Characterization of Human Senescent Cell Biomarkers for Clinical Trials.

There is an increasing need for biomarkers of senescent cell burden to facilitate the selection of participants for clinical trials. p16 is encoded by the CDKN2A locus, which produces five variant transcripts in humans, two of which encode homologous p16 proteins: p16, encoded by p16_variant 1, and p16ɣ, encoded by p16_variant 5. While distinct quantitative polymerase chain reaction primers can be designed for p16_variant 5, primers for p16_variant 1 also measure p16_variant 5 (p16_variant 1 + 5).

Exploring the link between inflammation and brain function after metabolic-bariatric surgery: A year-long fMRI study.

Background: Metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) transcends weight loss and offers wide-ranging health benefits, including positive effects on brain function. However, the mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear, particularly in the context of significant postoperative changes in the inflammatory profile characteristic of MBS. Understanding how inflammation influences postoperative brain function can enhance our decision-making on patient eligibility for MBS and create new opportunities to improve the outcomes of this popular treatment.

Maralixibat Reduces Serum Bile Acids and Improves Cholestatic Pruritus in Adolescents With Alagille Syndrome.

Background: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a multisystem cholestatic disorder. Maralixibat is approved for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in ALGS with limited data in adults.

Methods: Participants were included if they received ≥ 2 doses of maralixibat at age ≥ 16 years in one of the three previously published maralixibat ALGS clinical trials.

Effects of HMG CoA reductase (HMGCR) deficiency on skeletal muscle development.

Pathogenic variants in HMGCR were recently linked to a limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) phenotype. The protein product HMG CoA reductase (HMGCR) catalyzes a key component of the cholesterol synthesis pathway. The two other muscle diseases associated with HMGCR, statin-associated myopathy (SAM) and autoimmune anti-HMGCR myopathy, are not inherited in a Mendelian pattern.

Efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation in refractory postamputation pain: A narrative review.

The management of postamputation pain remains a significant clinical challenge, with existing therapeutic approaches often yielding inconsistent outcomes. Neuromodulation techniques, particularly peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), have emerged as promising interventions. However, the evidence supporting their effectiveness in treating phantom limb pain (PLP) and residual limb pain (RLP) remains limited.

Effectiveness of oral vancomycin as prophylaxis against infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

Objective: Patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are at increased risk for infection (CDI). The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of oral vancomycin prophylaxis (OVP) for CDI in HSCT patients.

Design: Single-center, retrospective cohort.

Rise of the beta-lactams: a retrospective, comparative cohort of oral beta-lactam antibiotics as step-down therapy for hospitalized adults with acute pyelonephritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if oral beta-lactam therapy is non-inferior to alternative therapy at discharge following inpatient treatment with an IV cephalosporin for acute pyelonephritis.

Design: Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, multicenter, retrospective, non-inferiority cohort (15% non-inferiority margin).

Setting: Six hospitals within two healthcare systems.

Antimicrobial use before and during COVID-19: data from 108 Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Objective: Inpatient antibiotic use increased during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to determine whether these changes persisted in persons with and without COVID-19 infection.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Healthcare staff perceptions of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system within a large university system.

Objective: The acceptability of an electronic HH monitoring system (EHHMS) was evaluated among hospital staff members.

Design: An electronic HH monitoring system was implemented in June 2020 at a large, academic medical center. An interdisciplinary team developed a cross-sectional survey to gather staff perceptions of the EHHMS.

Burden of death associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic in Flint, Michigan (MI), mortality trends over the 2-year period: impact of social and health inequities.

Background: This cross-sectional study aims to determine the mortality trends in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic in Flint, MI.

Methods: Records from 1,663 consecutive adult patients (≥18 years of age) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted and discharged from our facility from 03/2020 through 02/2022, were abstracted and analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between study explanatory variables (ie, sex, age, co-morbidities, etc.

Neurodegeneration: 2024 update.

This review highlights a collection of both diverse and highly impactful studies published in the previous year selected by the author from the neurodegenerative neuropathology literature. As with previous reviews in this series, the focus is, to the best of my ability, to highlight human tissue-based experimentation most relevant to experimental and clinical neuropathologists. A concerted effort was made to balance the selected studies across neurodegenerative disease categories, approaches, and methodologies to capture the breadth of the research landscape.

Similar Conditions With Opposite Effects: Predation-Risk Effects on Prey Abundance Are Highly Contingent.

Experiments have shown that predation-risk effects on prey fitness can be highly contingent on environmental conditions, suggesting a potential difficulty in generalizing risk effects on prey abundance in natural settings. Rather than study the influence of a particular controlled factor, we examine the problem with a novel approach. We examined the influence of risk effects in multiple experiments performed under similar study conditions.

