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Physical Review Letters Oct 2023The first observation and study of two new baryonic structures in the final state Ξ_{b}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} and the confirmation of the Ξ_{b}(6100)^{-} state in the...
The first observation and study of two new baryonic structures in the final state Ξ_{b}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} and the confirmation of the Ξ_{b}(6100)^{-} state in the Ξ_{b}^{-}π^{+}π^{-} decay mode are reported using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb^{-1}. In addition, the properties of the known Ξ_{b}^{*0}, Ξ_{b}^{'-} and Ξ_{b}^{*-} resonances are measured with improved precision. The new decay mode of the Ξ_{b}^{0} baryon to the Ξ_{c}^{+} π^{-} π^{+} π^{-} final state is observed and exploited for the first time in these measurements.
PubMed: 37955487
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.171901 -
Journal of Eating Disorders Nov 2023Recent research suggests that individuals with eating disorders (EDs) report elevated anhedonia, or loss of pleasure. Although individuals with avoidant/restrictive food...
BACKGROUND
Recent research suggests that individuals with eating disorders (EDs) report elevated anhedonia, or loss of pleasure. Although individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) often express that they do not look forward to eating, it is unclear whether they experience lower pleasure than those without EDs. Thus, identifying whether individuals with ARFID experience anhedonia may yield important insights that inform clinical conceptualization and treatment.
METHODS
A sample of 71 participants ages 10-23 with full and subthreshold ARFID and 33 healthy controls (HCs) completed the Pica, ARFID, and Rumination Disorder Interview, a diagnostic interview to assess ARFID profile severity (lack of interest in food, sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences) and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS), a self-report measure of consummatory and anticipatory pleasure. Statistical analyses were performed using the full TEPS and also the TEPS with food-related items removed.
RESULTS
The ARFID group reported significantly lower anticipatory and consummatory pleasure compared to HCs, but these differences were no longer significant after controlling for depression, nor after removing food items from the TEPS. Within the ARFID sample, greater ARFID severity was associated with lower anticipatory pleasure across analyses, and greater endorsement of the lack of interest in food profile was related to lower anticipatory pleasure. ARFID severity was also associated with lower consummatory pleasure using the full TEPS, but this relationship was no longer significant with food items removed.
CONCLUSIONS
These results provide initial evidence for lower pleasure before potentially pleasurable events in individuals with more severe ARFID, particularly those with the lack of interest phenotype. Our findings also suggest that depression is likely to contribute low pleasure in this population. Future research should seek to further characterize how dimensions of pleasure relate to the maintenance and treatment of ARFID symptoms.
PubMed: 37950288
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00921-w -
Radiology Case Reports Jan 2024Until now, 9 cases of an association of a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm with the persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA) have been...
Until now, 9 cases of an association of a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm with the persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA) have been reported. We reported a case of a ruptured PICA aneurysm associated with the PPHA, which was successfully treated by intravascular embolization using inflation of an endovascular occlusion balloon in the proximal artery to stabilize the microcatheter tip. A 19-year-old woman presenting headache and mild consciousness disturbance was admitted to our hospital. Head computed tomography (CT) showed a subarachnoid hemorrhage in the interpeduncular cistern. Right common carotid angiography revealed an aneurysm with a maximum diameter of 3.7 mm at the proximal PICA, which was fed from the common carotid artery (CCA) through the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the PPHA and the vertebral artery. During coil embolization, a pulsatile fluctuation of the microcatheter tip caused by the minimum curvature of the proximal arterial route from the aorta to the PPHA made the continuation of the coil embolization difficult. Then, we inflated an occlusion balloon in the PPHA to stabilize the microcatheter tip, and the coil embolization was performed under the blank roadmap fluoroscopy. The aneurysm disappeared completely with the preservation of the PICA on the postoperative angiogram. A case of ruptured PICA aneurysm with proximal PPHA, which was successfully embolized with the assist of a proximal occlusion balloon inflation. When the pulsative movement of a microcatheter tip made coil embolization difficult, this technique could be useful.
