Peripheral nervous system: A promising source of neuronal progenitors for central nervous system repair.

With a steadily aging population there is an increasing prevalence of neurological disorders. Given the lack of effective treatment strategies and a limited ability for the central nervous system (CNS) to regenerate endogenously, there is a critical need to better understand exogenous strategies for nervous system repair. Stem cell therapy offers a promising approach to promote the repair of neurologic tissue and function, however studies to date have been limited by various factors including challenges in harvesting donor cells from the CNS, ethical concerns regarding use of embryonic or fetal tissue, tumorigenic potential of induced pluripotent stem cells, and immune-mediated rejection of non-autologous cell sources.

Relations of Current and Past Cancer with Severe Outcomes among 104,590 Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: The COVID EHR Cohort at the University of Wisconsin.

Background: There is mixed evidence about the relations of current versus past cancer with severe COVID-19 outcomes and how they vary by patient and cancer characteristics.

Methods: Electronic health record data of 104,590 adult hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were obtained from 21 United States health systems from February 2020 through September 2021. In-hospital mortality and ICU admission were predicted from current and past cancer diagnoses.

eTEP inferior access with tailored retromuscular dissection for small to mid-sized umbilical hernia repair with or without inguinal hernia: early experience.

Introduction: The minimally invasive surgical repair of combined inguinal and ventral hernias often requires shifting from one approach or plane to another. The traditional enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal Rives-Stoppa repair consists of a large retro muscular dissection that is unjustified for small ventral hernias. Here we describe a modification to the minimally invasive Rives-Stoppa repair using a limited retro muscular dissection based on the ventral defect size for small/medium-sized hernias, with or without combined inguinal hernias.

mice with hirschsprung disease are missing Gad2-expressing enteric neurons in the ganglionated small intestine.

Hirschsprung disease is most often characterized by aganglionosis limited to the distal colon and rectum, and mice lacking the Endothelin receptor type B (Ednrb) faithfully recapitulate this phenotype. However, despite the presence of enteric ganglia in the small intestine, both human patients and Ednrb-/- mice suffer from dysmotility and altered gastrointestinal function, thus raising the possibility of enteric nervous system (ENS) abnormalities proximal to the aganglionic region. We undertook the present study to determine whether abnormalities with the ENS in ganglionated regions may account for abnormal gastrointestinal function.

Detailed Investigation of the Contribution of Gas-Phase Air Contaminants to Exposure Risk during Indoor Activities.

Analytical capabilities in atmospheric chemistry provide new opportunities to investigate indoor air. HOMEChem was a chemically comprehensive indoor field campaign designed to investigate how common activities, such as cooking and cleaning, impacted indoor air in a test home. We combined gas-phase chemical data of all compounds, excluding those with concentrations <1 ppt, with established databases of health effect thresholds to evaluate potential risks associated with gas-phase air contaminants and indoor activities.

A pilot study characterizing longitudinal changes in fecal microbiota of patients with Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis.

Purpose: Hirschsprung disease is a neurointestinal disease that occurs due to failure of enteric neural crest-derived cells to complete their rostrocaudal migration along the gut mesenchyme, resulting in aganglionosis along variable lengths of the distal bowel. Despite the effective surgery that removes the aganglionic segment, children with Hirschsprung disease remain at high risk for developing a potentially life-threatening enterocolitis (Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis). Although the etiology of this enterocolitis remains poorly understood, several recent studies in both mouse models and in human subjects suggest potential involvement of gastrointestinal microbiota in the underlying pathogenesis of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis.

Dynamics of parental criticism and emerging adult emotional functioning: Associations with depression.

Perceived parental criticism is an important measure of the family emotional environment, linked to a variety of psychological difficulties in emerging adults (EAs) and traditionally assessed at a single timepoint. Our study is the first to examine perceived parental criticism as a dynamic construct that fluctuates and interacts with emerging adult (EA) affect across daily life. EAs ( = 141; ages 18-22; = 19.

Toxicogenetic assessment of a pre-workout supplement: In vitro mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and glutathione determination in liver cell lines and in silico ADMET approaches.

The benefits of practicing physical activity, such as weight loss and control, are commonly associated with caloric restriction diets and may be improved by the ingestion of thermogenic and ergogenic supplements. However, there is a lack of safety data on commonly marketed nutritional supplements. Therefore, this investigation aims to evaluate a pre-workout supplement for mutagenicity using the Ames test, hepatocytoxicity in HepG2 and F C3H cells after 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, genotoxicity using the CBMN assay, determination of gluthatione activity and computational prediction of the three major isolated compounds present in the supplement.

Exogenous capture accounts for fundamental differences between pro- and antisaccade performance.

To generate the next eye movement, oculomotor circuits take into consideration the physical salience of objects in view and current behavioral goals, exogenous and endogenous influences, respectively. However, the interactions between exogenous and endogenous mechanisms and their dynamic contributions to target selection have been difficult to resolve because they evolve extremely rapidly. In a recent study (Salinas et al.

Navigating inequities in the delivery of youth mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives of youth, families, and service providers.

Objectives: There have been concerns about the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian youth (aged 16-24) as they have the highest rates of mental health concerns. The objectives of the present study were to explore the experiences of youth with mental health and/or addiction concerns and their families during the pandemic, and to examine how adequate and equitable mental health services have been for youth and families from the perspectives of youth, parents, and service providers.

Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative research design and a university-community partnership, we conducted individual interviews with youth, parents, and service providers.

Rab11FIP1-deficient mice develop spontaneous inflammation and show increased susceptibility to colon damage.

