Cetyltrimethylammonium Chloride (CTAC) and Its Formulated Mouthwash Reduce the Infectivity of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in Mono and Dual State.

Early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental caries, is exacerbated by the synergistic interaction between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, leading to greater disease severity than their individual effects. This underscores the need for more targeted and potent therapeutic alternatives. Given the promising anti-infective properties of quaternary ammonium surfactants (QAS), this study explores the microbicidal properties of one such QAS, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), against both individual- and dual-species cultures of S.

Antibiofilm Activity of Epinecidin-1 and Its Variants Against Drug-Resistant and Isolates from Vaginal Candidiasis Patients.

Indwelling intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) have surfaces that facilitate the attachment of spp., creating a suitable environment for biofilm formation. Due to this, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is frequently linked to IUD usage, necessitating the prompt removal of these devices for effective treatment.

Developing a Bilingual Health Education Program to Identify and Address Healthcare Misinformation in a Border Community.

El Paso Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT®) is a bilingual program focused on increasing health awareness and dispelling health-related misinformation in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Resolution of Treatment-Refractory Papulopustular Rosacea With Combined Light Source Photodynamic Therapy Using Pre-incubation Nonablative Fractionated Laser Resurfacing.

Papulopustular rosacea is an inflammatory subtype of rosacea that can significantly impair patients' quality of life. Available treatment options range from anti-inflammatory topical and oral medications to laser and light therapies. Photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDT) has emerged as a more recent treatment option for papulopustular rosacea.

The Enigma of Retroperitoneal Fibrosis: Clinical Implications and Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease with a nonspecific presentation. RPF can be classified into Idiopathic, the most common, or secondary due to malignancy and various medications resulting in chronic inflammation and fibrosis in the retroperitoneum. The complications arise due to the compression of structures in the retroperitoneum.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: updates on epidemiology, surveillance, diagnosis and treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global burden, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. HCC due to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or C virus (HCV) infection has decreased due to universal vaccination for HBV and effective antiviral therapy for both HBV and HCV, but HCC related to metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is increasing. Biannual liver ultrasonography and serum α-fetoprotein are the primary surveillance tools for early HCC detection among high-risk patients (e.

A bespoke water T-maze apparatus and protocol: an optimized, reliable, and repeatable method for screening learning, memory, and executive functioning in laboratory mice.

The Morris Water Maze (MWM) is the most commonly used assay for evaluating learning and memory in laboratory mice. Despite its widespread use, contemporary reviews have highlighted substantial methodological variation in experimental protocols and that the associated testing procedures are acutely (each trial) and chronically (testing across days) stressful; stress impairs attention, memory consolidation and the retrieval of learned information. Moreover, the interpretation of behavior within the MWM is often difficult because of wall hugging, non-spatial swim strategies, floating, and jumping off the escape platform.

A Rare Case of Triple-Positive Breast Cancer With Eventual Triple-Negative Small Bowel Metastasis.

Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC) is a common cause of breast cancer. Prognosis is dependent on many factors such as metastasis location and hormone receptor positivity. A 59-year-old postmenopausal African-American female who was referred to our clinic in May of 2022 presented with a suspicious small bowel lesion seen on surveillance imaging.

Dual Mini-Fragment Plate Fixation of Midshaft Clavicle Fractures Demonstrates Fewer Union Complications but Similar Patient-reported Outcomes Compared to Nonoperative Management: A Cohort Study with Mean 3.4 Year Follow-Up.

Purpose: Although open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is the gold standard treatment for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures, recent studies have advocated for nonoperative management, citing high rates of reoperation associated with operative intervention. However, no studies have compared nonoperative management to ORIF with dual-plate fixation, which may be associated with lower rates of reoperation compared to single-plate fixation. The purpose of this study was to compare the complications and patient-reported outcomes of dual mini-fragment plate fixation to nonoperative management for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures.

Distal Hypoperfusion Ischemic Syndrome in a Patient With End-Stage Renal Disease.

Distal hypoperfusion ischemic syndrome (DHIS), also known as dialysis access steal syndrome (DASS), is a rare but significant complication in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis through arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). This case report presents a female patient in her 40s with a complex medical history, including peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery disease, and recurrent cellulitis affecting her right hand, who developed DHIS following the placement of a brachiobasilic AVF. Despite optimal medical management, the patient exhibited persistent ischemic symptoms, including hand coolness and necrosis, ultimately requiring surgical ligation of the AVF.

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.

