Value of multi-parameter I-MIBG scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Background: I-MIBG scintigraphy plays a significant role in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD), with most studies primarily targeting cardiac uptake and relying on traditional ratio-based parameters for assessment. However, due to variations in scanning conditions and image processing methodologies, the clinical utility of different parameters remains a subject of debate. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multi-parameter I-3-Iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy and to identify the most reliable metrics for distinguishing PD from Parkinson-plus syndromes.

Hearing loss and risk of major osteoporotic fracture: a population-based cohort study in the United Kingdom.

Unlabelled: Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, our cohort study matched 237,297 individuals with hearing loss (HL) to 829,431 without HL. The study found an 8-10% higher risk of major osteoporotic fracture in individuals with HL compared to those without. Additionally, within the HL cohort, we identified risk factors for potential inclusion in fracture risk models.

Childhood BMI trajectories and sociodemographic factors in an Italian pediatric population.

Childhood obesity is a growing global concern due to its long-term health consequences. Yet, more research relying on multiple time-point BMI measurements is warranted to gain further insight into obesity's temporal trends. We aimed to identify BMI trajectories in children aged 2-10 years and evaluate their association with sociodemographic factors.

Associations between common genetic variants and income provide insights about the socio-economic health gradient.

We conducted a genome-wide association study on income among individuals of European descent (N = 668,288) to investigate the relationship between socio-economic status and health disparities. We identified 162 genomic loci associated with a common genetic factor underlying various income measures, all with small effect sizes (the Income Factor). Our polygenic index captures 1-5% of income variance, with only one fourth due to direct genetic effects.

Network dynamics in post-stroke cognitive impairment: insights from effective connectivity analysis.

This study investigates post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) by utilizing spectral dynamic causal modeling (spDCM) to examine changes in effective connectivity (EC) within the default mode, executive control, dorsal attention, and salience networks. Forty-one PSCI patients and 41 demographically matched healthy controls underwent 3D-T1WI and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging on a 3.0T MRI.

Assessment of retinal pigment epithelium tears in eyes with submacular hemorrhage secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

To assess retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears in eyes which underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for submacular hemorrhage (SMH) secondary to age-related macular degeneration and to investigate the prognostic factors of visual outcomes. This study was a retrospective, observational case series that included 24 eyes of 24 patients who underwent PPV with subretinal tissue plasminogen activator and air for SMH. RPE tears were investigated using spectral-domain or swept-source optical coherence tomography images with raster scan, combined confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope near-infrared images and color fundus photographs.

Lenvatinib versus sorafenib as second-line therapy following progression on atezolizumab-bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study from Korea and Japan.

Purpose: Atezolizumab-bevacizumab (AB) is the established first-line systemic therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, the optimal second-line treatment for patients unresponsive to AB remains undefined.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included patients with uHCC who underwent second-line treatment with lenvatinib (LEN) or sorafenib (SOR) after AB failure at two academic centers between June 2018 and November 2023.

Betula pendula Roth. survival and growth in treeline is affected by genotype and environment.

Alpine and Arctic treelines are assumed to be shifting toward higher latitudes and altitudes as a consequence of climate warming. Here, we compared the survival and growth of 1264 silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) trees representing nine half-sib families.

Assessment of Opuntia ficus-indica supplementation on enhancing antioxidant levels.

Opuntia ficus-indica (OFi) is a major fruit source prevalent in semiarid and arid regions across various countries worldwide. It is widely recognised for its potential health benefits; however, most studies investigating its effects have been limited to pre-clinical models, highlighting the need for further validation through clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of OFi supplementation in enhancing antioxidant levels.

DRAM1 enhances the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and energy metabolism.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor of the digestive system that is often diagnosed at advanced stages owing to inconspicuous early symptoms and a lack of specific examination methods. Effective treatment of advanced stages remains challenging, emphasizing the need for new therapeutic targets. Metabolic reprogramming, a hallmark of tumors, plays a pivotal role in tumor progression, immune evasion, and immune surveillance.

The effect of air pollution exposure on foetal growth restriction in pregnant women who conceived by in vitro fertilisation a cross-sectional study.

Studies investigating the relationship between exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy and foetal growth restriction (FGR) in women who conceive by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are lacking. The objective was to investigate the effect of air pollutant exposure in pregnancy on FGR in pregnant women who conceive by IVF. We included pregnant women who conceived by IVF and delivered healthy singleton babies in Guangzhou from October 2018 to September 2023.

