Persistent Neighborhood Poverty and Breast Cancer Outcomes.

Importance: Patients with breast cancer residing in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often face poorer outcomes (eg, mortality) compared with individuals living in neighborhoods without persistent poverty.

Objective: To examine persistent neighborhood poverty and breast tumor characteristics, surgical treatment, and mortality.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective cohort analysis of women aged 18 years or older diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2018, and followed up until December 31, 2020, was conducted.

Identifying and Treating Those at Risk: Disparities in Rapid Relapse Among TNBC Patients in the National Cancer Database.

Purpose: This study was designed to characterize features of rapid relapse TNBC (rrTNBC), an aggressive, poor prognosis breast cancer subset using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with TNBC between 2010 and 2019 within NCDB were included in analyses. rrTNBC was defined as all-cause mortality ≤24 months from diagnosis.

Allostatic load as a predictor of postoperative complications in patients with breast cancer.

Allostatic load (AL) is a biological measure of cumulative exposure to socioenvironmental stressors (e.g., poverty).

The impact of major depressive disorder on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study using UK Biobank primary care records.

Background: This study evaluates longitudinal associations between glycaemic control, measured by mean and within-patient variability of glycated haemaglobin (HbA1c) levels, and major depressive disorder (MDD) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), focusing on the timings of these diagnoses.

Methods: In UK Biobank, T2D was defined using self-report and linked health outcome data, then validated using polygenic scores. Repeated HbA1c measurements (mmol/mol) over the 10 years following T2D diagnosis were outcomes in mixed effects models, with disease duration included using restricted cubic splines.

Racial disparities in disease-specific mortality and surgical management of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion.

Background And Objectives: Given persistent racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes, this study explores racial differences in disease-specific mortality and surgical management among patients with microinvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS-MI).

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was queried for patients aged 18+ years with DCIS-MI between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018. The study cohort was divided into non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients.

Allostatic Load as a Predictor of Postoperative Complications in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: Allostatic load (AL) is a biological measure of cumulative exposure to socioenvironmental stressors (e.g., poverty).

Association Between Neighborhood Opportunity, Allostatic Load, and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Adverse neighborhood contextual factors may affect breast cancer outcomes through environmental, psychosocial, and biological pathways. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between allostatic load (AL), neighborhood opportunity, and all-cause mortality among patients with breast cancer.

Methods: Women age 18 years and older with newly diagnosed stage I-III breast cancer who received surgical treatment between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020, at a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center were identified.

Comparison of Fixed Dosing vs Train of Four Titration of Cisatracurium in COVID-19 ARDS Patients.

Early neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium has been associated with improved outcomes in moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous studies have demonstrated increased drug utilization without benefits in oxygenation using fixed dose cisatracurium compared to train-of-four (TOF) titration. We sought to compare a novel, lower fixed dose cisatracurium protocol to TOF titration evaluating the impact on PaO2:FiO2 ratio (P/F).

Low Hospital Volume Is Associated with Higher All-Cause Mortality in Black Women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Introduction: This study examines the association between hospital volume and all-cause mortality in Black women with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who received surgery and chemotherapy.

Methods: Black women ages 18+ with stage I-III TNBC who received both surgery and chemotherapy were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Hospital volume was determined using the number of annual breast cancer cases divided by the number of years the hospital participated in the NCDB.

A Prospective Registry Study of Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT Incorporation Into Treatment Planning of Intracranial Meningiomas.

Purpose: The current standard for meningioma treatment planning involves magnetic resonance imaging-based guidance. Somatostatin receptor ligands such as Ga-DOTATATE are being explored for meningioma treatment planning due to near-universal expression of somatostatin receptors 1 and 2 in meningioma tissue. We hypothesized that Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography (PET)-guided treatment management for patients with meningiomas is safe and effective and can identify which patients benefit most from adjuvant radiation therapy.

The Implications of Racialized Economic Segregation and Allostatic Load on Mortality in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the association between racialized economic segregation, allostatic load (AL), and all-cause mortality in patients with breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Women aged 18+ years with stage I-III breast cancer diagnosed between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2020 were identified in the Ohio State University cancer registry. Racialized economic segregation was measured at the census tract level using the index of concentration at the extremes (ICE).

Higher Waist Hip Ratio Genetic Risk Score Is Associated with Reduced Weight Loss in Patients with Severe Obesity Completing a Meal Replacement Programme.

A better understanding of the influence of genetic factors on the response to lifestyle interventions in people with obesity may allow the development of more personalised, effective and efficient therapeutic strategies. We sought to determine the influence of six obesity-related genetic risk scores on the magnitude of weight lost by patients with severe obesity who completed a dietary intervention. In this single-centre prospective cohort study, participants with severe and complicated obesity who completed a 24-week, milk-based meal replacement programme were genotyped to detect the frequency of common risk alleles for obesity and type 2 diabetes-related traits.

