Dissatisfaction after implantation of extended depth-of-focus intraocular lenses.

Purpose: To evaluate the symptoms, etiology and treatment of patient dissatisfaction after extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Setting: University Eye Clinic, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Incidence and Heritability of Gastric Carcinoma in the Belgian Shepherd Dog Population in The Netherlands.

Background: Gastric carcinoma in the Tervueren and Groenendael varieties of the Belgian Shepherd dog is commonly recognized and carries a grave prognosis. Information on incidence and heritability is necessary to design an effective selection strategy against this disease.

Methods: A database of cases and controls was built including cases with Tier 1 (confirmed via endoscopy or post-mortem) and Tier 2 evidence of gastric carcinoma.

Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of the Invaplex Vaccine Co-Administered with the dmLT Adjuvant in Dutch and Zambian Adults: Study Protocol for a Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Phase Ia/b Clinical Trial.

Background: Shigella infections remain endemic in places with poor sanitation and are a leading cause of diarrheal mortality globally, as well as a major contributor to gut enteropathy and stunting. There are currently no licensed vaccines for shigellosis but it has been estimated that an effective vaccine could avert 590,000 deaths over a 20-year period. A challenge to effective Shigella vaccine development has been the low immunogenicity and protective efficacy of candidate Shigella vaccines in infants and young children.

Recombinant Anti-PF4 Antibodies Derived from Patients with Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT) Facilitate Research and Laboratory Diagnosis of VITT.

Background/objectives: Adenoviral vector-based vaccines against COVID-19 rarely cause vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT), a severe adverse reaction caused by IgG antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4). To study VITT, patient samples are crucial but have become a scarce resource. Recombinant antibodies (rAbs) derived from VITT patient characteristic amino acid sequences of anti-PF4 IgG are an alternative to study VITT pathophysiology.

Prenatal exposure to chemotherapy increases the mutation burden in human neonatal hematopoietic stem cells.

Chemotherapy is included in the standard of care for cancer treatment during pregnancy. However, whether prenatal exposure to maternal chemotherapy treatment has a mutagenic impact on the fetal genome, remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated mutation accumulation in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from neonates born to pregnant cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, as well as healthy pregnant women and untreated pregnant cancer patients.

Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players.

Physical inactivity is a major global public health concern, and table tennis offers a low-impact, engaging way to promote physical activity across various age groups. However, many beginners struggle to maintain effective participation due to their lower skill levels. Therefore, the development and reinforcement of stable grip techniques is crucial because it will help beginners achieve sustainable improvements in performance.

A Novel Sesterterpenoid, Petrosaspongin and γ-Lactone Sesterterpenoids with Leishmanicidal Activity from Okinawan Marine Invertebrates.

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem, especially affecting vulnerable populations in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is endemic in 90 countries, and with millions of people at risk, it is seen as one of the ten most neglected tropical diseases. Current treatments face challenges such as high toxicity, side effects, cost, and growing drug resistance.

Pharmacometabolomics Enables Real-World Drug Metabolism Sciences.

: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) has revolutionized personalized medicine, notably by predicting drug responses through the study of the metabolic genotype of drug-metabolizing enzymes. However, these genotypes rely heavily on the availability and completeness of drug metabolism information and do not account for (all) "phenoconversion" factors, like drug-drug interactions and comorbidities. To address these limitations, a more phenotypic approach would be desirable, for which pharmacometabolomics (PMx) could be useful by studying and elucidating drug metabolism in patient samples, such as blood and urine.

Longitudinal Metabolomics Data Analysis Informed by Mechanistic Models.

: Metabolomics measurements are noisy, often characterized by a small sample size and missing entries. While data-driven methods have shown promise in terms of analyzing metabolomics data, e.g.

Newborn screening and the screening laboratory: past, present and future.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for brain development in utero and during the first two to three years of life. The negative effects of TH deficiency on brain development are irreversible. Early detection of TH deficiency in neonates (congenital hypothyroidism (CH) through newborn screening (NBS)) allows for early treatment, thereby preventing brain damage.

Development of Hollow Fiber Membranes Suitable for Outside-In Filtration of Human Blood Plasma.

Hemodialysis (HD) is a critical treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The effectiveness of conventional dialyzers used there could be compromised during extended use due to limited blood compatibility of synthetic polymeric membranes and sub-optimal dialyzer design. In fact, blood flow in the hollow fiber (HF) membrane could trigger inflammatory responses and thrombus formation, leading to reduced filtration efficiency and limiting therapy duration, a consequence of flowing the patients' blood through the lumen of each fiber while the dialysate passes along the inter-fiber space (IOF, inside-out filtration).

Exploring the Anticancer Potential of MonoHER (7-Mono-O-(β-Hydroxyethyl)-Rutoside): Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis in HepG2 Cells.

Background/aim: Flavonoids are a group of polyphenols, abundantly present in our diet. Although, based on their chemoprotective effects, intake of flavonoids is associated with a high anticancer potential as evidenced in in vitro and in vivo models, the molecular mechanism is still elusive. This study explores the antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of the semi-synthetic flavonoid MonoHER (7-mono-O-(β-hydroxyethyl)-rutoside) in vitro on cancer cells.

Towards Personalized Radiotherapy in Pelvic Cancer: Patient-Related Risk Factors for Late Radiation Toxicity.

