Evaluation of the MyFertiCoach Lifestyle App for Subfertile Couples: Single-Center Evaluation of Augmented Standard Care.

Background: Many couples undergoing fertility treatment face multiple lifestyle risk factors that lower their chances of achieving pregnancy. The MyFertiCoach (MFC) app was designed as an integrated lifestyle program featuring modules on healthy weight management, nutrition, exercise, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and drug use, and managing stress. We hypothesized that supplementing standard care with the MFC app would improve lifestyle outcomes.

Allostatic Load And Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In the past three decades, allostatic load - a physiological representation of cumulative life stress - has been associated with increased risk of CVD incidence and mortality. Additionally, differences in allostatic load may partially explain persistent disparities in CVD outcomes.

The Role of Tongxinluo Capsule in Cardiac Disease: Composition, Mechanisms, and Applications.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has remained the leading cause of death among adults for more than one hundred years. With persistently suboptimal outcomes and a profound economic burden on our healthcare system, there is growing interest in alternative treatment approaches for CVD. One such approach is Tongxinluo (TXL) capsules, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Persistence of vaccine serotype carriage and differences in pneumococcal carriage by lab method and sample type in Indigenous individuals in the Southwest USA.

Background: In the United States, the invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in Indigenous populations is higher than in the general population. Molecular detection and/or specimen sampling from multiple body sites could enhance our understanding of pneumococcal carriage, a prerequisite for disease.

Methods: Persons <5 and ≥18 years of age from the Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribal lands were enrolled in an observational carriage study from October 2015 through September 2017.

A microbiological and structural analysis of the interplay between sulbactam/durlobactam and imipenem against penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of spp.

In the ATTACK Phase 3 trial examining the efficacy of sulbactam (SUL)/durlobactam (DUR) to treat primarily complex (ABC) infections, imipenem (IPM)/cilastatin was added as a common therapy to both the SUL/DUR and the comparator colistin arms. This raised the question of whether the use of IPM in the SUL/DUR arm of the study influenced the efficacy of SUL/DUR. To investigate this issue on a microbiological and molecular level, we performed static concentration time-kill studies and molecular modeling of binding of SUL to PBP1a and PBP3, IPM to PBP1a, PBP2, and PBP3, and DUR to OXA-23 and OXA-51.

Socioecological Determinants of Speech Evaluation and Treatment Among Children Who Stutter.

Purpose: While there is no cure for stuttering, therapy can help children who stutter (CWS) reduce the adverse effects imposed by stuttering. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees "special education and related services" at no cost to all children with disabilities. However, a potential interplay of variables may influence service provision for CWS.

Does Maximum Strength Predict Rowing Performance in Elite Female Rowers?

Purpose: This study aimed to identify dynamic free-weight exercises for strength training and testing that are strong determinants of specific rowing ergometer performance measures in elite female rowers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study examined the association between 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) power clean (PC1RM), 1RM bench row (BR1RM), 1RM back squat (SQ1RM), 1RM bench press (BP1RM), and 1RM deadlift (DL1RM) with peak stroke power (PSP) and 2000-m (P2000m) and 5000-m time-trial average power (P5000m) in 17 heavyweight elite female rowers.

Results: Significant correlations were found between SQ1RM, DL1RM, and PC1RM with all rowing performance measures (r = .

Immunomodulatory Nanoparticles Induce Autophagy in Macrophages and Reduce Burden in the Lungs of Mice.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from infectious disease. Macrophages are the primary immune responders and become the primary host cells for the causative agent . Following the uptake of , the inherent antimicrobial action of macrophages is dampened, enabling the bacterium to reside within these cells and multiply.

A Bayesian Re-analysis of the Steroids to Reduce Systemic Inflammation after Infant Heart Surgery (STRESS) Trial.

Background: Prophylactic steroids are often used to reduce the systemic inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass in infants undergoing heart surgery. The STRESS trial found that the likelihood of a worse outcome did not differ between infants randomized to methylprednisolone (n=599) versus placebo (n=601) in a risk-adjusted primary analysis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.

Results of Cardiovascular Testing among Pregnant and Postpartum Persons Undergoing Standardized Cardiovascular Risk Assessment.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, accounting for one in three pregnancy-related deaths. A standardized CVD Risk Assessment can guide clinicians in identifying patients at risk for CVD.

Objective(s): The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a standardized CVD risk assessment yields more abnormal findings on follow-up CVD testing among pregnant and postpartum patients compared to assessments based on clinician judgment alone.

Babesiosis with low parasitemia as a cause of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a previously healthy adult.

The incidence of babesiosis is increasing and clinicians should have a high index of suspicion due to its diagnostic challenges and variable disease course, from asymptomatic infection to fulminant disease. We present a case of fatal secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) due to acute babesiosis in a previously healthy adult. We also present a comprehensive review of previously reported sHLH cases triggered by babesiosis.

Transcriptional impacts of substance use disorder and HIV on human ventral midbrain neurons and microglia.

For people with HIV (PWH), substance use disorders (SUDs) are a prominent neurological risk factor, and the impacts of both on dopaminergic pathways are a potential point of deleterious convergence. Here, we profile, at single nucleus resolution, the substantia nigra (SN) transcriptomes of 90 postmortem donors in the context of chronic HIV and opioid/cocaine SUD, including 67 prospectively characterized PWH. We report altered microglial expression for hundreds of pro- and anti-inflammatory regulators attributable to HIV, and separately, to SUD.

