Learning Curve for Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair With da Vinci Single-Port Robotic System.

Background: Transabdominal pre-peritoneal inguinal hernia repair using the da Vinci Single-Port robot (SP-TAPP) is currently performed in few centers. We aimed to define the learning curve for SP-TAPP by analyzing operative times.

Methods: The operative times of 122 SP-TAPP performed between 2019 and 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.

Determination of 115 Pesticide Residues in Textiles by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The presence of pesticide residues in textiles poses a risk to human health. We established a robust and high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of 115 pesticide residues in textiles. In this study, we evaluated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry conditions and sample extraction methods, including separation performance of different columns, mass conditions, extraction solvent, and extraction time.

Intervention of a Communication Between PI3K/Akt and β-Catenin by (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Suppresses TGF-β1-Promoted Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Invasive Phenotype of NSCLC Cells.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) assists in the acquisition of invasiveness, relapse, and resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and can be caused by the signaling of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) through Smad-mediated or Smad-independent pathways. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a multifunctional cancer-preventing bioconstituent found in tea polyphenols, has been shown to repress TGF-β1-triggered EMT in the human NSCLC A549 cell line by inhibiting the activation of Smad2 and Erk1/2 or reducing the acetylation of Smad2 and Smad3. However, its impact on the Smad-independent pathway remains unclear.

Lifetime Body Mass Index Trajectories and Contrasting Lung Function Abnormalities in Mid-Adulthood: Data From the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study.

Background And Objective: The impact of lifetime body mass index (BMI) trajectories on adult lung function abnormalities has not been investigated previously. We investigated associations of BMI trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood with lung function deficits and COPD in mid-adulthood.

Methods: Five BMI trajectories (n = 4194) from age 5 to 43 were identified in the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study.

Pyridine Derivatives and Furan Derivatives Identified from the Medicinal Mushroom Irpex lacteus SY1002.

Three new pyridine derivatives, irpelactedines A-C (1-3), and a new furan derivative, irpelactedine D (5), along with two structurally related known compounds, irpexidine A (4) and 5-carboxy-2-furanpropanoic acid (6), were isolated from the medicinal fungus Irpex lacteus SY1002. Their structures were elucidated through NMR and mass spectral analyses, combined with density functional theory calculations of ECD data. Evaluation of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity revealed that compounds 1 and 3 displayed moderate inhibition, with IC50 values of 31.

Lipopolysaccharide Causes Acquired CFTR Dysfunction in Murine Nasal Airways.

Objective: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a clinical entity defined by aberrant chloride (Cl) ion transport causing downstream effects on mucociliary clearance (MCC) in sinonasal epithelia. Inducible deficiencies in transepithelial Cl transport via CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been theorized to be a driving process in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in patients without CF. We have previously identified that brief exposures to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mammalian cells induces an acquired dysfunction of CFTR in vitro and in vivo.

A preliminary ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging study of distinct aortic morphologies.

Changes in the microstructure of the aortic wall precede the progression of various aortic pathologies, including aneurysms and dissection. Current clinical decisions with regards to surgical planning and/or radiological intervention are guided by geometric features, such as aortic diameter, since clinical imaging lacks tissue microstructural information. The aim of this proof-of-concept work is to investigate a non-invasive imaging method, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), in ex vivo aortic tissue to gain insights into the microstructure.

AdvantAGE: Implementation and Evaluation of an Interprofessional Transitional Care Model for Frail Older Adults-Protocol of an Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Study.

Aim: To implement and evaluate an Advanced Practice Nurse-led transitional care model (AdvantAGE) to reduce rehospitalisation rates in frail older adults discharged from a Swiss geriatric hospital.

Design: The study adopts an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design (Type 1) to simultaneously evaluate the effectiveness of the care model and explore the implementation process.

Methods: The primary outcome, the 90-day rehospitalisation rate, will be evaluated using a matched-cohort design with a prospective intervention group and a retrospective control group.

