"Smoking weed it gets you over the hump": Cannabis co-use as a facilitator of decreased opioid use among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles, California.

Introduction: Opioid overdose mortality rates have surged dramatically in the last decade due largely to fentanyl in the illicit US drug supply. As of June 2024, 38 states, three territories, namely US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, allow the medical use of cannabis products. However, there remains limited qualitative community-based evidence on the role of cannabis co-use among opioid using and injecting populations.

A comparative analysis on the research competency of medical students across the COVID-19 periods.

The ability to conduct research and utilize its findings has been a fundamental competency for medical students, often assessed through the observable research outcomes. This study aims to compare the research competency of medical students before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the future direction of research education in medical schools. We collected information on research outcomes submitted by medical students as graduation requirements during the pre-COVID-19, pandemic, and post-COVID-19 periods based on the duration of social distancing.

ArtiSential versus conventional laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery: a multicenter retrospective matched cohort study.

Background: This study aims to compare outcomes of colorectal cancer surgeries performed using the newly developed articulating laparoscopic instrument, ArtiSential, with those using conventional non-articulating or rigid laparoscopic instruments.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, matched cohort study enrolled patients with colorectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic surgery in seven tertiary referral hospitals from January 2021 to October 2022. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed between the articulating (Arti-LAP) and conventional (Rigid-LAP) laparoscopic groups.

Aminoguanidine hemisulfate improves mitochondrial autophagy, oxidative stress, and muscle force in Duchenne muscular dystrophy via the AKT/FOXO1 pathway in mdx mice.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a prevalent, fatal degenerative muscle disease with no effective treatments. Mdx mouse model of DMD exhibits impaired muscle performance, oxidative stress, and dysfunctional autophagy. Although antioxidant treatments may improve the mdx phenotype, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Comparison of osseointegration in commercial SLA-treated dental implants with different surface roughness: a pilot study in beagle dogs.

Purpose: This pilot study investigated the effect of surface roughness on osseointegration by comparing two types of commercial SLA-treated dental implants with different surface roughness levels: moderately rough (S = 1 - 2 µm) and rough surfaces (S > 2 µm).

Materials And Methods: Two implant groups were studied: TS (rough surface) and ADD (moderately rough surface) groups. Surface characteristics were analyzed using optical profilometry and SEM.