Niche-derived Semaphorin 4A safeguards functional identity of myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells.

Somatic stem cell pools comprise diverse, highly specialized subsets whose individual contribution is critical for the overall regenerative function. In the bone marrow, myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells (myHSCs) are indispensable for replenishment of myeloid cells and platelets during inflammatory response but, at the same time, become irreversibly damaged during inflammation and aging. Here we identify an extrinsic factor, semaphorin 4A (Sema4A), which non-cell-autonomously confers myHSC resilience to inflammatory stress.

Increased serum GM-CSF at diagnosis of biliary atresia is associated with improved biliary drainage.

Background: The immune heterogeneity of biliary atresia (BA) presents a challenge for development of prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to identify early immune signatures associated with biliary drainage after Kasai Portoenterostomy (KPE).

Methods: Serum samples, liver slides, and clinical data were obtained from patients enrolled in the NIDDK-supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network.

Understanding and promoting equitable post-discharge care in firearm injury survivors: a retrospective chart review.

Patients that survive firearm injuries frequently require follow-up care. This study aims to explore demographic characteristics of patients presenting to the emergency department for post-firearm injury care and to understand the reasons for their return visits. This was a retrospective chart review of all emergency department and readmission patient encounters for post-firearm injury care during the study period, January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022, at an urban safety net hospital.

Pancreatectomies with vein resection: Two large institutions' experience of East and West.

Background: The effectiveness and preferred reconstruction methods of pancreatectomy associated with vein resection (PAVR) for pancreatic cancer, especially for the extensive portal vein/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) resections (more than 4 cm), are still subjects of debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of PAVR by analyzing data from two large institutions from different regions.

Methods: From 2008 to 2018, we identified consecutive series of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent PAVR at Karolinska University Hospital (KUH), Sweden, and Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation of Cancer Research (JFCR), Japan.

Mental Well-being in Menopause.

The hormonal changes that accompany the transition to menopause are disruptive to most women, and for some, mental health maybe adversely affected. Depressive symptoms and major depression are the best-studied conditions in association with menopause, but anxiety, executive function, and comorbid pre-existing psychiatric conditions all influence the symptomatology that women will experience during this phase of their lives. The epidemiology, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment guidelines for perimenopausal patients are discussed.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database: 2024 Update on Outcomes and Research.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) remains the largest and most comprehensive audited thoracic surgical database in the world. As the STS GTSD grows to nearly 1 million cases, the pulmonary resection for cancer and esophagectomy short-term risk models have been refined to provide participants with benchmarked performance reports to facilitate quality improvement efforts. New for 2025 will be the development of long-term risk models and the online release of both short- and long-term risk calculators.

Transforming Transplantation Access: A Federal Directive for Comprehensive Pre-Waitlisting Data Collection.

There is substantial variation in access to transplantation across the United States that is not entirely explained by the availability of donor organs. Barriers to transplantation and variation in care among patients with end-stage organ disease exist prior to patients' placement on a transplant waiting list as well as following waitlist placement. However, there are currently no national data available to examine rates and variations in key care processes related to pre-listing, including transplant referral, evaluation, or candidate selection.

Lactating women and the perception of useful value for breastfeeding in a prison environment.

The aim is to unveil the useful value of breastfeeding for lactating women in a prison environment, based on Max Scheler's axiological perspective. This work was a qualitative, developed in a prison unit in Rio de Janeiro, where seven lactating women were interviewed. The phenomenological interview was used for data collection, while Laurence Bardin's content analysis was used for data analysis and treatment.

PD-L1-CD80 interactions are required for intracellular signaling necessary for dendritic cell migration.

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) interactions are targets for immunotherapies aimed to reinvigorate T cell function. Recently, it was documented that PD-L1 regulates dendritic cell (DC) migration through intracellular signaling events. In this study, we find that both preclinical murine and clinically available human PD-L1 antibodies limit DC migration.

Small Molecule Modulators of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) Activity and Their Potential in Cancer Therapy.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a central mediator of cellular metabolism and is activated in direct response to low ATP levels. Activated AMPK inhibits anabolic pathways and promotes catabolic activities that generate ATP through the phosphorylation of multiple target substrates. AMPK is a therapeutic target for activation in several chronic metabolic diseases, and there is increasing interest in targeting AMPK activity in cancer where it can act as a tumor suppressor or conversely it can support cancer cell survival.

Regional Anesthesia and Pain Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery in Pediatric Patients: Society of Pediatric Anesthesia Improvement Network.

Background: Optimal perioperative pain management is unknown for adolescent patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The study aimed to determine the association of nerve blocks with short- and long-term pain outcomes and factors influencing self-reported neurological symptoms.

Methods: We performed a multisite, prospective observational study of adolescent patients undergoing ACLR.

Developing an Intervention to Enhance Aging in Place for Older Veterans Living in Permanent Supportive Housing.

Background And Objectives: The Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program provides rental subsidies, case management, and supportive services to Veterans who are currently or formerly homeless, 77% of whom are ages ≥50. Few interventions have been developed to address the needs of older Veterans in HUD-VASH.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a 2-stage study to inform the development of an intervention to promote aging in place in HUD-VASH.

Trends of Staged Versus Single-Stage Operations for Bilateral Cleft Lip Repair: Analysis of a National Database.

Introduction: Single-stage bilateral cleft lip repair may require preoperative naso-alveolar molding (NAM) to decrease cleft widths and reposition the premaxilla. Staged operations may be performed in centers or regions without easy access to NAM. This retrospective study aims to examine the national prevalence of single-stage and staged bilateral cleft lip repairs over the past 23 years.

National Trends in Non-Accidental Pediatric Craniofacial Fractures Requiring Inpatient Admission.

Introduction: Pediatric craniofacial trauma, particularly from non-accidental trauma (NAT), is a significant cause of injury with enduring physical and psychological impacts. This study analyzes demographic patterns, injury characteristics, and trends in NAT-related craniofacial injuries to inform early identification, intervention, and prevention efforts.

Methods: Analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database was performed for the years 2009 to 2019.

Human TSC2 mutant cells exhibit aberrations in early neurodevelopment accompanied by changes in the DNA Methylome.

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a debilitating developmental disorder characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. While benign tumors in the heart, lungs, kidney, and brain are all hallmarks of the disease, the most severe symptoms of TSC are often neurological, including seizures, autism, psychiatric disorders, and intellectual disabilities. TSC is caused by loss of function mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes and consequent dysregulation of signaling via mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1).

Plasma Circulating Metabolites Associated With Steatotic Liver Disease and Liver Enzymes: A Multiplatform Population-Based Study.

Background And Aims: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is the most common chronic liver disease strongly associated with metabolic dysfunction, but its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Exploring plasma circulating metabolites may help in elucidating underlying mechanisms and identifying new biomarkers for SLD.

Methods: We examined cross-sectionally the association between plasma metabolites and SLD as well as liver enzymes using data from 4 population-based cohort studies (Rotterdam study, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study, and Study of Latinos).

Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series.

Dendriform pulmonary ossification (DPO) is a rare condition characterized by mature bone formation in the lung. DPO has been linked to various conditions, but little is known about the link between DPO and hazardous airborne exposures. We queried research databases of military personnel evaluated for deployment-related respiratory diseases at two occupational pulmonary medicine clinics (Colorado, USA) for diagnoses of DPO, and summarized demographics, Gulf War military deployment history, medical history, and pulmonary function testing.

Naxos Disease and Related Cardio-Cutaneous Syndromes.

Naxos disease is a rare autosomal recessive condition combining arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, woolly hair, and palmoplantar keratoderma. The first identified causative variant was in the gene encoding the desmosomal protein plakoglobin. Naxos disease exhibits fibro-fatty myocardial replacement with immunohistological abnormalities in cardiac protein and signaling pathways, highlighting the role of inflammation and potential anti-inflammatory treatments.

EyeLiner: A Deep Learning Pipeline for Longitudinal Image Registration Using Fundus Landmarks.

Objective: Detecting and measuring changes in longitudinal fundus imaging is key to monitoring disease progression in chronic ophthalmic diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Clinicians assess changes in disease status by either independently reviewing or manually juxtaposing longitudinally acquired color fundus photos (CFPs). Distinguishing variations in image acquisition due to camera orientation, zoom, and exposure from true disease-related changes can be challenging.

Association Between Autograft Choice and Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport After ACL Reconstruction.

Background: It has been demonstrated that an athlete's psychological readiness contributes to one's ability to successfully return to sport (RTS) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, the effect of graft choice on psychological readiness is not yet understood.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between graft choice and an athlete's psychological readiness to RTS.

Context-specific eQTLs provide deeper insight into causal genes underlying shared genetic architecture of critically ill COVID-19 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Most genetic variants identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are suspected to be regulatory in nature, but only a small fraction colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs, variants associated with expression of a gene). Therefore, it is hypothesized but largely untested that integration of disease GWAS with context-specific eQTLs will reveal the underlying genes driving disease associations. We used colocalization and transcriptomic analyses to identify shared genetic variants and likely causal genes associated with critically ill COVID-19 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Sex Differences in Circadian Timing and Biological Night in Adolescents.

Circadian rhythms, intrinsic 24-h cycles that drive rhythmic changes in behavior and physiology, are important for normal physiology and health. Previous work in adults has identified sex differences in circadian rhythms of melatonin, temperature, and the intrinsic period of the human circadian timing system. However, less is known about sex differences in circadian rhythms at other developmental stages.

Sexual identity, sexual behavior, and drug use behaviors among people who use drugs in the rural U.S.

Introduction: People who use drugs (PWUD) are at risk of HIV infection, but the frequency and distribution of transmission-associated behaviors within rural communities is not well understood. Further, while interventions designed to more explicitly affirm individuals' sexual orientation and behaviors may be more effective, descriptions of behavior variability by orientation are lacking. We sought to describe how disease transmission behaviors and overdose risk vary by sexual orientation and activity among rural PWUD.

Towards contrast-agnostic soft segmentation of the spinal cord.

Spinal cord segmentation is clinically relevant and is notably used to compute spinal cord cross-sectional area (CSA) for the diagnosis and monitoring of cord compression or neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. While several semi and automatic methods exist, one key limitation remains: the segmentation depends on the MRI contrast, resulting in different CSA across contrasts. This is partly due to the varying appearance of the boundary between the spinal cord and the cerebrospinal fluid that depends on the sequence and acquisition parameters.