Portable Accessible MRI in Dementia Research: Ethical Considerations About Research Representation and Dementia-Friendly Technology.

The introduction of portable MRI (pMRI) has the potential to directly impact dementia research and ultimately clinical care. In this paper, we explore two ethical challenges facing the introduction of pMRI in dementia research. The first is the need to ensure that pMRI enhances rather than undermines efforts aimed at improving ethnoracial representation in dementia research.

State-Mandated Ethics Oversight Is Inappropriate for Gender-Affirming Care.

A proposed state administrative rule would have required medical ethicists to approve certain aspects of gender-affirming care. The authors argue the proposed rule lacked appropriate justification compared to other instances of state-mandated ethics oversight and would undermine trust, raise practical challenges, and send harmful messages to society, patients, and providers.

How Leaders at High-Performing Healthcare Organizations Think About Organizational Professionalism.

This pilot study is the first formal exploration of the concept of "Organizational Professionalism" (OP) among health system leaders in high-performing healthcare organizations. Semi-structured key informant interviews with 23 leaders from 8 healthcare organizations that were recipients of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) or Baldrige-based state quality award programs explored conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement of OP. Further exploration and understanding of OP in healthcare organizations has the potential to establish and sustain professional and ethical organizational cultures that bolster trust through the sound implementation of laws, policies, and procedures to support the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Expert Stakeholder Perspectives on Emerging Technology for Neuroimaging Research with Highly Portable MRI: The Need for Guidance on Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues.

Portable MRI (pMRI) technology, which promises to transform brain imaging research by facilitating scanning in new geographic areas and the participation of new, diverse populations, raises many ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI). To understand this emerging pMRI ELSI landscape, we surveyed expert stakeholder views on ELSI challenges and solutions associated with pMRI research.

Diminution of Public Health Agency Authorities Post-.

In a new era of regulatory oversight, the US Supreme Court upended traditional deference to agency interpretations of ambiguous Congressional provisions in in June 2024. Federal courts were instructed to make their own assessments of statutory authorities amid an onslaught of public health agency challenges surfacing nationally. Even so, SCOTUS may be eyeing further limits on agency powers despite clear and substantial repercussions for the health of the nation.

Investigating novel pharmacological strategies for treatment-resistant depression: focus on new mechanisms and approaches.

Introduction: A substantial number of patients exhibit treatment-resistant depression (TRD), posing significant challenges to clinicians. The discovery of novel molecules or mechanisms that may underlie TRD pathogenesis and antidepressant actions are highly needed.

Areas Covered: Using the PubMed database, the authors searched for emerging evidence of novel approaches for TRD based on experimental and human studies.

Outcomes of Atrioventricular Septal Defect Repair: Two-Institutions, 10-Year Experience in Cordoba, Argentina.

Background: Outcomes following surgical repair of atrioventricular septal defect have improved over the last decades. Global mortality for repair of this defect is approximately 3.5%.

Impacts of a multipronged initiative with community HIV clinics to support retention and re-engagement in HIV care.

Background: Despite advances in HIV treatment, gaps in care retention threaten the individual health of people with HIV (people) and public health efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

Objective: This project aimed to identify and address gaps in retention and support re-engagement in care.

Methods: A multipronged initiative at five community HIV clinics and community-based organizations (CBOs) included patient, healthcare professional (HCP), and community-focused interventions.

Trans-ancestry genome wide association study of childhood body mass index identifies novel loci and age-specific effects.

Over the past 30 years, obesity prevalence has markedly increased globally, including among children. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 1,000 genetic loci associated with obesity-related traits in adults, the genetic architecture of childhood obesity is less well-characterized. Moreover, most childhood obesity GWAS have been restricted to severely obese children, in relatively small sample sizes, and in primarily European ancestry populations.

Reporting and representation of participant race and ethnicity in phase III clinical trials for solid tumors.

Background: Including racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials is essential for advancing health equity. Despite progress, trials often do not mirror patient population demographics.

Methods: The National Library of Medicine's Clinical Trials database was queried for phase III trials of lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

Rhabdomyolysis of Infectious Etiology with Creatine Kinase Above One Million: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Rhabdomyolysis occurs commonly in hospitalized patients due to many etiologies. It is characterized by elevated creatine kinase, weakness, and myalgias, with severe forms causing electrolyte imbalances. However, many of these patients have a mild disease course with no symptoms.

Peripheral magnetic stimulation for the treatment of fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis of studies on peripheral magnetic stimulation (PMS) for fibromyalgia (FM) treatment.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINHAL, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were searched from inception to July 2023 for studies in adult patients with FM treated with PMS. Studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation were excluded.

Adeno-associated viral vectors for modeling Parkinson's disease in non-human primates.

The development of clinical candidates that modify the natural progression of sporadic Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies is a praiseworthy endeavor, but extremely challenging. Therapeutic candidates that were successful in preclinical Parkinson's disease animal models have repeatedly failed when tested in clinical trials. While these failures have many possible explanations, it is perhaps time to recognize that the problem lies with the animal models rather than the putative candidate.

Enhancing neural stem cell integration in the injured spinal cord through targeted PTEN modulation.

