Background: Radioactive iodine (RAI) is a common treatment for various thyroid diseases. Previous studies have suggested susceptibility of parathyroid glands to the mutagenic effect of RAI and the development of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We tested the possible link between prior RAI treatment, disease presentation, and treatment outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate whether hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-low (HR+HER2-low) versus HR+HER2-zero early breast cancers have distinct genomic and clinical characteristics.
Methods: This study included HR+, HER2-negative early breast cancers from patients enrolled in the phase III, randomized BIG 1-98 and SOFT clinical trials that had undergone tumor genomic sequencing. Tumors were classified HR+HER2-low if they had a centrally reviewed HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) score of 1+ or 2+ with negative in situ hybridization and HR+HER2-zero if they had an HER2 IHC score of 0.
Complex biological systems undergo sudden transitions in their state, which are often preceded by a critical slowing down of dynamics. This results in longer recovery times as systems approach transitions, quantified as an increase in measures such as the autocorrelation and variance. In this study, we analysed paediatric patients in intensive care for whom mechanical ventilation was discontinued through removal of the endotracheal tube (extubation).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction/aims: Upper limb paralysis is arguably the most limiting consequence of cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). There is limited knowledge regarding the early structural changes of muscles implicated in grasp/pinch function and upper extremity nerve transfer surgeries. We evaluated: (1) muscle size and echo intensity (EI) in subacute cSCI (2-6 months) and (2) the influence of lower motor neuron (LMN) damage on these ultrasound parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study, in vivo and in vitro, investigated the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle adaptations to aerobic exercise. BDNF is a contraction-induced protein that may play a role in muscle adaptations to aerobic exercise. BDNF is involved in muscle repair, increased fat oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis, all of which are adaptations observed with aerobic training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCases for a disease can be defined broadly using diagnostic codes, or narrowly using gold-standard confirmation that often is not available in large administrative datasets. These different definitions can have significant impacts on the results and conclusions of studies. We conducted this study to assess how using melanoma phecodes versus histologic confirmation for invasive or in situ melanoma impacts the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Million Veteran Program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSome CLL patients who develop progressive disease (PD) during treatment with covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKi) acquire pathway resistance mutations in BTK or PLCG2. Here, we report gene mutation data from paired baseline and PD peripheral blood samples from 52 patients (zanubrutinib, n=24; ibrutinib, n=28) who, at an early median follow-up time of 25.7 months, progressed on zanubrutinib or ibrutinib treatment in the ALPINE trial (NCT03734016).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaize is one of the major crops that are susceptible to infection and subsequent aflatoxin contamination, which poses a serious health threat to humans and domestic animals. Here, an RNA interference (RNAi) approach called Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) was employed to suppress the -methyl transferase gene (, also called ), a key gene involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis. An RNAi vector carrying part of the gene was introduced into the B104 maize line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOn 14-15 November 2023, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) organized a workshop entitled "Systematic Approaches for ESKAPE Bacteria Antigen Discovery". The goal of the workshop was to engage scientists from diverse relevant backgrounds to explore novel technologies that can be harnessed to identify and address current roadblocks impeding advances in antigen and vaccine discoveries for the ESKAPE pathogens (, , , , and species). The workshop consisted of four sessions that addressed ESKAPE infections, antigen discovery and vaccine efforts, and new technologies including systems immunology and vaccinology approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLimited research has examined the possible synergistic interrelationships between serious bacterial infections (SBIs) of the heart (i.e., endocarditis), bone, spine, brain, or joints (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Federal public health travel restrictions (FPHTR) in the United States are implemented for persons who meet specific criteria to prevent spread of communicable diseases of public health concern. FPHTR can mitigate the risk of disease transmission during air travel and mitigating disease translocation between geographic areas.
