Dangerous liaisons: Loss of keratinocyte control over melanocytes in melanomagenesis.

Melanomas arise from transformed melanocytes, positioned at the dermal-epidermal junction in the basal layer of the epidermis. Melanocytes are completely surrounded by keratinocyte neighbors, with which they communicate through direct contact and paracrine signaling to maintain normal growth control and homeostasis. UV radiation from sunlight reshapes this communication network to drive a protective tanning response.

The Language of Compassion: Hospital Chaplains' Compassion Capacity Reduces Patient Depression via Other-Oriented, Inclusive Language.

Objectives: Although hospital chaplains play a critical role in delivering emotional and spiritual care to a broad range of both religious and non-religious patients, there is remarkably little research on the best practices or "active ingredients" of chaplain spiritual consults. Here, we examined how chaplains' compassion capacity was associated with their linguistic behavior with hospitalized inpatients, and how their language in turn related to patient outcomes.

Methods: Hospital chaplains ( = 16) completed self-report measures that together were operationalized as self-reported "compassion capacity.

Correlation of self-reported pain severity and healthcare expenditures in older United States adults.

Objectives: Healthcare expenditures of older United States (US) adults with different pain severity levels are important to investigate given the increasing prevalence of pain in this population. This study assessed the correlation of healthcare expenditures among older US adults with different pain severities, hypothesizing that expenditures would increase as pain severity increased.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional database study used 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data and included US adults aged ≥50 with self-reported pain in the past four weeks and positive healthcare costs.

Inconsistency as a diagnostic tool in a society of intelligent agents.

Objective: To use the detection of clinically relevant inconsistencies to support the reasoning capabilities of intelligent agents acting as physicians and tutors in the realm of clinical medicine.

Methods: We are developing a cognitive architecture, OntoAgent, that supports the creation and deployment of intelligent agents capable of simulating human-like abilities. The agents, which have a simulated mind and, if applicable, a simulated body, are intended to operate as members of multi-agent teams featuring both artificial and human agents.

Primary care office responses to a stroke scenario.

Purpose: One previous study found that healthlines affiliated with academic neurology programs recommended non-emergent treatment for a hypothetical stroke scenario almost one quarter of the time, which could contribute to patients presenting too late for time dependent stroke therapies. We assessed the treatment advice given in a hypothetical stroke scenario by primary care physician offices across the United States.

Methods: We obtained a national listing of United States primary care physician offices from Yellowpages.