Publications by authors named "Clifton M"

The biological mechanisms underlying women's increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence remain undefined. Previous case/control studies have identified sex-biased molecular pathways, but sex-specific relationships between gene expression and AD endophenotypes, particularly sex chromosomes, are underexplored. With bulk transcriptomic data across 3 brain regions from 767 decedents, we investigated sex-specific associations between gene expression and post-mortem β-amyloid and tau as well as antemortem longitudinal cognition.

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  • - The study investigated the effectiveness of the BioSentry Tract Sealant System (BTS) in reducing pneumothorax rates during CT-guided lung biopsies using an 18G biopsy and 17G introducer needle, comparing 125 patients treated with BTS to 147 patients without it.
  • - Results showed that 18% of patients in the BTS group experienced pneumothorax, compared to 26% in the control group, and while more patients in the BTS group had underlying emphysema, this did not significantly increase the rate of chest tube insertions.
  • - Overall, the use of BTS was associated with a lower incidence of pneumothorax in patients undergoing lung biopsies, suggesting its potential
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Objective: To investigate the impact of race on prescription patterns of therapies for overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods: The TriNetX Diamond network was queried to identify adult females with a diagnosis of urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) or OAB, excluding those with stress incontinence or mixed incontinence. Treatments were defined as behavioral, medical, or minimally invasive in accordance with American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines.

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Introduction: Limited information exists regarding the association between resident surgical case experience and subsequent case mix in practice. We compare the case log distribution residents completed during their chief year to those completed by these graduates in their first 2 years in independent practice.

Methods: Resident chief year case logs from 10 institutions were analyzed across 4 categories of index procedures: (1) general urology, (2) endourology, (3) reconstructive urology, and (4) urologic oncology.

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Insect growth regulators, like S-methoprene, are heavily relied upon worldwide for larval mosquito chemical control due to their target specificity and long-lasting effects. In this study, susceptibility to S-methoprene was evaluated in Culex pipiens, a globally important vector species. Populations from 14 sites throughout the Chicago area with a long history of S-methoprene use and two sites with minimal use in Wisconsin were examined.

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  • - Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious inherited condition caused by a mutation in the β-hemoglobin gene, and increasing fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels can help reduce complications.
  • - Researchers discovered two small molecules, dWIZ-1 and dWIZ-2, that act as molecular glue degraders to induce HbF by targeting a previously unrecognized repressor, the WIZ transcription factor.
  • - These compounds effectively triggered HbF production in animal models, suggesting that targeting WIZ for degradation offers a promising and accessible new treatment approach for SCD.
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Objective: With the advent of virtual interviews, the potential for interview hoarding by applicants became of greater concern due to lack of financial constraints associated with in-person interviewing. Simultaneously, the average number of applications submitted each year is rising. Currently there is no cap to the number of applications or interviews an applicant may complete when applying to residency, with the exception of ophthalmology with a cap of 15 interviews.

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The rise in antimicrobial resistance is a global health crisis and necessitates the development of novel strategies to treat infections. For example, in 2022 tuberculosis (TB) was the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19, with multi-drug-resistant strains of TB having an ∼40% fatality rate. Targeting essential biosynthetic pathways in pathogens has proven to be successful for the development of novel antimicrobial treatments.

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Background: Testosterone therapy (TTh) has been shown to improve libido in women with sexual dysfunction, but its utilization has been limited due to concern for cardiovascular events and past studies reporting highly variable results.

Aim: To assess the association of TTh in women with major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including heart attack, stroke, or death, using a large database.

Methods: The TriNetX Diamond Network was queried from 2009 to 2022.

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Background: Testosterone therapy (TTh) is recommended for postmenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD); however, there remain insufficient data to support use of TTh in premenopausal women with sexual dysfunction.

Aim: In this study, we used a large national database to evaluate prescribing trends of TTh for women with HSDD.

Methods: We conducted a cohort analysis of information from electronic health records acquired from the data network TriNetX Diamond.

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Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a member of the TEC family of kinases, is an essential effector of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling. Chronic activation of BTK-mediated BCR signaling is a hallmark of many hematological malignancies, which makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Pharmacological inhibition of BTK enzymatic function is now a well-proven strategy for the treatment of patients with these malignancies.

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Introduction: Urology residency prepares trainees for independent practice. The optimal operative chief resident year experience to prepare for practice is undefined. We analyzed the temporal arc of cases residents complete during their residency compared to their chief year in a multi-institutional cohort.

