Novel method of detection of birefringent ocular amyloidosis deposits using monochromatic wavelengths of scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

Purpose: To describe a noninvasive imaging technique for detection of ocular amyloidosis using ultrawide field (UWF) images.

Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study of patients with familial transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis seen at the Wills Eye Hospital, USA and Moorfields Eye Hospital, UK. Pseudocolor, 100% red and 100% green UWF fundus images of patients with familial TTR were reviewed and, sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) for the pattern abnormalities noted on fundus images for amyloidosis were calculated.

Measurement-Based Care to Enhance Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Measurement-based care (MBC) guides clinical decisions through structured monitoring of symptoms and adverse effects. Although MBC has been associated with improved outcomes in major depressive disorder (MDD), its effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains understudied.

Objective: To assess whether MBC accelerates the resolution of depressive symptoms compared with standard care among adults with MDD in Pakistan.

An expert panel review of endoscopic vein harvesting devices: benefits, limitations, and clinical insights.

Objectives: Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting (EVH) devices are technically complex and the learning curve for novice practitioners can be steep, due to the need for refined hand-eye coordination and device familiarity. Training and mentoring approaches vary widely, as does the experience level of practitioners entering EVH practice.

Methods: This expert review was conducted by 10 international EVH specialists from the UK, USA, and Serbia, each with 18 to 28 years of experience.

Predictors of Decannulation Success in Tracheostomy: A 10-Year Analysis of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative Database.

Objective: Decannulation is a critical milestone in functional recovery after tracheostomy, but standardized guidelines are lacking. This study examined factors associated with tracheostomy decannulation success, comparing hospital utilization, adverse events, and survival outcomes between decannulated and non-decannulated patients.

Study Design: Retrospective, observational study.

Porphyrins as a Platform for Lithium-Selective Two-Dimensional Membranes.

Two-dimensional ion-selective membranes provide an appealing avenue for extracting lithium from naturally occurring aqueous brine solutions. Most current work is focused on graphene-based membranes, where the dynamics of ion permeation is determined by noncovalent pore-ion interactions, and the main challenge is achieving precise control over the pore size. Here, we propose that porphyrins, macrocycles with atomically precise pores ∼2.

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Children With Molybdenum Cofactor Deficiency.

Molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) is a rare differential diagnosis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) with considerable variation in presentation and treatment outcomes. The temporospatial evolution of brain MRI appearances has not been well described. We systematically evaluated 35 MRI brain scans of 13 patients with neonatal MoCD (7 type A, 6 type B) to characterize brain abnormalities arising from exposure to toxicity related to sulfite accumulation and to evaluate changes in response to cPMP treatment in 6 children with MoCD type A.

Interrogating the regulatory epigenome of cellular senescence.

Chromatin, the spatial organizer of genomic DNA, is hierarchically folded into higher-order structures to facilitate DNA compaction, enabling genome surveillance. Understanding the organization and function of the three-dimensional (3D) genome is critical to profile chromatin accessibility and functional interactions that govern gene regulation across multiple biological processes, including aging and one of its hallmarks, cellular senescence. Cellular senescence constitutes a defensive stress response to various intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, preserving cellular and organismal homeostasis through a generally irreversible cell cycle arrest.

Sex Distributions in the Most Frequent Autosomal Genetic Causes of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore whether sex imbalances are detectable in the most frequent genetic causes of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Methods: Databases from centers in three countries (Moorfields Eye Hospital, London; Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto; and Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry, Perth, Australia) were searched, quantifying numbers of male and female patients with disease attributed to variants in the six most frequently involved autosomal RP genes. Proportions of female patients (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were calculated for each gene.

Caregiver-Mediated Early Support Program Delivered Online Versus Care-as-Usual for Infants at Elevated Familial Likelihood for Autism: A Parallel, Assessor Masked, Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial in India.

LiL' STEPS (Language development & Intervention Lab's SupporTing Early social-communication and language by Promoting caregiver Sensitive responsiveness) is a novel, manualized, caregiver-mediated early support program developed in India and delivered online for infants at elevated familial likelihood for autism. The program has been found to be feasible and acceptable. The preliminary efficacy of the LiL' STEPS program, which remains to be evaluated, was assessed in this study using a feasibility randomized controlled trial design.

Reduced Brain Iron and Striatal Hyperdopaminergia in Schizophrenia: A Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping MRI and PET Study.

