Reimbursement policies of Swiss health insurances for the surgical treatment of symptomatic breast hypertrophy: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with symptomatic breast hypertrophy typically suffer from chronic back pain, recurrent skin irritation at the inframammary fold and/or low self-esteem resulting in impaired quality of life. Reduction mammaplasty has been shown to effectively treat symptomatic breast hypertrophy with high patient satisfaction. Despite the obvious benefits, reimbursement requests for reduction mammaplasty are initially often refused by the patient's health insurance company, thereby frequently resulting in additional examinations and eventually extra expenses.

Impact of endometrial thickness and its combined effect with maternal age on singleton adverse neonatal outcomes in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles.

Background: Thin endometrial thickness (EMT) and advanced age are both common risk factors for adverse neonatal outcomes (ANOs). However, studies evaluating the impact of EMT and combined effect of EMT and age on ANOs remain scarce with conflicts.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 7,715 singleton deliveries from frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles between 2017 and 2021.

Effects of Inlet Geometry on Perfusion and Ischemia in Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Right Coronary Artery (AAORCA).

Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) comprises a set of rare congenital abnormalities in the origin or path of the coronary arteries with highly variable clinical implications. This is a pilot feasibility study where we investigated the influence of the anomalous coronary artery inlet architecture on coronary perfusion using coronary blood flow computational simulations to help predict the risk for coronary ischemia in patients with anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery (AAORCA) with these types of anomalous coronary artery inlet architectures. We developed a protocol for generating 3D models of patient coronary artery anatomies from an IRB-approved dataset of cardiac CT images of patients with AAORCA at our institution.

Imaging characteristics of brain microstructure and cerebral perfusion in Crohn's disease patients with anxiety: A prospective comparative study.

Background: Anxiety is a common comorbidity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Data on the imaging characteristics of brain microstructure and cerebral perfusion in CD with anxiety are limited.

Aim: To compare the imaging characteristics of brain microstructure and cerebral perfusion among CD patients with or without anxiety and healthy individuals.

Nomogram based on a novel nutritional immune-inflammatory status score to predict postoperative outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The relationship between patient nutritional, immune, and inflammatory status is linked to tumor progression and prognosis. However, there are limited studies on the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after surgery based on the comprehensive indicators of these factors.

Aim: To develop and validate a novel nomogram based on a nutritional immune-inflammatory status (NIIS) score for predicting postoperative outcomes in ESCC.

Advances in gastrointestinal vascular bleeding disorders: Successful sirolimus treatment in colonic angioectasia.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) vascular bleeding disorders pose significant clinical challenges due to their complex pathogenesis and varied treatment responses. Despite advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, optimal management strategies remain elusive, necessitating further research.

Aim: To assess research trends and clinical advancements in GI vascular bleeding disorders, highlighting key themes and therapeutic progress.

Targeting accuracy of neuronavigation: a comparative evaluation of an innovative wearable AR platform vs. traditional EM navigation.

Wearable augmented reality in neurosurgery offers significant advantages by enabling the visualization of navigation information directly on the patient, seamlessly integrating virtual data with the real surgical field. This ergonomic approach can facilitate a more intuitive understanding of spatial relationships and guidance cues, potentially reducing cognitive load and enhancing the accuracy of surgical gestures by aligning critical information with the actual anatomy in real-time. This study evaluates the benefits of a novel AR platform, VOSTARS, by comparing its targeting accuracy to that of the gold-standard electromagnetic (EM) navigation system, Medtronic StealthStation S7.

Skin microbiota: pathogenic roles and implications in atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and inflammatory skin disorder characterized by impaired barrier function and imbalanced immunity. Recent advances have revealed that dysbiosis of skin microbiota plays important roles in the pathogenesis and development of AD. Meanwhile, endogenous and external factors contribute to the dysbiosis of skin microbiota in AD.

Urinary Endotrophin and Long-term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Kidney fibrosis is a suggested cause of kidney failure and premature mortality. Because collagen type VI is closely linked to kidney fibrosis, we aimed to evaluate whether urinary endotrophin, a collagen type VI fragment, is associated with graft failure and mortality among kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, KTR with a functioning graft ≥1-y posttransplantation were recruited; 24-h urinary endotrophin excretion was measured using an ELISA method.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A: a natural pigment with potential anticancer therapeutic effect.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a natural pigment with a chalcone structure extracted from (Safflower), has been widely proven to have good efficacy on cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, cancer, and diabetes. However, no study has reported on the anticancer mechanisms of Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a principal bioactive compound in safflower. This review discusses recent developments in the physicochemical properties and sources, pharmacological effects and mechanisms, pharmacokinetic progress, and safety of HSYA, focusing on the involvement of HSYA in the regulation of related pathways and mechanisms of apoptosis, autophagy, and the tumor immune microenvironment in a variety of cancers.

Inflammatory microglia correlate with impaired oligodendrocyte maturation in multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: Remyelination of demyelinated axons can occur as an endogenous repair mechanism in multiple sclerosis (MS), but its efficacy varies between both MS individuals and lesions. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive remyelination remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the relation between microglia activation and remyelination activity in MS.

