Aerodigestoscopy (ADS): The Feasibility, Safety, and Comfort of a Comprehensive Procedure for the Evaluation of Physiological Disorders of the Aerodigestive Tract.

Limited access to the comprehensive assessment of disorders of the upper aerodigestive tract is a barrier to care in rural health facilities. Assessment of the full aerodigestive tract requires a variety of specialists. The inability to access the necessary specialists can result in misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and increased associated mortality.

Trace organic compounds and photosensitizing activity in Salvadoran surface and tap water sources: A first look.

Despite their potential risks to human health and the environment at ng/L to μg/L concentrations, there has been relatively little effort to measure trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in surface waters of Central America. The concentrations of eighteen TOrCs detected at eleven surface water sites in the Lempa River basin of El Salvador and four sources of drinking water for the cities of San Salvador, Antiguo Cuscatlán, Soyapango, and Santa Tecla are reported here. All samples were analyzed via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

PRMT5-regulated splicing of DNA repair genes drives chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells.

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a rare cell population that is responsible for tumour initiation, metastasis and chemoresistance. Despite this, the mechanism by which BCSCs withstand genotoxic stress is largely unknown. Here, we uncover a pivotal role for the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 in mediating BCSC chemoresistance by modulating DNA repair efficiency.

Estimating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in New Zealand border arrivals.

Background: Travel restrictions and border controls were used extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the processes for making robust evidence-based risk assessments of source countries to inform border control policies was in many cases very limited.

Methods: Between April 2020 and February 2022, all international arrivals to New Zealand were required to spend 14 days in government-managed quarantine facilities and were tested at least twice.

Validation of the Affordable, Portable International Visionkeys System for Visual Acuity and Stereopsis.

Background: A new, portable computerized distance vision testing (screen plus remote) system called VisionKeys has been developed by the missions equipment developer EyeMobil so we validated it compared to conventional research testing devices.

Methods: Using a standardized protocol of surround HOTV optotype presentation, the VisionKeys was compared to M&S for patched monocular distance visual acuity. A different VisionKeys function with anaglyph spectacle distance stereopsis was compared to near stereo on Titmus circles with Polaroid goggles and PDI Check on an autostereoscopic screen.

The State of STEMI Care Across NSW: A Comparison of Rural, Regional, and Metropolitan Centres.

Background: At a global level, regional variation in the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is influenced by patient demographics and geography. Rural patients with STEMI are disadvantaged in reaching timely care owing to distance and limited ambulance and healthcare resources. Optimising models of STEMI care is key to overcoming the excess rural vs metropolitan cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Structure-optimized sgRNA selection with PlatinumCRISPr for efficient Cas9 generation of knockouts.

A single guide RNA (sgRNA) directs Cas9 nuclease for gene-specific scission of double-stranded DNA. High Cas9 activity is essential for efficient gene editing to generate gene deletions and gene replacements by homologous recombination. However, cleavage efficiency is below 50% for more than half of randomly selected sgRNA sequences in human cell culture screens or model organisms.

Adeno-associated viral tools to trace neural development and connectivity across amphibians.

Amphibians, by virtue of their phylogenetic position, provide invaluable insights on nervous system evolution, development, and remodeling. The genetic toolkit for amphibians, however, remains limited. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) are a powerful alternative to transgenesis for labeling and manipulating neurons.

Randomized Trial of the Four Supports Intervention for Surrogate Decision Makers in Intensive Care Units.

Rationale: Individuals acting as surrogate decision-makers for critically ill patients frequently struggle in this role and experience high levels of long-term psychological distress. Prior interventions designed solely to improve information sharing between clinicians and family members have been ineffective.

Objectives: To examine the impact of a multicomponent family support intervention on patient and family outcomes Methods: Patient-level randomized clinical trial at 6 intensive care units (ICUs) in a healthcare system in Pennsylvania.

