Advancing Metastatic Spine Tumor Research: A Review of AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor's Scientific Contributions Derived From the EPOSO Network, 2014-2024.

Study DesignNarrative Review.ObjectivesTo summarize the work of the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor, specifically studies from the Epidemiology, Process and Outcomes in Spine Oncology (EPOSO) study.MethodsA narrative review of all published manuscripts from the EPOSO study was undertaken.

European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2025 with focus on breast cancer.

Background: We predicted the number of cancer deaths and rates for 2025 in the European Union (EU), its five most populous countries, and the UK, focusing on breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: We derived population data and death certificates for all cancers and major sites for the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK since 1970, from the World Health Organization and United Nations databases. Estimates for 2025 were computed by linear regression on recent trends identified through Poisson joinpoint regression, considering the slope of the most recent trend segment.

T-cell Engagers in Prostate Cancer.

Owing to the "cold" tumor immune microenvironment of prostate cancer, immune-targeting agents have shown limited efficacy in patients with advanced prostate cancer, highlighting the need for new therapies with novel mechanisms of action. In this context, T-cell engagers (TCEs), which induce T-cell-mediated killing of cancer cells by binding the CD3 receptor on T cells and a specific tumor antigen expressed on malignant cells, represent a promising therapeutic option. Multiple studies have explored the use of TCEs in previously treated patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and several ongoing trials are currently assessing novel TCEs either as single agents or in combinatorial regimens with molecules with a distinct mechanism of action (eg, androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and other immune-targeting agents).

Bridging the evidence-to-practice gap: Advancing neonatal blood transfusion. A narrative review of recent guidelines.

Neonates represent a distinct population within the context of transfusion medicine. Blood transfusions in neonates are vital interventions for multiple conditions, despite their inherent risks and potential complications. Differences in physiology and other transfusion risk factors unique to this group require careful adaptation of transfusion guidelines.

Omega-3 index improves upon the pooled cohort equation in predicting risk for CVD.

Background: Accurate predictive tools are crucial for identifying patients at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) is commonly used to predict 10-year risk for ASCVD, but its accuracy remains imperfect.

Objective: This study examined the extent to which the omega-3 index (O3I; the proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid+docosahexaenoic acid in erythrocyte membranes) improved the predictive capability of PCE.

How Would We Treat Our Own Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement?

This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on the prevention and treatment of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) associated with transcatheter mitral valve replacement-a novel and evolving treatment alternative for mitral regurgitation-encompassing both surgical and pharmacological interventions. LVOTO is a potentially catastrophic complication of transcatheter mitral valve replacement. Therefore, identifying patients at high risk for LVOTO and implementing a carefully tailored medical and surgical strategy are essential for optimizing perioperative management and improving patient outcomes.

Endoscopic healing in IBD: Still the target to achieve?

Mucosal healing is the mainstream goal of modern treat-to-target strategy as it is associated with a significantly more favorable disease course in IBD patients with either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Recent advances in endoscopic imaging technologies have overcome the traditional concept of mucosal healing assessed with conventional white light imaging, allowing for multiple levels of endoscopic healing up to the boundaries of molecular and functional evaluation. In this review, we focused on conventional and emerging strategies to assess endoscopic healing in ulcerative colitis and ileocolonic Crohn's disease, examining their pros and cons in real life practice.

Buffer Specificity of Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticle Transfection Efficiency and Bulk Phase Transition.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are efficient and safe carriers for mRNA vaccines based on advanced ionizable lipids. It is understood that the pH-dependent structural transition of the mesoscopic LNP core phase plays a key role in mRNA transfer. However, buffer-specific variations in transfection efficiency remain obscure.

Global Algorithm for the Endovascular Treatment of Chronic Femoropopliteal Lesions: An Interdisciplinary Expert Opinion Statement.

A global treatment algorithm was developed for the endovascular revascularization of femoropopliteal lesions and chronic total occlusions, aiming toward a more standardized approach to endovascular treatment in patients with peripheral artery disease. The following steps are proposed. 1) Evaluation of lesion morphology based on preprocedural imaging by Duplex sonography and intravenous ultrasound for selection of lesion preparation tools.

Best Practices for Imaging of Transcatheter Valve Failure: An Update From the Heart Valve Collaboratory.

This updated Heart Valve Collaboratory framework addresses the growing concern for transcatheter valve failure (TVF) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). With the increasing volume of redo-TAV and surgical TAV explantation, there is a critical need for standardized pathways and protocols for evaluating TVF using echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography. This document clarifies prior definitions of bioprosthetic valve deterioration and bioprosthetic valve failure in a practical, imaging directed context for TAVR.

