Impact of sex hormones on pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Objective: The effects of sex hormones remain largely unexplored in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).

Methods: We evaluated the effects of estradiol, progesterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and testosterone on human patient-derived PPGL/GEP-NET primary culture cell viability (n = 38/n = 12), performed next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemical hormone receptor analysis in patient-derived PPGL tumor tissues (n = 36).

Results: In PPGLs, estradiol and progesterone (1 µm) demonstrated overall significant antitumor effects with the strongest efficacy in PPGLs with NF1 (cluster 2) pathogenic variants.

Sex Differences in Aortic Valve Inflammation and Remodeling in Chronic Severe Aortic Regurgitation.

Aortic regurgitation (AR) is more prevalent in male, although cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the sex differences in prevalence and pathophysiology are unknown. This study evaluates the impact of sex on aortic valve (AV) inflammation and remodeling as well as the cellular differences in valvular interstitial cells (VICs) and valvular endothelial cells (VECs) in patients with AR. A total of 144 patients (27.

Improved Description of Environment and Vibronic Effects with Electrostatically Embedded ML Potentials.

Incorporation of environment and vibronic effects in simulations of optical spectra and excited state dynamics is commonly done by combining molecular dynamics with excited state calculations, which allows to estimate the spectral density describing the frequency-dependent system-bath coupling strength. The need for efficient sampling, however, usually leads to the adoption of classical force fields despite well-known inaccuracies due to the mismatch with the excited state method. Here, we present a multiscale strategy that overcomes this limitation by combining EMLE simulations based on electrostatically embedded ML potentials with the QM/MMPol polarizable embedding model to compute the excited states and spectral density of 3-methyl-indole, the chromophoric moiety of tryptophan that mediates a variety of important biological functions, in the gas phase, in water solution, and in the human serum albumin protein.

Effectiveness of oral platelet lysate gel to treat oral mucosal manifestations associated with chronic graft versus host disease.

Background: Chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGvHD) is a severe immune-mediated complication that affects patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Oral manifestations of cGvHD, such as ulcers and mucosal inflammation, significantly impair quality of life and often require long-term treatment. Existing therapies provide limited relief, prompting the exploration of new approaches, including the use of autologous platelet lysate (PL) gel for its regenerative properties.

An Infrequent Guest in Orthopedic Infections.

is a species of anaerobic gram-positive coccus considered part of human microbiota. It has been described as a cause of skin and soft tissue infections, but it is not a common cause of operation-related infections. Describe the characteristics, treatment, and results of musculoskeletal infection by treated in our center.

Genome-Wide Association Study and Genomic Predictions for Hydroxycinnamate Concentrations in Maize Stover.

Hydroxycinnamates, like ferulate (FA) and -coumarate (CA), are important components of maize cell walls, which influence pest resistance, ruminal digestibility, and biofuel production. Increasing their concentration has been linked to increased pest resistance, but also may lead to a decrease in nutritional value or bioethanol production efficiency. Therefore, improving forage quality or biofuel production without compromising plant resistance and a thorough understanding of the biosynthesis and deposition of these compounds is necessary, especially in stover, which is the feedstock for second-generation biofuel production and determines animal forage quality.

Identification of Antigens Recognized by Murine Intestinal IgAs by a Gel-Independent Immunoproteomic Approach.

As part of the intestinal microbiota, can elicit a humoral response in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that is mainly directed toward hyphal antigens. This response has been implicated in controlling the invasive form of the fungus and maintaining the yeast as an innocuous commensal. However, the specific targets of this response are still unknown.

Acute Pancreatitis: An Update of Evidence-Based Management and Recent Trends in Treatment Strategies.

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease leading to hospitalisation. Recent advancements in its management have primarily focussed on the development of early phase medical interventions targeting inflammatory pathways, optimisation of supportive treatment (including fluid resuscitation, pain management and nutritional management), appropriate use of antibiotics, implementation of minimally invasive interventions for infected necrosis, and the necessity of follow-up for long-term complications. These advancements have significantly improved personalised management and overall outcomes of acute pancreatitis.

Addressing Water Scarcity to Achieve Climate Resilience and Human Health.

Water scarcity is projected to affect half of the world's population, gradually exacerbated by climate change. This article elaborates from a panel discussion at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference on Addressing Water Scarcity to Achieve Climate Resilience and Human Health. Understanding and addressing water scarcity goes beyond hydrological water balances to also include societal and economic measures.

Estimating the contribution of early and late noise in vision from psychophysical data.

Human performance in psychophysical detection and discrimination tasks is limited by inner noise. It is unclear to what extent this inner noise arises from early noise (e.g.

Crystal growth, structural phase transitions and optical gap evolution of FAPb(BrCl) hybrid perovskites (FA: formamidinium ion, CH(NH)).

