Non-Operative Management of Cholecystitis in Pregnant Patients Remains Common.

Cholecystectomy is the recommended treatment for acute cholecystitis in pregnancy, leading to fewer pregnancy-related complications than non-operative management. However, past research demonstrated high rates of non-operative management despite these recommendations. Rates of cholecystostomy tube usage and outcomes in pregnancy are not well described.

Population-Based Analysis of Late Outcomes of Mitral Valve Repair for Degenerative Mitral Valve Regurgitation.

Background: Population-based analyses may reduce uncertainty related to referral bias and/or incomplete follow-up.

Objectives: This study analyzed long-term mortality and durability of mitral valve repair in a geographically defined population with clinical and echocardiographic follow-up.

Methods: We used the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify 153 Olmsted County patients who underwent mitral valve repair for degenerative regurgitation from 1993 to 2018.

Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Among Attendees From a Large Health Care System During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Background: Few studies have evaluated home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) during the pandemic, compared to prepandemic center-based CR (CBCR), with respect to patient characteristics, participation rates, and its efficacy on clinical metrics, health-related quality of life (QoL), and modifiable risk factors.

Objectives: We aimed to describe patient characteristics and participation rates for those attending HBCR compared to patients who attended CBCR and compare the effects of HBCR vs CBCR on clinical metrics, health-related QoL, and modifiable risk factors in CR patients pre vs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study comparing 511 HBCR patients and 765 CBCR patients from the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Promotion of Cardiovascular Health in Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel.

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide.

Manipulation of mitochondrial poly(A) polymerase family proteins in impacts mRNA termini processing.

RNA-specific nucleotidyltransferases (rNTrs) add nontemplated nucleotides to the 3 end of RNA. Two noncanonical rNTRs that are thought to be poly(A) polymerases (PAPs) have been identified in the mitochondria of trypanosomes - KPAP1 and KPAP2. KPAP1 is the primary polymerase that adds adenines (As) to trypanosome mitochondrial mRNA 3 tails, while KPAP2 is a non-essential putative polymerase whose role in the mitochondria is ambiguous.

Recommended Opioid Receptor Tool Compounds: Comparative for Receptor Selectivity Profiles and for Pharmacological Antinociceptive Profiles.

Opioid agonist ligands bind opioid receptors and stimulate downstream signaling cascades for various biological processes including pain and reward. Historically, before cloning the receptors, muscle contraction assays using isolated organ tissues were used followed by radiolabel ligand binding assays on native tissues. Upon cloning of the opioid G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), cell assays using transfected opioid receptor DNA plasmids became the standard practice including S-GTPγS functional and cAMP based assays.

Osseointegration and fixation opportunities of sacroiliac instrumentation: a preclinical evaluation in a large animal model.

Background: Implant fixation is often the cornerstone of musculoskeletal surgical procedures performed to provide bony fixation and/or fusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different design features and manufacturing methods influence implant osseointegration and mechanical properties associated with fixation in a standardized model in cancellous bone of adult sheep.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of three titanium alloy implants: (A) iFuse-TORQ implant; (B) Fenestrated Sacroiliac Device; and (C) Standard Cancellous Bone Screw in the cancellous bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia in 8 sheep.

Increased usage of doxycycline for young children with Lyme disease.

Background: The 2018 Infectious Disease Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that up to 3 weeks or less of doxycycline is safe in children of all ages. Our goal was to examine trends in doxycycline treatment for children with Lyme disease.

Methods: We assembled a prospective cohort of children aged 1 to 21 years with Lyme disease who presented to one of eight participating Pedi Lyme Net centers between 2015 and 2023.

A Case of Atraumatic Splenic Rupture Due to T-Cell/Histiocyte-Rich Large B-Cell Lymphoma and a Potential Role for Massive Transfusion Protocol.

Splenic rupture leads to massive hemorrhage and requires immediate surgical intervention. Splenic rupture results from trauma or from underlying disease processes. Lymphoma is a rare cause of atraumatic splenic rupture (ASR) with high mortality rates.

The Two Sides of Placebo Analgesia: Differential Functional Connectivity Reveals Mechanisms of Placebo Analgesic Response.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that placebo induction manipulations can reduce an individual's pain through non-specific mechanisms, such as expectancy manipulations. However, despite robust research characterizing these effects, individual differences in predicting placebo analgesic responses are not well understood.

Methods: Fifty-four healthy pain-free adults over 18 (M=22.

Brain aging rejuvenation factors in adults with genetic and sporadic neurodegenerative disease.

The largest risk factor for dementia is age. Heterochronic blood exchange studies have uncovered age-related blood factors that demonstrate 'pro-aging' or 'pro-youthful' effects on the mouse brain. The clinical relevance and combined effects of these factors for humans is unclear.

Participation in mainstream community groups by older United States adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A multiple case study.

Background: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities want to be included in all aspects of community life, but social inclusion continues to be very limited.

