Safety Parameters for the Use of Holmium:YAG Laser in the Treatment of Biliary Calculi: The Ex-Vivo Model.

: While studies have demonstrated the efficacy of cholangioscopy-guided Holmium-Yttrium aluminum garnet (Ho:YAG) laser lithotripsy for the treatment of refractory bile duct stones, data regarding the safety of the operating parameters for laser lithotripsy are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine safe, yet effective, energy settings for Ho:YAG laser in the ex-vivo model. : This ex vivo experimental study utilized the Ho:YAG laser on porcine bile duct epithelium and human gallstones.

Multisystem Spinal Cord Stimulation Trialing: A Single Center, Retrospective, Observational Study.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation is a well-established modality for the treatment of chronic intractable pain. The safety and efficacy of various stimulation therapy designs have been demonstrated in multiple randomized controlled studies, oftentimes comparing an investigational device to an existing commercial therapy. In the real-world setting, data are lacking regarding selection of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy, as waveform, pulse trains, and programming are not interchangeable among the devices.

Comparison between magnetic resonance and ultrasound-derived indicators of hepatic steatosis in a pooled NAFLD cohort.

Background & Aims: MRI-based proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and the ultrasound-derived controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) are non-invasive techniques for quantifying liver fat, which can be used to assess steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study compared both of these techniques to histopathological graded steatosis for the assessment of fat levels in a large pooled NAFLD cohort.

Methods: This retrospective study pooled N = 581 participants from two suspected NAFLD cohorts (mean age (SD) 56 (12.

Complete Genome Sequence of Bacteriophage Finny, Isolated from a Microbacterium foliorum Culture.

Actinobacteriophage Finny contains a circularly permuted 40,313-bp double-stranded DNA genome with 63 predicted protein-coding genes. Finny was directly isolated from a soil sample collected in New Braunfels, Texas, that was incubated with SEA B-24224. Finny is closely related to bacteriophages MCubed, Andromedas, ColaCorta, Eleri, and Sansa.