Real-world clinical impact of plasma cell-free DNA metagenomic next-generation sequencing assay.

Objective: To describe the real-world clinical impact of a commercially available plasma cell-free DNA metagenomic next-generation sequencing assay, the Karius test (KT).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical impact of KT by clinical panel adjudication. Descriptive statistics were used to study associations of diagnostic indications, host characteristics, and KT-generated microbiologic patterns with the clinical impact of KT.

The implementation of intrathecal morphine for caesarean delivery into clinical practice, and assessment of its impact on patient-reported quality of recovery using the ObsQoR-10-Dutch scale.

Background: Optimising a mother's quality of recovery following caesarean delivery is of paramount importance as it facilitates maternal care of the newborn and affects physical, psychological and emotional well being. Intrathecal morphine (ITM) reduces postoperative pain and may improve quality of recovery: however its widespread use is limited.

Objective: To assess the effects of implementing ITM for caesarean delivery on postoperative quality of recovery.

Future directions in transfeminine genital gender-affirming surgery: tissue substitutes and transplant.

Purpose Of Review: The present study reviews contemporary literature focused on uterine transplantation and tissue substitutes for the purposes of transfeminine genital gender affirming surgery (GAS). Additional background is provided for both topics to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the modern applications.

Recent Findings: Uterine transplant remains an experimental procedure in cisgender patients who wish to avoid surrogacy.

Cognitive Outcomes After Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Late-Life Depression: Résultats cognitifs après la stimulation magnétique transcrânienne pour le traitement de la dépression chez les personnes âgées.

Background: Late-life depression (LLD) is often accompanied by cognitive impairment, which may persist despite antidepressant treatment. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an efficacious treatment for depression, with potential benefits on cognitive functioning. However, research on cognitive effects is inconclusive, relatively sparse in LLD, and predominantly focused on group-level cognitive changes.

Emotional ecosystems: Understanding the relationship between family interactions and anxiety among cancer caregivers.

Objectives: Recent studies have challenged the assumption that families are invariable sources of support for cancer caregivers, noting that relationships with family members can have both positive and negative effects on caregiver well-being. This study expands upon prior literature to examine the relationship between cancer caregivers' perceptions of the quality of their family interactions and their symptoms of anxiety.

Methods: We employed secondary analysis of baseline data from a multisite randomized clinical trial of an intervention for cancer caregivers conducted at 3 large academic palliative care clinics.

Performance of algorithms using wrist temperature for retrospective ovulation day estimate and next menses start day prediction: a prospective cohort study.

Study Question: Can algorithms using wrist temperature, available on compatible models of iPhone and Apple Watch, retrospectively estimate the day of ovulation and predict the next menses start day?

Summary Answer: Algorithms using wrist temperature can provide retrospective ovulation estimates and next menses start day predictions for individuals with typical or atypical cycle lengths.

What Is Known Already: Wrist skin temperature is affected by hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle and can be used to estimate the timing of cycle events.

Study Design, Size, Duration: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 262 menstruating females (899 menstrual cycles) aged 14 and older who logged their menses, performed urine LH testing to define day of ovulation, recorded daily basal body temperature (BBT), and collected overnight wrist temperature.

Oregon's Emerging Psilocybin Services Workforce: A Survey of the First Legal Psilocybin Facilitators and Their Training Programs.

New legal frameworks for supervised psychedelic services are emerging, with Oregon and Colorado implementing programs to train and license psilocybin facilitators. This study describes Oregon's early psilocybin facilitator workforce and assesses state-approved training programs. The Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus (OPEN) reviewed Oregon Health Authority-approved training programs and surveyed facilitators who had completed or were enrolled in these programs between July and November 2023.

Safety and tolerability of intramuscular sotrovimab administered at different injection sites: results from the Phase 1 COSMIC study.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT05280717.

APT imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma signals an effective therapeutic response in advance of tumor shrinkage.

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of weighted amide proton transfer (APT) MRI in three different rodent models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). APT MRI was evaluated in models of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced HCC, N1S1 syngeneic orthotopic xenograft and human HepG2 ectopic xenograft. All models of HCC showed a higher APT signal over the surrounding normal tissues.

Role of immunotherapy in the overall survival of gastrointestinal cancer patients with liver metastases.

To investigate the role of immunotherapy in the overall survival (OS) of gastrointestinal cancer patients who have liver metastases at the time of the primary site cancer diagnosis. Survival outcome was compared between groups with immunotherapy and groups without immunotherapy. Chemoimmunotherapy was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.

Integration of circulating tumor DNA in biliary tract cancer: the emerging landscape.

Precision medicine has emerged as a cornerstone in cancer treatment revolutionizing our approach across malignancies. Molecular profiling of biliary tract cancers (BTCs) has changed the treatment landscape positively by prolonging survival in an aggressively fatal malignancy in its advanced stages. The acquisition of tissue tumor DNA for genomic analysis in BTC is often anatomically challenging, limited by quantity and quality.

Virtual diversity and the value-ladenness of science.

Collins, Evans, and Reyes-Galindo develop the concept of interactional expertise into the idea of virtual diversity. They thereby provide a strong case against the epistemic barriers established by identity politics. This commentary questions, however, whether virtual diversity can incorporate the critique of institutional power that Wynne has argued is at the center of tensions between lay publics and scientific establishments.

Systematic empirical evaluation of individual base editing targets: validating therapeutic targets in USH2A and comparison of methods.

Base editing shows promise for the correction of human mutations at a higher efficiency than other repair methods and is especially attractive for mutations in large genes that are not amenable to gene augmentation therapy. Here, we demonstrate a comprehensive workflow for in vitro screening of potential therapeutic base editing targets for the USH2A gene and empirically validate the efficiency of adenine and cytosine base editor/guide combinations for correcting 35 USH2A mutations. Editing efficiency and bystander edits are compared between different target templates (plasmids versus transgenes) and assays (Next generation sequencing versus Sanger), as well as comparisons between unbiased empirical results and computational predictions.

