Infrared thermal modulation endoscopy for label-free tumor detection.

In optical imaging of solid tumors, signal contrasts derived from inherent tissue temperature differences have been employed to distinguish tumor masses from surrounding tissue. Moreover, with the advancement of active infrared imaging, dynamic thermal characteristics in response to exogenous thermal modulation (heating and cooling) have been proposed as novel measures of tumor assessment. Contrast factors such as the average rate of temperature changes and thermal recovery time constants have been investigated through an active thermal modulation imaging approach, yielding promising tumor characterization results in a xenograft mouse model.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of human pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular cells reveals smooth muscle cells as key mediators of vascular pathology during infection.

Although respiratory symptoms are the most prevalent disease manifestation of infection by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), nearly 20% of hospitalized patients are at risk for thromboembolic events. This prothrombotic state is considered a key factor in the increased risk of stroke, which is observed clinically during both acute infection and long after symptoms clear. Here, we develop a model of SARS-CoV-2 infection using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes (PCs), and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to recapitulate the vascular pathology associated with SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Peripheral contributions to resting state brain dynamics.

The correlational structure of brain activity dynamics in the absence of stimuli or behavior is often taken to reveal intrinsic properties of neural function. To test the limits of this assumption, we analyzed peripheral contributions to resting state activity measured by fMRI in unanesthetized, chemically immobilized male rats that emulate human neuroimaging conditions. We find that perturbation of somatosensory input channels modifies correlation strengths that relate somatosensory areas both to one another and to higher-order brain regions, despite the absence of ostensible stimuli or movements.

High-performance 2D electronic devices enabled by strong and tough two-dimensional polymer with ultra-low dielectric constant.

As the feature size of microelectronic circuits is scaling down to nanometer order, the increasing interconnect crosstalk, resistance-capacitance (RC) delay and power consumption can limit the chip performance and reliability. To address these challenges, new low-k dielectric (k < 2) materials need to be developed to replace current silicon dioxide (k = 3.9) or SiCOH, etc.

The calcium-binding protein S100A1 binds to titin's N2A insertion sequence in a pH-dependent manner.

Titin is the third contractile filament in the sarcomere, and it plays a critical role in sarcomere integrity and both passive and active tension. Unlike the thick and thin filaments, which are polymers of myosin and actin, respectively, titin is a single protein that spans from Z-disk to M-line. The N2A region within titin has been identified as a signaling hub for the muscle and is shown to be involved in multiple interactions.

Spatial proteomic differences in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Alzheimer's disease, and primary age-related tauopathy hippocampi.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD), primary age-related tauopathy (PART), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) all feature hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau)-immunoreactive neurofibrillary degeneration, but differ in neuroanatomical distribution and progression of neurofibrillary degeneration and amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition.

Methods: We used Nanostring GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling to compare the expression of 70 proteins in neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-bearing and non-NFT-bearing neurons in hippocampal CA1, CA2, and CA4 subregions and entorhinal cortex of cases with autopsy-confirmed AD (n = 8), PART (n = 7), and CTE (n = 5).

Results: There were numerous subregion-specific differences related to Aβ processing, autophagy/proteostasis, inflammation, gliosis, oxidative stress, neuronal/synaptic integrity, and p-tau epitopes among these different disorders.

WALINET: A water and lipid identification convolutional neural network for nuisance signal removal in MR spectroscopic imaging.

Purpose: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ( -MRSI) provides noninvasive spectral-spatial mapping of metabolism. However, long-standing problems in whole-brain -MRSI are spectral overlap of metabolite peaks with large lipid signal from scalp, and overwhelming water signal that distorts spectra. Fast and effective methods are needed for high-resolution -MRSI to accurately remove lipid and water signals while preserving the metabolite signal.

Exciton Transport in Perovskite Materials.

Halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications, including solar cells, light-emitting devices, photodetectors, and quantum information applications. In addition to their desirable optical and electronic properties, halide perovskites provide tremendous synthetic flexibility through variation of not only their chemical composition but also their structure and morphology. At the heart of their use in optoelectronic technologies is the interaction of light with electronic excitations in the form of excitons.

Expanding molecular and clinical spectrum of CPT1C-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG73)-a case series.

Autosomal-dominant variants in the CPT1C gene have been associated with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 73 (SPG73), which typically presents with slowly progressive lower limb weakness and spasticity and is therefore considered a pure form of hereditary spastic paraplegia. However, we report two unrelated males with novel CPT1C variants (NM_001199753.2: patient 1: c.

A Natural Disaster Exacerbates and Redistributes Disease Risk Among Free-Ranging Macaques by Altering Social Structure.

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, with severe implications for ecosystem dynamics. A key behavioural mechanism whereby animals may cope with such events is by altering their social structure, which in turn could influence epidemic risk. However, how and to what extent natural disasters affect disease risk via changes in sociality remains unexplored in animal populations.

Pediatric Acute Otitis Media Clinical Trials: An Analysis of Diversity.

Objective: This study aims to assess the diversity and equity of pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) trials using ClinicalTrials.gov, focusing on participant demographics and representation to identify gaps in inclusivity and inform strategies for promoting diversity in future pediatric AOM studies.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis.

