UBR1 Promotes Sex-Dependent ACE2 Ubiquitination in Hypertension.

Background: Ang-II (angiotensin II) impairs the function of the antihypertensive enzyme ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) by promoting its internalization, ubiquitination, and degradation, thus contributing to hypertension. However, few ACE2 ubiquitination partners have been identified, and their role in hypertension remains unknown.

Methods: Proteomics and bioinformatic analyses were used to identify ACE2 ubiquitination partners in the brain, heart, and kidney of hypertensive C57BL6/J mice of both sexes.

An inexpensive moist chamber culture technique for finding microbiota on live tree bark.

Premise: Traditional moist chamber cultures (MCs) prepared in aseptic laboratory environments using sterile Petri dishes are commonly used to quantify the microbiota of rough-bark tree species and woody vines. MCs are typically expensive and may be difficult to make, so a less expensive option made from easily available supplies was developed. These cost-friendly MCs were compared with standard laboratory methods to demonstrate their efficacy.

Teaching Before, During, and After a Surgical Resuscitation.

Teaching during a surgical resuscitation can be difficult due to the infrequency of these events. Furthermore, when these events do occur, the trainee can experience cognitive overload and an overwhelming amount of stress, thereby impairing the learning process. The emergent nature of these scenarios can make it difficult for the surgical educator to adequately teach.

Ketosis Suppression and Ageing (KetoSAge): The Effects of Suppressing Ketosis in Long Term Keto-Adapted Non-Athletic Females.

Most studies on ketosis have focused on short-term effects, male athletes, or weight loss. Hereby, we studied the effects of short-term ketosis suppression in healthy women on long-standing ketosis. Ten lean (BMI 20.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 reduces coronary atherosclerosis in pigs with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Although murine models of coronary atherosclerotic disease have been used extensively to determine mechanisms, limited new therapeutic options have emerged. Pigs with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH pigs) develop complex coronary atheromas that are almost identical to human lesions. We reported previously that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) reduced aortic atherosclerosis and promoted features of stable plaque in a murine model.

The PNUTS-PP1 complex acts as an intrinsic barrier to herpesvirus KSHV gene expression and replication.

Control of RNA Polymerase II (pol II) elongation is a critical component of gene expression in mammalian cells. The PNUTS-PP1 complex controls elongation rates, slowing pol II after polyadenylation sites to promote termination. The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) co-opts pol II to express its genes, but little is known about its regulation of pol II elongation.

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screening to Identify Mammalian Factors that Regulate Intron Retention.

Intron retention (IR) regulates gene expression to control fundamental biological processes like metabolism, differentiation, and cell cycle. Despite a wide variety of genes controlled by IR, few techniques are available to identify regulators of IR in an unbiased manner. Here, we describe a CRISPR knockout screening method that can be applied to uncover regulators of IR.

Use of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Porcine Small Intestine Submucosa Stent in the Prevention of Anastomotic Leaks in the Porcine Colon.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal anastomoses are performed millions of times per year worldwide. The major complication they share is anastomotic leak. We describe the development and initial safety/efficacy of a novel luminal stent which aims to address this clinical issue.

A study to compare strengths of cadaveric tendon repairs with round-bodied and cutting needles.

This human cadaver study investigated whether flexor tendon repairs performed with round-bodied needles had a higher risk of pull-out compared with those performed with cutting needles. Forty human cadaver tendons were repaired (20 with each type of needle), subjected to tensile traction testing and evaluated by failure load and mode of failure. The average failure load was 50 N (SD 13 N) for tendons repaired with round-bodied needles, compared with 49 N (SD 16 N) for tendons repaired with cutting needles.

Compression neuropathies of the forearm: anatomy, clinical features and management.

The upper limb consists of four major parts: a girdle formed by the clavicle and scapula, the arm, the forearm and the hand. Peripheral nerve lesions of the upper limb are divided into lesions of the brachial plexus or the nerves arising from it. Lesions of the nerves arising from the brachial plexus are further divided into upper (proximal) or lower (distal) lesions based on their location.

Automated conversational agents for post-intervention follow-up: a systematic review.

Background: Advances in natural language processing and other machine learning techniques have led to the development of automated agents (chatbots) that mimic human conversation. These systems have mainly been used in commercial settings, and within medicine, for symptom checking and psychotherapy. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the acceptability and implementation success of chatbots in the follow-up of patients who have undergone a physical healthcare intervention.

Comparison of infection control strategies to reduce COVID-19 outbreaks in homeless shelters in the United States: a simulation study.

Background: COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in homeless shelters across the US, highlighting an urgent need to identify the most effective infection control strategy to prevent future outbreaks.

