Household WIC benefit redemption varies by participant and household characteristics in Southern California.

Background: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides benefits redeemable for select healthy foods, aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to support healthy diets among pregnant and postpartum women, and their children to age 5 years, living in low-income households. WIC benefits are often not fully redeemed, limiting nutritional benefits of participation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the associations of WIC participant, caregiver, and household characteristics with WIC food benefit redemption.

THE IMPACT OF NEUTROPHIL-TO-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO ON SHORT- AND LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS FOLLOWING ELECTIVE INFRARENAL EVAR.

Objective: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a readily available parameter, associated with long-term outcomes in cardiovascular conditions. This study aims to analyze the predictors of NLR and its impact on prognosis and disease-specific outcomes following EVAR.

Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort study.

ALTERNATIVE AUTOLOGOUS VEIN GRAFTS VERSUS SINGLE SEGMENT GREAT SAPHENOUS VEIN IN LOWER EXTREMITY BYPASS SURGERY - SINGLE-CENTER STUDY.

Objectives: Studies comparing alternative autologous vein grafts (AAVG) to single-segment great saphenous vein (ssGSV) grafts report mixed results. The status of AAVG as first choice when ssGSV is unavailable is not unequivocal, based on current evidence. Our study compares results between AAVG and ssGSV in lower extremity bypass surgery.

Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome Risk Comparison between Transcarotid Artery Revascularization and Carotid Artery Stenting with Distal Embolic Protection.

Background: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a rare but serious complication after carotid artery revascularization. This study aims to determine the impact of carotid artery stenting (CAS) modality on the incidence, severity and overall outcomes of CHS after carotid revascularization.

Methods: Data from patients who underwent CAS with either distal embolic protection (CAS+DEP) or transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) were obtained from the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database 2016-2023.

TOS UK (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, United Kingdom): A Retrospective Review of Practice.

Objective: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is caused by compression of the neurovascular bundle at the thoracic outlet which often poses a diagnostic challenge. Patient management is often based on surgeon choice and experience. This study aims to describe practices relating to the diagnosis and management of TOS in the UK over a 1-year period.

Burden of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Asia from 1990 to 2021.

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the disease burden of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Asia.

Material And Methods: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 data evaluated NPC metrics by sex, and age in Asia. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to assess the trends of NPC burden.

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.

Fabricating pine needles derived spherical nanocellulose with polyaniline and montmorillonite clay for simultaneous removal of cationic and anionic dyes from binary mixtures.

Herein, pine needles derived spherical nanocellulose (SNC) was combined with aniline to form SNC-polyaniline (SNC-PANI), followed by modification with montmorillonite (MMT) to form SNC-PANI-MMT composite. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, TGA, FESEM, and EDS and evaluated for the simultaneous adsorption of cationic and anionic dyes, malachite green (MG), and Congo red (CR) from MG-CR mixture, and fuchsin basic (FB) and methyl orange (MO) from FB-MO mixture. Non-linear kinetics of adsorption showed the anionic dyes, CR and MO to follow pseudo-first order kinetics with 91.

Pectins play a central role in enhancing Al tolerance of alfalfa via looseing fibre-microfiber arrangement of cell wall in root tips.

Cell wall greatly affects Al tolerance of plants, but the precise mechanisms by which the cell wall modulating Al tolerance remains largely unknown. In the present study, Al tolerant alfalfa varieties (WL525 and WL903) accumulated less Al in root tips, cell wall and pectins, averagely decreased by 23.8 %, 41.

Konjac glucomannan-embedded corn starch-derived type 1 resistant starch: Physicochemical properties, in vitro digestibility and fermentation characteristics, and in vivo glucose response in mice.

Type 1 resistant starch (RS1) was prepared by high-pressure homogenization of corn starch (CS) embedded with 0.1 %, 0.3 %, 0.

Development of multifunctional PAA-alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel-loaded fiber-reinforced biomimetic scaffolds for controlled release of curcumin.

Critical-sized bone defects in osteosarcoma treatment demand multifunctional scaffolds that must effectively integrate two key functions, promoting osteogenesis and delivering targeted chemoprevention. This study introduces a dual-component system featuring pH-responsive hydrogels and hydroxyapatite-based fiber-reinforced biomimetic scaffolds designed for controlled and localized curcumin delivery, while addressing its solubility and stability issues. The hydrogel system comprises a double network of polyacrylic acid, sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, and potato starch, specifically modified to encapsulate curcumin.

Prevalence, incidence, and clinical features of cardiac involvement in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Background: The epidemiology and characteristics of cardiac involvement in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis remain unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence, incidence, and clinical features of cardiac sarcoidosis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Methods: The characteristics of patients with biopsy-proven pulmonary sarcoidosis were retrospectively evaluated.

Bleeding Risk Assessment with Thromboelastography in Interventional Pulmonology Procedures.

Objective: Thromboelastography (TEG) offers a point-of-care and comprehensive evaluation of the coagulation cascade, but its utility in predicting bleeding risk in Interventional Pulmonology (IP) procedures has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of TEG in assessing bleeding risk in patients undergoing elective IP procedures.

