Early initiation of ceftaroline-based combination therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Purpose: Monotherapy with vancomycin or daptomycin remains guideline-based care for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MRSA-B) despite concerns regarding efficacy. Limited data support potential benefit of combination therapy with ceftaroline as initial therapy. We present an assessment of outcomes of patients initiated on early combination therapy for MRSA-B.

Time-dependent, patient-centered perceptions of quality measures for total joint arthroplasty: a cross-sectional, choice modeling study.

Background: As value-based care arrangements continue to assess quality of care and costs, comprehensive and patient-centered definitions of quality of care are required. While patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly integrated into quality assessments following total joint arthroplasty (TJA), patient perceptions of quality paired with the phase of surgical care has not been described. The purpose of this study was to assess how TJA patients perceive measures of quality of care and assess if these perceptions change based on the phase of care.

Understanding the clinical and molecular epidemiological characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections within intensive care units of three teaching hospitals.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is recognized as a common clinical conditional pathogen with bla gene-mediated multidrug-resistance that is a significant threat to public health safety. Timely and effective infection control measures are needed to prevent their spread.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of CRAB patients at three teaching hospitals from 2019 to 2022.

Modeling of CO solubility and partial pressure in blended diisopropanolamine and 2-amino-2-methylpropanol solutions via response surface methodology and artificial neural network.

In this study, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were developed to estimate the equilibrium solubility and partial pressure of CO in blended aqueous solutions of diisopropanolamine (DIPA) and 2-amino-2-methylpropanol (AMP). In this study, several key parameters were analyzed to understand the behavior of the aqueous DIPA/AMP system for CO capture. Including DIPA (9-21 wt%), AMP (9-21 wt%), temperature (323.

Impaired visual and verbal statistical learning in children with Dyslexia in a transparent orthography.

Recent research suggests that performance on Statistical Learning (SL) tasks may be lower in children with dyslexia in deep orthographies such as English. However, it is debated whether the observed difficulties may vary depending on the modality and stimulus of the task, opening a broad discussion about whether SL is a domain-general or domain-specific construct. Besides, little is known about SL in children with dyslexia who learn transparent orthographies, where the transparency of grapheme-phoneme correspondences might reduce the reliance on implicit learning processes.

A Dual-Color Fluorescence-Based Ratiometric Assay to Measure Endocytic Trafficking of Surface Proteins.

Many membrane proteins on the cell surface are constantly internalized from, and re-delivered to, the plasma membrane. This endocytic cycling, which relies on accurate SNARE-mediated fusion of vesicles containing cargo proteins, is highly important for the function of many proteins such as signaling receptors. While the SNARE proteins that mediate fusion during specific events, such as neurotransmitter and hormone release, in mammalian cells has been heavily studied, the SNARE proteins that mediate surface delivery of specific cargo such as the receptors for these released factors are still not known.

Survival After Orbital Exenteration for Primary Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Locally advanced periorbital cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) may require orbital exenteration, which is highly morbid. As immunotherapy develops, orbit preservation may become widespread, and data benchmarking survival with current standard-of-care surgery and radiotherapy are essential to the integration of this emerging method into modern treatment paradigms. This study aimed to determine the survival of patients after orbital exenteration for cSCC and investigate contributing factors.

Left atrial mechanics in youth with chronic kidney disease and similarly aged healthy controls.

Background: In adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD), abnormal left atrial reservoir strain (LASr) is an early, yet clinically significant, indicator of myocardial dysfunction. However, left atrial mechanics are understudied in youth with CKD. The objective of this study was to assess left atrial strain function in youth with CKD and similarly aged, healthy controls.

Bronchial structural changes analyzed with three-dimensional computed tomography correlate with severe acute graft-versus-host disease after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) can occur during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Although several biomarkers have been reported for predicting acute GVHD, they are often difficult to measure in routine clinical practice. Recently, three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) has been used to quantify the detailed bronchial structure, which might correlate with acute GVHD.

Slow Down Fluids to Speed Up the Intestine - Exploring Postoperative Ileus in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Surgery.

Introduction: Postoperative ileus is a known complication of gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. In adult populations, ileus is associated with higher amounts of intraoperative intravenous (IV) fluids. This study examines the relationship between intraoperative IV fluids and postoperative ileus in pediatric patients undergoing GI surgery.

Evaluation of a Program Designed to Support Implementation of Prescribing Medication for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care Practices.

Purpose: Offering medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in primary care can increase access to effective opioid use disorder treatment and help address the US opioid crisis. We describe a primary care office-based opioid treatment program and addiction consultation service model designed to support small, rural clinics to increase their capacity for MOUD.

