Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Men's Health Clinic Efficiency and Clinic Billing.

Purpose Of Review: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has produced a significant impact across various industries, including healthcare. In the outpatient clinic setting, AI offers promising improvements in efficiency through Chatbots, streamlined medical documentation, and personalized patient education materials. On the billing side, AI technologies hold potential for optimizing the selection of appropriate billing codes, automating prior authorizations, and enhancing healthcare fraud detection.

'You want to shield your kids': Patients' and their adult-children's serious illness conversations.

Context: Timely and transparent serious illness conversations (SIC) between family caregivers and patients facilitate high-quality end-of-life care and patients' and family caregivers' mental wellbeing, but frequently do not occur, happen too late, or are incomplete. While social relations and roles shape communication, few studies explore their influence on patient-caregiver SICs.

Objectives: Investigate how the parent-child relation and roles shape SICs between cancer patients and their adult-child caregivers (ACC), the largest caregiver population.

Historic rewiring of grass flowering time pathways and implications for crop improvement under climate change.

Grasses are fundamental to human survival, providing a large percentage of our calories, fuel, and fodder for livestock, and an enormous global carbon sink. A particularly important part of the grass plant is the grain-producing inflorescence that develops in response to both internal and external signals that converge at the shoot tip to influence meristem behavior. Abiotic signals that trigger reproductive development vary across the grass family, mostly due to the unique ecological and phylogenetic histories of each clade.

Amyloid beta Aβ activates Piezo1 channels in brain capillary endothelial cells.

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide accumulation on blood vessels in the brain is a hallmark of neurodegeneration. While Aβ peptides constrict cerebral arteries and arterioles, their impact on capillaries is less understood. Aβ was recently shown to constrict brain capillaries through pericyte contraction, but whether-and if so how-Aβ affects endothelial cells (ECs) remains unknown.

Alterations of T Cell Subsets Associated with Sickle Cell Trait.

Sickle cell trait (SCT) has been associated with alterations in various immune-related laboratory parameters including lower circulating lymphocyte counts. To further characterize the impact of SCT on the immune system, we performed flow cytometry of monocyte and lymphocyte immune cell subsets from peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected in a large, community-based cohort of SCT-positive (n = 68) and SCT-negative (n = 959) Black adults. SCT was significantly associated with lower proportions of CD8 and CD4 T cell subsets that include senescent-like markers of repeated immune system challenges.

Single Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of -Associated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Across Species Reveals Conservation of Biological Process But Not Gene Expression.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heritable heart disease where the most frequently associated mutations occur in the myosin-binding protein C () sarcomere-associated gene. HCM is also a common veterinary clinical problem in certain cat breeds such as Maine Coons and Ragdolls, also most associated with mutations in . Mouse models of HCM in which mutations are introduced recapitulate some, but not all, features of human HCM.

Peripheral risk factors and their role in biomarker-based screening for dementia in the community.

Introduction: Peripheral risk factors (PRFs) may correlate with dementia plasma biomarkers, potentially reflecting peripheral rather than brain health. This study explores the associations between PRFs and plasma biomarkers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and total-tau, and their role in predicting future dementia.

Methods: Data from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (2002-2015) included 4353 participants mean age of 76.

Impact of Nonmedical Switches From Reference Infliximab to Biosimilars on Disease Control Within a Rheumatology Practice.

Infliximab is an anti-tumor necrosis factor agent used to treat rheumatologic disease. Evidence on the safety of switching to biosimilars and the associated risk factors for flares/loss of disease control within rheumatology is limited. The primary objective is to evaluate nonmedical switches from reference infliximab to biosimilars in rheumatology on risks and level of disease control.

Trans-Specific Polymorphisms Between Cryptic Daphnia Species Affect Fitness and Behavior.

Shared polymorphisms, loci with identical alleles across species, are of unique interest in evolutionary biology as they may represent cases of selection maintaining ancient genetic variation post-speciation, or contemporary selection promoting convergent evolution. In this study, we investigate the abundance of shared polymorphism between two members of the Daphnia pulex species complex. We test whether the presence of shared mutations is consistent with the action of balancing selection or alternative hypotheses such as hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting or convergent evolution.

Microglial cell proliferation is regulated, in part, by reactive astrocyte ETB signaling after ischemic stroke.

Reciprocal communication between reactive astrocytes and microglial cells provides local, coordinated control over critical processes such as neuroinflammation, neuroprotection, and scar formation after CNS injury, but is poorly understood. The vasoactive peptide hormone endothelin (ET) is released and/or secreted by endothelial cells, microglial cells and astrocytes early after ischemic stroke and other forms of brain injury. To better understand glial cell communication after stroke, we sought to identify paracrine effectors produced and secreted downstream of astroglial endothelin receptor B (ETB) signaling.

Disparities in mortality outcomes among older adults with communication disabilities using the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Objective: To examine if a nationally representative population of older adults with communication disabilities (CDs) have a higher risk of mortality when compared to older adults without these disabilities, independent of sociodemographic, health, and other disability characteristics.

