Showcasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in neurological surgery: a comparative analysis of neurological surgery residency program websites in the United States.

Residency websites can often be crucial for influencing neurosurgery applicants' first impressions of programs. This study explores the representation of diversity on neurological surgery residency program websites and evaluates the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements. The websites of 117 neurological surgery residency programs were evaluated for the presence of 12 diversity and inclusion elements.

An Intraspecific Negative Correlation Between the Repair Capacity of Photoinhibition of Cold Acclimated Plants and the Habitat Temperature.

Both the activity of photosynthesis and the repair of damaged photosystems decline in cold environments, which may increase the extent of the damage of photosynthetic machinery by light, namely photoinhibition. We hypothesized that plants in colder habitats may possess greater tolerance to photoinhibition, especially in low-temperature conditions. We measured the rate of photoinhibition, rate of photoinhibition repair and other thylakoid activities in cold environments using 298 Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes and studied the relationships among the indicators of photoinhibition tolerance and climatic data of the habitat of each ecotype.

Laser interstitial thermal therapy for treatment of a recurrent skull base chordoma: illustrative case.

Background: The authors applied laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) to a recurrent skull base chordoma, which has not been previously described.

Observations: A 63-year-old man was initially diagnosed with an 8-cm destructive clival chordoma, which was aggressively resected endoscopically but recurred despite multiple operations, proton radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The patient underwent uncomplicated LITT for a subtemporal mass, which palliated the tumor for 10 months.

Factors influencing smoking cessation: Insights from Singapore's nationwide health and lifestyle survey.

Introduction: Singapore has implemented an evidence-based smoking cessation framework to support smokers in quitting. Our study investigated the prevalence and correlates of (1) quit attempts (QA) and quit intentions (QI) among current smokers, and (2) smoking cessation (SC) among ever-smokers in Singapore.

Method: Data was collected from a nationwide survey conducted between 2020 and 2022.

Delphi consensus recommendations for the management of chronic insomnia in Canada.

Objective: The lack of current Canadian practice guidelines for the management of insomnia poses a challenge for healthcare providers (HCP) in selecting the appropriate treatment options. This study aimed to establish expert consensus recommendations for the management of chronic insomnia in Canada.

Composition Of The Committee: Sixteen multidisciplinary experts in sleep medicine and insomnia across Canada developed consensus recommendations based on their knowledge of the literature and their practical experience.

Inflammasome-Driven Fatal Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure Triggered by Mild COVID-19.

Inflammasome is linked to many inflammatory diseases, including COVID-19 and autoimmune liver diseases. While severe COVID-19 was reported to exacerbate liver failure, we report a fatal acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in a stable primary biliary cholangitis-autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome patient triggered by a mild COVID-19 infection. Postmortem liver biopsy showed sparse SARS-CoV-2-infected macrophages with extensive ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD) speck-positive hepatocytes, correlating with elevated circulating ASC specks and inflammatory cytokines, and depleted blood monocyte subsets, indicating widespread liver inflammasome activation.

A study of pre- and post-treatment hematologic markers of immune response in patients undergoing radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma.

Introduction: This study investigates the impact of pre- and post-treatment hematologic markers, specifically neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on treatment outcomes in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Data from 64 patients who underwent RT for curative management of STS were reviewed. Pre-RT and post-RT hematologic measures were evaluated for associations with survival outcomes.

A rapid method to assess the multi-functionality of adoptively transferred engineered TCR T cells.

Introduction: The clinical efficacy of chimeric antigen and T cell receptor (TCR) T cell immunotherapies is attributed to their ability to proliferate and persist . Since the interaction of the engineered T cells with the targeted tumour or its environment might suppress their function, their functionality should be characterized not only before but also after adoptive transfer.

Materials And Methods: We sought to achieve this by adapting a recently developed Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) rapid whole blood T cell assay to stimulate engineered TCR T cells in small volumes of whole blood (<1 ml) without cellular purification.

Real-world efficacy and safety of naltrexone-bupropion therapy in Chinese patients with obesity: A single-centre experience.

Purpose: Naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave®) has shown efficacy and safety in large randomised controlled trials, predominantly comprising Caucasians. Data are limited in Asian populations. We carried out a retrospective matched cohort study of Chinese patients with obesity to evaluate the efficacy and safety of naltrexone-bupropion in real-world clinical practice.

