Cure the Incurable: Update of Treatment in Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders.

Originally thought to be incurable, huge therapeutic progress has been made in recent years in the field of inherited neuromuscular disorders. Approaches aiming to rescue the underlying pathophysiology, i.e.

Incidence and Management of Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in Pancreatic Diseases.

Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) in pancreatic disease has a 20%-30% incidence rate, leading to increased mortality and complication rates. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize recent evidence about the incidence, risk factors, and management of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cystic neoplasm-, and pancreatitis-related SVT. Doppler ultrasound should be the first imaging choice, followed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

Expanding Horizons in Quantum Chemical Studies: The Versatile Power of MRSF-TDDFT.

ConspectusWhile traditional quantum chemical theories have long been central to research, they encounter limitations when applied to complex situations. Two of the most widely used quantum chemical approaches, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT), perform well in cases with relatively weak electron correlation, such as the ground-state minima of closed-shell systems (Franck-Condon region). However, their applicability diminishes in more demanding scenarios.

Streamlining Global Germplasm Exchange: Integrating Scientific Rigor and Common Sense to Exclude Phantom Agents from Regulation.

This collaborative work by over 180 researchers from 40+ countries addresses the challenges posed by "phantom agents"-putative pathogenic agents named in literature without supporting data on their existence. Those agents remain on regulatory lists, creating barriers in trade and plant certification. Historically identified based solely on symptoms, these agents lack isolates or sequence data, making reliable detection or risk assessment impossible.

Rehabilitation - definition for research purposes.

Introduction And Objective: The Rehabilitation Definition for Research Purposes (RDRP), published in 2022 by Cochrane Rehabilitation, addresses discrepancies resulting from the multiplicity and heterogeneity of rehabilitation definitions hitherto used in the contexts of science, health, and social/legal aspects. The RDRP, based on the paradigm of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, provides clear-cut criteria for what rehabilitation includes and excludes. The final version of the RDRP achieved brad agreement among global stakeholders.

Users' Perceived Service Quality of National Telemedicine Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: COVID-19 created an opportunity for using teleconsultation as an alternative way of accessing expert medical advice. Bangladesh has seen a 20-fold increase in the use of teleconsultation during the pandemic.

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the influence of service quality and user satisfaction on the intention to use teleconsultation in the future among users of national teleconsultation services during the pandemic.

[Research progress in optogenetic therapy for retinitis pigmentosa].

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited retinal diseases characterized by progressive loss of photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium function. Its treatment has long been a focus and challenge in ophthalmic research. Despite advances in therapies such as stem cell transplantation, gene therapy, and retinal prosthetic implants, many difficulties remain.

[Peripheral ulcerative keratitis associated with dupilumab: a case report].

A 68-year-old male developed foreign body sensation in both eyes, photophobia and tearing in the right eye approximately 6 weeks after initiating dupilumab for severe atopic dermatitis. The right eye presented a crescent-shaped superficial-stromal ulcer in the peripheral cornea with an undermined edge, which was separated from the limbus of the cornea by a clear zone. The left eye had a pannus at the limbus of the cornea.

[Paying attention to problems and countermeasures in intermittent exotropia surgery].

Intermittent exotropia (IXT) is the most common type of strabismus, with surgical interventions standing as its main therapeutic modality. In recent years, with the rapid development of the strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology subspecialties, surgical correction for IXT has become a routine practice across numerous institutions in China. However, the surgical success rate is not high and tends to decline with longer follow-up periods.

Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo Approach to Inference in Transient Surface Kinetics.

In this work, we develop a novel Bayesian approach to study the adsorption and desorption of CO onto a Pd(111) surface, a process of great importance in natural sciences. The motivation for this work comes from the recent availability of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy data and the need for model interpretability and uncertainty quantification in chemical processes. The objective is to learn the relevant parameters that characterize the process: coverage with time, rate constants, activation energies, and pre-exponential factors.

Transgenic Cynodon dactylon overexpressing CdPIF4 alters plant development and cold stress tolerance.

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is widely used for soil remediation, livestock forage, and as turfgrass for sports fields, parks, and gardens due to its resilience and adaptability.

Identification of the MAP4K gene family reveals GhMAP4K13 regulates drought and salt stress tolerance in cotton.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinases (MAP4Ks) are a class of highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinases in eukaryotes. They participate in the typical MAPK cascade system and various signal transduction pathways regulating biological processes in plants, during stressful conditions. To date, genome-wide identification of MAP4Ks in cotton has not been reported.

Widely targeted metabolomics analysis reveals differences in volatile metabolites among four Angelica species.

Angelica L. has attracted global interest for its traditional medicinal uses and commercial values. However, few studies have focused on the metabolomic differences among the Angelica species.

Do instrument kinematics and the apical preparation limit influence canal disinfection and bacterial extrusion?

This in vitro research assessed the influence of the instrument kinematics (rotary and reciprocating) and the apical preparation limit on the root canal disinfection and apical bacterial extrusion. After 21 days of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm formation in 72 mesial root canals of mandibular molars, the root canals were distributed into 2 groups (n = 36) according to the systems used for preparation: ProDesign S and Reciproc. The groups were redistributed according to the limit of apical preparation (n = 11): (a) 1 mm up to the apical foramen (TL-1); (b) at the apical foramen (TL = 0); (c) 1 mm beyond the apical foramen (TL + 1).

