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olar sites. These results suggest that fine-grained data-driven quantification of skin ageing is achievable.

Despite being limited to only coarse training information in the form of example stacks from two age groups, the trained classifier was still able to effectively discriminate between younger skin and older skin. Curiously, despite being only trained with chronological age, there was still evidence for measurable differences in age scores due to sun exposure-with marked differences in scores on sun-exposed dorsal sites of some volunteers compared with less sun-exposed volar sites. These results suggest that fine-grained data-driven quantification of skin ageing is achievable.Sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE) is a focal epilepsy whose neurobiological underpinnings remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to identify possible neurochemical alterations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in participants with SHE using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H MRS). Thirty-nine participants with SHE (mean age, 30.7 years ± 11.3 [standard deviation], 24 men) and 59 controls (mean age, 29.4 years ± 10.4, 29 men) were consecutively and prospectively recruited and underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and 1 H MRS in the bilateral DLPFCs. Brain concentrations of metabolites, including N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (mI), choline, creatine, the sum of glutamate and glutamine, glutathione (GSH) and γ-aminobutyric acid, were estimated with LCModel and corrected for the partial volume effect of cerebrospinal fluid using tissue segmentation. ANCOVA analyses revealed lower concentration of NAA in the left DLPFC in participants with SHE compared with controls. A significant difference of NAA concentration between DLPFC in the two hemispheres (left > right) was observed only in the control group. We further confirmed a higher GSH concentration in men than in women in SHE participants, which probably indicates that men are more susceptible to this disease. The mI concentration in the right DLPFC was negatively correlated with epilepsy duration. This study demonstrates that DLPFC is an important brain region involved in the pathophysiology of SHE, in which both neurons and astrocytes appear impaired, and the elevated GSH level may suggest an abnormality related to oxidative stress.Automated chyme reinfusion (CR) in intestinal failure (IF) patients with a temporary double enterostomy (TDE) restores intestinal function and protects against liver injury, but the mechanisms are incompletely understood. The aim was to investigate whether beneficial effects of CR relate to functional recovery of enterohepatic signaling via the bile salt-FGF19 axis. Blood samples were collected from 12 patients, 3 days before, at start, and 1, 3, 5 and 7 weeks after CR initiation. Plasma FGF19, total bile salts (TBS), C4 (marker of bile salt synthesis), citrulline (CIT), bile salt composition, liver tests and nutritional risk indices were determined. Paired small bowel biopsies prior to CR and after 21 days were taken and genes related to bile salt homeostasis and enterocyte function were assessed. CR induced an increase in plasma FGF19 and decreased C4 levels, indicating restored regulation of bile salt synthesis via endocrine FGF19 action. TBS remained unaltered during CR. LL37 nmr Intestinal FXR was upregulated after 21 days of CR. Secondary and deconjugated bile salt fractions were increased after CR, reflecting restored microbial metabolism of host bile salts. Furthermore, CIT and albumin levels were gradually rising after CR, while abnormal serum liver tests normalized after CR, indicating restored intestinal function, improved nutritional status and amelioration of liver injury. CR increased gene transcripts related to enterocyte number, carbohydrate handling and bile salt homeostasis. Finally, the reciprocal FGF19/C4 response after 7 days, predicted the plasma CIT time course. CONCLUSIONS CR in IF-TDE patients restored bile salt-FGF19 signaling and improved gut-liver function. Beneficial effects of CR are partly mediated by recovery of the bile salt-FGF19 axis and subsequent homeostatic regulation of bile salt synthesis.

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation is a key treatment option for hematological diseases and is widely performed in clinical practice. Platelet loss is one of the major complications of PBSC apheresis, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) return is considered in case of platelet decrease following apheresis; however, little is known about the frequency and severity of platelet loss and the efficacy of PRP return postapheresis.

We assessed changes in platelet counts following PBSC-related apheresis in 270 allogeneic (allo)- and 105 autologous (auto)-PBSC settings. We also evaluated the efficacy of PRP transfusion on platelet recovery postapheresis.

In both allo- and auto-PBSC settings, the preapheresis platelet count (range, 84-385 and 33-558 × 10

/L, respectively) decreased postapheresis (range, 57-292 and 20-429 × 10

/L, respectively), whereas severe platelet decrease (<50 × 10

/L) was only observed in auto-PBSC patients (n=9). We confirmed that platelet count before apheresis was a risk factor for severe platelet decrease (<50 × 10

/L) following auto-PBSC apheresis (odds ratio 0.749, P < .049). PRP return postapheresis facilitated platelet recovery in more than 80% of cases in both allo and auto settings.

Lower platelet count preapheresis is a useful predictor of severe platelet decrease following auto-PBSC apheresis and PRP return is an effective process to facilitate platelet recovery postapheresis.

Lower platelet count preapheresis is a useful predictor of severe platelet decrease following auto-PBSC apheresis and PRP return is an effective process to facilitate platelet recovery postapheresis.Three-dimensional (3D) transfer functions build the basis for a comprehensive characterization of optical imaging systems in the spatial frequency domain. Utilizing the projection-slice theorem, the 2D modulation transfer function of an incoherent imaging system can be derived from a 3D transfer function by integration with respect to the axial spatial frequency. For a diffraction limited microscope with homogeneous incoherent pupil illumination, the modulation transfer function equals the 2D autocorrelation function of a circular disc. However, until now to the best of our knowledge no 3D transfer function has been published, which exactly leads to the 2D modulation transfer function of a diffraction limited microscope in reflection mode. In this article, we derive a formula, which after integration with respect to the axial spatial frequency coordinate perfectly fits to the diffraction limited 2D modulation transfer function. The inverse three-dimensional Fourier transform of the 3D transfer function results in a complex-valued 3D point spread function, from which the depth of field, the lateral resolution and, in addition, the corresponding 3D point spread function of both, a conventional and an interference microscope, can be obtained.