Abuse potential and analgesic efficacy of intravenous hydromorphone bolus administration among hospitalized patients with cancer pain: A double-blind, double dummy, randomized crossover trial.

Background: There is much concern that opioids administered as intravenous (iv) bolus for pain relief may inadvertently increase their risk for abuse. However, there is insufficient data to support this. The authors compared the abuse liability potential, analgesic efficacy, and adverse effect profile of fast (iv push) versus slow (iv piggyback) administration of iv hydromorphone among hospitalized patients requiring iv opioids for pain.

Gene-Air Pollution Interaction and Diversity of Genetic Sampling: The Southern California Children's Health Study.

Gene-environment interactions have been observed for childhood asthma, however few have been assessed in ethnically diverse populations. Thus, we examined how polygenic risk score (PRS) modifies the association between ambient air pollution exposure (nitrogen dioxide [NO], ozone, particulate matter < 2.5 and < 10 μm) and childhood asthma incidence in a diverse cohort.

Noninvasive in vivo imaging of macrophages: understanding tumor microenvironments and delivery of therapeutics.

Macrophages are pivotal in the body's defense and response to inflammation. They are present in significant numbers and are widely implicated in various diseases, including cancer. While molecular and histological techniques have advanced our understanding of macrophage biology, their precise function within the cancerous microenvironments remains underexplored.

Advances in Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening for Dominant Monogenic Conditions: A Review of Current Progress and Future Directions in Clinical Implementation.

Prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening has advanced significantly, extending beyond detecting aneuploidies to sub-chromosomal copy number variations. However, its application for screening dominant single-gene conditions, often caused by de novo variants, remains underutilized in the general obstetric population. This study reviews recent data and experience on prenatal cfDNA screening for dominant monogenic conditions using multiple-gene panels, highlighting its potential to enhance early detection and management of genetic disorders.

Improving the Effectiveness of Sample Size Re-Estimation: An Operating Characteristic Focused, Hybrid Frequentist-Bayesian Approach.

Sample size re-estimation (SSR) is perhaps the most used adaptive procedure in both frequentist and Bayesian adaptive designs for clinical trials. The primary focus of all current frequentist and Bayesian SSR procedures is type I error control. We propose a hybrid frequentist-Bayesian SSR approach that focuses on optimizing operating characteristics (OC), which uses simulations to investigate the associated OC and adjusts accordingly.

Longitudinal measures of peripheral optical quality in young children.

Purpose: To assess longitudinal changes in optical quality across the periphery (horizontal meridian, 60°) in young children who are at high (HR) or low risk (LR) of developing myopia, as well as a small subgroup of children who developed myopia over a 3-year time frame.

Methods: Aberrations were measured every 6 months in 92 children with functional emmetropia at baseline. Children were classified into HR or LR based on baseline refractive error and parental myopia.

Circulating Tumor DNA as a Marker of Recurrence Risk in Stage III Colorectal Cancer: The α-CORRECT Study.

Background And Objectives: Identification of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients at high risk of recurrence could be of substantial clinical use. We evaluated the association of ctDNA status, using a tumor-informed assay, with recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Methods: Stage III CRC patients were enrolled between 2016 and 2020.

Overcoming the thermal limits of photon counting CT resolution using focal spot multiplexing: A feasibility study.

Background: The spatial resolution of new, photon counting detector (PCD) CT scanners is limited by the size of the focal spot. Smaller, brighter focal spots would melt the tungsten focal track of a conventional X-ray source.

Purpose: To propose focal spot multiplexing (FSM), an architecture to improve the power of small focal spots and thereby enable higher resolution clinical PCD CT.

Single-cell transcriptomics identify a novel macrophage population associated with bone invasion in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Bone-invasive Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors (BI PitNETs) epitomize an aggressive subtype of pituitary tumors characterized by bone invasion, culminating in extensive skull base bone destruction and fragmentation. This infiltration poses a significant surgical risk due to potential damage to vital nerves and arteries. However, the mechanisms underlying bone invasion caused by PitNETs remain elusive, and effective interventions for PitNET-induced bone invasion are lacking in clinical practice.

Cryo-EM SPR structures of Salmonella typhimurium ArnC; the key enzyme in lipid-A modification conferring polymyxin resistance.

Polymyxins are last-resort antimicrobial peptides administered clinically against multi-drug resistant bacteria, specifically in the case of Gram-negative species. However, an increasing number of these pathogens employ a defense strategy that involves a relay of enzymes encoded by the pmrE (ugd) loci and the arnBCDTEF operon. The pathway modifies the lipid-A component of the outer membrane (OM) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by adding a 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose (L-Ara4N) headgroup, which renders polymyxins ineffective.

Cardio-renal effect of dapagliflozin and dapagliflozin- saxagliptin combination on CD34 + ve hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and podocyte specific markers in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) subjects: a randomized trial.

Introduction: Effects of Dapagliflozin (Dapa) and Dapagliflozin-Saxagliptin combination (Combo) was examined on peripheral blood derived CD34 + Hematopoetic Stem Cells (HSCs) as a cellular CVD biomarker. Both Dapa (a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 or SGLT2, receptor inhibitor) and Saxagliptin (a Di-peptydl-peptidase-4 or DPP4 enzyme inhibitor) are commonly used type 2 diabetes mellitus or T2DM medications, however the benefit of using the combination has not been evaluated for cardio-renal risk assessment, in a real-life practice setting, compared to a placebo.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that Dapa will improve the outcomes when compared to placebo and the Combo maybe even more beneficial.

