The sarcoma ring trial: a case-based analysis of inter-center agreement across 21 German-speaking sarcoma centers.

Purpose: The management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) at reference centers with specialized multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTB) improves patient survival. The German Cancer Society (DKG) certifies sarcoma centers in German-speaking countries, promoting high standards of care. This study investigated the variability in treatment recommendations for localized STS across different German-speaking tertiary sarcoma centers.

Measurement of CP Violation Observables in D^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} Decays.

A search for violation of the charge-parity (CP) symmetry in the D^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} decay is presented, with proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4  fb^{-1}, collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector. A novel model-independent technique is used to compare the D^{+} and D^{-} phase-space distributions, with instrumental asymmetries subtracted using the D_{s}^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} decay as a control channel.

Targeting pleuro-alveolar junctions reverses lung fibrosis in mice.

Lung fibrosis development utilizes alveolar macrophages, with mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Here, we fate map connective tissue during mouse lung fibrosis and observe disassembly and transfer of connective tissue macromolecules from pleuro-alveolar junctions (PAJs) into deep lung tissue, to activate fibroblasts and fibrosis. Disassembly and transfer of PAJ macromolecules into deep lung tissue occurs by alveolar macrophages, activating cysteine-type proteolysis on pleural mesothelium.

Longitudinal volumetric analysis of compartments in chicken eggs using ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Introduction: The chicken egg, with its compartments, is a widely used and popular animal model in experimental studies. This study aimed to quantify the volumes of the yolk/yolk sac, amniotic fluid, and chicken embryo using non-invasive ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF-MRI).

Materials And Methods: In total, 64 chicken eggs were examined using a 7 T UHF-MRI scanner, acquiring T2-weighted anatomical images of the entire egg from developmental day 1 to 16 (D1-D16).

Automating radiological measurements of the hip in children with cerebral palsy.

Aims: The aims of this study were to develop an automatic system capable of calculating four radiological measurements used in the diagnosis and monitoring of cerebral palsy (CP)-related hip disease, and to demonstrate that these measurements are sufficiently accurate to be used in clinical practice.

Methods: We developed a machine-learning system to automatically measure Reimer's migration percentage (RMP), acetabular index (ACI), head shaft angle (HSA), and neck shaft angle (NSA). The system automatically locates points around the femoral head and acetabulum on pelvic radiographs, and uses these to calculate measurements.

The effect of rotator cuff repair on sleep quality: Influencing factors and the impact of narcotic medication on postoperative sleep patterns: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Impaired sleep quality often drives patients with rotator cuff tears (RCT) to seek surgical intervention. This meta-analysis reviews the impact of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) on sleep quality beyond six months and identifies influencing factors, primarily narcotics, on sleep quality.

Methods: The search spanned PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register, targeting articles evaluating rotator cuff injury and sleep quality.

IMPACT OF LENGTH INDEXING OF DEFORMATION IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION.

Background: When assessing right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography, some discordance between the deformational indices is predicted based on the influence of RV length. RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWS) is relatively independent of RV length, whereas tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) reflects the strain-length product. Systolic annular velocity (s') (distance over time) is also likely to be influenced by length.

Core outcome set of daily monitoring of gastrointestinal function in adult critically ill patients: a modified Delphi consensus process (COSMOGI).

Purpose: Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is common in critically ill patients and associated with poor outcomes. There is a lack of standardised methods for daily monitoring of GI function. COSMOGI aimed to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for daily monitoring of GI function to improve consistency and comparability in future studies in critically ill patients.

Diagnostic Performance of Clinical and Routine Laboratory Data in Acute Mesenteric Arterial Occlusion-An International Multicenter Study.

Background: There are no clinical or laboratory markers that can diagnose acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) accurately. This study aimed to find differences in clinical and laboratory markers between arterial occlusive AMI and other acute abdominal diseases where AMI was initially suspected.

Methods: This was a post hoc study of an international prospective multicenter study where data on patients with suspected AMI were collected.

Associations between plasma osteopontin, sex, and 2-year global and cardiorenal outcomes in older outpatients screened for CKD: a secondary analysis of the SCOPE study.

Background: Plasma osteopontin (pOPN) is a promising aging-related biomarker among individuals with and without kidney disease. The interaction between sex, pOPN levels, and global and cardiorenal outcomes among older individuals was not previously evaluated.

Methods: In this study we investigated the association of pOPN with 24-month global mortality, major cardiovascular events (MACEs), MACEs + cardiovascular (CV) mortality, and renal decline among older individuals; we also evaluated whether sex modified observed associations.

Calcified plaque modification during percutaneous coronary revascularization.

The presence and severity of calcified coronary plaque negatively impacts angiographic and clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Severe coronary calcification is associated with suboptimal stent delivery, deployment, apposition and expansion which can lead to in-stent restenosis and/or thrombosis. Severe coronary calcification is associated with incremental hazard for adverse clinical events, including death, during 5-10 years following PCI despite the use of new generation drug- eluting stents.

A New Approach to Retinal Oxygen Extraction Measurement Based on Laser Speckle Flowgraphy and Retinal Oximetry.

Purpose: Currently, no standard for the measurement of retinal oxygen extraction exists. Here, we present a novel approach for measurement of retinal oxygen extraction based on two commercially available devices, namely laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and retinal oximetry.

Methods: The study was conducted in a randomized, double-masked design.

Acetabular dysplasia and the risk of developing hip osteoarthritis within 4-8 years: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 18,807 hips from the World COACH consortium.

Objective: To study the association between various radiographic definitions of acetabular dysplasia (AD) and incident radiographic hip osteoarthritis (RHOA), and to analyze in subgroups.

Methods: Hips free of RHOA at baseline and with follow-up within 4-8 years were drawn from the World COACH consortium. The Wiberg center edge angle (WCEA), acetabular depth width ratio (ADR), and the modified acetabular index (mAI) were calculated.

SCAI Expert Consensus Statement on the Management of Patients With STEMI Referred for Primary PCI.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Timely reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with improved outcomes. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions puts forth this expert consensus document regarding best practices for cardiac catheterization laboratory team readiness, arterial access with an algorithm to help determine proper arterial access in STEMI, and diagnostic angiography.

In Vivo Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging: Contributions to Precision Medicine and Drug Development.

Conventional forms of noninvasive cardiovascular imaging that evaluate morphology, function, flow, and metabolism play a vital role in individual treatment decisions, often based on guidelines. Innovations in molecular imaging have enhanced our ability to spatially quantify the expression of a wider array of disease-related proteins, genes, or cell types, or the activity of specific pathogenic pathways. These techniques, which usually rely on design of targeted imaging probes, have already been used extensively in cancer medicine and have now become part of cardiovascular care in conditions such as amyloidosis and sarcoidosis.

Interleukin-2-secreting T helper cells promote extra-follicular B cell maturation via intrinsic regulation of a B cell mTOR-AKT-Blimp-1 axis.

During antigen-driven responses, B cells can differentiate at extra-follicular (EF) sites or initiate germinal centers (GCs) in processes that involve interactions with T cells. Here, we examined the roles of interleukin (IL)-2 secreted by T helper (Th) cells during cognate interactions with activated B cells. IL-2 boosted the expansion of EF plasma cells and the secretion of low-mutated immunoglobulin G (IgG).