Satiety-enhancing placebo intervention decreases selective attention to food cues.

Background: As placebo interventions could influence appetite and satiety in first studies, they are a promising tool for the future treatment of obesity. Furthermore, individuals with heightened body weight show increased selective attention for food cues. This study aimed to investigate whether placebo induced changes of appetite and satiety can affect attention allocation and to examine correlating factors.

Targeting pleuro-alveolar junctions reverses lung fibrosis in mice.

Lung fibrosis development utilizes alveolar macrophages, with mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Here, we fate map connective tissue during mouse lung fibrosis and observe disassembly and transfer of connective tissue macromolecules from pleuro-alveolar junctions (PAJs) into deep lung tissue, to activate fibroblasts and fibrosis. Disassembly and transfer of PAJ macromolecules into deep lung tissue occurs by alveolar macrophages, activating cysteine-type proteolysis on pleural mesothelium.

Long-term persistence of glycemic dysregulation in patients with a history of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma.

Context: Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare endocrine tumors that frequently produce catecholamines. Catecholamine-induced cardiometabolic complications substantially contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in PPGL patients prior to surgical resection.

Objective: To determine whether markers of elevated cardiometabolic risk persist in patients following PPGL resection.

CDK5 interacts with MST2 and modulates the Hippo signalling pathway.

MST2 (STK3) is a major upstream kinase in the Hippo signalling pathway, an evolutionary conserved pathway in regulation of organ size, self-renewal and tissue homeostasis. Its downstream effectors are the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ. This pathway is regulated by a variety of factors, such as substrate stiffness or cell-cell contacts.

Real-world multicentre cohort study on choices and effectiveness of immunotherapies in NMOSD and MOGAD.

Background: Recurrent attacks in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) can lead to severe disability. We aimed to analyse the real-world use of immunotherapies in patients with NMOSD and MOGAD, focusing on changes in treatment strategies, effects on attack rates (ARR) and risk factors for attacks.

Methods: This longitudinal registry-based cohort study included 493 patients (320 with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) seropositive NMOSD (65%), 44 with AQP4-IgG seronegative NMOSD (9%) and 129 MOGAD (26%)) with 1247 treatments from 19 German and one Austrian centre from the registry of the neuromyelitis optica study group (NEMOS).

Establishment of Stable Knockdown of MACC1 Oncogene in Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Organoids.

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy, and there is still an unmet medical need to deepen basic research on its origins and mechanisms of progression. Patient-derived organoids of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC-PDO) are a powerful model to study the complexity of ovarian cancer as they maintain, in vitro, the mutational profile and cellular architecture of the cancer tissue. Genetic modifications by lentiviral transduction allow novel insights into signaling pathways and the potential identification of biomarkers regarding the evolution of drug resistance.

Why are we still in need for novel anti-obesity medications?

From the pioneering moment in 1987 when the insulinotropic effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) was first demonstrated in humans, to today's pharmaceutical gold rush for GLP-1-based treatments of obesity, the journey of GLP-1 pharmacology has been nothing short of extraordinary. The sequential conceptual developments of long-acting GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) mono-agonists, GLP-1R/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) dual-agonists, and GLP-1R/GIPR/glucagon receptor (GcgR) triple agonists, have led to profound body weight-lowering capacities, with benefits that extend past obesity and towards obesity-associated diseases. The GLP-1R/GIPR dual-agonist tirzepatide has demonstrated a remarkable 23% body weight reduction in individuals with obesity over 72 weeks, eclipsing the average result achieved by certain types of bariatric surgery.

Targeting T cell exhaustion: emerging strategies in non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer continues to be a major contributor to cancer-related deaths globally. Recent advances in immunotherapy have introduced promising treatments targeting T cell functionality. Central to the efficacy of these therapies is the role of T cells, which are often rendered dysfunctional due to continuous antigenic stimulation in the tumor microenvironment-a condition referred to as T cell exhaustion.

Long-term patient-reported outcomes following congenital heart surgery in adults.

Objective: To investigate the long-term impact of cardiac surgery on the quality of life in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHDs).

Methods: Patients who had undergone cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) at the age of 18 years or more were recruited in a single-center, cross-sectional study. The enrolled subjects completed online questionnaires to assess patient-reported outcomes: perceived health status and life satisfaction, psychological functioning, health behaviors, and illness perception.

1924-2024: First centennial of EEG.

On July 6th of 1924 Hans Berger -a German psychiatrist- first recorded electric signals from the human brainvia scalp electrodes. This date marks the beginning of Electroencephalography. In this review a representative panel of past and present Officers of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN) and of its Official Journal briefly summarizes the past, present and future of Electroencephalographic and related neurophysiological techniques' impact and the role of the IFCN in global collaboration, education, standardization, research innovation, and clinical practice.

Crosstalk between periodontitis and cardiovascular risk.

Recent demographic developments resulted in an aged society with a rising disease burden of systemic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In cardiovascular disease (CVD), a NCD with high morbidity and mortality, recent preventive strategies include the investigation of comorbidities to reduce its significant economic burden. Periodontal disease, an oral bacterial-induced inflammatory disease of tooth-supporting tissue, is regulated in its prevalence and severity by the individual host response to a dysbiotic oral microbiota.

