Caregivers' Views of a Pediatric Inpatient Intervention to Address Health-Related Social Risks.

Objective: To understand the experiences of parents and caregivers of hospitalized children with CommunityRx-Hunger, a social care intervention designed to address food insecurity and other health-related social risks (HRSRs). Perspectives on how clinicians can sensitively deliver information about HRSRs in the pediatric inpatient setting were also elicited.

Methods: In-depth, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted (April 2022 through April 2023) with caregivers of children hospitalized at an urban academic medical center.

Cas9 editing of in a spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 mice and human iPSC-derived neurons.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat region of the gene. Currently there are no disease-modifying treatments; however, previous work has shown the potential of gene therapy, specifically RNAi, as a potential modality. Cas9 editing offers potential for these patients but has yet to be evaluated in SCA1 models.

Cross-site reproducibility of human cortical organoids reveals consistent cell type composition and architecture.

While guided human cortical organoid (hCO) protocols reproducibly generate cortical cell types at one site, variability in hCO phenotypes across sites using a harmonized protocol has not yet been evaluated. To determine the cross-site reproducibility of hCO differentiation, three independent research groups assayed hCOs in multiple differentiation replicates from one induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line using a harmonized miniaturized spinning bioreactor protocol across 3 months. hCOs were mostly cortical progenitor and neuronal cell types in reproducible proportions that were consistently organized in cortical wall-like buds.

Follow-up in a point-of-care diabetic retinopathy program in Pittsburgh: a non-concurrent retrospective cohort study.

Background: The Point-of-Care Diabetic Retinopathy Examination Program (POCDREP) was initiated in 2015 at the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC in response to low diabetic retinopathy (DR) examination rates, a condition affecting a quarter of people with diabetes mellitus (PwDM) and leading to blindness. Early detection and treatment are critical with DR prevalence projected to triple by 2050. Approximately, half of PwDM in the U.

Comprehensive insights into a decade-long journey: The evolution, impact, and human factors of an asynchronous telemedicine program for diabetic retinopathy screening in Pennsylvania, United States.

Diabetic Retinopathy stands as a leading cause of irreversible blindness, necessitating frequent examinations, especially in the early stages where effective treatments are available. However, current examination rates vary widely, ranging from 25-60%. This study scrutinizes the Point-of-Care Diabetic Retinopathy Examination Program at the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC, delving into its composition, evolution, challenges, solutions, and improvement opportunities.

Food Insecurity and Community-Based Food Resources Among Caregivers of Hospitalized Children.

Objective: Children's hospitals are implementing interventions to connect families to community-based resources. This study describes food insecurity (FI) and food resource knowledge, need, and use among families with a hospitalized child.

Methods: Between November 2020 and June 2022, 637 caregivers of hospitalized children in an urban 42-ZIP-code area were surveyed as part of a randomized controlled trial.

A 12.4-day periodicity in a close binary system after a supernova.

Neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes are the remnants of massive star explosions. Most massive stars reside in close binary systems, and the interplay between the companion star and the newly formed compact object has been theoretically explored, but signatures for binarity or evidence for the formation of a compact object during a supernova explosion are still lacking. Here we report a stripped-envelope supernova, SN 2022jli, which shows 12.

Food Insecurity and Experiences of Discrimination Among Caregivers of Hospitalized Children.

Background And Objectives: Pediatric hospitals are adopting strategies to address food insecurity (FI), a stigmatizing condition, among families with children. We hypothesized that parents and other caregivers ("caregivers") from households with FI or marginal food security (MFS) are more likely to experience discrimination during their child's hospitalization.

Methods: We analyzed data from 319 caregivers of children admitted to an urban, academic children's hospital and randomly assigned to the control arm of the double-blind randomized controlled CommunityRx-Hunger trial (November 2020 to June 2022, NCT R01MD012630).

Predictors of Clinic Attendance After Community-Based Vision Screening.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze appointment attendance rates and patient characteristics associated with follow-up adherence after referral from a community vision screening event.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who attended a 2021 or 2022 community vision screening event and were referred to the university clinic for further care. Appointments were offered without charge and scheduled at the event.

Effect of a Social Care Intervention on Health Care Experiences of Caregivers of Hospitalized Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Health-related social risks (HRSRs), like food and housing insecurity, are stigmatized conditions that, when addressed in clinical settings, could inadvertently compromise health care experiences.

