Treatment Challenges and Controversies in the Management of Critically Ill Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) Patients in Intensive Care Units.

This review discusses the challenges and controversies in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). Key areas include the selection of intravenous (IV) fluids, insulin therapy, strategies for preventing and monitoring cerebral edema (CE) by managing hyperglycemia overcorrection, electrolyte replacement, timing of nutrition, use of IV sodium bicarbonate, and airway management in critically ill DKA patients. Isotonic normal saline remains the standard for initial fluid resuscitation, though balanced solutions have been shown to have faster DKA resolution. Current guidelines recommend using continuous IV insulin for DKA management after fluid status has been restored potassium levels have been achieved and subcutaneous (SQ) insulin is started only after the resolution of metabolic acidosis. In comparison, the British guidelines recommend using SQ insulin glargine along with continuous regular IV insulin, which has shown faster DKA resolution and shorter hospital stays compared to continuous IV insulin alone. Although rare, rapid overcorrection of hyperglycemia with fluids and insulin can lead to CE, seizures, and death. Clinicians should be aware of risk factors and preventive strategies for CE. DKA frequently involves multiple electrolyte abnormalities, such as hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, and hypomagnesemia and regular monitoring is essential for DKA management. Early initiation of oral nutrition has been shown to reduce intensive care unit and overall hospital length of stay. For impending respiratory failure, Bilevel positive airway pressure is not recommended due to aspiration risks. Instead, intubation and mechanical ventilation, with monitoring and management of acid-base and fluid status, are recommended. The use of sodium bicarbonate is discouraged due to the potential for worsening ketosis, hypokalemia, and risk of CE. However, IV sodium bicarbonate can be considered if the serum pH falls below 6.9, or when serum pH is less than 7.2 and/or serum bicarbonate levels are below 10 mEq/L, pre-and post-intubation, to prevent metabolic acidosis and hemodynamic collapse that occurs from apnea during intubation. Managing DKA and HHS in critically ill patients includes using balanced IV fluid solutions to restore volume status, followed by continuous IV insulin, early use of SQ glargine insulin, electrolyte replacement, and monitoring, CE preventive strategies by avoiding hyperglycemia overcorrection, early nutritional support, and appropriate airway management.

Discovery of GNE-6893, a Potent, Selective, Orally Bioavailable Small Molecule Inhibitor of HPK1.

Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) serves a key immunosuppressive role as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. HPK1 loss-of-function is associated with augmentation of immune function and has demonstrated synergy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in syngeneic mouse cancer models. These data offer compelling evidence for the use of selective small molecule inhibitors of HPK1 in cancer immunotherapy. We identified a novel series of isoquinoline HPK1 inhibitors through fragment-based screening that displayed promising levels of biochemical potency and activity in functional cell-based assays. We used structure-based drug design to introduce key selectivity elements while simultaneously addressing pharmacokinetic liabilities. These efforts culminated in a molecule demonstrating subnanomolar biochemical inhibition of HPK1 and strong in vitro augmentation of TCR signaling in primary human T-cells. Further profiling of this molecule revealed excellent kinase selectivity (347/356 kinases <50% inhibition @ 0.1 µM), a favorable in vitro safety profile, and good projected human pharmacokinetics.

Rapid imaging of intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) entering ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the choroid plexus in healthy human subjects.

