Search

In recent years, there has been a shift in the epidemiology of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). This has been characterized by an alarming increase in IE in patients who inject drugs, cardiac implantable electronic device-related IE, and those with comorbid conditions and high surgical risk. This unmet need has mandated a reevaluation of complex management strategies in these patients and introduction of unconventional approaches in treatment. Percutaneous mechanical aspiration has emerged as both a diagnostic and therapeutic option in selected patients with IE. In this review, the authors discuss the gaps in care of IE, rationale, device armamentarium, procedural, and technical considerations and applications of percutaneous mechanical aspiration in IE.

The rapid advancements in science and technology have necessitated the adaptation of biology education to enhance students' understanding and critical thinking skills, aligning with the demands of the 21st century. The development of digital modules based on the Science, Environment, Technology, and Society (SETS) framework represents an innovative approach to facilitate students' learning by seamlessly integrating theories from science, environment, technology, and society. This research adopts the Research and Development methodology, employing the ADDIE development model. The digital module's development underwent validation by four experts, comprising two media experts and two material experts. The validation results yielded a 90% agreement from media experts and an 85% concurrence from material experts, indicating the suitability of the digital module on environmental change, grounded in the SETS framework, for educational use. The developed module was subjected to testing using a one-group pretest-posttest design, followed by the analysis of the obtained data through paired sample t-tests. The analysis results indicate a significant improvement in both conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills following the utilization of the module. Hence, this module is recommended for use in biology education, particularly in the context of environmental change materials.

Context.—Quantitative imaging is a promising tool that is gaining wide use across several areas of pathology. Although there has been increasing adoption of morphologic and immunohistochemical analysis, the adoption of evaluation of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue has been limited because of complexity and lack of practice guidelines.Objective.—To perform human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) FISH validation in breast carcinoma in accordance with the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) 2018 guideline.Design.—Clinical validation of HER2 FISH was performed using the US Food and Drug Administration-approved dual-probe HER2 IQFISH (Dako, Carpinteria, California) with digital scanning performed on a PathFusion (Applied Spectral Imaging, Carlsbad, California) system. Validation parameters evaluated included z-stacking, classifier, accuracy, precision, software, and hardware settings. Finally, we evaluated the performance of digital enumeration on clinical samples in a real-world setting.Results.—The accuracy samples showed a final concordance of 95.3% to 100% across HER2 groups 1 to 5. During clinical implementation for HER2 groups 2, 3, and 4, we achieved a final concordance of 76% (95 of 125). Of these cases, only 8% (10 of 125) had discordances with clinical impact that could be identified algorithmically and triaged for manual review.Conclusions.—Digital FISH enumeration is a useful tool to improve the efficacy of HER2 FISH enumeration and capture genetic heterogeneity across HER2 signals. Excluding cases with high background or poor image quality and manual review of cases with ASCO/CAP group discordances can further improve the efficiency of digital HER2 FISH enumeration.

Abstract New insights into cellular interactions and key biomolecules involved in lung cancer (LC) bone metastasis could offer remarkable therapeutic benefits. Using a panel of four LC cells, we investigated LC-bone interaction by exposing differentiating osteoclasts (OCs) to LC cells (LC-OC interaction) directly in a co-culture setting or indirectly via treatment with LC secretomes (conditioned media or exosomes). LC-OC interaction facilitated the production of large-sized OCs (nuclei > 10) coupled with extensive bone resorption pits. Proteomic analysis of LC exosomes identified galectin-3-binding protein (Gal3bp) as a potential biomarker which was released primarily by most of LC-derived exosomes. The facilitation of OC differentiation and function by LC-exosomal Gal3bp was supported by the application of recombinant Gal3bp and anti-Gal3bp in OC treatment. Further, our results exhibited a dysregulation of crucial OC markers (TRAF6, p-SAPK/JNK, p-44/42 MAPK, NFAT2 and CD9) during LC-OC interaction that possibly contributed to the facilitation of osteoclastogenesis. Simulation of bone metastasis via intratibial injection of LC cells revealed Gal3bp’s possible roles in enhancing OC activation leading to osseous tissue resorption. Overall, this work implicated LC-exosomal Gal3bp in osteolytic metastasis of LC which warrants further studies to assess its potential prognostic and therapeutic relevance.

