Mineralocorticoid axis activity and cardiac remodeling in patients with ACTH dependent Cushing's syndrome.

Background: Arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy and remodeling are independent cardiovascular risk factors in patients with Cushing's syndrome. Changes in the renin-angiotensin system and in the mineralocorticoid axis activity could be involved as potential mechanisms in their pathogenesis, in addition to cortisol excess.

Methods: In this ancillary study of our previous study prospectively investigating patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (NCT02202902), 11 patients without any interfering medication were cross-sectionally compared to 20 control subjects matched for age, sex and body mass index.

Viedma deracemization mechanisms in self-assembly processes.

Simulations on an ODE-based model shows that there are many common points between Viedma deracemization and chiral self-assemblies of achiral building blocks towards chiral nanoparticles. Both systems occur in a closed system with energy exchange but no matter exchange with the surroundings and show parallel reversible growth mechanisms which coexist with an irreversible cluster breaking (grinding). The various mechanisms of growth give rise to the formation of polymerization/depolymerization cycles while the consecutive transformation of achiral monomer into chiral cluster results into an indirect enantioselective autocatalysis.

Is hypercalcemia immediately life-threatening ? A prospective study.

Objective: Hypercalcemia is often considered as an emergency because of a potential risk life-threatening arrhythmias or coma. However, there is little evidence, apart from case studies, that hypercalcemia can be immediately life-threatening. The aim of our study was to assess prospectively, if hypercalcemia (Ca ≥ 3 mmol/L) was associated with immediately life-threatening complications.

AI-driven automated discovery tools reveal diverse behavioral competencies of biological networks.

Many applications in biomedicine and synthetic bioengineering rely on understanding, mapping, predicting, and controlling the complex behavior of chemical and genetic networks. The emerging field of diverse intelligence investigates the problem-solving capacities of unconventional agents. However, few quantitative tools exist for exploring the competencies of non-conventional systems.

Fast Neuronal Calcium Signals in Brain Slices Loaded With Fluo-4 AM Ester.

Staining brain slices with acetoxymethyl ester (AM) Ca dyes is a straightforward procedure to load multiple cells, and Fluo-4 is a commonly used high-affinity indicator due to its very large dynamic range. It has been shown that this dye preferentially stains glial cells, providing slow and large Ca transients, but it is questionable whether and at which temporal resolution it can also report Ca transients from neuronal cells. Here, by electrically stimulating mouse hippocampal slices, we resolved fast neuronal signals corresponding to 1%-3% maximal fluorescence changes.

Ionogel-Based Electrodes for Non-Flammable High-Temperature Operating Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors.

The design of interfaces between nanostructured electrodes and advanced electrolytes is critical for realizing advanced electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) that combine high charge-storage capacity, high-rate capability, and enhanced safety. Toward this goal, this work presents a novel and sustainable approach for fabricating ionogel-based electrodes using a renewed slurry casting method, in which the solvent is replaced by the ionic liquid (IL), namely 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (EMIFSI). This method avoids time-consuming and costly electrolyte-filling steps by integrating the IL directly into the electrode during slurry preparation, while improving the rate capability of EDLCs based on non-flammable ILs.

Vacuolar myopathy with monoclonal gammopathy and stiffness (VAMMGAS).

Background: Monoclonal gammopathy (MG) has been reported in association with numerous neurological disorders but the spectrum of MG-associated myopathies remains poorly described.

Objective: To report a newly acquired myopathy associated with MG.

Methods: Three adult patients with the same phenotype from two French referral centers were prospectively analyzed.

On peptide bond formation from protonated glycine dimers in the gas phase: computational insight into the role of protonation.

Peptide bond formation from the pure protonated glycine dimer, H(Gly), and from the mixed protonated glycine-diglycine dimer, HGly(Gly), was recently found experimentally to occur in gas-phase experiments in the absence of any catalyst and especially under anhydrous conditions [, 2023, , 775]. In this contribution we further examine the conditions of such unimolecular reactions by means of density-functional theory calculations at the DFT/M06 2X/6-311G++(2df,p) level, focusing in particular on the role played by the protonation site. Two pathways, stepwise and concerted, are identified for the pure protonated dimer, and six pathways are examined for the mixed dimer.

Detection of odorants in odour mixtures among healthy people and patients with olfactory dysfunction.

Target odorant detection in mixtures has been shown to become more difficult as the number of background odorants increases and falls below chance level in mixtures with 16 components. Our aim was to investigate target odorant detection in mixtures among healthy people and compare it between dysosmic patients and age- and gender-matched controls. Participants underwent extensive olfactory testing and performed two target odorant detection tasks.

Rapid microfluidic perfusion system enables controlling dynamics of intracellular pH regulated by Na/H exchanger NHE1.

pH regulation of eukaryotic cells is of crucial importance and influences different mechanisms including chemical kinetics, buffer effects, metabolic activity, membrane transport and cell shape parameters. In this study, we develop a microfluidic system to rapidly and precisely control a continuous flow of ionic chemical species to acutely challenge the intracellular pH regulation mechanisms and confront predictive models. We monitor the intracellular pH dynamics in real-time using pH-sensitive fluorescence imaging and establish a robust mathematical tool to translate the fluorescence signals to pH values.

Sensitivity of driving simulation to sleep deprivation: effect of task duration.

Study Objectives: The Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) is widely recognized as the gold standard for measuring vigilance, providing a rapid and objective measure of this state. While driving simulations are also used, they typically require longer administration times. This study examines the sensitivity of driving simulation variables to sleep deprivation throughout the task.

Beta cell function and global glucose metabolism are impaired in Dp(16)1Yey mouse model of Down syndrome.

