Pros and Cons of Inpatient SGLT2i Use for Hyperglycemia and Heart Failure.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), have shown substantial cardiovascular and renal benefits, leading to their expanded use in managing heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease in the outpatient setting. Despite these benefits, their use for inpatient hyperglycemia management is not universally endorsed due to safety concerns and inadequate data. However, emerging evidence suggests potential advantages of initiating SGLT2i treatment for patients during hospitalization in the setting of HF.

Evaluation of Probiotic Effects on the Growth Performance and Microbiome of Nile Tilapia () in a High-Density Biofloc System.

Biofloc technology is an aquaculture production system that has gained popularity with tilapia production. Probiotics provide benefits for the host and/or aquatic environments by both regulating and modulating microbial communities and their metabolites. When a probiotic feed is combined with a biofloc system, the production amount may be improved through better fish growth, disease resistance, and/or improved water quality by reducing organic matter and stabilizing metrics such as pH and components of the nitrogen cycle.

Impact of Order Restrictions on Hemoglobin A1c Requests at Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of policy intervention on the physician ordering of HbA1c for the patients seen at the primary health care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The study included patients over the age of 18 for whom HbA1c tests were ordered before and after the policy restrictions were implemented at the three main Primary Health Care Centers under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA) in Riyadh, between October 2020 and August 2023. Several data management steps and restrictions were carried out to identify the patients seen before and after the intervention and controlled for the confounders.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity Levels and Periodontal Health Status Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and periodontal health status among college students in Shanghai, with the goal of informing oral health policy recommendations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2023 to March 2024 involving 120 university students aged 18-29. Data was collected using the World Health Organization (WHO) oral health survey methods.

Digital solutions for migrant and refugee health: a framework for analysis and action.

Digital technologies can help support the health of migrants and refugees and facilitate research on their health issues. However, ethical concerns include security and confidentiality of information; informed consent; how to engage migrants in designing, implementing and researching digital tools; inequitable access to mobile devices and the internet; and access to health services for early intervention and follow-up. Digital technical solutions do not necessarily overcome problems that are political, social, or economic.

Robot-assisted minimally invasive transforaminal interbody fusion: a complete workflow pilot feasibility study.

Background: Robotic-assisted spinal surgery has reportedly improved the accuracy of instrumentation with smaller incisions, improving surgical outcomes and reducing hospital stay. However, robot-assisted spine surgery has thus far been confined to placement of pedicle screw instrumentation only. This pilot study aims to explore the feasibility of utilizing the Mazor™ X Stealth Edition (Medtronic, Sofamor Danek USA), robotic-arm platform in the minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) procedure inclusive of interbody cage placement, in our institution.

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion: patient selection and workup.

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is an anterior surgical approach for interbody fusion in the lumbar spine which affords the surgeon unfettered access to the disc space and allows for release of the anterior longitudinal ligament and insertion of a large, lordotic interbody graft. Despite the benefits associated with ALIF when compared with other lumbar interbody fusion techniques, the ALIF approach is associated with a number of unique complications, and certain patient-specific criteria (e.g.

Osseointegration and fixation opportunities of sacroiliac instrumentation: a preclinical evaluation in a large animal model.

Background: Implant fixation is often the cornerstone of musculoskeletal surgical procedures performed to provide bony fixation and/or fusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different design features and manufacturing methods influence implant osseointegration and mechanical properties associated with fixation in a standardized model in cancellous bone of adult sheep.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of three titanium alloy implants: (A) iFuse-TORQ implant; (B) Fenestrated Sacroiliac Device; and (C) Standard Cancellous Bone Screw in the cancellous bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia in 8 sheep.

The percentage of sacroiliac fusions done in the U.S. by non-surgical specialties has increased.

Background: Surgical fusion of the sacroiliac (SI) joint is often performed to manage chronic lower back or buttock pain. When Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were introduced, SI joint fusion procedures were done primarily by orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of SI joint fusion CPT codes by physician specialty over time.

Non-instrumented management of traumatic atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation: surgical technique.

Atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation (AARS) in the adult population is primarily trauma-induced. Conservative and surgical treatments have both been used successfully in treating AARS. In cases where AARS cannot be reduced by conservative measures, open reduction and fusion is the conventional treatment approach.

Kyphoplasty in the setting of corynebacterium striatum septicemia with postoperative osteomyelitis requiring salvage vertebrectomy: a case report.

Background: Kyphoplasty (KP) is a well-established procedure with a low complication risk, however, the procedure's safety in patients with comorbidities and in the setting of systemic infection remains uncertain with no clear guidelines. We present a unique case of KP in the setting of recurrent septicemia, which required subsequent salvage vertebrectomy.

Case Description: We present a clinical case of a 59-year-old diabetic male patient with a recent foot ulcer, positive for and .

Use of ceramic synthetic allografts in spine surgery: a narrative review with early basic science and clinic data of novel nanosynthetic bone graft.

Background And Objective: As the global population ages, degenerative spinal disorders are on the rise, leading to an increased focus on optimizing spinal fusion therapies. Despite the high success rate of iliac crest bone autografts, their usage is hampered by donor site morbidity and limited supply. The objective of this review is to assess the viability of ceramic-based synthetic materials as alternatives in spinal fusion surgeries.

Role of endoscopic sequestrectomy in the treatment of therapy-resistant radiculopathy in patients with extreme obesity: technical note and case report.

