Future Directions in the Treatment of Low-Grade Gliomas.

There is major interest in deintensifying therapy for isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant low-grade gliomas, including with single-agent cytostatic isocitrate dehydrogenase inhibitors. These efforts need head-to-head comparisons with proven modalities, such as chemoradiotherapy. Ongoing clinical trials now group tumors by intrinsic molecular subtype, rather than classic clinical risk factors.

Management of Low-Grade Gliomas.

The term "low-grade glioma" historically refers to adult diffuse gliomas that exhibit a less aggressive course than the more common high-grade gliomas. In the current molecular era, "low-grade" refers to World Health Organization central nervous system grade 2 gliomas almost always with an isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation (astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas). The term "lower-grade gliomas" has emerged encompassing grades 2 and 3 IDH-mutant astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, to acknowledge that histological grade is not as important a prognostic factor as molecular features, and distinguishing them from grade 4 glioblastomas, which lack an IDH mutation.

A Baicalin-Based Functional Polymer in Dynamic Reversible Networks Alleviates Osteoarthritis by Cellular Interactions.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly recognized as a whole-organ disease predominantly affecting the elderly, characterized by typical alterations in subchondral bone and cartilage, along with recurrent synovial inflammation. Despite the availability of various therapeutics and medications, a complete resolution of OA remains elusive. In this study, novel functional hydrogels are developed by integrating natural bioactive molecules for OA treatment.

Deep Learning-Enabled Assessment of Right Ventricular Function Improves Prognostication After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function has a well-established prognostic role in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and is typically assessed using echocardiography-measured tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. Recently, a deep learning model has been proposed that accurately predicts RV ejection fraction (RVEF) from 2-dimensional echocardiographic videos, with similar diagnostic accuracy as 3-dimensional imaging. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the deep learning-predicted RVEF values in patients with severe MR undergoing TEER.

Night Eating Syndrome and Its Association With Depression Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Night eating syndrome (NES) is categorized as an eating disorder characterized by a delayed circadian rhythm of food intake and involves evening hyperphagia and/or nighttime awakening and food consumption two or more times per week. Young adults showed a higher prevalence of night eating, and students who reported high stress, irregular sleep patterns, and disordered eating may be more likely to develop NES symptoms. Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Night Eating Syndrome among college students in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu (India) and to find out the association between NES and socio-demographic variables and depression among the students.

Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics.

Deciphering the sources of variability in drug responses requires to understand the processes modulating drug pharmacokinetics. However, pharmacological research suffers from poor reproducibility across clinical, animal, and experimental models. Predictivity can be improved by using Organs-on-Chips, which are more physiological, human-oriented, micro-engineered devices that include microfluidics.

Clock system disruption in male Fischer 344 rats fed cafeteria diet and administered sweet treats at different times: The zeitgeber role of grape seed flavanols.

Current lifestyles include calorie-dense diets and late-night food intake, which can lead to circadian misalignment. Our group recently demonstrated that sweet treats before bedtime alter the clock system in healthy rats, increasing metabolic risk factors. Therefore, we aimed to assess the impact of the sweet treat consumption time on the clock system in rats fed a cafeteria diet (CAF).

Association Between the Need to Change Initial Antifungal Therapy and Treatment Costs in Patients With Invasive Aspergillosis.

Background: Early antifungal initiation in invasive aspergillosis (IA) is recommended. Changing antifungals occurs for a myriad of reasons but associated costs are unclear.

Methods: US claims data for adults admitted for IA were identified from 10/1/2015 to 11/30/2022.

SOLFA study: a multicenter, open-label, prospective, randomized study to investigate the clotting propensity of asymmetric cellulose triacetate membrane compared to synthetic membranes in on line HDF.

Background: Performing hemodialysis without heparin is still challenging. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the impact on thrombogenicity of the hemodialysis circuit using synthetic membranes compared to the asymmetric cellulose triacetate (ATA) membrane.

Methods: Prospective, multicenter, randomized, crossover, open-label study.

A call for standardization: evaluating different methodologies to induce in vitro foreign body giant cell formation for biomaterials research and design.

Foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) are crucial in the foreign body reaction at the biomaterial-tissue interface, forming through the fusion of cells from the monocyte/macrophage lineage and performing functions such as material degradation and fibrous encapsulation. Yet, their presence and role in biomaterials research is only slowly unveiled. This review analyzed existing FBGC literature identified through a search string and sources from FBGC articles to evaluate the most commonly used methods and highlight the challenges in establishing a standardized protocol.

M1 Macrophage Membrane-coated Nickel-arsenic Nanocomplex Promoting Synergistic Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

By inducing apoptosis, promoting differentiation and reducing the migration of cancer cells, arsenic has a higher therapeutic effect and lower risk of recurrence and metastasis than conventional anticancer drugs. However, the low bioavailability and adverse side effects of arsenic hinder its application in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, a M1 macrophage membrane-coated nickel-arsenic/polydopamine nanocomplex (NiAsOx@P@M) was constructed to enhance the combined antitumor effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Screening of primary aldosteronism and pheochromocytoma among patients with hypertension: an Italian nationwide survey.

Purpose: The delayed or missed diagnosis of secondary hypertension contributes to the poor blood pressure control worldwide. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic approach to primary aldosteronism (PA) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO) among Italian centers associated to European and Italian Societies of Hypertension.

