Backbone assignment of the N-terminal domain of the A subunit of the Bacillus cereus GerI germinant receptor.

The nutrient germinant receptors (GRs) in spores of Bacillus species consist of a cluster of three proteins- designated A, B, and C subunits- that play a critical role in initiating the germination of dormant spores in response to specific nutrient molecules. The Bacillus cereus GerI GR is essential for inosine-induced germination; however, the roles of the individual subunits and the mechanism by which germinant binding activates GR function remain unclear. In this study, we report the backbone chemical shift assignments of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the A subunit of GerI (GerIA).

Associations of fat, bone, and muscle indices with disease severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) severity and fat, bone, and muscle indices.

Methods: This study included 102 patients with OSAHS and retrospectively reviewed their physical examination data. All patients underwent polysomnography, body composition analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography (CT) and blood test.

Utility of F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters on post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder diagnosis.

Objective: Using F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters to differentiate post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH), and PTLD subtypes.

Methods: F-FDG PET/CT and clinical data from 63 PTLD cases and 19 RLH cases were retrospectively collected. According to the 2017 WHO classification, PTLD was categorized into four subtypes: nondestructive (ND-PTLD), polymorphic (P-PTLD), monomorphic (M-PTLD), and classic Hodgkin.

Therapeutic potential of Bacillus-derived lipopeptides in controlling enteropathogens and modulating immune responses to mitigate post-weaning diarrhea in swine.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a major concern for pig producers, as stress and early weaning increase susceptibility to enteropathogens like enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium).

Are we underestimating pathological fracture risk in malignant bone lesions of the proximal humerus?

Objective: This study is aimed at evaluating the distribution of metastatic bone disease (MBD), with a particular focus on the humerus, and its association with pathological fractures. Factors for contributing to the underestimation of fracture risk were assessed, including their impact on surgical management.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patient records of patients undergoing surgical treatment for MBD at our institution between 2005 and 2023.

Neck pain associated with headache attributed to rhinosinusitis: an observational study.

Background: Neck pain is common among people with headache, including migraines, tension headache, and cervicogenic headache. Neck pain has also been associated with self-reported sinus headache in individuals who were not formally diagnosed with headache attributed to rhinosinusitis (HAR). Neck pain, in individuals diagnosed with HAR according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, has not been investigated.

Ultrasmall Au-GRHa Nanosystem for FL/CT Dual-Mode Imaging-Guided Targeting Photothermal Therapy of Ovarian Cancer.

As the most common and lethal cancer of the female gonads, ovarian cancer (OC) has a grave impact on people's health. OC is asymptomatic, insidious in onset, difficult to diagnose and treat, fast-growing, and easy to metastasize and has poor prognosis and high mortality. How to detect OC as early as possible and treat it without side effects has become a challenging medical problem.

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.

Circulating Tumor DNA Detection for Recurrence Monitoring of Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Microwave Ablation.

Purpose: As microwave ablation continues to be used in patients with inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is particularly important to monitor efficacy. Whether plasma ctDNA detection can predict its efficacy should be illustrated.

Methods: We recruited 43 patients with inoperative stage I NSCLC, all of whom underwent biopsy-synchronous microwave ablation (MWA).

Choroidal thickness and vascular density after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To study choroidal thickness (CT) and luminal areas of choroidal vessels in the setting of fovea-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Methods: Twenty-seven eyes with RRD were prospectively studied before and after pars plana vitrectomy and SF6 tamponade, using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). CT was measured pre- and postoperatively both subfoveally and in attached macular areas.

An Open-Label, Non-randomized, Drug-Repurposing Study to Explore the Clinical Effects of Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) Receptor Antagonists on Anxiety and Depression in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The cerebral Renin-Angiotensin System might have a role in anxiety and depression development.

Objective: We explored the effects of Angiotensin II Type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) on anxiety and depression in Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Methods: Four hundred and twenty-three newly diagnosed drug-naïve PD patients were evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) tests and were monitored at baseline and for up to 3 years.

The promise of AI in healthcare: transforming communication and decision-making for patients.

By addressing communication gaps, the integration of AI tools in healthcare has a greater ability to improve decision-making and to empower patients with more control over their health. Current systems for navigating healthcare - such as finding providers or understanding costs - are fragmented and cumbersome, often leaving patients frustrated and uninformed. An AI Healthcare Assistant App, leveraging advances in health IT interoperability, price transparency, and user-centred design, could simplify these processes.

Chinese Registry of Rheumatoid Arthritis (CREDIT) VI: Temporal Trends in Patients With Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and Moderate-To-Severe Disease Activity - A Multicenter Cohort Study of Treatment Strategies and Outcomes.

Aim: The continuous update of international guidelines and enhanced availability of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) have made a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA). This study aims to systematically evaluate the current treatment strategies and outcomes within a large-scale cohort of patients with ERA.

Methods: Data from the Chinese Registry of Rheumatoid Arthritis (CREDIT), a large multicenter Chinese registry of RA, were collected to analyze temporal trends in clinical profiles, therapeutic strategies, and treatment outcomes among patients with ERA.