Efficacy of Acoramidis on All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Hospitalization in Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underdiagnosed chronic disease associated with progressive heart failure that results in impaired quality of life, repeated hospitalizations, and premature death. Acoramidis is a selective, oral transthyretin stabilizer recently approved by the U.S.

An expanded framework for Swab Touch Spray-Mass Spectrometry towards the detection of allergenic protein residues on food preparation surfaces.

Background: Ambient Mass Spectrometry (AMS) encompasses a group of techniques that have emerged as powerful strategies for direct, in-situ and high-throughput analysis, also in compliance with the principles of green analytical chemistry. Swab Touch Spray-Mass Spectrometry (Swab TS-MS) is a home-made AMS technique that involves the use of a medical swab as sampling tool and electrospray probe. To date, Swab TS-MS has been applied only for the analysis of small molecules, especially in forensic and medical fields, leaving the analysis of peptides and proteins still unexplored.

Cerebral asymmetries in schizophrenia.

Historically, the first observations of a lower prevalence of right-handed patients among subjects with schizophrenia led to the hypothesis that brain asymmetry could play a significant role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Over the last decades, a growing number of findings obtained through many different techniques such as EEG, MEG, MRI, and fMRI, consistently reported reduction/loss of brain asymmetries as a core feature of schizophrenia, further suggesting such alterations to play a cardinal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Moreover, several cognitive and psychopathologic dimensions have shown significant correlations with the reduced degree of asymmetry.

Seeing and visualizing across the hemispheres.

Despite our subjective experience of a largely symmetric visual world, the human brain exhibits varying patterns and degrees of hemispheric asymmetry in distinct processes of visual cognition. This chapter reviews behavioral and neuroimaging evidence from neurotypical individuals and neurological patients, concerning functional asymmetries between the right hemisphere (RH) and the left hemisphere (LH) in visual object processing and mental imagery. Hierarchical perception shows RH preference for global processing and LH preference for local processing.

Brain laterality of numbers and calculation: Complex networks and their development.

This chapter reviews notions about the lateralization of numbers and calculation in the brain, including its developmental pattern. Such notions have changed dramatically in recent decades. What was once considered a function almost exclusively located in the left hemisphere has been found to be sustained by complex brain networks encompassing both hemispheres.

Hemispheric asymmetries in episodic memory.

The term "episodic memory" refers to our ability to remember past personal experiences. This ability is severely disrupted following bilateral damage to a dedicated neural substrate located symmetrically in the mesial temporal lobes. Milder deficits are also observed following unilateral damage to the same structures.

Emotion: An evolutionary model of lateralization in the human brain.

Since several reviews have recently discussed the lateralization of emotions, this chapter will take into account the possible evolutionary meaning of this lateralization. The organization of the chapter will be based on the following steps. I will first propose that emotions must be considered as a complex adaptive system, complementary to the more phylogenetically advanced cognitive system.

Hemispheric asymmetries in the control of upper limb movements.

This chapter deals with the unique human abilities of using tools, imitating others' gestures, drawing, and building complex items. Herein, after a brief overview of clinical manifestations and assessment of disorders of tool use and imitation (upper limb apraxia) and of the impairments in drawing and assembling multipart objects (constructional apraxia), brain asymmetries are discussed mainly starting from the neuropsychologic studies on patients with focal brain lesions, although both upper limb apraxia and constructional apraxia are often observed during the course of neurodegenerative diseases. Although no room is allowed here for a full discussion of brain-behavior relationships, relevant functional neuroimaging findings in healthy individuals are considered.

Brain asymmetries in figurative language comprehension.

This chapter reviews the literature concerning the neural basis of three types of figurative expressions, namely, idioms, metaphors, and irony. Besides these three forms of language, which are the most investigated, many other types exist, differing in their linguistic structure and, consequently, in the corresponding comprehension processes. After defining the most common figurative expressions and showing how they differ in terms of linguistic properties, the chapter presents early studies that focused on the role of the right hemisphere (RH) in figurative language comprehension in general, without a clear distinction among different forms.

Brain and behavioral asymmetries in nonprimate species.

Brain and behavioral asymmetries are widespread across the animal kingdom, suggesting that even simpler nervous systems benefit from such features. In the last 30 years, research conducted on several vertebrate (but also invertebrate) animal models has massively contributed to our understanding of the causation, development, evolution, and function of lateralization. Here, we review some of this research, highlighting the importance of studying this topic in nonprimate species for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind cerebral asymmetries.

Asymmetries in the human brain.

The human brain is an intricate network of cortical regions interconnected by white matter pathways, dynamically supporting cognitive functions. While cortical asymmetries have been consistently reported, the asymmetry of white matter connections remains less explored. This chapter provides a brief overview of asymmetries observed at the cortical, subcortical, cytoarchitectural, and receptor levels before exploring the detailed connectional anatomy of the human brain.