Mechanism and management of aorto-oesophageal fistulation after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

An aorto-oesophageal fistula (AOF) is a pathological communication between the thoracic aorta and the oesophagus. It can induce life-threatening hematemesis, which is unique among the other types of gastrointestinal haemorrhage in that the vomiting is bright red and represents an arterial bleed. Nevertheless, it is notable that over 70% of cases are associated with thoracic aortic aneurysms, particularly as a postoperative complication following open surgery, and arguably more so following endovascular repair.

Prognostic value of metabolic tumor volume on [F]FDG PET/CT in addition to the TNM classification system of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is commonly based on [F]FDG PET/CT, in particular to exclude distant metastases and guide local therapy approaches like resection and radiotherapy. Although it is hoped that PET/CT will increase the value of primary staging compared to conventional imaging, it is generally limited to the characterization of TNM. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the PET parameter metabolic tumor volume (MTV) above liver background uptake as a prognostic marker in lung cancer.

Single-cell RNA seq-derived signatures define response patterns to atezolizumab + bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (atezo+bev) is the current standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), providing a median overall survival (OS) of 19.2 months. Here, we aim to uncover the underlying cellular processes driving clinical benefit versus resistance to atezo+bev.

De-escalating and discontinuing disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis.

The development of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been highly successful in recent decades. It is now widely accepted that early initiation of DMTs after disease onset is associated with a better long-term prognosis. However, the question of when and how to de-escalate or discontinue DMTs remains open and critical.

Is Stopping of Testosterone-Lowering Medication in Men Convicted of Sexual Offenses Associated With an Increase in Recidivism Risk?

There is some evidence that testosterone-lowering medications (TLM) may be an effective treatment for men convicted of sexual offenses by attenuating paraphilic sexual fantasies and behaviors and reducing the recidivism risk. To date, however, only little is known about the effects of TLM stopping on risk-relevant aspects. Therefore, the current study aimed at examining the recidivism risk as measured by Stable-2007 as well as official records of reoffenses in 29 men having stopped TLM treatment as compared to 37 men with ongoing TLM treatment.

The C-terminal α-helix is crucial for the activity of the bacterial ABC transporter BmrA.

ABC transporters are membrane integral proteins that consist of a transmembrane (TMD) and nucleotide-binding domain (NBD). Two monomers (half-transporters) of the Bacillus subtilis ABC transporter BmrA (Bacillus multidrug-resistance ATP) dimerize to build a functional full-transporter. As all ABC exporters, BmrA uses the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to transport substrate molecules across the cell membrane.

Endosonography in head and neck imaging and surgery.

This CME article explores the evolving role of endosonography in otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery. Endosonography offers significant potential to improve imaging inside the upper respiratory tract, particularly with advancements in probe technology and imaging resolution. The article will describe the sonoanatomy of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx and the selection of probes and scanning techniques used for the various anatomical sites.

Platelet characteristics in extremely preterm infants after fatty acid supplementation: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Two risk factors for severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely preterm infants are thrombocytopenia and low levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). To date, these risk factors have not been linked.

Method: Infants born < 28 weeks gestational age (GA) from 2016 to 2019 were randomized to postnatal enteral AA/DHA supplementation or standard care (controls).

The Intimate and Sexual Costs of Emotional Labor: The Development of the Women's Sexual Emotional Labor Assessment.

Emotional labor, the act of suppressing or altering one's feelings to enhance another person's well-being, is predominantly performed by women, especially within intimate relationships. Despite its impact on well-being, research on its role in sexuality remains limited. We developed the Women's Sexual Emotional Labor Assessment (WOSELA), a 12-item scale based on themes identified by past qualitative studies.

Evaluating glaucoma in myopic eyes: Challenges and opportunities.

The increasing global prevalence of myopia presents a significant public health concern, and growing evidence has demonstrated that myopia is a major risk factor for the development of open-angle glaucoma. Therefore, timely detection and management of glaucoma in myopic patients are crucial; however, identifying the structural alterations of glaucoma in the optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal tissues of myopic eyes using standard diagnostic tools such as fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA) presents challenges. Additionally, myopia-related perimetric defects can be confounded with glaucoma-related defects.

Subsequent Thyroid Carcinomas in Children and Adolescents Registered in the German MET Consortium (1997-2023).

Among childhood cancer survivors, the cumulative incidence rate of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) is estimated to be 8-11%. Although the association of DTC with prior radiotherapy is well-studied, the association with chemotherapy remains less understood. Most studies focused on young adults, leaving a knowledge gap on subsequent DTC occurring in childhood and adolescence.

Primary thromboprophylaxis in ambulatory symptomatic patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the search for strategies to improve outcomes in affected individuals, including those initially managed in outpatient settings. Thromboembolic events have been reported as a concerning complication.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of primary thromboprophylaxis in outpatients with COVID-19.

Desert ants avoid ambush predator pits depending on position, visual landmarks and trapped nestmates.

Central-place foragers face high predation risk when repeatedly using routes near their nest, as predators can learn to ambush them there. We investigated the factors influencing the likelihood of desert ant foragers falling into pitfall traps, simulating common predators such as antlions or spiders. We varied the spatial configuration of the pitfall traps, the presence of trapped nestmates and the availability of visual landmarks to study the workers' susceptibility to falling into pits and their foraging success.

The scramblases VMP1 and TMEM41B are required for primitive endoderm specification by targeting WNT signaling.