Muscle Loss During First-Line Chemotherapy Impairs Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Despite Adapted Physical Activity.

Background: Advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (aPDAC) is often accompanied by significant muscle mass loss, contributing to poor prognosis. SarcAPACaP, an ancillary study of the GERCOR-APACaP phase III trial, evaluated the role of adapted physical activity (APA) in aPDAC Western patients receiving first-line chemotherapy. The study aimed to assess (1) the potential impact of computed tomography (CT)-quantified muscle mass before and during treatments on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and overall survival (OS) and (2) the role of APA in mitigating muscle mass loss.

Clinical Outcomes of Definitive Radiotherapy Delivered by Helical Tomotherapy.

Objective: To assess the disease response and patient survival outcomes for cancer patients treated with helical tomotherapy.

Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: The Tomotherapy Unit of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, from October 2020 to August 2023.

Acalculous Cholecystitis as an Atypical Presentation of Viral Pericarditis: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Acalculous cholecystitis is a rare form of gallbladder inflammation that occurs without the presence of gallstones. It primarily affects critically ill patients and warrants prompt treatment given its association with high mortality. Pericarditis, an inflammation of the pericardium, typically arises from viral infections but can also be secondary to rheumatological, malignant, or bacterial causes.

The expression landscape and clinical significance of methyltransferase-like 17 in human cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma: a pan-cancer analysis using multiple databases.

Background: Methyltransferase-like (METTL) family protein plays a crucial role in the progression of malignancies. However, the function of METTL17 across pan-cancers, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still poorly understood.

Methods: All original data were downloaded from TCGA, GTEx, HPA, UCSC databases and various data portals.

Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial of integrated eHealth for PrEP and medications for opioid use disorders for women in the criminal legal system. The Athena study.

Background: Women involved in the criminal legal system have elevated rates of opioid use disorder, which is treatable, and HIV, which is preventable with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). There are significant social and structural barriers to integrated delivery of PrEP and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), limiting women's ability to access these life-saving interventions. In a two parallel-arm randomized controlled trial, we are assessing an innovative eHealth delivery model that integrates PrEP with MOUD and is tailored to meet the specific needs of women involved in the criminal legal system.

Whole lung radiomic features are associated with overall survival in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Background: Several studies have suggested that lung tissue heterogeneity is associated with overall survival (OS) in lung cancer. However, the quantitative relationship between the two remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of whole lung-based and tumor-based radiomics for OS in LA-NSCLC treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Mechanical behavior of external root resorption cavities restored with different materials: a 3D-FEA study.

Background: The aim was to evaluate the stresses in teeth, with external root resorption (ERR) restored with different materials using finite element analysis (FEA).

Methods: In this study, a Micro-CT scan was conducted on a prepared maxillary central tooth. DICOM-compatible images obtained from the sections were converted into stereolithography format using Ctan software.

Inhalation of multiple pen caps causing bronchial foreign bodies: a rare case in an older child.

Background: Foreign body inhalation is rare in older children, often leading to underdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Most cases involve a single foreign body, but instances of multiple foreign bodies are exceedingly uncommon. This report presents a case of an elder child who inhaled two pen caps, emphasizing the need for clinical vigilance and thorough medical history collection.

Development of a clinical prediction model for benign and malignant pulmonary nodules with a CTR ≥ 50% utilizing artificial intelligence-driven radiomics analysis.

Objective: In clinical practice, diagnosing the benignity and malignancy of solid-component-predominant pulmonary nodules is challenging, especially when 3D consolidation-to-tumor ratio (CTR) ≥ 50%, as malignant ones are more invasive. This study aims to develop and validate an AI-driven radiomics prediction model for such nodules to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: Data of 2,591 pulmonary nodules from five medical centers (Zhengzhou People's Hospital, etc.

Evaluation of extracts from used Xpert MTB/RIF cartridges for detection of resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia.

Background: Early and accurate diagnosis of drug resistance, including resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, is crucial for the effective control and management of pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). The Xpert MTB/XDR assay is the WHO recommended method for detecting resistance to isoniazid and second-line anti-TB drugs when rifampicin resistance is detected. Currently, the Xpert MTB/XDR assay is not yet implemented in Ethiopia, thus the MTBDRsl assay continues to be used.

The diagnostic dilemma of adrenal vascular tumors: analysis of 21 cases and systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: Adrenal vascular tumors are mainly represented by adrenal cavernous hemangiomas (ACHs) and adrenal cystic lymphangiomas (ACLs). Their radiological features often overlap with malignant tumors, therefore ruling out malignancy becomes mandatory. We analyzed clinical, radiological, and histopathological data to identify specific characteristics of these tumors.

Safety and Efficacy of Deutetrabenazine at High versus Lower Daily Dosages in the ARC-HD Study to Treat Chorea in Huntington Disease.

Background: Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes psychiatric and neurological symptoms, including involuntary and irregular muscle movements (chorea). Chorea can disrupt activities of daily living, pose safety issues, and may lead to social withdrawal. The vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitors tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine, and valbenazine are approved treatments that can reduce chorea.