Principal investigator gender and clinical trial success: analysis of over 3000 obstetrics and gynecology trials.

Background: In obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) research, gender disparities permeate through leadership, funding, promotion, mentorship, publishing, compensation, and publicity. Few studies have investigated OBGYN clinical trial leadership as it relates to investigator gender. Thus, we undertook an investigation of principal investigator (PI) gender and clinical trial success.

PARP inhibition radiosensitizes BRCA1 wildtype and mutated breast cancer to proton therapy.

Aggressive breast cancers often fail or acquire resistance to radiotherapy. To develop new strategies to improve the outcome of aggressive breast cancer patients, we studied how PARP inhibition radiosensitizes breast cancer models to proton therapy, which is a radiotherapy modality that generates more DNA damage in the tumor than standard radiotherapy using photons. Two human BRCA1-mutated breast cancer cell lines and their isogenic BRCA1-recovered pairs were treated with a PARP inhibitor and irradiated with photons or protons.

Obesity modulates NK cell activity via LDL and DUSP1 signaling for populations with adverse social determinants.

African American (AA) women are disproportionately affected by obesity and hyperlipidemia, particularly in the setting of adverse social determinants of health (aSDoH) that contribute to health disparities. Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and aSDoH appear to impair NK cells. As potential common underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, we sought to investigate common signaling pathways involved in NK cell dysfunction related to obesity and hyperlipidemia in AA women from underresourced neighborhoods.

Effects of sodium bisulfate or sodium sesquicarbonate as a sodium source in broiler chicken diets with or without a coccidiosis challenge.

Broilers commonly experience stressors such as coccidiosis, a parasitic infection that results in intestinal damage, malabsorption, and performance losses. The poultry industry is exploring alternatives to anticoccidials for controlling coccidiosis, especially through the enhancement of gut health. Sodium bisulfate (NaHSO; SBS), an acid salt, has been used for many years as a litter acidifier to reduce aerial ammonia in poultry housing.

Phytoremediation evaluation of forever chemicals using hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): Pollen bioaccumulation and the risk to bees.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often termed "forever chemicals," are a diverse group of persistent fluorinated compounds, including the well-known perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which has been identified as lethal to bee larvae. However, the risk of PFAS exposure through pollen, a bee's primary food source, has not been thoroughly investigated. In controlled greenhouse experiments, Cannabis sativa L.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Two Half-Brothers Due to Inherited 306 Kb Inverted Insertion of 10p15.1 into Intron 44 of the Dp427m Transcript of the Gene.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disorder caused by the absence of a fully functional dystrophin protein in myocytes. In skeletal muscle, the lack of dystrophin ultimately results in muscle wasting and the replacement of myocytes with fatty or fibrous tissues. In the heart, cardiomyocytes eventually fail and cause fatal cardiomyopathy.

Thermal imaging as a diagnostic tool for superficial venous insufficiency - a systematic review.

Objectives: Evaluation of the literature assessing the use of thermography, a non-invasive imaging modality that detects pathological temperature variation, in recognising superficial venous insufficiency (SVI).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles were screened by two individuals and data was subsequently extracted.

Type I MET inhibitors cooperate with PD-1 blockade to promote rejection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Blockade of the immune checkpoints programmed death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic lymphocyte antigen 4 has improved outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet most still fail to achieve objective clinical benefit. MET plays key roles in both HCC tumorigenesis and immunosuppressive conditioning; however, inhibition of MET causes upregulation of PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) suggesting the use of these inhibitors in the context of PD-1 blockade. We sought to investigate across the Hepa1-6, HCA-1 and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) models of HCC whether the combination of more specific type I versus more pleiotropic type II MET inhibitors would confer superior outcomes in combination with PD-1 blockade.

Cladribine tablets in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis preferentially target B-cells.

Recent studies demonstrate the efficacy of B cell-targeting therapies in managing multiple sclerosis (MS) activity, emphasizing the critical role of B cells in MS pathogenesis. CladB study aimed to quantify the temporal changes in peripheral immune cells and their activity over 96 weeks of Cladribine tablets (CladT) treatment in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Ten participants (3 males, 7 females) had blood samples collected at multiple intervals (Day 0, 1, 5, then weekly for 8 weeks, biweekly for up to 24 weeks, and monthly for up to 96 weeks) for immune cell analysis, compared to a historical alemtuzumab-treated cohort.

Catabolism of extracellular glutathione supplies amino acids to support tumor growth.