Material And Methods: Retrospective study of patients who underwent elective IP procedures at Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, FL, USA) from November 2022 to May 2024.

Outcomes of Anesthesia-Supported versus Endoscopist-Driven Sedation Modalities: A retrospective cohort study.

Background And Aims: Anesthesia involvement has become commonplace in many procedural settings. The goal of this study is to compare sedation modalities utilized by endoscopists and anesthesiologists in the endoscopy suite, particularly with respect to recovery time and adverse events.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including adults (≥18) undergoing outpatient EGD and/or colonoscopy at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida between October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2022.

Association between Executive Function and Food Addiction among Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of food addiction (FA) among children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to explore the association between executive function and FA.

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 1,021 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years and their parents participated in this study and completed the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale, Yale Food Addiction Scale and Executive Function Behavior Rating Scale.

Relationship between muscular mass, inflammatory status, tumor metabolic activity and oral intake in head and neck cancer at the outset of management.

Background And Aims: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are often malnourished with a low muscular mass at the outset of management. This is thought to be mainly due to poor nutritional intake. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between tumor metabolic activity, inflammatory status and body composition in HNC patients.

Changes in Out-of-Pocket Drug Expenditures Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Dementia Under the Inflation Reduction Act: A Simulation Study.

Objectives: We investigated how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Medicare Part D benefit redesign may reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) drug expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries with dementia. Methods Design Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked with Medicare claims, we simulated post-redesign OOP drug spending by applying the 2025 prescription drug cost-sharing rules to each beneficiary's pre-redesign Part D medication utilization data for 2016, adjusting for inflation. Participants Our study population comprised HRS respondents aged 65 and older in 2016, enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service, with at least one Part D drug claim in 2016, and diagnosed with dementia between 2000 and 2016 (n=1,677).

A UK value set for the WAItE.

Objectives: The Weight-Specific Adolescent Instrument for Economic Evaluation (WAItE) is a weight-specific patient reported outcome measure for use in adolescence, consisting of seven domains, each with five response levels. The objective of this study was to generate a UK value set for the WAItE, enabling the calculation of utility values.

Methods: An online Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) completed by an adult sample representative to the working population of the UK was used to estimate the preferences for the five levels of the seven domains.

A Value Set for the EQ-5D-5L for United Arab Emirates.

Objectives To develop a value set for the EQ-5D-5L based on preferences of the general adult population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods The study followed the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L Valuation protocol and involved conducting interviewer-administered face-to-face or online interviews in Arabic or English, using the EuroQol Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) with a sample of 1005 adults representing the UAE general population. Sample recruitment involved a two-stage quota sampling strategy across the seven Emirates of the UAE, ensuring representation of nationals and expatriates.

Social Return on Investment analysis: A Mixed Methods Approach to Assessing the Value of Adult Hospice Services.

Objectives Hospice services offer invaluable support to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses, however, quantifying their positive impact presents a challenge. As the demand for palliative care rises due to complex illnesses and an aging population, hospices face the need to prove their value. With funding primarily reliant on charitable donations and limited statutory support, they must demonstrate their effectiveness to secure additional resources in a competitive landscape.

Co-existing autonomous cortisol secretion in primary aldosteronism.

Aim: Co-existing primary aldosteronism (PA) and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) has been recently recognized as a distinct entity. This study aimed to assess the incidence of ACS in patients with PA, and its impact on clinical and laboratory parameters.

Methods: Ninety-two patients diagnosed with PA were included.

Anesthetic effectiveness of mental/incisive nerve block versus inferior alveolar nerve block in mandibular first and second premolars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: A randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mental nerve block (MINB) and conventional inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) anesthesia during endodontic treatment of mandibular first and second premolars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP).

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, clinical trial, 120 patients undergoing endodontic treatment of mandibular premolars were randomly assigned to IANB (n=60) or MINB (n=60) using 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine hydrochloride. Pain levels were evaluated preoperatively and during cold tests, cavity preparation, and pulp extirpation using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS).

Assessing Endodontic Treatment Feasibility for Cracked Teeth using Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

Introduction: Cracked teeth present diagnostic and treatment challenges due to their complex etiology and uncertain prognoses. This study evaluated the potential of Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology for diagnosing cracked teeth and its utility in predicting the need for root canal treatment (RCT).

Methods: A total of 207 cracked teeth from 149 patients diagnosed between April 2019 and April 2023 were analyzed.

Modifiable risk factors for culture positivity after primary Latarjet procedure. Should we change any practice?

Background: The prevalence of positive cultures in primarily operated shoulders represents a growing concern. Previous studies have documented high rates of culture positivity in primary prosthetic shoulder surgery, yet the Latarjet procedure has not been specifically explored in this context. The aim of this study was to identify the rate of culture positivity in patients treated with a primary Latarjet procedure, and to identify risk factors for culture positivity.

Plasma Alkylresorcinols is an objective biomarker for gluten intake in young children.

Background: Alkylresorcinols are a well-established biomarker for whole grain intake. There is evidence suggesting that total plasma alkylresorcinol concentration may also be used as a biomarker for gluten intake in adults.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if total alkylresorcinol concentration is a valid biomarker for gluten intake in young children.