Felix A. Conte, MD 1935-2024. The endocrinologist's endocrinologist.

is not a required field for Obituaries.

Analysis of TEM micrographs with deep learning reveals APOE genotype-specific associations between HDL particle diameter and Alzheimer's dementia.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle diameter distribution is informative in the diagnosis of many conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, obtaining an accurate HDL size measurement is challenging. We demonstrated the utility of measuring the diameter of more than 1,800,000 HDL particles with the deep learning model YOLOv7 (you only look once) from micrographs of 183 HDL samples, including patients with dementia or normal cognition (controls).

Survival improvements in patients with melanoma brain metastases and leptomeningeal disease in the modern era: Insights from a nationwide study (2015-2022).

Introduction: Advances in modern therapies have improved outcomes for patients with melanoma brain metastases (MBM), though prognosis remains poor. The optimal treatment strategy for patients who do not meet clinical trial inclusion criteria is unclear.

Methods: This study included all patients with MBM diagnosed in Denmark between 2015 and 2022, identified through the Danish Metastatic Melanoma Database (DAMMED) and local surgical and radiotherapy records.

Psychiatric disorders in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors in Korea.

Background: Although adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors have an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, limited evidence has been suggested. We aimed to determine the risk of psychiatric disorders among AYA cancer survivors.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study based on the Korea National Health Insurance Service database was carried out.

Natural history progression of MRI brain volumetrics in type II late-infantile and juvenile GM1 gangliosidosis patients.

Objective: GM1 gangliosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the accumulation of GM1 gangliosides in neuronal cells, resulting in severe neurodegeneration. Currently, limited data exists on the brain volumetric changes associated with this disease. This study focuses on the late-infantile and juvenile subtypes of type II GM1 gangliosidosis, aiming to quantify brain volumetric characteristics to track disease progression.

Exploring the neuroprotective potential of immunosuppressants in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Neuroprotective therapy to slow Parkinson's disease (PD) progression is a critical unmet need. Neuroinflammation likely represents an important pathophysiologic mechanism for disease progression. Medications that target this inflammation, such as immunosuppressants, represent potential disease-modifying therapies for PD.

Sex-Based Bias in Artificial Intelligence-Based Segmentation Models in Clinical Oncology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements have accelerated applications of imaging in clinical oncology, especially in revolutionizing the safe and accurate delivery of state-of-the-art imaging-guided radiotherapy techniques. However, concerns are growing over the potential for sex-related bias and the omission of female-specific data in multi-organ segmentation algorithm development pipelines. Opportunities exist for addressing sex-specific data as a source of bias, and improving sex inclusion to adequately inform the development of AI-based technologies to ensure their fairness, generalizability and equitable distribution.

Utilization of AF4 for characterizing complex nanomaterial drug products: Reexamining sample recovery and its impact on particle size distribution as a quality attribute.

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) with multi-detection has continued to gain wider acceptance for characterizing complex drug products. An important quality attribute for these products is the measurement of the particle size distribution (PSD). Current limitations of established procedures (e.

The effect of conflicting versus consistent messaging on older women's support for breast cancer screening cessation.

Objective: Breast cancer over-screening is common in older women. Messaging about breast cancer screening cessation may reduce over-screening but the broader informational environment often emphasizes screening continuation. We aimed to examine the effect of receiving consistent messages about breast cancer screening cessation versus conflicting messages (i.

Unveiling the trends: Growing cancer and venous thromboembolism mortality in older adults in the United States, 1999-2020.

Background: While cancer mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) have decreased due to advances in chemotherapy, older adults with cancer face an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

An examination of factors contributing to different anesthesia models in underserved areas.

Background: Maternity care access is worsening across the United States, driven in part by difficulties staffing obstetric units in some hospitals. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) provide obstetric anesthesia services in underserved areas, including rural areas (Cohen et al., 2021; Martsolf et al.

You Don't Bring Me Flowers.

Dr Cappell discusses the difficulty in protecting oncology patients without taking away things that bring them joy.

Spectrum of Dermatoses Affecting the Lower Leg and Foot in an Outpatient Clinic at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background: Infective and noninfective dermatoses of the lower leg and foot can be attributed to factors such as infections, blood stagnation, chemical contact, and abnormal mechanics. These factors make the lower leg and foot more susceptible to microbial infections, contact dermatitis, stasis eczema, ulcers, corns, and calluses.

Objective: To identify the patterns of infective and noninfective dermatoses on the lower leg and foot.

Conservative Reconstruction of the Lower Limb with a Bilayer Porous Collagen Matrix after a Spider Bite.

