Anatomy at the threshold: Teaching the human body in a hybrid age.

As emerging technologies reshape both the body and how we represent it, anatomical education stands at a threshold. Virtual dissection tools, AI-generated images, and immersive platforms are redefining how students learn anatomy, while real-world bodies are becoming hybridized through implants, neural interfaces, and bioengineered components. This Viewpoint explores what it means to teach human anatomy when the body is no longer entirely natural, and the image is no longer entirely real.

Central Neurophysiological Alterations in Dystrophic mdx Mice Correlate With Reduced Hippocampal Levels of the Endogenous NMDA Receptor Ligand D-Aspartate.

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) may experience neurobehavioral and cognitive concerns, including psychiatric symptoms, due to the absence of full-length dystrophin (Dp427), frequently accompanied by deficiencies in shorter isoforms. The lack of dystrophin affects neurophysiological processes from the uterine phase, impacting neural circuitry in brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. This leads to reduced inhibitory GABAergic transmission and altered hippocampal glutamatergic signaling.

Real-world effectiveness of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis in the UK.

Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is increasingly used as a one-off disease-modifying therapy for aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). We report real-world effectiveness of AHSCT for MS in the UK.

Methods: This retrospective open-label study included patients with (pw)MS treated with AHSCT between 2002 and 2023 in 14 UK centres.

Gastrointestinal involvement in very early and established systemic sclerosis: insights from the SPRING-SIR national Italian registry.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and Very Early Diagnosis of SSc (VEDOSS), identify clinical and serological features associated with GI involvement, and explore a cranio-caudal pattern of symptom distribution, using data from the Italian SPRING-SIR registry.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included patients fulfilling 2013 ACR/EULAR SSc or VEDOSS criteria. GI involvement was defined as symptoms in at least one GI tract segment and categorized as upper and lower.

Optimal duration of antifungal therapy in candidemia.

Purpose Of Review: In candidemia, the standard 14-day antifungal treatment after blood culture clearance has been long accepted, despite being based on limited and outdated evidence. This review discusses the rationale for re-evaluating treatment duration, in the context of growing interest in optimizing antifungal use.

Recent Findings: A small number of retrospective studies have explored shorter treatment courses in uncomplicated candidemia, suggesting similar outcomes in terms of mortality and recurrence compared to the traditional 14-day regimen.

Sustained attention and inhibitory control: age and sex related difference in children and adolescents using a CPT with distracting events.

Introduction: The study investigates age and sex-related differences in sustained attention and inhibitory control in a sample of children and adolescents using a continuous performance test with distractor events. In addition, the impact of distractors on sustained attention and inhibitory control is explored.

Methods: The study included 479 individuals aged 6-17 years and analyzed four indices, namely omission, timing, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

Deep Learning Modeling to Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis From MOG Antibody-Associated Disease.

Background And Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is common in adults while myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is rare. Our previous machine-learning algorithm, using clinical variables, ≤6 brain lesions, and no Dawson fingers, achieved 79% accuracy, 78% sensitivity, and 80% specificity in distinguishing MOGAD from MS but lacked validation. The aim of this study was to (1) evaluate the clinical/MRI algorithm for distinguishing MS from MOGAD, (2) develop a deep learning (DL) model, (3) assess the benefit of combining both, and (4) identify key differentiators using probability attention maps (PAMs).

Enhanced electrophysiological recordings in acute brain slices, spheroids, and organoids using 3D high-density multielectrode arrays.

Recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) biological brain models in vitro and ex vivo are creating new opportunities to understand the complexity of neural networks but pose the technological challenge of obtaining high-throughput recordings of electrical activity from multiple sites in 3D at high spatiotemporal resolution. This cannot be achieved using planar multi-electrode arrays (MEAs), which contact just one side of the neural structure. Moreover, the specimen adhesion to planar MEAs limits fluid perfusion along with tissue viability and drug application.

Diagnosed Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and Delta Virus in Italy in 2024: An Estimation From a National Real-World Database.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection have undergone significant changes in Italy over the past few decades, but reliable and updated prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Delta (CHD) data are lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of CHB and CHD in Italy in 2024, based on real-world data.

Methods: The number of patients with a healthcare expenditure exemption for CHB (016.

Safety and efficacy of Igk-TATk-CDKL5 gene therapy in mosaic CDKL5 deficiency.

CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked CDKL5 gene, resulting in early-onset seizures, developmental delays, and cognitive and sensorimotor impairments. While emerging therapies show promise, substantial challenges remain in developing a cure for CDD. In our prior work, we developed an innovative gene therapy strategy based on an Igk-TATk-CDKL5 fusion protein, which enhances brain distribution of the therapeutic protein, significantly improving treatment efficacy in a Cdkl5 knockout male mouse model.

