CT material decomposition with contrast agents: Single or multiple spectral photon-counting CT scans? A simulation study.

Purpose: With the widespread introduction of dual energy computed tomography (DECT), applications utilizing the spectral information to perform material decomposition became available. Among these, a popular application is to decompose contrast-enhanced CT images into virtual non-contrast (VNC) or virtual non-iodine images and into iodine maps. In 2021, photon-counting CT (PCCT) was introduced, which is another spectral CT modality.

Automated volumetry of core and peel intrapulmonary vasculature on computed tomography angiography for non-invasive estimation of hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary hypertension (2022 updated hemodynamic definition).

Background: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is frequently performed in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and may aid non-invasive estimation of pulmonary hemodynamics. We, therefore, investigated automated volumetry of intrapulmonary vasculature on CTPA, separated into core and peel fractions of the lung volume and its potential to differentially reflect pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pre- and postcapillary PH.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study of 72 consecutive patients with PH according to the 2022 joint guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and the European Respiratory Society who underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) and CTPA within 7 days between August 2013 and February 2016 at Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University Hospital (Heidelberg, Germany) was conducted.

How to protect the proximal bronchial tree during stereotactic radiotherapy of ultracentral lung tumors: Lessons from MR-guided treatment.

Purpose: To use imaging data from stereotactic MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy (SMART) of ultracentral lung tumors (ULT) for development of a safe non-adaptive approach towards stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of ULT.

Patients And Methods: Analysis is based on 19 patients with ULT who received SMART (10 × 5.0-5.

Impulsivity behaviors and white matter mediate the relationship between genetic risk for cannabis use disorder and early cannabis use in adolescents.

Background And Aim: Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is strongly influenced by genetic factors; however the mechanisms underpinning this association are not well understood. This study investigated whether a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on a genome-wide association study for CUD in adults predicts cannabis use in adolescents and whether the association can be explained by inter-individual variation in structural properties of brain white matter or risk-taking behaviors.

Design And Setting: Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses using data from the IMAGEN cohort, a European longitudinal study integrating genetic, neuroimaging and behavioral measures.

An eco-physiological model of forest photosynthesis and transpiration under combined nitrogen and water limitation.

Although the separate effects of water and nitrogen (N) limitations on forest growth are well known, the question of how to predict their combined effects remains a challenge for modeling of climate change impacts on forests. Here, we address this challenge by developing a new eco-physiological model that accounts for plasticity in stomatal conductance and leaf N concentration. Based on optimality principle, our model determines stomatal conductance and leaf N concentration by balancing carbon uptake maximization, hydraulic risk and cost of maintaining photosynthetic capacity.

Country economic status is strongly associated with burn survival - validation of the (modified) ABSI.

Background: Predicting burn-related mortality is vital for family counseling, triage, and resource allocation. Several of the burn-specific mortality prediction scores have been developed, including the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) in 1982. However, these scores are not tested for accuracy to support contemporary estimates of the global burden of burn injury.

Effectiveness of a comic book intervention on mental health literacy among adolescents and youth in Burkina Faso: a randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: In Burkina Faso, nearly half of the population is under 15 years old, and one in four adolescents experience depression. This underscores the critical need to enhance mental health literacy among adolescents and youth, empowering them to manage their mental well-being effectively. Comic books offer an engaging approach to health education, yet their effectiveness in addressing mental health remains largely untested.

Correlation of endoscopic third ventriculostomy with postoperative body temperature elevation: a single-center retrospective comparative study.

Postoperative fever following neuroendoscopic procedures has been well-documented, yet specific differentiation based on the nature and site of the procedure remains lacking. Given the anatomical involvement of the hypothalamus in temperature regulation, we propose that endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) may have a distinct impact on postoperative fever. This study aims to investigate this phenomenon.

Deep learning model for automatic detection of different types of microaneurysms in diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: This study aims to develop a deep-learning-based software capable of detecting and differentiating microaneurysms (MAs) as hyporeflective or hyperreflective on structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 249 patients (498 eyes) diagnosed with NPDR was analysed. Structural OCT scans were obtained using the Heidelberg Spectralis HRA + OCT device.

Sex hormone-dependent host-microbiome interactions and cardiovascular risk (XCVD): design of a longitudinal multi-omics cohort study.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present differently in women and men, influenced by host-microbiome interactions. The roles of sex hormones in CVD outcomes and gut microbiome in modifying these effects are poorly understood. The XCVD study examines gut microbiome mediation of sex hormone effects on CVD risk markers by observing transgender participants undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), with findings expected to extrapolate to cisgender populations.

