Functional Assessment of Anal Sphincter with Transperineal Ultrasound and Its Relationship to Anal Continence.

Background/objectives: Anal incontinence is linked to pelvic floor dysfunction. Diagnosis involves assessing both the function and structure of the anorectal unit. Although transperineal ultrasound has gained attention as a less invasive option, its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool for evaluating the relationship between structure and function is still debated.

Gaps in knowledge regarding the diagnostic criteria and management of PCOS in Germany: An anonymous web-based survey.

Introduction: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial condition that can include a myriad of symptom complexes. A study in North America demonstrated that a significant percentage of physicians were unaware of crucial aspects of PCOS. This study aimed to examine the level of knowledge about PCOS among physicians in Germany.

Assessment of a fully-automated diagnostic AI software in prostate MRI: Clinical evaluation and histopathological correlation.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a commercial, fully-automated, artificial intelligence (AI) driven software tool in identifying and grading prostate lesions in prostate MRI, using histopathological findings as the reference standard, while contextualizing its performance within the framework of PI-RADS v2.1 criteria.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 123 patients who underwent multiparametric prostate MRI followed by systematic and targeted biopsies.

Periodic Bleeding from a Cesarean Section Scar Fistula.

We present the case of a 36-year-old woman who presented to our clinic for a second opinion. After multiple previous surgeries, she presented with an abdominal wound infection, which was initially treated conservatively. In the further course, catamenial bleeding occurred as an unusual symptom, and the suspicion of a fistula formation was postulated.

Prognostic Impact of Acute and Chronic Inflammatory Interleukin Signatures in the Tumor Microenvironment of Early Breast Cancer.

Interleukins play dual roles in breast cancer, acting as both promoters and inhibitors of tumorigenesis within the tumor microenvironment, shaped by their inflammatory functions. This study analyzed the subtype-specific prognostic significance of an acute inflammatory versus a chronic inflammatory interleukin signature using microarray-based gene expression analysis. Correlations between these interleukin signatures and immune cell markers (CD8, IgKC, and CD20) and immune checkpoints (PD-1) were also evaluated.

A systematic review of individual, social, and societal resilience factors in response to societal challenges and crises.

Societal challenges put public mental health at risk and result in a growing interest in resilience as trajectories of good mental health during stressor exposure. Resilience factors represent multilevel psychosocial resources that increase the likelihood of resilient responses. This preregistered systematic review aims at summarizing evidence on the predictive value of individual, social and societal resilience factors for resilient responses to societal challenges and crises.

Constitutive expression of the deubiquitinating enzyme CYLD does not affect microglia phenotype or function in homeostasis and neuroinflammation.

The deubiquitinating enzyme CYLD negatively regulates NF-κB signaling by removing activating ubiquitin chains from several members of the NF-κB pathway. Thereby, CYLD is critical for the maintenance and differentiation of various immune cells. Despite the importance of the NF-κB pathway in microglia regulation, the role of CYLD in microglia has not been investigated so far.

A new adjustable artificial urinary sphincter for male stress urinary incontinence (Victo): preliminary clinical results.

Background: Artificial urinary sphinkter (AUS) are still the gold standard for treatment of male stress urinary incontinence with good clinical outcomes and high patient's reported satisfaction rate. However, more than half of the patients with an AUS will require additional procedures, most likely revisions. To introduce a novel adjustable AUS for treatment of male stress urinary incontinence and perform a preliminary clinical investigation to determine the safety and efficacy of the device.

Effectiveness of structured, multidisciplinary long-term care for pediatric cancer survivors: protocol of the multicenter, randomized-controlled AELKI study.

Background: In Germany, around 2.250 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite generally positive long-term survival rates, many patients must cope with late effects of the disease and its treatment.

Prevalence of child maltreatment in a nationwide sample of 18 to 31 year-olds in Germany.

Background: Child maltreatment (CM) can have devastating and potentially lifelong effects for those affected and is a major contributor to mental health problems. To tackle public health problems it is crucial to have reliable data on CM. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and predictors of CM in a nationwide sample of the German population of young adults.

Academic education of midwives in Germany (part 1): Requirements for bachelor of science programmes in midwifery education. Position paper of the Midwifery Science Committee (AHW) in the DACH Association for Medical Education (GMA).

