Perceptions and intentions regarding IQOS among current US adults who use cigarettes and/or electronic nicotine delivery systems.

Introduction: IQOS was sold in the US in 2019-2021 and will likely return in 2024. It is important to anticipate IQOS' market penetration; thus, this study examined US adults' prior awareness and perceptions, intentions to try and reactions to an IQOS reduced-risk exposure statement.

Methods: 61 adults from three US cities were recruited to represent four tobacco use subgroups: current cigarette and never electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use; current cigarette and discontinued ENDS use; current cigarette and ENDS use; and former cigarette use and switched to ENDS.

The Perceived Impact of Global Surgery Engagement on Career Advancement among US Medical Students.

Introduction: There is growing interest among medical institutions to formalize global surgery training. Understanding medical students' perceptions of how global surgery engagement can enhance career advancement is essential for providing appropriate guidance and support for individuals with aspirations in academic global surgery.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study of US-based medical students from 38 participating schools was performed.

Specialty Care Oases: Utilizing Geographic Information Systems to Evaluate Specialty Care Access for Individuals With Down Syndrome.

Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition occurring in about 220,000 individuals in the United States. Previous research showed almost 1 in 5 individuals with Down syndrome in the U.S.

Examining teen club attendance and viral load suppression among adolescents under differentiated HIV care in Malawi: a sub-optimal scenario.

Background: In Malawi, compared to adults, adolescents have higher rates of high HIV viremia and poorer antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes. The Ministry of Health, supported by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), implemented the provision of differentiated care clubs for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV), called "teen clubs," to provide psychosocial support and an HIV care package to improve clinical outcomes. We evaluated teen club attendance and factors associated with unsuppressed viral load (VL) in ALHIV enrolled in these teen clubs.

The impact of training intervention on levels of indicator bacteria and prevalence of selected pathogens in raw milk from smallholder women dairy farmers in Central Ethiopia.

Contamination of milk is a serious public health risk, particularly in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Training is a tool for improving the quality and safety of milk. However, its effect on the microbial quality and safety of milk has not been well documented.

Variability in Notification of Positive Newborn Screening Results for Sickle Cell Trait Across the United States.

Universal in the United States (US) since 2006, newborn screening (NBS) programs for sickle cell disease (SCD) allow for early identification of the disease and, as an unintentional byproduct, identification of sickle cell trait (SCT). Unlike other carrier states, SCT is highly prevalent and is found in nearly 3 million Americans, which results in important reproductive implications. Currently, all NBS programs in the US are responsible for their own policies regarding SCT notification, and little is known about how SCT notification practices are performed and how these practices vary across NBS programs.

Adaptation of a HIV Prevention Mobile App for Transmasculine People: A Pilot Acceptability and Feasibility Study.

Purpose: Using a community-engaged approach, we adapted a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention smartphone app, Transpire, to meet the HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention needs of transgender men and other transmasculine people. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the app among participants in two cities in the southeastern United States.

Methods: Participants were recruited online and through community partners.

Association of Obesity on Rates of Multiglandular Disease in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is more prevalent in populations with obesity. Obesity-related vitamin D deficiency may affect rates of multigland parathyroid disease, but this relationship is less clear. We aimed to assess the relationship between obesity and the rate of multigland disease in patients with PHPT.

Promises and perils of using Transformer-based models for SE research.

Many Transformer-based pre-trained models for code have been developed and applied to code-related tasks. In this paper, we analyze 519 papers published on this topic during 2017-2023, examine the suitability of model architectures for different tasks, summarize their resource consumption, and look at the generalization ability of models on different datasets. We examine three representative pre-trained models for code: CodeBERT, CodeGPT, and CodeT5, and conduct experiments on the four topmost targeted software engineering tasks from the literature: Bug Fixing, Bug Detection, Code Summarization, and Code Search.

Prognostic value of coronary artery calcium scoring in patients with non-small cell lung cancer using initial staging computed tomography.

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprising 85% of cases. Due to the lack of early clinical signs, metastasis often occurs before diagnosis, impacting treatment and prognosis. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a common comorbidity in lung cancer patients, with shared risk factors exacerbating outcomes.

Deployment to bases with open burn pits and mortality of US Military Veterans.

Introduction: Five million US Veterans had possible exposure to open burn pits used for waste disposal through service in Iraq (2003-2011) and Afghanistan (2001-2014). Burn pits generate toxic exposures that may be associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined all-cause and cause-specific mortality in relation to deployment to bases with open burn pits.

A Combined "Vasculoplastic" Approach to the Vasculopathic Patient Undergoing Limb Salvage: Understanding the Role of Endovascular Revascularization for Lower Extremity Free Tissue Transfer.

