Atherosclerosis after pre-eclampsia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Pre-eclampsia complicates up to 8% of pregnancies and is associated with increased risk of ischemic cardiac and cerebral disease, which may be prevented through management of cardiovascular risk when early disease stages are detected. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis in women after pre-eclamptic vs non-pre-eclamptic pregnancy with advancing maternal age.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for studies reporting on the prevalence of atherosclerosis in women with a previous pre-eclamptic pregnancy and those with a previous uncomplicated pregnancy.

Head and shoulders-The impact of an extended head model on the simulation and optimization of transcranial electric stimulation.

Electric field calculations are increasingly used for dose characterization of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), but existing open-source head models are inaccurate for extracephalic montages that include electrodes placed on the neck or shoulder. We introduce the "Ernie Extended" model, an MRI- and CT-derived open-source head model extending to the upper shoulder region. Simulations of extracephalic tES targeting the cerebellum and supplementary motor area show significant differences in electric fields when using Ernie Extended compared to the non-extended Ernie model.

Personalizing transcranial electrical stimulation.

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) encompasses non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, such as transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation, which modulate the central nervous system to probe causal links between the brain and behavior and treat disorders. Unfortunately, fixed stimulation paradigms induce variable effects due to intra- and interindividual factors. Consequently, personalized approaches to tES are increasingly used.

IBD-linked Genetic Variance in Intestinal Transplantation: A Multicenter Cohort Analysis.

Background: In solid organ transplantation, the intestine remains the most challenging. Previous studies have linked NOD2 genetic variation to intestinal transplantation (ITx) outcomes. Since then, a larger set of inflammatory bowel disease-associated genetic variants (IBDGVs) has been identified.

First island-wide, single-day soil collection study on Crete reveals environmental drivers of microbial diversity.

Understanding how environmental and ecological factors shape variability in soil-associated microbial communities is a complex problem, particularly on islands, which contain a wide range of diverse and unique geology, fauna, and flora. The island of Crete features sharp altitudinal gradients, diverse landscapes, and distinct ecological zones shaped by its complex geological history making it an ideal natural laboratory for studying how environmental variation influences soil microbial communities. In this study, we characterized the soil microbial communities across Crete's ecozones and identify environmental factors associated with their diversity and composition.

Diagnostic Value of Digital Estimates of Trophoblastic Mosaicism in Genome-Wide Cell-Free Fetal DNA Screening.

Background: Cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) screening exhibits higher sensitivity and lower false-positive rates (FPRs) compared to combined first-trimester screening for common trisomies. However, additional anomalies on other autosomes detected by genome-wide assays cause anxiety and trigger increased rates of amniocentesis. Here, we evaluated the diagnostic value of software-generated digital estimates of trophoblastic mosaicism to identify false-positive screenings and inform posttest counseling.

Chronic low dose Sr contamination in : from transcriptional dynamics of epigenetic regulators to population level effects.

The ecotoxicology model plant was exposed for 6 weeks to Sr, simulating the dose rates present in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), in order to understand the effects of chronic low dose ionising radiation exposure. The data suggest that the plant may exhibit temporally variable acclimation responses that can be interpreted as early-, mid-, and long-term phases. Morphological changes included increased area and frond number, while molecular adjustments encompassed variations in pigment levels, glutathione metabolism, and expression modulation of telomerase-related and DNA methylation machinery genes.

Deep operator network models for predicting post-burn contraction.

Background: Burn injuries present a significant global health challenge. Among the most severe long-term consequences are contractures, which can lead to functional impairments and disfigurement. Understanding and predicting the evolution of post-burn wounds is essential for developing effective treatment strategies.

Higher Doses of Intensive Upper Limb Rehabilitation for Moderate to Severe Impairment in Acute, Subacute Stroke: Phase I Dose Escalation Study.

Background: Optimizing moderate to severe upper limb recovery is likely to require a higher dose of rehabilitation training than is currently delivered, but the feasibility and acceptability of higher dose regimes is unclear in the early-stage post stroke. To determine the maximum time spent on upper limb rehabilitation in people with moderate to severe impairment in acute and early sub-acute stage of stroke, in a phase I dose-escalation study.

Methods: Participants were recruited using a 3+3 study design from 2 stroke units and rehabilitation centers in Belgium.

One- versus three-month DAPT after everolimus-eluting stent implantation in diabetic patients at high bleeding risk: results from the XIENCE Short DAPT programme.

Background: In patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and high bleeding risk (HBR) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) remains uncertain.

Aims: We sought to compare early DAPT discontinuation in DM and non-DM patients enrolled in the prospective XIENCE Short DAPT programme.

Methods: The effects of 1- versus 3-month DAPT on ischaemic and bleeding outcomes were compared using propensity score stratification.

Biomorphoelasticity alone: limitations in modeling post-burn contraction and hypertrophy without finite strains.