The Interaction Between Vasculogenic Mimicry and the Immune System: Mechanistic Insights and Dual Exploration in Cancer Therapy.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) represents a novel form of angiogenesis discovered in numerous malignant tumours in recent years. Unlike traditional angiogenesis, VM facilitates tumour blood supply independently of endothelial cells by enabling tumour cells to form functional vascular networks. This phenomenon, where tumour cells replace endothelial cells to form tubular structures, plays a pivotal role in tumour growth and metastasis.

Service capacity and disability resource integration: A strategic survey of immigrant and refugee-serving agencies in Illinois.

Immigrants and refugees in the United States often face significant barriers in accessing social services, including mental health support, legal assistance, ESL or related education, housing, vocational training, workforce resources, transportation, and citizenship support. This article explores the strengths and challenges of community-based organizations welcoming centers (CBO WC) in Illinois that serve these populations, including people with disabilities, in culturally appropriate and inclusive ways. The Immigrant and Refugee-Led Capacity Development Network of Illinois, based at the University of Illinois Chicago, collaborated with the state's Office of Welcoming Centers to explore the service capacities of 17 CBO grantees.

Nurses' Perceptions of the Relevance of Their Role and Responsibilities for Adopting Evidence-Based Feedback Into Practice: An Implementation Study.

Aims: To evaluate the implementation process of a novel program focused on improving interactive (dialogic) feedback between clinicians and students during placement.

Design: Quantitative cross-sectional hybrid type 3 effectiveness-implementation study driven by a federated model of social learning theory and implementation theory.

Methods: From June to November 2018, feedback approaches supported by socio-constructive learning theory and Normalisation Process Theory were enacted in four clinical units of a healthcare facility in southeast Queensland, Australia.

Is Hume's Law a valid argument against empirical bioethics?

If "no ought from is," how can bioethics be empirical? Despite the widespread recognition that we can integrate empirical and normative, Hume's Law is still often claimed to pose logical limitations to empirical bioethics. Is Hume's Law a valid argument against empirical bioethics? I argue that we have reasons to answer no. First, I outline and reject two unverified assumptions: that Hume' s Law, the fact-value distinction, and the naturalistic fallacy are roughly the same thing, and that Hume's Law is an undisputed meta-ethical principle which dictates how to formulate normative statements.

Interprofessional and Inter-Organisational Collaboration in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme: Lessons From North Central London.

Aim: To discuss inter-organisational collaboration in the context of the successful COVID-19 vaccination programme in North Central London (NCL).

Design: An action research study in 2023-2024.

Methods: Six action research cycles used mixed qualitative methods.

Effect of Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists on Hypocalcemia after Thyroidectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study and Sensitivity Analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the risk of hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy in patients taking histamine-2 receptor antagonists.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Multicenter, single database.

Resonances of Feeling Alone: A Systematic Review Unveiling Older Persons' Loneliness and Its Mechanisms in Residential Care Facilities.

Aim: To review older persons' lived experiences and perceptions of loneliness in residential care facilities and characterise mechanisms underlying their experiences through a comprehensive loneliness model.

Design: A systematic review synthesising qualitative research on the experiences of loneliness among older people living in residential care facilities.

Methods: This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines with quality appraisal conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.

Perception and utilisation of veterinary services by rodent owners in the United Kingdom.

Background: There is limited research on how rodent owners use and perceive veterinary services and what the demand for pet insurance for these species is.

Methods: An online survey of owners of pet rodents (guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils and mice) measured owner confidence in recognising signs of illness, their opinions on and use of veterinary services and their willingness to purchase pet insurance.

Results: A total of 1700 respondents completed the survey.

Inpatient Audiograms: A Mixed Methods Study Examining Clinical Decision Making, Financial Analyses, and Audiologist Perspectives.

Objective: Evaluate inpatient audiometry on clinical decision-making. Assess stakeholder perspectives on the practice of inpatient audiometry and financial impact.

Study Design: This is a mixed methods study utilizing retrospective chart review, a focus group, and financial analyses.

An analysis of multilevel factor contributions to breast cancer screening inequities in an academic health system.

