A US-Based Multi-Site Pilot to Screen Hepatitis B Surface Antigen-Positive Patients for Hepatitis D.

Hepatitis D (HDV) is a severe infection with well-recognised clinical ramifications that remains relatively neglected and underdiagnosed; consequently, the epidemiology of HDV is poorly characterised, both in the United States and globally. In 2022, a pilot project involving eight healthcare institutions was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of HDV in healthcare institutions with an HBV seropositivity of at least 1%, describe the characteristics of patients testing positive for HDV, and evaluate diagnostic and laboratory processes of HDV screening. From August 2022 to April 2024, a total of 106,693 patients were tested for HBsAg, of whom 65,341 (61.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) as treatment for nicotine cessation in psychiatric populations: a systematic review.

Background: Nicotine use and nicotine use disorder (NUD) are the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Persons with mental disorders  (e.g.

The effect of dwelling size on the mental health and quality of life of female caregivers living in informal tiny homes in Hong Kong.

Background: Although the adverse impact of substandard informal housing has been widely documented, most studies concentrated on developing societies, thereby leaving informal housing in developed regions underexplored. This study examines Hong Kong, where limited dwelling size is a distinctive feature that characterises informal housing, to explore the impact of housing informality on mental health, with a particular focus on dwelling size. It centers on subdivided units (SDUs), which are tiny compartments partitioned from a large domestic quarter, to understand how housing informality and housing size affect the mental well-being of female caregivers, who typically bear the brunt of the housework.

A Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Kidney Transplant Recipients Induces Antibody Response to Vaccine and Omicron Variants but Shows Limited Ig Subclass Switching.

Unlabelled: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) suffer more frequent and more severe infections due to their compromised immune responses resulting from immunosuppressive treatments designed to prevent organ rejection. Pharmacological immunosuppression can adversely affect immune responses to vaccination. A cohort of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) received their third dose of ancestral, monovalent COVID-19 vaccine in the context of a clinical trial and antibody responses to the vaccine strain, as well as to Omicron variants BA.

Differential detection of megakaryocytic and erythroid DNA in plasma in hematological disorders.

The tissues of origin of plasma DNA can be revealed by methylation patterns. However, the relative DNA contributions from megakaryocytes and erythroblasts into plasma appeared inconsistent among studies. To shed light into this phenomenon, we developed droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays for the differential detection of contributions from these cell types in plasma based on megakaryocyte-specific and erythroblast-specific methylation markers.

Dan forms condensates in neuroblasts and regulates nuclear architecture and progenitor competence in vivo.

Genome organization is thought to underlie cell type specific gene expression, yet how it is regulated in progenitors to produce cellular diversity is unknown. In Drosophila, a developmentally-timed genome reorganization in neural progenitors terminates competence to produce early-born neurons. These events require downregulation of Distal antenna (Dan), part of the conserved pipsqueak DNA-binding superfamily.

Reliability of a Smartphone App to Objectively Monitor Performance Outcomes in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Observational Study.

Background: Developing new clinical measures for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is an AO Spine RECODE-DCM Research, an international and multi-stakeholder partnership, priority. Difficulties in detecting DCM and its changes cause diagnostic and treatment delays in clinical settings and heightened costs in clinical trials due to elevated recruitment targets. Digital outcome measures can tackle these challenges due to their ability to measure disease remotely, repeatedly, and more economically.

Outpatient COVID-19 convalescent plasma recipient antibody thresholds correlated to reduced hospitalizations within a randomized trial.

BACKGROUNDCOVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) virus-specific antibody levels that translate into recipient posttransfusion antibody levels sufficient to prevent disease progression are not defined.METHODSThis secondary analysis correlated donor and recipient antibody levels to hospitalization risk among unvaccinated, seronegative CCP recipients within the outpatient, double-blind, randomized clinical trial that compared CCP to control plasma. The majority of COVID-19 CCP arm hospitalizations (15/17, 88%) occurred in this unvaccinated, seronegative subgroup.

Nelfinavir inhibition of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus protein expression and capsid assembly.

Background: Antiviral therapies that target herpesviruses are clinically important. Nelfinavir is a protease inhibitor that targets the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aspartyl protease. Previous studies demonstrated that this drug could also inhibit Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) production.

A SARS-CoV-2 RBD vaccine fused to the chemokine MIP-3α elicits sustained murine antibody responses over 12 months and enhanced lung T-cell responses.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated enhanced efficacy of vaccine formulations that incorporate the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 3α (MIP-3α) to direct vaccine antigens to immature dendritic cells. To address the reduction in vaccine efficacy associated with a mutation in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutants, we have examined the ability of receptor-binding domain vaccines incorporating MIP-3α to sustain higher concentrations of antibody when administered intramuscularly (IM) and to more effectively elicit lung T-cell responses when administered intranasally (IN).

Methods: BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were immunized intramuscularly or intranasally with DNA vaccine constructs consisting of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain alone or fused to the chemokine MIP-3α.

DHX33 mediates p53 to regulate mevalonate pathway gene transcription in human cancers.

Tumor suppressor p53 is frequently null or mutated in human cancers. Here in this study, DHX33 protein was found to be induced in p53 null cells in vitro, and in p53 mutant lung tumorigenesis in vivo. Cholesterol metabolism through mevalonate pathway is pivotal for cell proliferation and is frequently altered in human cancers.

