Role of Robotics in Image-Guided Trans-Arterial Interventions.

The integration of robotic systems in image-guided trans-arterial interventions has revolutionized the field of Interventional Radiology (IR), offering enhanced precision, safety, and efficiency. These advancements are particularly impactful for acute conditions such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, and STEMI, where timely intervention is critical. Robotic platforms like the CorPath GRX and Magellan allow for remote navigation and catheter-based interventions, making it possible to extend specialized services to remote and underserved areas.

Artificial intelligence and transfusion education, research and practice: The view from the ISBT Clinical Transfusion Working Party.

Background And Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) has been gaining increasing interest in healthcare. During the 2024 International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Congress, the Clinical Transfusion Working Party (CTWP) conducted a session to explore the exciting intersection of AI in transfusion medicine (TM) practice, education and research. We report here the potential applications and the session outcome.

Report of a Work Group on Nonverbal Learning Disability: Consensus Criteria for Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder, a Reconceptualization of Nonverbal Learning Disability for DSM Consideration.

Objective: Although extant research points to NonVerbal Learning Disability (NVLD) as a distinct disorder, it is not included in the diagnostic nomenclatures, and there is heterogeneity in how it is defined. We formed a working group to gain consensus on a standard DSM type definition for NVLD, a necessary first step for proposing its inclusion in future DSMs and renamed the disorder to better reflect the core deficit - visual-spatial problems.

Method: An iterative process was used to reach consensus on a DSM style criteria set that reconceptualizes NVLD as Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder (DVSD).

A Scoping Review of Calls to Action in Pharmacy Education.

Objectives: Calls to action within pharmacy education are frequently seen in the literature, with little information about their authors, audience, and focus, especially whether these calls led to any changes. This scoping review aims to (1) quantitatively and qualitatively characterize the calls to action in pharmacy education and (2) examine the traits of the published articles typically associated with effective advocacy.

Findings: A systematic literature search for scoping review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Examining the moderation of the relationship between socio-economic status and consumption intentions by food information labels.

Front-of-package-labelling needs to portray health and/or sustainability information effectively to all consumers in a way that is both effective and equitable. There is mixed evidence for the effectiveness of such labels based on socioeconomic status (SES). Framing health consequences in an intuitive manner could help to reduce disparities in label comprehension across SES.

Escape rooms as formative knowledge assessment: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Escape rooms offer an immersive approach to nursing education, serving as versatile tools for assessment and skill development. While research has explored their potential as alternatives to traditional assessments, their role as formative assessment and impact on knowledge retention in nursing education remain largely unexplored, prompting the need for further investigation.

Aim: The study aims to explore the impact of escape rooms as formative assessment on first-year nursing students' knowledge retention.

Real world experience with cladribine tablets for multiple sclerosis at four academic multiple sclerosis centers.

Background: Cladribine tablets (CladT) are a multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapy (DMT) with safety and efficacy established in the CLARITY trial and extension. A better understanding of the role of CladT in real-world populations is needed, including the clinical and radiographic trajectories of persons with MS (PwMS) treated with CladT and how CladT compares to other MS DMTs.

Methods: PwMS receiving CladT at 4 tertiary MS centers were identified and characterized.

Correlates of multicaregiving and singular caregiving among cancer caregivers and associations with caregiver well-being.

Purpose: Compare demographic, care provision, and health-related characteristics of individuals fulfilling multiple illness-related caregiving roles (i.e. multicaregiving) versus singular (cancer only) caregiving and investigate factors associated with caregivers' mental and physical functioning.

Prof. Manuel Espinosa Padrón (1942-2024): A Superb Plasmid Biologist and a Gentle Colossus.

Prof. Manuel Espinosa Padrón (1942-2024): A superb plasmid biologist and a gentle colossus.

The clinical-stage drug BTZ-043 accumulates in murine tuberculosis lesions and efficiently acts against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The development of granulomas with central necrosis harboring Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the hallmark of human tuberculosis (TB). New anti-TB therapies need to effectively penetrate the cellular and necrotic compartments of these lesions and reach sufficient concentrations to eliminate Mtb. BTZ-043 is a novel antibiotic showing good bactericidal activity in humans in a phase IIa trial.

Best Practices for the Teaching and Assessing Population Health and Wellness.

Objective: To describe the concept of population health and wellness in the context of pharmacy education, curricular integration and assessment methods.

Findings: The definition of population health and wellness, different from public health, emphasizes the importance of environmental, biological, and social factors in determining population health outcomes. Various population health measures, including objective (mortality rates, life expectancy) and subjective (self-rated health, quality of life) indicators, can be used when teaching and assessing population-based care.

Changes in Contraceptive Method Use, Access, and Experiences of Care During a Statewide Contraceptive Initiative.

Objective: To examine changes in contraceptive use, access, and care experiences during a statewide contraceptive access initiative, Delaware Contraceptive Access Now.

