Ultrasound-guided release of carpal tunnel syndrome - anterograde technique.

Compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel is a frequent pathology with severe functional impact. An ultrasound-guided technique was developed to preserve structures, diminish scar fibrosis and enable fast return to full activity. Its advantages are safety and low additional cost.

Phenotypic Heterogeneity of ADTKD-MUC1 Diagnosed Using VNtyper, a Novel Genetic Technique.

Rationale & Objective: Molecular diagnosis of autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) due to variants in the MUC1 gene has long been challenging since variants lie in a large Variable Number of Tandem Repeat (VNTR) region, making identification impossible using standard short read techniques. Previously, we addressed this diagnostic limitation by developing a computational pipeline, named VNtyper, for easier reliable detection of MUC1 VNTR pathogenic variants from short read sequences. This led to unexpected diagnoses of ADTKD-MUC1 among patients with kidney disease referred for genetic testing, which we report here.

Nanoplastics in focus: Exploring interdisciplinary approaches and future directions.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are gaining increasing attention due to their widespread distribution and potential environmental and biological impacts. Spanning a variety of ecosystems - from soils and rivers to oceans and polar ice - NPs interact with complex biological and geochemical processes, posing risks to organisms across multiple trophic levels. Despite their growing presence, understanding the behavior, transport, and toxicity of nanoplastics remains challenging due to their diverse physical and chemical properties as well as the heterogeneity of environmental matrices.

A health economic evaluation of the multinational, randomized controlled CONVINCE trial - cost-utility of high-dose online hemodiafiltration compared to high-flux hemodialysis.

High-flux hemodialysis (HD) and high-dose hemodiafiltration (HDF) are established treatments for patients with kidney failure. Since HDF has been associated with improved survival rates compared to HD, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of HDF compared to HD. Cost-utility analyses were performed from a societal perspective alongside the multinational randomized controlled CONVINCE trial.

Transcriptomic Signatures of Cold Acclimated Adipocytes Reveal CXCL12 as a Brown Autocrine and Paracrine Chemokine.

Besides its thermogenic capacity, brown adipose tissue (BAT) performs important secretory functions that regulate metabolism. However, the BAT microenvironment and factors involved in BAT homeostasis and adaptation to cold remain poorly characterized. We therefore aimed to study brown adipocyte-derived secreted factors that may be involved in adipocyte function and/or may orchestrate intercellular communications.

A new Mediterranean Lifestyle Pyramid for children and youth: a critical lifestyle tool for preventing obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases in a sustainable context.

Cardiovascular risk factors begin in childhood and track into adulthood, increasing the possibility of impaired cardiometabolic health. Adopting healthy dietary patterns can help curb childhood obesity, a worrisome epidemic problem at present. In the era of personalized nutrition, dietary recommendations should be adapted to different stages of life, including children (older than 3 years) and adolescents.

Therapeutic novelties in acute heart failure and practical perspectives.

Acute Heart Failure (AHF) is a leading cause of death and represents the most frequent cause of unplanned hospital admission in patients older than 65 years. Since the past decade, several randomized clinical trials have highlighted the importance and pivotal role of certain therapeutics, including decongestion by the combination of loop diuretics, the need for rapid goal-directed medical therapies implementation before discharge, risk stratification, and early follow-up after discharge therapies. Cardiogenic shock, defined as sustained hypotension with tissue hypoperfusion due to low cardiac output and congestion, is the most severe form of AHF and mainly occurs after acute myocardial infarction, which can progress to multiple organ failure.

Bibliometric analysis of neurocysticercosis case reports and evaluation of presented cases.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) has been classified as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), with the condition being regarded as the most significant parasitic disease affecting the nervous system. Hence, the aim of this study was to conduct a review of previously published case reports on this topic in order to ascertain whether there is an increasing trend of NCC worldwide and evaluate the cases that have been presented. After a comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection using the keywords "neurocysticercosis" and "case reports", studies were selected by applying inclusion criteria.

Temporal trends and patterns in mortality from falls across 59 high-income and upper-middle-income countries, 1990-2021, with projections up to 2040: a global time-series analysis and modelling study.

Background: Deaths related to falls are a substantial public health problem worldwide, and insight into trends and differences in global fall-related deaths can be valuable for identifying prevention strategies and developing effective policies. Thus, we aimed to estimate global fall-related mortality rate trends and forecast future fall-related deaths.

Methods: In this global time-series analysis and modelling study, we investigated temporal trends in fall-related mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 using the WHO Mortality Database, following the GATHER guidelines, and forecasted trends until 2040 across 59 high-income and upper-middle-income countries.

Mitigating negative impacts of drought on oak seedlings performances through plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Drought stress during the plant's growing season is a serious constraint to plant establishment in arid and semiarid Mediterranean ecosystems. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as environmentally friendly and innovative management approach can be used to produce seedlings better adapted to these environments. We tested native PGPR strains isolated from drought-tolerant tree and shrub species originating from two climatically contrasting regions: hot-dry (Dehloran) and milder Mediterranean climate (Ilam).

Comparative electron diffraction analysis of strain relaxation in AlxGa1-xN materials in the microelectronics industry: 4D-STEM approach vs. TEM-based N-PED solution.

Owing to its high spatial resolution and its high sensitivity to chemical element detection, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique enables to address high-level materials characterization of advanced technologies in the microelectronics field. TEM instruments fitted with various techniques are well-suited for assessing the local structural and chemical order of specific details. Among these techniques, 4D-STEM is suitable to estimate the strain distribution of a large field of view.

