Are ICD codes reliable for observational studies? Assessing coding consistency for data quality.

Objective: International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes recorded in electronic health records (EHRs) are frequently used to create patient cohorts or define phenotypes. Inconsistent assignment of codes may reduce the utility of such cohorts. We assessed the reliability across time and location of the assignment of ICD codes in a US health system at the time of the transition from ICD-9-CM (ICD, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification) to ICD-10-CM (ICD, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification).

Targeted delivery of napabucasin with radiotherapy improves outcomes in diffuse midline glioma.

Background: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in children. All previous studies examining the role of systemic agents have failed to demonstrate a survival benefit; the only standard of care is radiation therapy (RT). Successful implementation of radiosensitization strategies in DMG remains an essential and promising avenue of investigation.

Abnormal activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron contributes to fructose-induced salt-sensitive hypertension.

Fructose high-salt (FHS) diets increase blood pressure (BP) in an angiotensin II (Ang II)-dependent manner. Ang II stimulates aldosterone release, which, by acting on the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), regulates Na reabsorption by the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN). The MR can be transactivated by glucocorticoids, including those locally produced by 11β-HSD1.

Elucidation and Pharmacologic Targeting of Master Regulator Dependencies in Coexisting Diffuse Midline Glioma Subpopulations.

Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs) are universally fatal, primarily pediatric malignancies affecting the midline structures of the central nervous system. Despite decades of clinical trials, treatment remains limited to palliative radiation therapy. A major challenge is the coexistence of molecularly distinct malignant cell states with potentially orthogonal drug sensitivities.

Knocking Out Sodium Glucose-Linked Transporter 5 Prevents Fructose-Induced Renal Oxidative Stress and Salt-Sensitive Hypertension.

Background: A fructose high-salt (FHS) diet increases systolic blood pressure and Ang II (angiotensin II)-stimulated proximal tubule (PT) superoxide (O) production. These increases are prevented by scavenging O or an Ang II type 1 receptor antagonist. SGLT4 (sodium glucose-linked cotransporters 4) and SGLT5 are implicated in PT fructose reabsorption, but their roles in fructose-induced hypertension are unclear.

Ancestry Specific Polygenic Risk Score, Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity, and Cardiovascular Disease.

It is unknown whether the impact of high diet quality and physical activity depends on the level of polygenic risk score (PRS) in different ancestries. Our cross-sectional study utilized de-identified data from 1987-2010 for self-reported European Americans (n = 6575) and African Americans (n = 1606). The high-risk PRS increased ASCVD risk by 59% (Risk Ratio (RR) = 1.

Immune Response following FLASH and Conventional Radiation in Diffuse Midline Glioma.

Purpose: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a fatal tumor traditionally treated with radiation therapy (RT) and previously characterized as having a noninflammatory tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). FLASH is a novel RT technique using ultra-high dose rate that is associated with decreased toxicity and effective tumor control. However, the effect of FLASH and conventional (CONV) RT on the DMG TIME has not yet been explored.

Ancestry Specific Polygenic Risk Score, Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity, and Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: It is unknown whether the impact of high diet-quality and physical activity (PA) depends on the level of polygenic risk score (PRS) in different ancestries.

Objective: Determine the associations and interactions between high-risk PRSs, dietary patterns, and high PA with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in European Americans (EAs) and African Americans (AAs). Another aim determined the molecular pathways of PRS-mapped genes and their relationships with dietary intake.

Angiotensin II-stimulated proximal nephron superoxide production and fructose-induced salt-sensitive hypertension.

Angiotensin II (ANG II) increases proximal tubule superoxide (O) production more in rats fed a 20% fructose normal-salt diet compared with rats fed a 20% glucose normal-salt diet. A 20% fructose high-salt diet (FHS) increases systolic blood pressure (SBP), whereas a 20% glucose high-salt diet (GHS) does not. However, it is unclear whether FHS enhances ANG II-induced oxidative stress in proximal tubules and whether this contributes to increases in blood pressure in this model.

A mixed-methods study of autistic adults' healthcare independence over time.

Background: Healthcare independence refers to an individual's ability to participate in and manage their healthcare by using specific skills like communicating with providers and scheduling appointments. Understanding healthcare independence among autistic young adults is important to designing healthcare systems that provide equitable support for autistic people throughout their lives.

Objective: To quantify changes in autistic adults' healthcare independence over time and understand factors associated with change in healthcare independence.

Outcomes of adding cognitive behavioral therapy to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

Background: With increasing rates of opioid overdose deaths throughout the United States, there is an urgent need to implement interventions to mitigate this trend. Psychosocial interventions are reported to improve retention rates in rehabilitation centers with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for opioid use.

Local Problem: In 2020, 14% (187 of 1,309) of opioid overdose deaths in Georgia were in Dougherty County where an intensive outpatient MAT program had historically used twice weekly group therapy plus individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with an inconsistent duration and frequency.

Patient Dietary Supplements Use: Do Results from Natural Language Processing of Clinical Notes Agree with Survey Data?

There is widespread use of dietary supplements, some prescribed but many taken without a physician's guidance. There are many potential interactions between supplements and both over-the-counter and prescription medications in ways that are unknown to patients. Structured medical records do not adequately document supplement use; however, unstructured clinical notes often contain extra information on supplements.

