Whole Gut Motility Patterns in Patients with Chronic Nausea and Vomiting.

Chronic nausea and vomiting (N/V) disorders are common in clinical practice. Our primary aim was to compare total and segmental gastrointestinal transit times as well as gastric contraction patterns in patients with chronic N/V syndrome to those of healthy volunteers (HVs). In the patient group, our secondary aim was to explore how symptoms and motility patterns were affected by a serotonin HT receptor agonist (Prucalopride).

Prone to Stones?: Evaluating the association between food insecurity, psychiatric comorbidity, and pediatric stone management.

Introduction: Pediatric stone disease incidence has increased steadily over the last few decades. Several interrelated factors have been proposed to contribute to these epidemiologic trends including increased ambient temperature, body habitus, and food insecurity.

Objective: Given the significant cohort of children living with food insecurity in the United States, the aim of this study is to explore the relationship between food desert residence and obstructing stone disease resulting in surgical intervention in a cohort of pediatric patients.

Diabetic gastroenteropathy: Associations between gastrointestinal symptoms, motility, and extraintestinal autonomic measures.

Background: Diabetic gastroenteropathy can cause significant diagnostic challenges. Still, it remains unknown if measures of extraintestinal autonomic function reflect diabetic gastroenteropathy. We aimed to assess the associations between (1) gastrointestinal symptoms and motility measures and (2) gastrointestinal symptoms/motility measures and extraintestinal autonomic markers.

Effects of opium tincture on gastrointestinal function and motility in healthy volunteers: A magnetic resonance imaging study.

Background: Opioids inhibit motility and secretion of the gut and have been used for antidiarrheal treatment for centuries. However, the underlying mechanisms of opium tincture are not evident.

Aim: To investigate the effects of opium tincture on gastrointestinal motility, intestinal volumes, and water content of different gut segments assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Structural roles of Ump1 and β-subunit propeptides in proteasome biogenesis.

The yeast (β4-S142F) mutant accumulates late 20S proteasome core particle precursor complexes (late-PCs). We report a 2.1 Å cryo-EM structure of this intermediate with full-length Ump1 trapped inside, and Pba1-Pba2 attached to the α-ring surfaces.

Climate policies that achieved major emission reductions: Global evidence from two decades.

Meeting the Paris Agreement's climate targets necessitates better knowledge about which climate policies work in reducing emissions at the necessary scale. We provide a global, systematic ex post evaluation to identify policy combinations that have led to large emission reductions out of 1500 climate policies implemented between 1998 and 2022 across 41 countries from six continents. Our approach integrates a comprehensive climate policy database with a machine learning-based extension of the common difference-in-differences approach.

The influence of tramadol on bowel function: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Tramadol is a weak opioid used to treat moderate pain. Stronger opioids inhibit gastrointestinal function, but little is known about the gastrointestinal effects of tramadol. Our aim was to investigate if tramadol causes opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OIBD).

A qualitative investigation of nicotine and tobacco use in young pregnant and birthing sexual minority people.

Introduction: Sexual minority youth, especially those who identify as bisexual, have higher rates of nicotine and tobacco use and are more likely to become pregnant at a younger age than heterosexual youth. The goal of this study was to investigate the nicotine and tobacco experiences and motivations of sexual minority people before and during pregnancy.

Methods: Pregnant and birthing individuals ages 16-24 who identified as a sexual minority in an online survey were recruited for semi-structured video interviews about nicotine and tobacco use.

Opium tincture has anti-propulsive effects in patients with chronic diarrhea: a randomized, placebo-controlled, and cross-over trial.

Objective: Chronic diarrhea affects approximately 5% of the population. Opioids inhibit gastrointestinal motility, and opium tincture has shown anti-propulsive effects in healthy, but no controlled studies of its clinical efficacy exist. We aimed to investigate the anti-propulsive and central nervous system (CNS) effects of opium tincture in patients with chronic diarrhea.

Influence of weight-adjusted contrast enhancement on computed tomography-derived skeletal muscle measures: a retrospective proof-of-concept comparative study between Danish females and males.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) has an underutilized potential for evaluating body composition in clinical settings. Often conducted with intravenous contrast (IVC), CT scans yield unused body composition data due to unclear effects on skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and muscle density (SMD).

Objectives: This study investigates whether weight-adjusted IVC influences SMA, SMI, and SMD differently in females and males compared with noncontrast abdominal CT.

Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation for treating gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled, multicentre trial.

