Protein prognostic biomarkers in stage II colorectal cancer: implications for post-operative management.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a significant threat to many human lives worldwide and survival following resection is predominantly stage dependent. For early-stage cancer, patients are not routinely advised to undergo additional post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy. Acceptable clinical management guidelines are well established for patients in pTNM stages I, III and IV.

TQB2450 with or without anlotinib as maintenance treatment in subjects with locally advanced/unresectable non-small cell lung cancer that have not progressed after prior concurrent/sequential chemoradiotherapy (R-ALPS): study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase III trial.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TQB2450 (benmelstobart) is a novel humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Anlotinib, an oral multitargeted anti-angiogenic agent with potential synergy with ICIs, has shown efficacy in relapsed and advanced NSCLC.

Pediatric physiotherapy management of airway clearance therapy and exercise: Data from the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry.

Background: Regular airway clearance techniques (ACTs) and exercise are recommended for children with bronchiectasis, but current clinical practice and their predictors are unknown.

Objective: We aimed to describe current use of ACTs and exercise among Australian children with bronchiectasis and identify associated predictors.

Methods: Physiotherapy-specific data of 397 children (median age = 8 were extracted from the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry.

Kratom Consumption - The Tales of Three Patients.

The rising prevalence of kratom use in the United States has led to increased encounters with individuals who consume kratom and those who develop Kratom Use Disorder (KUD) among healthcare professionals. This case series highlights the need for diverse treatment approaches tailored to the individual motivations for kratom consumption. Three cases are presented: one involving the progression from kratom use for energy to opioid-driven use with subsequent challenges in detoxification and transition to naltrexone necessitating buprenorphine low-dose induction for maintenance; another detailing successful inpatient detoxification using methadone and symptom-driven clonidine, followed by successful maintenance treatment with naltrexone; and a final case involving kratom consumption for pain and anxiety self-management by an individual without a history of addictive disorders, without meeting KUD criteria.

Optimizing 5-aminosalicylate for moderate ulcerative colitis: expert recommendations from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition.

The lack of clear definition and classification for "moderate ulcerative colitis (UC)" creates ambiguity regarding the suitability of step-up versus top-down treatment approaches. In this paper, experts address crucial gaps in assessing and managing moderate UC. The Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Inflammatory Bowel Disease Coalition comprised 24 experts who convened to share, discuss and vote electronically on management recommendations for moderate UC.

EUS-guided shear wave elastography for fibrosis screening in patients with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a pilot study (with video).

Background And Aims: Liver fibrosis staging is challenging in patients with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Liver biopsies are invasive, whereas noninvasive tests such as vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) can be inaccurate in patients with obesity. We hypothesized that EUS-guided shear wave elastography (EUS-SWE) is more accurate for liver fibrosis staging in patients with MASLD and obesity; the aim of this pilot study was to test this hypothesis and establish optimal fibrosis stage cutoffs for EUS-SWE.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis established as a multistep process across phenotypes.

Background And Purpose: Given the accepted multistep process of disease causation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the present study was undertaken to determine the number of steps required for disease onset across each of the ALS phenotypes.

Methods: Clinical and demographic data were prospectively accumulated using the Australian Motor Neurone Disease Registry (2005-2016), and age-specific incidence rates were calculated. Poisson regression was utilized to assess the relationship between log age-specific incidence and log age of onset, with McFadden's R used to assess the goodness of fit of the model.

Cultural Considerations in Intelligence Test Adaptations: a Critical Review of the WAIS-IV India and Its U.K. and U.S. Counterparts.

Objective: This study critically examined the adaptation and normative processes of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)India.

Method: WAIS-IV U.K.

Diagnosis and management of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in adults: A position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune-mediated interstitial lung disease (ILD) relating to specific occupational, environmental or medication exposures. Disease behaviour is influenced by the nature of exposure and the host response, with varying degrees of lung inflammation and fibrosis seen within individuals. The differentiation of HP from other ILDs is important due to distinct causes, pathophysiology, prognosis and management implications.

Bilateral Knee Effusions Secondary to Zoledronic Acid Infusion.

Intravenous zoledronic acid is an established and generally well tolerated form of antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis. Although mild arthralgias are a well-documented manifestation of the acute phase response to intravenous bisphosphonates, more severe musculoskeletal reactions manifesting as debilitating pain and joint effusions have been rarely documented in the current literature. In this case report, we discuss the case of a 55-year-old woman who developed severe painful bilateral knee effusions within 1 week of her first zoledronic acid infusion for osteoporosis.

Comparing the efficacy of different embolisation materials in improving pain and fertility outcomes in patients with varicoceles: A systematic review.

Radiological embolisation has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgery for varicocele treatment. While systematic reviews have compared embolisation to surgery, attempts to compare different embolisation materials have been limited. The objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the potential benefits of combining coils with sclerosants for varicocele embolisation on fertility, pain, recurrence and complication rates in male patients, as compared to using coils alone.

Plasma Protein Biomarkers and Long-Term Cardiovascular Mortality Risk in Patients With Chronic Coronary Heart Disease.

Background: Protein biomarkers that reflect different pathophysiological pathways have been associated with the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. However, it is uncertain whether these associations are sustained with increasing years after the biomarkers are measured.

Methods And Results: In this cohort study, 7745 patients with coronary heart disease who participated in the LIPID (Long-Term Intervention With Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease) trial, BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide), troponin I, cystatin-C, C-reactive protein, d-dimer and midregional proadrenomedullin were measured at baseline and after 1 year.

Efficacy of Gonadotropin Treatment for Induction of Spermatogenesis in Men With Pathologic Gonadotropin Deficiency: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is a treatable cause of nonobstructive azoospermic male infertility. Gonadotropin treatment can successfully induce spermatogenesis in most patients, although comprehensive quantitative summary data on spermatogenic outcomes like those required to induce pregnancy is lacking in the literature.

Materials And Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes related to male reproductive function following gonadotropin treatment.

Variability in youth coach concussion education requirements across states.

Background: Youth sports coaches play a critical role in proper concussion recognition and management, reinforcing the need for coach concussion education. As of 2021, most states have statutory and policy measures mandating concussion education for coaches. In practice, these mandates have been enacted through state legislatures and their respective youth sport governing bodies.

Gut Microbiota Features in Relation to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Outcome in Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background & Aims: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis, yet its efficacy needs improvement. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the current literature on microbial factors affecting outcome, as well as a meta-analysis on some of the largest datasets regarding composition.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane were systematically searched through August 2024 for relevant studies.