Medical gender affirmation appears protective against problematic substance use among transgender women and transfeminine adults: Findings from The LITE Study.

Objective: To estimate the association between medical and legal gender affirmation with problematic substance use among transfeminine adults.

Methods: Data from a longitudinal cohort (The LITE Study) were analyzed (n = 1186). Participants were enrolled between March 2018 and August 2020 and followed for 2 years.

Longitudinal Metabolic Trajectories in Diabetes Prevention Program Participants Reveal Subgroups With Varying Micro- and Macrovascular Complication Risks.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its associated complications develop heterogeneously over decades, but few studies span the progression from prediabetes to clinical events. We investigated whether long-term metabolic trajectories beginning in prediabetes delineate subgroups with differential complication risk.

Research Design And Methods: Clinical data from 1,732 Diabetes Prevention Program/Outcomes Study participants (follow-up 19 years) were analyzed across 12 phenotypes.

Prevalence and demographic correlates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in patients undergoing total knee replacement.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a significant concern in orthopedic surgery, particularly in total knee replacement (TKR), where infection can lead to severe complications. In procedures like TKR, where implants act as a foreign body and potential surface for biofilm formation, infections can lead to severe complications, including delayed healing, and implant failure, and often need multiple revision surgeries. Screening for MRSA before surgery has become a standard practice in many hospitals to reduce the risk of infection.

Machine Learning and Probabilistic Approaches for Forecasting COVID-19 Transmission and Cases.

Forecasting the effective reproductive number ( ) and COVID-19 case counts are critical for guiding public health responses. We developed a machine learning and probabilistic forecasting framework to predict and daily case counts at the county level in South Carolina (SC). Our approach utilized initial estimates from EpiNow2 R package refined with spatial (covariate-adjusted) smoothing.

Falloposcope for early screening of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma.

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) of the ovary is the most common and lethal subtype of ovarian cancer, representing the deadliest gynecological malignancy. Due to nonspecific symptoms and the absence of an effective screening tool for average-risk patients, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. As a result, fewer than 50 % of patients survive beyond five years post-diagnosis.

Phylogeographic and genetic network assessment of COVID-19 mitigation protocols on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in university campus residences.

Background: Congregate living provides an ideal setting for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in which many outbreaks and superspreading events occurred. To avoid large outbreaks, universities turned to remote operations during the initial COVID-19 pandemic waves in 2020 and 2021. In late-2021, the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) facilitated the return of students to campus with comprehensive testing, vaccination, masking, wastewater surveillance, and isolation policies.

Predictive models to identify individuals with HIV at risk of unsuppressed viral load using routine public health data.

Background: Effective antiretroviral therapy to maintain durable viral suppression is key to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. We evaluated the ability of machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict people with HIV (PWH) at risk of unsuppressed viral load.

Setting: Retrospective study among PWH from San Diego County (n=18,916).

A Flexible Framework for Local-Level Estimation of the Effective Reproductive Number in Geographic Regions with Sparse Data.

Background: Our research focuses on local-level estimation of the effective reproductive number, which describes the transmissibility of an infectious disease and represents the average number of individuals one infectious person infects at a given time. The ability to accurately estimate the infectious disease reproductive number in geographically granular regions is critical for disaster planning and resource allocation. However, not all regions have sufficient infectious disease outcome data; this lack of data presents a significant challenge for accurate estimation.

Overall Survival With Palbociclib and Aromatase Inhibitor Versus Aromatase Inhibitor Alone in Older Patients With HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6is) in combination with endocrine therapy are the current standard of care for first-line (1L) treatment of hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC). To investigate the effectiveness of palbociclib, the first-in-class CDK4/6i, plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI) in older patients, we compared overall survival (OS) in a Medicare population treated with 1L palbociclib + AI versus an AI alone.

Methods: Patients aged ≥ 65 years who were diagnosed with de novo HR+/HER2- mBC from 2015 to 2019 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-linked Medicare database and were eligible if they initiated 1L palbociclib + AI or an AI alone.

Caprine dermal scaffolds for repair of full-thickness skin wounds in rabbits.

Biological scaffolds prepared after decellularization are used for the restoration of damaged tissues. A number of chemicals are used for bioscaffold preparation, and some of them damage their composition and architecture. Herein, we investigated the Sapindus mukorossi fruit pericarp extract (SPE) (5%) for decellularization of the caprine dermis.

A flexible framework for local-level estimation of the effective reproductive number in geographic regions with sparse data.

