by simulating conditions closely mimicking flight conditions to gain insight into how to better manage this illusion during flight.

First evidence of molecular response of the shrimp Hippolyte inermis to biodegradable microplastics.

The increasing demand for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics has propelled the interest in bioplastics. A few papers reported on the effects of plastics on crustaceans, but no indication about biodegradable polymers is available. Hippolyte inermis Leach, 1816 is a protandric shrimp commonly living on leaves of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, in the Mediterranean Sea.

The PERFORMANCE II Trial: A Prospective Multicenter Investigation of a Novel Carotid Stent System.

Background: Several randomized clinical trials have shown that the composite endpoint of death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) is equivalent between carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy. However, the risk of minor stroke has been consistently higher with carotid artery stenting.

Objectives: The authors sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a novel carotid stent system comprised of a stent, an adjustable integrated embolic filter and a postdilation balloon, in patients at elevated risk for adverse events from carotid endarterectomy.

Lynch Syndrome: Similarities and Differences of Recommendations in Published Guidelines.

Background: In this review, we aimed to compare the recommendations for Lynch syndrome (LS).

Methods: We compared the LS's guidelines of different medical societies, including recommendations for cancer surveillance, aspirin treatment, and universal screening.

Results: Most guidelines for LS patients recommend intervals of 1-2 years for performing colonoscopy, though there is disagreement regarding the age to begin CRC screening (dependent on status as a MLH1/MSH2 or MSH6/PMS2 carrier).

Efficacy of Segmentation for Hyperspectral Target Detection.

Algorithms for detecting point targets in hyperspectral imaging commonly employ the spectral inverse covariance matrix to whiten inherent image noise. Since data cubes often lack stationarity, segmentation appears to be an attractive preprocessing operation. Surprisingly, the literature reports both successful and unsuccessful segmentation cases, with no clear explanations for these divergent outcomes.

The Association Between Maternal Preeclampsia and Risk for Offspring Infectious Diseases-A Sibling Matched Analysis.

Background: Preeclampsia is a severe, multisystem complication that affects 2%-5% of pregnancies, and is a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preeclampsia may have devastating results on maternal health and may affect offspring's immediate and long-term health. Previous studies have examined the impact of maternal preeclampsia on the long-term health outcomes of offspring, many of these studies have been limited by confounding factors that could bias the results.

The impact of war on ACS admissions and triage - a single center experience.

Introduction: Contemporary data regarding the impact of war on cardiovascular disease is scarce. The Israel-Gaza war that erupted on October 7th, 2023, provided a tragic opportunity to explore the effect of war on the epidemiology, characteristics, and management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) living in areas of active armed conflict.

Methods: All patients admitted with ACS to our medical center, between October 7th, 2023, and January 6th, 2024, were retrospectively included.

Severe neonatal hypotonia due to variant affecting function of ZnT5 zinc transporter.

The tightly-regulated spatial and temporal distribution of zinc ion concentrations within cellular compartments is controlled by two groups of Zn transporters: the 14-member ZIP/SLC39 family, facilitating Zn influx into the cytoplasm from the extracellular space or intracellular organelles; and the 10-member ZnT/SLC30 family, mobilizing Zn in the opposite direction. Genetic aberrations in most zinc transporters cause human syndromes. Notably, previous studies demonstrated osteopenia and male-specific cardiac death in mice lacking the ZnT5/ zinc transporter, and suggested association of two homozygous frameshift variants with perinatal mortality in humans, due to hydrops fetalis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Incremental benefit of high dose compared to standard dose influenza vaccine in reducing hospitalizations.

Evidence regarding the high-dose (HD) vaccine's relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) and absolute benefit in reducing influenza-related hospitalizations compared to the standard-dose (SD) vaccine is warranted. We estimated the adjusted rVE and the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) of the HD vaccine compared to the SD vaccine among Clalit Health Services members aged ≥65 years. Among 418,603 and 393,125 members vaccinated in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 influenza seasons, the adjusted rVE was 27% (95% CI: -12% to 61%) for 2022-2023 and 7% (95% CI: -36% to 42%) for 2023-2024, with NNV to prevent one hospitalization event being 2262 (95% CI: 1004 to ∞) and 7662 (95% CI: 1293 to ∞), respectively.

Heart transplant survival and the use of donors with intracranial bleeding: United Network for Organ Sharing Registry propensity-score matched analysis.

Objective: The transplantation of hearts from donors who experienced intracranial bleeding (ICB) has been associated with inferior long-term survival in both single-center analyses and, more recently, with the United Network for Ogan Sharing Registry. The purpose of this study was to further explore this relationship through propensity score matching in recipients receiving donor hearts from ICB and non-ICB donors in a large national registry.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Registry Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network between 2006 and 2018 for adult candidates wait-listed for isolated heart transplantation.

Coping, meaning in life, and quality of life during ongoing conflict: insights from Israeli populations.

Background: Conducted in May 2024, this study examines the well-being of Israeli evacuees and non-evacuees from conflict zones. We assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL), meaning in life (MIL), coping strategies, psychological symptoms, and self-mastery. Aims include exploring effects of trauma and socio-demographics on HRQoL and MIL, analyzing mediating roles of psychological symptoms and coping, and evaluating if evacuation status moderates these relationships during ongoing conflict.

Artificial metalloenzyme assembly in cellular compartments for enhanced catalysis.

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) integrated within whole cells have emerged as promising catalysts; however, their sensitivity to metal centers remains a systematic challenge, resulting in diminished activity and turnover. Here we address this issue by inducing in cellulo liquid-liquid phase separation through a self-labeling fusion protein, HaloTag-SNAPTag. This strategy creates membraneless, isolated liquid condensates within Escherichia coli as protective compartments for the assembly of ArMs using the same fusion protein.