Methods: We developed a microsimulation model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a homeless shelter and calibrated it to data from cross-sectional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) surveys conducted during COVID-19 outbreaks in five homeless shelters in three US cities from March 28 to April 10, 2020. We estimated the probability of averting a COVID-19 outbreak when an exposed individual is introduced into a representative homeless shelter of 250 residents and 50 staff over 30 days under different infection control strategies, including daily symptom-based screening, twice-weekly PCR testing, and universal mask wearing.

SAM homeostasis is regulated by CFI-mediated splicing of MAT2A.

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the methyl donor for nearly all cellular methylation events. Cells regulate intracellular SAM levels through intron detention of MAT2A, the only SAM synthetase expressed in most cells. The N-adenosine methyltransferase METTL16 promotes splicing of the MAT2A detained intron by an unknown mechanism.

Return to Sport After Metacarpal and Phalangeal Fractures: A Systematic Review and Evidence Appraisal.

Background: Fractures of the metacarpals and phalanges account for more than half of all upper extremity fractures sustained by competitive athletes.

Purpose: To determine which management strategy is best for expediting return to preinjury levels of competition in adult athletes with metacarpal and/or phalangeal fractures.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Novel Göttingen Miniswine Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Integrating Multiple Comorbidities.

A lack of preclinical large animal models of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) that recapitulate this comorbid-laden syndrome has led to the inability to tease out mechanistic insights and to test novel therapeutic strategies. This study developed a large animal model that integrated multiple comorbid determinants of HFpEF in a miniswine breed that exhibited sensitivity to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and vascular disease with overt clinical signs of heart failure. The combination of a Western diet and 11-deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced hypertension in the Göttingen miniswine led to the development of a novel large animal model of HFpEF that exhibited multiorgan involvement and a full spectrum of comorbidities associated with human HFpEF.

Pre-operative resuscitation discussion with patients undergoing fractured neck of femur repair: a service evaluation and discussion of current standards.

Introduction: The majority of neck of femur (NOF) fracture patients are frail and at a higher risk of cardiac arrest. This makes discussion of treatment escalation vital to informed care. The optimal time for these discussions is prior to admission or trauma.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum secondary to hyperemesis gravidarum: A case report and principles of recognition and management.

Pneumomediastinum is the presence of aberrant air in the mediastinum and is most commonly caused by oesophageal or alveolar rupture. Hyperemesis gravidarum is persistent nausea and vomiting before the 20th week of pregnancy and can increase intra-thoracic pressure, precipitating pneumomediastinum. A 22-year-old patient presented with hyperemesis gravidarum in the 6th week of pregnancy.

Ulnar tunnel syndrome: pathoanatomy, clinical features and management.

Ulnar tunnel syndrome is compression of the ulnar nerve at the level of the wrist within Guyon's canal. It is most commonly caused by a ganglion cyst but may also be secondary to fractures, inflammatory conditions, neoplasm, vascular anomalies, aberrant musculature or a combination of these. Assessment should include a detailed history focusing on duration, site and progression of symptoms.

Steam inhalation: More harm than good? Perspective from a UK burns centre.

Introduction: Steam inhalation is common practice in UK households for coryzal symptoms in adults and children. Steam inhalation has the potential to and has caused significant scald injuries, predominantly due to unintentional contact with the hot water used.

Methods: The authors used electronic health records to retrospectively identify all patients admitted with scald injuries secondary to steam inhalation over a 2-year period from January 2018-December 2019 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, a regional burns centre.

Systematic Collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in a Public Health System: The San Francisco Health Network SO/GI Systems-Change Initiative.

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals experience disparate outcomes within health care that are often unacknowledged by health systems due to lack of systematic collection of sexual orientation/gender identity (SO/GI) data.

Methods: This article describes a San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) initiative to standardize SO/GI data collection for every patient/client utilizing SFDPH services, as well as the training development and implementation around this initiative. This initiative incorporated community engagement throughout and had an aim of meeting new regulatory requirements, improving patient experience and, ultimately, equipping staff with the needed data to uncover and reduce health disparities.

Efficacy of a Novel Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide in a Porcine Model of Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

With the complexities that surround myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury, therapies adjunctive to reperfusion that elicit beneficial pleiotropic effects and do not overlap with standard of care are necessary. This study found that the mitochondrial-derived peptide S14G-humanin (HNG) (2 mg/kg), an analogue of humanin, reduced infarct size in a large animal model of MI/R. However, when ischemic time was increased, the infarct-sparing effects were abolished with the same dose of HNG.