BACKGROUND: Pathways for intravenously administered gadolinium-based-contrast-agents (GBCAs) entering cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) circulation in the human brain are not well-understood. The blood-CSF-barrier (BCSFB) in choroid-plexus (CP) has long been hypothesized to be a main entry-point for intravenous-GBCAs into CSF. Most existing studies on this topic were performed in animals and human patients with various diseases. Results in healthy human subjects are limited. Besides, most studies were performed using MRI methods with limited temporal resolution and significant partial-volume effects from blood and CSF. METHODS: This study employs the recently developed dynamic-susceptibility-contrast-in-the-CSF (cDSC) MRI approach to measure GBCA-distribution in the CSF immediately and 4 h after intravenous-GBCA administration in healthy subjects. With a temporal resolution of 10 s, cDSC MRI can track GBCA-induced CSF signal changes during the bolus phase, which has not been investigated previously. It employs a long echo-time (TE = 1347 ms) to suppress tissue and blood signals so that pure CSF signal is detected with minimal partial-volume effects. GBCA concentration in the CSF can be estimated from cDSC MRI. In this study, cDSC and FLAIR MRI were performed immediately and 4 h after intravenous GBCA administration in 25 healthy volunteers (age 48.9 ± 19.5 years; 14 females). Paired t-tests were used to compare pre-GBCA and post-GBCA signal changes, and their correlations with age were evaluated using Pearson-correlation-coefficients. RESULTS: At ~ 20 s post-GBCA, GBCA-induced cDSC signal changes were detected in the CSF around CP (ΔS/S = - 2.40 ± 0.30%; P < .001) but not in the rest of lateral ventricle (LV). At 4 h, significant GBCA-induced cDSC signal changes were observed in the entire LV (ΔS/S = - 7.58 ± 3.90%; P = .002). FLAIR MRI showed a similar trend. GBCA-induced CSF signal changes did not correlate with age. CONCLUSIONS: These results provided direct imaging evidence that GBCAs can pass the BCSFB in the CP and enter ventricular CSF immediately after intravenous administration in healthy human brains. Besides, our results in healthy subjects established a basis for clinical studies in brain diseases exploiting GBCA-enhanced MRI to detect BCSFB dysfunction.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment for the Lumbar Spine: A Review and Discussion of Existing Gaps.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is obtained by centrifuging autologous whole blood to extract a layer concentrated with platelets, growth factors found in platelet granules, and cytokines. These components work together to promote and facilitate the healing process at sites of injury. An increasing number of clinical studies are assessing the efficacy of PRP as a treatment for lower back pain. OBJECTIVES: Lumbar back pain is a significant cause of years lived with disability. This paper conducts a thorough review of clinical studies on intradiscal, facet-joint, epidural, and mixed-target PRP interventions in the lumbar spine. Furthermore, gaps in the current literature regarding lumbar spinal PRP injections are identified to help guide future clinical trials. STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. METHODS: An initial search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, focusing on PRP injections in the spine. Boolean operators were used to combine MeSH terms and key words such as "spine," "lumbar spine," "thoracic spine," "cervical spine," "intervertebral disc," "platelet-rich plasma," and "inject." The search revealed an absence of papers about PRP injections into the cervical and thoracic spine, so the review was written with a specific focus on the lumbar spine. For the purposes of this paper, the selected manuscripts were separated into categories of intradiscal, facet-joint, epidural, and mixed-target PRP injections. RESULTS: A multitude of case reports, case series, prospective clinical studies, and randomized controlled trials have yielded results supporting the use of intradiscal, facet-joint, and epidural PRP injections in the lumbar spine. However, a handful of papers suggest that PRP lacks efficacy in improving lumbar back pain and function. With the relative dearth of literature assessing the effects of spinal PRP injections, additional double-blinded randomized trials are needed. Important findings from available studies include the observation of PRP's increased efficacy over time, the correlation of the number of targeted injection sites with the efficacy of PRP injections, and the correlation of platelet count with PRP injections' efficacy. LIMITATIONS: There exists wide variability in PRP preparation protocols and in the methods of assessing PRP's therapeutic benefits between each study that evaluates PRP's effects in the lumbar spine. CONCLUSIONS: All clinical studies evaluating PRP as a form of treatment for the lumbar spine should include full transparency and details about the methods used for PRP preparation and injection. Future double-blinded randomized trials can fill in existing gaps by assessing the effects of platelet concentration and dose on the extent of clinical improvement as well as by establishing an expected timeline for clinical improvement after PRP injections. Cross-study standardization of which pain scoring systems to utilize for study evaluation would increase comparability among different papers.

