Projections of Public Spending on Pharmaceuticals: A Review of Methods.

Background: Forecasting future public pharmaceutical expenditure is a challenge for healthcare payers, particularly owing to the unpredictability of new market introductions and their economic impact. No best-practice forecasting methods have been established so far. The literature distinguishes between the top-down approach, based on historical trends, and the bottom-up approach, using a combination of historical and horizon scanning data.

Breast density assessment via quantitative sound-speed measurement using conventional ultrasound transducers.

Objectives: The aim is to assess the feasibility and accuracy of a novel quantitative ultrasound (US) method based on global speed-of-sound (g-SoS) measurement using conventional US machines, for breast density assessment in comparison to mammographic ACR (m-ACR) categories.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective study, g-SoS was assessed in the upper-outer breast quadrant of 100 women, with 92 of them also having m-ACR assessed by two radiologists across the entire breast. For g-SoS, ultrasonic waves were transmitted from varying transducer locations and the image misalignments between these were then related analytically to breast SoS.

Ethnicity-specific patterns of epigenetic age acceleration in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an age-related chronic inflammatory disease which may include accelerated biological ageing processes in its pathogenesis. To determine if increased biological age is associated with risk of RA and/or is present once disease is established. We used DNA methylation to compare biological age (epigenetic age) of immune cells in adults at risk of RA and those with confirmed RA, including twins discordant for RA.

Oral Immunisation With Non-GMO Surface Displayed SARS-CoV-2 Spike Epitopes on Bacteria-Like Particles Provokes Robust Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses, and Modulated the Gut Microbiome in Mice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a fatal disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). To date, several vaccines have been developed to combat the spread of this virus. Mucosal vaccines using food-grade bacteria, such as Lactobacillus spp.

Wound care of Sweet syndrome in a patient with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a case report.

Sweet syndrome (SS), which is characterised by fever and erythematous tender skin lesions, has been shown to be associated with lymphoma. However, there are limited reported experiences on the wound care of SS in patients with lymphoma. This case report presents the wound care of SS in a patient with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK+ALCL).

inDrops-2: a flexible, versatile and cost-efficient droplet microfluidic approach for high-throughput scRNA-seq of fresh and preserved clinical samples.

The expansion of single-cell analytical techniques has empowered the exploration of diverse biological questions at the individual cells. Droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) methods have been particularly widely used due to their high-throughput capabilities and small reaction volumes. While commercial systems have contributed to the widespread adoption of droplet-based scRNA-seq, their relatively high cost limits the ability to profile large numbers of cells and samples.

Roadmap to discovery and early development of an mRNA loaded LNP formulation for liver therapeutic genome editing.

Introduction: mRNA therapeutics were a niche area in drug development before COVIDvaccines. Now they are used in vaccine development, for non-viral therapeuticgenome editing, chimericantigen receptor T  (CAR T) celltherapies and protein replacement.  mRNAis large, charged, and easily degraded by nucleases.

Enlarged airspaces in the distal lung in adolescents born very preterm as measured by aerosol.

Rationale: Preterm infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are thought to have fewer and larger alveoli than their term peers, but it is unclear to what degree this persists later in life.

Objectives: To investigate to what degree the distal airspaces are enlarged in adolescents born preterm and to evaluate the new Airspace Dimension Assessment (AiDA) method in investigating this group.

Methods: We investigated 41 adolescents between 15 and 17 years of age, of whom 25 were born very preterm (a gestational age <31 weeks, with a mean of 26 weeks) and 16 were term-born controls.

Elite para athletes with active coping behaviour are less likely to report a sports injury.

Objective: Elite para athletes report a high incidence of sports injuries. Research suggests that athletes' strategies to manage adversities may influence the sports injury risk, but knowledge about para athletes' coping behaviours and their association with injuries is limited. The aim was to describe the distribution of coping behaviours in Swedish elite para athletes by sex, age, impairment, sport and to examine associations between coping behaviours and the probability of reporting a prospective sports injury during a 52-week study period.

Questioning the rules of engagement: a critical analysis of the use of limb symmetry index for safe return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate the association between limb symmetry index (LSI) in quadriceps and hamstrings strength together with hop tests, as a proxy of recovery, and the deviation from being symmetrical (LSI 100%), with a safe return to sport (RTS) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R).

Methods: Athletes between 15 and 30 years old with a preinjury Tegner activity level ≥6 were eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted from a rehabilitation-specific registry, Project ACL (Gothenburg, Sweden) at the time of or after RTS for each athlete.

Pediatric Brain Tumors in Western Kenya: Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Providers' Perspectives.

Background: Pediatric brain tumors are understudied compared to other pediatric malignancies in low- and middle-income countries. Care delivery is inherently dependent on collaboration between multiple departments. This study aimed to present baseline data of pediatric neuro-oncology care in Western Kenya and illustrate barriers and facilitators of multidisciplinary care.

Prospective Multicenter Evaluation of the MDS "Suggestive of PSP" Diagnostic Criteria.

Background: The recent Movement Disorders Society (MDS)-progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) diagnostic criteria conceptualized three clinical diagnostic certainty levels: "suggestive of PSP" for sensitive early diagnosis based on subtle clinical signs, "possible PSP" balancing sensitivity and specificity, and "probable PSP" highly specific for PSP pathology.

Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively validate the criteria against long-term clinical follow-up and characterize the diagnostic certainty increase over time.

Methods: Patients with "possible PSP" or "suggestive of PSP" diagnosis and clinical follow-up were recruited in two German multicenter longitudinal observational studies (ProPSP and DescribePSP).

