Estimating the Benefit of Transplant Over Dialysis in Candidates Over 55 Years.

Background: 'Life Years from Transplant' (LYFT) is a measure of the predicted difference between the expected lifespan with and without a kidney transplant. The metric was originally proposed in 1999; since then, demographics of the kidney transplant candidate population have materially changed.

Methods: Using contemporary SRTR data, we propose more sophisticated methods for estimating LYFT with a focus on older kidney transplant candidates, a growing sector of the current candidate pool.

Pediatric relapsed/refractory ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma treatment and outcomes in the targeted drug era.

Treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) have increased in the era of targeted therapies such as brentuximab vedotin (BV) and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) inhibitors. However, there is no standard treatment and limited published data evaluating their use. The goal of this retrospective study is to describe current real-world treatment and outcomes of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with R/R ALK-positive ALCL.

Postoperative Radiotherapy ± Cetuximab for Intermediate-Risk Head and Neck Cancer.

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT)/cetuximab (C) demonstrated superiority over RT alone for locally advanced squamous head and neck cancer. We tested this in completely resected, intermediate-risk cancer.

Methods: Patients had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, or larynx, with one or more risk factors warranting postoperative RT.

Red Breast Syndrome-Where Has It Gone?: A Systematic Review of Red Breast Syndrome Incidence Overtime.

Background: Red breast syndrome (RBS) has been noted in past literature as a possible complication of implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR) with the use of acellular dermal matrices (ADMs). Since its first appearance in 2009, RBS has drawn growing medical attention with reported incidence ranging from 7%-9%. There has been a noted decrease in the emergence of RBS despite its inclusion among the analyzed complications in a number of studies.

Cost-effectiveness of monitoring and liver cancer surveillance among patients with inactive chronic hepatitis B.

Patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) have an increased risk for death from liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the United States, only an estimated 37% of adults with chronic hepatitis B diagnosis without cirrhosis receive monitoring with at least an annual alanine transaminase (ALT) and hepatitis B deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and an estimated 59% receive antiviral treatment when they develop active hepatitis or cirrhosis. A Markov model was used to calculate the costs, health impact and cost-effectiveness of increased monitoring of adults with HBeAg negative inactive or HBeAg positive immune tolerant CHB who have no cirrhosis or significant fibrosis and are not recommended by the current American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) clinical practice guidelines to receive antiviral treatment, and to assess whether the addition of HCC surveillance would be cost-effective.

Combination Oxylanthanum Carbonate and Tenapanor Lowers Urinary Phosphate Excretion in Rats.

Background: This study evaluated the combined effects of oxylanthanum carbonate (OLC), an investigational phosphate binder, and tenapanor, an approved sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) inhibitor that reduces paracellular phosphate absorption, on urinary phosphate excretion in rats on a high phosphorus diet.

Methods: Sixty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into eight groups: vehicle; tenapanor (0.15 mg/kg) only; OLC (0.

Sex Differences in Long COVID.

Importance: A substantial number of individuals worldwide experience long COVID, or post-COVID condition. Other postviral and autoimmune conditions have a female predominance, but whether the same is true for long COVID, especially within different subgroups, is uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the risk of developing long COVID among adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Intercellular mRNA transfer alters the human pluripotent stem cell state.

Intercellular transmission of messenger RNA (mRNA) is being explored in mammalian species using immortal cell lines. Here, we uncover an intercellular mRNA transfer phenomenon that allows for the adaptation and reprogramming of human primed pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). This process is induced by the direct cell contact-mediated coculture with mouse embryonic stem cells under the condition impermissible for primed hPSC culture.

A double dissociation between semantic and spatial cognition in visual to default network pathways.

Processing pathways between sensory and default mode network (DMN) regions support recognition, navigation, and memory but their organisation is not well understood. We show that functional subdivisions of visual cortex and DMN sit at opposing ends of parallel streams of information processing that support visually mediated semantic and spatial cognition, providing convergent evidence from univariate and multivariate task responses, intrinsic functional and structural connectivity. Participants learned virtual environments consisting of buildings populated with objects, drawn from either a single semantic category or multiple categories.

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.

Geographic origin and evolution of dengue virus serotypes 1 and 3 circulating in Africa.

Despite the increasing burden of dengue in Kenya and Africa, the introduction and expansion of the virus in the region remain poorly understood. The objective of this study is to examine the genetic diversity and evolutionary histories of dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1 and 3 in Kenya and contextualize their circulation within circulation dynamics in the broader African region. Viral RNA was extracted from samples collected from a cohort of febrile patients recruited at clinical sites in Kenya from 2013 to 2022.

Self-reported preoperative anxiety and depression associated with worse patient-reported outcomes for periacetabular osteotomy and hip arthroscopy surgery.

