Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors, Dulaglutide, and Risk for Dementia : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Both sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may have neuroprotective effects in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, their comparative effectiveness in preventing dementia remains uncertain.

Objective: To compare the risk for dementia between SGLT2 inhibitors and dulaglutide (a GLP-1 RA).

Functional Outcome and Hemorrhage Rates After Bridging Therapy With Tenecteplase or Alteplase in Patients With Large Ischemic Core.

Background And Objectives: IV tenecteplase is an alternative to alteplase before mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke. Little data are available on its use in patients with large ischemic core. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of both thrombolytics in this population.

Unexpected impact of preoperative anemia in low-risk isolated coronary artery bypass grafting or single-valve surgical patients: Do not overlook these patients in anemia management!

Objective: Preoperative anemia is prevalent in cardiac surgery and independently associated with increased risk for short-term and long-term mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of preoperative hematocrit (Hct) on outcomes in cardiac surgical patients and whether the effect is comparable across levels of Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS PROM).

Methods: The study consisted of adult, isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or single-valve surgical patients in a statewide registry from 2011 to 2022 (N = 29,828).

Analyses of Head-Impulse Tests in Patients With Posterior Circulation Stroke and Vestibular Neuritis.

Background And Objectives: The interpretation of video head-impulse tests (video-HITs) can often be complicated, limiting their clinical utility in acute vestibular syndrome. We aimed to determine video-HIT findings in patients with posterior circulation strokes (PCSs) and vestibular neuritis (VN).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results of video-HITs in 59 patients with PCS.

Blinded, randomized trial of sonographer versus AI cardiac function assessment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been developed for echocardiography, although it has not yet been tested with blinding and randomization. Here we designed a blinded, randomized non-inferiority clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05140642; no outside funding) of AI versus sonographer initial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to evaluate the impact of AI in the interpretation workflow.

Network Pharmacological Analysis on the Herbal Combinations for Mitigating Inflammation in Respiratory Tracts and Experimental Evaluation.

The regulation of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and leukotriene B4, could play a crucial role in suppressing inflammatory diseases such as COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms of drug combinations comprising Ephedrae Herba, Schisandra Fructus, Platycodonis Radix, and Ginseng Radix; validated the anti-inflammatory effects of these drugs; and determined the optimal dose of the drug combinations. By constructing a herb-compound-target network, associations were identified between the herbs and tissues (such as bronchial epithelial cells and lung) and pathways (such as the TNF, NF-κB, and calcium signaling pathways).

Efficacy and Safety of NVX-CoV2373 in Adults in the United States and Mexico.

Background: NVX-CoV2373 is an adjuvanted, recombinant spike protein nanoparticle vaccine that was shown to have clinical efficacy for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in phase 2b-3 trials in the United Kingdom and South Africa, but its efficacy had not yet been tested in North America.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in the United States and Mexico during the first half of 2021 to evaluate the efficacy and safety of NVX-CoV2373 in adults (≥18 years of age) who had not had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive two doses of NVX-CoV2373 or placebo 21 days apart.

Stratification of risk of progression to colectomy in ulcerative colitis via measured and predicted gene expression.

An important goal of clinical genomics is to be able to estimate the risk of adverse disease outcomes. Between 5% and 10% of individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC) require colectomy within 5 years of diagnosis, but polygenic risk scores (PRSs) utilizing findings from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are unable to provide meaningful prediction of this adverse status. By contrast, in Crohn disease, gene expression profiling of GWAS-significant genes does provide some stratification of risk of progression to complicated disease in the form of a transcriptional risk score (TRS).

Pre-Metabolic Syndrome and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension: From the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of premetabolic syndrome (pre-MetSyn) and its components and to longitudinally examine their association with new-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) or hypertension. A total of 4037 men and 4400 women aged 40 to 69 years were selected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, observed from 2001 to 2014. Pre-MetSyn was defined as the presence of one or two components of MetSyn (B, elevated blood pressure; G, elevated glucose; H, low HDL-cholesterol; T, elevated triglycerides; W, increased waist circumference).

How Do We Use Dashboards to Enhance Quality in Cardiac Anesthesia?

The use of clinical dashboards has expanded significantly in healthcare in recent years in a variety of settings. The ability to analyze data related to quality metrics in one screen is highly desirable for cardiac anesthesiologists, as they have considerable influence on important clinical outcomes. Building a robust quality program within cardiac anesthesia relies on consistent access and review of quality outcome measures, process measures, and operational measures through a clinical dashboard.

