Epigenetic Markers Are Associated With Differences in Isocyanate Biomarker Levels in Exposed Spray-Painters.

Isocyanates are respiratory and skin sensitizers that are one of the main causes of occupational asthma globally. Genetic and epigenetic markers are associated with isocyanate-induced asthma and, before asthma develops, we have shown that genetic polymorphisms are associated with variation in plasma and urine biomarker levels in exposed workers. Inter-individual epigenetic variance may also have a significant role in the observed biomarker variability following isocyanate exposure.

Registry-Based Trainee Assessments: Leveraging a Quality Collaborative for Surgical Education.

Introduction: We present our experience developing and embedding a registry-based module for resident feedback.

Methods: At our institution, entering operative data into the institutional quality collaborative registry is standard practice. In February 2019, a surgical education module was embedded into the registry to capture procedure-specific resident operative assessments.

Estimating the optimal population upper bound for scan methods in retrospective disease surveillance.

Correctly and quickly identifying disease patterns and clusters is a vital aspect of public health and epidemiology so that disease outbreaks can be mitigated as effectively as possible. The circular scan method is one of the most commonly used methods for detecting disease outbreaks and clusters in retrospective and prospective disease surveillance. The circular scan method requires a population upper bound in order to construct the set of candidate zones to be scanned, which is usually set to 50% of the total population.

Antiepileptogenesis and disease modification: Clinical and regulatory issues.

This is a summary report of clinical and regulatory issues discussed at the 2018 NINDS workshop, entitled "Accelerating Therapies for Antiepileptogenesis and Disease Modification." The intent of the workshop was to optimize and accelerate development of therapies for antiepileptogenesis (AEG) and disease modification in the epilepsies. The working group discussed nomenclature for antiepileptogenic therapies, subdividing them into "antiepileptogenic therapies" and "disease modifying therapies," both of which are urgently needed.

Long-term safety of adjunctive cenobamate in patients with uncontrolled focal seizures: Open-label extension of a randomized clinical study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to examine long-term (up to 7.8 years) retention rate, safety, and tolerability of the antiseizure medication (ASM) cenobamate as adjunctive treatment in the open-label extension (OLE) of study YKP3089C013 (C013; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01397968).

Value of Standardized Testing in Surgical Training.

Standardized testing remains a cornerstone of assessment in surgical education. Summative standardized tests make up a bulk of the certification requirements that encompasses demonstration of efficient, safe application of clinically relevant surgical knowledge and skills. Formative standardized tests serve similar role to guide teaching endeavors for the programs and comparison of individual trainees on a national level.

A Mammalian Target of Rapamycin-Perilipin 3 (mTORC1-Plin3) Pathway is essential to Activate Lipophagy and Protects Against Hepatosteatosis.

Background And Aims: NAFLD is the most common hepatic pathology in western countries and no treatment is currently available. NAFLD is characterized by the aberrant hepatocellular accumulation of fatty acids in the form of lipid droplets (LDs). Recently, it was shown that liver LD degradation occurs through a process termed lipophagy, a form of autophagy.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection and environmental molybdenum in persons with cystic fibrosis: a case-control study in Colorado.

Rationale: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental bacteria that may cause chronic lung disease and are one of the most difficult-to-treat infections among persons with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Environmental factors likely contribute to increased NTM densities, with higher potential for exposure and infection.

Objective: To identify water-quality constituents that influence odds of NTM infection among pwCF in Colorado.

Classification performance of clinical risk scoring in suspected acute coronary syndrome beyond a rule-out troponin profile.

Aims: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin strategies can provide risk stratification in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the emergency department (ED). This study evaluated whether clinical risk scoring improves the classification performance of a rule-out profile in suspected ACS.

Methods And Results: Patients presenting to ED with suspected ACS as part of the RAPID-TnT trial randomized to the intervention arm were included.

An Examination of Resident Perspectives on Survey Participation and Methodology: Implications for Educational Practice and Research.

Background: In medical education, self-administered questionnaires are used to gather information for needs assessments, innovation projects, program evaluations, and research studies. Despite the importance of survey methodology, response rates have declined for years, especially for physicians.

Objective: This study explored residents' experiences with survey participation and perceptions of survey design and implementation.

