A prospective, longitudinal, comparative analysis of the World Health Organization / International Committee of the Red Cross Basic Emergency Care Course on emergency medicine knowledge and confidence among recent medical school graduates.

Background: The Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) to train frontline providers in low-resource settings. This study aims to evaluate long-term retention and maintenance of emergency care knowledge and confidence among University of Nairobi School of Medicine graduates after completing the BEC course.

Methods: This longitudinal, prospective, comparative study was conducted with recent graduates of the University of Nairobi School of Medicine from October 2021 to May 2023.

Network analysis combined with genome-wide association study helps identification of genes related to amino acid contents in soybean.

Background: Additional to total protein content, the amino acid (AA) profile is important to the nutritional value of soybean seed. The AA profile in soybean seed is a complex quantitative trait controlled by multiple interconnected genes and pathways controlling the accumulation of each AA. With a total of 621 soybean germplasm, we used three genome-wide association study (GWAS)-based approaches to investigate the genomic regions controlling the AA content and profile in soybean.

Gene signatures derived from transcriptomic-causal networks stratify colorectal cancer patients for effective targeted therapy.

Background: Gene signatures derived from transcriptomic-causal networks offer potential for tailoring clinical care in cancer treatment by identifying predictive and prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to uncover such signatures in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to aid treatment decisions.

Methods: We constructed transcriptomic-causal networks and integrated gene interconnectivity into overall survival (OS) analysis to control for confounding genes.

H3K36 methylation regulates cell plasticity and regeneration in the intestinal epithelium.

Plasticity is needed during development and homeostasis to generate diverse cell types from stem and progenitor cells. Following differentiation, plasticity must be restricted in specialized cells to maintain tissue integrity and function. For this reason, specialized cell identity is stable under homeostatic conditions; however, cells in some tissues regain plasticity during injury-induced regeneration.

A multi-kinase inhibitor screen identifies inhibitors preserving stem-cell-like chimeric antigen receptor T cells.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T cells) with T stem (T) cell-like phenotypic characteristics promote sustained antitumor effects. We performed an unbiased and automated high-throughput screen of a kinase-focused compound set to identify kinase inhibitors (KIs) that preserve human T cell-like CAR T cells. We identified three KIs, UNC10225387B, UNC10225263A and UNC10112761A, that combined in vitro increased the frequency of CD45RACCR7TCF1 T cell-like CAR T cells from both healthy donors and patients with cancer.

A lifespan-generalizable skull-stripping model for magnetic resonance images that leverages prior knowledge from brain atlases.

In magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, an imaging-preprocessing step removes the skull and other non-brain tissue from the images. But methods for such a skull-stripping process often struggle with large data heterogeneity across medical sites and with dynamic changes in tissue contrast across lifespans. Here we report a skull-stripping model for magnetic resonance images that generalizes across lifespans by leveraging personalized priors from brain atlases.

Phenazine biosynthesis-like domain-containing protein (PBLD) and Cedrelone promote antiviral immune response by activating NF-ĸB.

Phenazine biosynthesis-like domain-containing protein (PBLD) and Cedrelone have been identified as tumor suppressors. However, their roles in virus infection remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PBLD upregulates the type I interferon (IFN-I) response through activating NF-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway to resist viral infection in cells and mice.

Enhancing genomic-based forward prediction accuracy in wheat by integrating UAV-derived hyperspectral and environmental data with machine learning under heat-stressed environments.

Integrating genomic, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and environmental data enhances wheat yield predictions, with HSI providing detailed spectral insights for predicting complex grain yield (GY) traits. Incorporating HSI data with single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs) resulted in a substantial improvement in predictive ability compared to the conventional genomic prediction models. Over the course of several years, the prediction ability varied due to diverse weather conditions.

The Impacts of Substance Use and Depression on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Use and Adherence Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents and Young Adults in the Keeping it LITE Cohort.

Substance use and depression are prevalent in sexual and gender minorities (SGM), but evidence about their impacts on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use is mixed. We assessed these impacts in a US-based cohort of 3,330 young SGM who tested negative for HIV and completed baseline and semiannual assessments on substance use (cocaine, methamphetamine, or heroin), depression, and PrEP use and adherence. We estimated prevalence differences (PDs) to compare baseline and 12-month PrEP use and adherence between participants with and without substance use and depression, separately and jointly.

The Diverse Roles of Long Non-Coding RNA HOTTIP in Breast and Gynecological Cancer Progression.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the development and progression of various tumors through multiple mechanisms. Among these, HOTTIP (HOXA transcript at the distal tip) stands out as an intriguing candidate with diverse functions in several malignancies, including breast cancer and gynecologic cancers such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, which are significant global health concerns. HOTTIP interacts with key signaling pathways associated with these cancers, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, and MEK/ERK pathways, enhancing their activation and downstream effects.

