Predicting Treatment Response in Retinal Vein Occlusions Using Baseline Optical Coherence Tomography Biomarkers: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines the prognostic value of baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers in predicting visual acuity (VA) outcomes for eyes with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusions (RVO) treated with anti-VEGF therapies, steroids, laser photocoagulation, or combination treatments. VA predictions at 6, 12, and 24 months post-treatment were assessed using a narrative synthesis approach and vote counting based on effect direction relative to a minimal clinically important difference. Certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE guidelines.

Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes for Upper Blepharoplasty and Blepharoptosis Surgery: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Purpose: To review the literature and identify the health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) outcomes that used a validated instrument in the assessment of upper blepharoplasty, blepharoptosis surgery, or combination surgery.

Methods: A literature search was last conducted in the PubMed database in January 2025 to identify all studies in the English language investigating HRQL outcomes that used a validated instrument in the assessment of upper blepharoplasty, blepharoptosis surgery, or combination surgery. The literature search yielded 773 citations, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Chronic Ocular Surface Pain: An Optometrist and Ophthalmologist Survey.

Introduction: Chronic ocular surface pain (COSP) is defined as ocular pain that is perceived to originate from the ocular surface and persists for more than 3 months. Clear epidemiological data on COSP prevalence are lacking.

Methods: In 2025, a total of 100 eye care providers were surveyed, including 50 optometrists and 50 ophthalmologists.

Neurodevelopmental impact of early diagnostic imaging in preterm infants: quantifying risk and the role of point-of-care ultrasound.

Background: Medical imaging is essential in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), particularly for the management of preterm infants. However, concerns persist regarding the neurodevelopmental impact of repeated low-dose radiation exposure. This study aimed to investigate whether cumulative x-ray exposure in the first month of life is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.

Structure-function studies of Vibrio cholerae quorum-sensing receptor CqsR signal recognition.

Ethanolamine signaling through the transmembrane quorum-sensing receptor CqsR influences Vibrio cholerae niche recognition and host colonization. In this study, we present a comprehensive structure-function analysis of CqsR. Specifically, we have determined X-ray crystal structures of the CqsR periplasmic domain bound to the signaling agonist ethanolamine and its analogs, serinol and L-alaninol, as well as the ligand-free (apo) form of CqsR.

Probiotic-Based Cleaning Solutions: From Research Hypothesis to Infection Control Applications.

Novel infection control practices are necessary to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Since 2007, probiotic-based cleaning solutions have been proposed as an alternative to traditional methods using disinfectants and detergents in healthcare settings, including hospitals. We conducted a comprehensive search across Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science resources.

Clinically Meaningful Improvements With Vibegron in Men With Overactive Bladder and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Responder Analysis of the Phase 3 COURAGE Trial.

Objective: To demonstrate the impact of vibegron treatment in the phase 3 COURAGE trial (NCT03902080) on clinically meaningful response parameters in men with overactive bladder (OAB) receiving pharmacological therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as measured by standard, validated patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: Men >45 years with OAB receiving pharmacotherapy for BPH were randomly assigned 1:1 to vibegron 75 mg or placebo for 24 weeks. Participants completed bladder diaries assessing changes in micturition frequency, nocturia, and urge urinary incontinence (UUI); International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS); and OAB questionnaire (OAB-q).

Research burden in pediatric cancer: A mixed methods study from the PediQUEST Response Trial.

Context: Research burden in pediatric advanced cancer is understudied.

Objectives: To analyze study burden among parents and children participating in the PediQUEST Response Trial, and explore associated factors, including belonging to historically marginalized (HM) backgrounds or facing economic hardship (EH).

Methods: Mixed-methods secondary analysis of data collected for an RCT.

KCC2 inhibition and neuronal hyperexcitability promote extrinsic apoptosis dependent upon C1q.

Introduction: The potassium chloride co-transporter 2 (KCC2) is the principal Cl extrusion mechanism employed by mature neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and plays a critical role in determining the efficacy of fast synaptic inhibition mediated by type A -aminobutyric acid receptors (GABARs) to protect against epileptogenesis. It has previously been demonstrated that epileptic seizures down-regulate KCC2 and induce neuronal apoptosis through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. However, the mechanism by which neuronal death is induced by KCC2 loss remains unknown.

"There's a lot of people who love them, so why call 'em junkies?": clinician and patient perspectives about words used to describe people who use drugs.

Background: There is increasing attention in clinician care to the importance of using person-first language. Clinicians' words can reinforce clinicians' pre-existing stigmas and biases. People who use drugs (PWUD) continue to face stigma from clinicians.

Prospective COPD Case Finding in a Lung Cancer Screening Program: A Pilot Study.

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Because screening asymptomatic individuals for COPD is not recommended, several case-finding tools have been explored. The CAPTURE questionnaire and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (CAPTURE tool) have been tested in the primary care setting, with disappointing results.

Conserved interactions with stromal and immune cells coordinate de novo B-cell lymphopoiesis in fetal intestines.

Recent findings suggest that the small intestine (SI) is a novel site for B cell lymphopoiesis during fetal and neonatal life. However, the unique and/or conserved features that enable B cell development at this site remain unclear. To investigate the molecular and cellular scaffolds for B cell lymphopoiesis in mouse and human fetal intestines we leveraged single-cell RNA sequencing, in situ immunofluorescence, spatial transcriptomics and high-dimensional spectral flow cytometry.

Some Observations on Paleologic Thinking in Borderline Personality Disorder.

