Spasmodic dysphonia: the need for a combined neurological and phoniatric approach.

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is now generally considered to be a task-specific focal dystonia. For the first time, we wanted to explore the relationship between SD and dystonia from a combined neurological and phoniatric perspective. For this, we studied 115 patients with non-psychogenic SD by a combined neurological and phoniatric evaluation.

An easy to implement empirical approach for estimating underwater sound transmission loss during pile driving in Florida.

Underwater noise data were collected from 84 pile drives during bridge construction at various sites in Florida. These data were used to develop an empirically based model for underwater transmission loss associated with root mean squared, peak, and sound exposure level values. The model was verified using readings from other datasets as well as data from this study, and it appeared to reproduce reported transmission loss coefficient values well when data were curated to match data used in the empirical model's development and limited to situations where robust data were used in model development.

Nonopioid medications for managing opioid withdrawal in acute care settings: A scoping review.

Purpose: There are hospitalized patients with chronic opioid use who will experience signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal who were not on medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) prior to admission, do not want to start or are unable to start medications for OUD during admission, and want to limit or avoid the use of opioids. The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the potential effectiveness and safety of using non-opioid agents for managing acute opioid withdrawal in acute care settings.

Methods: PubMed (inception to 2024), Embase (inception to 2024), and Cochrane Library (inception to 2024) were the databases evaluated for the literature search.

PPARγ/ETV2 axis regulates endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in pulmonary hypertension.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) plays an important role in pulmonary hypertension (PH) but the molecular mechanisms regulating EndoMT remain to be defined. We demonstrate that the axis of the transcription factors PPARγ (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma) and ETV2 (ETS variant 2) play important roles in the pathogenesis of PH. Decreased levels of the expression of PPARγ and ETV2 along with reduced endothelial and increased EndoMT markers are consistently observed in lungs and pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, in hypoxia-exposed mouse lungs, human PAECs, and in induced-EndoMT cells.

Cognition in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease: a prospective, longitudinal, multicentre study of 113 patients (CogniMOG-Study).

Background: Data on cognition in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are limited to studies with small sample sizes. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the extent, characteristics and the longitudinal course of potential cognitive deficits in patients with MOGAD.

Methods: The CogniMOG-Study is a prospective, longitudinal and multicentre observational study of 113 patients with MOGAD.

The future of neuropsychology is digital, theory-driven, and Bayesian: a paradigmatic study of cognitive flexibility.

Introduction: This study explores the transformative potential of digital, theory-driven, and Bayesian paradigms in neuropsychology by combining digital technologies, a commitment to evaluating theoretical frameworks, and Bayesian statistics. The study also examines theories of executive function and cognitive flexibility in a large sample of neurotypical individuals ( = 489).

Methods: We developed an internet-based Wisconsin Card-Sorting Task (iWCST) optimized for online assessment of perseveration errors (PE).

Updates in Pediatric Sickle Cell Lung Disease.

Sickle cell lung disease presents a challenging care paradigm involving acute and chronic lower airway disease, sleep-disordered breathing, pulmonary vascular disease, and modification by environmental factors. Understanding the presentation, pathophysiology, and diagnostic approaches is essential for accurate identification and management. While significant progress has been made, there remains a need for research to develop effective treatments and interventions to decrease disease burden in these children.

Implications of opioid-sparing medications in critically ill patients: A scoping review.

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate literature involving opioid-sparing medications in critically ill patients with a focus on clinically meaningful outcomes.

Design: Scoping review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.

Setting: Intensive care unit.

Innate immune responses are increased in children with acute asthma exacerbation.

Background: Little is known about the immune responses during acute asthma exacerbation. In this study, we examined immune responses in children following an acute asthma exacerbation.

Methods: We evaluated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and gene expression profiles in blood samples from pediatric patients admitted for acute asthma exacerbation.

Liver-on-chip model and application in predictive genotoxicity and mutagenicity of drugs.

Currently, there is no test system, whether in vitro or in vivo, capable of examining all endpoints required for genotoxicity evaluation used in pre-clinical drug safety assessment. The objective of this study was to develop a model which could assess all the required endpoints and possesses robust human metabolic activity, that could be used in a streamlined, animal-free manner. Liver-on-chip (LOC) models have intrinsic human metabolic activity that mimics the in vivo environment, making it a preferred test system.

Risk Assessment Models for Venous Thromboembolism in Medical Inpatients.

Importance: Thromboprophylaxis is recommended for medical inpatients at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Risk assessment models (RAMs) have been developed to stratify VTE risk, but a prospective head-to-head comparison of validated RAMs is lacking.

