Safety and efficacy of moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe in elderly patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Background: High-intensity statin therapy significantly reduces mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, moderate-intensity statins are often preferred for elderly patients due to their higher risk of intolerance to high-intensity statins.

Objective: To compare the incidence of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) and the effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels between elderly ASCVD patients receiving high-intensity statin monotherapy and those receiving moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe in a combination therapy.

Emerging clinical evidence of a dual role for Ang-2 and VEGF-A blockade with faricimab in retinal diseases.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies have transformed the treatment of retinal diseases. However, VEGF signaling is only one component of the complex, multifactorial pathophysiology of retinal diseases, and many patients have residual disease activity despite ongoing anti-VEGF treatment. The angiopoietin/tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Ang/Tie2) signaling pathway is critical to endothelial cell homeostasis, survival, integrity, and vascular stability.

Avelumab + axitinib vs sunitinib as first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: final analysis of the phase 3 JAVELIN Renal 101 trial.

Background: In the phase 3 JAVELIN Renal 101 trial (NCT02684006), first-line treatment with avelumab + axitinib resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and a higher objective response rate (ORR) vs sunitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). We report the final analysis, including the primary analysis of overall survival (OS).

Patients And Methods: Patients with untreated aRCC (any prognostic risk score) were enrolled.

Reduction of postoperative pain and opioid consumption by VVZ-149, first-in-class analgesic molecule: A confirmatory phase 3 trial of laparoscopic colectomy.

Study Objective: VVZ-149 is a small molecule that inhibits the glycine transporter type 2 and the serotonin receptor 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 A. In this Phase 3 study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of VVZ-149 as a single-use injectable analgesic for treating moderate to severe postoperative pain after laparoscopic colectomy.

Design: Randomized, parallel group, double-blind, Phase 3 clinical trial (Trial no.

Child Neurology: Neurophysiologic and Anatomical Correlates in Startle Epilepsy: A Comprehensive SEEG Investigation for Successful Resective Surgery.

Startle epilepsy, characterized by startle-provoked epileptic seizures, was historically recognized as one of the reflex epilepsies but currently lacks classification as a specific epileptic syndrome because of insufficient characterization. This study presents an institutional experience and review of relevant literature focusing on the neurophysiologic and anatomical aspects of startle epilepsy. We describe a pediatric patient with an underlying structural etiology of left frontal encephalomalacia who continued to experience disabling seizures despite multiple antiseizure medications and previous palliative surgery.

Hypersensitive meta-crack strain sensor for real-time biomedical monitoring.

Real-time monitoring of infinitesimal deformations on complex morphologies is essential for precision biomechanical engineering. While flexible strain sensors facilitate real-time monitoring with shape-adaptive properties, their sensitivity is generally lower than spectroscopic imaging methods. Crack-based strain sensors achieve enhanced sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) exceeding 30,000; however, such GFs are only attainable at large strains exceeding several percent and decline below 10 for strains under 10, rendering them inadequate for minute deformations.

Prognostic performance of the N category in the 9th edition of lung cancer staging.

Objectives: To compare the prognostic performance of the N category of lung cancer in the 9th edition with previous editions (7th edition and 8th edition's proposal).

Methods: Patients who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and pathologic N categories were reclassified according to the 9th edition (N0, N1, N2a, and N2b), the 8th edition's proposal (N0, N1a, N1b, N2a1, N2a2, and N2b), and the 7th edition (N0, N1, and N2).

Denatonium inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and rescues the osteoporotic phenotype by blocking p65 signaling pathway.

Background: Bone remodeling is a critical process that maintains skeletal integrity, orchestrated by the balanced activities of osteoclasts, which resorb bone, and osteoblasts, which form bone. Osteoclastogenesis, the formation of osteoclasts, is primarily driven by NFATc1, a process activated through c-Fos and NF-κB signaling pathways in response to receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL). Dysregulation of RANKL signaling is a key contributor to pathological bone loss, as seen in conditions such as osteoporosis.

Physical Performance Level and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Female Patients with Distal Radius Fracture.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of physical performance level on patient-reported outcomes after surgery for distal radius fractures (DRF).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 157 women with DRF who underwent surgery and completed the short physical performance battery (SPPB) within one month of trauma between January 2019 and August 2022. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed one year postoperatively using the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) and patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) questionnaires.

Relationships between the Microbiome and Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in the microbiome of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), focusing on the relationship between the microbiome and response to nCRT.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study involving 103 samples from 26 patients with LARC. Samples were collected from both the tumor and normal rectal tissues before and after nCRT.

Phase II Trial of Neoadjuvant Docetaxel/Cisplatin/5-Fluorouracil Combined with Pegteograstim for Unresectable, Locally Advanced Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: KCSG HN18-07.

Purpose: The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) has not been established prospectively. We conducted a phase II trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (TPF) in this population.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients had unresectable, locally advanced SNSCC, defined as T3/4 stage or potential compromise of critical organ function on surgery.

Case report of anti-f(ce) antibody identified with unknown autoantibody from ABO discrepancy in a patient with liver cell carcinoma.

The Rh blood type has 57 antigens, including D, C, E, c, and e. This blood type is clinically significant, alongside the ABO blood type. The anti-f(ce) antibody is an unexpected antibody that targets an antigen composed of the c and e antigens.

The textures of sarcoidosis: quantifying lung disease through variograms.

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease affecting the lungs in over 90\% of patients. Qualitative assessment of chest CT by radiologists is standard clinical practice and reliable quantification of disease from CT would support ongoing efforts to identify sarcoidosis phenotypes. Standard imaging feature engineering techniques such as radiomics suffer from extreme sensitivity to image acquisition and processing, potentially impeding generalizability of research to clinical populations.

