The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database: 2024 Update on Outcomes and Research.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) remains the largest and most comprehensive audited thoracic surgical database in the world. As the STS GTSD grows to nearly 1 million cases, the pulmonary resection for cancer and esophagectomy short-term risk models have been refined to provide participants with benchmarked performance reports to facilitate quality improvement efforts. New for 2025 will be the development of long-term risk models and the online release of both short- and long-term risk calculators.

Clinical Outcomes of the PAUL® Glaucoma Implant for secondary glaucoma after vitreoretinal surgery.

Background: To report clinical outcomes from a single-center cohort undergoing PAUL® Glaucoma Implant (PGI) surgery for secondary glaucoma after vitreoretinal surgery (VR).

Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing PGI surgery at the University Eye Hospital Bonn, Germany, from 04/2021 to 05/2023.

Results: 33 eyes of 33 patients were included.

Anterior segment OCT for imaging PAUL glaucoma implant patch grafts: a useful method for follow-up and risk management.

Aim: To evaluate a useful, non-contact method for the follow-up of pericardium patch graft changes in patients undergoing PAUL Glaucoma Implant (PGI) surgery using high-resolution anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) to predict tube erosions.

Methods: Prospective analysis over six months of tube pericardium patch graft thickness of PGI surgical cases at the University Eye Hospital Bonn, Germany, from November 2021 to August 2022. In all eyes, Tutopatch (RTI Surgical, United States) pericardium was used to cover the implant intra-operatively.

Predictors of Discharge With Supplemental Oxygen After Lobectomy for Lung Cancer.

Background: Before lung cancer resection, patients inquire about dyspnea and the potential need for supplemental oxygen. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of discharge with supplemental oxygen for patients undergoing lobectomy for lung cancer.

Methods: Using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, study investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer from July 2018 to December 2021.

Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 Knockout Male Rats Exhibit a Strengthened Oxytocin System, Are Aggressive, and Are Less Anxious.

The central serotoninergic system is critical for stress responsivity and social behavior, and its dysregulations have been centrally implicated in virtually all neuropsychiatric disorders. Genetic serotonin depletion animal models could provide a tool to elucidate the causes and mechanisms of diseases and to develop new treatment approaches. Previously, mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) have been developed, showing altered behaviors and neurotransmission.

Characterization of HIV-1 Infection in Microglia-Containing Human Cerebral Organoids.

The achievement of an HIV cure is dependent on the eradication or permanent silencing of HIV-latent viral reservoirs, including the understudied central nervous system (CNS) reservoir. This requires a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of HIV's entry into the CNS, latency establishment, persistence, and reversal. Therefore, representative CNS culture models that reflect the intercellular dynamics and pathophysiology of the human brain are urgently needed in order to study the CNS viral reservoir and HIV-induced neuropathogenesis.

Antigen Uptake After Intradermal Microinjection Depends on Antigen Nature and Formulation, but Not on Injection Depth.

The skin is an attractive alternative administration route for allergy vaccination, as the skin is rich in dendritic cells (DCs) and is easily accessible. In the skin multiple subsets of DCs with distinct roles reside at different depths. In this study antigen (=allergen for allergy) formulations were injected in human skin in a depth-controlled manner by using a hollow microneedle injection system.

Human microglial models to study HIV infection and neuropathogenesis: a literature overview and comparative analyses.

HIV persistence in the CNS despite antiretroviral therapy may cause neurological disorders and poses a critical challenge for HIV cure. Understanding the pathobiology of HIV-infected microglia, the main viral CNS reservoir, is imperative. Here, we provide a comprehensive comparison of human microglial culture models: cultured primary microglia (pMG), microglial cell lines, monocyte-derived microglia (MDMi), stem cell-derived microglia (iPSC-MG), and microglia grown in 3D cerebral organoids (oMG) as potential model systems to advance HIV research on microglia.

Consensus for Thoracoscopic Lower Lobectomy: Essential Components and Targets for Simulation.

Background: Despite demonstration of its clear benefits relative to open approaches, a video-assisted thoracic surgery technique for pulmonary lobectomy has not been universally adopted. This study aims to overcome potential barriers by establishing the essential components of the operation and determining which steps are most useful for simulation training.

Methods: After randomly selecting experienced thoracic surgeons to participate, an initial list of components to a lower lobectomy was distributed.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database: 2021 Update on Outcomes and Research.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) remains the largest and most robust thoracic surgical database in the world. Participating sites receive risk-adjusted performance reports for benchmarking and quality improvement initiatives. The GTSD also provides several mechanisms for high-quality clinical research using data from 271 participant sites and nearly 720,000 procedures since its inception in 2002.

