Enhancing Cure Rate Analysis Through Integration of Machine Learning Models: A Comparative Study.

Cure rate models have been thoroughly investigated across various domains, encompassing medicine, reliability, and finance. The merging of machine learning (ML) with cure models is emerging as a promising strategy to improve predictive accuracy and gain profound insights into the underlying mechanisms influencing the probability of cure. The current body of literature has explored the benefits of incorporating a single ML algorithm with cure models.

Compounded glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: the direct-to-consumer market in Colorado.

Background: High prices and other access barriers have contributed to the rise of a market for compounded glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight loss in the United States. This market has not been systematically studied. We conducted a pilot study to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and advertising content of direct-to-consumer providers of compounded glucagon-like peptide-1 products for weight loss in Colorado.

Challenges and Opportunities in Examining and Addressing Intersectional Stigma and Health.

Background: 'Intersectional stigma' is a concept that has emerged to characterize the convergence of multiple stigmatized identities within a person or group, and to address their joint effects on health and wellbeing. While enquiry into the intersections of race, class, and gender serves as the historical and theoretical basis for intersectional stigma, there is little consensus on how best to characterize and analyze intersectional stigma, or on how to design interventions to address this complex phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to highlight existing intersectional stigma literature, identify gaps in our methods for studying and addressing intersectional stigma, provide examples illustrating promising analytical approaches, and elucidate priorities for future health research.

Revolutionizing Diabetic Retinopathy Screening: Integrating AI-Based Retinal Imaging in Primary Care.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a public health issue affecting millions in the United States and Europe. However, despite strong recommendations for screening at regular intervals by many professional societies, including the American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, screening rates remain suboptimal, with only 50-70% of patients with diabetes adhering to recommended annual eye exams. Barriers to screening include lack of awareness, socioeconomic factors, health care system fragmentation, and workforce shortages, among others.

Developing an Annual Review of the Literature.

Many national meetings and speaker series feature an "Annual Review of the Literature" (ARL) session in which an individual or team presents a sampling of articles, selected and prepared because they represent important current topics or new ideas in the discipline of interest. Despite this, there is little in the medical literature describing how to thoughtfully and systematically develop these sessions. We identify best practices that we have developed and used in the United States Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine (CDIM) over many years.

Associations Between Socioeconomic, Spatial and Educational Factors and Midlife Periodontal Disease Risk: Evidence From 'High School and Beyond'.

Background: Periodontal disease (PD) is a prevalent, preventable and treatable oral infection associated with substantial morbidity globally. There is little information from population-representative cohort studies about the sociodemographic, educational and other early life factors that stratify PD risk.

Methods: We used data from the U.

Pediatric Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction: A Review of 26 Cases.

Objective: Peripheral bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) is a rare condition that is well-studied in the adult population, whereas characterization in children has been limited. We report a pediatric cohort of patients with BVH at a multidisciplinary, tertiary care pediatric vestibular clinic.

Methods: A record review of 832 patients with balance-related complaints in our center was conducted.

Matrix Metallopeptidase 9 Promotes Contraction in Human Uterine Myometrium.

Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) is a secreted zinc-dependent peptidase known for extracellular remodeling. MMP9 is elevated in tissues from women experiencing preterm labor, and previous research has shown that the addition of combined matrix metallopeptidases 2 and 9 (MMP2/9) enhances uterine contractions. We hypothesized that adding MMP9 alone would enhance myometrial contractions and that specific MMP9 inhibition would suppress uterine contractions.

Prevalence of Depression in Older Adults and the Potential Protective Role of Volunteering: Findings From the LongROAD Study.

Background: As the US population continues to age, depression and other mental health issues have become a significant challenge for healthy aging. Few studies, however, have examined the prevalence of depression in community-dwelling older adults in the United States.

Methods: Baseline data from the Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers study were analyzed to examine the prevalence and correlates of depression in a multisite sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65-79 years who were enrolled and assessed between July 2015 and March 2017.

Infant mental health integration into OB care leads to increased connection to services during the perinatal period.

We compared referrals and connection to care between perinatal patients: 90 receiving OB/GYN care in clinics with integrated behavioral health consultants with infant mental health specialization (IMH-BHC), and 68 receiving traditional care, in the United States. Participants identified as: Native American/Alaskan native, 1.90%; Asian, .

Lineage-specific patterns in the Moraceae family allow identification of convergent P450 enzymes involved in furanocoumarin biosynthesis.

