Clinical Evaluation of the NaviNetics Stereotactic System Using Intraoperative Portable Surgical Imaging System in DBS Surgery.

Background And Objectives: A typical workflow for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery consists of head frame placement, followed by stereotactic computed tomography (CT) or MRI before surgical implantation of the hardware. At some institutions, this workflow is prolonged when the imaging scanner is located far away from the operating room, thereby increasing workflow times by the addition of transport times. Recently, the intraoperative O-arm has been shown to provide accurate image fusion with preoperative CT or MR imaging, suggesting the possibility of obtaining an intraoperative localization scan and postoperative confirmation.

Design of a light and Ca switchable organic-peptide hybrid.

The design of organic-peptide hybrids has the potential to combine our vast knowledge of protein design with small molecule engineering to create hybrid structures with complex functions. Here, we describe the computational design of a photoswitchable Ca-binding organic-peptide hybrid. The designed molecule, designated Ca-binding switch (CaBS), combines an EF-hand motif from classical Ca-binding proteins such as calmodulin with a photoswitchable group that can be reversibly isomerized between a spiropyran (SP) and merocyanine (MC) state in response to different wavelengths of light.

Developing and validating a HEalthCare NAvigation Competency (HECNAC) Scale for refugees in the United States.

The complex healthcare system in the United States (US) poses significant challenges for people, particularly minorities such as refugees. Refugees often encounter additional layers of challenges to healthcare navigation due to unfamiliarity with the system, limited health literacy, and language barriers. Despite their challenges, it is difficult to identify the gaps as few tools exist to measure navigation competency among this population and many conventional tools assume English proficiency, making them inadequate for refugees and other immigrants.

Mechanical properties of a polylactic 3D-printed interim crown after thermocycling.

Polylactic acid (PLA) has garnered attention for use in interim dental restorations due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost, ease of fabrication, and moderate strength. However, its performance under intraoral conditions, particularly under heat and moisture, remains underexplored. This study evaluated the mechanical properties of PLA interim crowns compared with those of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and bisphenol crowns under simulated intraoral conditions with thermocycling.

Laboratory risk assessment of Beauveria bassiana AAD16 on two species of ladybird beetle.

Beauveria bassiana AAD16, isolated from Allomyrina dichotoma, shows promise as a mycoinsecticide against various coleopterans. However, assessing non-target impacts on beneficial beetles like ladybirds is crucial before commercialization. Here we assessed the compatibility between ladybird beetles and B.

Improving myocardial infarction diagnosis with Siamese network-based ECG analysis.

Background: Heart muscle damage from myocardial infarction (MI) is brought on by insufficient blood flow. The leading cause of death for middle-aged and older people worldwide is myocardial infarction (MI), which is difficult to diagnose because it has no symptoms. Clinicians must evaluate electrocardiography (ECG) signals to diagnose MI, which is difficult and prone to observer bias.

Entity-enhanced BERT for medical specialty prediction based on clinical questionnaire data.

A medical specialty prediction system for remote diagnosis can reduce the unexpected costs incurred by first-visit patients who visit the wrong hospital department for their symptoms. To develop medical specialty prediction systems, several researchers have explored clinical predictive models using real medical text data. Medical text data include large amounts of information regarding patients, which increases the sequence length.

Genetic influence on choroidal vascularity index.

Purpose: To investigate the heritability of genetic influence on macular choroidal vascularity index (CVI).

Methods: Total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), and CVI was measured using horizontal scan of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging in the 373 healthy twin participants. Characteristics of the participants were investigated, including age, sex, axial length, hypertension, diabetes, drinking habits, and smoking status.

Feasibility of rabbit auricular VX2 tumor model as an experimental model for intra-arterial embolization.

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of VX2 tumor in rabbit auricles as an experimental model for intra-arterial embolization. This study was approved by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. VX2 tumors were implanted in both auricles of 12 New Zealand White Rabbits.

Impact of Sensitive Skin on Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Sensitive skin (SS) is a common condition reported by many people worldwide. Patient interviews reveal that individuals with SS experience diminished quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Nonetheless, the impact of SS on mental health remains unclear.

Urinary DNA Methylation Test for Bladder Cancer Diagnosis.

Importance: An accurate noninvasive biomarker test is needed for the early diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a urinary DNA methylation test (PENK methylation) and compare its diagnostic accuracy with that of the nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) test or urine cytology test.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this prospective multicenter study at 10 sites in the Republic of Korea, individuals 40 years and older with hematuria undergoing cystoscopy within 3 months between March 11, 2022, and May 30, 2024, participated.

Adjuvant Atezolizumab for Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: The ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype with a high incidence in young patients, a high incidence in non-Hispanic Black women, and a high risk of progression to metastatic cancer, a devastating sequela with a 12- to 18-month life expectancy. Until recently, one strategy for treating early-stage triple-negative breast cancer was chemotherapy after surgery. However, it was not known whether the addition of immune therapy to postsurgery chemotherapy would be beneficial.

Low-Temperature Chemical Solution Deposition of BiOSe on Amorphous Surface for Dynamic Memristor of Physical Reservoir Array.

