Evaluating Bone Fracture Healing in a Rabbit Model Using Doppler Imaging Modes, Shear Wave Elastography, X-Ray, and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.

Objective: This study investigated methods of evaluating the bone fracture healing process using superb microvascular imaging (SMI; two modes color SMI [cSMI] and monochromeSMI [mSMI]), and shear wave elastography (SWE), relative to X-ray, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) also know as cluster of differentiation 31 (CD-31) staining in a rabbit model.

Methods: This IACUC-approved study involved eight rabbits that underwent a bilateral fibula osteotomy and were followed for 7 or 21 days (Groups 1 and 2 with 4 rabbits in each). Ultrasound examinations using cSMI, mSMI, and SWE were performed on Days 0, 4, 7, 14, and 21 post-surgery.

A Case Study of a Female Infant With Primary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy Demonstrates That Early Initiation of Celecoxib Slows but Does Not Prevent Symptom Progression.

Primary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy (PHOAR1) is characterized by autosomal recessive loss of function variants in 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (HPGD) leading to digital clubbing, periostosis, pachydermia, and severe hyperhidrosis. HPGD catalyzes the first step of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) degradation. Selective COX-2 inhibitors have proved beneficial in adults, though it is unknown if early initiation of COX-2 inhibitors can alter the natural history of PHOAR1.

Early Cold Stored Platelet Transfusion Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To determine the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of cold stored compared to room temperature platelet transfusion in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Summary Background Data: Data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of cold stored platelet transfusion are lacking following traumatic brain injury.

Methods: A phase 2, randomized, open label, clinical trial was performed at a single U.

PET, SPECT, and MRI imaging for evaluation of Parkinson's disease.

This review assesses the primary neuroimaging techniques used to evaluate Parkinson's disease (PD) - a neurological condition characterized by gradual dopamine-producing nerve cell degeneration. The neuroimaging techniques explored include positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These modalities offer varying degrees of insights into PD pathophysiology, diagnostic accuracy, specificity by way of exclusion of other Parkinsonian syndromes, and monitoring of disease progression.

An Updated Demographic Profile of Orthopaedic Surgery Using a New ABOS Data Set.

Introduction: The orthopaedic surgery physician workforce is predominately White and male and has been identified as the least diverse medical specialty. Increasing efforts toward diversification within orthopaedic surgery are underway. Evaluating the effectiveness of these programs requires a thorough understanding of the current demographic profile of the profession.

Recent advances in deep learning and language models for studying the microbiome.

Recent advancements in deep learning, particularly large language models (LLMs), made a significant impact on how researchers study microbiome and metagenomics data. Microbial protein and genomic sequences, like natural languages, form a , enabling the adoption of LLMs to extract useful insights from complex microbial ecologies. In this paper, we review applications of deep learning and language models in analyzing microbiome and metagenomics data.

Wildland fire entrainment: The missing link between wildland fire and its environment.

Wildfires are growing in destructive power, and accurately predicting the spread and intensity of wildland fire is essential for managing ecological and societal impacts. No current operational models used for fire behavior prediction resolve critical fire-atmospheric coupling or nonlocal influences of the fire environment, rendering them inadequate in accounting for the range of wildland fire behavior scenarios under increasingly novel fuel and climate conditions. Here, we present a new perspective on a dominant fire-atmospheric feedback mechanism, which we term wildland fire entrainment (WFE).

Microfluidic organ-on-chip systems for periodontal research: advances and future directions.

Advances in tissue engineering and microfluidic technologies have enabled the development of sophisticated models known as organ-on-a-chip (OoC) or microphysiological systems. These systems enable to potential to simulate the dynamic interactions between host tissues and their microenvironment including microbes, biomaterials, mechanical forces, pharmaceutical, and consumer-care products. These fluidic technologies are increasingly being utilized to investigate host-microbe and host-material interactions in oral health and disease.

A Rare Case of Colorectal Cancer With Delayed Metastasis to the Duodenum.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a significant global health issue contributing to a high mortality rate. Despite advancements in treatment, the risk of recurrence remains due to inherent mutations and the rapid turnover of intestinal mucosa. We present an exceptionally rare case of CRC metastasis to the duodenum in a 42-year-old female who has been compliant with postsurgical surveillance.

Multi-Institutional Comparison of Quality of Life Between Open Versus Endoscopic Skull Base Approaches.

Objectives: The primary objective of this prospective review was to compare quality of life between patients undergoing endoscopic and open skull base approaches.

Study Type And Design: Prospective Review.

Methods: Five centers recruited consecutive patients treated surgically for skull base neoplasms between 2012 to 2018.

Chatbot-delivered mental health support: Attitudes and utilization in a sample of U.S. college students.

Objective: Chatbots' rapid advancements raise the possibility that they can be used to deliver mental health support. However, public utilization of and opinions toward chatbots for mental health support are poorly understood.

Methods: Survey study of 428 U.

Impact and Recovery of VHA Epilepsy Care Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE) is a network of facilities within the Veterans Health Administration that evaluates and treats veterans with epilepsy and seizure disorders. This article outlines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted ECoE services and recovery.

Methods: Directors of 17 ECoEs were surveyed 4 times between May 2020 and July 2022 on 5 domains: functioning of outpatient epilepsy clinics, outpatient electroencephalogram, epilepsy monitoring unit, anticipated permanent operational changes, and utility of national and local recommendations.

The topography of nullomer-emerging mutations and their relevance to human disease.

Nullomers are short DNA sequences (11-18 base pairs) that are absent from a genome; however, they can emerge due to mutations. Here, we characterize all possible putative human nullomer-emerging single base pair mutations, population variants and disease-causing mutations. We find that the primary determinants of nullomer emergence in the human genome are the presence of CpG dinucleotides and methylated cytosines.