Cardiogenic shock in patients with active onco-hematological malignancies: A multicenter retrospective study.

Purpose: Onco-hematological (OH) patients face significant cardiovascular risks due to malignancy and drug toxicity. Data are limited on the characteristics and outcomes of OH patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) in intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 214 OH patients with CS across 22 ICUs (2010-2021).

Incidence and survival of European adolescents and young adults diagnosed with sarcomas: EUROCARE-6 results.

Background: Epidemiological data for sarcoma in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) and across age groups are limited. We aim to: 1) update sarcoma incidence, survival, and changes over time in European AYAs; 2) provide an updated comparison of sarcoma survival in AYAs versus children and mature adults.

Methods: We calculated crude incidence rates (IR) per 100,000 European population per year from 2006 to 2013.

Patients with multiple sclerosis and low disability display cautious rotational behavior during gait initiation.

Background: Multiple sclerosis induces locomotor impairments. The objective was to characterize the effects of Multiple Sclerosis on whole-body angular momentum control during gait initiation.

Methods: Fifteen patients with Multiple Sclerosis with Expanded Disability status scale of 2.

Pembrolizumab in microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) and non-MSI-H/non-dMMR advanced endometrial cancer: Phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study results.

Objective: We report updated results with longer follow-up in patients with MSI-H/dMMR endometrial cancer (EC) in cohort D (advanced EC of any MSI/dMMR status) and cohort K (any MSI-H/dMMR advanced solid tumor, except colorectal) of the phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study (NCT02628067) and the first results from patients with non-MSI-H/non-dMMR advanced EC (cohort D).

Methods: Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W for ≥35 cycles. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.

A multimodal deep learning model for cervical pre-cancers and cancers prediction: Development and internal validation study.

Background: The current cervical cancer screening and diagnosis have limitations due to their subjectivity and lack of reproducibility. We describe the development of a deep learning (DL)-based diagnostic risk prediction model and evaluate its potential for clinical impact.

Method: We developed and internally validated a DL model which accommodates both clinical data and colposcopy images in predicting the patients CIN2+ status using a retrospective cohort of 6356 cases of LEEP-conization/cone-biopsy (gold-standard diagnosis) following an abnormal screening result.

Simulated breathing in virtual reality does not affect perceived effort during the physical rehabilitation of people with long COVID.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of simulated breathing in virtual reality (VR) for manipulating the level of perceived effort of people with long COVID during sessions of physical rehabilitation.

Methods: We conducted a within-participants randomized prospective study during a cycling exercise in immersive VR with three counterbalanced conditions of simulated breathing: slower breathing, neutral breathing, and faster breathing compared to theirs. 37 participants with long COVID and deconditioning were included in the study, 36 of which could finish the experiment.

Effect of siponimod on retinal thickness, a marker of neurodegeneration, in participants with SPMS: Findings from the EXPAND OCT substudy.

Background: People with MS show abnormal thinning of the retinal layers, which is associated with clinical disability and brain atrophy, and is a potential surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effects.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of retinal thickness as a surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effect in participants with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) from the optical coherence tomography (OCT) substudy of the EXPAND Phase 3 clinical trial (siponimod versus placebo).

Methods: In the OCT substudy population (n = 159), treatment effects on change in the average thickness of the retinal layer, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and combined macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers (GCIPL) were analyzed by high-definition spectral domain OCT at months 3, 12, and 24.

Differential effect of three types of exoskeletons and handling height on muscular activity, postural control and perceived effort during simulated bedside mobilization task.

Home care workers are affected by musculoskeletal disorders caused by biomechanical factors. This study investigated the effect of three exoskeletons devices (HAPO, HAPO FRONT and Japet.W) during load mobilization tasks at three bed heights in order to reduce physical risk factor.

Focusing surface phonon-polaritons for tunable thermal radiation.

We demonstrate unprecedented control and enhancement of thermal radiation using subwavelength conical membranes of silicon nitride. Based on fluctuational electrodynamics, we find that the focusing of surface phonon-polaritons along these membranes enhances their far-field thermal conductance by three orders of magnitude over the blackbody limit. Our calculations reveal a non-monotonic dependence of the thermal conductance on membrane geometry, with a characteristic radiation plateau emerging at small front widths due to competing effects of the polariton focusing and radiative area.

Microstructure response of concentrated suspensions to flow reversal.

We study experimentally at the macroscopic and microstructure scale a dense suspension of non-Brownian neutrally buoyant spherical particles experiencing periodic reversals of flow at constant rate between parallel plates and tracked individually. We first characterize the quasi-steady state reached at the end of half periods. The volume fraction of particles increases from the walls to the center as a result of migration induced by the nonuniform strain rate.

Can robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty be applied to valgus deformity.

Introduction: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in valgus knees is challenging. Optimal ligament balance, implant neutral or moderate valgus alignment are crucial but conventional instrumentations usually lead to outliers. Robotic arm assisted TKA (RATKA) advantages could answer this challenge.

A living library concept to capture the dynamics and reactivity of mixed-metal clusters for catalysis.

The exploration of ligated metal clusters' chemical space is challenging, partly owing to an insufficiently targeted access to reactive clusters. Now, dynamic mixtures of clusters, defined as living libraries, are obtained through organometallic precursor chemistry. The libraries are populated with interrelated clusters, including transient and highly reactive ones, as well as more accessible but less reactive species.