Comparative Effectiveness of Amniotic and Chorionic Grafts in the Treatment of Lower-Extremity Diabetic Ulcers Using U.S. Medicare Real-World Evidence (2018-2022): A Retrospective Observational Cohort.

Lower-extremity diabetic ulcers (LEDUs) affect more than 500,000 U.S. Medicare beneficiaries each year.

A Lack of Joint Line Tenderness Is Consistent With a Healed Meniscus, But Positive Clinical Examination Findings and MRI Scans Are Inconsistent in Identifying Failure After Meniscal Repair: A Systematic Review and Subgroup Meta-analysis.

Background: The number of meniscal repairs being completed each year is increasing; however, the optimal, cost-effective postoperative assessment to determine the success or failure of a meniscal repair is not well known.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the clinical examination testing that correlates with objective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or second-look arthroscopy (SLA) findings to determine an optimal clinical workup for assessing postoperative meniscal repair healing. It was hypothesized that specific clinical tests would correlate with meniscal repairs that did not heal.

Aging platelets shift their hemostatic properties to inflammatory functions.

Platelets are crucial players in hemostasis and thrombosis, but also contribute to immune regulation and host defense, using different receptors, signaling pathways and effector functions, respectively. Whether distinct subsets of platelets specialize in these diverse tasks is insufficiently understood. Here, we employed an in vivo pulse-labelling method in Mus musculus models for tracking in vivo platelet ageing and its functional implications.

High-pressure continuous culturing: life at the extreme.

Microorganisms adapted to high hydrostatic pressures at depth in the oceans and within the subsurface of Earth's crust represent a phylogenetically diverse community thriving under extreme pressure, temperature, and nutrient availability conditions. To better understand the microbial function, physiological responses, and metabolic strategies at conditions requires high-pressure (HP) continuous culturing techniques that, although commonly used in bioengineering and biotechnology applications, remain relatively rare in the study of the Earth's microbiomes. Here, we focus on recent developments in the design of HP chemostats, with particular emphasis on adaptations for delivery and sampling of dissolved gases.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias among Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years in rural America, by Census region and select demographic characteristics: 2020.

Purpose: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are a significant public health concern characterized by memory decline that, over time, leads to loss of independence. This study reports ADRD diagnosis rates among Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years in rural America.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis of Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) and Medicare Advantage enrollees using administrative Medicare data from 2020.

LEA_4 motifs function alone and in conjunction with synergistic cosolutes to protect a labile enzyme during desiccation.

Organisms from all kingdoms of life depend on Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins to survive desiccation. LEA proteins are divided into broad families distinguished by the presence of family-specific motif sequences. The LEA_4 family, characterized by 11-residue motifs, plays a crucial role in the desiccation tolerance of numerous species.

Atomistic Mechanism of Lipid Membrane Binding for Blood Coagulation Factor VIII with Molecular Dynamics Simulations on a Microsecond Time Scale.

During the blood coagulation cascade, coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) is activated by thrombin to form activated factor VIII (FVIIIa). FVIIIa associates with platelet surfaces at the site of vascular damage to form an intrinsic tenase complex with activated factor IX. A working model for FVIII membrane binding involves the association of positively charged FVIII residues with negatively charged lipid headgroups and the burial of hydrophobic residues into the membrane interior.

What Are the Implications of Choosing a TAVR-First Strategy in the Lifetime Management of Aortic Stenosis?: A Critical Review of TAVR-Explant- and Redo-TAVR.

Some patients with aortic stenosis may require multiple valve interventions in their lifetime, and choosing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as the initial intervention may be appealing to many. If their transcatheter heart valve degenerates later in life, most will hope to undergo redo-TAVR. However, if redo-TAVR is not feasible, some may have to undergo surgical explantation of their transcatheter heart valve (TAVR-explant).

Identification of 39 stripe rust resistance loci in a panel of 465 winter wheat entries presumed to have high-temperature adult-plant resistance through genome-wide association mapping and marker-assisted detection.

Stripe rust of wheat is a serious disease caused by f. sp. ().

Wildland fire entrainment: The missing link between wildland fire and its environment.

Wildfires are growing in destructive power, and accurately predicting the spread and intensity of wildland fire is essential for managing ecological and societal impacts. No current operational models used for fire behavior prediction resolve critical fire-atmospheric coupling or nonlocal influences of the fire environment, rendering them inadequate in accounting for the range of wildland fire behavior scenarios under increasingly novel fuel and climate conditions. Here, we present a new perspective on a dominant fire-atmospheric feedback mechanism, which we term wildland fire entrainment (WFE).

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in Adult Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers: A Missed Opportunity.

Introduction Studies assessing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake in survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancers are sparse. We examined HPV vaccine uptake between survivors of CAYA cancer aged 18-35 and 18-35-year-old respondents without a cancer diagnosis in the United States. Methods We used the 2017-2018 National Health Interview Survey, a national, annual cross-sectional national dataset that monitors health-related information on the non-institutionalized civilian population in the United States.

Phylogenomics and a new classification of the tropical genus L. (Monocots, Zingiberales, Heliconiaceae).

Members of the genus L. (Heliconiaceae) have evolved complex interactions with both insect herbivores and hummingbird pollinators in tropical forests and secondary growth where they are abundant and diverse. Many of these same species have also been cultivated as ornamentals around the world for hundreds of years because of their extraordinary colors and forms.

Magnitude and dynamics of the T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection at both individual and population levels.