Impact of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis on quality of life and locomotive syndrome in community-dwelling older adults: the Yakumo study.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a common disease in older adults that causes extensive spinal ankylosis. However, its impact on quality of life (QOL) and locomotive syndrome (LS) remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the DISH effect on QOL and LS in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

Preliminary evidence of immune infiltration and neutrophil degranulation in peripheral blood of non-obese OSA patients related to cognitive decline.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients have varying degrees of cognitive impairment, but the specific pathogenic mechanism is still unclear. Meanwhile, poor compliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in OSA prompts better solutions. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes between the non-obese OSA patients and healthy controls, and to explore potential biomarkers associated with cognitive impairment.

Clinical characteristics and predictive biomarkers of intensive care unit-acquired weakness in patients with cardiogenic shock requiring mechanical circulatory support.

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is recognized as newly-acquired bilateral muscle weakness, which is a complication of critical illness in the ICU; however, there are no reports on the pathogenesis and early predictors of ICU-AW specifically associated with cardiogenic shock (CS). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of ICU-AW in patients with CS requiring mechanical circulatory support (MCS). This study was a single-center, prospective, and observational study.

Hypertensive load predicts recovery of renal function for patients undergoing revascularisation for renal artery stenosis.

Renal ischaemia due to renal artery stenosis produces two differing responses - a juxtaglomerular hypertensive response and cortical renal dysfunction. The reversibility of renal impairment is not predictable, and thus renal revascularisation is controversial. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the hypertensive response to renal ischaemia reflects viable renal parenchyma, and thus could be used to predict the recovery in renal function.

The association between age at menarche (AAM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the MASHAD cohort study.

Age at menarche may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in different ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with age at menarche (AAM) in Mashhad, the second biggest city in Iran. This was a cross- sectional study based on cohort data of 2353 women (35-65 years) from Mashhad, Iran for whom the age at menarche was reported.

The link between sleep bruxism and oxidative stress based on a polysomnographic study.

Oxidative stress is proven to increase cardiovascular risk and to diminish healthy life expectancy. Sleep bruxism (SB) is a prevalent masticatory muscle activity during sleep characterized by heterogeneous etiology and inadequately recognized pathophysiology. Recent theories have proposed a potential association between SB and oxidative stress.

Programmed cell death-related gene IL20RA facilitates tumor progression and remodels tumor microenvironment in thyroid cancer.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a vital biological process that is essential for regulating cell progression and tumor microenvironment. This study aimed to explore the relationship between PCD-related genes expression and prognosis in thyroid cancer (THCA), especially IL20RA, as a potential prognostic marker for THCA. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was utilized to develop a PCD-related risk prediction model based on LASSO regression along with univariate Cox regression.

Association between airway microbiota and systemic inflammation markers in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Growing evidences have suggested the airway microbiota may participate in lung cancer progression. However, little was known about the relationship between airway microbiota and lung cancer associated systemic inflammation. Here we aimed to explore the association between sputum microbiota and systemic inflammation in lung cancer.

Symptom-based depression subtypes: brain dynamic specificity and its association with gene expression profiles.

At least 227 combinations of symptoms meet the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, in clinical practice, patients consistently present symptoms in a regular rather than random manner, and the neural basis underlying the MDD subtypes remains unclear. To help clarify the neural basis, patients with MDD were clustered by symptom combinations to investigate the neural underpinning of each subtype using functional resonance imaging (fMRI).

Surveillance of primary sclerosing cholangitis - a comparison of scheduled or on-demand ERCP with annual MRI surveillance: a multicenter study.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is associated with a high risk of hepatobiliary malignancy, especially cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). There are no good tumor markers to screen for CCA, and current recommendations for PSC monitoring are mainly based on expert opinions. The optimal strategy to assess disease progression and screen for CCA - the main cause of death of PSC patients - remains unclear.

Illnesses and Diseases Constitute a Quarter of Medical Conditions in an Under-21 National Football Team.

Context: There is a minimal number of studies of under-21-year-old national football teams, and the literature is injury centric. Particularly, current knowledge is deficient regarding noninjurious medical conditions, such as illnesses and diseases.

Design: The objectives of this study were to analyze the descriptive characteristics of injuries and illnesses or diseases encountered in an under-21 football team during 2 European championship qualification tournaments.

The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Fourth report: Focus on standardized outcome ratios.

Objectives: This fourth report aimed to provide insights into patient characteristics, outcomes, and standardized outcome ratios of patients implanted with durable Mechanical Circulatory Support across participating centers in the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) registry.

Methods: All registered patients receiving durable mechanical circulatory support up to August 2024 were included. Expected number of events were predicted using penalized logistic regression.