Hypertension and obesity independently drive hypertrophy and alter mitochondrial metabolism in a mouse model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has recently emerged as an insidiously and increasingly prevalent heart failure phenotype. HFpEF often occurs in the context of hypertension and obesity and presents with diastolic dysfunction, ventricular hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis. Despite growing study of HFpEF, the causal links between early metabolic changes, bioenergetic perturbations, and cardiac structural remodeling remain unclear.

Observer-rated environmental sensitivity and its characterization at behavioral, genetic, and physiological levels.

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Child-Rating System (HSC-RS), the existence of sensitivity groups, and the characterization of sensitivity at behavioral, genetic, and physiological levels in 541 preschoolers (() = 3.56(0.27); 45%male; 87%Caucasian).

An Explanatory Mixed-methods Study of "ICU net benefit": Triage and Trajectory for Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Failure.

Rationale: Patients with sepsis and/or acute respiratory failure are at high risk for death or long hospital stays, yet limited evidence exists to guide triage to intensive care units (ICUs) or general medical wards for the majority of these patients who do not initially require life support.

Objectives: To identify factors that influence how hospitals triage patients with capacity-sensitive conditions and those factors that may account for observed ICU relative to ward, or ward relative to ICU, benefits for such patients.

Methods: We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study.

Mechanistic Relevance of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, with limited effective therapeutic interventions in patients. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) and ventricular arrhythmias present substantial risks for the prognosis of these patients. Obesity is a risk factor for HFpEF and life-threatening arrhythmias.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters Postnatal Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Neuron and Microglia Morphology and Cytokine/Chemokine Milieu in Mice.

Infants born with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have up to a five-fold higher risk of learning and memory impairment than those with normal growth. Using a mouse model of hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (HDP) to replicate uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI), we have previously shown that UPI causes premature embryonic hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) neurogenesis in IUGR offspring. The DG is a brain region that receives the first cortical information for memory formation.

Ultrasound as a predictor of time-loss injury for the patellar tendon, Achilles tendon and plantar fascia in division I collegiate athletes.

Objectives: Tendinopathy and fasciopathy are common conditions that can result in time-loss injury in athletes. This study aimed to determine if preseason sonographic abnormalities of the patellar tendon, Achilles tendon and plantar fascia are associated with future time-loss injuries in collegiate athletes.

Methods: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes from three institutions participated in this 3-year prospective, observational study.

Characteristics and healthcare utilization among aging veterans in supported housing: A comparison with independently housed age-matched veterans.

Background And Objectives: There is a large and growing population of older, formerly homeless adults living in permanent supportive housing, and there are concerns about how to address their healthcare needs. This study compared veterans aged 55 years and older residing in the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to an age-matched group of independently housed veterans receiving care through the U.S.

SLC7A5 is required for cancer cell growth under arginine-limited conditions.

Tumor cells must optimize metabolite acquisition between synthesis and uptake from a microenvironment characterized by hypoxia, lactate accumulation, and depletion of many amino acids, including arginine. We performed a metabolism-focused functional screen using CRISPR-Cas9 to identify pathways and factors that enable tumor growth in an arginine-depleted environment. Our screen identified the SLC-family transporter SLC7A5 as required for growth, and we hypothesized that this protein functions as a high-affinity citrulline transporter.

Molecular basis of proton sensing by G protein-coupled receptors.

Three proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)-GPR4, GPR65, and GPR68-respond to extracellular pH to regulate diverse physiology. How protons activate these receptors is poorly understood. We determined cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of each receptor to understand the spatial arrangement of proton-sensing residues.

Optimizing Management of Febrile Young Infants Without Serum Procalcitonin.

Background: Febrile young infants are at risk of invasive bacterial infections (IBIs; bacteremia or bacterial meningitis). American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend that when procalcitonin testing is unavailable, C-reactive protein (CRP), absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and temperature should be used to identify low-risk infants. We sought to determine the optimal combination of these inflammatory markers to predict IBI when procalcitonin is unavailable.

Structural Variation Interpretation in the Genome Sequencing Era: Lessons from Cytogenetics.

Background: Structural variation (SV), defined as balanced and unbalanced chromosomal rearrangements >1 kb, is a major contributor to germline and neoplastic disease. Large variants have historically been evaluated by chromosome analysis and now are commonly recognized by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). The increasing application of genome sequencing (GS) in the clinic and the relatively high incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in sick newborns and children highlights the need for accurate SV interpretation and reporting.

Development of sensorimotor responses in larval zebrafish: A comparison between wild-type and GCaMP6s transgenic line.