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  • The research focuses on designing molecular glues (MGs) that bind to cereblon (CRBN) and selectively recruit desired proteins while avoiding the degradation of SALL4, which is teratogenic.
  • Previous findings indicate that SALL4 is degraded by IKZF1 degraders like pomalidomide and CC-220, but the interaction between SALL4 and CRBN is complex.
  • Biophysical studies show that specific zinc finger domains (ZF1 and ZF2) of SALL4 interact with different parts of cereblon, affecting the stability and potency of these interactions, and could lead to better therapeutic designs that minimize unwanted effects on SALL4.
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While vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) causes intense pruritus, associated risks of mood disorders and prescription patterns and impact of concurrent sexual dysfunction are unknown. We queried TriNetX Diamond Network between 2009 and 2022, conducting three comparisons after propensity-score matching for demographics and relevant comorbidities: (1) women with lichen sclerosus (LS) sparing the vulva vs. women with VLS; (2) VLS patients who received treatment within 6 months of diagnosis vs.

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Theories, models, and frameworks provide the foundation for occupational therapy education, research, and clinical practice. While most have a systems approach focus, other factors, such as societal influences and structural inequities, also contribute to health. Using a cross-sectional design, this study identified the gaps in occupational therapy models of practice and presents a novel approach, the PAIRE (Recognize rivilege, cknowledge njustice, and eframe Perspective to Reach quity) Model.

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Objective: To assess the risk of recurrence of breast cancer associated with vaginal estrogen therapy in women diagnosed with genitourinary syndrome of menopause with a history of breast cancer using a large U.S. claims database.

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Concern over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has increased as more is learned about their environmental presence, persistence, and bioaccumulative potential. The limited monitoring, toxicokinetic (TK), and toxicologic data available are inadequate to inform risk across this diverse domain. Here, 73 PFAS were selected for in vitro TK evaluation to expand knowledge across lesser-studied PFAS alcohols, amides, and acrylates.

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We present an adolescent male with a single intracardiac mass and pulmonary emboli, complicated by peripheral venous thrombosis and subsequent development of pulmonary pseudoaneurysms, leading to diagnosis of Hughes-Stovin syndrome. Remission was achieved with cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids, and pseudoaneurysm resection and maintained with infliximab and methotrexate.

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  • Malignant tumors can avoid the immune system's attacks by luring in regulatory T cells (Treg), and the IKZF2 (Helios) transcription factor is essential for Treg cell stability and function.
  • The study introduces NVP-DKY709, a new drug that specifically targets and degrades IKZF2 while leaving other related factors (IKZF1/3) intact, enhancing the immune response against tumors.
  • In tests, NVP-DKY709 not only improved the activity of T-effector cells and reduced tumor growth in mice but is also being explored for its potential as a cancer treatment in clinical trials.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse set of commercial chemicals widely detected in humans and the environment. However, only a limited number of PFAS are associated with epidemiological or experimental data for hazard identification. To provide developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) hazard information, the work herein employed DNT new approach methods (NAMs) to generate screening data for a set of 160 PFAS.

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Importance: Although the use of perioperative pain medications is highly investigated, limited studies have examined the usage of pain medication for post hysterectomy prolapse repair and the few that have have been restricted to smaller sample sizes.

Objective: Our objective was to assess the association of perioperative opioid usage after posthysterectomy prolapse repairs with development of new persistent opioid usage.

Study Design: The TriNetX Diamond Research Network was queried to create our cohorts of opioid-naive adult women with vaginal repair or laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a large chemical class lacking hazard, toxicokinetic, and exposure information. To accelerate PFAS hazard evaluation, new approach methodologies (NAMs) comprised of in vitro high-throughput toxicity screening, toxicokinetic data, and computational modeling are being employed in read across strategies to evaluate the larger PFAS landscape. A critical consideration to ensure robust evaluations is a parallel assessment of the quality of the screening stock solutions, where dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is often the diluent of choice.

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West Nile virus remains the leading cause of arboviral neuroinvasive disease in the United States, despite extensive efforts to control the mosquito vectors involved in transmission. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of Altosid SR-20 (active ingredient, S-methoprene 20%) larvicide applications using truck-mounted ultra-low volume (ULV) dispersal equipment to target Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Cx. restuans (Theobald)larvae.

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