Estimation of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Without Gold Standards.

The ideal evaluation of diagnostic test performance requires a reference test that is free of errors. However, for many diseases, obtaining such a "gold standard" reference is either impossible or prohibitively expensive. Estimating test accuracy in the absence of a gold standard is therefore a significant challenge.

Bayesian Spatial Relative Survival Model to Estimate the Loss in Life Expectancy and Crude Probability of Death for Cancer Patients.

To date, there have not been any population-based cancer studies quantifying geographical patterns of the loss in life expectancy (LLE) and crude probability of death due to cancer ( ). These absolute measures of survival are complementary to the more typically used relative measures of excess mortality and relative survival, and, together, they provide a fuller understanding of geographical disparities in survival outcomes for cancer patients. We propose using a spatially flexible parametric relative survival model in the Bayesian framework, which allows for the inclusion of spatial effects in hazard-level model components.

City-Level Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes and Changes in Adult Body Mass Index.

Importance: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) excise taxes are popular policy interventions aimed at decreasing SSB purchasing and consumption to improve cardiometabolic health and generate revenue for public health initiatives. There is limited evidence that these taxes in the US are associated with weight-related outcomes in adults, a primary contributor to cardiometabolic health.

Objective: To determine the association between SSB excise taxes and adult body mass index (BMI) and proportion of adults with overweight or obesity among California cities and assess whether associations vary by demographic characteristics.

Caregiver-Youth Agreement on the Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Survey.

Background: Patient and caregiver perspectives are critical in the evaluation of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID); however, little is understood about how caregiver and youth perceptions may differ. This study compared caregiver and youth reports among pediatric patients from an outpatient ARFID program.

Methods: Patients (217 individuals with ARFID, aged 8-17) and their caregivers completed the Nine-Item ARFID Screen (NIAS), a screening tool with parallel youth and caregiver report forms.

Non-Parametric Estimation for Semi-Competing Risks Data With Event Misascertainment.

The semi-competing risks data model is a special type of disease-state model that focuses on studying the association between an intermediate event and a terminal event and proves to be a useful tool in modeling disease progression. The study of the semi-competing risk data model not only allows us to evaluate whether a disease episode is related to death but also provides a toolkit to predict death, given that the episode occurred at a certain time. However, the computation of the semi-competing risk models is a numerically challenging task.

Communicating scientific evidence: drugs for Alzheimer's disease as a case study.

This paper reviews the scientific evidence on new anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies for treating Alzheimer's disease as a case study for improving scientific evidence communication. We introduce five guidelines condensed from the biomedical evidence literature but adapted to the short format of science communication in e.g.

A phase 2 basket study of talabostat, a small-molecule inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidases, administered in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid cancers.

Background: Talabostat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidases (DPP4 and DPP8/9), has shown synergistic activity with immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical studies. This open label, phase 2 basket trial assessed the antitumor activity of combining talabostat and pembrolizumab (anti-programmed death-1 antibody) in advanced solid tumor patients.

Methods: The primary objective was assessment of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rates in the first six patients (lead-in stage) and response rate (efficacy stage; included cohort A [checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) naive] and cohort B [ICI pretreated]) for the study treatment using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.

The impact of imprecise case definitions in electronic health record research: a melanoma case-study from the Million Veteran Program.

Cases for a disease can be defined broadly using diagnostic codes, or narrowly using gold-standard confirmation that often is not available in large administrative datasets. These different definitions can have significant impacts on the results and conclusions of studies. We conducted this study to assess how using melanoma phecodes versus histologic confirmation for invasive or in situ melanoma impacts the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Million Veteran Program.

Ambient Toxic Air Contaminants in the Maternal Residential Area during Pregnancy and Cerebral Palsy in the Offspring.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common permanent neuromotor disorder diagnosed in childhood. Although most cases have unknown etiology, emerging evidence suggests environmental risk factors of CP.

Objectives: We investigated whether ambient toxic air contaminants (TACs) in the maternal residential area during pregnancy, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals, were associated with offspring CP risk in California.

Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Versus Standard Bacterial Culture in Critically Ill Children With Suspected Pneumonia.

Background: Bacterial lower respiratory tract infection, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children who require mechanical ventilation (MV). Microbiologic diagnosis has relied on bacterial culture, but reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with bacterial targets is now available for clinical use. We compared the diagnostic performance of tracheal aspirate (TA) multiplex RT-PCR to culture in children requiring MV with suspected lower respiratory tract infection.

Circulating and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers of Intestinal Fibrosis in Small Bowel Crohn's Disease.

Background: We previously identified circulating and MRI biomarkers associated with the surgical management of Crohn's disease (CD). Here we tested associations between these biomarkers and ileal resection inflammation and collagen content.

Methods: Fifty CD patients undergoing ileal resection were prospectively enrolled at 4 centers.

Long-Term Family Needs After a Traumatic Brain Injury: A VA TBI Model Systems Study.

Objective: To describe the self-reported needs of family caregivers of service members and veterans (SMVs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at 10 to 15 years post-injury and to identify unique predictors of unmet family needs.

