819 results match your criteria: "University of Southern California Los Angeles[Affiliation]"

Objective: Assessing the quality of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination-related content on TikTok is crucial due to its popularity among adolescents. We assessed these videos while comparing the content and quality of videos with and without physician involvement.

Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort analysis.

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The utility of newly developed wearable biosensors for passively, non-invasively, and continuously measuring transdermal alcohol levels in the body in real time has been limited by the fact that raw transdermal alcohol data does not consistently correlate (quantitatively or temporally) with interpretable metrics of breath and blood across individuals, devices, and the environment. A novel method using a population model in the form of a random abstract hybrid system of ordinary and partial differential equations and linear quadratic tracking control in Hilbert space is developed to estimate blood or breath alcohol concentration from the biosensor-produced transdermal alcohol level signal. Using human subject data in the form of 270 drinking episodes, the method is shown to produce estimates of blood or breath alcohol concentration that are highly correlated and thus good predictors of breath analyzer measurements.

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: Cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been used with increasing frequency. As a result of this trend, this study sought to characterize cardiologists' perspectives on cardiac POCUS. An 18-question survey on demographics, cardiac POCUS clinical practice, education, and infrastructure was distributed by 16 academic medical centers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) are common in patients with severe forms of sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassemia, although the underlying causes are not fully understood.
  • This study compared cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, and SCI lesions in severe and mild SCD patients, thalassemia patients, and healthy controls before and after a vasodilatory challenge.
  • Findings showed that while severe SCD and thalassemia patients had higher blood flow, their oxygen consumption was lower; this suggests that anemia rather than cerebral blood flow may play a key role in the development of SCIs, especially in milder forms of SCD.
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Acute cutaneous presentations in immunocompromised patients demand careful and thorough evaluation. Here, we present the case of a 26-year-old female with acute myeloid leukaemia undergoing salvage chemotherapy, who developed an acutely expanding subcutaneous mass starting on the frontotemporal scalp to the angle of the jaw. Histopathologic evaluation was consistent with sclerosing fat necrosis with overlying psoriasiform spongiotic dermatitis.

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Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder proven to be caused by the aggregation of protein tau into fibrils, resulting in neuronal death. The irreparable neuronal damage leads to irreversible symptoms with no cure; therefore, disaggregation of these tau fibrils could be targeted as a therapeutic approach to AD. Here we have developed a fungal natural product library to screen for secondary metabolites that have bioactive potential towards AD tau.

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Background: Impaired cardiac function is associated with cognitive impairment and brain imaging features of aging. Cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, are implicated in clinical and subclinical brain injuries. Even in the absence of a clinical diagnosis, subclinical or prodromal substrates of arrhythmias, including an abnormally long or short P-wave duration (PWD), a measure associated with atrial abnormalities, have been associated with stroke and cognitive decline.

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Objective: This study aims to compare the long-term outcomes of Aquablation for small-to-moderate (30-80 cm) prostates with the outcomes for large (80-150 cm) prostates at 5-year follow up.

Methods: The Waterjet Ablation Therapy for Endoscopic Resection of Prostate Tissue (WATER; NCT02505919) is a prospective, double-blind, international clinical trial encompassing 116 patients, examining Aquablation versus transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for LUTS/BPH in prostates sized between 30 and 80 cm. In parallel, WATER II (W-II; NCT03123250), a prospective, multicentre, single-arm international clinical trial, explores Aquablation outcomes in prostates ranging from 80 to 150 cm.

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Identification of RBM46 as a novel APOBEC1 cofactor for C-to-U RNA-editing activity.

J Mol Biol

October 2023

Molecular and Computational Biology Section, University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA; Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences (PIBBS), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA; Center of Excellence in NanoBiophysic University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089, USA; Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • - Cytidine to Uridine (C-to-U) RNA editing, facilitated by APOBEC1 (A1), plays a crucial role in biological processes, particularly in regulating cholesterol metabolism through editing ApoB mRNA.
  • - A1 relies on cofactors like A1CF and RBM47 to form an "editosome" for effective RNA editing, while Syncrip acts as a potential regulator of A1 without directly participating in the editing.
  • - The study introduced a new cofactor, RBM46, which enhances A1's editing capabilities on ApoB mRNA and identified novel cellular RNA targets for the A1/RBM46 editosome using advanced sequencing techniques.
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  • Poikilohydric plants can dry out and rehydrate, and scientists want to measure how much carbon they gain or lose during these cycles.
  • They created a special setup to monitor how different types of moss react to being dry or wet and found that field-collected moss loses a lot of carbon while lab-grown moss gains carbon quickly when watered.
  • This research helps us understand how these plants deal with water stress, which is important for studying climate change and how plants survive in different environments.
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  • Oral antibiotics are commonly used to treat hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) due to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, raising concerns about antibiotic overuse.
  • This study compared antibiotic prescribing habits between dermatology and non-dermatology clinicians for HS using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey between 2005 and 2016.
  • It was found that while overall antibiotic prescribing rates were similar, dermatology clinicians were significantly more likely to prescribe tetracyclines compared to non-dermatology clinicians.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify predictors related to the loss and recovery of smell and taste in individuals who had previously contracted COVID-19.
  • Out of 3,844 respondents, over 51% experienced a loss of smell and 49% a loss of taste, with high recovery rates reported for both senses.
  • Factors influencing smell and taste loss included being younger, female, using e-cigarettes, and having a higher BMI, while certain ethnicities also impacted recovery likelihood, providing valuable insights for clinical counseling.
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Predation is a fundamental selective pressure on animal morphology, as morphology is directly linked with physical performance and evasion. Bipedal heteromyid rodents, which are characterized by unique morphological traits such as enlarged hindlimbs, appear to be more successful than sympatric quadrupedal rodents at escaping predators such as snakes and owls, but no studies have directly compared the escape performance of bipedal and quadrupedal rodents. We used simulated predator attacks to compare the evasive jumping ability of bipedal kangaroo rats () to that of three quadrupedal rodent groups-pocket mice (), woodrats (), and ground squirrels ().

