Differential CpG methylation at Nnat in the early establishment of beta cell heterogeneity.

Aims/hypothesis: Beta cells within the pancreatic islet represent a heterogenous population wherein individual sub-groups of cells make distinct contributions to the overall control of insulin secretion. These include a subpopulation of highly connected 'hub' cells, important for the propagation of intercellular Ca waves. Functional subpopulations have also been demonstrated in human beta cells, with an altered subtype distribution apparent in type 2 diabetes.

Gastroenterologist Primer: Endometriosis for Gastroenterologists.

Background And Aim: A comprehensive understanding of endometriosis and its common gastrointestinal presentations are critical for gastroenterologists to ensure appropriate and timely screening and diagnosis. Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease that frequently presents with gastrointestinal symptoms overlapping with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders. Many endometriosis patients first present to a gastroenterologist or generalist, which may prolong the time to diagnosis and appropriate care.

Review of the Safety Profiles of Laxatives in Pregnant Women.

Chronic constipation is one of the most common complaints seen in the gastroenterology clinic and is particularly prevalent in women. Women who become pregnant may suffer from existing constipation or develop constipation de novo. A thorough understanding of the safety of laxative therapies during pregnancy and the postpartum period is essential to successfully treating these women.

Improvement in constipation and diarrhea is associated with improved abdominal pain in patients with functional bowel disorders.

Background: Abdominal pain is a bothersome and lifestyle limiting symptom in patients with functional bowel disorders. It is associated with decreased quality of life in affected individuals, as well as significant annual healthcare expenditure. Knowledge of specific factors that predict improvement in abdominal pain in those with functional bowel disorders is thus far limited.

Symptom severity and clinical characteristics of patients with bloating.

Background: Abdominal bloating is common in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). To better characterize this patient population, we evaluated clinical and psychological characteristics of bloating and analyzed their differences by bloating severity.

Methods: Patients with FGIDs evaluated at a single academic outpatient referral gastroenterology clinic were surveyed.

Immunofibrotic drivers of impaired lung function in postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUNDIndividuals recovering from COVID-19 frequently experience persistent respiratory ailments, which are key elements of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC); however, little is known about the underlying biological factors that may direct lung recovery and the extent to which these are affected by COVID-19 severity.METHODSWe performed a prospective cohort study of individuals with persistent symptoms after acute COVID-19, collecting clinical data, pulmonary function tests, and plasma samples used for multiplex profiling of inflammatory, metabolic, angiogenic, and fibrotic factors.RESULTSSixty-one participants were enrolled across 2 academic medical centers at a median of 9 weeks (interquartile range, 6-10 weeks) after COVID-19 illness: n = 13 participants (21%) had mild COVID-19 and were not hospitalized, n = 30 participants (49%) were hospitalized but were considered noncritical, and n = 18 participants (30%) were hospitalized and in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Bilateral Vocal Fold Granuloma and Anterior Glottic Web After Papilloma Excision.

We present a case of delayed vocal process granulomas and anterior glottic web after treatment of vocal fold papillomas with a laryngeal microdebrider and CO2 laser ablation. This case highlights a risk of vocal fold granuloma in the setting of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and microdebrider use, warranting close follow-up and consideration of prophylactic voice therapy, anti-reflux medications, and steroid injection in cases of violation of vocal cord epithelium.

Abdominal Pain and Depression, Not Bowel Habits, Predict Health Care Utilization in Patients With Functional Bowel Disorders.

Introduction: Patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) are high users of health care. Past studies exploring predictors of utilization have lacked patient-level clinical data. The aim of the current study is to identify demographic, clinical, and psychological predictors of health care utilization in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation (FC), and functional diarrhea (FDr).

Immuno-fibrotic drivers of impaired lung function in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Introduction: Subjects recovering from COVID-19 frequently experience persistent respiratory ailments; however, little is known about the underlying biological factors that may direct lung recovery and the extent to which these are affected by COVID-19 severity.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of subjects with persistent symptoms after acute COVID-19, collecting clinical data, pulmonary function tests, and plasma samples used for multiplex profiling of inflammatory, metabolic, angiogenic, and fibrotic factors.

Results: Sixty-one subjects were enrolled across two academic medical centers at a median of 9 weeks (interquartile range 6-10) after COVID-19 illness: n=13 subjects (21%) mild/non-hospitalized, n=30 (49%) hospitalized/non-critical, and n=18 subjects (30%) hospitalized/intensive care ("ICU").

Mechanism of cytokinesis failure in ovarian cystadenomas with defective BRCA1 and P53 pathways.

We previously described an in vitro model in which serous ovarian cystadenomas were transfected with SV40 large T antigen, resulting in loss of RB and P53 functions and thus mimicking genetic defects present in early high-grade serous extra-uterine Müllerian (traditionally called high-grade serous ovarian) carcinomas including those associated with the BRCA1 mutation carrier state. We showed that replicative aging in this cell culture model leads to a mitotic arrest at the spindle assembly checkpoint. Here we show that this arrest is due to a reduction in microtubule anchoring that coincides with decreased expression of the BUB1 kinase and of the phosphorylated form of its substrate, BUB3.

Role of BRCA1 in controlling mitotic arrest in ovarian cystadenoma cells.

Cancers that develop in BRCA1 mutation carriers are usually near tetraploid/polyploid. This led us to hypothesize that BRCA1 controls the mitotic checkpoint complex, as loss of such control could lead to mitotic errors resulting in tetraploidy/polyploidy and subsequent aneuploidy. We used an in vitro system mimicking premalignant conditions, consisting of cell strains derived from the benign counterparts of serous ovarian carcinomas (cystadenomas) and expressing SV40 large T antigen, conferring the equivalent of a p53 mutation.