Aims: Down syndrome (DS) or trisomy 21 is the most prevalent genetic disorder in the world. In addition to common symptoms such as intellectual disabilities and morphological abnormalities, several comorbidities are associated with DS, including metabolic dysfunction. Obesity and diabetes are more prevalent in people with DS compared with the general population.

Evaluation of the interaction between Menthol and Camphor, Major Compounds of Clinopodium nepeta Essential Oil: Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Anticancer Activities against Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

This study evaluates the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of camphor, menthol and their equimolar combination. In silico toxicity analysis confirmed the absence of toxic effects for both compounds. Antioxidant activity, assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, revealed a synergistic effect of the equimolar combination with IC50 values of 10.

Effects of pace on productivity and physical and mental workloads in a human-cobot collaboration.

. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent a prevalent global occupational health concern, primarily associated with high biomechanical solicitations, mental workload and work pace. Although cobots have shown promise in reducing risks of MSDs, a question of interest still persists as to how the pace in hybrid human-machine collaboration will affect the operator, in terms of both physical and cognitive health and the production.

Consensus on Symptom Selection for Endometriosis Questionnaires: A Modified e-Delphi Study.

Objective: To build consensus on most important symptoms and related consequences for use in questionnaires to characterise individuals with suspected and confirmed endometriosis in the general population.

Design: A questionnaire of 107 symptoms and related consequences of endometriosis was collaboratively developed by patients, medical doctors and researchers and further assessed in a two-round e-Delphi study. Participants assessed the relevance of the symptoms, and a priori it was decided that 70% was the threshold for inclusion of a symptom.

α-Synuclein interaction with POPC/POPS vesicles.

We have investigated the adsorption of the amyloid-forming protein α-Synuclein (αSyn) onto small unilamellar vesicles composed of a mixture of zwitterionic POPC and anionic POPS lipids. αSyn monomers adsorb onto the anionic lipid vesicles where they adopt an α-helical secondary structure. The degree of adsorption depends on the fraction of anionic lipid in the mixed lipid membrane, but one needs to consider the electrostatic shift of the serine p with increasing fraction of POPS.

Evaluation of Silica and Bioglass Nanomaterials in Pulp-like Living Materials.

Although silicon is a widespread constituent in dental materials, its possible influence on the formation and repair of teeth remains largely unexplored. Here, we studied the effect of two silicic acid-releasing nanomaterials, silica and bioglass, on a living model of pulp consisting of dental pulp stem cells seeded in dense type I collagen hydrogels. Silica nanoparticles and released silicic acid had little effect on cell viability and mineralization efficiency but impacted metabolic activity, delayed matrix remodeling, and led to heterogeneous cell distribution.

A deep learning modular ECG approach for cardiologist assisted adjudication of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter episodes.

Background: Detection of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATA) on long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings is a prerequisite to reduce ATA-related adverse events. However, the burden of editing massive ECG data is not sustainable. Deep learning (DL) algorithms provide improved performances on resting ECG databases.

2024 HRS perspective on advancing workflows for CIED remote monitoring.

Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) generate substantial data, often stored in image or PDF formats. Remote monitoring, now an integral component of patient care, places considerable administrative burdens on clinicians and staff, in large part due to the challenge of integrating these data seamlessly into electronic health records. Since 2006, the Heart Rhythm Society, in collaboration with the CIED industry, has led an initiative to establish a unified standard nomenclature.

Microrheometric study of damage and rupture of capsules in simple shear flow.

Capsules, which are potentially-active fluid droplets enclosed in a thin elastic membrane, experience large deformations when placed in suspension. The induced fluid-structure interaction stresses can potentially lead to rupture of the capsule membrane. While numerous experimental studies have focused on the rheological behavior of capsules until rupture, there remains a gap in understanding the evolution of their mechanical properties and the underlying mechanisms of damage and breakup under flow.

Variations in linear energy transfer distributions within a European proton therapy planning comparison of paediatric posterior fossa tumours.

Background And Purpose: Radiotherapy for paediatric posterior fossa tumours may cause complications in the brainstem and upper spinal cord due to high doses. With proton therapy (PT) this risk may increase due to higher relative biological effectiveness (RBE) from elevated linear energy transfer (LET). This study assesses variations in LET in the brainstem and spinal cord in proton treatment plans from European centres.

Head and neck automatic multi-organ segmentation on Dual-Energy Computed Tomography.

Background And Purpose: Deep-learning-based automatic segmentation is widely used in radiation oncology to delineate organs-at-risk. Dual-energy CT (DECT) allows the reconstruction of enhanced contrast images that could help with manual and auto-delineation. This paper presents a performance evaluation of a commercial auto-segmentation software on image series generated by a DECT.

An Open-source Python Tool for Traction Force Microscopy on Micropatterned Substrates.

Cell-generated forces play a critical role in driving and regulating complex biological processes, such as cell migration and division and cell and tissue morphogenesis in development and disease. Traction force microscopy (TFM) is an established technique developed in the field of mechanobiology used to quantify cellular forces exerted on soft substrates and internal mechanical tissue stresses. TFM measures cell-generated traction forces in 2D or 3D environments with varying mechanical and biochemical properties.

Evolving Appetites: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives in Terms of Meat Substitutes in Europe.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and health impacts of their food choices, leading to changes in consumption behavior. This study examines the consumption patterns and behaviors of European consumers regarding meat substitutes and identifies factors influencing their acceptance as alternative protein sources. The study involved 5000 participants from four European countries-France, Germany, Italy, and Spain with data extracted from the Mintel consumer database in 2024.