Evaluating the effectiveness of interlaminar epidural steroid injections for cervical radiculopathy using PROMIS as an outcome measure.

Background: Cervical interlaminar epidural steroid injections (CIESI) are frequently used to treat cervical radiculopathy due to cervical nerve root impingement.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of CIESI for patients with cervical radiculopathy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of consecutive adult patients with cervical radicular pain and corroborative cervical spondylotic foraminal stenosis on MRI that failed at least 6 weeks of conservative management consisting of medication and physical rehabilitation seen at a multidisciplinary, tertiary academic spine center.

Gut microbiome-gut brain axis-depression: interconnection.

Objectives: The relationship between the gut microbiome and mental health, particularly depression, has gained significant attention. This review explores the connection between microbial metabolites, dysbiosis, and depression. The gut microbiome, comprising diverse microorganisms, maintains physiological balance and influences health through the gut-brain axis, a communication pathway between the gut and the central nervous system.

Prospective Study of Dot Phrase Instructions to Improve Quality and Timeliness of Bowel Preparation for Inpatient Colonoscopies.

Background Inpatient bowel preparation is often suboptimal. Few interventions have been effective at improving its success rate. We determined the clinical features associated with suboptimal inpatient bowel preparation and analyzed the ability of an easily implementable set of instructions inserted into the electronic health record to improve the success of bowel preparation.

Influence of antibody-drug conjugate cleavability, drug-to-antibody ratio, and free payload concentration on systemic toxicities: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

While in theory antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to target cells, numerous side effects are observed in clinical practice. We sought to determine the effect of linker design (cleavable versus non-cleavable), drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), and free payload concentration on systemic toxicity. Two systematic reviews were performed via PubMed search of clinical trials published between January 1998-July 2022.

Impact of Sensitizer Yb on Structural and Optical Properties of AESiO (AE = Ba, Ca, Sr) Orthosilicates.

In the present work, BaSrSiO: Yb and CaSrSiO: Yb (Yb = 0 mol %, 1 mol %, 2 mol % and 3 mol %) nanophosphors were synthesized using the co-precipitation method, and their comparative structural and optical properties were studied to demonstrate the effect of Yb ion on the characteristic properties of the prepared nanophosphors. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns of BaSrSiO:Yb and CaSrSiO:Yb suggest the formation of a single-phase orthorhombic structure with space groups Pbnm and Pna21, respectively. The Raman shifts in BaSrSiO (BSS) and CaSrSiO (CSS) indicate out-of-phase bending of Sr-O and symmetric stretching of Si-O.

The Role of Telemedicine in Enhancing Surgical Care Delivery in Africa: A Literature Review.

Background And Aims: In Africa, telemedicine holds great potential to revolutionize surgical care delivery, especially in areas where access to quality treatment is scarce. Data about the use of these services in African countries is, however, limited. To outline the present issues in surgical care delivery, as well as the significant role of telemedicine in advancing surgical care delivery in Africa.

Embracing Large Language Models for Adult Life Support Learning.

Background It is recognised that large language models (LLMs) may aid medical education by supporting the understanding of explanations behind answers to multiple choice questions. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of LLM chatbots ChatGPT and Bard in answering an Intermediate Life Support pre-course multiple choice question (MCQs) test developed by the Resuscitation Council UK focused on managing deteriorating patients and identifying causes and treating cardiac arrest. We assessed the accuracy of responses and quality of explanations to evaluate the utility of the chatbots.

Association of Palliative Care Consultation in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction With Symptom Burden and Health Care Use.

Background: Guidelines recommend palliative care (PC) for patients with heart failure. However, little research has been performed assessing the effect of PC consultation in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of PC consultation on symptom burden and health care utilization among individuals with HFpEF during the last 3 years of their lives.

Momordicine-I suppresses head and neck cancer growth by modulating key metabolic pathways.

One of the hallmarks of cancer is metabolic reprogramming which controls cellular homeostasis and therapy resistance. Here, we investigated the effect of momordicine-I (M-I), a key bioactive compound from Momordica charantia (bitter melon), on metabolic pathways in human head and neck cancer (HNC) cells and a mouse HNC tumorigenicity model. We found that M-I treatment on HNC cells significantly reduced the expression of key glycolytic molecules, SLC2A1 (GLUT-1), HK1, PFKP, PDK3, PKM, and LDHA at the mRNA and protein levels.

Cryo-EM Detection of AMPylated Histidine Implies Covalent Catalysis in AMPylation Mediated by a Bacterial Effector.

AMPylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) whereby adenosine monophosphate (AMP) from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is transferred onto protein hydroxyl groups of serine, threonine, or tyrosine. Recently, an actin-dependent AMPylase namely LnaB from the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila was found to AMPylate phosphate groups of phosphoribosylated ubiquitin and Src family kinases. LnaB represents an evolutionarily distinct family of AMPylases with conserved active site Ser-His-Glu residues.

Prevalence of Stress and Burnout in Physical Therapist Clinical Instructors.

Introduction: This study investigates the prevalence of stress and burnout among Physical Therapy Clinical Instructors (PT CIs) using the Perceived Stress Scale - 10 (PSS-10) and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) surveys. Given the critical role of PT CIs in student education, understanding their stress and burnout levels is essential.

Review Of Literature: The, PSS-10, a 10-item self-report survey, measures perceived stress with scores ranging from 0 to 40.

