Improved display and detection of small renal stones using photon-counting detector CT compared to conventional energy-integrating detector CT.

Purpose: To compare same-day photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) to conventional energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) for detection of small renal stones (≤ 3 mm).

Methods: Patients undergoing clinical dual-energy EID-CT for known or suspected stone disease underwent same-day research PCD-CT. Patients with greater than 10 stones and no visible stones under 3 mm were excluded.

Changes in the treatment and outcomes of different severities of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in California: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Evaluate the changes in management and outcomes of Californian infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Study Design: Infants with HIE were identified from a California administrative birth cohort using ICD codes and divided into two epochs, Epoch 1 (2010-2015) and Epoch 2 (2016-2019). Risk ratios (RR) for induced hypothermia (IH) in each epoch and their outcomes were calculated using log-linear regression.

Mucosal integrity and acid sensitivity predict proton pump inhibitor response in patients with heartburn and normal acid exposure.

Background: Patients with typical reflux symptoms and normal acid exposure time (AET) are classified as either reflux hypersensitivity (RH) or functional heartburn (FH), some of whom respond to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). We determined if esophageal psychophysiological parameters predict PPI response in symptomatic RH and FH patients.

Methods: We prospectively recruited adults with heartburn diagnosed with RH or FH on 24-h impedance-pH monitoring off PPI.

Practice Advisory for Postoperative Pain Management of Thoracic Surgical Patients: Executive Summary: A Report by Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists.

Patients after thoracic surgery experience significant pain that can disrupt normal respiratory mechanics, increase the risk of respiratory complications, and impair recovery. Poorly controlled postoperative pain can develop into persistent postoperative pain. In addition, using opioids for pain control in the thoracic surgical population makes them more susceptible to opioid-related side effects due to their pre-existing comorbidities.

Faculty Perceptions on the Roles of Mentoring, Advising, and Coaching in an Anesthesiology Residency Program: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Mentoring, advising, and coaching are essential components of resident education and professional development. Despite their importance, there is limited literature exploring how anesthesiology faculty perceive these practices and their role in supporting residents.

Objective: This study aims to investigate anesthesiology faculty perspectives on the significance, implantation strategies, and challenges associated with mentorship, advising, and coaching in resident education.

Behavior of simple closed ecological systems; lower nutrient concentrations allow longer persistence of grazer populations.

We expect to develop self-sustaining extraterrestrial colonies, and they will approach being closed ecological systems. Using simple closed ecosystems containing Daphnia magna, three species of algae, and microbes, we tested multiple conditions to study long-term organism survival, which is only possible with adequate nutrient recycling. Closed and open systems behaved differently from one another at high nitrate concentrations; in closed systems, the animals were dead by day 14; in open systems, the Daphnia populations persisted beyond 273 days.

Implications of an Individualized Resuscitation Strategy Using Continuous Rhythm and Physiologic Status Assessment During Ongoing CPR.

Background: Prior studies have proposed defibrillator biosignal algorithms which characterize cardiac arrest rhythm and physiologic status. We evaluated whether a novel, individualized resuscitation strategy that integrates multiple ECG and impedance-based algorithms could reduce CPR interruptions and better align rescuer actions with patient-specific physiology.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort of ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, observed rescuer actions (rhythm analysis, shock delivery, pulse checks, and drug therapy) were compared to hypothetical actions recommended by the proposed individualized strategy.

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.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Intermacs Database Risk Model for Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Statistical risk models for durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation inform candidate selection, quality improvement, and evaluation of provider performance. We developed a 90-day mortality risk model utilizing The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Intermacs Database (STS Intermacs).

Methods: STS Intermacs was queried for primary durable LVAD implants from 1/ 2019 - 9/2023.

Consensus recommendations for measuring the impact of contraception on the menstrual cycle in contraceptive clinical trials.

Objective: We sought to develop consensus recommendations for measurement and analysis of data on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) in contraceptive clinical trials. We built upon previous standardization efforts over the last 50 years and prioritized input from a variety of global experts and current regulatory authority guidance on patient-reported outcomes.

Study Design: We completed a formal consensus-building process with an interdisciplinary group of 57 experts from 30 organizations and 14 countries in five global regions who work across academia, nonprofit research organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and funding agencies.

Describing the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials: meta-research study of protocols published between 2012 and 2022.

Background: Publishing protocols promotes transparency and reproducibility. The scope and methods of protocols for nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been investigated yet.

Objective: Map the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related interventions research.

Perspective: Challenges for Personalized Nutrition in the Current U.S. Regulatory Framework and Future Opportunities.