Abstract The cultivation of grapevines has spanned millennia, leading to thousands of varieties through exchanges, mutations, and crosses between genotypes, as well probably as gene flow from wild populations. These varieties are typically categorized by regional origin and primary use, either for wine production or fruit consumption. France, within the Western European group, hosts many of the world’s renowned wine grape varieties. However, the historical development of cultivated grapevines in France and in the world remains poorly understood. This study applies morphometry on 19,377 charred and waterlogged archaeological grape pips to investigate the evolutionary history of grapevine in France over the last 10,000 years. The study compares seed outlines and lengths, corrected for taphonomic distortions, with a reference collection of 80 wild and 466 modern domestic grapevine accessions. Findings reveal a shift from wild grapevine exploitation to the expansion of domestic varieties around 600–500 BCE, coinciding with Mediterranean cultural influences and the introduction of eastern grape types. The identification of the East-Table group, a group of varieties of eastern origin for fruit consumption, indicates that grapes were also grown for food, especially in Mediterranean regions and near urban areas, alongside wine production. Early French viticulture featured a notable presence of Western European wine-type grapevines. The abundance of pips with wild-like morphology suggests early cultivation involved plants at an initial domestication stage and gene flow between introduced and wild grapevines. As viticulture spread northward, wild and Eastern morphotypes declined, leading to the dominance of Western European wine types in inner France during the Middle Ages.

Abstract Background French laws governing end-of-life medical practices forbid euthanasia and affirm patients’ right to deep and continuous sedation until death. Cultural traditions and disparities in health care provision, as in overseas France, could limit the enforcement of such laws and modify end-of-life medical practices. Aim This research aims to describe end-of-life medical decisions in overseas France and to compare with those described in mainland France. Methods A retrospective study of a random sample of adult patients who died between March 2020 and February 2021 was conducted in four overseas French departments. Physicians who certified the deaths were asked to describe end-of-life care and medical decisions in a questionnaire. Results A total of 1815 deaths were analysed over 8730 questionnaires sent. Withholding treatments was the most frequent decision (41%), treatment for pain or symptoms was intensified for a third of patients, Deep and continuous sedation until death was implemented in 13.3% cases. The use of drugs to deliberately end life was mentioned in 1.3% deaths. At least one decision was made in 61.6% deaths. More decisions that may hasten death were made before predictable deaths. Intensification of pain and symptoms treatment was more frequent in 2022 than in 2010. Deep and continuous sedation was introduced by law in 2016 without prejudice to other decisions. Conclusion Physicians in overseas France have implemented recent changes in end-of-life laws, including deep and continuous sedation. Comparisons with 2010 mainland France survey show a better implementation of palliative medicine in 2022, with higher proportions of treatment withholding.

The Aquafilling method, once frequently employed in face, breast, and gluteal augmentation, has seen a gradual decline. At present, the clinical and surgical management of complications in patients who underwent augmentation with Aquafilling has become a topic of controversy. In our case, a 45-year-old female patient received an aquafilling injection for gluteal augmentation, alongside combined aesthetic surgeries, 10 years ago. She presented with pain and contour irregularity in both gluteal regions and infected swelling in the left inguinal area due to migration of the Aquafilling. Computed tomography imaging revealed that the filling material in the gluteal area had migrated to the inguinal area. The patient’s treatment process was completed with serial surgical debridement through a direct incision, vacuum-assisted wound care, and appropriate antibiotic treatment. In conclusion, this report discusses the surgical management of our patient, complications associated with aquafilling injections, and alternative surgical methods in addressing these complications. Although a definitive algorithm for the surgical management of Aquafilling complications is lacking, various surgical methods are highlighted in this report.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits to the host when taken in adequate amounts. Hesperidin is a phenolic compound found in banana fruit, lemon fruit, and lemon peel. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-cancer activities. Although these compounds are present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), their synbiotic interaction on the GIT is not well understood. This study aims to investigate the effects of hesperidin on the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (LA-5) and the impact of their synbiotic interaction on the cancer cell line HT-29. Results showed that hesperidin did not negatively affect the auto-aggregation, adhesion, and antioxidant capacity of LA-5. LA-5 grown with hesperidin exhibited greater resistance to pepsin and bile salt compared to LA-5 alone. Furthermore, in vitro cancer studies indicated that bacteria grown in the presence of hesperidin may increase caspase-3 activity in HT-29 cells and thus induce apoptosis in this way. This study suggests that hesperidin may enhance and contribute to the probiotic properties of LA-5. Consequently, LA-5 grown with hesperidin may exert more beneficial effects on the host.

