Tumor cells upregulate neurotransmitter GABA in the choroid plexus through STAT6-Bestrophin1 signaling, promoting leptomeningeal dissemination.

Background: Leptomeningeal dissemination (LMD) occurs when tumor cells interact with choroid plexus epithelium (CPE) to gain access to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain's meninges and ventricular system. This disease is particularly devastating for patients due to our limited understanding and few therapeutic options. The leptomeningeal CSF is a nutritionally deprived microenvironment for tumor cells.

40 is the new 50: reducing the need for platelet transfusions prior to lumbar puncture in adults with hematologic malignancies.

Not available.

Enhanced porphyrin-based hypoxia imaging by temporal oversampling of delayed fluorescence signal.

Significance: Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) delayed fluorescence (DF) is inversely related to the oxygen present in tissues and has potential as a novel biomarker for surgical guidance and real-time tissue metabolism assessment. Despite the unique promise of this technique, its successful clinical translation is limited by the low intensity emitted.

Aim: We developed a systematic study of ways to increase the PpIX DF signal through acquisition sampling changes, allowing optimized imaging at video rates.

Assessing ChatGPT's Capability in Addressing Thyroid Cancer Patient Queries: A Comprehensive Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Context: Literature suggests patients with thyroid cancer have unmet informational needs in many aspects of care. Patients often turn to online resources for their health-related information, and generative artificial intelligence programs such as ChatGPT are an emerging and attractive resource for patients.

Objective: To assess the quality of ChatGPT's responses to thyroid cancer-related questions.

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.

Solid state NMR spectral editing of histidine, arginine and lysine using Hadamard encoding.

The NMR signals from protein sidechains are rich in information about intra- and inter-molecular interactions, but their detection can be complicated due to spectral overlap as well as conformational and hydrogen exchange. In this work, we demonstrate a protocol for multi-dimensional solid-state NMR spectral editing of signals from basic sidechains based on Hadamard matrix encoding. The Hadamard method acquires multi-dimensional experiments in such a way that both the backbone and under-sampled sidechain signals can be decoded for unambiguous editing in the N spectral frequency dimension.

Social mixing patterns of United States healthcare personnel at a quaternary health center: a prospective observational study.

Background: Understanding healthcare personnel's (HCP) contact patterns are important to mitigate healthcare-associated infectious disease transmission. Little is known about how HCP contact patterns change over time or during outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study in a large United States healthcare system examined the social contact patterns of HCP via standardized social contact diaries.

Sequence variants in HECTD1 result in a variable neurodevelopmental disorder.

Dysregulation of genes encoding the homologous to E6AP C-terminus (HECT) E3 ubiquitin ligases has been linked to cancer and structural birth defects. One member of this family, the HECT-domain-containing protein 1 (HECTD1), mediates developmental pathways, including cell signaling, gene expression, and embryogenesis. Through GeneMatcher, we identified 14 unrelated individuals with 15 different variants in HECTD1 (10 missense, 3 frameshift, 1 nonsense, and 1 splicing variant) with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and epilepsy.

Discovery of a MET-driven monogenic cause of steatotic liver disease.

Background Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects about a third of adults worldwide and is projected soon to be the leading cause of cirrhosis. It occurs when fat accumulates in hepatocytes and can progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. MASLD pathogenesis is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors.

Can social pain be medicated away? A pilot study on everyday discrimination and its exacerbation of opioid misuse risk in people of color with chronic pain.

Despite mounting evidence of a robust relation between discrimination and poor pain outcomes in people of color (POC) with chronic pain, little is known about everyday discrimination's role in increasing the risk of opioid misuse and its potential interactive effects. This study aimed to evaluate the potential moderating effect of everyday discrimination on the relationship between chronic pain severity and the risk of opioid misuse among POC with chronic pain. Everyday discrimination was assessed using the 9-item Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS), while the risk of opioid misuse was measured with the 14-item Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP).

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging responses in head and neck cancer patients treated with magnetic resonance-guided hypofractionated radiation therapy.

Background And Purpose: Quantitative MRI (qMRI) has been explored for detecting tumor changes during radiation therapy (RT) in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Clinical trials show prolonged survival with PD-1 targeted immune checkpoint inhibition. Hypofractionated radiation regimens are being studied to counteract radioresistant clonogen formation.

