Multistage deep learning methods for automating radiographic sharp score prediction in rheumatoid arthritis.

The Sharp-van der Heijde score (SvH) is crucial for assessing joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through radiographic images. However, manual scoring is time-consuming and subject to variability. This study proposes a multistage deep learning model to predict the Overall Sharp Score (OSS) from hand X-ray images.

Effects of Noise and Public Setting on Blood Pressure Readings : A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Guidelines emphasize quiet settings for blood pressure (BP) measurement.

Objective: To determine the effect of noise and public environment on BP readings.

Design: Randomized crossover trial of adults in Baltimore, Maryland.

Predicting Individual Pain Sensitivity Using a Novel Cortical Biomarker Signature.

Importance: Biomarkers would greatly assist decision-making in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chronic pain.

Objective: To undertake analytical validation of a sensorimotor cortical biomarker signature for pain consisting of 2 measures: sensorimotor peak alpha frequency (PAF) and corticomotor excitability (CME).

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study at a single center (Neuroscience Research Australia) recruited participants from November 2020 to October 2022 through notices placed online and at universities across Australia.

Anxiety and Depression Affect Sleep Quality: A Preliminary Investigation in Crowdsourced Samples of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults.

We aimed to compare sleep problems in autistic and non-autistic adults with co-occurring depression and anxiety. The primary research question was whether autism status influences sleep quality, after accounting for the effects of depression and anxiety. We hypothesized that autistic adults would report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems compared to non-autistic adults, after controlling for these covariates.

rsfMRI-based brain entropy is negatively correlated with gray matter volume and surface area.

The brain entropy (BEN) reflects the randomness of brain activity and is inversely related to its temporal coherence. In recent years, BEN has been found to be associated with a number of neurocognitive, biological, and sociodemographic variables such as fluid intelligence, age, sex, and education. However, evidence regarding the potential relationship between BEN and brain structure is still lacking.

Molecular epidemiology of β-lactamases in ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales bloodstream infections in the mid-Atlantic United States.

Ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales remain a public health threat; contemporary data investigating their molecular epidemiology are limited. Five hundred consecutive ceftriaxone-resistant (MIC ≥ 4 µg/mL) Enterobacterales bloodstream isolates were collected between 2018 and 2022 from three Maryland hospitals. Broth microdilution confirmed antibiotic susceptibilities.

Duplexed direct RNA sequencing protocol using polyadenylation and polyuridylation.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies provides multiplexing options for DNA and cDNA sequencing, but not for direct RNA sequencing. Here we describe a duplexing approach and validate it by simultaneously sequencing the rRNA from wild type and knockout that have differential rRNA modifications, successfully demultiplexing the data using bioinformatics approaches.

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) for acute poisonings in United States: a retrospective analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry.

Introduction: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is frequently considered and implemented to help manage patients with cardiogenic shock from acute poisoning. However, utilization of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acutely poisoned patients is largely unknown.

Method: We conducted a retrospective study analyzing the epidemiologic, clinical characteristics and survival of acutely poisoned patients placed on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation using the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry.

Lightweight Retinal Layer Segmentation With Global Reasoning.

Automatic retinal layer segmentation with medical images, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, serves as an important tool for diagnosing ophthalmic diseases. However, it is challenging to achieve accurate segmentation due to low contrast and blood flow noises presented in the images. In addition, the algorithm should be light-weight to be deployed for practical clinical applications.

Temporal variations in and predictive values of ABG results prior to in-hospital cardiac arrest.

In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) has been understudied relative to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Further, studies of IHCA have mainly focused on a limited number of pre-arrest patient characteristics (e.g.

Developing an Emergency Medical Services Resilience Assessment Tool in Climate Change: A Study Protocol.

Background: Climate change poses significant threats to the health and safety of communities worldwide. Extreme weather events can disrupt critical infrastructure and overwhelm emergency medical services (EMS) systems. As the frequency and intensity of these climate-related disasters continue to increase, it is essential that EMS organizations develop robust strategies to enhance their resilience.