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Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are exclusive to the retina, critically multifunctional in maintaining the visual functions and health of photoreceptors and the retina. Despite their vital functions throughout lifetime, RPE cells lack regenerative capacity, rendering them vulnerable which can lead to degenerative retinal diseases. With advancements in stem cell technology enabling the differentiation of functional cells from pluripotent stem cells and leveraging the robust autocrine and paracrine functions of RPE cells, extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by RPE cells hold significant therapeutic potential in supplementing RPE cell activity.

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Background: Electronic cigarettes have gained popularity as a nicotine delivery system, which has been recommended by some as an aid to help people quit traditional smoking. The potential long-term effects of vaping on the cardiovascular system, as well as how their effects compare with those from standard cigarettes, are not well understood. The intrinsic frequency (IF) method is a systems approach for analysis of left ventricle and arterial function.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study reviews the clinical experiences of four male patients with bilateral vocal fold motion impairment (BVFMI) caused by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and highlights the range of symptoms experienced, from severe breathing issues to voice problems.
  • - Two patients underwent surgery for osteophyte removal in the cervical spine, resulting in improved vocal fold mobility and better breathing and voice quality, while the other two opted for conservative treatment as their symptoms were manageable.
  • - The findings suggest that both surgical and non-surgical options can be effective for BVFMI, emphasizing the need for more research into the causes and treatment outcomes for this condition.
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  • The study investigates the relationship between serum calcium levels and ventricular repolarization time, specifically the QT and JT intervals, which are important for heart health.
  • Researchers conducted large-scale genome-wide analyses to explore potential interactions between calcium levels and genetic variants associated with QT and JT intervals, using over 122,000 participants.
  • The results showed limited evidence for the hypothesized calcium interaction effects, suggesting that other factors, such as rare genetic variations or environmental influences, likely play a larger role in the unexplained heritability of QT and JT intervals.
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Opioid use disorder (OUD) has emerged as a significant public health crisis affecting individuals across all age groups. However, there remains a critical gap in understanding the specific nuances and challenges associated with OUD in pediatric populations. This article provides a comprehensive review of the epidemiology, definition of OUD, screening recommendations for OUD, and evidence-based management strategies for OUD in pediatric patients.

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Strategies for optimal management of pediatric acute agitation in emergency settings.

J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open

August 2024

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor UCLA Medical Center Torrance California USA.

Acute agitation in youth is a challenging presentation to the emergency department. In many cases, however, youth can be behaviorally de-escalated using a combination of environmental modification and verbal de-escalation. In cases where additional strategies such as pharmacologic de-escalation or physical restraint are needed, using the least restrictive means possible, including the youth in the decision-making process, and providing options are important.

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Introduction: We examined the relationship between sedentary behavior (SB), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes, a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker associated with risk of neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged to older adults.

Methods: We used data from the UK Biobank ( = 14,415; 45 to 81 years) that included accelerometer-derived measures of SB and MVPA, and WMH volumes from MRI.

Results: Both MVPA and SB were associated with WMH volumes (β= -0.

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Objective: To characterize presentation, disease course, and treatment of idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS) in non-Caucasian women and compare this cohort to the predominantly female, Caucasian patient cohorts identified in the literature.

Study Design: Retrospective review. Results are compared to systematic review of demographics.

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Asthma, the most common chronic disease in children, affects more than 4 million children in the United States, disproportionately affecting those who are economically disadvantaged and racial and ethnic minorities. Studies have shown that the racial and ethnic disparities in asthma outcomes can be largely explained by environmental, socioeconomic and other social determinants of health (SDoH). Utilizing new approaches to stratify disease severity and risk, which focus on the underlying SDoH that lead to asthma disparity, provides an opportunity to disentangle race and ethnicity from its confounding social determinants.

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