Judged by your neighbors: Brain structural normativity profiles for large and heterogeneous samples.

The detection of norm deviations is fundamental to clinical decision making and impacts our ability to diagnose and treat diseases effectively. Current normative modeling approaches rely on generic comparisons and quantify deviations in relation to the population average. However, generic models interpolate subtle nuances and risk the loss of critical information, thereby compromising effective personalization of health care strategies.

Clinical severity grading of NF2-related schwannomatosis.

Background: NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2) is associated with various tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. There is a wide range of disabilities these patients may suffer from and there is no validated clinical classification for disease severity. We propose a clinical classification consisting of three severity grades to assist in patient management.

Promising new drugs and therapeutic approaches for treatment of ovarian cancer-targeting the hallmarks of cancer.

Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Despite the approval of promising targeted therapy such as bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors, 5-year survival has not improved significantly. Thus, there is an urgent need for new therapeutics.

Utilization and quality of primary and specialized palliative homecare in nursing home residents vs. community dwellers: a claims data analysis.

Background: There are hardly any data on the extent to which nursing home residents are provided with palliative homecare. We want to add evidence by comparing nursing home residents (who had been living in a nursing home for at least one year) and nursing-care-dependent community dwellers in terms of utilization and quality of palliative homecare.

Methods: We conducted a population-based study with nationwide claims data from deceased beneficiaries of a large German health insurance provider.

Age-dependent decline in sperm quality and function in a naturally short-lived vertebrate.

Maximizing the life-long reproductive output would lead to the prediction that short-lived and fast aging species would undergo no - if any - reproductive senescence. Turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) are naturally short-lived teleosts, and undergo extensive somatic aging, characterized by molecular, cellular, and organ dysfunction following the onset of sexual maturation. Here, we tested whether naturally short-lived and fast aging male turquoise killifish maximize reproduction and display minimal - if any, reproductive senescence.

Targeting Protein Kinase C-α Prolongs Survival and Restores Liver Function in Sepsis: Evidence from Preclinical Models.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ failure resulting from a poorly regulated infection response. Organ dysfunction includes hepatic involvement, weakening the immune system due to excretory liver failure, and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the death risk. Although experimental studies correlated excretory liver functionality with immune performance and survival rates in sepsis, the proteins and pathways involved remain unclear.

A qualitative analysis of PA leaders in Kentucky.

Objective: To describe Kentucky's physician associate/assistant (PA) leadership pathway and provide advice for individual leadership trajectories.

Methods: A qualitative study using semistructured interviews and inductive coding methodology to identify themes of PA leaders.

Results: Participants were primarily female (76.

University students' health-related quality of life and its determinants. Results from a cross-sectional survey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being a university student is a vulnerable period marked by transitions and uncertainties which can impair their physical and mental well-being as well as overall quality of life. The existing literature suggests that certain groups of students might be particularly affected by that. In addition, quality of life might have been further affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEG-PLGA nanoparticles deposited in and .

In our prior research, polymer nanoparticles (NPs) containing tobramycin displayed robust antibacterial efficacy against biofilm-embedded () and (. ) cells, critical pathogens in cystic fibrosis. In the current study, we investigated the deposition of a nanoparticulate carrier composed of poly(d,l-lactic--glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ethylene glycol)--PLGA (PEG-PLGA) that was either covalently bonded with cyanine-5-amine (Cy5) or noncovalently bound with freely embedded cationic rhodamine B (RhB), which served as a drug surrogate.

Laser-induced graphene functionalized cationic porphyrin: fabrication, characterization, and intra-supramolecular electron transfer process.

We report herein a facile synthesis, characterization, and the electron transfer reaction of a novel light-harvesting material composed of laser-induced graphene (LIG) functionalized with the photoactive 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-trimethylammoniophenyl)porphyrin tetra(-toluenesulfonate) dye (TTMAPP). LIG was easily fabricated on the surface of a polyimide sheet using VersaLASER 3.6 (VLS 3.

Tips for Harnessing the Educational Potential of Tumor Boards for Medical Students.

This paper explores the underutilized educational potential of tumor boards as a platform for medical student education. Acknowledging the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of tumor boards, we propose 12 strategic interventions aimed at integrating undergraduate medical students into these meetings to enhance their learning experience. These strategies emphasize active student engagement, critical analysis, patient interaction, reflective practice, and the integration of digital learning tools, with a focus on fostering an in-depth understanding of team-based, patient-focused oncology care.

Patterns and Driving Factors of Litter Decomposition Rates in Global Dryland Ecosystems.

Litter decomposition is essential in linking aboveground and belowground carbon, nutrient cycles, and energy flows within ecosystems. This process has been profoundly impacted by global change, particularly in drylands, which are highly susceptible to both anthropogenic and natural disturbances. However, a significant knowledge gap remains concerning the extent and drivers of litter decomposition across different dryland ecosystems, limiting our understanding of its role in ecosystem metabolism.

Conceptual foundations of a REFRAME-based approach to discriminate across total knee implant designs based on the positions of functional centres of rotation.

