Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Resection of Localized Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Following Preoperative FOLFIRINOX.

Importance: The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX (combination leucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin in full or modified dosing) chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) is unclear because current studies do not account for the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Objective: To investigate the association of adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX with OS, taking into account the number of cycles of preoperative chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with 2 to 11 cycles of preoperative (m)FOLFIRINOX followed by resection across 48 centers in 20 countries from 2010 to 2018.

MicroRNA Expression in High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma With 11q Aberration.

Mature aggressive B-cell lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), show variations in microRNA (miRNA) expression. The entity of High-grade B-cell lymphoma with 11q aberration (HGBCL-11q) shares several biological features with both BL and DLBCL but data on its miRNA expression profile are yet scarce. Hence, this study aims to analyze the potential differences in miRNA expression of HGBCL-11q compared to BL and DLBCL.

Putting seedlings on the map: Trade-offs in demographic rates between ontogenetic size classes in five tropical forests.

All species must partition resources among the processes that underly growth, survival, and reproduction. The resulting demographic trade-offs constrain the range of viable life-history strategies and are hypothesized to promote local coexistence. Tropical forests pose ideal systems to study demographic trade-offs as they have a high diversity of coexisting tree species whose life-history strategies tend to align along two orthogonal axes of variation: a growth-survival trade-off that separates species with fast growth from species with high survival and a stature-recruitment trade-off that separates species that achieve large stature from species with high recruitment.

A functional helix shuffled variant of the B domain of Staphylococcus aureus.

The B domain of protein A is a biotechnologically important three-helix bundle protein. It binds the Fc fragment of antibodies with helix 1/2 and the Fab region with helix 2/3. Here we designed a helix shuffled variant by changing the connectivity of the helices, in order to redesign the helix bundle, yielding altered helix-loop-helix properties.

Ascending aortic replacement versus aortic root replacement in patients with type A aortic dissection involving the aortic root.

Background: Extensive surgical resection of the thoracic aorta in patients with type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is thought to reduce the risk of late aortic wall degeneration and the need for repeat aortic operations.

Objectives: We evaluated the early and late outcomes after aortic root replacement and supracoronary ascending aortic replacement in patients with TAAD involving the aortic root.

Design: Retrospective, multicenter cohort study.

Autoradiography of Intracerebral Tumours in the Chick Embryo Model: A Feasibility Study Using Different PET Tracers.

Purpose: In addition to rodent models, the chick embryo model has gained attention for radiotracer evaluation. Previous studies have investigated tumours on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), but its value for radiotracer imaging of intracerebral tumours has yet to be demonstrated.

Procedures: Human U87 glioblastoma cells and U87-IDH1 mutant glioma cells were implanted into the brains of chick embryos at developmental day 5.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and prevention strategies of cervical cancer incidence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: an ecological study.

Objective: This study analysed the spatial and temporal patterns of cervical cancer incidence in Addis Ababa from 2012 to 2021.

Design: An ecological study was conducted from 1 September to 30 November 2023 to examine the spatiotemporal trends of cervical cancer incidence.

Setting: The research was conducted in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

Does a Simple Blood Gas Analysis and the Clinical Impression Predict Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy?

Objectives:  Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is common in severely injured patients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Method:  The association of two parameters of blood gas analysis (hemoglobin [Hb], base excess [BE]) with standard coagulation tests (SCTs) and rotational thrombelastometry (ROTEM) using the database of the TraumaRegister DGU between 2015 and 2022 was studied. In a stepwise approach, the occurrence of a TIC, the correlations between Hb/BE levels and SCT, as well as ROTEM were calculated respectively.

Fabrication and characterization of in situ gelling oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose/gelatin nanofibers for wound healing applications.

Although tissue engineering science has made great progress, wound healing has remained a significant clinical challenge, especially in cases of severe injuries requiring advanced treatment strategies. This study aimed to develop patient-friendly in situ gelling nanofibers composed of oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose (OCMC) and gelatin for wound healing applications. A two-axial electrospinning technique was employed to fabricate OCMC/PVA-Gelatin hybrid nanofibers.

Life-history adaptation under climate warming magnifies the agricultural footprint of a cosmopolitan insect pest.

Climate change is affecting population growth rates of ectothermic pests with potentially dire consequences for agriculture and global food security. However, current projection models of pest impact typically overlook the potential for rapid genetic adaptation, making current forecasts uncertain. Here, we predict how climate change adaptation in life-history traits of insect pests affects their growth rates and impact on agricultural yields by unifying thermodynamics with classic theory on resource acquisition and allocation trade-offs between foraging, reproduction, and maintenance.

Living Lab Dementia: process evaluation of an academic-practice partnership in German long term care for people living with dementia - study protocol.

Background: Living Labs, as a type of academic-practice partnerships, possess the potential to transform care and research into a participatory partnership and narrow the research-practice gap to improve evidence-based and Person-centred care. Given the lack of systematic investigations of Living Labs in healthcare, we will establish a dementia-specific academic-practice partnership (Living Lab Dementia) in Germany and conduct a process evaluation. The aim of this study is to gain insights into the intervention itself (mechanisms of impact) and its implementation process (degree of implementation, barriers, and facilitators).

Beneficial death: A substantial element of evolution?

If a shortened lifespan is evolutionarily advantageous, it becomes more likely that nature will strive to change it accordingly, affecting how we understand aging. Premature mortality because of aging would seem detrimental to the individual, but under what circumstances can it be of value? Based on a relative incremental increase in fitness, simulations were performed to reveal the benefit of death. This modification allows for continuous evolution in the model and establishes an optimal lifespan even under challenging conditions.