Life-Space Mobility Is Related to Loneliness Among Living-Alone Older Adults: Longitudinal Analysis With Motion Sensor Data.

Background: Life-space mobility can be a behavioral indicator of loneliness. This study examined the association between life-space mobility measured with motion sensors and weekly vs. annually reported loneliness.

Future Applications of Central Neuromodulation and Neurophysiological Testing in Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.

Background: Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is defined by its episodic patterning. Furthermore, CVS is associated with other episodic disorders such as migraine and epilepsy. Indeed, many of the medications that are known to be useful for prophylaxis and abortive therapy in CVS are also effective in preventing and aborting migraines and seizures.

Climate Change Impacts Pair-Bond Dynamics in a Long-Lived Monogamous Species.

Climate change can influence populations of monogamous species by affecting pair-bond dynamics. This study examined the impact of climate on widowhood and divorce, and the subsequent effects on individual vital rates and life-history outcomes over 54 years in a snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) population. We found that environmental conditions can affect pair-bond dynamics both directly and indirectly.

Symptom Patterns in Adults With Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: A 6-Month Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Data are limited on the natural history and symptom patterns of cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), a disorder of gut-brain interaction characterized by recurrent stereotypical vomiting, retching, and nausea episodes.

Methods: A 6-month, observational, remote study prospectively assessed symptom patterns in adults with CVS using an electronic daily diary. Patients recorded their disease experience, including CVS symptoms and associated severity, in the daily diary.

Expanding the phenotype and genotype spectrum of TAOK1 neurodevelopmental disorder and delineating TAOK2 neurodevelopmental disorder.

Purpose: The TAOK proteins are a group of serine/threonine-protein kinases involved in signalling pathways, cytoskeleton regulation, and neuronal development. TAOK1 variants are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by distinctive facial features, hypotonia and feeding difficulties. TAOK2 variants have been reported to be associated with autism and early-onset obesity.

I-CONECT intervention effects on weekly time spent outside of home and social contacts among socially isolated older adults.

Background: Socially isolated individuals tend to have less access to cognitively stimulating activities, which could adversely impact their cognitive health. The Internet-Based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I-CONECT) intervention was designed to deliver online conversation sessions to socially isolated older old adults to prevent cognitive decline. The current study examined the intervention efficacy on participants' weekly time spent out-of-home and their social interaction with family and friends.

The Role of Endobronchial Ultrasound for Mediastinal Staging in Mesothelioma.

Background: Invasive mediastinal staging is a crucial component of the preoperative evaluation for potential surgical candidates with pleural mesothelioma (PM). Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is less invasive than mediastinoscopy for staging; however, its accuracy in patients with PM remains undefined. We present our institutional experience with EBUS staging in patients with PM.

Impact of steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents on tumor outcome in the context of cancer immunotherapy with highlight on melanoma: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Background: The impact of steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents (SSIAs) for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) on tumor outcome is not well-known. This systematic review evaluates tumor outcomes for corticosteroid (CS) monotherapy versus CS with SSIA (CS-SSIA) for irAE treatment with a focus on melanoma.

Methods: Search was conducted through 1/5/23 using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science.

Armodafinil as Monotherapy in Treating Narcolepsy with Cataplexy.

In narcolepsy with cataplexy, sodium oxybate and the recently FDA-approved drug pitolisant are preferred medications. Armodafinil, a longer-acting, non-amphetamine stimulant, is often used in patients who have narcolepsy without cataplexy. It enhances alertness by increasing presynaptic dopamine transmission presynaptically, amplifying serotonin in the cerebral cortex, activating glutamatergic circuits, which may contribute to its vigilance-enhancing properties, and stimulating orexin activity.

Learning to Match 2D Keypoints Across Preoperative MR and Intraoperative Ultrasound.

We propose in this paper a texture-invariant 2D keypoints descriptor specifically designed for matching preoperative Magnetic Resonance (MR) images with intraoperative Ultrasound (US) images. We introduce a strategy, where intraoperative US images are synthesized from MR images accounting for multiple MR modalities and intraoperative US variability. We build our training set by enforcing keypoints localization over all images then train a patient-specific descriptor network that learns texture-invariant discriminant features in a supervised contrastive manner, leading to robust keypoints descriptors.

Sex differences in the relationships between 24-h rest-activity patterns and plasma markers of Alzheimer's disease pathology.

Background: Although separate lines of research indicated a moderating role of sex in both sleep-wake disruption and in the interindividual vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related processes, the quantification of sex differences in the interplay between sleep-wake dysregulation and AD pathology remains critically overlooked. Here, we examined sex-specific associations between circadian rest-activity patterns and AD-related pathophysiological processes across the adult lifespan.

Methods: Ninety-two cognitively unimpaired adults (mean age = 59.

Impact of gender on self-assessment accuracy among fourth-year French medical students on faculty's online Objective Structured Clinical Examinations.

Background: Historically, women have been shown to underestimate their abilities, while men often assess themselves more accurately or overestimate. This study aims to determine self-assessment accuracy during online Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) according to gender.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted among fourth-year medical students at Paris Cité University during faculty training OSCEs, utilizing Zoom® software for remote participation.