Restricting amino acids from tumors is an emerging therapeutic strategy with significant promise. While typically considered an intracellular antioxidant with tumor-promoting capabilities, glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine that can be catabolized, yielding amino acids. The extent to which GSH-derived amino acids are essential to cancers is unclear.

Characterizing long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy eligibility and initiation at a safety net academic medical center in the southeastern United States.

Long-acting injectable (LAI) cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) extends dosing intervals from daily to every 8 weeks. Equitable implementation requires anticipating and addressing barriers to use. We described LAI-CAB/RPV eligibility and initiation among persons with HIV (PWH) receiving care at a Southeastern US academic medical center.

Optimized biomarker evaluation and molecular testing in the era of breast cancer precision medicine.

Ground breaking advances in medicine, driven in part by major technologic developments in molecular biology have led us to a new model for cancer care that has been termed personalized, or precision medicine. Precision medicine is a model for making medical decisions that employs an innovative clinical approach and advanced tumor testing methods that are tailored to understanding an individual patient's tumor biology and the molecular drivers of their disease. This medical model includes a combination of diagnostic testing and specific treatment options that can be offered to patients at presentation and in theory throughout the course of their disease as new mutations arise with the development of disease recurrence.

ATR inhibition radiosensitizes cells through augmented DNA damage and G2 cell cycle arrest abrogation.

Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) is a key DNA damage response protein that facilitates DNA damage repair and regulates cell cycle progression. As such, ATR is an important component of the cellular response to radiation, particularly in cancer cells, which show altered DNA damage response and aberrant cell cycle checkpoints. Therefore, ATR's pharmacological inhibition could be an effective radiosensitization strategy to improve radiotherapy.

Clinical management of oligometastatic cancer: Applying multidisciplinary tumor board recommendations in practice.

Aims: Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTs) are an integral part of ensuring high-quality, evidence-based and personalized cancer care. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the adherence to and implementation of MDT recommendations in patients with oligometastatic disease (OMD).

Methods: We screened all oncologic positron emission tomography (PET) scans conducted at a single comprehensive cancer center in 2020.

Comprehensive molecular profiling of multiple myeloma identifies refined copy number and expression subtypes.

Multiple myeloma is a treatable, but currently incurable, hematological malignancy of plasma cells characterized by diverse and complex tumor genetics for which precision medicine approaches to treatment are lacking. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation's Relating Clinical Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma to Personal Assessment of Genetic Profile study ( NCT01454297 ) is a longitudinal, observational clinical study of newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (n = 1,143) where tumor samples are characterized using whole-genome sequencing, whole-exome sequencing and RNA sequencing at diagnosis and progression, and clinical data are collected every 3 months. Analyses of the baseline cohort identified genes that are the target of recurrent gain-of-function and loss-of-function events.

Capturing How the Accelerometer Measured Physical Activity Profile Differs in People with Diabetic Foot Ulceration.

Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) are a major complication of diabetes, with treatment requiring offloading. This study aimed to capture how the accelerometer-assessed physical activity profile differs in those with DFUs compared to those with diabetes but without ulceration (non-DFU). Participants were requested to wear an accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist for up to 8days.

Interval operative management in patients admitted with acute obstruction due to incarcerated paraesophageal hernia.

Background: Acute incarcerated paraesophageal hernias (PEH) have historically been considered a surgical emergency. Emergent operations have a higher rate of morbidity and mortality compared to elective surgery. Our institution has adopted a strategy of initial conservative management in patients presenting with acute obstruction from an incarcerated PEH who are clinically stable.

Peer support for borderline personality disorder: A critical review of its feasibility, acceptability, and alignment with concepts of recovery.

Many organizations have adopted peer support to increase service alignment with recovery-oriented principles. Yet, few studies have scrutinized borderline personality disorder (BPD)-specific concepts of "recovery" and "recovery-oriented practice," nor evaluated the extent to which existing peer support services (PSS) align with these concepts. We addressed these knowledge gaps in four phases: (a) a literature review to understand BPD-specific concepts of "recovery" and "recovery-oriented practice," (b) a literature review and open web search to describe the implementation, feasibility, or effectiveness of PSS for people with BPD, (c) a landscaping survey of program administrators regarding their BPD-PSS programs, and (d) a critical review of the extent to which current peer support for BPD aligns with "recovery" and "recovery-oriented practice.

Should surgical inpatients still wear compression stockings?

Surgical inpatients are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Current national guidelines recommend a combination of pharmacological (chemoprophylaxis) and mechanical thromboprophylaxis to reduce VTE risk. For most patients, mechanical thromboprophylaxis is provided via application of graduated compression stockings (GCS).