Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth.

Rapid growth in bio-logging-the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife-offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption.

The gap between surgeon goal and achieved sagittal alignment in adult cervical spine deformity surgery.

Objective: Malalignment following cervical spine deformity (CSD) surgery can negatively impact outcomes and increase complications. Despite the growing ability to plan alignment, it remains unclear whether preoperative goals are achieved with surgery. The objective of this study was to assess how good surgeons are at achieving their preoperative goal alignment following CSD surgery.

The Pelvic Floor Disorders Network: Evolution Over Two Decades of Female Pelvic Floor Research.

Importance: This review aimed to describe research initiatives, evolution, and processes of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-supported Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN). This may be of interest and inform researchers wishing to conduct multisite coordinated research initiatives as well as to provide perspective to all urogynecologists regarding how the PFDN has evolved and functions.

Study Design: Principal investigators of several PFDN clinical sites and Data Coordinating Center describe more than 20 years of development and maturation of the PFDN.

A weak edge estimation based multi-task neural network for OCT segmentation.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) offers high-resolution images of the eye's fundus. This enables thorough analysis of retinal health by doctors, providing a solid basis for diagnosis and treatment. With the development of deep learning, deep learning-based methods are becoming more popular for fundus OCT image segmentation.

Incidence of Adjacent Synchronous Ipsilateral Infiltrating Carcinoma and/or Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in Patients Diagnosed with Flat Epithelial Atypia by Core Needle Biopsy (TBCRC 034).

Background: Flat epithelial atypia (FEA), a rare breast proliferative lesion, is often diagnosed following core biopsy (CB) of mammographic microcalcifications. In the prospective multi-institution TBCRC 034 trial, we investigate the upgrade rate to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or invasive cancer following excision for patients diagnosed with FEA on CB.

Patients And Methods: Patients with a breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) ≤ 4 imaging abnormality and a concordant CB diagnosis of FEA were identified for excision.

SNP rs6543176 is associated with extreme human longevity but increased risk for cancer.

Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) might offer insights into rare genetic variants associated with healthy aging and extreme longevity (EL), potentially pointing to useful therapeutic targets. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study using WGS data from the Long Life Family Study and identified a novel longevity-associated variant rs6543176 in the SLC9A2 gene. This SNP also showed a significant association with reduced hypertension risk and an increased, though not statistically significant, cancer risk.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and progression are significantly influenced by ApoE genotypes, with ApoE4 increasing and ApoE2 decreasing the susceptibility compared to ApoE3. Understanding metabolic pathways affected by ApoE genotypes will help decipher disease development and identify new therapeutic targets.

Method: This study investigates the impact of ApoE genotypes on aging brain metabolic trajectories using human ApoE-targeted replacement mice.

Return to Play After Arthroscopic Superior Labral Repair: A Systematic Review.

Background: Superior labral tears are common shoulder injuries among athletes, and for athletes undergoing surgical intervention, one of the main priorities is to return to preinjury levels of activity in a timely manner. However, the literature surrounding return to play after superior labral repair presents inconsistent results, with limited studies evaluating the timing of return to play.

Purpose: To systematically review the rate and timing of return to play in athletes after arthroscopic superior labral repair.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Although the rate of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in African-ancestry (AA) Americans is higher than that of persons from European-ancestry (EA) populations, AA participants have been underrepresented in AD neuropathological studies.

Method: Utilizing the AD Research Centers (ADRC) infrastructure, we obtained AA donor pre-frontal cortex (PFC) tissue from brain repositories of 12 ADRC and generated bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data for 179 samples that met QC and inclusion criteria. Previously generated PFC RNAseq data were obtained for 28 additional AA donors from the Columbia University ADRC.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Interventional trials in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are increasingly targeting early disease stages. To optimize the likelihood of successful outcomes for these trials, there is an important need for tools capable of identifying individuals prone to exhibit clinical progression throughout the course of the trial. The Expanded Brief Assessment of Cognition (Expanded-BAC) and the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool - Short List (VRFCAT-SLx) are two computerized tests assessing cognitive and functional abilities, respectively.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Neurocognitive health is influenced by multiple modifiable and non-modifiable lifestyle factors. Machine learning tools offer a promising approach to better understand complex models of cognitive function. We used extreme gradient boosting (XG Boost), an algorithm of decision-tree modeling, to analyze the association between 15 late-life lifestyle and demographic factors with episodic memory performance.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: The impact of knowledge of β-amyloid status on cognitively unimpaired persons' cognitive test performance is unknown.

Method: Cognitively unimpaired adults aged 65-80 with a first-degree relative with AD received a dementia risk estimate and were randomly assigned to disclosure (D+) or non-disclosure (D-) of their β-amyloid PET scan result. At 6 weeks and 6 months post-disclosure, participants completed the ADCS-PACC, a composite of Free and Cued Selective Reminding (free portion), Logical Memory IIa test, Digit-Symbol Substitution, and MMSE.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Over 13,000 individuals from both domestic and African sites will be collected for the READD-ADSP study. Adjudicating this number of individuals is challenging, so we evaluated knowledge-based decision tree algorithms to predict clinical diagnoses using nationally representative norms and standard cut-offs. Additional models were constructed using culturally adjusted cut-offs, domain average cut-offs, and exclusion of the Trail Making Test (TMT) which performed poorly.

