Estimating the Cost-Saving Threshold of a Rural Syringe Services Program Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aimed to examine shifts in the cost-savings threshold of a rural syringe services program (SSP) that resulted in the 12-months following the identification of the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared SSP operational costs during the 12-months immediately before and after identification of the COVID-19 pandemic using administrative data from the Cabell-Huntington Harm Reduction Program (CHHRP), which is operated by the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in West Virginia. Data included monthly counts of client encounters, sterile syringe distribution, and HIV testing.

Regulatory effects of resveratrol on nitric oxide signaling in cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular illnesses are multifactorial disorders and represent the primary reasons for death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. As a signaling molecule, nitric oxide (NO) is extremely permeable across cellular membranes owing to its unique molecular features, like its small molecular size, lipophilicity, and free radical properties. Some of the biological effects of NO are vasodilation, inhibition in the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells, and functional regulation of cardiac cells.

Psychological symptoms, quality of life and dyadic relations in family members of intensive care survivors: a multicentre, prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Background: There is scarce literature evaluating long term psychological or Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes in family members of ICU survivors, who have not experienced invasive ventilation. The objective was to compare long-term psychological symptoms and QoL outcomes in family members of intubated versus non-intubated ICU survivors and to evaluate dyadic relationships between paired family members and survivors.

Methods: Prospective, multicentre cohort study among four medical-surgical ICUs in Australia.

The potential link between the development of Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and osteoporosis (OP) pose distinct but interconnected health challenges, both significantly impacting the aging population. AD, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory impairment and cognitive decline, is primarily associated with the accumulation of abnormally folded amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. OP, a skeletal disorder marked by low bone mineral density, involves dysregulation of bone remodeling and is associated with an increased risk of fractures.

Perfusion estimation from dynamic non-contrast computed tomography using self-supervised learning and a physics-inspired U-net transformer architecture.

Purpose: Pulmonary perfusion imaging is a key lung health indicator with clinical utility as a diagnostic and treatment planning tool. However, current nuclear medicine modalities face challenges like low spatial resolution and long acquisition times which limit clinical utility to non-emergency settings and often placing extra financial burden on the patient. This study introduces a novel deep learning approach to predict perfusion imaging from non-contrast inhale and exhale computed tomography scans (IE-CT).

Advances in waste-derived functional materials for PFAS remediation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organofluoride compounds, widely used in industries since the 1950s for their hydrophobic properties. PFAS contamination of soil and water poses significant environmental and public health risks due to their persistence, chemical stability, and resistance to degradation. The Chemical Abstracts Service catalogs approximately 4300 PFAS globally.

Model Building with Youth: Applying a System Science Approach to Examine the Dynamic Social Context of Adolescent and Young Adult Marijuana Use.

Marijuana use in adolescence is associated with significant adverse outcomes. Romantic relationships are an important context for marijuana use. Prior research suggests a bi-directional relationship between marijuana use and relationship functioning; however, the complex interplay between adolescent relationship dynamics and marijuana use remains unclear.

Evolving Strategies in the Management of Microsatellite Instability-High/Mismatch Repair Deficient Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose Of Review: This review addresses the current treatment paradigm and new advancements in the management of microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) esophagogastric cancer (EGC).

Recent Findings: While chemotherapy and surgery remain the cornerstone of EGC treatment, MSI-H/dMMR tumors harbor high tumor mutational burden and represent a subset of patients who benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). ICI has been incorporated in the front line setting with and without chemotherapy for advanced disease.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer: a multicenter, population-based cohort study.

Purpose: To study the association between clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer (IBC).

Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested in a multicenter, population-based cohort of 8175 women aged ≥ 18 years with DCIS diagnosed between 1987 and 2016 and followed for a median duration of 83 months. Cases (n = 497) were women with a first diagnosis of DCIS who developed a subsequent IBC ≥ 6 months later; controls (2/case; n = 959) were matched to cases on age at and calendar year of DCIS diagnosis.

Comparison of perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy among the da Vinci, hinotori, and Hugo robot-assisted surgery systems.

In recent times, innovative surgical robotics have emerged and gained widespread adoption. This study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes associated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using three different robotic surgical systems: da Vinci surgical system (DVSS), hinotori surgical robot system (HSRS), and Hugo robot-assisted surgery system (HRASS). Our study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 149 individuals who received RARP from 2022 to 2024, utilizing the DVSS (n = 81), HSRS (n = 52), and HRASS (n = 16).

Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of a Novel Anti-obesity Agent, S-309309, in Healthy Adults with or Without Obesity.

Background: Anti-obesity medications are recommended for patients who do not achieve and maintain weight loss despite lifestyle interventions. S-309309 is a novel oral inhibitor of monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 being developed as a treatment for obesity.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the safety, clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic biomarker of S-309309.

Time-lapse analysis of embryos classified as euploid, mosaic, and aneuploid after embryonic trophectoderm biopsy.

