A lipidated peptide derived from the C-terminal tail of the vasopressin 2 receptor shows promise as a new β-arrestin inhibitor.

β-arrestins play pivotal roles in seven transmembrane receptor (7TMR) signalling and trafficking. To study their functional role in regulating specific receptor systems, current research relies mainly on genetic tools, as few pharmacological options are available. To address this issue, we designed and synthesised a novel lipidated phosphomimetic peptide inhibitor targeting β-arrestins, called ARIP, which was developed based on the C-terminal tail (A343-S371) of the vasopressin V2 receptor.

Development and routine implementation of deep learning algorithm for automatic brain metastases segmentation on MRI for RANO-BM criteria follow-up.

Rationale And Objectives: The RANO-BM criteria, which employ a one-dimensional measurement of the largest diameter, are imperfect due to the fact that the lesion volume is neither isotropic nor homogeneous. Furthermore, this approach is inherently time-consuming. Consequently, in clinical practice, monitoring patients in clinical trials in compliance with the RANO-BM criteria is rarely achieved.

Balloon atrioseptostomy for transposition of the great arteries in Europe: characteristics and outcomes.

Introduction And Objectives: Balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) improves oxygenation in neonates with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and restrictive foramen ovale. Currently, there is a global shortage of dedicated BAS catheters, while new unmarked catheters have recently become available at some European centers. This study aimed to characterize BAS outcomes using the currently available BAS catheters in Europe.

Biocompatibility of Phosphorus Dendrimers and Their Antibacterial Properties as Potential Agents for Supporting Wound Healing.

Dendrimers are a wide range of nanoparticles with desirable properties that can be used in many areas of medicine. However, little is known about their potential use in wound healing. This study examined the properties of phosphorus dendrimers that were built on a cyclotriphosphazene core and pyrrolidinium (DPP) or piperidinium (DPH) terminated groups, to be used as potential factors that support wound healing ().

Real-world effectiveness and safety of bulevirtide monotherapy for up to 96 weeks in patients with HDV-related cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Bulevirtide (BLV) 2 mg/day is EMA approved for treatment of compensated chronic hepatitis due to Delta virus (HDV) infection, however real-life data in large cohorts of patients with cirrhosis are lacking.

Methods: Consecutive HDV-infected patients with cirrhosis starting BLV 2 mg/day since September 2019 were included in a European retrospective multicenter real-life study (SAVE-D). Patient characteristics before and during BLV treatment were collected.

Preclinical Study of a Minimally Invasive Cochlear Implant Device Based on 3D Printing of a Custom Guide.

Objective: The aim of this study is to test the feasibility of a custom 3D-printed guide for performing a minimally invasive cochleostomy for cochlear implantation.

Study Design: Prospective performance study.

Setting: Secondary care.

Factors influencing antiretroviral therapy switching in people with virologically suppressed HIV-1: a cross-sectional multicenter study in France.

Introduction: In France, over 90% of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) achieve virological suppression with effective combination of antiretroviral therapies (ART), but limited data exist on the motivation for switching ART.

Objective: To describe the reasons and determinants for switching ART, with a particular focus on doravirine-based regimens, in routine clinical practice in France.

Design: This analysis of cross-sectional baseline data is part of the DoraVIH study, a French, multicenter (15 sites), two-step observational cohort study that includes prospective follow-up for a subset of participants.

Trends in the epidemiology of intravascular device-associated bacteremia among French hematology patients: insights from the SPIADI prospective multicenter study, 2020-2024.

Hematology patients require central venous catheters for cancer treatment and nutrition, which increases their risk of intravascular device-associated bacteremia. In the absence of recent data, we investigated intravascular device-associated bacteremia in this specific context. A three-month surveillance was conducted annually in 27 hematology wards, using a protocol derived from the HAI-Net ICU ECDC protocol (2020-2024).

Use of vaginal pessary in women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse: Risk factors for failure one year after insertion.

Introduction: Vaginal pessaries are offered as a first-line treatment for symptoms associated with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The objective of our study was to identify risk factors for failure of pessary use within 1 year of insertion.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively included women who accepted a pessary fitting for symptomatic POP.

Synthesis of three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks through a symmetry reduction strategy.

Three-dimensional (3D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) hold significant promise for a variety of applications. However, conventional design approaches using regular building blocks limit the structural diversity of 3D COFs. Here we design and synthesize two 3D COFs, designated as JUC-644 and JUC-645, through a methodology that relies on using eight-connected building blocks with reduced symmetry.

Do continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics predict macrovascular and microvascular complications in diabetes? The FACULTY protocol of a retrospective real-world cohort study.

Introduction: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is currently the gold standard for assessing glycaemic control in diabetes, given the established relationship with microvascular and macrovascular complications in this condition. However, HbA1c is affected by non-glycaemic factors, while also failing to provide data on hypoglycaemic exposure and glucose variability, which are associated with adverse vascular outcomes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived glucose metrics provide a more comprehensive assessment of glycaemia, but their role in predicting future vascular complications remains unclear.

Sex differences in mitochondrial free-carnitine levels in subjects at-risk and with Alzheimer's disease in two independent study cohorts.

A major challenge in the development of more effective therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the identification of molecular mechanisms linked to specific pathophysiological features of the disease. Importantly AD has a two-fold higher incidence in women than men and a protracted prodromal phase characterized by amnestic mild-cognitive impairment (aMCI) suggesting that biological processes occurring early can initiate vulnerability to AD. Here, we used a sample of 125 subjects from two independent study cohorts to determine the levels in plasma (the most accessible specimen) of two essential mitochondrial markers acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC) and its derivative free-carnitine motivated by a mechanistic model in rodents in which targeting mitochondrial metabolism of LAC leads to the amelioration of cognitive function and boosts epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression.

