Accuracy of Fully Automated and Human-assisted Artificial Intelligence-based CT Quantification of Pleural Effusion Changes after Thoracentesis.

Quantifying pleural effusion change at chest CT is important for evaluating disease severity and treatment response. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI)-based volume quantification of pleural effusion change on CT images, using the volume of drained fluid as the reference standard. Seventy-nine participants (mean age ± SD, 65 years ± 13; 47 male) undergoing thoracentesis were prospectively enrolled from October 2021 to September 2023.

Elevated IL-6 Expression in Autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Regulates RANKL Mediated Inflammation in Osteoarthritis.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to play a pivotal role in modulating cartilage regeneration and immune responses, particularly in the context of diseases that involve both degenerative processes and inflammation, such as osteoarthritis (OA). However, the precise mechanism through which IL-6 and other immune-regulatory factors influence the therapeutic efficacy of autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) transplantation in OA treatment remains to be fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the relationship between IL-6 expression in autologous ASCs isolated from OA patients and their impact on immune modulation, particularly focusing on the regulation of Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa-Β Ligand (RANKL), a key mediator of immune-driven cartilage degradation in OA.

A robust benchmark for detecting low-frequency variants in the HG002 Genome In A Bottle NIST reference material.

Somatic mosaicism is an important cause of disease, but mosaic and somatic variants are often challenging to detect because they exist in only a fraction of cells. To address the need for benchmarking subclonal variants in normal cell populations, we developed a benchmark containing mosaic variants in the Genome in a Bottle Consortium (GIAB) HG002 reference material DNA from a large batch of a normal lymphoblastoid cell line. First, we used a somatic variant caller with high coverage (300x) Illumina whole genome sequencing data from the Ashkenazi Jewish trio to detect variants in HG002 not detected in at least 5% of cells from the combined parental data.

Association of Striatal Dopamine Depletion and Brain Metabolism Changes With Motor and Cognitive Deficits in Patients With Parkinson Disease.

Background And Objectives: Parkinson disease (PD) shows degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and characteristic changes in brain metabolism. However, how they correlated and affect motor and cognitive dysfunction in PD has not yet been well elucidated.

Methods: In this single-site cross-sectional study, we enrolled patients with PD who underwent -(3-[F]fluoropropyl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (F-FP-CIT) PET, F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET, the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified PD Rating Scale examination, and detailed neuropsychological testing.

The Incidence of Popeye Deformity After Soft-Tissue Biceps Tenodesis Is Comparable to Biceps Anchor Tenodesis and Lower Than Biceps Tenotomy During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair.

Purpose: To compare clinical and radiologic outcomes between biceps anchor tenodesis (AT), biceps soft-tissue tenodesis (ST), and biceps tenotomy (TT) for patients with concomitant rotator cuff repair (RCR).

Methods: This retrospective study reviewed patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR for full-thickness rotator cuff tears with AT, ST, or TT with minimum 2-year follow-up. All biceps procedures were performed arthroscopically, and ST consisted of fixation to the transverse humeral ligament.

Microvascular Inflammation of Kidney Allografts and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: The heterogeneous clinical presentation of graft microvascular inflammation poses a major challenge to successful kidney transplantation. The effect of microvascular inflammation on allograft outcomes is unclear.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study that included kidney-transplant recipients from more than 30 transplantation centers in Europe and North America who had undergone allograft biopsy between 2004 and 2023.

The combination of CDX2 expression status and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density as a prognostic factor in adjuvant FOLFOX-treated patients with stage III colorectal cancers.

Background: Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) with caudal-type homeobox 2 (CDX2) loss are recognized to pursue an aggressive behavior but tend to be accompanied by a high density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, little is known about whether there is an interplay between CDX2 loss and TIL density in the survival of patients with CRC.

Methods: Stage III CRC tissues were assessed for CDX2 loss using immunohistochemistry and analyzed for their densities of CD8 TILs in both intraepithelial (iTILs) and stromal areas using a machine learning-based analytic method.

Real-Time Imaging Assessment of Stress-Induced Vascular Inflammation Using Heartbeat-Synchronized Motion Compensation.

Background: Chronic mental stress accelerates atherosclerosis through complicated neuroimmune pathways, needing for advanced imaging techniques to delineate underlying cellular mechanisms. While histopathology, ex vivo imaging, and snapshots of in vivo images offer promising evidence, they lack the ability to capture real-time visualization of blood cell dynamics within pulsatile arteries in longitudinal studies.

Methods: An electrically tunable lens was implemented in intravital optical microscopy, synchronizing the focal plane with heartbeats to follow artery movements.

Curriculum Innovation: A Resident-Created Multiple-Choice Question of the Week to Augment Case-Based Learning.

