Neural mechanisms underlying the interactive exchange of facial emotional expressions.

Facial emotional expressions are crucial in face-to-face social interactions, and recent findings have highlighted their interactive nature. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. This EEG study investigated whether the interactive exchange of facial expressions modulates socio-emotional processing.

Evaluating smartphone-based 3D imaging techniques for clinical application in oral and maxillofacial surgery: A comparative study with the vectra M5.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the applicability of smartphone-based three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging for clinical use in oral and maxillofacial surgery, comparing two smartphone-based approaches to the gold standard.

Methods: Facial surface models (SMs) were generated for 30 volunteers (15 men, 15 women) using the Vectra M5 (Canfield Scientific, USA), the TrueDepth camera of the iPhone 14 Pro (Apple Inc., USA), and the iPhone 14 Pro with photogrammetry.

Increase in Strength After Multimodal Pain Management Concept in Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy-A Non-Randomized, Uncontrolled Clinical Trial.

: Although multimodal pain therapy (MPT) is widely used in pain management for chronic cervical radiculopathy, its effect on increasing muscle strength in patients with cervical radiculopathy is not well documented. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured multimodal pain management program on muscle strength in these patients, using objective strength measurements as indicators of therapeutic success. : This non-randomized, uncontrolled, prospective clinical study initially included 35 patients, but 10 were excluded due to incomplete data, resulting in a final sample of 25 patients (14 women and 11 men, aged 42 to 84 years) with cervical radiculopathy who underwent a multimodal pain management program at a specialized orthopedic clinic.

Impact of molecular classification on prognosis in children and adolescents with spinal ependymoma: Results from the HIT-MED database.

Background: Ependymomas of the spinal cord are rare among children and adolescents, and the individual risk of disease progression is difficult to predict. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of molecular typing on pediatric spinal cord ependymomas.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with spinal ependymomas ≤22 years registered in the HIT-MED database (German brain tumor registry for children, adolescents, and adults with medulloblastoma, ependymoma, pineoblastoma, and CNS-primitive neuroectodermal tumors) between 1992 and 2022 were included.

Kinetic cooling in mid-infrared methane photoacoustic spectroscopy: A quantitative analysis via digital twin verification.

This study presents a detailed quantitative analysis of kinetic cooling in methane photoacoustic spectroscopy, leveraging the capabilities of a digital twin model. Using a quantum cascade laser tuned to 1210.01 cm⁻¹, we investigated the effects of varying nitrogen-oxygen matrix compositions on the photoacoustic signals of 15 ppmV methane.

Psycho-oncological burden in patients with brain metastases undergoing neurological surgery.

Purpose: The development of brain metastases (BM) can significantly increase the psycho-oncological burden in cancer patients, requiring timely intervention. In addition, this aspect may negatively affect the course of the disease and treatment outcome. However, screening for psycho-oncological burden is often overlooked in clinical routine.

Systematizing the risk management process in clinical radiotherapy practice: Recommendations of the working group on risk management of the DGMP.

Purpose: The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Physik [German Society of Medical Physics] has recently published two coherent reports, No. 25 and No. 28, detailing the design and implementation of a risk management (RM) process for German radiotherapy (RT) departments.

In vitro activity of ceftazidime-avibactam/aztreonam combination against MBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.

Purpose: The emergence of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates poses a challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Rising numbers in deaths, duration of hospitalization as well as failing treatments prove the hazards posed by these pathogens.

Interpolated pretesting can boost memory of related and distinct prose materials.

The pretesting effect refers to the finding that tests performed before to-be learned material is encountered can enhance later retention of the material, even when no correct answers were provided on the initial pretest. The goal of the present study was to examine whether interspersing pretest questions between the study of multiple segments consisting of prose passages can induce a pretesting effect on a final cumulative recall test on all segments. To this end, participants studied four segments which were either thematically related (Experiment 1) or distinct (Experiment 2) and either received pretest questions about each segment immediately prior to study of the segment (pretest condition) or not (study-only condition).

Spirituality in Professional Patient-Centered Care for Adults with Primary Brain Tumors: An Exploratory Scoping Review.