During early development, zebrafish larvae exhibit stereotypical behaviors, which rapidly become more complex. Thus, generating mutant transgenic lines that maintain transparency throughout their larval stage and that can be used to record brain activity has offered strategic opportunities to investigate the underlying neural correlates of behavior establishment. However, few studies have documented the sensorimotor profile of these lines during larval development.

A 7-year-old with new-onset seizures, behavior disturbance, and encephalitis.

Refractory seizures are common in pediatric neurology; consideration of whether seizures are acutely symptomatic of an underlying disease process is critical. In this case, a previously healthy 7-year-old patient presented with intractable focal seizures in the setting of a viral prodrome and headache. This case highlights a comprehensive work up of new-onset refractory seizures in a patient with features of encephalitis and describes a diagnostic quandary that ultimately led to a rare unifying diagnosis.

Sports after single-suture synostosis surgery: a survey of Synostosis Research Group members.

Objective: Patients with a history of surgery for single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC) as an infant often wish to participate in sports later in childhood. However, there are no established guidelines from neurosurgeons and craniofacial surgeons to guide parents in which sports their child should or should not participate. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitudes and practice patterns of experienced neurosurgeons and craniofacial surgeons regarding the counseling of caregivers of these patients about sports participation.

Patient- and Family-Centered Outcomes After Intensive Care Unit Admission.

Background: Family satisfaction with intensive care is a measure of patient experience and patient-centered care. Among the factors that might influence family satisfaction are the timing of patient admittance to the intensive care unit (ICU), the ICU environment, and individual health care providers.

Objective: To evaluate family satisfaction with the ICU and to explore associations between satisfaction and specific characteristics of the ICU stay.

Predicting sinonasal inverted papilloma attachment using machine learning: Current lessons and future directions.

Background: Hyperostosis is a common radiographic feature of inverted papilloma (IP) tumor origin on computed tomography (CT). Herein, we developed a machine learning (ML) model capable of analyzing CT images and identifying IP attachment sites.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated for IP at our institution was performed.

The effect of a Veterans Affairs rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention program on long-term housing instability.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of enrolling in Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) on short- and long-term housing outcomes among Veterans experiencing housing instability.

Study Setting And Design: We analyzed data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record (EHR) between October 2015 and December 2018 using the target trial emulation framework. Veterans were included in one or more trials if they were 18 years or older, had recent evidence of housing instability, had received care in VA for at least 1 year, and had never before enrolled in SSVF.

Corneal Refractive Surgery Considerations in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric eating disorder characterized by body mass index (BMI) ≤ 18.5, fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body weight. With increasing rates of myopia, there is a population of patients who concurrently develop AN and may seek corneal refractive surgery.

The HET (history, electrocardiogram, and troponin) score has low efficacy and negative predictive value in a multisite U.S. cohort study.

Introduction: The History, Electrocardiogram, and Troponin (HET) score is a simplified alternative to the HEART score for risk stratifying emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of the HET score for 30-day cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the STOP-CP multisite cohort study.

Mediators of epilepsy risk after traumatic brain injury: A 20-year U.S. veteran cohort study.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant risk factor for epilepsy, but little work has explored whether risk of epilepsy after TBI may operate through intermediary mechanisms. The objective of this study was to statistically screen for potentially mediating effects among 64 comorbidities for epilepsy risk following TBI among Post-9/11 U.S.

Is the 99th Percentile Cutoff Still Relevant? A Single-Center Assessment of Different Thresholds for Diagnosing Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Background: The 2023 American College of Rheumatology and modified Sapporo criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) recommend ELISA to detect anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (aβ2GP1) IgG/IgM antibodies, focusing on moderate to high levels or exceeding the 99th percentile. This study aims to establish the 99th percentile threshold for anti-phospholipid (aPL) antibodies and compare the diagnostic accuracies of these thresholds with manufacturer cutoffs using 2 methodologies.

Methods: The 99th percentile cutoffs for aPL antibodies from 305 healthy donors were established using Aptiva, Particle-Based Multi-Analyte Technology (PMAT), and QUANTA Lite (QL) ELISA, following nonparametric reference interval estimation.

Assessment of recurrent fever among children undergoing tonsillectomy.

Background: Recurrent tonsillitis is a common indication for tonsillectomy in children and has phenotypic overlap with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. We sought to characterize symptoms associated with PFAPA among children undergoing tonsillectomy.

Methods: Parents/guardians of children undergoing tonsillectomy at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital over a six-week period were queried regarding symptoms of recurrent fever.

Semi-parametric sensitivity analysis for trials with irregular and informative assessment times.

Many trials are designed to collect outcomes at or around pre-specified times after randomization. If there is variability in the times when participants are actually assessed, this can pose a challenge to learning the effect of treatment, since not all participants have outcome assessments at the times of interest. Furthermore, observed outcome values may not be representative of all participants' outcomes at a given time.