Seasonal precipitation estimation in ungauged mountainous areas is essential for understanding and modeling a physical variable of interest in many environmental applications (hydrology, ecology, and cryospheric studies). Precipitation lapse rates (PLRs), defined as the increasing or decreasing rate of precipitation amounts with the elevation, play a decisive role in high-altitude precipitation estimation. However, the documentation of PLR in mountainous regions remains weak even though their utilization in environmental applications is frequent. This article intends to assess the spatial variability and the spatial-scale dependence of seasonal PLRs in a varied and complex topographical region. At the regional scale (10 000 km2), seven different precipitation products are compared in their ability to reproduce the altitude dependence of the annual/seasonal precipitation of 1836 stations located in France. The convection-permitting regional climate model (CP-RCM) AROME is the best in this regard, despite severe precipitation overestimation in high altitudes. The fine resolution of AROME allows for a precise assessment of the influence of altitude on winter and summer precipitation on 23 massifs at the sub-regional scale (∼ 1000 km2) and 2748 small catchments (∼ 100 km2) through linear regressions. With AROME, PLRs are often higher in winter at the catchment scale. The variability in the PLR is higher in high-altitude regions such as the French Alps, with higher PLRs at the border than inside the massifs. This study emphasizes the interest of conducting a PLR investigation at a fine scale to reduce spatial heterogeneity in the seasonal precipitation–altitude relationships.

Perfectionism is defined as the tendency to have high goals and standards for one's self (Flett et al., 1989). Setting high and even unrealistic goals in education can be negative for students as this can cause anxiety, procrastination, and low self-efficacy. The present study aims to determine the relationship between academic perfectionism and research anxiety levels for preservice teachers and to compare both of these with variables such as gender, year of study, department, primary department preference on the university exam, and career plan, to demonstrate the links between these variables. The participants are 469 undergraduate students who study at the Aydin Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Education. The Academic Perfectionism Scale (Odaci et al., 2017), Research Anxiety Scale (Büyüköztürk, 1997), and a Personal Information Form were used as data collecting tools. The results have shown that female participants have significantly higher idealization scores than male participants. Early childhood education and art education students have significantly higher comparison scores than music education students. Fourth-year students have significantly higher scores on research anxiety than first-year students. Participants whose primary department preferences on their university entrance exams were not their present departments have significantly higher research anxiety scores than the participants whose first choice was the department where they study. Participants who plan to become academics have significantly higher idealization scores than participants who want to do a job outside of their fields of study. Participants who want to be academics have significantly lower research anxiety scores than those who want to be teachers and those who want to do a job outside of their fields of study. In addition, there is a significant medium relationship between the participants' self-doubt subscale scores and their research anxieties. Moreover, there is a significant but weak relationship between participants' comparison subscale scores, academic perfectionism total scores, and their research anxieties. The results were discussed in the light of the literature.

