Advancements in Artificial Intelligence in Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging: A Comprehensive Review.

Background: Technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are redefining cardiac imaging by providing advanced tools for analyzing complex health data. AI is increasingly applied across various imaging modalities, including echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and nuclear imaging, to enhance diagnostic workflows and improve patient outcomes.

Hypothesis: Integrating AI into cardiac imaging enhances image quality, accelerates processing times, and improves diagnostic accuracy, enabling timely and personalized interventions that lead to better health outcomes.

Plasma Endothelin-1 Levels: Non-Predictors of Alzheimer's Disease Reveal Age Correlation in African American Women.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minorities. Contributing biological factors that explain this disparity have been elusive. Moreover, non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of AD are needed.

The impact of imprecise case definitions in electronic health record research: a melanoma case-study from the Million Veteran Program.

Cases for a disease can be defined broadly using diagnostic codes, or narrowly using gold-standard confirmation that often is not available in large administrative datasets. These different definitions can have significant impacts on the results and conclusions of studies. We conducted this study to assess how using melanoma phecodes versus histologic confirmation for invasive or in situ melanoma impacts the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Million Veteran Program.

Exploring RNA-Seq Data Analysis Through Visualization Techniques and Tools: A Systematic Review of Opportunities and Limitations for Clinical Applications.

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has emerged as a prominent resource for transcriptomic analysis due to its ability to measure gene expression in a highly sensitive and accurate manner. With the increasing availability of RNA-seq data analysis from clinical studies and patient samples, the development of effective visualization tools for RNA-seq analysis has become increasingly important to help clinicians and biomedical researchers better understand the complex patterns of gene expression associated with health and disease. This review aims to outline the current state-of-the-art data visualization techniques and tools commonly used to frame clinical inferences from RNA-seq data and point out their benefits, applications, and limitations.

Taba Binary, Multinomial, and Ordinal Regression Models: New Machine Learning Methods for Classification.

The classification methods of machine learning have been widely used in almost every discipline. A new classification method, called Taba regression, was introduced for analyzing binary, multinomial, and ordinal outcomes. To evaluate the performance of Taba regression, liver cirrhosis data obtained from a Mayo Clinic study were analyzed.

True cancer stem cells exhibit relative degrees of dormancy and genomic stability.

Background: Cancer stem cells in human tumors have been defined by stem cell markers, embryonal signaling pathways and characteristic biology, ie., namely the ability to repopulate the proliferating population. However, even if these properties can be demonstrated within a tumor cell subpopulation, it does not mean that they are truly hierarchical stem cells because they could have been derived from the proliferating population in a reversible manner.

Efficacy and empathy of AI chatbots in answering frequently asked questions on oral oncology.

Objectives: Artificial intelligence chatbots have demonstrated feasibility and efficacy in improving health outcomes. In this study, responses from 5 different publicly available AI chatbots-Bing, GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Google Bard, and Claude-to frequently asked questions related to oral cancer were evaluated.

Estrogen receptors in mitochondrial metabolism: age-related changes and implications for pregnancy complications.

Estrogen hormones are primarily associated with their role as female sex hormones responsible for primary and secondary sexual development. Estrogen receptors are known to undergo age-dependent decreases due to age-related changes in hormone production. In the mitochondria, estrogen functions by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species in the electron transport chain, inhibiting apoptosis, and regulating mitochondrial DNA content.

NKX6.3 modulation of mitotic dynamics and genomic stability in gastric carcinogenesis.

Background: Gastric cancer remains a significant global health challenge, characterized by poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Mitotic integrity and genomic stability are crucial in maintaining cellular homeostasis and preventing tumorigenesis. The transcription factor NKX6.

Public perceptions of meniscus tears: Evaluating knowledge gaps and the role of education.

Background: Meniscus tears are common, occurring acutely during sports or as degenerative tears with aging. Limited information exists about the public's understanding of these injuries and their management.

Hypothesis/purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the public's baseline understanding of meniscus tear management and assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve their understanding.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM) - associated cognitive impairment and morbidity in humans and animal models: a systematic review.

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM) is one of the criteria air pollutants that (1) serve as an essential carrier of airborne toxicants arising from combustion-related events including emissions from industries, automobiles, and wildfires and (2) play an important role in transient to long-lasting cognitive dysfunction as well as several other neurological disorders. A systematic review was conducted to address differences in study design and various biochemical and molecular markers employed to elucidate neurological disorders in PM -exposed humans and animal models.

Presentation, management and outcomes of ruptured intracranial aneurysms in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Approximately two percent of the world's population are affected by intracranial aneurysms (IAs). This study aimed to evaluate literature regarding presentation, treatment and outcomes of ruptured IAs in Africa.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Epigenetic Regulation of Innate and Adaptive Immune Cells in Salt-Sensitive Hypertension.

Access to excess dietary sodium has heightened the risk of cardiovascular diseases, particularly affecting individuals with salt sensitivity of blood pressure. Our research indicates that innate antigen-presenting immune cells contribute to rapid blood pressure increases in response to excess sodium intake. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic reprogramming, with subsequent transcriptional and metabolic changes, of innate immune cells allows these cells to have a sustained response to repetitive stimuli.

