Association of a multiplex immune marker panel with incident cognitive impairment and dementia: The Northern Manhattan Study.

Objective: To determine whether a panel of immune markers adds significant information to known correlates of risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.

Background: The impact of immune mechanisms on dementia risk is incompletely characterized.

Design/methods: A subsample of the Northern Manhattan Study, a prospective cohort study in the racially/ethnically diverse population of New York City, underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing up to three times, at approximately 5-year intervals.

Characterization of Pancreatic Collagen-Expressing Fibroblasts in Mouse Acute Pancreatitis.

Background And Aims: Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are critical mediators in chronic pancreatitis with an undefined role in acute pancreatitis (AP). PSCs consist of a heterogenous group of cells and are considered interchangeable with pancreatic fibroblasts. This study explored the heterogeneous nature of PSCs by characterizing pancreatic collagen-expressing fibroblasts (PCFs) via lineage tracing in mouse normal and AP pancreas and determining the effect of PCF depletion in AP.

Robotic Systems in Spinal Surgery: A Review of Accuracy, Radiation Exposure, Hospital Readmission Rate, Cost, and Adverse Events.

Background: Recent advances within the last decade have allowed robotics to become commonplace in the operating room. In the field of neurosurgery, robotics assist surgeons in pedicle screw placement and vertebral fusion procedures. The purpose of this review is to look at currently used spinal robots available on the market and compare their overall accuracy, cost, radiation exposure, general adverse events, and hospital readmission rates.

Ethnic disparities in HbA1c and hypoglycemia among youth with type 1 diabetes: beyond access to technology, social deprivation and mean blood glucose.

Introduction: The UK national pediatric diabetes audit reports higher HbA1c for children and young people (CYP) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) of Black ethnicity compared with White counterparts. This is presumably related to higher mean blood glucose (MBG) due to lower socioeconomic status (SES) and less access to technology. We aimed to determine if HbA1c ethnic disparity persists after accounting for the above variables.

The Anatomy of Gossip: Dissecting Dynamics and Impacts in Surgical Residency.

Background: Gossip, defined by social scientists as "evaluative talk about an absent third party," is anecdotally pervasive yet poorly understood in surgical residency programs. Gossip is known to have both positive and negative impacts. This study sought to deconstruct the role of gossip in surgical residency and evaluate its impact through the lens of surgical residents.

Characterization of Vaccine-Enhanced Humoral Immune Responses Against Emergent SARS-CoV-2 Variants in a Convalescent Cohort.

Vaccination of COVID-19-convalescent individuals may generate 'hybrid' immunity of enhanced magnitude, durability, and cross-reactive breadth. Our primary goal was to characterize hybrid antibody (Ab) responses in a patient cohort infected with ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 virus and vaccinated between 6 and 10 months later with the Wuhan-Hu-1-based BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. We were particularly interested in determining the efficacy of neutralizing Ab responses against subsequently emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Medicaid Expansion Increases Treatment for Patients with Colon Cancer.

Introduction: Medicaid expansion (ME) has positively impacted colon cancer screening. ME's effect on colon cancer treatment is less clear. This study analyses the effect of ME on patterns of colon cancer treatment.

Optimizing UroVysion Fluorescence Hybridization Reflex Testing in Atypical Urothelial Cell Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Cytomorphological Analysis.

Objective: Urinary cytology is a key diagnostic tool for evaluating suspected urinary tract carcinoma, primarily high-grade urothelial carcinoma. The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology (TPS), introduced in 2016, aimed to standardize reporting, though challenges with subjectivity and variability in diagnosing Atypical Urothelial Cells (AUCs) persist.

Methods: This retrospective study explored the correlation between cytomorphological features in "atypical" diagnosis and UroVysion fluorescence hybridization (U-FISH) results.

Social, Racial, and Economic Disparities Affecting Outcomes of Hypertensive Adolescents.

