Single-cell epigenetic profiling reveals an interferon response-high program associated with deficiency in kidney cancer.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by recurrent somatic mutations in epigenetic regulators, which stratify patients into clinically significant subgroups with distinct prognoses and treatment responses. However, the cell type-specific epigenetic landscape of RCC-broadly and in the context of these mutations-is incompletely understood. To investigate these open questions, we integrated single nucleus ATAC sequencing data from RCC tumors across four independent cohorts.

Cell states and neighborhoods in distinct clinical stages of primary and metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly lethal cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract with rising incidence in western populations. To decipher EAC disease progression and therapeutic response, we performed multiomic analyses of a cohort of primary and metastatic EAC tumors, incorporating single-nuclei transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility sequencing, along with spatial profiling. We identified tumor microenvironmental features previously described to associate with therapy response.

Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Testing Following Myocardial Infarction Hospitalization Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is used to guide lipid-lowering therapy after a myocardial infarction (MI). Lack of LDL-C testing represents a missed opportunity for optimizing therapy and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries who had their LDL-C measured within 90 days following MI hospital discharge.

Evaluation of regional variation in racial and ethnic differences in patient experience among Veterans Health Administration primary care users.

Objective: To evaluate racial and ethnic differences in patient experience among VA primary care users at the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) level.

Data Source And Study Setting: We performed a secondary analysis of the VA Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients-Patient Centered Medical Home for fiscal years 2016-2019.

Study Design: We compared 28 patient experience measures (six each in the domains of access and care coordination, 16 in the domain of person-centered care) between minoritized racial and ethnic groups (American Indian or Alaska Native [AIAN], Asian, Black, Hispanic, Multi-Race, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander [NHOPI]) and White Veterans.

Investigating racial and ethnic disparities in interhospital transfer within an academic integrated healthcare system: A matched cohort study.

The presence of racial and ethnic disparities in interhospital transfer (IHT) within integrated healthcare systems has not been fully explored. We matched Black and Latinx patients admitted to community hospitals in our integrated healthcare system between June 2015 and December 2019 to White patients by origin hospital, age, time of year, and disease severity. We performed conditional logistic regression models to determine if race or ethnicity was associated with IHT in one of the tertiary academic medical centers in the system, adjusting for covariates.

Immune Mechanisms Underpinning Long COVID: Collegium Internationale Allergologicum Update 2024.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in a prolonged multisystem disorder termed long COVID, which may affect up to 10% of people following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is currently unclear why certain individuals do not fully recover following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Summary: In this review, we examine immunological mechanisms that may underpin the pathophysiology of long COVID.

The effect of a 2-week ischaemic preconditioning intervention on anaerobic performance in male academy football players: a randomized, single-blinded, SHAM-Controlled study.

Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC), brief periods of ischaemia immediately followed by reperfusion applied to a vascular bed, has emerged as a method to improve exercise performance. There is, however, a lack of research exploring repeated episodes of IPC on anaerobic performance. The aim of this study was to determine if a 2-week repeated IPC intervention could enhance anaerobic performance in male academy football players.

Preparedness for the transition to medical registrar from senior house officer-What's the problem?

Introduction: Transitions in clinical training are a hallmark in medical trainee's careers. The transition from senior house officer (SHO) to the role of medical registrar is often viewed as one of the most challenging, but to date, there is little research exploring why the transition is proving problematic for so many learners. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of trainees preparing to make this transition.

Investigation of the role of perceived access to primary care in mediating and moderating racial and ethnic disparities in chronic disease control in the veterans health administration.

Objective: To examine the role of patient-perceived access to primary care in mediating and moderating racial and ethnic disparities in hypertension control and diabetes control among Veterans Health Administration (VA) users.

Data Source And Study Setting: We performed a secondary analysis of national VA user administrative data for fiscal years 2016-2019.

Study Design: Our primary exposure was race or ethnicity and primary outcomes were binary indicators of hypertension control (<140/90 mmHg) and diabetes control (HgbA1c < 9%) among patients with known disease.

Intertumoral lineage diversity and immunosuppressive transcriptional programs in well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare cancers that most often arise in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. The fundamental mechanisms driving gastroenteropancreatic (GEP)-NET growth remain incompletely elucidated; however, the heterogeneous clinical behavior of GEP-NETs suggests that both cellular lineage dynamics and tumor microenvironment influence tumor pathophysiology. Here, we investigated the single-cell transcriptomes of tumor and immune cells from patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs.

The strategic use of biopsy in the diagnosis of coeliac disease in adults.

Background: The paediatric guidelines support the use of the 'No Biopsy Approach' in the diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD). We aimed to determine the correlation between anti tissue transglutaminase (anti-TTG serology) ≥10 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), using the Celikey ® ELiA assay and histological findings. Our secondary aim was to determine the safety of this approach in our centre.