Background: Our research focuses on local-level estimation of the effective reproductive number, which describes the transmissibility of an infectious disease and represents the average number of individuals one infectious person infects at a given time. The ability to accurately estimate the infectious disease reproductive number in geographically granular regions is critical for disaster planning and resource allocation. However, not all regions have sufficient infectious disease outcome data; this lack of data presents a significant challenge for accurate estimation.

Diagnostic challenge posed by an intriguing case of simultaneous bilateral ovarian torsion and synchronous endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Objective: We present an intriguing case of simultaneous, bilateral, complete ovarian torsion with synchronous endometrial adenocarcinoma in a previously healthy patient with a reported history of unilateral oophorectomy. This unique case demonstrates the limitations of pelvic imaging and patient history.

Case Report: A 32-year-old woman with a history of unilateral oophorectomy, presented to the emergency department with worsening left lower abdominal pain concerning for ovarian torsion.

Assessing Anti-Acne Potentials , and Models: A Comprehensive Approach.

Acne vulgaris is the 8th most commonly prevailing skin disorder worldwide. Its pervasiveness has been predominant in juveniles, especially males, during adolescence and in females during adulthood. The lifestyle and nutrition adopted have been significantly reported to impact the occurrence and frequency of acne.

Plasma Lipid Metabolites, Clinical Glycemic Predictors, and Incident Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: Plasma metabolite profiling has uncovered several nonglycemic markers of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigated whether such biomarkers provide information about specific aspects of T2D etiology, such as impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance, and whether their association with T2D risk varies by race.

Research Design And Methods: Untargeted plasma metabolite profiling was performed of participants in the FINRISK 2002 cohort (n = 7,564).

Transforming the Health Research Workforce in Mozambique: Achievements of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) over a 13‑Year Journey.

African research capacity is challenged by insufficient infrastructure to solicit and manage grants from local and international funding agencies. The manuscript provides an overview and discusses lessons learned about the pioneering role of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) as the first research support center (RSC) in supporting the management of research grants in Mozambique, emphasizing its impact on research capacity development. Using mixed methods, data were comprehensively collected to identify MIHER's primary achievements from 2010 to 2023.

A Review of Network Models for HIV Spread.

Background: HIV/AIDS has been a global health crisis for over 4 decades. Network models, which simulate human behavior and intervention impacts, have become an essential tool in guiding HIV prevention strategies and policies. However, no comprehensive survey of network models in HIV research has been conducted.

Intrauterine fetal growth restriction in sheep leads to sexually dimorphic programming of Preadipocytes' differentiation potential.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a risk factor for obesity in adult life. Importantly, growth-restricted females are more prone to obesity than males. The mechanisms involved in this sexually dimorphic programming are not known.

Formulation and evaluation of herbal essential oil based nail lacquer for management of onychomycosis.

Introduction: Onychomycosis (Paronychia) is a common fungal nail infection, characterised by thickened, discoloured and brittle nails often accompanied by pain and discomfort. It is one of the most prevalent fungal nail infections with the global incidence of >20 % affected commonly by Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. The market today is flooded with various antifungal therapies (Azoles, Imidazoles, Allylamines, etc.

The Role of Long Intergenic Noncoding RNA in Fetal Development.

The role of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) in fetal development has emerged as a significant area of study, challenging the traditional protein-centric view of gene expression. While messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have long been recognized for their role in encoding proteins, recent advances have illuminated the critical functions of lincRNAs in various biological processes. Initially identified through high-throughput sequencing technologies, lincRNAs are transcribed from intergenic regions between protein-coding genes and exhibit unique regulatory functions.

Is there an association between vaginal microbiome community state types and diversity and preterm birth: A non-systematic literature review.

Worldwide, preterm birth (PTB) is a significant cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Surprisingly, the rate of PTB in the United States is among the top 10 nations in the world, comparable to those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria. However, there is no predictive biomarker or understanding of the mechanisms of PTB.

Treatment characteristics and outcomes in lower-risk, non-del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes: findings from a medical record review in the USA, Canada and Europe.

To assess treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with non-del(5q) lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. Patient medical records were reviewed in the USA, Canada (CAN), UK and the EU. Analysis included 119 patients in the USA/CAN (median age, 61.

Exploring the Association Between Heart Rate Control and Rehospitalization: A Real-World Analysis of Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: In patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), lower discharge heart rate (HR) is known to be associated with better outcomes. However, the effect of HR control on patient outcomes, and the demographic and clinical determinants of this association, are not well documented.

Objectives: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the association between the HR control and the risk of post-discharge rehospitalization in patients hospitalized with HFrEF.