Close to the border-Resilience in healthcare in a European border region: Findings of a needs analysis.

Objectives: Promoting resilience, the ability to withstand and overcome challenging situations, is crucial for maintaining the performance of healthcare systems. Unique challenges faced by healthcare facilities in border regions render them particularly vulnerable during crises, emphasizing the need to promote resilience in these areas. The current study evaluated the state and needs of resilience in healthcare professionals in a representative European border region.

Daphnids can safeguard the use of alternative bioassays to the acute fish toxicity test: A focus on neurotoxicity.

Assessment of potential impacts of chemicals on the environment traditionally involves regulatory standard data requirements for acute aquatic toxicity testing using algae, daphnids and fish (e.g., OECD test guidelines (TG) 201, 202, and 203, respectively), representing different trophic levels.

Impact of Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis-to-Ablation Time on 24-Month Efficacy and Safety Outcomes in the Cryo Global Registry.

Background And Aims: Early rhythm-control therapy in atrial fibrillation (AF) results in higher freedom from atrial arrhythmia (AA) recurrence and improved cardiovascular outcomes. The optimal timing of Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is unknown.

Methods: We evaluated AA recurrence and procedure-related complications of early vs.

Viral and immune dynamics of genital human papillomavirus infections in young women with high temporal resolution.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections drive one in 20 new cancer cases, exerting a particularly high burden on women. Most anogenital HPV infections are cleared in less than two years, but the underlying mechanisms that favour persistence in around 10% of women remain largely unknown. Notwithstanding, it is precisely this information that is crucial for improving treatment, screening, and vaccination strategies.

tttrlib: modular software for integrating fluorescence spectroscopy, imaging, and molecular modeling.

Summary: We introduce software for reading, writing and processing fluorescence single-molecule and image spectroscopy data and developing analysis pipelines to unify various spectroscopic analysis tools. Our software can be used for processing multiple experiment types, e.g.

VirDetector: A bioinformatic pipeline for virus surveillance using nanopore sequencing.

Summary: Virus surveillance programmes are designed to counter the growing threat of viral outbreaks to human health. Nanopore sequencing, in particular, has proven to be suitable for this purpose, as it is readily available and provides rapid results. However, as special bioinformatic programmes are required to extract the relevant information from the sequencing data, applications are needed that allow users without extensive bioinformatics knowledge to carry out the relevant analysis steps.

Keratorefractive Lenticule Extraction: Early Postoperative Day 1 Outcomes in 1350 Consecutive Procedures.

Purpose: To evaluate postoperative visual outcomes on postoperative day 1 (POD1) after lenticule extraction in myopia astigmatism in a large cohort of over 1350 consecutive treatments.

Methods: A retrospective review chart identified 1357 eyes consecutively treated with SCHWIND ATOS using lenticule extraction for myopic astigmatism who had at least 6 months of follow-up completed and for which POD1 was completely recorded. The standard visual and refractive outcomes, and astigmatism outcomes, were analyzed on POD1.

Identification of a vimentin-expressing α-cell phenotype in CF and normal pancreas.

Endocrine dysfunction and diabetes can develop secondary to fibrotic diseases within the pancreas including cystic fibrosis (CF). Phenotypic shift within epithelial cells has been recognised in association with pro-fibrotic signalling. We sought evidence of endocrine cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in CF and non-CF pancreas.

RAVE checklist: Recommendations for overcoming challenges in retrospective safety studies of automated driving systems.

Objective: The public, regulators, and domain experts alike seek to understand the effect of deployed SAE level 4 automated driving system (ADS) technologies on safety. The recent expansion of ADS technology deployments is paving the way for early stage safety impact evaluations, whereby the observational data from both an ADS and a representative benchmark fleet are compared to quantify safety performance.

Methods: In January 2024; a working group of experts across academia, insurance, and industry came together in Washington, DC to discuss the current and future challenges in performing such evaluations.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) Seed Saponins Act as Sebosuppression Agents via the AMPK/mTOR Pathway.

Background: Excessive lipogenesis of the skin triggers some dermatological concerns, such as enlarged pores, acne, and blackheads. Although topical drug treatments can offer temporary relief, their prolonged usage may lead to side effects of dryness, irritation, or allergic reactions. Consequently, the development of safer and efficacious ingredients in cosmetics for managing sebum overproduction represents a significant yet challenging endeavor.

Guided Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography for 3D Imaging of the Murine Colon.

Multispectral optoacoustic tomography is a promising medical imaging modality that combines light and sound to provide molecular imaging information at depths of several centimeters, based on the optical absorption of endogenous chromophores, such as hemoglobin. Assessment of inflammatory bowel disease has emerged as a promising clinical application of optoacoustic tomography. In this context, preclinical studies in animal models are essential to identify novel disease-specific imaging biomarkers and understand findings from emerging clinical pilot studies, however to-date, these studies have been limited by the precise identification of the bowel wall.