Objective: To test the noninferiority hypothesis that a low-intensity, high-scale social care intervention does not promote experiences of discrimination or diminish satisfaction with care compared to usual care.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a double-blind randomized clinical trial conducted from November 2020 to June 2022 with 12-month follow-up analyzing data obtained 1 week after baseline intervention at a 155-bed academic urban children's hospital with 5300 annual admissions.

Cross-site reproducibility of human cortical organoids reveals consistent cell type composition and architecture.

Background: Reproducibility of human cortical organoid (hCO) phenotypes remains a concern for modeling neurodevelopmental disorders. While guided hCO protocols reproducibly generate cortical cell types in multiple cell lines at one site, variability across sites using a harmonized protocol has not yet been evaluated. We present an hCO cross-site reproducibility study examining multiple phenotypes.

Generation of a human Tropomyosin 1 knockout iPSC line.

The CHOPWT17_TPM1KOc28 iPSC line was generated to interrogate the functions of Tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) in primary human cell development. This line was reprogrammed from a previously published wild type control iPSC line.

Predictive Factors of Research Productivity among Ophthalmology Residents: A Benchmark Analysis.

 Positive and negative associations between prior publications and future research productivity is described in other fields, but no such analysis exists for ophthalmology. We conducted a study to determine characteristics of residents exhibiting research productivity during residency.  Using San Francisco Match and Program Web sites, a roster of ophthalmology residents in 2019 to 2020 was compiled, and publication data was collected via PubMed and Google Scholar on a random sample of 100 third-year residents.

Accuracy Assessment of Outpatient Telemedicine Encounters at an Academic Ophthalmology Department.

 We assess the clinical accuracy of direct-to-patient real-time outpatient video visit encounters at our eye center.  This was a retrospective longitudinal study.  Patients who completed a video visit over a 3-week period between March and April 2020 were included.

Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy of methane and VOC emissions from an unconventional oil well development in Northern Colorado.

We present results from a field study monitoring methane and volatile organic compound emissions near an unconventional oil well development in Northern Colorado from September 2019 to May 2020 using a mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer. This instrument allowed quantification of methane, ethane, and propane in a single measurement with high time resolution and integrated path sampling. Using ethane and propane as tracer gases for methane from oil and gas activity, we observed emissions during the drilling, hydraulic fracturing, millout, and flowback phases of well development.

Generation of a human knockout iPSC line.

The CHOPWT17_TPM1KOc28 iPSC line was generated to interrogate the functions of ( ) in primary human cell development. This line was reprogrammed from a previously published wild type control iPSC line.

Mapping PTBP2 binding in human brain identifies SYNGAP1 as a target for therapeutic splice switching.

Alternative splicing of neuronal genes is controlled partly by the coordinated action of polypyrimidine tract binding proteins (PTBPs). While PTBP1 is ubiquitously expressed, PTBP2 is predominantly neuronal. Here, we define the PTBP2 footprint in the human transcriptome using brain tissue and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (iPSC-neurons).

Choroidal Mass in a Patient with Undiagnosed Pulmonary Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis.

Background: Langerhan cell histiocytosis (LCH), although not a common cause, should be kept in the differential diagnosis for a patient that presents with a choroidal mass.

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old female presented with a 4-day history of vision loss and associated pain in her right eye.

Examination And Investigations: A dilated fundus examination revealed a deep subretinal, orange, mottled lesion with associated serous retinal detachment.

Drug screening identifies tazarotene and bexarotene as therapeutic agents in multiple sulfatase deficiency.

Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD, MIM #272200) results from pathogenic variants in the SUMF1 gene that impair proper function of the formylglycine-generating enzyme (FGE). FGE is essential for the posttranslational activation of cellular sulfatases. MSD patients display reduced or absent sulfatase activities and, as a result, clinical signs of single sulfatase disorders in a unique combination.

Association Between Parental Leave and Ophthalmology Resident Physician Performance.

Importance: Although parental leave is essential in enhancing resident wellness and fostering inclusive workplace environments, residents may often feel discouraged from using parental leave owing to perceived stigma and concerns about possible negative effects on their training.

Objective: To examine parental leave usage across multiple institutions and compare residency performance metrics between residents who took parental leave vs their peers who did not take leave.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis conducted from April 1, 2020, to July 28, 2022, of educational records.