Gene Signature in Sessile Serrated Polyps Identifies Colon Cancer Subtype.

Sessile serrated colon adenoma/polyps (SSA/P) are found during routine screening colonoscopy and may account for 20% to 30% of colon cancers. However, differentiating SSA/Ps from hyperplastic polyps (HP) with little risk of cancer is challenging and complementary molecular markers are needed. In addition, the molecular mechanisms of colon cancer development from SSA/Ps are poorly understood.

Actigraphic and Sleep Diary Measures in Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: Discrepancy in Selected Sleep Parameters.

Objective: To examine the discrepancy between sleep diary and actigraphic measures of sleep in Veterans with moderate-severe post-acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to explore whether these discrepancies vary according to participant characteristics.

Setting: VA Medical Center in the Rocky Mountain United States.

Participants: Nineteen males with moderate-severe post-acute TBI and insomnia symptoms as measured by the Insomnia Severity Index.

A Qualitative Study of Sleep-Wake Disturbance Among Veterans With Post-Acute Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Examine sleep-wake disturbance (SWD) characteristics, factors, consequences, and management strategies from the perspective of veterans with chronic stage, moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Setting: VA Medical Center, Rocky Mountain.

Us Participants: Nineteen male veterans with post-acute TBI and SWD in the VA Health Administration.

Bcl2 is a critical regulator of bile acid homeostasis by dictating Shp and lncRNA H19 function.

Bile acid (BA) metabolism is tightly controlled by nuclear receptor signaling to coordinate regulation of BA synthetic enzymes and transporters. Here we reveal a molecular cascade consisting of the antiapoptotic protein BCL2, nuclear receptor Shp, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 to maintain BA homeostasis. Bcl2 was overexpressed in liver of C57BL/6J mice using adenovirus mediated gene delivery for two weeks.

The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in Evolution and the Evolution of Hydrogen Sulfide in Metabolism and Signaling.

The chemical versatility of sulfur and its abundance in the prebiotic Earth as reduced sulfide (H2S) implicate this molecule in the origin of life 3.8 billion years ago and also as a major source of energy in the first seven-eighths of evolution. The tremendous increase in ambient oxygen ∼ 600 million years ago brought an end to H2S as an energy source, and H2S-dependent animals either became extinct, retreated to isolated sulfide niches, or adapted.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Pleconaril for the Treatment of Neonates With Enterovirus Sepsis.

Background: Neonatal enterovirus sepsis has high mortality. Antiviral therapy is not available.

Methods: Neonates with suspected enterovirus sepsis (hepatitis, coagulopathy, and/or myocarditis) with onset at ≤15 days of life were randomized 2:1 to receive oral pleconaril or placebo for 7 days.

Metabolic, anabolic, and mitogenic insulin responses: A tissue-specific perspective for insulin receptor activators.

Insulin acts as the major regulator of the fasting-to-fed metabolic transition by altering substrate metabolism, promoting energy storage, and helping activate protein synthesis. In addition to its glucoregulatory and other metabolic properties, insulin can also act as a growth factor. The metabolic and mitogenic responses to insulin are regulated by divergent post-receptor signaling mechanisms downstream from the activated insulin receptor (IR).

Workforce Survey of Pediatric Interfacility Transport Systems in the United States.

Objectives: The interfacility transport of pediatric patients requires a highly skilled and well-trained workforce, of which little is known. The primary study purpose was to characterize the current state of pediatric interfacility transport in the United States including, but not limited to, which team models predominate, what team configurations are used, team training standards, and the use of quality assurance metrics.

Methods: A descriptive and qualitative Web-based survey questionnaire was developed.

An Iterative Leave-One-Out Approach to Outlier Detection in RNA-Seq Data.

The discrete data structure and large sequencing depth of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments can often generate outlier read counts in one or more RNA samples within a homogeneous group. Thus, how to identify and manage outlier observations in RNA-seq data is an emerging topic of interest. One of the main objectives in these research efforts is to develop statistical methodology that effectively balances the impact of outlier observations and achieves maximal power for statistical testing.

Strategies for Computed Tomography Radiation Dose Reduction in Pediatric Neuroimaging.

Background: Radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging is a significant concern, particularly in the care of pediatric patients. Computed tomography (CT) scanning is a significant source of radiation.

Objective: To demonstrate that diagnostic quality CT images can be obtained while minimizing the effective radiation dose to the patient.

Acute Treatment With XMetA Activates Hepatic Insulin Receptors and Lowers Blood Glucose in Normal Mice.

