Defective homologous recombination and genomic instability predict increased responsiveness to carbon ion radiotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notably resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment. However, clinical trials indicate that carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) with concurrent gemcitabine is effective for unresectable locally advanced PDAC. This study aimed to identify patient characteristics predictive of CIRT response.

Mismatch in productivity calculated from wRVU metric and the actual number of images in musculoskeletal radiographic studies.

The work relative value unit (wRVU) measures the physician's work involved in performing a service and is commonly used to quantify physician productivity. A critical component factored in wRVUs is the time required to perform a service. In musculoskeletal radiology, this time correlates directly with the number of images produced per radiograph.

Association of Immune-Related Adverse Events With Efficacy in Consolidation Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab or Nivolumab Alone After Chemoradiation in Patients With Unresectable Stage III Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer: An Exploratory Analysis From the Big 10 Cancer Research Consortium Study BTCRC LUN 16-081.

Background: Immunotherapy has been widely incorporated into the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Many of these patients will experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs) without decreased efficacy. We report a retrospective analysis of the association between irAEs and efficacy outcomes from the BTCRC LUN 16-081 randomized phase 2 trial of consolidation nivolumab (N) plus ipilimumab (IPI) vs N alone following chemoradiotherapy in unresectable Stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC.

Consensus and guidelines on diagnosis and management of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) from the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society (APVRS).

A panel of 21 international experts are formed by the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society to work out the consensus and guidelines on polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). PCV is a common subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and is more prevalent in Asian populations. Recent advancement in imaging technology allows greater understanding of the disease process of PCV.

Creating a collaborative culture of learning within a network of community mental health early psychosis programs in Texas.

Learning Health Systems (LHSs) promise meaningful health care improvement through the ongoing use of data, including the lived experience of diverse constituents, such as people participating in and providing services. Most LHSs operate within a specific healthcare system, typically hospital-based, under a common electronic health record (EHR) and management structure. The Early Psychosis Intervention Network in Texas (EPINET-TX) is a novel case study of a developing LHS across 16 independent community mental health clinics operating state-funded coordinated specialty care (CSC) programs for early psychosis.

Derivation and Validation of D-RISK: An Electronic Health Record-Driven Risk Score to Detect Undiagnosed Dysglycemia in Clinical Practice.

Objective: We derive and validate D-RISK, an electronic health record (EHR)-driven risk score to optimize and facilitate screening for undiagnosed dysglycemia (prediabetes + diabetes) in clinical practice.

Research Design And Methods: We used retrospective EHR data (derivation sample) and a prospective diabetes screening study (validation sample) to develop D-RISK. Logistic regression with backward selection was used to predict dysglycemia (HbA1c ≥5.

Collagen turnover during cervical remodeling involves both intracellular and extracellular collagen degradation pathways.

Reproductive success requires accurately timed remodeling of the cervix to orchestrate the maintenance of pregnancy, the process of labor, and birth. Prior work in mice established that a combination of continuous turnover of fibrillar collagen and reduced formation of collagen cross-links allows for the gradual increase in tissue compliance and delivery of the fetus during labor. However, the mechanism for continuous collagen degradation to ensure turnover during cervical remodeling is still unknown.

Electronic health Literacy gaps among adults with diabetes in the United States: Role of socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Background: Digital health technologies hold promises for enhancing healthcare and self-management in diabetes. However, disparities in Electronic Health Literacy (EHL) exist among diabetes populations. This study investigates EHL trends and demographic differences among adults with diabetes in the United States from 2011 to 2018.

Design and validation of cell-based potency assays for frataxin supplementation treatments.

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a multisystem, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the frataxin () gene. As FRDA is considered an FXN deficiency disorder, numerous therapeutic approaches in development or clinical trials aim to supplement FXN or restore endogenous expression. These include gene therapy, protein supplementation, genome editing or upregulation of transcription.

Motivators and Barriers to Seeking Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Among Adolescents: A Qualitative Study.

Background: The prevalence of severe obesity among adolescents has increased the use of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) as a therapeutic option. Understanding factors influencing adolescent MBS choice and the support needed to undergo MBS is crucial for improving health outcomes. This study examines the motivations and support needs of a diverse sample of adolescents seeking MBS via the patient voice.

Medical researchers' perception of sharing of metadata from case report forms.

