Metabolic Aging as an Increased Risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background/objectives: Both aging and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are strongly associated with changes in the metabolome; however, it is unknown whether there are common aging/COPD metabolomic signatures and if accelerated aging is associated with COPD.

Methods: Plasma from 5704 subjects from the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD study (COPDGene) and 2449 subjects from Subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures in COPD study (SPIROMICS) were profiled using the Metabolon global metabolomics platform (1013 annotated metabolites). Post-bronchodilator spirometry measures of airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV)/forced vital capacity (FVC) < 0.

Temporal RAGE Over-Expression Disrupts Lung Development by Modulating Apoptotic Signaling.

Receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) are multiligand cell surface receptors found most abundantly in lung tissue. This study sought to evaluate the role of RAGE in lung development by using a transgenic (TG) mouse model that spatially and temporally controlled RAGE overexpression. Histological imaging revealed that RAGE upregulation from embryonic day (E) 15.

Is the 99th Percentile Cutoff Still Relevant? A Single-Center Assessment of Different Thresholds for Diagnosing Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Background: The 2023 American College of Rheumatology and modified Sapporo criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) recommend ELISA to detect anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (aβ2GP1) IgG/IgM antibodies, focusing on moderate to high levels or exceeding the 99th percentile. This study aims to establish the 99th percentile threshold for anti-phospholipid (aPL) antibodies and compare the diagnostic accuracies of these thresholds with manufacturer cutoffs using 2 methodologies.

Methods: The 99th percentile cutoffs for aPL antibodies from 305 healthy donors were established using Aptiva, Particle-Based Multi-Analyte Technology (PMAT), and QUANTA Lite (QL) ELISA, following nonparametric reference interval estimation.

So Many Injections, So Much Waste: Understanding the Environmental Impact of Intravitreal Injections.

To understand the environmental burden associated with intravitreal injections (IVIs) and propose actionable solutions to mitigate this impact. An analysis of current IVI practices was conducted, focusing on packaging waste, energy consumption, the carbon footprint, and disposal processes. Data on the environmental footprint of IVIs were collected from the literature and industry reports.

One-Step Image Reconstruction for Cine MRI with a Quadratic Constraint.

Motivation: In cine MRI, the measurements within each timeframe alone are too noisy for image reconstruction. Some information must be 'borrowed' from other time frames and the reconstruction algorithm is a slow iterative procedure.

Goals: We set up a constrained objective function, which uses the measurements at other time frames to regularize the image reconstruction.

Assessment of recurrent fever among children undergoing tonsillectomy.

Background: Recurrent tonsillitis is a common indication for tonsillectomy in children and has phenotypic overlap with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. We sought to characterize symptoms associated with PFAPA among children undergoing tonsillectomy.

Methods: Parents/guardians of children undergoing tonsillectomy at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital over a six-week period were queried regarding symptoms of recurrent fever.

A Phase 1b study of the OxPhos inhibitor ME-344 with bevacizumab in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer.

Antiangiogenic drugs may cause vascular normalization and correct hypoxia in tumors, shifting cells to mitochondrial respiration as the primary source of energy. In turn, the addition of an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration to antiangiogenic therapy holds potential to induce synthetic lethality. This study evaluated the mitochondrial inhibitor ME-344 in combination with bevacizumab in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

A multicenter evaluation of penile curvature correction in men with Peyronie's disease undergoing inflatable penile prosthesis placement.

Background: Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) insertion is recommended for the treatment of patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) and significant erectile dysfunction (ED); adjunctive procedures can be used for residual curvature after IPP placement.

Aim: To assess the management of penile curvature correction in PD patients undergoing IPP procedures within a large multinational, multicenter cohort.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on PD patients treated with IPP by 11 experienced prosthetic surgeons.

Mandibular bone defect healing using polylactic acid-nano-hydroxyapatite-gelatin scaffold loaded with hesperidin and dental pulp stem cells in rat.

Addressing mandibular defects poses a significant challenge in maxillofacial surgery. Recent advancements have led to the development of various biomimetic composite scaffolds aimed at facilitating mandibular defect reconstruction. This study aimed to assess the regenerative potential of a novel composite scaffold consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA), gelatin, hesperidin, and human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in a rat model of mandibular bone defect.

Health impacts of asphalt emissions: Examining neurological risks and the need for long-term exposure mitigation.

Asphalt, widely used in infrastructure, emits complex chemical mixtures throughout its service life, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. This expanded understanding extends the concern from a construction-related hazard to a broader public health issue, especially affecting vulnerable populations like children who play on blacktop surfaces. Despite increased awareness, the specific mechanisms behind asphalt emissions, their impact on asphalt deterioration, and their effects on the human nervous system remain poorly understood.

Advances in Imaging of Traumatic Nerve Injuries.

Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries represent a spectrum of conditions and remain challenging to diagnose and prognosticate. High-resolution ultrasonography and magnetic resonance neurography have emerged as useful diagnostic modalities in the evaluation of traumatic peripheral nerve and brachial plexus injuries. Ultrasonography is noninvasive, is able to rapidly interrogate large areas and multiple nerves, allows for a dynamic assessment of nerves and their surrounding anatomy, and is cost-effective.

Role of minimally invasive surgery in the management of misplaced IUCDS and their complications, a case series.

Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) are a measure of temporary sterilization. Misplacement of IUCD is fairly common and most of these women remain asymptomatic. We report a clustered case series of misplaced, mal-positioned, and transmigrated IUCDs with serious complications and their management by minimally invasive surgery in a newly established medical school in North India.

Over 100 Fontan Patients on Systemic Ventricular Assist Device Support: An ACTION Update.

As the Fontan population grows, understanding successful strategies for ventricular assist device (VAD) support of the failing Fontan circulation is needed. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with Fontan circulation and systemic VAD support in the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION) registry. Competing outcomes and Kaplan-Meier estimated survival methods were used.

Intracisternal AAV9-MAG- Vector Reverses Motor Deficits in Adult Adrenomyeloneuropathy Mice.

Worldwide, thousands of male patients who carry ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily D Member 1 () mutations develop adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) in mid-adulthood, a debilitating axonopathy of the spinal cord. Today AAV gene therapy brings the most hope for this orphan disease. We previously reported that an AAV9-MAG- vector injected intravenously in the neonatal period prevented the disease in 2-year-old mice, the AMN mouse model.

'Hoping for a life that isn't just surviving:' a qualitative study on sexual minority college students' experiences with identity formation and coming out at a religious institution in the USA.

This study explores the identity formation and coming out experiences of 14 sexual minority students at a religiously affiliated university in the USA. Participants described their experiences of cultural, religious, and societal pressure that extended the process of self-acceptance and identity disclosure. We used consensual qualitative research method to analyse each interview.

Multicomponent body composition of university club sport athletes.

Background: The body composition of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes is well documented but no such data exist for university club sports athletes. Additionally, the majority of norms for NCAA athletes were created from individual methods requiring assumptions.

Objective: This study used a four-component (4C) model to measure the body composition of university club sports athletes.

Semi-parametric sensitivity analysis for trials with irregular and informative assessment times.

Many trials are designed to collect outcomes at or around pre-specified times after randomization. If there is variability in the times when participants are actually assessed, this can pose a challenge to learning the effect of treatment, since not all participants have outcome assessments at the times of interest. Furthermore, observed outcome values may not be representative of all participants' outcomes at a given time.

Long-term follow-up of combination therapy with pembrolizumab and anlotinib in thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor: a case report and molecular features.

Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumors (SMARCA4-UTs), recently recognized as a rare malignancy described in the 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors, are characterized by an inactivating mutation in SMARCA4, most commonly found in the mediastinum of male smokers. Despite the aggressive nature and poor prognosis associated with these tumors, which have a median survival time of approximately 4-7 months, no standardized treatment guidelines are currently established. There are currently no reported cases of extended progression-free survival (PFS) in SMARCA4-UT patients treated with surgery and immunotherapy.

Socioeconomic and spatial distribution of depressive symptoms and access to treatment in Peru: A repeated nationwide cross-sectional study from 2014 to 2021.

Background: Globally, evidence indicates that poverty and geographical setting influence the prevalence of depressive symptoms and access to treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic and spatial distribution of depressive symptoms and treatment in Peru.

Methods: We conducted an observational study based on the analysis of secondary data derived from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Surveys for 2014-2021.

Melatonin stabilizes atherosclerotic plaques: an association that should be clinically exploited.

Atherosclerosis is the underlying factor in the premature death of millions of humans annually. The cause of death is often a result of the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque followed by the discharge of the associated molecular debris into the vessel lumen which occludes the artery leading to ischemia of downstream tissue and to morbidity or mortality of the individual. This is most serious when it occurs in the heart (heart attack) or brain (stroke).

Enhancing Anemia Detection With Non-invasive Anemia Detection With AI (NiADA): Insights From Clinical Validations and Physician Observations.

Background Anemia, a critical public health issue, affects nearly two billion people globally. Frequent monitoring of blood hemoglobin levels is essential for managing its burden. While point-of-care testing (POCT) devices facilitate hemoglobin testing in resource-limited settings, most are invasive and have inherent limitations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: updates on epidemiology, surveillance, diagnosis and treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global burden, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. HCC due to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or C virus (HCV) infection has decreased due to universal vaccination for HBV and effective antiviral therapy for both HBV and HCV, but HCC related to metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is increasing. Biannual liver ultrasonography and serum α-fetoprotein are the primary surveillance tools for early HCC detection among high-risk patients (e.