Aims/hypothesis: Diabetic gastroenteropathy frequently causes debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms. Previous uncontrolled studies have shown that transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) may improve gastrointestinal symptoms. To investigate the effect of cervical tVNS in individuals with diabetes suffering from autonomic neuropathy and gastrointestinal symptoms, we conducted a randomised, sham-controlled, double-blind (participants and investigators were blinded to the allocated treatment) study.

Association between the Static and Dynamic Lung Function and CT-Derived Thoracic Skeletal Muscle Measurements-A Retrospective Analysis of a 12-Month Observational Follow-Up Pilot Study.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with low skeletal muscle mass and severe airway obstruction have higher mortality risks. However, the relationship between dynamic/static lung function (LF) and thoracic skeletal muscle measurements (SMM) remains unclear. This study explored patient characteristics (weight, BMI, exacerbations, dynamic/static LF, sex differences in LF and SMM, and the link between LF and SMM changes.

Ethnic differences in CT derived abdominal body composition measures: a comparative retrospect pilot study between European and Inuit study population.

Understanding ethnic variations in body composition is crucial for assessing health risks. Universal models may not suit all ethnicities, and there is limited data on the Inuit population. This study aimed to compare body composition between Inuit and European adults using computed tomography (CT) scans and to investigate the influence of demographics on these measurements.

Assessing Patient Goals for Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy: A Standardized Patient Case for Medical Students.

Introduction: Inadequate coverage of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) health in the UME curriculum contributes to the scarcity of competent physicians to care for TGD patients. Increasing TGD health skills-based curricula in UME can help address TGD health disparities. We developed a standardized patient (SP) case to assess TGD health skills-based competencies and attitudes among medical students.

MRI-Based Quantification of Pan-Alimentary Function and Motility in Subjects with Diabetes and Gastrointestinal Symptoms.

Diabetes-induced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common but difficult to correctly diagnose and manage. We used multi-segmental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate structural and functional GI parameters in diabetic patients and to study the association with their symptomatic presentation. Eighty-six participants (46 with diabetes and GI symptoms, 40 healthy controls) underwent baseline and post-meal MRI scans at multiple timepoints.

Impact of, Factors for the Success of, and Concerns Regarding Transplant Patients' Skin Cancer Campaigns: Observational Study.

Background: Due to rising health care costs, patients have sought alternative ways of addressing medical expenses. In particular, transplant patients have complex and expensive medical needs-including skin cancer surveillance-that may not be fully covered by insurance. One such method of financing medical costs is by crowdsourcing through web-based platforms, most notably GoFundMe.

Pan-alimentary assessment of motility, luminal content, and structures: an MRI-based framework.

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms originating from different segments overlap and complicate diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop and test a pan-alimentary framework for the evaluation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility and different static endpoints based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without contrast agents or bowel preparation.

Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers (55.

Association between thoracic and third lumbar CT-derived muscle mass and density in Caucasian patients without chronic disease: a proof-of-concept study.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly used in the clinical workup, and existing scan contains unused body composition data, potentially useful in a clinical setting. However, there is no healthy reference for contrast-enhanced thoracic CT-derived muscle measures. Therefore, we aimed at investigating whether there is a correlation between each of the thoracic and third lumbar vertebra level (L3) skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and skeletal muscle density (SMD) at contrast-enhanced CT in patients without chronic disease.

Thematic and Demographic Analysis of Crowdsourcing Practices for Plastic Surgery.

Background: In this study, we investigate the characterization of medical crowdsourcing on GoFundMe for plastic surgery procedures, with overall funds raised being the primary end point.

Hypothesis: Certain demographic factors such as sex and race mentioned in campaign narratives are associated with the effectiveness of medical crowdfunding campaigns.

Methods: Search terms were used to aggregate fundraising campaigns for plastic surgery medical procedures on GoFundMe.

Predicting a kidney transplant patient's pre-transplant functional status based on information from waitlist registration.

With over 100,000 patients on the kidney transplant waitlist in 2019, it is important to understand if and how the functional status of a patient may change while on the waitlist. Recorded both at registration and just prior to transplantation, the Karnofsky Performance Score measures a patient's functional status and takes on values ranging from 0 to 100 in increments of 10. Using machine learning techniques, we built a gradient boosting regression model to predict a patient's pre-transplant functional status based on information known at the time of waitlist registration.

Malignant chondroid syringoma: A systematic review.

Malignant Chondroid Syringomas (MCS) are very rare malignant tumours arising from cutaneous sweat glands, with only 51 reported cases in the literature. These tumours can metastasize and cause death if not treated adequately. While there are histological criteria to diagnose MCS tumours, there are no established criterion to determine which tumours are more or less likely to metastasize.