Mapping Trajectories of Gait Recovery in Clinical Stroke Rehabilitation.

Background: How gait changes during the early stages of stoke rehabilitation, and which patient characteristics are associated with these changes is still largely unknown.

Objective: he first objective was to describe the changes in gait during stroke rehabilitation. Secondly, we determined how various patient characteristics were associated with the rate of change of gait over time.

Discovery of robust and highly specific microbiome signatures of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: The pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with a global prevalence of 30% is multifactorial and the involvement of gut bacteria has been recently proposed. However, finding robust bacterial signatures of NAFLD has been a great challenge, mainly due to its co-occurrence with other metabolic diseases.

Results: Here, we collected public metagenomic data and integrated the taxonomy profiles with in silico generated community metabolic outputs, and detailed clinical data, of 1206 Chinese subjects w/wo metabolic diseases, including NAFLD (obese and lean), obesity, T2D, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.

F-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT imaging for potentially resectable pancreatic cancer (PANSCAN-2): a phase I/II study.

Background: Current diagnostic imaging modalities have limited ability to differentiate between malignant and benign pancreaticobiliary disease, and lack accuracy in detecting lymph node metastases. F-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) PET/CT is an imaging modality used for staging of prostate cancer, but has incidentally also identified PSMA-avid pancreatic lesions, histologically characterized as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This phase I/II study aimed to assess the feasibility of F-PSMA PET/CT to detect PDAC.

Enabling next-generation engineered TCR-T therapies based on high-throughput TCR discovery from diagnostic tumor biopsies.

Adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can mediate tumor regression, including complete and durable responses, in a range of solid cancers, most notably in melanoma. However, its wider application and efficacy has been restricted by the limited accessibility, proliferative capacity and effector function of tumor-specific TIL. Here, we develop a platform for the efficient identification of tumor-specific TCR genes from diagnostic tumor biopsies, including core-needle biopsies frozen in a non-viable format, to enable engineered T cell therapy.

A diagnostic host-specific transcriptome response for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to guide pediatric patient treatment.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes atypical pneumonia in children and young adults. Its lack of a cell wall makes it resistant to beta-lactams, which are the first-line treatment for typical pneumonia. Current diagnostic tests are time-consuming and have low specificity, leading clinicians to administer empirical antibiotics.

The TRPV1-PKM2-SREBP1 axis maintains microglial lipid homeostasis in Alzheimer's disease.

Microglia are progressively activated by inflammation and exhibit phagocytic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Lipid-droplet-accumulating microglia were identified in the aging mouse and human brain; however, little is known about the formation and role of lipid droplets in microglial neuroinflammation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we report a striking buildup of lipid droplets accumulation in microglia in the 3xTg mouse brain.

Predictive performance of ROX index and its variations for NIV failure.

Objective: To determine whether the ROX index and its variations can predict the risk of intubation in ICU patients receiving NIV ventilation using large public ICU databases.

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Patient data was extracted from both the AmsterdamUMCdb and the MIMIC-IV ICU databases, which contained data related to 20,109 and 50,920 unique patients.

An extensive dataset of spiking activity to reveal the syntax of the ventral stream.

Visual neuroscience benefits from high-quality datasets with neuronal responses to many images. Several neuroimaging datasets have been published in recent years, but no comparable dataset with spiking activity exists. Here, we introduce the THINGS ventral stream spiking dataset (TVSD).

A Patient-Oriented Implementation Strategy for a Perioperative mHealth Intervention: Feasibility Cohort Study.

Background: Day surgery is being increasingly implemented across Europe, driven in part by capacity problems. Patients recovering at home could benefit from tools tailored to their new care setting to effectively manage their convalescence. The mHealth application ikHerstel is one such tool, but although it administers its functions in the home, its implementation hinges on health care professionals within the hospital.

Identifying depression subtypes and investigating their consistency and transitions in a 1-year cohort analysis.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is defined by an array of symptoms that make it challenging to understand the condition at a population level. Subtyping offers a way to unpick this phenotypic diversity for improved disorder characterisation. We aimed to identify depression subtypes longitudinally using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology: Self-Report (IDS-SR).

Adverse health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among long-term adolescent and young adult (AYA) brain tumour survivors: results from the population-based SURVAYA study.

Purpose: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) malignant brain tumour (BT) survivors are at risk of adverse health outcomes, which may impact their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to investigate the (1) prevalence of physical and psychological adverse health outcomes, (2) the HRQoL, and (3) the association of adverse health outcomes and HRQoL among long-term AYA-BT survivors. Adverse health outcomes and HRQoL were compared to other AYA cancer (AYAC) survivors.

Machine learning prediction model for oral mucositis risk in head and neck radiotherapy: a preliminary study.

Purpose: Oral mucositis (OM) reflects a complex interplay of several risk factors. Machine learning (ML) is a promising frontier in science, capable of processing dense information. This study aims to assess the performance of ML in predicting OM risk in patients undergoing head and neck radiotherapy.

Predictors of Bilateral Disease in Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Histopathologic Insights and Preoperative Ultrasonography.