Specialized metabolites are molecules involved in plants' interaction with their environment. Elucidating their biosynthetic pathways is a challenging but rewarding task, leading to societal applications and ecological insights. Furanocoumarins emerged multiple times in Angiosperms, raising the question of how different enzymes evolved into catalyzing identical reactions.

Backward swimming in elongated-bodied abyssal demersal fishes: Synaphobranchidae, Macrouridae, and Ophidiidae.

The deep-sea demersal fish fauna is characterized by a prevalence of elongated-body forms with long tapering tails. Using baited camera landers at depths of 4500-6300 m in the Pacific Ocean, we observed multiple instances of backward swimming using reverse undulation of the slender body in four species: the cutthroat eel Ilyophis robinsae, abyssal grenadier Coryphaenoides yaquinae, and cusk-eels Bassozetus sp. and Barathrites iris.

Measuring the Impact of Healthcare Provider Availability on Quality of Care and Disease Burden in Ohio: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Chronic lower respiratory disease, heart disease, and diabetes have a higher prevalence in rural areas. Previous studies raise concerns that a lower supply of physicians is associated with negative outcomes.

Objective: To assess disease burden across the 88 counties in Ohio, including Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties, and examine associations with the number of healthcare providers.

Expression of vesiculation-related genes is associated with a tumor-promoting microenvironment: a pan-cancer analysis.

Background: Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) released by tumor cells (tumor-derived sEV; TEX) mediate intercellular communication between tumor and non-malignant cells and were shown to impact disease progression. This study investigates the relationship between the expression levels of the vesiculation-related genes linked to sEV production and the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods: Two independent gene sets were analyzed, both previously linked to sEV production in various non-malignant or malignant cells.

Oral health articles in primary care journals: A bibliometric review.

Objectives: Primary care lacks emphasis on oral health (OH) despite its major effects on one's overall health. This mixed-methods bibliometric study was conducted to assess the content of OH in primary care journals.

Methods: Sixty-seven of the most influential journals were identified from primary care specialties and disciplines using Scopus CiteScore metrics and expert opinion.

The perception of artificial intelligence and infertility care among patients undergoing fertility treatment.

Purpose: To characterize the opinions of patients undergoing infertility treatment on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their care.

Methods: Patients planning or undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or frozen embryo transfers were invited to complete an anonymous electronic survey from April to June 2024. The survey collected demographics, technological affinity, general perception of AI, and its applications to fertility care.

The influence of seminal microbiota on human testicular steroidogenesis: a prospective study.

Objective: Preclinical evidence has demonstrated that gut microbiota composition can influence steroid hormone biosynthesis and spermatogenesis. This study aims to investigate the association of seminal microbiota and testicular steroidogenesis.

Patients And Methods: One hundred adult eugonadal men were consecutively enrolled.

The Relationship Between Religious Health Fatalism and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors of Earthquake Victims: The Example of Türkiye.

Earthquakes are natural disasters that cause physical, psychological, social, and environmental damage. Due to the intense psychological impact, victims of earthquakes may associate a fatalistic approach with religion as a mechanism for seeking protection. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between religious health fatalism and healthy lifestyle behaviors among earthquake victims.

Yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effect and safety of yoga as an adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Stathmin 1 expression in neuroendocrine and proliferating prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men in the United States. While PCa initially responds to androgen deprivation therapy, a significant portion progresses to castration-resistant PCa. Approximately 20-25% of these cases acquire aggressive neuroendocrine (NE) features, ultimately leading to neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC).

A Multiple-Model-Informed Drug-Development Approach for Optimal Regimen Selection of an Oncolytic Virus in Combination With Pembrolizumab.

The antitumor efficacy of an intratumoral injection of a genetically engineered oncolytic vaccinia virus carrying human IL-7 and murine IL-12 genes (hIL-7/mIL-12-VV) was demonstrated in CT26.WT-bearing mice. In the CT26.

Gender Differences in Self-Assessment Among Clerkship Medical Students Despite Equivalent Academic and Clinical Performance.

Objective: The authors aimed to determine if medical students' self-assessment of abilities and performance differed by gender during the psychiatry clerkship and if these differences were reflected objectively in test scores or clinical evaluations from educators.

Methods: Data from mid-clerkship self-assessments completed during the psychiatry core clerkship were reviewed from two classes of medical students. Students rated their performance on 14 items across five domains: knowledge/clinical reasoning, differential diagnosis, data presentation, studying skills, and teamwork as "below," "at," or "above expected level.