Long-Term Follow-Up and Overall Survival in NRG258, a Randomized Phase III Trial of Chemoradiation Versus Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Endometrial Carcinoma.

This randomized phase III trial aimed to determine whether treatment with cisplatin and volume-directed radiation followed by carboplatin and paclitaxel for four cycles (chemoradiotherapy [C-RT]) increased recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) when compared with carboplatin and paclitaxel for six cycles (chemotherapy [CT]) in locally advanced endometrial cancer (UC). Previously reported results showed that C-RT did not improve RFS compared with CT. Here we report the final OS analysis.

Targeting ERBB3 and AKT to overcome adaptive resistance in EML4-ALK-driven non-small cell lung cancer.

The fusion event between EML4 and ALK drives a significant oncogenic activity in 5% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Even though potent ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKIs) are successfully used for the treatment of EML4-ALK-positive NSCLC patients, a subset of those patients eventually acquire resistance during their therapy. Here, we investigate the kinase responses in EML4-ALK V1 and V3-harbouring NSCLC cancer cells after acute inhibition with ALK TKI, lorlatinib (LOR).

Optimizing prone CT use for suspected interstitial lung abnormalities.

Objectives: We investigated whether supine chest CT alone suffices for diagnosing ILAs, thereby reducing the need for prone chest CT.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent prone chest CT for suspected ILAs from January 2021 to July 2023, with matching supine CT within 1 year, were retrospectively evaluated. Five multinational thoracic radiologists independently rated ILA suspicion and fibrosis scores (1 to 5-point) and ILA extent (1-100%) using supine CT first, then combined supine-prone CT after a 1-month washout.

Poor Nutritional Status Predicts Mortality in Patients with Acute Heart Failure Admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors predicting mortality, including nutritional status, in AHF patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit and to explore the implications of accurate early nutritional assessment.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study performed a secondary analysis of data from 357 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea, from 2019 to 2022. The target patients were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups through the Nurses' Nutritional Assessment (NNA) using three questions, and into normal, mild, moderate, and severe risk groups using the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) including serum albumin.

User Experience and Extended Technology Acceptance Model in Commercial Health Care App Usage Among Patients With Cancer: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: The shift in medical care toward prediction and prevention has led to the emergence of digital health care as a valuable tool for managing health issues. Aiding long-term follow-up care for cancer survivors and contributing to improved survival rates. However, potential barriers to mobile health usage, including age-related disparities and challenges in user retention for commercial health apps, highlight the need to assess the impact of patients' abilities and health status on the adoption of these interventions.

Assessing the impact of apnea duration on the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and hearing loss.

Objectives: The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hearing loss (HL) remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between OSA and HL, and to identify which factors play a key role.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 90 subjects diagnosed with OSA.

Factors Associated with Lamina Cribrosa Microvasculature Determined via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

Prcis: The lamina cribrosa microvasculature reduction was associated with the posterior deformation of lamina cribrosa, as well as the functional deterioration, in all spectrums of open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate the factors associated with the lamina cribrosa vessel density (LCVD) determined via swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).

Materials And Methods: The optic nerve head (ONH) scan was obtained using SS-OCTA (PLEX Elite 9000; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.

Nonmass Lesions on Breast Ultrasound: Interreader Agreement and Associations With Malignancy.

Nonmass lesions (NMLs) on breast ultrasound lack clear definition and encompass a broad range of benign and malignant entities. Given anticipated inclusion of NMLs in the BI-RADS 6th edition, thorough understanding of these lesions will be critical for optimal management. To evaluate interreader agreement for classification of lesions on breast ultrasound as NMLs and to identify imaging features associated with malignancy in these lesions.

A Machine Learning Model to Predict De Novo Hepatocellular Carcinoma Beyond Year 5 of Antiviral Therapy in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background And Aims: This study aims to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients after the first 5 years of entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir (TFV) therapy.

Methods: CHB patients treated with ETV/TFV for > 5 years and not diagnosed with HCC during the first 5 years of therapy were selected from two hospitals. We used 36 variables, including baseline characteristics (age, sex, cirrhosis, and type of antiviral agent) and laboratory values (at baseline, at 5 years, and changes between 5 years) for model development.

Usenamine A: a potential therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis through its anti-inflammatory activity.

Background: Usenamine A (UA) is a natural compound isolated from the lichen , and its therapeutic effects on rheumatic diseases are not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of UA and its therapeutic effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Materials And Methods: Molecular docking was performed between the 3D structure of UA and the TNF-TNFR2 complex.

Surgical Construction of Wide-Neck Bifurcation Experimental Aneurysm in an In Vivo Canine Model to Test Neurovascular Device.

Stents are increasingly used for coiling difficult aneurysms, to reduce the risk of recurrences, or to modify blood flow. Currently, available bifurcation aneurysm models are ill-suited to assess stent performance before clinical use. We designed a new animal model of wide-neck canine Y-type bifurcation aneurysm (such as middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation) and previously reported one of T-type (such as basilar bifurcation).

Evaluation of Aortic Diseases Using Four-Dimensional Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The complex hemodynamic environment within the aortic lumen plays a crucial role in the progression of aortic diseases such as aneurysms and dissections. Traditional imaging modalities often fail to provide comprehensive flow dynamics that are essential for precise risk assessment and timely intervention. The advent of time-resolved, three-dimensional (3D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (4D flow MRI) has revolutionized the evaluation of aortic diseases by allowing a detailed visualizations of flow patterns and quantification of hemodynamic parameters.