0.5T MRI as a competitor to CT for sinus imaging.

The goal of this study was to determine how radiologists' rating of image quality when using 0.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) compares to Computed Tomography (CT) for visualization of pathology and evaluation of specific anatomic regions within the paranasal sinuses. 42 patients with clinical CT scans opted to have a 0.

A nationwide cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia for the assessment of understanding and practices of clinicians towards personalized genetic testing.

In order to plan and facilitate the culture of personalized / precision medicine in medical practices within any healthcare institution, it is requisite for healthcare professionals like clinicians to have a clear understanding and approach towards the practices of personalized genetic testing. This nationwide cross-sectional study aimed to measure the perceptions and knowledge of clinicians towards personalized genetic testing and assess their current practices of personalized genetic testing in clinical settings through an online self-administered questionnaire in Saudi Arabia. The results of the study revealed that almost two-fifths of participants were responsible for ordering genetic tests directly (39.

Impact of body composition and muscle health phenotypes on survival outcomes in colorectal cancer: a multicenter cohort.

Body composition abnormalities are prognostic markers in several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Using our data distribution on body composition assessments and classifications could improve clinical evaluations and support population-specific opportune interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of body composition from computed tomography and assess the associations with overall survival among patients with CRC.

Modeling predicts facile release of nitrite but not nitric oxide from the thionitrate CHSNO with relevance to nitroglycerin bioactivation.

Nitroglycerin is a potent vasodilator in clinical use since the late 1800s. It functions as a prodrug that is bioactivated by formation of an enzyme-based thionitrate, E-Cys-NO. This intermediate reportedly decomposes to release NO and NO but their relative yields remain controversial.

Impacts of lateral conductive heat flow on ground temperature and implications for permafrost modeling.

Permafrost ground temperature and its spatial distribution are usually calculated using one-dimensional models based on heat flow in the vertical direction. Here, we theoretically calculated the impacts of lateral conductive heat flow on ground temperature under equilibrium and transient conditions. The results show that lateral heat flow has strong impacts on ground temperature, especially in deep ground.

Attention-guided convolutional network for bias-mitigated and interpretable oral lesion classification.

Accurate diagnosis of oral lesions, early indicators of oral cancer, is a complex clinical challenge. Recent advances in deep learning have demonstrated potential in supporting clinical decisions. This paper introduces a deep learning model for classifying oral lesions, focusing on accuracy, interpretability, and reducing dataset bias.

Regionally distinct GFAP promoter expression plays a role in off-target neuron expression following AAV5 transduction.

Astrocyte to neuron reprogramming has been performed using viral delivery of neurogenic transcription factors in GFAP expressing cells. Recent reports of off-target expression in cortical neurons following adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction to deliver the neurogenic factors have confounded our understanding of the efficacy of direct cellular reprogramming. To shed light on potential mechanisms that may underlie the neuronal off-target expression of GFAP promoter driven expression of neurogenic factors in neurons, two regionally distinct cortices were compared-the motor cortex (MC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-and investigated: (1) the regional tropism and astrocyte transduction with an AAV5-GFAP vector, (2) the expression of Gfap in MC and mPFC neurons; and (3) material transfer between astrocytes and neurons.

Differences between mates at the TLR1Lb locus are associated with lower reproductive success in a long-lived seabird.

Genetic diversity can influence fitness components such as survival and reproductive success. Yet the association between genetic diversity and fitness based on neutral loci is sometime very weak and inconsistent, with relationships varying among taxa due to confounding effects of population demography and life history. Fitness-diversity relationships are likely to be stronger and more consistent for genes known to influence phenotypic traits, such as immunity-related genes, and may also depend on the genetic differences between breeding partners.

Molecular correlates for HPV-negative head and neck cancer engraftment prognosticate patient outcomes.

There is a pressing need to improve risk stratification and treatment selection for HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) due to the adverse side effects of treatment. One of the most important prognostic features is lymph nodes involvement. Previously, we demonstrated that tumor formation in patient-derived xenografts (i.

Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

Strontium isotope (Sr/Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving Sr/Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the Sr/Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression.

Systematic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 reveals dynamics of variant mutagenesis and transmission in a large urban population.

Highly mutable pathogens generate viral diversity that impacts virulence, transmissibility, treatment, and thwarts acquired immunity. We previously described C19-SPAR-Seq, a high-throughput, next-generation sequencing platform to detect SARS-CoV-2 that we here deployed to systematically profile variant dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 for over 3 years in a large, North American urban environment (Toronto, Canada). Sequencing of the ACE2 receptor binding motif and polybasic furin cleavage site of the Spike gene in over 70,000 patients revealed that population sweeps of canonical variants of concern (VOCs) occurred in repeating wavelets.

Small-angle scattering interferometry with neutron orbital angular momentum states.

Methods to prepare and characterize neutron helical waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) were recently demonstrated at small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) facilities. These methods enable access to the neutron orbital degree of freedom which provides new avenues of exploration in fundamental science experiments as well as in material characterization applications. However, it remains a challenge to recover phase profiles from SANS measurements.

Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism.

Plate tectonics is a unique feature of Earth, but its proposed time of initiation is still controversial, with published estimates ranging from ca. 4.2 to 0.

Neutral drift upon threshold-like selection promotes variation in antibiotic resistance phenotype.

Heritable phenotypic variation plays a central role in evolution by conferring rapid adaptive capacity to populations. Mechanisms that can explain genetic diversity by describing connections between genotype and organismal fitness have been described. However, the difficulty of acquiring comprehensive data on genotype-phenotype-environment relationships has hindered the efforts to explain how the ubiquitously observed phenotypic variation in populations emerges and is maintained.

Localized molecular chaperone synthesis maintains neuronal dendrite proteostasis.

Proteostasis is maintained through regulated protein synthesis and degradation and chaperone-assisted protein folding. However, this is challenging in neuronal projections because of their polarized morphology and constant synaptic proteome remodeling. Using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy, we discover that hippocampal and spinal cord motor neurons of mouse and human origin localize a subset of chaperone mRNAs to their dendrites and use microtubule-based transport to increase this asymmetric localization following proteotoxic stress.

Longitudinal network changes and phenoconversion risk in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder.

Isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is a prodrome of α-synucleinopathies. Using positron emission tomography, we assessed changes in Parkinson's disease-related motor and cognitive metabolic networks and caudate/putamen dopaminergic input in a 4-year longitudinal imaging study of 13 male subjects with this disorder. We also correlated times to phenoconversion with baseline network expression in an independent validation sample.

Association of structured continuum emission with dynamic aurora.

Patterns of ionospheric luminosity provide a unique window into our complex, coupled space environment. The aurora, for example, indicates plasma processes occurring thousands of km away, depositing immense amounts of energy into our polar ionospheres. Here we show observations of structured continuum emission associated with the dynamic aurora.

Quantum quench dynamics of geometrically frustrated Ising models.

Geometric frustration in two-dimensional Ising models allows for a wealth of exotic universal behavior, both Ising and non-Ising, in the presence of quantum fluctuations. In particular, the triangular antiferromagnet and Villain model in a transverse field can be understood through distinct XY pseudospins, but have qualitatively similar phase diagrams including a quantum phase transition in the (2+1)-dimensional XY universality class. While the quantum dynamics of modestly-sized systems can be simulated classically using tensor-based methods, these methods become infeasible for larger lattices.

Understanding water reaction pathways to control the hydrolytic reactivity of a Zn metal-organic framework.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials that are of topical interest for their utility in water-related applications. Nevertheless, molecular-level insight into water-MOF interactions and MOF hydrolytic reactivity remains understudied. Herein, we report two hydrolytic pathways leading to either structural stability or framework decomposition of a MOF (ZnMOF-1).

Metal uptake in wetland plants from oil sands process-affected waters: a case study.

Treatment wetlands have emerged as a potential remediation option for oil-sands process affected waters (OSPW) which contains a suite of organic and inorganic constituents of potential concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of metals in a treatment wetland exposed to OSPW. Data was collected over three operational seasons testing freshwater and OSPW inputs at the Kearl Treatment Wetland in northern Alberta.

Territory Sizes and Patterns of Habitat Use by Forest Birds Over Five Decades: Ideal Free or Ideal Despotic?

Relations among territoriality, abundance and habitat suitability are fundamental to the ecology of many animal populations. Theory suggests two classes of possible responses to increasing abundance in territorial species: (1) the ideal free distribution (IFD), which predicts smaller territory sizes and decreased fitness as individuals adaptively pack into suitable habitats, and (2) the ideal despotic distribution (IDD), which predicts stable territory sizes and fitness in preferred habitats for dominant individuals and increased use of marginal habitats, reduced fitness and changes in territory sizes for subordinate individuals. We analysed the territory sizes and locations of seven migratory songbird species occupying a 10-ha plot in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA over a 52-year period.

Cost Outcomes of Virtual Surgical Planning in Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

Background: Virtual surgical planning (VSP) is an emerging method in head and neck reconstruction with demonstrated benefits, however, its economic viability is supported with mixed evidence.

Methods: A structured search was performed in five electronic databases. Studies that performed an economic evaluation on VSP in head and neck reconstruction were included.

Refractory myasthenia gravis treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objectives: Patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (MG) have few treatment options. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been used to treat immune diseases; however, its use in the treatment of MG is not broadly considered. Our objective is to report on the efficacy and safety of HSCT in refractory MG.

Photodynamic therapy of cancer-associated infections.

Pathogens can be involved in tumor initiation, promotion, and progression through different mechanisms, and their treatment can prevent new cancer cases, improve outcomes, and revert poor-prognostic phenotypes. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) successfully treats different types of cancers and infections and, therefore, has a unique potential to address their combination. However, we believe this potential has been underutilized, and few researchers have investigated the impacts of PDT of both infection-related and cancer-related outcomes at once.