Estimated exposure to endotoxin and circulating immunological markers among male farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study.

Background: Occupational exposure to endotoxin has been associated with reduced lung cancer risk. The mechanisms underlying this association are unclear, though immunological alterations likely play a role. Farmers who perform certain tasks (eg, raising hogs) can be highly exposed to endotoxin.

ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin.

ALSUntangled reviews alternate and off-label treatments prompted by patient interest. Here, we review psilocybin, a chemical derived from mushrooms and belonging in the category of drugs known as psychedelics. Psilocybin has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its ability to cross the blood brain barrier and effect neurogenesis and inflammation.

A propensity score-matched comparison between single-stage and multistage anterior/posterior lumbar fusion surgery: a Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative study.

Objective: Patients undergoing anterior/posterior lumbar fusion surgery can undergo either a single-stage or multistage operation, depending on surgeon preference. The goal of this study was to assess different patient outcomes between single-stage and multistage lumbar fusion procedures in a multicenter setting.

Methods: The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative database was queried for anterior/posterior lumbar fusion surgeries between July 2018 and January 2022.

Substrate Stiffness Dictates Unique Doxorubicin-induced Senescence-associated Secretory Phenotypes and Transcriptomic Signatures in Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts.

Cells are subjected to dynamic mechanical environments which impart forces and induce cellular responses. In age-related conditions like pulmonary fibrosis, there is both an increase in tissue stiffness and an accumulation of senescent cells. While senescent cells produce a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), the impact of physical stimuli on both cellular senescence and the SASP is not well understood.

Disparities in childhood leukemia survival for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

While some previous studies disaggregated the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) population to investigate survival for childhood leukemia, further studies are needed to understand the differences between subpopulations. The aim of our study was to estimate 5-year relative survival for patients with childhood leukemia and to investigate disparities in prognostic factors with disaggregation of the ANHPI population. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program 17 database and included 1881 ANHPI patients with childhood leukemia and 8772 non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients with childhood leukemia.