Exclusion of people from oncology clinical trials based on functional status.

Background/aims: People with disability have higher rates of cancer, excluding skin cancer, compared with people without disability. Food and Drug Administration draft guidelines from 2024 address use of performance status criteria to determine eligibility for clinical trials, advocating for less restrictive thresholds. We examined the exclusion of people with disability from clinical trials based on performance status and other criteria.

Evaluation of Long-Term Lymphedema Rate in Patients With Subclinical Lymphedema Diagnosed in the Preoperative Period via Bioimpedance.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between subclinical lymphedema identified prior to surgical intervention and clinical lymphedema observed in the late period, the incidence of lymphedema in our cohort, and the associated risk factors.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was conducted with early-stage breast cancer patients who had been enrolled in a previous study. For diagnosing lymphedema, physical examination, L-Dex® score, and circumferential measurement was used.

FLI1 and GATA1 govern transcription: new insights into FLI1-related platelet disorders.

Germline variants of FLI1, essential for megakaryopoiesis, are linked to bleeding disorders, platelet aggregation defects and mild thrombocytopenia. However, the mechanisms behind these abnormalities remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the impact of FLI1 variants on human megakaryocytes and platelets.

Utilization of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of pes planus and pes cavus with a smartphone camera.

Background: Pes planus (flatfoot) and pes cavus (high arch foot) are common foot deformities, often requiring clinical and radiographic assessment for diagnosis and potential subsequent management. Traditional diagnostic methods, while effective, pose limitations such as cost, radiation exposure, and accessibility, particularly in underserved areas.

Aim: To develop deep learning algorithms that detect and classify such deformities using smartphone cameras.

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase transforms carotid occlusion-mediated benign oligemia into large cerebral infarction.

It remains unclear why unilateral proximal carotid artery occlusion (UCAO) causes benign oligemia in mice, yet leads to various outcomes (asymptomatic-to-death) in humans. We hypothesized that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) both transforms UCAO-mediated oligemia into full infarction and expands pre-existing infarction. Using 900 mice, we i) investigated stroke-related effects of UCAO with/without intraperitoneal administration of the NOS inhibitor (NOSi) N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 400 mg/kg); ii) examined the rescue effect of the NO-donor, molsidomine (200 mg/kg at 30 minutes); and iii) tested the impact of antiplatelet medications.

Neuroinflammation at the Gray-White Matter Interface in Active-Duty U.S. Special Operations Forces.

Emerging evidence from autopsy studies indicates that interface astroglial scarring (IAS) at the gray-white matter junction is a pathological signature of repeated blast brain injury in military personnel. However, there is currently no neuroimaging test that detects IAS, which is a major barrier to diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. In 27 active-duty U.

First clinical utility of sensing Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (sULM): identifying renal pseudotumors.

Renal pseudotumors, which mimic tumors on imaging, pose diagnostic challenges that can lead to unnecessary interventions. Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy (sULM) is an advanced imaging technique that uses ultrasound imaging and microbubbles as sensors to visualize kidney functional units. This study aims to investigate whether sULM could differentiate between renal pseudotumors and tumors based on the presence of glomeruli.

Genotype-microbiome-metabolome associations in early childhood and their link to BMI.

Through the analysis of data from children aged 6 months to 8 years enrolled in the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), significant simultaneous associations were identified between variants in the fragile histidine triad () gene, children's body mass index, microbiome features related to obesity, and key lipids and amino acids. These patterns represent evidence of the genotype influence in shaping the host microbiome in developing stages and new potential biomarkers for childhood obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

Bacterial abundance and diversity in 64-74 Ma subseafloor igneous basement from the Louisville Seamount Chain.

The aquifer in the subseafloor igneous basement is a massive, continuous microbial substrate, yet sparingly little is known about life in this habitat. The work to date has focused largely on describing microbial diversity in the young basement (<10 Ma), where the basaltic crust is still porous and fluid flow through it is active. Here, we test the hypothesis that microbial life exists in subseafloor basement >65 Ma using samples collected from the Louisville Seamount Chain via seafloor drilling.

Neighborhood resources and stressors associated with parenting inputs for children's learning and development.

Prior research has assessed the ways in which neighborhoods promote or inhibit children's development but has paid less attention to delineating the particular processes through which neighborhoods are linked to child outcomes. This study combines geospatial data with survey data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011, a nationally representative sample of kindergarteners followed through 5th grade (N ~ 12,300), to explore how differences in neighborhood resources (parks and services) and stressors (crime and neighborhood disadvantage) are associated with variations in parental inputs-school involvement and provision of out-of-home enrichment activities. Using multilevel models assessing within- and between-family associations, we found mixed evidence concerning how neighborhood features are linked to parental inputs.

