Inhibition of Unc-51-like-kinase is mitoprotective during infection in corneal epithelial cells.

(PA) is an opportunistic gram-negative pathogen that can infect the cornea, leading to permanent vision loss. Autophagy is a cannibalistic process that drives cytoplasmic components to the lysosome for degradation and/or recycling. Autophagy has been shown to play a key role in the removal of intracellular pathogens and, as such, is an important component of the innate immune response.

Metabolomics-Driven Biomarker Discovery for Breast Cancer Prognosis and Diagnosis.

Breast cancer is a cancer with global prevalence and a surge in the number of cases with each passing year. With the advancement in science and technology, significant progress has been achieved in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer to make ends meet. The scientific intradisciplinary subject of "metabolomics" examines every metabolite found in a cell, tissue, system, or organism from different sources of samples.

Coronary atherosclerosis in athletes: emerging concepts and preventive strategies.

There should be no assumption that an athlete is immune to coronary artery disease (CAD), even when traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors appear well-managed. Excelling in certain aspects of health does not equate to total CV protection. Recent data from cardiac imaging studies have raised the possibility that long-term, high-volume, high-intensity endurance exercise is associated with coronary atherosclerosis.

Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients Without Cardiogenic Shock Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: The use of mechanical circulatory support devices for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has increased over the past decade despite limited data of benefit. We sought to examine the association between intravascular microaxial left ventricular assist device (LVAD) versus intra-aortic balloon pump use in patients without cardiogenic shock (CS) undergoing PCI.

Methods And Results: This retrospective study analyzed claims data from a large, insured population who underwent PCI without CS from April 1, 2016 to July 31, 2022.

A pan-tumor review of the role of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase inhibitors.

Poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, such as olaparib, talazoparib, rucaparib, and niraparib, comprise a therapeutic class that targets PARP proteins involved in DNA repair. Cancer cells with homologous recombination repair defects, particularly BRCA alterations, display enhanced sensitivity to these agents because of synthetic lethality induced by PARP inhibitors. These agents have significantly improved survival outcomes across various malignancies, initially gaining regulatory approval in ovarian cancer and subsequently in breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers in different indications.

Recurrent Indolent Keratitis Caused by Achromobacter xylosoxidans: A Case Report and Literature Review.

An 83-year-old male with a history of radial keratotomy and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) presented with symptoms of a non-resolving corneal ulcer in the right eye that had been present for five months. The patient was treated with antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal medications over that period, with multiple recurrences that prompted referral to our tertiary center for management. Following a 48-hour cessation of all medications, a corneal biopsy was performed which grew .

The Melody Valve in Small Children Undergoing First Mitral Valve Replacement: Better Than Mechanical?

Background: In small children with left atrioventricular valve dysfunction, valve repair is preferred but some will require valve replacement. No prosthetic valve has growth potential, bioprostheses have poor durability, and mechanical prostheses have high rates of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications. We reviewed our experience with a modified bovine jugular vein valve designed for use in the right ventricular outflow tract (Melody valve, Medtronic) and compared this with contemporary mechanical valve replacement.

Non-Caucasian Race/Ethnicity Predisposes to Unfavorable Stage and Grade at Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Diagnosis.

Objective: To test whether race/ethnicity affects stage or grade distribution at upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) diagnosis.

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database 2004-2020, UTUC patients were identified. Multivariable logistic regression models tested for the association between race/ethnicity and stage as well as grade at diagnosis according to renal pelvis vs.

Impact of population screening for Lynch syndrome insights from the All of Us data.

Lynch Syndrome (LS) is a common genetic cancer condition that allows for personalized cancer prevention and early cancer detection in identified gene carriers. We used data from the All of Us (AOU) Research Initiative to assess the prevalence of LS in the general U.S.

Joint k-b space diffusion-weighted image reconstruction and apparent diffusion coefficient fitting for diffusion-weighted turbo-spin-echo imaging.

Background: Diffusion-weighted (DW) turbo-spin-echo (TSE) imaging offers improved geometric fidelity compared to single-shot echo-planar-imaging (EPI). However, it suffers from low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and prolonged acquisition times, thereby restricting its applications in diagnosis and MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT).

Purpose: To develop a joint k-b space reconstruction algorithm for concurrent reconstruction of DW-TSE images and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map with enhanced image quality and more accurate quantitative measurements.

Dysregulation of Airway and Systemic Interferon Responses Promote Asthma Exacerbations in Urban Children.

Background: Determining why some upper respiratory illnesses provoke asthma exacerbations remains an unmet need.

