VGLL-fusions define a new class of intraparenchymal CNS schwannoma.

Background: Intracerebral schwannomas are rare tumors resembling their peripheral nerve sheath counterparts but localized in the CNS. They are not classified as a separate tumor type in the 2021 WHO classification. This study aimed to compile and characterize these rare neoplasms morphologically and molecularly.

A conceptual classification scheme of invasion science.

In the era of big data and global biodiversity decline, there is a pressing need to transform data and information into findable and actionable knowledge. We propose a conceptual classification scheme for invasion science that goes beyond hypothesis networks and allows to organize publications and data sets, guide research directions, and identify knowledge gaps. Combining expert knowledge with literature analysis, we identified five major research themes in this field: introduction pathways, invasion success and invasibility, impacts of invasion, managing biological invasions, and meta-invasion science.

Towards interactive AI-authoring with prototypical few-shot classifiers in histopathology.

A vast multitude of tasks in histopathology could potentially benefit from the support of artificial intelligence (AI). Many examples have been shown in the literature and first commercial products with FDA or CE-IVDR clearance are available. However, two key challenges remain: (1) a scarcity of thoroughly annotated images, respectively the laboriousness of this task, and (2) the creation of robust models that can cope with the data heterogeneity in the field (domain generalization).

iKNOW-Supporting the counseling of women with hereditary risk of breast and ovarian cancer with digital technologies: A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: We developed the online-based counseling tool iKNOW for women with a pathogenic germline variant in to improve risk understanding and quality of life.

Methods: With a randomized controlled trial, we investigated the efficacy of iKNOW with regard to risk understanding (primary endpoint), quality of life, risk perception, and anxiety (secondary endpoints). Self-report questionnaires were administered to  = 217 women with a pathogenic variant in before counseling (T0), immediately after (T1), 4 weeks after (T2), and 6 months after (T3).

On the ability of standard and brain-constrained deep neural networks to support cognitive superposition: a position paper.

The ability to coactivate (or "superpose") multiple conceptual representations is a fundamental function that we constantly rely upon; this is crucial in complex cognitive tasks requiring multi-item working memory, such as mental arithmetic, abstract reasoning, and language comprehension. As such, an artificial system aspiring to implement any of these aspects of general intelligence should be able to support this operation. I argue here that standard, feed-forward deep neural networks (DNNs) are unable to implement this function, whereas an alternative, fully brain-constrained class of neural architectures spontaneously exhibits it.

Dominant negative mutations cause ADA2 deficiency in heterozygous carriers.

Human ADA2 deficiency (DADA2) is an inborn error of immunity with a broad clinical phenotype which encompasses vasculopathy including livedo racemosa and lacunar strokes, as well as hemato-immunological features. Diagnosis is based on the combination of decreased serum ADA2 activity and the identification of biallelic deleterious alleles in the gene. DADA2 carriers harbor a single pathogenic variant in and are mostly considered healthy and asymptomatic.

Urban Greening and Pollen Allergy: Balancing Health and Environmental Sustainability.

Urban living requires a careful balance between human health and environmental sustainability when selecting urban vegetation. Public gardens and green roofs offer significant environmental benefits, including air filtration, exposure to health-associated microbiota, and mitigation of the urban heat island effect. However, prioritizing allergy-friendly species is crucial to prevent the exacerbation of pollen allergies.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes across mental disorders and the role of sex: A register-based study from Catalonia.

Introduction: This study investigated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes among different mental health diagnoses and the role of sex in these associations.

Methods: Using electronic records from Catalonia, we identified adults receiving mental health care from 2017-2019 with diagnoses of non-affective psychosis (NAP), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DEP), stress-related disorders, neurotic/somatoform disorders (NSD), and substance misuse (SUB) (exposed). The outcomes assessed were SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, and COVID-19-related death, compared to matched individuals without these mental disorders (unexposed).

Comparative efficacy of anaerobic digestion systems in removing antimicrobial resistance genes from swine wastewater.

Swine farm wastewater is a major reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Anaerobic digestion (AD), widely implemented in farms, has been extensively studied for ARG removal. However, a comparative study on ARG removal efficiency across the four principal AD systems - up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), buried biogas digester (BBD), and septic tank (SPT) - is lacking.

Fit for purpose? Evaluating benthic invertebrate DNA metabarcoding for ecological status class assessment in streams under the Water Framework Directive.

The ecological state of aquatic ecosystems is systematically monitored using various bioindicators in many countries worldwide. In the European Union, freshwater biomonitoring is the central component of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and currently based on morpho-taxonomic methods. DNA metabarcoding is a novel approach to assess the ecological state fast and efficiently based on organismal DNA signatures and thereby support and upscale biomonitoring.

Visual quality of life in NMOSD and MOGAD: profiles, dynamics and associations with ageing and vision.