TB or not TB? Development and validation of a clinical decision support system to inform airborne isolation requirements in the evaluation of suspected tuberculosis.

Background: The study objective was to develop and validate a clinical decision support system (CDSS) to guide clinicians through the diagnostic evaluation of hospitalized individuals with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in low-prevalence settings.

Methods: The "TBorNotTB" CDSS was developed using a modified Delphi method. The CDSS assigns points based on epidemiologic risk factors, TB history, symptoms, chest imaging, and sputum/bronchoscopy results.

Surgical Treatment of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals and Health Outcomes.

Gender affirming surgeries are procedures that are used by transgender and gender diverse individuals to align their bodies to their gender identities. These have been shown to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those individuals who choose to access them. Rates of regret associated with gender affirming surgeries are low, and in addition to improving mental health and quality of life, these procedures have the potential to make it safer for transgender and gender diverse people to move through the world.

Wide field of view large aperture meta-doublet eyepiece.

Wide field of view and light weight optics are critical for advanced eyewear, with applications in augmented/virtual reality and night vision. Conventional refractive lenses are often stacked to correct aberrations at a wide field of view, leading to limited performance and increased size and weight. In particular, simultaneously achieving a wide field of view and large aperture for light collection is desirable but challenging to realize in a compact form-factor.

Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are microsecond-to-millisecond-duration radio transients that originate mostly from extragalactic distances. The FRB emission mechanism remains debated, with two main competing classes of models: physical processes that occur within close proximity to a central engine; and relativistic shocks that propagate out to large radial distances. The expected emission-region sizes are notably different between these two types of models.

A pulsar-like polarization angle swing from a nearby fast radio burst.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) last for milliseconds and arrive at Earth from cosmological distances. Although their origins and emission mechanisms are unknown, their signals bear similarities with the much less luminous radio emission generated by pulsars within our Miky Way Galaxy, with properties suggesting neutron star origins. However, unlike pulsars, FRBs typically show minimal variability in their linear polarization position angle (PA) curves.

Emeriti professors' perceptions: qualitative research exploring involvement in university activities.

In 2020, the UMass Lowell (UML) Age-Friendly University (AFU) campus administered the Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey (ICCS) in partnership with UMass Boston. The results identified a need for campus improvement related to "involving retired faculty in university activities" (AFU Principle 9). In response to this finding, an IRB-approved follow-up survey was distributed to UML retired faculty and emeriti professors, the end of which invited respondents to participate in one-hour virtual qualitative interviews to explore the research question: What are the perceptions of retired faculty and emeriti professors regarding AFU Principle 9? Emeriti professor interviews ( = 19) were held in 2021.

MRI-based Radiomics for Predicting Prostate Cancer Grade Groups: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies.

Rationale And Objectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer among men and a leading cause of cancer-related mortalities. Radiomics has shown promising performances in the classification of PCa grade group (GG) in several studies. Here, we aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the performance of radiomics in predicting GG in PCa.

Acute pancreatitis in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm: Associations with epithelial subtype, degree of dysplasia, and risk of recurrence.

Background: Acute pancreatitis is an uncommon presentation of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm; however, it is considered a worrisome feature in current guidelines and can be an indication for surgery. There is controversy regarding its association with malignancy, and there is little information regarding the recurrence of pancreatitis after surgical resection.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent resection for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm at a single institution between January 1990 and December 2023.

The impact of idiopathic hypersomnia on the social lives of young adults.

Objectives: People with idiopathic hypersomnia report significant impairment in their lives due to idiopathic hypersomnia symptoms, and this likely includes an impact on social relationship health. This study investigated the effects of idiopathic hypersomnia on social relationships (friends, romantic, and sexual) during the key developmental period of young adulthood.

Methods: Young adults (N = 106; 18-39years) with idiopathic hypersomnia were recruited through national hypersomnia patient organizations.

Connections After Cancer: Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors' Perspectives on Forming New Friendships After Cancer.

Objective: The psychological and social challenges of an adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer diagnosis often transcend physical health, impacting one's social network during a time when peer connections may be most crucial for support. The current study examines adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors' perspectives on how cancer impacts their thoughts and behaviors toward forming new peer relationships.

Methods: Thirty-five YA survivors (Mean age = 33 ± 5.

Karyotype and phenotype association in Turner syndrome with non-mosaic X chromosome structural rearrangements: Systematic review.

Turner syndrome is a chromosomal disorder, characterized by the partial or total deletion of one X chromosome, resulting in various karyotypes that presumably lead to different phenotypes. However, most studies find it difficult to predict phenotypes from karyotypes due to the presence of mosaicism. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between karyotype and phenotype in Turner syndrome with non-mosaic X chromosome structural rearrangements.