Ultrasound-Based Local Lung Motion Assessment Using Synthetic Lateral Phase.

Background: Ultrasound lung surface motion measurement is valuable for the evaluation of a variety of diseases. Speckle tracking or Doppler-based techniques are limited by the loss of visualization as a tracked point moves under ribs or is dependent.

Methods: We developed a synthetic lateral phase-based algorithm for tracking lung motion to overcome these limitations.

A rare intersection: squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and the anti-TIF1 syndrome masquerade.

Background: Dermatomyositis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting muscles and skin, often associated with an increased risk of cancer. Specific autoantibodies, including anti-TIF1 (Transcription Intermediary Factor 1), have been linked to this risk. We present a case of dermatomyositis in a male patient positive for anti-TIF1 antibodies, subsequently diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, a novel association not previously documented.

Semaphorin-4D signaling in recruiting dental stem cells for vascular stabilization.

Background: Achieving a stable vasculature is crucial for tissue regeneration. Endothelial cells initiate vascular morphogenesis, followed by mural cells that stabilize new vessels. This study investigated the in vivo effects of Sema4D-Plexin-B1 signaling on stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED)-supported angiogenesis, focusing on its mechanism in PDGF-BB secretion.

Serum Periostin is Able to Stratify Type 2-Dominant Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a heterogeneous disease composed of different endotypes. It is important to develop useful biomarkers for endotyping UC; however, available biomarkers are insufficient. We have already established that periostin is a surrogate biomarker of type 2 inflammation.

Feasibility and accuracy of continuous intraabdominal pressure monitoring with a capsular device in human pilot trial.

Background: Intrabdominal pressure (IAP) is an important parameter. Elevated IAP can reduce visceral perfusion, lead to intraabdominal hypertension, and result in life-threatening abdominal compartment syndrome. While ingestible capsular devices have been used for various abdominal diagnoses, their application in continuous IAP monitoring remains unproven.

Carbon monoxide-oxidising Pseudomonadota on volcanic deposits.

Carbon monoxide (CO) oxidising microorganisms are present in volcanic deposits throughout succession, with levels of vegetation and soil influencing the communities present. Carboxydovores are a subset of CO oxidisers that use CO as an energy source, which raises questions about the physiological and metabolic features that make them more competitive in harsh volcanic ecosystems. To address these questions, samples were taken from volcanic strata formed by eruptions from Calbuco Volcano (Chile) in 2015 (tephra) and 1917 (soil).

Organic manure and fertilizer N management strategies improve soil health at different growth stages of pearl millet under pearl millet-wheat sequence.

Background: Incorporating organic manure improves soil properties and crop productivity. A long-term study started in October 1967 examined the effects of farmyard manure and nitrogen fertilization on the soil at key growth stages of pearl millet in a pearl millet-wheat cropping system over its 51st cycle.

Results: Applying 15 Mg of farmyard manure (FYM) per hectare in both growing seasons significantly boosted soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and key nutrients compared to one-season application.

The association of travel distance and other patient characteristics with breast cancer stage at diagnosis and treatment completion at a rural Rwandan cancer facility.

Background: Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) was founded to serve Rwanda's rural low-income population, providing subsidized cancer diagnosis and treatment with transport stipends for the lowest-income patients. We examined whether travel distance to BCCOE was associated with advanced-stage diagnoses and treatment completion.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using medical record data from BCCOE patients with pathologically-confirmed breast cancer from 2012-2016.

Exploring the Clinical Diversity of Castleman Disease and TAFRO Syndrome: A Japanese Multicenter Study on Lymph Node Distribution Patterns.

Individuals diagnosed with Castleman disease (CD) and TAFRO syndrome (characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, bone marrow fibrosis, and organomegaly) displays a wide range of clinical symptoms, including varying patterns of lymph node enlargement, systemic inflammation, and impaired organ function. Some patients may present with both CD and TAFRO syndrome concurrently. A retrospective study conducted across multiple centers in Japan examined 321 cases to determine if the quantity and position of swollen lymph nodes could forecast the clinical progression and intensity of these conditions.

Trends and disparities in atrial fibrillation-related mortality among adults with co-morbid diabetes mellitus in the United States.

From 1999 to 2020, age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) for atrial fibrillation-related deaths among U.S. adults (age ≥25) with comorbid diabetes mellitus increased significantly with an annual percent change of 6.

Development and validation of an EHR-based risk prediction model for geriatric patients undergoing urgent and emergency surgery.

Background: Clinical determination of patients at high risk of poor surgical outcomes is complex and may be supported by clinical tools to summarize the patient's own personalized electronic health record (EHR) history and vitals data through predictive risk models. Since prior models were not readily available for EHR-integration, our objective was to develop and validate a risk stratification tool, named the Assessment of Geriatric Emergency Surgery (AGES) score, predicting risk of 30-day major postoperative complications in geriatric patients under consideration for urgent and emergency surgery using pre-surgical existing electronic health record (EHR) data.

Methods: Patients 65-years and older undergoing urgent or emergency non-cardiac surgery within 21 hospitals 2017-2021 were used to develop the model (randomly split: 80% training, 20% test).

A mixed-methods observational study of strategies for success in implementation science: overcoming emergency departments hurdles.

Background: Heart failure is a major public health concern, affecting 6.7 million Americans. An estimated 16% of emergency department (ED) patients with acute heart failure (AHF) are discharged home.