The small GTPase, Rab11a, regulates vesicle trafficking and cell polarity in epithelial cells through interaction with Rab11 family-interacting proteins (Rab11-FIPs). We hypothesized that deficiency of Rab11-FIP1 would affect mucosal integrity in the intestine. Global Rab11FIP1 knockout (KO) mice were generated by deletion of the second exon.

Pearls and Pitfalls for Surgical Investigators in Basic and Translational Research.

Surgeon-scientists are uniquely positioned to contribute to our understanding of the fundamental biology of surgical disease and to bring a unique perspective that leads to innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions. However, it is broadly recognized that due to the changing landscape of surgery and science, the surgeon-scientists of today face multiple challenges in this pursuit. Today, surgeon-scientists face an increased pressure from their department and hospital to generate clinical revenue, decreased availability of grant funding, greater administrative burden, rising complexity of fundamental research, increased medical school debt, and a growing desire for work-life balance.

A Genome-First Approach to Estimate Prevalence of Germline Pathogenic Variants and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Select Cancer Susceptibility Genes.

Patients with germline pathogenic variants (GPV) in cancer predisposition genes are at increased risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer. The genes most frequently found to harbor GPV in unselected PDAC cases are , , , , and . However, GPV prevalence and gene-specific associations have not been extensively studied in the general population.

Reducing Misperceptions About Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes: Insights From Adults Who Smoke.

Introduction: Many people incorrectly think that very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes are less carcinogenic than current cigarettes. This risk misperception by people who smoke could reduce motivation to quit under a nicotine reduction policy. We qualitatively examined perspectives on campaign messages designed to reduce misperceptions.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tobacco Treatment Program Implementation at National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cancer screening and treatment delivery, but COVID-19's impact on tobacco cessation treatment for cancer patients who smoke has not been widely explored.

Aims And Methods: We conducted a sequential cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 34 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers participating in NCI's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I), across three reporting periods: one prior to COVID-19 (January-June 2019) and two during the pandemic (January-June 2020, January-June 2021). Using McNemar's Test of Homogeneity, we assessed changes in services offered and implementation activities over time.

Isotopic Insights into Organic Composition Differences between Supermicron and Submicron Sea Spray Aerosol.

To elucidate the seawater biological and physicochemical factors driving differences in organic composition between supermicron and submicron sea spray aerosol (SSA and SSA), carbon isotopic composition (δC) measurements were performed on size-segregated, nascent SSA collected during a phytoplankton bloom mesocosm experiment. The δC measurements indicate that SSA contains a mixture of particulate and dissolved organic material in the bulk seawater. After phytoplankton growth, a greater amount of freshly produced carbon was observed in SSA with the proportional contribution being modulated by bacterial activity, emphasizing the importance of the microbial loop in controlling the organic composition of SSA.

Rare germline variants in PALB2 and BRCA2 in familial and sporadic chordoma.

Chordoma is a rare bone tumor with genetic risk factors largely unknown. We conducted a whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis of germline DNA from 19 familial chordoma cases in five pedigrees and 137 sporadic chordoma patients and identified 17 rare germline variants in PALB2 and BRCA2, whose products play essential roles in homologous recombination (HR) and tumor suppression. One PALB2 variant showed disease cosegregation in a family with four affected people or obligate gene carrier.

Double-Balloon Kyphoplasty Results in Better Radiographic Outcomes Than a Single-Balloon Kyphoplasty in Treating Osteo-Porotic Spinal Fractures.

Background: Studies have found that unilateral and bilateral kyphoplasty have comparable clinical outcomes. Only a few studies have compared the radiographic results of using unilateral vs. simultaneous bilateral approaches.

Communicating the risks of tobacco and alcohol co-use.

Background: While tobacco and alcohol co-use is highly prevalent across the United States, little experimental research has examined ways to counter such dual use. We developed and tested messages about the risks of co-using tobacco and alcohol among adults who used a combustible tobacco product and drank alcohol within the 30 days.

Methods: In an online experiment, 1,300 participants were randomly assigned to read different messages about tobacco and alcohol co-use (e.

Intestinal Pathology in Patients With Pathogenic -Variant Visceral Myopathy: 16 Patients From 12 Families and Review of the Literature.

Background: Dominant gamma-smooth muscle actin gene () variants cause clinically diverse forms of visceral myopathy. Many patients undergo intestinal resection or biopsy before identification of their genetic defect. The pathology of -variant visceral myopathy has not been evaluated systematically.

The science of Hirschsprung disease: What we know and where we are headed.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a rich network of neurons and glial cells that comprise the gastrointestinal tract's intrinsic nervous system and are responsible for controlling numerous complex functions, including digestion, transit, secretion, barrier function, and maintenance of a healthy microbiome. Development of a functional ENS relies on the coordinated interaction between enteric neural crest-derived cells and their environment as the neural crest-derived cells migrate rostrocaudally along the embryonic gut mesenchyme. Congenital or acquired disruption of ENS development leads to various neurointestinal diseases.

Distributed application of guideline-based decision support through mobile devices: Implementation and evaluation.

Background: Traditionally guideline (GL)-based Decision Support Systems (DSSs) use a centralized infrastructure to generate recommendations to care providers, rather than to patients at home. However, managing patients at home is often preferable, reducing costs and empowering patients. Thus, we wanted to explore an option in which patients, in particular chronic patients, might be assisted by a local DSS, which interacts as needed with the central DSS engine, to manage their disease outside the standard clinical settings.