Within the scope of this study, the relationships among alexithymia, psychological flexibility, authenticity and life satisfaction of individuals were investigated. In addition, the possible meditating role of psychological flexibility on the relationships among alexithymia, authenticity and life satisfaction were investigated. The research model is the relational screening model, which is one of the descriptive models that aims to examine the mediating role of psychological flexibility in the relationships among individuals' alexithymia, authenticity and life satisfaction. As the data collection tools, "Personal Information Form", "Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)", "Authenticity Scale", "Psychological Flexibility Scale" and "Life Satisfaction Scale" were used. The sampling group of the study was composed of 702 adult individuals between the ages of 18 and 67Whilst analysing the data, SPSS 22 Package Program was used to highlight the relationships between variables (Pearson correlation coefficient) and mediation test. In the study, Bootstrap analysis and Sobel test were used to measure the statistical significance of the mediating effects of the model. According to the research findings, while there was a significant negative relationship between alexithymia and psychological flexibility variables and authenticity and life satisfaction variables, a positive significant relationship was found among psychological flexibility, authenticity and life satisfaction. According to the mediation test, psychological flexibility had a partial mediating role in the relationships among alexithymia, life satisfaction and authenticity. Alexithymia explained 52% of authenticity and 21% of life satisfaction through psychological flexibility. The present article discusses the abovementioned research results within the framework of the relevant literature, and suggestions are made accordingly.

The purpose of the present study is to determine the difference between preservice music teachers' levels of academic motivations and their genders, their high schools, lessons that they were failed, lessons that they were failed for the reason of absenteeism, and their career choice. Also, the relationship between the preservice music teachers' academic motivations and their instrument scores was investigated in the study. A total of 349 students who receive education from Faculty of Education Music Teaching Departments in Aydin, Denizli, Izmir, and Mugla attended the study. The data was gathered in the 2017-2018 academic year. The Academic Motivation Scale which was developed by Vallerand et al. (1992) and translated into Turkish by Karagüven (2012) was used in order to determine the levels of academic motivations of the participants. Six significant results were found in the study. There are significant differences between participants' academic motivations and their genders, their states of absenteeism, their high schools, the number of lessons they have failed, and their career choice. Also, positive significant but weak relationships were found between the participants' academic motivations and their instrument scores. The results were discussed in the light of the literature.

Considering the relationship between students' learning styles and their academic achievement, it is essential for both music educators and students themselves to know their learning styles for educators to plan the context of their lessons and for students to decide which studying strategy to use. The present study aims to reveal the levels of learning styles of the preservice music teachers and to examine whether there is a significant difference between the styles of learning of preservice music teachers and their genders, grades, the universities they are studying at, their career paths. Grasha-Reichman "Learning Styles Scale" which was translated into Turkish by Zerayak (2005) was used to investigate the levels of learning styles of preservice music teachers. The 32-items version of the scale was used which was reduced by Vural (2013). 350 preservice music teachers studying at the universities located in Aydin Denizli, Izmir, and Mugla attended the study voluntarily. The results have shown that preservice music teachers have moderate levels of all learning styles, and there are significant differences between their learning styles and their genders, grades, universities, and career paths. The results were discussed in the light of the literature, and suggestions have been made.

Background Having social support improves one's health outcomes and self-esteem, and buffers the negative impact of stressors. Previous studies have explored the association between social support and brain activity, but evidence from task-dependent functional connectivity is still limited. Aims We aimed to explore how gradually decreasing levels of social support influence task-dependent functional connectivity across several major neural networks. Method We designed a social support task and recruited 72 young adults from real-life social groups. Of the four members in each group, one healthy participant (18 participants in total) completed the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The fMRI task included three phases with varying levels of social support: high-support phase, fair phase and low-support phase. Functional connectivity changes according to three phases were examined by generalised psychophysiological interaction analysis. Results The results of the analysis demonstrated that participants losing expected support showed increased connectivity among salience network, default mood network and frontoparietal network nodes during the fair phase compared with the high-support phase. During the low-support phase, participants showed increased connectivity among only salience network nodes compared with the high-support phase. Conclusions The results indicate that the loss of support was perceived as a threat signal and induced widespread increased functional connectivity within brain networks. The observation of significant functional connectivity changes between fair and high-support phases suggests that even a small loss of social support from close ones leads to major changes in brain function.