A Higher Mediterranean Diet Score, Including Unprocessed Red Meat, Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Central Nervous System Demyelination in a Case-Control Study of Australian Adults.

Background: The evidence associating diet and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is inconclusive.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between a Mediterranean diet and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), a common precursor to MS.

Methods: We used data from the 2003-2006 Ausimmune Study, an Australian multicenter, case-control study examining environmental risk factors for FCD, with participants matched on age, sex, and study region (282 cases, 558 controls; 18-59 y old; 78% female).

Renal Inflammation and Fibrosis: A Double-edged Sword.

Renal tissue injury initiates inflammatory and fibrotic processes that occur to promote regeneration and repair. After renal injury, damaged tissue releases cytokines and chemokines, which stimulate activation and infiltration of inflammatory cells to the kidney. Normal tissue repair processes occur simultaneously with activation of myofibroblasts, collagen deposition, and wound healing responses; however, prolonged activation of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cell types causes excess extracellular matrix deposition.

Bioengineered Tissue Model of Fibroblast Activation for Modeling Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease of unknown etiology with no current curative treatment. Modeling pulmonary fibrotic (PF) tissue has the potential to improve our understanding of IPF disease progression and treatment. Rodent animal models do not replicate human fibroblastic foci (Hum-FF) pathology, and current iterations of model systems (e.

Incremental Cost of Prematurity by Week of Gestational Age.

 This study was aimed to compare health care costs and utilization at birth through 1 year, between preterm and term infants, by week of gestation.  A cross-sectional study of infants born at ≥ 23 weeks of gestational age (GA) at Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities between 2000 and 2011, using outcomes data from an internal neonatal registry and cost estimates from an internal cost management database. Adjusted models yielded estimates for cost differences for each GA group.

Sexual behaviors, risks, and sexual health outcomes for adolescent females following bariatric surgery.

Background: Adolescents females with severe obesity are less likely to be sexually active, but those who are sexually active engage in risky sexual behaviors.

Objectives: To examine patterns and predictors of sexual risk behaviors, contraception practices, and sexual health outcomes in female adolescents with severe obesity who did or did not undergo bariatric surgery across 4 years.

Setting: Five academic medical centers.

Dynamic signature of lymphangiogenesis during acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are interconnected syndromes with significant attributable morbidity and mortality. The disturbing trend of increasing incidence and prevalence of these clinical disorders highlights the urgent need for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that are involved in pathogenesis of these conditions. Lymphangiogenesis and its involvement in various inflammatory conditions is increasingly recognized while its role in AKI and CKD remains to be fully elucidated.

Knockdown of CD44 expression decreases valve interstitial cell calcification in vitro.

The lack of pharmaceutical targets available to treat patients with calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) necessitates further research into the specific mechanisms of the disease. The significant changes that occur to the aortic valves extracellular matrix (ECM) during the progression of CAVD suggests that these proteins may play an important role in calcification. Exploring the relationship between valve interstitial cells (VICs) and the ECM may lead to a better understand of CAVD mechanisms and potential pharmaceutical targets.

Comparative virulence of Caribbean, Brazilian and European isolates of Toxoplasma gondii.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of global importance. The outcome of infection in humans can depend on a number of factors including the infecting stage of the parasite, inoculating dose and virulence of the infecting strain. Molecular epidemiological studies have demonstrated an abundance of atypical strains of T.

Higher Non-processed Red Meat Consumption Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Central Nervous System Demyelination.

The evidence associating red meat consumption and risk of multiple sclerosis is inconclusive. We tested associations between red meat consumption and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), often presaging a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. We used food frequency questionnaire data from the 2003-2006 Ausimmune Study, an incident, matched, case-control study examining environmental risk factors for FCD.

Cytological Evaluations of Advanced Generations of Interspecific Hybrids Between Allium cepa and Allium fistulosum Showing Resistance to Stemphylium vesicarium.

Interspecific crossing is a promising approach for introgression of valuable traits to develop cultivars with improved characteristics. Allium fistulosum L. possesses numerous pest resistances that are lacking in the bulb onion (Allium cepa L.

Challenges of infertility genetic counseling: Impact on counselors' personal and professional lives.

Infertility genetic counselors (GCs) work with patients struggling to become pregnant who desire genetic testing of embryos and preconception genetic testing or carrier screening. Because personal and professional challenges have not been examined in this relatively new genetic counseling specialty, we investigated the difficulties infertility GCs face in their professional roles. Past and present infertility GCs in patient-facing roles were recruited through the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

The dimensionality and latent structure of mental health difficulties and wellbeing in early adolescence.

Research with adults and older adolescents suggests a general factor may underlie both mental health difficulties and wellbeing. However, the classical bifactor model commonly used to demonstrate this general trait has recently been criticised when a unidimensional structure is not supported. Furthermore, research is lacking in this area with children and early adolescents.

Ferritin Light Chain Confers Protection Against Sepsis-Induced Inflammation and Organ Injury.

Despite the prevalence and recognition of its detrimental impact, clinical complications of sepsis remain a major challenge. Here, we investigated the effects of myeloid ferritin heavy chain (FtH) in regulating the pathogenic sequelae of sepsis. We demonstrate that deletion of myeloid FtH leads to protection against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced model of sepsis as evidenced by reduced cytokine levels, multi-organ dysfunction and mortality.

