Systematic Review of the Impact of Calcium Channel Blockers on Sperm Function.

This study explores the effects of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on sperm function, a critical aspect of male fertility. Male infertility, responsible for 30-50% of infertility cases, often involves issues with sperm motility and capacitation, both of which are heavily influenced by calcium ions and specific ion channels like CatSper and voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs). CCBs, which are commonly prescribed for cardiovascular conditions, inhibit these calcium channels, potentially disrupting sperm function.

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators and Cardiovascular Resynchronization Therapy with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A MOMENTUM 3 Trial Analysis.

Background: The benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) and cardiovascular resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) in patients supported with a HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) remains uncertain.

Methods: An analysis of the MOMENTUM 3 randomized clinical trial and the first 1000 patients in the Continued Access Protocol trial. Patients were divided into three groups based on the presence of ICD and/or CRT-D: No device (n=153, 11%), ICD only (n=699, 50.

Critical Review of Guidelines for Type B Aortic Dissection.

The management of type B aortic dissection is one of the most challenging and debated topics in contemporary cardiovascular surgery practice. Patients with acute or chronic dissection-related complications, face high morbidity and mortality if not treated promptly. For most patients requiring intervention, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is considered the gold standard.

Radiation Segmentectomy for Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma is Curative.

In this Expert Opinion, we provide the rationale for concluding that radiation segmentectomy (using RADSEG method), a technique of administrating ablative, complete necrosis-inducing trans-arterial Yttrium-90 (Y90) radiotherapy in limited-disease burden hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is curative. Currently, curative options for early stage and other carefully selected HCC patients include transplantation, resection, and ablation. Because of issues with organ availability, co-morbidities preventing resection, and tumor size and location limiting ablation, other treatments are necessary for this selected patient population.

Consensus statement on the treatment of proximal humerus fractures: a Delphi approach by the Neer Circle of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Background: The treatment of patients who suffer a proximal humeral fracture (PHF) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to find consensus among experts using a validated iterative process in the treatment of patients after a PHF.

Methods: The Neer Circle is an organization of shoulder experts recognized for their service to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Mixed Methods RCT comparing quality of life for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes using Hybrid Closed-Loop (HCL) to Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy (SAPT).

Objectives: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in pregnancy is challenging. This study explores how assisted hybrid closed-loop (HCL) therapy versus sensor-augmented pump therapy (SAPT) impacts quality of life (QoL) in pregnancy.

Methods: We interviewed 22 of 24 participants randomized to HCL therapy or SAPT in the Pregnancy Intervention with a Closed-Loop System study.

Neural connectivity underlying core language functions.

Introduction: Although many white matter tracts underlying language functions have been identified, even in aggregate they do not provide a sufficiently detailed and expansive picture to enable us to fully understand the computational processes that might underly language production and comprehension. We employed diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) with a tensor distribution model to more extensively explore the white matter tracts supporting core language functions. Our study was guided by hypotheses stemming largely from the aphasia literature.

Professional organizations representing black pharmacists in hospitals and the health-systems.

Pharmacy associations representing Black pharmacists practicing in hospitals and the health-systems are not well documented. Their stories, challenges, and accomplishments remain relatively untold. Through historical review, the roles of Black pharmacists and their organizations in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting the professional growth and development of Black pharmacists in hospitals, and advocating for healthcare policies that address the needs of Black communities will be reviewed.

The influence of patient gender on exercise prescription in ACL reconstruction rehabilitation.

Objective: To assess differences in physical therapists' exercise prescription and confidence in return-to-sport readiness between girl and boy patients undergoing rehabilitation post-ACLR.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: 115 physical therapist responses were collected in an electronic survey.

Standardizing postoperative pain control for decompression of pediatric Chiari type I malformation by limiting narcotic usage.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a postoperative multimodal pain control protocol on perioperative pain scores in children undergoing decompression for Chiari type I malformation (CM-I).

Methods: This retrospective matched cohort study included patients < 21 years of age who underwent elective suboccipital craniectomy and C1 laminectomy for CM-I with or without duraplasty at a single center from January 2020 to July 2023. A standardized, multimodal postoperative pain protocol was implemented in August 2021 that did not use narcotic patient-controlled analgesia.

Smartphone accelerometers as tools to study the effect of socioeconomic disparities in neurosurgical outcomes: a multi-institutional retrospective analysis.

Objective: Smartphones and wearable devices can be effective tools to objectively assess patient mobility and well-being before and after spine surgery. In this retrospective observational study, the authors investigated the relationship between these longitudinal perioperative patient activity data and socioeconomic and demographic correlates, assessing whether smartphone-captured metrics may allow neurosurgeons to distinguish intergroup patterns.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study of patients who underwent spinal decompression with and without fusion between 2017 and 2021 was conducted.

Delta-Radiomics Using Machine Learning Classifiers With Auxiliary Data Sets to Predict Disease Progression During Magnetic Resonance-Guided Radiotherapy in Adrenal Metastases.

