Efficacy of neuromodulation of the pulvinar nucleus for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Objective: The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus has extensive cortical connections with the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the pulvinar nucleus, therefore, carries the potential for therapeutic benefit in patients with drug-resistant posterior quadrant epilepsy (PQE) and neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Here, we present a single-center experience of patients managed via bilateral DBS of the pulvinar nucleus.

Evaluating the effect of noise reduction strategies in CT perfusion imaging for predicting infarct core with deep learning.

This study evaluates the efficacy of deep learning models in identifying infarct tissue on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) scans from patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, specifically addressing the potential influence of varying noise reduction techniques implemented by different vendors. We analyzed CTP scans from 60 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy achieving a modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score of 2c or 3, ensuring minimal changes in the infarct core between the initial CTP and follow-up MR imaging. Noise reduction techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA), wavelet, non-local means (NLM), and a no denoising approach, were employed to create hemodynamic parameter maps.

Availability of Lactation Policies and Facilities for ACGME-Accredited Surgical Residency Training Programs.

Objective: We aimed to investigate availability of lactation policy and facility information among surgical residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Design: Between March 1, 2023 and October 31, 2023, websites of surgical residency training programs on the ACGME Accreditation System List of Programs by Specialty were reviewed for department lactation policies, links to institutional graduate medical education (GME) websites with lactation policies, lists of lactation facilities, and links to institutional GME websites listing lactation facilities. Scatter plots were generated and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess relationships of the percentages of female residents, fellows, and faculty in each surgical specialty with the percentage of residency program websites with available lactation information.

Sexual Signaling and Sociosexual Behaviors in Relation to Rank, Parasites, Hormones, and Age in Male Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) in Uganda.

Secondary sexual characteristics, and the extent to which they are expressed, can convey information about the signaller. The blue scrotum and red penis of male vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) make them a good species in which to examine inter- and intramale variation in signal expression. We quantified genital hue and luminance of male vervets at Lake Nabugabo, Uganda from standardized photos of male genitalia taken in May to June 2016, January to March 2019, and April to June 2019 to examine how dominance rank, fecal androgens (fARMs), fecal glucocorticoids (fGCMs), and parasitism related to achromatic (i.

Do trees use stemflow water? A manipulative experiment on Singleleaf piñon and Utah juniper in Great Basin woodlands.

It has been postulated that stemflow, precipitation that flows from plant crowns down along branches and stems to soils, benefits plants that generate it because it increases plant-available soil water near the base of the plant; however, little direct evidence supports this postulation. Were plants' crowns to preferentially route water to their roots, woody plants with large canopies could benefit. For example, piñon and juniper tree encroachment into sagebrush steppe ecosystems could be facilitated by intercepted precipitation routed to tree roots as stemflow, hypothetically reducing water available for shrubs and grasses.

A long noncoding eRNA forms R-loops to shape emotional experience-induced behavioral adaptation.

Emotional experiences often evoke neural plasticity that supports adaptive changes in behavior, including maladaptive plasticity associated with mood and substance use disorders. These adaptations are supported in part by experience-dependent activation of immediate-early response genes, such as (neuronal PAS domain protein 4). Here we show that a conserved long noncoding enhancer RNA (lnc-eRNA), transcribed from an activity-sensitive enhancer, produces DNA:RNA hybrid R-loop structures that support three-dimensional chromatin looping between enhancer and proximal promoter and rapid gene induction.

Development and Feasibility of a Conversation Tool to Garner Mental Health and Intimate Partner Violence History from Patients Seeking Pelvic Healthcare: A Trauma-Informed Approach.

A conversation tool was developed by a clinician/researcher partnership to garner mental health and intimate partner violence histories from patients seeking pelvic healthcare. A 3-stage mixed measures approach with healthcare providers ( = 22) and victim service experts ( = 8) was utilized to meet study aims. The finalized conversation tool was found to have satisfactory face and content validity as well as to be feasible to implement in clinical settings based on constructs related to acceptability, practicality, demand, and implementation.

Intracranial findings associated with low odds of retinal hemorrhage among children under 2 years of age at a single pediatric trauma center.

Background: Evaluation by a pediatric ophthalmologist to look for retinal hemorrhages (RH) is often part of screening for occult injury among young children with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) presenting to a trauma center. While important, this examination may lengthen the time a child and family remain at the hospital.

Objective: We sought to identify injury patterns associated with a low likelihood of RH, which may help streamline child abuse screening protocols for very young children with ICH.

SIPA Poorly Predicts Outcomes in Young Pediatric Trauma Patients.

Introduction: The shock index pediatric adjusted score (SIPA) predicts the need for blood transfusion (BT), hemorrhage control interventions (HCI), morbidity/mortality among older pediatric trauma patients but is less predictive in younger patients. We hypothesize that SIPA will be predictive among older pediatric patients for BT, HCI, mortality, and need for trauma intervention (NFTI), however we aim to further delineate the gap in utilizing SIPA in younger patients.

Methods: Using the ACS NTDB for 2017-2021 we evaluated patients 1-14 years old who were transported by EMS from the scene for definitive care.

The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) functions in a cell type- and sex-specific manner in the adult nucleus accumbens to regulate non-contingent cocaine behaviors.

Repeated cocaine use produces adaptations in brain function that contribute to long-lasting behaviors associated with cocaine use disorder (CUD). In rodents, the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) can regulate glutamatergic synaptic transmission, and cocaine regulates Arc expression and subcellular localization in multiple brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc)-a brain region linked to CUD-related behavior. We show here that repeated, non-contingent cocaine administration in global Arc KO male mice produced a dramatic hypersensitization of cocaine locomotor responses and drug experience-dependent sensitization of conditioned place preference (CPP).

