Are tinnitus burden and tinnitus exacerbation after cochlear implantation influenced by insertion technique, array dislocation, and intracochlear trauma?

Introduction: Although numerous studies suggest that cochlear implantation (CI) generally alleviates the overall burden of tinnitus, certain patients experience tinnitus exacerbation following CI. The exact cause of this exacerbation is still uncertain. This prospective study aimed to investigate whether cochlear trauma, resulting from scalar dislocation of the electrode array, affected postoperative tinnitus intensity, tinnitus burden, and speech perception.

Structure-function relationship of dynorphin B variants using naturally occurring amino acid substitutions.

Dynorphins (Dyn) represent the subset of endogenous opioid peptides with the highest binding affinity to kappa opioid receptors (KOPrs). Activation of the G-protein-coupled pathway of KOPrs has strong anticonvulsant effects. Dyn also bind to mu (MOPrs) and delta opioid receptors (DOPrs) with lower affinity and can activate the β-arrestin pathway.

A Guide to the Implementation and Design of Ex Vivo Perfusion Machines for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation.

Background: Ex vivo machine perfusion (EVMP) is a versatile platform utilized in vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) to prolong preservation, salvage tissue, and evaluate graft viability. However, there is no consensus on best practices for VCA. This article discusses the common components, modifications, and considerations necessary for a successful VCA perfusion.

Adjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: An Updated Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Network Meta-analysis.

Context: Adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently emerged as guideline-recommended treatments of high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC). However, there is limited evidence regarding the optimal candidates and the differential efficacy of adjuvant ICI regimens.

Objective: To synthesize and compare the efficacy and safety of adjuvant ICIs for high-risk MIUC using updated data from phase III randomized controlled trials.

Deceleration of denervated facial muscle atrophy through functional electrical stimulation: a sonographic quantification in patients with facial nerve paralysis.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is an established intervention for a range of muscular and neurological disorders that has already been studied in numerous publications. However, its application to Peripheral Facial nerve Paralysis (PFP) still needs to be sufficiently investigated. As the first approach known to the authors, this study examines the effect of FES on the facial muscles in complete PFP using ultrasonography as a means of observation.

Epidermal maintenance of Langerhans cells relies on autophagy-regulated lipid metabolism.

Macroautophagy (often-named autophagy), a catabolic process involving autophagy-related (Atg) genes, prevents the accumulation of harmful cytoplasmic components and mobilizes energy reserves in long-lived and self-renewing cells. Autophagy deficiency affects antigen presentation in conventional dendritic cells (DCs) without impacting their survival. However, previous studies did not address epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs).

Stem cell models of TAFAZZIN deficiency reveal novel tissue-specific pathologies in Barth syndrome.

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare mitochondrial disease caused by pathogenic variants in the gene TAFAZZIN, which leads to abnormal cardiolipin (CL) metabolism on the inner mitochondrial membrane. Although TAFAZZIN is ubiquitously expressed, BTHS involves a complex combination of tissue specific phenotypes including cardiomyopathy, neutropenia, skeletal myopathy, and growth delays, with a relatively minimal neurological burden. To understand both the developmental and functional effects of TAZ-deficiency in different tissues, we generated isogenic TAZ knockout (TAZ-KO) and WT cardiomyocytes (CMs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from CRISPR-edited induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Designing mouthwash formulations with innovative molecular components to control initial dental erosion in vivo.

Objective: This study aimed to examine and compare the efficacy of mouthwashes containing different proteins and peptide on the prevention of enamel erosion in vivo, as well as to evaluate the participants' satisfaction with the formulations.

Methods: Twelve participants were selected and underwent five cross-over mouthwash phases: Water (control); 0.1 mg/mL CaneCPI-5; 0.

[Paragangliomas of the head and neck].

Paragangliomas represent a heterogeneous group of rare neuroendocrine tumors with marked variability in symptoms and disease course. Due to the close proximity to neurovascular structures, paragangliomas of the head and neck region can cause a variety of symptoms. To this day, there are no reliable prognostic factors that can predict a potentially malignant course.

The impact of androgen-induced translation in modulating androgen receptor activity.

Introduction: Dysregulated androgen receptor (AR) activity is central to various diseases, particularly prostate cancer (PCa), in which it drives tumour initiation and progression. Consequently, antagonising AR activity via anti-androgens is an indispensable treatment option for metastatic PCa. However, despite initial tumour remission, drug resistance occurs.

