Mechanical stress in a solid ellipsoid model of the lung after thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: Newly formed bullae after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) bullectomy in primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) are an important etiology for recurrence and are associated with mechanical stress along the stapling line. However, the distribution or pattern of stress after VATS bullectomy has not been thoroughly investigated. Our aim was to analyze the stress distribution following lung resection.

Medicaid's Cranio-Cap: Medicaid Reimbursement for Craniosynostosis Repair is Not Trending With the Rate of Inflation.

Background: Craniosynostosis requires early diagnosis and intervention to mitigate the risks of impaired cranial growth; however, patients with Medicaid face treatment delays for craniosynostosis care. Medicaid reimbursement rates have failed to match the inflation rate in medicine, remaining relatively static in many surgical fields. This study investigates Medicaid reimbursement and the longitudinal impact of economic inflation on reimbursement for craniosynostosis care.

Complications associated with abdominal incisional wound vacuum assisted closure following deep inferior epigastric perforator flap harvest for breast reconstruction: A single institution retrospective study.

Background: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) free flap reconstruction is a preferred breast reconstruction technique due to its muscle-sparing approach and patient satisfaction. However, donor-site complications, particularly wound dehiscence, remain a concern. Closed incision negative pressure wound therapy using wound vacuum assisted closure (VAC) systems may reduce these complications by enhancing perfusion and minimizing edema.

Visible Light-Mediated Selective Synthesis of β-Amino Sulfide Scaffolds via Dual Role of -Iodosuccinimide.

The synthesis of β-amino sulfides is significant in organic chemistry. However, challenges such as achieving regioselectivity and the limited availability of starting materials remain unresolved. In this study, we present a visible light-mediated method for the selective synthesis of β-amino sulfide scaffolds.

Is the Future of Cleft Care Financially Sustainable? An Economic Analysis of Inflation-Adjusted Reimbursements.

Objective: As Medicaid continues to expand, it remains unclear if reimbursement rates for cleft care are keeping up with the national economy. The purpose of this study is to determine how financial trends in cleft lip and palate repair reimbursements compare to annual changes in the U.S.

The use of electromagnetic transduction therapy in patients with chronic myofascial pain: A pilot double-blinded randomised controlled trial.

Electromagnetic transduction therapy (EMTT) is a non-invasive magnetic therapy with high oscillating electromagnetic field power. This pilot randomised controlled trial (ChiCTR1900021031) evaluated EMTT's potential efficacy in relieving pain and other non-symptomatic aspects of chronic myofascial pain (CMP). Forty patients with moderate-to-severe CMP were randomised into treatment (real-EMTT) or control (sham-EMTT) group, and received eight sessions of 20-minute real or sham EMTT over four weeks.

Early-Onset Macrosomia, Advanced Brain Maturation, and Gonadoblastoid Testicular Dysplasia in a Fetus With a PTEN Variant.

We report a case of a male fetus with early-onset macrosomia and a pathogenic variant in PTEN identified on a macrocephaly and overgrowth sequencing panel. The pregnancy ended at 25 weeks gestation. On post-mortem examination, macrosomia was confirmed, and maturation of the brain was approximately 3 weeks ahead of that of the visceral organs.

Baseline choroidal microvasculature dropout as a predictor of rapid global structural loss in open-angle glaucoma.

This study included 102 open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes with or without a localized choroidal microvasculature dropout (CMvD) at the inferior hemiretina, matched for age (≤ 10 years), axial length (≤ 1 mm), and visual field severity (≤ 1dB), and with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Serial thickness [circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFLT) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIPLT)], and vessel density (VD) [circumpapillary (cpVD) and macular VD (mVD)] parameters were obtained. The rate of change in each parameter at both the superior (CMvD-unaffected) and inferior (CMvD-affected) hemiretina were compared between matched eyes with (CMvD+) and without CMvD (CMvD-).

Immune responses in rodent whole eye transplantation: elucidation and preliminary investigations into rejection diagnosis and monitoring.

Background: Whole Eye Transplantation (WET) offers potential for vision restoration but is hindered by the complex challenge of immune rejection. Understanding and closely monitoring these immunological responses is crucial for advancing WET. This study delves into the timeline and nature of immune responses in a rodent model of WET without immunosuppression, aiming to elucidate a detailed picture of the immune landscape post-transplantation and establish innovative diagnostic and monitoring methods.

Advanced External Beam Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Skull Base Reirradiation.

Background/objectives: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for skull base reirradiation is particularly challenging, as patients have already received substantial radiation doses to the region, and nearby normal organs may have approached their tolerance limit from prior treatments. In this study, we reviewed the characteristics and capabilities of four advanced external beam radiation delivery systems and four modern treatment planning systems and evaluated the treatment plan quality of each technique using skull base reirradiation patient cases.

Methods: SBRT plans were generated for sixteen skull base reirradiation patients using four modalities: the GK plan for the Elekta Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion/ICON, the CyberKnife (CK) plan for the Accuray CyberKnife, the intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plan for the Hitachi ProBeat-FR proton therapy machine, and the volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan for the Varian TrueBeam STx.

Surgical Complications After Fronto-orbital Advancement for Craniosynostosis: Analysis of a National Database.

