The Systematic Development of a Mobile Phone Delivered Text-messaging Tobacco Cessation Intervention in India.

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is a leading cause of mortality globally. Eighty percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite this, there is a large treatment gap due to both demand and supply-side barriers.

FGTI-2734 Inhibits ERK Reactivation to Overcome Sotorasib Resistance in KRAS G12C Lung Cancer.

KRAS G12C targeted therapies, such as sotorasib, represent a major breakthrough, but overall response rates and progression-free survival for patients with KRAS G12C lung cancer are modest due to the emergence of resistance mechanisms involving adaptive reactivation of ERK, which requires wild-type (WT) HRAS and NRAS membrane localization. Here, we demonstrate that the dual farnesyltransferase (FT) and geranylgeranyltransferase-1 (GGT-1) inhibitor FGTI-2734 inhibits WT RAS membrane localization and sotorasib-induced ERK feedback reactivation, and overcomes sotorasib adaptive resistance. The combination of FGTI-2734 and sotorasib is synergistic at inhibiting the viability and inducing apoptosis of KRAS G12C lung cancer cells, including those highly resistant to sotorasib.

More isn't always better: antibiotic duration after surgical decortication in pleural empyema.

Background: While ample high-level evidence supports the limited use of antibiotics post-source control in intraabdominal infections, there is a paucity of available data in guiding antibiotic duration for intrathoracic infections. This study aims to analyze patient outcomes among those who have undergone surgical decortication for parapneumonic pleural empyema, comparing cases managed with infectious disease (ID) specialists against those without, and to identify predictive factors influencing antibiotic duration post-source control. We hypothesized that antibiotic duration would vary depending on the involvement of ID specialists.

Cooperation between PRMT1 and PRMT6 drives lung cancer health disparities among Black/African American men.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer with Black/AA men showing higher risk and poorer outcomes than NHW men. Lung cancer disparities are multifactorial, driven by tobacco exposure, inequities in care access, upstream health determinants, and molecular determinants including biological and genetic factors. Elevated expressions of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) correlating with poorer prognosis have been observed in many cancers.

Challenges of AI driven diagnosis of chest X-rays transmitted through smart phones: a case study in COVID-19.

Healthcare delivery during the initial days of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic was badly impacted due to large number of severely infected patients posing an unprecedented global challenge. Although the importance of Chest X-rays (CXRs) in meeting this challenge has now been widely recognized, speedy diagnosis of CXRs remains an outstanding challenge because of fewer Radiologists. The exponential increase in Smart Phone ownership globally, including LMICs, provides an opportunity for exploring AI-driven diagnostic tools when provided with large volumes of CXRs transmitted through Smart Phones.

Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy in a Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: A significant proportion of cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU) patients require long-term ventilation, necessitating tracheostomy placement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term postoperative outcomes and complications associated with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in CSICU patients.

Methods: All patients undergoing PDT after cardiac, thoracic, or vascular operations in the CSICU between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2021 were identified.

Chest neck anastomotic leak post esophagectomy for malignancy: rate, predictors, and outcomes.

Background: Anastomotic leak is a major contributor to comorbidity and mortality following esophagectomy. We sought to assess rate and predictors of leak after esophagectomy and compare outcomes of chest versus neck anastomotic leaks.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed utilizing National-Surgical-Quality-Improvement-Program data from 2016-2019 for patients undergoing esophagectomy for malignancy.

Dynamic Long-Range Interactions Influence Substrate Binding and Catalysis by Human Histidine Triad Nucleotide-Binding Proteins (HINTs), Key Regulators of Multiple Cellular Processes and Activators of Antiviral ProTides.

Human histidine triad nucleotide-binding (hHINT) proteins catalyze nucleotide phosphoramidase and acyl-phosphatase reactions that are essential for the activation of antiviral proTides, such as Sofosbuvir and Remdesivir. hHINT1 and hHINT2 are highly homologous but exhibit disparate roles as regulators of opioid tolerance (hHINT1) and mitochondrial activity (hHINT2). NMR studies of hHINT1 reveal a pair of dynamic surface residues (Q62, E100), which gate a conserved water channel leading to the active site 13 Å away.

