Novel Real-Time Fluoroscopic Assessment Method of Transcatheter Heart Valve Expansion Following Balloon-Expandable TAVR.

Background: Transcatheter heart valve (THV) underexpansion after transcatheter aortic valve replacement may be associated with worse outcomes. THV expansion can be assessed fluoroscopically using a pigtail for calibration; however, the accuracy of this technique specific to transcatheter aortic valve replacement is unknown. We assessed the accuracy and reproducibility of a novel fluoroscopic method to assess THV expansion using the THV commissural post for calibration.

Considerations and expectations for the administration of dispersible arpraziquantel to young children: a landscape analysis.

Schistosomiasis is a serious public health problem in many African countries and beyond. Preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel is a successful public health intervention that is recommended for all communities at risk, commonly reached through large-scale mass drug administration campaigns. However, preschool-age children are currently not routinely targeted for treatment due to operational challenges related to dosing and administration with the standard drug formulation.

Progressive systemic inflammation precedes decompensation in compensated cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Systemic inflammation is a driver of decompensation in cirrhosis with unclear relevance in the compensated stage. We evaluated inflammation and bacterial translocation markers in compensated cirrhosis and their dynamics in relation to the first decompensation.

Methods: This study is nested within the PREDESCI trial, which investigated non-selective beta-blockers for preventing decompensation in compensated cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH: hepatic venous pressure gradient ≥10 mmHg).

The challenge of long-term stroke outcome prediction and how statistical correlates do not imply predictive value.

Personalized prediction of stroke outcome using lesion imaging markers is still too imprecise to make a breakthrough in clinical practice. We performed a combined prediction and brain mapping study on topographic and connectomic lesion imaging data to evaluate (i) the relationship between lesion-deficit associations and their predictive value and (ii) the influence of time since stroke. In patients with first-ever ischaemic stroke, we first applied high-dimensional machine learning models on lesion topographies or structural disconnection data to model stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 24 h/3 months) and functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3 months) in cross-validation.

Anatomical, functional, and blood-born predictors of severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome severity in French Bulldogs.

Brachycephalic breeds suffer from respiratory distress known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) and the multiple comorbidities associated with it. Targeted breeding toward a more BOAS-free phenotype requires accurate and least invasive detection of BOAS severity grades that are accessible and accepted by the breeders and kennel clubs. This study aimed to compare the-outcome of morphometric anatomical examination with functional tests such as exercise tests and plethysmography for the detection of BOAS severity in a group of 84 French Bulldogs.

Synthetic data in generalizable, learning-based neuroimaging.

Synthetic data have emerged as an attractive option for developing machine-learning methods in human neuroimaging, particularly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-a modality where image contrast depends enormously on acquisition hardware and parameters. This retrospective paper reviews a family of recently proposed methods, based on synthetic data, for generalizable machine learning in brain MRI analysis. Central to this framework is the concept of domain randomization, which involves training neural networks on a vastly diverse array of synthetically generated images with random contrast properties.

Hamstrings and quadriceps muscle size and strength in female and male elite competitive alpine skiers.

Competitive alpine skiing requires a high level of physical fitness to perform sport-specific manoeuvres and to minimise the risk of injury. The aim of this study was to establish reference values for the maximal anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) of the individual hamstrings (HAM) and quadriceps (QUAD) muscles as well as for the maximal voluntary torque (MVT) during knee flexion (KF) and knee extension (KE) of female and male elite competitive alpine skiers. Ultrasound and dynamometer data were obtained from a largely overlapping but not identical dataset.

3D modeling to predict vascular involvement in resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Current management of patients with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (BR-PDAC) depends on the degree of involvement of the major arterial and venous structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate 3D segmentation and printing to predict tumor size and vascular involvement of BR-PDAC to improve pre-operative planning of vascular resection and better select patients for neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 16 patients with BR-PDAC near vascular structures who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with or without vascular resection between 2015 and 2021.

Long-term Clinical Outcomes After Syndesmosis Fixation With K-wires in Ankle Fractures With Syndesmotic Instability.

Background: Syndesmotic instability is a significant concern in the management of unstable ankle fractures, occurring in approximately 10% to 13% of these cases. Early recognition and stabilization of syndesmotic injuries are essential to ensure optimal long-term outcomes. Several techniques are currently in use, often involving complex procedure and/or costly devices.

Cognitive benefits of sleep: a narrative review to explore the relevance of glucose regulation.

Sleep is essential for maintaining optimal health. Both sleep duration and quality have been linked to various physiological functions and physical and mental health outcomes. Nutrition has been shown to impact sleep parameters, from the nutrient composition of foods, such as tryptophan levels, to the physiological response to foods, such as the glucose response.

Multidrug efflux pumps of show selectivity for their natural substrates.

Antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are an increasing threat to human health. Strategies to restore antibiotic efficacy include targeting multidrug efflux pumps by competitive efflux pump inhibitors. These could be derived from natural substrates of these efflux systems.

Age- and sex-specific care cascades to detect gaps in the care of children with tuberculosis in Bangladesh: a cohort study.

Background: Programmatic interventions to increase the detection of children with tuberculosis (TB) are rarely evaluated to understand age- and sex-specific completion rates. We applied modified TB screening and treatment cascade frameworks to assess indicators of effective implementation by age and sex of a TB screening program for children (zero to 14 years) in Bangladesh.

