Cognitive impacts of unilateral MR-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy: a meta-analysis and a call for systematic neuropsychological assessment.

Objective: Pharmacoresistant tremors, often seen in Parkinson disease and essential tremor, significantly impair patient quality of life. Although deep brain stimulation has been effective, its invasive nature limits its applicability. MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy offers a noninvasive alternative, but its cognitive impacts are not fully understood.

Cortical lesions impact cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis via volume loss of nonlesional cortex.

Objective: To assess the interrelationship between cortical lesions and cortical thinning and volume loss in people with multiple sclerosis within cortical networks, and how this relates to future cognition.

Methods: In this longitudinal study, 230 people with multiple sclerosis and 60 healthy controls underwent 3 Tesla MRI at baseline and neuropsychological assessment at baseline and 5-year follow-up. Cortical regions (N = 212) were divided into seven functional networks.

2024 Charles F. Prentice Medal award lecture: Moments of inspiration.

In this Prentice Medal Award lecture, I shall recount my career in vision science in the context of three types of inspiration-"being inspired," "personal inspiration," and "inspiring others." My research has derived inspiration from a variety of sources, such as contemporary and historical research doyens in the ophthalmic field and beyond, artists, Greek philosophers, and abstract constructs such as principles and adages. A given moment of inspiration can range from being a profound experience to a subtle realization during a quiet moment of reflection.

Correction: Mapping of UK Biobank clinical codes: Challenges and possible solutions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Values associated with Nordic Walking: An international cross-sectional survey among individuals practicing walking with poles.

Introduction: The article is devoted to the sociological exploration of the social phenomenon that Nordic Walking has become in Europe and worldwide over the recent decades.

Aim: It is based on the results of original international sociological research study on the issue of sociodemographic profiles of Nordic Walkers in the context of the values associated with this sports activity.

Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study with convenience sampling study was performed among 416 Poles, 132 Europeans from 11 countries (Germany, the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, and Norway), and 212 participants from 5 non-European countries (the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan).

Phenome-wide association network demonstrates close connection with individual disease trajectories from the HUNT study.

Disease networks offer a potential road map of connections between diseases. Several studies have created disease networks where diseases are connected either based on shared genes or Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) associations. However, it is still unclear to which degree SNP-based networks map to empirical, co-observed diseases within a different, general, adult study population spanning over a long time period.

Trachoma Impact Survey Results from 31 Woredas in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

Purpose: Baseline surveys were conducted in Tigray region, Ethiopia, in 2013. Since then, rounds of azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) have been delivered in-line with international guidance. The purpose of these surveys was to assess trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) prevalence following those treatments to enable the region to plan the next steps towards elimination of trachoma.

Genetic Association of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis With Adult Rheumatic Disease.

Importance: Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may develop adult rheumatic diseases later in life, and prolonged or recurrent disease activity is often associated with substantial disability; therefore, it is important to identify patients with JIA at high risk of developing adult rheumatic diseases and provide specialized attention and preventive care to them.

Objective: To elucidate the full extent of the genetic association of JIA with adult rheumatic diseases, to improve treatment strategies and patient outcomes for patients at high risk of developing long-term rheumatic diseases.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this genetic association study of 4 disease genome-wide association study (GWAS) cohorts from 2013 to 2024 (JIA, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], and systemic sclerosis [SSc]), patients in the JIA cohort were recruited from the US, Australia, and Norway (with a UK cohort included in the meta-analyzed cohort), while patients in the other 3 cohorts were recruited from US and Western European countries.

Pyridoxine Prevents Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common complications after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Pyridoxine has been recommended as a first-line drug to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy; however, its efficacy in preventing PONV remains unclear.

Methods: Patients of 18 to 65 years old, who received elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia, were randomized into either the pyridoxine or control group.

Immunoisolation of Plant Endosomal Vesicles to Explore Uptake of Pathogen Effector Proteins During Infection of Nicotiana benthamiana.

Endocytosis is an essential cellular process that uptakes substances into cells at the plasma membrane from the extracellular space and plays a major role in plant development and responses to environmental stimuli. Research has shown that plant membrane-resident proteins are endocytosed and transported into plant endosomes in response to pathogen-secreted elicitors. However, there is no conclusive experimental evidence demonstrating how secreted cytoplasmic effectors from oomycetes and fungi enter host cells during infection.

The Use of eDNA Metabarcoding to Detect and Identify Phytophthora in Water Samples.

We describe a protocol to amplify DNA barcodes of known and unknown taxa of Phytophthora and related plant pathogenic oomycetes from a range of environments. The methods focus on sampling pathogen propagules from water using in situ sampling and filtration equipment and buffers that enable efficient storage and DNA extraction for later downstream processing.

