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.

Structure and self-association of Arrestin-1.

Arrestins halt cell signaling by binding to phosphorylated activated G protein-coupled receptors. Arrestin-1 binds to rhodopsin, arrestin-4 binds to cone opsins, and arrestins-2,3 bind to the rest of GPCRs. In addition, it has been reported that arrestin-1 is functionally expressed in mouse cone photoreceptors.

Transforming Transplantation Access: A Federal Directive for Comprehensive Pre-Waitlisting Data Collection.

There is substantial variation in access to transplantation across the United States that is not entirely explained by the availability of donor organs. Barriers to transplantation and variation in care among patients with end-stage organ disease exist prior to patients' placement on a transplant waiting list as well as following waitlist placement. However, there are currently no national data available to examine rates and variations in key care processes related to pre-listing, including transplant referral, evaluation, or candidate selection.

National Survey of Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility in United States Veterans.

Introduction: Lung cancer screening is underutilized, especially in rural areas where lung cancer mortality is high. Approximately 11.2% of the United States (US) population over age 50 meet the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2021 lung cancer screening eligibility criteria; the proportion of eligible Veterans is unknown.

Circulating microRNAs and alcohol consumption in the Multiethnic Cohort Study.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern and contributes to liver diseases and cancer. Modifiable lifestyle factors including alcohol consumption can influence circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), which are increasingly used as biomarkers for early disease detection. Yet limited studies have identified miRNAs associated with alcohol intake, particularly in multiethnic populations.

What is the Learning Curve for Endoscopic Spine Surgery? A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Background Context: Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) is rapidly emerging as a viable minimally invasive technique to successfully treat symptomatic degenerative spinal conditions. Widespread adoption has been limited in part due to the learning curve.

Purpose: To systematically review the learning curve for uniportal and biportal ESS and compare the two techniques.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Female Reproductive Aging.

Female reproductive aging often affects women's emotional, physical, and physiological well-being. Ovarian aging is characterized by fluctuations in reproductive hormones and determines the age at which menopause occurs. Understanding potentially modifiable factors that influence this process is essential for addressing health disparities, improving quality of life, and informing relevant public health strategies.

Sequence variants in HECTD1 result in a variable neurodevelopmental disorder.

Dysregulation of genes encoding the homologous to E6AP C-terminus (HECT) E3 ubiquitin ligases has been linked to cancer and structural birth defects. One member of this family, the HECT-domain-containing protein 1 (HECTD1), mediates developmental pathways, including cell signaling, gene expression, and embryogenesis. Through GeneMatcher, we identified 14 unrelated individuals with 15 different variants in HECTD1 (10 missense, 3 frameshift, 1 nonsense, and 1 splicing variant) with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and epilepsy.

Extracellular volume expansion drives vertebrate axis elongation.

The vertebrate bauplan is primarily established via the formation of embryonic tissues in a head-to-tail progression. The mechanics of this elongation, which requires the presomitic mesoderm (PSM), remain poorly understood. Here, we find that avian PSM explants can elongate autonomously when physically confined in vitro, producing a pushing force promoting posterior elongation of the embryo.

Significance of TYMS Polymorphism rs3819102 as a Prognostic Marker for Nonsmoking Lung Cancer Patients of the Han Ethnicity in China.

Introduction: With high incidence and mortality rates, lung cancer is now one of the most common cancers in the world. The 5-year survival rate of lung cancer patients is very low, and predicting the prognosis of lung cancer patients and using it to develop treatment strategies and interventions is important for prolonging the survival time of patients. Folate metabolism involves various aspects such as methylation of DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, etc.

A novel Cu-coordinated fluorescent sensing system for specific detection of glyphosate and its applications in environmental and biological systems.

Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide widely used in agriculture, and its overexposure poses significant health and environmental risks. Herein, a novel Cu-coordinated fluorescent sensing system (HYBC-Cu system) based on acylhydrazone groups was designed, capable of glyphosate-specific recognition. The HYBC-Cu system was constructed with simple steps, with the advantages of short recognition time (< 1 min), good specificity, anti-interference, and excellent sensitivity (LOD = 95 nM).