Durvalumab and tremelimumab in combination with metronomic oral vinorelbine for recurrent advanced cervical cancer: an open-label phase I/II study.

Background: The MOVIE phase I/II trial (NCT03518606) evaluated the safety and antitumor activity of durvalumab and tremelimumab combined with metronomic oral vinorelbine in patients with advanced tumors. We present the results of the recurrent advanced cervical cancer cohort.

Methods: Patients received tremelimumab (intravenously, 75 mg, every four weeks (Q4W); four cycles max) plus durvalumab (intravenously, 1,500 mg, Q4W; 26 cycles max) and metronomic oral vinorelbine (40 mg, every three weeks (3QW)) until disease progression.

Comparison of the lethal triad and the lethal diamond in severe trauma patients: a multicenter cohort.

Background: To reduce the number of deaths caused by exsanguination, the initial management of severe trauma aims to prevent, if not limit, the lethal triad, which consists of acidosis, coagulopathy, and hypothermia. Recently, several studies have suggested adding hypocalcemia to the lethal triad to form the lethal diamond, but the evidence supporting this change is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the lethal triad and lethal diamond for their respective associations with 24-h mortality in severe trauma patients receiving transfusion.

Plasticity of human resilience mechanisms.

The hippocampus's vulnerability to trauma-induced stress can lead to pathophysiological disturbances that precipitate the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mechanisms of resilience that foster remission and mitigate the adverse effects of stress remain unknown. We analyzed the evolution of hippocampal morphology between 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, as well as the memory control mechanisms crucial for trauma resilience.

Assessing Normandy Soil Microbial Diversity for Antibacterial Activities Using Traditional Culture and iChip Methods.

Uncultured microorganisms represent a promising and untapped source of antibacterial compounds, crucial in the fight against the significant threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this study, both traditional and isolation chip (iChip) cultivation techniques were employed to enhance the recovery of known and unknown microorganisms from soils located in Normandy, France. The isolates obtained were identified using 16S rDNA or ITS regions analysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and were screened for antibacterial activity.

The Effects of Antioxidant Cocktail on Ophthalmological Changes Induced by a 60-Day Head-Down Bed Rest in a Randomized Trial.

Neuro-ophthalmological changes have been reported after prolonged exposure to microgravity; however, the pathophysiology remains unclear. Furthermore, several countermeasures have been suggested to counteract the side effects of microgravity. The objectives of the present study were twofold: (1) to assess the neuro-ophthalmological impact of 60 days of head-down bed rest (HDBR) and (2) to determine the potential effects of an antioxidant cocktail.

A New Three-Hit Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Cognitive Impairments and Persistent Sociability Deficits.

Background/objectives: Cognitive deficits and negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia are poorly managed by current antipsychotics. In order to develop effective treatments, refining animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders is essential.

Methods: To address their multifactorial etiology, we developed a new three-hit mouse model based on the hypoglutamatergic hypothesis of the pathology combined with early stress, offering strong construct validity.

Visualizing and quantifying biomineral preservation in fossil vertebrate dental remains.

In this study, we attempt to illustrate fossil vertebrate dental tissue geochemistry and, by inference, its extent of diagenetic alteration, using quantitative, semi-quantitative and optical tools to evaluate bioapatite preservation. We present visual comparisons of elemental compositions in fish and plesiosaur dental remains ranging in age from Silurian to Cretaceous, based on a combination of micro-scale optical cathodoluminescence (CL) observations (optical images and scanning electron microscope) with minor, trace and rare earth element (REE) compositions (EDS, maps and REE profiles), as a tool for assessing diagenetic processes and biomineral preservation during fossilization of vertebrate dental apatite. Tissue-selective REE values have been obtained using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), indicating areas of potential REE enrichment, combined with cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis.

Contributions of connectional pathways to shaping Alzheimer's disease pathologies.

Four important imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, namely grey matter atrophy, glucose hypometabolism and amyloid-β and tau deposition, follow stereotypical spatial distributions shaped by the brain network of structural and functional connections. In this case-control study, we combined several predictors reflecting various possible mechanisms of spreading through structural and functional pathways to predict the topography of the four biomarkers in amyloid-positive patients while controlling for the effect of spatial distance along the cortex. For each biomarker, we quantified the relative contribution of each predictor to the variance explained by the model.

Depressive symptoms in older adults are associated with changes in stress-related markers, functional connectivity and brain volume.

Background: Subclinical depressive symptoms increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The neurobiological mechanisms underlying this link may involve stress system dysfunction, notably related to the hippocampus which is particularly sensitive to AD. We aimed to investigate the links between blood stress markers and changes in brain regions involved in the stress response in older adults with or without subclinical depressive symptoms.

Cuttlefish favour their current need to hide rather than their future need for food.

Episodic memory and future thinking are generally considered as two parts of the same mental time travelling system in vertebrates. Modern cephalopods, with their independent evolutionary lineage and their complex cognitive abilities, appear as promising species to determine whether these abilities have separate evolutionary histories or not. In our study, we tested future-planning abilities in a cephalopod species which has been shown to possess episodic-like memory abilities: the common cuttlefish.

Pulmonary Consequences of Surgical Treatment in Children's Primary Lung Tumors: A National Retrospective Study.

Background And Aims: Primary lung tumors (PLTs) in children are rare, and surgery remains the key to ensure remission. Here we describe the PLTs clinical characteristics, their management, and the pulmonary outcome following surgery.

Methods: We carried out a French national cohort of pediatric PLTs from 2013 to 2023 from the FRACTURE rare pediatric tumors national database.