Objective: To identify transcriptome-wide gene expression changes associated with colds that progress to exacerbation.

Methods: 208 urban children (6-17 years) with exacerbation-prone asthma were prospectively monitored for up to two cold illnesses.

Contour uncertainty assessment for MD-omitted daily adaptive online head and neck radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Daily online adaptive radiotherapy (DART) increases treatment accuracy by crafting daily customized plans that adjust to the patient's daily setup and anatomy. The routine application of DART is limited by its resource-intensive processes. This study proposes a novel DART strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), automizing the process by propagating physician-edited treatment contours for each fraction.

DNA damage and its links to neuronal aging and degeneration.

DNA damage is a major risk factor for the decline of neuronal functions with age and in neurodegenerative diseases. While how DNA damage causes neurodegeneration is still being investigated, innovations over the past decade have provided significant insights into this issue. Breakthroughs in next-generation sequencing methods have begun to reveal the characteristics of neuronal DNA damage hotspots and the causes of DNA damage.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis as a potential screening tool for 3-methylglutaconic aciduria syndromes.

The 3-methylglutaconic aciduria (3-MGA-uria) syndromes comprise a heterogeneous group of inborn errors of metabolism defined biochemically by detectable elevation of 3-methylglutaconic acid (3-MGA) in the urine. In type 1 (or primary) 3-MGA-uria, distal defects in the leucine catabolism pathway directly cause this elevation. Secondary 3-MGA-uria syndromes, however, are unrelated to leucine metabolism-specific defects but share a common biochemical phenotype of elevated 3-MGA.

Itaconate drives pro-inflammatory responses through proteasomal degradation of GLO1.

Itaconate is a small-molecule metabolite generated by the enzyme aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1), which is upregulated during inflammation. Traditionally, itaconate has been recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties; however, this study reveals a pro-inflammatory mechanism of itaconate in macrophages. We demonstrate that itaconate promotes the proteasomal degradation of glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) via Cys139.

Sleep Deprivation Elevates Resting and Exercise Blood Pressures and Augments Pressor Response at Exercise Onset.

Purpose: Sleep deprivation and elevated blood pressure (BP) increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of sleep deprivation on BP response, especially at exercise onset remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate the effects of experimental sleep deprivation (ESD) on resting and exercise BPs, including that at exercise onset, and investigate whether a night-time nap during ESD changes the ESD-altered BP.

Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump Complication With Multimodal Radiologic and Anatomic Review.

Hepatic arterial infusion therapy involves surgically implanting a subcutaneous hepatic arterial infusion pump with the catheter tip at the hepatic artery. This pump directly delivers chemotherapy to the liver, which may reduce systemic toxicity, improve resectability, and treat unresectable hepatic lesions. This therapy is used in primary or metastatic hepatic malignancies.

Biophysical and biochemical evidence for the role of acetate kinases (AckAs) in an acetogenic pathway in pathogenic spirochetes.

Unraveling the metabolism of Treponema pallidum is a key component to understanding the pathogenesis of the human disease that it causes, syphilis. For decades, it was assumed that glucose was the sole carbon/energy source for this parasitic spirochete. But the lack of citric-acid-cycle enzymes suggested that alternative sources could be utilized, especially in microaerophilic host environments where glycolysis should not be robust.

Endophenotype presentation of athletes with concussion contingent on sex and time since injury.

Introduction: Athletes with concussions experience heterogeneous symptoms and clinical trajectories. Subclassification provides diagnostic clarity that may improve prognostication and individualized treatments.

Methods: We hypothesized that endophenotypes of adolescent athletes with concussions differ based on sex and time since injury.

Atrial Fibrillation and Retinal Stroke.

Importance: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common, chronic, cardiac arrythmia in older US adults. It is not known whether AF is independently associated with increased risk of retinal stroke (central retinal artery occlusion), a subtype of ischemic stroke that causes severely disabling visual loss in most cases and is a harbinger of further vascular events.

Objective: To determine whether there is an association between AF and retinal stroke.

Registry versus claims-based index dates for studies of cancer diagnosis in administrative data.

Purpose: Studies of healthcare encounters leading to cancer diagnosis have increased over recent years. While some studies examine healthcare utilization before the cancer registry date of diagnosis, relevant pre-diagnosis interactions are not always immediately prior to this date due to date abstraction guidelines. We evaluated agreement of a registry date with a claims-based index and examined Emergency Department (ED) involvement in cancer diagnosis as an example of possible pre-diagnostic healthcare misclassification that could arise from improper date choice.