Biomarker-Directed Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Importance: Integration of molecular biomarker information into systemic therapy has become standard practice in breast cancer care. However, its implementation in guiding radiotherapy (RT) is slower. Although postoperative RT is recommended for most patients after breast-conserving surgery and, depending on risk factors, following mastectomy, emerging evidence has indicated that patients with low scores on gene expression signatures or selected clinical-pathological features may have very low local recurrence rates.

Investigating amygdala nuclei volumes in military personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and adjustment disorder: A retrospective cross-sectional study using clinical routine data.

Background: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Adjustment Disorder (AdjD) are highly prevalent among military personnel, often presenting diagnostic challenges due to overlapping symptoms and reliance on self-reporting. The amygdala, particularly the basolateral complex involved in fear-related memory formation and extinction recall, plays a crucial role in emotional processing. Abnormalities in these amygdala nuclei are implicated in PTSD and may distinguish it from other disorders like MDD and AdjD, where these mechanisms are less central.

Occupational exposures and coronary heart disease in the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) - a cross-sectional study.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death among adults in Germany. There is evidence that occupational exposure to particulate matter, noise, psychosocial stressors, shift work and high physical workload are associated with CHD. The aim of this study is to identify occupations that are associated with CHD and to elaborate on occupational exposures associated with CHD by using the job exposure matrix (JEM) BAuA-JEM ETB 2018 in a German study population.

Joint action partners modulate the first step of an action sequence to communicate a distal goal.

When two co-actors perform a joint action, they often communicatively modulate their instrumental actions so as to facilitate each other's predictions of their immediate, proximal goals. Here, we ask whether co-actors would also engage in such "sensorimotor communication" for distal goals, specifically those that result from a two-step action sequence. To address this question, we asked pairs of participants to work together to deliver an animated box to one of two delivery locations displayed on a computer screen.

Promotion of Cardiovascular Health in Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel.

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide.

Maximal mouth opening in infants and toddlers with spinal muscular atrophy: a prospective controlled study.

Background: Bulbar function is frequently impaired in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Although extremely important for the patient's quality of life, it is difficult to address therapeutically. Due to bulbar dysfunction, maximum mouth opening (MMO) is suspected to be reduced in children with SMA.

Identification and characterization of tumor and stromal derived liquid biopsy analytes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The lack of predictive biomarkers contributes notably to the poor outcomes of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the key components of the prominent PDAC stroma. Data on clinical relevance of CAFs entering the bloodstream, known as circulating CAFs (cCAFs) are scarce.

Daratumumab plus lenalidomide/dexamethasone in untreated multiple myeloma: analysis of key subgroups of the MAIA study.

In the MAIA study (median follow-up, 56.2 months), daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival versus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) alone in transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). In this post hoc analysis of clinically important subgroups in MAIA (median follow-up, 64.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are refractory to disease-modifying therapy (DMT). AHSCT after failure of high-efficacy DMT in aggressive forms of relapsing-remitting MS is a generally accepted indication, yet the optimal placement of this approach in the treatment sequence is not universally agreed upon. Uncertainties also remain with respect to other indications, such as in rapidly evolving, severe, treatment-naive MS, progressive MS, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy for medium vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke patients with ASPECTS 4-5 vs. 6-7: a retrospective, multicenter, and multinational study.

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) efficacy in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke, particularly in patients with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS), remains less explored.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 443 AIS patients treated with MT for MeVO and low ASPECTS (4-7) at 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe, from September 2017 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into ASPECTS of 4-5 and 6-7.

Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study.

Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14-23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years ( = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters.

Salvage Autologous Transplant in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma: Long-Term Follow-Up of the Phase 3 GMMG ReLApsE Trial.

