Optimal Antithrombotic Regimen After Cryptogenic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Although several antithrombotic strategies have been investigated for the management of cryptogenic strokes, ie, ischemic strokes without known etiologies, an optimal antithrombotic strategy for cryptogenic strokes is unknown. We aim to assess oral antithrombotic agents' comparative efficacy and safety after cryptogenic stroke to identify an optimal treatment.A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) obtained from PubMed, Embase Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science until February 2024.

Identification of an antibiotic from an HTS targeting EF-Tu:tRNA interaction: a prospective topical treatment for MRSA skin infections.

Because of the urgent need for new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, we employed an assay that rapidly screens large quantities of compounds for their ability to interfere with bacterial protein synthesis, in particular, the delivery of amino acids to the ribosome via tRNA and elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). We have identified a drug lead, named MGC-10, which kills Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA), with a MIC of 6 µM, while being harmless to mammalian cells in that concentration range. The antibacterial activity of MGC-10 was broad against over 50 strains of antibiotic-resistant samples obtained from hospital infections, where MGC-10 inhibited all tested strains of MRSA.

Assessing Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Quality: A Retrospective Review of One Center's Findings.

Objectives: Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is the gold standard to assess hearing loss in pediatric patients. Multiple widely accepted ABR protocols with varying parameters are accepted, difference in standards may lead to misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis and treatment. This study investigates the quality of ABR testing in pediatric patients in addition to changes in diagnoses and management.

How Reliable Is the Posterior Belly of the Digastric Muscle in Preventing Carotid Injury During Neck Dissection?

The posterior belly of the digastric muscle, referred to as the "resident's friend," serves as a valuable anatomical landmark because identification of its location during head and neck surgery helps to secure vital structures. A 53-year-old female was referred for an oral cavity mass with a biopsy confirmed squamous cell cancer. A physical exam revealed a 4 cm long and 2 cm wide right ulcerated oral tongue mass.

Hepatocellular carcinoma national burden across different geographical regions in the United States between 2001 and 2020.

Background: While prior data showed an increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States, there are limited comprehensive and comparative data on the geographical variations of HCC trends in different demographic-specific populations.

Aim: To evaluate sex and age-specific incidence rates and time trends in different geographical regions in the United States.

Methods: Age-adjusted HCC incidence rates were collected from the United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) database which covers approximately 98% of the population in the United States.

The Surgeon's Digital Eye: Assessing Artificial Intelligence-generated Images in Breast Augmentation and Reduction.

Background: Given the public's tendency to overestimate the capability of artificial intelligence (AI) in surgical outcomes for plastic surgery, this study assesses the accuracy of AI-generated images for breast augmentation and reduction, aiming to determine if AI technology can deliver realistic expectations and can be useful in a surgical context.

Methods: We used AI platforms GetIMG, Leonardo, and Perchance to create pre- and postsurgery images of breast augmentation and reduction. Board-certified plastic surgeons and plastic surgery residents evaluated these images using 11 metrics and divided them into 2 categories: realism and clinical value.

"Sometimes I just wanna be outside": A qualitative analysis of experiences with accessing community greenspace among people living with chronic mobility disability.

Exposure to nature is associated with better mental health in the general population, but prior evidence suggests that people living with severe, chronic mobility impairment from paralysis due to spinal cord injury (SCI) may not experience similar benefits. Since many people living with SCI use wheelchairs and other medical devices for mobility, further exploration of how people living with mobility disability experience greenspace is needed to achieve equity in access to all public places. We assessed experiences with accessing greenspace reported in a sample of people living with chronic SCI and the meanings they ascribe to these experiences for their health and quality of life.

A single-center learning curve for stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy and a surgical framework to manage failures.

Objective: Stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) is a minimally invasive procedure for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy that preserves more tissue than open procedures. As a result, although patients have better functional outcomes, more patients do not achieve seizure freedom. The rate at which this occurs is evolving with improved surgical practices.

The Staphylococcus aureus non-coding RNA IsrR regulates TCA cycle activity and virulence.

Staphylococcus aureus has evolved mechanisms to cope with low iron (Fe) availability in host tissues. Staphylococcus aureus uses the ferric uptake transcriptional regulator (Fur) to sense titers of cytosolic Fe. Upon Fe depletion, apo-Fur relieves transcriptional repression of genes utilized for Fe uptake.

Brown adipose tissue enhances exercise performance and healthful longevity.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a major subtypes of adipose tissues, is known for thermogenesis and promoting healthful longevity. Our hypothesis is that BAT protects against impaired healthful longevity, i.e.

Winning hearts & minds: prostate cancer outreach and clinical trial enrollment in minority men.

Minorities participate less than White people in a variety of research settings limiting the generalizability of the research results. The driving forces behind the lower participation rates are multifactorial and vary by race. Further compounding these driving forces are past inequities and violations of trust by the healthcare system.

A role for lysosomal calcium channels in mitigating mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress.

