SPECT Perfusion Defects and Impaired Strain in Mild COVID-19: A Multimodal Imaging Study with a Female-Predominant Cohort.

This study investigates the association between mild first-wave COVID-19 infection and subclinical abnormalities in echocardiographic strain parameters and myocardial perfusion using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients from June 2020 to March 2021 with a history of mild first-wave COVID-19 infection, presenting with nonspecific cardiac symptoms and referred for SPECT myocardial perfusion stress testing. Patients had no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) on follow-up invasive angiography or cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and had transthoracic echocardiographic images of sufficient quality for strain analysis using AutoSTRAIN (TOMTEC).

Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Daratumumab-Pomalidomide-Dexamethasone and Pomalidomide-Bortezomib-Dexamethasone in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

Background: Standard-of-care treatment for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) typically includes frontline lenalidomide until disease progression, making lenalidomide-refractoriness a challenge in relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM). Lenalidomide-sparing triplet therapies, daratumumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (DPd) and pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (PVd), demonstrated efficacy in lenalidomide-exposed patients in the APOLLO and OPTIMISMM trials, respectively. Without head-to-head trial data, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of DPd versus PVd via matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC).

Difference in healthcare resource utilization and health-related quality of life between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in a public hospital in Malaysia - a retrospective case-note review and cross-sectional survey.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a growing global health concern, with its economic impact projected to reach USD 6.0 trillion by 2030. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD), characterized by non-responsiveness to initial treatments, adds a significant cost burden.

Patient Disease Characteristics and Treatment Patterns in Mild-Moderate Psoriasis: Results from Real-World Clinical Practice in the United States (PROSPECT Study).

Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO) is a common dermatological condition. Psoriasis severity is commonly characterized by percentage body surface area (BSA) affected, with < 3% BSA considered mild disease and 3-10% moderate disease. Treatment options for and knowledge of clinical practice patterns in patients with mild PsO are limited.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line from a patient with long COVID.

Long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, leads to vascular dysfunction, which contributes to the chronic multi-organ damage often seen in affected patients. Long COVID, a global health concern is associated with increased thrombotic risk, also known as COVID-19-associated coagulopathy (CAC). Here, we derived an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of a long COVID patient.

High-Density and Well-Aligned Hierarchical Structures of Colloids Assembled under Orthogonal Magnetic and Electric Fields.

Colloids can be used either as model systems for directed assembly or as the necessary building blocks for making functional materials. Previous work primarily focused on assembling colloids under a single external field, where controlling particle-particle interactions is limited. This work presents results under a combination of electric and magnetic fields.

Pretransplant Chromosome Genomic Array Testing Improves Prognostication for Myelofibrosis Patients Undergoing Transplantation.

Background: Despite its known superior diagnostic yield for chromosomal anomalies compared with karyotype and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies, chromosome genomic array testing (CGAT) is not used as a routine clinical test for myelofibrosis. Although many prognostic systems exist that risk stratify patients at diagnosis, limited tools are available to prognosticate transplant outcome.

Objective: The current study aimed at testing whether CGAT results obtained before transplantation improves prognosis of post-transplant outcome in patients with myelofibrosis compared with current risk categorization systems, for example, DIPSS plus (Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System).

Enhancing Rigor, Quality, and Patient Engagement in Qualitative Research: A Step-By-Step Guide to Applying Reflexive Thematic Analysis to the Experience-Based Co-Design Methodology.

Experience-based co-design (EBCD) is a qualitative form of participatory action research supported by a toolkit providing guidance and recommendations. The toolkit is intentionally non-prescriptive, allowing EBCD practitioners the freedom to flex the approach to cater to the needs of their specific populations and contexts. For less experienced researchers, the lack of specificity can be a challenge when navigating activities such as data analysis, particularly as wider literature provides limited insights to methods, processes, methodological critique, and lessons learned.

ASSESSING THE REPEATABILITY OF INNER CHOROID FLOW DEFICIT PERCENTAGE IN INTERMEDIATE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION AND CONTROLS: A Comparative Study Between Different Post-Processing Approaches.

Purpose: To assess repeatability of macular inner choroid flow deficit percentage in intermediate age-related macular degeneration and controls using various postprocessing approaches.

Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study. The authors included 1) 22 intermediate age-related macular degeneration and 24 control eyes, with 2) age >50 years, 3) visual acuity >20/32, and 4) no additional ocular and systemic confounders.

Early Retinal Detachments Following Open Globe Repair: Incidence and Risk Factors.

Purpose: Risk factors for the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) in the early postoperative period following open globe repair (OGR) are not well understood. RRDs are often diagnosed late after OGIs, which can negatively impact visual prognosis. We assessed the incidence and risk factors that predict the development of this complication.

A multiomic atlas identifies a treatment-resistant, bone marrow progenitor-like cell population in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Refractoriness to initial chemotherapy and relapse after remission are the main obstacles to curing T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). While tumor heterogeneity has been implicated in treatment failure, the cellular and genetic factors contributing to resistance and relapse remain unknown. Here we linked tumor subpopulations with clinical outcome, created an atlas of healthy pediatric hematopoiesis and applied single-cell multiomic analysis to a diverse cohort of 40 T-ALL cases.

