Trends, Characteristics and Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors With STEMI.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. While advances in detection and treatment have improved survival, breast cancer survivors face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, limited data exist on cardiac outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in this population.

Peritoneal dialysis in patients with severe obesity: A successful single center experience.

There is growing emphasis on increasing utilization of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD); however, use in patients with severe obesity has still been fraught for various reasons. We aim to assess the viability of PD in patients with severe obesity (BMI > 40 Kg/m). We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients admitted at the home dialysis center of an academic center between 2014 and 2020 (n = 99).

Case report: Surgical closure of a facial defect in an African wild dog () utilizing a transpositional skin flap.

Veterinary intervention in zoological species can be complicated by species-specific social dynamics. African wild dogs are a pack species and removal or separation of an individual may disrupt established pack hierarchy resulting in conspecific aggression. Therefore, medical interventions that optimize a quick return to health are ideal to minimize the duration of absence from the pack.

Preoperative anemia is associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased facility discharges after glioblastoma resection.

Background: Despite numerous operative and non-operative treatment modalities, patients with glioblastoma (GBM) have a dismal prognosis. Identifying predictors of survival and recurrence is an essential strategy for guiding treatment decisions, and existing literature demonstrates associations between hematologic data and clinical outcomes in cancer patients. As such, we provide a novel analysis that examines associations between preoperative hematologic data and postoperative outcomes following GBM resection.

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).

Efficacy of the Optilume paclitaxel drug-coated balloon after urethroplasty: short-term results from a multicenter study.

Background: The Optilume paclitaxel drug-coated balloon (DCB) is a relatively new-to-market alternative in the management of male anterior urethral stricture disease. The pivotal trial excluded patients with a history of urethroplasty, although these strictures may be amenable to endoscopic management. Therefore, we sought to assess the efficacy of the DCB in the management of recurrent strictures following urethroplasty.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mediates nicotine-induced podocyte injury.

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for renal dysfunction. Smoking associated with renal damage bears distinct physiological correlations in conditions such as diabetic nephropathy and obesity-induced glomerulopathy. However, the cellular and molecular basis of such an association remains poorly understood.

Obesity, dietary interventions and microbiome alterations in the development and progression of prostate cancer.

Purpose Of Review: The role of the microbiome in prostate cancer is an emerging subject of research interest. Certain lifestyle factors, such as obesity and diet, can also impact the microbiome, which has been implicated in many diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. However, this link has yet to be explored in detail in the context of prostate cancer.

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.

Should we consider microbiota-based interventions as a novel therapeutic strategy for schizophrenia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms broadly categorized into positive, negative, and cognitive domains. Its etiology is multifactorial, involving a complex interplay of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors, and its neurobiology is associated with abnormalities in different neurotransmitter systems. Due to this multifactorial etiology and neurobiology, leading to a wide heterogeneity of symptoms and clinical presentations, current antipsychotic treatments face challenges, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic approaches.

A Rare Case of a Splenic Abscess as the Origin of Illness in Exudative Pleural Effusion.

Background: Pleural effusion, the presence of fluid within the pleural space, is a common condition secondary to a wide range of pathological causes. Splenic abscess, which is rare, has previously been described as a cause of exudative pleural effusion. Splenic abscess is thought to be associated with bacteremia, iatrogenic inoculation, or hematogenous spread from another bacterial focus.

Initial clinical experience with [Lu]Lu-PNT2002 radioligand therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: dosimetry, safety, and efficacy from the lead-in cohort of the SPLASH trial.

Introduction: SPLASH (NCT04647526) is a multicenter phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of [Lu]Lu-PNT2002 radioligand therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study leveraged a lead-in phase to assess tissue dosimetry and evaluate preliminary safety and efficacy, prior to expansion into a randomized phase. Here we report those results.

Research progress of breast cancer surgery during 2010-2024: a bibliometric analysis.

Purpose: This study seeks to systematically analyze the research literature pertaining to breast cancer surgery from 2010 to 2024, as indexed in the PubMed database, employing bibliometric methodologies.

