A comparative analysis of risk stratification tools in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: a EUSTAR analysis.

Objectives: The 2022 European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) Guidelines for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) recommend risk stratification to optimize management. However, the performance of generic PAH risk stratification tools in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated PAH remains unclear. Our objective was to identify the most accurate approach for risk stratification at SSc-PAH diagnosis.

Cross-trait GWAS in COVID-19 and systemic sclerosis reveals novel genes implicated in fibrotic and inflammation pathways.

Objectives: COVID-19 and systemic sclerosis (SSc) share multiple similarities in their clinical manifestations, alterations in immune response, and therapeutic options. These resemblances have also been identified in other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases where a common genetic component has been found. Thus, we decided to evaluate for the first time this shared genetic architecture with SSc.

Ejaculation-sparing enucleation of the prostate with Thulium: Yag laser (ES-ThuLEP) versus Thulium Fiber laser (ES-ThuFLEP): outcomes on sexual function.

Purpose: To compare the effect on sexual function of ejaculation-sparing enucleation of the prostate using Thulium: YAG laser (ES-ThuLEP) versus continuous-wave Thulium Fiber Laser (ES-ThuFLEP).

Methods: 112 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia who wished to preserve ejaculation were treated. 58 patients underwent ES-ThuLEP (Group A) using the Cyber TM generator.

Baricitinib Provides Significant Improvements in Quality of Life and Functioning in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis with Baseline Body Surface Area ≤ 40% and Severe Itch.

Introduction: Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), a body surface area (BSA) of ≤ 40%, and an itch numerical rating scale (NRS) score of ≥ 7 ("BARI itch dominant") have been characterized as an important group to consider for the oral janus kinase (JAK) 1/2 inhibitor baricitinib (BARI). Herein we aim to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and functioning outcomes in adult patients with BSA ≤ 40% and itch NRS ≥ 7 at baseline (BL) who received BARI 4 mg in the topical corticosteroid (TCS) combination trial BREEZE-AD7.

Materials: BREEZE-AD7 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group outpatient study involving adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD who received once-daily placebo or 2-mg or 4-mg BARI in combination with TCS for 16 weeks.

Is There a Need to Reassess Protein Intake Recommendations Following Metabolic Bariatric Surgery?

Purpose Of Review: Protein intake is recognized as a key nutritional factor crucial for optimizing Metabolic Bariatric Surgery (MBS) outcomes by preventing protein malnutrition, preserving fat-free mass, and inducing satiety. This paper discusses the current evidence regarding protein intake and its impact on clinical outcomes following MBS.

Recent Findings: There are considerable gaps in the understanding of protein requirements following MBS, as existing guidelines are based on limited and inconsistent reports.

Association of estrogen and progesterone receptor polymorphisms with idiopathic thin endometrium.

The research question is as follows: Are estrogen and progesterone receptor genotypes associated with thin endometrium? We performed a prospective cohort study of 129 patients who underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies. These patients were categorized according to endometrial thickness: >7 mm control group (n = 94) and ≤7 mm study group (n = 35). Polymorphisms in the genes ESR1 (rs9340799 and rs3138774), ESR2 (rs1256049 and rs4986938), and PGR (rs1042838) were analyzed.

Understanding and modeling of gas puff injection for diagnostic purposes.

This article presents an experimental setup capable of providing high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of neutral gas puff injection using a glow discharge to excite the neutral gas and an ultra-high-speed camera to record the emitted light. Using the proposed setup, the shape and propagation velocity of a thermal deuterium gas puff at 1 bar have been measured. The cloud has a conical shape and a propagation velocity of vprop = 1870 ± 270 m/s.

Electronic quenching of sulfur induced by argon collisions.

An accurate potential energy model, explicitly designed for studying scattering and treating the spin-orbit and nonadiabatic couplings on an equal footing, is proposed for the S + Ar system. The model is based on the Effective Relativistic Coupling by Asymptotic Representation (ERCAR) approach, building the geometry dependence of the spin-orbit interaction a diabatisation scheme. The resulting full diabatic model is used in close-coupling calculations to compute inelastic scattering cross sections for de-excitation from the S(D) fine structure level into the P multiplet.

Zebrafish optic nerve regeneration involves resident and retinal oligodendrocytes.

The visual system of teleost fish grows continuously, which is a useful model for studying regeneration of the central nervous system. Glial cells are key for this process, but their contribution is still not well defined. We followed oligodendrocytes in the visual system of adult zebrafish during regeneration of the optic nerve at 6, 24, and 72 hours post-lesion and at 7 and 14 days post-lesion via the sox10:tagRFP transgenic line and confocal microscopy.

Prognostic Factors for Survival in Adults With Burkitt Lymphoma: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a rare and aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Several studies have identified prognostic factors (PFs) for disease progression and mortality among adults with BL. However, there is no consensus on risk stratification based on PFs.

Antimicrobial Effect and Cytocompatibility After Using Different Decontamination Methods on Titanium Implant Surfaces: An In Vitro Study.

