Improving magnetic field homogeneity in prostate MR imaging and spectroscopy using an add-on local external shim coil array.

Objective: To improve B field homogeneity in prostate MR imaging and spectroscopy using a custom-designed 16-channel external local shim coil array.

Methods: In vivo prostate imaging was performed in seven healthy volunteers (mean age: 40.7 years) without bowel preparation.

"Dozing off" in the car and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Parkinson's disease: a survey of 125 patients.

Parkinson's disease patients are at increased risk of road traffic and car accidents and those with excessive daytime sleepiness are specially susceptible. Abnormal scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale predicts risk for driving-related somnolence which may cause road traffic accidents in driving patients as many such patients declare dozing of while in a car. Our study estimates that over 40% of patients with daytime somnolence have risks of dozing off in a car.

Tiredness/fatigue and sexuality in everyday life: Findings from an ecological momentary assessment.

Tiredness may be associated with increased or decreased sexual experience and behavior while fatigue seems to have a predominantly negative effect, although evidence is scarce. This ecological momentary assessment study is the first to examine associations between tiredness or fatigue and concurrent / subsequent sexual desire or sexual arousal and previous / subsequent sexual activity in daily life, including event-based measurements and considering gender differences. Healthy heterosexual individuals (n = 63), aged between 19 and 32 years and in a relationship, indicated their tiredness, general fatigue, physical fatigue, sexual desire, and sexual arousal on an iPod seven times daily over 14 days, and any event-based occurrences of sexual activity.

Physician-led versus questionnaire-based psychosocial screening in adults with high-grade glioma: a cluster-randomized controlled trial (GLIOPT).

Purpose: Patients diagnosed with high-grade gliomas (HGG) often experience substantial psychosocial dis-tress. However, due to neurological and neurocognitive deficits its assessment remains challenging, and needs remain unmet. We compared a novel face-to-face assessment during doctor-patient conversations with questionnaire-based screening.

Implementing a Resource-Light and Low-Code Large Language Model System for Information Extraction from Mammography Reports: A Pilot Study.

Large language models (LLMs) have been successfully used for data extraction from free-text radiology reports. Most current studies were conducted with LLMs accessed via an application programming interface (API). We evaluated the feasibility of using open-source LLMs, deployed on limited local hardware resources for data extraction from free-text mammography reports, using a common data element (CDE)-based structure.

MiNEN, amphicrine carcinomas, and conventional carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation: diagnostic criteria, open questions, and future perspectives.

Mixed neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNEN) represent a heterogeneous group of bidirectionally differentiated epithelial malignancies that are, in most cases, highly aggressive. They are defined by the presence of morphologically distinct, yet clonally related, neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine components, each comprising at least 30% of the tumor mass according to current guidelines. Tumors that fall within the differential diagnostic spectrum of MiNEN include amphicrine carcinomas-characterized by the co-expression of neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine features within the same tumor cell-as well as conventional carcinomas that lack neuroendocrine morphology but exhibit immunohistochemical expression of neuroendocrine markers.

Sustainable and healthy diet index (SHDI) unveils regional differences in Europe and Northern Africa: findings from the SysOrg study.

Purpose: We developed a diet quality index based on the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) to assess healthy and sustainable diets. The index was applied alongside socio-demographic characteristics in five regions across Europe and North Africa.

Methods: The Sustainable Healthy Diet Index (SHDI) was designed using existing and validated healthy diet indexes.

Exploring Differentially Expressed Genes and Understanding the Underlying Mechanisms in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Current treatment options, including surgical excision, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have Limited efficacy, with a median survival rate of approximately 15 months. To develop novel therapeutics, it is crucial to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms driving glioblastoma.

Assessment of genomic prediction capabilities of transcriptome data in a barley multi-parent RIL population.

Low-cost and high-throughput RNA sequencing data for barley RILs achieved GP performance comparable to or better than traditional SNP array datasets when combined with parental whole-genome sequencing SNP data. The field of genomic selection (GS) is advancing rapidly on many fronts including the utilization of multi-omics datasets with the goal of increasing prediction ability and becoming an integral part of an increasing number of breeding programs ensuring future food security. In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data to perform genomic prediction (GP) on three related barley RIL populations.

Restriction of russet mite and influence on predatory mite dispersal using different stem barriers in tomato crop.

The tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Tryon), is a key pest of commercially grown tomatoes worldwide. Due to its minute size, its detection is often not timely for effective control. In this study, the approach of limiting A.

In vivo itaconate tracing reveals degradation pathway and turnover kinetics.

Itaconate is an immunomodulatory metabolite that alters mitochondrial metabolism and immune cell function. This organic acid is endogenously synthesized by tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism downstream of TLR signalling. Itaconate-based treatment strategies are under investigation to mitigate numerous inflammatory conditions.

Deciphering cross-cohort metabolic signatures of immune responses and their implications for disease pathogenesis.