Impact of Hearing Loss and Restricted Access to Care on the Karen People Living in a Conflict Setting Near the Thai-Burma Border.

Purpose: The rate of moderate-to-severe hearing loss in Southeast Asia is 5.8%, among the world's most prevalent. However, it is difficult to measure for people whose healthcare access is limited by the ongoing civil war.

Comparison and combination of mutation and methylation-based urine tests for bladder cancer detection.

Background And Aims: Several non-invasive tests for detecting bladder cancer (BC) are commercially available and are based on detecting small panels of BC-associated mutations and/or methylation changes in urine DNA. However, it is not clear which type of biomarker is best, or if a combination of the two is needed. In this study we address this question by taking a 23-gene mutation panel (GALEAS™ Bladder, GB) and testing if adding a panel of methylation markers improves the sensitivity of BC detection.

Beyond the games: How sport-based social networks support illness self-management for organ transplant recipients.

For people living with a long-term health condition, it is important to engage in illness self-management to maintain both physical and psychosocial functioning. Illness self-management is now understood as a collective process whereby social networks can make a significant contribution to outcomes. This study investigated the role of sport-based social networks for illness self-management for organ transplant recipients.

Specific Morphology of Coronary Artery Aneurysms in Mainly White Patients With Kawasaki Disease: Initial Data From the Cardiac Catheterization in Kawasaki Disease Registry.

Background: Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery involvement require long-term cardiac care. Although respective evidence-based recommendations are missing, cardiac catheterization is still considered the gold standard for diagnosing detailed coronary pathology. Therefore, to better understand coronary artery pathology development, we conducted a survey to document and evaluate cardiac catheterization data in a European population.

The role of the dynamic epigenetic landscape in senescence: orchestrating SASP expression.

Senescence and epigenetic alterations stand out as two well-characterized hallmarks of aging. When cells become senescent, they cease proliferation and release inflammatory molecules collectively termed the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP). Senescence and SASP are implicated in numerous age-related diseases.

A Novel Liver Cancer-Selective Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Is Effective against Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Induces Durable Responses with Immunotherapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression is facilitated by gene-silencing chromatin histone hypoacetylation due to histone deacetylase (HDAC) activation. However, inhibiting HDACs-an effective treatment for lymphomas-has shown limited success in solid tumors. We report the discovery of a class of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) that demonstrates exquisite selective cytotoxicity against human HCC cells.

Reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in a large health system: a quality improvement approach using a fractal management system.

Objective: Although preventable through established infection control practices, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain prevalent in acute-care settings. Our goal was to improve the CAUTI rates through multiple hospitals through implementing sustainable practices, including enhancing communication, provider engagement, accountability, and transparency in reporting to achieve long-term improvements.

Design: Quality improvement with multiple levels of interventions.

Letter to the Editor Regarding "Instrumental Assessment of Aero-Resistive Expiratory Muscle Strength Rehabilitation Devices".

This Letter to the Editor was created in response to the article titled, "Instrumental Assessment of Aero-Resistive Expiratory Muscle Strength Rehabilitation Devices" by Dietsch et al. (2024). The article aims to compare six expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) devices and investigates their minimum trigger pressure, variability across the settings, and stability.

Evaluation of adherence of Candida albicans to differently manufactured acrylic resin denture base materials.

Statement Of Problem: Though computer-aided design and computer-aided manufactured (CAD-CAM) denture bases have become popular, evidence on the ability of C. albicans cells to adhere to these denture bases is lacking.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the adherence of Candida albicans to differently manufactured acrylic resin denture bases.

Palliative Care Consults for Clinician Distress: Part of the Job?

Clinician distress is common in serious illness care. Palliative specialists are often consulted for cases involving significant distress among primary teams. Consults involving clinician distress can be challenging to navigate when it feels like 1) palliative specialists do not have the right skills to be helpful or 2) palliative specialists are being asked to 'fix' difficult situations that would require changing other people's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, or healthcare systems writ large.