Changes in tobacco use in rural South Africa during the 2020 tobacco sales ban: an analysis of current and previous behaviours using cross-sectional data.

Background: As part of its COVID-19 response, South Africa banned tobacco sales between March and August 2020. We examined self-reported tobacco use before, during and after the ban among a rural South African population with high HIV prevalence.

Methods: Between May 2021 and November 2022, we conducted a telephonic survey on tobacco use among a purposively selected subset of a population-based cohort in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Factors Directing Treatment Decision-Making in the Management of Glottic Insufficiency.

Objectives: To examine factors that direct decisions in the treatment of glottic insufficiency and propose a paradigm that may assist in treatment decision-making in glottic insufficiency.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed of 73 patients with vocal fold atrophy, presbyphonia, or vocal fold motion impairment, including diagnosis, Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), Voice Problem Impact Scales (VPIS), Glottal Function Index (GFI), Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), Consensus Auditory Perceptual Analysis of Voice (CAPE-V), glottal gap size, stimulability, treatment decisions, and outcomes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify which variables predicted initial treatment recommendation.

A Defined Artificial Saliva Medium Allows Characterization of the Hypothiocyanite Response of Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus mutans.

Hypothiocyanite (OSCN/HOSCN) is an antimicrobial molecule found at high concentrations in saliva. HOSCN is thought to differentially affect oral streptococci, since noncariogenic streptococci (e.g.

Accuracy of artificial intelligence in meta-analysis: A comparative study of ChatGPT 4.0 and traditional methods in data synthesis.

Background: Meta-analysis is a critical tool in evidence-based medicine, particularly in cardiology, where it synthesizes data from multiple studies to inform clinical decisions. This study explored the potential of using ChatGPT to streamline and enhance the meta-analysis process.

Aim: To investigate the potential of ChatGPT to conduct meta-analyses in interventional cardiology by comparing the results of ChatGPT-generated analyses with those of randomly selected, human-conducted meta-analyses on the same topic.

Pathogenic synergy: dysfunctional mitochondria and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging.

The term "neurodegenerative diseases" (NDDs) refers to a range of aging-associated conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Unique clinical symptoms and underlying pathological mechanisms distinguish each of these illnesses. Although these conditions vary, they share chronic neuroinflammation as a defining characteristic.

The current landscape of single-port robotic surgery in urology.

The advent of the purpose-built da Vinci single-port robotic platform marks a pivotal advancement in minimally invasive urological surgery. Designed to overcome the ergonomic and technical limitations of prior single-site approaches, the single-port system enables complex procedures through a single incision, with enhanced dexterity, optimized use of confined spaces and improved cosmetic and peri-operative outcomes. The single-port system has been increasingly used across a wide range of urological indications, including robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy and reconstructive surgeries such as pyeloplasty and ureteral re-implantation.

Radical nephroureterectomy vs kidney sparing surgery for upper tract urothelial carcinoma in solitary kidney patients: a multi-institutional analysis of the ROBUUST 2.0 registry.

Purpose: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in solitary kidney patients is a rare and underreported scenario. This study aims to compare the outcomes of UTUC solitary kidney patients becoming anephric after RNU to those of patients undergoing kidney-sparing surgery (KSS).

Methods: Data from patients with a solitary kidney were retrieved from the ROBUUST 2.

Demographics, Trends, and Cardiovascular Mortality in Kaposi Sarcoma Patients in the United States: An Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database.

Background: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a vascular neoplasm caused by human herpesvirus-8. There is a paucity of data on the cause of death in patients with KS, especially the proportion of cardiovascular mortality. This study aimed to provide annual trends, demographic analysis, and cause of death analysis of KS in the United States.

Social cognition abilities in people with HIV: the role of stigma and other factors.

Social cognition refers to the ability to perceive social stimuli, interpret their meaning, and respond appropriately to navigate dynamic social environments, including various professional and personal relationships to secure interpersonal and external resources for effective social functioning. More basic, social cognition is the complicated ability to interact with others. Known to impact everyday functioning and quality of life, deficits in this essential ability have been well documented in schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions.

"Listening Neglect": A Mixed-Methods Study of How Families Feel Unheard in Hospitals.

Background/objectives: Listening is essential for communication and is a key driver of patient safety. We aimed to gain a rich understanding of how hospitalized patients and families feel unheard to develop actionable interventions.

Methods: This mixed-methods study examined data from family safety interviews administered to hospitalized patients and families on pediatric inpatient units of 8 US hospitals.

Pulmonary Biomechanics in COPD: Imaging Techniques and Clinical Applications.

The respiratory system depends on complex biomechanical processes to enable gas exchange. The mechanical properties of the lung parenchyma, airways, vasculature, and surrounding structures play an essential role in overall ventilation efficacy. These complex biomechanical processes however are significantly altered in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to emphysematous destruction of lung parenchyma, chronic airway inflammation, and small airway obstruction.

Symptom Onset in Classic Rett Syndrome: Analysis of Initial Clinical Severity Scale Entries.

Objective: To assess clinical features of Rett Syndrome (RTT) at registration into the NIH-sponsored Natural History (NH) study using the Clinical Severity Scale (CSS).

