Virtual Home Care for Patients With Acute Illness.

Importance: Recent evolutions in clinical care and remote monitoring suggest that some acute illnesses no longer require intravenous therapy and inpatient hospitalization.

Objective: To describe outcomes of patients receiving care in a new, outpatient, virtual, home-based acute care model called Safer@Home.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort analysis, conducted from September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2023, included 2466 patients treated at a safety net hospital in Los Angeles County for 10 core illnesses and 24 other acute illnesses for which patients are commonly hospitalized.

Insurance-mandated weight management program completion before bariatric surgery provides no long-term clinical benefit.

Background: There is no evidence that insurance-mandated weight loss before bariatric surgery affects outcomes.

Objective: This retrospective study evaluated the relationship between insurance-mandated weight management program (WMP) completion before primary bariatric surgery and postoperative outcomes.

Setting: Suburban academic medical center.

Direct Measurement of Resonances in ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C Relevant to νp-Process Nucleosynthesis.

We have performed the first direct measurement of two resonances of the ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C reaction with unknown strengths using an intense radioactive ^{7}Be beam and the DRAGON recoil separator. We report on the first measurement of the 1155 and 1110 keV resonance strengths of 1.73±0.

Radiative Capture on Nuclear Isomers: Direct Measurement of the ^{26m}Al(p,γ)^{27}Si Reaction.

We present the first direct measurement of an astrophysical reaction using a radioactive beam of isomeric nuclei. In particular, we have measured the strength of the key 447-keV resonance in the ^{26m}Al(p,γ)^{27}Si reaction to be 432_{-226}^{+146}  meV and find that this resonance dominates the thermally averaged reaction rate for temperatures between 0.3 and 2.

Probiotics for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: A review of randomized controlled trials.

With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there is increased interest in probiotic supplementation for improving glycaemic control. This review evaluates nine randomized controlled trials that tested the effects of probiotics on glycaemic outcomes including fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, haemoglobin A1c, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance among adults with T2DM. Based on the evidence reviewed, multistrain probiotics that contain seven million to 100 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and/or Bifidobacterium lactis administered for 6 to 12 weeks may be efficacious for improving glycaemic control in adults with T2DM.

Elimination of Fermentable Carbohydrates to Reduce Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Pediatric Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is classified as a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel function. Although the pathophysiology of IBS is incompletely understood, fermentable carbohydrates are implicated as a potential cause of symptoms. An elimination diet, such as a low-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet, represents a potential intervention for reducing GI symptoms in patients with IBS.

Association Between Fat-Free Mass and Pulmonary Function in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis: A Narrative Review.

The association between body mass index (BMI) and pulmonary function in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is well established, yet BMI as the sole indicator of nutrition status fails to assess body composition, specifically fat-free mass (FFM). Reduced FFM is a characteristic of undernutrition and is associated with decreased pulmonary function. A critical review of the literature was undertaken to explore available evidence on the use of FFM derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), compared with BMI, to assess pulmonary function and thereby nutrition status in patients with CF.

Postoperative outcomes in bariatric surgical patients participating in an insurance-mandated preoperative weight management program.

Background: Many insurance companies require patient participation in a medically supervised weight management program (WMP) before offering approval for bariatric surgery. Clinical data surrounding benefits of participation are limited.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between preoperative insurance-mandated WMP participation and postoperative outcomes in bariatric surgery patients.

Short-Term Preoperative Weight Loss and Postoperative Outcomes in Bariatric Surgery.

Background: Preoperative weight loss is often encouraged before undergoing weight loss surgery. Controversy remains as to its effect on postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine what impact short-term preoperative excess weight loss (EWL) has on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing primary vertical sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Direct Measurement of the Key E_{c.m.}=456 keV Resonance in the Astrophysical ^{19}Ne(p,γ)^{20}Na Reaction and Its Relevance for Explosive Binary Systems.

We have performed a direct measurement of the ^{19}Ne(p,γ)^{20}Na reaction in inverse kinematics using a beam of radioactive ^{19}Ne. The key astrophysical resonance in the ^{19}Ne+p system has been definitely measured for the first time at E_{c.m.

Predictors of preoperative weight loss achievement in adult bariatric surgery candidates while following a low-calorie diet for 4 weeks.

Background: Achieving program-mandated preoperative weight loss poses a challenge for many bariatric surgery candidates. No systematic method exists to identify at-risk patients early in preoperative care.

Objectives: This study sought to explore predictors of preoperative weight loss achievement and to develop a treatment algorithm for guiding clinical decision-making.

Direct Measurement of the Astrophysical ^{38}K(p,γ)^{39}Ca Reaction and Its Influence on the Production of Nuclides toward the End Point of Nova Nucleosynthesis.

We have performed the first direct measurement of the ^{38}K(p,γ)^{39}Ca reaction using a beam of radioactive ^{38}K. A proposed ℓ=0 resonance in the ^{38}K+p system has been identified at 679(2) keV with an associated strength of 120_{-30}^{+50}  meV. Upper limits of 1.

