Barriers to timely primary cleft surgery in patients treated by an international cleft-focused NGO across 18 countries.

Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate (CL ± P) constitutes a significant portion of the global surgical burden. Patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face disproportionate barriers that result in delayed surgical repair, worse long-term outcomes, and increased morbidity.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify patient-reported barriers and demographic characteristics associated with delayed CL ± P surgery in LMICs where Operation Smile provides surgical care.

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and its Association With Pap Smear Findings Among Women Attending a Gynecology Clinic in Khorasan Razavi-Iran.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexual transmitted disease and Pap smears and HPV testing are crucial for early detection. Advancements in HPV testing improve accuracy, but optimal screening strategies are still debated. This cross-sectional study explores HPV genotypes and predictors of infection among Iranian women undergoing gynecological screening.

Enhanced Recovery After Gender-Affirming Surgery.

The adoption of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in multiple surgical disciplines has revolutionized perioperative care, demonstrating reduced complications and shorter hospital stays across surgical specialties. ERAS protocols have increasingly been incorporated in plastic surgery, yet a notable gap in the literature on ERAS for gender-affirming surgery (GAS) still exists. A scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies on ERAS protocols in GAS.

Molecular Status of Mutation in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: An Analysis of 57 Cases in the Northeast of Iran.

Background & Objective: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most prevalent type of ovarian cancer. Previous studies have elucidated different pathways for the progression of this malignancy. The mutation in the B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) gene, a member of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, plays a role in the development of EOC.

Epigenetic regulation of temozolomide resistance in human cancers with an emphasis on brain tumors: Function of non-coding RNAs.

Brain tumors, which are highly malignant, pose a significant threat to health and often result in substantial rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The brain cancer therapy has been challenging due to obstacles such as the BBB, which hinders effective delivery of therapeutic agents. Additionally, the emergence of drug resistance further complicates the management of brain tumors.

Comparative Evaluation of the Electronic Residency Application Service Versus the Plastic Surgery Common Application to a Single Institution in the 2022 Integrated Plastic Surgery Match.

Background: The Plastic Surgery Common Application (PSCA) has emerged as a low-cost alternative application portal to the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for integrated plastic surgery applicants. During the 2021 to 2022 application cycle, our plastic surgery residency program accepted both the PSCA and ERAS applications to help recruit candidates otherwise deterred by prohibitively high application costs. We sought to determine how the PSCA compared with the ERAS application in a standardized review of applications scores.

Progress in targeting PTEN/PI3K/Akt axis in glioblastoma therapy: Revisiting molecular interactions.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most malignant cancers of central nervous system and due to its sensitive location, surgical resection has high risk and therefore, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are utilized for its treatment. However, chemoresistance and radio-resistance are other problems in GBM treatment. Hence, new therapies based on genes are recommended for treatment of GBM.

Measuring Biomechanical Properties Using a Noninvasive Myoton Device for Lymphedema Detection and Tracking: A Pilot Study.

Background: Improved techniques for lymphedema detection and monitoring of disease progression are needed. This study aims to use the noninvasive MyotonPRO Device to detect differences in biomechanical skin characteristics in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL).

Methods: The handheld Myoton device was used to measure skin parameters including dynamic skin stiffness, oscillation frequency (tone), mechanical stress relaxation time, and creep in 11 women diagnosed with BCRL.

High Glycolytic Activity Enhances Stem Cell Reprogramming of Fahd1-KO Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts.

Mitochondria play a key role in metabolic transitions involved in the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. To obtain new insight into the mechanisms of cellular reprogramming, we studied the role of FAH domain-containing protein 1 (FAHD1) in the reprogramming of murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) into iPSCs and their subsequent differentiation into neuronal cells. MEFs from wild type (WT) and Fahd1-knock-out (KO) mice were reprogrammed into iPSCs and characterized for alterations in metabolic parameters and the expression of marker genes indicating mitochondrial biogenesis.

Persistent reduction in the age adjusted mortality rate from aortic valve surgery in the United State with elimination of gender gap in recent years.

Background: Advancement in the surgical techniques should translate into better outcome. The goal of this study was to evaluate mortality trends from aortic valve surgery in the United State using large inpatient database.

Method: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to calculate the age-adjusted mortality rate from aortic valve surgery from 1988 to 2011 in the United State using ICD-9 coding for aortic valve surgery.

Seven decades of chemotherapy clinical trials: a pan-cancer social network analysis.

Clinical trials establish the standard of cancer care, yet the evolution and characteristics of the social dynamics between the people conducting this work remain understudied. We performed a social network analysis of authors publishing chemotherapy-based prospective trials from 1946 to 2018 to understand how social influences, including the role of gender, have influenced the growth and development of this network, which has expanded exponentially from fewer than 50 authors in 1946 to 29,197 in 2018. While 99.