Changes in isolation guidelines for CPE patients results in only mild reduction in required hospital beds.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are an emerging public health concern globally as they are resistant to a broad spectrum of antibiotics. Colonisation with CPE typically requires patients to be managed under 'contact precautions', which creates additional physical bed demands in healthcare facilities.

Methods: This study examined the potential impact of revised isolation guidelines introduced in late 2023 in Victoria, Australia, that relaxed the requirement for indefinite isolation of CPE-colonised patients in contact precautions, based on admission of CPE-diagnosed cases prior to the guideline change.

STARD7 maintains intestinal epithelial mitochondria architecture, barrier integrity, and protection from colitis.

Susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC) is linked with loss of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and mitochondria dysfunction. Steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain-containing protein 7 (STARD7) is a phosphatidylcholine-specific (PC-specific) lipid transfer protein that transports PC from the ER to the mitochondria, facilitating mitochondria membrane stabilization and respiration function. The aim of this study was to define the contribution of STARD7 in the regulation of the intestinal epithelial mitochondrial function and susceptibility to colitis.

Two-molecule theory of polyethylene liquids.

Two-molecule theory refers to a class of microscopic, self-consistent field theories for the radial distribution function in classical molecular liquids. The version examined here can be considered as one of the very few formally derived closures to the reference interaction site model (RISM) equation. The theory is applied to polyethylene liquids, computing their equilibrium structural and thermodynamic properties at melt densities.

Immunosuppression Drugs Exhibit Differential Effects on Endothelial Cell Function.

Immunosuppressive medications are widely used to treat patients with neoplasms, autoimmune conditions, and solid organ transplants. Prior studies indicate that immunosuppression drugs can cause adverse vascular remodeling. Given the systemic effects of the drugs, elucidating cell-type specific drug-effects has been challenging.

Drusen Disappearance After Retinal Detachment Repair.

To describe a case of a drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment that resolved after retinal detachment (RD) repair using multimodal imaging. A single case was evaluated. An 83-year-old woman with intermediate age-related macular degeneration had repair of a rhegmatogenous RD with subsequent resolution of macular drusen and improved visual acuity and metamorphopsia.

Indirect Treatment Comparisons in Healthcare Decision Making: A Targeted Review of Regulatory Approval, Reimbursement, and Pricing Recommendations Globally for Oncology Drugs in 2021-2023.

Introduction: Indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs) evaluate novel treatments compared to appropriate comparators when direct evidence is unavailable or infeasible. The objective of this study was to highlight the prevalence of different ITC methods in oncology drug submissions and to provide insights into how ITCs have been used in recent regulatory approval, reimbursement recommendations, or pricing decisions across various regions and diverse assessment frameworks.

Methods: A targeted literature review was conducted to identify assessment documents for oncology drug submissions that included ITCs.

The Palliative Arts: Envisioning a New Paradigm in Palliative Care.

A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of arts-based interventions in nurturing human connection, healing, and reflection-for patients living with illness, their families, and their health care communities. Thus, we propose that these interventions, what we call the Palliative Arts-just as much as science-should be systematically integrated in clinical education, practice, research, wellness, leadership, and advocacy to impact person-centered outcomes. Our interprofessional team describes a variety of arts-based programming that its authors are leading to highlight the breadth of existing Palliative Arts work and point to future horizons for its integration in health care education and clinical settings.

Patients Facing Large Language Models in Oncology: A Narrative Review.

The integration of large language models (LLMs) into oncology is transforming patients' journeys through education, diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and follow-up. This review examines the current landscape, potential benefits, and associated ethical and regulatory considerations of the application of LLMs for patients in the oncologic domain.

Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Phosphate Abnormalities After Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The clinical significance and incidence of phosphate abnormalities in cardiac surgery have not been investigated extensively. We hypothesize that phosphate abnormalities are associated with a longer time to tracheal extubation.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study in patients who underwent nontransplant cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass between August 2009 and December 2020.

Flow Cytometry for Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin Lymphomas.

Multiparametric flow cytometry is a powerful diagnostic tool that permits rapid assessment of cellular antigen expression to quickly provide immunophenotypic information suitable for disease classification. This chapter describes a general approach for the identification of abnormal lymphoid populations by flow cytometry, including B, T, NK, and Hodgkin lymphoma cells suitable for the clinical and research environment. Knowledge of the common patterns of antigen expression of normal lymphoid cells is critical to permit identification of abnormal populations at disease presentation and for minimal residual disease assessment.

In vivo perturb-seq of cancer and microenvironment cells dissects oncologic drivers and radiotherapy responses in glioblastoma.

Background: Genetic perturbation screens with single-cell readouts have enabled rich phenotyping of gene function and regulatory networks. These approaches have been challenging in vivo, especially in adult disease models such as cancer, which include mixtures of malignant and microenvironment cells. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal cancer, and methods of systematically interrogating gene function and therapeutic targets in vivo, especially in combination with standard of care treatment such as radiotherapy, are lacking.