Mutual reinforcement of land-based carbon dioxide removal and international emissions trading in deep decarbonization scenarios.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and international emissions trading are both widely represented in climate change mitigation scenarios, but the interplay among them has not been closely examined. By systematically varying key policy and technology assumptions in a global energy-economic model, we find that CDR and international emissions trading are mutually reinforcing in deep decarbonization scenarios. This occurs because CDR potential is not evenly distributed geographically, allowing trade to unlock this potential, and because trading in a net-zero emissions world requires negative emissions, allowing CDR to enable trade. Since carbon prices change in the opposite direction as the quantity of permits traded and CDR deployed, we find that the total amount spent on emissions trading and the revenue received by CDR producers do not vary strongly with constraints on emissions trading or CDR. However, spending is more efficient and GDP is higher when both CDR and trading are available.

Superior Canal Dehiscence and the Risk of Additional Dehiscences: A Retrospective CT Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Determine if superior canal dehiscence (SCD) found on flat-panel CT increases the risk for other defects in the otic capsule. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENTS: One hundred ears (50 with SCD and 50 matched controls without SCD). INTERVENTIONS: Flat-panel CT imaging. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Prevalence of other dehiscences in SCD ears, (2) dehiscences in controls, and (3) otic capsule thickness in other reported dehiscence locations (cochlea-carotid, lateral semicircular canal [SCC] and mastoid, facial nerve-lateral SCC, vestibular aqueduct, posterior SCC-jugular bulb, posterior SCC-posterior fossa). Between-group comparisons were considered significant at p < 0.007 after applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Not including the SCD, there was a mean of 0.04 additional dehiscences in the SCD group (n = 2/50, 4%) and 0.04 non-SCD dehiscences in the controls (n = 2/50, 4%, p > 0.007). In the SCD group, there was one dehiscence between the cochlea and carotid artery and one between the posterior SCC and posterior fossa. The control group had one enlarged vestibular aqueduct and one dehiscence between the facial nerve and lateral SCC. As a group, SCD ears had wider vestibular aqueducts (0.68 ± 0.20 vs 0.51 ± 0.30 mm, p < 0.007) and thinner bone between the posterior SCC and posterior fossa (3.12 ± 1.43 vs 4.34 ± 1.67 mm, p < 0.007). The bone between the facial nerve and lateral SCC was thicker in SCD ears (0.77 ± 0.23 vs 0.55 ± 0.27 mm, p < 0.007) and no different for cochlea-carotid, and lateral SCC and mastoid (p > 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: SCD does not increase the likelihood of a second dehiscence in the same otic capsule. SCD patients may have congenitally thinner otic capsule bones compared to controls, particularly near the posterior SCC, where the vestibular aqueduct may be enlarged.

Biliary Dyskinesia-Controversies, Diagnosis, and Management: A Review.

Importance: Biliary dyskinesia is a disorder characterized by biliary pain, a sonographically normal gallbladder, and a reduced gallbladder ejection fraction on cholecystokinin-cholescintigraphy (CCK-HIDA) scan. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains a common treatment for biliary dyskinesia despite a lack of high-quality evidence supporting the practice. The following review summarizes the current biliary dyskinesia outcomes data, the diagnostic strategies and their limitations, biliary dyskinesia in the pediatric population, the emerging phenomenon of the hyperkinetic gallbladder, and suggestions for addressing identified knowledge gaps. Observations: The majority of studies on the topic are retrospective, with wide variations in inclusion criteria and definition of biliary pain. Most report a very short follow-up interval, often a single office visit, with variable and nonstandardized definitions of a satisfactory outcome. Despite a published Society of Nuclear Medicine guideline for its performance, CCK-HIDA scan protocols vary among institutions, which has led to considerable variability in the consistency and reproducibility of CCK-HIDA results. The few prospective studies available, although small and heterogeneous, support a role for cholecystectomy in the treatment of adult biliary dyskinesia. Despite these knowledge gaps, biliary dyskinesia is now the number 1 indication for cholecystectomy in children. Cholecystectomy for the hyperkinetic gallbladder appears to be an emerging phenomenon, despite, as in biliary dyskinesia, a lack of quality data supporting this practice. Randomized trials addressing these gaps are needed but have been difficult to conduct owing to strong clinician and patient bias toward surgery and the lack of a criterion-standard nonsurgical treatment for the control arm. Conclusions and Relevance: The use of cholecystectomy for adult biliary dyskinesia is reasonable based on the available data. Insufficient data exist regarding laparoscopic cholecystectomy for pediatric dyskinesia and the hyperkinetic gallbladder population. Large-scale prospective studies, either randomized trials or large prospectively followed cohort studies, are needed to address the knowledge gaps surrounding this controversial diagnosis.