Introduction: T cells are involved in the early identification and clearance of viral infections and also support the development of antibodies by B cells. This central role for T cells makes them a desirable target for assessing the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: Here, we combined two high-throughput immune profiling methods to create a quantitative picture of the T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2.

Characterizing executive functioning and associated behaviors in individuals with dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A () syndrome.

Introduction: , a protein kinase located on human chromosome 21, plays a role in postembryonic neuronal development and degeneration. Alterations to have been consistently associated with cognitive functioning and neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g.

Establishing a Just Culture: Implications for the Veterans Health Administration Journey to High Reliability.

Background: To establish a culture of safety and improve patient care, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is identifying and implementing necessary parameters and objectives across the health care landscape to enhance services on its journey to becoming a high reliability organization (HRO).

Methods: This quality improvement initiative sought to increase the understanding of factors that influence the establishment and sustainment of a just culture and identify specific methods for improving their implementation. Focus groups of HRO leads at 16 VHA hospital facilities identified emergent themes, facilitators, and barriers to maintaining a just culture and developed recommendations for enhancing both psychological safety and accountabilitity.

Racial residential segregation is associated with ambient air pollution exposure after adjustment for multilevel sociodemographic factors: Evidence from eight US-based cohorts.

Objective: We examined if racial residential segregation (RRS) - a fundamental cause of disease - is independently associated with air pollution after accounting for other neighborhood and individual-level sociodemographic factors, to better understand its potential role as a confounder of air pollution-health studies.

Methods: We compiled data from eight large cohorts, restricting to non-Hispanic Black and White urban-residing participants observed at least once between 1999 and 2005. We used 2000 decennial census data to derive a spatial RRS measure (divergence index) and neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) index for participants' residing Census tracts, in addition to participant baseline data, to examine associations between RRS and sociodemographic factors (NSES, education, race) and residential exposure to spatiotemporal model-predicted PM and NO levels.

Mechanisms and technologies in cancer epigenetics.

Cancer's epigenetic landscape, a labyrinthine tapestry of molecular modifications, has long captivated researchers with its profound influence on gene expression and cellular fate. This review discusses the intricate mechanisms underlying cancer epigenetics, unraveling the complex interplay between DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs. We navigate through the tumultuous seas of epigenetic dysregulation, exploring how these processes conspire to silence tumor suppressors and unleash oncogenic potential.

Initial clinical experience with [Lu]Lu-PNT2002 radioligand therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: dosimetry, safety, and efficacy from the lead-in cohort of the SPLASH trial.

Introduction: SPLASH (NCT04647526) is a multicenter phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of [Lu]Lu-PNT2002 radioligand therapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study leveraged a lead-in phase to assess tissue dosimetry and evaluate preliminary safety and efficacy, prior to expansion into a randomized phase. Here we report those results.

Associations of Concordant and Shared Lung Cancer Screening Decision Making with Decisional Conflict: A Multi-Institution Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Unlabelled: Many organizations recommend structured communication processes, including formal shared decision making (SDM), for patients undergoing lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). We sought to understand if concordant and shared LCS decision making was associated with decisional conflict. In this prospective, observational study, we enrolled patients from 3 medical centers (2 Veterans Health Administration, 1 academic facility) after a decision-making interaction about undergoing LCS but before receiving the LDCT.

Psychometric Validation of the German Version of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA): A Secondary Analysis of Cross-Sectional Survey Data.

Background And Aims: Regular physical activity holds numerous health benefits for older people, yet the majority of older people do not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity recommendations. Brief physical activity screening tools can support healthcare professionals in identifying patients who would benefit from physical activity promotion and counselling. The Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire is a validated brief physical activity screening tool designed for clinical practice.

Analytical validation of a novel bioassay for thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin.

Background: A novel and rapid cell-based bioassay, Turbo TSI, for measurement of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI) was recently reported. An assessment of the analytical performance of this TSI bioassay is described herein.

Methods: Thawed cells from Turbo TSI kits were treated with different concentrations of a World Health Organization (WHO) international standard (IS) TSI-positive serum.

colonization and undernutrition in infants in rural eastern Ethiopia - a longitudinal community-based birth cohort study.

Background: is associated with environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and malnutrition in children. infection could be a linchpin between livestock fecal exposure and health outcomes in low-resource smallholder settings.

Methods: We followed a birth cohort of 106 infants in rural smallholder households in eastern Ethiopia up to 13 months of age.

Developing a curriculum on antimicrobial stewardship for pediatric residents: a needs assessment.

Objective: Identify essential components of a curriculum on antimicrobial stewardship (AS) for pediatric residents.

Design: Survey.

Setting: Academic tertiary care children's hospital.

Comparison of sampling and culture methods for the recovery of yeast from hospital surfaces.

Objective: To compare the recovery of yeast from hospital surfaces from two different collection methods: Eswab moistened with molecular water, and premoistened stick-mounted sponge.

Design: Comparison of collection methods for the recovery of yeast in the hospital environment.

Setting: This study took place at intensive care units of a large academic medical center.

Age-Friendly Health Systems Transformation: A Whole Person Approach to Support the Well-Being of Older Adults.

Background: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) adopted the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) framework in March 2020, an initiative that complements whole health core principles. The shift from disease-based treatment to what matters most to veterans helps them improve their health and well-being.

Observations: Whole health and AFHS focus on holistic patient-centered care that aims to enhance the overall health and well-being of patients.