Elevated free fatty acids and oxidative stress may function as pathogenic factors in endothelial dysfunction that is associated with various cardiovascular complications. In recent work, Feng and colleagues report that activation of a lysosomal Ca channel may be a viable option to alleviate oxidative damage by boosting lysosome biogenesis and mitophagy.

Urology Resident Autonomy in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Purpose: Surgical resident autonomy in procedures has been eroding over time, due to multiple factors that include duty hour restrictions, focus on operating time, complication rate, and trust among supervising physicians. This study examines whether urology residents at the Veterans Affairs hospitals (VA) have experienced decreased surgical autonomy and contributing factors.

Methods: The national VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) was queried for the most common urologic procedures between 2004 to 2019 with resident involvement.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and phthalate replacements in relation to chorionic plate surface vasculature at delivery.

Pregnant people are ubiquitously exposed to endocrine-disrupting phthalates through consumer products and food. The placenta may be particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of phthalates, with evidence from animal models suggesting impacts on placental development and vascularization. We translate this research to humans, examining gestational exposure to phthalates and phthalate replacements in relation to novel markers of chorionic plate surface vascularization.

Advancements in Immunity and Dementia Research: Highlights from the 2023 AAIC Advancements: Immunity Conference.

The immune system is a key player in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. While brain resident immune cell-mediated neuroinflammation and peripheral immune cell (eg, T cell) infiltration into the brain have been shown to significantly contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, the nature and extent of immune responses in the brain in the context of AD and related dementias (ADRD) remain unclear. Furthermore, the roles of the peripheral immune system in driving ADRD pathology remain incompletely elucidated.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Chest X-ray Computer-Aided Detection Software for Detection of Prevalent and Incident Tuberculosis in Household Contacts.

Background: World Health Organization (WHO) tuberculosis (TB) screening guidelines recommend computer-aided detection (CAD) software for chest radiograph (CXR) interpretation. However, studies evaluating their diagnostic and prognostic accuracy are limited.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of household contacts of rifampicin-resistant TB in South Africa.

Etiology of panurethral strictures in a low socioeconomic status population.

Introduction: Panurethral strictures represent the most severe form within the anterior urethral stricture spectrum, requiring more technically complex repairs and resulting in poorer outcomes compared to localized anterior urethral strictures (penile or bulbar). This abstract aims to describe the distinct characteristics of patients with panurethral strictures in a low socioeconomic status population.

Methods: Patients presenting with localized anterior (penile or bulbar) or panurethral strictures at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, between 2021 and 2023 were retrospectively identified.

Mertk signaling and immune regulation in T cells.

While widely viewed as inhibitory receptors that drive efferocytosis and immune resolution on myeloid cells, TAM family members, particularly Mertk, have emerged as promising targets in immune-oncology to help stimulate host antitumor immunity. A recent study shows that Mertk expressed on human T cells, including CD8+ T cells and differentiated central memory T cells, has a co-stimulatory function for the T Cell Receptor. These new findings reveal the complexity and diversification of Mertk in immune regulation and its implications to cancer therapeutics.

Predictive Modeling of Long-Term Survivors with Stage IV Breast Cancer Using the SEER-Medicare Dataset.

Importance: Treatment of women with stage IV breast cancer (BC) extends population-averaged survival by only a few months. Here, we develop a model for identifying individual circumstances where appropriate therapy will extend survival while minimizing adverse events.

Objective: Our goal is to develop high-confidence deep learning (DL) models to predict survival in individual stage IV breast cancer patients based on their unique circumstances generated by patient, cancer, treatment, and adverse event variables.

Acalculous cholecystitis- an imaging and therapeutic update.

In this review, we highlight current understanding of the pathogenesis of acalculous cholecystitis, as well as its key imaging and clinical features. We also review what happens after a diagnosis and outline current interventional methods.

Teaching Climate and Health in Preventive Medicine Residency Programs: A Survey of Program Directors.

Climate change and related pollution and environmental damage are an urgent focus for public health physicians. Curricular content is increasing in medical schools, but to date, only pediatrics has published guidance for residency education. To survey program directors of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education preventive medicine specialties (public health and preventive medicine [PHPM], occupational and environmental medicine [OEM], and aerospace medicine [AM]) for current teaching on climate and health issues.

Prediction of peptide structural conformations with AlphaFold2.

Protein structure prediction artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) approaches has sparked substantial research interest in structural biology and adjacent disciplines. More recently, AlphaFold2 (AF2) has been adapted for the prediction of multiple structural conformations in addition to single-state structures. This novel avenue of research has focused on proteins (typically 50 residues in length or greater), while multi-conformation prediction of shorter peptides has not yet been explored in this context.

Can Medical Licensing Boards Swing the Pendulum Towards Judicious Opioid Prescribing Practices?

In the initial wave of the opioid crisis, uninformed prescribing practices and lax oversight were the drivers of opioid addiction and death. Although opioid prescriptions have decreased by 44.4 percent between 2011-2020, the number of deaths linked to prescription opioids has decreased only marginally.