An essential role for TASL in mouse autoimmune pathogenesis and Toll-like receptor signaling.

TASL is an immune adaptor that binds to the solute carrier SLC15A4 and facilitates activation of the transcription factor IRF5 during Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. Similar to IRF5 and SLC15A4, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within TASL have been implicated in increased susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in patients. However, the biological function of TASL in vivo and how SLE-associated SNPs increase disease risk is unknown.

The prognostic value of baseline EARL standardized FDG PET indices in pediatric and adolescent high-grade osteosarcoma.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of baseline European Association of Nuclear Medicine Research Ltd. (EARL) standardized [F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography ([F]FDG PET-CT) quantitative values for survival and to evaluate cutoff values identified in other studies.

Materials And Methods: Pediatric and adolescent patients with high-grade osteosarcoma were included.

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Generate a Pro-Healing Inflammasome When Cultured on Titanium-Aluminum-Vanadium Surfaces with Microscale/Nanoscale Structural Features.

The surface topography and chemistry of titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti6Al4V) implants play critical roles in the osteoblast differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) and the creation of an osteogenic microenvironment. To assess the effects of a microscale/nanoscale (MN) topography, this study compared the effects of MN-modified, anodized, and smooth Ti6Al4V surfaces on MSC response, and for the first time, directly contrasted MN-induced osteoblast differentiation with culture on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) in osteogenic medium (OM). Surface characterization revealed distinct differences in microroughness, composition, and topography among the Ti6Al4V substrates.

Prevalence of High-Risk CTA-Based Carotid Plaque-RADS Subtypes in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Background: A modified computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based Carotid Plaque Reporting and Data System (Plaque-RADS) classification was applied to a cohort of patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source to test whether high-risk Plaque-RADS subtypes are more prevalent on the ipsilateral side of stroke. With the widespread use of CTA for stroke evaluation, a CTA-based Plaque-RADS would be valuable for generalizability.

Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a single integrated health system comprised of 3 hospitals with a comprehensive stroke center between October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2017.

Revision Hip Arthroscopy Terrible Triad: Capsular Deficiency, Labral Deficiency, and Femoral Over-Resection.

Revision hip arthroscopy is increasingly common and most often performed to treat residual femoroacetabular impingement caused by cam under-resection. Unfortunately, other pathologies encountered during revision hip arthroscopy are more difficult to treat, including capsular deficiency, labral deficiency, adhesion formation, and/or cam over-resection. When encountered, these various pathologies should be comprehensibly corrected with the goals of restoring anatomy, re-establishing the hip fluid seal, and ensuring impingement-free motion.

Free-Breathing Respiratory Triggered High-Pitch Lung CT: Insights From Phantom and Patient Scans.

Objective: Respiratory motion can affect image quality and thus affect the diagnostic accuracy of CT images by masking or mimicking relevant lung pathologies. CT examinations are often performed during deep inspiration and breath-hold to achieve optimal image quality. However, this can be challenging for certain patient groups, such as children, the elderly, or sedated patients.

Early discharge programme after transcatheter aortic valve implantation based on close follow-up supported by telemonitoring using artificial intelligence: the TeleTAVI study.

Aims: Evidence regarding the safety of early discharge following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of very early (<24) and early discharge (24-48 h) as compared to standard discharge (>48 h), supported by the implementation of a voice-based virtual assistant using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing.

Methods And Results: Single-arm prospective observational study that included consecutive patients who underwent TAVI in a tertiary hospital in 2023 and were discharged under an AI follow-up programme.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Perioperative Chemotherapy or Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer.

Background: The best multimodal approach for resectable locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma is unclear. An important question is whether perioperative chemotherapy is preferable to preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: In this phase 3, multicenter, randomized trial, we assigned in a 1:1 ratio patients with resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma to receive perioperative chemotherapy with FLOT (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) plus surgery or preoperative chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy at a dose of 41.

Targeting EPHB2/ABL1 restores antitumor immunity in preclinical models of ependymoma.

