Incidence and Prevalence of Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Report from the Observational RECOVER-Adult Study.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may occur after infection. How often people develop ME/CFS after SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown.

Objective: To determine the incidence and prevalence of post-COVID-19 ME/CFS among adults enrolled in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study.

Representation of Hispanic Patients in Clinical Trials for Respiratory Failure: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Hispanic individuals comprise one-fifth of the U.S. population and Hispanic patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) experience higher odds of death compared with non-Hispanic White patients.

Outcomes of upfront primary tumor resection in patients with synchronous wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

This multicenter study explored the survival benefits of upfront primary tumor resection (PTR) followed by first-line cetuximab plus chemotherapy in real-world patients with wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Treatment options for mCRC include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. The efficacy of upfront PTR in managing mCRC remains unclear.

Single-nucleus transcriptomics reveals time-dependent and cell-type-specific effects of psilocybin on gene expression.

There is growing interest to investigate classic psychedelics as potential therapeutics for mental illnesses. Previous studies have demonstrated that one dose of psilocybin leads to persisting neural and behavioral changes. The durability of psilocybin's effects suggests that there are likely alterations of gene expression at the transcriptional level.

Validating Machine Learning Models Against the Saline Test Gold Standard for Primary Aldosteronism Diagnosis.

Background: In this study, we developed and validated machine learning models to predict primary aldosteronism (PA) in hypertensive East-Asian patients, comparing their performance against the traditional saline infusion test. The motivation for this development arises from the need to provide a more efficient and standardized diagnostic approach, because the saline infusion test, although considered a gold standard, is often cumbersome, is time-consuming, and lacks uniform protocols. By offering an alternative diagnostic method, this study seeks to enhance patient care through quicker and potentially more reliable PA detection.

Sex-specific associations between self-reported sleep characteristics and 10-year cardiovascular disease risk in men and women of African descent living in a low socioeconomic status environment.

Background: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sleep health are well-known to be sex- and race-specific. To build on the established relationship between sleep duration and CVD risk, this cross-sectional study aimed to describe sex-specific associations between CVD risk and other sleep characteristics (sleep quality, sleep timing and sleep onset latency) in low-income adults of African descent.

Methods: Self-reported sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]), demographic and lifestyle data were collected in 412 adults (56 % women, 35.

Associations of fire smoke and other pollutants with incident rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Objective: Determine whether pollutants such as fire smoke-related particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM) are associated with incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

Methods: This case-control study used Veterans Affairs data 10/1/2009-12/31/2018.

Low trunk muscle mass could predict severe stress urinary incontinence in Asian women.

Aim: Adequate pelvic floor support for the urethra is crucial for preventing stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Obesity is an established risk factor for SUI. This study aimed to explore the relationship between SUI and body composition, specifically focusing on muscle and fat mass.

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and adverse outcomes among vaccinated patients with tuberculosis.

Objectives: Limited data are available to assess breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, medical utilization, and mortality in patients with tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to examine the risk of COVID-19 and severe outcomes in patients with TB between January 2020 and March 2022.

Study Design: US electronic medical records were used to identify TB and non-TB patients who completed the primary series of vaccination and had no prior COVID-19.

Evaluating the Real-World Safety of Icosapent Ethyl Versus Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid in Nationwide US Veterans Cohort: Examining Atrial Fibrillation and Bleeding Endpoints.

Purpose: The REDUCE-IT randomized trial demonstrated a cardiovascular benefit of icosapent ethyl (IPE) but also raised potential safety signals for atrial fibrillation (AF) and serious bleeding. We aimed to evaluate the real-world safety of IPE versus mixed omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (OM-3) formulations.

Methods: This retrospective active comparator new-user cohort study compared rates of new-onset AF and major bleeding (MB) among adult new users of IPE versus OM-3 in 2020-2024 US Veterans Affairs data.

Digital Solutions for the Optimization of Pharmacologic Therapy for Heart Failure.

Data from large-scale, randomized, controlled trials demonstrate that contemporary treatments for heart failure (HF) can substantially improve morbidity and mortality. Despite this, observed outcomes for patients living with HF are poor, and they have not improved over time. The are many potential reasons for this important problem, but inadequate use of optimal medical therapy for patients with HF, an important component of guideline-directed medical therapy, in routine practice is a principal and modifiable contributor.

Veteran and healthcare team perspectives on the TeleWound Practice Program within the Veterans Health Administration.

Objective: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recently piloted the implementation of the TeleWound Practice Program (TWP), which provides interprofessional wound care to Veterans remotely. We assessed the perceptions of Veterans and healthcare team members (HCTMs), and their experiences with the TWP.

Method: We surveyed Veterans from four VHA medical centres who had received at least one TWP visit between 1 May 2020 and 31 May 2021, and HCTMs associated with any TWP encounter between 1 September 2019 and 31 March 2021.

Associations Between Peak Expiratory Flow and Community Mobility Loss Among Older Adults in the United States.