Clinical Outcome of Endothelium-Outward Preloaded Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty in Long-Term Dextran-Containing Transport Medium Preservation.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical outcome of organ-cultured endothelium-outward preloaded DMEK (pDMEK) using the RAPID cartridge.

Methods: This prospective study included 80 eyes of 80 patients who received a pDMEK. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), endothelial cell count (ECC), and central corneal thickness were measured preoperatively and 4 to 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively.

Nd:YAG Laser Iridotomy Versus Surgical Iridectomy in Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty: Comparison of Postoperative Outcome and Incidence of Ocular Hypertension.

Purpose: To evaluate outcome and incidence of ocular hypertension after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and DMEK combined with cataract surgery (triple DMEK) after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy (IO) and surgical iridectomy (IE).

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent DMEK or triple DMEK surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, from January 2018 to June 2020 and had received either a prophylactic preoperative IO or an intraoperative IE. Patient demographic data; best corrected visual acuity; central corneal thickness; intraocular pressure (IOP); endothelial cell density; and complications such as occurrence of early postoperative IOP elevation, macular edema, rebubbling rate, and incidence of glaucoma were analyzed.

Late Talkers' Language, Metaphor, Theory of Mind, and Reading Skills at 9 Years of Age.

Purpose: Prior work has found that "late talkers" (LTs) as a group continue to demonstrate lower language and reading outcomes compared to their typically developing (TD) peers even into young adulthood. Others identified that children diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD) show difficulties later with theory of mind (ToM) tasks and metaphor comprehension, but there is a shortage of research specifically investigating these advanced skills in LTs. The current study therefore compared language-related skills of former LTs with their TD peers at school age.

The Calcium-Sensing Receptor in the Thick Ascending Limb and the Renal Response to Hypercalcemia.

Background: The parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) controls the release of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in response to changes in serum calcium levels. Activation of the renal CASR increases urinary calcium excretion and is particularly important when CASR-dependent reductions in PTH fail to lower serum calcium. However, the role of the renal CASR in protecting against hypercalcemia and the direct effects of chronic CASR activation on tubular calcium handling remains to be fully elucidated.

Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition of multifactorial origin, is a major cause of irreversible vision loss in industrialized countries. The dry late stage of the disease, known as geographic atrophy (GA), is characterized by progressive loss of photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells in the central retina. An estimated 300 000 to 550 000 people in Germany suffer from GA.

Safety of Human USH1C Transgene Expression Following Subretinal Injection in Wild-Type Pigs.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate early-phase safety of subretinal application of AAVanc80.CAG.USH1Ca1 (OT_USH_101) in wild-type (WT) pigs, examining the effects of a vehicle control, low dose, and high dose.

Fundus Autofluorescence Variation in Geographic Atrophy of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Clinicopathologic Correlation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop ground-truth histology about contributors to variable fundus autofluorescence (FAF) signal and thus inform patient selection for treating geographic atrophy (GA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: One woman with bilateral multifocal GA, foveal sparing, and thick choroids underwent 535 to 580 nm excitation FAF in 6 clinic visits (11 to 6 years before death). The left eye was preserved 5 hours after death.

Controlled Introduction of sp3 Quantum Defects in Fluorescent Carbon Nanotubes by Mechanochemistry.

Precise control over low-dimensional materials holds an immense potential for their applications in sensing, imaging and information processing. The controlled introduction of sp3 quantum defects (color centers) can be used to tailor the optoelectronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the tissue transparency (> 800 nm) and the telecommunication window. However, an uncontrolled functionalization of SWCNTs with defects leads to a loss of the NIR fluorescence.

Tolerance to land-use changes through natural modulations of the plant microbiome.

Land-use changes threaten ecosystems and are a major driver of species loss. Plants may adapt or migrate to resist global change, but this can lag behind rapid anthropogenic changes to the environment. Our data show that natural modulations of the microbiome of grassland plants in response to experimental land-use change in a common garden directly affect plant phenotype and performance, thus increasing plant tolerance.

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) assisted analysis of characteristics of graft dehiscence after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) for failed penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: To analyse anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) parameters of graft dehiscence after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) for graft failure post penetrating keratoplasty (PK).

Methods: Retrospective evaluation of AS-OCT images of 142 dehiscences post-DMEK in 75 eyes. Dehiscences' size, depth, location, correlation with graft-host interface (GHI) override and step at GHI were assessed.

MAPK pathway activating alteration and immunotherapy efficacy in squamous cell lung carcinoma: results from the randomized, prospective SQUINT trial.

Background: The role of activating alterations in the MAPK pathway in predicting immunotherapy efficacy in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients is largely unknown. The aims of the randomized, phase II SQUINT trial were to assess the efficacy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NI) versus platinum-based chemotherapy plus nivolumab (N-CT) and to identify clinically available biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic LSCC.

Methods: SQUINT was an open-label, randomized, parallel, non-comparative, phase II trial of NI versus N-CT in chemo-naïve, metastatic or recurrent LSCC adult patients.