Swelling and Evaporation Determine Surface Morphology of Grafted Hydrogel Thin Films.

We experimentally study the formation of surface patterns in grafted hydrogel films of nanometer-to-micrometer thickness during imbibition-driven swelling followed by evaporation-driven shrinking. Creases are known to form at the hydrogel surface during swelling; the wavelength of the creasing pattern is proportional to the initial thickness of the hydrogel film with a logarithmic correction that depends on microscopic properties of the hydrogel. We find that, although the characteristic wavelength of the pattern is determined during swelling, the surface morphology can be significantly influenced by evaporation-induced shrinking.

Elucidating assembly and function of VirB8 cell wall subunits refines the DNA translocation model in Gram-positive T4SSs.

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are widespread nanomachines specialized in the transport across the cell envelope of various types of molecules including mobile genetic elements during conjugation. Despite their prevalence in Gram-positive bacteria, including relevant pathogens, their assembly and functioning remain unknown. This study addresses these gaps by investigating VirB8 proteins, known to be central components of conjugative T4SSs in Gram-positive bacteria.

Isatuximab, Carfilzomib, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone Induction in Newly Diagnosed Myeloma: Analysis of the MIDAS Trial.

In patients with transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, induction therapy with a quadruplet regimen prior to autologous transplant is the standard of care. The phase III IFM2020-02-MIDAS study (NCT04934475) assessed a minimal residual disease (MRD)-driven consolidation and maintenance strategy following induction with isatuximab, carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (IsaKRD). Here, we report safety and efficacy outcomes of six 28-day cycles of IsaKRD.

Combination of Baricitinib and Phototherapy in Adults With Active Vitiligo: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder leading to skin depigmentation and reduced quality of life (QOL). Patients with extensive and very active disease are the most difficult to treat.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and adverse events of baricitinib combined with narrowband UV-B in adults with severe, active, nonsegmental vitiligo.

A double dissociation between semantic and spatial cognition in visual to default network pathways.

Processing pathways between sensory and default mode network (DMN) regions support recognition, navigation, and memory but their organisation is not well understood. We show that functional subdivisions of visual cortex and DMN sit at opposing ends of parallel streams of information processing that support visually mediated semantic and spatial cognition, providing convergent evidence from univariate and multivariate task responses, intrinsic functional and structural connectivity. Participants learned virtual environments consisting of buildings populated with objects, drawn from either a single semantic category or multiple categories.

Hypotensive Episodes Identified on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Impaired Cognitive Function: Insights From the SPRINT Study.

Background: Hypotensive episodes detected by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring capture daily cumulative hypotensive stress and could be clinically relevant to cognitive impairment, but this relationship remains unclear.

Methods: We included participants from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (receiving intensive or standard BP treatment) who had 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring measured near the 27-month visit and subsequent biannual cognitive assessments. We evaluated the associations of hypotensive episodes (defined as systolic BP drops of ≥20 mm Hg between 2 consecutive measurements that reached <100 mm Hg) and hypotensive duration (cumulative time of systolic BP <100 mm Hg) with subsequent cognitive function using adjusted linear mixed models.

Detection of clinically relevant variants in the gene below 10% allelic frequency: A multicenter study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the reliability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect variants ≤10% allelic frequency (low-VAF) is debated. We tested the ability to detect 23 such variants in 41 different laboratories using their NGS method of choice. The sensitivity was 85.

Reappraisal of the fundamental mechanisms of the sHA14-1 molecule as a Bcl-2/Bcl-XL ligand in the context of anticancer therapy: A cell biological study.

Background: HA14-1 is a small-molecule, stable B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) antagonist that promotes apoptosis in malignant cells through an incompletely-defined mechanism of action. Bcl-2 and related anti-apoptotic proteins, such as B-cell lymphoma-extra-large [Bcl-XL]), are predominantly localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane, where they regulate cell death pathways. However, the notably short half-life of HA14-1 limits its potential therapeutic application.

Transcatheter management of residual mitral regurgitation after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: a systematic review.

Background: Treatment of residual mitral regurgitation (MR) with different percutaneous devices after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) has been reported as an alternative option to reclipping or surgery. This review aims at describing the different transcatheter strategies available and their results when managing residual MR after TEER.

Methods: A literature search was undertaken across Pubmed, ScienceDirect, SciELO, DOAJ, and Cochrane library databases, to identify article reporting patients with post-TEER residual MR managed by a transcatheter approach that did not involve only the implantation of new clips.

Radiation Exposure Analysis on 274 Patients With Vertebral Augmentation Using the Surgivisio Intraoperative Navigation System.

Background: Surgeons' reliance on intraoperative fluoroscopy during vertebroplasty procedures has raised concerns regarding the level of patient and surgeon radiation. Navigation systems have shown a potential to reduce the overall patient and medical staff exposure during dose exposure studies. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the Surgivisio platform (eCential Robotics, France), a unified imaging and navigation platform, lowers the patient dose during routine clinical usage as compared with published fluoroscopy and other navigation options that are published in the literature.

Psychometric Validation of the Hemophilia Functional Ability Scoring Tool (Hemo-FAST).

Background:  The Hemophilia Functional Ability Scoring Tool (Hemo-FAST), consisting of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) part and a clinician-reported outcome (ClinRO) part, was developed as a rapid and effective tool to assess functional mobility in clinical practice. This study (NCT04731701) aimed to validate the psychometric properties of Hemo-FAST for assessment of joint health in people with haemophilia (PwH).