Background: Community mobility is a vital patient-centered outcome for older adults living in the community. These deficits in mobility are linked to social isolation, increased hospitalizations, and higher mortality rates. Impaired pulmonary function may be a modifiable risk factor for mobility decline, with existing inequities in lung health potentially contributing disproportionately to mobility loss among Black older adults.

Identifying Distinct Developmental Patterns of Brain Complexity in Autism: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Analysis Using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange.

Aim: Autistic traits exhibit neurodiversity with varying behaviors across developmental stages. Brain complexity theory, illustrating the dynamics of neural activity, may elucidate the evolution of autistic traits over time. Our study explored the patterns of brain complexity in autistic individuals from childhood to adulthood.

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Pre-Conceptional Hyperandrogenism: A Multi-Institutional Registry-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

: Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are at higher risk for pregnancy complications. The PCOS population is heterogeneous, with different phenotypes linked to varying risks of adverse outcomes. However, literature on pre-conceptional hyperandrogenism is limited and based on small sample sizes.

Recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone Enhance Mitochondrial Function and Metabolism in Aging Female Reproductive Cells.

Ovarian aging significantly impacts female fertility, with mitochondrial dysfunction emerging as a key factor. This study investigated the effects of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on mitochondrial function and metabolism in aging female reproductive cells. Human granulosa cells (HGL5) were treated with FSH/LH or not.

The Validity of a Smartphone-Based Application for Assessing Cognitive Function in the Elderly.

The early detection of individuals at risk of cognitive impairment is a clinical imperative. With the recent advancement of digital devices, smartphone application-based cognitive assessment is considered a promising tool for cognitive screening and monitoring inside and outside the clinic. This study examined whether a smartphone-based cognitive assessment, Brain OK, was valid for evaluating cognitive performance and identifying people at risk of cognitive impairment.

Use of Machine Learning to Predict the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Among Relatively Healthy Adults: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study in Taiwan.

: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, particularly in the Pacific Ocean island nations. Although machine learning (ML) models and data mining approaches have been applied to diabetes research, there was no study utilizing ML models to predict diabetes incidence in Taiwan. We aimed to predict the onset of diabetes in order to raise health awareness, thereby promoting any necessary lifestyle modifications and help mitigate disease burden.

The Potential for High-Priority Care Based on Pain Through Facial Expression Detection with Patients Experiencing Chest Pain.

Background And Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), one of the chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is defined as a cardiac and vascular disorder that includes coronary heart disease, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, and elevated blood pressure (hypertension). Having CVD increases the mortality rate. Emotional stress, an indirect indicator associated with CVD, can often manifest through facial expressions.

MicroRNA biomarkers and host response pathways in severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome due to leptospirosis: A multi-omics study.

Background: Severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome (SPHS) remains a fatal complication of leptospirosis with poorly understood mechanisms and an urgent need for effective biomarkers.

Methods: A nested case-control analysis was conducted using blood specimens from two previous Thai leptospirosis cohorts. Candidate microRNAs were initially discovered through a global profiling of 798 serum microRNAs in five SPHS and seven non-SPHS patients, and then validated using real-time polymerase chain reactions in 168 patients.

Advanced therapies in US veterans with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a retrospective, active-comparator, new-user, cohort study.

Background: Uncertainty exists regarding patient outcomes when using TNF inhibitors versus other biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). We compared survival and respiratory hospitalisation outcomes following initiation of TNF-inhibitor or non-TNF inhibitor biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD.

Methods: We did a retrospective, active-comparator, new-user, observational cohort study with propensity score matching following the target trial emulation framework using US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic and administrative health records.

A comparison of the clinicopathological features and genetic alterations in stage II/III gastric cancer with no recurrence, early recurrence and late recurrence after curative surgery.

Background: Few studies have explored the genetic changes and clinicopathological features of stage II/III gastric cancer (GC) patients with no tumor recurrence, early recurrence, or late recurrence after curative surgery.

Methods: In this study, 376 patients who underwent curative surgery for stage II/III GC were analyzed. The clinical and genetic features of patients with no recurrence, early recurrence (<2 years), and late recurrence (≥2 years) were compared.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells in Humans Exhibit Resistance to Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid (SAHA) Owing to the Diminished Level of Hsa-miR-125a-5p.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents an escalating public health challenge globally. However, drug resistance has emerged as a major impediment to successful HCC treatment, limiting the efficacy of curative interventions. Despite numerous investigations into the diverse impacts of hsa-miR-125a-5p on tumor growth across different cancer types, its specific involvement in chemotherapy resistance in HCC remains elusive.

Validating the Fluctuating Mental Status Evaluation in Neurocritically Ill Patients With Acute Stroke.

Objectives: Neurocritically ill patients are at high risk for developing delirium, which can worsen the long-term outcomes of this vulnerable population. However, existing delirium assessment tools do not account for neurologic deficits that often interfere with conventional testing and are therefore unreliable in neurocritically ill patients. We aimed to determine the accuracy and predictive validity of the Fluctuating Mental Status Evaluation (FMSE), a novel delirium screening tool developed specifically for neurocritically ill patients.