Role of Posterior Carbon Fiber Implants in Spine Tumor Surgery.

Study Design: Narrative Review.

Objective: The management of spinal tumors requires a multi-disciplinary approach including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Surgical approaches typically require posterior segmental instrumentation to maintain long-term spinal stability.

Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Surgical Approach to the Volar Ulnar Corner of the Distal Radius.

There are many approaches to the wrist both volar and dorsal, depending on the injury at hand. The design of the volar locking plate has created a rise in distal radius fractures being treated using a volar FCR approach and its modifications. It does, however, have limitations in visualization of the volar ulnar corner of the radius.

Lumpectomy Patients are at Highest Risk for Opioid Overprescription: A Comparison Between Practice Patterns and OPEN National Guidelines.

Background: Nearly 25% of opioid-related deaths are from prescribed opioids, and the exacerbation of the opioid epidemic by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underscores the urgent need to address superfluous prescribing. Therefore, we sought to align local opioid prescribing practices with national guidelines in postoperative non-metastatic breast cancer patients.

Methods: A single-institution analysis included non-metastatic breast surgery patients treated between April 2020 and July 2021.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Part II: Etiopathogenesis and Management.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) poses a distinct dermatological challenge with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) at its core, driving follicular cell transformation and fibrotic changes. Genetic studies highlight significant associations, while environmental triggers, such as implicated cosmetic products (sunblock, personal hair care products, and moisturizers), introduce complexity. Managing FFA proves daunting due to its chronic and unpredictable nature.

Opioid use disorder prevalence in 57 New York counties from 2017 to 2019: A Bayesian evidence synthesis.

Introduction: Prevalence estimates of opioid use disorder (OUD) at local levels are critical for public health planning and surveillance, yet largely unavailable across the US especially at the local county level.

Methods: We used a Bayesian evidence synthesis approach to estimate the prevalence of OUD for 57 counties across New York State for 2017-2019 and compare rates of OUD across counties as well as assess the extent of undiagnosed OUD. We developed a generative model to assess conditional probabilistic relations between different subgroups of the OUD population defined by diagnosis, treatment, and overdose fatality.

Post hoc analysis: 6 Months immunogenicity after third dose of BNT162b2 vs JNJ-78436735 After Two Doses of BNT162b2 vaccine in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: In Solid Organ Transplant (SOT) recipients, due to immunosuppression, the immunogenicity after COVID-19 vaccination is suboptimal and its durability is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of a patient-blinded, single center, randomized controlled trial comparing BNT162b2 vs JNJ-78436735 as the third dose after two doses of BNT162b2 in adult SOT recipients with active graft to compare long-term immunogenicity.

Results: Forty-one recipients were analyzed.

Beyond the Herald Patch: Exploring the Complex Landscape of Pityriasis Rosea.

Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a prevalent dermatological condition characterized by a distinctive herald patch, followed by secondary eruptions, often forming a "Christmas tree" pattern on the trunk. Despite its recognizable clinical presentation, the etiology of PR remains uncertain, with hypotheses pointing to both infectious and noninfectious origins. Human herpesviruses (HHV) 6 and 7 have been implicated, with evidence suggesting viral reactivation as a potential trigger.

Benign or Malignant? Ex Vivo Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for Bedside Histological Assessment of Melanocytic Lesions.

Objective: Ex vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy (EVCM) is an emerging imaging technique, which offers rapid tissue examination. While the current literature shows promising results in the evaluation of non-melanoma skin cancer, only limited research exists on the application of EVCM in melanocytic lesions. This study aimed to assess the utility of EVCM in the characterization of melanocytic lesions and compare its findings with gold-standard histopathology.

Prioritizing Context-Dependent Cancer Gene Signatures in Networks.

There are numerous ways of portraying cancer complexity based on combining multiple types of data. A common approach involves developing signatures from gene expression profiles to highlight a few key reproducible features that provide insight into cancer risk, progression, or recurrence. Normally, a selection of such features is made through relevance or significance, given a reference context.

Assessing the physical activity training needs and preferences of community health workers in South Africa.

Background: Emerging work highlights the potential of community health workers (CHWs) to promote physical activity (PA) as a part of their role in preventing and managing non-communicable diseases. However, little is known about CHW preferences and desires towards receiving PA training.

Methods: Community health promoters (CHPs), a type of CHWs in South Africa, from seven health districts in Johannesburg participated in a day-long in-service training on PA and healthy eating.

