Neutralizing antibody immune correlates in COVAIL trial recipients of an mRNA second COVID-19 vaccine boost.

Neutralizing antibody titer has been a surrogate endpoint for guiding COVID-19 vaccine approval and use, although the pandemic's evolution and the introduction of variant-adapted vaccine boosters raise questions as to this surrogate's contemporary performance. For 985 recipients of an mRNA second bivalent or monovalent booster containing various Spike inserts [Prototype (Ancestral), Beta, Delta, and/or Omicron BA.1 or BA.

Enhanced sampling of protein conformational changes via true reaction coordinates from energy relaxation.

The bottleneck in enhanced sampling lies in finding collective variables that effectively accelerate protein conformational changes; true reaction coordinates that accurately predict the committor are the well-recognized optimal choice. However, identifying them requires unbiased natural reactive trajectories, which, paradoxically, require effective enhanced sampling. Using the generalized work functional method, we uncover that true reaction coordinates control both conformational changes and energy relaxation, enabling us to compute them from energy relaxation simulations.

Online correction of intrafraction motion during volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate radiotherapy using fiducial-based kV imaging: A cohort study quantifying the frequency of shifts and analysis of men at highest risk.

Background: Various methods exist to correct for intrafraction motion (IFM) of the prostate during radiotherapy. We sought to characterize setup corrections in our practice informed by the TrueBeam Advanced imaging package, and analyze factors associated with IFM.

Methods: 132 men received radiation therapy for prostate cancer with a volumetric modulated arc therapy technique.

Postoperative Outcomes Following Lung Resection Performed at Private Equity-Acquired Hospitals.

Objective: Private equity acquisition of hospitals performing complex operations is increasingly prevalent in the United States healthcare landscape. While comparative health outcomes for common medical conditions have been investigated, the quality of thoracic surgical care in private equity-acquired hospitals is unknown.

Methods: Medicare Beneficiaries, aged 65-99 years, undergoing elective lung resection between 2016 to 2020 were included.

Development and Evaluation of a Presenter Coaching Program at an Academic Surgical Conference.

Objective: Presenting at academic conferences is an important means of disseminating research, networking, and building a professional reputation, but the quality of presentations at conferences is often suboptimal. This project describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a presentation coaching program offered by an academic surgical society to presenters at its annual meeting.

Design: Oral presenters were paired with a coach and encouraged to meet independently, yet coaching was unstructured.

N-terminal domain swapping: A new paradigm for spermidine/spermine N-acetyltransferase (SSAT) protein structures?

Enterococcus faecalis is a multi-drug-resistant human pathogen that is found in a variety of environments and is challenging to treat. Under stress conditions, some bacteria regulate intracellular polyamine concentrations via polyamine acetyltransferases to reduce their toxicity. The E.

Childhood opportunity index and vaccine uptake in pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Introduction: Risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization in children include incomplete vaccination and having high-risk chronic conditions. There is concern for a lack of vaccine equity. Our study evaluates the association between socioeconomic child opportunity index (COI), chronic conditions, and vaccine uptake.

Association of experienced stigma in healthcare settings with health outcomes among Black women living with HIV: Mediating roles of internalized stigma, anticipated stigma, and trust in HIV care.

Background: Black women living with HIV (WLHIV) often have suboptimal ART adherence due to a multitude of social and structural barriers, including HIV-related stigma. Trust in healthcare providers plays a significant role in adhering to ART and is likely lower among Black WLHIV compared to their White counterparts. This study examined the relationship between experienced stigma in healthcare settings and ART adherence and viral suppression through anticipated stigma in healthcare settings, internalized stigma, and medical mistrust.

Cognitive and behavioral effects of perampanel 4 mg daily dose.

Objective: The neuropsychological adverse effects of antiseizure medications (ASMs) influence the tolerability, and in turn effectiveness of these medications, which can occur in a dose-dependent fashion. In this study, we examine the neuropsychological effects of perampanel (PER) at 4 mg daily as this dose has not been previously assessed with objective cognitive tests.

Methods: The study was originally designed to assess (1) effects of perampanel at 4 mg using different titration rates, and (2) habituation over time.

The effects of balance training on cognitive function in persons with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is growing literature examining the effects of balance training on cognitive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet the findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate methodological characteristics of balance training studies and examine the effects of this modality on cognitive function.

Methods: This study performed literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, SPORTSDiscus, and CINAHL databases from inception to April 2024.

Unsupervised, piecewise linear decoding enables an accurate prediction of muscle activity in a multi-task brain computer interface.

Objective: Creating an intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) capable of seamless transitions between tasks and contexts would greatly enhance user experience. However, the nonlinearity in neural activity presents challenges to computing a global iBCI decoder. We aimed to develop a method that differs from a globally optimized decoder to address this issue.

The nuclear localization signal of CPSF6 governs post-nuclear import steps of HIV-1 infection.

The early stages of HIV-1 infection include the trafficking of the viral core into the nucleus of infected cells. However, much remains to be understood about how HIV-1 accomplishes nuclear import and the consequences of the import pathways utilized on nuclear events. The host factor cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 (CPSF6) assists HIV-1 nuclear localization and post-entry integration targeting.

Efficacy and safety of finerenone in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes by diuretic use: A FIDELITY analysis.

Aims: This post hoc analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone by baseline diuretic use in FIDELITY, a pre-specified pooled analysis of the phase III trials FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD.

Methods And Results: Eligible patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD; urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [UACR] ≥30-<300 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥25-≤90 ml/min/1.73 m, or UACR ≥300-≤5000 mg/g and eGFR ≥25 ml/min/1.

Pessary Placement for Voiding Dysfunction Due to Prolapse Among Neurologically Intact Women.

Importance: Literature surrounding conservative management of voiding dysfunction (VD) due to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is limited.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pessaries on VD in women with symptomatic POP.

Study Design: This was a retrospective case series of adult women who underwent a pessary fitting for POP and VD between January 2010 to December 2022 at 2 tertiary care centers.

Total Hip Arthroplasty for Avascular Necrosis in a Patient With Hemophilia B.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head accounts for up to 10% of all total hip arthroplasties performed annually. Typically associated with intravascular coagulation, AVN is extremely rare in patients with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia B. In this report, we describe the therapeutic management of a 46-year-old male with hemophilia B, presenting with chronic left hip pain and AVN of the femoral head.

Industry affiliation influence on randomized controlled trials for platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review.

Background: Explicit funding and industry affiliation are believed to potentially impact medical research. There have been an increasing number of studies that have evaluated this relationship. The purpose of this study is to determine whether industry affiliation influences the outcomes of randomized controlled trials that investigate the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.

Complete elbow ankylosis secondary to heterotopic ossification: operative management leads to fair to excellent long-term outcomes.

Background: Heterotopic ossification in the elbow, often caused by trauma or neurogenic factors, can lead to limited range of motion and physical impairment, while severe cases may result in debilitating loss of function. Complete bony ankylosis of the elbow, though rare, presents challenges in treatment due to complex anatomy and high recurrence rates, with limited literature on management and outcomes. This study retrospectively investigates cases of elbow ankylosis secondary to heterotopic ossification, assessing long-term functional outcomes following operative intervention and standardized rehabilitation.

An Acellular Platform to Drive Urinary Bladder Tissue Regeneration.

Impaired bladder compliance secondary to congenital or acquired bladder dysfunction can lead to irreversible kidney damage. This is managed with surgical augmentation utilizing intestinal tissue, which can cause stone formation, infections, and malignant transformation. Co-seeded bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)/CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell (HSPC) scaffolds (PRS) have been successful in regenerating bladder tissue.

Response to induction chemotherapy modifies the effect of conventional prognostic factors in high-risk neuroblastoma: A report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Background: Response to induction chemotherapy has been shown to predict outcome in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB), with those achieving a complete response (CR) having superior outcomes.

Methods: We evaluated whether conventional prognostic factors remain prognostic in subsets of patients defined by response to induction. 1244 Patients from four COG high-risk trials were included.

Predictors of anterior chamber angle status at the time of neovascular glaucoma diagnosis.

Purpose: To identify clinical features which may predict the angle status of a large cohort of NVG eyes at the time of diagnosis.

Observations: Chart review was performed for all NVG eyes from 2010 to 2022. Complete angle closure was defined as having >75 % PAS, partial angle closure as having 1-75 % PAS, and open angles as having 0 % PAS.