Safety and efficacy of nipocalimab in adults with generalised myasthenia gravis (Vivacity-MG3): a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Given burdensome side-effects and long latency for efficacy with conventional agents, there is a continued need for generalised myasthenia gravis treatments that are safe and provide consistently sustained, long-term disease control. Nipocalimab, a neonatal Fc receptor blocker, was associated with dose-dependent reductions in total IgG and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies and clinically meaningful improvements in the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis in a phase 2 study. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of nipocalimab in a phase 3 study.

Association of malnutrition with surgical outcomes after spine surgery for spinal epidural abscess.

Background: Malnutrition is a predictor of poor surgical outcomes, but its specific effects in spinal epidural abscess (SEA) are understudied. This study aims to assess the association between nutritional status and post-operative outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2011-2022 American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database to identify adult SEA patients who underwent spinal surgery.

Safety and Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota, Live-jslm (REBYOTA®), for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection in Participants With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in PUNCH CD3-OLS.

Background: Fecal microbiota, live-jslm (RBL; REBYOTA®), is the first single-dose, broad consortia, microbiota-based live biotherapeutic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) in adults following standard-of-care antimicrobials. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common risk factor for rCDI, yet patients with IBD are often excluded from prospective trials. This subgroup analysis of PUNCH CD3-OLS (NCT03931941) evaluated the safety and efficacy of RBL in participants with rCDI and IBD.

HIF-1α and VEGF Immunophenotypes as Potential Biomarkers in the Prognosis and Evaluation of Treatment Efficacy of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and its related vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may play a significant role in atherosclerosis and their targeting is a strategic approach that may affect multiple pathways influencing disease progression. This study aimed to perform a systematic review to reveal current evidence on the role of HIF-1α and VEGF immunophenotypes with other prognostic markers as potential biomarkers of atherosclerosis prognosis and treatment efficacy.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the current literature to explore the role of HIF-1α and VEGF protein expression along with the relation to the prognosis and therapeutic strategies of atherosclerosis.

Contribution of Nuclear Fragmentation to Dose and RBE in Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy.

Variable relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of carbon radiotherapy may be calculated using several models, including the microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM), stochastic MKM (SMKM), repair-misrepair-fixation (RMF) model, and local effect model I (LEM), which have not been thoroughly compared. In this work, we compared how these four models handle carbon beam fragmentation, providing insight into where model differences arise. Monoenergetic and spread-out Bragg peak carbon beams incident on a water phantom were simulated using Monte Carlo.

Interferon-Stimulated Genes and Immune Metabolites as Broad-Spectrum Biomarkers for Viral Infections.

The type I interferon (IFN-I) response is a critical component of the immune defense against various viral pathogens, triggering the expression of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These ISGs encode proteins with diverse antiviral functions, targeting various stages of viral replication and restricting infection spread. Beyond their antiviral functions, ISGs and associated immune metabolites have emerged as promising broad-spectrum biomarkers that can differentiate viral infections from other conditions.

Absenteeism Among Healthcare Workers: Job Grade and Other Factors That Matter in Sickness Absence.

Background: Absenteeism among healthcare workers (HCWs) disrupts workflows and hampers the delivery of adequate patient care. The aim of the study was to examine predictors of sick leaves among HCWs in a tertiary medical center in Lebanon.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of sick leaves linked to health records of 2850 HCWs between 2015 and 2018 was performed.

Oral microbiota among treatment-naïve adolescents with depression: A case-control study.

Background: Adolescent depression has profound impacts on physical, cognitive, and emotional development. While gut microbiota changes have been linked to depression, the relationship between oral microbiota and depression remains elusive. Our study aims to investigate the oral microbiota in treatment-naïve adolescents experiencing depression and examine their potential associations with cognitive function.

Measurement properties of instruments to assess insight in psychosis: A systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Insight in psychosis, defined as a patient's awareness and judgment of their mental illness, is a complex and evolving concept. Historically, the absence of insight was considered a defining characteristic of psychosis, but recent decades have seen the development of structured tools for its assessment. This systematic review aims to critically appraise the measurement properties of instruments used to assess insight in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum, bridging the gap between theoretical conceptualization and clinical practice.

Usual prevention in unusual settings: A scoping review of place-based health interventions in public-facing businesses.

Place-based health interventions may help reach underserved populations. This scoping review summarizes the peer-reviewed literature on the type and effects of place-based health interventions in unconventional public-facing business settings (e.g.

The MASCC COG-IMPACT: An unmet needs assessment for cancer-related cognitive impairment impact developed by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer.