First experiences with the introduction of genetic counselors in human genetic services in the German-speaking countries.

In 2019, the Medical University of Innsbruck introduced the first Genetic and Genomic Counseling master's program in the German-speaking countries. A major challenge of this process was the absence of practicing Genetic Counselors (GC) in these countries, leading to a lack of experience with GCs in medical genetic services and the absence of a legal framework for the profession. Consequently, student placements within the program commenced with neither the students nor their supervising consultants having any previous experience of collaborative teamwork between clinical geneticists and GCs.

Efficacy of subsequent therapies in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who relapse after first-line olaparib maintenance: results of the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial.

Background: The use of first-line poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance therapy is increasing in advanced ovarian cancer. Understanding the efficacy of first subsequent therapy (FST) in patients experiencing disease progression in the first-line setting is important to optimize postprogression treatments. We evaluated the efficacy of FST in patients from PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 (NCT02477644) who received first-line olaparib maintenance.

Validation of a Urine-Based Proteomics Test to Predict Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer: Complementing mpMRI Pathway.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men. A major clinical need is to accurately predict clinically significant PCa (csPCa). A proteomics-based 19-biomarker model (19-BM) was previously developed using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) and validated in close to 1,000 patients at risk for PCa.

Enhancing Male Fertility Through AI-Based Management of Varicoceles.

Review Purpose: The clinical management of subclinical and symptomatic varicoceles in male infertility remains challenging. Current guidelines focus on treating men with abnormal semen analyses, but a more precise approach to identify, stratify, and prognosticate men with varicoceles and fertility issues is essential.

Recent Findings: Multiple studies have utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze clinical-demographic characteristics, semen analyses, pre-operative imaging findings, and intra-operative clinical data.

The impact of curative cancer treatment on sexual health - clinical results from the EORTC QLQ-SH22 validation study.

Background: The European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) has recently developed and validated a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for sexual health (SH) in cancer patients. Here, we present results from a secondary analysis of the EORTC QLQ-SH22 validation study. The objective was to investigate the impact of cancer treatment on SH over the disease trajectory into survivorship in patients who underwent curative treatment.

Dealing with adverse drug reactions in the context of polypharmacy using regression models.

Polypharmacy in older adults increases the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), but studying this relationship is complex. In real-world data, the high number of medications, coupled with rare drug combinations, results in high-dimensional datasets that are difficult to analyze using conventional statistical methods. This study applies horseshoe and lasso regression for analyzing rare events in polypharmacy contexts, focusing on severe ADRs such as falls and bleedings.

FIGO 2023 staging for endometrial cancer, when, if it is not now?

Incorporation of pathological and (not mandatory) molecular features into the new FIGO 2023 staging system has generated some controversy. Several validations have been published recently that demonstrated the higher prognostic precision of FIGO 2023 compared to the previous FIGO 2009 scheme. In the present article, the authors want to respond to some concerns that were raised by some pathologists and clinicians.

Pioneering sustainable treatment delivery in childhood leukemia through synchronous telemedicine-A pilot study.

Cancer care places a heavy economic burden on families and health systems, driven by high treatment costs, lengthy hospital stays, and the necessity for extensive travel to specialized facilities. To address this challenge, an integrated health care network (IHCN) was implemented for maintenance treatment in acute leukemia. The IHCN encompassed outpatient services provided by local physicians and synchronous telemedicine consultation with pediatric oncologists.

Novel Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Interfering Migraine Therapies and Stroke-A Review.

Migraine and stroke are neurological disorders with significant global prevalence and impact. Recent advances in migraine therapy have focused on the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway. This review examines the shared pathomechanisms between migraine and stroke, with emphasis on the role of CGRP.

SMI-Capsular Fibrosis and Biofilm Dynamics: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Implications, and Antimicrobial Approaches.

Silicone mammary implants (SMIs) frequently result in capsular fibrosis, which is marked by the overproduction of fibrous tissue surrounding the implant. This review provides a detailed examination of the molecular and immunological mechanisms driving capsular fibrosis, focusing on the role of foreign body responses (FBRs) and microbial biofilm formation. We investigate how microbial adhesion to implant surfaces and biofilm development contribute to persistent inflammation and fibrotic responses.