Background: Surgical treatment of therapy-resistant radiculopathy associated with lumbar herniated discs in patients with extreme obesity is a challenge for neurosurgeons. In addition to technical problems in surgery due to the abundant subcutaneous adipose tissue and perioperative risks, there are significant anesthetic risks when anesthesia is performed with a patient in the prone position. A surgical procedure should preferably be minimally traumatic and quick with minimal risks of complications.

Vector AutoRegressive Moving Average Models: A Review.

Vector AutoRegressive Moving Average (VARMA) models form a powerful and general model class for analyzing dynamics among multiple time series. While VARMA models encompass the Vector AutoRegressive (VAR) models, their popularity in empirical applications is dominated by the latter. Can this phenomenon be explained fully by the simplicity of VAR models? Perhaps many users of VAR models have not fully appreciated what VARMA models can provide.

Social contact patterns and their impact on the transmission of respiratory pathogens in rural China.

Introduction: Social contact patterns significantly influence the transmission dynamics of respiratory pathogens. Previous surveys have quantified human social contact patterns, yielding heterogeneous results across different locations. However, significant gaps remain in understanding social contact patterns in rural areas of China.

Can the prevalence of one STI serve as a predictor for another? A mathematical modeling analysis.

We aimed to understand to what extent knowledge of the prevalence of one sexually transmitted infection (STI) can predict the prevalence of another STI, with application for men who have sex with men (MSM). An individual-based simulation model was used to study the concurrent transmission of HIV, HSV-2, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in MSM sexual networks. Using the model outputs, 15 multiple linear regression models were conducted for each STI prevalence, treating the prevalence of each as the dependent variable and the prevalences of up to four other STIs as independent variables in various combinations.

Female reproductive ageing persists despite high infanticide risk in chacma baboons and geladas.

Across mammals, fertility and offspring survival are often lowest at the beginning and end of females' reproductive careers. However, extrinsic drivers of reproductive success-including infanticide by males-could stochastically obscure these expected age-related trends. Here, we modelled reproductive ageing trajectories in two cercopithecine primates that experience high rates of male infanticide: the chacma baboon () and the gelada ().

Is musical ability related to second-language acquisition? A meta-analysis.

In our multicultural and interconnected world, the ability to learn new languages is important. However, there are significant differences in how successfully adults can learn aspects of non-native languages. Given robust relationships between musical ability and native-language processing, musical ability might also contribute to successful second-language acquisition.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) Following Immune Checkpoint Therapy (ICT).

In the past decade, the use of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) has increased across many malignancies, including metastatic renal cell carcinoma as an option for frontline and subsequent lines of therapy. Despite the many therapeutic benefits of ICT, its use is complicated by the potential risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). One rare but potentially life-threatening irAE is hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Atypical Femur Fracture in a Teenager on Chronic Imatinib Therapy.

Atypical femoral fractures (AFFs) are rare fractures usually associated with medications that can ultimately alter bone metabolism. Imatinib, a drug prescribed for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), has been associated with altered bone homeostasis, however, with unknown clinical significance. Here, we present the case of a 17-year-old female, with a diagnosis of CML undergoing chronic imatinib therapy, who developed an AFF treated successfully with prophylactic fixation with intramedullary nailing.

A comparative analysis of anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty versus reverse shoulder arthroplasty for posterior glenoid wear patterns.

Introduction: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) and anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) are well-known methods of treating glenohumeral arthritis, which often leads to posterior wear of the glenoid. This study compared minimum two-year outcome measures in patients treated with RSA and TSA for Walch B2 and B3 glenoids.

Methods: Thirty-eight shoulders underwent TSA and 40 shoulders underwent RSA by two fellowship-trained shoulder surgeons at a tertiary referral center.

Cementless fixation in total joint arthroplasty: Factors impacting osseointegration.

•The success of cementless fixation in TJA depends on a multitude of factors including biological, mechanical, implant, surgical, and material properties.•Biologic fixation has become the primary mode of fixation for the majority of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgeries done today in the United States (US) due to its low complication rate and superior longevity compared to cemented fixation.•Cementless fixation has yet to gain wider acceptance in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and hip hemiarthroplasty due to several factors including host bone quality, implant design, and surgical technique.

Temporomandibular disorders: A new list of key points to summarize the standard of care.

This letter is being sent to editors of major dental journals around the world. Attached to it is an Announcement that summarizes a recently published position paper which deals with the topic of standards of care for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs). That paper, entitled "Temporomandibular disorders: INfORM/IADR key points for good clinical practice based on standard of care", was developed by a group of expert researchers and clinicians over a one-year period.

Augmenting efficient real-time surgical instrument segmentation in video with point tracking and Segment Anything.

The Segment Anything model (SAM) is a powerful vision foundation model that is revolutionizing the traditional paradigm of segmentation. Despite this, a reliance on prompting each frame and large computational cost limit its usage in robotically assisted surgery. Applications, such as augmented reality guidance, require little user intervention along with efficient inference to be usable clinically.

Seamless augmented reality integration in arthroscopy: a pipeline for articular reconstruction and guidance.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to diagnose and treat joint problems. The clinical workflow of arthroscopy typically involves inserting an arthroscope into the joint through a small incision, during which surgeons navigate and operate largely by relying on their visual assessment through the arthroscope. However, the arthroscope's restricted field of view and lack of depth perception pose challenges in navigating complex articular structures and achieving surgical precision during procedures.