Background: Fronto-orbital advancement (FOA) is the standard surgical intervention for patients with craniosynostosis and associated fronto-orbital dysmorphology. Although previous studies have provided insights into center-specific complications, comprehensive, large-scale analyses remain limited. This study utilizes a national database to address these gaps, offering a large-scale perspective on FOA outcomes.

Childbearing intentions and influencing factors among single young adults in South Korea: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: To identify the childbearing intentions of young adults in South Korea and examine the factors influencing them using a social-ecological model (SEM).

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Unmarried employed men and women (n=181) aged 25-40 years completed an online survey.

Using Bayesian Hypothesis-testing to Reanalyze Randomized Controlled Trials: Does it Always Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth?

Unlabelled: Adequately powered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the highest level of evidence in guiding clinical practice. Reports using Bayesian hypothesis-testing to reanalyze RCTs are increasing. One distinct advantage of Bayesian analysis is that we can obtain a range of numerical probabilities that reflect how likely a study intervention is more effective than the alternative after considering both pre-existing available evidence and the alternate hypotheses.

Trends of Staged Versus Single-Stage Operations for Bilateral Cleft Lip Repair: Analysis of a National Database.

Introduction: Single-stage bilateral cleft lip repair may require preoperative naso-alveolar molding (NAM) to decrease cleft widths and reposition the premaxilla. Staged operations may be performed in centers or regions without easy access to NAM. This retrospective study aims to examine the national prevalence of single-stage and staged bilateral cleft lip repairs over the past 23 years.

Early Intervention for Children With Developmental Disabilities and Their Families via Telehealth: Systematic Review.

Background: Early intervention during the first 3 years of life is crucial for children with developmental disabilities to optimize developmental outcomes. However, access to such services is often limited by geographical distance and resource constraints. Telehealth can be part of a solution for overcoming these barriers, enabling the delivery of early intervention services.

Relationship between nocturnal blood pressure dip and β-parapapillary atrophy zone choroidal vessel density in normal-tension glaucoma patients.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dip and parapapillary choroidal vessel density (pCVD) in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).

Methods: This study analyzed 267 eyes of 267 untreated NTG patients who underwent 24-hour (h) intraocular pressure (IOP) and ambulatory BP monitoring in the habitual position. Patients were classified into 3 groups [non-dippers (nocturnal BP dip < 10%), dippers (nocturnal BP dip between 10% and 20%, and over-dippers (nocturnal BP dip > 20%)], and pCVDs were measured by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images.

Factors Affecting Handgrip Strength in Menopausal Women at High Risk of Sarcopenia: A National Population-Based Study.

: Hand grip strength (HGS) reflects muscle strength and is an important indicator of sarcopenia. There is a gap in the research regarding the determinants of relative HGS that take sex differences into account. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between relative HGS and physical, behavioral, and psychological factors in menopausal women from South Korea.

Somatic PTEN and ARID1A loss and endometriosis disease burden: a longitudinal study.

Study Question: Is there an association between the somatic loss of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) and ARID1A (AT-rich interaction domain 1A) and endometriosis disease severity and worse clinical outcomes?

Summary Answer: Somatic PTEN loss in endometriosis epithelium was associated with greater disease burden and subsequent surgical complexity.

What Is Known Already: Somatic cancer-driver mutations including those involving the PTEN and ARID1A genes exist in endometriosis without cancer; however, their clinical impact remains unclear.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This prospective longitudinal study involved endometriosis tissue and clinical data from 126 participants who underwent surgery at a tertiary center for endometriosis (2013-2017), with a follow-up period of 5-9 years.

Increasing diversity in the nutrition, obesity, and diabetes biomedical workforce: the BRIDGES consortium.

Scientists from diverse backgrounds are underrepresented (UR) in academia. This lack of diversity impedes scientific discovery and innovation. UR scientists tend to conduct research on issues relevant to UR populations, including chronic disease prevention and management, and health disparities.

Shape-Dependent Locomotion of DNA-Linked Magnetic Nanoparticle Films.

The shape-dependent aero- and hydro-dynamics found in nature have been adopted in a wide range of areas spanning from daily transportation to forefront biomedical research. Here, we report DNA-linked nanoparticle films exhibiting shape-dependent magnetic locomotion, controlled by DNA sequences. Fabricated through a DNA-directed layer-by-layer assembly of iron oxide and gold nanoparticles, the multifunctional films exhibit rotational and translational motions under magnetic fields, along with reversible shape morphing via DNA strand exchange reactions.

Definitive Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic and Oligoprogressive Thyroid Cancer: A Potential Strategy for Systemic Therapy Deferral.

Background: Definitive radiotherapy (dRT) has been shown to be an effective option for patients with oligometastatic and oligoprogressive cancers; however, this approach has not been well-studied in metastatic thyroid cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort included 119 patients with oligometastatic (34%) and oligoprogressive (66%) metastatic thyroid cancer treated from 2005 to 2024 with 207 dRT courses for 344 sites (50% thoracic, 37% bone, 7.5% brain, 4% abdominopelvic, and 1.

The Effectiveness of the Moyamoya Healthy Youth Application for the Salutogenesis of Adolescents With Moyamoya Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Adolescents with moyamoya disease can experience unexpected transient ischemic attacks, significantly impacting their daily lives. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Moyamoya Healthy Youth application for adolescents with moyamoya disease. The research employed a parallel, two-group randomized controlled trial with a repeated measures design.