Personalized Nutrition (PN) aims to provide tailored dietary recommendations to improve a person's health outcomes by integrating a multitude of individual-level information and support desired behavior changes. The field is rapidly evolving with technological advances. As new biomarkers are discovered, wearables and other devices can now provide up-to-the-minute insights, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models support recommendations and lifestyle behavior change.

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Project: The Database and Proposal for the Revision of the Staging of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma in the Forthcoming Ninth Edition of the TNM Classification for Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Pulmonary high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) includes small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). The seventh and eighth editions of the TNM classification for lung cancer confirmed the applicability of this staging system for SCLC. With the proposal of N2 and M1c subcategories for the ninth edition classification, we assessed the applicability to NECs.

Pre-induction and post-discharge venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis should be considered in patients after major vascular open abdominal procedures.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant morbidity following major open abdominal surgery. While there are clear recommendations for perioperative and post-discharge VTE chemoprophylaxis in general surgery, guidance for vascular patients is unclear. We compared the incidence of VTE in vascular versus general surgery cases and then investigated the timing of VTE in vascular patients.

Ethical Challenges in Pediatric Medical Complexity: A Survey of Parents.

Objective: To understand parents' experiences of ethical challenges in the care of children with chronic and serious medical conditions and what resources they access for support.

Study Design: We recruited English-speaking parents of children with complex and serious medical conditions via family advocacy groups to complete an electronic survey from October 2022 through February 2023. We queried respondents' experiences with specific ethical challenges in the care of their child, whether their concerns persisted, and what resources they accessed.

Confirmatory mapping for lymphatic filariasis in districts previously considered non-endemic in Ghana.

Objectives: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination efforts in Ghana have been ongoing since 2001, achieving substantial progress through mass drug administration (MDA). However, despite significant advances, LF transmission persists in certain areas. Some districts previously classified as non-endemic have reported lymphedema and hydrocele cases, raising concerns about LF endemicity.

Communication-efficient federated learning of temporal effects on opioid use disorder with data from distributed research networks.

Objective: To develop a distributed algorithm to fit multi-center Cox regression models with time-varying coefficients to facilitate privacy-preserving data integration across multiple health systems.

Materials And Methods: The Cox model with time-varying coefficients relaxes the proportional hazards assumption of the usual Cox model and is particularly useful to model time-to-event outcomes. We proposed a One-shot Distributed Algorithm to fit multi-center Cox regression models with Time varying coefficients (ODACT).

Trajectories and predictors of maternal eating behaviors across the first year postpartum: The role of women's childhood trauma in emotional, external and restraint eating.

The first year postpartum is a sensitive time for maternal eating behaviors including emotional, external and restrained eating, which have all been associated with negative health outcomes. Furthermore, among women with a history of trauma, the stress of the postpartum period and early parenting may replicate feelings of helplessness and overwhelm experienced during childhood trauma, which may further contribute to these eating behaviors. Although evidence has shown how mothers eat during this time has long-term implications for infants' eating and health, limited research has characterized eating trajectories and associations with women's history of childhood trauma exposure during this critical period.

Selection and validation of reference genes for the normalization of RT-qPCR gene expression data in Rheum tanguticum (Polygonaceae) under various abiotic stresses.

Rheum tanguticum, an endemic species from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, is a significant perennial and medicinal plant recognized for its robust resistance to abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, and salinity. To advance the understanding of stress-response mechanisms in R. tanguticum, this study aimed to establish a reliable set of housekeeping genes as references for normalizing RT-qPCR gene expression analyses.

Racial microaggressions in nursing: "We have a long way to go".

Background: Racism in nursing is a significant issue affecting patient safety, nurse well-being, and job performance.

Purpose: Explore racial microaggression experiences of registered nurses working in a children's hospital.

Methods: An exploratory, qualitative research design with in-depth interviews was used to collect data.

Trends and Disparities in Prostate Cancer Mortality in the United States (1999-2020).

Background: Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men in the United States. Over the past two decades, the observed decline in prostate cancer mortality can be attributed to advancements in screening, early detection, and treatment. However, persistent disparities related to race, geography, and age highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve outcomes.

How therapist effects shape pain-related outcome improvement in psychological treatments for chronic pain.

Psychological chronic pain treatments have variable efficacy across individual patients, and on average tend to produce modest effects. In order to improve treatment outcomes, the past decade has seen a rapid increase in research focused on determining the mechanisms underlying treatment-related gains. The near exclusive focus of this research has been on uncovering patient-related mediators and moderators.