Unlocking success: community engagement for enhanced HIV care outcomes.

Background: Though social determinants are the primary drivers of health, few studies of people living with HIV focus on non-clinical correlates of insecure and/or fragmented connections with the care system. Our team uses linked clinical and multisector non-clinical data to study how residential mobility and connection to social services influence the HIV care continuum. We engage a diverse group of individuals living with HIV and other invested community members to guide and inform this research.

Functional analysis of G6PD variants associated with low G6PD activity in the All of Us Research Program.

The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme protects red blood cells against oxidative damage. Individuals with G6PD-impairing polymorphisms are at risk of hemolytic anemia from oxidative stressors. Prevention of G6PD deficiency-related hemolytic anemia is achievable by identifying affected individuals through G6PD genetic testing.

Epigenetic biomarker for preeclampsia-associated preterm birth and potential preventative medicine.

Preterm birth (PTB) has dramatically increased within the population (i.e. >10%) and preeclampsia is a significant sub-category of PTB.

G protein-coupled receptor 17 inhibits glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion via a Gi/o-dependent mechanism in enteroendocrine cells.

Gut peptides, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), regulate metabolic homeostasis and have emerged as the basis for multiple state-of-the-art diabetes and obesity therapies. We previously showed that G protein-coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) is expressed in intestinal enteroendocrine cells (EECs) and modulates nutrient-induced GLP-1 secretion. However, the GPR17-mediated molecular signaling pathways in EECs have yet to be fully deciphered.

Heterogeneous endocrine cell composition defines human islet functional phenotypes.

Phenotyping and genotyping initiatives within the Integrated Islet Distribution Program (IIDP), the largest source of human islets for research in the U.S., provide standardized assessment of islet preparations distributed to researchers, enabling the integration of multiple data types.

Immediate implant placement in compromised extraction sockets using vestibular socket therapy with acellular dermal matrix versus connective tissue grafts in the esthetic zone: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: Immediate implant placement (IIP) in compromised extraction sockets poses significant challenges in maintaining the contour and level of mucosal tissues. This study compares the efficacy of vestibular socket therapy (VST) combined with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) versus connective tissue grafts (CTG) in IIP within the esthetic zone.

Methods: Twenty participants requiring extraction in the maxillary esthetic zone were randomized into two groups: ADM and CTG (n = 10 each).

Convergence of Alcohol Consumption and Dietary Quality in US Adults Who Currently Drink Alcohol: An Analysis of Two Core Risk Factors of Liver Disease.

Background/objectives: Alcohol consumption and poor dietary habits are on the rise in the United States, posing significant challenges to public health due to their contribution to chronic diseases such as liver failure. While associations between alcohol consumption patterns and diet quality have been explored, the relationship between specific alcoholic beverage types and diet quality remains underexamined. This study aims to compare diet quality among consumers of different alcoholic beverage types.

Internalized Racism and Mental Health: The Moderating Role of Collective Racial Self-Esteem.

Internalized racism is the internalization of beliefs about racism and colonization that contribute to the acceptance of negative messaging or stereotypical misrepresentations that inform perceptions about worth and ability. Internalized racism is associated with psychological distress in racially diverse people. Collective racial self-esteem is a potential protective factor that can serve as a moderator in reducing distress and facilitating psychological well-being.

Optimizing Allocation to Telehealth and In-Person Prolonged Exposure for Women Veterans with Military Sexual Trauma: A Precision Medicine Approach.

Military sexual trauma-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent and costly among women veterans, making the need for effective and accessible treatment of critical importance. Access to care is a key mechanism of mental health disparities and might affect differential response to treatment. The goal of this study was to estimate an individualized treatment rule based on readily available individual characteristics related to access to care to optimize allocation to in-person vs.

A Novel Method for 3D Lung Tumor Reconstruction Using Generative Models.

Background: Lung cancer remains a significant health concern, and the effectiveness of early detection significantly enhances patient survival rates. Identifying lung tumors with high precision is a challenge due to the complex nature of tumor structures and the surrounding lung tissues.

Methods: To address these hurdles, this paper presents an innovative three-step approach that leverages Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and VGG16 algorithms for the accurate reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) lung tumor images.

