Venous sinus stenting versus ventriculoperitoneal shunting: Comparing perioperative costs for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

IntroductionVenous sinus stenting (VSS) is an effective, less invasive alternative to ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). While efficacy is comparable, with some evidence favoring VSS for headache control, perioperative costs remain under-characterized due to reliance on reimbursement rates rather than actual expenditures.ObjectiveTo compare the perioperative cost of elective VSS and VPS for IIH, including outpatient workup and follow-up costs, using detailed institutional cost data.

ANK3 as a Novel Genetic Biomarker for Liafensine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: The ENLIGHTEN Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: This study represents a first successful use of a genetic biomarker to select potential responders in a prospective study in psychiatry. Liafensine, a triple reuptake inhibitor, may become a new precision medicine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a major unmet medical need.

Objective: To determine whether ANK3-positive patients with TRD benefit from a 1-mg and/or 2-mg daily oral dose of liafensine, compared with placebo, in a clinical trial.

Important Elements of Quality Home End-of-Life Care in China.

Importance: The efficacy of home end-of-life care in enhancing the quality of life for terminally ill patients and families has been well documented. While previous studies have explored perspectives on quality home palliative care and end-of-life care in several countries, limited knowledge exists regarding its specific components in the Chinese context.

Objective: To explore the core elements that constitute quality home end-of-life care in China.

Bacteriology, antibiotic treatment effect and adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women with and without bacteriuria: a registry study.

Purpose: To investigate bacteriology, antibiotic treatment and adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) in pregnancies with and without bacteriuria and urinary tract infections (UTIs) based on urine cultures and clinical diagnoses.

Methods: Registry-based cohort study.

Population: Pregnancies with at least one urine culture analysed at one of two hospitals in the Capital Region, Denmark, between 2015 and 2021.

Mechanistic study on the inhibition of triple-negative breast cancer progression by LncRNA TFAP2A-AS1 through the regulation of miR-6892/PHGDH.

Background: The roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the progression of various human tumors have been extensively studied. However, their specific mechanisms and therapeutic potential in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) remain to be fully elucidated.

Materials And Methods: The qRT-PCR assay was utilized to assess the relative mRNA levels of TFAP2A-AS1, PHGDH, and miR-6892.

Assessing the need for bed rest after anterior skull base reconstruction: insights from a multicentre retrospective observational study.

Skull base reconstruction is a critical component of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS). Bed rest remains an indispensable element of post-operative care, which should be carefully considered for reducing the risk of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and enhancing surgical outcomes (1, 2). However, the necessity of bed rest continues to be controversial as indicated by the expert consensus on perioperative management of skull base reconstruction, due to a lack of high-quality evidence to support its effectiveness (1-4).

Patellofemoral Biomechanics Considerations: Analysis of Factors Contributing to Patellofemoral Pain.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common cause of anterior knee pain. It has a prevalence of 22.7% in the general population and tends to affect females more than males.

Comparison of short- and long-term outcomes between transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement for bicuspid aortic valve stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to compare the perioperative safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) versus surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.

Methods: We systematically analyzed studies from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CNKI comparing TAVR and SAVR in BAV stenosis. Outcomes included postoperative mortality, complications, all-cause survival, and freedom from stroke.

Burden of Disease Attributable to High Systolic Blood Pressure in Young Adults: An Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

This study aims to fill this gap by leveraging Global Burden of Disease 2021 (GBD 2021) data to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the disease burden attributable to high systolic blood pressure (SBP) in young adults. Data from the Global Health Data Exchange were utilized to estimate the disease burden attributable to high SBP in young adults, stratified by overall disease, sex, socio-demographic index (SDI) level, GBD region, nation, and specific disease. In 2021, the overall disease attributable to high SBP in young adults was substantial, with approximately 24,626,362 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 477,992 deaths, and the DALYs and mortality rates were 623.

Association of Longitudinal Change in Fasting Blood Glucose with Risk of Cerebral Infarction in a Patients with Diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the association between long-term glycemic control and cerebral infarction risk in patients with diabetes through a large-scale cohort study.

Methods: This prospective, community-based cohort study included 12,054 patients with diabetes. From 2006 to 2012, 38,272 fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements were obtained from these participants.

Childhood leukemia trend analysis from 1990 to 2021 and projections from 2021 to 2040: a global burden perspective.

Background: Childhood leukaemia remains a major global health challenge and its impact varies significantly by region. Understanding the patterns of incidence, mortality, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is crucial for crafting effective public health initiatives and enhancing care outcomes, especially in regions with constrained resources.

Methods: This study evaluates the worldwide, regional, and country-specific effects of childhood leukemia between 1990 and 2021, leveraging data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) initiative.

Visualizing NEK9 in action: aptamer-based fluorescent probes for real-time live-cell imaging.

