'It overwhelms the system': examining EMS provision in a South Texas border community.

Objective: Examine how the characteristics of border communities along the US southern land border impact Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in these border communities.

Design: Using phenomenological approach, we conducted face-to-face, one-on-one interviews using a semistructured interview methodology.

Setting: All participants worked as EMS providers in a city fire department along the Texas-Mexico border.

Worldwide Policy, Surveillance, and Research on Physical Education and School-Based Physical Activity: The Global Observatory for Physical Education (GoPE!) Conceptual Framework and Research Protocol.

Introduction: The Global Observatory for Physical Education (GoPE!) builds on the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) to address gaps in surveillance, policy, and research on physical education (PE) and activity (PA). GoPE! is a worldwide surveillance system of quality PE and school-based PA that informs policy and interventions and allows comparative analysis so that each country and region can check their status and progress. This paper presents GoPE!'s conceptual framework and describes the research protocol as a cross-continental and evidence-based surveillance system.

Central Nervous System Infections in Recipients of Solid Organ Transplant.

Background: Central nervous system (CNS) infections are severe and life-threatening complications that can occur in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. We describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, disease course, and outcome of CNS infections in SOT.

Methods: We analyzed data of patients who underwent transplantation from September 2012 to February 2023, diagnosed and treated for CNS infections at our institution in Houston, TX.

Novel Computational and Artificial Intelligence Models in Cancer Research.

The ICIBM 2023 marked the 11th annual conference of its kind, with the ICIBM recently becoming the official conference of the International Association for Intelligent Biology and Medicine (IAIBM), showcasing cutting-edge advancements at the intersection of computation and biomedical research [...

Loss of CHOP Prevents Joint Degeneration and Pain in a Mouse Model of Pseudoachondroplasia.

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH), a severe dwarfing condition characterized by impaired skeletal growth and early joint degeneration, results from mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). These mutations disrupt normal protein folding, leading to the accumulation of misfolded COMP in chondrocytes. The MT-COMP mouse is a murine model of PSACH that expresses D469del human COMP in response to doxycycline and replicates the PSACH chondrocyte and clinical pathology.

Proxy panels enable privacy-aware outsourcing of genotype imputation.

One of the major challenges in genomic data sharing is protecting participants' privacy in collaborative studies and when genomic data is outsourced to perform analysis tasks, e.g., genotype imputation services and federated collaborations genomic analysis.

Feasibility and Usage of a Virtual Assistant Device in Cognitively Impaired Homebound Older Adults.

Social technology in older adults can improve self-rated health; however, there can also be difficulties using it. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of virtual assistant device (VAD) use in cognitively impaired homebound older adults. 52 newly referred Meals on Wheels clients aged 60 and older were recruited for a three-phase study: 6 weeks of meals alone (control), followed by 6 weeks of meals+Alexa Echo Show 8 (AES8) basic usage, and lastly 6 weeks of meals+AES8 advanced usage.

An Ontology-Based Approach for Understanding Appendicectomy Processes and Associated Resources.

Background: Traditional methods for analysing surgical processes often fall short in capturing the intricate interconnectedness between clinical procedures, their execution sequences, and associated resources such as hospital infrastructure, staff, and protocols.

Aim: This study addresses this gap by developing an ontology for appendicectomy, a computational model that comprehensively represents appendicectomy processes and their resource dependencies to support informed decision making and optimise appendicectomy healthcare delivery.

Methods: The ontology was developed using the NeON methodology, drawing knowledge from existing ontologies, scholarly literature, and de-identified patient data from local hospitals.

Intelligent biology and medicine: Accelerating innovative computational approaches.

In this editorial, we summarize the 2023 International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM 2023) conference which was held on July 16-19, 2023 in Tampa, Florida, USA. We then briefly describe the nine research articles included in this special issue. ICIBM 2023 scientific program included four tutorials and workshops, four keynote lectures, four eminent scholars' presentations, 11 concurrent scientific sessions, and a poster session.

A Trauma-Focused Screening Approach for Teen Dating Violence Prevention.

Developing accurate and equitable screening protocols can lead to more targeted, efficient, and effective, teen dating violence (TDV) prevention programming. Current TDV screening protocols perform poorly and are rarely implemented, but recent research and policy emphasizes the importance of leveraging more trauma-focused screening measures for improved prevention outcomes. In response, the present study examined which adversities (i.

Impact of corticosteroids on improving lung compliance in a patient with pulmonary microscopic polyangiitis.

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a small-vessel vasculitis characterised by systemic infiltration, with a primary focus on the renal and pulmonary systems. One of its more lethal pulmonary manifestations is diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH), although the spectrum of lung pathology in MPA is vast and calls for immediate immunosuppressive therapy. Our case looks at an older woman initially presenting with MPA-induced rapid progressive glomerulonephritis.

Factors associated with asthma symptoms in Colombian subpopulations aged 1 to 17 and 18 to 59: Secondary analysis of the study "Prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in Colombia 2009-2010".

