AI-assisted exposure-response data analysis: Quantifying heterogeneous causal effects of exposures on survival times.

AI-assisted data analysis can help risk analysts better understand exposure-response relationships by making it relatively easy to apply advanced statistical and machine learning methods, check their assumptions, and interpret their results. This paper demonstrates the potential of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to facilitate statistical analyses, including survival data analyses, for health risk assessments. Through AI-guided analyses using relatively recent and advanced methods such as Individual Conditional Expectation (ICE) plots using Random Survival Forests and Heterogeneous Treatment Effects (HTEs) estimated using Causal Survival Forests, population-level exposure-response functions can be disaggregated into individual-level exposure-response functions.

Cost-Effectiveness of Serum Pepsinogen as a Gastric Cancer Targeted Screening Strategy in the United States.

Background And Aims: Current gastric cancer (GC) screening modalities are invasive and expensive. Noninvasive screening for GC precursors with serum pepsinogen (PG) may improve early detection and prevention. Test characteristics of PG based on US prospective data was recently reported and used to study the cost-effectiveness of PG screening vs no screening in the US.

Recycling of Post-Consumer Waste Polystyrene Using Commercial Plastic Additives.

Photothermal conversion can promote plastic depolymerization (chemical recycling to a monomer) through light-to-heat conversion. The highly localized temperature gradient near the photothermal agent surface allows selective heating with spatial control not observed with bulk pyrolysis. However, identifying and incorporating practical photothermal agents into plastics for end-of-life depolymerization have not been realized.

Characterizing Wellness Initiatives in Academic Radiation Oncology Departments.

Purpose: Burnout is prevalent in radiation oncology (RO), and an increased focus on promoting physician wellness and formalizing wellness-directed efforts has transpired in recent years. We aimed to characterize current wellness leadership positions and efforts within academic RO departments.

Methods And Materials: Academic RO department chairs were contacted to inquire whether they had a departmental wellness leader with a request for leader contact information, if applicable.

Medical malpractice litigation following humeral fractures in the United States.

Background: The purpose of this study is to characterize malpractice claims against orthopedic surgeons treating humeral fractures and determine factors associated with plaintiff verdicts and settlements.

Methods: The Westlaw legal database was queried for all cases involving humeral fractures. Patient demographics, causes cited for litigation, case outcomes, and indemnity payments were collected to determine common factors that lead plaintiffs to pursue legal action.

Meningioma in the fourth ventricle in 2 cats.

Feline meningiomas typically arise on the surface of the brain but can occur in the third ventricle. Meningiomas in the fourth ventricle have not been reported in cats, to our knowledge. Here, we describe the clinical and pathologic findings of meningioma in the fourth ventricle in 2 cats.

Evaluation of the Effect of Loperamide on the Cardiac Repolarization Interval Using Exposure-Response Analysis.

This analysis assessed the relationship between the plasma concentrations of loperamide and its N-desmethyl loperamide meta- bolite (M1) and the potential QT interval prolongation at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses. The exposure-response analysis was performed using the data from healthy adults participating in a randomized, double-blind, single-dose, four-way (placebo; loperamide 8 mg [therapeutic]; loperamide 48 mg [supratherapeutic]; moxifloxacin 400 mg [positive control]) crossover study. The electrocardiographic measurements extracted from 12-lead digital Holter recordings were time-matched to pharmacokinetic sampling of loperamide/M1.

Erenumab in a patient with persistent headaches after subarachnoid hemorrhage: A case report of an effective treatment.

A patient with persistent refractory headaches from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was treated with monthly erenumab injections, a monoclonal antibody to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor. These injections decreased the frequency and severity of the patient's debilitating headaches from daily to once or twice per month with positive improvement in function and quality of life. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature of a patient with persistent post-subarachnoid hemorrhage headache that was successfully treated with an antibody against the CGRP receptor.

Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex: An Anatomical and Medical Illustration Study.

Recent advances in small-joint arthroscopy and cutting-edge magnetic resonance imaging systems have enabled orthopedic surgeons to perform more complex repairs of the wrist. Such repairs can include those of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) of the wrist that necessitates a reappraisal of its morphometry with special emphasis on the relationship between its articular disc (AD) and surrounding tissues. The TFCC AD is a fibrocartilaginous, biconcave structure located between the ulnar styloid process and the carpal bones of the wrist.

A Qualitative Analysis of Immigrant Latinx Housecleaners' Experiences of How Power Relations With "Employers" Influence Working Conditions in New York City: The Safe and Just Cleaners Study.

Background: Housecleaning work has been characterized as precarious employment with unstable work hours, arbitrary and low pay and benefits, and exposures to chemical, physical, and psychosocial stressors. Understanding how interpersonal power dynamics between workers and clients, a component of precarious work, contributes to work exposures can inform and improve prevention programs.

Methods: We used reflexive thematic analysis of data from seven focus groups with Latinx immigrant housecleaners in New York City to explore workers' experience of interpersonal power dynamics with their clients-whom they referred to as their "employers"-and its influences on working conditions.

The efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency ablation of the dorsal root ganglion in the setting of failed spinal neuromodulation: A case report.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an interventional procedure that has been used to treat chronic back pain for over 50 years; this unique case report demonstrates the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in the treatment of chronic radicular pain (Russo et al., 2021, J Pain Res, 14, 3897). The RFA provides pain relief by using thermal energy to disrupt peripheral nerves carrying nociceptive signals back to the central nervous system (Abd-Elsayed et al.

