Visual quality of life in NMOSD and MOGAD: profiles, dynamics and associations with ageing and vision.

Objective: In this multicentric study, we were interested in the vision-related quality of life and its association with visual impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in comparison to multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

Methods: We analysed extracted data from the German NEMOS registry including National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores, high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA), visually evoked potentials (VEP) and the scores for the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and other neurological tests which assessed their disease-related impairment. The mean follow-up time of our patients was 1.

Automating Blueprints for the Assembly of Colloidal Quasicrystal Clusters.

One of the frontiers of nanotechnology is advancing beyond the periodic self-assembly of materials. Icosahedral quasicrystals, aperiodic in all directions, represent one of the most challenging targets that has yet to be experimentally realized at the colloidal scale. Previous attempts have required meticulous human-designed building blocks and often resulted in interactions beyond the current experimental capabilities.

European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline for melanoma. Part 1: Diagnostics - Update 2024.

This guideline was developed in close collaboration with multidisciplinary experts from the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma were developed on the basis of systematic literature research and consensus conferences. Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the most dangerous form of skin tumor and accounts for 90 % of skin cancer mortality.

Prosody-focused feedback enhances the efficacy of anti-depressive self-statements in depressed individuals - A randomized controlled trial.

This study was aimed to evaluate whether the efficacy of invoking anti-depressive self-statements to cope with depressed mood can be enhanced for depressed individuals by systematically guiding them to amplify the expression of conviction in their voice. Accordingly, we recruited N = 144 participants (48 clinically depressed individuals, 48 sub-clinically depressed individuals, and 48 non-depressed individuals). Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition.

"Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis from Oral Odontogenic Origins: A Frequently Overlooked Entity".

Background Context: Primary spondylodiscitis occurs through the hematogenous spread of a pathogen entering the body via a point of entry. The infection's origin often remains unclear. During dental procedures or through minor traumas, oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream and disseminate throughout the body.

Homologous recombination deficiency in ovarian cancer: Global expert consensus on testing and a comparison of companion diagnostics.

Background: Poly (ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) are a treatment option for patients with advanced high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (OC). Recent guidelines have clarified how homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) may influence treatment decision-making in this setting. As a result, numerous companion diagnostic assays (CDx) have been developed to identify HRD.

Cropformer: An Interpretable Deep Learning Framework for Crop Genome Prediction.

Machine learning and deep learning have been employed in genomic selection (GS) to expedite the identification of superior genotypes and accelerate breeding cycles. However, a significant challenge for current data-driven deep learning models in GS is their low robustness and interpretability. To address this challenge, we developed Cropformer, a deep learning framework for predicting crop phenotypes and exploring downstream tasks.

Lateral Extraarticular Tenodesis in Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Analysis of Clinical Outcomes and Failure Rates.

: Lateral extraarticular tenodesis (LET) has been advocated in revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) to improve knee stability and furthermore, decrease failure rates. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes, knee laxity, and failure rates after revision ACLR with LET (ACLR + LET) versus without LET. It was hypothesized that ACLR + LET improves clinical outcomes and reduces the failure rate.

Interpretable multimodal machine learning (IMML) framework reveals pathological signatures of distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

Background: Distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) is a common neurological disorder in elderly adults and people with obesity, prediabetes and diabetes and is associated with high morbidity and premature mortality. DSPN is a multifactorial disease and not fully understood yet.

Methods: Here, we developed the Interpretable Multimodal Machine Learning (IMML) framework for predicting DSPN prevalence and incidence based on sparse multimodal data.

Outcomes of Revision surgery for surgically treated insertional Achilles tendinopathy.

Introduction: There is a clear roadmap for the treatment of primary insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT), but data on the outcome of revision surgery is missing. The current study aimed to analyze the outcome following revision surgery for surgically failed IAT.

Material And Methods: Included were patients with IAT revision surgery at a single reference center (01/2010-10/2016) and a follow-up of at least 12 months.

Chronic post-dural puncture headache-a serious and underrated complication following lumbar puncture: a cohort study.

Background: Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is still mostly regarded a minor complication after lumbar puncture. In the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-3 headaches lasting longer than 14 days or persisting after epidural blood patch (EBP) are not even considered. We illustrate that there may be many patients with persisting headaches and a large disease burden.

Artificial intelligence-based rapid brain volumetry substantially improves differential diagnosis in dementia.

Introduction: This study evaluates the clinical value of a deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI) system that performs rapid brain volumetry with automatic lobe segmentation and age- and sex-adjusted percentile comparisons.

Methods: Fifty-five patients-17 with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 18 with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and 20 healthy controls-underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging scans. Two board-certified neuroradiologists (BCNR), two board-certified radiologists (BCR), and three radiology residents (RR) assessed the scans twice: first without AI support and then with AI assistance.

Neutralizing GDF-15 can overcome anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 resistance in solid tumours.

Cancer immunotherapies with antibodies blocking immune checkpoint molecules are clinically active across multiple cancer entities and have markedly improved cancer treatment. Yet, response rates are still limited, and tumour progression commonly occurs. Soluble and cell-bound factors in the tumour microenvironment negatively affect cancer immunity.

Effects of maternal Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide exposure on offspring: insights from lncRNA analysis in laying hens.

Parental living environment significantly impacts on offspring, yet related studies are lacking in livestock and poultry production. The present study found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Escherichia coli, 0.2 mg/kg) stimulation in F0 hens led to growth retardation and a decrease in egg-laying rate in the unchallenged F1 hens.

Multiplexing cortical brain organoids for the longitudinal dissection of developmental traits at single-cell resolution.

Dissecting human neurobiology at high resolution and with mechanistic precision requires a major leap in scalability, given the need for experimental designs that include multiple individuals and, prospectively, population cohorts. To lay the foundation for this, we have developed and benchmarked complementary strategies to multiplex brain organoids by pooling cells from different pluripotent stem cell (PSC) lines either during organoid generation (mosaic models) or before single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) library preparation (downstream multiplexing). We have also developed a new computational method, SCanSNP, and a consensus call to deconvolve cell identities, overcoming current criticalities in doublets and low-quality cell identification.

Eccentric hypertrophy impairs outcome after TAVR.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) induces cardiac remodeling upon chronic left ventricular (LV) pressure overload. Here, we analyzed the clinical outcome of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for symptomatic AS with regard to varying LV hypertrophy patterns. Moreover, we investigated the genetic influence on development of different hypertrophy patterns, measured by polygenic risk scores (PRS).

Improved survival of advanced melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy with concomitant antithrombotic therapy - A multicenter study on 2419 patients from the prospective skin cancer registry ADOReg.

Background: Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized melanoma treatment, but the high number of non-responders still emphasizes the need for improvement of therapy. One potential avenue for enhancing anti-tumor treatment is through the modulation of coagulation and platelet activity. Both have been found to play an important role in the tumor microenvironment, tumor growth and metastasis.

Revealing mercury species-specific transfer and toxicity mechanisms in placental trophoblasts.

Environmental mercury (Hg) follows a biogeochemical cycle resulting in a variety of Hg species. Therefore, human exposure to the three Hg species inorganic Hg via crops and air, methyl Hg through fish consumption and ethyl Hg due to the use as antiseptic agent in medical applications is a rising concern. Especially pregnant women and their developing fetus present a vulnerable population.