Normal tissue reactions vary significantly among patients receiving the same radiation treatment regimen, reflecting the multifactorial etiology of late radiation toxicity. Predicting late radiation toxicity is crucial, as it aids in the initial decision-making process regarding the treatment modalities. For patients undergoing radiotherapy, anticipating late toxicity allows for planning adjustments to optimize individualized care.

The Immune Landscape and Its Potential for Immunotherapy in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a highly heterogeneous group of cancers at the genomic, epigenetic and molecular levels. The vast majority of patients initially present at an advanced (unresectable) disease stage due to a lack of symptoms and an aggressive tumour biology. Chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment in patients with advanced BTC but the survival outcomes and prognosis remain poor.

Unraveling the Association: How Identity Mediates the Impact of Childhood Trauma on Criminal Behavior.

Previous research has consistently linked childhood trauma to criminal behavior in adulthood, yet the mechanisms driving this association remain poorly understood. This study investigated whether identity mediates this relationship, focusing on three identity constructs: consolidated identity, disturbed identity, and lack of identity. Criminal behavior was operationalized as a dichotomous variable, distinguishing between 103 community participants (53.

Improving the Long-Term Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Short Natural Fiber Compounds by Using Alternative Matrices.

Wood plastic composites (WPCs) offer a means to reduce the carbon footprint by incorporating natural fibers to enhance the mechanical properties. However, there is limited information on the mechanical properties of these materials under hostile conditions. This study evaluated composites of polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polylactic acid (PLA) processed via extrusion and injection molding.

Environmental Performance, Financial Constraints, and Tax Avoidance Practices: Insights from FTSE All-Share Companies.

Through its initiative known as the Climate Change Act (2008), the Government of the United Kingdom encourages corporations to enhance their environmental performance with the significant aim of reducing targeted greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Previous research has predominantly assessed this encouragement favourably, suggesting that improved environmental performance bolsters governmental efforts to protect the environment and fosters commendable corporate governance practices among companies. Studies indicate that organisations exhibiting strong corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, or high levels of environmental performance often engage in lower occurrences of tax avoidance.

On Defining Expressions for Entropy and Cross-Entropy: The Entropic Transreals and Their Fracterm Calculus.

Classic formulae for entropy and cross-entropy contain operations x0 and log2x that are not defined on all inputs. This can lead to calculations with problematic subexpressions such as 0log20 and uncertainties in large scale calculations; partiality also introduces complications in logical analysis. Instead of adding conventions or splitting formulae into cases, we create a new algebra of real numbers with two symbols ±∞ for signed infinite values and a symbol named ⟂ for the undefined.

Sporadic Burkitt Lymphoma First Presenting as Painful Gingival Swellings and Tooth Hypermobility: A Life-Saving Referral.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), subdivided into endemic, sporadic, and immunodeficiency-associated forms. While jaw lesions are common in endemic BL, they are infrequent in sporadic cases, only rarely constituting the first manifestation of the disease. The aim of this study is to present a rare pediatric case of sporadic BL first manifesting as gingival swellings and tooth hypermobility and provide a review of all the published sporadic BL case reports as the first sign of disease.

Unveiling the Anti-Angiogenic Potential of Small-Molecule (Kinase) Inhibitors for Application in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation leading to joint damage and systemic complications. Angiogenesis promotes inflammation and contributes to RA progression. This study evaluated potential anti-angiogenic effects of several compounds including small-molecule kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib (pan-kinase inhibitor), tofacitinib (JAK-inhibitor), NIKi (NF-κB-inducing kinase inhibitor), and the integrin-targeting peptide fluciclatide, using a scratch assay and 3D spheroid-based models of angiogenesis.

Reproducibility and Consistency of Isolation Protocols for Fibroblasts, Smooth Muscle Cells, and Epithelial Cells from the Human Vagina.

(1) Background: For the reconstruction of a human vagina, various surgical procedures are available that are often associated with complications due to their failure to mimic the physiology of the human vagina. We recently developed a vascularized, organ-specific matrix from healthy human vaginal wall tissue with suitable biomechanical properties. A superior graft would require further extensive colonization with autologous vaginal cells to reduce complications upon implantation.

Dutch Validation of the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms Scale (SNS).

Background/objectives: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders are related to impaired social functioning and lower quality of life, making accurate assessment important. To date, most tools for assessing negative symptoms are observational, which can be influenced by the raters' experience and opinion. Self-rating scales, like the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS), could complement observer ratings by adding information from the patient's perspective.

The role of germline and somatic mutations in predicting cancer-associated thrombosis: a narrative review.

Purpose Of Review: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Guidelines suggest to use risk assessment tools to guide decisions about thromboprophylaxis, but current tools have modest discriminatory ability. Genetic information from the germline or tumor has the potential to improve VTE prediction.

Overview of historical occupational exposure to trichloroethylene in China.

Objectives: Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a carcinogen that has been causally linked to kidney cancer and possibly other cancer sites including the liver and lymphatic system. Its use in China has increased since the early 1990s due to the growing metal and electronic industries. We aimed to summarize the major sources of occupational exposure to TCE over time in China.

Interobserver and Intraobserver Variability in Crural Angiography.

Objective: The gold standard imaging modality for assessing crural arterial disease is digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Using DSA, the operator can estimate the diameter and degree of stenosis and determine the diameter of the balloon. Since these measures are estimates, it allows for interobserver and intraobserver variability.