Background Scarce evidence exists on the diagnostic benefit of enteric contrast for abdominopelvic CT performed in the setting of penetrating trauma. Objectives The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CT using enteric contrast, with that of CT not using enteric contrast, in penetrating traumatic abdominopelvic injury in adults. Evidence Acquisition A protocol was registered a priori (PROSPERO CRD42019139613). MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched until June 25, 2019. Studies were included that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of abdominopelvic CT either with or without enteric (oral and/or rectal) contrast in patients presenting with penetrating traumatic injury. Relevant study data metrics and risk of bias were assessed. Bivariate random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression modeling were performed to assess and compare diagnostic accuracies. Evidence Synthesis From an initial sample of 829 studies, 12 studies were included that reported on 1,287 patie enteric contrast for CT does not provide a significant diagnostic benefit for penetrating traumatic injury. Clinical Impact Eliminating enteric contrast for CT in penetrating traumatic injury can prevent delays in imaging and surgery, as well as reduce cost.PI-RADS version 2.1 updates the technical parameters for multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) of the prostate and revises the imaging interpretation criteria while maintaining the framework introduced in version 2. These changes have been considered an improvement, although some issues remain unresolved, and new issues have emerged. Areas for improvement discussed in this review include the need for more detailed mpMRI protocols with optimization for 1.5-T and 3-T systems; lack of validation of revised transition zone interpretation criteria and need for clarifications of the revised DWI and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging criteria and central zone (CZ) assessment; the need for systematic evaluation and reporting of background changes in signal intensity in the prostate that can negatively affect cancer detection; creation of a new category for lesions that do not fit into the PI-RADS assessment categories (i.e., PI-RADS M category); inclusion of quantitative parameters beyond size to evaluate lesion aggressiveness; adjustments to the structured report template, including standardized assessment of the risk of extraprostatic extension; development of parameters for image quality and performance control; and suggestions for expansion of the system to other indications (e.g., active surveillance and recurrence).Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has synergistic properties when combined with ablative therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Objective To compare outcomes for inoperable HCC between TACE with percutaneous thermal ablation (T-TA) and TACE with stereotactic body radiotherapy (T-SBRT) using propensity-score-weighted cohorts. Methods This retrospective study included 190 patients with a single inoperable HCC treated from 2007 to 2018 by either T-SBRT (n=90) or T-TA (n=100). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS) and hepatotoxicity (defined as Child Pugh elevation of ≥ 2 within two to six months post-treatment). Fine-Gray competing risk models with propensity score weighting and transplantation as the competing risk factor were used to model OS and PFS. Results The median follow-up time was 48.2 months. OS and PFS were both significantly higher for T-TA (77% and 76%, respectively, at 2 years) than T-SBRT (49% and 50%, respectively, at 2 years) in the propensity weighted multivariate model (OS subdistributed hazard ratio [sHR] 2.70, p less then 0.001; PFS sHR 1.71, p=0.016). Treatment-related hepatotoxicity occurred in 9% for T-TA vs. in 27% for T-SBRT (p=0.010). For the subset of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer A HCC and Child-Pugh A cirrhosis (T-SBRT [n=36], T-TA [n=55] T-TA), OS (p=0.108) and PFS (p=0.189) were not significantly different between the two treatment modalities. Conclusion Compared to T-SBRT, T-TA demonstrated superior OS and PFS, possibly from lesser hepatotoxicity. The two strategies did not differ in OS and PFS in patients with the earliest-stage HCC and preserved liver function. Clinical impact Across all patients, T-TA may be superior to T-SBRT for inoperable HCC.Purpose The aim of this study was to examine whether acoustic dysarthria characteristics align with overall motor profile in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Potential speech differences between tremor-dominant and non-tremor-dominant subtypes are theoretically motivated but empirically inconclusive. Method Twenty-seven individuals with dysarthria from PD provided a contextual speech sample. Participants were grouped into non-tremor-dominant (n = 12) and tremor-dominant (n = 15) motor subtypes according to the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. Dependent speech variables included fundamental frequency range, average pause duration, cepstral peak prominence, stuttering dysfluencies, and maze dysfluencies. Results There were no significant differences between the speech of the tremor-dominant and non-tremor-dominant groups. High within-group variability existed across parameters and motor subtypes. Ropsacitinib clinical trial Conclusion Speech characteristics across the areas of phonation, prosody, and fluency did not differ appreciably between PD motor subtypes.The myosin super-relaxed state (SRX) in skeletal muscle is hypothesized to play an important role in regulating muscle contractility and thermogenesis in humans but has only been examined in model organisms. Here we report the first human skeletal muscle SRX measurements, using quantitative epifluorescence microscopy of fluorescent 2’/3′-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) ATP (mantATP) single-nucleotide turnover. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression was determined using gel electrophoresis for each permeabilized vastus lateralis fiber, to allow for novel comparisons of SRX between fiber types. We find that the fraction of myosin in SRX is less in MHC IIA fibers than in MHC I and IIAX fibers (P = 0.008). ATP turnover of SRX is faster in MHC IIAX fibers compared with MHC I and IIA fibers (P = 0.001). We conclude that SRX biochemistry is measurable in human skeletal muscle, and our data indicate that SRX depends on fiber type as classified by MHC isoform. Extension from this preliminary work would provide further understanding regarding the role of SRX in human muscle physiology.