Sex Differences in Long COVID.

Importance: A substantial number of individuals worldwide experience long COVID, or post-COVID condition. Other postviral and autoimmune conditions have a female predominance, but whether the same is true for long COVID, especially within different subgroups, is uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the risk of developing long COVID among adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The association between pain, analgesia, and delirium among critically ill adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis examining the relationship between pain or pain medications and delirium occurence, duration, and severity.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to May 15, 2023. We included randomised or observational studies among critically ill adults, that reported data on pain or exposure to analgesics, and reported delirium presence, duration, or severity with no language or region restrictions.

Factors Associated with Corneal Hysteresis in an Elderly White Population: The Thessaloniki Eye Study.

Prcis: In 801 participants, corneal hysteresis (CH) was positively associated with female gender and central corneal thickness, and negatively with age and axial length. Diabetes showed no significant association with CH in the adjusted models.

Purpose: To provide values of corneal hysteresis (CH) in an elderly, healthy Greek population and to investigate its association with demographic, ocular, and systemic factors.

Immunogenicity of the 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine: Post hoc analysis from five phase 3 studies.

Post hoc analyses of 9-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV) vaccine immunogenicity were conducted in five Phase 3 studies that enrolled males. Month 7 antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) after three 9vHPV vaccine doses were analyzed in 10,024 males/females aged 16-26 years from studies 001 (NCT00543543), 002 (NCT00943722), 003 (NCT01651949), and 020 (NCT02114385). Covariates considered were age, gender, sexual orientation, region of residence, and race.

A Novel Polarized Light Microscope for the Examination of Birefringent Crystals in Synovial Fluid.

Background: The gold standard for crystal arthritis diagnosis relies on the identification of either monosodium urate (MSU) or calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in synovial fluid. With the goal of enhanced crystal detection, we adapted a standard compensated polarized light microscope (CPLM) with a polarized digital camera and multi-focal depth imaging capabilities to create digital images from synovial fluid mounted on microscope slides. Using this single-shot computational polarized light microscopy (SCPLM) method, we compared rates of crystal detection and raters' preference for image.

Cardiovascular and thromboembolic outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors in gastroesophageal cancer: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and thromboembolic events. However, the incidence of cardiovascular and thromboembolic events associated with ICIs in gastroesophageal cancers is unknown.

Methods: We performed a propensity score-matched cohort study using the TriNetX Analytics Network database, which comprises de-identified data from over 130 participating healthcare institutions.

Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons guidelines development: patient engagement update to standard operating procedure.

Introduction: The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Guidelines Committee develops evidence-based surgical guidelines. Involvement of patient partners is important to ensure patient concerns and values are adequately addressed and incorporated. This standard operating procedure (SOP) for the process of patient partner involvement within the guidelines is described here.

Durability of response of UGN-101: Longitudinal follow up of multicenter study.

Purpose: UGN-101, a reverse thermal mitomycin gel for upper tract instillation, recently became the first FDA approved treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). However, the durability of UGN-101 treatment has not been well described. Here we present long term outcomes from our multi-institutional cohort for patients who initially responded to treatment.

Evaluation of AI-based auto-contouring tools in radiotherapy: A single-institution study.

Background: Accurate delineation of organs at risk (OARs) is crucial yet time-consuming in the radiotherapy treatment planning workflow. Modern artificial intelligence (AI) technologies had made automation of OAR contouring feasible. This report details a single institution's experience in evaluating two commercial auto-contouring software tools and making well-informed decisions about their clinical adoption.

How I Do It: Management of Pleural-attached Pulmonary Nodules in Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. In various trials, the ability of low-dose CT screening to diagnose early lung cancers leads to high cure rates. It is widely accepted that the potential benefits of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer outweigh the harms.

Rome Foundation Working Team Report: Consensus Statement on the Design and Conduct of Behavioural Clinical Trials for Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction.

Background: Brain-gut behaviour therapies (BGBT) have gained widespread acceptance as therapeutic modalities for the management of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). However, existing treatment evaluation methods in the medical field fail to capture the specific elements of scientific rigour unique to behavioural trial evaluation.

Aims: To offer the first consensus on the development and testing of BGBT in DGBI.

An Unusual Approach to Diagnosing Stump Appendicitis Using Colonoscopy.

Stump appendicitis is a known post-appendectomy entity causing right lower quadrant abdominal pain. Usually, a patient with a prior history of appendectomy presents to the emergency room with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and stump appendicitis, which is visualized on computed tomography of the abdomen pelvis. We report a case of stump appendicitis diagnosed by colonoscopy and subsequently confirmed by surgery.