The multicenter, phase III GMMG ReLApsE trial (EudraCT-No:2009-013856-61) randomized relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients equally to lenalidomide/dexamethasone (LEN/DEX, 25mg days 1-21/40mg weekly, 4-week cycles) re-induction, salvage high dose chemotherapy (sHDCT, melphalan 200mg/m2), autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and LEN maintenance (10mg/day; transplant arm, n=139) versus continuous LEN/DEX (control arm, n=138). Ninety-four percent of patients had received frontline HDCT/ASCT. We report an updated analysis of survival endpoints with a median follow-up of 99 months.

Minimally invasive versus open surgery for nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNETs) have been diagnosed increasingly often but still represent rare pancreatic neoplasms. Surgery is a potentially curative approach for patients with NF-PNETs. In recent years, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been applied more frequently for surgical resection of NF-PNETs.

Patient-reported outcome measures for post-COVID-19 condition: a systematic review of instruments and measurement properties.

Objectives: Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), also referred to as Long COVID, has become an emerging public health issue requiring adequate prevention, treatment and management strategies. Evaluating these strategies from the patients' perspective using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is critical. In this systematic review, we aimed to critically appraise and summarise the quality of existing PROMs for PCC, and to identify PROMs that can be recommended for use in future research.

Hydrolysis of chitin and chitosans by the human chitinolytic enzymes: chitotriosidase, acidic mammalian chitinase, and lysozyme.

Human chitinolytic enzymes trigger growing interest, not only because a wide range of diseases and allergic responses are linked to chitinous components of pathogens, including their interplay with human enzymes, but also due to the increasing use of chitosans in biomedical applications. Here, we present a detailed side-by-side analysis of the only two human chitinases, chitotriosidase and acidic mammalian chitinase, as well as human lysozyme. By analyzing the cleavage of well-characterized chitosan polymers and defined chitin and chitosan oligomers, we report mild processivity and a quantitative subsite preference typical for GH18 chitinases for chitotriosidase and acidic mammalian chitinase.

Nerve transfer of the median flexor pollicis brevis branch to the deep branch of the ulnar nerve for ulnar nerve palsy: a cadaveric feasibility study.

An ulnar nerve (UN) palsy is devastating for hand function, resulting in an intrinsic minus position or claw hand with a loss of pinch grip. Distal nerve transfers facilitate faster reinnervation of hand intrinsic muscles in cases of proximal ulnar nerve lesions. The traditional anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to UN motor transfer is commonly used, however, this still leads to long reinnervation times for the distal intrinsic muscles, important for the thumb to index pinch grip.

Exploring Tetraselmis chui microbiomes-functional metagenomics for novel catalases and superoxide dismutases.

The focus on microalgae for applications in several fields, e.g. resources for biofuel, the food industry, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, biotechnology, and healthcare, has gained increasing attention over the last decades.

Efficacy and safety of antiviral therapies for the treatment of persistent COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients since the Omicron surge: a systematic review.

Background: Persistent COVID-19 (pCOVID-19) in immunocompromised patients is characterized by unspecific symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates due to ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication. Treatment options remain unclear, leading to different approaches, including combination therapy and extended durations. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of antiviral therapies for pCOVID-19 in immunocompromised patients since the Omicron surge.

Sacubitril/valsartan reduces proteasome activation and cardiomyocyte area in an experimental mouse model of hypertrophy.

Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) belongs to the group of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors and has been used for the treatment of heart failure (HF) for several years. The mechanisms that mediate the beneficial effects of Sac/Val are not yet fully understood. In this study we investigated whether Sac/Val influences the two proteolytic systems, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP), in a mouse model of pressure overload induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) treated with endothelin-1 (ET1) serving as a human cellular model of hypertrophy.

Clinical validation of artificial intelligence-based single-subject morphometry without normative reference database.

Background: Single-subject voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a powerful technique for reader-independent detection of brain atrophy in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to support the (differential) diagnosis and staging of neurodegenerative diseases in individual patients. However, VBM is sensitive to the MRI scanner platform and details of the acquisition sequence. To mitigate this limitation, we recently proposed and validated a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based VBM which does not rely on a normative reference database.