A Novel Spiked Washer and Screw Technique Provides a Biomechanically Superior Posterolateral Corner and Arcuate Fracture Repair.

Posterolateral corner and arcuate fractures can cause significant disruption to the stability and kinematics of the knee. This study aimed to determine the biomechanical performance of a novel spiked washer (SW) and intramedullary screw technique compared with a tension slide technique (TST) for the repair of arcuate fractures. Sixteen matched fresh-frozen cadaver knees underwent repair. Each specimen underwent transection of the posterolateral corner and lateral capsule along with a proximal fibula osteotomy to simulate an arcuate fracture. Eight specimens underwent repair with a SW technique and 8 underwent repair with a TST. Each specimen underwent cyclic loading followed by load to failure. Gap formation, ultimate load to failure, energy to failure, and stiffness were assessed. The SW technique had significantly less gap formation and higher load to failure. Furthermore, the SW technique had significantly higher stiffness and energy to failure. A SW and screw technique provided a significantly stronger construct with less gap formation when compared with a TST. [Orthopedics. 2024;47(5):e277-e281.].

Spinal Cord Stimulator Inequities Within the US Military Health System.

OBJECTIVES: Although studies have described inequities in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) receipt, there is a lack of information to inform system-level changes to support health care equity. This study evaluated whether Black patients exhaust more treatment options than do White patients, before receiving SCS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included claims data of Black and non-Latinx White patients who were active-duty service members or military retirees who received a persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS) diagnosis associated with back surgery within the US Military Health System, January 2017 to January 2020 (N = 8753). A generalized linear model examined predictors of SCS receipt within two years of diagnosis, including the interaction between race and number of pain-treatment types received. RESULTS: In the generalized linear model, Black patients (10.3% [8.7%, 12.0%]) were less likely to receive SCS than were White patients (13.6% [12.7%, 14.6%]) The interaction term was significant; White patients who received zero to three different types of treatments were more likely to receive SCS than were Black patients who received zero to three treatments, whereas Black and White patients who received >three treatments had similar likelihoods of receiving a SCS. CONCLUSIONS: In a health care system with intended universal access, White patients diagnosed with PSPS tried fewer treatment types before receiving SCS, whereas the number of treatment types tried was not significantly related to SCS receipt in Black patients. Overall, Black patients received SCS less often than did White patients. Findings indicate the need for structured referral pathways, provider evaluation on equity metrics, and top-down support.

SNO-EANO-EURACAN consensus on management of pineal parenchymal tumors.

Pineal parenchymal tumors are rare neoplasms for which evidence-based treatment recommendations are lacking. These tumors vary in biology, clinical characteristics, and prognosis, requiring treatment that ranges from surgical resection alone to intensive multimodal antineoplastic therapy. Recently, international collaborative studies have shed light on the genomic landscape of these tumors, leading to refinement in molecular-based disease classification in the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize the literature on diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and suggest pragmatic recommendations for the clinical management of patients presenting with intrinsic pineal region masses including parenchymal tumors (pineocytoma, pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation, and pineoblastoma), pineal cyst, and papillary tumors of the pineal region.

