Optical coherence tomography angiography of the retina and choroid in systemic diseases.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has transformed ocular vascular imaging, revealing microvascular changes linked to various systemic diseases. This review explores its applications in diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. While OCTA provides a valuable window into the body's microvasculature, interpreting the findings can be complex.

Association of microaneurysms with retinal vascular alterations in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

Objective: To investigate the localization, distribution, and type of central microaneurysms (MAs) and their relationship with retinal vascular alterations in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ultra-widefield color fundus photography (UWF-CF), standard and single-capture 65° widefield (WF) optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were performed in consecutive patients with RVO treated at the Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna. UWF-CF, en face and B-Scans in 6 mm × 6 mm OCTA were examined for detection of MAs.

Progressive Encephalomyelitis With Rigidity and Myoclonus With Glycine Receptor and GAD65 Antibodies: Case Report and Potential Mechanisms.

Objectives: Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) is a severe form of stiff-person spectrum disorder that can be associated with antibodies against surface antigens (glycine receptor (GlyR), dipeptidyl-peptidase-like-protein-6) and intracellular antigens (glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65), amphiphysin).

Methods: We report clinico-pathologic findings of a PERM patient with coexisting GlyR and GAD65 antibodies.

Results: A 75-year-old man presented with myoclonus and pain of the legs, subsequently developed severe motor symptoms, hyperekplexia, a pronounced startle reflex, hallucinations, dysautonomia, and died 10 months after onset despite extensive immunotherapy, symptomatic treatment, and continuous intensive care support.

Mechanically Adjustable 4-Channel RF Transceiver Coil Array for Rat Brain Imaging in a Whole-Body 7 T MR Scanner.

Investigations of human brain disorders are frequently conducted in rodent models using magnetic resonance imaging. Due to the small specimen size and the increase in signal-to-noise ratio with the static magnetic field strength, dedicated small-bore animal scanners can be used to acquire high-resolution data. Ultra-high-field (≥7 T) whole-body human scanners are increasingly available, and they can also be used for animal investigations.

Wide Dynamic Range Digital Aberration Measurement and Fast Anterior-Segment OCT Imaging .

Ocular aberrometry with a wide dynamic range for assessing vision performance and anterior segment imaging that provides anatomical details of the eye are both essential for vision research and clinical applications. Defocus error is a major limitation of digital wavefront aberrometry (DWA), as the blurring of the detected point spread function (PSF) significantly reduces the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) beyond the ±3 D range. With the aid of Badal-like precompensation of defocus, the dynamic defocus range of the captured aberrated PSFs can be effectively extended.

Comparing Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Metrics in Healthy Chinese and Caucasian Adults.

Background: The goal of the present study was to identify differences in retinal microvasculature between healthy Caucasians and healthy Asians in order to provide a better understanding of the variability between different ethnic groups.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 191 healthy Chinese and Caucasian participants were enrolled. They underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scans with Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 Spectral-Domain with AngioPlex.

Glioblastoma in the real-world setting: patterns of care and outcome in the Austrian population.

Purpose: We present results of a retrospective population-based investigation of patterns of care and outcome of glioblastoma patients in Austria.

Patients And Methods: In this nation-wide cooperative project, all Austrian glioblastoma patients newly diagnosed between 2014 and 2018 and registered in the ABTR-SANOnet database were included. Histological typing used criteria of the WHO classification of CNS tumors, 4th edition 2016.

Deep learning links localized digital pathology phenotypes with transcriptional subtype and patient outcome in glioblastoma.

Background: Deep learning has revolutionized medical image analysis in cancer pathology, where it had a substantial clinical impact by supporting the diagnosis and prognostic rating of cancer. Among the first available digital resources in the field of brain cancer is glioblastoma, the most common and fatal brain cancer. At the histologic level, glioblastoma is characterized by abundant phenotypic variability that is poorly linked with patient prognosis.

Dose-Dependent Target Engagement of a Clinical Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Protocol: An Interleaved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Healthy People.

Background: Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is widely applied as a therapeutic intervention in mental health; however, the understanding of its mechanisms is still incomplete. Prior magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have mainly used offline iTBS or short sequences in concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-functional MRI (fMRI). This study investigated a full 600-stimuli iTBS protocol using interleaved TMS-fMRI in comparison with 2 control conditions in healthy subjects.

Anatomical compensation of retinal nerve fiber layer improves the detection of glaucoma between ethnicities.

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of compensating retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness for demographic and anatomical factors on glaucoma detection in Chinese and Indian adults. A population-based study included 1995 healthy participants (1076 Chinese and 919 Indians) to construct a multivariable linear regression compensation model. This model was applied to 357 Chinese glaucoma patients, 357 healthy Chinese, and 357 healthy Indians using Cirrus spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Confocal Microscopy of the Cornea in Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Disease-A Literature Review.

Background: In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) is a vital tool in studying dry eye disease (DED), providing insights into morphological changes at ocular surface unit levels. This review presents the main differences in corneal structure between aqueous-deficient dry eye disease (AD-DED) and normal eyes.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and MEDLINE databases from January 2000 to December 2023 was conducted.