Introduction: The CSS was established in 2000 to assess characteristics of individuals with RTT and related disorders. We analyzed the CSS at enrollment into the NH study of all individuals with classic RTT.

Circular RNA Identification and Characterization with CircRNAFlow: A Bioinformatics Approach.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play various roles in gene regulation and are known to be associated with the development of disease. They can act as microRNA sponges, interact with RNA-binding proteins, and even contain open reading frames (ORFs) that are translated to generate proteins. Scientists hope to better understand these covalently closed ring-like structures as they are not well-characterized.

Role of Monoclonal Antibodies in Alzheimer's Disease: Successes, Failures, and Future Directions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), referred to as a type of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with cognitive decline and key features comprising extracellular amyloid-β(Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a new therapeutic approach targeting the specific biochemical abnormalities associated with AD. This review summarizes several mAbs designed for AD, which helps to describe their mechanisms, including amyloid clearance from the brain as well as regulation of neuroinflammation.

Prenatal exposure to metals and metal mixtures influences birth weight in affected populations in the Republic of Suriname, South America.

This study examined the relationship between infant birth weight and exposure during pregnancy to three non-essential trace metals, cadmium, lead, and mercury, and one essential trace metal, manganese. Small-scale gold mining has contaminated freshwater fish with mercury, a primary food resource, in interior regions of Suriname, South America. Whole blood samples from pregnant women collected in early pregnancy (late first trimester or early second trimester) were used to determine trace metal concentrations.

Clinical decision support for pharmacologic management of treatment-resistant depression with augmented large language models.

Background: We evaluated whether a large language model could assist in selecting psychopharmacological treatments for adults with treatment-resistant depression.

Methods: We generated 20 clinical vignettes reflecting treatment-resistant depression among adults based on distributions drawn from electronic health records. Each vignette was evaluated by 2 expert psychopharmacologists to determine and rank the 5 best next-step pharmacologic interventions, as well as contraindicated or poor next-step treatments.

Correction: Feemster et al. Implications of Cross-Reactivity and Cross-Protection for Pneumococcal Vaccine Development. 2024, , 974.

The authors would like to make the following corrections to this published paper [...

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Gene Variants in Severe COVID-19 Cytokine Storm Syndrome.

Severe COVID-19 infection resulting in hospitalization shares features with cytokine storm syndromes (CSSs) such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Various published criteria were explored to define CSS among patients (n = 32) enrolled in a COVID-19 clinical trial. None of the patients met HLH-04 or HScore criteria, but the ferritin to erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ferritin-ESR) ratio and the COVID-19 cytokine storm score (CSs) identified 84% and 81% of patients, respectively.

Tumor Microenvironmental Dynamics in Shaping Resistance to Therapeutic Interventions in Melanoma: A Narrative Review.

: This review discusses the resistance mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of malignant melanoma that disrupt the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this review, we focus on the roles of immune cells, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), macrophages, dendritic cells, and other signaling pathways. We explore the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity in the TME and tumor intrinsic resistance mechanisms, such as β-catenin, which has future implications for the usage of ICIs in patients with therapy-resistant tumors.

DKC1-mediated pseudouridylation of rRNA targets hnRNP A1 to sustain IRES-dependent translation and ATF4-driven metabolic adaptation.

The pseudouridine synthase DKC1 regulates internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation and is up-regulated in cancers by the MYC family of oncogenes. The functional significance of DKC1 up-regulation and the mechanistic connection between pseudouridylation and IRES-mediated translation remain poorly understood. Here, we report that DKC1 drives an ATF4-mediated transcriptional program that supports amino acid metabolism and stress adaptation.

Association Between Caregiver Health Literacy, Social Determinants of Health, and the Pediatric Oncology New Diagnosis Educational Experience.

Background: Caregiver new diagnosis education is understudied in pediatric oncology. Caregiver health literacy (HL) and social determinants of health (SDoH) may affect the caregiver-reported educational experience (CREE) of receiving new diagnosis education. Our purpose was to determine relationships between HL, SDoH, and CREE by surveying caregivers who received new diagnosis education for their children undergoing cancer treatment.

Relationship between VMAT2-PET and DAT-SPECT caudate binding and Parkinson's disease cognitive decline.

Introduction: Dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging can help diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD), and decreased caudate binding predicts cognitive decline. Studies suggest vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) imaging is more sensitive in detecting striatal changes associated with PD motor symptoms. Our hypothesis is that lower VMAT2 caudate binding is correlated with future cognitive decline in PD.

Advanced Analysis Tools for Two Wavelength Autofluorescence Imaging of Macular Xanthophyll Carotenoids: ALSTAR2 Baseline.

Purpose: To allow exploration of xanthophyll carotenoids in vision and age-related macular degeneration progression using two-wavelength autofluorescence imaging for macular pigment optical density (MPOD), we developed tools for automatically centering and classifying the MPOD distribution pattern.

Methods: A subset of the ALSTAR2 baseline cohort (NCT04112667) and 44 eyes of adults aged 20 to 30 years with healthy maculas were imaged with optical coherence tomography and two-wavelength autofluorescence (MPOD module, Heidelberg Engineering). Images underwent a quality review.