Body-composition analysis (BCA) is gaining increasing clinical importance, because abnormalities in muscle and fat distribution are closely associated with patient outcomes for various diseases. Although several methods for assessing body composition are available, including bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography (CT) has emerged as the most widely used imaging modality owing to its accuracy, accessibility, and artificial intelligence-driven automated analytical capabilities. CT-based BCA enables the precise quantification of skeletal muscle and adipose tissues, but its measurements can be influenced by various technical factors, such as the contrast phase, tube current and voltage, slice thickness, reconstruction algorithm, and scanner type. These parameters particularly affect attenuation-based metrics such as muscle density. Recent technological advancements, such as iterative reconstruction, dual-energy CT, and photon-counting CT, have resulted in new capabilities but may further introduce variability. This review summarizes the effects of CT parameters on BCA results and underscores the need for awareness and consistency when performing CT-based BCA. A better understanding of these factors may improve measurement reproducibility and support broader clinical and research applications.

Depression rates are higher in women, especially during periods of hormonal fluctuation. Reproductive system disorders (RSDs), which often disrupt hormonal balance, may contribute to this mental health burden. Despite their prevalence and significant health implications, the link between RSDs and depression remains underexplored, leaving a gap in understanding these women's mental health risks.

To analyse geographical variation in use of glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) for type-2 diabetes (T2DM) in Denmark.

Highly photostable red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) are invaluable for dual-color fluorescence microscopy, including super-resolution microscopy. Here we present mScarlet3‑S2, an RFP that exhibits a 29-fold improvement in photostability over its predecessor, mScarlet3, and outperforms other existing RFPs. This high photostability enables prolonged 2D and 3D imaging using both structured illumination microscopy and stimulated emission depletion microscopy. Using mScarlet3‑S2, we achieved over 150 Z-stacks in 3D STED imaging, revealing the architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in detail. Key findings facilitated by mScarlet3‑S2 include nonplanar ER junctions, nuclear envelope (NE) invaginations, 3D maps of ER-NE contacts, diverse contact morphotypes (punctate, ribbon-like and branched) and polarized ER-NE junction distributions. These findings redefine our structural understanding of the ER-NE interface and demonstrate the value of mScarlet3‑S2 in revealing subcellular complexity.

An increasing number of studies are exploring links between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and neurodegenerative diseases. Yet, existing evidence from retrospective studies is prone to bias and cannot confirm causation. To address this, our 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study utilizing single nucleoside polymers aims to establish a potential causal connection between HPV and the onset of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD). We utilized a 2-sample MR approach to evaluate the causal relationships between HPV16 and HPV18 E7 proteins, HPV seropositivity, and the risks of AD and PD. Selected single nucleoside polymers from genome-wide association studies served as instrumental variables in HPV exposure data for MR analysis. Subsequent rigorous sensitivity assessments were also performed to ensure robustness. In this research, we explored the potential causal connections between HPV infection and the development of AD or PD through a MR analysis. Our findings suggest that the HPV18 E7 protein might act as a protective factor against PD, whereas HPV seropositivity was recognized as a risk factor for the same condition. Interestingly, neither the HPV16 E7 protein nor HPV seropositivity appeared to have any significant impact on the risk of AD. These findings shed light on HPV's intricate involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, offering fresh views on viral impacts on disorders like PD and AD. Recognizing study limitations, further research is crucial to confirm and clarify HPV's exact effects on these conditions.

To evaluate longitudinal changes in choroidal thickness (CT) in highly myopic eyes and their correlation with myopic maculopathy progression and visual outcomes.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) are highly aggressive brainstem tumors, representing the leading cause of pediatric cancer-related mortality despite their rarity. DIPGs are predominantly characterized by the H3K27M mutation, which drives tumorigenesis through epigenomic reprogramming and dysregulated gene expression. A major barrier to therapeutic advancement has been the scarcity of representative preclinical models, historically limited by the rarity of tumor tissue samples. Recent advancements in biopsy safety and model development have accelerated progress in understanding DIPG biology and developing novel therapies. While current murine models offer valuable insights, they often fail to replicate the tumor's genetic and microenvironmental complexity fully. Non-murine models offer cost-effective platforms but are limited by anatomical and immunological differences that reduce their relevance to human DIPG. This review highlights advances and limitations in DIPG models, emphasizing the need for integrative approaches using multiple systems to validate therapies, as no single model can fully capture the disease's complexity. Addressing these gaps could lead to the development of novel treatments for DIPG.

