Methotrexate treatment in hand osteoarthritis refractory to usual treatments: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: To examine the effect of methotrexate (MTX) on pain and structural progression in symptomatic erosive hand osteoarthritis (HOA).

Methods: This 1-year prospective, single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (www.ClinicalTrial.

Natural variants suppress mutations in hundreds of essential genes.

The consequence of a mutation can be influenced by the context in which it operates. For example, loss of gene function may be tolerated in one genetic background, and lethal in another. The extent to which mutant phenotypes are malleable, the architecture of modifiers and the identities of causal genes remain largely unknown.

Effects of age, gender, frailty and falls on spatiotemporal gait parameters: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Many studies have explored spatial and temporal gait parameters in the elderly, and showed that frailty status, fall history, age, and gender may individually strongly influence these parameters. However, it appears necessary to investigate the confounding factors more deeply in order to better know the specific role of each of these factors impacting the evolution of gait with the increase of age.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of frailty status, fall history, age and gender on spatiotemporal gait parameters.

ndocrine therapy with accelerated artial breast irradiatin or exclusive ultra-accelerated artial breast irradiation for women aged ≥ 60 years with arly-stage breast cancer (EPOPE): The rationale for a GEC-ESTRO randomized phase III-controlled trial.

Purpose: Breast cancer in the elderly has become a public health concern; there is a need to re-design its treatment with a view to de-escalation. Our paper sets out the rationale for a phase 3 randomized trial to evaluate less burdensome adjuvant procedures that remain effective and efficient.

Materials And Methods: For low-risk breast cancer in the elderly, adjuvant treatment has been adjusted in order to make it more suitable and efficient.

Salvage stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for intraprostatic relapse after prostate cancer radiotherapy: An ESTRO ACROP Delphi consensus.

Background And Purpose: Between 30% and 47% of patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer are at risk of intraprostatic recurrence during follow-up. Re-irradiation with stereotactic body RT (SBRT) is emerging as a feasible and safe therapeutic option. However, no consensus or guidelines exist on this topic.

APBI Versus Ultra-APBI in the Elderly With Low-Risk Breast Cancer: A Comparative Analysis of Oncological Outcome and Late Toxicity.

Purpose: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) represents a validated technique for low-risk breast cancer. Recently, ultra-APBI (uAPBI) using fewer than 5 fractions was described in the literature. We compared clinical outcomes and late toxicity after APBI or uAPBI in older patients.

Vascularization of the lateral and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerves by cutaneous perforator arteries: An anatomical study.

The forearm is an interesting donor site for non-vascularized nerve grafts, especially hand surgeons. Very few studies have described the use of the lateral and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerves (LABCN and MABCN, respectively) as vascularized nerve grafts (VNGs). The aim of this anatomical study was to analyze the characteristics and vascularization of these nerves to describe new potential donor sites for VNGs.

The cardiovascular safety of oral alitretinoin: a population-based cohort study involving 19 513 patients exposed to oral alitretinoin.

Background: Oral alitretinoin is a retinoid used for severe chronic hand eczema. Although caution is recommended for patients with uncontrolled dyslipidaemia or cardiovascular risk factors, the actual atherothrombotic risk has not been investigated thus far.

Objectives: To detect any excess of atherothrombotic events among patients exposed to alitretinoin, during treatment or in the 2 years following initiation.

A Comparison of Two Statistical Mapping Tools for Automated Brain FDG-PET Analysis in Predicting Conversion to Alzheimer's Disease in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objective: Automated voxel-based analysis methods are used to detect cortical hypometabolism typical of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) on FDG-PET brain scans. We compared the accuracy of two clinically validated tools for their ability to identify those MCI subjects progressing to AD at followup, to evaluate the impact of the analysis method on FDG-PET diagnostic performance.

Methods: SPMGrid and BRASS (Hermes Medical Solutions, Stockholm, Sweden) were tested on 131 MCI and elderly healthy controls from the EADC PET dataset.

Validity of differentiated ratings of perceived exertion for use during aquatic cycling.

Background: Although aquabiking has become widespread, the assessment of the intensity for aquatic cycling remains poorly defined.

Methods: This study investigated the validity of differentiated ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) recorded from the chest (RPE-chest) and legs (RPE-legs) during aquatic cycling and aimed to determine a simple and accurate estimate of dRPE to regulate aquabiking. Twelve active young subjects performed a pedaling task on an immersed ergocycle using randomly imposed cycling cadences ranging from 50 to 100 rpm in 3-minute steps interspersed by 3-minute active recovery periods.

Topographical analysis of structural lesions between dominant and non-dominant hands in erosive osteoarthritis.