Purpose: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) can have a profound impact on the lives of cancer survivors. A multitude of subjective and objective assessment tools exist to assess the presence and severity of CRCI. However, no purpose-built tool exists to assess the unmet needs of cancer survivors directly relating to CRCI.

Ethnic and racial differences in children and young people with respiratory and neurological post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: an electronic health record-based cohort study from the RECOVER Initiative.

Background: Children from racial and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but it is unclear whether they have increased risk for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Our objectives were to assess whether the risk of respiratory and neurologic PASC differs by race/ethnicity and social drivers of health.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals <21 years seeking care at 24 health systems across the U.

Computational Nuclear Oncology Toward Precision Radiopharmaceutical Therapies: Ethical, Regulatory, and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Theranostic Digital Twins.

Computational nuclear oncology for precision radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is a new frontier for theranostic treatment personalization. A key strategy relies on the possibility to incorporate clinical, biomarker, image-based, and dosimetric information in theranostic digital twins (TDTs) of patients to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. The TDT framework enables treatment optimization by real-time monitoring of the real-world system, simulation of different treatment scenarios, and prediction of resulting treatment outcomes, as well as facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among health care professionals adopting a harmonized TDT.

The bidirectional relationship between pain and tobacco use: Insights from the longitudinal Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.

Background: Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, whereas chronic pain is the leading cause of disability. Chronic pain and tobacco smoking are closely interrelated. We investigated whether pain predicts daily cigarette smoking and if daily cigarette smoking predicts the development of pain.

The History and Advancement of Light, Lasers, and Energy-Based Devices in Dermatologic Surgery.

Background: From the theoretical foundations of laser and energy-based applications for the skin to the development of advanced medical devices, the field of dermatologic surgery has undergone transformative changes.

Objective: To review the scientific and clinical advancement of laser and energy-based therapies within dermatologic surgery.

Materials And Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify important scientific advancements and landmark studies on light, laser, and energy-based devices within the field of dermatologic surgery.

Quantitative valve motion assessment in adolescents using point-of-care ultrasound: short communication.

E-point septal separation (EPSS) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) are M-mode measures of left and right ventricular systolic function, with limited pediatric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) research. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a pediatric emergency department, enrolling 12-17-year-olds without cardiopulmonary complaints. Exclusion criteria included abnormal vital signs, fever, altered mental status, or psychiatric illness.

Corrigendum: Combining Charlson comorbidity and VACS indices improves prognostic accuracy for all-cause mortality for patients with and without HIV in the Veterans Health Administration.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.

A novel sensitizer reduces EGFR-TKI resistance by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and autophagy.

Background: The incidence and mortality of lung cancer are high, and treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is the preferred first-line treatment for patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations. However, EGFR-TKI resistance leads to treatment failure. Yifei-Sanjie pill (YFSJ) is a novel type of Chinese patent medicine for lung cancer.

Leveraging a phased pangenome for haplotype design of hybrid potato.

The tetraploid genome and clonal propagation of the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) dictate a slow, non-accumulative breeding mode of the most important tuber crop. Transitioning potato breeding to a seed-propagated hybrid system based on diploid inbred lines has the potential to greatly accelerate its improvement.

The PRO-AGE Tool and Its Association With Post Discharge Outcomes in Older Adults Admitted From the Emergency Department.

Background: Existing risk scores assessing geriatric vulnerability in the emergency department (ED) have shown limited predictive power, especially in diverse populations. We investigated the relationship of a quick and easy-to-administer geriatric vulnerability scoring system with functional decline and mortality in older patients admitted to multiple hospitals through the ED in the United States (US) and Brazil (BR).

Method: Federated, international, multicenter observational study of hospitalized ED patients aged ≥ 65 from US and BR.

Exploring risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns associated with bacteriuria among Syrian refugees in makeshift camps.

Background: The health and well-being of refugees are critically compromised by harsh living conditions, which foster the emergence of infectious diseases and the misuse of antimicrobial agents. This multicentre cross-sectional community-based study investigated the prevalence of urine carriage of bacteria and the associated antimicrobial resistance patterns among Syrian refugees living in makeshift camps in Lebanon, an East Mediterranean country.

Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression models to identify the risk factors associated with bacteriuria in this vulnerable population.

Sexual trauma and compulsive sexual behavior in young men and women: A network analysis involving two samples.

Background And Aims: Sexual trauma is associated with multiple negative health and social conditions, including compulsive sexual behavior. The present study examined network structures involving sexual trauma history, psychological distress (defined as depression and/or anxiety symptoms), substance use, transactional sex, and compulsive sexual behavior. Prior network analysis work in this area is limited.