The impact of print orientation and graphene nanoplatelets on biaxial flexural strength and cytotoxicity of a 3D printable resin for occlusal splints.

Objectives: 3D printing found its way into various medical applications and could be particularly beneficial for dentistry. Currently, materials for 3D printing of occlusal splints lack mechanical strength compared to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) used for standard milling of occlusal splints. It is known that print orientation and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) can increase biaxial strength in a variety of materials.

Unraveling the physiological and psychosocial signatures of pain by machine learning.

Background: Pain is a complex subjective experience, strongly impacting health and quality of life. Despite many attempts to find effective solutions, present treatments are generic, often unsuccessful, and present significant side effects. Designing individualized therapies requires understanding of multidimensional pain experience, considering physical and emotional aspects.

Preoperative anatomical landmarks and longitudinal HeartMate 3 pump position in X-rays: Relevance for adverse events.

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) malposition has been linked to hemocompatibility-related adverse events (HRAEs). This study aimed to identify preoperative anatomical landmarks and postoperative pump position, associated with HRAEs during LVAD support.

Methods: Pre- and postoperative chest X-ray measures (≤14 days pre-implantation, first postoperative standing, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-implantation) were analyzed for their association with HRAEs over 24 months in 33 HeartMate 3 (HM3) patients (15.

The utility of temporal trends of blood biomarkers as predictors for bloodstream infections in left ventricular assist device recipients.

Background: Temporal trends of routinely obtained parameters may provide valuable information for predicting BSIs, but this association has not yet been established in LVAD patients.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included data from 347 consecutive recipients of three rotary LVAD types. Study endpoints included the incidence of BSI, the association of temporal trends of routinely obtained blood biomarkers with the development of BSIs, the incidence of BSIs, and survival on LVAD support.

Mechanical properties of additively manufactured lattice structures composed of zirconia and hydroxyapatite ceramics.

Ceramic lattices hold great potential for bone scaffolds to facilitate bone regeneration and integration of native tissue with medical implants. While there have been several studies on additive manufacturing of ceramics and their osseointegrative and osteoconductive properties, there is a lack of a comprehensive examination of their mechanical behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the mechanical properties of different additively manufactured ceramic lattice structures under different loading conditions and their overall ability to mimic bone tissue properties.

Design and optimization of a novel patient-specific subperiosteal implant additively manufactured in yttria-stabilized zirconia.

Objective: To design a patient-specific subperiosteal implant for a severely atrophic maxillary ridge using yttria-stabilized additively manufactured zirconia (3YSZ) and evaluate its material properties by applying topology optimization (TO) to replace bulk material with a lattice structure.

Materials: A contrast-based segmented skull model from anonymized computed tomography data of a patient was used for the initial anatomical design of the implant for the atrophic maxillary ridge. The implant underwent finite element analysis (FEA) and TO under different occlusal load-bearing conditions.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing reveals glial cell type-specific responses to ischemic stroke in male rodents.

Neuroglia critically shape the brain´s response to ischemic stroke. However, their phenotypic heterogeneity impedes a holistic understanding of the cellular composition of the early ischemic lesion. Here we present a single cell resolution transcriptomics dataset of the brain´s acute response to infarction.

Towards enhanced functionality of vagus neuroprostheses through in silico optimized stimulation.

Bioelectronic therapies modulating the vagus nerve are promising for cardiovascular, inflammatory, and mental disorders. Clinical applications are however limited by side-effects such as breathing obstruction and headache caused by non-specific stimulation. To design selective and functional stimulation, we engineered VaStim, a realistic and efficient in-silico model.

AI-enhanced Mammography With Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for Breast Cancer Detection: Clinical Value and Comparison With Human Performance.

Purpose To compare two deep learning-based commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) systems for mammography with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and benchmark them against the performance of radiologists. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive asymptomatic patients who underwent mammography with DBT (2019-2020). Two AI systems (Transpara 1.

Localization of protoporphyrin IX during glioma-resection surgery via paired stimulated Raman histology and fluorescence microscopy.

The most widely used fluorophore in glioma-resection surgery, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), is thought to cause the selective accumulation of fluorescent protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumour cells. Here we show that the clinical detection of PpIX can be improved via a microscope that performs paired stimulated Raman histology and two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy (TPEF). We validated the technique in fresh tumour specimens from 115 patients with high-grade gliomas across four medical institutions.

Minimal Detectable Bone Fracture Gaps in CT Images and Digital Three-Dimensional (3D) Radii Models.

Knowledge of the minimal detectable bone fracture gap is essential in three-dimensional (3D) models, particularly in pre-operative planning of osteosynthesis to avoid overlooking gaps. In this study, defined incisions and bony displacements ranging from 100 to 400 µm were created in diaphyseal radii in 20 paired forearm specimens and verified with light microscopy. The specimens were scanned utilizing different computed tomography (CT) technologies/scanners, specimen positionings, scan protocols, image segmentations, and processing protocols.