Senescent retinal pigment epithelial cells promote angiogenesis in choroidal neovascularization via the TAK1/p38 MAPK pathway.

Senescent retinal pigment epithelial cells play a key role in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD); however, the mechanisms underlying the angiogenic ability of these cells remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the effects of the senescent adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line-19 (ARPE-19) on wound healing, cell migration and survival, and tube formation abilities of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Additionally, we used Brown Norway rats to establish a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model for further nAMD-related studies.

Patients' Use of e-Consultations as an Alternative to Other General Practitioner Services: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: e-Consultations, defined as asynchronous text-based messaging, have transformed how patients interact with their general practitioner (GP). While e-consultations can improve patient access to GP care, concerns about increased workload for GPs are raised.

Objective: This study aimed to address three research questions: (1) For what purpose and with what expectations do patients initiate e-consultations? (2) If e-consultations had not been available, what alternative actions would the patient have taken? and (3) How are the alternative actions associated with patient and e-consultation characteristics?

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a web-based survey on Helsenorge.

Creatine Intake Is Not Associated With Elevated Circulating Cystatin C Levels in Individuals With and Without Kidney Dysfunction in the General Population.

Objective: The potential adverse effects of dietary creatine on kidney health are rarely addressed at the population level, particularly in individuals with preexisting kidney disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between dietary creatine intake and serum cystatin C levels in participants with and without kidney failure, utilizing data from the 1999-2001 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) round.

Method: A total of 4969 individuals (50.

Effects of Magnesium-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles on Bioink Formulation for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Bioprinting of nanohydroxyapatite (nHA)-based bioinks has attracted considerable interest in bone tissue engineering. However, the role and relevance of the physicochemical properties of nHA incorporated in a bioink, particularly in terms of its printability and the biological behavior of bioprinted cells, remain largely unexplored. In this study, two bioinspired nHAs with different chemical compositions, crystallinity, and morphologies were synthesized and characterized: a more crystalline, needle-like Mg-doped nHA (N-HA) and a more amorphous, rounded Mg- and CO-doped nHA (R-HA).

Uncertainty Quantification and Sensitivity Analysis for Non-invasive Model-Based Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio Prediction.

The main objectives of this work are to validate a 1D-0D unsteady solver with a distributed stenosis model for the patient-specific estimation of resting haemodynamic indices and to assess the sensitivity of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) predictions to uncertainties in input parameters. We considered 52 patients with stable coronary artery disease, for which 81 invasive iFR measurements were available. We validated the performance of our solver compared to 3D steady-state and transient results and invasive measurements.

Pomalidomide, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone Versus Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Final Survival and Subgroup Analyses From the OPTIMISMM Trial.

Introduction: In the OPTIMISMM trial, pomalidomide/bortezomib/dexamethasone (PVd) significantly prolonged median progression-free survival (PFS) versus bortezomib/dexamethasone (Vd) in lenalidomide-exposed relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We report final overall survival (OS) and updated efficacy analyses.

Methods: Adults with RRMM who had 1-3 prior regimens, including lenalidomide (≥ 2 cycles), were assigned (1:1) to PVd or Vd.

The European Drug-Drug Interaction (EuroDDI) Study Protocol: A Cross-Country Comparison of Drug-Drug Interaction Prevalence in the Older Community-Dwelling Population.

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs), highly prevalent amongst the elderly, can lead to avoidable medication-related harm. Cardiovascular and central nervous system (CNS) drugs are commonly implicated. To date, there is no consensus on how to measure DDIs, making comparisons across countries challenging.

Body Composition in Adults Born at Very Low Birthweight-A Sibling Study.

Background: Individuals born preterm at very low birthweight (VLBW, < 1500 g) tend to attain a smaller adult body size compared with term-born peers but less is known regarding specific body composition characteristics.

Objectives: We aimed to assess whether adults born at VLBW have less beneficial body composition characteristics, potentially mediating the association between VLBW birth and cardiometabolic disease. Sibling controls were used to account for the potential influence of shared genetic and/or lifestyle factors.

Application of Conservation Genomics to Investigate the Role of Pathogens on the Migration of Sea-Run Brown Trout (Salmo trutta).

Pathogens play a key role in individual function and the dynamics of wild populations, but the link between pathogens and individual performance has rarely been investigated in the wild. Migrating salmonids offer an ideal study system to investigate how infection with pathogens affects performance given that climate change and fish farming portend increasing prevalence of pathogens in wild populations. To test for effects of pathogen burden on the performance of a migrating salmonid, we paired data from individual brown trout tagged with acoustic accelerometer transmitters and gill biopsies to investigate how pathogen infection affected whole animal activity during the spawning migration.

Characterization of Hemoglobin Variants by Capillary Electrophoresis, UV-Vis, and FTIR Spectroscopy.

Hemoglobinopathies, hereditary disorders affecting the structure or production of hemoglobin, were detected by routine HbA measurements by capillary electrophoresis (CE) at the University Hospital Motol, Prague. The potential of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the detection and characterization of hemoglobinopathies was investigated. FTIR spectra were recorded with a very high resolution (0.

Prophylactic Peanut Allergen Ara h 6 Sublingual Immunotherapy Drives Expansion of FoxP3Helios Regulatory T Cells in the Absence of Allergen-Specific IgA.

Insights into the underlying immunological mechanisms of prophylactic sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) may support the development of new strategies for improved prevention and treatment of food allergy. Here, we investigated the humoral, regulatory and sublingual tissue immune response to prophylactic SLIT administration of a single purified peanut allergen in Brown Norway (BN) rats. BN rats received daily sublingual administration of peanut allergen Ara h 6 for three weeks.