People with primary brain tumors face spiritual challenges due to neuro-cognitive disturbances such as aphasia and rapid neurological deterioration. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence regarding professional spiritual care in this neuro-oncological population. The literature search was conducted utilizing two databases (PubMed, CINAHL) and two peer-reviewed journals ('Spiritual Care', 'Journal of Religion and Health').

Hepatic Bone Morphogenetic Protein and Activin Membrane-Bound Inhibitor Levels Decline in Hepatitis C but Are Not Associated with Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background/objectives: Bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) is an antagonist of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β type 1 signaling. BAMBI functions as an anti-fibrotic protein and exerts pro- as well as anti-cancerogenic activities. Our study aimed to correlate hepatocyte BAMBI protein levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with T stage, lymph node invasion, vessel invasion, grading, tumor size and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage, as well as with liver inflammation and fibrosis stages.

Histologic Characterization of Tumor-Adjacent Mammary Adipose Tissue in Normal-Weight and Overweight/Obese Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Obesity is a risk factor of several types of cancer, including breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to histologically characterize the adipose tissue of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in overweight/obese versus normal-weight patients. TNBC tissue sections from normal-weight (BMI) and overweight/obese patients (BMI) were stained with antibodies against CD68, CD163, CD31, CD34, and vimentin.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Treatment Satisfaction of Patients with Malignant IDH Wild-Type Gliomas and Their Caregivers.

(1) Background: Clinical aspects like sex, age, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and psychosocial distress can affect the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and treatment satisfaction of patients with malignant isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type (IDHwt) gliomas and caregivers. (2) Methods: We prospectively investigated the HR-QoL and patient/caregiver treatment satisfaction in a cross-sectional study with univariable and multiple regression analyses. Questionnaires were applied to investigate the HR-QoL (EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-BN20) and treatment satisfaction (EORTC PATSAT-C33).

Central nervous system tumors in adolescents and young adults: A Society for Neuro-Oncology Consensus Review on diagnosis, management, and future directions.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; ages 15-39 years) are a vulnerable population facing challenges in oncological care, including access to specialized care, transition of care, unique tumor biology, and poor representation in clinical trials. Brain tumors are the second most common tumor type in AYA, with malignant brain tumors being the most common cause of cancer-related death. The 2021 WHO Classification for central nervous system (CNS) Tumors highlights the importance of integrated molecular characterization with histologic diagnosis in several tumors relevant to the AYA population.

Cholesterol and Cholesterol-Lowering Medications in COVID-19-An Unresolved Matter.

Infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease with very heterogeneous symptoms. Dyslipidaemia is prevalent in at least 20% of Europeans, and dyslipidaemia before SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk for severe COVID-19 and mortality by 139%. Many reports described reduced serum cholesterol levels in virus-infected patients, in particular in those with severe disease.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Repair Using Dynamic Intraligamentary Stabilization Combined with Lateral Extra-articular Augmentation: A Case Report and Technical Note.

The treatment options for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture range from conservative therapy to ACL repair and reconstruction. ACL repair is particularly suitable for younger patients with an acute proximal tear, and moderate athletic demand. Preserving the ACL can restore its proprioceptive and stabilizing functions, avoid donor site morbidity, and shorten rehabilitation time.

Lipid Metabolism Disorders as Diagnostic Biosignatures in Sepsis.

Critical illness causes disturbances in lipid metabolism. Here, we investigated the levels of apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV), a regulator of triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism, in human sepsis. ApoA-IV (analyzed in 156 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)/sepsis) and cholesteryl ester (CE) (analyzed in 121 of these patients) were lower in patients compared to 43 healthy controls.

Lethal Borna disease virus 1 infections of humans and animals - in-depth molecular epidemiology and phylogeography.

Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) is the causative agent of Borna disease, a fatal neurologic disorder of domestic mammals and humans, resulting from spill-over infection from its natural reservoir host, the bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon). The known BoDV-1-endemic area is remarkably restricted to parts of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. To gain comprehensive data on its occurrence, we analysed diagnostic material from suspected BoDV-1-induced encephalitis cases based on clinical and/or histopathological diagnosis.