Management Measures and Trends of Biological Invasions in Europe: A Survey-Based Assessment of Local Managers.

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales.

The population dynamics of clustered consumer-resource spatial patterns: Insights from the demographics of a Turing mechanism.

In ecology, Alan Turing's proposed activation-inhibition mechanism has been abstracted as corresponding to several ecological interaction types to explain pattern formation in ecosystems. Consumer-resource interactions have strong theoretical arguments linking them to both the Turing mechanism and pattern formation, but there is little empirical support to demonstrate these claims. Here, we connect several lines of evidence to support the proposition that consumer-resource interactions can create empirically observed spatial patterns through a mechanism similar to Turing's theory.

Empowering personalized oncology: evolution of digital support and visualization tools for molecular tumor boards.

Background: Molecular tumor boards (MTBs) play a pivotal role in personalized oncology, leveraging complex data sets to tailor therapy for cancer patients. The integration of digital support and visualization tools is essential in this rapidly evolving field facing fast-growing data and changing clinical processes. This study addresses the gap in understanding the evolution of software and visualization needs within MTBs and evaluates the current state of digital support.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic role of fibroblast-activation protein in gastrointestinal cancers.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, are characterized by a dense stromal tumor microenvironment where cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) predominate. CAFs comprise highly heterogeneous subpopulations with different functions, which can be both tumor-promoting and tumor-restraining. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to comprehensively assess the impact of the CAF marker fibroblast-activation protein (FAP) expression on clinical outcomes in GI cancers.

Development of a StIW111C-based bioresponsive pore-forming conjugate for permeabilizing the endosomal membrane.

Gene expression manipulation is pivotal in therapeutic approaches for various diseases. Non-viral delivery systems present a safer alternative to viral vectors, with reduced immunogenicity and toxicity. However, their effectiveness in promoting endosomal escape, a crucial step in gene transfer, remains limited.

Gene expression dynamics in fibroblasts during early-stage murine pancreatic carcinogenesis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by aggressive growth and metastasis, partly driven by fibroblast-mediated stromal interactions. Using RNA sequencing of fibroblasts from early-stage KPC mouse models, we identified significant upregulation of genes involved in adipogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, and the ROS pathway. ANGPTL4, a key adipogenesis regulator, was highly expressed in fibroblasts and promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and migration through paracrine signaling.

Nerve transfer of the median flexor pollicis brevis branch to the deep branch of the ulnar nerve for ulnar nerve palsy: a cadaveric feasibility study.

An ulnar nerve (UN) palsy is devastating for hand function, resulting in an intrinsic minus position or claw hand with a loss of pinch grip. Distal nerve transfers facilitate faster reinnervation of hand intrinsic muscles in cases of proximal ulnar nerve lesions. The traditional anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to UN motor transfer is commonly used, however, this still leads to long reinnervation times for the distal intrinsic muscles, important for the thumb to index pinch grip.

Informal care for people with dementia in Europe.

Introduction: Informal care estimates for use in health-economic models are lacking. We aimed to estimate the association between informal care time and dementia symptoms across Europe.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on 13,529 observations in 5,369 persons from 9 European pooled cohort or trial studies in community-dwelling persons with dementia.

Skin Physiological Parameters and Their Association with Severe Atopic Dermatitis in Mongolian Children.

: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin condition that weakens the skin barrier, leading to increased trans-epidermal water loss and reduced skin moisture. Understanding how these changes in the skin barrier relate to AD severity in Mongolian children may offer insights that could apply to other regions facing similar environmental challenges. : A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Dermatology Center of Mongolia, involving 103 children with AD.

Robot-assisted Kidney Transplantation: The 8-year European Experience.

Background And Objective: Evidence regarding perioperative results and long-term functional outcomes of robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) is limited. We evaluated perioperative surgical results and long-term functional outcomes of RAKT in patients receiving kidney transplants from living donors.

Methods: This retrospective analysis is based on a prospective multicenter cohort study conducted from July 2015 to October 2023 across ten European centers.

Management of acute myocardial infarction in chronic kidney disease in Germany: an observational study.

Background: Managing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease on dialysis (renal replacement therapy, RRT) presents challenges due to elevated complication risks. Concerns about contrast-related kidney damage may lead to the omission of guideline-directed therapies like percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in this population.

Methods: We analysed German-DRG data of 2016 provided by the German Federal Bureau of Statistics (DESTATIS).

Neural network surrogate and projected gradient descent for fast and reliable finite element model calibration: A case study on an intervertebral disc.

Accurate calibration of finite element (FE) models is essential across various biomechanical applications, including human intervertebral discs (IVDs), to ensure their reliability and use in diagnosing and planning treatments. However, traditional calibration methods are computationally intensive, requiring iterative, derivative-free optimization algorithms that often take days to converge. This study addresses these challenges by introducing a novel, efficient, and effective calibration method demonstrated on a human L4-L5 IVD FE model as a case study using a neural network (NN) surrogate.

Activity and safety of avelumab in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas progressive after chemotherapy (AveNEC trial).

Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasias grade 3 (NEN G3) are rare tumors with poor prognosis and no established second-line therapy. The role of immune checkpoint blockade in these aggressive tumors remains unclear.

Methods: The phase II AVENEC study evaluated the effect of avelumab (AVE, 10 mg/kg IV Q2W) in 60 patients with well-differentiated high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NET G3, N=22) or poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC, N=38) progressing after ≥ one prior chemotherapy (excluding Merkel cell and small-cell lung cancer).