We present a continuum hypothesis-based two-dimensional biomorphoelastic model describing post-burn scar hypertrophy and contraction. The model is based on morphoelasticity for permanent deformations and combined with a chemical-biological model that incorporates cellular densities, collagen density, and the concentration of chemoattractants. We perform a sensitivity analysis for the independent parameters of the model and focus on the effects on the features of the post-burn dermal thickness given a low myofibroblast apoptosis rate.

NMDA receptor involvement in dopaminergic modulation of neuroplasticity induced by paired associative stimulation.

Background: Dopamine (DA) modulates long-term potentiation (LTP)-like neuroplasticity. While particularly D1 and D2 receptors are thought to influence neuroplasticity through glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) modulation, the exact mechanisms are not completely clarified.

Objective: We aimed to explore the relevance of NMDA receptor activity for DAergic modulation of focal LTP-like plasticity induced by excitatory paired associative stimulation (ePAS).

Efficacy of conservative treatment strategies for partial distal biceps tendon ruptures: a case-control study.

Background: Partial distal biceps tendon tears (PDBTs) are uncommon injuries that present with a range of symptoms, from mild pain to significant weakness. The optimal treatment approach for PDBTs remains debated, with a lack of consensus regarding the most effective nonoperative strategies. This study compares three nonoperative treatments: wait-and-see, physiotherapy, and injection therapy, to determine their efficacy and identify factors influencing treatment outcomes.

Recurrent Events Analysis of MASTER DAPT: Total Ischemic and Bleeding Events After Abbreviated vs Prolonged DAPT in HBR Patients.

Background: The effect of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration on total events in patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate an abbreviated (median duration, 34 days) vs prolonged (median duration, 192 days) DAPT regimen on total events in 4,579 HBR patients from the MASTER DAPT (Management of High Bleeding Risk Patients Post Bioresorbable Polymer Coated Stent Implantation With an Abbreviated Versus Standard DAPT Regimen) trial.

Methods: The MASTER DAPT coprimary outcomes at 335 days were as follows: 1) net adverse clinical events (NACEs), the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3 or 5 bleeding events; 2) major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCEs), including all-cause death, MI, and stroke; and 3) major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (MCB, type 2, 3, or 5 BARC bleeding).

Preserved auditory-motor synchronization during finger-tapping to music and metronomes at various tempi in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Persons with relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) can synchronize steps with music and metronomes at different tempi. However, progressing demyelination, loss of neural connectivity and increased cognitive impairment likely affects how persons with progressive MS (PwPMS) synchronize movements with external beats. We tested how PwPMS tap to music and metronomes at high and low tempi in order to understand auditory-motor capacities behaviorally in PwPMS.

Integrating anatomy and electrophysiology in the healthy human heart: Insights from biventricular statistical shape analysis using universal coordinates.

A cardiac digital twin is a virtual replica of a patient-specific heart, mimicking its anatomy and physiology. A crucial step of building a cardiac digital twin is anatomical twinning, where the computational mesh of the digital twin is tailored to the patient-specific cardiac anatomy. In a number of studies, the effect of anatomical variation on clinically relevant functional measurements like electrocardiograms (ECGs) is investigated, using computational simulations.

The causal role of beta band desynchronization: Individualized high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation improves bimanual motor control.

Objective: To unveil if 3 mA peak-to-peak high-definition β transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) applied over C4 -the area overlaying the right sensorimotor cortex-enhances bimanual motor control and affects movement-related β desynchronization (MRβD), thereby providing causal evidence for the polymorphic role of MRβD in motor control.

Methods: In this sham-controlled, crossover study, 36 participants underwent 20 min of fixed 20 Hz tACS; tACS individualized to peak β activity during motor planning at baseline; and sham tACS randomized over three consecutive days. Each participant underwent all three conditions for a total of 108 sessions, ensuring within-subject comparisons.

Consistency of perceptual response variability in size estimation and reproduction tasks.

Measuring perceptual uncertainty is important for understanding how perception influences post-perception behavior, while it remains unknown whether measured perceptual responses in behavioral tasks reflect true perceptual uncertainty or methodological artifacts. This study compared two size perception approaches: a visual analog scale (VAS) estimation task and a reproduction task. We recruited 180 participants who completed both tasks by estimating circle diameters on a VAS and adjusting circle sizes to match specified diameters.

Shear wave elastography to unmask differences in myocardial stiffness between athletes and sedentary non-athletes.

Aims: Myocardial stiffening naturally occurs with aging and contributes to diastolic dysfunction. Assessing myocardial stiffness non-invasively could improve the sensitivity of diastolic function evaluation in clinical practice. Shear wave (SW) elastography is a non-invasive tool for quantifying myocardial stiffness, where higher SW velocities indicate increased stiffness.