Cooled radiofrequency ablation provides extended clinical utility in the management of chronic sacroiliac joint pain: 12-month follow-up results from the observational phase of a randomized, multicenter, comparative-effectiveness crossover study.

Introduction: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain comprises up to 30% of cases of mechanical low back pain (LBP), the leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite sacral lateral branch cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) showing efficacy in clinical trials, there is a lack of comparative-effectiveness long-term follow-up.

Methods: In this randomized, multicenter, comparative-effectiveness study, 210 patients with injection-confirmed SIJ pain who responded to prognostic lateral branch blocks were randomly assigned to receive CRFA of the L5 dorsal ramus and S1-S3/4 lateral branches or standard medical management (SMM) consisting of pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, injections, and integrative therapies.

Impact of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in autoimmune liver disease patients with COVID-19 and its clinical prognosis.

To explore the impact of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and clinical outcomes in patients with autoimmune liver disease (AILD). Patients diagnosed with AILD were enrolled and divided into a UDCA group and a non-UDCA group based on whether they received UDCA treatment. Relevant data were collected regarding AILD diagnosis, treatment, biochemical indicators, and imaging examination.

Falls in a single brain rehabilitation center: a 3-year retrospective chart review.

Objective: Falls in brain rehabilitation centers can negatively impact patient recovery, increase injury risk, and adversely affect rehabilitation outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of falls and identify associated risk factors among patients with brain lesions in a tertiary hospital's brain rehabilitation center from June 2021 to May 2024.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to examine patient characteristics, fall-related risk factors, functional assessments, and circumstances surrounding falls.

Abuse-deterrent wearable device with potential for extended delivery of opioid drugs.

Purpose: Unethical attempts to misuse and overdose opioids have led to strict prescription limits, necessitating frequent hospital visits and prescriptions for long-term severe pain management. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a prototype wearable device that facilitates the extended delivery of opioid drugs while incorporating abuse-deterrent functionality, referred to as the abuse deterrent device (ADD).

Methods: The ADD was designed and fabricated using 3D-printed components, including reservoirs for the drug and contaminant, as well as an actuator.

Assessing the Validity, Safety, and Utility of ChatGPT's Responses for Patients with Frozen Shoulder.

This study evaluates the potential of ChatGPT as a tool for providing information to patients with frozen shoulder, focusing on its validity, utility, and safety. Five experienced physicians selected fourteen key questions on musculoskeletal disorders after discussion and verified their adequacy by consulting one hundred and twenty frozen shoulder patients for additional or alternative inquiries. These questions were input into ChatGPT version 4.

Comparison of travel distance of center of pressure using the footscan system in individuals with and without flatfoot.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of flatfoot are often overlooked. Current diagnostic methods, such as lateral foot radiography and physical examination, primarily assess simple static foot conditions. The Footscan test can be employed to evaluate the static and dynamic balance of patients with flatfoot; however, the precise reference value for various Footscan test results remains undetermined.

Consciousness Research Through Pain.

Consciousness is a complex and elusive phenomenon encompassing self-awareness, sensory perception, emotions, and cognition. Despite significant advances in neuroscience, understanding the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness remains challenging. Pain, as a subjective and multifaceted experience, offers a unique lens for exploring consciousness by integrating sensory inputs with emotional and cognitive dimensions.

Comparative Efficacy of 3D-Printed Insoles in Managing Common Foot Conditions: A Review.

Medical orthotic insoles are commonly used to support the ankle and foot while standing and walking to enhance gait mechanics and reduce foot discomfort. Medical orthotic insoles are especially effective in addressing congenital or acquired orthopedic issues and degenerative diseases. Among the various therapeutic options, three-dimensional (3D)-printed insoles have emerged as a promising alternative due to their potential for customization and improved performance compared to traditional insoles.

Prediction of Ambulatory Functions Based on Somatosensory and Motor-Evoked Potentials in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Intraventricular Hemorrhage Extension.

Objective: This study investigated the usefulness of somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) and motor-evoked potentials (MEP) in predicting motor outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) extension.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 124 patients with ICH and IVH extensions. SEPs of posterior tibial nerve and MEPs of tibialis anterior muscles were evaluated.

Population pharmacokinetics of erlotinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A model-based meta-analysis.

Background: Erlotinib is a potent first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Due to its proximity to the upper limit of tolerability, dose adjustments are often necessary to manage potential adverse reactions resulting from its pharmacokinetic (PK) variability.

