Switching Patients with Schizophrenia from Intramuscular Paliperidone Palmitate Once Monthly to TV-46000, a Long-Acting Subcutaneous Antipsychotic: Population Pharmacokinetic-Based Strategies.

Introduction: Pharmacokinetic differences between long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI) formulations, combined with a lack of clinical switch studies, contribute to clinician uncertainty when transitioning between LAIs. This analysis employed a population pharmacokinetic (popPK) modeling approach to characterize dosing conversions and switching strategies from intramuscular paliperidone palmitate once monthly (PP1m) to TV-46000, a long-acting subcutaneous formulation of risperidone, once monthly (q1m), with a secondary analysis of PP1m to TV-46000 every 2 months (q2m).

Methods: For PP1m and TV-46000, concentration-time profiles for paliperidone and TV-46000 total active moiety (TAM; risperidone + paliperidone) were simulated on the basis of published popPK models with virtual populations of 5000 patients.

Effectiveness and Safety of Insulin Glargine 300 U/ml in High-Risk Subgroups (Renal Impairment and Older Age ≥ 70 years) of Insulin-Naïve People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Post hoc Analysis of Real-World ATOS Study.

Introduction: This post hoc analysis of an A Toujeo Observational Study (ATOS) aims to evaluate the real-world effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/ml (Gla-300) in high-risk subgroups of insulin-naïve people with type 2 diabetes (PwT2D) from multiple geographical regions (Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe).

Methods: In these post hoc analyses of ATOS, a real-world, 12-month, prospective study included 4422 insulin-naïve adults (age ≥ 18 years) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled (HbA > 7% and ≤ 11%) on one or more oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) who initiated Gla-300 treatment as per routine practice. Primary and secondary endpoints were studied according to renal impairment (RI) status (without or with) and age group ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Electrical impedance myography captures features of muscle structure measured by MRI and transcriptomic analysis in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Background: Electrical impedance myography (EIM) has been proposed as an efficient, non-invasive biomarker of muscle composition in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

Objective: We investigate whether EIM parameters are associated with muscle structure measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), muscle histology, and transcriptomic analysis as well as strength at the individual leg muscle level.

Methods: We performed a multi-center cross-sectional study enrolling 33 patients with FSHD.

How to use the nautilus intrasaccular system.

The Nautilus intrasaccular system (EndoStream Medical, Israel) is a spiral-shaped neck-bridging endovascular device designed to support coiling of intracranial aneurysms [1-3]. It is deployed into the aneurysm sac through a 0.0165" or 0.

UBA5-epileptic encephalopathy: new patient, a novel variant, and a review of epileptic phenotypes.

Protein ufymilation is a post-translational modification implicated in the regulation of several cellular processes. Biallelic variants in UBA5 causing a functional alteration of its protein product have been associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy 44 (EIEE44), a rare disease for which 28 patients have been described in the literature at present. We here report on the clinical and detailed EEG phenotype of a novel patient affected by EIEE44.

Reduced Predictive Performance of the FIB-4 Index in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With Concurrent Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Liver Disease.

The coexistence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD) gained recognition, but the diagnostic performance of non-invasive markers regarding it remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the FIB-4 index for fibrosis prediction in CHB patients and investigate its performance in the distinct subgroup of CHB-MASLD. A prospective study from 2021 to 2022 included 109 CHB and 64 CHB-MASLD patients.

Two-Decade Trends in MASLD and Its Complications in the Middle East and North Africa (2010-2021).

Background: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is undergoing demographic shifts potentially increasing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its complications. We assessed MASLD prevalence and liver disease burden from 2010 to 2021.

Methods: Data from Global Burden of Disease (GBD), United Nations Population Division and NCD Risk Factor Collaboration covering 21 MENA countries were used for annual percent change (APC) trends per Joinpoint regression.

"They always disfavor me!": Parental conditional regard undermines teenage sibling relationships through raising competition and perceived disfavoritism.

Conditional regard defined as adolescents' perception that parents' affection hinges upon whether they meet parental expectations affects their skills to build stable and sustainable relationships. However, its role in sibling relationships remains unexplored. This study investigates how conditional regard relates to sibling competition, favoritism, and conflict in 201 teenage sibling dyads.

Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.

Objective: Despite advancements in maternity quality care worldwide, mistreatment of women during childbirth persists. Currently, there is a gap of knowledge on the occurrence of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization (WHO) European region.

Methods: Within the IMAgiNE EURO (Improving Maternal Newborn Care in the WHO European Region During COVID-19 Pandemic) study, women 18 years and older who gave birth in healthcare facilities in the WHO European region, were invited to complete an online validated questionnaire regarding quality of maternity care.

Understanding the Long-term Psychosocial and Healthcare Needs of Adults with Congenital Colorectal and Pelvic Malformations.

Background: Individuals born with anorectal and pelvic malformations require lifelong management. Although initially cared for by pediatric providers, these conditions continue to impact patients' health and quality of life into adulthood.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and substance use among adults with congenital colorectal and pelvic malformations, and to explore their distribution across demographic and clinical variables.

Breaking the Circuit: A Case of Macro-re-entrant Biatrial Tachycardia.