Setting: Five Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers.

Participants: A total of 209 family caregivers of SMVs with TBI from the VA TBI Model Systems national database who completed a 10- or 15-year follow-up assessment.

Association Between Fine Particle Waves and Sexual Function: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey in China.

Background: The effect of the long-term persistently elevated air pollutants, often referred to as air pollution waves, on sexual function has not been sufficiently addressed.

Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional study involved 12,157 participants, with 5496 females and 5039 males. PM waves were characterized by daily average PM concentrations surpassing Grade II thresholds of China's ambient air quality standards (PM > 75 μg/m, PM > 150 μg/m) for three or more consecutive days (3-8 days).

Dual-Stage AI Model for Enhanced CT Imaging: Precision Segmentation of Kidney and Tumors.

Objectives: Accurate kidney and tumor segmentation of computed tomography (CT) scans is vital for diagnosis and treatment, but manual methods are time-consuming and inconsistent, highlighting the value of AI automation. This study develops a fully automated AI model using vision transformers (ViTs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to detect and segment kidneys and kidney tumors in Contrast-Enhanced (CECT) scans, with a focus on improving sensitivity for small, indistinct tumors.

Methods: The segmentation framework employs a ViT-based model for the kidney organ, followed by a 3D UNet model with enhanced connections and attention mechanisms for tumor detection and segmentation.

Description of the Serological Response After Treatment of Chronic Imported Schistosomiasis.

Background: Chronic schistosomiasis can lead to significant morbidity. Serology is highly sensitive; however, its role in assessing treatment response is controversial. This study aimed to analyze serological values following treatment of chronic imported schistosomiasis.

DisCo P-ad: Distance-Correlation-Based -Value Adjustment Enhances Multiple Testing Corrections for Metabolomics.

Background: Due to scientific advancements in high-throughput data production technologies, omics studies, such as genomics and metabolomics, often give rise to numerous measurements per sample/subject containing several noisy variables that potentially cloud the true signals relevant to the desired study outcome(s). Therefore, correcting for multiple testing is critical while performing any statistical test of significance to minimize the chances of false or missed discoveries. Such correction practice is commonplace in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) but is also becoming increasingly relevant to metabolome-wide association studies (MWAS).

Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of Acupuncture for Cognitive Dysfunction in Diverse Cancer Survivors: A Pilot, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

(1) Background: This pilot study evaluates the feasibility and preliminary effects of acupuncture for cancer-related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD) in cancer survivors. (2) Methods: A randomized trial comparing real acupuncture (RA) to sham acupuncture (SA) and waitlist control (WLC) among cancer survivors reporting cognitive difficulties. Interventions were delivered weekly over 10 weeks.

Immediate Patient Satisfaction with Dental Esthetics After Endodontic and Prosthodontic Treatment of Dental Dyschromia.

This study aimed to evaluate patients' satisfaction with the esthetic outcomes of combined endodontic and prosthetic treatments for devitalized or dyschromic teeth, a condition influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that present a growing concern in modern dentistry. A total of 104 patients, including 43 men and 61 women, underwent treatment using lithium disilicate restorations for esthetic zones and zirconium oxide restorations for regions with higher occlusal demands. Patient satisfaction was evaluated through a post-treatment questionnaire, classifying responses as either "satisfied" or "dissatisfied".

Comprehensive Analysis Identifies as a Potential Prognostic and Immunological Biomarker in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by its ability to evade the immune system, hindering the efficacy of current immunotherapies. Recent research has highlighted the important role of immunosuppressive macrophages in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in driving this immune evasion. In this study, we are the first to identify as a key regulator of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-mediated immunosuppression in GBM.

Dynamic Importance of Genomic and Clinical Risk for Coronary Artery Disease Over the Life Course.

Background: Earlier identification of high coronary artery disease (CAD) risk individuals may enable more effective prevention strategies. However, existing 10-year risk frameworks are ineffective at earlier identification. We sought to understand how the variable importance of genomic and clinical factors across life stages may significantly improve lifelong CAD event prediction.

Prevalence of High-Risk CTA-Based Carotid Plaque-RADS Subtypes in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Background: A modified computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based Carotid Plaque Reporting and Data System (Plaque-RADS) classification was applied to a cohort of patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source to test whether high-risk Plaque-RADS subtypes are more prevalent on the ipsilateral side of stroke. With the widespread use of CTA for stroke evaluation, a CTA-based Plaque-RADS would be valuable for generalizability.

Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a single integrated health system comprised of 3 hospitals with a comprehensive stroke center between October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2017.

Phase II Trial of Brain MRI Surveillance in Stage IV Breast Cancer.

Background: Screening of asymptomatic stage IV breast cancer with brain MRIs is currently not recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines. The incidence of asymptomatic brain metastasis is not well documented.

Methods: The study is designed as a single arm, phase II trial, with the goal of investigating surveillance brain MRIs in neurologically asymptomatic patients with metastatic breast cancer.