Ethnicity-specific patterns of epigenetic age acceleration in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an age-related chronic inflammatory disease which may include accelerated biological ageing processes in its pathogenesis. To determine if increased biological age is associated with risk of RA and/or is present once disease is established. We used DNA methylation to compare biological age (epigenetic age) of immune cells in adults at risk of RA and those with confirmed RA, including twins discordant for RA.

Nose-to-brain delivery of lithium via a sprayable in situ-forming hydrogel composed of chelating starch nanoparticles.

While bipolar disorder patients can benefit from lithium therapy, high levels of lithium in the serum can induce undesirable systemic side effects. Intranasal (IN) lithium delivery offers a potential solution to this challenge given its potential to facilitate improved lithium transport to brain when delivered to the olfactory mucosa. Herein, a sprayable, in situ forming nanoparticle network hydrogel (NNH) based on Schiff base interactions between chelator-functionalized oxidized starch nanoparticles (SNPs) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) is reported that can be deployed within the nasal cavity to release ultra-small penetrative SNPs over time.

Clinical presentation and molecular diagnosis of a possible Mpox virus and Varicella zoster virus co-infection in an adult immunocompetent Filipino: a case report.

We report the first travel-related case of a possible Mpox-Varicella zoster virus (VZV) co-infection in the Philippines, a country that is endemic for Varicella but non-endemic for Mpox. A 29-year-old Filipino, female, with a travel history to Switzerland and with no prior history of VZV infection sought consultation due to rashes. She presented with multiple papular, pustular, and vesicular skin lesions, some with umbilication and with irregular borders, on the face, neck, trunk, inguinal area, upper extremities, and right leg.

The Prevalence of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Trends, Variances, and Value Appraisal.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate recent trends in the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the United States, (2) assess regional variations in the use of IONM, and (3) assess the association between IONM and clinical outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: IONM is frequently used during anterior cervical procedures to mitigate the risk of neurological injury.

WASOG 2023 conference highlights.

The World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases (WASOG) 2023 conference held in Stockholm, Sweden, focused on disseminating the science and updating the interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) community with the latest science and concepts in precision medicine. This article summarizes the first four sessions of the conference that focused on disease and phenotype characterization, genetics in population cohorts, uses of biobanks and big data,  epidemiology in diverse racial and ethnic groups, and data-driven applications that can be applicable to move the ILD field toward precision medicine.

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Incident Hypertension in US Middle-Aged Adults.

Background: Consumption of ultra-processed food, which is manufactured food that is high in additives and sparse in intact foods, is adversely associated with cardiovascular health, primarily in non-US study populations. We aimed to estimate the association between ultra-processed food consumption and incident hypertension in middle-aged adults in the United States.

Methods And Results: We included 8923 ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study participants who were hypertension free at baseline and had complete dietary, covariate, and hypertension data from visit 1 (1987-1989).

In situ-gelling hydrophobized starch nanoparticle-based nanoparticle network hydrogels for the effective delivery of intranasal olanzapine to treat brain disorders.

Intranasal (IN) delivery offers potential to deliver antipsychotic drugs with improved efficacy to the brain. However, the solubilization of such drugs and the frequency of required re-application both represent challenges to its practical implementation in treating various mental illnesses including schizophrenia. Herein, we report a sprayable nanoparticle network hydrogel (NNH) consisting of hydrophobically-modified starch nanoparticles (SNPs) and mucoadhesive chitosan oligosaccharide lactate (COL) that can gel in situ within the nasal cavity and release ultra-small penetrative SNPs over time.

Evaluating Child Passenger Restraint Use Education.

Background: Despite recommendations and laws for child restraint use in motor vehicles, evidence of low restraint use remains, and there is a lack of evidence addressing the effectiveness of restraint use education.

Objective: This project aims to measure the impact of an education initiative on child passenger restraint use.

Methods: This pre- and postintervention study was conducted in six elementary schools in a Southwestern U.

Big data in sarcoidosis.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides an overview of recent advancements in sarcoidosis research, focusing on collaborative networks, phenotype characterization, and molecular studies. It highlights the importance of collaborative efforts, phenotype characterization, and the integration of multilevel molecular data for advancing sarcoidosis research and paving the way toward personalized medicine.

Recent Findings: Sarcoidosis exhibits heterogeneous clinical manifestations influenced by various factors.

Assessing Diesel Tolerance of : Insights from Growth Kinetics, Substrate Utilization, and Implications for Microbial Adaptation.

This study aimed to determine the tolerance of ATCC 12472 to diesel. The growth of the strain was evaluated through exposure to various diesel concentrations (1, 2.5, 5, 7.

Preliminary Evaluation of a Questionnaire to Measure Program-Level Sense of Belonging Among Student Physical Therapists.

Introduction: A greater sense of belonging has been found to correspond with better academic performance/motivation, retention, and general mental well-being among college students. As a result, it is important to be able to meaningfully assess student physical therapists' sense of belonging.