Methods: This is an evaluation of an intervention to increase clinic capacity to offer MOUD.

Primary Care Physicians' Responses to Treatment Burden in People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Video Analysis in China.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the approaches general practitioners (GPs) use to respond to the treatment burden faced by people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 29 videos of GP-patient consultations in an academic general practice clinic in China. Thematic analysis and a framework matrix approach were used to identify patterns in GPs' responses to the identified issues.

Evaluation of an AI-Based Voice Biomarker Tool to Detect Signals Consistent With Moderate to Severe Depression.

Purpose: Mental health screening is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force for all patients in areas where treatment options are available. Still, it is estimated that only 4% of primary care patients are screened for depression. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of machine learning technology (Kintsugi Voice, v1, Kintsugi Mindful Wellness, Inc) to detect and analyze voice biomarkers consistent with moderate to severe depression, potentially allowing for greater compliance with this critical primary care public health need.

Gender Differences in the Socioecological Contexts of Veterans Seeking Mental Health Services Following Military Sexual Trauma.

Military sexual trauma (MST) refers to sexual assault or harassment experienced during military service. Given the high prevalence of MST and negative mental and physical health outcomes that result from MST, Veterans Health Administration has identified a national priority for screening and treatment. An understanding of socioecological contexts of Veterans who seek mental health treatment to address difficulties following MST will support a holistic approach to care.

Effect of social support on memory ageing of middle-aged and older cancer survivors: a marginal structural modelling approach.

Background: While social support is associated with better cognitive health among cancer-free individuals, this relationship is understudied among cancer survivors. We investigated whether overall social support before and after a cancer diagnosis is related to post-diagnosis memory ageing, overall and by sex/gender.

Methods: Data were from 2044 cancer survivors in the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n=1395) and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA; n=649) from 2006 to 2018.

"A Bridge-over-the Bar": A Novel Strategy to Prevent Paravalvular Regurgitation during Mitral Valve Replacement for Severe Mitral Annular Calcifications.

Mitral annular calcifications have been known to increase complexity during mitral valve replacement (MVR). Standard procedure requires decalcification followed by reconstruction of the mitral annulus prior to placing the prosthesis. While this is the ideal technique, it is not feasible in every patient due to the associated risks.

HN1 Functions in Protein Synthesis Regulation via mTOR-RPS6 Axis and Maintains Nucleolar Integrity.

Haematological and Neurological Expressed 1 (HN1) is an oncogene for various cancers and previously has been linked with centrosome clustering and cell cycle pathways. Moreover, HN1 has recently been reported to activate mTOR signalling, which is the regulator of ribosome biogenesis and maintenance. We explored the role of HN1 in mTOR signalling through various gain- and loss-of-function experiments using biochemical approaches in different cell lines.

Mepolizumab real-world effectiveness in severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype and overlapping severe allergic asthma.

Background: Some patients with severe asthma have overlapping allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes and may be eligible for anti-eosinophilic or anti-IgE biologics.

Objective: This post hoc sub-analysis assessed real-world mepolizumab effectiveness in patients with overlapping allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes, using 1-year data from the international, prospective REALITI-A study.

Methods: The clinically significant asthma exacerbation (CSE) rate was assessed 1 year prior to (pre-treatment) and following (follow-up) mepolizumab treatment, stratified by baseline total IgE levels (tIgE; <60, 60-<190, 190-<550, and ≥550 kU/L), atopic status (yes/no/unknown), prior omalizumab use (yes/no), geographic baseline omalizumab eligibility (eligible/non-eligible), and baseline tIgE level and blood eosinophil count (BEC) threshold combinations (<81 or ≥81 kU/L and <300 or ≥300 cells/µL).

Enhancing representation of special populations: An approach to the inclusion of women veterans in VA clinical trials.

The under-recruitment of historically marginalized populations into clinical trials thwarts equitable inclusion of individuals who could benefit from healthcare innovations and limits the generalizability of results. For decades, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has conducted large clinical trials that impact clinical guidelines for veterans and civilians alike. Within the VA, women are a numeric minority, and recruitment of this population into trials is challenged by gender-specific care structures, distinct demographic characteristics, and mistreatment such as higher rates of military sexual trauma and harassment on VA grounds.

Accuracy (trueness and precision) of 3-dimensional virtual patients: an in vitro investigation of different facial scanners and digital integration techniques.

Objectives: To investigate the influence of different facial scanners and integration approaches on the accuracy of virtual dental patients (VDPs).

Methods: Forty VDPs were generated using a head mannequin and two facial scanners: 1) an industrial scanner and 2) a smartphone scanner. For each scanner, two integration methods were applied: 1) integration by virtual facebow scan and 2) integration by nose-teeth scan.