Head rotation and the perception of eyelid height and contour.

Purpose: Effective visual perceptual processing is one of the many components of surgical competence. Human face identification is most efficient when viewed upright. However, it is not yet clear how this perception sensitivity impacts eyelid symmetry.

Periodontal treatment and microbiome-targeted therapy in management of periodontitis-related nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with oral and gut dysbiosis.

A growing body of evidence from multiple areas proposes that periodontal disease, accompanied by oral inflammation and pathological changes in the microbiome, induces gut dysbiosis and is involved in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A subgroup of NAFLD patients have a severely progressive form, namely nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by histological findings that include inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis. NASH has a high risk of further progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

School Masking Policies and Secondary SARS-CoV-2 Transmission.

Objectives: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, masking has been a widely used mitigation practice in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) school districts to limit within-school transmission. Prior studies attempting to quantify the impact of masking have assessed total cases within schools; however, the metric that more optimally defines effectiveness of mitigation practices is within-school transmission, or secondary cases. We estimated the impact of various masking practices on secondary transmission in a cohort of K-12 schools.

Development and validation of a quantitative, non-invasive, highly sensitive and specific, electrochemical assay for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in saliva.

Amperial™ is a novel assay platform that uses immobilized antigen in a conducting polymer gel followed by detection via electrochemical measurement of oxidation-reduction reaction between H2O2/Tetrametylbenzidine and peroxidase enzyme in a completed assay complex. A highly specific and sensitive assay was developed to quantify levels of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. After establishing linearity and limit of detection we established a reference range of 5 standard deviations above the mean.

Development and validation of a highly sensitive and specific electrochemical assay to quantify anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies to facilitate pandemic surveillance and monitoring of vaccine response.

Amperial™ is a novel assay platform that uses immobilized antigen in a conductive polymer gel followed by an electrochemical detection. A highly specific and sensitive assay was developed to quantify levels of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. After establishing linearity and limit of detection we established a reference range of 5 standard deviations above the mean.

Trends in Systemic Sclerosis Mortality Over Forty-Eight Years, 1968-2015: A US Population-Based Study.

Objective: To identify secular trends associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality over a 48-year period.

Methods: Using national mortality data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research, and population data from the US Census Bureau, we calculated an age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) for SSc and non-SSc (all other causes), and we also calculated the ratio of the SSc ASMR to the non-SSc ASMR for each year from 1968 to 2015. We then used a joinpoint regression model to evaluate mortality trends overall and by sex and race.

Race, Poverty, and Mental Health Drive Colorectal Cancer Screening Disparities in the Veterans Health Administration.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common but largely preventable malignancy. Screening is recommended for all adults aged 50-75 years; however, screening rates are low nationally and vary by patient factors and across health care systems. It is currently unknown whether there are inequities in CRC screening rates by patient sociodemographic and/or clinical factors in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) where the majority of patients are CRC screening-eligible age and CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer.

Musculoskeletal manifestations of alkaptonuria: A case report and literature review.

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that results from the deficient activity of homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase and leads to increased levels of homogentisic acid (HGA) and its oxidized product benzoquinone acetic acid (BQA). Both HGA and BQA form polymerized deposits that lead to a bluish-black discoloration of the cartilage as well as degeneration, inflammation, and calcification of the tendons, ligaments, intervertebral discs, and large joints and increased bone resorption. A brittle and fragmented cartilage forms and leads to aberrant loading of the subchondral bone.