Background: Asthma, a chronic inflammatory lung disease, is one of the leading causes of disability, demands on health resources, and poor quality of life. It is necessary to identify asthma-related risk factors to reduce the presence and development of symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of multiple possible factors with asthma symptoms in two subpopulations, children, adolescents, and adults, in six cities in Colombia.

Utilization of Palliative Care in Cardiogenic Shock Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database, 2020.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of the leading causes of death in patients with myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and congestive heart failure. The utilization patterns of specialist palliative care (PC) consultation in these patients are currently unknown. To determine the utilization of PC in patients with CS and the overall comorbidities of that population.

Host tissue factors predict immune surveillance and therapeutic outcomes in gastric cancer.

The immune composition of solid tumors is typically inferred from biomarkers, such as histologic and molecular classifications, somatic mutational burden, and PD-L1 expression. However, the extent to which these biomarkers predict the immune landscape in gastric adenocarcinoma-an aggressive cancer often linked to chronic inflammation-remains poorly understood. We leveraged high-dimensional spectral cytometry to generate a comprehensive single-cell immune landscape of tumors, normal tissue, and lymph nodes from patients in the Western Hemisphere with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Nourishing Change in Houston, Texas: Exploring Grocery Shopping Behaviors and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Families in the Brighter Bites Program.

Objective: We qualitatively examine the grocery shopping behaviors and fruit and vegetable consumption of low-income families participating in the Brighter Bites program in Houston, Texas.

Design: We used a single-group observational study design. We used (1) purposive sampling of schools and (2) convenience sampling of parents/caregivers to recruit participants.

Exploring Predictors of Treatment Response to GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Smoking Cessation.

Introduction: Understanding predictors of smoking cessation medication efficacy facilitates the ability to enhance treatment effectiveness. In our pilot trial, exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, adjunct to nicotine patch improved smoking abstinence compared to nicotine patch alone. This secondary analysis explores potential baseline characteristics associated with differential treatment response to exenatide.

Surgical Deescalation Within Gynecologic Oncology.

Importance: The goal of surgical deescalation is to minimize tissue damage, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce the adverse effects often associated with extensive or traditional surgical procedures. This shift toward less invasive techniques has the potential to revolutionize surgical practices, profoundly impacting the methods and training of future surgeons.

Objective: To evaluate adoption of surgical deescalation within the field of gynecologic oncology using The National Cancer Database.

Causal models and prediction in cell line perturbation experiments.

In cell line perturbation experiments, a collection of cells is perturbed with external agents and responses such as protein expression measured. Due to cost constraints, only a small fraction of all possible perturbations can be tested in vitro. This has led to the development of computational models that can predict cellular responses to perturbations in silico.

Efficacy of Dietary Interventions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that alters the quality of life of patients. A variety of dietary interventions have been introduced to address this debilitating condition. The low-FODMAP diet (LFD), gluten-free diet (GFD), and Mediterranean diet are examples showing efficacy.

Co-Inhibition of tGLI1 and GP130 Using FDA-Approved Ketoconazole and Bazedoxifene Is Synergistic Against the Growth and Metastasis of HER2-Enriched and Triple-Negative Breast Cancers.

Breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are resistant to most cancer therapeutics and contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Two breast CSC-promoting transcription factors, truncated glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (tGLI1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), have been reported to be frequently co-expressed in HER2-enriched breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), undergo protein-protein interactions for gene regulation and activation, and functionally cooperate to promote breast CSCs. STAT3 can be activated by activated interleukin-6 receptor/glycoprotein-130 (IL-6R/GP130).

Targeting NLRP3 signaling with a novel sulfonylurea compound for the treatment of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.

Background: As a key inflammatory factor, the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a crucial role in neuroinflammation and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Dysregulation of NLRP3 signaling can trigger various inflammatory responses in the brain, contributing to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as ischemic stroke, vascular dementia (VaD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, the NLRP3 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including VaD.

Shared Genetic Architecture Between COVID-19 Severity and Alzheimer's Disease Across European and African Ancestries.

The global outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been linked to long-term neurological complications, including an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) among older adults. However, the precise genetic impact of COVID-19 on long-term AD development remains unclear. This study leveraged genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and genotype data to explore the genetic association between AD and various COVID-19 phenotypes across European ancestry (EA) and African ancestry (AA) cohorts, and the possibility of a causal effect of COVID-19 on AD.

The expected polygenic risk score (ePRS) framework: an equitable metric for quantifying polygenetic risk via modeling of ancestral makeup.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) depend on genetic ancestry due to differences in allele frequencies between ancestral populations. This leads to implementation challenges in diverse populations. We propose a framework to calibrate PRS based on ancestral makeup.

Comparative analysis of injuries related to self-harm, assault, and intimate partner violence: insights from U.S. Emergency Departments (2005-2021).

Background: Emergency departments are on the front lines of non-fatal self-harm injury (SHI). This study identifies patterns in patients presenting to emergency departments with SHI compared with patients presenting with assault and intimate partner violence.

Methods: Using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program database, we analyzed SHI cases in the emergency department from 2005 to 2021 and examined demographic characteristics, injury mechanism and anatomic location, emergency department disposition and temporal patterns relative to cases involving assault and intimate partner violence.