Essential hypertension is one of the most common conditions managed in pediatric cardiology and can result in lasting deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system. Pediatric hypertension is so prevalent in the United States that it is often referred to as a public health challenge. Social determinants of health (SDH) are the cultural, economic, educational, healthcare accessibility, and political influences in the environment in which an individual is born or lives, all of which can affect that individual's overall health.

Tacrolimus- and Mycophenolate-Mediated Toxicity: Clinical Considerations and Options in Management of Post-Transplant Patients.

Tacrolimus and mycophenolate are important immunosuppressive agents used to prevent organ rejection in post-transplant patients. While highly effective, their use is associated with significant toxicity, requiring careful management. Tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, is linked to nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, metabolic disturbances such as diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular complications such as hypertension and arrhythmias.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Real World Data Infrastructure: A Big-Data Resource for Study of the Impact of COVID-19 in Patient Populations With Immunocompromising Conditions.

Background: We developed a United States-based real-world data resource to better understand the continued impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on immunocompromised patients, who are typically underrepresented in prospective studies and clinical trials.

Methods: The COVID-19 Real World Data infrastructure (CRWDi) was created by linking and harmonizing de-identified HealthVerity medical and pharmacy claims data from 1 December 2018 to 31 December 2023, with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virologic and serologic laboratory data from major commercial laboratories and Northwell Health; COVID-19 vaccination data; and, for patients with cancer, 2010 to 2021 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data.

Results: The CRWDi contains 4 cohorts: patients with cancer; patients with rheumatic diseases receiving pharmacotherapy; noncancer solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients; and people from the general population including adults and pediatric patients.

Investigating Risk Factors for Racial Disparity in E-Cigarette Use with PATH Study.

Background: Previous research has identified differences in e-cigarette use and socioeconomic factors between different racial groups However, there is little research examining specific risk factors contributing to the racial differences.

Objective: This study sought to identify racial disparities in e-cigarette use and to determine risk factors that help explain these differences.

Methods: We used Wave 5 (2018-2019) of the Adult Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

Pathways from violence exposure to medication non-adherence: exploration of mental health symptoms and coping in people living with HIV in the U.S. South.

In the current study, we examine associations between exposure to violence and antiretroviral medication adherence in persons with HIV (PWH) in a southern city in the United States. We include investigation of a variety of violence exposures including childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, witnessing family violence, lifetime violence exposures and current stress related to violence experiences, as well as neighborhood violence exposure. We examined associations between violence exposures and adherence and mediational pathways between these variables including mental health symptoms - specifically depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms - as well as coping strategies.

Blockade of AR improved brain perfusion and cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 6.2 million Americans aged 65 and older, particularly women. Along with AD's main hallmarks (formation of β-amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles), there are vascular alterations that occurs in AD pathology.

Sex and age effects on chronic inflammatory pain development, maintenance, and resolution in Wistar rats.

Millions of Americans live with chronic inflammatory pain conditions, and the prevalence of these conditions increases with age and is higher in females. Still, it is poorly understood how sex, age and peripheral gene expression affect the trajectory of chronic inflammatory pain conditions. We used the inflammatory agent, Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA), to systematically test sex and age effects on mechanical and thermal sensitivity in adolescent and adult male and female Wistar rats over 3 weeks (Experiment 1 [onset]) or 11 weeks (Experiment 2 [recovery]).

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Stem Cell Therapies for Pain in Diabetic Neuropathy, Osteoarthritis, and Spinal Cord Injuries.

Purpose Of Review: The use of stem cell therapy is a rapidly evolving and progressing frontier of science that has been used to treat illnesses such as malignancies, immunodeficiencies, and metabolic syndromes. This review aims to give an overview of the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of pain caused by diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other spinal cord pathologies.

Recent Findings: Pain is defined as a generalized or localized feeling of distress related to a physical or emotional stimulus and can be caused by a multitude of pathologies.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Mediated Weight Loss and Diabetes Mellitus Benefits: A Narrative Review.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic diseases with increasing prevalence, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatment and management strategies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as an essential class of drugs for managing both obesity and T2DM, offering additional benefits for cardiovascular and kidney health. GLP-1 RAs work by targeting GLP-1 receptors, mimicking the effects of the natural hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood glucose levels, promote weight loss, and provide potential benefits for cardiovascular health.

