PRP Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: The Improvement Is Clinically Significant and Influenced by Platelet Concentration: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a promising therapeutic intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA), attracting substantial clinical and research attention. However, the clinical relevance of the treatment benefit remains controversial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of PRP compared with placebo in patients with knee OA in terms of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and to investigate the possible influence of platelet concentration on the clinical outcome.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: As neurodegenerative diseases advance, postmitotic neurons are affected by disturbed proteostasis and the accumulation of misfolded proteins. This renders neurons sensitive to cell death, ultimately leading to progressive neuron loss. Multiple studies show the involvement of distinct pathways of regulated cell death (RCD) in neurodegenerative diseases, such as necroptosis.

Quantifying the evolutionary dynamics of structure and content in closely-related E. coli genomes.

Bacterial genomes primarily diversify via gain, loss, and rearrangement of genetic material in their flexible accessory genome. Yet the dynamics of accessory genome evolution are very poorly understood, in contrast to the core genome where diversification is readily described by mutations and homologous recombination. Here, we tackle this problem for the case of very closely related genomes.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately affect Latinos compared to non-Latino whites. Leveraging the non-monolithic structure of Latin America, which represents a large variability in social determinants of health (SDoH) and high levels of genetic admixture, we aimed to determine contributors to ADRD disparities within Latinos, focusing on genetic ancestry and SDoH.

Method: Community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older (n = 4000) from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru completed the 10/66 protocol assessments, including sociodemographic and risk factors questionnaire, neurological exam, cognitive assessment, and blood draw.

Effect of Apical Preparation Size and Preparation Taper on Smear Layer Removal Using Two Different Irrigation Needles: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study.

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to determine the effect of apical preparation size and preparation taper on smear layer removal using a metallic needle and a new polymer needle (IrriFlex, Produits Dentaires SA "PD," Vevey, Switzerland).

Materials And Methods:  One hundred and eight single-rooted teeth with one canal were randomly divided into four groups according to the preparation and irrigation needle used: G1-30, 0.04 and IrriFlex ( = 25); G2-25, 0.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: The Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) is a widely used measurement score to stage dementia severity; it has become one of the most common outcome measurements in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) research. The CDR-SB requires an informant to provide information to stage a patient's dementia severity. The effect of the informant's characteristics including sex and relationship with patients on the CDR-SB is unknown.

No-Broadcasting Characterizes Operational Contextuality.

Operational contextuality forms a rapidly developing subfield of quantum information theory. However, the characterization of the quantum mechanical entities that fuel the phenomenon has remained unknown with many partial results existing. Here, we present a resolution to this problem by connecting operational contextuality one-to-one with the no-broadcasting theorem.

Spin Waves and Three Dimensionality in the High-Pressure Antiferromagnetic Phase of SrCu_{2}(BO_{3})_{2}.

Quantum magnetic materials can provide explicit realizations of paradigm models in quantum many-body physics. In this context, SrCu_{2}(BO_{3})_{2} is a faithful realization of the Shastry-Sutherland model for ideally frustrated spin dimers, even displaying several of its quantum magnetic phases as a function of pressure. We perform inelastic neutron scattering measurements on SrCu_{2}(BO_{3})_{2} at 5.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Metacognition may give useful insight in early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. Recent studies suggest differences in the ability of judging their own cognitive performance along clinical stages. For instance, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) overestimate, whereas people with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) tend to underestimate their cognitive performance.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Each year, millions of Americans experience mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Current research on the long-term effects of mTBI vary considerably. Several mechanisms linking mTBI to dementia have been proposed including amyloid plaque formation and cerebrovascular injury following mTBI.

Clinical characterisation and outcomes of human clade IIb mpox virus disease - a European multicentre observational cohort study (MOSAIC).

Background: The global mpox outbreak which started in May 2022 was caused by a novel clade IIb variant of the mpox virus (MPXV). It differed from the traditional Western and Central Africa disease in transmission patterns and clinical presentation.

Methods: To address the need for detailed clinical and virologic data, we conducted an observational cohort study (MOSAIC) during May 2022-July 2023 in individuals with confirmed MPXV infection enrolled in six European Countries.

Social Media Recruitment as a Potential Trigger for Vulnerability: Multistakeholder Interview Study.