Objectives: To prospectively validate an easy-to-use RAM, the simplified Geneva score, and compare its prognostic performance with previously validated RAMs.

Lipid A Structural Variants Induce Altered Immune Responses.

causes chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis (CF), resulting in structural lung damage and progressive pulmonary decline. in the CF lung undergoes numerous changes, adapting to host-specific airway pressures while establishing chronic infection. undergoes lipid A structural modification during CF chronic infection that is not seen in any other disease state.

The natural course of idiopathic cervical dystonia.

Idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD) is by far the largest subgroup of dystonia. Still, its natural course is largely unknown. We studied the natural course of 100 ICD patients from our botulinum toxin clinics (age at ICD onset 45.

Nasal airway inflammatory responses and pathogen detection in infants with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Detecting airway inflammation non-invasively in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) is difficult. We hypothesized that markers of inflammation in CF [IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, neutrophil elastase (NE) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)] could be measured in infants with CF from nasal fluid and would be elevated during viral infections or clinician-defined pulmonary exacerbations (PEx).

Methods: We collected nasal fluid, nasal swabs, and hair samples from 34 infants with CF during monthly clinic visits, sick visits, and hospitalizations.

Development and benchmarking of a dose rate engine for raster-scanned FLASH helium ions.

Background: Radiotherapy with charged particles at high dose and ultra-high dose rate (uHDR) is a promising technique to further increase the therapeutic index of patient treatments. Dose rate is a key quantity to predict the so-called FLASH effect at uHDR settings. However, recent works introduced varying calculation models to report dose rate, which is susceptible to the delivery method, scanning path (in active beam delivery) and beam intensity.

Excessive psychological stress preceding the onset of idiopathic cervical dystonia.

Idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD) is the largest subgroup of dystonia. Psychological stress as a triggering factor has long been discussed, but detailed descriptions are lacking. We report on a group of 13 patients with ICD and preceding excessive psychological stress (age at ICD onset 39.

Development and validation of MonteRay, a fast Monte Carlo dose engine for carbon ion beam radiotherapy.

Background: Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are considered the gold-standard for accuracy in radiotherapy dose calculation; so far however, no commercial treatment planning system (TPS) provides a fast MC for supporting clinical practice in carbon ion therapy.

Purpose: To extend and validate the in-house developed fast MC dose engine MonteRay for carbon ion therapy, including physical and biological dose calculation.

Methods: MonteRay is a CPU MC dose calculation engine written in C++ that is capable of simulating therapeutic proton, helium and carbon ion beams.

The relation between implicit statistical learning and proactivity as revealed by EEG.

Environmental events often occur on a probabilistic basis but can sometimes be predicted based on specific cues and thus approached proactively. Incidental statistical learning enables the acquisition of knowledge about probabilistic cue-target contingencies. However, the neural mechanisms of statistical learning about contingencies (SL), the required conditions for successful learning, and the role of implicit processes in the resultant proactive behavior are still debated.

Prevalence and determinants of decision regret in long-term prostate cancer survivors following radical prostatectomy.

Background: Patients with localized prostate cancer (PC) are faced with a wide spectrum of therapeutic options at initial diagnosis. Following radical prostatectomy (RP), PC patients may experience regret regarding their initial choice of treatment, especially when oncological and functional outcomes are poor. Impacts of psychosocial factors on decision regret, especially after long-term follow-up, are not well understood.

Early Versus Delayed Surgery for Midshaft Clavicle Fractures: A Systematic Review.

Background: Orthopaedic surgeons debate the timing of and necessity for surgical intervention when treating displaced midshaft clavicle fractures (MCFs). This systematic review evaluates the available literature regarding functional outcomes, complication rates, nonunion, and reoperation rates between patients undergoing early versus delayed surgical management of MCFs.

Methods: Search strategies were applied in PubMed (Medline), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Elsevier), Sport Discus (EBSCO), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley).

Habits, Goals, and Behavioral Signs of Cognitive Perseveration on Wisconsin Card-Sorting Tasks.

Wisconsin card-sorting tasks provide unique opportunities to study cognitive flexibility and its limitations, which express themselves behaviorally as perseverative errors (PE). PE refer to those behavioral errors on Wisconsin card-sorting tasks that are committed when cognitive rules are maintained even though recently received outcomes demand to switch to other rules (i.e.

Musical Expertise and Executive Functions in Experienced Musicians.

Extensive music practice has been suggested to enhance the development of cognitive abilities over and above musical expertise. Executive functions (EFs) have been particularly investigated, given their generalizability across different domains and their crucial role in almost all aspects of cognition. However, the relationship between musical expertise and EFs is still not completely understood, as several studies have reported conflicting results.