Adverse mental health status has been linked to less successful surgical outcomes across several orthopaedic subspecialties. Mental health represents a modifiable risk factor that can be optimized preoperatively to maximize outcomes for hip preservation surgery. This study examines the relationship between preoperative mental health status and preoperative and postoperative outcomes for adolescent and adult patients undergoing hip preservation surgery.

Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: expert consensus 2.0.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements.

Pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in high-risk, early-stage, ER/HER2 breast cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

Addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab improved outcomes in patients with high-risk, early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer. However, whether the addition of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab to chemotherapy would improve outcomes in high-risk, early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER/HER2) breast cancer remains unclear. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study (KEYNOTE-756) in which patients with previously untreated ER/HER2 grade 3 high-risk invasive breast cancer (T1c-2 (≥2 cm), cN1-2 or T3-4, cN0-2) were randomly assigned (1:1) to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo Q3W given with paclitaxel QW for 12 weeks, followed by four cycles of doxorubicin or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide Q2W or Q3W.

ASRA Pain Medicine consensus practice infection control guidelines for regional anesthesia and pain medicine.

Background: To provide recommendations on risk mitigation, diagnosis and treatment of infectious complications associated with the practice of regional anesthesia, acute and chronic pain management.

Methods: Following board approval, in 2020 the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) commissioned evidence-based guidelines for best practices for infection control. More than 80 research questions were developed and literature searches undertaken by assigned working groups comprising four to five members.

Systems-level immunomonitoring in children with solid tumors to enable precision medicine.

Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children. Survival depends not only on surgery, cytostatic drugs, and radiation but also on systemic immune responses. Factors influencing these immune responses in children of different ages and tumor types are unknown.

Identification of a vimentin-expressing α-cell phenotype in CF and normal pancreas.

Endocrine dysfunction and diabetes can develop secondary to fibrotic diseases within the pancreas including cystic fibrosis (CF). Phenotypic shift within epithelial cells has been recognised in association with pro-fibrotic signalling. We sought evidence of endocrine cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in CF and non-CF pancreas.

Correlates of impaired sleep duration among adults with trauma alone and with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Objective: To elucidate the relationship between impaired sleep duration and trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) net of sociodemographic, behavioral, and comorbid diagnostic factors.

Method: We investigated this relationship using the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III data set, analyzing a nationally representative sample of 36,309 adults. Our study identified three groups: those without trauma/PTSD, those with trauma but no PTSD, and those with PTSD.

Effectiveness of Isotretinoin Administration in Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review.

To investigate the effectiveness of isotretinoin use in patients with thick nasal skin to improve rhinoplasty outcomes. The Population Intervention Comparison Outcome framework was utilized for selecting relevant studies for review. The databases of Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Central, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched in June 2024.

Automated Deep Learning-Based Detection and Segmentation of Lung Tumors at CT.

Background Detection and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans are critical for monitoring cancer progression, evaluating treatment responses, and planning radiation therapy; however, manual delineation is labor-intensive and subject to physician variability. Purpose To develop and evaluate an ensemble deep learning model for automating identification and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between July 2019 and November 2024 using a large dataset of CT simulation scans and clinical lung tumor segmentations from radiotherapy plans.

Differentiating aspects of oral and long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs for tailoring the therapy of schizophrenia in clinical practice: a narrative review.

Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric condition requiring continuous treatment with antipsychotic medications available in different formulations, including oral antipsychotics (OAPs) and long-acting injectables (LAIs). This narrative review aims to comprehensively outline the advantages and disadvantages of OAPs and LAIs to support clinicians in choosing different formulations based on the presentation of clinical symptoms. An electronic search of the PubMed database was performed in June 2024, and additional articles were retrieved from the references or personal knowledge of the authors.

Real-world trends and future projections of the prevalence of cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy among commercially and Medicare-insured adults in the United States.

Objectives: Describing cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) burden over time can inform clinical management and resource allocation. Using health care claims data, this observational study examined recent trends in the prevalence of cirrhosis and HE and associated health care resource utilization among commercially and Medicare-insured adults in the United States (US).

Methods: Data from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database and 100% Medicare Research Identifiable Files were analyzed (2007-2020).

Autoantibodies cause nociceptive sensitization in a mouse model of degenerative osteoarthritis.

Previous preclinical and translational studies suggest that tissue trauma related to bony fracture and intervertebral disk disruption initiates the formation of pronociceptive antibodies that support chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. This study tested this hypothesis in the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) mouse model of osteoarthritis (OA) and extended the findings using OA patient samples. Monosodium iodoacetate was injected unilaterally into the knees of male and female wild-type (WT) and muMT mice (lacking B cells) to induce articular cartilage damage.