RF phase modulation improves quantitative transient state sequences under constrained conditions.

Objective: Within gradient-spoiled transient-state MR sequences like Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting or Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain (MR-STAT), it is examined whether an optimized RF phase modulation can help to improve the precision of the resulting relaxometry maps.

Methods: Using a Cramer-Rao based method called BLAKJac, optimized sequences of RF pulses have been generated for two scenarios (amplitude-only modulation and amplitude + phase modulation) and for several conditions. These sequences have been tested on a phantom, a healthy human brain and a healthy human leg, to reconstruct parametric maps ( and ) as well as their standard deviations.

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.

Quantifying Malabsorption After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are common bariatric procedures that lead to substantial and sustained weight loss. Although both procedures induce hormonal and physiological effects, RYGB includes both a restrictive and malabsorptive component due to anatomical rerouting, whereas SG is considered primarily restrictive. This study aimed to quantify differences in energy and fat absorption between both procedures using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Upfront whole blood transcriptional patterns in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors associate with clinical outcome.

Whole blood (WB) transcriptomics offers a minimal-invasive method to assess patients' immune system. This study aimed to identify transcriptional patterns in WB associated with clinical outcomes in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We performed RNA-sequencing on pre-treatment WB samples from 145 patients with advanced cancer.

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.

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.

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.

Minimally invasive liver surgery for perihilar and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Background: The implementation of minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) for perihilar (PHC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC) remains limited and a systematic review including only comparative studies of MILS versus the open approach is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive surgery in patients with hilar and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas.

Methods: Systematic review in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for original studies comparing at least five patients undergoing MILS with open liver surgery for PHC and IHC.

PML::RARα+ myeloid cells display metabolic alterations that can be targeted to treat resistant/relapse acute promyelocytic leukemias.

At present there is no metabolic characterization of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Pathognomonic of APL, PML::RARα fusion protein rewires metabolic pathways to feed anabolic tumor cell's growth. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO)-based therapies render APL the most curable subtype of AML, yet approximately 1% of cases are resistant and 5% relapse.

Structural Elucidation and Covalent Modulation of the Autorepressed Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR2F6.

The orphan nuclear receptor NR2F6 (Nuclear Receptor subfamily 2 group F member 6) is an emerging therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. Upregulation of NR2F6 expression in tumor cells has been linked to proliferation and metastasis, while in immune cells NR2F6 inhibits antitumor T-cell responses. Small molecule modulation of NR2F6 activity might therefore be a novel strategy in cancer treatment, benefiting from this dual role of NR2F6.

Night shift work and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective cohort study among 56 477 female nurses in the Netherlands.

Objectives: Night shift work has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans, possibly related to suppression of melatonin secretion. Although experimental studies suggest that melatonin inhibits intestinal tumor proliferation, epidemiological evidence for a relationship between night shift work and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is lacking.

Methods: We prospectively examined the association between night shift work and CRC in the Nightingale Study.

Mental health effects of unemployment and re-employment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

This systematic review examined the impact of unemployment and re-employment on mental health problems (depression, anxiety and psychological distress) among working-age adults. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO and Web of Science (January 2012-March 2024) and included studies from a prior meta-analysis (1990-2012). Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Capturing CO under Dry and Humid Conditions: When Does the Parent MOF Outperform the MTV MOF?

A key challenge in capturing CO from postcombustion gases is humidity due to competitive adsorption between CO and HO. Multivariate (MTV) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered a promising option to address this problem, e.g.

Food production from air: gas precision fermentation with hydrogen-oxidising bacteria.

The breach of six planetary boundaries highlights the need for sustainable food production. Aerobic hydrogen-oxidising bacteria (HOBs) convert atmospheric CO and green hydrogen (H) into biomass via gas fermentation, a process already used for food-grade single-cell protein production. This approach enables a supply chain independent of agriculture, requiring minimal land and water, with potential for carbon-neutral production and carbon capture.