Shorter Digestion Times of Donor Islets Is Associated With Better Islet Graft Function After Islet Transplantation.

Although islet transplantation is effective in reducing severe hypoglycemia events and controlling blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes, maintaining islet graft function long-term is a significant challenge. Islets from multiple donors are often needed to achieve insulin independence, and even then, islet function can decline over time when metabolic demand exceeds islet mass/insulin secretory capacity. We previously developed a method that calculated the islet graft function index (GFI) and a patient's predicted insulin requirement (PIR) using mathematical nonlinear regression.

The role of renal dual-energy computed tomography in exploring the gouty kidney: the RENODECT study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the ability of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) to detect monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposits in the kidneys and renal artery walls, and uric acid urolithiasis, in patients with gout and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: Patients with gout and with stage 2-4 CKD were prospectively included in this cross-sectional study. Patients underwent renal, knee and feet DECT scans.

Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with clinical outcomes following spinal surgery for lumbar spinal disorders.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were comprehensively searched for observational studies comparing clinical outcomes after lumbar spine surgery in patients with and without RA (>18 years).

Cerebral Air Embolism Risks in TAVR Procedures: Insights from a 75-Year-Old Patient Case.

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure increasingly used to treat severe aortic stenosis, especially in elderly patients and those with significant comorbidities who are at high risk for surgical intervention. While TAVR is generally safe and effective, rare complications can occur, including cerebral air embolism, which can result in acute neurological deficits. This report presents the case of a 75-year-old man who developed a cerebral air embolism following TAVR.

High-Yield Generation of Glucose-Responsive Pseudoislets From Murine Insulinoma Cells for Studies and Longitudinal Monitoring of Graft Survival .

Compared to primary pancreatic islets, insulinoma cell-derived 3D pseudoislets offer a more accessible, consistent, renewable, and widely applicable model system for optimization and mechanistic studies in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we report a simple and efficient method for generating 3D pseudoislets from MIN6 and NIT-1 murine insulinoma cells. These pseudoislets are homogeneous in size and morphology (~150 µm), exhibit functional glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) up to 18 days (NIT-1) enabling long-term studies, are produced in high yield [>35,000 Islet Equivalence from 30 ml culture], and are suitable for both and studies, including for encapsulation studies.

Subtypes A1 and D, and recombinant HIV-1 natural polymorphisms associated with lenacapavir drug resistance in Uganda.

Background: Lenacapavir, a novel HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, shows promise for treating MDR HIV-1, as well as for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in prevention of HIV infection. Its unique mechanism and lack of cross-resistance with other antiretroviral classes make lenacapavir a significant addition to HIV therapy. The clinical trials CALIBRATE and CAPELLA have demonstrated high viral suppression rates in both ART-naive individuals and individuals with MDR HIV-1.

Liver injury related to vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a pharmacovigilance analysis of the USA FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database.

Background: While vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) are known to cause adverse events like cardiotoxicity and haematotoxicity, their impact on liver injury remains understudied. This study evaluates the association between VEGFR-TKIs and liver injury using data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2006 to 2024.

Research Design And Methods: Nine VEGFR-TKIs (Axitinib, Vandetanib, Cabozantinib, Lenvatinib, Pazopanib, Ponatinib, Regorafenib, Sunitinib, Sorafenib) were analyzed.

Morphological and molecular phylogeny of sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae, using DNA barcode from a South American freshwater fish.

Here, we present a comprehensive morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis of sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae parasitizing two freshwater fish species from Southeast Brazil: (piranha) and (tambuatá). The morphological examination revealed distinct characteristics of metacercariae in each host.

Differential Associations of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation with Generalized Anxiety and Social Withdrawal Among Children.

Anxiety and social withdrawal are common internalizing problems among children linked to poor emotion regulation (ER). We investigated how specific components of ER (emotion awareness, emotion regulation strategy) are associated with generalized anxiety and social withdrawal in the two ER domains (intrapersonal and interpersonal). Study participants were 398 fourth- and fifth-grade students (49% girls) and 22 teachers from a Midwestern state in the United States.

Health-Related Social Needs Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Caregivers: An Exploratory Study Using Human-Centered Design.

Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasingly common and projected to impact over 200,000 adolescents and young adults by 2060. Youth with T2D frequently experience health-related social needs (HRSN) that increase their risk for poor outcomes. Using human-centered design methodology, we explored how best to address HRSN in pediatric endocrinology clinics.

Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee Points to Consider: Proposal and Recommendations to Reduce Euthanasia of Control Nonhuman Primates in Nonclinical Toxicity Studies.

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have been and remain a highly valuable animal model with an essential role in translational research and pharmaceutical drug development. Based on current regulatory guidelines, the nonclinical safety of novel therapeutics should be evaluated in relevant nonclinical species, which commonly includes NHPs for biotherapeutics. Given the practical and ethical limitations on availability and/or use of NHPs and in line with the widely accepted guiding "3Rs" (replace, reduce, and refine) principles, many approaches have been considered to optimize toxicity study designs to meaningfully reduce the number of NHPs used.

Midterm to Long-term Follow-up After Limited Saucerization of a Discoid Lateral Meniscus: Radiological and Functional Outcomes With Age-Dependent Variations.

Background: A discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) is the most common meniscus variant and is commonly treated with arthroscopic saucerization. There are mixed data regarding long-term results after surgery, especially in terms of radiological parameters.

Purpose/hypothesis: The aim was to evaluate the functional and radiological results of patients who underwent arthroscopic saucerization for a symptomatic DLM.