Adipose stem cells are sexually dimorphic cells with dual roles as preadipocytes and resident fibroblasts.

Cell identities are defined by intrinsic transcriptional networks and spatio-temporal environmental factors. Here, we explored multiple factors that contribute to the identity of adipose stem cells, including anatomic location, microvascular neighborhood, and sex. Our data suggest that adipose stem cells serve a dual role as adipocyte precursors and fibroblast-like cells that shape the adipose tissue's extracellular matrix in an organotypic manner.

Structure of Health Information With Different Information Models: Evaluation Study With Competency Questions.

Background: There is a flora of health care information models but no consensus on which to use. This leads to poor information sharing and duplicate modelling work. The amount and type of differences between models has, to our knowledge, not been evaluated.

Emission and time-resolved migration rates of aromatic diamines from two flexible polyurethane foams.

Performing risk assessments (RA) on household use of flexible polyurethane (PU) foams requires access to reliable data about emission and migration of potential diamine impurities. A toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) based foam were thermally treated to enable measurements on samples with defined concentrations of the corresponding diamines, toluene diamine (TDA), and methylene dianiline (MDA). The thermally treated foams used for emission testing contained up to 15 mg.

Sampling chamber with minimal wall surface for simultaneous emission testing of diisocyanates and diamines from polyurethane products.

A sampling chamber was developed for emission testing of diisocyanates, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and corresponding diamines, methylene diphenyl diamine (MDA), and toluene diamine (TDA) from polyurethane (PU) product surfaces. In addition, a methodology for validation of the sampling chamber was presented, based on the introduction of generated standard atmospheres of the different diisocyanates and diamines to the sampling chamber system. Sampling of diisocyanates and diamines was performed on a circular glass fiber filter (150 mm diameter) impregnated with dihexyl amine (DHA) and acetic acid (AA) positioned inside a cylindrical stainless steel sampling chamber.

Elevated Adipocyte Membrane Phospholipid Saturation Does Not Compromise Insulin Signaling.

Increased saturated fatty acid (SFA) levels in membrane phospholipids have been implicated in the development of metabolic disease. Here, we tested the hypothesis that increased SFA content in cell membranes negatively impacts adipocyte insulin signaling. Preadipocyte cell models with elevated SFA levels in phospholipids were generated by disrupting the ADIPOR2 locus, which resulted in a striking twofold increase in SFA-containing phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines, which persisted in differentiated adipocytes.

TLCD1 and TLCD2 regulate cellular phosphatidylethanolamine composition and promote the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

The fatty acid composition of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) determines cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. However, our understanding of how cells regulate PE composition is limited. Here, we identify a genetic locus on mouse chromosome 11, containing two poorly characterized genes Tlcd1 and Tlcd2, that strongly influences PE composition.

Discovery by Virtual Screening of an Inhibitor of CDK5-Mediated PPARγ Phosphorylation.

Thiazolidinedione PPARγ agonists such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are effective antidiabetic drugs, but side effects have limited their use. It has been posited that their positive antidiabetic effects are mainly mediated by the inhibition of the CDK5-mediated Ser273 phosphorylation of PPARγ, whereas the side effects are linked to classical PPARγ agonism. Thus compounds that inhibit PPARγ Ser273 phosphorylation but lack classical PPARγ agonism have been sought as safer antidiabetic therapies.

Emission of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and methylene dianiline during use of cure-in-place methylene diphenyl diisocyanate-based consumer products.

The aim of this study was to provide realistic isocyanate and amine emission data when using different methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)-based polyurethane consumer products. Emission testing (air sampling) of diisocyanates and corresponding diamines was performed in a full-scale controlled-environment chamber during different work operations, such as gluing, mixing and foaming. The polyurethane products used were construction glue, one-component foam and two different two-component adhesives used in parquet flooring.

Inhibition of SGLT2 Preserves Function and Promotes Proliferation of Human Islets Cells In Vivo in Diabetic Mice.

Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor used for the treatment of diabetes. This study examines the effects of dapagliflozin on human islets, focusing on alpha and beta cell composition in relation to function in vivo, following treatment of xeno-transplanted diabetic mice. Mouse beta cells were ablated by alloxan, and dapagliflozin was provided in the drinking water while controls received tap water.

Post Hoc Analysis of Predictors of Clinical Response to Repository Corticotropin Injection in Persistently Active Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Introduction: A phase IV clinical trial confirmed the safety and efficacy of repository corticotropin injection (RCI, Acthar Gel) in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that was nonresponsive to standard-of-care therapies. The objective of this post hoc analysis was to identify baseline demographics and clinical characteristics that may be predictors of response to RCI.

Methods: The phase IV trial was a two-part, randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal study.

Post Hoc Analysis of the Correlation Between Patient-Reported Outcomes and Clinical Response to Repository Corticotropin Injection for Persistently Active Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Purpose: Approximately 6% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the USA have refractory disease that is resistant to standard-of-care therapies. A recent phase IV clinical trial affirmed the safety and efficacy of repository corticotropin injection (RCI; Acthar® Gel) for refractory RA. This post hoc analysis of the clinical trial data assessed whether changes in clinical measures correlated with patient-reported outcome (PRO) improvements.

A State-of-the Art Review of SNOMED CT Terminology Binding and Recommendations for Practice and Research.

Background: Unambiguous sharing of data requires information models and terminology in combination, but there is a lack of knowledge as to how they should be combined, leading to impaired interoperability.

Objectives: To facilitate creation of guidelines for SNOMED CT terminology binding we have performed a literature review to find existing recommendations and expose knowledge gaps. The primary audience is practitioners and researchers working with terminology binding.