Introduction: Publishing medical metadata stored in case report forms (CRFs) is a prerequisite for the development of a learning health system (LHS) by fostering reuse of metadata and standardization in health research. The aim of our study was to investigate medical researchers' (MRs) willingness to share CRFs, to identify reasons for and against CRF sharing, and to determine if and under which conditions MRs might consider sharing CRF metadata via a public registry.

Methods: We examined CRF data sharing commitments for 1842 interventional trials registered on the German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS) from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021.

Comparison of two point-of-care lung ultrasound techniques and their associated outcomes for bronchiolitis in the pediatric emergency department.

Background: Acute bronchiolitis (AB) is the most common lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Clinician diagnosis and management vary due to limited objective assessment tools. Point-of-care lung ultrasound (LUS) offers a promising diagnostic and prognostic tool in the emergency department (ED), however, the time to perform LUS is of concern in the emergency setting.

Disparities in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Hospital Encounters Amongst a Texas-Based Cohort of Patients.

Introduction: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) disproportionately impacts men, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals of low socioeconomic status; however, it's unclear how recent increases in ALD burden have impacted these disparities. We aimed to describe trends in racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in alcohol-associated hospital encounters.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult hospital encounters with alcohol-associated diagnoses from three health systems between January 2016 and December 2021.

Delivering Guideline-Concordant Care for Patients With High-Risk HPV and Normal Cytologic Findings.

Importance: As US health care systems shift to human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical cancer screening, more patients are receiving positive high-risk non-16/18 genotype HPV results and negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) cytological findings. Risk-based management guidelines recommend 2 consecutive negative annual results to return to routine screening.

Objective: To quantify patterns of surveillance testing and associated outcomes for patients after an HPV-positive results and NILM cytologic findings.

Resetting of the Human Circadian Melatonin Rhythm by Ambient Hypoxia.

Circadian clocks in the body drive daily cycles in physiology and behavior. A master clock in the brain maintains synchrony with the environmental day-night cycle and uses internal signals to keep clocks in other tissues aligned. Work in cell cultures uncovered cyclic changes in tissue oxygenation that may serve to reset and synchronize circadian clocks.

Hepcidin, Incident Heart Failure and Cardiac Dysfunction in Older Adults: the ARIC Study.

Aims: Hepcidin regulates plasma and tissue iron levels. We studied the association of hepcidin levels with the risk of incident heart failure (HF) and cardiac dysfunction in older adults.

Methods: We included adults from the ongoing, longitudinal Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who were free from prevalent anemia and HF at Visit 5 (2011-2013) and had available hepcidin and covariate data.

Stroke Prevention in Hispanic Children with Sickle Cell Anemia: the SACRED trial.

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is recognized globally, but little is known about affected Hispanic populations. In partnership with Dominican Republic, a Hispanic Caribbean Island with a large SCA population, a TCD screening program provided hydroxyurea to children with conditional velocities. Building local capacity, ten Dominican medical graduates were certified in TCD examinations and trained in hydroxyurea management.

Torsion-Induced Traumatic Optic Neuropathy (TITON): A physiologically relevant animal model of traumatic optic neuropathy.

Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is a common cause of irreversible blindness following head injury. TON is characterized by axon damage in the optic nerve followed by retinal ganglion cell death in the days and weeks following injury. At present, no therapeutic or surgical approach has been found to offer any benefit beyond observation alone.

Once-weekly IcoSema versus once-weekly semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes: the COMBINE 2 randomised clinical trial.

Aims/hypothesis: COMBINE 2 assessed the efficacy and safety of once-weekly IcoSema (a combination therapy of basal insulin icodec and semaglutide) vs once-weekly semaglutide (a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue) 1.0 mg in individuals with type 2 diabetes inadequately managed with GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy, with or without additional oral glucose-lowering medications.

Methods: This 52 week, randomised, multicentre, open-label, parallel group, Phase IIIa trial was conducted across 121 sites in 13 countries/regions.

Development, review, and activation of thoracic oncology investigator-initiated trials.

Background: Investigator-initiated trials (IITs) may address important biological and clinical questions that may not be prioritized by pharmaceutical sponsors. However, little is known about the process by which IIT proposals are evaluated and activated.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of IIT concepts submitted through the Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators Consortium (ATOMIC), which comprises 13 institutions in the U.