Recently, Schori , , 2025, , 4767 observed by time-resolved X-ray diffraction of Fe(CO), excited at 267 nm, a burst-like CO elimination, which was synchronized with a Fe-CO stretch vibration excited in the Franck-Condon region. Another recent work, using time-resolved electron diffraction (Ma , preprint, 2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6125327/v1), provided supplementary results. The periodic bursts were predicted before (Banerjee , , 2022, , 1337) by molecular dynamics simulations. They were interpreted by periodic passage of the wave packet from the initially excited bound state to a repulsive state through the crossing of the potentials. Whereas this mechanism is appealing, there are still open questions. Attention is drawn here on two similar cases, which seem more clear-cut: CO elimination from group-6 metal hexacarbonyls such as Cr(CO) and the ring opening of 1,3-cyclohexadiene. The comparison not only shows that the phenomenon may be more general but also suggests some additional interpretations concerning conical intersections, slope directions, assignment of oscillations and mechanisms of energy redistribution.

To compare age- and sex-specific trends of psychotropic prescribing between Danish and US 3-17-year-old youths.

Biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins can undergo phase separation to form biomolecular condensates with diverse architectures. Here, we report that the FUS/EWS/TAF15 family fusion oncoprotein FUS-ERG forms hollow co-condensates with double-stranded DNA containing GGAA microsatellites. Through a combination of biochemical assays, super-resolution imaging, and mathematical modeling, we reveal that the interior surface of hollow co-condensates exhibits properties distinct from those of the external surface, a phenomenon we term nested asymmetric phase separation. Furthermore, we harness FUS-ERG for DNA-based information manipulation and demonstrated the hollow condensate morphology uniquely enhances data sorting specificity, enabling targeted DNA deletion within dsDNA libraries and facilitating dynamic, hierarchical data selection. These findings provide critical insights into the biophysical mechanisms underlying multicomponent phase-separated cellular bodies and establish a foundation for leveraging condensate morphology in biotechnology.

BackgroundCognitive impairment significantly impacts the quality of life in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the utility of MemTrax, a contemporary digital continuous recognition task platform originally developed for AD, as an effective tool for revealing cognitive and clinical motor impairments in HD and PD populations as aligned with respective disease staging.MethodsA total of 135 healthy controls, 131 HD, and 212 PD participants were included in the study. MemTrax metrics, recognition accuracy (MTx-%C), response time (MTx-RT), and a composite score (MTx-Cp) were correlated with clinical motor and cognition scales and disease staging.ResultsMemTrax metrics showed stage-dependent declines in both HD and PD. In HD, both MTx-%C and MTx-Cp decreased significantly from pre-HD stage to stage 2 ( < 0.001), showing negative correlations with motor impairment and cognitive scales. In PD, MTx-Cp declined across Hoehn and Yahr stages (1-4,  < 0.001), with strong negative correlations to Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS III) and positive links to Montreal Cognitive Assessment/Mini-Mental State Examination. Additionally, MTx-RT increased with disease progression and correlated positively with UPDRS III, indicating it could assess psychomotor slowing in PD ( < 0.01).ConclusionsMemTrax effectively captures cognitive-motor decline in HD and PD. The responsivity of MemTrax to the severity of these disorders extends its utility beyond AD, positioning MemTrax performance as a cross-disease digital biomarker for early detection in neurodegenerative diseases.

Thoracic spine fractures are common in polytrauma patients and are frequently associated with high-energy trauma and severe systemic injury. Although early surgical stabilization may improve clinical outcomes by reducing complications and hospital stay, the optimal timing for intervention remains controversial. Evidence is limited regarding the impact of surgical timing in patients with varying injury severity scores.

