Valve-sparing versus bio-Bentall aortic root replacement in patients aged 60-75 years: Survival, Reintervention and Aortic Regurgitation.

Background: Valve-sparing root replacement(VSRR) with the David technique is an established therapy for aortic root pathology in young patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate short and long-term outcomes between VSRR and aortic root replacement(ARR) with a biological-valved conduit in sexagenarians.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective review from 2002-2022 identified 299-sexagenarians undergoing aortic root surgery, among whom 82(27.

Impact of Anticoagulation Therapy after Bioprosthetic and Homograft Pulmonary Valve Replacement.

Background: The effect of anticoagulation on early postoperative outcomes following pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) with bioprosthetic valves and homografts is not yet defined. We hypothesized that short-term anticoagulation would be associated with improved valve durability.

Methods: Patients undergoing PVR or right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduits with a bioprosthetic or homograft valve >15 mm in diameter between 1/2015 and 4/2021 at Boston Children's Hospital were retrospectively compared by anticoagulation status.

Antibiotic treatment versus appendicectomy for acute appendicitis in adults: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have found antibiotics to be a feasible and safe alternative to appendicectomy in adults with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis. However, patient inclusion criteria and outcome definitions vary greatly between RCTs. We aimed to compare antibiotics with appendicectomy for the treatment of acute appendicitis using individual patient data and uniform outcome definitions.

Mammalian nucleophagy: process and function.

The nucleus is a highly specialized organelle that houses the cell's genetic material and regulates key cellular activities, including growth, metabolism, protein synthesis, and cell division. Its structure and function are tightly regulated by multiple mechanisms to ensure cellular integrity and genomic stability. Increasing evidence suggests that nucleophagy, a selective form of autophagy that targets nuclear components, plays a critical role in preserving nuclear integrity by clearing dysfunctional nuclear materials such as nuclear proteins (lamins, SIRT1, and histones), DNA-protein crosslinks, micronuclei, and chromatin fragments.

Correlates of multicaregiving and singular caregiving among cancer caregivers and associations with caregiver well-being.

Purpose: Compare demographic, care provision, and health-related characteristics of individuals fulfilling multiple illness-related caregiving roles (i.e. multicaregiving) versus singular (cancer only) caregiving and investigate factors associated with caregivers' mental and physical functioning.

Characterization of Clinicopathological Features and Autoantibody Profiles in Patients with Cutaneous Lupus Erythematous: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an autoimmune condition characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations and limited treatment options. There is little research on the impact of commonly used diagnostic tests including antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) on disease course or responsiveness to treatment.

Objective: This single-center retrospective cohort study aims to address this gap by characterizing clinicopathological characteristics, patient demographics, and treatment response among patients with CLE.

Adjuvant Cytotoxic Chemotherapy may not be Associated with a Survival Advantage for Resected Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Randomized data suggest improved survival with adjuvant chemotherapy for biliary tract cancers; however, subset analyses of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC) show limited survival benefit. This study evaluated the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on recurrence patterns and overall survival (OS) in patients with resected IHC.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection for IHC were identified within a bi-institutional dataset and the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Persistent NK cell deficiency associated with pulmonary cryptococcosis.

We describe pulmonary cryptococcosis in a 28-year-old previously healthy man. Exhaustive immunological investigations revealed a primary NK cell deficiency associated with a secondary impaired anti-Cryptococcus CD8 lymphocyte response and the expansion of a CD8Vβ14 + T cell clone. This case illustrates the potential role of NK cells in immunity against Cryptococcus.

Characteristics and spatiotemporal changes in phenotypes and genotypes of extended-spectrum β-lactamases in Escherichia coli isolated from bloodstream infections in China from 2014 to 2021.

Objective: To examine the characteristics and spatiotemporal changes in the phenotypes and genotypes of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in Escherichia coli strains isolated from bloodstream infections (BSIs) across China between 2014 and 2021.

Methods: 983 ESBL-positive E. coli strains were collected from BSIs in 66 hospitals across different geographic regions in China from 2014 to 2021.

Utilizing vaginal natural orifice to facilitate bowel manipulation during totally intracorporeal ileal conduit construction: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To explore the feasibility and efficacy of the modified technique of totally intracorporeal ileal conduit (IC) construction vaginal approach following robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) in females.

Methods: By comparing the perioperative outcomes of the modified technique with extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD), 31 females treated for bladder cancer with RARC and IC from May 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups: the ECUD group (10 patients) and the modified intracorporeal urinary diversion (MICUD group) (21 patients). The modified technique involved performing transvaginal natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (TV-NOSES) after RARC; followed by the transvaginal placement of an Endo-GIA stapler to manipulate the bowel for intracorporeal IC construction.

Lipid Management in US Commercial and Medicare Enrollees with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Treatment Patterns and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Control.

Lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is the cornerstone for secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), yet many patients exhibit low adherence to therapy and fail to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. This retrospective cohort study used 2 nationally representative administrative closed claims databases (PharMetrics® Plus and Medicare Fee-for-Service [FFS] Research Identifiable Files) to identify commercial (C) and Medicare (M) enrollees with ASCVD between 2014-2019. Patients were stratified by exposure to statin therapy, ezetimibe and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 monoclonal antibodies (PCSK9i mAb) regimens.

Gamna-Gandy bodies in renal neoplasms: A multi-institutional clinicopathologic study of 350 consecutive nephrectomies.

Gamna-Gandy (GG) bodies are sclerosiderotic nodules composed of iron pigment and calcium, that have been described predominantly in the spleens of patients with sickle cell disease. Their formal depiction in the kidney is mainly limited to case reports and small series. We aimed to investigate the incidence of GG bodies and associated clinicopathologic features in consecutive nephrectomies performed for renal tumors.

Epidemiology of bacterial biofilms on polyps and normal tissues in a screening colonoscopy cohort.

Background: Invasive bacterial biofilms are implicated in colorectal cancer. However, their prevalence on histologically normal tissues and polyps is not well established, and risk factors of biofilms have not been previously investigated. Here we evaluated potential procedural and demographic risk factors associated with biofilm status using a cross-sectional observational cohort.

Low Utility of Routine Thyroid Function Testing for Bowel Symptoms: A Population-Based Assessment.

Background: Chronic constipation, diarrhea, and fecal incontinence (FI) are prevalent with significant impact on quality of life and healthcare utilization. Thyroid dysfunction was recognized as a potential contributor to bowel disturbances in selected populations, but the strength/consistency of this association remain unclear.

Aims: To investigate the relationship between thyroid function and bowel health measures (constipation, diarrhea, and FI) in a nationally representative sample of the U.

Epigenome-wide association study of perceived discrimination in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Perceived discrimination, recognized as a chronic psychosocial stressor, has adverse consequences on health. DNA methylation (DNAm) may be a potential mechanism by which stressors get embedded into the human body at the molecular level and subsequently affect health outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the effects of perceived discrimination on DNAm.

Quantitative Pupillometry Predicts Neurologic Deterioration in Patients with Large Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke.

Objective: This study assesses whether longitudinal quantitative pupillometry predicts neurological deterioration after large middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke and determines how early changes are detectable.

Methods: This prospective, single-center observational cohort study included patients with large MCA stroke admitted to Boston Medical Center's intensive care unit (2019-2024). Associations between time-to-neurologic deterioration and quantitative pupillometry, including Neurological Pupil Index (NPi), were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent covariates adjusted for age, sex, and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score.

Immunotherapy-Resistant Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue Predict Quality-of-Life in Contactin-Associated Protein-Like 2 Antibody Disease.

The long-term clinical outcomes and associated prognostic factors in contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2)-antibody diseases are unknown. A total of 75 participants with CASPR2 antibodies were longitudinally assessed for disability, quality-of-life, and chronic pain. Although most symptoms improved within 6 months of treatment, neuropathic pain and fatigue were the most immunotherapy refractory, and persisted for up to 6 years.

Characterizing Parkinson's Disease-Associated Pain in Native Patients with Malayalam Version of the King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Scale.

Background And Objectives: Pain is an important non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is often under-recognized. Pain is also a symptom frequently reported by non-PD elderly subjects. The King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Scale (KPPS) is a valid tool to characterize and quantify pain in PD and has been translated into several languages.

Utility Assessment of a Pharmacy to Dose Daptomycin Protocol: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Pharmacy-to-dose (PTD) services describe an established practice where providers consult pharmacists for various medication dosing. In 2019, several institutions approved a daptomycin protocol, which allowed pharmacists to select doses based on provider-selected indications, renal function, and body mass index (BMI).

Objective: This study aims to determine the utility of a daptomycin PTD consult service.

Comparative In vitro antibacterial activity of nemonoxacin and other fluoroquinolones in correlation with resistant mechanisms in contemporary methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus blood isolates in Taiwan.

Background: Nemonoxacin is a new quinolone with an antibacterial efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Certain sequence types (STs) have been emerging in Taiwan, including fluoroquinolone-resistant ST8/USA300. It's an urgent need to determine nemonoxacin susceptibility against ST8/USA300 and other emerging lineages, if any.

Epcoritamab-Induced fatal pleural effusion in diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma: a case report and literature review.

Epcoritamab, a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody targeting CD3 and CD20, has shown significant efficacy in treating refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, its use can lead to severe side effects, such as tumor flare. Here, we report the case of an 84-year-old male with relapsed DLBCL who developed fatal unilateral pleural effusion following Epcoritamab treatment.

Evolution of the umbilical cord blood proteome across gestational development.

Neonatal health is dependent on early risk stratification, diagnosis, and timely management of potentially devastating conditions, particularly in the setting of prematurity. Many of these conditions are poorly predicted in real-time by clinical data and current diagnostics. Umbilical cord blood may represent a novel source of molecular signatures that provides a window into the state of the fetus at birth.

Adherence to multi-target stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening in the United States.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA and is highly preventable, with early screening vital for improving outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate adherence rates of multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing, following updated guidelines recommending screening starting at age 45.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used aggregated data from Exact Sciences Laboratories LLC, examining new users (first-time testers) aged 45-85 with commercial, Medicare, or Medicaid insurance who received mt-sDNA test kits (point-of-care) between January 1, 2023, and June 1, 2023.

NeoScore: a new tool to assess technical and non-technical skills during neonatal resuscitation.

Background: Training with high-technology manikins improves cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skill retention, but a checklist to assess both technical and non-technical skills is lacking. This study aimed to develop a standardized checklist to evaluate healthcare's performance during simulated Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) scenarios.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two international neonatal resuscitation experts participated in a two-step modified Delphi process, rating each checklist item on a scale of 1-5 and providing feedback.