Design: Retrospective, cohort study. We conducted a survival analysis using multivariable Cox-proportional hazards regression, adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and other disability characteristics.

Contributing factors to the oxidation-induced mutational landscape in human cells.

8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is a common oxidative DNA lesion that causes G > T substitutions. Determinants of local and regional differences in 8-oxoG-induced mutability across genomes are currently unknown. Here, we show DNA oxidation induces G > T substitutions and insertion/deletion (INDEL) mutations in human cells and cancers.

Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Literature Review.

In addition to traditional risk factors, patients with breast cancer are at an increased risk of atrial fibrillation due to cancer itself and certain cancer therapies. Atrial fibrillation in these patients adds to their morbidity and mortality. The precise mechanisms leading to the increased atrial fibrillation in patients with breast cancer are not well understood.

Artificial intelligence in emergency and trauma radiology: ASER AI/ML expert panel Delphi consensus statement on research guidelines, practices, and priorities.

Background: Emergency/trauma radiology artificial intelligence (AI) is maturing along all stages of technology readiness, with research and development (R&D) ranging from data curation and algorithm development to post-market monitoring and retraining.

Purpose: To develop an expert consensus document on best research practices and methodological priorities for emergency/trauma radiology AI.

Methods: A Delphi consensus exercise was conducted by the ASER AI/ML expert panel between 2022-2024.

Discovery of an Orally Efficacious Pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidine Benzoxaborole as a Potent Inhibitor of .

Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by the parasite resulting in over 100,000 deaths annually. Here, we present a structure-activity relationship study of the benzoic acid position (R) of pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidine lead SLU-2815 (), an inhibitor of parasite phosphodiesterase PDE1, resulting in the discovery of benzoxaborole SLU-10906 () as a benzoic acid bioisostere. Benzoxaborole is 10-fold more potent than against the parasite in a cell-based infection model (EC = 0.

Generation of Isolated Flat Bands with Tunable Numbers through Moiré Engineering.

In contrast to the Dirac-cone materials in which the low-energy spectrum features a pseudospin-1/2 structure, Lieb and Dice lattices both host triply degenerate low-energy excitations. Here, we discuss moiré structures involving twisted bilayers of these lattices, which are shown to exhibit a tunable number of isolated flat bands near the Fermi level due to the bipartite nature of their structures. These flat bands remain isolated from the high-energy bands even in the presence of small higher-order terms and chiral-symmetry-breaking interlayer tunneling.

Long-term impact of atrial fibrillation catheter ablation on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: The efficacy of catheter ablation as a treatment approach for patients with concurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been inadequately investigated.

Objective: This study's objective was to assess the effectiveness of atrial fibrillation ablation (AFA) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Methods: Utilizing the TriNetX research network, we identified individuals aged 18 and older with atrial fibrillation (AF) and concurrent heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) from January 1, 2010, to June 1, 2021.

Another way? An investigation into an institution's use of the Wayson stain in re-evaluating "no organisms seen" on Gram stain smears from positive blood cultures.

Automated continuous monitoring blood culture instruments identify metabolism byproducts and flag blood culture bottles as "positive." A Gram stain is used to visualize and characterize the microbial growth in the broth and initiate additional testing. When no organisms are seen (NOS) on Gram stain, in our laboratory, bottles are reevaluated with a Wayson stain, a rapid one-step stain that provides contrast between organisms and the background, especially in Gram-negative organisms.

Humoral correlate of vaccine-mediated protection from tuberculosis identified in humans and non-human primates.

Development of an effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccine has been challenged by incomplete understanding of specific factors that provide protection against (Mtb) and the lack of a known correlate of protection (CoP). Using a combination of samples from a vaccine showing efficacy (DarDar [NCT00052195]) and Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-immunized humans and nonhuman primates (NHP), we identify a humoral CoP that translates across species and vaccine regimens. Antibodies specific to the DarDar vaccine strain () sonicate (MOS) correlate with protection from the efficacy endpoint of definite TB.

The CECR2 bromodomain displays distinct binding modes to select for acetylated histone proteins versus non-histone ligands.

The cat eye syndrome chromosome region candidate 2 (CECR2) protein is an epigenetic regulator involved in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional control. The CECR2 bromodomain (CECR2-BRD) plays a pivotal role in directing the activity of CECR2 through its capacity to recognize and bind acetylated lysine residues on histone proteins. This study elucidates the binding specificity and structural mechanisms of CECR2-BRD interactions with both histone and non-histone ligands, employing techniques such as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and a high-throughput peptide assay.

Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Agonists Reduce Cardiovascular Events in Cancer Patients on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP1a), initially developed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have shown promising results in reducing cardiovascular events. We aimed to investigate the effect of GLP1a on cardiovascular events in patients receiving ICIs.

AAHPM Assessment Workgroup: Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Assessment Needs and Directions.

Context: Medical education is moving towards competency based medical education (CBME). This provides opportunities and challenges for the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM). The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) created the Assessment Workgroup to spearhead a shared vision and process to implement high-quality assessment of fellow performance.