Three doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine induce class-switched antibody responses in inflammatory arthritis patients on immunomodulatory therapies.

Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 due to medication-induced immunosuppression that impairs host defenses. The aim of this study was to assess antibody and B cell responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in IA patients receiving immunomodulatory therapies. Adults with IA were enrolled through the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center and compared with healthy controls (HC).

Nelfinavir Inhibition of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus protein expression and capsid assembly.

Background: Antiviral therapies that target herpesviruses are clinically important. Nelfinavir is a protease inhibitor that targets the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections aspartyl protease. Previous studies demonstrated that this drug could also inhibit Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) production.

Fine particulate matter composition in American Indian vs. Non-American Indian communities.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) exposure is a known risk factor for numerous adverse health outcomes, with varying estimates of component-specific effects. Populations with compromised health conditions such as diabetes can be more sensitive to the health impacts of air pollution exposure. Recent trends in PM in primarily American Indian- (AI-) populated areas examined in previous work declined more gradually compared to the declines observed in the rest of the US.

Intravenous BCG vaccination reduces SARS-CoV-2 severity and promotes extensive reprogramming of lung immune cells.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) confers heterologous immune protection against viral infections and has been proposed as vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (SCV2). Here, we tested intravenous BCG vaccination against COVID-19 using the golden Syrian hamster model. BCG vaccination conferred a modest reduction on lung SCV2 viral load, bronchopneumonia scores, and weight loss, accompanied by a reversal of SCV2-mediated T cell lymphopenia, and reduced lung granulocytes.

Growth media affects susceptibility of air-lifted human nasal epithelial cell cultures to SARS-CoV2, but not Influenza A, virus infection.

Primary differentiated human epithelial cell cultures have been widely used by researchers to study viral fitness and virus-host interactions, especially during the COVID19 pandemic. These cultures recapitulate important characteristics of the respiratory epithelium such as diverse cell type composition, polarization, and innate immune responses. However, standardization and validation of these cultures remains an open issue.

Relative Validity of a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire for Disadvantaged Families in Hong Kong.

Individuals with lower socioeconomic status are more vulnerable in securing good nutritional quality. It was also found that people who had received a lower education level had greater difficulty in completing the conventional dietary assessment such as a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Previous studies have demonstrated the validity of a short FFQ in Hong Kong's pregnant women, but its validity among a wider community was still unknown.

Outpatient COVID-19 convalescent plasma recipient antibody thresholds correlated to reduced hospitalizations within a randomized trial.

Background: The COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) viral specific antibody levels that translate into recipient post-transfusion antibody levels sufficient to prevent disease progression is not defined.

Methods: This secondary analysis correlated donor and recipient antibody levels to hospitalization risk among unvaccinated, seronegative CCP recipients within the outpatient, double blind, randomized clinical trial that compared CCP to control plasma. The majority of COVID-19 CCP arm hospitalizations (15/17, 88%) occurred in this unvaccinated, seronegative subgroup.

Epigenetic Control of Translation Checkpoint and Tumor Progression via RUVBL1-EEF1A1 Axis.

Epigenetic dysregulation is reported in multiple cancers including Ewing sarcoma (EwS). However, the epigenetic networks underlying the maintenance of oncogenic signaling and therapeutic response remain unclear. Using a series of epigenetics- and complex-focused CRISPR screens, RUVBL1, the ATPase component of NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex, is identified to be essential for EwS tumor progression.

Neutralizing activity and 3-month durability of tixagevimab and cilgavimab prophylaxis against Omicron sublineages in transplant recipients.

Neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses are attenuated in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) despite severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 vaccination. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with the antibody combination tixagevimab and cilgavimab (T+C) might augment immunoprotection, yet in vitro activity and durability against Omicron sublineages BA.4/5 in fully vaccinated SOTRs have not been delineated.

Customized gaming system engages young children in reaching and balance training.

Purpose: Trunk stability, an important prerequisite for many activities of daily living, can be impaired in children with movement disorders. Current treatment options can be costly and fail to fully engage young participants. We developed an affordable, smart screen-based intervention and tested if it engages young children in physical therapy goal driven exercises.

Manmade earthquakes and healthcare visits for anxiety disorders in Oklahoma, 2010-2019.

Unlabelled: Since 2010, seismicity in Oklahoma has increased from wastewater injection. It remains unknown if these earthquakes have resulted in increased treatment seeking for mental healthcare services.

Methods: Using data from a nationwide United States patient-level commercial and Medicare Advantage claims database from 2010 to 2019, we identified healthcare encounters for anxiety disorders using diagnostic codes and subclassified them as adjustment reaction; anxiety-related disorders; physical symptoms of anxiety; and stress disorders.

The D614G mutation redirects SARS-CoV-2 spike to lysosomes and suppresses deleterious traits of the furin cleavage site insertion mutation.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) egress occurs by lysosomal exocytosis. We show that the Spike D614G mutation enhances Spike trafficking to lysosomes, drives Spike-mediated reprogramming of lysosomes, and reduces cell surface Spike expression by ~3-fold. D614G is not a human-specific adaptation.