Background: Breast cancer screening (BCS) inequities are evident at national and local levels, and many health systems want to address these inequities, but may lack data about contributing factors. The objective of this study was to inform health system interventions through an exploratory analysis of potential multilevel contributors to BCS inequities using health system data.

Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis within a large academic health system including 19,774 individuals who identified as Black (n = 1445) or White (n = 18,329) race and were eligible for BCS.

POLE mutations in endometrial carcinoma: Clinical and genomic landscape from a large prospective single-center cohort.

Background: To date, 11 DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE) pathogenic variants have been declared "hotspot" mutations. Patients with endometrial cancer (EC) characterized by POLE hotspot mutations (POLEmut) have exceptional survival outcomes. Whereas international guidelines encourage deescalation of adjuvant treatment in early-stage POLEmut EC, data regarding safety in POLEmut patients with unfavorable characteristics are still under investigation.

Comparison of taurolidine with 4% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid on antimicrobial lock effectiveness: An experimental study.

Background: Antimicrobial lock therapy is recommended for preventing and treating catheter-related bloodstream infections, but different solutions have uncertain efficacy.

Methods: Two locks, 1.35% taurolidine and 4% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were tested on Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S.

Exploring the popularity of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats: A cross-sectional opinion survey in Spain.

Background: Research on the general public's knowledge and usage patterns of pet food, particularly regarding raw meat-based diets (RMBDs), is limited in many countries, including Spain.

Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted to assess the Spanish population's understanding and perceptions of RMBDs for cats and dogs.

Results: Of the 712 respondents, 46.

Bioactive Functionalized Chitosan Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels as Promising Platforms for Therapeutic, Regenerative Oral, and Maxillofacial Applications.

Due to their superior physicochemical features, chitosan thermosensitive hydrogels are multipurpose platforms that are frequently used in the biomedical industry. Many investigations have been conducted recently to modify their pore dimensions, expansion, biodegradability, stimulus-reaction characteristics, and other characteristics in order to better tailor them to the complex craniofacial tissues. They have been the focus of various studies that have attempted to load biological cargos for therapeutic and regenerative uses in the oro-facial tissues.

Osteochondral Tissue Engineering: Scaffold Materials, Fabrication Techniques and Applications.

Osteochondral damage, caused by trauma, tumors, or degenerative diseases, presents a major challenge due to the limited self-repair capacity of the tissue. Traditional treatments often result in significant trauma and unpredictable outcomes. Recent advances in bone/cartilage tissue engineering, particularly in scaffold materials and fabrication technologies, offer promising solutions for osteochondral regeneration.

Maternal Western Diet Programmes Bile Acid Dysregulation and Hepatic Fibrosis in Fetal and Juvenile Macaques.

Background And Aims: Maternal obesity increases the risk of the paediatric form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), affecting up to 30% of youth, but the developmental origins remain poorly understood.

Methods: Using a Japanese macaque model, we investigated the impact of maternal Western-style diet (mWSD) or chow diet followed by postweaning WSD (pwWSD) or chow diet focusing on bile acid (BA) homeostasis and hepatic fibrosis in livers from third-trimester fetuses and 3-year-old juvenile offspring.

Results: Juveniles exposed to mWSD had increased hepatic collagen I/III content and stellate cell activation in portal regions.

Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals 17β-Estradiol Treatment Represses Ubiquitin-Proteasomal Mediators in Skeletal Muscle of Ovariectomized Mice.

Background: With a decline of 17β-estradiol (E2) at menopause, E2 has been implicated in the accompanied loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. We aimed at characterizing transcriptomic responses of skeletal muscle to E2 in female mice, testing the hypothesis that genes and pathways related to contraction and maintenance of mass are differentially expressed in ovariectomized mice with and without E2 treatment.

Methods: Soleus and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles from C57BL/6 ovariectomized mice treated with placebo (OVX) or E2 (OVX + E2) for 60 days, or from skeletal muscle-specific ERα knockout (skmERαKO) mice and wild-type littermates (skmERαWT), were used for genome-wide expression profiling, quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting.