Press-Fit Bone-Anchored Prosthesis for Individuals with Transtibial Amputation.

Background: This video article describes the use of bone-anchored prostheses for patients with transtibial amputations, most often resulting from trauma, infection, or dysvascular disease. Large studies have shown that about half of all patients with a socket-suspended artificial limb experience limited mobility and limited prosthesis use because of socket-related problems. These problems occur at the socket-residual limb interface as a result of a painful and unstable connection, leading to an asymmetrical gait and subsequent pelvic and back pain.

Total syntheses of cyclohelminthol I-IV reveal a new cysteine-selective covalent reactive group.

Biocompatible covalent reactive groups (CRGs) play pivotal roles in several areas of chemical biology and the life sciences, including targeted covalent inhibitor design and preparation of advanced biologic drugs, such as antibody-drug conjugates. In this study, we present the discovery that the small, chlorinated polyketide natural product cyclohelminthiol II (CHM-II) acts as a new type of cysteine/thiol-targeting CRG incorporating both reversible and irreversible reactivity. We devise the first syntheses of four simple cyclohelminthols, (±)-cyclohelminthol I-IV, with selective chlorinations (at C and C) and a Ni-catalyzed reductive cross coupling between an enone, a vinyl bromide and triethylsilyl chloride as the key steps.

The Port-Hamiltonian Structure of Continuum Mechanics.

In this paper, we present a novel approach to the geometric formulation of solid and fluid mechanics within the port-Hamiltonian framework, which extends the standard Hamiltonian formulation to non-conservative and open dynamical systems. Leveraging Dirac structures, instead of symplectic or Poisson structures, this formalism allows the incorporation of energy exchange within the spatial domain or through its boundary, which allows for a more comprehensive description of continuum mechanics. Building upon our recent work in describing nonlinear elasticity using exterior calculus and bundle-valued differential forms, this paper focuses on the systematic derivation of port-Hamiltonian models for solid and fluid mechanics in the material, spatial, and convective representations using Hamiltonian reduction theory.

Shifting Trend of Protein Consumption in Southeast Asia: Toward Health, Innovation, and Sustainability.

Complementing discourse following a February 2023 event on dietary protein needs in Southeast Asia (SEA), this symposium report summarizes the region's protein intake, while simultaneously examining the impact of dietary shift toward complementary and alternative proteins and their health implications. It highlights the importance of protein quality in dietary evaluations, optimal intake, and sustainability, advocating for environmentally conscious protein production and innovation in future foods. Discussion points, expert opinions, national nutrition data, and relevant literature, addressing protein intake and quality, their impact on human health, and various technologies for future foods production, have been included.

Care and decision-making at the end of life for migrants living in the Netherlands: An intersectional analysis.

As migrant populations age, the care system is confronted with the question how to respond to care needs of an increasingly diverse population of older adults. We used qualitative intersectional analysis to examine differential preferences and experiences with care at the end of life of twenty-five patients and their relatives from Suriname, Morocco and Turkey living in The Netherlands. Our analysis focused on the question how - in light of impairment - ethnicity, religion and gender intersect to create differences in social position that shape preferences and experiences related to three main themes: place of care at the end of life; discussing prognosis, advance care, and end-of-life care; and, end-of-life decision-making.

Serum biomarkers as prognostic markers for Alzheimer's disease in a clinical setting.

Introduction: Blood-based glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau (pTau) have shown promising prognostic potential in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their applicability in clinical settings where comorbidities are prevalent remains uncertain.

Methods: Simoa assays quantified GFAP, NfL, and pTau181 in retrospectively retrieved prediagnostic serum samples from 102 AD patients and 21 non-AD controls.

Results: Higher serum GFAP levels predicted earlier clinical presentation and faster subsequent Mini-Mental State Examination decline in AD patients.

Vitamin B6 status and chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a prospective cohort study among patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Objective: Chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a long-lasting side-effect of oxaliplatin. Vitamin B6 might play a role in the pathogenesis of CIPN. Therefore, we investigated associations between plasma vitamin B6 markers and the occurrence and severity of chronic CIPN in patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Regional disparities in the use of intensive chemotherapy for AML in the Netherlands: does it influence survival?

Objective: Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) prognosis is enhanced with intensive remission induction chemotherapy (ICT) in eligible patients. However, ICT eligibility perceptions may differ among healthcare professionals. This nationwide, population-based study aimed to explore regional variation in ICT application and its relation with overall survival (OS).

Patterns of cytotoxic T-cell densities in immunogenic endometrial cancers reveal a potential mechanism for differences in immunotherapy efficacy.

Objective: To explore the impact of molecular subtype in endometrial cancer (EC) on CD8+T cell densities. Furthermore, this work will test the assumption that all mismatch repair deficient (MMRd) tumours are immunologically similar which would enable current trial data to be generalised to all MMRd ECs.

Methods And Analysis: All tumours were characterised into the four clinical molecular subtypes.

Nutrient Profiling Models in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Considering Local Nutritional Challenges: A Systematic Review.

Micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition, and overweight/obesity are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nutrient profiling models (NPMs), initially developed to help reduce the prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases in Western countries, could be one solution to promote nutrient-dense foods in LMICs. This study reviewed government-endorsed NPMs implemented in LMICs and assessed their key components in relation to country-specific nutritional challenges.

Monitoring neoadjuvant treatment-induced surgical benefit in GIST patients using CT-based radiological criteria.

Objective: This single-centre retrospective study aims to determine the incidence of therapy-induced surgical benefit in patients with non-metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) treated with neoadjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and evaluate whether this can be predicted by radiological response criteria.

Methods: Thirty-nine non-metastatic GIST patients were treated with neoadjuvant TKI treatment, followed by curative-intended surgery, and monitored using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT). Surgical benefit was independently assessed by two surgical oncologists and was defined by de-escalation of surgical strategy or reduced surgical complexity.

Insufficiency fractures in patients with sacral chordoma treated with high-dose radiation therapy with and without resection.

Objectives: Determine the incidence, location, and features of insufficiency fractures (IFs) in sacral chordoma patients treated with high-dose radiation therapy (HDR) with(out) resection, relative to radiation therapy type and irradiation plans.

Methods: Clinical data, including details of all surgical procedures and radiotherapies of patients histologically diagnosed with sacral chordoma between 2008 and 2023 available at our database, were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were as follows: availability of diagnostic, treatment planning and follow-up magnetic resonance and/or computed tomography scans, and completed treatment.

Linear approximation of variable relative biological effectiveness models for proton therapy.

The McNamara (MCN) and Wedenberg (WED) RBE weighted dose (D), dose and dose-weighted average LET (LET) were calculated in twenty brain cancer patients. A linear approximation was made for each RBE model to give best agreement to clinically relevant dosimetric parameters. Additional evaluations were done on twenty head and neck and twenty breast cancer patients.

Feasibility and safety of single-fraction sub-ablative radiotherapy with systemic therapy in colorectal cancer patients with ≤ 10 metastases: A multicenter pilot study (NCT05375708).

Colorectal cancer patients with ≤10 unresectable metastases were treated with single-fraction sub-ablative radiotherapy in addition to standard of care systemic therapy in a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, pilot study (SIRIUS) to assess feasibility and safety. Results indicate that radiotherapy combined with systemic therapy is feasible and safe in this population.

Behavioral characterization of the mdx5cv, mdx52 and DMD-null mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe neuromuscular disorder, caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Normally, the DMD gene gives rise to multiple dystrophin isoforms, of which multiple are expressed in the brain. The location of the mutation determines the number of dystrophin isoforms affected, and the absence thereof leads to behavioral and cognitive impairments.

Multiple variants of tick-borne encephalitis virus in voles, mice and ticks, the Netherlands, 2021 to 2023.

BackgroundTick-borne encephalitis (TBE) can be a severe neurological disease. Identifying ecological factors that may facilitate tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) circulation in the Netherlands could improve awareness and detection.AimWe aimed to identify ecological factors affecting TBEV circulation in the Netherlands and to determine if there is sustained circulation and spread of the virus.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small vulnerable newborns: an interrupted time series analysis in Peru and Brazil.

Background: We examined COVID-19's impact on the number of small vulnerable newborns (SVN) at national and regional levels in Peru and Brazil.

Methods: Using national birth registries, we examined monthly numbers of preterm (PT), low birthweight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA) newborns. We analysed COVID-19's impact on SVN using two interrupted time series models.

High-dimensional, outcome-dependent missing data problems: Models for the human loci.

Missing data problems are common in biological, high-dimensional data, where data can be partially or completely missing. Algorithms have been developed to reconstruct the missing values by means of imputation or expectation-maximization algorithms. For missing data problems, it has been suggested that the regression model of interest should be incorporated into the imputation procedure to reduce bias of the regression coefficients.

Trans-ancestry genome wide association study of childhood body mass index identifies novel loci and age-specific effects.

Over the past 30 years, obesity prevalence has markedly increased globally, including among children. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 1,000 genetic loci associated with obesity-related traits in adults, the genetic architecture of childhood obesity is less well-characterized. Moreover, most childhood obesity GWAS have been restricted to severely obese children, in relatively small sample sizes, and in primarily European ancestry populations.

Change in self-determination-related constructs in persons with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in the context of transitions.

This study explored the changes in self-determination-related constructs during transitions in the lives of persons with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Questionnaires about autonomy support, basic psychological need expressions, and subjective well-being were filled out twice by family caregivers who foresaw an important transition in the near future ( = 40; pre-post design). Average changes in outcomes across a period of 6-13 months were not statistically significant.