Huntington's disease at work: The effect of profession-specific requirements as related to clinical characteristics on work outcome.

Background: In most Huntington's disease expanded gene carriers (HDEGC), losing work capacity is the first sign of functional decline. Cognitive deterioration, motor dysfunction, and psychiatric disturbances are associated with or predict work outcomes in HD. The role of profession-specific requirements, however, has not been investigated.

Performance of α-Defensins in Diagnosing Nosocomial Ventriculitis.

Nosocomial ventriculitis can be an extremely difficult infectious disease process to diagnose, thereby exposing patients to increased morbidity and unwarranted aggressive antibiotics. Thus, novel ventriculitis diagnostics are drastically needed. In this study, we demonstrate excellent sensitivity and specificity of cerebral spinal fluid α-defensins to aid in diagnosing ventriculitis.

Beating heart arch replacement without circulatory arrest: a standardized surgical strategy.

Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, antegrade brain perfusion and cardioplegic arrest are commonly used organ protection techniques during aortic arch surgery. We present our surgical strategy for beating heart aortic arch surgery without circulatory arrest. Cardiopulmonary bypass access is achieved through the right and/or left axillary artery for continuous cerebral perfusion under neurophysiological monitoring and femoral cannulation through an EndoReturn cannula while using a Coda balloon catheter for visceral perfusion.

Endothelial dysfunction in the aging kidney.

Global population aging is an escalating challenge in modern society, especially as it impairs the function of multiple organs and increases the burden of age-related diseases. The kidneys, in particular, experience function decline, reduced regenerative capacity and increased susceptibility to injury as they age. As a result, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) rises with aging, further contributing to the growing health burden in older populations.

Area Deprivation, Fragmented Care, and Colectomy Case Acuity in the Veterans Health Administration.

Background: Colectomy for benign or malignant disease may be elective, urgent, or emergent. Data suggest successively worse outcomes for non-elective colectomy. Few data exist on the contribution of high area deprivation index and care fragmentation to non-elective colectomy.

A 2024 inventory of test methods relevant to thyroid hormone system disruption for human health and environmental regulatory hazard assessment.

Thyroid hormone system disruption (THSD) is a growing concern in chemical hazard assessment due to its impact on human and environmental health and the scarce methods available for assessing the THSD potential of chemicals. In particular, the general lack of validated in silico and methods for assessing THS activity is of high concern. This manuscript provides an inventory of test methods relevant to THSD.

A Review of Genomic Testing and SDH- Deficiency in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Getting to the GIST.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) have seen significant advancements in their diagnosis and management, driven by targeted therapeutic development and molecular testing. The identification of mutations in genes such as KIT and PDGFRA has transformed treatment approaches, particularly through targeted therapies like imatinib, which have improved patient outcomes. This review explores the critical role of genomic testing in GIST, highlighting its importance in accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and long-term surveillance for KIT/PDGFRA negative, SDH-deficient GISTs.

National practice patterns for the use of regional anesthesia for pediatric cardiac surgery: An analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons congenital heart surgery database.

Background: Complications associated with suboptimal pain management after pediatric cardiac surgery have increased interest in regional anesthesia (RA). We sought to evaluate national trends and explore the association of RA with postoperative outcomes following pediatric cardiac surgery.

Methods: Patients <18 years in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society Database from 01/2016-05/2023 were analyzed.

Neuromuscular Adaptations to Same Versus Separate Muscle-Group Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training in Recreationally Active Males and Females.

Combining aerobic and strength training may attenuate neuromuscular adaptations, particularly when both target the same muscle group. This study assessed whether separating the training modalities by muscle groups mitigates this interference. Ninety-six participants (56 males and 40 females) completed a 12-week intervention, divided into three groups: (1) LHLS (lower-body high-intensity interval (HIIT) and strength training), (2) LHUS (lower-body HIIT and upper-body strength training), and (3) LSUS (lower- and upper-body strength training).

A Randomized Hybrid-Effectiveness Trial Comparing Pharmacogenomics (PGx) to Standard Care: The PGx Applied to Chronic Pain Treatment in Primary Care (PGx-ACT) Trial.

This trial aimed to identify the effects of providing pharmacogenomic (PGx) results and recommendations for patients with chronic pain treated in primary care practices compared to standard care. An open-label, prospective, largely virtual, type-2 hybrid effectiveness trial randomized participants to PGx or standard care arms. Adults with pain ≥ 3 months who were treated with tramadol, codeine, or hydrocodone enrolled.

Comparison of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Testing Measures in Children.

Unlabelled: There is currently an exponential increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity thus warranting the demand to appropriately measure and evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness within educational settings. The aims of this study were to (1) compare measured peak oxygen consumption (VOpeak), heart rate peak (HRpeak), and 1-min heart rate recovery (HRRec) responses obtained using a GXTmax and the PACER test; and (2) compare the VOpeak from the GXTmax and PACER test to a PACER prediction equation (ScottEqua).

Methods: This study included 32 (16 boys) children.

Bell Jar: A Semiautomated Registration and Cell Counting Tool for Mouse Neurohistology Analysis.

For comprehensive anatomical analysis of a mouse brain, accurate and efficient registration of the experimental brain samples to a reference atlas is necessary. Here, we introduce Bell Jar, a semiautomated solution that can align and annotate tissue sections with anatomical structures from a reference atlas as well as detect fluorescent signals with cellular resolution (e.g.