Methods: We implemented an intensified screening program for paediatric TB detection in 119 health care facilities (2018-21).

Reinforcement Learning is Impaired in the Sub-acute Post-stroke Period.

Background: In humans, most spontaneous recovery from motor impairment after stroke occurs in the first 3 months. Studies in animal models show higher responsiveness to training over a similar time-period. Both phenomena are often attributed to a milieu of heightened plasticity, which may share some mechanistic overlap with plasticity associated with normal motor learning.

Deregulated ion channels contribute to RHOBTB2-associated developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

While de novo missense variants in the BTB domains of atypical RhoGTPase RHOBTB2 cause a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, de novo missense variants in the GTPase domain or bi-allelic truncating variants are associated with more variable neurodevelopmental and seizure phenotypes. Apart from the observation of RHOBTB2 abundance resulting from BTB-domain variants and increased seizure susceptibility in Drosophila overexpressing RhoBTB, our knowledge on RHOBTB2-related pathomechanisms is limited. We now found enrichment for ion channels among the differentially expressed genes from RNA-Seq on fly heads overexpressing RhoBTB.

T cell population size control by coronin 1 uncovered: from a spot identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to quantitative proteomics.

Introduction: Recent work identified members of the evolutionarily conserved coronin protein family as key regulators of cell population size. This work originated ~25 years ago through the identification, by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, of coronin 1 as a host protein involved in the virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We here describe the journey from a spot on a 2D gel to the recent realization that coronin proteins represent key controllers of eukaryotic cell population sizes, using ever more sophisticated proteomic techniques.

─ A User-Friendly Command-Line Tool Simplifying Differential Expression Analysis in Quantitative Proteomics.

Mass spectrometry is a cornerstone of quantitative proteomics, enabling relative protein quantification and differential expression analysis () of proteins. As experiments grow in complexity, involving more samples, groups, and identified proteins, interactive differential expression analysis tools become impractical. The addresses this challenge by providing a command-line interface that simplifies , making it accessible to nonprogrammers and seamlessly integrating it into workflow management systems.

Modeling Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores inactivation in plant-based drinks to design UHT processing.

This study provides predictive models for G. stearothermophilus spores inactivation in four plant-based drinks, half-skimmed bovine milk and Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth and while also evaluating of matrix effect on inactivation. Heat inactivation was performed using the capillary tube method within the temperature range 115-127 °C.

Cultural foundations of global health: a critical examination of universal child feeding recommendations.

There has been a rising call to decolonize global health so that it more fully includes the concerns, knowledge, and research from people all over the world. This endeavor can only succeed, we argue, if we also recognize that much of established global health doctrine is rooted in Euro-American beliefs, values, and practice rather than being culturally neutral. This paper examines the cultural biases of child feeding recommendations as a case in point.

Assessing tick attachments to humans with citizen science data: spatio-temporal mapping in Switzerland from 2015 to 2021 using spatialMaxent.

Background: Ticks are the primary vectors of numerous zoonotic pathogens, transmitting more pathogens than any other blood-feeding arthropod. In the northern hemisphere, tick-borne disease cases in humans, such as Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis, have risen in recent years, and are a significant burden on public healthcare systems. The spread of these diseases is further reinforced by climate change, which leads to expanding tick habitats.

Sex disparities in ICU care and outcomes after cardiac arrest: a Swiss nationwide analysis.

Background: Conflicting data exist regarding sex-specific outcomes after cardiac arrest. This study investigates sex disparities in the provision of critical care and outcomes of in-hospital (IHCA) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients.

Methods: Analysis of adult cardiac arrest patients admitted to certified Swiss intensive care units (ICUs) (01/2008-12/2022) using the nationwide prospective ICU registry.

A systematic review of outcomes reported in studies to optimise the medication use of patients at hospital discharge.

Introduction: Care transitions, specifically hospital discharge, hold a risk for drug-related problems and medication errors. Effective interventions that optimise medication use during and after transitions are needed, yet there is no standardisation of the outcomes. This literature review aimed at collecting outcomes from studies investigating how to optimise medication use of patients following hospital discharge, and to categorise them, as a first step in the development of a core outcome set.

Covid-19 pandemic-related changes in teleworking, emotional exhaustion, and occupational burnout: a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant shifts to teleworking, raising questions about potential impacts on employee wellbeing. This study examined the association between self-reported changes to teleworking frequency (relative to before the pandemic) and two indicators of occupational burnout: emotional exhaustion and professionally diagnosed burnout.

Methods: Data were derived from two samples from a digital cohort study based in Geneva, Switzerland: one population-based, and one from a sample of workers who were likely mobilized in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Works to Reduce Sex Workers' Risk of Crime Victimization? A Scoping Review.

Purpose: This scoping review investigates crime victimization prevention interventions among sex workers.

Materials And Methods: Using the PRISMA method, we reviewed 11 papers referring to 8 studies that targeted the reduction of sex workers' victimization.

Results: Effective strategies identified include community mobilization, peer-led outreach, establishment of safe spaces, legal empowerment, sociocultural activities, financial literacy training, and alcohol harm reduction initiatives.