Terminal complement complex deposition on chondrocytes promotes premature senescence in age- and trauma-related osteoarthritis.

Background: The complement system is locally activated after joint injuries and leads to the deposition of the terminal complement complex (TCC). Sublytic TCC deposition is associated with phenotypical alterations of human articular chondrocytes (hAC) and enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines. Chronic inflammation is a known driver of chondrosenescence in osteoarthritis (OA).

Specific modulation of 28S_Um2402 rRNA 2'--ribose methylation as a novel epitranscriptomic marker of ZEB1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in different mammary cell contexts.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic transdifferentiation of epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells. EMT programs exhibit great diversity, based primarily on the distinct impact of molecular activities of the EMT transcription factors. Using a panel of cancer cell lines and a series of 71 triple-negative primary breast tumors, we report that the EMT transcription factor ZEB1 modulates site-specific chemical modifications of ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Exploring skin picking disorder: aetiology, treatment, and future directions.

Skin picking disorder (SPD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by repetitive picking of the skin, causing damage to tissue and significant distress. Despite its prevalence and impact, SPD remains understudied and often overlooked in clinical practice. This review thoroughly examines SPD, including its epidemiology, aetiology, clinical presentation, methods of treatment, challenges, and future directions.

Tanshinone I Ameliorates Psoriasis-Like Dermatitis by Suppressing Inflammation and Regulating Keratinocyte Differentiation.

Background: Psoriasis is an immune-related inflammatory systemic condition characterized by dysregulated keratinocyte proliferation and chronic inflammation. Tanshinone I (Tan-I) has recently been discovered to have immunomodulatory properties, but its role and mechanisms in treating psoriasis remain unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Tan-I in the treatment of psoriasis and to determine the mechanisms involved.

Regional brain iron correlates with transcriptional and cellular signatures in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: The link between overload brain iron and transcriptional/cellular signatures in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains inconclusive.

Methods: Iron deposition in 41 cortical and subcortical regions of 30 AD patients and 26 healthy controls (HCs) was measured using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). The expression of 15,633 genes was estimated in the same regions using transcriptomic data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA).

MOTS-c Impact on Muscle Cell Differentiation and Metabolism Across Fiber Types.

Background/aims: MOTS-c belongs to a group of mitochondrial peptides involved in metabolic processes in the body. This peptide has garnered increasing attention since its discovery in 2015 because of its potential to ameliorate metabolic parameters in animals with diabetes or insulin resistance. MOTS-c is involved in muscle metabolism; however, little is known about its role in fiber differentiation.

Immune cells: Mediators in the metabolites and Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects elderly individuals across the globe. While genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors are known to influence the onset of AD, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Objective: To elucidate the intricate interplay between metabolites and immune cell activation in the ethology of AD, and to determine their collective impact on AD risk.

c-JUN: a chromatin repressor that limits mesoderm differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells.

Cell fate determination at the chromatin level is not fully comprehended. Here, we report that c-JUN acts on chromatin loci to limit mesoderm cell fate specification as cells exit pluripotency. Although c-JUN is widely expressed across various cell types in early embryogenesis, it is not essential for maintaining pluripotency.

Germline BRCA testing in Denmark following invasive breast cancer: Progress since 2000.

Background And Purpose: Despite advancements in genetic testing and expanded eligibility criteria, underutilisation of germline testing for pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA) remains evident among breast cancer (BC) patients. This observational cohort study presents real-world data on BRCA testing within the context of clinical practice challenges, including incomplete family history and under-referral.

Material And Methods: From the Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) clinical database, we included 65,117 females with unilateral stage I-III BC diagnosed in 2000-2017, of whom 9,125 (14%) were BRCA tested.

Pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer - real-world single-centre data.

Background And Purpose: The randomised clinical trial KEYNOTE-048 has demonstrated a significant increase in survival for patients with head and neck cancer treated with pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy. The purpose of the present retrospective study was to investigate whether survival in a group of consecutive patients treated at our department was comparable to the results from KEYNOTE-048.

Patients/material And Methods: Seventy-six patients initiated treatment with pembrolizumab ± platinum/5-FU between July 2020 and May 2022.

Prostate Artery Embolization in the Setting of Prostate Cancer: Review and Opinion.

Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) is a novel minimally invasive angiographic technique that has been used effectively to treat men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, applications of PAE for men with prostate cancer have been minimally studied. This review serves as an update on the status of PAE in men with prostate cancer, as well as a discussion of emerging indications.

Chemotaxonomy and Bioactive Potential of High-Mountain Plantago atrata.

Plantago atrata Hoppe is a high-altitude mountain plant exposed to harsh environmental factors. This study aims to elucidate the ecological, phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics of this lesser-known plantain. Despite nutrient-poor peat soil, the leaves of P.

Modeling Sporadic Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in 3D Midbrain Organoids: Recapitulating Disease Features for In Vitro Diagnosis and Drug Discovery.

Objective: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and tufted astrocytes. Developing treatments for PSP is challenging due to the lack of disease models reproducing its key pathological features. This study aimed to model sporadic PSP-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) using multi-donor midbrain organoids (MOs).