Study Design: We used responses from the Delaware/Maryland Survey of Women at the early wave (11/2016-3/2017) and late wave (2/2021-10/2021). Our cross-sectional sample included 6,467 respondents at risk of unintended pregnancy.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in HER2-positive breast cancer: potential impact and challenges.

Introduction: In this review, we evaluate the role of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) as a biomarker in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, exploring the prognostic and predictive potential in various treatment settings.

Methods: Data from multiple clinical trials in the early and metastatic settings, focusing on TILs' correlation with pathologic complete response (pCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival across early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer were summarized. This review also discusses TILs' assessment methods, interobserver variability, and emerging technologies to assess TILs.

Epidemiology of bacterial biofilms on polyps and normal tissues in a screening colonoscopy cohort.

Background: Invasive bacterial biofilms are implicated in colorectal cancer. However, their prevalence on histologically normal tissues and polyps is not well established, and risk factors of biofilms have not been previously investigated. Here we evaluated potential procedural and demographic risk factors associated with biofilm status using a cross-sectional observational cohort.

A Unified Approach to Health Data Exchange: A Report From the US DHHS.

Importance: Health information technology, such as electronic health records (EHRs), has been widely adopted, yet accessing and exchanging data in the fragmented US health care system remains challenging. To unlock the potential of EHR data to improve patient health, public health, and health care, it is essential to streamline the exchange of health data. As leaders across the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), we describe how DHHS has implemented fundamental building blocks to achieve this vision.

A 2024 Update on US FDA Implementation of Partial Area Under the Curve Into Bioavailability and Bioequivalence Assessments.

Comparisons of maximum drug concentration (C) and total area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) may be inadequate for bioavailability (BA)/bioequivalence (BE) assessments in cases where the shape of the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of a drug impacts the clinical performance. In such cases, partial area under the concentration vs.

Ascitic fluid amylase-to-serum amylase ratio to predict pancreatic duct leaks causing ascites.

Objectives: Pancreatic duct leaks can cause ascites, and fluid amylase can be used as a marker to suggest pancreatic duct leak; however, there is no reference parameter or cutoff value for diagnosis. We assessed whether a novel ratio of ascitic fluid to serum amylase can reliably predict pancreatic leaks and need for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Materials And Methods: Patients who had fluid amylase from ascitic fluid and serum amylase within one week of confirmed pancreatic leaks via ERCP were included along with appropriate medical and surgical controls.

Living in Historically Redlined Neighborhoods and the Cognitive Function of Black and White Adults.

Objectives: We determined if living in historically redlined neighborhoods was associated with level and change in cognitive functioning and if this association differed for Black and White older adults.

Methods: We linked the Health and Retirement Study 1998-2018 data to redlining scores from the Historic Redlining Indicator data. Our sample included adults aged 50 years and older (24,230 respondents, 129,618 person-period observations).

New onset refractory status epilepticus: Long-term outcomes beyond seizures.

We propose and prioritize important outcome domains that should be considered for future research investigating long-term outcomes (LTO) after new onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE). The study was led by the international NORSE Institute LTO Working Group. First, literature describing the LTO of NORSE survivors was identified using a PubMed search and summarized to identify knowledge gaps.

Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy leads to better survival outcomes in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objectives: To evaluate the benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for patients with high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) using a large, well-curated multi-institutional database.

Patients And Methods: This study was a multi-institutional retrospective analysis conducted by the UTUC Collaborative Network (UCAN), combining data from 2276 patients with UTUC who underwent radical nephroureterectomy at seven high-volume tertiary care centres in the United States. The UCAN data were analysed to evaluate the impact of response to NAC on survival outcomes in patients with UTUC.

Bridging Therapies-Ex Vivo Liver Xenoperfusion and the Role of Machine Perfusion: An Update.

Advancements in xenotransplantation intersecting with modern machine perfusion technology offer promising solutions to patients with liver failure providing a valuable bridge to transplantation and extending graft viability beyond current limitations. Patients facing acute or acute chronic liver failure, post-hepatectomy liver failure, or fulminant hepatic failure often require urgent liver transplants which are severely limited by organ shortage, emphasizing the importance of effective bridging approaches. Machine perfusion is now increasingly used to test and use genetically engineered porcine livers in translational studies, addressing the limitations and costs of non-human primate models.

Integrating malaria vaccine and CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive: a comprehensive strategy for accelerated malaria eradication.

Malaria remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, despite ongoing efforts to eradicate the disease. Recent advancements, including the rollout of malaria vaccines, such as RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M™, offer new avenues for prevention. However, the rise of resistance to anti-malarial medications necessitates innovative strategies.

The Role of Social Deficits in the Link Between Social Gambling Motives and Problem Gambling.

In comparison to other motives for gambling, social motives (e.g., gambling for social interaction) are often suggested to be the least problematic and, in some cases, even a protective factor for problem gambling.