Deep Pressure Therapy: A Promising Anxiety Treatment for Individuals With High Touch Comfort?

One method for managing anxiety, a highly prevalent modern mental health condition, is the calming touch sensations of deep pressure therapy (DPT). Solutions for administering DPT include the Automatic Inflatable DPT (AID) Vest, which we designed in past work. Although benefits of DPT are clear in a subset of the related literature, these benefits are not ubiquitous.

A Public Health Critical Race Praxis Informed Congestive Heart Failure Quality Improvement Initiative on Inpatient General Medicine.

Background: Prior evaluation at our hospital demonstrated that, compared to White patients, Black and Latinx patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) were less likely to be admitted to the cardiology service rather than the general medicine service (GMS). Patients admitted to GMS (compared to cardiology) had inferior rates of cardiology follow-up and 30-day readmission.

Objective: To develop and test the feasibility and impacts of using quality improvement (QI) methods, in combination with the Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP) framework, to engage stakeholders in developing an intervention for ensuring guideline-concordant inpatient CHF care across all patient groups.

Exploring Subtypes of Repetitive Behavior in Children with Autism Through Functional Analysis and Wearable Technology: a Pilot Biobehavioral Assessment.

Objectives: Prior research has established assessment methodologies, such as functional analysis to identify specific contexts in which restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) occurs, and measures of heart rate variability (HRV) to index the level of autonomic arousal in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, a gap remains in integrating multiple assessment methodologies to examine the complex underlying mechanisms of RRB. This study piloted a multi-disciplinary approach to assess both the functional behavioral and neurophysiological factors that may underlie occurrences of RRB.

Treatment Differences in Medical Therapy for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Between Sociodemographic Groups.

Background: There are sociodemographic disparities in outcomes of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but disparities in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) remain poorly characterized.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze GDMT treatment rates in eligible patients with recently diagnosed HFrEF, and to determine how rates vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with HFrEF at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals from 2013 to 2019.

An electronic pillbox intervention designed to improve medication safety during care transitions: challenges and lessons learned regarding implementation and evaluation.

Background: Adverse drug events are common during transitions of care. As part of the Smart Pillbox study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial of an electronic pillbox designed to reduce medication discrepancies and improve medication adherence after hospital discharge, we explored barriers to successful implementation and evaluation of this intervention.

Methods: Eligible patients were those admitted to a medicine service of a large teaching hospital with a plan to be discharged home on five or more chronic medications.

Telehealth Training in Naturalistic Communication Intervention for Mothers of Children with Angelman Syndrome.

Objectives : Young children with Angelman syndrome have significant delays in expressive communication. Parents of children with Angelman syndrome require training to support their child's communication development. Unfortunately, parent training focused on the needs of families of children with rare genetic syndromes is unavailable to many families.

Activation of Tumor-Cell STING Primes NK-Cell Therapy.

Activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway promotes antitumor immunity but STING agonists have yet to achieve clinical success. Increased understanding of the mechanism of action of STING agonists in human tumors is key to developing therapeutic combinations that activate effective innate antitumor immunity. Here, we report that malignant pleural mesothelioma cells robustly express STING and are responsive to STING agonist treatment ex vivo.

The Prebiotic Effect of Australian Seaweeds on Commensal Bacteria and Short Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Simulated Gut Model.

Diet is known to affect the composition and metabolite production of the human gut microbial community, which in turn is linked with the health and immune status of the host. Whole seaweeds (WH) and their extracts contain prebiotic components such as polysaccharides (PS) and polyphenols (PP). In this study, the Australian seaweeds, Phyllospora comosa, Ecklonia radiata, Ulva ohnoi, and their PS and PP extracts were assessed for potential prebiotic activities using an in vitro gut model that included fresh human faecal inoculum.

Mounting pupae for laser ablation and live imaging of the dorsal thorax.

This protocol describes the preparation of pupae for laser ablation and live imaging of the notum (dorsal thorax). Because the pupa is stationary, it can be continuously live imaged for multiple days if desired, making it ideal for studying wound signaling and repair, from before laser ablation through wound closure. In this protocol, we demonstrate the processes of staging, partially dissecting, mounting, wounding, and live imaging the pupal notum, with the wounding occurring during the live imaging process.

Race and Ethnicity and the Utilization of Security Responses in a Hospital Setting.

Background: Security emergency responses (SERs) are utilized by hospitals to ensure the safety of patients and staff but can cause unintended morbidity. The presence of racial and ethnic inequities in SER utilization has not been clearly elucidated.

Objective: To determine whether Black and Hispanic patients experience higher rates of SER and physical restraints in a non-psychiatric inpatient setting.