Adaptive evolutionary trajectories in complexity: Transitions between unicellularity and facultative differentiated multicellularity.

Multicellularity spans a wide gamut in terms of complexity, from simple clonal clusters of cells to large-scale organisms composed of differentiated cells and tissues. While recent experiments have demonstrated that simple forms of multicellularity can readily evolve in response to different selective pressures, it is unknown if continued exposure to those same selective pressures will result in the evolution of increased multicellular complexity. We use mathematical models to consider the adaptive trajectories of unicellular organisms exposed to periodic bouts of abiotic stress, such as drought or antibiotics.

A Lack of Joint Line Tenderness Is Consistent With a Healed Meniscus, But Positive Clinical Examination Findings and MRI Scans Are Inconsistent in Identifying Failure After Meniscal Repair: A Systematic Review and Subgroup Meta-analysis.

Background: The number of meniscal repairs being completed each year is increasing; however, the optimal, cost-effective postoperative assessment to determine the success or failure of a meniscal repair is not well known.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the clinical examination testing that correlates with objective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or second-look arthroscopy (SLA) findings to determine an optimal clinical workup for assessing postoperative meniscal repair healing. It was hypothesized that specific clinical tests would correlate with meniscal repairs that did not heal.

The Cu site in particulate methane monooxygenase may be used to produce hydrogen peroxide.

Particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) is the most efficient of the two groups of enzymes that can hydroxylate methane. The enzyme is membrane bound and therefore hard to study experimentally. For that reason, there is still no consensus regarding the location and nature of the active site.

From human to superhuman: the impact of the microbiome on physiology.

The complex microbial community residing in the human gut has long been understood to regulate gastrointestinal physiology and to participate in digestive diseases, but its extraintestinal actions and influences are increasingly recognized. This article discusses bidirectional interactions between the gut microbiome and athletic performance, metabolism, longevity and the ability of the gut-brain axis to influence cognitive function and mental health.

CpG island methylator phenotype classification improves risk assessment in pediatric T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Current intensive treatment of pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) has substantial side-effects, highlighting a need for novel biomarkers to improve risk stratification. Canonical biomarkers such as genetics and immunophenotype are largely not used in pediatric T-ALL stratification. This study aimed to validate the prognostic relevance of DNA methylation CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) risk stratification in two pediatric T-ALL patient cohorts: the Nordic NOPHO ALL2008 T-ALL study cohort (n=192) and the Dutch DCOG ALL-10/ALL-11 validation cohorts (n=156).

Exploration of hospital room design on emotions, activity, and social connections after stroke: a qualitative study of patient experiences using virtual reality.

Unlabelled: Stroke patients are rarely asked about their responses to specific design attributes. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising tool to explore how hospital environments are experienced after stroke.

Purpose: To gather perspectives and emotional responses regarding physical design attributes of hospital patient rooms after stroke.

Impact of smoking status on engagement in remote symptom monitoring after oncologic surgery: Implications for symptom management and readmission rates.

Background: Remote symptom monitoring (RSM) is an evidence-based strategy shown to mitigate postoperative morbidity; however, platform engagement is required to benefit from RSM. Patients who report current smoking are at high risk for postoperative complications, but it is unknown whether smoking status influences engagement with RSM, symptom severity, or unanticipated acute care visits.

Methods: This observational case-control study was conducted in patients undergoing ambulatory oncologic surgery at a large cancer center.

A Non-Centrifugation Method to Concentrate and Purify Extracellular Vesicles Using Superabsorbent Polymer Followed by Size Exclusion Chromatography.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be isolated and purified from cell cultures and biofluids using different methodologies. Here, we explored a novel EV isolation approach by combining superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in a dialysis membrane with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to achieve high concentration and purity of EVs without the use of ultracentrifugation (UC). Suspension HEK293 cells transfected with CD63 coupled with Thermo Luciferase were used to quantify the EV yield and purity.

Mortality in Autoimmune Liver Disease in Sweden: A Population-Based Cohort Study of 9,654 Patients.

Background/aims: Epidemiological data on mortality in autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) are scarce. We examined all-cause and cancer-related mortality in individuals with AILD from Sweden.

Methods: We identified 9654 individuals with AILD (3342 with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 3751 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and 2561 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)) using national Swedish registries between 2001 and 2020.

Tocilizumab - a disease-modulating treatment for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy?

Purpose: To analyze Tocilizumab (TCZ, an interleukin 6 inhibitor) as a second-line treatment for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, the charts of patients with moderately severe to severe TAO who received intravenous Tocilizumab as a second-line treatment 2020-2023 were reviewed.

Results: Twenty-three patients were enrolled in the study.

Children With Sydenham Chorea and Psychiatric Disorders Had Variable Long-Term Outcomes and Required Multidisciplinary Management.

Aim: Sydenham chorea (SC) is a globally significant, post-streptococcal, childhood neuropsychiatric condition that is rare in western Europe. This retrospective single-centre study focused on children with neuropsychiatric features of SC.

Methods: Participants were recruited from neuropsychiatry referrals to a regional paediatric neurology department in Glasgow, Scotland, from 2009 to 2012.

