Associations between interpersonal synchrony and clients' perception of session quality are moderated by depression severity.

Objective: Previous research has identified a complex relationship between client-therapist synchrony and therapy outcomes. We investigated the ways in which depression severity influences this relationship.

Method: The sample was comprised of 30 clients undergoing a 16-session supportive-expressive dynamic therapy for depression.

Long-term (1979-2024) trends and remobilization process of mercury pollution, the case study of Haifa Bay, Southeast Mediterranean Sea.

This study examines the interlink between long-term (1979-2024) trends of Hg contamination in sediments and commercial target fish species (Sargocentron rubrum, Diplodus sargus) and industrial Hg loads and their modes of entry to the marine system, using Haifa Bay (HB) in northern Israel and unpolluted reference sites as a case study. Historically, Hg levels in sediments and fish in HB fluctuated in response to industrial discharge from a former PVC factory. Despite a drastic regulatory reduction during the 1990s and the factory's closure in 2004, Hg levels in target fish species have shown an unexpected increasing trend, at rates of 1.

Clinical Outcomes in Elderly Patients Treated Outside Clinical Studies: Highlighting the Octogenarian Experience.

With an aging population, multiple myeloma (MM) increasingly affects octogenarians (Octo, ≥80 years), but data on their management and outcomes, particularly if treated outside clinical trials, remain limited. This retrospective study analyzed 652 patients aged ≥70 years, diagnosed with active MM between 2014 and 2023, identified in the Maccabi Healthcare Services medical records. Patient characteristics, treatment, time to next treatment (TTNT), overall survival (OS), and factors influencing outcomes, were compared between Octo and elderly (EL) patients aged 70-<80 years.

Pregnancy Metal Mixtures and Blood Pressure and Hypertension in Mid-Life: A Prospective U.S. Cohort Study.

Background: The long-term associations between metal mixtures in pregnancy and women's mid-life blood pressure (BP) and hypertension remain unclear.

Methods: In Project Viva (enrolled 1999-2002), we measured nonessential (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, mercury, lead) and essential metals (copper, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc) in red blood cells, along with folate and vitamin B12 in plasma, collected during pregnancy. We measured mid-life BP from 2017 to 2021 (median age, 51.

Frailty and associated healthcare expenditures among patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Background: Major joint surgery is one of the largest components of Medicare spending in the US and the most frequent major procedure performed in older adults. Increasing age is associated with increasing prevalence of frailty, but the influence of frailty on healthcare expenditures following arthroplasty has yet to be adequately explored.

Objective: To explore the association between frailty and healthcare expenditures in the year following total hip and knee arthroplasties.

A Quantitative Electroencephalographic Index for Stroke Detection in Adults.

Purpose: Electroencephalography (EEG) remains underutilized for stroke characterization. We sought to assess the performance of the EEG Correlate Of Injury to the Nervous system (COIN) index, a quantitative metric designed for stroke recognition in children, in discriminating large from small ischemic strokes in adults.

Methods: Retrospective, single-center cohort of adults with acute (within 7 days) ischemic stroke who underwent at least 8 hours of continuous EEG monitoring in hospital.

Systematic identification of allosteric effectors in metabolism.

Recent physical binding screens suggest that protein-metabolite interactions are more extensive than previously recognized. To elucidate the functional relevance of these interactions, we developed a mass spectrometry-based screening method for higher throughput in vitro enzyme assays. By systematically quantifying the effects of 79 metabolites on the activity of 20 central enzymes, we not only assess functional relevance but also gauge the depth of the current understanding of regulatory interactions within one of the best-characterized networks.

MRI acquisition and reconstruction cookbook: recipes for reproducibility, served with real-world flavour.

MRI acquisition and reconstruction research has transformed into a computation-driven field. As methods become more sophisticated, compute-heavy, and data-hungry, efforts to reproduce them become more difficult. While the computational MRI research community has made great leaps toward reproducible computational science, there are few tailored guidelines or standards for users to follow.

Mammalian Species-Specific Resistance to Mammary Cancer.

Tumorigenesis in mammals is driven by inherited genetic variants, environmental factors and random errors during normal DNA replication that lead to cancer-causing mutations. These factors initiate uncontrolled cellular proliferation and disrupt the regulation of critical checkpoints. A few mammalian species possess unique protective mechanisms that enable them to resist widespread cancer development and achieve longevity.

Evaluation of Etiologic Heterogeneity for Risk of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Subtype Defined by Cell-of-Origin.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is clinically heterogeneous, and gene expression profiling has identified at least two biologically distinct DLBCL subtypes defined by their cell-of-origin (COO): germinal center B-cell (GCB) and activate B-cell (ABC) or non-GCB. We evaluated a variety of putative DLBCL risk factors for etiologic heterogeneity by COO in a clinic-based study of newly diagnosed DLBCL cases (N=638) and frequency-matched controls (N=2253).