Ethics of Pediatric Surgical Innovation: Considerations, Controversies, and Pitfalls.

AbstractThe field of surgery has relied on innovation and creativity to improve patient care and propel the field forward. Historically, regulatory oversight of innovative approaches to surgery has been largely inconsistent, rendering surgeons relatively unrestricted creative latitude in the operating room; whether this has proven to be more beneficial or harmful is subject to debate. While innovation plays a crucial role in the advancement of surgical techniques, the potential drawbacks of unregulated innovation must be seriously considered, especially when treating vulnerable populations such as infants and children.

NPAS4 supports cocaine-conditioned cues in rodents by controlling the cell type-specific activation balance in the nucleus accumbens.

Powerful associations that link drugs of abuse with cues in the drug-paired environment often serve as prepotent relapse triggers. Drug-associated contexts and cues activate ensembles of nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons, including D1-class medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that typically promote, and D2-class MSNs that typically oppose, drug seeking. We found that in mice, cocaine conditioning upregulated transiently the activity-regulated transcription factor, Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 4 (NPAS4), in a small subset of NAc neurons.

Hypofractionated vs Conventionally Fractionated Postmastectomy Radiation After Implant-Based Reconstruction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) improves local-regional disease control and patient survival. Hypofractionation (HF) regimens have comparable efficacy and complication rates with improved quality of life compared with conventional fractionation (CF) schedules. However, the use of HF after mastectomy in patients undergoing breast reconstruction has not been prospectively examined.

"": A cross-sectional, online study of drug researchers' experiential knowledge of drug use and disclosure.

Introduction: Despite the recognized value of experiential knowledge, drug use and disclosure of drug use within the drug research community is rarely discussed or studied.

Methods: We distributed a cross-sectional online survey using targeted recruitment. Researchers provided information on drug use, disclosure of use (or abstinence) professionally, and their impact via write-in text boxes.

iPSC-derived NK cells expressing high-affinity IgG Fc receptor fusion CD64/16A to mediate flexible, multi-tumor antigen targeting for lymphoma.

Introduction: NK cells can mediate tumor cell killing by natural cytotoxicity and by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), an anti-tumor mechanism mediated through the IgG Fc receptor CD16A (FcγRIIIA). CD16A polymorphisms conferring increased affinity for IgG positively correlate with clinical outcomes during monoclonal antibody therapy for lymphoma, linking increased binding affinity with increased therapeutic potential via ADCC. We have previously reported on the FcγR fusion CD64/16A consisting of the extracellular region of CD64 (FcγRI), a high-affinity Fc receptor normally expressed by myeloid cells, and the transmembrane/cytoplasmic regions of CD16A, to create a highly potent and novel activating fusion receptor.

Propofol administration for induction is associated with peri-intubation instability in trauma critical care unit patients.

Introduction: Peri-intubation hypotension is associated with increased hospital length of stay and morbidity. Propofol is associated with alterations in hemodynamics. We hypothesize that using propofol for induction leads to peri-intubation hypotension in trauma critical care patients.

sendigR: an R package to leverage the value of CDISC SEND datasets for cross-study analysis.

The CDISC Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data (SEND) data standard has created new opportunities for collaborative development of open-source software solutions to facilitate cross-study analyses of toxicology study data. A public-private partnership between BioCelerate and the FDA/Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) was established in part to develop and publicize novel methods to facilitate cross-study analysis of SEND datasets. As part of this work in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Users Software Exchange (PHUSE), an R package sendigR has been developed to enable users to construct a relational database from a collection of SEND datasets and then query that database to perform cross-study analyses.

Healthcare providers' perceptions of infant physical activity and communication.

Background: Healthcare providers (HPs) play a critical role in disseminating information about infant health and development. Two key developmental areas for infants are physical activity (PA) and communication. Few studies have examined HPs views of these topics.

The Implementation of a Doula Grant Program Directed at Families from Economically Vulnerable Backgrounds: A Process Evaluation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the process and overall feasibility of a doula grant program for expectant families from economically vulnerable backgrounds.

Design: A mixed-methods process evaluation framework was utilized to examine program feasibility and focused on constructs related to fidelity, dose delivered/dose received, reach, program satisfaction, and limited efficacy testing.

Measures: Evaluation constructs were measured using a program tracking document.

Investigation of Lung Cancer Cell Response to Cryoablation and Adjunctive Gemcitabine-Based Cryo-Chemotherapy Using the A549 Cell Line.

Due to the rising annual incidence of lung cancer (LC), new treatment strategies are needed. While various options exist, many, if not all, remain suboptimal. Several studies have shown cryoablation to be a promising approach.

Cross study analyses of SEND data: toxicity profile classification.

A SEND toxicology data transformation, harmonization, and analysis platform were created to improve the identification of unique findings related to the intended target, species, and duration of dosing using data from multiple studies. The lack of a standardized digital format for data analysis had impeded large-scale analysis of in vivo toxicology studies. The CDISC SEND standard enables the analysis of data from multiple studies performed by different laboratories.

Bridging the Gap: Comparison of Outpatient Clinic and Emergency Department Patients Undergoing Cholecystectomy.

Introduction: Literature shows failure of the outpatient clinic (OC) pathway after emergency department (ED) ultrasound diagnosis of symptomatic cholelithiasis (SC). We hypothesized SC to be more prevalent on final surgical pathology (FSP) in patients who successfully completed OC pathway.

Methods: This retrospective single-institution chart review compared OC and ED patients with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain and cholelithiasis whom underwent cholecystectomy.