Development and patterning of rib primordia are dependent on associated musculature.

The importance of skeletal muscle for rib development and patterning in the mouse embryo has not been resolved, largely because different experimental approaches have yielded disparate results. In this study, we utilize both gene knockouts and muscle cell ablation approaches to re-visit the extent to which rib growth and patterning are dependent on developing musculature. Consistent with previous studies, we show that rib formation is highly dependent on the MYOD family of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), and demonstrate that the extent of rib formation is gene-, allele-, and dosage-dependent.

Advantages of a Fixation-Free Technique for Open Retromuscular Ventral Hernia Repair.

Background: In open retromuscular ventral hernia repair, fixation-free mesh placement is increasingly prevalent and may minimize pain; the main concern with this technique is short-term technical failure and hernia recurrence. This study compared outcomes following mechanical mesh fixation (i.e.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin modulates CXCL10 Expression through Histone Methylation in human decidua.

The process of implantation, trophoblast invasion and placentation demand continuous adaptation and modifications between the trophoblast (embryonic) and the decidua (maternal). Within the decidua, the maternal immune system undergoes continued changes, as the pregnancy progress, in terms of the cell population, phenotype and production of immune factors, cytokines and chemokines. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the earliest hormones produced by the blastocyst and has potent immune modulatory effects, especially in relation to T cells.

Indication of Measures of Uncertainty for Statistical Significance in Abstracts of Published Oncology Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: There is growing consensus that reliance on P values, particularly a cutoff level of .05 for statistical significance, is a factor in the challenges in scientific reproducibility. Despite this consensus, publications describing clinical trial results with P values near .

Kaposi Sarcoma Updates.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative mesenchymal neoplasm caused by Kaposi sarcoma-related herpesvirus. This review outlines our current understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and staging for this disease. Recent research has informed a more comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of KS in the post-antiretroviral therapy era, and highlights the continued need to better characterize the African endemic subtype.

Modulation of serotonin signaling by the putative oxaloacetate decarboxylase FAHD-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Human fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) domain containing protein 1 (FAHD1) is a mitochondrial oxalocatate decarboxylase, the first of its kind identified in eukaryotes. The physiological role of FAHD1 in other eukaryotes is still poorly understood. In C.

Molecular Status of BRAF Mutation in Prostate Adenocarcinoma: The Analysis of 100 Cases in North-East of IRAN.

Background And Objective: mutations were studied in various populations for prostate carcinoma (PC); however, mutations in BRAF gene are unusual compared to . Oncogenic activating of BRAF mutations were studied lately in almost 0%10% of prostate cancer cases.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we gathered 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of prostate adenocarcinoma.

Non-invasive detection of low-level muscle fatigue using surface EMG with wavelet decomposition.

Median frequency (MDF) is widely used for detection and tracking of muscle fatigue using surface electromyography (sEMG). However, MDF does not behave consistently or accurately distinguish fatigued from non-fatigued states. In this paper, we study the concept of low-level fatigue and propose increasing average ratio (IAR) and trigger pattern index (TPI) based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for distinguishing low-level muscle fatigue.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Biologic and Biosynthetic Mesh in Ventral Hernia Repair: When Are They Worth It?

Background: Biologic and biosynthetic meshes typically cost more than synthetic meshes for use in ventral hernia repair (VHR), with unknown comparative effectiveness.

Study Design: Cost-utility analysis was performed from a limited societal perspective assessing direct medical costs and outcomes for open, elective, retromuscular VHR. Short-term and 5-year major complications and costs were modeled using best available evidence from published studies, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data, and Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative data.

Structural basis for the bi-functionality of human oxaloacetate decarboxylase FAHD1.

Whereas enzymes in the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) superfamily catalyze several distinct chemical reactions, the structural basis for their multi-functionality remains elusive. As a well-studied example, human FAH domain-containing protein 1 (FAHD1) is a mitochondrial protein displaying both acylpyruvate hydrolase (ApH) and oxaloacetate decarboxylase (ODx) activity. As mitochondrial ODx, FAHD1 acts antagonistically to pyruvate carboxylase, a key metabolic enzyme.

Oxaloacetate decarboxylase FAHD1 - a new regulator of mitochondrial function and senescence.

FAHD1, a member of the FAH superfamily of enzymes, was identified in a proteomic screen for mitochondrial proteins with differential expression in young versus senescent human endothelial cells. FAHD1 acts as oxaloacetate decarboxylase, and recent observations suggest that FAHD1 plays an important role in regulating mitochondrial function. Thus, mutation of the nematode homolog, fahd-1, impairs mitochondrial function in Caenorhabditis elegans.