The ER-resident proteins VMP1 and TMEM41B share a conserved DedA domain, which confers lipid scramblase activity. Loss of either gene results in embryonic lethality in mice and defects in autophagy and lipid droplet metabolism. To investigate their role in pluripotency and lineage specification, we generated Vmp1 and Tmem41b mutations in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Dental implant site preparation with conventional rotary drill or piezosurgery: five-year after placement results from a within person randomised controlled trial.

Purpose: To evaluate whether there are clinical benefits by preparing dental implant sites using piezosurgery instead of conventional rotary drills in healed bone crests and if initial crestal soft tissue thickness could have an impact on marginal bone loss.

Methods: Twenty-five partially edentulous patients requiring two single implants in molar/premolar areas had each site randomly allocated to either piezosurgery or to conventional rotary drill preparation according to a split-mouth design. Definitive screw-retained metal-ceramic crowns were delivered after 6 months.

Genome-wide conditional degron libraries for functional genomics.

Functional genomics with libraries of knockout alleles is limited to non-essential genes and convoluted by the potential accumulation of suppressor mutations in knockout backgrounds, which can lead to erroneous functional annotations. To address these limitations, we constructed genome-wide libraries of conditional alleles based on the auxin-inducible degron (AID) system for inducible degradation of AID-tagged proteins in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, we determined that N-terminal tagging is at least twice as likely to inadvertently impair protein function across the proteome.

Evaluation of immunohistochemical TRPC3 and TRPC6 expression patterns in human endometriosis.

Background: Although to date the pathogenesis of endometriosis remains largely unexplained, it is known that processes of migration, proliferation and revascularization and thus calcium as a messenger substance play an important role. Consecutively, the present study examines the immunohistochemical expression of the calcium transient receptor potential channels 3 and 6 (TRPC3 and TRPC6) in ectopically located (outside the uterine cavity) endometrial tissue.

Methods: Laparoscopically collected and histomorphologically verified endometriosis tissues from several different intraabdominal locations were examined (n = 20) and immunohistochemical stainings were performed with anti-TRPC3 and anti-TRPC6 antibodies (Alomone Labs, Jerusalem).

The Impact of Single Amino Acid Insertion on the Supramolecular Assembly Pathway of Aromatic Peptide Amphiphiles.

Understanding the mechanism of self-assembly driven by non-covalent interactions is crucial for designing supramolecular materials with desired properties. Here we investigate the self-assembly of aromatic peptide amphiphiles, Fmoc-L2QG and Fmoc-L3QG using a combination of spectroscopic, transmission electron and superresolution optical microscopy techniques. Our results show that Fmoc-L2QG leads to concentration-dependent assembly, forming fibrous assemblies at low concentrations and supramolecular droplets via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) at higher concentrations.

Clinical utility of the Fibrosis-4 index for predicting mortality in patients with heart failure with or without metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The liver-heart axis potentially influences the risk of mortality in patients with heart failure. We aimed to identify the clinical utility of the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in patients with heart failure for predicting mortality in the context of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Methods: Patients with heart failure and a subsample of healthy participants were enrolled in the MyoVasc study (NCT04064450) and followed for nine years.

Long-term risk and characteristics of cerebrovascular events after upper body radiotherapy among childhood cancer survivors in the DCCSS-LATER cohort.

Cerebrovascular events (CVEs) are serious late adverse events among childhood cancer survivors. We estimated the incidence and risk factors of symptomatic CVEs and described the clinical characteristics among childhood cancer survivors after upper body radiotherapy. The Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study LATER cohort study includes 5-year childhood cancer survivors diagnosed View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rigid Probe Trabeculotomy Versus 360-Degree Catheter Trabeculotomy in Childhood Glaucoma.

: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of traditional rigid probe trabeculotomy and 360-degree catheter trabeculotomy in treating childhood glaucoma, underlining the necessity of early surgical intervention. This retrospective cohort study, conducted at the University Eye Hospital Mainz, Germany, included 109 patients under 18 years with childhood glaucoma who underwent rigid probe trabeculotomy or 360-degree catheter trabeculotomy between January 2015 and February 2021. A total of 151 eyes from 109 patients were included.

Hemorrhage in Pelvic Ring Fractures After Low-Energy Trauma: A Systematic Review.

: The aim was to investigate diagnostic, treatment and preventive options to establish an overview of the existing evidence on hemorrhage in pelvic fractures in older adults. : A systematic review was conducted. Due to the rarity of this complication, only case reports and series with individuals older than 55 years with a pelvic ring fracture that is caused by a low-energy trauma or no apparent trauma, along with hemorrhage, were eligible.

Hybrid Aortic Arch Replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) Technique: Surgical Considerations, Pearls, and Pitfalls.

The involvement of the aortic arch in thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), or acute aortic dissections (AAD), represents a challenging clinical entity, mandating a meticulous surgical plan, tailored to each individual case. The advent of endovascular techniques and the introduction of modern arch protheses have led to the implementation of the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique. This one-step hybrid operation consists of a total aortic arch replacement combined with an antegrade delivery of a stent-graft for the descending aorta, which acts as a proximal landing zone facilitating a potential distal endovascular reintervention.

Correlation of Functional and Structural Outcomes with Serum Antibody Profiles in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treated with Ranibizumab and Healthy Subjects: A Prospective, Controlled Monocenter Trial.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disorder, and there is growing evidence of immunological involvement in its pathogenesis. To address this, we aimed to identify biomarker candidates related to retinal antigens in patients with neovascular AMD treated with ranibizumab and healthy subjects. This study was designed as a prospective, open, parallel-group, interventional, single-center phase IV trial.