Challenges of Engaging Primary Care Providers in Specialized Telementoring Education About Sickle Cell Disease for Sickle Cell Specialists: Results from the Sickle Cell Disease Training and Mentoring Program for Primary Care Providers (STAMP) Project ECHO.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 individuals in the U.S. A lack of knowledgeable providers, particularly for adult patients, has led to a significant number of adults without access to high-quality care.

Adaptive changes in balance control strategies under continuous exposure to visual-somatosensory conflicts.

Human postural control system has the capacity to adapt to balance-challenging perturbations. However, the characteristics and mechanisms of postural adaptation to continuous perturbation under the sensory conflicting environments remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the functional role of oscillatory coupling drive to lower-limb muscles with changes in balance control during postural adaptation under multisensory congruent and incongruent environments.

A Sequential Mixed-Methods Study of Factors Associated with Low High-Resolution Anoscopy Completion in Transgender Women with Abnormal Anal Cytology.

In a cohort of transgender women (TGW) with abnormal anal cytology (AAC) in Washington, DC, we determined the rates of and factors associated with completion of high-resolution anoscopy (HRA). This mixed-methods study used a sequential study design. In an academic-community clinic, we recruited TGW who provided blood samples, anal swabs for anal cytology, and completed surveys.

Clinical progress note: Diagnostic approach to dizziness and vertigo.

Dizziness is a common clinical presentation that incurs huge financial costs. It is frequently misdiagnosed due to a wide differential involving both benign (inner ear disease) and serious (stroke) disorders. Traditional frameworks that emphasize symptom quality (dizziness/lightheadedness/vertigo) lack diagnostic utility.

An international survey of patient blood management practices.

Background: The Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) conducted a global survey of patient blood management (PBM) practices. It determined changes in PBM practices since the last survey.

Study Design And Methods: A working group of AABB's PBM Subsection and AABB staff designed the survey using the Qualtrics™ platform.

A Perspective on Women in Otolaryngology Through the Legacy of Dr. Margaret F. Butler.

This article explores the life of Dr. Margaret F. Butler and her many contributions to the field of otolaryngology.

NumSimEX: A method using EXX hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry to map the energetics of protein folding landscapes.

Hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HXMS) is a powerful tool to understand protein folding pathways and energetics. However, HXMS experiments to date have used exchange conditions termed EX1 or EX2 which limit the information that can be gained compared to the more general EXX exchange regime. If EXX behavior could be understood and analyzed, a single HXMS timecourse on an intact protein could fully map its folding landscape without requiring denaturation.

CD19 CAR-T With Axicabtagene Ciloleucel in R/R Large B-Cell Lymphoma With/Without Prior Autologous Stem Cell Transplant.

Background: Anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy has been a breakthrough in treatment of primary refractory or relapsed large B-cell lymphoma (r/r LBCL) and is poised to supplant previous second line of high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT/ASCT). However, in clinical practice, high risk patients with chemoimmunotherapy sensitive disease continue to receive salvage chemoimmunotherapy or cannot access CAR-T in a timely manner and thus may still proceed to HDT/ASCT. Little is known about clinical outcomes of CAR-T in patients who receive HDT/ASCT compared to those who are transplant-naïve.

Sleep variability and time to achieving pregnancy: findings from a pilot cohort study of women desiring pregnancy.

Objective: To determine whether chronodisruption is associated with achieving pregnancy.

Design: Pilot prospective cohort study.

Subjects: One hundred eighty-three women desiring pregnancy were recruited from the local community of an academic medical center located in the Midwest and provided sleep information between February 1, 2015, and November 30, 2017.

Oxidative Gaseous Air Pollutant Exposure Interacts with PNPLA3-I148M Genotype to Influence Liver Fat Fraction and Multi-Omics Profiles in Young Adults.

PNPLA3-I148M genotype is the strongest predictive single-nucleotide polymorphism for liver fat. We examine whether PNPLA3-I148M modifies associations between oxidative gaseous air pollutant exposure (O) with i) liver fat and ii) multi-omics profiles of miRNAs and metabolites linked to liver fat. Participants were 69 young adults (17-22 years) from the Meta-AIR cohort.