Meningeal contrast enhancement in multiple sclerosis: Assessment of field strength, acquisition delay, and clinical relevance.

Background/purpose: Leptomeningeal enhancement (LME) on post-contrast FLAIR is described as a potential biomarker of meningeal inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we report an assessment of the impact of MRI field strength and acquisition timing on meningeal contrast enhancement (MCE).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study of 95 participants with MS and 17 healthy controls (HC) subjects.

miRNA-148a-containing GMSC-derived EVs modulate Treg/Th17 balance via IKKB/NF-κB pathway and treat a rheumatoid arthritis model.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated potent immunomodulatory properties that have shown promise in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the inherent heterogeneity of MSCs triggered conflicting therapeutic outcomes, raising safety concerns and limiting their clinical application. This study aimed to investigate the potential of extracellular vesicles derived from human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSC-EVs) as a therapeutic strategy for RA.

Trainee Perspectives Regarding the Effect of the Supreme Court Decision on Obstetrics and Gynecology Training.

We aimed to describe obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) trainees' anticipation of how the U.S. Supreme Court decision may affect their training.

Meningeal contrast enhancement in multiple sclerosis: assessment of field strength, acquisition delay, and clinical relevance.

Background/purpose: Leptomeningeal enhancement (LME) on post-contrast FLAIR is described as a potential biomarker of meningeal inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we report a comprehensive assessment of the impact of MRI field strength and acquisition timing on meningeal contrast enhancement (MCE).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study of 95 participants with MS and 17 healthy controls (HC) subjects.

The association between abortion training and obstetrics and gynecology resident competence and intention to provide abortion care before Dobbs.

Objective: To assess the role of abortion training in fourth-year obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residents' abortion care competence and practice intentions before the Dobbs decision.

Study Design: This is a planned secondary analysis of survey data of fourth-year U.S.

Targeting kinase ITK treats autoimmune arthritis via orchestrating T cell differentiation and function.

IL-2 inducible T cell kinase (ITK) is critical in T helper subset differentiation and its inhibition has been suggested for the treatment of T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases. T follicular helper (Tfh), Th17 and regulatory T cells (Treg) also play important roles in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while the role of ITK in the development of RA and the intricate balance between effector T and regulatory T cells remains unclear. Here, we found that CD4 T cells from RA patients presented with an elevated ITK activation.

Lifestyle Factors Associated with Abdominal Pain in Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, substance use, and sexual activity, have been shown to influence risk of inflammation and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Little is known about their potential role in abdominal pain generation in IBD.

Aims: We performed this study to evaluate for relationships between lifestyle factors and abdominal pain in quiescent IBD (QP-IBD).

Neurophysiology of Juvenile and Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Myoclonus can be epileptic or nonepileptic. Epileptic myoclonus has been defined in clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical terms. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is typically considered to be an adolescent-onset idiopathic generalized epilepsy with a combination of myoclonic, generalized tonic-clonic, and absence seizures and normal cognitive status that responds well to anti-seizure medications but requires lifelong treatment.

Multiparameters associated to successful weaning from VA ECMO in adult patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is a form of temporary mechanical circulatory support and simultaneous extracorporeal gas exchange for acute cardiorespiratory failure, including refractory cardiogenic shock (CS) and cardiac arrest (CA). Few studies have assessed predictors of successful weaning (SW) from VA ECMO. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify a multiparameter strategy associated with SW from VA ECMO.

TGF-β-induced CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cell-derived extracellular vesicles modulate Notch1 signaling through miR-449a and prevent collagen-induced arthritis in a murine model.

CD4FOXP3 Treg cells are central to the maintenance of self-tolerance and can be defective in autoimmunity. In autoimmune rheumatic diseases, dysfunctional self-tolerance, is to a large extent, caused by insufficient Treg-cell activity. Although nTregs have therapeutic effects in vivo, their relative scarcity and slow rate of in vitro expansion hinder the application of nTreg therapy.

Clinical manifestations of hereditary angioedema and a systematic review of treatment options.

Objective: This study systematically reviews the existing literature on the management of hereditary angioedema (HAE) and provides an update on the clinical presentation and specific therapies.

Methods: A literature search of PubMed and Embase databases was conducted from start of the database to February 2021. Inclusion criteria included relevant systematic reviews, randomized control clinical trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and outcomes research published in English and available in full-text.

Some teaching resources using R with illustrative examples exploring COVID-19 data.

This article is presented in two parts: in the first part we discuss the use of R and R-related tools when implementing a data science curriculum in the classroom and direct readers to helpful R resources in education, and in the second part, we demonstrate the use of R in exploring COVID-19 data. In particular, we explore ethnic/racial distributions and COVID-19 death rates. Supplementary R markdown files are also included allowing all graphics to be easily reproduced.

Contemporary trends in antiepileptic drug treatment among women of childbearing age with epilepsy in the United States: 2004-2015.

Objective: Certain antiepileptic drugs are associated with an increased risk for major congenital malformations (MCM). However, little is known regarding recent patterns of antiepileptic drug (ASM) prescriptions to women of childbearing age with epilepsy (WCE) in the United States.

Methods: Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed between the years 2004-2015 to determine trends in national antiepileptic drug prescriptions for WCE.

Induced, but not natural, regulatory T cells retain phenotype and function following exposure to inflamed synovial fibroblasts.

Aberrant number and/or dysfunction of CD4Foxp3 Regulatory T cells (T) are associated with the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A previous study has demonstrated that thymus-derived, natural T (nT) prefer to accumulate in inflamed joints and transdifferentiate to T17 cells under the stimulation of inflamed synovial fibroblasts (SFs). In this study, we made a head-to-head comparison of both T subsets and demonstrated that induced T (iT), but not nT, retained Foxp3 expression and regulatory function on T effector cells (T) after being primed with inflamed SFs.

Enzyme-inducing antiseizure medication utilization in patients with epilepsy and vascular risk factors.

Objectives: Several lines of evidence have suggested that exposure to enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EIASMs) may result in the subsequent development of hyperlipidemia, a well-known risk factor for vascular disease. This may be an issue of concern particularly in the context of additional comorbid vascular risk factors. We therefore aimed to investigate trends of and associations with the use of these medications among adult patients with epilepsy.

B7-H1 Promotes the Functional Effect of Human Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Collagen-Induced Arthritis Murine Model.

Recent studies found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), by virtue of their tissue recovery and immunoregulatory properties, have shown a broad prospect for applications in various autoimmune and degenerative diseases. Although the potential therapeutic use of MSCs is considerable, studies and clinical treatment efficacy are preliminary due to the heterogeneity of MSCs. Herein, based on RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and single cell sequence properties, we demonstrated that B7-H1 plays an important role in the immunosuppressive function of human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) in a collagen-induced arthritis murine model that is dependent on STAT3 signaling.