The Cumulative Burden of Social Risk Factors and 10-Year Change in Quality of Life.

Background: Social risk factors are linked to adverse health outcomes, but their total impact on long-term quality of life is obscure. We hypothesized that a higher burden of social risk factors is associated with greater decline in quality of life over 10 years.

Methods: We examined associations between social risk factors count and decline >5 points in (i) physical component summary, and (ii) mental component summary scores from the Short Form-12 among Black and White participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (n = 14 401).

Global, regional, and national burden of primary liver cancer attributable to metabolic risks: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021.

Background: The global burden of metabolic diseases is increasing, but estimates of their impact on primary liver cancer are uncertain. We aimed to assess the global burden of primary liver cancer attributable to metabolic risk factors, including high body mass index (BMI) and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, between 1990 and 2021.

Methods: The total number and age-standardized rates of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from primary liver cancer attributable to each metabolic risk factor were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021.

Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Sotalol Following Expedited Intravenous Loading in Patients With Atrial Arrhythmias.

Sotalol, a class III antiarrhythmic agent, is used to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AFIB/AFL). Despite its efficacy, sotalol's use is limited by its potential to cause life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias due to QT interval prolongation. Traditionally, sotalol administration required hospitalization to monitor these risks.

Diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia: blood plasma and optical coherence tomography.

Accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia is crucial for enabling timely interventions and improving patient outcomes. This study evaluates the diagnostic performance of plasma biomarkers (neurofilament light chain and phosphorylated tau181) and retinal biomarkers (retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer), individually and in combination, in differentiating moderate cognitive impairment and dementia from mild cognitive impairment and no cognitive impairment. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 509 participants, aged 50 and older, recruited from a memory clinic.

Comorbid conditions and survival among Black women with ovarian cancer.

Background: Black women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have worse survival and a higher burden of comorbid conditions compared with other racial groups. This study examines the association of comorbid conditions and medication use for these conditions with survival among Black women with EOC.

Methods: In a prospective study of 592 Black women with EOC, the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) based on self-reported data, three cardiometabolic comorbidities (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia), and medication use for each cardiometabolic comorbidity were evaluated.

The impact of common and rare genetic variants on bradyarrhythmia development.

To broaden our understanding of bradyarrhythmias and conduction disease, we performed common variant genome-wide association analyses in up to 1.3 million individuals and rare variant burden testing in 460,000 individuals for sinus node dysfunction (SND), distal conduction disease (DCD) and pacemaker (PM) implantation. We identified 13, 31 and 21 common variant loci for SND, DCD and PM, respectively.

Mechanical regulation of macrophage metabolism by allograft inflammatory factor 1 leads to adverse remodeling after cardiac injury.

Myocardial infarction (MI) mobilizes macrophages, the central protagonists of tissue repair in the infarcted heart. Although necessary for repair, macrophages also contribute to adverse remodeling and progression to heart failure. In this context, specific targeting of inflammatory macrophage activation may attenuate maladaptive responses and enhance cardiac repair.

Quantitative comparison of vascular characteristics of plus disease images published over time: International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Plus disease was first defined in the original International Classification of retinopathy of prematurity (ICROP) publication in 1984. Over time, the definition of plus disease has evolved, and each ensuing ICROP publication has included example plus disease images. Because plus disease is often present when treatment is indicated, it is important to evaluate whether the retinal vascular characteristics (ie, dilation and tortuosity) depicted in these example images have remained the same or changed over time.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Collecting Passive Smartphone Data for Potential Use in Digital Phenotyping Among Family Caregivers and Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Purpose: Modeling passively collected smartphone sensor data (called digital phenotyping) has the potential to detect distress among family caregivers and patients with advanced cancer and could lead to novel clinical models of cancer care. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of collecting passive smartphone data from family caregivers and their care recipients with advanced cancer over 24 weeks.

Methods: This was an observational feasibility study.

Development of a physical performance summary score in middle age: Findings from the CARDIA Function study.

Few physical performance batteries exist that appropriately evaluate physical limitations in middle-aged adults. We aimed to develop a physical performance summary score that is appropriate for use in epidemiology studies of middle-aged adults using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Function study, which assessed self-reported function (PROMIS-SF20a) and physical performance measures (gait speed, balance, lower-body strength, grip strength, and cardiovascular endurance). The CARDIA Physical Performance (CAPP) score was developed using sex-specific quartiles, assigning points based on these quartiles (0 for not attempted, 1-4 for each quartile), and summing points across all performance measures (0-20, higher scores reflect greater performance).

Whole-exome sequencing association study reveals genetic effects on tumor microenvironment components in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) presents a substantial clinical challenge due to the limited understanding of its genetic underpinnings. Here we conduct the largest scale whole-exome sequencing association study of NPC to date, encompassing 6,969 NPC cases and 7,100 controls. We unveil 3 germline genetic variants linked to NPC susceptibility: a common rs2276868 in RPL14, a rare rs5361 in SELE, and a common rs1050462 in HLA-B.