Methods: Employing the "bibliometrix" package in the R programming language, alongside VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, this research conducted a comprehensive visual analysis of 1,195 publications. The analysis encompassed publication trends, collaborative networks, journal evaluation, author and institutional assessments, country-specific analyses, keyword exploration, and the identification of research hotspots.

Effect of Alirocumab Monotherapy vs Ezetimibe Plus Statin Therapy on LDL-C Lowering in Veterans With History of ASCVD.

Background: Guidelines recommend a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal of < 70 mg/dL for patients with very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). While alirocumab monotherapy and ezetimibe plus statin therapy have both shown efficacy in independently reducing LDL-C, a direct comparison has not been conducted.

Methods: A retrospective chart review at the Veterans Affairs Sioux Falls Health Care System compared 20 patients with a history of ASCVD events who received alirocumab monotherapy to 60 patients receiving ezetimibe plus statin therapy.

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.

External validation of a novel cancer-associated venous thromboembolism risk assessment score in a safety-net hospital.

Background: Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a leading cause of death in patients diagnosed with cancer. However, pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis use in cancer patients must be carefully evaluated due to a 2-fold increased risk of experiencing a major bleeding event within this population. The electronic health record CAT (EHR-CAT) risk assessment model (RAM) was recently developed, and reports improved performance over the widely used Khorana score.

Neurological impact of HIV/AIDS and substance use alters brain function and structure.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has successfully controlled AIDS, but HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs) remain prevalent among people with HIV. HIV infection is often associated with substance use, which promotes HIV transmission and viral replication and exacerbates HANDs even in the era of cART.

Cellular cross-talk drives mesenchymal transdifferentiation in diabetic kidney disease.

While changes in glomerular function and structure may herald diabetic kidney disease (DKD), many studies have underscored the significance of tubule-interstitial changes in the progression of DKD. Indeed, tubule-interstitial fibrosis may be the most important determinant of progression of DKD as in many forms of chronic glomerulopathies. The mechanisms underlying the effects of tubular changes on glomerular function in DKD have intrigued many investigators, and therefore, the signaling mechanisms underlying the cross-talk between tubular cells and glomerular cells have been the focus of investigation in many recent studies.

Multidisciplinary Amputation Prevention at the DeBakey VA Hospital: Our First Decade.

Background: In 2011, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) undertook multidisciplinary efforts to improve care for patients with nonhealing foot ulcers and reduce leg amputation rates. This article examines the impact of interdisciplinary care for amputation prevention in the VHA.

Methods: The VHA patient population was characterized using internal registries.

Clinical and surgical factors influencing screw breakage during hardware removal following periacetabular osteotomy.

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a procedure used to treat patients with hip dysplasia. Current literature reports symptomatic hardware removal (HWR) rates of 13.6% following PAO.

Single-Crystal Elasticity of α-Hydroquinone-An Analogue for Organic Planetary Materials.

In this study, we measured the single-crystal elasticity of α-hydroquinone at ambient conditions using Brillouin spectroscopy to assess the feasibility of this technique for studying the mechanical properties of organic ices in the outer solar system. In this study, α-hydroquinone serves as an ambient temperature analogue for low-temperature organic ices on Titan and other solar system bodies. We found that a satisfactory Brillouin spectrum can be obtained in less than 5 min of experimental time with negligible damage to the sample.

Management of a COVID-19 outbreak using a multidisciplinary approach and infection prevention control practices at a community living center in Veterans Administration Hospital, North Texas.

Background: The increase in severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases due to the omicron strain led to reduced acute care hospital beds at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, North Texas; veterans with non-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease were managed at a community living center (CLC), a VA nursing home. The management of non-severe COVID-19 in VA nursing homes has not been extensively described.

Methods: We describe resident characteristics and outcomes, and infection control practices implemented during 2 COVID-19 outbreak periods (January 12-February 15, 2022, June 28-July 14, 2023).

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-dependent phenotypes of cognitive impairment as sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Cognitive changes associated with PASC may not be uniform across populations. We conducted individual-level pooled analyses and meta-analyses of cognitive assessments from eight prospective cohorts, comprising 2,105 patients and 1,432 controls from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Greece, India, Italy, Russia, and the UK. The meta-analysis found no differences by country of origin.