Burst that Bubble. Gastric Perforation from an Ingested Intragastric Balloon: A Case Report.

Introduction: More than 40% of Americans are considered obese, resulting in annual healthcare costs estimated at $173 billion., Various interventions exist to address obesity including lifestyle modification, medications, and several surgical options. A novel ingestible intragastric balloon that self-deflates and is excreted approximately four months post-ingestion is being used in other countries such as Australia, Mexico, and several European countries.

Cryoablation of primary breast cancer tumors induces a systemic abscopal effect altering TIME (Tumor Immune Microenvironment) in distant tumors.

Introduction: Despite recent advances, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients remain at high risk for recurrence and metastasis, which creates the need for innovative therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes. Cryoablation is a promising, less invasive alternative to surgical resection, capable of inducing tumor necrosis via freeze/thaw cycles. Necrotic cell death results in increased inflammatory signals and release of preserved tumor antigens, which have the potential to boost the local and systemic anti-tumor immune response.

Milia En Plaque After Bullous Pemphigoid: An Unusual Sequela.

We present the case of a 36-year-old paraplegic woman with a history of spinal cord injury who developed a generalized blistering rash, later diagnosed as bullous pemphigoid (BP). During her hospitalization, she was treated with prednisone and rituximab infusions, transitioning to maintenance therapy with topical steroids, doxycycline, and nicotinamide. A year later, she presented with concerns about a BP flare on her feet.

A TBX2-driven signaling switch from androgen receptor to glucocorticoid receptor confers therapeutic resistance in prostate cancer.

Recent studies suggest that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation can cause enzalutamide resistance in advanced prostate cancer (PCa) via functional bypass of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. However, the specific molecular mechanism(s) driving this process remain unknown. We have previously reported that the transcription factor TBX2 is over-expressed in castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Increased mortality from alcohol use disorder, alcohol-associated liver disease, and liver cancer from alcohol among older adults in the United States: 2000 to 2021.

Background: To investigate the trends in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), liver cancer from alcohol, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) burden among older adults in the United States (US).

Methods: We gathered the ALD, liver cancer from alcohol, and AUD prevalence, mortality, and age-standardized rates (ASRs) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 between 2010 and 2021. We estimated the annual percent change (APC) with confidence intervals (CIs) for the burden of ALD, liver cancer from alcohol, and AUD in older adults (>70 years) in the United States.

Integration of point of care ultrasound into undergraduate medical education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center school of medicine: a 6 year review.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education has become an essential component of medical school curricula. Ultrasound represents a highly effective teaching modality to reinforce anatomical knowledge gained during cadaveric dissections. At Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-School of Medicine (TTUHSC-SOM), POCUS was incorporated into the pre-clerkship curriculum especially during the first year of medical school anatomy course.

Global Trend of MASH-associated Liver Cancer A Systematic Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2021.

Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) are the leading causes of liver disease and are emerging as the main risk factors for primary liver cancer (PLC). However, updated global data on MASH remain scarce.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study between 2000 and 2021 to assess the age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from MASH-associated PLC, stratified by geographical region, sociodemographic index, age, and sex.

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guideline on the diagnosis and management of GERD: summary and recommendations.

This clinical practice guideline from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) provides an evidence-based approach for strategies to diagnose and manage GERD. This document was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework and serves as an update to the 2014 ASGE guideline on the role of endoscopy in the management of GERD. This updated guideline addresses the indications for endoscopy in patients with GERD as well as in the emerging population of patients who develop GERD after sleeve gastrectomy or peroral endoscopic myotomy.

Brain endothelial permeability, transport, and flow assessed over 10 orders of magnitude using the in situ brain perfusion technique.

Background: Cerebral blood flow normally places a limit on the magnitude of brain vascular permeability (P) that can be measured in vivo. At normal cerebral blood flow, this limit falls at the lower end of lipophilicity for most FDA-approved CNS drugs. In this study, we report on two methods that can be used to overcome this limitation and measure brain vascular permeability values that are up to ~1000 times higher using the in situ brain perfusion technique.

Rectosigmoid Junction Cancer; The Role of Preoperative and Postoperative Radiation With Novel Nomogram in Predicting Survival in the United States.

Background: There is controversy and limited data the management of rectosigmoid junction cancer (RSJC), especially the role of radiation. We aim to investigate the role of preoperative and postoperative radiation in RSJC and whether this cancer should be treated as a colon cancer or as a rectal cancer.

Methods: The data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and identified from 2000 to 2018.