Fast Green's Function Method for Ultrafast Electron-Boson Dynamics.

The interaction of electrons with quantized phonons and photons underlies the ultrafast dynamics of systems ranging from molecules to solids, and it gives rise to a plethora of physical phenomena experimentally accessible using time-resolved techniques. Green's function methods offer an invaluable interpretation tool since scattering mechanisms of growing complexity can be selectively incorporated in the theory. Currently, however, real-time Green's function simulations are either prohibitively expensive due to the cubic scaling with the propagation time or do neglect the feedback of electrons on the bosons, thus violating energy conservation.

Intestinal sodium/glucose cotransporter 3 expression is epithelial and downregulated in obesity.

Aim: We aimed to determine whether the sodium/glucose cotransporter family member SGLT3, a proposed glucose sensor, is expressed in the intestine and/or kidney, and if its expression is altered in mouse models of obesity and in humans before and after weight-loss surgery.

Main Methods: We used in-situ hybridization and quantitative PCR to determine whether the Sglt3 isoforms 3a and 3b were expressed in the intestine and kidney of C57, leptin-deficient ob/ob, and diabetic BTBR ob/ob mice. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were also used to assess SGLT3 protein levels in jejunal biopsies from obese patients before and after weight-loss Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), and in lean healthy controls.

Sound analysis of the magnetically levitated left ventricular assist device HeartMate 3.

Introduction: The HeartMate 3 has shown lower rates of adverse events compared to previous devices due to the design and absence of mechanical bearings. For previous devices, sound analysis emerged as a way to assess pump function. The aims of this study were to determine if sound analysis can be applied to the HeartMate 3 in vivo and in vitro and to evaluate an electronic stethoscope.

Quantitative analysis of manual annotation of clinical text samples.

Background: Semantic interoperability of eHealth services within and across countries has been the main topic in several research projects. It is a key consideration for the European Commission to overcome the complexity of making different health information systems work together. This paper describes a study within the EU-funded project ASSESS CT, which focuses on assessing the potential of SNOMED CT as core reference terminology for semantic interoperability at European level.

Qualitative analysis of manual annotations of clinical text with SNOMED CT.

SNOMED CT provides about 300,000 codes with fine-grained concept definitions to support interoperability of health data. Coding clinical texts with medical terminologies it is not a trivial task and is prone to disagreements between coders. We conducted a qualitative analysis to identify sources of disagreements on an annotation experiment which used a subset of SNOMED CT with some restrictions.

Inhibition of sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 in the gastrointestinal tract by tenapanor reduces paracellular phosphate permeability.

Hyperphosphatemia is common in patients with chronic kidney disease and is increasingly associated with poor clinical outcomes. Current management of hyperphosphatemia with dietary restriction and oral phosphate binders often proves inadequate. Tenapanor, a minimally absorbed, small-molecule inhibitor of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3), acts locally in the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit sodium absorption.

Secretagogin is increased in plasma from type 2 diabetes patients and potentially reflects stress and islet dysfunction.

Beta cell dysfunction accompanies and drives the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), but there are few clinical biomarkers available to assess islet cell stress in humans. Secretagogin, a protein enriched in pancreatic islets, demonstrates protective effects on beta cell function in animals. However, its potential as a circulating biomarker released from human beta cells and islets has not been studied.

Sound analysis of a left ventricular assist device: A technical evaluation of iOS devices.

Introduction: The use of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has grown rapidly. Adverse events do continue to occur. In recent years, analysis of LVAD sound recordings emerged as a means to monitor pump function and detect pump thrombosis.

A computable pathology report for precision medicine: extending an observables ontology unifying SNOMED CT and LOINC.

Background: The College of American Pathologists (CAP) introduced the first cancer synoptic reporting protocols in 1998. However, the objective of a fully computable and machine-readable cancer synoptic report remains elusive due to insufficient definitional content in Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) and Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC). To address this terminology gap, investigators at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) are developing, authoring, and testing a SNOMED CT observable ontology to represent the data elements identified by the synoptic worksheets of CAP.

Mapping Acute Coronary Syndrome Registries to SNOMED CT. A Comparative Study between Malaysia and Sweden.

Background: Malaysia and Sweden have mapped their acute coronary syndrome registries using SNOMED CT. Since similar-purposed patient registries can be expected to collect similar data, these data should be mapped to the same SNOMED CT codes despite the different languages used. Previous studies have however shown variations in mapping between different mappers but the reasons behind these variations and the influence of different mapping approaches are still unknown.

An Extended SNOMED CT Concept Model for Observations in Molecular Genetics.

Molecular genetics laboratory reports are multiplying and increasingly of clinical importance in diagnosis and treatment of cancer, infectious disease and managing of public health. Little of this data is structured or maintained in the EHR in format useful for decision support or research. Structured, computable reporting is limited by non-availability of a domain ontology for these data.

Exercise testing for long-term follow-up in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: We investigated arrhythmia, electrocardiography and physical work capacity (PWC) in the follow-up of ARVC.

Design: Twenty-three patients (13 men; age 41±12years) fulfilling diagnostic criteria were re-investigated after at least five years.

Results: Ventricular arrhythmia during exercise testing (ET) was present in 14 patients (61%) and showed variation between examinations.

Suggesting Missing Relations in Biomedical Ontologies Based on Lexical Regularities.

The number of biomedical ontologies has increased significantly in recent years. Many of such ontologies are the result of efforts of communities of domain experts and ontology engineers. The development and application of quality assurance (QA) methods should help these communities to develop useful ontologies for both humans and machines.