Raynaud's phenomenon manifesting as progressive abnormal MRI bone marrow signal in the toes.

Objective: The purpose of this report is to discuss the presentation and the progressive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a single patient with clinically-diagnosed Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).

Conclusion: RP can present as non-specific toe pain and manifest as progressive abnormal MRI bone marrow signal in the toes. In addition to patient presentation and clinical assessment, this information could contribute to earlier diagnosis and treatment of RP and other coexisting rheumatologic disorders.

Recent advances in the development and evaluation of molecular diagnostics for Ebola virus disease.

The 2014-16 outbreak of ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa resulted in 11,308 deaths. During the outbreak only 60% of patients were laboratory confirmed and global health authorities have identified the need for accurate and readily deployable molecular diagnostics as an important component of the ideal response to future outbreaks, to quickly identify and isolate patients. Areas covered: Currently PCR-based techniques and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) that detect antigens specific to EVD infections dominate the diagnostic landscape, but recent advances in biosensor technologies have led to novel approaches for the development of EVD diagnostics.

Comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional response of human decidual cells to lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

Decidual cells are central to innate immunity at the maternal/fetal interface. We sought to characterize the response of decidual cells to stimulation and then removal of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using a whole genome approach. Decidual cells were isolated from term unlabored cesarean sections.

High throughput determination of TGFβ1/SMAD3 targets in A549 lung epithelial cells.

Background: Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) plays a major role in many lung diseases including lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis. TGFβ1 activates a signal transduction cascade that results in the transcriptional regulation of genes in the nucleus, primarily through the DNA-binding transcription factor SMAD3. The objective of this study is to identify genome-wide scale map of SMAD3 binding targets and the molecular pathways and networks affected by the TGFβ1/SMAD3 signaling in lung epithelial cells.

Structural and regulatory characterization of the placental epigenome at its maternal interface.

Epigenetics can be loosely defined as the study of cellular "traits" that influence biological phenotype in a fashion that is not dependent on the underlying primary DNA sequence. One setting in which epigenetics is likely to have a profound influence on biological phenotype is during intrauterine development. In this context there is a defined and critical window during which balanced homeostasis is essential for normal fetal growth and development.

Maternal gene expression profiling during pregnancy and preeclampsia in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Unlabelled: Preeclampsia is a major obstetrical complication affecting maternal and fetal health. While it is clear that there is a substantial placental contribution to preeclampsia pathogenesis, the maternal contribution is less well characterized. We therefore performed a genome-wide transcriptome analysis to explore disease-associated changes in maternal gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Enhancing long-term care for older adults: an exploration of interagency collaboration within geriatric education centers.

This article examines how the study of geriatric education provides a collaborative environment in which nonprofits can work together and with government in order to effectively manage the challenges in caring for older adults in the coming decades. The U.S.

Inhibition and role of let-7d in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Rationale: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and usually lethal fibrotic lung disease characterized by profound changes in epithelial cell phenotype and fibroblast proliferation.

Objectives: To determine changes in expression and role of microRNAs in IPF.

Methods: RNA from 10 control and 10 IPF tissues was hybridized on Agilent microRNA microarrays and results were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.

Transgelin is a direct target of TGF-beta/Smad3-dependent epithelial cell migration in lung fibrosis.

Enhanced transforming growth factor (TGF) -beta signaling contributes to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and fatal disease characterized by alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cell hyperplasia, (myo)fibroblast accumulation, and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. TGF-beta is a potent inducer of lung fibrosis, and it regulates the ATII cell phenotype; however, direct TGF-beta target genes controlling the ATII cell phenotype remain elusive. Here, we identified the transgelin (tagln) gene as a novel immediate target of TGF-beta/Smad3-dependent gene expression in ATII cells using a Smad3 chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) screen.

Concerns about unreliable data from spotted cDNA microarrays due to cross-hybridization and sequence errors.

We discuss our concerns regarding the reliability of data generated by spotted cDNA microarrays. Two types of error we highlight are cross-hybridization artifact due to sequence homologies and sequence errors in the cDNA used for spotting on microarrays. We feel that statisticians who analyze microarray data should be aware of these sources of unreliability intrinsic to cDNA microarray design and use.

Therapeutic advantages of third generation antihistamines.

A third generation of antihistamines is emerging for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria. First generation antihistamines are among the most widely used drugs in the world, and provide symptomatic relief from allergies and the common cold to millions of patients, mainly in OTC combination preparations. Their full potential is limited by the sedation caused by their effects on histamine receptors in the brain.