Estimates for Assessment of Lymphedema: Reliability and Validity of Extremity Measurements.

Measuring lymphedema with high accuracy is important for several reasons. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of three routinely used methods to estimate limb volumes. Inverse water displacement, girth measurements, and Perometer measurements were executed.

Variability in Smoking Status for Lobectomy Among Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database Participants.

Background: Current smokers undergoing lobectomy are at greater risk of complications than are former smokers. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) composite score for rating program performance for lobectomy adjusts for smoking status, a modifiable risk factor. This study examined variability in the proportion of current smokers undergoing lobectomy among STS database participants.

Immune activation correlates with and predicts CXCR4 co-receptor tropism switch in HIV-1 infection.

HIV-1 cell entry is mediated by binding to the CD4-receptor and chemokine co-receptors CCR5 (R5) or CXCR4 (X4). R5-tropic viruses are predominantly detected during early infection. A switch to X4-tropism often occurs during the course of infection.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database: 2020 Update on Outcomes and Research.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD) remains the largest and most robust thoracic surgical database in the world. The GTSD provides participant sites with risk-adjusted performance reports for benchmarking and facilitates quality improvement initiatives. In addition the GTSD provides several mechanisms for high-quality research using data from over 283 participant sites and nearly 620,000 procedures since its inception in 2002.

Longitudinal Health-related Quality of Life among Individuals Considering Treatment for Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Because of improvements in screening, there is an increasing number of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are making treatment decisions. Among patients with suspected stage I NSCLC, we evaluated longitudinal patient-centered outcomes (PCOs) and the association of changes in PCOs with treatment modality, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) compared with surgical resection. We conducted a multisite, prospective, observational cohort study at seven medical institutions.

An inkjet-printed polysaccharide matrix for on-chip sample preparation in point-of-care cell counting chambers.

On-chip sample preparation in self-contained microfluidic devices is a key element to realize simple, low-cost, yet reliable diagnostics that can be carried out at the point-of-care (POC) with minimal training requirements by unskilled users. To address this largely unmet POC medical need, we have developed an optimized polysaccharide matrix containing the reagents which substantially improves our fully printed POC CD4 counting chambers for the monitoring of HIV patients. The simply designed counting chambers allow for capillary-driven filling with unprocessed whole blood.

Treatment protocol for secondary esophageal reconstruction using 'supercharged' colon interposition flaps.

Locoregional esophageal cancer is currently treated with induction chemoradiotherapy, followed by esophagectomy with reconstruction, using a gastric conduit. In cases of conduit failure, patients are temporized with a cervical esophagostomy and enteral nutrition until gastrointestinal continuity can be established. At our institution, we favor reconstruction, using a colon interposition with a 'supercharged' accessory vascular pedicle.

The association between serotonin transporter availability and the neural correlates of fear bradycardia.

Susceptibility to stress-related psychopathology is associated with reduced expression of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT), particularly in combination with stress exposure. Aberrant physiological and neuronal responses to threat may underlie this increased vulnerability. Here, implementing a cross-species approach, we investigated the association between 5-HTT expression and the neural correlates of fear bradycardia, a defensive response linked to vigilance and action preparation.

Impaired Fear Extinction Recall in Serotonin Transporter Knockout Rats Is Transiently Alleviated during Adolescence.

Adolescence is a developmental phase characterized by emotional turmoil and coincides with the emergence of affective disorders. Inherited serotonin transporter (5-HTT) downregulation in humans increases sensitivity to these disorders. To reveal whether and how gene variance affects fear-driven behavior in adolescence, we tested wildtype and serotonin transporter knockout (5-HTT) rats of preadolescent, adolescent, and adult age for cued fear extinction and extinction recall.

Chemical Modifications of Gold Surfaces with Basic Groups and a Fluorescent Nanoparticle Adhesion Assay To Determine Their Surface p K.

For pharmaceutical, biological, and biomedical applications, the functionalization of gold surfaces with pH-sensitive groups has great potential. The aim of this work was to modify gold surfaces with pH-sensitive groups and to determine the p K of the modified gold surfaces using a fluorescent nanoparticle adhesion assay. To introduce pH-sensitive groups onto gold surfaces, we modified gold-coated silicon slides with four different bases: 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MP), 4-pyridylethylmercaptan (4-PEM), 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), and 2-mercaptoethylamine (2-MEA).

Association Between Simulation Curriculum and Learners' Confidence and Interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

This study examines the use of tissue-based simulations in cardiothoracic surgery with medical students, residents, and fellows.