Purpose: Adaptive radiotherapy accounts for interfractional anatomic changes. We hypothesize that changes in the gross tumor volumes identified during daily scans could be analyzed using delta-radiomics to predict disease progression events. We evaluated whether an auxiliary data set could improve prediction performance.

Radar versus optical: The impact of cloud cover when mapping seasonal surface water for health applications in monsoon-affected India.

Surface water plays a vital role in the spread of infectious diseases. Information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface water availability is thus critical to understanding, monitoring and forecasting disease outbreaks. Before the launch of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) missions, surface water availability has been captured at various spatial scales through approaches based on optical remote sensing data.

Evidence of a persistent altered neural state in people with fibromyalgia syndrome during functional MRI studies and its relationship with pain and anxiety.

Altered neural signaling in fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) was investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We employed a novel fMRI network analysis method, Structural and Physiological Modeling (SAPM), which provides more detailed information than previous methods. The study involved brain fMRI data from participants with FM (N = 22) and a control group (HC, N = 18), acquired during a noxious stimulation paradigm.

Physical activity and metabolic syndrome in primary care patients in Spain.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between self-reported physical activity and the components of premorbid metabolic syndrome in patients treated in primary care according to sex.

Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on a sample of 2,359 patients without cardiovascular disease or diabetes, included in the cohort of the IBERICAN study. Using ANOVA models and adjusting for age, economic status, employment situation, level of education, adherence to a Mediterranean diet, tobacco use and alcohol consumption, we estimated the association of the variables blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood glucose and waist circumference with the self-reported level of physical activity (sedentary, moderate, high, very high).

Laboratory and in-home evaluations of consumer- and professional-grade cockroach baits.

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica (L.)) are a persistent pest in affordable housing and studies indicate that residents implement control on their own to deal with cockroaches within their homes. While many do-it-yourself (DIY) control options have proven ineffective, baits are widely considered to be a viable DIY solution for residents who do not have access to professional pest control services.

Benefit Design and Access to Dental Care Among Seniors With Medicare Advantage Dental Benefits.

Importance: Although Medicare Advantage plans frequently offer dental benefits, enrollees report lower rates of dental care use and higher rates of unmet dental need compared with individuals with employer-sponsored benefits. It is unknown which attributes of Medicare Advantage dental plans are associated with enhanced dental care access.

Objective: To determine attributes of Medicare Advantage dental plans associated with higher rates of dental care use and lower rates of unmet dental need.

Public Health Simulation-Infused Program (PHSIP) for Nursing Education.

Introduction: Recent health crises, like COVID-19, have increased the need for nurses with public health competencies, but students lack knowledge and are unconvinced of the importance of the field.

Methods: Pre-licensure nursing students (n = 341) engaged with a public health simulation-infused program (PHSIP) that scaffolded throughout the curriculum. Public health knowledge was tested pre- and post-simulation-based education (SBE), and the simulation effectiveness tool-modified (SET-M) was used to evaluate Learners' perception of the SBE experience.

Survival, Tumor Control, and Safety Outcomes of Proton Therapy in Sinonasal Cancer Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: In sinonasal cancer (SNC), treatment with proton therapy (PT) provides excellent local control, especially after gross total resection. Because of the heterogeneity and rarity of this disease site, a comprehensive assessment of toxicity, survival, and control rates is lacking. Our primary objective was to assess the toxicity outcomes of PT in SNC patients, with a secondary aim of assessing survival and tumor control after PT.

A review of ectochondral bone and the role of membranes in shaping endochondral bones of the skull.

Bones of the skull are traditionally categorized as derived from either endochondral or intramembranous bone. In our previous work, we have observed the interaction of different tissue types in growth of the skull. We find the dichotomy of intramembranous and endochondral bone to be too restrictive, limiting our interpretation of sources of biological variation.

Synthesis, Characterization, Anti-nematocidal, and Computational Study of Copper(II) Complex Derived from Fluoro-substituted Schiff base Ligand.

Herein, Schiff base was synthesized via reaction between 2-bromo-4-(trifluoromethoxy)aniline and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The ligand was reacted with Cu(II) salt to obtain complex. The compounds  were characterization using various techniques.

Inter-facility transfers to an urban level 1 trauma center and rates of secondary overtriage.

Purpose: Many patients originally transported to non-trauma centers (NTC) require transfer to a trauma center (TC) for treatment. The aim was to analyze injury characteristics and outcomes of transfer patients and investigate the secondary overtriage (SOT).

Methods: Study included 2,056 transfers to an urban level 1 TC between 01/2016 and 06/2020.

A Comprehensive Review of Phenolic Compounds in Chia Seeds and Their Applications in the Food Industry.

Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) have emerged as a significant focus in the food industry due to their rich nutritional profile and health-promoting attributes. They are a major powerhouse of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tocopherols that have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cholesterol functions, enhance cognitive performance, and improve heart health.