Paleologic thinking, a prelogical mode of reasoning described by Silvano Arieti, is characterized by emotion-driven, retrospective reasoning and has been observed in severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. The author explores its relevance to borderline personality disorder, an area that has been historically understudied. Patients with borderline personality disorder often regress into paleologic modes of thought during interpersonal distress, resulting in illogical conclusions driven by feelings rather than evidence.

A Case of Sarcoidal Granulomatous Dermatitis and Vasculitis in a 28-Year-Old Woman.

Granulomatous vasculitis represents a rare cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis, a multisystem disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman with new-onset tender, nonpruritic, erythematous papules coalescing into plaques and subcutaneous nodules on her lower legs, accompanied by anterior uveitis, exertional dyspnea, and constitutional symptoms including fatigue and night sweats. Punch biopsy revealed non-necrotizing epithelioid granulomas with vasculitic changes, consistent with cutaneous sarcoidal granulomatous vasculitis.

Patient-Driven Sharing of Health Information: A National Effort to Advance Equitable Interoperability.

The goal of national interoperability is to improve care quality and decrease administrative burden and costs. Patients, providers, and other stakeholders are increasingly concerned that indiscriminate sharing of data may have deleterious, permanent consequences, as well as fail to provide granular control over the sharing of individual health data. Data segmentation and consent standards to date have been limited in scope and implementation, which has hindered efforts to scale data sharing preferences.

Environmental Exposures and COVID-19 Experiences in the United States, 2020-2022.

Certain environmental exposures are associated with COVID-19 incidence and mortality. To determine whether environmental context is associated with other COVID-19 experiences, we used data from the nationally representative Tufts Equity in Health, Wealth, and Civic Engagement Study data ( = 1785; three survey waves 2020-2022 for adults in the United States). Environmental context was assessed using self-reported climate stress and county-level air pollution, greenness, toxic release inventory site, and heatwave data.

Ceftriaxone to prevent early-onset pneumonia in comatose patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a pilot randomized controlled trial and resistome assessment (PROTECT).

Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) reduces early-onset pneumonia, but has uncertain impact on mortality and non-infectious outcomes, with ongoing concerns about the subsequent development of antibiotic resistance.

Research Question: Does prophylactic ceftriaxone reduce the incidence of early-onset pneumonia without increasing the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes after OHCA?

Study Design: and Methods: Comatose survivors of OHCA treated with targeted temperature management without a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia at admission were randomized to ceftriaxone 2 gm or matching placebo every 12 hours for three days. The primary outcome was early-onset pneumonia occurring ≤4 days after intubation confirmed by blinded adjudicators.

Macrophages orchestrate elimination of Shigella from the intestinal epithelial cell niche via TLR-induced IL-12 and IFN-γ.

Bacteria of the genus Shigella replicate in intestinal epithelial cells and cause shigellosis, a severe diarrheal disease that resolves spontaneously in most healthy individuals. During shigellosis, neutrophils are abundantly recruited to the gut and have long been thought to be central to Shigella control and pathogenesis. However, how shigellosis resolves remains poorly understood due to the longstanding lack of a tractable and physiological animal model.

Factors affecting time to surgery and mobilization following hip fracture.

Introduction: Faster time to operative fixation and mobilization decreases morbidity and mortality for hip fracture patients. Many hospitals are working at or above their capacity and beds in surgical floors for surgical patients may not be available. The purpose of this study was to determine if the floor of admission after a hip fracture impacts time to surgical fixation and time to mobilization after surgery.

Feasibility of a Community-Based Boxing Program with Tailored Balance Training in Parkinson's Disease: A Preliminary Study.

Background/objectives: Persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at elevated risk of falling due to deficits in postural control, lower limb strength, and sensory integration. While community-based boxing programs (CBPs) have shown promise in improving strength and balance, their feasibility and potential role in addressing fall risk remain unclear. This preliminary, prospective cohort study explored the feasibility of a CBP enhanced with individualized balance training tailored to somatosensory deficits and explored early indications of potential impact on fall risk and related outcomes.

Bridging known and unknown dynamics by transformer-based machine-learning inference from sparse observations.

In applications, an anticipated issue is where the system of interest has never been encountered before and sparse observations can be made only once. Can the dynamics be faithfully reconstructed? We address this challenge by developing a hybrid transformer and reservoir-computing scheme. The transformer is trained without using data from the target system, but with essentially unlimited synthetic data from known chaotic systems.

Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria to Cefepime-Enmetazobactam: A Systematic Review.

Cefepime-enmetazobactam is a novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination showing good activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria producing a variety of β-lactamases. In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the available data on resistance to this drug. We performed a thorough search of four databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science), as well as backward citation searching, to identify studies containing data on resistance to cefepime-enmetazobactam.

Clinical Impact of New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales in Critically Ill Patients: Are We Ready to Face the Challenge?

Carbapenem-resistant infections are frequent in critically ill patients. Outbreaks caused by carbapenemase-producing , in particular the New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-type carbapenemase-producing phenotype, are increasing in Italy. Unfortunately, the clinical impact of this new microorganism is still being defined, as well as the correlation between colonization and invasive infections.

The Use of Therapeutic Peptides in Combination with Full-Thickness Skin Columns to Improve Healing of Excisional Wounds.

Split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) is the standard of care for skin replacement therapy. While STSG is a well-established technique, it has several limitations at both the donor and recipient sites. Full-thickness skin column (FTSC) grafting is an alternative approach that involves the orthogonal harvesting of small skin columns containing the epidermis, dermis, and associated skin appendages.