DECORIN, a triceps-derived myokine, protects sorted β-cells and human islets against chronic inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Pancreatic β-cells are susceptible to inflammation, leading to decreased insulin production/secretion and cell death. Previously, we have identified a novel triceps-derived myokine, DECORIN, which plays a pivotal role in skeletal muscle-to-pancreas interorgan communication. However, whether DECORIN can directly impact β-cell function and susceptibility to inflammation remains unexplored.

Putting seedlings on the map: Trade-offs in demographic rates between ontogenetic size classes in five tropical forests.

All species must partition resources among the processes that underly growth, survival, and reproduction. The resulting demographic trade-offs constrain the range of viable life-history strategies and are hypothesized to promote local coexistence. Tropical forests pose ideal systems to study demographic trade-offs as they have a high diversity of coexisting tree species whose life-history strategies tend to align along two orthogonal axes of variation: a growth-survival trade-off that separates species with fast growth from species with high survival and a stature-recruitment trade-off that separates species that achieve large stature from species with high recruitment.

Changes in microcirculation variables in an acute endotoxaemic equine model.

Background: Microcirculation is the essential link between macrocirculation and cellular metabolism.

Objectives: To test our hypotheses that microcirculation variables will show a heterogeneous flow pattern during experimental endotoxaemia, and that fluid therapy and noradrenaline (NA) infusion will normalise altered microcirculation variables.

Study Design: In vivo experiments.

Factors affecting decisions to use antibiotic-sparing treatment approaches in women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: This scoping review will explore the evidence on factors influencing the decisions to use antibiotic-sparing treatments in women with uncomplicated urinary tract infection.

Introduction: Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic-sparing treatments, such as symptomatic treatment with analgesics and delayed prescriptions, have considerable potential to reduce antibiotic consumption, but the majority of patients still receive antibiotics without delay.

Normalized Reflectivity of Middle Limiting Membrane on SD-OCT: A Measure of Acute Ischemia in CRVO.

Purpose: To validate the quantification of the prominent middle limiting membrane (PMLM) sign, a marker of mild-to-moderate acute ischemic damage on optical coherence tomography (OCT), by measuring middle limiting membrane (MLM) reflectivity in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and to investigate the prognostic impact of this measure.

Methods: Spectral Domain (SD)-OCT B-scans of 30 patients with CRVO, either sole CRVO or combined central retinal artery and vein occlusion (CCRAVO), were analyzed retrospectively and graded as PMLM present or absent. Normalized MLM reflectivity was calculated as a ratio of the maximum reflectivity within a MLM target layer and the average reflectivity of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

Efficacy and Safety Results With Rilzabrutinib, an Oral Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Immune Thrombocytopenia: Phase 2 Part B Study.

Current treatments for persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are limited by inadequate response, toxicity, and impaired quality of life. The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor rilzabrutinib was evaluated to further characterize safety and durability of platelet response. LUNA2 Part B is a multicenter, phase 1/2 study in adults with ITP (≥ 3 months duration, platelet count < 30 × 10/L) who failed ≥ 1 ITP therapy (NCT03395210, EudraCT 2017-004012-19).

Process evaluation of a cross-sectoral, coordinated follow-up care of stroke patients: a qualitative study.

Background: Implementation of interventions to improve follow-up stroke care is complex due to the involvement of various stakeholders and challenges of health care coordination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the process of implementing a cross-sectoral, coordinated follow-up care for stroke patients (the StroCare intervention).

Methods: As part of a multicenter interventional trial, this qualitative study was performed in a pre-post design with semi-structured interviews conducted with patients and health care employees.

Dynamic co-evolution of transposable elements and the piRNA pathway in African cichlid fishes.

Background: East African cichlid fishes have diversified in an explosive fashion, but the (epi)genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity of these fishes remains largely unknown. Although transposable elements (TEs) have been associated with phenotypic variation in cichlids, little is known about their transcriptional activity and epigenetic silencing. We set out to bridge this gap and to understand the interactions between TEs and their cichlid hosts.

Epidemiologic trends of cleft lip and/or palate in Switzerland.

Background: Epidemiologic data on the number of cleft lip and/or palate (orofacial cleft (OFC)) births in Switzerland are currently sparse. However, this knowledge is essential for better understanding the etiologies underlying the various cleft phenotypes and providing expectant parents with the best possible healthcare planning and counseling.

Methods: This is the first descriptive study to report data on the prevalence of the various cleft types, their sex, and regional distributions in Switzerland.

Clarification and development of advanced practice roles in a Swiss French university hospital: an action research study.

Background: The evolving healthcare landscape emphasizes the need for health systems to adapt to growing complexities, with new models of care enabling healthcare providers to optimize their scope of practice and coordination of care. Despite increasing interest in advanced practice, confusion persists regarding the roles and scopes of practice of healthcare providers, exacerbated by variations in regulations and titles. We sought to clarify the differences between specialized healthcare professionals, practitioners, and clinical specialists; to describe their roles; and to propose initiatives aimed at supporting the implementation of advanced practice within a university hospital.