In modern knee arthroplasty, surgeons increasingly aim for individualised implant selection based on data-driven decisions to improve patient satisfaction rates. The identification of an implant design that optimally fits to a patient's native kinematic patterns and functional requirements could provide a basis towards subject-specific phenotyping. The goal of this study was to achieve a first step towards identifying easily accessible and intuitive features that allow for discrimination between implant designs based on kinematic data.

Temporal dynamics of affective scene processing in the healthy adult human brain.

Understanding how the brain distinguishes emotional from neutral scenes is crucial for advancing brain-computer interfaces, enabling real-time emotion detection for faster, more effective responses, and improving treatments for emotional disorders like depression and anxiety. However, inconsistent research findings have arisen from differences in study settings, such as variations in the time windows, brain regions, and emotion categories examined across studies. This review sought to compile the existing literature on the timing at which the adult brain differentiates basic affective from neutral scenes in less than one second, as previous studies have consistently shown that the brain can begin recognizing emotions within just a few milliseconds.

Circular RNAs as key regulators in cancer hallmarks: New progress and therapeutic opportunities.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in cancer biology, contributing to various cancer hallmarks, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Defined by their covalently closed loop structure, circRNAs possess unique characteristics like high stability, abundance, and tissue-specific expression. These non-coding RNAs function through mechanisms such as miRNA sponging, interactions with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and modulating transcription and splicing.

A quality assurance protocol for reliable and reproducible multi-TI arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging in rat livers.

Objective: To establish an arterial spin labeling (ASL) protocol for rat livers that improves data reliability and reproducibility for perfusion quantification.

Methods: This study used respiratory-gated, single-slice, FAIR-based ASL imaging with multiple inversion times (TI) in rat livers. Quality assurance measures included: (1) introduction of mechanical ventilation to ensure consistent respiratory cycles by controlling the respiratory rate (45 bpm), tidal volume (10 ml/kg), and inspiration: expiration ratio (I:E ratio, 1:2), (2) optimization of the trigger window for consistent trigger points, and (3) use of fit residual map and coefficient of variance as metrics to assess data quality.

Evolution of competitive ability and the response to nutrient availability: a resurrection study with the calcareous grassland herb, Leontodon hispidus.

Rapid environmental changes across Europe include warmer and increasingly variable temperatures, changes in soil nutrient availability, and pollinator decline. These abiotic and biotic changes can affect natural plant populations and force them to optimize resource use against competitors. To date, the evolution of competitive ability in the context of changes in nutrient availability remains understudied.

One-week test-retest recordings of resting cardiorespiratory data for reliability analysis.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of cardiac autonomic function, making reliable assessment crucial. To examine the test-retest stability of resting HRV in healthy individuals, fifty participants attended two lab sessions within a week, at the same time of day. After a 5-minute acclimatization period, electrocardiogram and respiration were recorded at rest.

Comprehensive genomic characterization of early-stage bladder cancer.

Understanding the molecular landscape of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is essential to improve risk assessment and treatment regimens. We performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of patients with NMIBC using whole-exome sequencing (n = 438), shallow whole-genome sequencing (n = 362) and total RNA sequencing (n = 414). A large genomic variation within NMIBC was observed and correlated with different molecular subtypes.

Cross-species comparison reveals that Hmga1 reduces H3K27me3 levels to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration.

In contrast to adult mammalian hearts, the adult zebrafish heart efficiently replaces cardiomyocytes lost after injury. Here we reveal shared and species-specific injury response pathways and a correlation between Hmga1, an architectural non-histone protein, and regenerative capacity, as Hmga1 is required and sufficient to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation and required for heart regeneration. In addition, Hmga1 was shown to reactivate developmentally silenced genes, likely through modulation of H3K27me3 levels, poising them for a pro-regenerative gene program.

Quantum key distribution implemented with d-level time-bin entangled photons.

High-dimensional photon states (qudits) are pivotal to enhance the information capacity, noise robustness, and data rates of quantum communications. Time-bin entangled qudits are promising candidates for implementing high-dimensional quantum communications over optical fiber networks with processing rates approaching those of classical telecommunications. However, their use is hindered by phase instability, timing inaccuracy, and low scalability of interferometric schemes needed for time-bin processing.

Strategic Acyl Carrier Protein Engineering Enables Functional Type II Polyketide Synthase Reconstitution In Vitro.

Microbial polyketides represent a structurally diverse class of secondary metabolites with medicinally relevant properties. Aromatic polyketides are produced by type II polyketide synthase (PKS) systems, each minimally composed of a ketosynthase-chain length factor (KS-CLF) and a phosphopantetheinylated acyl carrier protein (-ACP). Although type II PKSs are found throughout the bacterial kingdom, and despite their importance to strategic bioengineering, type II PKSs have not been well-studied .

Quantity of spontaneous touches to body and surface in very preterm and healthy term infants.

Background: Spontaneous movements are a crucial part of early motor development. Healthy term infants may produce up to 200 spontaneous touches to their body and surface in 10 minutes with their hands. The existing literature shows differences in early motor development between very preterm (<32 weeks gestation) and healthy term infants.