Double-blind randomised trial of saline solution for gargling and nasal rinsing in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Previous studies have shown that hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling reduced the duration of symptoms in upper respiratory infections caused by coronavirus. This study aims to investigate the effects of two saline regimens on symptoms associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods: Between 2020 and 2022, individuals aged 18-65 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were randomly assigned to either low- or high-saline regimens for 14 days.

Coronary Myocardial Bridge Updates: Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options.

Myocardial bridging is a frequent anomaly of the heart in humans and other animals. A myocardial bridge is typically characterized by the systolic narrowing seen with traditional catheter angiography, but this abnormality is not by itself a sign of ischemia or the need for intervention. In particular, transient spontaneous angina must be corroborated by reproducible narrowing during acetylcholine testing; this narrowing occurs during resting conditions and is responsive to nitroglycerin administration.

Anomalously High Dielectric Strength and Capacitive Energy Density of Thin Entangled Glassy Polymer Films.

The influence of high-intensity electric fields on the stability of polymeric materials is a problem of interest in the design of next-generation energy storage and electronic devices, and for understanding the limits of stability of polymer films exposed to large electric fields generally. Here, we show that the dielectric strength of entangled glassy polymer films increases as an inverse power-law of the film thickness for "ultrathin" films below a micron in thickness. The dielectric strength enhancement in these polymer films becomes as large as ≈2 GV/m in films thinner than 100 nm, but in this thickness regime, the increase of the dielectric strength depends strongly on the polymer mass, sample aging time, and the method of film preparation.

Social support from different sources and its relationship with stress in spaceflight analog environments.

While there is a large body of research on social support in traditional work settings, less is known about how the unique context of long-term isolation and confinement affects perceived social support. The purpose of our research was to examine how perceptions of social support change over time, how they differ by source (i.e.

Impact of correlated information on pioneering decisions.

Normative models are often used to describe how humans and animals make decisions. These models treat deliberation as the accumulation of uncertain evidence that terminates with a commitment to a choice. When extended to social groups, such models often assume that individuals make independent observations.

Noninvasive Assessment to Identify Patients With At-Risk Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously termed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is a major global health issue and a leading cause of chronic liver disease. The prevalence of MASLD is increasing globally, with the disease in some patients progressing to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which significantly raises the risk of fibrosis, cirrhosis, and adverse outcomes. Accurate identification of patients with at-risk MASH, defined as MASH with a fibrosis stage of 2 or higher, is critical for timely intervention and management.

Time Trends in Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Meta-Analysis on Sex Differences.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is considered the procedure of choice for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), as it significantly improves cardiovascular outcomes. However, considerable uncertainty persists regarding the potential sex differences in PCI outcomes, due to conflicting results in previous studies.

Objectives: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate potential sex-related differences in cardiovascular adverse outcomes after PCI among ACS patients.

First-in-human phase 1 study of the arginase inhibitor INCB001158 alone or combined with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours.

Objective: The arginase inhibitor INCB001158 was evaluated for safety (primary endpoint) in locally advanced or metastatic solid tumours; pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy were also assessed.

Methods And Analysis: In this non-randomised, open-label, three-part phase 1 study, INCB001158 was orally administered two times per day as monotherapy or in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks. Dose expansion was conducted in tumour-type cohorts (with or without prior anti-PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1) therapy).

Postprogression therapy and confounding for the estimated treatment effect on overall survival in phase III oncology trials.

Objective: Estimations of the treatment effect on overall survival (OS) may be influenced by post-progression therapies (PPTs). It is unclear how often OS analyses account for PPT effects. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to determine the prevalence of OS analyses accounting for PPT effects in phase III oncology trials.

Preclinical study and parallel phase II trial evaluating antisense STAT3 oligonucleotide and checkpoint blockade for advanced pancreatic, non-small cell lung cancer and mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibition we conducted a co-clinical trial testing danvatirsen, a STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and checkpoint inhibition in conjunction with preclinical experiments.

Methods And Analysis: Orthotopically implanted pancreatic cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC)) was treated with STAT3 ASO with immune checkpoint inhibition. Tumour infiltrating immune cell populations were characterised via flow cytometry.

Increase in major osteoporotic fractures after therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can cause severe and sometimes long-standing immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Enhanced immune activation from ICI can theoretically result in osteoclast activation, bone loss and fracture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence rates of major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) in patients with melanoma treated with ICI.