Alzheimer Disease Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in a Tertiary Neurology Practice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of Alzheimer disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in a tertiary neurology clinic setting with high frequency of non-AD cases, including normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). METHODS: There were 534 patients who underwent AD CSF biomarkers (Roche Elecsys Aß42, p-Tau181, total-Tau) from April 1, 2020, through April 23, 2021. A behavioral neurologist blinded to CSF results assigned a clinical diagnosis retrospectively on the basis of consensus criteria, and a neuroradiologist blinded to the diagnosis and CSF studies graded brain magnetic resonance images for indicators of CSF dynamics disorders. Associations between biomarkers, diagnoses, and imaging were assessed by χ2, analysis of covariance, and linear regression methods. RESULTS: Median age at time of testing was 67 years (range, 19 to 96 years), median symptom duration was 2 years (range, 0.4 to 28 years), and median Short Test of Mental Status score was 30 (range, 0 to 38). Clinical diagnoses significantly correlated with different CSF biomarker values (χ2=208.3; P=10e-4). p-Tau181/Aß42 ratios above 0.023 positively correlated with Alzheimer dementia (more than individual measures). This ratio also had the best performance for differentiating Alzheimer dementia from NPH (area under the curve, 0.869). Imaging markers supportive of CSF dynamics disorders correlated with low Aß42, p-Tau181, and total-Tau. CONCLUSION: In a heterogeneous clinical population, abnormal p-Tau181/Aß42 ratios (>0.023) have the strongest association with Alzheimer dementia and probably represent a comorbid AD pathologic component in persons clearly matching non-AD neurodegenerative syndromes. Altered CSF dynamics were associated with lower concentrations of AD CSF biomarkers regardless of clinical diagnosis, but the ratio compensates for these changes. In the appropriate clinical setting, an isolated abnormal Aß42 should prompt consideration of NPH.

Popularizing Surgical Cures: Walter Dandy and the Vestibular Neurectomy for Menière's Disease at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To uncover the context that allowed for the vestibular neurectomy to grow in favor and practice at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the early 20th century, and the reasons for its broad abandonment since. METHODS: The Walter E. Dandy (1905-1946) and Samuel J. Crowe collections (1905-1920) at the Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives were reviewed, as well as the Samuel J. Crowe and Stacy Guild Temporal Bone Collection. RESULTS: Speculation on the etiology of Menière's disease (MD) has been countless, as have the medical and surgical interventions aimed at treating it. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Walter Dandy popularized the neurectomy for MD and performed 692 procedures from 1924 to 1946, believing it to be a curative therapy for vertigo. When he later modified the procedure from a total cranial nerve section to a partial vestibular neurectomy preserving auditory function, surgical candidacy expanded to include nearly any patient with vestibular symptoms. After his passing, trainees' attention shifted to traumatic injuries, likely influenced by WWII. This left the procedure scarcely used until third parties rekindled interest decades later. CONCLUSIONS: Neurectomy as the preferential treatment for MD at the Johns Hopkins Hospital was not driven by pure scientific reasoning but was rather contingent on historical context and sponsorship by a prominent figure like Walter Dandy. Appreciation of MD's natural history has since curtailed the favorability of destructive procedures in preference for conservative management.

The impact of abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption on the mouse striatal proteome: sex and subregion-specific differences.

