Oligometastatic Esophagogastric Cancer: Does It Exist and How Do We Treat It?

Purpose Of The Review: This narrative review aims to provide an overview of recently completed randomized trials and expert consensus recommendations, and their implications for clinical practice and future trial design in patients with de-novo esophagogastric oligometastatic disease (OMD).

Recent Findings: The IKF-575/RENAISSANCE phase III trial showed no significant overall survival difference between systemic therapy alone and systemic therapy combined with local therapy for patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer and de-novo OMD, except for patients with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases only. The ESO-Shanghai 13 phase II trial demonstrated superiority of adding local therapy to systemic therapy for progression-free and overall survival in oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Vascularized human brain organoids: current possibilities and prospects.

Human brain organoids (hBOs) are in vitro, 3D, self-organizing brain tissue structures increasingly used for modeling brain development and disease. Although they traditionally lack vasculature, recent bioengineering developments enable their vascularization, which partly recapitulates neurodevelopmental processes such as neural tube angiogenesis, formation of neurovascular unit (NVU)-like structures, and early barriergenesis. Although vascularized hBOs (vhBOs) are already used to model (defects in) neurovascular development, vascularization efficiency and other outcomes differ substantially between vascularization protocols and overall shortcomings should be considered.

Primary respiratory support of extremely preterm neonates in the Netherlands: a national survey.

Introduction: Non-invasive respiratory support strategies have evolved to avoid bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. However, consensus on the best treatment strategy remains lacking. This study aims to investigate current practices and variations in primary respiratory support for extremely preterm neonates across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the Netherlands.

An extra pair of eyes: adopting innovative approaches to detect integrity issues in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology.

Scientific integrity has been increasingly challenged by scientific misconduct and paper mills, resulting in an increase in retractions. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology has been significantly impacted by fraudulent submissions, resulting in numerous retractions. By analyzing retraction notes and utilizing a post-publication surveillance strategy, this editorial discusses how this journal continues to deal with problematic publications, uncovers image- and physiological-related integrity issues, and responds to fraudulent activity.

Phenotype Spectrum of TRPM3-Associated Disorders.

Objective: Monoallelic variants in the transient receptor potential melastatin-related type 3 gene (TRPM3) have been associated with neurodevelopmental manifestations, but knowledge on the clinical manifestations and treatment options is limited. We characterized the clinical spectrum, highlighting particularly the epilepsy phenotype, and the effect of treatments.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the phenotypes and genotypes of 43 individuals with TRPM3 variants, acquired from GeneMatcher and collaborations (n = 21), and through a systematic literature search (n = 22).

Challenges and strategies for effective recruitment and retention of participants in clinical research studies.

Effective recruitment and retention of participants in clinical research studies are critical to be able to draw meaningful and valid conclusions in research studies. However, there are multiple challenges related to communication, generalizability, and logistics. Researchers must address and overcome these challenges to ensure robust research outcomes.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in screening for cognitive impairment in initially hospitalized COVID-19 patients: Findings from the prospective multicenter NeNeSCo study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of cognitive impairment among severely ill COVID-19 patients and the effectiveness of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in detecting it.

Method: We evaluated cognition in COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first wave (March to June 2020) from six Dutch hospitals, nine months post-discharge, using a comprehensive multi-domain neuropsychological test battery. Test performance was corrected for sex, age, and education differences and transformed into -scores.

Prevalence and determinants of metabolic syndrome in 2338 childhood cancer survivors: A Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor LATER 2 study.

Background: Because the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) might contribute to childhood cancer survivor's excess risk of cardiovascular disease, the authors assessed the prevalence and determinants of MetS in the Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (DCCSS-LATER2) cohort.

Methods: In total, 2338 adult childhood cancer survivors (CCS) were cross-sectionally assessed for the prevalence of MetS, using the Lifelines cohort (N = 132,226 adults without a history of cancer) as references. The prevalence of MetS was clinically assessed using existing classifications, as well as an alternative method using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry fat% instead of waist circumference to define abdominal adiposity.

Inspecting the external world: Memory capacity, but not memory self-efficacy, predicts offloading in working memory.

Individuals with memory impairments may need to rely often on the external world (i.e. offloading).

Cross-species comparison reveals that Hmga1 reduces H3K27me3 levels to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration.

In contrast to adult mammalian hearts, the adult zebrafish heart efficiently replaces cardiomyocytes lost after injury. Here we reveal shared and species-specific injury response pathways and a correlation between Hmga1, an architectural non-histone protein, and regenerative capacity, as Hmga1 is required and sufficient to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation and required for heart regeneration. In addition, Hmga1 was shown to reactivate developmentally silenced genes, likely through modulation of H3K27me3 levels, poising them for a pro-regenerative gene program.

STAT1 regulates immune-mediated intestinal stem cell proliferation and epithelial regeneration.

