Optimizing Global Genomic Surveillance for Early Detection of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

Background: Global viral threats underscore the need for effective genomic surveillance, but high costs and uneven resource distribution hamper its implementation. Targeting surveillance to international travelers in major travel hubs may offer a more efficient strategy for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Methods: We developed and calibrated a multiple-strain metapopulation model of global SARS-CoV-2 transmission using extensive epidemiological, phylogenetic, and high-resolution air travel data.

Inhibition of KDM6B prevents osteoarthritis by blocking growth plate-like H3K27me3 loss in bivalent genes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disorder occurring with articular cartilage degradation. It includes a switch from an articular to a growth plate chondrocyte phenotype. Here, we investigated the histone modification profiles and found significant H3K27me3 loss in OA, which led to disease-associated gene expression.

Evaluation of Prognostic Risk Models Based on Age and Comorbidity in Septic Patients: Insights from Machine Learning and Traditional Methods in a Large-Scale, Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Background: Age and comorbidity significantly impact the prognosis of septic patients and inform treatment decisions. To provide clinicians with effective tools for identifying high-risk patients, this study assesses the predictive value of the age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) and its simplified version, the quick ACCI (qACCI), for mortality in septic patients.

Methods: This retrospective study included septic patients from four Chinese medical centers.

Real-world outcomes in patients with melanoma brain metastasis: a US multisite retrospective chart review study of systemic treatments.

Objective: This study examined real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) treated with first-line immunotherapy consisting of nivolumab plus ipilimumab or anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) monotherapy (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) or targeted therapy consisting of BRAF/MEK inhibitors.

Design: Retrospective chart review study.

Setting: Academic medical centres, community hospitals and private practice offices.

Baseline and cumulative Chinese visceral adiposity index and diabetic kidney disease: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) makes up nearly half of all chronic kidney disease cases and is a major cause of mortality for people with diabetes. However, the study of the association of longitudinal Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) with DKD is still missing.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 7874 diabetes patients from the Kailuan study.

Chinese Visceral Adiposity Index Trajectory and Stroke in Prediabetes and Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Aims: Stroke is a common diabetic complication, by which the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) is confirmed as a better predictor of visceral fat. However, the relationship between CVAI change and the stroke risk among patients with diabetes and prediabetes remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association of CVAI trajectory with the risk of stroke.

Combined exposure to mixed brominated flame retardants on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in US adults.

Background: Accumulating research highlights that exposure to serum brominated flame retardants (BFRs) may elevate health risks. The effects of serum BFRs, both alone and in combination, on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have not been thoroughly studied. Our main goal was to examine the association between individual and mixtures of serum BFRs and OSAS risk.

Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards pneumococcal vaccines among adults in the United States.

Objectives: The attitudes and perceptions of healthcare consumers (HCCs) are increasingly becoming more relevant in decision-making with healthcare providers and incorporated into healthcare decision-making by national immunization technical advisory groups and health technology assessment agencies. With newer pneumococcal vaccine options available, HCCs' attitudes and perceptions play a key role in gauging potential acceptance. The objective of this study was to assess HCCs' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward pneumococcal vaccines for adults.

Quantitative Parameters of Intravoxel Incoherent Movement Imaging and Dynamic Contrast Enhancement MRI for the Prediction of HER2-Zero, -Low, and -Positive Breast Cancers.

Rationale And Objectives: To explore the predictive value of quantitative parameters from intravoxel incoherent movement (IVIM) imging and dynamic contrast enhancement MRI (DCE-MRI) for HER2 expression in breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 167 women with breast cancer who underwent MRI from December 2019 to December 2023, categorized into 48 HER2-positive, 78 HER2-low and 41 HER2-zero cancers. All patients underwent IVIM imaging and DCE-MRI.

Association of Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio and in-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Sepsis: A Two Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: In critically ill patients, the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) was significantly associated with mortality. However, the relationship between SHR and mortality in septic patients is still unclear.In this study, patients with sepsis from two Chinese academic centers were identified and divided into quartiles based on SHR levels.