Brown recluse spider bites may cause symptoms ranging from local cutaneous reactions to systemic visceral loxoscelism. Most bites are self-limiting, but some can lead to necrotic ulcerations with severe complications and soft tissue defects. Necrotizing ulcers are uncommon and have various clinical presentations, so no standard treatment exists.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum Improved with Dapsone and Prednisone: A Case Report.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare ulcerative condition that poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Diagnosis and appropriate management are often delayed due to its rarity and the presence of numerous clinical variants. In this case report, the authors present the case of a 36-year-old man who had long-standing and nonhealing ulcers that did not respond to multiple antibiotics and serial wound debridement.

Markers for Pressure Injury Risk in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To identify markers associated with pressure injury (PrI) history in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) using two approaches: skin blood flow (SBF) response toward localized heating, and serum marker for insulin resistance.

Methods: For this cross-sectional, observational study of adults with chronic traumatic SCI at T12 and above, researchers recruited two groups of participants: with history of PrI (group 1), and without history of PrI (group 2). The study protocol included obtaining fasting blood samples and measurement of SBF at bilateral heels with localized heating of 42 °C for 30 minutes from all participants.

Deciphering the dose-dependent effects of thymoquinone on cellular proliferation and transcriptomic changes in A172 glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most prevalent primary malignant brain tumor in adults, exhibits a dismal 6.9% five-year survival rate post-diagnosis. Thymoquinone (TQ), the most abundant bioactive compound in Nigella sativa, has been extensively researched for its anticancer properties across various human cancers.

Endogenous LRRK2 and PINK1 function in a convergent neuroprotective ciliogenesis pathway in the brain.

Mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are associated with familial Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 phosphorylates Rab guanosine triphosphatase (GTPases) within the Switch II domain while PINK1 directly phosphorylates Parkin and ubiquitin (Ub) and indirectly induces phosphorylation of a subset of Rab GTPases. Herein we have crossed LRRK2 [R1441C] mutant knock-in mice with PINK1 knock-out (KO) mice and report that loss of PINK1 does not impact endogenous LRRK2-mediated Rab phosphorylation nor do we see significant effect of mutant LRRK2 on PINK1-mediated Rab and Ub phosphorylation.

Suppressing APOE4-induced neural pathologies by targeting the VHL-HIF axis.

The ε4 variant of human apolipoprotein E () is a key genetic risk factor for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and elevated all-cause mortality in humans. Understanding the factors and mechanisms that can mitigate the harmful effects of has significant implications. In this study, we find that inactivating the VHL-1 (Von Hippel-Lindau) protein can suppress mortality, neural and behavioral pathologies caused by transgenic human in .

Association between Delayed Broad-Spectrum Gram-negative Antibiotics and Clinical Outcomes: How Much Does Getting It Right with Empiric Antibiotics Matter?

Background: Clinicians often start unnecessarily broad-spectrum empiric Gram-negative antibiotics out of the concern that delaying effective therapy could lead to a worse clinical outcome. This study examined the consequences of delayed initiation of broad-spectrum Gram-negative antibiotics.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort of adult inpatients from 928 US hospitals, we compared clinical outcomes after (1) empiric narrow-spectrum antibiotics escalated to broad-spectrum antibiotics (delayed broad-spectrum therapy, DBT) and (2) empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics continued for at least 5 days (early broad-spectrum therapy, EBT) using Win Ratios.

Management of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors prior to major surgery: insights from the STOP-or-NOT trial.

Strong recommendations on how to manage renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, before surgery are lacking because of a lack of evidence, which is mostly limited to data from observational studies. The STOP-or-NOT trial was a large multicentre randomised trial designed to determine whether chronic renin-angiotensin system inhibitors should be continued or discontinued before major noncardiac surgery. As principal investigators of the STOP-or-NOT trial, we discuss the trial's results and how they contribute to the existing literature on management of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors before surgery.

Polydipsia Induced Acute Angle-Closure Crisis.

We present a case of Acute Angle-Closure Crisis (AACC) precipitated by primary transient psychogenic polydipsia; we believe that our case is the first of its kind to be reported. A 74-year-old male presented to the emergency department with altered mental status due to acute-onset hyponatremia. Six days after admission, the patient noticed painful loss of vision in his right eye and an ipsilateral headache lasting 10-15 minutes.

Functional Characterization of an Aldol Condensation Synthase PheG for the Formation of Hispidin from Phellinus Igniarius.

Hispidin (1) is a polyphenolic compound with a wide range of pharmacological activities that is distributed in both plants and fungi. In addition to natural extraction, hispidin can be obtained by chemical or enzymatic synthesis. In this study, the identification and characterization of an undescribed enzyme, PheG, from Phellinus igniarius (P.