Binuclear ruthenium complex linker length tunes DNA threading intercalation kinetics.

Binuclear ruthenium complexes have been investigated for potential DNA-targeted therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Studies of DNA threading intercalation, in which DNA base pairs must be broken for intercalation, have revealed means of optimizing a model binuclear ruthenium complex to obtain reversible DNA-ligand assemblies with the desired properties of high affinity and slow kinetics. Here, we used single-molecule force spectroscopy to study a binuclear ruthenium complex with a longer semi-rigid linker relative to the model complex.

Personalized Federated Learning Scheme for Autonomous Driving Based on Correlated Differential Privacy.

In the era of big data, advanced data processing devices and smart sensors greatly benefit us in many areas. As for each individual user, data sharing can be an essential part of the process of data collection and transmission. However, the issue of constant attacks on data privacy arouses huge concerns among the public.

The Vimentin-Targeting Drug ALD-R491 Partially Reverts the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Vimentin Interactome of Lung Cancer Cells.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a common feature in early cancer invasion. Increased vimentin is a canonical marker of the EMT; however, the role of vimentin in EMT remains unknown. To clarify this, we induced EMT in lung cancer cells with TGF-β1, followed by treatment with the vimentin-targeting drug ALD-R491, live-cell imaging, and quantitative proteomics.

A GWAS Suggesting Genetic Modifiers to Increase the Risk of Colorectal Cancer from Antibiotic Use.

Background: Antibiotics have recently been suggested to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of frequent antibiotic use and genetic susceptibility with the increased risk of the development of colorectal cancer. Therefore, a genome-wide association study was conducted in colorectal cancer patients with frequent antibiotic use and controls to identify potential chromosomal regions that could indicate an increased risk of colorectal cancer associated with antibiotic use.

Diet and Lifestyle Factors and Incident Acute Mesenteric Ischemia-A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background/objectives: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is life-threatening and difficult to diagnose in time. Unlike many cardiovascular diseases, the association between lifestyle factors such as diet, alcohol consumption, and physical activity and AMI is unknown.

Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study with 28,098 middle-aged participants with a mean follow-up time of 23.

Regulatory Compliance of Health Claims on Omega-3 Fatty Acid Food Supplements.

Unlike the mandatory information that must be provided on a food supplement label, health claims are voluntary. This study assesses the regulatory compliance of omega-3 fatty acid (ω-3-FA) supplement label claims. Of the 97 supplements, 76 (78.

Redosing with Intralymphatic GAD-Alum in the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes: The DIAGNODE-B Pilot Trial.

Immunotherapies aimed at preserving residual beta cell function in type 1 diabetes have been successful, although the effect has been limited, or raised safety concerns. Transient effects often observed may necessitate redosing to prolong the effect, although this is not always feasible or safe. Treatment with intralymphatic GAD-alum has been shown to be tolerable and safe in persons with type 1 diabetes and has shown significant efficacy to preserve C-peptide with associated clinical benefit in individuals with the human leukocyte antigen DR3DQ2 haplotype.

The Regulatory Role of Pancreatic Enzymes in the Maintenance of Small Intestinal Structure and Enterocyte Turnover with Special Reference to Alpha Amylase.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of porcine pancreatic enzymes (Creon pancrelipase) in comparison to microbial-derived alpha amylase (MD amylase) on the small intestine wall structure, mucosal glycogen accumulation, and enterocyte turnover. The impact of enzyme supplementation on the small intestine was explored in 18 pigs with surgically induced exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Four healthy pigs served as the control group.

S6K2 in Focus: Signaling Pathways, Post-Translational Modifications, and Computational Analysis.

S6 Kinase 2 (S6K2) is a key regulator of cellular signaling and is crucial for cell growth, proliferation, and survival. This review is divided into two parts: the first focuses on the complex network of upstream effectors, downstream modulators, and post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate S6K2 activity. We emphasize the dynamic nature of S6K2 regulation, highlighting its critical role in cellular homeostasis and its potential as a therapeutic target in diseases like cancer.

An Evolutionary Federated Learning Approach to Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease Under Uncertainty.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) leads to severe cognitive impairment and functional decline in patients, and its exact cause remains unknown. Early diagnosis of AD is imperative to enable timely interventions that can slow the progression of the disease. This research tackles the complexity and uncertainty of AD by employing a multimodal approach that integrates medical imaging and demographic data.

Early Prediction of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Risk Using Numerical Biomechanical Analysis.

: We aimed to predict patient-specific rupture risks and growth behaviors in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients using biomechanical evaluation with finite element analysis to establish an additional AAA repair threshold besides diameter and sex. : A total of 1219 patients treated between 2005 and 2024 (conservative and repaired AAAs) were screened for a pseudo-prospective single-center study. A total of 15 ruptured (rAAA) vs.

Modification of Cells with Metal Hexacyanoferrates for the Construction of a Yeast-Based Fuel Cell.

This research presents a simple procedure for chemically modifying yeast () cells with nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) and ferric hexacyanoferrate, also known as Prussian blue (PB), to increase the conductivity of the yeast cell wall. Using linear sweep voltammetry, NiHCF-modified yeast and PB-modified yeast (NiHCF/yeast and PB/yeast, respectively) were found to have better cell wall conductivity in [Fe(CN)] and glucose-containing phosphate-buffered solution than unmodified yeast. Spectrophotometric analysis showed that the modification of yeast cells with NiHCF had a less harmful effect on yeast cell viability than the modification of yeast cells with PB.