Background: More clinical studies use social media to increase recruitment accrual. However, empirical analyses focusing on the ethical aspects pertinent when targeting patients with vulnerable characteristics are lacking.

Objective: This study aims to explore expert and patient perspectives on vulnerability in the context of social media recruitment and seeks to explore how social media can reduce or amplify vulnerabilities.

Physical activity partially mediates the association between health literacy and mild cognitive impairment in older adults: cross-sectional evidence from Switzerland.

Individuals' health literacy (HL) is positively associated with healthy behaviors and global cognitive functioning. Current evidence also suggests that physical activity may prevent or delay cognitive decline and dementia. This study examines the potential mediating role of physical activity in the association between HL and cognition in a population-based sample of adults aged 58+ in Switzerland.

Family Caregivers' Experiences of Long-Term Care Residents Living With Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Grounded Theory Study.

Aims: Caution around the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in visitation restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus among vulnerable older persons living in long-term care (LTC), which posed a threat to individual well-being and family togetherness across the globe. The purpose of this study was to explore family caregiver's experience of having a person who is living with dementia residing in a long-term care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Qualitative descriptive study using constructivist grounded theory (GT) methodology.

Neural Voices of Patients with Severe Brain Injury?

Studies have shown that some covertly conscious brain-injured patients, who are behaviorally unresponsive, can reply to simple questions via neuronal responses. Given the possibility of such neuronal responses, Andrew Peterson et al. have argued that there is warrant for some covertly conscious patients being included in low-stakes medical decisions using neuronal responses, which could protect and enhance their autonomy.

Capsular Polysaccharide Restrains Type VI Secretion in .

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a sophisticated, contact-dependent nanomachine involved in interbacterial competition. To function effectively, the T6SS must penetrate the membranes of both attacker and target bacteria. Structures associated with the cell envelope, like polysaccharides chains, can therefore introduce spatial separation and steric hindrance, potentially affecting the efficacy of the T6SS.

Photoredox radical/polar crossover enables carbo-heterofunctionalization of alkenes: facile access to 1,3-difunctionalized nitro compounds.

Herein, we present an efficient and practical method for multicomponent carbo-heterofunctionalization of alkenes radical-polar crossover photoredox catalysis. Employing geminal bromonitroalkanes as redox-active reagents with a wide range of O-centered nucleophiles allows rapid access to various 1,3-difunctionalized nitro compounds, including β-nitro ketones, 1,3-nitro alcohols, 1,3-nitro ethers as well as cyclic molecules.

Why we need a representative organization of academic PRM in Europe, and why we need it now.

The growing relevance of rehabilitation in healthcare to address increasing patient needs necessitates robust Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) integration into medical education and practice. Academic PRM, rooted in medical faculties, is vital for developing the medical speciality as an academic discipline across Europe, where it faces challenges, including limited representation in medical schools and competition for resources with established disciplines. This commentary advocates establishing a representative organization for academic PRM in Europe.

Impulse Control Disorders and Effort-Based Decision-Making in Parkinson's Disease Patients with Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation.

Background: Impulse control disorders (ICD) are common side effects of dopaminergic treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD). Whereas some studies show a reduction in ICD after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), others report worsening of ICD or impulsivity.

Objective: The aim was to study ICD in the context of STN-DBS using an objective measure of decision-making.

AI-assisted Total Body Dermoscopic Evaluation of Changes in Melanocytic Nevi during Pregnancy: A Prospective, Comparative Study of 2,799 Nevi.

Pregnancy-associated changes in melanocytic nevi (MN), apart from size increase on the trunk, remain a topic of debate. We conducted the first prospective study to investigate dermoscopic changes in MN comparing pregnant with non-pregnant women on all body parts using a market-approved convolutional neural network (CNN). We included 25 pregnant and 25 non-pregnant women from Basel, Switzerland, who underwent standard skin cancer screenings and whose MN > 2 mm were digitally recorded and analysed by a CNN.

Smoking-related complications in foot and ankle surgery: a systematic review.

Objective: The detrimental effects of cigarette smoking on overall health are well-documented, with nicotine and carbon monoxide contributing to peripheral vasoconstriction and impaired oxygen delivery to tissues. This study reviews the impact of smoking on wound and bone healing, specifically in foot and ankle surgery, given its significant role as a modifiable risk factor for complications in orthopedic procedures.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in May 2024 following PRISMA guidelines.