Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enhances cognitive function in schizophrenia: A randomized double-blind sham-controlled trial.

This study aimed to examine the cognitive effects of tDCS and the subjective cognitive improvement perceived by patients with schizophrenia. A total of 173 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited for this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Two different stimulation modes were applied: 2 mA 20 minutes active tDCS and sham tDCS.

Talazoparib plus enzalutamide versus olaparib plus abiraterone acetate and niraparib plus abiraterone acetate for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison.

Background: Without head-to-head trials between talazoparib+enzalutamide (TALA + ENZA), olaparib+abiraterone acetate (OLAP + AAP), and niraparib plus AAP (NIRA + AAP) the ability to evaluate their relative efficacy as first-line (1 L) treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is limited. The objective of this study was to assess the relative efficacy between TALA + ENZA (TALAPRO-2) versus OLAP + AAP (PROpel) and NIRA + AAP (MAGNITUDE) in 1 L mCRPC via a matching-adjusted indirect treatment comparison (MAIC).

Methods: Patient-level data from TALAPRO-2 and published data from PROpel and MAGNITUDE were used.

Recent and Future Developments in the Use of Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer.

Background And Objective: Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) is enriched for alterations in DNA damage repair genes; poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) are a class of drugs that have demonstrated effectiveness in PCa, particularly in tumors with alterations in BRCA1/2 and other homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes, acting through a synthetic lethal mechanism. To prevent or delay drug resistance, and to expand the patient population that can benefit from this class of drug, combination treatment strategies have been developed in preclinical and clinical studies.

Methods: This review examines the latest developments in clinical trials testing PARPi for advanced PCa and their emerging role in earlier disease settings.

protein kinase inhibitors as Targeted therapy for glioblastoma: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor. The standard treatment for newly diagnosed GBM includes surgical resection, when feasible, followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide-based chemotherapy. Upon disease progression, the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) monoclonal antibody bevacizumab, can be considered.

Pymportx: facilitating next-generation transcriptomics analysis in Python.

The efficient importation of quantified gene expression data is pivotal in transcriptomics. Historically, the R package Tximport addressed this need by enabling seamless data integration from various quantification tools. However, the Python community lacked a corresponding tool, restricting cross-platform bioinformatics interoperability.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Worsening Kidney Function: A Retrospective Cohort Study Including 122,606 Acid-Suppressing Users.

Background: The impact of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) use on worsening renal function is controversial and lacks a solid pathophysiological explanation.

Objective: To assess the risk of worsening renal function and acute kidney injury (AKI) in PPI initiators as compared with H2-blockers initiators.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using longitudinal records from BIGAN, a population-based health database of Aragón (Spain).

Digital Outcomes as Biomarkers of Disease Progression in Early Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Outcomes derived from digital health technologies (DHTs) are promising candidate markers for monitoring Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. They have the potential to represent a significant shift in clinical research and therapeutic development in PD. However, their ability to track disease progression is yet to be established.

An automated blood test for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) to predict the absence of intracranial lesions on head CT in adult patients with mild traumatic brain injury: BRAINI, a multicentre observational study in Europe.

Background: Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), elevated concentrations of brain-specific blood proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) may be indicative of intracranial lesions normally detected by head CT scans. We sought to validate the performance of this combination of biomarkers at predetermined cutoff values with an automated immunoassay to predict which patients did not have intracranial lesions.

Methods: This prospective, observational study was conducted in France and Spain at 16 emergency departments.

Phase 2, Multicenter, Open-label, Nonrandomized Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Liposomal Irinotecan With 5-Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin, Followed by Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Rectal Cancer in a Watch-and-Wait Program.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combination with liposomal irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: This was a phase 2, nonrandomized, multicenter study in adults with stage II or III rectal cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) consisted of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combination with liposomal irinotecan (60 mg/m2), oxaliplatin (60 mg/m2), leucovorin (400 mg/m2), and fluorouracil (2400 mg/m²), followed by chemoradiotherapy [ie, capecitabine (825 mg/m2) and radiotherapy according to the standard of care].

Darier disease: Current insights and challenges in pathogenesis and management.

Darier disease is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by mutations in the ATP2A2 gene encoding for sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase isoform 2. The skin disease is characterized by a chronic relapsing course with recurrent reddish-brown keratotic papules and plaques located mainly in seborrhoeic areas. Due to chronic inflammation and epidermal barrier defects of the skin, patients often develop severe bacterial and viral superinfections.