Presentation and Management of Silicone Lymphadenopathy: A Single Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Silicone Lymphadenopathy (SL) is a complication of breast implants that involves migration of silicone to nearby soft tissue/lymph nodes. Data on its clinical features and management is scarce. We aimed to identify the clinical presentation and management of SL.

Does extending the body contour into air enhance surface dose calculation accuracy?

Purpose: In radiotherapy treatment planning systems, modelling of superficial dose may be aided by a body contour that is, by default, placed at the outermost air-tissue interface. Here we investigate the accuracy of superficial dose calculated using either the default body contour (DBC) or an extended body contour (EBC) compared to radiochromic film measurements made on a slab phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom.

Methods: Depth dose curves in the superficial region of the slab phantom were measured using stacked radiochromic films and irradiated using static beams delivered from varying incident angles.

From responsibility to responsibilization in stem cell research: An ethical framework.

Adopting a responsibilization approach can further improve the ethical conduct of stem cell (SC) research and applications. This approach helps align new and existing solutions for ethical implications by focusing on equipping SC researchers with the knowledge, skills, and organizational arrangements to take (co-)responsibility for the socio-ethical implications of their research.

Back to Basics: The Utility of History and Physical in the Workup of Geriatric Ground-Level Falls.

Introduction: Falls account for nearly ¾ of all trauma in the geriatric population. We hypothesized that history and physical could reliably identify elderly patients with ground-level falls (GLF) who require head and cervical spine imaging.

Materials And Methods: Patients of age >65 y with GLF from January, 2018 to December, 2021 at a level 1 trauma center were retrospectively reviewed.

Awake, endoscopic lumbar interbody spinal fusion: 10 years of experience with the first 400 cases.

Objective: Awake, endoscopic spinal fusion has been utilized as an ultra-minimally invasive surgery technique to accomplish the goals of spinal fixation, fusion, and disc height restoration. While many techniques exist for this approach, this series represents a single institution's experience with a large cohort and the evolution of this method.

Methods: The medical records of a consecutive series of 400 patients treated over a 10-year period were retrospectively reviewed.

L-type Calcium Channel Blockade Worsens Glucose Tolerance and β-Cell Function in C57BL6/J Mice Exposed to Intermittent Hypoxia.

Intermittent hypoxemia (IH), a pathophysiologic consequence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adversely affects insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glucose tolerance. Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker frequently used for treatment of hypertension, can also impair insulin sensitivity and secretion. However, the cumulative and interactive repercussions of IH and nifedipine on glucose homeostasis have not been previously investigated.

Controlled Nutrient Delivery to Pancreatic Islets Using Polydopamine-Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

In this study, we designed a nanoscale platform for sustained amino acid delivery to support transplanted pancreatic islets. The platform features mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) loaded with glutamine (G), an essential amino acid required for islet survival and function, and coated with polydopamine (PD). We investigated various PD concentrations (0.

"Due to These Restrictions, Girls Think of Themselves as Nothing": A Qualitative and Quantitative Description of Menstrual Restrictions and Stigma Among Adolescent Girls Across Religious and Other Sociocultural Contexts.

Introduction: Girls in Tanzania often experience menstrual restrictions (i.e., expectations about behaviors prohibited during menstruation) and menstrual stigma (i.

Hypermethylation of Is Associated With Carotid Bifurcation Intima-Media Thickness in Dominican Republic Families.

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a measure of atherosclerosis and a predictor of vascular diseases. Traditional vascular risk factors and genetic variants do not completely explain the variation in carotid IMT. We sought to identify epigenetic factors that may contribute to the remaining carotid IMT variability.

Late corneal guttae recurrence in bilateral penetrating keratoplasty grafts.

Background: To describe a case of guttae recurrence in bilateral corneal grafts in a patient with a known diagnosis of Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, more than three decades following penetrating keratoplasty.

Methods: Case Report.

Results: A 79-year-old White woman presented with declining vision, right eye worse than the left.

The Role of Myeloid Cells on the Development of Hepatic Metastases in Gastrointestinal Cancer.

The development of hepatic metastases is the leading cause of mortality in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers and substantial research efforts have been focused on elucidating the intricate mechanisms by which tumor cells successfully migrate to, invade, and ultimately colonize the liver parenchyma. Recent evidence has shown that perturbations in myeloid biology occur early in cancer development, characterized by the initial expansion of specific innate immune populations that promote tumor growth and facilitate metastases. This review summarizes the pathophysiology underlying the proliferation of myeloid cells that occurs with incipient neoplasia and explores the role of innate immune-host interactions, specifically granulocytes and neutrophil extracellular traps, in promoting hepatic colonization by tumor cells through the formation of the "premetastatic niche".