The complex interplay between circulating metabolites and immune responses, which is pivotal to disease pathophysiology, remains poorly understood and understudied in systematic research. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the immune response and circulating metabolome in two Western European cohorts (534 and 324 healthy individuals) and one from sub-Saharan Africa (323 healthy donors). At the metabolic level, our analysis revealed sex-specific differences in the correlation between phosphatidylcholine and cytokine responses following ex vivo stimulation.

Grid cells accurately track movement during path integration-based navigation despite switching reference frames.

Grid cells, with their periodic firing fields, are fundamental units in neural networks that perform path integration. It is widely assumed that grid cells encode movement in a single, global reference frame. In this study, by recording grid cell activity in mice performing a self-motion-based navigation task, we discovered that grid cells did not have a stable grid pattern during the task.

Hippocampal Cofilin and CFL1 gene variants are linked to Alcohol Use Disorder phenotypes.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by pathological motivation to consume alcohol and cognitive inflexibility, leading to excessive alcohol seeking and use. In this study, we investigated the molecular correlates of impaired extinction of alcohol seeking during forced abstinence using a mouse model of AUD in the automated IntelliCage social system. This model distinguished AUD-prone and AUD-resistant animals based on the presence of ≥2 or <2 criteria of AUD, respectively.

Probing non-equilibrium topological order on a quantum processor.

Out-of-equilibrium phases in many-body systems constitute a new paradigm in quantum matter-they exhibit dynamical properties that may otherwise be forbidden by equilibrium thermodynamics. Among these non-equilibrium phases are periodically driven (Floquet) systems, which are generically difficult to simulate classically because of their high entanglement. Here we realize a Floquet topologically ordered state theoretically proposed in ref.

Systematic attribution of heatwaves to the emissions of carbon majors.

Extreme event attribution assesses how climate change affected climate extremes, but typically focuses on single events. Furthermore, these attributions rarely quantify the extent to which anthropogenic actors have contributed to these events. Here we show that climate change made 213 historical heatwaves reported over 2000-2023 more likely and more intense, to which each of the 180 carbon majors (fossil fuel and cement producers) substantially contributed.

Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars.

The Perseverance rover has explored and sampled igneous and sedimentary rocks within Jezero Crater to characterize early Martian geological processes and habitability and search for potential biosignatures. Upon entering Neretva Vallis, on Jezero Crater's western edge, Perseverance investigated distinctive mudstone and conglomerate outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. Here we report a detailed geological, petrographic and geochemical survey of these rocks and show that organic-carbon-bearing mudstones in the Bright Angel formation contain submillimetre-scale nodules and millimetre-scale reaction fronts enriched in ferrous iron phosphate and sulfide minerals, likely vivianite and greigite, respectively.

On the origin of the late-flowering ppd-H1 allele in barley.

To breed for climate resilient crops, an understanding of the genetic and environmental factors influencing adaptation is critical. Barley provides a model species to study adaptation to climate change. Here we present a detailed analysis of genetic variation at a major photoperiod response locus and relate this to the domestication history and dispersal of barley.

A neuronal correlate for time interval estimation in the crow's telencephalon.

Interval timing, the ability to perceive and estimate durations between events, is essential for many animal behaviors. In mammals, it is linked to specific cortical and sub-cortical brain regions, but its neural basis in birds remains unclear. We trained two male carrion crows on a time estimation task using visual stimuli, cueing them to wait for a minimum duration of 1500 ms, 3000 ms, or 6000 ms before responding to receive a reward.

The impact of private hosting on the integration of Ukrainian refugees in Germany.

Amid the Ukrainian displacement crisis, private hosting of refugees in Europe has surged, yet its impact on integration remains understudied. This research examines the short- to medium-term effects of private hosting on Ukrainian refugee integration in Germany. Using data from one of the largest non-profit platforms that matches private hosts with refugees, we compare the multidimensional integration outcomes of refugees who were matched with private hosts to those of observably similar refugees who applied for private hosting but were not matched (n = 1,700).

Systematic variation of the acceptor electrophilicity in donor-acceptor-donor emitters exhibiting efficient room temperature phosphorescence suited for digital luminescence.

Purely organic materials showing efficient and persistent emission via room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) allow the design of minimalistic yet powerful technological solutions for sensing, bioimaging, information storage, and safety applications using the photonic design principle of digital luminescence. Although several promising materials exist, a deep understanding of the underlying structure-property relationship and, thus, development of rational design strategies are widely missing. Some of the best purely organic emitters follow the donor-acceptor-donor design motif.

Improved GVHD-free relapse-free survival when rATG/ATLG is used in allo-HCT from matched sibling donors - an EBMT registry study by the Transplant Complications Working Party.

The EBMT recommends rabbit anti-thymocyte or anti-T-lymphocyte globulin (rATG/ATLG) as GVHD prophylaxis in matched sibling donor (MSD) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). However, discrepancies between recommendations and clinical practice were reflected in the EBMT survey. Therefore, we performed retrospective EBMT registry analysis from 2014 to 2021 to reinforce the real-world evidence context of rATG/ATLG impact on post-transplantation outcomes.