Objective: In this multicentric study, we were interested in the vision-related quality of life and its association with visual impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in comparison to multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

Methods: We analysed extracted data from the German NEMOS registry including National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores, high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA), visually evoked potentials (VEP) and the scores for the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and other neurological tests which assessed their disease-related impairment. The mean follow-up time of our patients was 1.

Citrate-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Facilitate Endothelialization of Left Ventricular Assist Device Impeller for Improved Antithrombogenicity.

Although left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an alternative to heart transplantation, their artificial surfaces often lead to serious thrombotic complications requiring high-risk device replacement. Coating blood-contacting surfaces with antithrombogenic endothelial cells is considered an effective strategy for preventing thrombus formation. However, this concept has not yet been successfully implemented in LVADs, as severe cell loss is to be expected, especially on the impeller surface with high prothrombogenic supraphysiological shear stress.

Increased methane production associated with community shifts towards Methanocella in paddy soils with the presence of nanoplastics.

Background: Planetary plastic pollution poses a major threat to ecosystems and human health in the Anthropocene, yet its impact on biogeochemical cycling remains poorly understood. Waterlogged rice paddies are globally important sources of CH. Given the widespread use of plastic mulching in soils, it is urgent to unravel whether low-density polyethylene (LDPE) will affect the methanogenic community in flooded paddy soils.

[Academics in ophthalmology : An analysis of the gender distribution at German university hospitals and the Clinician Scientist Program].

Background: The number of female ophthalmologists has risen steadily in recent years. The aim of this study is to investigate the gender ratios, subspecialties, and academic degrees of ophthalmologists at German university hospitals. Additionally, the study analyzes the proportion of women in science programs such as the Clinician Scientist Program.

3D printing of pharmaceutical dosage forms: Recent advances and applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing, is considered to be a game-changing technology in many industries and is also considered to have potential use cases in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially if individualization is desired. In this review article the authors systematically researched literature published during the last 5 years (2019 - spring 2024) on the topic of 3D printed dosage forms. Besides all kinds of oral dosage forms ranging from tablets and capsules to films, pellets, etc.

[A comparison of direct admissions to inpatient-equivalent home treatment with transfers from psychiatric wards].

Aim: Different access routes to inpatient-equivalent home treatment (IEHT) were examined.

Methods: Baseline differences were examined using exploratory group comparisons, treatment effects by type of admission using regression analysis.

Results: Of 200 StäB users, 144 (72%) were admitted directly to IEHT, while 56 (28%) were transferred.

Reinvestigation of the mechanism of dioxygen activation at a Mn(cyclam) center.

This study deals with the unprecedented reactivity of a [(cyclam)Mn(OTf)] (3-cis; OTf = CFSO) with O, which, depending on the presence or absence of a hydrogen atom donor like 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine (TEMPO-H), selectively generates di-μ-oxo Mn(III)Mn(IV) (1) or Mn (2) complexes, respectively. Both dimers have been characterized by different techniques including single-crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance. Oxygenation reactions carried out with labeled O and Resonance Raman spectroscopy unambiguously show that the oxygen atoms present in the MnMn dimer originate from O.

Emotional inertia is independently associated with cognitive emotion regulation strategies and sleep quality.

Emotional inertia (i.e. the tendency for emotions to persist over time) is robustly associated with lower wellbeing.

[Long-term courses of anxiety disorders].

Background: At present there is no comprehensive overview of the long-term development of the clinical picture, disease-associated impairments and neurobiological correlates of anxiety disorders as well as what influence certain risk factors and treatment have on the prognosis.

Objective: This article presents findings regarding disorder-specific symptoms and disorder-associated changes in the areas of functional level, quality of life, neurocognitive performance and structural brain anatomy over the lifespan. It also reports on how patient-related and environment-related aspects as well as guideline-oriented therapy influence the course of the disorder.

Synthetic chitin oligosaccharide nanocrystals and their higher-order assemblies.

Self-assembly is a powerful strategy for creating complex architectures and elucidating the aggregation behaviors of biopolymers. Herein, we investigate the hierarchical assembly of chitin using a approach based on synthetic oligosaccharides. We discovered that chitin oligosaccharides self-assemble into platelets, which then form higher-order structures.

Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model.

Despite the international effort to improve laboratory animal welfare through the 3R principles (Reduce, Refine, Replace), many scientists still fail to implement and report their assessment of pain and well-being, likely due to concerns regarding the potential effects of analgesics on experimental outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether refining our viral encephalitis model with perioperative analgesia could enhance well-being and recovery after intracerebral virus infection without impacting disease outcomes. We routinely use the Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV) model to study virus-induced epilepsy.

Shared metabolic and stress pathways to neonatal adiposity.

Perceived stress levels, prevalence of pregnancies complicated by metabolic disorders, and childhood obesity have been increasing steadily. We here propose a pathway integrating stress-responsive biological systems into the established effects of maternal diabetes and obesity during pregnancy, overall exerting a combined contribution to offspring adiposity risk.