The current situation in Germany is characterised by significant differences between the two types of higher education institutions offering bachelor's degree programmes in midwifery at both universities of applied sciences and universities. These differences are noticeable in admission procedures, resource allocation, content focus and competence assessment at the respective institutions, which in turn result in heterogeneous study experiences. This article highlights the challenges currently facing bachelor degree programmes and the academic qualification of midwives, and identifies future requirements for the development of degree programmes in theory and practice as well as theory-practice transfer, and assessment formats.

Analysis of Techniques in Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repairs across Pediatric Age Groups: EUPSA Trainees of European Pediatric Surgery Survey.

Aim:  This survey analyzed techniques in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) across pediatric age groups.

Materials And Methods:  Data were collected through an online survey for pediatric surgeons, comprising of 38 questions, conducted by the European Pediatric Surgeons' Association (EUPSA) Trainees of European Pediatric Surgery (TEPS) LIHR Working Group.

Results:  The survey was completed by 183 surgeons from 22 countries.

CIMT 2024: Report on the 21st Annual Meeting of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The 21 Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) Annual Meeting took place from May 15 to May 17 in Mainz, Germany, and was attended by a total of 855 academic and clinical professionals hailing from 33 different countries. The conference served as a platform for these experts to convene and discuss the latest breakthroughs in cancer immunology and immunotherapy research. Dedicated sessions covering advancements in artificial intelligence tools for cancer immunotherapy research, as well as the landscape of cancer care and cancer immunotherapy trials on the African continent, prompted lively and informative discussions among the attendees.

Improved Detection of Small and Low-Density Plaques in Virtual Noncontrast Imaging-based Calcium Scoring at Photon-Counting Detector CT.

Purpose To investigate the impact of plaque size and density on virtual noncontrast (VNC)-based coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) using photon-counting detector CT and to provide safety net reconstructions for improved detection of subtle plaques in patients whose VNC-based CACS would otherwise be erroneously zero when compared with true noncontrast (TNC)-based CACS. Materials and Methods In this prospective study, CACS was evaluated in a phantom containing calcifications with different diameters (5, 3, and 1 mm) and densities (800, 400, and 200 mg/cm) and in participants who underwent TNC and contrast-enhanced cardiac photon-counting detector CT (July 2021-March 2022). VNC images were reconstructed at different virtual monoenergetic imaging (55-80 keV) and quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR) levels (QIR,1-4).

Inhibitors of the tyrosine kinases FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 and WEE1 induce apoptosis and DNA damage synergistically in acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Hyperactive FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase-3 mutants with internal tandem duplications (FLT3-ITD) are frequent driver mutations of aggressive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Inhibitors of FLT3 produce promising results in rationally designed cotreatment schemes. Since FLT3-ITD modulates DNA replication and DNA repair, valid anti-leukemia strategies could rely on a combined inhibition of FLT3-ITD and regulators of cell cycle progression and DNA integrity.

Impact of reconstruction parameters on the accuracy of myocardial extracellular volume quantification on a first-generation, photon-counting detector CT.

Background: The potential role of cardiac computed tomography (CT) has increasingly been demonstrated for the assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis through the quantification of extracellular volume (ECV). Photon-counting detector (PCD)-CT technology may deliver more accurate ECV quantification compared to energy-integrating detector CT. We evaluated the impact of reconstruction settings on the accuracy of ECV quantification using PCD-CT, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based ECV as reference.

RNA-encoded Interleukin 2 with Extended Bioavailability Amplifies RNA Vaccine-Induced Antitumor T-cell Immunity.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a crucial cytokine in T-cell immunity, with a promising potential in cancer vaccines. However, therapeutic application of IL-2 is hampered by its short half-life and substantial toxicity. This study reports preclinical characterization of a mouse serum albumin-IL-2 fusion protein (Alb-IL2) encoded on nucleoside-modified RNA that is delivered via a nanoparticle formulation (Alb-IL2 RNA-NP) mediating prolonged cytokine availability.

Plain language summary of the FOENIX-CCA2 study: futibatinib for people with advanced bile duct cancer.

What Is This Summary About?: This summary describes the results from a phase 2 study called FOENIXCCA2. The study evaluated treatment with futibatinib in people with a rare form of advanced bile duct cancer called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (or iCCA), where the tumors have changes in the structure of a gene called FGFR2. These changes include FGFR2 gene fusions.