Ependymoma (EPN) is a common form of brain tumor in children, often resistant to available cytotoxic therapies. Molecular profiling studies have led to a better understanding of EPN subtypes and revealed a critical role of oncogenes ZFTA-RELA fusion and EPHB2 in supratentorial ependymoma (ST-EPN). However, the immune system's role in tumor progression and response to therapy remains poorly understood.

Influence of DOAC Levels and Thrombin Generation on Postoperative Bleeding [SONAR]: A Nested Case-Control Study.

A DOAC concentration threshold above which an impact on surgical hemostasis starts to occur is unknown. Thrombin generation assays (TGAs) provide a measure of the coagulation phenotype. This study aimed to determine whether preoperative TGA parameters are associated with postoperative bleeding, and whether this is partly due to residual DOAC levels.

I2Bot: an open-source tool for multi-modal and embodied simulation of insect navigation.

Achieving a comprehensive understanding of animal intelligence demands an integrative approach that acknowledges the interplay between an organism's brain, body and environment. Insects, despite their limited computational resources, demonstrate remarkable abilities in navigation. Existing computational models often fall short in faithfully replicating the morphology of real insects and their interactions with the environment, hindering validation and practical application in robotics.

A minimal model of cognition based on oscillatory and current-based reinforcement processes.

Building mathematical models of brains is difficult because of the sheer complexity of the problem. One potential starting point is basal cognition, which gives an abstract representation of a range of organisms without central nervous systems, including fungi, slime moulds and bacteria. We propose one such model, demonstrating how a combination of oscillatory and current-based reinforcement processes can be used to couple resources in an efficient manner, mimicking the way these organisms function.

Feed-forward loop improves the transient dynamics of an antithetic biological controller.

Integral controller is widely used in industry for its capability of endowing perfect adaptation to disturbances. To harness such capability for precise gene expression regulation, synthetic biologists have endeavoured in building biomolecular (quasi-)integral controllers, such as the antithetic integral controller. Despite demonstrated successes, challenges remain with designing the controller for improved transient dynamics and adaptation.

Tissue stresses caused by invasive tumour: a biomechanical model.

Malignant tumorigenesis is a complex process involving growth, invasion and mechanical deformation of a cancerous tissue. In this paper, a biomechanical model is proposed to couple the mechanical and biological mechanisms governing invasive tumour development. As an example, this model is applied to investigate the spatio-temporal evolution of tissue stresses in an invasive tumour spheroid and its host tissue.

Limiting and optimal Strouhal numbers or tip speed ratios for cruising propulsion by fins, flukes, wings and propellers.

Swimming and flying animals produce thrust with oscillating fins, flukes or wings. The relationship between frequency , amplitude and forward velocity can be described with a Strouhal number , where = 2/, where animals are observed to cruise with [Formula: see text]-0.4.

Buzz pollination: investigations of pollen expulsion using the discrete element method.

Buzz pollination involves the release of pollen from, primarily, poricidal anthers through vibrations generated by certain bee species. Despite previous experimental and numerical studies, the intricacies of pollen dynamics within vibrating anthers remain elusive due to the challenges in observing these small-scale, opaque systems. This research employs the discrete element method to simulate the pollen expulsion process in vibrating anthers.

Improving propulsive efficiency using bio-inspired intermittent locomotion.

Many swimmers, especially small- to medium-sized animals, use intermittent locomotion that differs from continuous swimming of large species. This type of locomotion, called burst and coast, is often associated with an energetic advantage. In this work, we investigate the intermittent locomotion inspired by fish locomotion but applied to a propeller.

Autonomous learning of generative models with chemical reaction network ensembles.

Can a micron-sized sack of interacting molecules autonomously learn an internal model of a complex and fluctuating environment? We draw insights from control theory, machine learning theory, chemical reaction network theory and statistical physics to develop a general architecture whereby a broad class of chemical systems can autonomously learn complex distributions. Our construction takes the form of a chemical implementation of machine learning's optimization workhorse: gradient descent on the relative entropy cost function, which we demonstrate can be viewed as a form of integral feedback control. We show how this method can be applied to optimize any detailed balanced chemical reaction network and that the construction is capable of using hidden units to learn complex distributions.