PubMed: 37941989
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.09.103 -
ACG Case Reports Journal Nov 2023Xylobezoar is indeed a rare condition associated with xylophagia, characterized by varying degrees of intestinal obstruction due to the entrapment of undigested paper in...
Xylobezoar is indeed a rare condition associated with xylophagia, characterized by varying degrees of intestinal obstruction due to the entrapment of undigested paper in the gastrointestinal tract. Xylophagia is a form of pica that primarily affects children from low socioeconomic backgrounds with mental conditions and nutritional deficiencies. It is rarely seen in adults. Medical and endoscopic interventions are often challenging in these patients, and surgical intervention is often required. We present an endoscopically challenging case of pancolonic obstruction due to toilet paper accumulation in a patient with pica secondary to iron deficiency anemia.
PubMed: 37928228
DOI: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001196 -
Physical Review Letters Oct 2023The branching fraction of the rare decay Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ(1520)μ^{+}μ^{-} is measured for the first time, in the squared dimuon mass intervals q^{2}, excluding the J/ψ...
The branching fraction of the rare decay Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ(1520)μ^{+}μ^{-} is measured for the first time, in the squared dimuon mass intervals q^{2}, excluding the J/ψ and ψ(2S) regions. The data sample analyzed was collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb^{-1}. The result in the highest q^{2} interval, q^{2}>15.0 GeV^{2}/c^{4}, where theoretical predictions have the smallest model dependence, agrees with the predictions.
PubMed: 37897753
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.151801 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) who have no definite radiological...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) who have no definite radiological neurovascular compression (NVC). Sixteen HFS patients without radiological NVC on preoperative MRI underwent MVD surgery. The symptoms were left-sided in fourteen (87.5%) and right-sided in two patients (12.5%). Intraoperatively, the most common vessel compressing the facial nerve was the AICA (8, 44.4%), followed by arterioles (5, 27.8%), veins (4, 22.2%), and the PICA (1, 5.6%). The most common compression site was the cisternal portion (13, 76.5%) of the facial nerve, followed by the REZ (4, 23.5%). One patient (6.3%) was found to have multiple NVC sites. Arachnoid type (7, 50%) was the most common compressive pattern, followed by perforator type (4, 28.6%), sandwich type (2, 14.3%), and loop type (1, 7.1%). A pure venous compression was seen in two patients, while a combined venous-arterial "sandwich" compression was detected in two patients. Symptom improvement was observed in all of the patients. Only one patient experienced recurrence after improvement. Based on our experience, MVD surgery can be effective for primary HFS patients with no definite radiological NVC. MVD can be considered if the patient shows typical HFS features, although NVC is not evident on MRI.
PubMed: 37895445
DOI: 10.3390/life13102064 -
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Radiofrequency (RF) ablation represents an efficient strategy to reduce the volume of thyroid nodules. In this study, a finite element model was developed with the aim...
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation represents an efficient strategy to reduce the volume of thyroid nodules. In this study, a finite element model was developed with the aim of optimizing RF parameters, e.g., input power and treatment duration, in order to achieve the target volume reduction rate (VRR) for a thyroid nodule. RF ablation is modelled as a coupled electro-thermal problem wherein the electric field is applied to induce tissue heating. The electric problem is solved with the Laplace equation, the temperature distribution is estimated with the Pennes bioheat equation, and the thermal damage is evaluated using the Arrhenius equation. The optimization model is applied to RF electrode with different active tip lengths in the interval from 5 mm to 40 mm at the 5 mm step. For each case, we also explored the influence of tumour blood perfusion rate on RF ablation outcomes. The model highlights that longer active tips are more efficient as they require lesser power and shorter treatment time to reach the target VRR. Moreover, this condition is characterized by a reduced transversal ablation zone. In addition, a higher blood perfusion increases the heat dispersion, requiring a different combination of RF power and time treatment to achieve the target VRR. The model may contribute to an improvement in patient-specific RF ablation treatment.