Chemically tuned organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites based on bromide and chloride anions CH(NH)Pb(BrCl) (CH(NH): formamidinium ion, FA) have been crystallized and investigated by neutron powder diffraction (NPD), single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. FAPbBr and FAPbCl experience successive phase transitions upon cooling, lowering the symmetry from cubic to orthorhombic phases; however, these transitions are not observed for the mixed halide phases, probably due to compositional disorder. The band-gap engineering brought about by the chemical doping of FAPb (BrCl) perovskites (x = 0.

Association Between Diagnostic Delay and Economic and Clinical Burden in Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Multicentre Retrospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with considerable pain and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for affected patients. Despite the documented increase in healthcare resource utilization (HRU) related to axSpA, few studies have explored the impact of diagnostic delays on these outcomes. This study sought to determine the association between diagnostic delay of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and costs in the 3 years after diagnosis.

Validation of a tele-robotic ultrasound system for abdomen and thyroid gland explorations: a comparison with standard ultrasound.

Background: Tele-robotic ultrasound (US) is a novel technique that might help overcome the current shortage of radiologists and poor access to radiologists and/or sonographers in remote or rural areas. Despite the promising results of this technology in the past two decades, there is still insufficient data about its advantages and limits, as well as the implementation in routine clinical practice and the learning curve for the user. The purpose of this prospective cohort-based study is to evaluate the performance of a 5G-based tele-robotic US system for abdominal and thyroid gland assessment in a cohort of healthy volunteers and outpatients, as well as assessing the learning curve and patient satisfaction.

Assessment of hard tissue changes after horizontal guided bone regeneration with the aid of deep learning CBCT segmentation.

Objectives: To investigate the performance of a deep learning (DL) model for segmenting cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans taken before and after mandibular horizontal guided bone regeneration (GBR) to evaluate hard tissue changes.

Materials And Methods: The proposed SegResNet-based DL model was trained on 70 CBCT scans. It was tested on 10 pairs of pre- and post-operative CBCT scans of patients who underwent mandibular horizontal GBR.

Preventing common mental health problems by increasing neighbourhood socioeconomic status: a mental health impact assessment in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic status (NSES) has been identified as a determinant of mental health. In this study, we aimed to quantify how many cases of common mental health problems could be prevented by increasing NSES in the most socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and how the increases in NSES would affect mental health inequalities. We used publicly available data for conducting a quantitative Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of two counterfactual policy scenarios.

Anatomical dissection influences emotions of podiatry students.

Background: Dissection and examination of prosected cadavers is a tool for teaching anatomy. However, this experience can provoke anxiety and stress among students. This study aims to understand the attitudes, reactions, fears, and anxiety states of podiatry students before their first dissection in addition to evaluate its usefulness as an educational tool for academic training in anatomy.

Viedma deracemization mechanisms in self-assembly processes.

Simulations on an ODE-based model shows that there are many common points between Viedma deracemization and chiral self-assemblies of achiral building blocks towards chiral nanoparticles. Both systems occur in a closed system with energy exchange but no matter exchange with the surroundings and show parallel reversible growth mechanisms which coexist with an irreversible cluster breaking (grinding). The various mechanisms of growth give rise to the formation of polymerization/depolymerization cycles while the consecutive transformation of achiral monomer into chiral cluster results into an indirect enantioselective autocatalysis.

Plasma metabolome reveals altered oxidative stress, inflammation, and amino acid metabolism in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.

Objective: Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs and an established natural animal model for human epilepsy types with genetic and unknown etiology. However, the metabolic pathways underlying IE remain largely unknown.

Methods: Plasma samples of healthy dogs (n = 39) and dogs with IE (n = 49) were metabolically profiled (n = 121 known target metabolites) and fingerprinted (n = 1825 untargeted features) using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.

Extreme Optical Chirality from Plasmonic Nanocrystals on a Mirror.

Metal nanocrystals synthesized in achiral environments usually exhibit no chiroptical effects. However, by placing nominally achiral nanocrystals 1.3 nm above gold films, we find giant chiroptical effects, reaching anisotropy factors as high as ≈ 0.

Hearing loss rather than vestibular loss identifies patient subgroups with different outcomes in Meniere's disease.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between Meniere's disease (MD) duration and both hearing thresholds and vestibular dysfunction.

Design: Retrospective cohort study. First, the relationships between MD duration and pure-tone audiometry thresholds for each frequency, the canal paresis (CP) ratio, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain were analysed.

Virulence profile of carbapenem-resistant strains by an model of .

is a significant healthcare-associated pathogen, notable for its diverse virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles. This study aimed to characterize the genotypic and phenotypic diversity of isolates and evaluate their virulence using the model. Biomass production, metabolic activity, capsule formation, and siderophore production were assessed in 27 .