Abnormality in field physical test predicts a reduced quadriceps strength in patients with hip- or knee-osteoarthritis. A prospective observational study.

Background: In osteoarthritis quadriceps strength is an important outcome to assess exercise capacity and recovery after arthroplasty. However, its measurement is limited due to lack of time and the need for trained personnel and equipment whose accuracy is verified.

Objectives: To find out the determinants of a reduced quadriceps strength and to establish a score to screen for it.

Local conditions have greater influence than provenance on sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) frost hardiness at its northern range limit.

In temperate and boreal ecosystems, trees undergo dormancy to avoid cold temperatures during the unfavorable season. This phase includes changes in frost hardiness, which is minimal during the growing season and reaches its maximum in winter. Quantifying frost hardiness is important to assess the frost risk and shifts of species distribution under a changing climate.

State-of-the-Art Deep Learning Methods for Microscopic Image Segmentation: Applications to Cells, Nuclei, and Tissues.

Microscopic image segmentation (MIS) is a fundamental task in medical imaging and biological research, essential for precise analysis of cellular structures and tissues. Despite its importance, the segmentation process encounters significant challenges, including variability in imaging conditions, complex biological structures, and artefacts (e.g.

Lysosphingolipid Quantitation in Plasma and Dried-Blood Spots Using Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Background: Sphingolipidoses are rare inherited metabolic diseases belonging to lysosomal diseases. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective management and treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop a robust method to accelerate the diagnosis of these sphingolipidoses using dried blood spots and plasma.

Fumagillin Shortage: How to Treat Microsporidiosis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in 2024?

Unlabelled: Intestinal microsporidiosis caused by is an opportunistic infection that especially affects solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Management revolves around tapering the immunosuppressive regimen and/or using a specific anti-microsporidia treatment, but only fumagillin has demonstrated efficacy for treatment of this infection. Since fumagillin has been commercially discontinued, nitazoxanide is increasingly being used in this indication.

Feed additives for methane mitigation: A guideline to uncover the mode of action of antimethanogenic feed additives for ruminants.

This publication aims to provide guidelines of the knowledge required and the potential research to be conducted in order to understand the mode of action of antimethanogenic feed additives (AMFA). In the first part of the paper, we classify AMFA into 4 categories according to their mode of action: (1) lowering dihydrogen (H) production; (2) inhibiting methanogens; (3) promoting alternative H-incorporating pathways; and (4) oxidizing methane (CH). The second part of the paper presents questions that guide the research to identify the mode of action of an AMFA on the rumen CH production from 5 different perspectives: (1) microbiology; (2) cell and molecular biochemistry; (3) microbial ecology; (4) animal metabolism; and (5) cross-cutting aspects.

Feed additives for methane mitigation: Modeling the impact of feed additives on enteric methane emission of ruminants-Approaches and recommendations.

Over the past decade, there has been considerable attention on mitigating enteric methane (CH) emissions from ruminants through the utilization of antimethanogenic feed additives (AMFA). Administered in small quantities, these additives demonstrate potential for substantial reductions of methanogenesis. Mathematical models play a crucial role in comprehending and predicting the quantitative impact of AMFA on enteric CH emissions across diverse diets and production systems.

Distinct pathophysiological pathways support stratification of Sjögren's disease based on symptoms, clinical, and routine biological data.

Objective: Recently, three distinct phenotypes of Sjögren's disease (SjD) patients have been described, based on cluster analysis: B-cell active with low symptoms (BALS), high systemic activity (HSA), and low systemic activity with high symptoms (LSAHS). We aimed to assess whether these clusters were associated with distinct biomarkers and the prognostic value of IFN signature.

Methods: The ASSESS cohort is a 20-year prospective cohort of SjD patients.

Brain functional imaging contributions in osteoarthritis-related pain: A viewpoint.

Objective: Neuroimaging investigations are critical to provide a more direct assessment of brain disturbances associated with osteoarthritis (OA)-related pain, and to better understand its pathophysiology to develop new treatment strategies. This viewpoint aims to summarize the importance of the brain in OA pain.

Method: A European working group on pain in osteoarthritis GO-PAIN (Going Inside Osteoarthritis-related Pain Phenotyping) has been created to work on a global assessment of the OA-related pain.

Photochemical reactions of biomass derived platform chemicals.

Platform chemicals obtained from biomass will play an important role in chemical industry. Already existing compounds or not yet established chemicals are produced from this renewable feedstock. Using photochemical reactions as sustainable method for the conversion of matter furthermore permits to develop processes that are interesting from the ecological and economical point of view.

Current status of intestinal parasitosis and microsporidiosis in industrialized countries: Results from a prospective study in France and Luxembourg.

Background: Human intestinal parasitosis and microsporidiosis are a global health concern, mostly in endemic areas but should not be neglected elsewhere. Recent nationwide epidemiological data are scarce, especially from primary health care and developed countries. Diagnosis by molecular tools are increasing and several commercial gastrointestinal panel assays including protozoans and/or helminths are now available.