Assessing the State of Published Research Concerning COVID-19 and Transgender and Nonbinary People in the United States via a Scoping Review: Lessons Learned for Future Public Health Crises.

Transgender and nonbinary people (TNB) experienced a disproportionate burden of poor health and socioeconomic outcomes resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, largely driven by increased vulnerability due to pervasive structural discrimination. To characterize the extent and nature of TNB inclusivity within COVID-19 research, we conducted a scoping review of studies published in English from 2019-2022 reporting COVID-19 pandemic impacts on TNB individuals in the United States. We searched PubMed (PubMed.

Muscle power is associated with higher levels of walking capacity and self-reported gait performance and physical activity in individuals with cerebral palsy.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a Power Leg Press test (PLP) with walking capacity and self-reported performance and participation in individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP), and to compare the strength of the associations between two power tests (PLP and isokinetic (IsoK)) with walking capacity.

Methods: Ambulatory individuals with CP (n = 33; age 17.89 ± 7.

Coccidioidal Meningitis in a Patient With HIV.

Coccidioidal meningitis is a rare yet life-threatening complication of disseminated infection, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals.  and  are dimorphic fungi endemic to the southwestern United States, where exposure to inhaled spores can lead to a range of clinical manifestations, including pulmonary and central nervous system (CNS) involvement. This report describes the case of a 27-year-old correctional officer with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who presented with chronic headaches, altered mental status, and significant weight loss following his relocation from Arizona to Louisiana.

Racial disparities of type 2 diabetes through exercise: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Introduction: Persistent racial and ethnic disparities exist for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the United States. Racial and ethnic minorities have higher T2D risk and studies suggest they engage in less exercise than Whites. This study examined whether, and to what degree, racial differences in T2D were explained by exercise.

Exercise Therapy Rescues Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction and Exercise Intolerance in Cardiometabolic HFpEF.

Exercise intolerance, a hallmark of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) exacerbated by obesity, involves unclear mechanisms related to skeletal muscle metabolism. In a "2-hit" model of HFpEF, we investigated the ability of exercise therapy (voluntary wheel running) to reverse skeletal muscle dysfunction and exercise intolerance. Using state-of-the-art metabolic cages and a multiomic approach, we demonstrate exercise can rescue dysfunctional skeletal muscle lipid and branched-chain amino acid oxidation and restore exercise capacity in mice with cardiometabolic HFpEF.

Assessment, Decision, Adaptation, Production, Topical Experts-Integration, Training, and Testing (ADAPT-ITT) Framework to Tailor Evidence-Based Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment for People With HIV to Enhance Engagement and Adherence: Qualitative Results from a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Individuals with co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and HIV are at high-risk for negative HIV-related outcomes, including low adherence to antiretroviral therapy, faster disease progression, more hospitalizations, and almost twice the rate of death. Despite high rates of PTSD in persons with HIV (PWH) and poor HIV-related health outcomes associated with PTSD, an effective evidence-based treatment for PTSD symptoms in PWH does not exist.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the adaptation and theater testing of an evidence-based intervention designed for people with co-occurring PTSD and HIV.

Decoding the blueprint of receptor binding by filoviruses through large-scale binding assays and machine learning.

Evidence suggests that bats are important hosts of filoviruses, yet the specific species involved remain largely unidentified. Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) is an essential entry receptor, with amino acid variations influencing viral susceptibility and species-specific tropism. Herein, we conducted combinatorial binding studies with seven filovirus glycoproteins (GPs) and NPC1 orthologs from 81 bat species.

The percentage of sacroiliac fusions done in the U.S. by non-surgical specialties has increased.

Background: Surgical fusion of the sacroiliac (SI) joint is often performed to manage chronic lower back or buttock pain. When Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were introduced, SI joint fusion procedures were done primarily by orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of SI joint fusion CPT codes by physician specialty over time.