Malnutrition-induced Wernicke's encephalopathy following a water-only fasting diet.

Background: Wernicke's encephalopathy is a critical condition of neurological dysfunction resulting from a deficiency in thiamine. Chronic alcoholism is recognized as the most common cause of Wernicke's encephalopathy, but other causes, including fasting/starvation and malnutrition, have been documented within the scientific literature. These causes may not be readily recognized by healthcare professionals and may lead to Wernicke's encephalopathy being overlooked as a diagnosis when a nonalcoholic patient presents with classic signs and symptoms of the disorder.

Measurement of radiative proton capture on 18F and implications for oxygen-neon novae.

The rate of the 18F(p,γ)19Ne reaction affects the final abundance of the γ-ray observable radioisotope 18F, produced in novae. However, no successful measurement of this reaction exists and the rate used is calculated from incomplete information on the contributing resonances. Of the two resonances thought to play a significant role, one has a radiative width estimated from the assumed analogue state in the mirror nucleus, 19F.

LARP7 is a potential tumor suppressor gene in gastric cancer.

We previously reported frequent truncating mutations of the RNA-binding protein gene, La ribonucleoprotein domain family, member-7 (LARP7) in gastric cancers (GCs) with frequent microsatellite instability. LARP7 negatively regulates positive transcription elongation factor-b (p-TEFb) by binding to and stabilizing 7sk RNA. p-TEFb has been linked to proliferation and de-differentiation in various tissues.

Unique patterns of CpG island methylation in inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal cancers.

Background: CpG island (CGI) hypermethylation at discrete loci is a prevalent cancer-promoting abnormality in sporadic colorectal carcinomas (S-CRCs). We investigated genome-wide CGI methylation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated CRCs (IBD-CRCs).

Methods: Methylation microarray analyses were conducted on seven IBD-CRCs, 17 S-CRCs, and eight normal control colonic tissues from patients without CRC or IBD.

Novel candidate colorectal cancer biomarkers identified by methylation microarray-based scanning.

DNA hypermethylation is a common epigenetic abnormality in colorectal cancers (CRCs) and a promising class of CRC screening biomarkers. We conducted a genome-wide search for novel neoplasia-specific hypermethylation events in the colon. We applied methylation microarray analysis to identify loci hypermethylated in 17 primary CRCs relative to eight non-neoplastic colonic mucosae (NCs) from neoplasia-free subjects.

Long-term randomized controlled trial of a novel nanopowder hemostatic agent (TC-325) for control of severe arterial upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a porcine model.

Background And Study Aim: Endoscopic therapy of brisk upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains challenging. A proprietary nanopowder (TC-325) has been proven to be effective in high pressure bleeding from external wounds. The efficacy and safety of TC-325 were assessed in a survival gastrointestinal bleeding animal model.

Direct measurements of ²²Na(p,γ)²³Mg resonances and consequences for ²²Na production in classical novae.

The radionuclide 22Na is a potential astronomical observable that is expected to be produced in classical novae in quantities that depend on the thermonuclear rate of the 22Na(p,γ)23Mg reaction. We have measured the strengths of low-energy 22Na(p,γ)23Mg resonances directly and absolutely using a radioactive 22Na target. We find the strengths of resonances at Ep=213, 288, 454, and 610 keV to be higher than previous measurements by factors of 2.

Relation between normal rectal methylation, smoking status, and the presence or absence of colorectal adenomas.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is 1 of the leading causes of death in the Western world. CRC develops from premalignant lesions, chiefly colorectal adenomas. Currently, the most accurate and recommended screening method for finding colorectal adenomas is colonoscopy performed on all individuals aged>50 years.

Chloroform anesthesia and the Saville Kent murder in 1860.

The discovery of the anesthetic properties of chloroform by Sir James Simpson is one of the therapeutic triumphs of the 19th century. Queen Victoria requested chloroform anesthesia for the birth of her second son, Prince Leopold, and from then until the end of century chloroform was the most popular general anesthetic for obstetrics and surgery. Chloroform was so pleasant to inhale that it became a drug of abuse and was involved in all sorts of criminal activity.

Activity of second-line chemotherapy in docetaxel-refractory hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients : randomized phase 2 study of ixabepilone or mitoxantrone and prednisone.

Background: This randomized, noncomparative, multicenter, clinical trial evaluated ixabepilone or mitoxantrone/prednisone (MP) as second-line chemotherapy for taxane-refractory, hormone-refractory, prostate cancer (HRPC).

Methods: Patients with HRPC that progressed during or within 60 days of cessation of taxane chemotherapy were randomly selected with equal probability to ixabepilone 35 mg/m(2) intravenously every 3 weeks, or mitoxantrone 14 mg/m(2) intravenously every 3 weeks and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily. Treatment continued until progression or toxicity; crossover was allowed.

Phase I dose escalation and pharmacokinetic study of AZD2171, an inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).

To explore the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of AZD2171, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 and 2, in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer. Twenty-six patients received oral daily dosing of AZD2171 at 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg.