promotes inflammasome formation and NETosis during pneumonia.

pneumonia (PjP) poses a serious risk to individuals with compromised immune systems, such as individuals with HIV/AIDS or undergoing immunosuppressive therapies for cancer or solid organ transplants. Severe PjP triggers excessive lung inflammation, resulting in lung function decline and consequential alveolar damage, potentially culminating in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Non-HIV patients face a 30%-60% mortality rate, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of inflammatory responses in PjP.

Impaired signaling pathways on Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy macrophages during Leishmania infantum infection.

Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (CGL), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by a lack of adipose tissue. Infections are one of the major causes of CGL individuals' premature death. The mechanisms that predispose to infections are poorly understood.

Demographics and Outcomes of Glenohumeral Dislocations in Individuals With Elevated Body Mass Index.

Introduction: No specific study has investigated the characteristics and outcomes of anterior shoulder dislocations in morbidly obese individuals. The purpose of this study was to describe shoulder dislocations in patients with body mass index (BMI) greater than 40.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted to identify patients aged 18 years and older with a BMI ≥40 who presented with a shoulder dislocation in a single institution from 2000 to 2020.

Extracellular vesicles from -infected rats impair fungal viability but are dispensable for macrophage functions.

spp. are host obligate fungal pathogens that can cause severe pneumonia in mammals and rely heavily on their host for essential nutrients. The lack of a sustainable culture system poses challenges in understanding their metabolism, and the acquisition of essential nutrients from host lungs remains unexplored.

Prior Statin vs In-Hospital Statin Usage in Severe COVID-19: Review and Meta-Analysis.

Studies have shown that statins can decrease COVID-19 mortality in hospitalized patients. This paper evaluates these studies and reviews the possible mechanism of how statins modulate COVID-19 severity. Meta-analysis of 31 retrospective studies demonstrated a reduction in mortality rate among statin users (OR 0.

T-cell activation, senescence, and exhaustion in asymptomatic HIV/Leish co-infection.

Background: is an opportunistic parasitic infection. An immunocompromised state increases the risk of converting asymptomatic infection to symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which has a ~5% fatality rate even with treatment. HIV coinfection increases the risk of death from VL.

Early Treatment with Pegylated Interferon Lambda for Covid-19.

Background: The efficacy of a single dose of pegylated interferon lambda in preventing clinical events among outpatients with acute symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled, adaptive platform trial involving predominantly vaccinated adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Brazil and Canada. Outpatients who presented with an acute clinical condition consistent with Covid-19 within 7 days after the onset of symptoms received either pegylated interferon lambda (single subcutaneous injection, 180 μg) or placebo (single injection or oral).

Trial of Beremagene Geperpavec (B-VEC) for Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Background: Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic blistering skin disease caused by mutations in , which encodes type VII collagen (C7). Beremagene geperpavec (B-VEC) is a topical investigational herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-based gene therapy designed to restore C7 protein by delivering .

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, double-blind, intrapatient randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving patients 6 months of age or older with genetically confirmed dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Nonsurgical treatment options for basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Surgery, including Mohs micrographic surgery, is considered the gold standard for the management of BCC, yet some patients may be unable to undergo surgery. This article describes effective nonsurgical options for treating superficial BCCs as well as some nodular and infiltrative BCCs.

Does Finding Cecal Adenoma Increase the Risk of Discovering More and Advanced Adenomas in the Remainder of the Colon?

Objectives: Adenomatous polyps are common, occurring in up to 25% of the population older than 50 years of age in the United States. Conflicting data are present in the literature about the impact of specific adenoma locations and the prediction on the number and advanced histology of adenomas elsewhere. With this study we aimed to review the association between cecal adenoma and the risk of discovering more and advanced adenomas in the remainder of the colon.

Mesenchymal stem cell treatment for hyperactive immune response in patients with COVID-19.

The human immune system protects the body against invasive organisms and kicks into a hyperactive mode in COVID-19 patients, particularly in those who are critically sick. Therapeutic regimens directed at the hyperactive immune system have been found to be effective in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. An evolving potential treatment option is therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) due to their regenerative and reparative ability in epithelial cells.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis following COVID-19 Vaccination: Analysis of 552 Worldwide Cases.

To date, billions of vaccine doses have been administered to restrain the current COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Rare side effects, including intravascular blood clots, were reported in the general population after vaccination. Among these, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) has been considered the most serious one.

A case of COVID-19 Reinfection and Systematic Review of Patterns of Reinfection.

We present a case of a middle age Hispanic patient with COVID-19 reinfection. We conducted a systematic review of the literature of reinfection cases and found that women represent the majority of the cases and that reinfection usually presents with more severe disease, particularly among healthcare workers.

COVID 19 Vaccine for Adolescents. Concern about Myocarditis and Pericarditis.

The alarming onset of some cases of myocarditis and pericarditis following the administration of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines in adolescent males has recently been highlighted. All occurred after the second dose of the vaccine. Fortunately, none of patients were critically ill and each was discharged home.

Empagliflozin in Heart Failure with a Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction, but their effects in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction are uncertain.

Methods: In this double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 5988 patients with class II-IV heart failure and an ejection fraction of more than 40% to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or placebo, in addition to usual therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure.

Engaging the Poetic Perspective on Care of the Surgical Patient: Lessons from W.H. Auden's "Surgical Ward".

Attention has been brought to the importance of cultivating empathy, communication skills, reflective writing, and self-care in surgeons-in-training. Classical literature and poetry pertaining to themes of surgery, specifically sonnets, can be exemplary methods for cultivating such skills. "Surgical Ward" by W.

Severe Hemolysis in a COVID-19 Patient with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been demonstrated to be able to activate complement, making patients with deficiency in negative complement regulation, such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), particularly vulnerable to complement-mediated cell damage. We report a case of a patient who presented with fatigue, facial swelling, and upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms and was found to have COVID-19 with laboratory tests showing severe hemolysis and pancytopenia secondary to PNH.

Cholecystectomy Outcomes in the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2006-2017).

Cholecystectomy trends and outcomes have been reported extensively in the private sector. Despite being one of the most common procedures performed in the United States, there is a paucity of reports on the trends and outcomes of laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy in the veteran population. Veterans who underwent laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy from 2006 to 2017 were identified using current procedural terminology codes from the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) database.

Rapid Response in a Patient with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Treated with BRAF/MEK Inhibitors.

Patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma have a poor prognosis. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. Several mutations in this pathway can lead to its constitutive activation leading to oncogenesis.

A Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody for Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19.

Background: LY-CoV555, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody, has been associated with a decrease in viral load and the frequency of hospitalizations or emergency department visits among outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Data are needed on the effect of this antibody in patients who are hospitalized with Covid-19.

Methods: In this platform trial of therapeutic agents, we randomly assigned hospitalized patients who had Covid-19 without end-organ failure in a 1:1 ratio to receive either LY-CoV555 or matching placebo.

Diagnosing functional neurological disorder: seeing the whole picture.

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome with many phenotypes that are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Despite the heterogeneity of FND, the rate of misidentification is consistently low. For the more common motor subtypes, there are clear positive clinical, electrophysiological, and rarely imaging criteria that can establish the diagnosis in the traditional sense.

Serotonin Syndrome/Serotonin Toxicity.

Objective: This review of serotonin syndrome or serotonin toxicity covers the years 2014 to 2019, including information on pathophysiology, etiology, and diagnosis, 3 criteria for diagnosing serotonin syndrome, and criteria for neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

Importance: The review highlights the potential lethal combinations of commonly prescribed medications used to treat both veteran and nonveteran patients and includes the latest information on offending medications.

Conclusions: Prevention of serotonin toxicity includes informed clinicians, patient education, careful prescribing and monitoring, and avoidance of multidrug regimens.