Methods: Between July and December 2023, a 10-items questionnaire was administered to experts from 82 centers of 14 Italian regions and to cardiologists from the ARCA (Associazioni Regionali Cardiologi Ambulatoriali) Piemonte.

Exploring the relationship between melanopsin gene variants, sleep, and markers of brain health.

Introduction: Melanopsin is a photopigment with roles in mediating sleep and circadian-related processes, which are often disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Melanopsin also impacts cognition and synaptogenesis. This study investigated the associations between melanopsin genetic variants, sleep, and markers of brain health.

Association of Alzheimer's Disease Polygenic Risk Score with Concussion Severity and Recovery Metrics.

Background: Identification of genetic alleles associated with both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and concussion severity/recovery could help explain the association between concussion and elevated dementia risk. However, there has been little investigation into whether AD risk genes associate with concussion severity/recovery, and the limited findings are mixed.

Objective: We used AD polygenic risk scores (PRS) and APOE genotypes to investigate any such associations in the NCAA-DoD Grand Alliance CARE Consortium (CARE) dataset.

Chemistry, manufacturing and controls strategies for using novel excipients in lipid nanoparticles.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for nucleic acid delivery often use novel lipids as functional excipients to modulate the biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy of the nucleic acid. Novel excipients used in pharmaceutical products are subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny and often require data packages comparable to an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Although these regulatory requirements may help to ensure patient safety they also create economic and procedural barriers that can disincentivize innovation and delay clinical investigation.

Photodegradation, kinetics and non-linear error functions of methylene blue dye using SrZrO perovskite photocatalyst.

The degradation of methylene blue dye-contaminated wastewater via photocatalysis is an efficient approach towards environmental remediation. The SrZrO perovskite photocatalyst was synthesized using the modified Pechini sol-gel method, and characterized using XRD, FESEM, FTIR, and UV-visible spectrophotometer. Crystallite size obtained by the Scherrer and Williamson-Hall methods were 45.

A policy framework for leveraging generative AI to address enduring challenges in clinical trials.

Can artificial intelligence improve clinical trial design? Despite their importance in medicine, over 40% of trials involve flawed protocols. We introduce and propose the development of application-specific language models (ASLMs) for clinical trial design across three phases: ASLM development by regulatory agencies, customization by Health Technology Assessment bodies, and deployment to stakeholders. This strategy could enhance trial efficiency, inclusivity, and safety, leading to more representative, cost-effective clinical trials.

De novo designed proteins neutralize lethal snake venom toxins.

Snakebite envenoming remains a devastating and neglected tropical disease, claiming over 100,000 lives annually and causing severe complications and long-lasting disabilities for many more. Three-finger toxins (3FTx) are highly toxic components of elapid snake venoms that can cause diverse pathologies, including severe tissue damage and inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, resulting in life-threatening neurotoxicity. At present, the only available treatments for snakebites consist of polyclonal antibodies derived from the plasma of immunized animals, which have high cost and limited efficacy against 3FTxs.

Survival with Trastuzumab Emtansine in Residual HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant systemic therapy have a high risk of recurrence and death. The primary analysis of KATHERINE, a phase 3, open-label trial, showed that the risk of invasive breast cancer or death was 50% lower with adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) than with trastuzumab alone.

Methods: We randomly assigned patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease in the breast or axilla after neoadjuvant systemic treatment with taxane-based chemotherapy and trastuzumab to receive T-DM1 or trastuzumab for 14 cycles.

In Silico Structural Insights into a Glucanase from Clostridium perfringens and Prediction of Structural Stability Improvement Through Hydrophobic Interaction Network and Aromatic Interaction.

Glucanases are widely applied in industrial applications such as brewing, biomass conversion, food, and animal feed. Glucanases catalyze the hydrolysis of glucan to produce the sugar hemiacetal through hydrolytic cleavage of glycosidic bonds. Current study aimed to investigate structural insights of a glucanase from Clostridium perfringens through blind molecular docking, site-specific molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and binding energy calculation.

An Integrative Computational Approach for the Identification of C-Abl Kinase Inhibitors from Anti-Parkinson Plant-Derived Bioactive.

Background: Oxidative stress is strongly linked to neurodegeneration through the activation of c-Abl kinase, which arrests α-synuclein proteolysis by interacting with parkin interacting substrate (PARIS) and aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2). This activation, triggered by ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase, leads to dopaminergic neuron loss and α-synuclein aggregation, a critical pathophysiological aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD). To halt PD progression, pharmacological inhibition of c-Abl kinase is essential.

Adsorption of sulfamethoxazole in an aqueous environment onto a novel magnetic sporopollenin-cellulose triacetate.

Antibiotics are emerging environmental contaminants posing critical health risks due to their tendency to concentrate in living things and eventually infiltrate the human body. Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) is among the commonly detected antibiotics in wastewater requiring effective removal approach. A sustainable, thermally stable and easily separable magnetic sporopollenin-cellulose triacetate (Msp-CTA) was developed via a simple step synthesis for eliminating SMZ from aqueous solution.

New Directions for Ophthalmic OCT - Handhelds, Surgery, and Robotics.

The introduction of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the 1990s revolutionized diagnostic ophthalmic imaging. Initially, OCT's role was primarily in the adult ambulatory ophthalmic clinics. Subsequent advances in handheld form factors, integration into surgical microscopes, and robotic assistance have expanded OCT's utility and impact outside of its initial environment in the adult outpatient ophthalmic clinic.