Quantification of Phytophthora palmivora Infection in Barley and Related Monocot Roots.

Biotic stresses such as fungal pathogens significantly affect global crop yields. Understanding of the plant-pathogen interactions during root infection, especially in monocot crops, remains limited compared to fungal colonizations of dicots. The infection process of several cereal crop root-damaging fungi and oomycetes is highly similar to root infections by the pathogen model Phytophthora palmivora.

Protoplast Transformation of Phytophthora spp.

At the core of assays to understand the role(s) of specific genes is the ability to stably transfer genes into Phytophthora through transformation. A key method for achieving this has been based on polyethylene glycol (PEG)/CaCl transformation of protoplasts, but efficiency has often been low. Improving transformation efficiency is necessary for many applications, such as gene knockouts.

RNA Silencing Strategies in Phytophthora: Experimental Guidelines and Insights.

RNA silencing is a core cellular process that acts to defend the genome against potentially damaging genetic elements such as viruses and transposons. It has been extensively characterized in many eukaryotes and exploited as a tool for determining gene function through removing the activity of specific genes. It has also been used in Phytophthora species to reveal genes involved in different lifecycle stages.

Evaluation of the Regulatory Review Process of the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority: Challenges and Opportunities.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the current regulatory review process of the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) by identifying the key milestones and target timelines achieved for products approved from 2020 to 2023, as well as good review and quality decision-making practices implemented in the review process.

Methods: A standardised, validated questionnaire; Optimising Efficiencies in Regulatory Agencies (OpERA) and the OpERA Data Collection Template were completed by the author.

Results: Three review models are used by ZAMRA to review new active substances (NASs) and generic products: verification, for products prequalified by the World Health Organization or approved by a stringent regulatory authority (SRA); abridged, for well-established molecules or SRA-approved products; or full, for products not otherwise prequalified.

Posterior Vault Distraction Osteogenesis for Craniosynostosis-Surgical Outcomes Over 12 Years.

Introduction: Posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO) allows significant increase in intracranial volume but is associated with complications including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, infection and device failure. The authors outline their outcomes over 12 years and the impact of PVDO on pre-existing Chiari malformation type 1 (CM).

Method: Retrospective review of all PVDOs in our unit over a period of 12 years from 2011 to 2023.

Can We Improve Geriatrics Recruitment? An Analysis of U.S. Geriatrics Fellowship Programs on X.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift from in-person to virtual recruitment, prompting residency and fellowship programs to adopt innovative strategies, such as leveraging social media platforms to attract applicants and enhance visibility. Our aim was to identify and describe the presence of U.S.

Social Sense-Making and Explanatory Models for Voice-Hearing Within Hearing Voices Network Groups.

The causal explanations voice-hearers have for their voice-hearing experiences may influence affective outcome and clinical decision making. Voice-hearers endorse a range of explanatory models, which do not consistently align with explanatory models held by healthcare professionals. Research has established that explanatory models for voice-hearing are dynamic rather than fixed, and are influenced by internal beliefs and motivations, culture, and contact with significant others.

Metabolic profiling and antibacterial activity of tree wood extracts obtained under variable extraction conditions.

Introduction: Tree bacterial diseases are a threat in forestry due to their increasing incidence and severity. Understanding tree defence mechanisms requires evaluating metabolic changes arising during infection. Metabolite extraction affects the chemical diversity of the samples and, therefore, the biological relevance of the data.

Knee pain and function in retired male intercounty GAA players: an exploratory study.

Background: Knee injuries are common among elite intercounty Gaelic games players (collectively GAA players).

Aims: The primary aim was to examine knee pain, function, and quality of life in retired elite male GAA players. Secondary objectives were to (i) report the incidence of previous knee surgery and total knee replacement, (ii) assess medication usage, and (iii) investigate any associations between a history of knee injury and/or knee surgery and knee pain, function, and quality of life among retired elite male GAA players.

Single (375 mg/m) vs. double dose of rituximab along with mycophenolate mofetil for children with steroid-dependent/frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome: a multicentre open-label randomized controlled trial.

Background: Optimal dosing of rituximab when given with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome/steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS) remains uncertain.

Methods: This was a prospective, non-inferiority, open-label randomized controlled multicentre study. Children (2-18 years old) with difficult FRNS/SDNS were randomized to group A (rituximab 375 mg/m once) or group B (rituximab 375 mg/m twice; 7-14 days apart) followed by continuous MMF and 3 months of tapered steroids.