Methods: COO was determined on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue, with DLBCL classified as GCB (N=283), non-GCB (N=188), or undetermined/missing (N=167; mainly due to lack of tissue).

Magnetic Polymeric Conduits in Biomedical Applications.

Magnetic polymeric conduits are developing as revolutionary materials in regenerative medicine, providing exceptional benefits in directing tissue healing, improving targeted medication administration, and facilitating remote control via external magnetic fields. The present article offers a thorough examination of current progress in the design, construction, and functionalization of these hybrid systems. The integration of magnetic nanoparticles into polymeric matrices confers distinctive features, including regulated alignment, improved cellular motility, and targeted medicinal delivery, while preserving structural integrity.

Burden of illness for patients with primary biliary cholangitis: an observational study of clinical characteristics and healthcare resource utilization.

To evaluate the clinical characteristics and healthcare resource utilization for acute care and its costs for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with or without cirrhosis. This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using two datasets (Komodo's Healthcare Map™ [Komodo Health] and Optum Clinformatics Data Mart [CDM] database) between 2015 and 2023. Patients (≥18 years) with PBC were identified based on ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient claims.

Alternaria Invasive Infection in Children With Hemato-Oncological Disease: A National Multicenter Report.

Invasive fungal diseases significantly impact hemato-oncology pediatric patients, with Aspergillus and Candida being the primary culprits. However, pediatric Alternaria infections remain understudied. This study aims to characterize Alternaria infections in pediatric hemato-oncology cases nationwide.

Bladder EpiCheck clinical utility to predict BCG response in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of Bladder Epicheck® (BE; Nucleix Ltd., Rehovot, Israel) in predicting tumour recurrence and bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) failure during the first year after induction treatment.

Patients And Methods: Prospective study including 65 patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with BCG between 2018 and 2021.

Long-term use of colchicine is associated with incident cirrhosis: a real-world cohort study.

Introduction: Chronic effect of colchicine on the liver was not studied enough. We aimed to examine the association between long term colchicine use and incident cirrhosis among new colchicine initiators.

Study: Using database of Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS), we included all patients aged ≥18 years old who initiated colchicine between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2018 and followed them until the earliest of the following: incident cirrhosis, leaving MHS, death or 31 December 2020.

Oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Purpose Of Review: Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) provides gas exchange for patients with advanced respiratory failure who cannot maintain adequate oxygenation or carbon dioxide (CO2) clearance through conventional mechanical ventilation. This review examines clinical applications of VV-ECMO with a focus on optimizing oxygen delivery and CO2 removal.

Recent Findings: Over the past two decades, VV-ECMO utilization has expanded, now serving as a bridge to recovery in cases of severe hypoxemic and hypercapnic respiratory failure, as procedural support, and as a bridge to lung transplantation.

APOL1-associated kidney disease: modulators of the genotype-phenotype relationship.

Purpose Of Review: Apolipoprotein-L1 (APOL1) G1 and G2 risk variants, found in people of recent west sub-Saharan African ancestry, dramatically increase the likelihood of kidney disease, yet the incomplete penetrance an diverse clinical manifestations underscore the need to understand the molecular and environmental factors that modulate APOL1-mediated toxicity.

Recent Findings: Recent studies confirm that risk variants exert a toxic gain-of-function effect, exacerbated by inflammatory triggers such as HIV infection and COVID-19. Epigenetic mechanisms and microRNA pathways further modulate APOL1 expression, influencing disease penetrance.

Engaging blood donors as advocates: Social media preferences and associations with marketing stimuli.

Background: Various critical medical procedures would become impossible without blood donations-saving lives in emergencies, surgeries, and chronic conditions like thalassemia. Therefore, it seems crucial to enhance donor recruitment and ensure blood supply. For this, we rate donor motivations and explore associations between donors' engagement with marketing stimuli and willingness to participate in donor recruitment.

Validation of the PlusOptix S12C for detecting amblyopia risk factors in a tertiary care young paediatric population.

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the PlusOptix S12C device in detecting amblyopia risk factors (ARFs) in children aged 2-7 years, in accordance with the 2020 Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) directives and the 2021 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. Children presenting for vision testing were screened using the PlusOptix S12C device, and results were compared with the gold standard cycloplegic refraction and cover test.

Reoperative Left Ventricular Assist Device Insertion Following Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Less Invasive Versus Sternotomy Approach.

Purpose: Reoperative durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) insertion after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is challenging due to potential injury to bypass grafts, great vessels, or the right ventricle (RV). We sought to compare the less invasive (LI) approach to the full sternotomy (FS) technique for LVAD implantation in patients with a prior history of CABG.

Methods: From March 2012 to April 2023, 29 patients with a history of CABG underwent reoperative LVAD implantation: Group FS, N = 16, and Group LI, N = 13.