Background: With the current shift toward de-escalation of surgical management in low-risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), understanding predictors and the clinical significance of additional tumors in the contralateral lobe is important. This study investigated the histopathologic predictors of bilateral disease in low-risk PTC patients and the utility of preoperative ultrasonography in guiding completion thyroidectomy decisions.

Methods: Patients treated with total thyroidectomy (TT) for low-risk PTCs (< 4 cm) at the Endocrine Surgical Unit of the Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney from 2013 to 2020 were identified from a prospectively maintained database.

Tenascin-X deficiency causing classical-like Ehlers Danlos syndrome type 1 in humans is a significant risk factor for GI and tracheal ruptures.

Background: Classical-like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome type 1 (clEDS1) is a very rare form of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) caused by tenascin-X (TNX) deficiency, with only 56 individuals reported. TNX is an extracellular matrix protein needed for collagen stability. Previous publications propose that individuals with clEDS1 might be at risk for gastrointestinal (GI) tract perforations and/or tracheal ruptures.

Clinical criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy.

Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) is highly prevalent in late life and a common co-pathology with Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC). LATE-NC is a slowly progressive, amnestic clinical syndrome. Alternatively, when present with ADNC, LATE-NC is associated with a more rapid course.

Chest pain in a multi-ethnic population: A community-based study on sex differences in chest pain prevalence and care contacts.

Objective: While chest pain is a common symptom, its prevalence among women and men across ethnic groups is unknown. Moreover, how chest pain is associated with general practitioner (GP) and cardiologist visits in women and men across ethnic groups, remains to be determined.

Design: We used baseline data on 12423 women and 9071 men from the multi-ethnic HELIUS cohort (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 2011-2015).

Clinical validity of IntelliSpace Cognition digital assessment platform in mild cognitive impairment.

We evaluated a digital cognitive assessment platform, Philips IntelliSpace Cognition, in a case-control study of patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal (CN) older adults. Performance on individual neuropsychological tests, cognitive -scores, and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-specific composite scores was compared between the CN and MCI groups. These groups were matched for age, sex, and education.

Treatment options for Achilles tendinopathy: a scoping review of preclinical studies.

Background: Achilles tendinopathy (AT) management can be difficult, given the paucity of effective treatment options and the degenerative nature of the condition. Innovative therapies for Achilles tendinopathy are therefore direly needed. New therapeutic developments predominantly begin with preclinical animal and in vitro studies to understand the effects at the molecular level and to evaluate toxicity.

Autonomy support in prenatal consultation: A quantitative observation study in maternity care.

Introduction: Maternity care professionals need to guide women through an increasing number of decision-making processes during pregnancy. Professionals tend to focus more on providing information than on decision support. According to the self-determination theory (SDT), professionals could help women make their own choices by fulfilling their three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness through autonomy-supportive interactions.

Beyond single-use: a systematic review of environmental, economic, and clinical impacts of endoscopic surgical instrumentation.

Background: The evolution of endoscopic surgery has introduced a multitude of instruments, available in both disposable and reusable variants, influencing practices across various surgical specialties. Instrument selection is complex, considering individual preferences and institutional factors such as costs, instrument performance, and factors related to cleaning and sterilization. Notably, environmental sustainability has gained prominence due to the threat of climate change.

Safe, effective and cost-effective oxygen saturation targets for children and adolescents with respiratory distress: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (OxyKids study).

Introduction: Little is known about the effectiveness and safety of oxygen saturation (SpO2) thresholds in children admitted with respiratory distress. The current 90%-94% threshold could lead to prolonged administration of supplemental oxygen, increased duration of hospital admissions, distress for children and families, and healthcare costs. To balance reducing unnecessary oxygen administration and preventing hypoxia, a lower SpO2 threshold of 88% for oxygen supplementation in children has been suggested.

Which clinical trial designs and statistical approaches have been used in assessments of orphan maintenance by the European Medicines Agency between 2012 and 2022? A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: In the European Union, a new orphan medicinal product must demonstrate 'significant benefit' over approved medicinal products targeting the same indication. To demonstrate a significant benefit, comparisons between the new product and the already approved medicinal products-either directly by a head-to-head comparison within a clinical trial or indirectly as a cross-trial comparison-are necessary. In this study, we investigate the types of trial designs and statistical approaches used for demonstrating a significant benefit of a new orphan medicinal product against approved comparators used between 2012 and 2022.

Harnessing the tumor microenvironment: targeted cancer therapies through modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is integral to cancer progression, impacting metastasis and treatment response. It consists of diverse cell types, extracellular matrix components, and signaling molecules that interact to promote tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Elucidating the intricate interactions between cancer cells and the TME is crucial in understanding cancer progression and therapeutic challenges.

Nanopore-based consensus sequencing enables accurate multimodal tumor cell-free DNA profiling.

Shallow genome-wide cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing holds great promise for non-invasive cancer monitoring by providing reliable copy number alteration (CNA) and fragmentomic profiles. Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) are, however, much harder to identify with low sequencing depth due to sequencing errors. Here we present Nanopore Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA)-enhanced Consensus Sequencing (NanoRCS), which leverages RCA and consensus calling based on genome-wide long-read nanopore sequencing to enable simultaneous multimodal tumor fraction estimation through SNVs, CNAs, and fragmentomics.