Method: We used a qualitative multiple case study to describe the experiences and perspectives of four older workers or retirees with intellectual and developmental disabilities aged 45 to 63 who each participated in a different socially inclusive community group.

Results: Three themes emerged: finding a good match; support for participation; and the outcomes of participating in a mainstream community group.

Interdisciplinarity and self-injury: Toward an inclusive research and treatment paradigm.

Background: Historically, the research and treatment of self-injury has been disciplinarily siloed. As a result, the behaviour is understood and treated differently among individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. We explore the potential for an interdisciplinary research and practice agenda in self-injury.

Fine particulate matter from burning oil and gas and associated neurological symptoms among Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup workers.

Burning and flaring of oil and gas following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill generated high airborne concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM). Neurological effects of PM have been previously reported, but this relationship has received limited attention in the context of oil spills. We evaluated associations between burning-related PM and prevalence of self-reported neurological symptoms during, and 1-3 years after, the DWH disaster cleanup.

Neurobiological fingerprints of negative symptoms in schizophrenia identified by connectome-based modeling.

Aim: As a central component of schizophrenia psychopathology, negative symptoms result in detrimental effects on long-term functional prognosis. However, the neurobiological mechanism underlying negative symptoms remains poorly understood, which limits the development of novel treatment interventions. This study aimed to identify the specific neural fingerprints of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Hand dominance shift during sleep in sexsomnia: a clue to pathophysiology?

Study Objectives: To elucidate whether awake handedness in sexsomnia is retained during sleep to uncover potential clues about the underlying neurophysiologic mechanisms.

Methods: Participants' and observers' self-reported handedness during sexsomnia events.

Results: Case 1: A 22 y/o right-handed female with an eight-year history of nocturnal sleep-related masturbatory behavior (SMB) involving the left hand (LH) exclusively.

An Expert Consensus Statement for Implementing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares in Adults.

Objectives: Research supports cognitive behavioral therapies for nightmares (CBT-N) in adults. However, the nuances of implementation and unstandardized nomenclature for treatment components has created confusion in the field. To provide clarification, an expert consensus panel convened to review treatment manual components and to develop guidelines for the standardized implementation and terminology of CBT-N.

The intermetacarpal distance method for assessment of active thumb radial abduction has excellent test-retest agreement, reliability, and precision in persons with non-operative thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.

Background: Limitations in thumb radial abduction (i.e., carpometacarpal extension) are commonly experienced by persons with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.

Heavy Medicine: The Need for Ethical Stewardship of Metal and Metalloid-based Medicines and Technologies.

Metals and metalloids including cobalt, gadolinium, lutetium and germanium are used in numerous medical applications spanning diverse specialities including orthopedics, radiology, oncology and healthcare artificial intelligence. These medical advances include cobalt containing orthopedic implants, gadolinium-based contrast agents, lutetium-containing cancer drugs and germanium-based semiconductors. While these metal and metalloid-based solutions do improve patient care, there is a heavy side to how the elements needed for these solutions are mined, extracted and discarded.

Practices and perspectives of genetic counselors about high-risk pancreatic cancer screening: A cross-sectional survey study.

Surveillance of individuals at high-risk of pancreatic cancer using CAPS criteria and other expert consensus guidelines may result in earlier pancreatic cancer detection in some cases; therefore, clinicians are responsible for appropriately identifying and referring these individuals to appropriate high-risk pancreas cancer screening programs. This study aimed at assessing the perspective, knowledge, and clinical practices of cancer genetic counselors surveyed nationwide towards identification of individuals at high-risk of pancreatic cancer and utilization of high-risk pancreatic cancer screening programs. One hundred and eighty-nine genetic counselors who listed "Cancer" as their specialty on the NSGC website responded to the survey, which consisted of multiple practice-based, knowledge-based, and clinical vignette-based questions.

Epidemiology of Antisynthetase Syndrome and Risk of Malignancy in a Population-based Cohort (1998-2019).

Objective: Population-based epidemiology studies about antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) are lacking. Our aims were to determine the incidence and prevalence of ASSD and assess malignancy risk among patients following ASSD diagnosis.

Methods: A retrospective, population-based cohort of adults with incident ASSD residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 1998-2019 was assembled.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Scleroderma Skin Questionnaire: A Novel Patient Reported Outcome for Skin Disease in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Scleroderma Skin Questionnaire (SSQ), a novel patient-reported outcome (PRO) to assess systemic sclerosis (SSc) related skin symptoms.

Methods: The SSQ was administered to 799 adults (mean age 52.7; 82% female) enrolled in the SSc Collaborative National Quality and Efficacy Registry (CONQUER).

BiomedRAG: A retrieval augmented large language model for biomedicine.

Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) involves a solution by retrieving knowledge from an established database to enhance the performance of large language models (LLM). , these models retrieve information at the sentence or paragraph level, potentially introducing noise and affecting the generation quality. To address these issues, we propose a novel BiomedRAG framework that directly feeds automatically retrieved chunk-based documents into the LLM.