Costs of Interventions to Increase Vaccination Coverage Among Children in the United States: A Systematic Review.

Background: The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) has recommended several interventions that have been demonstrated to be effective at increasing vaccination coverage.

Objective: Conduct a systematic review to examine the costs of interventions designed to increase vaccination coverage among children and adolescents in the United States.

Data Sources: PubMed, EconLit, Embase, and Cochrane.

Design and Characterization of Elastic Artificial Skin Containing Adenosine-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Treating Wrinkles.

Adenosine (AD), which is used for treating wrinkles, exhibits poor skin permeation. The aim of the present study was to develop a cross-linked silicone-based cellulose elastomer as an elastic artificial skin for the treatment of skin wrinkles, a biocompatible lipid-based nano-carrier for enhancing the skin permeation of AD, and a formulation consisting of the lipid-based carrier incorporated in the elastic artificial skin. AD-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared using a double-emulsion method.

Investigation on energy bandgap states of amorphous SiZnSnO thin films.

The variation in energy bandgaps of amorphous oxide semiconducting SiZnSnO (a-SZTO) has been investigated by controlling the oxygen partial pressure (O). The systematic change in O during deposition has been used to control the electrical characteristics and energy bandgap of a-SZTO. As O increased, the electrical properties degraded, while the energy bandgap increased systematically.

High-performance chemical- and light-inducible recombinases in mammalian cells and mice.

Site-specific DNA recombinases are important genome engineering tools. Chemical- and light-inducible recombinases, in particular, enable spatiotemporal control of gene expression. However, inducible recombinases are scarce due to the challenge of engineering high performance systems, thus constraining the sophistication of genetic circuits and animal models that can be created.

Novel method for action potential measurements from intact cardiac monolayers with multiwell microelectrode array technology.

The cardiac action potential (AP) is vital for understanding healthy and diseased cardiac biology and drug safety testing. However, techniques for high throughput cardiac AP measurements have been limited. Here, we introduce a novel technique for reliably increasing the coupling of cardiomyocyte syncytium to planar multiwell microelectrode arrays, resulting in a stable, label-free local extracellular action potential (LEAP).

Robust continuous in vitro culture of the Plasmodium cynomolgi erythrocytic stages.

The ability to culture pathogenic organisms substantially enhances the quest for fundamental knowledge and the development of vaccines and drugs. Thus, the elaboration of a protocol for the in vitro cultivation of the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum revolutionized research on this important parasite. However, for P.

Characteristics of Intracranial Aneurysms According to Levels of Coronary Artery Calcium.

Background and Purpose- Several vascular risk factors are known to be associated with the occurrence of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Coronary artery calcium (CAC), which reflects the atherosclerotic burden of the coronary arteries, is a known predictor of cardiovascular events and stroke. We investigated the relationship between IA and CAC.

Better Collaterals Are Independently Associated With Post-Thrombolysis Recanalization Before Thrombectomy.

Background and Purpose- In acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, the goal of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is to achieve early recanalization (ER). Apart from occlusion site and thrombus length, predictors of early post-IVT recanalization are poorly known. Better collaterals might also facilitate ER, for instance, by improving delivery of the thrombolytic agent to both ends of the thrombus.

Which definition of a central tumour is more predictive of occult mediastinal metastasis in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients with radiological N0 disease?

Background: Guidelines recommend invasive mediastinal staging for centrally located tumours, even in radiological N0 nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is no uniform definition of a central tumour that is more predictive of occult mediastinal metastasis.

Methods: A total of 1337 consecutive patients with radiological N0 disease underwent invasive mediastinal staging.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Versus Computed Tomography Angiography Based Selection for Endovascular Therapy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Randomized trials comparing the use of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to multimodal computed tomography (CT)/ CT angiography (CTA) for selecting candidates for endovascular therapy (EVT) have not been reported. This study aimed to elucidate whether MRI-based selection for EVT is safe and effective within and after a 6-hour time window compared with conventional CTA-based selection. Methods- Data from a prospective, nationwide, multicenter stroke registry were analyzed.

Clinical Feasibility of Zero TE Skull MRI in Patients with Head Trauma in Comparison with CT: A Single-Center Study.

Background And Purpose: Conventional MR imaging techniques cannot produce optimal images of bone structures because bone has little water and a very short T2 life span. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of skull MR imaging using the zero TE sequence in patients with head trauma by assessing its diagnostic image quality and quantitative measurement compared with CT images.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen enrolled patients with head trauma were assessed using brain CT and skull MR imaging.