Nationwide representative serosurvey of third-grade school children to evaluate the hepatitis B vaccination impact in Kyrgyzstan, 2022.

Background: Kyrgyzstan introduced universal hepatitis B childhood vaccination in 1999 to reduce the burden of hepatitis B. In 2016, aligned with the goal of controlling hepatitis B in the WHO European Region, a regional target of 0.5% was set for seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among targeted birth cohorts.

The risks of adverse events with mirtazapine for adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

Background: Mirtazapine is used to treat depression worldwide, and the effects of mirtazapine on depression rating scales are well-known. Our primary objective was to assess the risks of adverse events with mirtazapine for major depressive disorder.

Methods: We searched relevant sources from inception to 7 March 2024 for randomised clinical trials comparing mirtazapine versus placebo in adults with major depressive disorder.

MRI Radiomics Analysis in the Diagnostic Differentiation of Malignant Soft Tissue Myxoid Sarcomas From Benign Soft Tissue Musculoskeletal Myxomas.

Background: Differentiation of benign myxomas and malignant myxoid sarcomas can be difficult with an overlapping spectrum of morphologic MR findings.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic utility of MRI radiomics in the differentiation of musculoskeletal myxomas and myxoid sarcomas.

Study Type: Retrospective.

MR-linac: role of artificial intelligence and automation.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into radiotherapy has advanced significantly during the past 5 years, especially in terms of automating key processes like organ at risk delineation and treatment planning. These innovations have enhanced consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in clinical practice. Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided linear accelerators (MR-linacs) have greatly improved treatment accuracy and real-time plan adaptation, particularly for tumors near radiosensitive organs.

Ultrabroadband integrated electro-optic frequency comb in lithium tantalate.

The integrated frequency comb generator based on Kerr parametric oscillation has led to chip-scale, gigahertz-spaced combs with new applications spanning hyperscale telecommunications, low-noise microwave synthesis, light detection and ranging, and astrophysical spectrometer calibration. Recent progress in lithium niobate (LiNbO) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has resulted in chip-scale, electro-optic (EO) frequency combs, offering precise comb-line positioning and simple operation without relying on the formation of dissipative Kerr solitons. However, current integrated EO combs face limited spectral coverage due to the large microwave power required to drive the non-resonant capacitive electrodes and the strong intrinsic birefringence of LiNbO.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Leveraging a phased pangenome for haplotype design of hybrid potato.

The tetraploid genome and clonal propagation of the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) dictate a slow, non-accumulative breeding mode of the most important tuber crop. Transitioning potato breeding to a seed-propagated hybrid system based on diploid inbred lines has the potential to greatly accelerate its improvement.

Mapping cells through time and space with moscot.

Single-cell genomic technologies enable the multimodal profiling of millions of cells across temporal and spatial dimensions. However, experimental limitations hinder the comprehensive measurement of cells under native temporal dynamics and in their native spatial tissue niche. Optimal transport has emerged as a powerful tool to address these constraints and has facilitated the recovery of the original cellular context.

YgiV promoter mutations cause resistance to cystobactamids and reduced virulence factor expression in Escherichia coli.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major health threats of the modern world. Thus, new structural classes of antimicrobial compounds are needed in order to overcome existing resistance. Cystobactamids represent one such new compound class that inhibit the well-established target bacterial type II topoisomerases while exhibiting superior antibacterial and resistance-breaking properties.

Neuromorphic computing at scale.

Neuromorphic computing is a brain-inspired approach to hardware and algorithm design that efficiently realizes artificial neural networks. Neuromorphic designers apply the principles of biointelligence discovered by neuroscientists to design efficient computational systems, often for applications with size, weight and power constraints. With this research field at a critical juncture, it is crucial to chart the course for the development of future large-scale neuromorphic systems.

Intracardiac or transesophageal echocardiography for left atrial appendage occlusion: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) appears to be a potential alternative for percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Thus, a meta-analysis was performed comparing ICE vs. TEE for LAAO guidance.

Observation of magnetic skyrmion lattice in CrMnGe by small-angle neutron scattering.

Incommensurate magnetic phases in chiral cubic crystals are an established source of topological spin textures such as skyrmion and hedgehog lattices, with potential applications in spintronics and information storage. We report a comprehensive small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study on the B20-type chiral magnet Cr[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]Ge, exploring its magnetic phase diagram and confirming the stabilization of a skyrmion lattice under low magnetic fields. Our results reveal a helical ground state with a decreasing pitch from 40 to 35 nm upon cooling, and a skyrmion phase stable in applied magnetic fields of 10-30 mT, and over an unusually wide temperature range for chiral magnets of 6 K ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] K).