Alcohol misuse is the third leading preventable cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization currently estimates that 1 in 20 deaths are directly alcohol related. One of the ways in which consuming excessive levels of alcohol can both directly and indirectly affect human mortality and morbidity, is through chronic inflammation. Recently, studies have suggested a link between increased alcohol use and the incidence of neuroinflammatory-related diseases. However, the mechanism in which alcohol potentially influences neuroinflammatory processes is still being uncovered. We implemented an unbiased proteomics exploration of alcohol-induced changes in the striatum, with a specific emphasis on proteins related to inflammation. The striatum is a brain region that is critically involved with the progression of alcohol use disorder. Using mass spectrometry following voluntary alcohol self-administration in mice, we show that distinct protein abundances and signaling pathways in different subregions of the striatum are disrupted by chronic exposure to alcohol compared to water drinking control mice. Further, in mice that were allowed to experience abstinence from alcohol compared to mice that were non-abstinent, the overall proteome and signaling pathways showed additional differences, suggesting that the responses evoked by chronic alcohol exposure are dependent on alcohol use history. To our surprise we did not find that chronic alcohol drinking or abstinence altered protein abundance or pathways associated with inflammation, but rather affected proteins and pathways associated with neurodegeneration and metabolic, cellular organization, protein translation, and molecular transport processes. These outcomes suggest that in this drinking model, alcohol-induced neuroinflammation in the striatum is not a primary outcome controlling altered neurobehavioral function, but these changes are rather mediated by altered striatal neuronal structure and cellular health.

Cauldrons of Bronze Age nomads reveals 2700 year old yak milk and the deep antiquity of food preparation techniques.

Cauldrons, vessels that are simultaneously common and enigmatic, offer insights into past cultural and social traditions. While assumed to possess a special function, what these cauldrons contained is still largely mysterious. These vessels, such as those made from bronze or copper alloys, function as reservoirs for ancient organics through the antibacterial qualities provided by the metal surfaces. Here we show, through protein analysis, that cauldrons from the Final Bronze Age (ca. 2700 BP) were primarily used to collect blood from ruminants, primarily caprines, likely for the production of sausages in a manner similar to contemporary practices in Mongolia's rural countryside. Our findings present a different function from the recent findings of cooked meat in copper-alloy vessels from the northern Caucasus 2000 years earlier, exposing the diversity in food preparation techniques. Our secondary findings of bovine milk within the cauldron, including peptides specific to Bos mutus, pushes back their regional domestication into the Bronze Age.

Phase I trial of single-photon emission computed tomography-guided liver-directed radiotherapy for patients with low functional liver volume.

BACKGROUND: Traditional constraints specify that 700 cc of liver should be spared a hepatotoxic dose when delivering liver-directed radiotherapy to reduce the risk of inducing liver failure. We investigated the role of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to identify and preferentially avoid functional liver during liver-directed radiation treatment planning in patients with preserved liver function but limited functional liver volume after receiving prior hepatotoxic chemotherapy or surgical resection. METHODS: This phase I trial with a 3 + 3 design evaluated the safety of liver-directed radiotherapy using escalating functional liver radiation dose constraints in patients with liver metastases. Dose-limiting toxicities were assessed 6-8 weeks and 6 months after completing radiotherapy. RESULTS: All 12 patients had colorectal liver metastases and received prior hepatotoxic chemotherapy; 8 patients underwent prior liver resection. Median computed tomography anatomical nontumor liver volume was 1584 cc (range = 764-2699 cc). Median SPECT functional liver volume was 1117 cc (range = 570-1928 cc). Median nontarget computed tomography and SPECT liver volumes below the volumetric dose constraint were 997 cc (range = 544-1576 cc) and 684 cc (range = 429-1244 cc), respectively. The prescription dose was 67.5-75 Gy in 15 fractions or 75-100 Gy in 25 fractions. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed during follow-up. One-year in-field control was 57%. One-year overall survival was 73%. CONCLUSION: Liver-directed radiotherapy can be safely delivered to high doses when incorporating functional SPECT into the radiation treatment planning process, which may enable sparing of lower volumes of liver than traditionally accepted in patients with preserved liver function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02626312.

SVPath: A Deep Learning Tool for Analysis of Stria Vascularis from Histology Slides.