Rheumatic Heart Disease and Endomyocardial Fibrosis: A Complex Novel Case of Heart Failure.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) are major causes of cardiac disease in low-income countries. We present a case of a patient with mitral stenosis and restrictive cardiomyopathy, initially attributed to severe RHD, but with disease progression despite valve replacement, likely secondary to previously undiagnosed EMF.

Summary of Keynote Speeches from the 2024 Voice AI Symposium, presented by the Bridge2AI-Voice Consortium.

Introduction: The 2024 Voice AI Symposium, hosted by the Bridge2AI-Voice Consortium in Tampa, FL, featured two keynote speeches that addressed the intersection of voice AI, healthcare, ethics, and law. Dr. Rupal Patel and Dr.

Characterizing selection on complex traits through conditional frequency spectra.

Natural selection on complex traits is difficult to study in part due to the ascertainment inherent to genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The power to detect a trait-associated variant in GWAS is a function of frequency and effect size - but for traits under selection, the effect size of a variant determines the strength of selection against it, constraining its frequency. Recognizing the biases inherent to GWAS ascertainment, we propose studying the joint distribution of allele frequencies across populations, conditional on the frequencies in the GWAS cohort.

Evolutionary diversification of C2 photosynthesis in the grass genus Homolepis (Arthropogoninae).

Background And Aims: To better understand C4 evolution in monocots, we characterized C3-C4 intermediate phenotypes in the grass genus Homolepis (subtribe Arthropogoninae).

Methods: Carbon isotope ratio (δ13C), leaf gas exchange, mesophyll (M) to bundle sheath (BS) tissue characteristics, organelle size and numbers in M and BS tissue, and tissue distribution of the P-subunit of glycine decarboxylase (GLDP) were determined for five Homolepis species and the C4 grass Mesosetum loliiforme from a phylogenetic sister clade. We generated a transcriptome-based phylogeny for Homolepis and Mesosetum species to interpret physiological and anatomical patterns in an evolutionary context, and to test for hybridization.

Etiology of panurethral strictures in a low socioeconomic status population.

Introduction: Panurethral strictures represent the most severe form within the anterior urethral stricture spectrum, requiring more technically complex repairs and resulting in poorer outcomes compared to localized anterior urethral strictures (penile or bulbar). This abstract aims to describe the distinct characteristics of patients with panurethral strictures in a low socioeconomic status population.

Methods: Patients presenting with localized anterior (penile or bulbar) or panurethral strictures at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, between 2021 and 2023 were retrospectively identified.

State-of-the-Art Review: Diagnosis and Management of Spinal Implant Infections.

Spinal implant infections are a serious complications of instrumented spinal fusion surgeries, carrying high morbidity and complex management challenges. Early postoperative infections may manifest with wound-healing issues, back pain, and fevers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging modality, but can be limited by metal artifacts.

Update on the aetiopathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea: Role of inflammatory and immune mediated mechanisms.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often a lifestyle disease associated with obesity, which is rapidly evolving as a major health concern with diverse multisystemic implications. To prevent and mitigate its adverse effects and reduce its burden on society, its aetiopathogeneses must be precisely understood. Numerous studies focusing on the range of diverse anatomic, functional, and lifestyle factors have already been carried out to determine the possible contributory roles of these factors in OSA.

Oncologic Outcomes in Patients with Localized, Primary Head and Neck Synovial Sarcoma.

this study aims to evaluate the survival outcomes of patients suffering from head and neck synovial sarcoma (HNSS), especially in relation to patients with a localized disease at diagnosis. this retrospective chart review includes 57 patients diagnosed with primary HNSS between 1981 and 2020 who presented with a localized disease at diagnosis. Overall survival (OS) from diagnosis, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS) from the end of the primary tumor treatment are estimated.

Characterization of Somatostatin Receptor 2 Gene Expression and Immune Landscape in Sinonasal Malignancies.

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC), and sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) are rare malignancies arising from the sinonasal tract with limited therapeutic options. The expression of the somatostatin receptor 2 gene (), which is expressed in other neuroendocrine neoplasms and is therapeutically actionable, has been reported in these tumors. Here, we analyzed gene expression and its associations with genomic features, established biomarkers predicting of immune response, and the tumor immune microenvironment in a cohort of ONB, SNUC, and SNEC tumor samples (26, 13, and 8 samples, respectively) from a real-world database.

Impact of rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing for Gram-negative bacteremia varies by pathogen type and resistance: a secondary analysis of the RAPIDS GN trial.

In this secondary analysis of 386 subjects with Gram-negative bacteremia enrolled in the RAPIDS GN trial, rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing had a greater benefit on the management of bacteremia caused by antibiotic-resistant compared to antibiotic-susceptible isolates, especially for species and species.IMPORTANCERapid blood culture diagnostics are costly, and their use has not demonstrated clear clinical benefit for patients with Gram-negative sepsis, possibly because prior trials did not enroll sufficient numbers of patients with antibiotic-resistant infections. This analysis of patients with sepsis previously enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial demonstrates that rapid susceptibility testing of bacteria from blood cultures had the greatest impact for patients with antibiotic-resistant infections.

Coordinated variation in the immune systems and microbiomes of healthy humans is linked to tonic interferon states.

Human immune systems are highly variable, with most variation attributable to non-genetic sources. The gut microbiome crucially shapes the immune system; however, its relationship with the baseline immune states of healthy humans remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we performed multi-omic profiling of 110 healthy participants through the ImmunoMicrobiome study.