PubMed: 37892940
DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101210 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Histoplasmosis is a globally distributed systemic infection caused by the dimorphic fungus (). This fungus can cause a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, and the... (Review)
Review
Histoplasmosis is a globally distributed systemic infection caused by the dimorphic fungus (). This fungus can cause a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, and the diagnosis of progressive disseminated histoplasmosis is often a challenge for clinicians. Although microscopy and culture remain the gold standard diagnostic tests for identification, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as a method of microbial identification suitable for the confirmation of dimorphic fungi. However, to our knowledge, there are no entries for spectra in most commercial databases. In this review, we describe the case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a patient living with HIV admitted to our university hospital that we failed to identify by the MALDI-TOF method due to the limited reference spectrum of the instrument database. Furthermore, we highlight the utility of molecular approaches, such as conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing, as alternative confirmatory tests to MALDI-TOF technology for identifying from positive cultures. An overview of current evidence and limitations of MALDI-TOF-based characterization of is also presented.
PubMed: 37888274
DOI: 10.3390/jof9101019 -
Neuroradiology Dec 2023A recent meta-analysis on the incidence of iatrogenic injury to the VA has revealed that patients with variant anatomy are more prone to iatrogenic injury. Therefore,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
A recent meta-analysis on the incidence of iatrogenic injury to the VA has revealed that patients with variant anatomy are more prone to iatrogenic injury. Therefore, this review is designed to investigate the incidence of variations in the suboccipital component of the vertebral artery in different population groups according to the available literature.
METHODS
This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). The review is based on a comprehensive and extensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. The following search terms were used: "vertebral artery" AND "suboccipital segment" AND "anomalies/anatomical variations of the V3 segment." Reference lists of all extracted articles were also extensively searched for references to any further relevant publications.
RESULTS
A total of 17 papers met the inclusion criteria. The 17 studies corresponded to a total of 10,820 patients. A persistent first intersegmental artery was registered in 1.8% (197 out of 10,820) of the patients. Extradural PICA origin was observed in 1.6% (175 out of 10,820) of the patients. Fenestration was detected in 0.7% (72 out of 10,820) of the patients.
CONCLUSION
The authors summarize the incidence of vascular variation at the suboccipital segment of the VA in different population groups across the Asian, European, American, and African continents. Awareness of the extent of possible anatomical variation will help interpret radiographs, which will enhance the identification of vascular pathologies and reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury.
Topics: Humans; Vertebral Artery; Prevalence; Computed Tomography Angiography; Incidence; Iatrogenic Disease
PubMed: 37878031
DOI: 10.1007/s00234-023-03223-9 -
Blood Advances Jan 2024Real-world data (RWD) are essential to complement clinical trial (CT) data, but major challenges remain, such as data quality. REal world dAta in LYmphoma and Survival...
Real-world data (RWD) are essential to complement clinical trial (CT) data, but major challenges remain, such as data quality. REal world dAta in LYmphoma and Survival in Adults (REALYSA) is a prospective noninterventional multicentric cohort started in 2018 that included patients newly diagnosed with lymphoma in France. Herein is a proof-of-concept analysis on patients with first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to (1) evaluate the capacity of the cohort to provide robust data through a multistep validation process; (2) assess the consistency of the results; and (3) conduct an exploratory transportability assessment of 2 recent phase 3 CTs (POLARIX and SENIOR). The analysis population comprised 645 patients with DLBCL included before 31 March 2021 who received immunochemotherapy and for whom 3589 queries were generated, resulting in high data completeness (<4% missing data). Median age was 66 years, with mostly advanced-stage disease and high international prognostic index (IPI) score. Treatments were mostly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP 75%) and reduced dose R-CHOP (13%). Estimated 1-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival rates were 77.9% and 90.0%, respectively (median follow-up, 9.9 months). Regarding transportability, when applying the CT's main inclusion criteria (age, performance status, and IPI), outcomes seemed comparable between patients in REALYSA and standard arms of POLARIX (1-year progression-free survival 79.8% vs 79.8%) and SENIOR (1-year EFS, 64.5% vs 60.0%). With its rigorous data validation process, REALYSA provides high-quality RWD, thus constituting a platform for numerous scientific purposes. The REALYSA study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03869619.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Aged; Prospective Studies; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Retrospective Studies; Rituximab; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Cyclophosphamide; Prednisone; Vincristine; Doxorubicin
PubMed: 37874913
DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010798