Is there an association between birth characteristics and fractures in young adults? The HUNT Study, Norway.

Unlabelled: This population study investigated the association between birth characteristics and fracture risk in 11,099 young adults (aged 19-54 years). Our findings indicate that birth weight, gestational age, and birth weight for gestational age were not associated with fractures in the wrist, humerus, hip, and spine in this population.

Purpose: Skeletal development starts during fetal life, and it is estimated that most bone formation occurs in the 3rd trimester.

Surgeon Recommendation and Outcomes of Decompression With vs Without Fusion in Patients With Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

Importance: The ability of surgeons to choose the right patient for fusion in addition to decompression when operating for degenerative spondylolisthesis with symptomatic spinal stenosis is debated. The addition of fusion increases risk, morbidity, and costs but has been claimed to give better results for selected patients.

Objective: To investigate whether following surgeons' opinions regarding fusion was associated with clinical outcomes.

Trajectories of antidepressant use and 6-year change in body weight: a prospective population-based cohort study.

Background: Antidepressant drug treatment may be associated with weight gain, but long-term studies are lacking.

Methods: We included 3,127 adults (1,701 women) from the REGICOR study, aged 55.6 (SD = 11.

Countertransference, alliance, and outcome in the treatment of patients with personality disorder: a longitudinal naturalistic study.

Objective: Relational dynamics, including countertransference responses and the therapeutic alliance, are crucial in the treatment of patients with personality disorders (PD). However, few studies on PD treatment focus on the dyadic process of therapy. The present study aims to investigate associations between therapist emotional response/countertransference (CT) and patients' experience of treatment alliance, and CT developments in therapies with treatment completion as outcome.

Sn(SO)·2HO from synchrotron powder data.

Tin(IV) sulfate dihydrate, Sn(SO)·2HO, was prepared in a reflux of sulfuric acid under oxidizing conditions. Its crystal structure was determined from powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction data and is constructed of (100) layers of [SnO(HO)] octa-hedra (point group symmetry 1) corner-connected by sulfate tetra-hedra. Hydrogen bonds of moderate strength between the water mol-ecules and sulfate O atoms hold the layers together.

Mental health dynamics between mothers and siblings of children with disabilities.

Introduction: When a child has a disability, their families face significant challenges that also impact parents' and siblings' mental health and adjustment. We examined the potential bidirectional relationships between parental mental health and sibling mental health and adjustment in families of children with a disability.

Methods: We utilized baseline and 12-month follow-up data from a randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention designed to enhance parent-sibling communication in families of children with a disability.

Diverse phenotype of Ménière's disease associated with family history, thyroid disorder, migraine and associated disorders.

Objective: To better understand the clinical phenotype of Ménière's disease (MD), we examined family history, thyroid disorder, migraine, and associated disorders in complaints of people living with MD.

Method: We designed the study as a retrospective and examined data gathered from 912 participants with MD. Their data were originally collected by the Finnish Ménière Federation (FMF).

The process of pain assessment in people with dementia living in nursing homes: a scoping review.

Background: Pain is a common symptom in people with dementia living in nursing homes, but cognitive impairment, including language and communication difficulties, challenges pain assessment and the ability to self-report pain.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify and summarize patterns, advances, and gaps in research literature describing pain assessment in people with dementia living in nursing homes.

Design: We conducted a scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework.

Social anxiety in adolescence and the first timing of parental home leaving and living with a partner: a longitudinal population-based Young-HUNT3 study in Norway.

Background: Social anxiety can make significant life transitions from adolescence to young adulthood particularly stressful. Despite the potential impact, few population-based longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between social anxiety and the timing of key markers of the transition to adulthood. This study investigated the association between social anxiety and the timing of two critical life events: first leaving the parental home and first living with a partner.

Pharmacovigilance systems for safety monitoring of herbal medicines: assessment of the national regulatory authority, manufacturers and marketing authorisation holders in Tanzania.

Background: The increase in the consumption of herbal medicines and their documented adverse reactions (ARs) necessitate countries to have good pharmacovigilance (PV) systems at all levels. PV systems should be frequently assessed in a systematic manner with available harmonised tools to monitor the implementation of efforts, strengthen the systems and identify areas for improvement.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the performance of pharmacovigilance and its quality systems for monitoring herbal medicine safety at the National PV Centre at the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), manufacturers and herbal medicine marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) to identify gaps, challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Real-Time Automated Measurements of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter for Noninvasive Assessment of Intracranial Pressure in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is a promising noninvasive parameter for intracranial pressure (ICP) assessment. However, in the setting of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), several previous studies have reported no association between ultrasonically measured ONSD and ICP. In this study, we evaluate ONSD in patients with aSAH using a novel method of automated real-time ultrasonographic measurements and explore whether factors such as having undergone surgery affects its association to ICP.

Insights into semi-continuous synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) via thermal decomposition of iron oleate.

The increasing demand for magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) in biomedicine necessitates efficient and scalable production methods. Thermal decomposition offers excellent tailoring of the particle properties but its discontinuous batch-operation is restricting scale-up and industrial application. To overcome these challenges, several studies have demonstrated semi-continuous thermal decomposition by slowly injecting the precursor, though only half of them produce magnetite IONPs and even fewer use iron oleate precursors.

MicroRNA-199a-5p may be a diagnostic biomarker of primary ITP.

There is no diagnostic test for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Certain microRNAs have shown to have diagnostic potential in ITP. We validated 12 microRNAs identified from two previous studies to find a diagnostic biomarker.