Chemigenetic indicators combined with advanced organic fluorophores have become increasingly popular in biosensor development due to their integration of protein biocompatibility and the superior optical properties of dyes. However, despite the development of various biosensors based on these systems, the underlying activation mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we report the first crystal structure of the recently developed calcium indicator WHaloCaMP1a in complex with the rhodamine-based fluorophore BD566. Integrating structural analysis with molecular dynamics simulations, we identify a potential activation mechanism of WHaloCaMP1a and reveal novel interactions between the sensor and BD566. These findings provide new insights for the rational design of biosensors and the study of protein-dye coevolution.

The absence of biochemical newborn screening (NBS) delays the diagnosis and treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH), resulting in irreversible neurodevelopmental damage. To determine the age at diagnosis for CH among Algerian children and to describe its clinical and biological characteristics, etiology, and outcome, we conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study involving 288 children with CH across 20 pediatric centers between 2005 and 2023. The median age at diagnosis was 1.6 months, and only 28% of patients started treatment before 30 days. Prolonged neonatal jaundice was the most frequently presented symptom (58%), severe CH (fT < 5 pmol/L) was observed in 35% and 52% received an insufficient initial dose of L-T. The median IQ of the 47 patients tested was 86; 11% had an IQ < 70, and a negative correlation was found between age at diagnosis and IQ (r = -0.48, = 0.001). In children reassessed at age 3, 51% had normal thyroid function, indicating transient CH. Delayed diagnosis and suboptimal treatment of CH remain major challenges in Algeria, leading to substantial neurodevelopmental deficits. Pediatricians must remain cognizant of early clinical signs of CH to allow for timely diagnosis and intervention. Biochemical NBS for CH in Algeria is needed.

We present a mathematical model of the dynamics of Bacillus anthracis bacteria within the lymph nodes and blood of a host, following inhalation of an initial dose of spores. We also incorporate the dynamics of protective antigen, which is the binding component of the anthrax toxin produced by the bacteria. The model offers a mechanistic description of the early infection dynamics of inhalational anthrax, while its stochastic nature allows us to study the probabilities of different outcomes (for example, how likely it is that the infection will be cleared for a given inhaled dose of spores) in order to explain dose-response data for inhalational anthrax. The model is calibrated via a Bayesian approach, using in vivo data from New Zealand white rabbit and guinea pig infection studies, enabling within-host parameters to be estimated. We also leverage incubation-period data from the Sverdlovsk 1979 anthrax outbreak to show that the model can accurately describe human time-to-symptoms data under reasonable parameter regimes. Finally, we derive a simple approximate formula for the probability of symptom onset before time t, assuming that the number of inhaled spores has a Poisson distribution.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) as an alternative to metallics in orthopedic implants offers biomechanical and radiological advantages. However, the extent of wear particle generation and its clinical impact are unclear. This systematic review evaluates clinical evidence of wear in fracture fixation devices. A systematic search was conducted to identify clinical studies reporting wear of metallic and CFR-PEEK implants used in extremities. Nineteen studies were included: three prospective cohorts, eight retrospective cohorts, one case series, and six case reports. Among 208 fixation plates, 43 were CFR-PEEK and all 93 intramedullary nails were metallic. Risk of bias ranged from low to serious, mainly due to selection bias. Wear-related complications were reported for both materials. Metallic implants showed elevated serum ion levels, metallic debris in tissues, and, in some cases, metallosis. CFR-PEEK implants showed limited evidence of carbon fiber fragments near implants. One comparative study reported higher inflammatory responses in CFR-PEEK explants, though no direct link between debris and implant removal was found. Both metallic and CFR-PEEK fracture fixation devices generate wear particles, which may induce biological responses. However, wear-related complications appear rare, especially with validated implant designs, and clinical significance of wear debris remains limited.

To investigate the correlation between the score on the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale and the dynamic magnetic resonance (DMR) findings in patients diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).

To investigate the correlation between the score on the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale and the dynamic magnetic resonance (DMR) findings in patients diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).

The burden of sarcopenia is increasing but studies on sarcopenia at the population level are limited in Malaysia. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence, risk factors and effect of sarcopenia on functional status and falls among the elderly in Selangor state.

This study assessed attitudes and perception of medicine, dental, pharmacy and nursing students toward their first interprofessional education (IPE), compared interprofessional attitudes scores with demographic characteristics, and evaluated session feedback to identify areas for improvements.