We present a case of a 71-year-old woman with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and atypical atrial flutter (AFL), ultimately diagnosed with a rare type 3 macro-re-entrant biatrial tachycardia (BiAT). Despite initial pulmonary vein isolation and anterior line ablation for atypical AFL, she experienced recurrent AFL requiring a complex redo ablation. Successful termination of the tachycardia was achieved by extending ablation to the septal regions of both atria.

Inferior Vena Cava Catheterization During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

This case underscores the importance of meticulous imaging and procedural vigilance during PCNL to prevent rare complications such as IVC penetration. A prompt multidisciplinary response and careful catheter repositioning ensured a favorable outcome, highlighting strategies to safely manage unexpected vascular injuries during urological procedures.

The immeasurable value of plankton to humanity.

Plankton, a diverse group of aquatic organisms, make Earth livable, regulate aquatic life, and provide benefits to human societies such as access to clean water, food security, and well-being. They also support economies and inspire biotechnological innovations. This article aims to raise awareness of the value of plankton to humanity and serves as an informative guide for aquatic professionals, policymakers, and anyone interested in plankton.

Physician-Related Gaps in Hospice Referral for Patients with Advanced Dementia.

Purpose: Providing essential end-of-life care for patients with advanced dementia depends on physicians' ability to identify eligible individuals and refer them to hospice services. In practice, however, such referrals are often delayed-or not made at all. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with physicians' knowledge and attitudes toward referring patients with advanced dementia to home hospice care, and to compare characteristics of those who refer with those who do not.

Associations of cardiovascular health with arterial health in adults free of cardiovascular disease.

Background: In adults without cardiovascular disease (CVD), there is limited understanding of the association between overall cardiovascular health (CVH) and arterial health.

Methods: In 2330 Framingham Heart Study Offspring participants free of CVD (60±9 years; 57% women) with Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and applanation tonometry data (Exam 7), we calculated CVH scores per American Heart Association's LE8 guidelines. Multivariable-adjusted regression analyses examined the relations of LE8 with aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility [negative inverse carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (niCFPWV), central pulse pressure (CPP), respectively], and examined effect modification by age and sex.

Nanotechnology strategies for endometrium health: Are we on the right track?

The endometrium is a vital mucosal tissue which undergoes cyclical regeneration, differentiation, and remodeling upon hormonal, cellular, and molecular signaling networks. Dysregulation of these processes can trigger a range of pathological conditions including chronic inflammatory disorders, hyperplastic lesions, malignancies, and infertility, necessitating the need for effective therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, we are still dependent on conventional treatment modalities which are often constrained by inefficient drug biodistribution, systemic toxicity, and emergence of therapeutic resistance.

Hepatic Hydrothorax: A Review.

Purpose Of The Review: To review epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of hepatic hydrothorax.

Recent Findings: Refractory hepatic hydrothorax is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Allocation of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease exception points for patients with refractory hydrothorax was found to be associated with a significant reduction in post liver transplant mortality.

Death-associated protein kinase 1: a double-edged sword in health and disease.

Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) is a Ca/calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine kinase that orchestrates a wide array of cellular activities. It is intricately regulated through multiple mechanisms, including intramolecular signaling and interactions with other proteins, such as kinases and phosphatases. DAPK1 plays a pivotal role in regulating various biological processes, including apoptosis and autophagy, and is implicated in pathogenesis of several disorders, such as cancer, stroke and brain damage, neurodegenerative and within their kinase domains.

Sleep disordered breathing and circulating non-esterified fatty acids: the cardiovascular health study.

Study Objectives: Circulating non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) have been associated with impaired glucose metabolism but their modifiable determinants remain uncertain. We sought to determine the association between objectively-measured sleep disordered breathing (SDB), which is also associated with dysglycemia, and NEFA levels among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: We analyzed 787 older adults who had total fasting and post-load NEFAs measured in 1996-1997 in the Cardiovascular Health Study and underwent polysomnography between 1995 and 1997 in the Sleep Heart Health Study.

Prediction of biomechanical properties of ex vivo human femoral cortical bone using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms.

This study applied Raman spectroscopy (RS) to ex vivo human cadaveric femoral mid-diaphysis cortical bone specimens ( = 118 donors; age range 21-101 years) to predict fracture toughness properties via machine learning (ML) models. Spectral features, together with demographic variables (age, sex) and structural parameters (cortical porosity, volumetric bone mineral density), were fed into support vector regression (SVR), extreme tree regression (ETR), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and ensemble models to predict fracture-toughness metrics such as crack-initiation toughness (K) and energy-to-fracture (J-integral). Feature selection was based on Raman-derived mineral and organic matrix parameters, such as νPhosphate (PO)/CH-wag, νPO/Amide I, and others, to capture the complex composition of bone.

Development and Validation of a Semiautomated Tool for Measuring Periorbital Distances.

Purpose: To validate a custom FIJI (ImageJ) program for more reproducible, faster curvilinear periorbital measurements, as compared with 2 custom artificial intelligence-based tools.

Design: Combined technical validation and method comparison study.

Subjects: Front-facing photographs of 45 cleft palate syndromic patients.