Understanding Predictors of Crohn's Disease: Determinants of Altered Barrier Function in Pre-Disease Phase of Crohn's Disease.

The pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) remains unknown. The current working theory is that genetic susceptibility influences host-microbe interactions, resulting in chronic inflammation. Case-control studies fail to explain the triggers or pathogenesis of the disease, notably due to confounding factors in patients with established disease.

Heterogeneity and therapeutic implications of cancer-associated fibroblasts in lung cancer: Recent advances and future perspectives.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The tumor microenvironment is a complex and heterogeneous cellular environment surrounding tumor cells, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), blood vessels, immune cells, the extracellular matrix, and various cytokines secreted by cells. CAFs are highly heterogeneous and play crucial roles in lung cancer.

DISCOntinuation of disease-modifying therapies in MS: The DISCOMS extension trial.

Background: In the DISCOMS (DISCOntinuation of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS)) randomized clinical trial, we could not demonstrate that discontinuing MS DMTs in older, stable adults was not inferior to continuing DMTs. Relapses were rare in both groups, and most new disease activity was one to two new brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions unassociated with clinical changes.

Objective/aims: Describe results of the DISCOMS extension study.

Epidemiology of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Greece: A 2-Year Single-Centre Study.

Background: The epidemiology of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in Greece remains poorly reported and outdated.

Objectives: We therefore conducted a 2-year retrospective survey to assess the epidemiological aspects of the infection among symptomatic Greek patients.

Patients/methods: High vaginal swab samples were collected from adult women with clinically suspected VVC attending a private diagnostic laboratory in Athens.

Predicting survival in patients with severe heart failure: Risk score validation in the HELP-HF cohort.

Aims: Accurate selection of patients with severe heart failure (HF) who might benefit from advanced therapies is crucial. The present study investigates the performance of the available risk scores aimed at predicting the risk of mortality in patients with severe HF.

Methods And Results: The risk of 1-year mortality was estimated in patients with severe HF enrolled in the HELP-HF cohort according to the MAGGIC, 3-CHF, ADHF/NT-proBNP, and GWTG-HF risk scores, the number of criteria of the 2018 HFA-ESC definition of advanced HF, I NEED HELP markers, domains fulfilled of the 2019 HFA-ESC definition of frailty, the frailty index, and the INTERMACS profile.

Systematic ocular phenotyping of 8,707 knockout mouse lines identifies genes associated with abnormal corneal phenotypes.

Purpose: Corneal dysmorphologies (CDs) are typically classified as either regressive degenerative corneal dystrophies (CDtrs) or defective growth and differentiation-driven corneal dysplasias (CDyps). Both eye disorders have multifactorial etiologies. While previous work has elucidated many aspects of CDs, such as presenting symptoms, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, the genetic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Real-world evaluation of the accuracy of the Viz.AI automated intracranial hemorrhage volume calculation tool.

Background: Appropriate management of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) requires rapid, accurate volume estimation. Viz.AI has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ICH calculation tool that may improve existing methods.

Cluster randomised controlled trial on the effects of long-term home-based exercise for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with recent exacerbation: research protocol of the Project.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent respiratory disease associated with significant health decline and economic burdens. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention, but securing adherence to exercise is difficult, particularly for frail and disabled patients, challenged by leaving their home. Home-based exercise is an emerging alternative for persons with COPD, but long-term adherence is unclear.

Postoperative delirium under general anaesthesia by remimazolam versus propofol: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Remimazolam, an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, has similar clinical effects to propofol for sedation in general anaesthesia. However, it remains uncertain whether remimazolam could increase postoperative delirium (POD) compared with propofol.

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to compare the incidence of POD between remimazolam and propofol as sedative agents in general anaesthesia.

Molecular detection of trypanosomatids among cave-dwelling bats from Colombia.

Bats play crucial roles in various ecosystems including caves. Although the presence of trypanosomatid species in bats has been documented in Colombia, their diversity in cave-dwelling bats remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize the frequency and diversity of protists from the family Trypanosomatidae circulating in bats from the Macaregua cave ecosystem in Santander, Colombia.

Performance of the pooled cohort equations and D:A:D risk scores among individuals with HIV in a global cardiovascular disease prevention trial: a cohort study leveraging data from REPRIEVE.

Background: Risk estimation is an essential component of cardiovascular disease prevention among people with HIV. We aimed to characterise how well atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk scores used in clinical guidelines perform among people with HIV globally.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study leveraging REPRIEVE data, we included participants aged 40-75 years, with low-to-moderate traditional cardiovascular risk, not taking statin therapy.