Analysis of ancestry-specific polygenic risk score and diet composition in type 2 diabetes.

Background: Carbohydrate and protein dietary proportions have been debated as to whether higher or lower levels are optimal for diabetes metabolic control.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations, interactions, and mediational relationships between a polygenic risk score (PRS), carbohydrate and protein intake, and physical activity level on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by genetic ancestry, in European Americans and African Americans. A secondary objective examined the biological pathways associated with the PRS-linked genes and their relationships to dietary intake.

The 2022 Hunga-Tonga megatsunami: Near-field simulation of a once-in-a-century event.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) volcanic eruption in January 2022 generated catastrophic tsunami and contends for the largest natural explosion in more than a century. The main island, Tongatapu, suffered waves up to 17 m, and Tofua Island suffered waves up to 45 m, comfortably placing HTHH in the "megatsunami" league. We present a tsunami simulation of the Tongan Archipelago calibrated by field observations, drone, and satellite data.

Ganymede Observations by JunoCam on Juno Perijove 34.

During the Juno Mission's encounter with Ganymede on 7 June 2021, the Juno camera (JunoCam) acquired four images of Ganymede in color. These images covered one-sixth of Ganymede at scales from 840 m to ∼4 km/pixel. Most of this area was only previously imaged by Voyager 1 in 1979, at lower spatial resolution and poorer image quality.

Microwave imaging for watermelon maturity determination.

Microwave imaging technology is a useful method often applied in medical diagnosis and can be used by the food industry to ensure food safety and quality. For fruit, ripeness is the primary characteristic which determines quality for the consumer. This paper proposes a novel microwave imaging system to determine the ripeness of watermelon as a proof of concept.

The InSight HP Penetrator (Mole) on Mars: Soil Properties Derived from the Penetration Attempts and Related Activities.

Unlabelled: The NASA InSight Lander on Mars includes the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package HP to measure the surface heat flow of the planet. The package uses temperature sensors that would have been brought to the target depth of 3-5 m by a small penetrator, nicknamed the mole. The mole requiring friction on its hull to balance remaining recoil from its hammer mechanism did not penetrate to the targeted depth.

"Giving the patients less work": A thematic analysis of telehealth use and recommendations to improve usability for autistic adults.

Real-time telehealth visits, called "virtual visits," are live video chats between patients and healthcare professionals. There are lots of steps involved in setting up a virtual visit, which may be difficult for some autistic adults. We interviewed 7 autistic adults, 12 family members of autistic adults, and 6 clinic staff from one clinic in the United States.

Independent effects of sex and stress on fructose-induced salt-sensitive hypertension.

Proximal tubule fructose metabolism is key to fructose-induced hypertension, but the roles of sex and stress are unclear. We hypothesized that females are resistant to the salt-sensitive hypertension caused by low amounts of dietary fructose compared to males and that the magnitude of the increase in blood pressure (BP) depends, in part, on amplification of the stress response of renal sympathetic nerves. We measured systolic BP (SBP) in rats fed high salt with either no sugar (HS), 20% glucose (GHS) or 20% fructose (FHS) in the drinking water for 7-8 days.

Extracurricular Humanism in Medicine Initiative and Medical Student Wellness: Retrospective Study.

Background: Humanism in Medicine Initiative (HIMI), an extracurricular program at Ohio State University College of Medicine (OSUCOM) with 27 subgroups, fosters the humanities. Stress and burnout among first- and second-year medical students are prevalent across the United States. Solutions for stress among first- and second-year medical students have been proposed, but no gold standard exists.

Spacecraft sample collection and subsurface excavation of asteroid (101955) Bennu.

Carbonaceous asteroids, such as (101955) Bennu, preserve material from the early Solar System, including volatile compounds and organic molecules. We report spacecraft imaging and spectral data collected during and after retrieval of a sample from Bennu's surface. The sampling event mobilized rocks and dust into a debris plume, excavating a 9-meter-long elliptical crater.

Characteristics associated with healthcare independence among autistic adults.

Background: Healthcare independence refers to someone's ability to assume responsibility for their own health and complete tasks like taking medication as prescribed or scheduling healthcare appointments. Prior studies have shown that autistic people tend to need more support with healthcare tasks than people with other chronic conditions. We sought to identify modifiable and non-modifiable factors linked with healthcare independence among autistic adults.

Astrocytic responses to high glucose impair barrier formation in cerebral microvessel endothelial cells.

Hyperglycemic conditions are prodromal to blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment. The BBB comprises cerebral microvessel endothelial cells (CMECs) that are surrounded by astrocytic foot processes. Astrocytes express high levels of gap junction connexin 43 (Cx43), which play an important role in autocrine and paracrine signaling interactions that mediate gliovascular cross talk through secreted products.

"They looked at me as a person, not just a diagnosis": A qualitative study of patient and parent satisfaction with a specialized primary care clinic for autistic adults.

Background: Autistic adults have complex physical and mental healthcare needs that necessitate specialized approaches to healthcare. One promising approach is to embed providers with specialized training or specialty clinics for autistic adults within general primary care facilities. We previously found that autistic adults who received their healthcare through one specialty clinic designed with and for autistic adults had better continuity of care and more preventive service utilization than national samples of autistic adults.