It has been proposed that monoclonal antibodies may become therapeutics for metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. We have previously characterized an allosteric monoclonal antibody to the human insulin receptor (IR), XMetA, that activated metabolic signaling leading to enhanced glucose transport in cultured cells, and chronically reduced fasting blood glucose levels in mouse models of diabetes mellitus. Under acute dosing conditions, the large size of an IR-binding antibody like XMetA (∼ 150 kDa) could lead to a more rapid access into liver, an insulin sensitive tissue with well-fenestrated capillaries, when compared to other insulin sensitive tissues with non-fenestrated capillaries, such as muscle and adipose.

A humanized mouse model of hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-resistant rickets without alopecia.

The syndrome of hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) is a genetic disease of altered mineral homeostasis due to mutations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. It is frequently, but not always, accompanied by the presence of alopecia. Mouse models that recapitulate this syndrome have been prepared through genetic deletion of the Vdr gene and are characterized by the presence of rickets and alopecia.

Prevention of export of anoxia/reoxygenation injury from ischemic to nonischemic cardiomyocytes via inhibition of endocytosis.

Myocardial infarct size is determined by the death of nonischemic border zone cardiomyocytes caused by export of injury signals from the infarct zone. The countermeasures to limit infarct size, therefore, should be aimed at nonselective blockade of most, if not all, injury signals from entering nonischemic cells. To test whether inhibition of endocytosis might limit infarct size, HL-1 cardiomyocytes were subjected to anoxia (6 h) and reoxygenation (1 h).

Mouse and human BAC transgenes recapitulate tissue-specific expression of the vitamin D receptor in mice and rescue the VDR-null phenotype.

The biological actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is expressed in numerous target tissues in a cell type-selective manner. Recent studies using genomic analyses and recombineered bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) have defined the specific features of mouse and human VDR gene loci in vitro. In the current study, we introduced recombineered mouse and human VDR BACs as transgenes into mice and explored their expression capabilities in vivo.

The physician's role in infant and child death review in Arkansas.

Arkansas has higher infant and child death rates than the United States overall. Multidisciplinary Infant and Child Death Review Teams are tasked to provide detailed information about unexpected infant and child deaths from the perspective of the affected community. The goals of the review are to develop specific intervention and prevention measures to decrease pediatric deaths, and examine the processes utilized by agencies to influence changes in policies, procedures and law.

Direct visualization of hepatitis C virus-infected Huh7.5 cells with a high titre of infectious chimeric JFH1-EGFP reporter virus in three-dimensional Matrigel cell cultures.

Identification of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) JFH1 isolate enabled the development of infectious HCV cell culture systems. However, the relatively low virus titres and instability of some chimeric JFH1 reporter viruses restricts some uses of this system. We describe a higher-titre JFH1-EGFP reporter virus where the NS5A V3 region was replaced with the EGFP gene and adapted by serial passage in Huh7.

Comparison of automated red cell exchange transfusion and simple transfusion for the treatment of children with sickle cell disease acute chest syndrome.

Background: Both simple transfusion (ST) of packed red blood cells and automated red cell exchange (RCE) are used in the treatment of acute chest syndrome (ACS). We report our experience using each of these modalities for the treatment of ACS.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients with ACS treated with ST only (51 episodes, ST group) or RCE performed either at diagnosis (U-RCE group, 15 episodes) or after ST (ST + RCE group, 15 episodes).

Intervention in the occluded vein graft: with high risk can come great reward: review of techniques with case examples.

Total occlusion of a saphenous vein graft (SVG) can present as abrupt thrombotic occlusion in an atherosclerotic graft with resultant acute cardiac events or chronic total occlusion (CTO) with resultant angina symptoms. The risks of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within an occluded graft include not only periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), but also the risks that come part and parcel with any CTO intervention which include an increased probability of procedural failure, vessel perforation, dissection, high radiation, and contrast exposure, and the potential for worse outcomes. PCI of a chronically occluded graft remains a class III indication in current PCI guidelines because of the increased procedural risk and modest clinical data supporting improved outcomes.

MicroRNA hsa-let-7g targets lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 expression and inhibits apoptosis in human smooth muscle cells.

Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) has been identified as a major receptor for oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Very few studies have reported regulation of LOX-1 expression by microRNAs in SMCs.

Cardiac sarcoidosis masquerading as syncope with right ventricular septal mass.

Cardiac sarcoid remains a challenging diagnostic entity. Electrical abnormalities in sarcoid myocarditis range from heart blocks to lethal ventricular tachycardias. Sarcoid granulomas have predilection for left ventricular side and basal septum in cardiac involvement.

Substrate for complications.

Acute stent thrombosis is a rare, life-threatening, and challenging complication of left main stenting. Equally challenging is treating a chronic saphenous vein graft occlusion. Though considered class III indication per ACC/AHA guidelines, the saphenous vein graft may be the only potential conduit for revascularization.