The N6-methyladenosine RNA epigenetic modification modulates the amplification of coxsackievirus B1 in human pancreatic beta cells.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by a prolonged autoimmune attack resulting in the massive loss of insulin-producing beta cells. The initiation and progression of T1D depends on a complex interaction between genetic, immunological and environmental factors. Epidemiological, experimental and clinical evidence suggest a link between viral infections, particularly Coxsackievirus type B (CVB), and T1D development.

Targeted microwave ablation of localised prostate cancer: Initial results of VIOLETTE trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the precision and safety of targeted microwave ablation (TMA) using organ-based tracking (OBT) fusion, in patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer.

Patients And Method: We conducted a prospective, multicentric trial. Eligible patients had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) < 20 ng/mL, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible index tumour of Gleason score 3 + 4, with largest axis ≤15 mm and distant of at least 5 mm from the rectum and apex.

Patient and physician expectations regarding disease and treatment of advanced HCC: The prospective PERCEPTION1 study.

Background & Aims: We aimed to explore patient expectations regarding their treatments and prognosis in comparison to physicians' assessments in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving systemic treatments.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 205 patients in France and Belgium with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C HCC receiving systemic treatment (NCT04823754). Patients completed a 28-question survey and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), while physicians filled a 17-question survey after the initial consultation.

Analysis of the Belgian RTT workforce and estimation of workforce needs for the near future.

Introduction: Radiation Therapists (RTTs) are crucial in delivering Radiotherapy (RT) to cancer patients. The advancements in RT technology and the increasing cancer incidence have heightened the demand for RTTs, necessitating strategic workforce planning at the national level. This study aims to identify and estimate current and future RTT workforce in Belgium.

Atypical Regional Accent in Autistic Children: A Perception Study.

Autistic children are frequently said to speak with accents that markedly differ from those of their linguistic communities. To date, these anecdotal reports have never been tested or explained. We ran two perception studies using short audio recordings of autistic and typically developing children from the Campania region in Italy.

Recognition at the Heart of the Complex Situations Experienced by People With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

Objective: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) is frequent in chronic diseases, decreasing the quality of life of these patients. In a survey conducted in Belgium in 2019, chronic pain was named by patients as the main factor of complexity in their lives. The objective of our research was to provide elements to understand why and how CMSP contributes to the complexity of these people's lives.

Impact of the biopsychosocial model of disability on the medicolegal assessment of personal injury.

Background: The objective of this paper was to determine whether the medicolegal assessment of injured and disabled persons is based on the biopsychosocial model of disability proposed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

Methods: We searched for the word disability and other keywords, occurring alone or in combination as well as the meaning given to the word "disability" in two Belgian legal databases (JURA and STRADALEX) for the period from 1960 to 2020.

Results: The use of the term disability has increased over time, more so from 2001 to 2010, in areas of public health law, labor relations, and personal injury law.

Prevalence, Activity Limitations and Quality of Life in Patients with Non-Specific Neck Pain in Burundi: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Non-specific neck pain (NSNP) causes a great deal of discomfort, impacting a person's functionality and quality of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, activity limitations, and quality of life in patients with NSNP in Burundi.

Patients And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aims, covering the period from September 2023 to February 2024.

Is supported employment effective for Disability Insurance recipients with mental health conditions? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Belgium.

We conduct a randomized experiment (n = 600) to evaluate a Supported Employment (SE) program that, through intensive job coaching and follow-along support, aims to increase work activity of Belgian Disability Insurance (DI) recipients with mental health conditions. The control group gets regular vocational rehabilitation. After a 30-month follow-up period, we find that SE increases the probability of working while claiming DI by 7.

Prognostic and predictive implications of sterile alpha motif and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) expression in breast cancer.

Sterile alpha motif and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is a dNTP hydrolase important for intracellular dNTP homeostasis and serves as tumor suppressor and modulator of antimetabolite efficacy in cancer, though largely unexplored in breast cancer (BC). A cohort of patients with early BC (n = 564) with available gene expression data (GEP) was used. SAMHD1 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry performed on tissue microarrays.

Prevalence of Neisseria meningitidis carriage among men who have sex with men at a sexual health clinic in Brussels, Belgium: a cross-sectional study.

To assess the prevalence of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage among men who have sex with men (MSM) and examine potential risk factors associated with colonization. This was an observational, cross-sectional, monocentric study. Inclusion criteria were asymptomatic adult MSM.

Impact of Five Weeks of Strengthening Under Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) or Supplemental Oxygen Breathing (Normobaric Hyperoxia) on the Medial Gastrocnemius.