Objective: To characterize and determine the extent of FPHTR implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ozone (O), a major air pollutant, can negatively impact plant growth and yield. While O impacts have been widely documented in crops such as wheat and soybean, few studies have looked at the effects of O on sorghum, a C plant and the fifth most important cereal crop worldwide. We exposed grain sorghum ( cv.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The TaqMan Array Card (TAC) is an arrayed, high-throughput qPCR platform that can simultaneously detect multiple targets in a single reaction. However, the manual post-run analysis of TAC data is time consuming and subject to interpretation. We sought to automate the post-run analysis of TAC data using machine learning models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMillipedes have long been known to produce structurally diverse chemical defenses, including hydrogen cyanide, terpenoid alkaloids, and oxidized aromatics. Although the hydrogen cyanide and oxidized aromatic producing millipedes have been well studied, less than 10% of the terpenoid alkaloid producers have been chemically investigated. Several previous studies have shown that alkaloids disorient predators, but their biochemical target is currently unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The management of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) requires a multidisciplinary approach to ensure sustainable treatment results, especially in the advanced stages. Traditionally, deroofing and wide excision represented commonly employed surgical techniques. Due to the recurrent nature of HS, tissue preservation should be a relevant aspect of surgical management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD) is critical to inform early intervention efforts. This study investigated the impact of adverse perinatal events on PPD.
Methods: We analyzed data from the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), a North American prospective preconception cohort study.
Background: Hip fractures are prevalent orthopaedic injuries with substantial morbidity and mortality. Failed primary treatments of these fractures often necessitate conversion to total hip arthroplasty (CTHA); a complex procedure requiring extensive exposure and hardware removal. It poses major challenges and is associated with high rates of complications such as infection, dislocation, and periprosthetic fractures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBesides its thermogenic capacity, brown adipose tissue (BAT) performs important secretory functions that regulate metabolism. However, the BAT microenvironment and factors involved in BAT homeostasis and adaptation to cold remain poorly characterized. We therefore aimed to study brown adipocyte-derived secreted factors that may be involved in adipocyte function and/or may orchestrate intercellular communications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn New Zealand, the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and blooms of the harmful algal species, Alexandrium pacificum, are increasing in areas where there are natural reefs and commercial farms of the mussel, Perna canaliculus. In this study, we assessed the whole organism, tissue and molecular-level response of juvenile (spat) P. canaliculus exposed to these abiotic and biotic stressors, alone and together.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Patient experience surveys are essential to measuring patient-centered care, a key component of health care quality. Low response rates in underserved groups may limit their representation in overall measure performance and hamper efforts to assess health equity. Telephone follow-up improves response rates in many health care settings, yet little recent work has examined this for surveys of Medicare enrollees, including those with Medicare Advantage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Central nervous system (CNS) tumors lead to cancer-related mortality in children. Genetic ancestry-associated cancer prevalence and outcomes have been studied, but is limited.
Methods: We performed genetic ancestry prediction in 1,452 pediatric patients with paired normal and tumor whole genome sequencing from the Open Pediatric Cancer (OpenPedCan) project to evaluate the influence of reported race and ethnicity and ancestry-based genetic superpopulations on tumor histology, molecular subtype, survival, and treatment.
Bispecific antibodies represent a promising class of biologics for cancer treatment. However, their dual specificity and complex structure pose challenges in the engineering process, often resulting in molecules with good functional but poor physicochemical properties. To overcome limitations in the properties of an anti-5T4 x anti-CD3 (α5T4 x αCD3) DART molecule, a phage-display method was developed, which succeeded in simultaneously engineering cross-reactivity to the cynomolgus 5T4 ortholog, improving thermostability and the elevating expression level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrader-Willi syndrome is a rare and complex genetic disorder with multiple physical and behavioral characteristics, affecting endocrine, metabolic, and neurologic systems and producing a plethora of medical complications. Early identification and diagnosis are paramount to providing timely and appropriate interventions to improve patient outcomes. Treatment should focus on neonatal feeding and growth, followed by hormonal therapy for hypothalamic dysfunction, and should then be directed at the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrauma Surg Acute Care Open
January 2025
Introduction: In critical care, there is often a lack of understanding regarding patient preferences toward end-of-life care. Goals of care discussions are poorly defined and inhibited by clinician apprehension, prognostic uncertainty, and discomfort from both sides. In the delivery of bad news, protocol-based discussions have proven beneficial, yet no such protocol exists for goals of care discussions in the intensive care unit (ICU).
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