[How to identify cystic lateral neck mass from CUP-like lesions: a diagnostic challenge].

A cystic lateral neck mass in adults represents a major challenge, as it can be difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. The incidence of carcinoma in initially benign treated neck cysts is estimated to be as high as 24%. The objective of this study was to ascertain the malignancy rate of cystic cervical masses and to provide a differentiation of cervical metastases in comparison to benign cervical cysts, utilising current guidelines.

Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms in a Longitudinal Stroke Cohort.

Objectives: Knowledge of the trajectory of post-stroke depression is important to identify high-risk patients, develop precise management programs and enhance prognosis. We aimed to characterise the course of depressive symptoms within the first year post-stroke and to evaluate associations with time.

Materials And Methods: Depressive symptoms were measured using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) within the first week, and at 3- and 12-months post-stroke.

Drivers of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales colonization among residents of long-term health care facilities: a European multicentric prospective cohort study.

Background: ESBL-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) are highly prevalent in long-term healthcare (LTCF) settings. In order to estimate the acquisition rate of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in LTCF settings and identify clinical and environmental risk factors, a multicentric, prospective cohort study was conducted in six LTCFs in Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Methods: Longitudinal screening of residents was performed over 32 weeks, collecting epidemiological and clinical data and environmental samples.

Effects of group music therapy on depressive symptoms in women - The MUSED-study: Results from a randomized-controlled trial.

Background: Music can directly influence emotions, the regulation of which are known to be impaired in major depressive disorder (MDD). While music therapy (MT) could be an effective complement to treat MDD, studies investigating such effects have not yet yielded conclusive results. We hypothesized that group music therapy (GMT) might lead to a significant reduction of depressive symptoms (DS).

Everolimus with or without mycophenolate mofetil for GVHD prophylaxis after allogeneic HSCT in children with acute kidney injury - a single-center retrospective analysis.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) serves as a therapeutic intervention for various pediatric diseases. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are decisive determinants for allogeneic HSCT success. The immunosuppressive agent, ciclosporin A, is most often used to prevent GVHD in pediatric patients, but is known to be nephrotoxic.

Clavicle height asymmetry: A common problem for planning reduction mammoplasties - A correlational study.

The distance between the mid-clavicle and nipple (MCN) is crucial in planning reduction mammoplasties. MCN has been shown to be superior in achieving nipple-areola complex symmetry. However, there is great variability in clavicle anatomy.

Harnessing gut microbial communities to unravel microbiome functions.

The gut microbiome impacts human health in direct and indirect ways. While many associations have been discovered between specific microbiome compositions and diseases, establishing causality, understanding the underlying mechanisms, and developing successful microbiome-based therapies require novel experimental approaches. In this opinion, we discuss how in vitro cultivation of diverse communities enables systematic investigation of the individual and collective functions of gut microbes.

Gluteus medius muscle activation patterns during gait with Cerebral Palsy (CP): A hierarchical clustering analysis.

Duchenne gait, characterized by an ipsilateral trunk lean towards the affected stance limb, compensates for weak hip abductor muscles, notably the gluteus medius (GM). This study aims to investigate how electromyographic (EMG) cluster analysis of GM contributes to a better understanding of Duchenne gait in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). We analyzed retrospective gait data from 845 patients with CP and 65 typically developed individuals.

Genetic gradual reduction of OGT activity unveils the essential role of O-GlcNAc in the mouse embryo.

The reversible glycosylation of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins (O-GlcNAcylation) is catalyzed by a single enzyme, namely O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). The mammalian Ogt gene is X-linked, and it is essential for embryonic development and for the viability of proliferating cells. We perturbed OGT's function in vivo by creating a murine allelic series of four single amino acid substitutions, reducing OGT's catalytic activity to a range of degrees.

The Ability of SOCS1 to Cross-Regulate GM-CSF Signaling is Dose Dependent.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1 is a key negative regulator of interferon (IFN), interleukin (IL)12, and IL-2 family cytokine signaling through inhibition of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. To investigate the temporal induction of SOCS1 in response to cytokine in live cells and its selective regulation of signaling pathways, we generated a mouse expressing a Halo-tag-SOCS1 fusion protein (Halo-SOCS1) under control of the endogenous promoter. Homozygous Halo-SOCS1 mice () were viable with minor T cell abnormalities, most likely due to enhanced Halo-SOCS1 expression in thymocytes compared with the untagged protein.