Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in five US jurisdictions: Comparison of Delta and Omicron variants.

Households are a significant source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, even during periods of low community-level spread. Comparing household transmission rates by SARS-CoV-2 variant may provide relevant information about current risks and prevention strategies. This investigation aimed to estimate differences in household transmission risk comparing the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants using data from contact tracing and interviews conducted from November 2021 through February 2022 in five U.

Mesenchymal stromal cells can block palmitate training of macrophages via cyclooxygenase-2 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Innate training of macrophages can be beneficial for the clearance of pathogens. However, for certain chronic conditions, innate training can have detrimental effects due to an excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Obesity is a condition that is associated with a range of increased pro-inflammatory training stimuli including the free fatty acid palmitate.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Incidence Trends Across Regions of the United States From 2001 to 2020 - A United States Cancer Statistics Analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates have been decreasing in the United States (US), but there is limited information about differences in these improvements among individuals from different racial and ethnic subgroups across different regions of the US.

Methods: Data from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) databases were used to examine trends in CRC incidence from 2001 to 2020 using a population-based retrospective cohort study. We obtained annual estimates of CRC incidence and used meta-regression analyses via weighted linear models to identify main effects and interactions that explained differences in CRC incidence trends among groups defined by race/ethnicity and US region while also considering CRC stage and sex.

The VEGF-Mediated Cytoprotective Ability of MIF-Licensed Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in House Dust Mite-Induced Epithelial Damage.

Enhancing mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapeutic efficacy through licensing with proinflammatory cytokines is now well established. We have previously shown that macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)-licensed MSCs exerted significantly enhanced therapeutic efficacy in reducing inflammation in house dust mite (HDM)-driven allergic asthma. Soluble mediators released into the MSC secretome boast cytoprotective properties equal to those associated with the cell itself.

Transabdominal intestinal ultrasound and its parameters used in the assessment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

This article extends on the use of transabdominal intestinal ultrasound in diagnosing pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Some of the more essential features used in assessing bowel inflammation, such as hyperemia and wall thickness on ultrasound, are expanded upon from the publication on imaging and endoscopic tools in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

Anal carcinoma - exploring the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Anal carcinoma is a relatively rare tumor that accounts for approximately 2% of gastrointestinal malignancies and less than 7% of anorectal cancers. Most anal tumors originate between the anorectal junction and the anal verge. Risk factors for the disease include human papillomavirus infection, human immunodeficiency virus, tobacco use, immunosuppression, female sex, and older age.

Interventions to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 Among People Experiencing Sheltered Homelessness: Chicago, Illinois, March 1, 2020-May 11, 2023.

To compare the incidence, case-hospitalization rates, and vaccination rates of COVID-19 between people experiencing sheltered homelessness (PESH) and the broader community in Chicago, Illinois, and describe the impact of a whole community approach to disease mitigation during the public health emergency. Incidence of COVID-19 among PESH was compared with community-wide incidence using case-based surveillance data from March 1, 2020, to May 11, 2023. Seven-day rolling means of COVID-19 incidence were assessed for the overall study period and for each of 6 distinct waves of COVID-19 transmission.

Quantifying the Burden of Opioid Use Disorder and Non-fatal Opioid Overdose in American Indian and Alaskan Native Populations Using the Cerner Real-World Data™ Database.

Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence and incidence of opioid use disorder (OUD), rates of opioid overdose (OD), and rates of non-fatal (NF) OD in American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) populations.

Methods: We used de-identified patient data from Oracle Cerner Real-World Data™. Rates were estimated over time, and stratified by sex, age, marital status, insurance, and region.

The ARDS microenvironment enhances MSC-induced repair via VEGF in experimental acute lung inflammation.

Clinical trials investigating the potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), have been disappointing, with less than 50% of patients responding to treatment. Licensed MSCs show enhanced therapeutic efficacy in response to cytokine-mediated activation signals. There are two distinct sub-phenotypes of ARDS: hypo- and hyper-inflammatory.

The ParentingWell Practice Approach: Facilitating implementation in U.S. adult mental health services.

Background: To address the need for interventions for families with parents with mental illness, the evidence-based intervention Let's Talk about Children (LTC) was adapted in the context of adult mental health services in the United States and reframed as the ParentingWell Practice Approach. This study focuses on the early implementation phase of the adapted practice in Massachusetts.

Methods: As part of the adaptation and implementation process, practitioners from provider agencies serving adults with mental illness were invited to participate in the ParentingWell Learning Collaborative (PWLC), which included in-person learning collaborative sessions and follow-up virtual coaching sessions.

First-line treatment with ceftriaxone for infection less likely to be prescribed to patients with a penicillin allergy label: a retrospective audit of medical records.

Background Gonorrhoea notifications have increased substantially in Australia over the past decade. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is already highly resistant to several antibiotics and so, alternatives to first-line treatment are generally strongly discouraged. The penicillin allergy label (AL) on patient medical records has previously been shown to influence prescribing practices, to the detriment of best-practice management and antimicrobial stewardship.

Trends in and factors associated with family physician-performed screening colonoscopies in the United States: 2016-2021.

Purpose: Family physician (FP)-performed screening colonoscopies can serve as 1 strategy in the multifaceted strategy necessary to improve national colorectal cancer screening rates, particularly in rural areas where specialist models can fail. However, little research exists on the performance of this strategy in the real world. In this study, we evaluated trends in and factors associated with FP-performed screening colonoscopies in the United States between 2016 and 2021.

Mesenchymal stromal cells dampen trained immunity in house dust mite-primed macrophages expressing human macrophage migration inhibitory factor polymorphism.

Background: Trained immunity results in long-term immunological memory, provoking a faster and greater immune response when innate immune cells encounter a secondary, often heterologous, stimulus. We have previously shown that house dust mite (HDM)-induced innate training is amplified in mice expressing the human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) CATT functional polymorphism.

Aim: This study investigated the ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to modulate MIF-driven trained immunity both in vitro and in vivo.

Participatory action research to develop and implement multicomponent, multilevel strategies for implementing colorectal cancer screening interventions in American Indian communities in New Mexico.

Background: Despite the effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, American Indians (AIs) have low screening rates in the US. Many AIs receive care at Indian Health Services, Tribal, and Urban Indian (I/T/U) healthcare facilities, where published evidence regarding the implementation of CRC screening interventions is lacking. To address this gap, the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center collaborated with two tribally-operated healthcare facilities in New Mexico with the goal of improving CRC screening rates among New Mexico's AI communities.

Trivalent and quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine in adults aged 60 and older: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of influenza vaccines of any valency for adults 60 years and older.

Design And Setting: Systematic review with network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). MEDLINE, EMBASE, JBI Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Database, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Evidence -Based Medicine database were searched from inception to 20 June 20, 2022.

The human MIF polymorphism CATT enhances pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization in a clinically relevant model of allergic airway inflammation.

High level expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been associated with severe asthma. The role of MIF and its functional promotor polymorphism in innate immune training is currently unknown. Using novel humanized CATT MIF mice, this study is the first to investigate the effect of MIF on bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) memory after house dust mite (HDM) challenge.