Examining Educational and Career Transition Points Among a Diverse, Virtual Mentoring Network.

Given the differences in trajectory for under-represented minorities in biomedical careers, we sought to explore how a virtual mentoring program, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), and its platform (MyNRMN), may facilitate transitions in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) pipeline. The purpose of this study was to describe how the size of an MyNRMN member's mentoring network and level of engagement correlate with academic and career transitions. We examined MyNRMN platform user data from March 2020 to May 2021 ( = 2993).

Tranexamic acid as an adjunct to resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta does not worsen outcomes in a porcine model of hemorrhage.

Background: Non-compressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH) represents a leading cause of preventable mortality in trauma. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) stabilizes NCTH but may predispose patients to thrombus generation. REBOA must therefore be prospectively evaluated for coagulation risks with concomitant usage of anti-fibrinolytic tranexamic acid (TXA).

The impact of CD3ζ ITAM multiplicity and sequence on CAR T-cell survival and function.

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) expressing T-cells have shown great promise for the future of cancer immunotherapy with the recent clinical successes achieved in treating different hematologic cancers. Despite these early successes, several challenges remain in the field that require to be solved for the therapy to be more efficacious. One such challenge is the lack of long-term persistence of CD28 based CAR T-cells in patients.

Transcatheter Management of Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Review of Contemporary Evidence.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular heart disease that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Traditional surgical interventions, though definitive, carry considerable complexities and risks, especially for high-risk patients, with in-hospital mortality rates of ˜9%. This resulted in the undertreatment of many patients with TR, creating a substantial unmet need.

Investigating novel pharmacological strategies for treatment-resistant depression: focus on new mechanisms and approaches.

Introduction: A substantial number of patients exhibit treatment-resistant depression (TRD), posing significant challenges to clinicians. The discovery of novel molecules or mechanisms that may underlie TRD pathogenesis and antidepressant actions are highly needed.

Areas Covered: Using the PubMed database, the authors searched for emerging evidence of novel approaches for TRD based on experimental and human studies.

Toward a biological definition of neuronal and glial synucleinopathies.

Cerebral accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates is the hallmark event in a group of neurodegenerative diseases-collectively called synucleinopathies-which include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy. Currently, these are diagnosed by their clinical symptoms and definitively confirmed postmortem by the presence of αSyn deposits in the brain. Here, we summarize the drawbacks of the current clinical definition of synucleinopathies and outline the rationale for moving toward an earlier, biology-anchored definition of these disorders, with or without the presence of clinical symptoms.

Comparison of postoperative oxygenation in children receiving sugammadex versus neostigmine for reversal of neuromuscular blockade: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Residual neuromuscular blockade can impair postoperative respiratory mechanics, promoting hypoxemia and pulmonary complications. Sugammadex, with its unique mechanism of action, may offer a more effective reversal of neuromuscular blockade and respiratory function than neostigmine. We sought to test the primary hypothesis that children undergoing noncardiac surgery exhibit better initial recovery oxygenation when administered sugammadex than those administered neostigmine.

Balloon-mounted versus self-expandable stent in failed neurothrombectomy: a post hoc analysis of the SAINT study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that when thrombectomy has failed, rescue intracranial stenting is associated with better clinical outcomes compared with failed reperfusion. However, comparative data regarding stent type are lacking.

Objective: To compare the procedural and clinical outcomes of balloon-mounted stents (BMS) with those of self-expandable stents (SES).

Comparative efficacy and safety of stent retrievers as a bailout strategy following failed contact aspiration technique in acute stroke thrombectomy.

Background: The contact aspiration (CA) technique is often used to perform endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS); however, rescue strategies are necessary if CA fails to achieve recanalization. This study investigates the outcomes of incorporating stent retriever (SR) thrombectomy in the rescue strategy following failed CA.

Methods: EVT patients with failed CA attempts were identified from a large multicenter registry and stratified by rescue technique: CA alone or incorporating SR in the rescue strategy.

Transition of Care Challenges and Opportunities for Chronic Wounds.

The transition of care (TOC) from acute to community-based settings presents significant challenges, especially for patients with chronic wounds. Effective communication and standardized discharge planning are critical to prevent readmissions and adverse events. This article explores the complexities of TOC, the role of skilled nursing and community-based long term care facilities, and the importance of interdisciplinary team approaches in wound care.