Background:  Multidisciplinary care with vascular surgery and plastic surgery is essential for lower extremity free flap (LEFF) success in the chronic wound population with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. There is a lack of understanding on performing targeted direct endovascular reperfusion on a vessel that will be used as the flap recipient. Our study compares outcomes of patients who received targeted revascularization (TR) to the recipient vessel for LEFF anastomosis versus nontargeted revascularization (NR) of arterial recipients prior to LEFF.

Gut Microbiome and Bile Acid Interactions: Mechanistic Implications for Cholangiocarcinoma Development, Immune Resistance, and Therapy.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare but highly malignant carcinoma of bile duct epithelial cells with a poor prognosis. The major risk factors of CCA carcinogenesis and progression are cholestatic liver diseases. The key feature of primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cholangitis is chronic cholestasis, which means a slowdown of hepatocyte secretion of biliary lipids and metabolites into bile as well as a slowdown of enterohepatic circulation (bile acid recirculation) of bile acids with dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, which was shown to lead to enterohepatic recirculation and an increase of toxic secondary bile acids.

Breastfeeding Trends Following the US Infant Formula Shortage.

Objective: Breastfeeding enhances maternal and child health, yet US breastfeeding rates remain below optimal levels and substantial disparities persist. The 2022 infant formula crisis had the potential to influence infant feeding practices due to formula shortages and fears about the safety of formula feeding in the wake of recalls. This report studies the evolution of breastfeeding-initiation trends during the infant formula crisis and compares the effects across subpopulations.

Virtual Support for Bereaved Parents: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of HOPE Group.

Hospital-based supports for families following the death of a child are rare. Virtual interventions may address key barriers to providing bereavement care, but little is known about their acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy. Our hospital's palliative care program offered a six-week closed virtual support group for bereaved parents five times between 2021 and 2024.

Proactive Management of Lactation in the Birth Hospital to Ensure Long-Term Milk Production and Sustainable Breastfeeding.

Individuals who are at risk of not achieving a full milk supply are often overlooked in scientific literature. There is available guidance to help establish an adequate milk supply for healthy individuals experiencing a physiologic labor and birth, and there are robust recommendations for the lactating parents of small, sick, and preterm newborns to ensure that these newborns can receive human milk. Missing from the literature are clinical practice guidelines that address the preexisting health, pregnancy, birth, or newborn-related risk factors for suboptimal lactation.

Extending the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort through 2030: Rationale and study protocol.

Early life environmental exposures, even those experienced before conception, can shape health and disease trajectories across the lifespan. Optimizing the detection of the constellation of exposure effects on a broad range of child health outcomes across development requires considerable sample size, transdisciplinary expertise, and developmentally sensitive and dimensional measurement. To address this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort Study is an observational longitudinal pediatric cohort study.

An Exploration of How Medication-Assisted Treatment Employees Respond to Stress in Justice Settings.

Individuals who work in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs that serve justice-involved populations face challenging conditions that can cause elevated levels of stress. Although some studies focus on stress faced by MAT professionals, few examine their coping mechanisms. This study applies the Mayo Clinic's "4A's" of stress management-accept, adapt, avoid, and alter-to better understand ways medical staff working in MAT programs manage stress.

Hydration and Antibiofouling Behavior of Zwitterionic Polycarboxybetaine-Grafted Surfaces Studied with Atomistic Simulations.

Fouling-resistant coating materials have important applications in marine industry and biomedicine. Zwitterionic carboxybetaine polymers have demonstrated robust antibiofouling functionalities in experiments. In this work, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study the molecular mechanism of hydration and antibiofouling of poly(carboxybetaine acrylamide) (polyCBAA) brush surfaces.

Mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency caused by a deep intronic deletion leading to aberrant splicing.

Trifunctional protein deficiency (TFP) is a disorder of fatty acid beta-oxidation associated with metabolic, cardiac, and liver dysfunction in severe forms. We present two siblings diagnosed by newborn screening and confirmed by biochemical testing at birth. Their clinical course was complicated by recurrent rhabdomyolysis, retinopathy, and hypoparathyroidism.

Local honey reflects environmental changes in metal concentrations and lead isotope ratios during COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels, Belgium, and Vancouver, Canada.

Effective methods for measuring sudden environmental changes are crucial for understanding how cities respond to shifts in human activity. This study examines atmospheric metal outputs during the COVID-19 restrictions using honey samples collected from three land use types in Brussels Capital Region (BCR), Belgium, and Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), Canada to study changes as the result of restrictions. By comparing these cities with distinct sizes, ages, and structures, we assess how urban environments responded to pandemic-induced restrictions.

Mapping the Impact of Anti-LGBT Legislation on Graduate Surgical Education.

Background: LGBTQ medical students and surgery residents face myriad structural barriers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports 492 pieces of state-level legislation targeting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people in the past year. These bills including bans on medical care, "don't say gay" bills, exclusion from anti-discrimination protections, and more.