Precision in Liver Diagnosis: Varied Accuracy Across Subgroups and the Need for Variable Thresholds in Diagnosis of MASLD.

Background And Aims: The performance of non-invasive liver tests (NITs) is known to vary across settings and subgroups. We systematically evaluated whether the performance of three NITs in detecting advanced fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) varies with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status or liver enzymes.

Methods: Data from 586 adult LITMUS Metacohort participants with histologically characterised MASLD were included.

Likes and Hashtags: Exploring the Potential Relationship Between Social Media use and the Emotional Wellbeing of Oncology Professionals.

Purpose: To explore the potential relationship between social media (SoMe) and burnout or overall wellbeing within the field of oncology.

Design: A cross-sectional study of adult and pediatric oncology professionals conducted using an anonymous electronic survey. The survey was disseminated through the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and the SWOG Cancer Research Network (SWOG) member listservs.

Improving the Effectiveness of Sample Size Re-Estimation: An Operating Characteristic Focused, Hybrid Frequentist-Bayesian Approach.

Sample size re-estimation (SSR) is perhaps the most used adaptive procedure in both frequentist and Bayesian adaptive designs for clinical trials. The primary focus of all current frequentist and Bayesian SSR procedures is type I error control. We propose a hybrid frequentist-Bayesian SSR approach that focuses on optimizing operating characteristics (OC), which uses simulations to investigate the associated OC and adjusts accordingly.

Treatment with a superoxide dismutase mimetic for joint preservation during 35 and 75 days in orbit aboard the international space station, and after 120 days recovery on Earth.

Reduced weight-bearing during spaceflight has been associated with musculoskeletal degradation that risks astronaut health and performance in transit and upon reaching deep space destinations. Previous rodent experiments aboard the international space station (ISS) have identified that the spaceflight-induced molecular arthritic phenotype was characterized with an increase in oxidative stress. This study evaluated if treatment with a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic on orbit could prevent spaceflight-induced damage to the knee and hip articular cartilage, and the menisci in rodents.

Empathy and helping: the role of affect in response to others' suffering.

Decades of research hold that empathy is a multifaceted construct. A related challenge in empathy research is to describe how each subcomponent of empathy uniquely contributes to social outcomes. Here, we examined distinct mechanisms through which different components of empathy-Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Personal Distress-may relate to prosociality.

Trends in Neurosurgeons Signing Medicare Opt-Out Affidavits.

Objective: In recent decades, many physicians have chosen to opt out of Medicare, allowing them to set their own pricing models for their patients. Characterization of Medicare opt-outs has not been thoroughly studied in any surgical specialty, including Neurosurgery. Our study characterizes the factors that may influence a neurosurgeon's decision to opt out of Medicare acceptance and contextualizes them both within the field and across various surgical specialties.

Effect of surface roughness on the efficacy of Plasma Activated Mist (PAM) for inactivation of Listeria innocua and Klebsiella michiganensis.

Cold plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and DBD combined with nebulized liquid microdroplets to generate plasma-activated mist (PAM) have shown the potential as a surface decontamination method for the food industry. The objective of this research was to measure the microbial inactivation caused by DBD and by PAM on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and on glass slides and to determine the efficacy of PAM on selected surfaces having different surface topographies. Tryptic soy agar in Petri dishes and on glass slides (surface roughness Pq = 0.

Human Metapneumovirus: an emerging respiratory pathogen and the urgent need for improved Diagnostics, surveillance, and vaccine development.

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a re-emerging respiratory pathogen causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. First identified in 2001, HMPV has since been recognised as a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) worldwide. Its transmission occurs through droplets, direct contact, and surface contamination, with crowded spaces and healthcare facilities serving as key environmental amplifiers.

Interferon-Stimulated Genes and Immune Metabolites as Broad-Spectrum Biomarkers for Viral Infections.

The type I interferon (IFN-I) response is a critical component of the immune defense against various viral pathogens, triggering the expression of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These ISGs encode proteins with diverse antiviral functions, targeting various stages of viral replication and restricting infection spread. Beyond their antiviral functions, ISGs and associated immune metabolites have emerged as promising broad-spectrum biomarkers that can differentiate viral infections from other conditions.

Plant Compounds Inhibit the Growth of W12 Cervical Precancer Cells Containing Episomal or Integrant HPV DNA; Tanshinone IIA Synergizes with Curcumin in Cervical Cancer Cells.

This study explores the effects of plant compounds on human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced W12 cervical precancer cells and bioelectric signaling. The aim is to identify effective phytochemicals, both individually and in combination, that can prevent and treat HPV infection and HPV associated cervical cancer. Phytochemicals were tested using growth inhibition, combination, gene expression, RT PCR, and molecular docking assays.

Enhancing the Solubility of Co-Formulated Hydrophobic Drugs by Incorporating Functionalized Nano-Structured Poly Lactic--glycolic Acid (PLGA) During Co-Precipitation.

: The co-formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a growing strategy in biopharmaceutical development, particularly when it comes to improving solubility and bioavailability. This study explores a co-precipitation method to prepare co-formulated crystals of griseofulvin (GF) and dexamethasone (DXM), utilizing nanostructured, functionalized polylactic glycolic acid (PLGA) as a solubility enhancer. : An antisolvent precipitation technique was employed to incorporate PLGA at a 3% concentration into the co-formulated GF and DXM, referred to as DXM-GF-PLGA.