A Narrative Review of Cardiometabolic Profiles among U.S. Adults: Temporal Trends and Implications.

Purpose Of Review: To provide a narrative overview of trends and disparities in the cardiometabolic profiles of U.S. adults by synthesizing findings from nationally representative studies conducted between 1999 and 2020.

Uncomplicated pharyngitis due to family transmission of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae.

We describe two cases of uncomplicated pharyngitis caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) in a family, initially in an immunocompetent adolescent, followed by possible household spread resulting in similar presentations in the patient's parent. Genomic analysis confirmed hvKp from the two cases were genetically identical and typed as K2-ST3252. Nasopharyngeal carriage and respiratory secretion/droplet may play an important yet underrecognized role in the transmission of hvKp.

Trends in Colorectal Cancer Peritoneal Metastases Research: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) stands as the third most prevalent malignancy globally and is recognized as the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Notably, nearly 50% of individuals diagnosed with CRC ultimately develop metastatic disease, with the peritoneum emerging as the second most frequent site for metastatic spread. Recent advancements in therapeutic frameworks have enhanced both survival rates and quality of life metrics for patients afflicted with colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases (CRCPM).

Attenuating hyperammonemia preserves protein synthesis and muscle mass via restoration of perturbed metabolic pathways in bile duct-ligated rats.

Sarcopenia and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are complications of chronic liver disease (CLD), which negatively impact clinical outcomes. Hyperammonemia is considered to be the central component in the pathogenesis of HE, however ammonia's toxic effects have also been shown to impinge on extracerebral organs including the muscle. Our aim was to investigate the effect of attenuating hyperammonemia with ornithine phenylacetate (OP) on muscle mass loss and associated molecular mechanisms in rats with CLD.

Bempedoic Acid: A Review in Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Statin-Intolerant Patients.

Oral bempedoic acid (NEXLETOL in the USA; Nilemdo in the EU) and the fixed dose combination (FDC) of bempedoic acid/ezetimibe (NEXLIZET in the USA; Nustendi in the EU) are approved to reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk in statin-intolerant patients who are at high risk for, or have, CV disease. A first-in-class therapy, bempedoic acid inhibits the adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. In the multinational phase III CLEAR Outcomes trial in statin-intolerant patients, once-daily bempedoic acid 180 mg significantly reduced the risk of the primary endpoint (a four-component major adverse CV event composite of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or coronary revascularization) compared with placebo.

Judaism, Women's Health and COVID-19.

This issue commences with a review of the top 100 most cited papers in the Journal of Religion and Health. This is followed by Part 2 of a series examining Judaism and health related research, which is subsequently followed by an extensive collection of research specifically connected to women's health. Finally, research continues to present the unique and ongoing effects of COVID-19.

Religious Coping in Parents of Children with Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Having a child with Down syndrome (DS) is stressful for families. Social, physical, economic and emotional difficulties are the most challenging stressors for parents of children with DS. Therefore, parents who have children with DS have used various types of coping strategies.

Nervus Intermedius Neuralgia.

Purpose Of Review: This review discusses the diagnosis and treatment of nervus intermedius neuralgia (NIN) and identifies gaps in the literature.

Recent Findings: The nervus intermedius is a branch of the facial nerve. NIN presents as a rare neuralgia of this nerve, causing deep ear pain, which may radiate to the auditory canal, auricle, mastoid, soft palate, temple, and angle of the jaw.

Robotic extended total extraperitoneal transversus abdominus release for traumatic flank and abdominal intercostal hernias.

Purpose: Traumatic abdominal intercostal/flank hernias present a perplexing challenge for surgeons seeking to repair them. There has been a paucity of studies describing robotic repairs of such hernias. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the Robotic-assisted Extended Total Extraperitoneal/Transversus Abdominus Release (rETEP/TAR) method in repairing traumatic abdominal intercostal and flank hernias.

Occupational histories in neuropathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy.

Purpose: This study examined occupational histories in multiple system atrophy to identify environmental associations of potential relevance to disease causation.

Methods: A total of 270 neuropathologically confirmed cases of multiple system atrophy obtained from the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank for neurodegenerative disorders in Jacksonville, Florida, were included in this case-control study. Demographic and disease information was collected from medical records.

Effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications on implant survival: a long-term retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: This large-scale retrospective study aimed to examine the long-term effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications intake on dental implant treatment outcome.

Materials And Methods: This study retrospectively examined data from patients who underwent dental implant procedures at several university dental clinics within the BigMouth network between 2011 and 2022. Patients' characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, race, tobacco use, systemic medical conditions and intake of antiplatelets and anticoagulants were analyzed.