Expert advice from ResearchMatch volunteers: Recruitment Innovation Center use cases and innovation.

Involving participants in the design of clinical trials should improve the overall success of a study. For this to occur, streamlined mechanisms are needed to connect the populations potentially impacted by a given study or health topic with research teams in order to inform trial design in a meaningful and timely manner. To address this need, we developed an innovative mechanism called the "ResearchMatch Expert Advice Tool" that quickly obtains volunteer perspectives from populations with specific health conditions or lived experiences using the national recruitment registry, ResearchMatch.

Diversity and Characteristics of the Oral Microbiome Associated with Self-Reported Ancestral/Ethnic Groups.

Periodontitis disproportionately affects genetic ancestral/ethnic groups. To characterize the oral microbiome from different genetic ancestral/ethnic groups, we collected 161 dental plaque samples from self-identified African Americans (AAs), Caucasian Americans (CAs), and Hispanic Americans (HAs) with clinical gingival health or biofilm-induced gingivitis on an intact periodontium. DNA was extracted from these samples, and then DNA libraries were prepared and sequenced using an Illumina NovaSeq high-throughput sequencer.

APOL1 Modulates Renin-Angiotensin System.

Patients carrying APOL1 risk alleles (G1 and G2) have a higher risk of developing Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS); we hypothesized that escalated levels of miR193a contribute to kidney injury by activating renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the APOL1 milieus. Differentiated podocytes (DPDs) stably expressing vector (V/DPD), G0 (G0/DPDs), G1 (G1/DPDs), and G2 (G2/DPDs) were evaluated for renin, Vitamin D receptor (VDR), and podocyte molecular markers (PDMMs, including WT1, Podocalyxin, Nephrin, and Cluster of Differentiation [CD]2 associated protein [AP]). G0/DPDs displayed attenuated renin but an enhanced expression of VDR and Wilms Tumor [WT]1, including other PDMMs; in contrast, G1/DPDs and G2/DPDs exhibited enhanced expression of renin but decreased expression of VDR and WT1, as well as other PDMMs (at both the protein and mRNA levels).

A Case of Severe Advanced Diabetic Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy: Severe Orthostatic Hypotension Complicated With Episodes of Nocturnal Supine Hypertensive Emergency Episodes.

Diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is caused by damage to the autonomic nerve fibers that innervate the heart and blood vessels, leading to abnormalities in heart rate control and vascular dynamics. CAN encompasses symptoms such as exercise intolerance, orthostatic hypotension, cardiac denervation syndrome, and nocturnal hypertension. Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH), resulting from severe diabetic CAN, can cause symptomatic orthostatic hypotension.

The Burden of Insurance Prior Authorization on Cancer Care: A Review of Evidence From Radiation Oncology.

Purpose: Despite its high cost-effectiveness, radiation oncology faces the greatest prior authorization (PA) burden of any medical specialty. Insurance denials and resulting treatment delays have been documented across several treatment modalities, including stereotactic body radiation, intensity modulated radiation, and proton therapy. Although insurance companies suggest that PA is intended to control health care spending and ensure the implementation of evidence-based practice, the number of radiation treatment plans reviewed by the PA process that result in changes is quite low.

Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions.

Genome-wide association studies have identified approximately 200 genetic risk loci for breast cancer, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known breast cancer risk loci using genome-wide association study data from 172,737 female breast cancer cases and 242,009 controls of African, Asian and European ancestry. We identified 332 independent association signals for breast cancer risk, including 131 signals not reported previously, and for 50 of them, we narrowed the credible causal variants down to a single variant.

Enhancing Data Science and Genomics Capacity of a Historically Black Medical College Through Interdisciplinary Training and Research Collaborations.

As data grows exponentially across diverse fields, effectively leveraging big data has become increasingly crucial. In data science and computational genomics, however, minority groups, including African Americans, are significantly underrepresented, coupled with the lack of resources and infrastructure in minority-serving institutions. This paper summarizes the second phase of our funded project that aims to enhance the data science capacity of Meharry Medical College (MMC), a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), by providing training and fostering collaborations between data scientists and researchers in basic science and biomedical fields.

Risk perception and mpox vaccine acceptability among people living with HIV in northern Nigeria.

Background: There is a dearth of information regarding mpox risk perception and vaccine acceptance among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially in countries with a dual burden of HIV and mpox, such as Nigeria.

Methods: We used an explanatory mixed methods design and structured questionnaires administered to a clinic-based sample of people living with HIV (n=430), followed by in-depth interviews with a purposive subsample (n=20). Data were analysed using binary logistic regression and the framework approach.

The impact of persistent organic pollutants on fertility: exposure to the environmental toxicant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin alters reproductive tract immune responses.

Exposure to environmental contaminants can result in profound effects on the host immune system. One class of environmental toxicants, known as dioxins, are persistent environmental contaminants termed "forever chemicals". The archetype toxicant from this group of chemicals is 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an immunotoxicant that activates the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor pathway leading to a variety of changes in immune cell responses.

Presentation, management, and outcome of traumatic spine injuries in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) involves diverse etiologies, posing different risks among patient populations worldwide. Discrepancies in TSI treatment and outcomes between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries highlight the critical necessity for tailored management approaches for this global challenge. This study delves into the presentation, management, and outcomes of TSI in Africa.