Methods: Population PK studies of erlotinib were identified using PubMed databases.

An Ultra-Wide Range D-Shaped Fiber SPR Sensor with a Nanostructure of Gold-MoS and Sodium for the Simultaneous Measurement of Refractive Index and Temperature.

Refractive index (RI) and temperature (T) are both critical environmental parameters for environmental monitoring, food production, and medical testing. The paper develops a D-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor to measure RI and T simultaneously. Its cross-sectional structure encompasses a hexagonal-hole lattice, with one hole selectively filled with toluene for temperature sensing.

Design and implication of a breast cancer-targeted drug delivery system utilizing the Kisspeptin/GPR54 system.

Kisspeptins function as endogenous ligands for the G protein-coupled receptor GPR54. While the primary role of the Kisspeptin/GPR54 signaling pathway pertains to reproduction, several studies have shown that GPR54 is highly expressed in breast cancer, and we further confirmed this result that GPR54 expression is significantly upregulated in breast cancer cells. Based on this finding, we developed a liposomal drug delivery system utilizing the Kisspeptin/GPR54 system to treat breast cancer after confirming the safety of Kp-10-228.

Widening of Dynamic Detection Range in Real-Time Angular-Interrogation Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Based on Anisotropic Van Der Waals Heterojunction.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have experienced rapid development in recent years and have been widely applied in various fields. Angular-interrogation SPR biosensors play an important role in the field of biological detection due to their advantages of reliable results and high stability. However, angular-interrogation SPR biosensors also suffer from low detection sensitivity, poor real-time performance, and limited dynamic detection range, which seriously restricts their application and promotion.

Differences in pain treatment between the healthcare systems in South Korea and Quebec and proposals for improvements.

After a year of exchange in Montreal, a South Korean academic physiatrist and his Canadian colleague have reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of their respective healthcare systems. They have focused more specifically on physiatrist-delivered pain medicine treatments. This article is written based on personal perspectives.

Development of an automated foot contact area measurement program for podoscopes using ChatGPT-4: a case report.

Accurate measurement of the foot contact area is crucial for diagnosing pes planus (flatfoot) and pes cavus (high arch), which significantly affect pressure distribution across the plantar surface. This study aimed to develop a program using ChatGPT-4 to automate foot contact area measurements using a podoscope, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision. A 53-year-old female volunteer stood on a podoscope to capture images of her feet, which were processed to isolate the foot contours and measure the contact areas.

Insulin resistance has closer correlation with the occurrence of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease diagnosed by liver biopsy.

Objective: To explore any correlation between serum urate (SU) level or insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Methods: Data from all MASLD patients, diagnosed by liver biopsy, were enrolled and divided into MASLD alone group and MASLD with MS group. They were subdivided into hyperuricemia group and normal SU group to find correlation between SU/IR and MASLD in patients with MS and independent risk factors for MASLD.

Efficacy and safety of everolimus for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of everolimus in treating seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2).

Methods: A prospective, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03198949) enrolled patients aged 4-40 years with pathologically confirmed FCD 2 and a history of ≥3 seizures per month for two out of the 3 months prior to screening.

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome complicated with liver cirrhosis: A case report.

Background: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare disorder, often characterized by delayed growth and development, short stature, and hypogonadism as the main clinical manifestations. It is not clear whether PSIS can lead to liver cirrhosis.

Case Summary: This paper reported a case of liver cirrhosis of unknown origin.

Factors Affecting Appearance after Thumb Polydactyly Reconstruction - A Caregiver's Perspective in an Asian Population.

Current research on thumb polydactyly reconstruction focusses primarily on clinical evaluations. Details on aesthetic outcomes are relatively lacking. This study aims to address this gap by: (1) investigating the effectiveness of surgical treatment in achieving symmetrical thumb size, length and girth; (2) assessing aesthetic outcomes from a caregiver's perspective and (3) identifying key factors that influence aesthetic outcomes to inform strategies to improve surgical reconstruction.

Bilateral hand dystonia following high-velocity thrust manipulation: a case report.

Thrust manipulation is one of the most commonly used techniques for managing musculoskeletal pain in clinical practice. This involves the application of a high-velocity, low-amplitude force directed to the joints with the intent of achieving joint cavitation. This current case report describes a female in her mid-20s who presented with excessive bilateral and involuntary hand muscle contractions after bilateral thrust manipulation.