Wound Healing After Vaginal Delivery, Episiotomy, and Cesarean Section Delivery Among Women With IBD: Results From the PIANO Registry.

Background: Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face complexities of disease management during pregnancy and childbirth. Apprehension regarding vaginal delivery in pregnant individuals with IBD persists due to concern for perianal disease and perineal trauma. The incidence of poor wound healing after obstetric anal sphincter injury is approximately 4% in the general population.

Retrieval of an ethanol-conditioned taste aversion promotes GABAergic plasticity in the anterior insular cortex.

Blunted sensitivity to ethanol's aversive effects can increase motivation to consume ethanol; yet, the neurobiological circuits responsible for encoding these aversive properties are not fully understood. Plasticity in cells projecting from the anterior insular cortex (aIC) to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for taste aversion learning and retrieval, suggesting this circuit's potential involvement in modulating the aversive properties of ethanol. Here, we tested the hypothesis that GABAergic currents onto aIC-BLA projections would be facilitated as a consequence of retrieval of an ethanol-conditioned taste aversion (CTA).

Diuretic Potentiation Strategies in Acute Heart Failure.

Several trials have evaluated diuretic-based strategies to improve symptoms and outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). The authors sought to summarize the effect of different combination strategies on symptoms, physical signs, physiological variables, and outcomes in patients with AHF. Twelve trials were identified that assessed the addition of thiazide diuretics, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, vasopressin receptor antagonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, or loop diuretic intensification to conventional therapy for AHF.

Neural Determinants of Sedentary Lifestyle in Older Adults: A Brain Network Analysis.

Purpose: The prevalence of sedentary lifestyles (SL), which includes both high volumes of extended sitting behavior and a low volume of steps accumulated across the day, among older adults continues to rise contributing to increases in associated comorbidities and the loss of independence. The social, personal, and economic burdens are enormous. In recognition of the health implications of SL, current public health physical activity guidelines now emphasize the complimentary goals of sitting less by moving more.

A deep dive into radiation keratopathy; Going beyond the current frontiers.

Radiotherapy is one of the conventional treatments for head and neck malignancies. Despite the implementation of protective measures to minimize the detrimental impact on healthy tissues surrounding the radiation site, radiation keratopathy remains a prevalent complication. We aimed to establish a mouse model of radiation keratopathy to characterize the pathophysiology of the disease and enable future identification of potential treatments.

Advancing plant science through precision 3D bioprinting: new tools for research and biotech applications.

The integration of 3D bioprinting into plant science and biotechnology is revolutionizing research and applications. While many high-throughput techniques have advanced plant biology, replicating the complex 3D organization and cellular environments of plant tissues remains a significant challenge. Traditional 2D culture systems fall short of capturing the necessary spatial context for accurate studies of cell behavior, gene expression, and tissue development.

Race and Gender Bias in Narrative Letters of Recommendation for Plastic Surgery Residency Applicants.

Introduction: It has been previously shown that gender bias exists in standardized letters of recommendation for plastic surgery residency. However, similar analysis has not been conducted for narrative letters of recommendation (NLORs). Therefore, this study aims to determine if there exists linguistic bias in NLORs for plastic surgery residency based on applicants' and writers' gender and race.

Demographic Correlates of Autism: How Do Associations Compare Between Diagnosis and a Quantitative Trait Measure?

Prevalence of autism diagnosis has historically differed by demographic factors. Using data from 8224 participants drawn from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, we examined relationships between demographic factors and parent-reported autism-related traits as captured by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS; T score > 65) and compared these to relations with parent-reported clinician diagnosis of ASD, in generalized linear mixed effects regression analyses. Results suggested lower odds of autism diagnosis, but not of SRS T > 65, for non-Hispanic Black children (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.

Tricuspid Regurgitation after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation: Trajectories and Association With Mortality.

Background: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common immediately after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT), though the expected outcomes of TR over time remain undefined. In this study, we examined the natural trajectory of TR in the first 120 days post-transplantation. We observed the clinical phenotypes of trajectories of TR after OHT, and assessed trajectory correlation with 1-year mortality and degree of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction.

Effects of dietary supplementation of myristic acid on jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, mucosal immunity, and growth performance of nursery pigs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of myristic acid on jejunal mucosal microbiota, mucosal immunity, and growth performance of nursery pigs. Thirty-six pigs (6.6 ± 0.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training as a Brief Intervention for Cigarette Smoking by Patients With Cancer: A Scoping Review and Narrative Synthesis of Related Literature.

Objective: Novel behavioral interventions are needed for patients with cancer who smoke cigarettes. Standard tobacco treatment may not effectively address the psychological distress and/or emotion dysregulation that makes quitting smoking difficult for many patients. Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Skills Training (DBT-ST) has demonstrated efficacy as a brief intervention for managing emotions and stress across varied populations but has not been adapted for patients with cancer who smoke.