Is the Time Right to Start Testing if Late-Onset Depression is Associated With the Development of an α-Synucleinopathy Like Parkinson's Disease? A Double Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by two neurobiological markers: pathological α-synuclein and/or a dopaminergic deficit. Depression is common in PD, and may precede motor signs, particularly in late-onset depression (LOD). We conducted two systematic reviews and a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between depression and PD development.

Association of intraoperative end-tidal CO levels with postoperative outcomes: a patient-level analysis of two randomised clinical trials.

Background: The relationship between intraoperative end-tidal CO (etCO) levels and postoperative outcomes remains unclear. We conducted a post hoc analysis of two randomised trials in adults undergoing major surgery under general anaesthesia.

Methods: We re-analysed individual participant data comparing high or low positive end-expiratory pressure with low tidal volume intraoperative ventilation using a merged database derived from two randomised trials in non-obese (PROVHILO: ISRCTN70332574) and obese (PROBESE: NCT02148692) patients.

The renal baroreflex: A systematic review and meta-analysis in healthy and hypertensive animals.

The renal baroreflex describes the dose-dependent relation between renal pressure and renin release. Former studies have approximated this relation through animal experiments, but the exact shape of the response curve and its alteration by hypertension remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the renal baroreflex in healthy and hypertensive animals.

Introducing entrustable professional activities and competency-based development into workplace-based training within laboratory animal sciences.

Animals used in science and education should be used by competent laboratory animal science (LAS) staff, both for reasons of reproducibility and to safeguard animal welfare. In this article, we propose entrustable professional activities (EPAs) as a structure to support and assess development of competence and valid entrustment decisions of persons working with laboratory animals in practice following, or in combination with, basic training. We propose the creation of a consensus framework and provide concepts that would encourage harmonisation in competence-based development.

Individual hearts: computational models for improved management of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with conventional management often applying standardised approaches that struggle to address individual variability in increasingly complex patient populations. Computational models, both knowledge-driven and data-driven, have the potential to reshape cardiovascular medicine by offering innovative tools that integrate patient-specific information with physiological understanding or statistical inference to generate insights beyond conventional diagnostics. This review traces how computational modelling has evolved from theoretical research tools into clinical decision support systems that enable personalised cardiovascular care.

Validating the PECARN rule to identify febrile infants at low risk of serious bacterial infections: an international validation study.

Objective: To externally validate the Paediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rule for identifying febrile infants aged <60 days at low risk of serious bacterial infections (SBIs) and assess the utility of the rule with C reactive protein (CRP) instead of procalcitonin (PCT).

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the Management and Outcomes of Fever in Children in Europe (MOFICHE) study (12 paediatric emergency departments in eight European countries, January 2017 to April 2018) and a Swedish study (four paediatric emergency departments, January 2014 to December 2020). Previously healthy febrile infants aged ≤60 days were included.

How can cities accelerate, support and evaluate actions for active movement for health: protocol for CITY-MOVE, a multicase implementation research study in six cities in three continents.

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of global mortality, disproportionately affecting low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Physical inactivity, a key contributor to NCDs, is prevalent worldwide despite evidence supporting the health benefits of physical activity (PA). Cities, while often associated with barriers to PA, also present unique opportunities to enhance PA through systemic, context-sensitive interventions or so-called actions.

Are we closing the gender gap in academic oncology? An observational study of gender disparities in participant engagement at the ASCO 2024 annual meeting.

Objective: Despite global efforts, gender disparities in oncology may persist. Understanding these disparities within the context of major conferences can inform strategies to promote gender inclusiveness in the field. This study evaluates the participation of women and men at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 congress, focusing on chairs, speakers and audience questioners.

Unifying serological testing for cold agglutinins.

Background And Objectives: Cold agglutinins (CAs) are immunoglobulin M autoantibodies that optimally bind to red blood cells at low temperatures. The clinical significance of CAs is usually characterized by the CA titre and thermal amplitude. However, there is no consensus on the optimal testing strategy.