Smartphone Apps and Wearables for Health Parameters in Young Adulthood: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Fostering innovative and more effective interventions to support active aging strategies from youth is crucial to help this population adopt healthier lifestyles using technologies they are already familiar with. Mobile health (mHealth), particularly apps and wearables, represents a promising approach due to its versatility, ease of use, and ability to monitor multiple health variables simultaneously. Moreover, these devices offer opportunities for personalization and support in health behavior change, making them valuable tools for shaping healthy habits from a young age.

Age-related differences in the weighting of kinematic and contextual information during action prediction.

Introduction: Predicting others' behaviors is an essential ability to interact efficiently within the social world. Previous evidence suggests that action prediction entails the integration of incoming sensory information with previous experience and contextual expectations. While it is well known that motor and cognitive functions face age-related changes, research examining how action prediction abilities evolve across the lifespan remains limited.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of selumetinib in pediatrics: a combined LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS approach.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder characterized by the development of plexiform neurofibromas (PNs), benign yet potentially debilitating tumors with limited treatment options. Selumetinib, a selective MEK1/2 inhibitor, has emerged as a targeted therapy for symptomatic, inoperable PNs in pediatric NF1 patients. Individual variability in drug metabolism, largely influenced by CYP450-mediated pathways, can affect treatment response.

Immunosenescence in multiple sclerosis: New insights and clinical implications.

Aging is associated with profound changes in cellular function (senescence) and affects various tissues and systems, including the immune system (immunosenescence). Despite the increasing average age of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), little is known about what happens to the immune system of aging people with MS or about the impact of immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive treatments for MS on the aging immune system. In this topical review, we discuss the concepts of physiological cellular senescence and immunosenescence, and we review the latest available data on immunosenescence in MS.

Clinical differences in monozygotic twins with Rett syndrome: case report and systematic review.

Background: Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a rare, and severe neurodevelopmental disorder that primarily affects females and is primarily (> 96%) due to pathogenic loss-of-function genetic variants of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). Despite the rarity of the syndrome, sporadic twin cases have been reported. The descriptions have often focused on the phenotype, emphasizing differences or similarities.

Phasor-FLIM and SHG imaging for quantitative analysis of lung cancer autofluorescence.

Histopathology using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining remains the gold standard for tumor diagnosis. However, extracting quantitative data from stained slides is challenging, limiting the ability to obtain objective biomarkers for disease progression. Tissue autofluorescence provides an alternative by exploiting endogenous fluorophores, such as collagen, elastin, and NAD(P)H, which provide optical signatures of tissue pathology.

Nasal mucosa micronuclei as early biomarkers of effect in workers exposed to airborne pollutants: a literature overview.

Occupational exposure to air pollutants poses a serious health concern for workers, particularly due to potential genotoxic effects. The micronucleus (MN) test is widely recognized as a reliable biomarker of early genetic damage. Although commonly applied to lymphocytes or buccal epithelial cells, the nasal mucosa, being the first site of contact for inhaled toxicants, has received relatively limited attention.

The Role of Rapid and Advanced Microbiological Methods in Critical Care: 2025 EMANUELE RUSSO Delphi Consensus.

Scope: Interpretation of rapid and advanced microbiological test results remains nonstandardized, with no existing reference guidelines. This study aimed to analyze the existing evidence and provide expert guidance on the use of these techniques in critically ill patients.

Methods: A Delphi consensus process was conducted by a multidisciplinary panel of experts, including microbiologists, infectious disease specialists, intensivists, surgeons, and pulmonologists.

Pathogenic variants in TMEM184B cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with alteration of metabolic signaling.

Transmembrane protein 184B (TMEM184B) is an endosomal 7-pass transmembrane protein with evolutionarily conserved roles in synaptic structure and axon degeneration. We report six pediatric cases who have de novo heterozygous variants in TMEM184B; five individuals harbor a rare missense variant, and one individual has an mRNA splice site change. This cohort is unified by overlapping neurodevelopmental deficits including developmental delay, corpus callosum hypoplasia, seizures, and/or microcephaly.

Exploring the antifungal arsenal of the soil-dwelling fungus Aspergillus fischeri: Identification and functional characterization of the antifungal protein AfAfpC.

Filamentous fungi encode a wide repertoire of antifungal proteins (AFPs) with potential applications for the control of fungal diseases. In this study, we report the simultaneous production of three distinct AFPs by a natural soil isolate of Aspergillus fischeri, including the previously uncharacterized class C protein AfAfpC. AfAfpC was the most abundantly secreted AFP, followed by NFAP2 and, to a lesser extent, NFAP, when grown in YPD medium, whereas AfAfpC was also detected in minimal medium and starch-based formulations.