The transfer of care experience in young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Objectives: To explore the experiences and perceptions of young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) after they transferred care from a pediatric to an adult clinic, utilizing an organized transfer process that included a Diabetes Transition Clinic (DTC) and a transfer letter (TL).

Methods: This retrospective study used a semi-structured interview 1-1.5 years after transfer of care, which gathered both quantitative and qualitative data of young adults (n=12) who transferred care at an average age of 19.

Brain Age as a New Measure of Disease Stratification in Huntington's Disease.

Background: Despite advancements in understanding Huntington's disease (HD) over the past two decades, absence of disease-modifying treatments remains a challenge. Accurately characterizing progression states is crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions. Various factors contribute to this challenge, including the need for precise methods that can account for the complex nature of HD progression.

Associations between common genetic variants and income provide insights about the socio-economic health gradient.

We conducted a genome-wide association study on income among individuals of European descent (N = 668,288) to investigate the relationship between socio-economic status and health disparities. We identified 162 genomic loci associated with a common genetic factor underlying various income measures, all with small effect sizes (the Income Factor). Our polygenic index captures 1-5% of income variance, with only one fourth due to direct genetic effects.

Interleukin-17: A pleiotropic cytokine implicated in inflammatory, infectious, and malignant disorders.

IL-17A, referred to as IL-17, is the founding member of a family of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, IL-17E (or IL-25), and IL-17F, which act via receptors IL-17RA to IL-17RE, and elicit potent cellular responses that impact diverse diseases. IL-17's interactions with various cytokines include forming a heterodimer with IL-17F and being stimulated by IL-23's activation of Th17 cells, which can lead to inflammation and autoimmunity. IL-17 is implicated in infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, promoting neutrophil recruitment and anti-bacterial immunity, but potentially exacerbating fungal and viral infections, revealing its dual role as protective and pathologic.

Rapamycin-resistant polyclonal Th1/Tc1 cell therapy (RAPA-201) safely induces disease remissions in relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma.

Background: Polyclonal autologous T cells that are epigenetically reprogrammed through mTOR inhibition and IFN-α polarization (RAPA-201) represent a novel approach to the adoptive T cell therapy of cancer. Ex vivo inhibition of mTOR results causes a shift towards T central memory (T) whereas ex vivo IFN-α promotes type I cytokines, with each of these functions known to enhance the adoptive T cell therapy of cancer. Rapamycin-resistant T cells polarized for a type II cytokine phenotype were previously evaluated in the allogeneic transplantation context.

Perinatal Mental Health Disorders and Resilience in Patients with Fetal Anomalies.

Objective:  Pregnant women face heightened vulnerability to mental health disorders (MHDs). There remains a lack of data during the antenatal period, particularly for high-risk subpopulations such as those with fetal anomalies. Understanding the psychological impact of women receiving a fetal anomaly diagnosis is crucial, as it can lead to MHDs.

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.

A Sneaky Culprit: Secondary Infectious Keratitis Due to Brevundimonas diminuta.

Purpose: To describe a rare case of infectious keratitis secondary to Brevundimonas diminuta, a gram-negative bacillus with fluoroquinolone resistance and rare clinical isolation.

Methods: A 50-year-old man with contact lens overuse presented with a large corneal ulcer and hand motion visual acuity. Initial treatment with fortified topical tobramycin and vancomycin yielded slow improvement, and initial culture grew Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, and Corynebacterium bovis.

International Urogynecology Consultation Chapter 3 Committee 1 - Pessary Management.

Introduction And Hypothesis: This manuscript is part of the International Urogynecological Consultation (IUC) on Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), Chapter 3, Committee 1 focusing on pessary management of POP.

Methods: A narrative review was conducted by an international, multi-disciplinary group of clinicians working in the field of pelvic health following a search of the literature using the MeSH terms "pelvic organ prolapse" OR "urogenital prolapse" OR "vaginal prolapse" OR "uterovaginal prolapse" AND "pessary" OR "support device" OR "intravaginal device." Relevant studies, as determined after review using the Covidence manuscript review platform, were included.

Promoting Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Medical and Scientific Writing and Publishing of Research: A Statement from the Inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advocacy Team of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) has a long-standing history of publishing manuscripts focused on health equity and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in scientific writing and publishing. This is extremely important in the current climate where false narratives and attacks on DEI and health equity are rampant. To demonstrate their commitment to DEI and health equity, the JGIM Editors-in-Chief created an inaugural DEI Advocacy Team.