A Validated Algorithm to Identify Hepatic Decompensation in the Veterans Health Administration Electronic Health Record System.

Purpose: Accurate identification of hepatic decompensation is essential for pharmacoepidemiologic research among patients with chronic liver disease.

Methods: An algorithm using ≥ 1 inpatient or ≥ 2 outpatient International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes for hepatic decompensation was developed in Veterans Health Administration data from October 2015 through July 2019. Medical records were reviewed by hepatologists to confirm cases.

A technique for determining the midline using a facebow.

This dental technique described assists the clinician with determining the maxillary midline and for the maxillary midline to coincide with the facial midline. This is accomplished during the acquisition of a facebow registration which is often utilized during prosthetic rehabilitation.

Role of Oral Health, Frailty, and Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy in the Risk of Hospitalization: A Prospective Multi-Center Cohort of Outpatients With Cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Hospitalizations are a sentinel event in cirrhosis; however, the changing demographics in patients with cirrhosis require updated hospitalization prediction models. Periodontitis is a risk factor for liver disease and potentially progression. The aim of this study was to determine factors, including poor oral health, associated with 3-month hospitalizations in a multi-center cohort of outpatients with cirrhosis.

Long-Standing Themes and Future Prospects for the Inspection and Maintenance of Façade Falling Objects from Tall Buildings.

The increasing number of accidents arising from falling objects from the façade of tall buildings has attracted much attention globally. To regulators, a preventive approach based on a mandatory periodic façade inspection has been deemed as a necessary measure to maintain the functionality and integrity of the façade of tall buildings. Researchers worldwide have been working towards a predictive approach to allow for the assessment of the likely failure during some future period, by measuring the condition of the façade to detect latent defects and anomalies.

Commensal oral microbiota induces osteoimmunomodulatory effects separate from systemic microbiome in mice.

Commensal microbes critically regulate skeletal homeostasis, yet the impact of specific microbiota communities on osteoimmune response mechanisms is unknown. To discern osteoimmunomodulatory effects imparted by the commensal oral microbiota that are distinct from the systemic microbiota, osteoimmunology studies were performed in both alveolar bone and nonoral skeletal sites of specific pathogen-free (SPF) versus germ-free (GF) mice and SPF mice subjected to saline versus chlorhexidine oral rinses. SPF versus GF mice had reduced cortical/trabecular bone and an enhanced pro-osteoclastic phenotype in alveolar bone.

A Review of Infrared Thermography for Delamination Detection on Infrastructures and Buildings.

This paper provides a comprehensive review on the use of infrared thermography to detect delamination on infrastructures and buildings. Approximately 200 pieces of relevant literature were evaluated, and their findings were summarized. The factors affecting the accuracy and detectability of infrared thermography were consolidated and discussed.

Significant Liver Injury During Hospitalization for COVID-19 Is Not Associated With Liver Insufficiency or Death.

Background & Aims: Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is associated with hepatocellular liver injury of uncertain significance. We aimed to determine whether development of significant liver injury during hospitalization is related to concomitant medications or processes common in COVID-19 (eg, ischemia, hyperinflammatory, or hypercoagulable states), and whether it can result in liver failure and death.

Methods: There were 834 consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who were included.

Specific Commensal Bacterium Critically Regulates Gut Microbiota Osteoimmunomodulatory Actions During Normal Postpubertal Skeletal Growth and Maturation.

The commensal gut microbiota critically regulates immunomodulatory processes that influence normal skeletal growth and maturation. However, the influence of specific microbes on commensal gut microbiota osteoimmunoregulatory actions is unknown. We have shown previously that the commensal gut microbiota enhances T17/IL17A immune response effects in marrow and liver that have procatabolic/antianabolic actions in the skeleton.

Antibiotic Perturbation of Gut Microbiota Dysregulates Osteoimmune Cross Talk in Postpubertal Skeletal Development.

Commensal gut microbiota-host immune responses are experimentally delineated via gnotobiotic animal models or alternatively by antibiotic perturbation of gut microbiota. Osteoimmunology investigations in germ-free mice, revealing that gut microbiota immunomodulatory actions critically regulate physiologic skeletal development, highlight that antibiotic perturbation of gut microbiota may dysregulate normal osteoimmunological processes. We investigated the impact of antibiotic disruption of gut microbiota on osteoimmune response effects in postpubertal skeletal development.

A Rare Cause of Pulmonary Nodules.

Crohn's disease is a chronic, idiopathic autoimmune disorder that primarily targets the gastrointestinal (GI) system. It is characterized by transmural inflammation of the GI tract that can occur anywhere from the mouth to the anus. Not infrequently, the disease may also have extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) that can affect almost any organ system.

T2 relaxation time is related to liver fibrosis severity.

Background: The grading of liver fibrosis relies on liver biopsy. Imaging techniques, including elastography and relaxometric, techniques have had varying success in diagnosing moderate fibrosis. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the T2-relaxation time of hepatic parenchyma and the histologic grade of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C undergoing both routine, liver MRI and liver biopsy, and to validate our methodology with phantoms and in a rat model of liver fibrosis.

Adipose tissue inflammation and adiponectin resistance in patients with advanced heart failure: correction after ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is characterized by inflammation, insulin resistance, and progressive catabolism. We hypothesized that patients with advanced HF also develop adipose tissue inflammation associated with impaired adipokine signaling and that hemodynamic correction through implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) would reverse adipocyte activation and correct adipokine signaling in advanced HF.

Methods And Results: Circulating insulin, adiponectin, leptin, and resistin levels were measured in 36 patients with advanced HF before and after VAD implantation and 10 healthy control subjects.

Disorders of the distal biceps brachii tendon.

Pathologic conditions of the distal biceps brachii tendon are of clinical interest, with partial and complete tears being the most common. However, the anatomy of the distal biceps brachii tendon makes imaging of the distal tendon somewhat difficult. An innovation in patient positioning for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the distal biceps tendon was recently described in which the patient lies prone with the arm overhead, the elbow flexed to 90 degrees , and the forearm supinated, so that the thumb points superiorly.