The gag-like gene RTL8 antagonizes PEG10-mediated virus like particles.

PEG10 is a retroelement-derived Mart-family gene that is necessary for placentation and has been implicated in neurological disease. PEG10 resembles both retrotransposon and retroviral proteins and forms virus-like particles (VLPs) that can be purified using iodixanol ultracentrifugation. It is hypothesized that formation of VLPs is crucial to the biological roles of PEG10 in reproduction and neurological health.

Estimating optimal thresholds for adherence to RASA medications among older adults with hypertension.

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star Ratings program incentivizes health plans in Medicare to improve performance on a variety of quality measures such as adherence to renin-angiotensin system antagonists (RASAs). Adherence to RASA medications, defined as having a proportion of days covered (PDC) of at least 80%, has been improving for several years, suggesting that further investigation is needed to assess the appropriateness of the current 80% PDC threshold for medication adherence as an indicator of quality. The 80% PDC threshold has been found to be associated with improved health care resource utilization outcomes; however, little evidence exists to show that this threshold is optimal.

Patient perceptions of their experience with comprehensive medication reviews: A framework for continued quality improvement.

Background: A comprehensive medication review (CMR) is an annual service offered to eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries as a component of the Medication Therapy Management program. However, little is known about the most meaningful aspect of CMRs from the patient's perspective. This information is necessary to help improve the service.

Machine Learning in Clinical Diagnosis of Head and Neck Cancer.

Objective: Machine learning has been effective in other areas of medicine, this study aims to investigate this with regards to HNC and identify which algorithm works best to classify malignant patients.

Design: An observational cohort study.

Setting: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The frequency and clinical impact of synonymous HTT loss-of-interruption and duplication-of-interruption variants in a diverse HD cohort.

Purpose: To determine the frequency and clinical impact of loss-of-interruption (LOI) and duplication-of-interruption modifier variants of the HTT CAG and CCG repeat in a cohort of individuals with Huntington disease (HD).

Methods: We screened symptomatic HD participants from the UBC HD Biobank and 5 research sites for sequence variants. After variant identification, we examined the clinical impact and frequency in the reduced penetrance range.