Aim: To evaluate in vitro the antibacterial efficacy and cytocompatibility of different implant-decontamination methods, using both 2D and 3D peri-implant mucosa models.

Methods: Four decontamination methods [chlorhexidine (CHX), electrolytic treatment (GS), curcumin (CUR), xanthohumol (XN)] were compared in four independent experiments, three with a 2D peri-implant mucosa model on titanium surfaces and another on a 3D peri-implant mucosa model. These decontamination procedures were tested for their antibacterial effect using a multispecies biofilm model with Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Veillonella dispar, and Porphyromonas gingivalis for 24 h.

Telomere Length and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children at 6-12 Years.

Objective: To explore the association between telomere length (TL) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6-12 years.

Method: Data from 1,759 children belonging to the HELIX project cohorts and the Asturias, Gipuzkoa and Valencia cohorts of INMA project were included. TL was determined by blood sample using a PCR protocol.

Key takeaways: Gynecologic cancer breakthroughs at ESMO Congress 2024.

The "Key Takeaways: Gynecological cancer breakthroughs at ESMO Congress 2024" aims to include the most original and potentially practice-changing research in gynecologic oncology presented during the Annual Congress of the European Society of Medical Oncology, held in Barcelona, Spain, September 13 to 17, 2024. The scientific program encompassed a wide range of topics across various fields within oncology, and we selected 13 studies presented during the conference considered highly significant in the field of gynecologic oncology.

Quality-of-Life Measurement in Epidermolysis Bullosa. Position Statement of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Task Force on Quality of Life and Patient-Oriented Outcomes and External Experts.

In this paper, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Force on Quality of Life (QoL) and Patient-Oriented Outcomes presents its position statements on health-related (HR) QoL assessment in epidermolysis bullosa (EB). The EADV TF on QoL and Patient-Oriented Outcomes recommends the use of the EB-specific instrument QOLEB in patients over the age of 10 years and, in addition to the QOLEB, the use of iscorEB-p in moderate-to-severe EB; the IntoDermQoL proxy instrument with its EB-specific module should be used in children aged under 5 years. The EB-specific instrument iscorEB-p, and the dermatology-specific instrument CDLQI may measure HRQoL in children with EB aged from 5 to 10 years.

Sleep spindles and slow oscillations predict cognition and biomarkers of neurodegeneration in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Changes in sleep physiology can predate cognitive symptoms by decades in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it remains unclear which sleep characteristics predict cognitive and neurodegenerative changes after AD onset.

Methods: Using data from a prospective cohort of mild to moderate AD (n = 60), we analyzed non-rapid eye movement sleep spindles and slow oscillations (SOs) at baseline and their associations with baseline amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau and with cognition from baseline to 3-year follow-up.

Results: Higher spindle and SO activity predicted significant changes in Aβ and tau at baseline, lower Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale (better cognitive performance) score, and higher Mini-Mental State Examination score from baseline to 36 months.

Projected changes in moisture sources and sinks affecting the US East Coast and the Caribbean Sea.

This study uses a combination of the FLEXPART Lagrangian dispersion model with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale Eulerian model (FLEXPART-WRF) to analyze the expected mid- to late-century changes in the moisture sources and sinks of the North American East Coast (ENA) and the Gulf of Mexico (GM), as well as their most relevant abrupt moisture transport events-atmospheric rivers (ARs) and low-level jets of the Great Plains (GPLLJ) and the Caribbean (CLLJ). Both the ENA and GM are expected to increase in importance as moisture source regions over the century, both overall and in their contributions to the ARs and both LLJs. A notable increase in the intensity of the GPLLJ and CLLJ moisture sources is also observed.

Microbial surveillance versus cytokine responsiveness in native and non-native house sparrows.

The success of introduced species often relies on flexible traits, including immune system traits. While theories predict non-natives will have weak defences due to decreased parasite pressure, effective parasite surveillance remains crucial, as infection risk is rarely zero and the evolutionary novelty of infection is elevated in non-native areas. This study examines the relationship between parasite surveillance and cytokine responsiveness in native and non-native house sparrows, hypothesizing that non-natives maintain high pathogen surveillance while avoiding costly inflammation.

Fluorescence polarization assays to study carbohydrate-protein interactions.

Fluorescence polarization (FP) is a useful technique to study the interactions between carbohydrates and proteins in solution, by using standard equipment and minimal sample consumption. Here, we will review the most recent FP-based approaches in this field, including the study of carbohydrate-lectin, carbohydrate-enzyme and glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions. Advantages and limitations of this methodology will be discussed.

Determining the optimal antibiotic duration for skin and soft tissue infections.

Purpose Of Review: Optimal duration of therapy in SSTIs - a heterogeneous group of infections - remains unknown. The advances in knowledge of antibiotic duration of treatment in selected SSTIs that can impact clinical practice and published in the last 18 months are reviewed.

Recent Findings: Recent evidence indicates that few patients receive guideline concordant empiric antibiotics and appropriate duration in the United States, although this likely can be extrapolated to other countries.