Preferences and attitudes of healthcare providers towards pneumococcal vaccines for adults in the United States.

Objectives: It is important to assess healthcare providers (HCPs) knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and preferences towards new pneumococcal vaccines for adults.

Methods: HCPs who met eligibility criteria completed an online survey between March - May 2024 that included a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit preferences.

Results: Among 340 participating HCPs, the average age was 44.

Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma treated with Alectinib: a case report and literature review.

Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is an extremely rare and aggressive form of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. Clinically, it has a high risk of relapse and peripheral organ infiltration, and it responds poorly to conventional chemotherapy. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors are currently the most effective targeted therapy for EIMS.

The short-term efficacy of neoadjuvant SOX versus SOX plus immune checkpoint inhibitor following laparoscopic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study in China.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the short-term efficacy for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) who accepted laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) after neoadjuvant SOX versus SOX plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods: LAGC patients who accepted LG after neoadjuvant SOX (SOX-LG, n = 169) and SOX plus ICIs (SOX + ICIs-LG, n = 140) in three medical centers between Jan 2020 and Mar 2024 were analyzed. We compared the tumor regression, treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), perioperative safety between two groups, and explored the risk factors of postoperative complications (POCs) for LG after neoadjuvant therapy.

Sepsis-Induced Coagulopathy Score is Associated with an Increased Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Septic Patients: A Two-Centered Retrospective Study.

Purpose: New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) and sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) are severe complications in septic patients. However, the relationship between NOAF and SIC score has not been clearly defined. This study aims to investigate the association between SIC score and NOAF, as well as their effect on mortality in sepsis.

Joint association of cardiovascular health and frailty with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective study.

Background: Poor cardiovascular health (CVH) and physical frailty were reported to increase mortality risk, but their joint effects have not been fully elucidated.

Objectives: We aimed to explore the separate and joint effects of CVH and frailty on mortality based on two perspectives of Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and Framingham Risk Score (FRS).

Methods: 21 062 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018 were involved in this study.

Inference on spatiotemporal dynamics for coupled biological populations.

Mathematical models in ecology and epidemiology must be consistent with observed data in order to generate reliable knowledge and evidence-based policy. Metapopulation systems, which consist of a network of connected sub-populations, pose technical challenges in statistical inference owing to nonlinear, stochastic interactions. Numerical difficulties encountered in conducting inference can obstruct the core scientific questions concerning the link between the mathematical models and the data.

The contrast-free diffusion MRI multiple index for the early prediction of pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Early tumor response prediction can help avoid overtreatment with unnecessary chemotherapy sessions. It is important to determine whether multiple apparent diffusion coefficient indices (S index, ADC-diff) are effective in the early prediction of pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer (BC). Patients with stage II and III BCs who underwent TWI, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI using a 3 T system were included.

A new simplified risk assessment model enhances postoperative prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in Chinese adult patients with inguinal hernia (CHAT-3): a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) significantly affects the prognosis of surgical patients with inguinal hernia. The complex Caprini score, commonly used for postoperative VTE risk assessment, poses practical challenges for surgeons in clinical settings.

Methods: The CHAT-3 trial, a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, compared a simple three-factor model to assess VTE risk against routine practices in postinguinal hernia surgery (IHS) patients.

Reproductive factors and cardiovascular health in post-menopausal women: a special focus on natural menopause.

Female-specific reproductive factors might contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and the American Heart Association (AHA) recently proposed Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score to quantify cardiovascular health (CVH). The study aimed to examine the relationships between reproductive factors and the LE8 score among post-menopause women in the United States. We enrolled 3223 post-menopause women from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

A Study on the Maximum Reliability of Multi-UAV Cooperation Relay Systems.

This paper studies the maximum reliability of multi-hop relay UAVs, in which UAVs provide wireless services for remote users as a coded cooperative relay without an end-to-end direct communication link. In this paper, the analytical expressions of the total power loss and total bit error rate are derived as reliability measures. First, based on the environmental statistical parameters, a LOS probability model is proposed.