The role of the immune system in regulating tissue stem cells remains poorly understood, as does the relationship between immune-mediated tissue damage and regeneration. Graft vs. host disease (GVHD) occurring after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) involves immune-mediated damage to the intestinal epithelium and its stem cell compartment.

Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of the MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine Trial.

Objective: To evaluate descriptive efficacy data, exploratory immunogenicity data, and safety follow-up through study completion from the global, phase 3 MATISSE (Maternal Immunization Study for Safety and Efficacy) maternal vaccination trial of bivalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F protein vaccine (RSVpreF).

Methods: MATISSE was a phase 3, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Healthy pregnant participants aged 49 years or younger at 24-36 weeks of gestation were randomized (1:1) to receive a single RSVpreF 120 micrograms or placebo dose.

Structural diversity of axonemes across mammalian motile cilia.

Reproduction, development and homeostasis depend on motile cilia, whose rhythmic beating is powered by a microtubule-based molecular machine called the axoneme. Although an atomic model of the axoneme is available for the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, structures of mammalian axonemes are incomplete. Furthermore, we do not fully understand how molecular structures of axonemes vary across motile-ciliated cell types in the body.

Self-care: a well-known but yet elusive concept. A discussion of theories, concepts, interventions, and measurement.

Good self-care can improve survival, decrease health care costs, and improve quality of life of persons with cardiovascular illness. Health care professionals from different disciplines have a role in self-care support. Many definitions, theories, and measurement instruments exist addressing self-care and this plethora might be confusing to clinicians and researchers.

Endurance Exercise Promotes Episodes of Myocardial Injury in Individuals with a Pathogenic Desmoplakin (DSP) Variant.

Background: Desmoplakin (DSP) variants are associated with left-predominant or biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Exercise promotes penetrance and sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in right-sided arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, but its effect is unknown in DSP variant carriers.

Objectives: To assess whether exercise is associated with clinical outcomes among individuals with a pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) DSP variant.

Understanding Parkinson's: The microbiome and machine learning approach.

Objective: Given that Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder, with symptoms that worsen over time, our goal is to enhance the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease by utilizing machine learning techniques and microbiome analysis. The primary objective is to identify specific microbiome signatures that can reproducibly differentiate patients with Parkinson's disease from healthy controls.

Methods: We used four Parkinson-related datasets from the NCBI repository, focusing on stool samples.

Mechanical Circulatory Support for Right Ventricular Primary Graft Dysfunction After Heart Transplant: A Review.

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is the most common cause of early mortality following heart transplantation. Although PGD can affect both ventricles, isolated right ventricular dysfunction (RV-PGD) is observed in nearly half of PGD patients. RV-PGD requires specific medical management to support the preload, afterload, and function of the failing RV; however, the use of mechanical circulatory support of the RV (RV-MCS) might be required when optimal medical therapy is insufficient in preventing forward failure and retrograde venous congestion.

Facilitators and barriers for the implementation of a transmural fall-prevention care pathway for older adults in the emergency department.

Background: Older adults at the emergency department (ED) with fall-related injuries are at risk of repeated falls. National guidelines state that the ED is responsible for initiating fall preventive care. A transmural fall-prevention care pathway (TFCP) at the ED can guide patients to tailored interventions.

What Does Pharmaceutical 3D Printing Cost? A Framework and Case Study with Hydrocortisone for Adrenal Insufficiency.

Background: Pharmaceutical three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology offers an automated platform that can be utilized to manufacture personalized medicine, improving pharmacotherapy. Although 3D-printed products have entered clinical trials, no costing studies have been performed yet. Cost insights can aid researchers and industry in making informed decisions about the feasibility and scalability of 3DP.

Coronary CTA and CT-FFR in trans-catheter aortic valve implantation candidates: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Screening for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) could prevent unnecessary invasive coronary angiography (ICA) procedures during work-up for trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) improves CCTA accuracy in chest pain patients. However, its reliability in the TAVI population is unknown.

Deep-learning-based extraction of circle of Willis topology with anatomical priors.

The circle of Willis (CoW) is a circular arrangement of arteries in the human brain, exhibiting significant anatomical variability. The CoW is extensively studied in relation to neurovascular pathologies, with certain anatomical variants previously linked to ischemic stroke and intracranial aneurysms. In an individual CoW, arteries might be absent (aplasia) or underdeveloped (hypoplasia, diameter < 1 mm).

Deep learning on CT scans to predict checkpoint inhibitor treatment outcomes in advanced melanoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment has proven successful for advanced melanoma, but is associated with potentially severe toxicity and high costs. Accurate biomarkers for response are lacking. The present work is the first to investigate the value of deep learning on CT imaging of metastatic lesions for predicting ICI treatment outcomes in advanced melanoma.