Perceptions of Infectability to Disease Moderate the Association between Daily Concerns about Contracting COVID-19 and Satisfaction with Sex.

The behavioral immune system is an evolved adaptation comprised of automatic behavioral, cognitive, and affective reactions that has allowed humans throughout evolutionary history to avoid situations that risk infection by pathogens (e.g., physical proximity to sick people).

Adverse reaction to metal debris due to fretting corrosion between the acetabular components of modular dual-mobility constructs in total hip replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Modular dual-mobility (MDM) constructs can be used to reduce dislocation rates after total hip replacement (THR). However, there are concerns about adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD) as a result of fretting corrosion between the metal liner and shell. This systematic review reports outcomes following THR using MDM components.

An automated technique for double staining of bone and cartilage in fetal mouse skeletal specimens using alizarin red S and Alcian blue.

Automated methods exist for double staining bone and cartilage in fetal rat, rabbit and mice using alizarin red S and Alcian blue. None of the published methods produce consistently stained bone and cartilage in mouse fetuses. Consequently, we modified an automated staining method for use with mouse fetuses.

Two-Year-Old Cognitive Outcomes in Children of Pregnant Women With Epilepsy in the Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs Study.

Importance: The neurodevelopmental risks of fetal exposure are uncertain for many antiseizure medications (ASMs).

Objective: To compare children at 2 years of age who were born to women with epilepsy (WWE) vs healthy women and assess the association of maximum ASM exposure in the third trimester and subsequent cognitive abilities among children of WWE.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Maternal Outcomes and Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (MONEAD) study is a prospective, observational, multicenter investigation of pregnancy outcomes that enrolled women from December 19, 2012, to January 13, 2016, at 20 US epilepsy centers.

Operationalising coastal resilience to flood and erosion hazard: A demonstration for England.

Resilience is widely seen as an important attribute of coastal systems and, as a concept, is increasingly prominent in policy documents. However, there are conflicting ideas on what constitutes resilience and its operationalisation as an overarching principle of coastal management remains limited. In this paper, we show how resilience to coastal flood and erosion hazard could be measured and applied within policy processes, using England as a case study.

A retrospective cohort study of nutritional status, nutritional interventions and hospital admissions in patients with chronic pancreatitis managed at a tertiary referral centre.

Purpose: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex disease process causing abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss. The long-term nutritional implications however are not well documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status in patients with CP over an extended time period and assess frequency and duration of CP related hospitalisation.

Don't Judge a Letter by its Title: Linguistic Analysis of Letters of Recommendation by Author's Academic Rank.

Objective: This study analyzed the linguistic differences in letters of recommendation (LORs) for general surgery residency applicants written by authors of various academic ranks. Given that many general surgery residency programs require a LOR from the Chair of surgery, this study also examined whether LORs written by the Chair demonstrate linguistic differences to support this practice.

Design: A single institution, retrospective review analyzed LORs from two application cycles of general surgery residency applicants who were selected for interview at a large academic institution.

An Examination of the Intersection of Climate Change, the Physician Specialty Workforce, and Graduate Medical Education in the U.S.

As U.S. healthcare systems plan for future physician workforce needs, the systemic impacts of climate change, a worldwide environmental and health crisis, have not been factored in.

Identification of a Latitude Gradient in the Prevalence of Primary Biliary Cholangitis.

Introduction: The prevalence of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) reported in different countries varies significantly and seems to have a latitudinal gradient with the highest prevalence reported in higher latitudes, as has been observed with other autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to determine whether there is a latitudinal gradient of PBC prevalence in Australia using 2 methods of case ascertainment.

Methods: We investigated the latitudinal variation of PBC prevalence across the states and territories of Australia (latitudinal range 18.

Late Outcomes of the RAPID-TnT Randomized Controlled Trial: 0/1-Hour High-Sensitivity Troponin T Protocol in Suspected ACS.

Background: High-sensitivity troponin assays are increasingly being adopted to expedite evaluation of patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes. Few direct comparisons have examined whether the enhanced performance of these assays at low concentrations leads to changes in care that improves longer-term outcomes. This study evaluated late outcomes of participants managed under an unmasked 0/1-hour high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) protocol compared with a 0/3-hour masked hs-cTnT protocol.