Effect of Online Training on the Reliability of Assessing Sacroiliac Joint Radiographs in Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Randomized, Controlled Study.

Objective: Radiographic assessment of sacroiliac joints (SIJs) according to the modified New York (mNY) criteria is key in the classification of axial spondyloarthritis but has moderate interreader agreement. We aimed to investigate the improvements of the reliability in scoring SIJ radiographs after applying an online real-time iterative calibration (RETIC) module, in addition to a slideshow and video alone.

Methods: Nineteen readers, randomized to 2 groups (A or B), completed 3 calibration steps: (1) review of manuscripts, (2) review of slideshow and video with group A completing RETIC, and (3) re-review of slideshow and video with group B completing RETIC.

PTPRZ1-Targeting RNA CAR T Cells Exert Antigen-Specific and Bystander Antitumor Activity in Glioblastoma.

The great success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in the treatment of patients with B-cell malignancies has prompted its translation to solid tumors. In the case of glioblastoma (GBM), clinical trials have shown modest efficacy, but efforts to develop more effective anti-GBM CAR T cells are ongoing. In this study, we selected protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z (PTPRZ1) as a target for GBM treatment.

Molecular programs guiding arealization of descending cortical pathways.

Layer 5 extratelencephalic (ET) neurons are present across neocortical areas and send axons to multiple subcortical targets. Two cardinal subtypes exist: (1) Slco2a1-expressing neurons (ET), which predominate in the motor cortex and project distally to the pons, medulla and spinal cord; and (2) Nprs1- or Hpgd-expressing neurons (ET), which predominate in the visual cortex and project more proximally to the pons and thalamus. An understanding of how area-specific ET and ET emerge during development is important because they are critical for fine motor skills and are susceptible to spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Baseline platelet count and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute venous thromboembolism: a prospective cohort study.

An abnormal platelet count (PC) is common in acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) but its relationship with clinical outcomes remains ill-defined. We aimed to explore the association between baseline PC and the long-term risk of clinically relevant outcomes in a prospective cohort of 991 patients with acute VTE. We classified patients into four PC groups: very low (< 100 G/l), low (≥ 100 to < 150 G/l), normal (≥ 150 G/l to ≤ 450 G/l), and high (> 450 G/l).

PET radiomics-based lymphovascular invasion prediction in lung cancer using multiple segmentation and multi-machine learning algorithms.

The current study aimed to predict lymphovascular invasion (LVI) using multiple machine learning algorithms and multi-segmentation positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, offering new avenues for personalized treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. One hundred and twenty-six patients with NSCLC were enrolled in this study. Various automated and semi-automated PET image segmentation methods were applied, including Local Active Contour (LAC), Fuzzy-C-mean (FCM), K-means (KM), Watershed, Region Growing (RG), and Iterative thresholding (IT) with different percentages of the threshold.

Evaluation of the prostate cancer and its metastases in the [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA PET/CT images: deep learning method vs. conventional PET/CT processing.

Purpose: This study demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of using a deep learning-based approach for attenuation correction in [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA PET scans.

Methods: A dataset of 700 prostate cancer patients (mean age: 67.6 ± 5.

Lesion-Level Effects of LDL-C-Lowering Therapy in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Post Hoc Analysis of the PACMAN-AMI Trial.

Importance: Previous studies investigated atherosclerotic changes induced by lipid-lowering therapy in extensive coronary segments irrespective of baseline disease burden (a vessel-level approach).

Objective: To investigate the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on coronary lesions with advanced atherosclerotic plaque features and presumably higher risk for future events.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The PACMAN-AMI randomized clinical trial (enrollment: May 2017 to October 2020; final follow-up: October 2021) randomized patients with acute myocardial infarction to receive alirocumab or placebo in addition to high-intensity statin therapy.

Proenkephalin improves cardio-renal risk prediction in acute coronary syndromes: the KID-ACS score.

