Analysis of participant race and sex reporting and disparities in US epilepsy clinical trials.

Objective: Studies have shown that a growing number of people with epilepsy belong to minority groups and experience health disparities. Inclusivity in clinical trial enrollment is essential for advancing health access but has not been well studied among epilepsy trials. The objective of this study was to analyze US epilepsy clinical trials to identify the prevalence and trends associated with race and sex enrollment disparities.

Algae a Potential Source in Cosmetics: Current Status, Challenges, and Economic Implications.

Recently, many studies have revealed the association between environmental stresses and skin disorders. Skin protects the inner body organs as a first line of defence against various environmental detriments. The physical, chemical, biological, and environmental stresses and internal factors, including reactive oxygen species, can lead to skin aging, laxity, wrinkles, dryness, and coarse texture.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses in Monozygotic and Dizygotic Twins.

Monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are studied to understand genetic and environmental influences on complex traits, however the mechanisms behind twinning are not completely understood. (Epi)genomic studies identified SNPs associated with DZ twinning and DNA methylation sites with MZ twinning. To find molecular biomarkers of twinning, we compared transcriptomics and metabolomics data from MZ and DZ twins.

Peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion and maintenance.

The treatment of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD with peritoneal dialysis (PD) continues to increase. Timely initiation of PD is dependent on successful PD catheter placement, which can be performed using open or laparoscopic surgical or percutaneous techniques. Dialysis access surgeons who incorporate PD catheter insertion in their practice can uniquely offer comprehensive access services to their patients.

Smooth muscle cell-specific CD47 deletion suppresses atherosclerosis.

Background: Recent smooth muscle cell (SMC)-lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) experiments revealed a significant role of SMC-derived cells in atherosclerosis development. Further, thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), a matricellular protein, and activation of its receptor cluster of differentiation (CD) 47 have been linked with atherosclerosis. However, the role of vascular SMC TSP1-CD47 signaling in regulating VSMC phenotype and atherogenesis remains unknown.

Relationship between medication regimen complexity and pharmacist engagement in fluid stewardship.

Disclaimer: In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

Identification of a distinctive immunogenomic gene signature in stage-matched colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, accurate clinical markers are still lacking. The development of prognostic and predictive indicators, particularly in the context of personalized medicine, could significantly improve CRC patient management.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD): Insights from human clinical studies and the mouse AD models.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a debilitating neurocognitive disorder with an unclear underlying mechanism. Recent studies have implicated gut microbiota dysbiosis with the onset and progression of AD. The connection between gut microbiota and AD can significantly affect the prevention and treatment of AD patients.

Mechanisms governing bystander activation of T cells.

The immune system is endowed with the capacity to distinguish between self and non-self, so-called immune tolerance or "consciousness of the immune system." This type of awareness is designed to achieve host protection by eliminating cells expressing a wide range of non-self antigens including microbial-derived peptides. Such a successful immune response is associated with the secretion of a whole spectrum of soluble mediators, e.

Cellular senescence as a key contributor to secondary neurodegeneration in traumatic brain injury and stroke.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke pose major health challenges, impacting millions of individuals globally. Once considered solely acute events, these neurological conditions are now recognized as enduring pathological processes with long-term consequences, including an increased susceptibility to neurodegeneration. However, effective strategies to counteract their devastating consequences are still lacking.

SAGES guidelines for the management of comorbidities relevant to metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Background: Patients who are under consideration for or have undergone metabolic and bariatric surgery frequently have comorbid medical conditions that may make their perioperative care more complex. These recommendations address routine intraoperative cholangiography in patients with bypass-type anatomy, the management of reflux disease after sleeve gastrectomy, and the optimal bariatric procedure for patients with comorbid inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted including studies published from 1990 to 2022 to address these questions.

Routine Capsular Closure Outperforms Incomplete Capsular Closure After Hip Arthroscopy: A Meta-analysis and Expected-Value Decision Analysis.

Purpose: To determine the optimal treatment decision for capsular management after primary hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

Methods: An expected-value decision analysis was performed (1) organizing the decision problem, (2) determining outcome probabilities, (3) determining outcome utilities, (4) performing fold-back analyses, and (5) performing sensitivity analyses. A decision tree was constructed (complete capsule closure vs incomplete closure) and a meta-analysis was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework, a systematic review was conducted to determine outcome probabilities.

Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmia With Apical Biventricular Noncompaction.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) arising from the right ventricle outflow tract is the most common cause of VT in children with a structurally normal heart. It often presents as a monomorphic VT that is usually amenable to ablation during an electrophysiology (EP) study. VT in children is typically idiopathic and benign but carries a risk for the degeneration of the arrhythmia into ventricular fibrillation or can result in sudden cardiac death.

Allostatic Load, Educational Attainment, and Risk of Cancer Mortality Among US Men.

Importance: Health disparities among racial and ethnic minoritized populations, particularly for cancer mortality rates, remain a major public health concern. Men from underrepresented backgrounds (Black and Hispanic men, specifically) face the pervasive effects of discrimination in their daily lives, which also contribute to the complex associations among allostatic load (a marker of chronic stress), educational opportunities, and elevated risks of cancer mortality.

Objective: To elucidate the associations among educational attainment, allostatic load, and cancer mortality risk among men.

Quality measures for the care of patients with insomnia: 2024 update after measure maintenance.

Insomnia is highly prevalent and is one of the most common sleep disorders amongst adults and children in the US. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) convened the Quality Measures Task Force (Task Force) to perform maintenance on this quality measure set, developed to optimize management and care for patients with insomnia, as the measure set was originally developed and published in 2015. The Task Force reviewed the current medical literature, including updated clinical practice guidelines and systematic literature reviews, existing quality measures, and performance data highlighting gaps or variations in care since implementation of the original quality measure set to inform any potential revisions to the quality measures.

Bullous Symmetric Drug-Related Intertriginous and Flexural Exanthem Secondary to Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole.

Symmetric drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthem (SDRIFE) is a rare delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction that is considered a variant of systemic allergic contact dermatitis. It is typically triggered by drugs such as beta-lactam antibiotics or antihypertensives. The reaction presents as erythema with flexural prominence.

Therapeutic Clinical Trial Eligibility and Enrollment among Women with Breast Cancer: Implications for Understanding Trial Disparities.

Introduction: Therapeutic clinical trials frequently lack diverse representation, hindering generalizability and exacerbating preexisting disparities in clinical outcomes. This study explored associations between breast cancer patient demographics, clinical trial eligibility, and enrollment in a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center.

Patients And Methods: This prospective cohort study included patients with breast cancer screened for therapeutic clinical trials from July 2020 to January 2024.

Chronic inflammation and vascular cell plasticity in atherosclerosis.

Vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and macrophages undergo phenotypic conversions throughout atherosclerosis progression, both as a consequence of chronic inflammation and as subsequent drivers of it. The inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis has been catapulted to the forefront of cardiovascular research as clinical trials have shown that anti-inflammatory therapy reduces adverse cardiovascular events. However, no current therapies have been specifically designed to target the phenotype of plaque cells.

Verruciform Xanthoma Presenting Within an Ear Piercing.

Verruciform xanthomas are rare lesions affecting 0.025-0.5% of the population.