This study investigates the effects of a five-week training program on the medial gastrocnemius muscle, comparing two approaches: blood flow restriction (BFR) training and normobaric hyperoxia (oxygen supplementation). It evaluates three strengthening modalities (dynamic, isometric, and the 3/7 method) analyzing their impact on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), muscle architecture, and perceived exertion. A total of 36 young healthy participants (21 females, 15 males) were randomized into six subgroups (n = 6 each) based on the type of contraction and oxygen condition.

Assessment of the American College of Surgeons Surgical Risk Calculator (ACS-SRC) for Prediction of Early Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery for Ovarian Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is diagnosed at a locally advanced stage in two-thirds of cases. The first line of treatment consists of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. However, CRS can be associated with high rates of postoperative complications (POCs), and detection of fragile patients at high risk of POCs is important.

Impact of CPAP Therapy on Cognition and Fatigue in Patients with Moderate to Severe Sleep Apnea: A Longitudinal Observational Study.

Continued solicitation of cognitive resources eventually leads to cognitive fatigue (CF), i.e., a decrease in cognitive efficiency that develops during sustained cognitive demands in conditions of constrained processing time, independently of sleepiness.

Probing Out-Of-Plane Charge Transport in Organic Semiconductors Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy.

High contact resistance remains the primary obstacle that hinders further advancements of organic semiconductors (OSCs) in electronic circuits. While significant effort has been directed toward lowering the energy barrier at OSC/metal contact interfaces, approaches toward reducing another major contributor to overall contact resistance - the bulk resistance - have been limited to minimizing the thickness of OSC films. However, the out-of-plane conductivity of OSCs, a critical aspect of bulk resistance, has largely remained unaddressed.

Volition as a modulator of the intergroup empathy bias.

Neural reactions to others' pain are usually lower when the individual is of a different ethnicity than when they are of the same ethnicity. This suggests that empathy is not only an automatic phenomenon but also a motivated one. In the present study, we tested whether one's willingness to increase or decrease empathy would correspondingly increase or decrease the neural empathic response, as measured with electroencephalography (EEG), irrespective of ethnicity.

Alkane degradation coupled to Fe(III) reduction mediated by Gram-positive bacteria.

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination, such as n-alkanes, poses a significant global threat to ecosystems and human health. Microbial remediation emerges as a promising strategy for addressing this issue through both aerobic and anaerobic processes. Notably, the majority of anaerobic hydrocarbon degraders identified to date are Gram-negative bacteria.

A Pooled Pharmacokinetic Analysis for Piperacillin/Tazobactam Across Different Patient Populations: From Premature Infants to the Elderly.

Background And Objectives: The pharmacokinetics (PK) of piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) is highly variable across different patient populations and there are controversies regarding non-linear elimination as well as the fraction unbound of PIP (f). This has led to a plethora of subgroup-specific models, increasing the risk of misusing published models when optimising dosing regimens. In this study, we aimed to develop a single model to simultaneously describe the PK of PIP/TAZ in diverse patient populations and evaluate the current dosing recommendations by predicting the PK/pharmacodynamics (PD) target attainment throughout life.

Use of extracorporeal blood purification therapies in sepsis: the current paradigm, available evidence, and future perspectives.

Background: Sepsis is the result of a dysregulated immune response to infection and is associated with acute organ dysfunction. The syndrome's complexity is contingent upon the underlying pathology and individual patient characteristics, including their immune response. The involvement of multiple organs and physiological functions adds complexity, with "organ cross-talk" emerging as a pivotal pathophysiological and clinical aspect.

Local honey reflects environmental changes in metal concentrations and lead isotope ratios during COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels, Belgium, and Vancouver, Canada.

Effective methods for measuring sudden environmental changes are crucial for understanding how cities respond to shifts in human activity. This study examines atmospheric metal outputs during the COVID-19 restrictions using honey samples collected from three land use types in Brussels Capital Region (BCR), Belgium, and Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), Canada to study changes as the result of restrictions. By comparing these cities with distinct sizes, ages, and structures, we assess how urban environments responded to pandemic-induced restrictions.

Exploring the inherent resilience of health districts in a context of chronic armed conflict: a case study in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: In South Kivu (Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC]), health districts (HDs) affected by chronic armed conflicts are devising coping mechanisms to continue offering healthcare services to the population. Nonetheless, this alone does not suffice to make them fully resilient to such conflicts. This study aims to explore the characteristics of these HDs' resilience.