Weathering the Pain: Ambient Temperature's Role in Chronic Pain Syndromes.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic pain is highly prevalent and involves a complex interaction of sensory, emotional, and cognitive processes, significantly influenced by ambient temperature. Despite advances in pain management, many patients continue to experience inadequate pain relief. This review aims to consolidate and critically evaluate the current evidence on the impact of ambient temperature on chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM), multiple sclerosis (MS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and osteoarthritis (OA).

Margin matters: analyzing the impact of circumferential margin involvement on survival and recurrence after incomplete total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.

Background: Incomplete mesorectal excision during rectal cancer surgery often leads to positive circumferential margins, with uncertain prognostic impacts. This study examines whether negative margins can mitigate the poorer prognosis typically associated with incomplete total mesorectal excision (TME) in rectal cancer surgery, thus potentially challenging the prevailing emphasis on complete mesorectal excision.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent proctectomy for rectal adenocarcinoma with incomplete TME at a single center from 2010 to 2022.

A Review of Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Predict Persistent Postoperative Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder and its Ethical Considerations.

Purpose Of Review: Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a new frontier for aiding in the management of both acute and chronic pain, which may potentially transform opioid prescribing practices and addiction prevention strategies. In this review paper, not only do we discuss some of the current literature around predicting various opioid-related outcomes, but we also briefly point out the next steps to improve trustworthiness of these AI models prior to real-time use in clinical workflow.

Recent Findings: Machine learning-based predictive models for identifying risk for persistent postoperative opioid use have been reported for spine surgery, knee arthroplasty, hip arthroplasty, arthroscopic joint surgery, outpatient surgery, and mixed surgical populations.

The Value of Medical Nutrition Therapy and Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support in Diabetes Care and Education: A Call to Action to Increase Referrals and Recognize Insurance Coverage Variation.

Purpose Of Review: Evidence over the past few decades have proven the benefits and cost savings of diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) and medical nutrition therapy (MNT). Yet, the benefits continue to be underutilized. Little evidence is available to definitively assess insurance coverage for both services.

Survival outcomes of surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage small cell and large cell lung cancer: a novel focus on tumors less than 1 cm.

Background: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) remains unclear, particularly for small tumors. This study assesses the survival benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection with a novel focus on tumors less than 1 cm.

Materials And Methods: Data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was extracted for patients with SCLC (n = 11,962) and LCNEC (n = 6821) who underwent surgical resection between 2004 and 2020.

Sociodemographic inequities in overall survival among younger and older women with cervical cancer.

Purpose:  Older Black women and women living in areas of low socioeconomic status (SES) diagnosed with cervical cancer (CC) have worse overall survival (OS). The objective was to investigate associations between OS and race/ethnicity and sociodemographic factors in younger (21-64 years) and older women (≥ 65 years) diagnosed with CC using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program data.

Methods:  This retrospective, population-based cohort study included 39,000 women ≥ 21 years diagnosed with CC diagnosed between 2006 and 2020.

A Data-Informed Mathematical Model of Microglial Cell Dynamics During Ischemic Stroke in the Middle Cerebral Artery.

Neuroinflammation immediately follows the onset of ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery. During this process, microglial cells are activated in and recruited to the penumbra. Microglial cells can be activated into two different phenotypes: M1, which can worsen brain injury; or M2, which can aid in long-term recovery.

Improving postsurgical paresis in brain tumor patients by transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Background And Objectives: Recently, reduction of transcallosal inhibition by contralateral navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (nrTMS) improved neurorehabilitation of glioma patients with new postoperative paresis. This multicentric study examines the effect of postoperative nrTMS in brain tumor patients to treat surgery-related upper extremity paresis.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of two randomized and three one-arm studies in brain tumor patients with new/progressive postoperative paresis.

The Multifactorial Relationship Between Bone Tissue Water and Stiffness at the Proximal Femur.

Bone mechanical function is determined by multiple factors, some of which are still being elucidated. Here, we present a multivariate analysis of the role of bone tissue composition in the proximal femur stiffness of cadaver bones (n = 12, age 44-93). Stiffness was assessed by testing under loading conditions simulating a sideways fall onto the hip.

Patient-centered outcomes for clinical trials in chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (inclusive of subtypes with nasal polyps [CRSwNP], without nasal polyps [CRSsNP], and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis [AFRS]) causes inflammation of the nose mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Unfortunately, evidence supporting use of clinical outcome assessments (COAs) in regulated clinical trials to assess key measurement concepts of these conditions is limited.

Objective: To identify key disease-related symptoms and impacts, potential outcomes of interest for new treatments, and COAs available to measure those outcomes among adult and adolescent individuals living with CRSwNP, CRSsNP, and AFRS.