The Influence of Migration Timing and Local Conditions on Reproductive Timing in Arctic-Breeding Birds.

For birds breeding in the Arctic, nest success is affected by the timing of nest initiation, which is partially determined by local conditions such as snow cover. However, conditions during the non-breeding season can carry over to affect the timing of breeding. We used tracking and breeding data from 248 individuals of 8 species and subspecies of Arctic-breeding shorebirds to estimate how the timing of nest initiation is related to local conditions like snowmelt phenology versus prior conditions, measured by the timing and speed of migration.

Age-Friendly Health Systems Transformation: A Whole Person Approach to Support the Well-Being of Older Adults.

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) adopted the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) framework in March 2020, an initiative that complements whole health core principles. The shift from disease-based treatment to what matters most to veterans helps them improve their health and well-being.

Observations: Whole health and AFHS focus on holistic patient-centered care that aims to enhance the overall health and well-being of patients.

Epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation during oncogenic -herpesvirus infection.

Oncogenic gamma herpesviruses, including Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV), are opportunistic cancer-causing viruses and induces oncogenesis through complex mechanisms, which involves manipulation of cellular physiology as well as epigenetic and epitranscriptomic reprogramming. In this review, we describe the intricate processes by which these viruses interact with the epigenetic machinery, leading to alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the involvement of non-coding RNAs. The key viral proteins such as EBNA1 and LMP1 encoded by EBV; LANA and vGPCR encoded by KSHV; play pivotal roles in these modifications by interacting with host factors, and dysregulating signaling pathways.

Association of neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage and Life's Essential 8 in early pregnancy.

We examined whether neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage per the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was associated with maternal cardiovascular health (CVH) in early pregnancy per the American Heart Association Life's Essential 8 (LE8). This is a cross-sectional analysis from the prospective Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study-Monitoring Mothers-to-Be Heart Health Study (nuMoM2b-HHS) cohort. The exposure was the ADI in tertiles (T) from least (T1) to most (T3) socioeconomic disadvantage.

Meeting report - Alpine desmosome disease meeting 2024: advances and emerging topics in desmosomes and related diseases.

Desmosomes are adhesive cell contacts abundant in tissues exposed to mechanical strain, such as the stratified and simple epithelia of the epidermis and mucous membranes, as well as the myocardium. Besides their role in mechanical cell cohesion, desmosomes also modulate pathways important for tissue differentiation, wound healing and immune responses. Dysfunctional desmosomes, resulting from pathogenic variants in genes encoding desmosomal components, autoantibodies targeting desmosomal adhesion molecules or inflammation, cause the life-threatening diseases arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and pemphigus and contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Risk of Motor Vehicle Accidents in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Comparative Analysis of CPAP Versus Surgery.

Objective: To compare the incidence of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) undergoing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy and sleep surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX national clinical database.

Setting: Analysis of a nationwide patient cohort.

A Bioengineered Model of the Human Cornea for Preclinical Assessment of Human Ocular Exposure to Environmental Toxicants.

Here a bioengineered platform is introduced to investigate adverse effects of environmental materials on the human cornea. Using primary cells, this system is capable of reproducing the differentiated corneal epithelium and its underlying stroma in the human eye, which can then be treated with externally applied solid, liquid, or gaseous substances in a controlled manner and under physiologically relevant conditions. The proof-of-principle of how this system can be used to simulate human ocular exposure to different classes of environmental toxicants for direct visualization and quantitative analysis of their potential to induce acute corneal injury and inflammation is demonstrated.

Niosomal Encapsulation of Anti-Cancer Peptides: A Revolutionary Strategy in Cancer Therapy.

Cancer treatment has evolved significantly over the years, incorporating a range of modalities including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. However, challenges such as drug resistance, systemic toxicity, and poor targeting necessitate innovative approaches. Peptides have gained attention in cancer therapy due to their specificity, potency, and ability to modulate various biological pathways.

Comprehensive reanalysis of light fluence distribution in pleural photodynamic therapy using standardized anatomical coordinates.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown promise as an adjuvant treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma when combined with surgical resection. Accurate light dosimetry is critical for treatment efficacy. This study presents an improved method for analyzing light fluence distribution in pleural PDT using a standardized anatomical coordinate system and advanced computational modeling.

Filarial parasite infection prevalence in field-caught mosquitoes from Connecticut, United States.

Filarial nematodes are parasitic roundworms transmitted by mosquitoes that can cause morbidity and mortality for their human and animal hosts. The filariae community, specifically infection prevalence of heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) (Leidy), and its primary mosquito vector species, has not been described in Connecticut since 1977. In light of the recent invasion and establishment of an important filariasis vector, Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) (Skuse), we used molecular-based sequencing methods to identify filarial species infecting field-caught mosquitoes in Connecticut, United States.

Reliability of Central Vein Sign Imaging With 3T FLAIR* in a Multicenter Study.

Background And Purpose: The central vein sign (CVS) is a diagnostic imaging biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS). FLAIR* is a combined MRI contrast that provides high conspicuity for CVS at 3 Tesla (3T), enabling its sensitive and accurate detection in clinical settings. This study evaluated whether CVS conspicuity of 3T FLAIR* is reliable across imaging sites and MRI vendors and whether gadolinium (Gd) contrast increases CVS conspicuity.

Effects of melatonin on planaria head regeneration are dependent on both timing and duration of exposure.

Melatonin is a multifunctional biomolecule with demonstrated stimulatory, inhibitory, and antioxidant effects, including both receptor-mediated and receptor-independent mechanisms of action. One of its more perplexing effects is the disruption of regeneration in planaria. Head regeneration in planaria is a remarkable phenomenon in which stem cells (neoblasts) migrate to the wound site, proliferate, then differentiate into all functional tissue types within days of injury.