Review Of Literature: While there are questionnaires available to assess sense of belonging at the university level, it is also important to be able to assess students' sense of belonging in a narrower context, such as within their program of study.

Strongly correlated multielectron bunches from interaction with quantum light.

Strongly correlated electron systems are a cornerstone of modern physics, being responsible for groundbreaking phenomena from superconducting magnets to quantum computing. In most cases, correlations in electrons arise exclusively because of Coulomb interactions. In this work, we reveal that free electrons interacting simultaneously with a light field can become highly correlated via mechanisms beyond Coulomb interactions.

A review of chronic wasting disease (CWD) spread, surveillance, and control in the United States captive cervid industry.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of the family that circulates in both wild and captive cervid populations. This disease threatens the health and economic viability of the captive cervid industry, which raises cervids in contained spaces for purposes such as hunting and breeding. Given the high transmissibility and long incubation period of CWD, the introduction and propagation of the infectious prion protein within and between captive cervid farms could be devastating to individual facilities and to the industry as a whole.

Community health worker outreach to farmworkers in rural North Carolina: Learning from adaptations to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Background: Community health workers represent a critical part of the health outreach and services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers ('farmworkers') in rural areas of the United States.

Purpose: We sought to identify adaptations to farmworker patient engagement and health outreach made by community health workers during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: In this qualitative study, we used semi-structured interviews with community health workers from August 2020 to February 2022 (n = 21).

Corrigendum: Sex differences in the genetics of sarcoidosis across European and African ancestry populations.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.

Mutations of GEMIN5 are associated with coenzyme Q deficiency: long-term follow-up after treatment.

GEMIN5 exerts key biological functions regulating pre-mRNAs intron removal to generate mature mRNAs. A series of patients were reported harboring mutations in GEMIN5. No treatments are currently available for this disease.

Development and validation of a GC method for a key nemtabrutinib intermediate: Implementation of an in-situ free base sample preparation protocol.

A novel synthetic approach to nemtabrutinib (MK-1026) was recently developed in our laboratories. The chemistry goes through a cyrene amine intermediate which does not contain any chromophore. As a result, analysis of this key chiral intermediate by HPLC-UV is not feasible.

Alcohol Misuse Screening Performance Improvement Initiative.

Background: A trauma registry review of our trauma center's alcohol misuse screening compliance noted inconsistent screening and data collection methods, putting our American College of Surgeons trauma center reverification at risk for a deficiency.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate an alcohol misuse screening improvement initiative on screening compliance in trauma patients.

Methods: This before and after analysis of a quality improvement initiative to improve alcohol misuse screening was conducted from 2019 to 2021 at a Southwestern U.

Assessing Patient Goals for Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy: A Standardized Patient Case for Medical Students.

Introduction: Inadequate coverage of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) health in the UME curriculum contributes to the scarcity of competent physicians to care for TGD patients. Increasing TGD health skills-based curricula in UME can help address TGD health disparities. We developed a standardized patient (SP) case to assess TGD health skills-based competencies and attitudes among medical students.

Intense Squeezed Light from Lasers with Sharply Nonlinear Gain at Optical Frequencies.

Nonclassical states of light, such as number-squeezed light, with fluctuations below the classical shot noise level, have important uses in metrology, communication, quantum information processing, and quantum simulation. However, generating these nonclassical states of light, especially with high intensity and a high degree of squeezing, is challenging. To address this problem, we introduce a new concept which uses gain to generate intense sub-Poissonian light at optical frequencies.

Global control of cellular physiology by biomolecular condensates through modulation of electrochemical equilibria.

Control of the electrochemical environment in living cells is typically attributed to ion channels. Here we show that the formation of biomolecular condensates can modulate the electrochemical environment in cells, which affects processes globally within the cell and interactions of the cell with its environment. Condensate formation results in the depletion or enrichment of certain ions, generating intracellular ion gradients.

Lossless Monochromator in an Ultrafast Electron Microscope Using Near-Field THz Radiation.

The ability to form monoenergetic electron beams is vital for high-resolution electron spectroscopy and imaging. Such capabilities are commonly achieved using an electron monochromator, which energy filters a dispersed electron beam, thus reducing the electron flux to yield down to meV energy resolution. This reduction in flux hinders the use of monochromators in many applications, such as ultrafast transmission electron microscopes (UTEMs).

A Specific Carbohydrate Diet Virtual Teaching Kitchen Curriculum Promotes Knowledge and Confidence in Caregivers of Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Diet-based approaches such as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) have proposed health benefits for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Despite its potential effectiveness, patients and caregivers identified barriers towards implementing the SCD, and a majority expressed interest in formal education surrounding the SCD. This study aimed to determine the impact of a virtual teaching kitchen curriculum on caregivers' knowledge and perspectives on implementing the SCD.