Spinal cord injury results in permanent loss of neurological functions due to severance of neural networks. Transplantation of neural stem cells holds promise to repair disrupted connections. Yet, ensuring the survival and integration of neural stem cells into the host neural circuit remains a formidable challenge.

The impact of quantitative platform on candidacy for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction: a multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Background: Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) can be an effective treatment for highly selected patients with severe emphysema but only half of carefully selected patients derive clinical benefit. Two commercially available platforms exist to help determine candidacy for BLVR via quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans.

Objectives: To determine if the two commercially available quantitative platforms identified the same patient population that may benefit from BLVR.

Cell type-dependent role of transforming growth factor-β signaling on postnatal neural stem cell proliferation and migration.

Adult neurogenesis continuously produces new neurons critical for cognitive plasticity in adult rodents. While it is known transforming growth factor-β signaling is important in embryonic neurogenesis, its role in postnatal neurogenesis remains unclear. In this study, to define the precise role of transforming growth factor-β signaling in postnatal neurogenesis at distinct stages of the neurogenic cascade both in vitro and in vivo, we developed two novel inducible and cell type-specific mouse models to specifically silence transforming growth factor-β signaling in neural stem cells in (mGFAPcre-ALK5fl/fl-Ai9) or immature neuroblasts in (DCXcreERT2-ALK5fl/fl-Ai9).

Infectious complications associated with immune and targeted anti-cancer therapies: a retrospective study of the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS).

Background: Immune and targeted anti-cancer therapies are associated with an increased risk of infectious complications. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the infectious complications associated with immune and targeted anti-cancer drugs.

Research Design And Methods: This was a retrospective for immune and targeted anti-cancer drugs submitted to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 1996 to 20 March 2024.

Clinical Evaluation of Nd:YAG Capsulotomy on the Light-Adjustable Intraocular Lens.

Purpose: To investigate the safety and refractive outcomes of neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) capsulotomy in pseudophakic eyes with the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) both before and after completing the light delivery device (LDD) lock-in treatments.

Setting: Private practice in Orange, California, USA.

Design: Retrospective, comparative study.

Hepatic conditioning results in better lung endothelial cell preservation under hypoxic environment in vitro.

Background: as we look to extend lung perfusion times (EVLP) to improve preservation, the metabolic activity of the lungs will require support from other organ functions. Active functional liver support, including detoxification, synthesis, and regulation, can improve lung preservation during EVLP. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of hepatic conditioning of the EVLP perfusate on lung endothelium, via the receptor of advanced glycation end-products (RAGE)-nuclear-factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling in vitro.

Methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS).

Methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) has been used as a coupling agent in thermoplastics and thermosetting resins, a cross-linker in silicone sealants, a water repellent component, and in silicone hard-coats for plastics. Acute studies in experimental animals showed a low order of toxicity for MTMS via oral, dermal, and inhalation routes. MTMS was slightly irritating to both eyes and skin in rabbits.

Improving the Predictive Strength of Better-Ear Four-Frequency Pure-Tone Average With the Addition of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey-Hearing Subscale.

Objectives: The objective of this project was to quantify the relative efficacy of a four-frequency pure-tone average in the better ear (PTA4), the Hearing subscale of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey (THS-H), and a combination of the two in predicting speech-in-noise performance, hearing aid recommendation, and hearing aid use among United States service members (SMs).

Design: A two-analysis retrospective study was performed. The first analysis examined the degree to which better-ear PTA4 alone, THS-H alone, and better-ear PTA4 in conjunction with THS-H predicted performance on a speech-in-noise test, the modified rhyme test.

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and use among Rakai Community Cohort Study youth aged 15-24.

Background: Preventing HIV infections among adolescents and young adults (AYA) is crucial for curtailing the epidemic. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective prevention method increasingly available to this age group in sub-Saharan Africa but population-based data on awareness and use of PrEP among AYA remains limited.

Methods: Analyzing survey data from two rounds of the Rakai Community Cohort Study, an open, population-based cohort, we estimated prevalence ratios associating various sociodemographic characteristics with PrEP awareness and ever-use among 15- to 24-year-olds in south-central Uganda between 2018 and 2023.

HIV risk perception and PrEP uptake among pregnant women offered PrEP during antenatal care in Kenya.

Background: Self-perceived HIV risk influences PrEP use, though few data on risk perception are available among pregnant women. We evaluated HIV risk perception and PrEP uptake among pregnant women in Kenya.

Methods: We utilized data from a randomized trial evaluating universal versus risk-based PrEP delivery models at 20 antenatal clinics in Kenya (NCT03070600).

Efficacy of Pressure Cooker Technique in Redo Embolization for High-Flow Torcular Dural Sinus Malformation.

Torcular dural sinus malformations (tDSMs) with high-flow fistulas pose complex management challenges due to their vascularity and the delicate neuroanatomy involved. This report presents the case of a child with tDSM and hydrocephalus, who underwent 3 staged embolization procedures but required a redo intervention due to residual malformation and venous hypertension. Utilizing the pressure cooker technique (PCT) in a redo setting allowed for high-pressure, targeted embolic delivery with minimized reflux, achieving near-complete occlusion and significant symptom relief.