Monitoring opioid analgesic misuse, abuse and dependence: What to the data from addictovigilance tell us about the situation in France?

The opioid epidemic has emerged in the USA in the late 1990s and widespread to Canada, Australia, and the UK to a lesser extent in the more recent years. At the European level, several studies performed in different European countries have highlighted that prescription opioid use increased substantially over the last decade, and several proxies for misuse show a parallel increasing trend. The French addictovigilance experience on opioid analgesics is a good example of a specific dedicated monitoring, taking into account in a global and multisource perspective, patterns of utilization, population involved in problematic use, ways of acquisition and health complications.

What is the lower limb length discrepancy after arthroplasty for proximal femoral fracture? A prospective, multicenter observational study of 590 hips.

Introduction: Lower limb length discrepancy (LLD) following hip arthroplasty after proximal femoral fracture (PFFA) is little studied. The aim of this work was to answer the following questions: 1) What are the incidence and mean values ​​of LLD after PFFA? 2) What are the clinical consequences (tolerance) of LLD after PFFA? 3) Can we identify risk factors for LLD after PFFA? 4) Is there a significant difference in terms of LLD after PFFA to treat intra- versus extra-capsular fractures?

Hypothesis: LLD after proximal femoral fracture arthroplasty is rare but has good clinical tolerance, given the low functional demands of the patients.

Patients And Methods: This is a multicenter prospective observational cohort study (15 centers), including 590 patients, operated on for hip arthroplasty for proximal femur fracture between May 2022 and June 2023.

Effect of multispecies swards on ruminal fermentation, methane emission and potential for climate care cattle farming - an in vitro study.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock ruminants, particularly methane (CH), nitrous oxide, and indirectly ammonia (NH) significantly contribute to climate change and global warming. Conventional monoculture swards for cattle feeding, such as perennial ryegrass or Italian ryegrass, usually require substantial fertiliser inputs. Such management elevates soil mineral nitrogen levels, resulting in GHG emissions and potential water contamination.

Prevalence of comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factor management in hand osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of comorbidities and management of cardiovascular risk factors according to established guidelines for patients with hand osteoarthritis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 110 hand osteoarthritis patients. The clinical parameters (pain, function, grip strength, quality of life, sarcopenia, and comorbidities) were assessed along with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (blood pressure, body mass index, and dyslipidaemia).

A comprehensive review on TiO-based heterogeneous photocatalytic technologies for emerging pollutants removal from water and wastewater: From engineering aspects to modeling approaches.

The increasing presence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating effective treatment solutions. Originating from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources, these contaminants threaten ecological and public health, underscoring the urgent need for innovative and efficient treatment methods. TiO-based semiconductor photocatalysts have emerged as a promising approach for the degradation of EPs, leveraging their unique band structures and heterojunction schemes.

Pronounced Diel Cycling of Dissolved Carbohydrates and Amino Acids in the Surface Ocean and across Diverse Regimes.

The metabolism of phytoplankton cells is synchronized with the diel light cycle. Likewise, associated heterotrophic bacteria adjust their diel expression of transporter- and catabolism-related genes to target the dissolved organic matter released by the phytoplankton cell. Dissolved combined carbohydrates (DCCHO) and dissolved amino acids (DAA) are major phytoplankton products and bacterial substrates.

What Do I Do if the Valve Don't Pass? Use a Snare Catheter!

We report a case of a complex transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) complicated by severe calcifications, which prevented the delivery system from advancing through the aortic valve. To address this challenge, we employed an innovative solution using a Snare catheter. This approach enabled stabilization and guidance of the delivery system, facilitating the crossing of the calcified obstruction and the successful completion of the procedure.

The genetic architecture of resistance to septoria tritici blotch in French wheat cultivars.

Background: Septoria tritici blotch (STB) is one of the most damaging wheat diseases worldwide, and the development of resistant cultivars is of paramount importance for sustainable crop management. However, the genetic basis of the resistance present in elite wheat cultivars remains largely unknown, which limits the implementation of this strategy. A collection of 285 wheat cultivars originating mostly from France was challenged with ten Zymoseptoria tritici isolates at the seedling stage.

Consensus on the Structure and Content of Birth Plans: A Modified Delphi Study.

Background: Few pregnant women in France wrote birth plans as in many other countries. The literature stresses the heterogeneity of birth plan content, which limits the utility of assessing the effects of birth plans on women's experience of childbirth. This study aimed to obtain a French national consensus on the structure and content of birth plans.

Homologous recombination deficiency in ovarian cancer: Global expert consensus on testing and a comparison of companion diagnostics.

Background: Poly (ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) are a treatment option for patients with advanced high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (OC). Recent guidelines have clarified how homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) may influence treatment decision-making in this setting. As a result, numerous companion diagnostic assays (CDx) have been developed to identify HRD.

Sex predicts response to novelty and problem-solving in a wild bird with female-biased sexual dimorphism.

A wide range of animals, including a number of bird, fish, mammal and reptile species, show sex differences in cognitive tests. Hardly anything is known, however, about whether and how sex-specific non-cognitive factors (e.g.