Introduction And Problem Statement: Morning report (MR) has been a foundation of learning in many neurology residency programs. However, fortification of the high-yield learning points during MR cases may be achieved with supplementary educational initiatives to promote effective long-term retention and test-enhanced learning.

Objectives: During the 2020-2021 academic year, chief residents of our neurology training program sought to implement neurology certification board-style multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on cases presented at MR to enhance case-based learning.

Adjunctive Intravenous Argatroban or Eptifibatide for Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis is a standard treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The efficacy and safety of combining intravenous thrombolysis with argatroban (an anticoagulant agent) or eptifibatide (an antiplatelet agent) are unclear.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, three-group, adaptive, single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial at 57 sites in the United States.

Multimodal Imaging-Assisted Intravascular Theranostic Photoactivation on Atherosclerotic Plaque.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing a fatal plaque rupture, and its key aspect is a failure to resolve inflammation. We hypothesize that macrophage-targeted near-infrared fluorescence emitting photoactivation could simultaneously assess macrophage/lipid-rich plaques in vivo and facilitate inflammation resolution.

Methods: We fabricated a Dectin-1-targeted photoactivatable theranostic agent through the chemical conjugation of the near-infrared fluorescence-emitting photosensitizer chlorin e6 and the Dectin-1 ligand laminarin (laminarin-chlorin e6 [LAM-Ce6]).

Patterns and Disparities in Recorded Gonioscopy During Initial Glaucoma Evaluations in the United States.

Purpose: To assess patterns in gonioscopy during initial glaucoma evaluations in the United States.

Design: Retrospective, case-control study.

Methods: Patients undergoing initial glaucoma evaluation between 2009-2020 were identified in the Optum Clinformatics DataMart.

Safety and efficacy of tamsulosin 0.4 mg as an initial dose in 1,219 Korean patients with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms: data from a phase IV study.

Background: An initial dose of tamsulosin 0.2 mg is frequently prescribed for Asian men. We investigated the safety and efficacy of tamsulosin 0.

Selective induction of Rab9-dependent alternative mitophagy using a synthetic derivative of isoquinoline alleviates mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease models.

Promotion of mitophagy is considered a promising strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of mitophagy-specific inducers with low toxicity and defined molecular mechanisms is essential for the clinical application of mitophagy-based therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a novel small-molecule mitophagy inducer, ALT001, as a treatment for AD.

No drug-drug interactions between selective prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor, bersiporocin, and pirfenidone or nintedanib in healthy participants.

Bersiporocin, a potent and selective prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor, is expected to show a synergistic effect with pirfenidone or nintedanib in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. To validate the combination therapy of bersiporocin with pirfenidone or nintedanib, a randomized, open-label, two-part, one-sequence, three-period, three-treatment study was designed to evaluate the effect of drug-drug interactions (DDI) regarding their pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability in healthy participants. In addition, the pharmacokinetic profiles of the newly formulated, enteric-coated bersiporocin tablet were evaluated after single and multiple administrations.

Short-acting β2-agonist prescriptions in patients with asthma: findings from the South Korean cohort of SABINA III.

Background/aims: Despite short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) overuse being associated with poor asthma outcomes, data on SABA use in South Korea is scarce. Herein, we describe prescription patterns of SABA and other asthma medications in patients from the South Korean cohort of the SABA use IN Asthma (SABINA) III study.

Methods: This study included patients with asthma aged ≥ 12 years, who had ≥ 3 consultations with the same healthcare provider, and medical records containing data for ≥ 12 months prior to the study visit.

Tepotinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer with high-level MET amplification detected by liquid biopsy: VISION Cohort B.

High-level MET amplification (METamp) is a primary driver in ∼1%-2% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Cohort B of the phase 2 VISION trial evaluates tepotinib, an oral MET inhibitor, in patients with advanced NSCLC with high-level METamp who were enrolled by liquid biopsy. While the study was halted before the enrollment of the planned 60 patients, the results of 24 enrolled patients are presented here.

Association of Sleep Disturbances With Brain Amyloid and Tau Burden, Cortical Atrophy, and Cognitive Dysfunction Across the AD Continuum.

Background And Objectives: Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) frequently suffer from various sleep disturbances. However, how sleep disturbance is associated with AD and its progression remains poorly investigated. We investigated the association of total sleep time with brain amyloid and tau burden, cortical atrophy, cognitive dysfunction, and their longitudinal changes in the AD spectrum.

Conversion of the bronchial tree into a conforming electrode to ablate the lung nodule in a porcine model.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the treatment options for lung nodules. However, the need for exact delivery of the rigid metal electrode into the center of the target mass often leads to complications or suboptimal results. To overcome these limitations, a concept of conforming electrodes using a flexible material has been tested in this study.