Implementation and sustainability of systems change for mental health promotion and substance misuse prevention: a qualitative study.

Background: Social determinants of health have been shown to influence individual mental health and overall well-being. Additionally, populations that experience stigma and/or discrimination because of race, class, gender, or another identity group experience disproportionately higher rates of mental health disorders than populations that do not experience such marginalization. One way to address upstream social determinants that influence mental health is through systems change initiatives.

Coordination between the eIF2 kinase GCN2 and p53 signaling supports purine metabolism and the progression of prostate cancer.

Cancers invoke various pathways to mitigate external and internal stresses to continue their growth and progression. We previously reported that the eIF2 kinase GCN2 and the integrated stress response are constitutively active in prostate cancer (PCa) and are required to maintain amino acid homeostasis needed to fuel tumor growth. However, although loss of GCN2 function reduces intracellular amino acid availability and PCa growth, there is no appreciable cell death.

Aerosolized Harmful Algal Bloom Toxin Microcystin-LR Induces Type 1/Type 17 Inflammation of Murine Airways.

Harmful algal blooms are increasing globally and pose serious health concerns releasing cyanotoxins. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), one of the most frequently produced cyanotoxins, has recently been detected in aerosols generated by the normal motions of affected bodies of water. MC-LR aerosol exposure has been linked to a pro-inflammatory influence on the airways of mice; however, little is understood about the underlying mechanism or the potential consequences.

Bioactive Compounds Enhance the Biocompatibility and the Physical Properties of a Glass Ionomer Cement.

In order to characterize a novel restorative material, knowledge about the toxicological effect on human cells and the physical behavior of a glass ionomer cement (GIC) containing flavonoids was established. The flavonoids apigenin, naringenin, quercetin, and liquiritigenin were manually incorporated into a GIC. In the control group, no incorporation was performed.

Accuracy of One-Piece vs. Segmented Three-Dimensional Printed Transfer Trays for Indirect Bracket Placement.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) printed one-piece vs. multiple segmented transfer trays for indirect bonding techniques in moderate and severe crowding cases.

Methods: Eighty digital maxillary dental models were produced by an extraoral scanner.

CFD investigations of a shape-memory polymer foam-based endovascular embolization device for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

The hemodynamic and convective heat transfer effects of a patient-specific endovascular therapeutic agent based on shape-memory polymer foam (SMPf) are evaluated using computational fluid dynamics studies for six patient-specific aneurysm geometries. The SMPf device is modeled as a continuous porous medium with full expansion for the flow studies and with various degrees of expansion for the heat transfer studies. The flow simulation parameters were qualitatively validated based on the existing literature.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy impacts neurofibrillary tangle burden and cognition.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy commonly co-occurs with amyloid β plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration and is proposed to contribute to cognitive impairment. However, the interplay among these pathologic changes of Alzheimer disease is not well understood. Here we replicate and extend findings of a recent study that suggested the association of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and cognitive impairment is mediated by neurofibrillary degeneration.

The effects of young and aged, male and female megakaryocyte conditioned media on angiogenic properties of endothelial cells.

With aging, the risk of fractures and compromised healing increases. Angiogenesis plays a significant role in bone healing and is impaired with aging. We have previously shown the impact of megakaryocytes (MKs) in regulating bone healing.

Emerging round cell sarcomas in children.

Several distinctive round cell sarcomas have emerged by leveraging new testing modalities to include immunohistochemistry, next-generation sequencing, methylation array, and others. While Ewing sarcoma has led the way as the prototypic round cell sarcoma, more recently described round cell sarcomas of bone and soft tissue are now recognized which have unique clinical, morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic signatures. While each of these entities is less common than Ewing sarcoma, it is important to distinguish these tumors for correct diagnosis, prognostication, and potential treatment management.

Diabetic Foot Ulcer Beyond Wound Closure: Clinical Practice Guideline.

A total of 37.3 million Americans have diabetes, and 96 million more have prediabetes. Hyperglycemia, the hallmark of diabetes, increases the risk for diabetes-related complications, including skin breakdown and cardiovascular disease.