BMIgap: a new tool to quantify transdiagnostic brain signatures of current and future weight.

Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of weight gain could reduce excess mortality and improve long-term trajectories of psychiatric disorders. We used support-vector machines and whole-brain voxel-wise grey matter volume to generate and validate a BMI predictor in healthy individuals (N = 1504) and applied it to individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ,N = 146), clinical high-risk states for psychosis (CHR,N = 213) and recent-onset depression (ROD,N = 200). We computed BMIgap (BMI-BMI), interrogated its brain-level overlaps with SCZ and explored whether BMIgap predicted weight gain at 1- and 2-year follow-up.

Optimal Medical Therapy for Heart Failure and Integrated Care in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Report From the ESC-EHRA EORP Atrial Fibrillation Long-Term General Registry.

Background: Heart failure (HF) often occurs in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), with a major impact on prognosis. Few data are available on the effect of integrated treatment strategies to improve prognosis in patients with AF. We aimed to evaluate the association between HF (according to left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF]), HF optimal medical therapy and adherence to the Atrial Fibrillation Better Care pathway, and major outcomes in patients with AF.

Exploratory Analysis of Upper Facial Muscle Interplay During Emotional Expressions: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Insights from Young, Caucasian, Toxin-naïve Individuals.

Background: Understanding the interplay of muscle activity in the upper face is crucial as it can significantly impact the effectiveness and safety of aesthetic treatments. Traditional injection algorithms typically focus on the general 2D and 3D anatomy of muscles, often neglecting the areas where muscles exert the greatest force during facial expressions.

Objectives: To analyze the location of greatest morphological change in upper facial muscles procerus muscle (PM), corrugator supercilia muscle (CSM), orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) and frontalis muscle (FM) during various facial expressions.

On the consequences of intra-operative release versus over-tensioning of the posterior cruciate ligament in total knee arthroplasty.

Intra-operative tensioning of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is commonly based on the surgeon's experience, resulting in a possibly loose or overly tight PCL. To date, the consequences of different PCL tensioning scenarios for the post-operative biomechanics of the knee remain unclear. Using a comprehensive musculoskeletal modelling approach that allows predictive joint kinematic and kinetic balance, we assessed variations in the movement and loading patterns of the knee as well as changes in ligament and muscle forces during walking in response to systematic variations in the PCL reference strain.

Radiographic Progression in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Clinical Remission or Low Disease Activity: Results from a Swiss National Registry (SCQM).

The therapeutic aim for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to control disease activity and prevent radiographic progression. Various clinical scores are used to assess disease activity in RA patients. The DAS 28 score can define states of low disease activity (LDA) and remission.

Primary care in rural areas: a qualitative study on medical students' images and experiences of working in rural areas in southern Germany.

Background: Rural areas are increasingly moving back into the focus of social research, especially in the context of health care. As the shortage of general practitioners (GP) in rural areas is a significant challenge in Germany, there are several programs to counteract underuse effectively, acutely, and sustainably. One of those programs is 'Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin' (BeLA), which was developed to strengthen primary care in rural areas and to sustainably promote young doctors to work as general practitioners in rural regions through didactical and financial support.

Advancing the personalized advantage index (PAI): a systematic review and application in two large multi-site samples in anxiety disorders.

Background: The Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) shows promise as a method for identifying the most effective treatment for individual patients. Previous studies have demonstrated its utility in retrospective evaluations across various settings. In this study, we explored the effect of different methodological choices in predictive modelling underlying the PAI.

Enduring effects of psychotherapy, antidepressants and their combination for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Although depressive disorders are frequently associated with relapses, the sustained efficacy of therapies after their termination has been insufficiently investigated.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current evidence of enduring effects of psychotherapy, antidepressants and their combination after the end of treatment.

Methods: PubMed and PsychINFO were systematically screened according to PRISMA guidelines (except for preregistration).

DNA methylation-based analysis reveals accelerated epigenetic aging in giant cell-enriched adult-type glioblastoma.

Background: Giant cell (gc)-enriched glioblastoma (gcGB) represents a distinct histological variant of isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type adult-type glioblastoma with notable enlarged mono- or multinuclear tumor cells. While some studies suggest a survival advantage for gcGB patients, the underlying causes remain elusive. GcGBs are associated with TP53 mutations, and gcs were shown to accumulate DNA double-strand breaks and show deficient mitosis, potentially triggering cellular senescence programs.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in pancreatic cancer are structurally homologous, share gene expression patterns and B-cell clones with secondary lymphoid organs but show increased T-cell activation.

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in cancer are considered ectopic hotspots for immune activation that are similar to lymphoid follicles in secondary lymphoid organs (SLO). This study elucidates shared and TLS/SLO-specific features in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). TLS abundance was related to superior survival and T-cell abundance in 110 treatment-naïve PDAC samples, underlining their clinical relevance.