Bismuth oxyselenide (BiOSe) stands as a highly promising layered semiconductor with outstanding optical, electrical, and thermal properties. For the practical application of the material toward the devices, growing BiOSe directly on the amorphous substrate at low temperatures (<400 °C) is essential; however, the negatively charged bottom Se layer originating from alternating stacks of Se and [BiO] has hindered this process. In this work, we report the method for synthesizing a BiOSe film on amorphous alumina (AlO) directly at 350 °C by using chemical solution deposition.

Enhanced high-energy proton radiation hardness of ZnO thin-film transistors with a passivation layer.

Metal-oxide thin-film semiconductors have been highlighted as next-generation space semiconductors owing to their excellent radiation hardness based on their dimensional advantages of very low thickness and insensitivity to crystal structure. However, thin-film transistors (TFTs) do not exhibit intrinsic radiation hardness owing to the chemical reactions at the interface exposed to ambient air. In this study, significantly enhanced radiation hardness of AlO-passivated ZnO TFTs against high-energy protons with energies of up to 100 MeV is obtained owing to the passivation layer blocking interactions with external reactants, thereby maintaining the chemical stability of the thin-film semiconductor.

Outcome of conservative treatments in patients with TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture or disc perforation.

Objectives: This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of comprehensive conservative treatments in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of thirty-one consecutive patients with findings of TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation using magnetic resonance imaging. Comprehensive stomatognathic system assessments were performed.

A human antibody derived from original SARS-CoV-2 infection effectively neutralizes omicron.

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) Variants of Concern (VOCs), such as the Omicron sub-variants, present significant challenges in pandemic control due to their capacity to escape antibodies and breach vaccine protections. Discovering antibodies that can tolerate mutations in VOCs and understanding their underlying mechanisms is crucial for developing therapeutics for COVID-19 patients, particularly those for whom other therapies may be unsuitable. Here, we report the neutralization of the Omicron variant by FD20, a broadly active human monoclonal antibody.

In vivo bone regeneration performance of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel-based composite bone cements in ovariectomized and ovary-intact rats: a preliminary investigation.

The objective of this study is to fabricate and develop hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrogel (HG)-based composite bone cements with incorporation of hydroxyapatite (HA), beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), and with/without polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for vertebroplasty. For animal study, twenty female Wister rats (250-300 g, 12 weeks of age) were divided into four groups including a two non-ovariectomy (NOVX) groups and two ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis groups. Two prepared biocomposites including HG/β-TCP/HA and HG/β-TCP/HA/PMMA were injected into the tibial defects of both OVX and NOVX rats for evaluating in vivo osteogenesis after 12 weeks.

Postoperative abdominopelvic adhesion and umbilical wound validation after single-port laparoscopy or two-port laparoscopy for gynecological surgery: a comparison with conventional laparoscopy.

Purpose: The emergence of minimally invasive surgery has led to the development of laparoscopic surgery to reduce the number of ports. Although the incision for the umbilical port is sufficiently large, thus reducing the number of ports used during laparoscopic surgery, postoperative complications involving incisions at port sites have been reported. Thus, we analyzed postoperative intraperitoneal outcomes after laparoscopy by reviewing operation records and photographs of consecutive surgeries.

Distinct Aggregation Behavior of -Terminally Truncated Aβ Over Aβ in the Presence of Zn(II).

The deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates and metal ions within senile plaques is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among the modifications observed in Aβ peptides, -terminal truncation at Phe4, yielding Aβ, is highly prevalent in AD-affected brains and significantly alters Aβ's metal-binding and aggregation profiles. Despite the abundance of Zn(II) in senile plaques, its impact on the aggregation and toxicity of Aβ remains unexplored.

Validation of a Pretransplant Risk Prediction Model for Early Allograft Dysfunction After Living-donor Liver Transplantation.

Background: Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) affects outcomes in liver transplantation (LT). Existing risk models developed for deceased-donor LT depend on posttransplant factors and fall short in living-donor LT (LDLT), where pretransplant evaluations are crucial for preventing EAD and justifying the donor's risks.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 2944 adult patients who underwent LDLT at 17 centers between 2016 and 2020.

Comparing sputum, nasopharyngeal swabs, and combined samples for respiratory bacterial detection using multiplex PCR.

Unlabelled: Respiratory tract infections are major global health issues that require rapid and accurate diagnostic methods. Multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) is commonly used for pathogen detection in respiratory samples. However, the optimal specimen selection for detecting bacterial pathogens is not well-explored.

Delayed Superficial Temporal Artery Pseudoaneurysm Following Minor Trauma in a Post-facelift Patient.

A 37-year-old woman with a history of facelift surgery presented with a painless temporal mass after surfboard trauma. Physical examination revealed a 1 cm pulsatile mass, and ultrasound confirmed a superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm. Surgical excision was complicated by adhesions from previous facial surgery and steroid injections.

Selective Synthesis of Acyl-Sulfonyl Hydrazide Isomers: The Role of the Countercation of Base Selection in Palladium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylations.

Selective synthesis of isomeric -acyl--sulfonyl and ,-acyl-sulfonyl hydrazides is achieved via palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of aryl iodides with sulfonyl hydrazides under CO. The base's countercation, rather than its basicity, controls product isomerism. Conventional bases yield linear isomers, whereas sodium-based bases favor branched ones.