Factors associated with ICU stays after endovascular treatments for unruptured intracranial aneurysms: A review study.

Background: For unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), conservative management is often possible. However, when direct treatment is warranted, endovascular treatments (EVTs) provide an effective minimally invasive approach. These procedures still necessitate careful patient monitoring, frequently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The multifunctionality of the brainstem breathing control circuit.

Subconscious breathing is generated by a network of brainstem nodes with varying purposes, like pacing breathing or patterning a certain breath phase. Decades of anatomy, pharmacology, and physiology studies have identified and characterized the system's fundamental properties that produce robust breathing, and we now have well-conceived computational models of breathing that are based on the detailed descriptions of neuronal connectivity, biophysical properties, and functions in breathing. In total, we have a considerable understanding of the brainstem breathing control circuit.

Predictors of Opioid Prescription Refill After Lung Cancer Resection.

Introduction: Thoracic surgery patients are among the least likely to be on opioids before surgery but have the highest rate of new persistent opioid use after surgery compared to other surgical cohorts. Nearly 27% of opioid-naïve lung cancer resection patients become new persistent opioid users. We aimed to identify risk factors for postdischarge opioid prescription refill within 90 ds of surgery for lung cancer resection patients.

Relationship between nurse staffing during labor and cesarean birth rates in U.S. hospitals.

Background: Cesarean birth increases risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Purpose: Examine the relationship between labor and delivery staffing and hospital cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates.

Methods: Survey of U.

The influence of cardiopulmonary bypass residual volume processing technique on blood management in cardiac surgical patients.

Post-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) blood processing is an important component of blood management during cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate several methods of processing post-CPB residual blood. Using a multi-institutional national database (SpecialtyCare Operative Procedural rEgistry [SCOPE]), 77,591 cardiac surgical operations performed in adults (>18 years) between January 2017 and September 2022 were reviewed.

Focus on brown dog tick-transmitted Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs and people: shared threats and solutions.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) kills people and dogs in rural communities throughout the Americas and in urban epidemics in Brazil and Mexico. The companion Currents in One Health by Foley et al, AJVR , March 2025, addresses the urban ecology of this devastating disease across the Americas. Cases acquired from Dermacentor spp ticks are sylvatic and sporadic, in contrast with peridomestic cases from Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, which relies on dogs as hosts.

The surface termination of a Fe (III) spin crossover molecular salt.

From a comparison of the known molecular stoichiometry and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), it is evident that the Fe(III) spin crossover salt [Fe(qsal)2Ni(dmit)2], where qsal = N(8quinolyl)salicylaldimine, and dmit2- = 1,3-dithiol-2-thione-4,5-dithiolato has a preferential surface termination with the Ni(dmit)2 moiety. This preferential surface termination leads to a significant surface to bulk core level shift for the Ni 2p X-ray photoemission core level, not seen in the corresponding Fe 2p core level spectra. A similar surface to bulk core level shift is seen in Pd 3d in the related [Fe(qsal)2]2Pd(dmit)2, ], where qsal = N(8quinolyl)salicylaldimine, and dmit2- = 1,3-dithiol-2-thione-4,5-dithiolato.

Oral Regimens for Rifampin-Resistant, Fluoroquinolone-Susceptible Tuberculosis.

Background: For decades, poor treatment options and low-quality evidence plagued care for patients with rifampin-resistant tuberculosis. The advent of new drugs to treat tuberculosis and enhanced funding now permit randomized, controlled trials of shortened-duration, all-oral treatments for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, multinational, open-label, randomized, controlled noninferiority trial to compare standard therapy for treatment of fluoroquinolone-susceptible, rifampin-resistant tuberculosis with five 9-month oral regimens that included various combinations of bedaquiline (B), delamanid (D), linezolid (L), levofloxacin (Lfx) or moxifloxacin (M), clofazimine (C), and pyrazinamide (Z).