Key Messages: No difference between both hands was observed for clinical and radiographical presentations in EHOA patients. A bilateral and symmetrical relationship was found between hand joints.

Highlights: EHOA have symmetrical distribution and specific association in structural lesions.

Performance of at-home self-collected saliva and nasal-oropharyngeal swabs in the surveillance of COVID-19.

: SARS-CoV-2 quickly spreads in the worldwide population, imposing social restrictions to control the infection, being the massive testing another essential strategy to break the chain of transmission. : To compare the performance of at-home self-collected samples - saliva and combined nasal-oropharyngeal swabs (NOP) - for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a telemedicine platform for COVID-19 surveillance. : We analyzed 201 patients who met the criteria of suspected COVID-19.

Salvage Mastectomy Versus Second Conservative Treatment for Second Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Event: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Analysis of the GEC-ESTRO Breast Cancer Working Group Database.

Purpose: Second conservative treatment has emerged as an option for patients with a second ipsilateral breast tumor event after conserving surgery and breast irradiation. We aimed to address the lack of evidence regarding second breast event treatment by comparing oncologic outcomes after conservative treatment or mastectomy.

Methods And Materials: Oncologic outcomes were analyzed using a propensity score-matched cohort analysis study on patients who received a diagnosis of a second breast event between January 1995 and June 2017.

Postural Control While Walking Interferes With Spatial Learning in Older Adults Navigating in a Real Environment.

Cognitive demands for postural control increase with aging and cognitive-motor interference (CMI) exists for a number of walking situations, especially with visuo-spatial cognitive tasks. Such interference also influences spatial learning abilities among older adults; however, this is rarely considered in research on aging in spatial navigation. We posited that visually and physically exploring an unknown environment may be subject to CMI for older adults.

Results of Standard Stapler Closure of Pancreatic Remnant After Distal Spleno-Pancreatectomy for Adenocarcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of stapled closure of the pancreatic remnant after cold-knife section of the pancreatic isthmus and distal pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma. A retrospective evaluation of 57 consecutive patients undergoing distal spleno-pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma was performed. The pancreatic isthmus was systematically straight-sectioned with a cold knife, and the remnant was stapled close without additional stitches or adjuncts.

Visceral fat is associated to the severity of COVID-19.

Background: Excess visceral fat (VF) or high body mass index (BMI) is risk factors for severe COVID-19. The receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is expressed at higher levels in the VF than in the subcutaneous fat (SCF) of obese patients.

Aim: To show that visceral fat accumulation better predicts severity of COVID-19 outcome compared to either SCF amounts or BMI.

Differential Brain Activity in Regions Linked to Visuospatial Processing During Landmark-Based Navigation in Young and Healthy Older Adults.

Older adults have difficulties in navigating unfamiliar environments and updating their wayfinding behavior when faced with blocked routes. This decline in navigational capabilities has traditionally been ascribed to memory impairments and dysexecutive function, whereas the impact of visual aging has often been overlooked. The ability to perceive visuospatial information such as salient landmarks is essential to navigating efficiently.

Evidences of a Direct Relationship between Cellular Fuel Supply and Ciliogenesis Regulated by Hypoxic VDAC1-ΔC.

Metabolic flexibility is the ability of a cell to adapt its metabolism to changes in its surrounding environment. Such adaptability, combined with apoptosis resistance provides cancer cells with a survival advantage. Mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) has been defined as a metabolic checkpoint at the crossroad of these two processes.

Insulin and obesity transform hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stemness and function in a hyperactive state.

Objective: Metabolic diseases are an increasing problem in society with the brain-metabolic axis as a master regulator of the human body for sustaining homeostasis under metabolic stress. However, metabolic inflammation and disease will trigger sustained activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this study, we investigated the role of metabolic stress on progenitor cells in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Arterial grafts for proper palmar digital artery reconstruction: An anatomical study.

Digital ischemia due to arterial defects need urgent surgical management. The traditional treatment consists of vascular reconstruction using a reversed autologous venous graft as a bypass. Very few studies have described the use of arterial grafts for digital artery reconstruction.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation in the elderly: 8-year oncological outcomes and prognostic factors.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes and prognostic factors after accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in the elderly using high-dose-rate interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy (HIBT).

Methods And Materials: Between 2005 and 2018, 109 patients underwent APBI using HIBT (34 Gy/10f/5d or 32 Gy/8f/4d). Based on a prospective database, outcomes were retrospectively analyzed (local relapse-free survival, metastatic-free survival, specific survival (SS), and overall survival (OS)).