Comparison of the inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique without versus with an autologous blood clot for treating macular hole-associated retinal detachment.

Background: To investigate the anatomical and functional outcomes of macular hole-associated retinal detachment (MHRD) after vitrectomy using the inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique with autologous blood clot (ABC).

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 80 eyes with MHRD that underwent vitrectomy with ILM flap without (46 eyes) or with ABC (34 eyes). Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography were evaluated.

[F]FDG PET/CT for predicting neoadjuvant PD-L1 blockade monotherapy treatment response in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a preliminary study.

Purpose: To investigate the predictive value of 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([F]FDG) PET/CT for evaluating primary tumor (PT) and lymph node (LN) responses after neoadjuvant programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade monotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC).

Methods: In the single-arm phase 1b NATION-1907 trial (NCT04215471), 23 patients with LA-ESCC received two cycles of neoadjuvant PD-L1 blockade Adebrelimab followed by surgery. Among these, 18 patients underwent [F]FDG PET/CT scans both before immunotherapy and prior to surgery.

Skeletal interoception and prospective application in biomaterials for bone regeneration.

Accumulating research has shed light on the significance of skeletal interoception, in maintaining physiological and metabolic homeostasis related to bone health. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of how skeletal interoception influences bone homeostasis, delving into the complex interplay between the nervous system and skeletal system. One key focus of the review is the role of various factors such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in skeletal health via skeletal interoception.

Expert consensus on apical microsurgery.

Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus.

Phenotyping atherosclerotic plaque and perivascular adipose tissue: signalling pathways and clinical biomarkers in atherosclerosis.

Computed tomography coronary angiography provides a non-invasive evaluation of coronary artery disease that includes phenotyping of atherosclerotic plaques and the surrounding perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). Image analysis techniques have been developed to quantify atherosclerotic plaque burden and morphology as well as the associated PVAT attenuation, and emerging radiomic approaches can add further contextual information. PVAT attenuation might provide a novel measure of vascular health that could be indicative of the pathogenetic processes implicated in atherosclerosis such as inflammation, fibrosis or increased vascularity.

Haematometabolism rewiring in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are the most frequent cause of death worldwide. The clinical complications of atherosclerosis are closely linked to the haematopoietic and immune systems, which maintain homeostatic functions and vital processes in the body. The nodes linking metabolism and inflammation are receiving increasing attention because they are inextricably linked to inflammatory manifestations of non-communicable diseases, including atherosclerosis.

Specifically blocking αvβ8-mediated TGF-β signaling to reverse immunosuppression by modulating macrophage polarization.

Background: Targeting the TGF-β pathway in tumor therapy has proven challenging due to the highly context-dependent functions of TGF-β. Integrin αvβ8, a pivotal activator of TGF-β, has been implicated in TGF-β signaling within tumors, as demonstrated by the significant anti-tumor effects of anti-αvβ8 antibodies. Nevertheless, the expression profile of αvβ8 remains a subject of debate, and the precise mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects of anti-αvβ8 antibodies are not yet fully elucidated.

VSMC-specific TRPC1 deletion attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling.

Transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) channel, a Ca-permeable ion channel widely expressed in vasculature, has been reported to be involved in various cardiovascular disorders. However, the pathophysiological function of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-derived TRPC1 in hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling remains to be defined. In this study, we found increased TRPC1 expression in both angiotensin II (AngII)-treated VSMCs and aortas from AngII-infused mice.

HBV DNA integration and somatic mutations in HCC patients with HBV-HCV dual infection reveals profiles intermediate between HBV- and HCV-related HCC.

Background: In regions with a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, coinfected patients face a heightened risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), termed HBV/HCV-related HCC (HBCV-HCC). We aimed to investigate the contribution of preexisting chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and subsequent chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to the development of HBCV-HCC.

Methods: We examined HBV's involvement in 93 HBCV-HCC cases by analyzing HBV DNA integration as an indicator of HCC originating from HBV-infected hepatocytes, compared with 164 HBV-HCCs and 56 HCV-HCCs as controls.

Nutrient uptake and rhizosphere microbial community as related to yield advantage in broomcorn millet‒alfalfa intercropping under different row configurations.

To investigate the effects of row ratio configurations on intercropping advantages and related rhizosphere microbial communities, a field experiment involving five treatments of different rows of broomcorn millet, i.e., P1M1 (1 row of broomcorn millet intercropped with 1 row of alfalfa), P2M3, P1M2, P1M3 and broomcorn millet alone (SP), was conducted on the Loess Plateau of China.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and genetic risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective cohort study and Mendelian randomization analysis.

Objective: Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the potential interactions of RDW with genetic risk of incident RA remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between RDW, genetics, and the risk of developing RA.

Methods: We analysed data from 145,025 healthy participants at baseline in the UK Biobank.