Objective: Neuroimaging studies have independently associated schizophrenia with low iron and elevated dopamine synthesis. While preclinical research demonstrates that midbrain iron deficiency leads to striatal hyperdopaminergia, this relationship has not been studied in schizophrenia. The authors conducted a case-control study to examine differences in tissue magnetic susceptibility, a marker of brain iron, and correlated these with striatal dopamine synthesis capacity.

Assessing Language Skills as a Predictor of Children's Listening Difficulties: Validation and Reference Data on a New Auditory Language Task.

Objectives: Some children experience greater listening difficulties in noisy and reverberant environments than their peers, despite having normal peripheral hearing. In these cases, other potential causes have to be explored. One is a language disorder.

Effects of volenrelaxin in worsening heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a phase 2 randomized trial.

Relaxin is a peptide hormone that may decrease circulatory congestion and improve kidney function. In this study, we conducted a double-blind, international, multicenter trial to test whether volenrelaxin, a long-acting form of human relaxin, can improve left atrial (LA) function, reduce congestion and improve kidney function in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We randomly assigned patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV HFpEF and recent heart failure (HF) decompensation to 25-mg, 50-mg or 100-mg volenrelaxin or placebo administered subcutaneously once weekly.

Patient and healthcare professional perspectives on which potential prognostic factors for failure of total elbow replacement should be investigated.

Background: Total elbow replacement (TER) is an established treatment for the painful arthritic elbow; however, TER has higher failure rates than other joint replacements, such as hip and knee replacement. Understanding the prognostic factors associated with failure of TER is essential for informed decision-making between patients and clinicians, patient selection, and service planning. The aim of this study is to explore the views of patients and healthcare professionals on which potential prognostic factors should be investigated in relation to TER failure.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis and management of new brain tumours in children and young people (aged < 16 years old) in the UK.

Objective: This study aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, management, and clinical outcomes of children and young people (CYP) with brain tumours in England.

Design: UK-based retrospective observational study with two components. Nationwide brain tumour incidence data from the National Disease Registration Service was obtained (2015-2020) to study trends in newly diagnosed cases.

Boosting Dendritic Cell Function in Cancer.

Instruction of T cell immunity is a key function of sentinel leukocytes called dendritic cells (DC). Several studies in mice and humans have demonstrated a key role for DCs in promoting T cell responses to cancer and augmenting the efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapies. Like other innate immune cells, DCs express a wide repertoire of receptors endowing them with the ability to detect microbial presence and tissue damage.

AntimiR uptake by human proximal tubule epithelial cells is predominantly by macropinocytosis.

The ease with which microRNA inhibitors (antimiRs) can be delivered varies with the intended target cell type and tissue. AntimiRs are of interest as potential therapeutics for kidney conditions, including ischaemia-reperfusion injury in transplantation. During ex-situ human kidney perfusion, antimiRs are delivered to the proximal tubule epithelium without the use of transfection reagents by an endocytic process.

Bimekizumab Complete Clearance of Both Skin and Nail Psoriasis: Comparative Efficacy in Phase III/IIIb Studies.

Background: Nail psoriasis can have a substantial negative impact on both the physical and emotional well-being of patients, and is a risk factor for psoriatic arthritis. Achieving complete clearance of nails in addition to skin is therefore an important treatment goal.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate concurrent complete skin and nail clearance in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis treated with bimekizumab or active comparators.

Machine learning in predictive biocatalysis: A comparative review of methods and applications.

In recent years, machine learning has significantly advanced predictive biocatalysis, enabling innovative approaches to enzyme function prediction, biocatalyst discovery, reaction modeling, and metabolic pathway optimization. This review provides a comparative analysis of current methodologies, highlighting the intersection between computational tools and biochemical data for predictive biocatalysis applications. Key aspects covered include enzyme classification, reaction annotation, enzyme-substrate specificity, reaction outcomes, and kinetic parameter prediction.

State-of-the-art preclinical techniques to study the impact of spreading depolarizations in awake rodents.

Background: Understanding the mechanisms of pathological brain network activity and the efficacy of therapies requires testing hypothesis in vivo, where brain circuitry remains preserved. Therefore, animal models are a key tool in the study of primary neurological disorders such as migraine, stroke and epilepsy. These models not only have advanced our understanding of the underlying neurobiology of these disorders but have also provided novel pharmacological targets and insights on shared pathophysiological processes such as spreading depolarizations (SD).

Prevalence, patterns, correlates, and academic implications of sports betting and problem gambling among Nigerian undergraduates.

Background: Sports betting has become increasingly popular among Nigerian undergraduates, particularly males. Once a recreational activity, sports betting has now become an economic pursuit for many young students to augment income. This trend raises concerns about its potential impact on academic performance and mental health.