Purpose: Analyze morphokinetic, morphology, and KIDscore™Day5 in different PGT-A classes, focusing on putative mosaicism level and type.

Methods: The single-center retrospective study analyzed 832 embryoscope-cultured blastocysts from cycles with at least one putative mosaic, conducted from 2020 to 2022. A P-value < 0.

Identifying the greatest surgeon-perceived barriers and challenges in performing corneal transplantation in India.

Objective: There is currently no systematic method of assessing limitations in performing corneal transplantation. The purpose of the study was to identify the limitations of performing corneal transplantation in India.

Design: Cross-sectional survey study.

Intracellular concentration of ADA2 is a marker for monocyte differentiation and activation.

Adenosine, a critical molecule regulating cellular function both inside and outside cells, is controlled by two human adenosine deaminases: ADA1 and ADA2. While ADA1 primarily resides in the cytoplasm, ADA2 can be transported to lysosomes within cells or secreted outside the cell. Patients with ADA2 deficiency (DADA2) often suffer from systemic vasculitis due to elevated levels of TNF-α in their blood.

Predictive value of enhanced corneal biomechanical parameters for ectasia progression.

Purpose: To determine whether corneal biomechanical parameters can predict ectasia progression.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Methods: The baseline corneal biomechanical parameters of 64 eyes of 41 young patients (age, < 25 years at the first visit) who were diagnosed with keratoconus (KC) or suspected KC at Osaka University Hospital and followed up for more than two years were reviewed.

D dopamine / mu opioid receptor interactions in operant conditioning assays of pain-depressed responding and drug-induced rate suppression, and a conditioned place preference procedure: assessment of therapeutic index in male Sprague Dawley rats.

Rationale And Objectives: In vivo receptor interactions vary as a function of behavioral endpoint, with key differences between reflexive and non-reflexive measures that assess the motivational aspects of pain and pain relief. There have been no assessments of D dopamine agonist / mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonist interactions in non-reflexive behavioral measures of pain. We examined the hypothesis that D/MOR mixtures show enhanced effectiveness in blocking pain depressed behaviors while showing decreased side effects such as sedation and drug reward.

Femur osteoid osteoma in children: are there location-dependent differences in MRI findings?

Background: Osteoid osteomas are most commonly found in the femur and preferentially affect the pediatric population. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of femoral osteoid osteomas are not well described.

Objective: To systematically characterize pretreatment MRI findings of clinically confirmed femur osteoid osteomas in children and determine location-dependent differences.

Displaced cortical vein sign on CT in infants: a reliable predictor to distinguish low-attenuation subdural collections from benign enlargement of subarachnoid spaces.

Differentiating benign enlargement of subarachnoid spaces (BESS) from low-attenuation subdural collections on CT imaging of infants can be challenging. This distinction is crucial in infants, as subdural collections may raise the concern for abusive head trauma (AHT). To evaluate the utilization of the displaced cortical vein sign on CT as a predictor of pathological subdural collections confirmed by MRI and to assess the reproducibility of this finding among radiologists with different levels of clinical experience.

New approaches to secondary metabolite discovery from anaerobic gut microbes.

The animal gut microbiome is a complex system of diverse, predominantly anaerobic microbiota with secondary metabolite potential. These metabolites likely play roles in shaping microbial community membership and influencing animal host health. As such, novel secondary metabolites from gut microbes hold significant biotechnological and therapeutic interest.

Application of predictive modeling tools for the identification of Ocimum spp. herbal products.

Species identification of botanical products is a crucial aspect of research and regulatory compliance; however, botanical classification can be difficult, especially for morphologically similar species with overlapping genetic and metabolomic markers, like those in the genus Ocimum. Untargeted LC-MS metabolomics coupled with multivariate predictive modeling provides a potential avenue for improving herbal identity investigations, but the current dearth of reference materials for many botanicals limits the applicability of these approaches. This study investigated the potential of using greenhouse-grown authentic Ocimum to build predictive models for classifying commercially available Ocimum products.

Blood Pressure Control and Incident Left-Ventricular Conduction Disease.

Purpose Of Review: Cardiac conduction disease, a harbinger of pacemaker implantation, heart failure, and death, is commonly regarded as immutable. However, emerging research suggests it may be a target for upstream prevention strategies such as blood pressure management. This review summarizes recent evidence regarding blood pressure control and the development of conduction disease.

Cardiovascular Risk Factor and Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Purpose Of Review: To highlight advancements in managing traditional and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) specific risk factors and the impact of RA treatments on cardiovascular outcomes.

Recent Findings: Advancements in rheumatoid arthritis management have paralleled declining trends in cardiovascular disease risks. Biomarkers like CRP, Lipoprotein(a), Apolipoprotein B 100, and imaging tools such as coronary artery calcium scoring enhance cardiovascular risk stratification, particularly in intermediate-risk RA patients.