INTRODUCTION: The stria vascularis (SV) may have a significant role in various otologic pathologies. Currently, researchers manually segment and analyze the stria vascularis to measure structural atrophy. Our group developed a tool, SVPath, that uses deep learning to extract and analyze the stria vascularis and its associated capillary bed from whole temporal bone histopathology slides (TBS). METHODS: This study used an internal dataset of 203 digitized hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from a normal macaque ear and a separate external validation set of 10 sections from another normal macaque ear. SVPath employed deep learning methods YOLOv8 and nnUnet to detect and segment the SV features from TBS, respectively. The results from this process were analyzed with the SV Analysis Tool (SVAT) to measure SV capillaries and features related to SV morphology, including width, area, and cell count. Once the model was developed, both YOLOv8 and nnUnet were validated on external and internal datasets. RESULTS: YOLOv8 implementation achieved over 90% accuracy for cochlea and SV detection. nnUnet SV segmentation achieved a DICE score of 0.84-0.95; the capillary bed DICE score was 0.75-0.88. SVAT was applied to compare both the ears used in the study. There was no statistical difference in SV width, SV area, and average area of capillary between the two ears. There was a statistical difference between the two ears for the cell count per SV. CONCLUSION: The proposed method accurately and efficiently analyzes the SV from temporal histopathology bone slides, creating a platform for researchers to understand the function of the SV further.

The Growth of Complex Syntax in School-Age African American Children Who Speak African American English.

PURPOSE: Syntax provides critical support for both academic success and linguistic growth, yet it has not been a focus of language research in school-age African American children. This study examines complex syntax performance of African American children in second through fifth grades. METHOD: The current study explores the syntactic performances of African American children (N = 513) in Grades 2-5 on the Test of Language Development-Intermediate who speak African American English. Multilevel modeling was used to evaluate the growth and associated changes between dialect density and syntax. Analyzed data were compared both to the normative sample and within the recruited sample. RESULTS: The results suggest that dialect density exerted its impact early but did not continue to influence syntactic growth over time. Additionally, it was not until dialect density was accounted for in growth models that African American children's syntactic growth resembled normative expectations of a standardized language instrument. CONCLUSION: The current study suggests that failure to consider cultural language differences obscures our understanding of African American students' linguistic competence on standardized language assessments.

Drivers and implications of alternative routes to fuels decarbonization in net-zero energy systems.

Energy transition scenarios are characterized by increasing electrification and improving efficiency of energy end uses, rapid decarbonization of the electric power sector, and deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to offset remaining emissions. Although hydrocarbon fuels typically decline in such scenarios, significant volumes remain in many scenarios even at the time of net-zero emissions. While scenarios rely on different approaches for decarbonizing remaining fuels, the underlying drivers for these differences are unclear. Here we develop several illustrative net-zero systems in a simple structural energy model and show that, for a given set of final energy demands, assumptions about the use of biomass and CO2 sequestration drive key differences in how emissions from remaining fuels are mitigated. Limiting one resource may increase reliance on another, implying that decisions about using or restricting resources in pursuit of net-zero objectives could have significant tradeoffs that will need to be evaluated and managed.

Parkinson's Disease Associated with G2019S LRRK2 Mutations without Lewy Body Pathology.

BACKGROUND: The G2019S leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene mutation is an important and commonly found genetic determinant of Parkinson's disease (PD). The neuropathological findings associated with this mutation have thus far been varied but are most often associated with Lewy body (LB) pathology. OBJECTIVE: Describe a case of clinical Parkinson's disease with levodopa responsiveness found to have LRRK2 mutations and the absence of Lewy bodies. METHOD: We present an 89-year-old man with a 10-year history of slowly progressive parkinsonism suspected to be secondary to Parkinson's disease. RESULTS: Neuropathological evaluation revealed nigral degeneration without Lewy bodies or Lewy neurites, but there were frequent tau-immunopositive neurites and astrocytes in the putamen and substantia nigra, neocortical glial tau positive astrocytes associated with aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG), as well as neurofibrillary tangles, beta amyloid plaques, and amyloid angiopathy typical of advanced Alzheimer's disease. G2019S LRRK2 homozygous mutations were found. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that levodopa-responsive clinical PD caused by G2019S LRRK2 mutations can occur without Lewy bodies.