Utilization of Supplemental Regional Anesthesia in Lobectomy for Lung Cancer in the United States: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Pulmonary lobectomy is the standard of care for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. This study investigated the rate of utilization of supplemental anesthesia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or open lobectomy using a national database and assessed the effect of regional block (RB) on postoperative outcomes.

Methods: Patients who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer between 2014-2019 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Bochdalek Hernia With Gastric Necrosis Requiring Roux-en-Y Esophagojejunostomy.

Bochdalek hernias are the most common congenital diaphragmatic hernias and are usually diagnosed during childhood. They can present in adulthood and, in uncommon circumstances, result in gastric herniation with strangulation. We present a case of an adult Bochdalek hernia resulting in total gastric necrosis necessitating Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy in an otherwise healthy 39-year-old man.

Trends in open lobectomy outcomes for lung cancer over the last 15 years: national cohort.

Objective: Adoption of thoracoscopic lobectomy has been increasing in the US; however, open lobectomy (OL) is still performed in half of the cases. Postoperative care and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways have evolved and improved outcomes. The study aims to evaluate postoperative outcomes of OL over the last 15 years.

Extrusion, meniscal signal change, loss of shape, synovitis and bone marrow oedema are reliable scoring parameters to assess MRI appearance post meniscal transplant.

Purpose: Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) has shown good promise in restoring normal knee joint biomechanics in a meniscal deficient patient. However, MRI appearance of the meniscal allograft is often questioned and raises concerns of its viability and function. This paper aims to introduce and validate a new scoring system for MAT MRI appearance at 12 months [MRI appearance in Meniscal Transplant Score (MIMS)], using key changes such as extrusion, meniscal signal change, loss of shape, synovitis and bone marrow oedema.

A narrative review of the health disparities associated with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a cancer of the mesothelial lining of the pleura that has traditionally been associated with asbestos exposure in an industrial setting. Asbestos usage has fortunately been banned or phased out in most industrialized countries resulting in its decline in countries such as the United States. Despite this, MPM continues to place significant burden on its affected patients resulting in overall poor prognosis and survival.

Does Race or Ethnicity Impact Complications After Pulmonary Lobectomy for Patients With Lung Cancer?

Background: Racial disparity in surgical access and postoperative outcomes after pulmonary lobectomy continues to be a concern and target for improvement; however, evidence of independent impact of race on complications is lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of race/ethnicity on surgical outcomes after lobectomy for lung cancer and estimate the distribution of racial/ethnic groups among expected resectable lung cancer cases using a large national database.

Methods: Patients who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer between 2005 and 2016 were identified in the American College of Surgeon National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

"Switching On" Enzyme Substrate Specificity Analysis with a Fluorescent Competitive Inhibitor.

Enzymatically driven change to the spectroscopic properties of a chemical substrate or product has been a linchpin in the development of continuous enzyme kinetics assays. These assays inherently necessitate substrates or products that naturally comply with the constraints of the spectroscopic technique being used, or they require structural changes to the molecules involved to make them observable. Here we demonstrate a new analytical kinetics approach with enzyme histidine triad nucleotide binding protein 1 (HINT1) that allows us to extract both useful values and a rank-ordered list of substrate specificities without the need to track substrates or products directly.

Five-Year Experience with VATS Versus Thoracotomy Segmentectomy for Lung Tumor Resection.

Objective: Segmentectomy for lung tumors has been performed with either video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy; however, there is a lack of contemporary, multicenter study that compares both approaches. The aim of this study was to compare the 30-day surgical outcomes of VATS versus thoracotomy for segmentectomy using a large national database.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.

Deglutition Syncope Treated With Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy.

Deglutition syncope is a rare, neurally mediated reflex syncope associated with swallowing. It is typically associated with pharyngoesophageal disorders with secondary abnormal vagal reflex causing atrioventricular cardiac block and cerebral hypoperfusion. Diagnosis can be delayed and challenging.

Improving outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with stable ischemic heart disease.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a common cardiac procedure and there have been significant advances in the technologies over past decades that have improved the safety of these procedures. Various clinical trials and meta-analyses have shown that PCIs are associated with improved outcomes, especially among patients with acute coronary syndromes. However, the clinical benefit of PCIs among patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) other than improvement in anginal symptoms is less well established.