Background And Aims: Circulating proenkephalin (PENK) is a stable endogenous polypeptide with fast response to glomerular dysfunction and tubular damage. This study examined the predictive value of PENK for renal outcomes and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: Proenkephalin was measured in plasma in a prospective multicentre ACS cohort from Switzerland (n = 4787) and in validation cohorts from the UK (n = 1141), Czechia (n = 927), and Germany (n = 220).

A targetable type III immune response with increase of IL-17A expressing CD4 T cells is associated with immunotherapy-induced toxicity in melanoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are standard-of-care for the treatment of advanced melanoma, but their use is limited by immune-related adverse events. Proteomic analyses and multiplex cytokine and chemokine assays from serum at baseline and at the adverse event onset indicated aberrant T cell activity with differential expression of type I and III immune signatures. This was in line with the finding of an increase in the proportion of CD4 T cells with IL-17A expression at the adverse event onset in the peripheral blood using flow cytometry.

Embracing the challenges of neonatal and paediatric pulmonary hypertension.

Paediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) shares common features with adult disease, but is associated with several additional disorders and challenges that require unique approaches. This article discusses recent advances, ongoing challenges and distinct approaches for caring for infants and children with PAH, as presented by the paediatric task force of the 7th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension. We provide updates on diagnosing, classifying, risk-stratifying and treating paediatric pulmonary hypertension (PH) and identify critical knowledge gaps.

Contrast-Enhancing Lesion Segmentation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Deep Learning Approach Validated in a Multicentric Cohort.

The detection of contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs) is fundamental for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This task is time-consuming and suffers from high intra- and inter-rater variability in clinical practice. However, only a few studies proposed automatic approaches for CEL detection.

Evolving and Improving the Sustainability of Molecular Tumor Boards: The Value and Challenges.

The increasing volume of information for cancer care, and the evolution of molecularly guided therapies, have increased the need for molecular tumor boards (MTBs), which can integrate such data into personalized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes. However, recommendations for improving the sustainability of MTBs are lacking. A diverse committee of MTB experts was assembled (February-March 2023), with extensive experience in sustainability in healthcare ecosystems.

Evaluation of non-invasive biomarkers of kidney allograft rejection in a prospective multicenter unselected cohort study (EU-TRAIN).

Non-invasive biomarkers are promising tools for improving kidney allograft rejection monitoring, but their clinical adoption requires more evidence in specifically designed studies. To address this unmet need, we designed the EU-TRAIN study, a large prospective multicentric unselected cohort funded by the European Commission. Here, we included consecutive adult patients who received a kidney allograft in nine European transplant centers between November 2018 and June 2020.

Oncolytic virus and tumor-associated macrophage interactions in cancer immunotherapy.

Oncolytic viruses (OV) are a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy. Their capacity to promote anti-tumoral immunity locally raises hope that cancers unresponsive to current immunotherapy approaches could be tackled more efficiently. In this context, tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) must be considered because of their pivotal role in cancer immunity.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reconstructive Surgery and Training Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, which already faces challenges due to a lack of surgeons and facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic could significantly disrupt surgical activities and training programs. "2 Chance", a non-governmental organization providing training program to enhance local reconstructive surgery capacity in this region since 2015, could play a crucial role in addressing these issues. We aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 on the activity of sub-Saharan African reconstructive surgeons collaborating with "2 Chance" organization and evaluate its effect on the organization's training programs.

Organomics: A Concept Reflecting the Importance of PET/CT Healthy Organ Radiomics in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Prognosis Prediction Using Machine Learning.

Purpose: Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common subtype of lung cancer. Patient survival prediction using machine learning (ML) and radiomics analysis proved to provide promising outcomes. However, most studies reported in the literature focused on information extracted from malignant lesions.

Improving prognostication of pneumonia among elderly patients: usefulness of suPAR.

Purpose: Elderly patients with suspected pneumonia represent a significant proportion of hospital admissions, which is a prognostic challenge for physicians. Our research aimed to assess the prognosis of patients with pneumonia using soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) combined with clinical data.

Methods: In a prospective observational study including 164 patients > 65 years (mean age 84.