To increase trust in clinical research: Be worthy of trust and enhance the role of clinical research nurses.

There has been an erosion of trust in medical care and clinical research, and this has raised issues about whether institutions and investigators conducting clinical research are worthy of trust. We review recent literature on research on trust and trustworthiness in the clinical research enterprise and identify opportunities to enhance trustworthiness, which will likely increase participant trust in clinical research. In addition, we review materials reporting the results of national polls related to the public's trust in different occupations.

Predictors of willingness to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials among Black and Latino adults.

Introduction: Black and Latino individuals are underrepresented in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine clinical trials, calling for an examination of factors that may predict willingness to participate in trials.

Methods: We administered the Common Survey 2.0 developed by the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities to 600 Black and Latino adults in Baltimore City, Prince George's County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, DC, between October and December 2021.

The Gendered Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment in Argentina: The Mediating Role of the Public vs. Private Sectors.

This study examines the COVID-19 pandemic's immediate and long-term impact on Argentina's labor market with a focus on gender disparities and the mediating role of the public vs. private sectors. Using household survey data, we assess men and women's employment trends before, during, and after the pandemic.

The Role of Complicated Grief in Health Inequities in American Indian Communities.

Complicated grief is both a cause and a consequence of health inequities in Native (American Indian/Alaska Native [AI/AN]) communities. Given disproportionately high rates of physical (e.g.

Electronic health Literacy gaps among adults with diabetes in the United States: Role of socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Background: Digital health technologies hold promises for enhancing healthcare and self-management in diabetes. However, disparities in Electronic Health Literacy (EHL) exist among diabetes populations. This study investigates EHL trends and demographic differences among adults with diabetes in the United States from 2011 to 2018.

Design and validation of cell-based potency assays for frataxin supplementation treatments.

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a multisystem, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the frataxin () gene. As FRDA is considered an FXN deficiency disorder, numerous therapeutic approaches in development or clinical trials aim to supplement FXN or restore endogenous expression. These include gene therapy, protein supplementation, genome editing or upregulation of transcription.

How Do Victimized Youth Emotionally and Socially Appraise Common Ways Third-Party Peers Intervene?

Adolescents targeted for peer aggression are at risk of emotion dysregulation and social withdrawal-responses that predict increased victimization and impede the protective factors of peer support. This study examined victimized youth's emotions and social appraisals following four common third-party peer actions. African American, European American, Mexican American, and Native American adolescents ( = 257, 53% female, = 15 years) described their emotions and appraisals of third-party peer actions after the participants had been targets of peer aggression.

Estimating disease onset distribution functions in mutation carriers with censored mixture data.

We consider non-parametric estimation of disease onset distribution functions in multiple populations by using censored data with unknown population identifiers. The problem is motivated from studies aiming at estimating the age-specific disease risk distribution in deleterious mutation carriers for genetic counselling and design of therapeutic intervention trials to modify disease progression (i.e.

Bone-derived nanoparticles (BNPs) enhance osteogenic differentiation Notch signaling.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based bone tissue regeneration has gained significant attention due to the excellent differentiation capacity and immunomodulatory activity of MSCs. Enhancing osteogenesis regulation is crucial for improving the therapeutic efficacy of MSC-based regeneration. By utilizing the regenerative capacity of bone ECM and the functionality of nanoparticles, we recently engineered bone-based nanoparticles (BNPs) from decellularized porcine bones.

An agency mapping of marginalized communities and aid providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

Given the urgent need for help amongst vulnerable populations throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, civil society organizations (CSOs) and members have stepped up to provide support for impacted communities. The process of responding to these urgent needs reflects the agency and resilience of civil society members in accessing or providing resources. There is still a lack of understanding of how human agency is exercised in the context of power imbalances.

Risk factors for recurrence in stage I colorectal cancer after curative resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Patients with stage I colorectal cancer (CRC) rarely experience recurrence after curative resection. Therefore, the risk factors for stage I CRC recurrence are yet to be established. We aimed to identify risk factors for stage I CRC recurrence.

Sleep disturbances and progression of mobility disability: Longitudinal findings from the Nurses' Health Study.

Objective: To examine longitudinal associations between self-reported sleep disturbances and mobility disability progression among women, including subgroups with multiple sclerosis (MS), diabetes, and osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Prospective cohort study using data from Nurses' Health Study long-form questionnaires (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016). Logistic regression was used to quantify associations between sleep-related variables at baseline and subsequent increase in mobility disability.