Managing Pregnancies of Unknown Location With the M4 Prediction Model or the NICE Algorithm: A Randomised Controlled Trial With Cross-Sectional Diagnostic Accuracy Data.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic performance and clinical utility of the M4 prediction model and the NICE algorithm managing women with pregnancy of unknown location (PUL).

Design: The study has a superiority design regarding specificity for non-ectopic pregnancy for M4, given that the primary outcome of sensitivity for ectopic pregnancy (EP) is non-inferior in comparison with the NICE algorithm.

Setting: Emergency gynaecology units in Sweden.

Universal Hydrogel Carrier Enhances Bone Graft Success: Preclinical and Clinical Evaluation.

Orthopedic, maxillofacial, and complex dentoalveolar bone grafting procedures that require donor-site bone harvesting can be associated with post-surgical complications. There has been widespread adoption of exogenously sourced particulate bone graft materials (BGM) for bone regenerative procedures; however, the particulate nature of these materials may lead to compromised healing outcomes, mainly attributed to structural collapse of the BGM, prolonged tissue healing. In this study, a fully synthetic thermoresponsive hydrogel-based universal carrier matrix (TX) that forms flowable and shapable putties with different BGMs while spatially preserving the particles in a 3D scaffold at the implantation site is introduced.

Toxicity and Quality of Life After Locoregional Radiotherapy in Patients With Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Locoregional external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is selectively used in thyroid cancer patients to induce locoregional control. However, despite technological advances, EBRT remains associated with toxicities. We evaluated thyroid-cancer specific toxicities and long-term Quality of Life (QoL) post-EBRT.

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate, a Marker of Endothelial Injury and Disease Severity in Preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive pregnancy disorder marked by endothelial damage. Healthy endothelium is covered by a protective glycocalyx layer, which, when degraded, releases detectable products into the blood. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a cardiovascular biomarker involved in glycocalyx preservation, linked to placentation and preeclampsia development.

Detection of clinically relevant variants in the gene below 10% allelic frequency: A multicenter study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the reliability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect variants ≤10% allelic frequency (low-VAF) is debated. We tested the ability to detect 23 such variants in 41 different laboratories using their NGS method of choice. The sensitivity was 85.

Knockout of caused significant sinapine reduction in transgene-free rapeseed mutants generated by protoplast-based CRISPR RNP editing.

Rapeseed ( L.) is known for its high-quality seed oil and protein content. However, its use in animal feed is restricted due to antinutritional factors present in the seedcake, with sinapine being one of the main compounds that reduces palatability.

Domesticated chickens interact more with humans and are more explorative than Red Junglefowl.

Domesticated species are adapted to thrive in an environment with regular human interaction, and these interactions influence the development of a human-animal relationship. Chickens are the most abundant domesticated species, but their relationship with humans is poorly understood. A more comprehensive analysis of this relationship would provide valuable insight into their welfare needs.

Global trends in surgical approach to neonatal brachial plexus palsy: a systematic review.

Background: We analyzed trends in age at surgery and surgical approach over time and geography.

Methods: We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA-IPD guidelines to include individual patient data. Collected data included age at surgery, location of surgery, and surgical approach.

Eye reactions under the influence of drugs of abuse as measured by smartphones: a controlled clinical study in healthy volunteers.

Background: It is known that illicit and prescribed drugs impact pupil size, eye movement and function. Still, comprehensive quantitative evaluations under known ambient light conditions are lacking, when smartphones are used for monitoring.

Methods: In this clinical study (NCT05731999), four medicinal products with addiction risks were administered to 48 subjects (18-70 years old, all with informed consent, 12 subjects per drug).

Comparing synthetic mammograms based on wide-angle digital breast tomosynthesis with digital mammograms.

Purpose: We aim to investigate the characteristics and evaluate the performance of synthetic mammograms (SMs) based on wide-angle digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) compared with digital mammography (DM).

Approach: Fifty cases with both synthetic and digital mammograms were selected from the Malmö Breast Tomosynthesis Screening Trial. They were categorized into five groups consisting of normal cases and recalled cases with false-positive and true-positive findings from DM and DBT only.

Polygenic risk scores for atrial fibrillation and heart failure and the risk of stroke and dementia.

Atrial fibrillation and heart failure have both been suggested to increase stroke and dementia risk. However, in observational studies, reversed causation and unmeasured confounding may occur. To mitigate these issues, this study aims to investigate if higher genetic risk for atrial fibrillation and heart failure increases dementia and stroke risk.

Recommendations for reporting and evaluating proton therapy beyond dose and constant relative biological effectiveness.

Background And Purpose: In proton therapy, a relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 is used to convert proton dose into an equivalent photon dose. However, RBE varies with tissue type, fraction dose, and beam quality parameters beyond dose such as linear energy transfer (LET) raising concerns about increased local effectiveness and potential toxicity.

Current practices in prevention, screening, and treatment of diabetes in kidney transplant recipients: European survey highlights from the ERA DESCARTES Working Group.

Background: Although post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication after kidney transplantation, there are few data on prevention, optimal screening, and treatment strategies.

Methods: The European Renal Association's DESCARTES working group distributed a web-based survey to European transplant centres to gather information on risk assessment, screening procedures, and management practices for preventing and treating PTDM in kidney transplant recipients.

Results: Answers were obtained from 121/241 transplant centres (50%) across 15 European countries.