Live-cell imaging of intracellular proteins enables real-time observation of protein dynamics under near-physiological conditions, providing pivotal insights for both fundamental life science research and medical applications. However, due to limitations such as poor probe permeability and cytotoxicity associated with conventional antibody-based or genetically encoded labeling techniques, live-cell imaging remains a significant challenging. To address these limitations, here in this study, we developed and rigorously validated a novel aptamer-based fluorescent probe for real-time imaging of NEK9 kinase in living cells.

Composite endpoints in health technology assessment: part 2 - expanding the evidence base with a framework for best modeling practice.

The first paper of this two-part series critically examined the role of composite endpoints in health technology assessments (HTAs) and outlined strategies for determining whether to employ the composite estimate of treatment effect or disaggregate into the component endpoints of the composite and apply separate treatment effects within a modeling framework. In this second paper, we expand the discussion beyond a pivotal trial and consider the way in which additional evidence from the same indication for different drugs in the same class, or the same drug for different indications, could be employed within HTAs. We offer a continuation of the case study of dapagliflozin for the treatment of heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction, where the evidence base was expanded to consider empagliflozin for the same indication, as well as both dapagliflozin and empagliflozin for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Composite endpoints in health technology assessment: Part 1 - an illustration of best modeling practice.

Composite endpoints amalgamate multiple clinical outcomes into a single measure, offering efficiency gains in clinical trials through increased event rates and reduced sample sizes, thus accelerating clinical development and regulatory approval. However, employing composite endpoints introduces complexities into health technology assessments (HTAs), particularly in economic modeling, due to the varying clinical significance and cost implications of the components. In this paper, we explore best modeling practice for HTAs that are based on clinical trials that employ composite endpoints.

Models of care for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Background: In order to improve the outcomes of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), access to and quality of comprehensive acute and chronic care services in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) must be improved.

Objectives: To identify and summarise the characteristics of models of care for T1DM in children and adolescents in LMIC.

Search Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Index Medicus from inception to 11 December 2023 without restrictions.

The Effectiveness and Profitability of Different Antithrombotic Therapy Regimens in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During 1 Year of Follow-Up after an Exacerbation of Coronary Heart Disease According to the Study ORACLE II.

Aim    To analyze the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of various options of antithrombotic therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), based on the results of a one-year follow-up.Material and methods    The article presents features of various antithrombotic therapies in patients with T2DM after ACS from the standpoint of efficacy and cost-effectiveness in real clinical practice based on the materials of the ORACLE II open prospective observational study (2014-2017). The data of 368 patients were divided into three groups based on the selected antithrombotic therapy.

Retinal biomarkers in cognitive impairment and dementia: Structural, functional, and molecular insights.

Cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), pose a global health crisis, necessitating non-invasive biomarkers for early detection. This review highlights the retina, an accessible extension of the central nervous system (CNS), as a window to cerebral pathology through structural, functional, and molecular alterations. By synthesizing interdisciplinary evidence, we identify retinal biomarkers as promising tools for early diagnosis and risk stratification.

fNIRS Biomarkers for Stratifying Poststroke Cognitive Impairment: Evidence From Frontal and Temporal Cortex Activation.

Background: Poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) affects 30% to 50% of stroke survivors, severely impacting functional outcomes and quality of life. This study uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess task-evoked brain activation and its potential for stratifying the severity in patients with PSCI.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Nanchong Central Hospital between June 2023 and April 2024.

PCISOS Risk Profiles Stratify Heterogeneous Outcomes in Minor Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke: A Post Hoc Analysis of the CHANCE-2 Trial.

Background: Risk stratification in posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PCIS) is challenging. Although the Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke Outcome Score (PCISOS) was developed to address this, its utility in minor PCIS and in identifying homogeneous populations for clinical trials or treatment-responsive subgroups remains uncertain.

Methods: CHANCE-2 (Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events-II) was a multicenter, randomized trial that enrolled patients with minor stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack who carried CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles.

Temporal trends in gender-affirming hormone therapy initiation: evidence from whole-of-population Australian administrative data.

Using longitudinal national prescribing data, we estimated the number of transgender and gender-diverse individuals initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) from 2013 to 2024 in Australia. Between 2013 and 2024, 11 883 individuals initiated testosterone-based GAHT and 20 358 initiated oestrogen-based GAHT. Initiation rose from 1118 in 2013 to 5135 in 2024, with a growing share accessing testosterone-based GAHT over time.

The Role of Plasma Metabolites in Mediating the Effect of Gut Microbiota on Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Two-Step, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Recent research has increasingly underscored a significant correlation between gut microbiota and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Probiotics have emerged as promising adjunctive interventions for OSA. Metabolites and their related biochemical pathways have emerged as important contributors to the development of OSA.

Combined microcatheter and guidewire technique in endovascular coiling of a wide-neck anterior communicating artery aneurysm: A case report.

Wide-necked anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms pose challenges for endovascular coiling due to the risk of coil protrusion. This case report describes a new endovascular technique for managing ruptured wide-necked ACoA aneurysms, addressing the risk of coil protrusion during embolization. This method employs a combined microcatheter and guidewire-assisted embolization method, enabling coil deployment without needing adjunctive devices such as stents or balloons.