Methods:  PwH A or B aged ≥18 years completed questionnaires including the PRO part of Hemo-FAST and the short-form 36 health survey (SF-36) during one study visit.

In vivo vessel connection of pre-vascularised 3D-bioprinted gingival connective tissue substitutes.

Producing oral soft tissues using tissue engineering could compensate for the disadvantages of autologous grafts (limited availability and increased patient morbidity) and currently available substitutes (shrinkage). However, there is a lack of in vitro-engineered oral tissues due to the difficulty of obtaining stable pre-vessels that connect to the host and enable graft success. The main objective was to assess the connection of pre-vascularised 3D-bioprinted gingival substitutes to the host vasculature when subcutaneously implanted in immunodeficient mice.

Pain as a Symptom of Mental Health Conditions Among Undocumented Migrants in France: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the associations between mental health status and experienced pain among undocumented migrants (UMs) in France.

Methods: We used data from the multicentric cross-sectional "Premier Pas" study conducted in the Parisian and Bordeaux regions from February to April 2019. Participants over 18 years of age were recruited from sixty-three sites.

Age-related disturbances in rest-activity rhythms and integrity of the hippocampal network: An exploratory study.

To better understand the relationship between the rest-activity rhythms and cognitive impairments during aging, we assessed the longitudinal changes in the rest-activity rhythms in an elderly population and their possible detrimental effect on the hippocampal network. This was done longitudinally in a rural cohort with two actigraphic assessments and brain imaging examinations, seven years apart. A segmentation of the hippocampus and its related structures was used to assess volumes and functional connectivity in this network based on anatomical and resting state functional data.

Penetration of linezolid and tedizolid in cerebrospinal fluid of mouse and impact of blood-brain barrier disruption.

Penetration of antimicrobial treatments into the cerebrospinal fluid is essential to successfully treat infections of the central nervous system. This penetration is hindered by different barriers, including the blood-brain barrier, which is the most impermeable. However, inflammation may lead to structural alterations of these barriers, modifying their permeability.

Effect of spatial training on space-number mapping: a situated cognition account.

From an embodied perspective of cognition, number processing influences the spatial organization of motor responses showing faster left/right responses to small/large numbers. Recent evidence suggests that such spatial-numerical associations (SNAs) along the transverse and sagittal planes are mutually exclusive with respect to the spatial reference frames used by the participant. Specifically, in egocentric and allocentric frames, SNAs appear along the sagittal and transverse plane, respectively.

Formal guidelines from an expert panel: intensive care unit medical staffing, organisation and working hours to improve quality of life at work in France.

Background: Intensive care units (ICU) are characterized by high medical assistance costs and great complexity. Recommendations to determine the needs of medical staff are scarce, generating appreciable variability. The French Intensive Care Society (FICS) and the French National Council of Intensive Care Medicine (CNP MIR, Conseil National Professionel de Médecine Intensive Réanimation) have established a technical committee of experts, the purposes of which were to draft recommendations regarding staffing needs in ICUs and to propose optimal organisation of work hours, a key objective being improved workplace quality of life.

Residual sleepiness and impaired alertness in treated obstructive sleep apnoea: role of hypoxic burden and sleep fragmentation.

The pathophysiology of residual sleepiness in treated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) remains poorly understood. Animal models suggest that it may involve neuronal damage due to intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. In a cohort of 122 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treated OSA patients referred for maintenance of wakefulness test, we explored the determinants of (objective) alertness and those of (subjective) sleepiness assessed by Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Hepatoscope 2DTE's image-based quality index enhances applicability and repeatability of liver stiffness measurement.

Purpose: Hepatoscope® is an ultraportable ultrasound system with 50 Hz two-dimensional transient elastography (2DTE) for liver stiffness measurement (LSM). It provides a quality index (QI) for individual stiffness values that is based on imaging features. This study evaluated the 2DTE intra- and inter-user repeatability in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) for novice and expert operators across various QI conditions.

Neuropsychological Profile in Older Adults with End-Stage Kidney Disease during Kidney Transplantation Evaluation.

Background: End-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant concern for older adults and is often associated with cognitive impairment (CI). The origin of this CI is multifactorial, involving vascular and metabolic factors. Additionally, renal treatments, including dialysis, may affect cognition.

Study of the Cathode/Electrolyte Interface in an All-Sulfide-Solid-State Battery Using Lithium-Rich Transition Metal Sulfide.

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSBs) are among the most promising energy storage technologies, particularly for electric vehicles, due to their enhanced safety. However, performances of these systems are still hindered by interfacial side reactions at electrode/electrolyte interfaces, especially when sulfide electrolytes are used, and additional issues of mechanical nature. In this work, an ASSB system composed of an argyrodite (LiPSCl) electrolyte, a lithium-rich sulfide cathode (LiTiS) operating at moderate voltage, and a lithium metal anode is investigated.

Incidence and risk factors for insulinoma diagnosed in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK.

Insulinoma is the most common pancreatic tumor diagnosed in dogs. This study aimed to report incidence risk, breed predispositions and other demographic risk factors for insulinoma diagnosed in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. The VetCompass Program supports research on anonymized electronic health records (EHRs) from dogs under UK veterinary care.