Resident macrophages reprogram toward a developmental state after acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a devastating clinical condition affecting at least two-thirds of critically ill patients, and, among these patients, it is associated with a greater than 60% risk of mortality. Kidney mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) are implicated in pathogenesis and healing in mouse models of AKI and, thus, have been the subject of investigation as potential targets for clinical intervention. We have determined that, after injury, F4/80hi-expressing kidney-resident macrophages (KRMs) are a distinct cellular subpopulation that does not differentiate from nonresident infiltrating MPs.

Prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency in a nationally representative sample of adults participating in the 2011-2013 Australian Health Survey.

Vitamin D deficiency is recognised as a public health problem globally, and a high prevalence of deficiency has previously been reported in Australia. This study details the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a nationally representative sample of Australian adults aged ≥25 years, using an internationally standardised method to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and identifies demographic and lifestyle factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. We used data from the 2011-2013 Australian Health Survey (n 5034 with complete information on potential predictors and serum 25(OH)D concentrations).

In Situ Gelling Scaffolds Loaded with Platelet Growth Factors to Improve Cardiomyocyte Survival after Ischemia.

Myocardial infarction is caused by prolonged ischemia and it is one of the main cause that leads to heart failures. The aim of the present work was the development of in situ gelling systems, based on poloxamer 407 (P407) or sodium alginate (Alg), loaded with platelet lysate (PL) to enhance cardiomyocyte survival after ischemia. Chondroitin sulfate (CS), a negatively charged glycosaminoglycan able to interact with different positively charged bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, was also investigated with both the systems.

Global Proteomic Profiling of Infection by a Giant Phage.

The 240-kb phage SPN3US genome encodes 264 gene products, many of which are functionally uncharacterized. We have previously used mass spectrometry to define the proteomes of wild-type and mutant forms of the SPN3US virion. In this study, we sought to determine whether this technique was suitable for the characterization of the SPN3US proteome during liquid infection.

Clinical Reasoning in Physical Therapy: A Concept Analysis.

Background: Physical therapy, along with most health professions, struggles to describe clinical reasoning, despite it being a vital skill in effective patient care. This lack of a unified conceptualization of clinical reasoning leads to variable and inconsistent teaching, assessment, and research.

Objective: The objective was to conceptualize a broad description of physical therapists' clinical reasoning grounded in the published literature and to unify understanding for future work related to teaching, assessment, and research.

Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Children Aged 4-17 Years.

Yoga, meditation, and use of chiropractors are types of complementary health approaches developed outside of mainstream Western medicine (1-2). Although complementary health approaches as a whole are not widely used among children, previous work has established a rise in the use of selected approaches over time (3). This report presents the most recent national estimates of use of the three most prevalent approaches during the past 12 months, among children aged 4-17 years in the United States.

Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Over.

Complementary health is the use of holistic or unconventional medicine with mainstream Western medicine for health and wellness (1,2). Past research has identified yoga, meditation, and seeing a chiropractor as some of the most commonly used approaches (3). This report examines changes over time in the percentage of adults who used yoga, meditation, and chiropractors in the past 12 months, as well as variation by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin.

Lung Cancer Screening: Implementation of and Barriers to a Nurse Practitioner-Led Program.

Lung cancer accounts for more American deaths annually than any other cancer, and the survival rate is low among those diagnosed with advanced-stage disease. Screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) can help to reduce mortality. CT screening for lung cancer should be performed in the context of a comprehensive screening program, rather than as a single isolated test.

Delivering Precision Oncology in a Community Cancer Program: Results From a Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Precision oncology (PO) is a growing treatment approach in the era of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and matched therapies. Effective delivery of PO in the community has not been extensively studied. Our program developed a virtual molecular tumor board (MTB) strategy to help guide PO care.

Professionalism lapses and hierarchies: A qualitative analysis of medical students' narrated acts of resistance.

Resistance is classified as a reaction against confining social structures. During their education, medical students encounter traditional medical and interprofessional hierarchies as they learn to become doctors. These create a power disparity that may prevent their empowerment and ability to resist.

A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D.

When commonly consumed mushroom species are exposed to a source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, such as sunlight or a UV lamp, they can generate nutritionally relevant amounts of vitamin D. The most common form of vitamin D in mushrooms is D₂, with lesser amounts of vitamins D₃ and D₄, while vitamin D₃ is the most common form in animal foods. Although the levels of vitamin D₂ in UV-exposed mushrooms may decrease with storage and cooking, if they are consumed before the 'best-before' date, vitamin D₂ level is likely to remain above 10 μg/100 g fresh weight, which is higher than the level in most vitamin D-containing foods and similar to the daily requirement of vitamin D recommended internationally.

Chronic School Absenteeism Among Children With Selected Developmental Disabilities: National Health Interview Survey, 2014-2016.

In the United States, 14% of all public school students are chronically absent from school, missing 15 or more days per year (1). Chronic school absenteeism has been associated with poor academic performance, poor school engagement, and greater school dropout (2,3). Previous research has also found that children with chronic health conditions are more likely to have suboptimal school achievement, such as an inability to complete high school or obtain a GED, when compared with youth who did not have a chronic health condition (4).