The attributable mortality, length of stay, and health care costs of methicillin-resistant infections in Singapore.

Objectives: We used a multi-state model, which mitigates time-dependent bias, to estimate the mortality, length of stay (LOS), and costs of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) infections in Singapore.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a hospital in Singapore from 2018 to 2022. Patients with MRSA infections were matched 1:1:3 to patients with MRSA colonization and patients without MRSA by age, gender, specialty, and intensive care admission, respectively.

Distinct patterns of genetic variation at low-recombining genomic regions represent haplotype structure.

Genomic regions sometimes show patterns of genetic variation distinct from the genome-wide population structure. Such deviations have often been interpreted to represent effects of selection. However, systematic investigation of whether and how non-selective factors, such as recombination rates, can affect distinct patterns has been limited.

Effects of Oral Nutritional Supplement with β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on Biochemical and Hematological Indices in Community-Dwelling Older Adults at Risk of Malnutrition: Findings from the SHIELD Study.

Malnutrition may result in abnormal biochemical and hematological indices. This planned prespecified analysis investigated the effects of a specialized oral nutritional supplement (ONS) on biochemical and hematological indices in community-dwelling older adults at risk of malnutrition. In the Strengthening Health in ELDerly through nutrition (SHIELD) study, 811 older adults aged 65 years and above took part in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study.

Combination Nanomedicine Strategy for Preventing High-Risk Corneal Transplantation Rejection.

High-risk (HR) corneal transplantation presents a formidable challenge, with over 50% of grafts experiencing rejection despite intensive postoperative care involving frequent topical eyedrop administration up to every 2 h, gradually tapering over 6-12 months, and ongoing maintenance dosing. While clinical evidence underscores the potential benefits of inhibiting postoperative angiogenesis, effective antiangiogenesis therapy remains elusive in this context. Here, we engineered controlled-release nanomedicine formulations comprising immunosuppressants (nanoparticles) and antiangiogenesis drugs (nanowafer) and demonstrated that these formulations can prevent HR corneal transplantation rejection for at least 6 months in a clinically relevant rat model.

Optimal door-to-balloon time for primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Door-to-balloon time (DTBT) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a performance metric by which primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) services are assessed.

Methods: Consecutive patients presenting with STEMI undergoing PPCI between January 2007 to December 2019 from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry were included. Patients were stratified based on DTBT (≤60 min, 61-90 min, 91-180 min) and Killip status (I-III vs.

Impact of family and caregiver factors on development and behaviours in maltreated young children.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental and emotional/ behavioural concerns in maltreated children and to examine the impact of adverse family/caregiver risk factors on these outcomes.

Method: We analysed family demographic and baseline data of 132 maltreated children and their caregivers from a family support programme in Singapore. We examined the associations of 3 main risk factors (i.

Identification of Psychoplastogenic Tropanes Lacking Muscarinic Activity.

Tropane-containing small molecules like scopolamine are a promising class of psychoplastogens. However, their potent antagonism of all muscarinic receptor subtypes presents the potential for undesirable anticholinergic side effects. In an effort to decouple their neuroplasticity-promoting effects from their muscarinic activity, we performed phenotypic structure-activity relationship studies across a variety of structurally distinct subclasses of tropanes.

Nor-LAAM loaded PLGA microparticles for treating opioid use disorder.

The treatment landscape for opioid use disorder (OUD) faces challenges stemming from the limited efficacy of existing medications, poor adherence to prescribed regimens, and a heightened risk of fatal overdose post-treatment cessation. Therefore, there is a pressing need for innovative therapeutic strategies that enhance the effectiveness of interventions and the overall well-being of individuals with OUD. This study explored the therapeutic potential of nor-Levo-α-acetylmethadol (nor-LAAM) to treat OUD.

Problematic smartphone use and mental health outcomes among Singapore residents: The health and lifestyle survey.

Background: The excessive use of smartphones and its association with adverse outcomes has been widely reported, with several studies showing an association between smartphone overuse, depression, anxiety, and sleep-related problems.

Methods: The study used data from the Health and Lifestyle Survey, a nationwide population survey. It examined the prevalence of Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) and its association with mental health outcomes among Singapore residents aged 15-65 years.