Clinical Outcomes Following a Patient-Centered Educational Intervention on Steatotic Liver Disease: A Comparison of Patients With and Without Diabetes.

Background And Aims: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is strongly associated with diabetes. These diseases disproportionately impact marginalized populations, for whom lifestyle modifications, a mainstay of treatment, can be challenging. This study aimed to assess change in liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) following SLD education in a safety-net health-care system.

Addressing food insecurity among U.S. refugees, considering the temporal patterns of food insecurity after resettlement: Qualitative insights from Utah.

Background: Refugees experience high rates of food insecurity (FI) and its associated health outcomes, such as depression and hypertension. Prior research has identified barriers in accessing food among U.S.

Expanding genetic engineering capabilities in Vibrio natriegens with the Vnat Collection.

Vibrio natriegens, with its exceptionally fast growth rate, has great promise as a revolutionary chassis for synthetic biology, yet the realization of its full potential has been limited by the lack of robust, standardized genetic tools. Here, we present the Vnat Collection, a comprehensive, modular toolkit specifically engineered to overcome these limitations. Leveraging optimized Golden Gate cloning strategies, we introduce improved junction sequences and a highly efficient dropout part system, achieving up to a 300-fold increase in assembly efficiency.

Recovery of cone-mediated vision in Lebercilin associated retinal ciliopathy after gene therapy: One-year results of a phase I/II trial.

We assessed the preliminary safety of a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 8 vector carrying the native human LCA5 cDNA (OPGx-001) in LCA5-associated Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA5-LCA), a congenital blindness. This phase 1b/2a trial (NCT05616793) is a nonrandomized, single ascending, dose-escalation study. Three subjects with LCA5-LCA (ages 19, 26, and 34 years old) received uniocular subretinal injections of 1E10 vector genome per eye of OPGx-001.

Feasible and acceptable social drivers of health screening among patients with chronic liver disease.

Background: Social drivers of health (SDoH) contribute to health disparities among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of SDoH screening in hepatology clinics. This study aimed to define SDoH prevalence among CLD patients, identify a feasible and acceptable screening approach, and assess the convergent validity of a locally developed screener.

Hearing loss configurations in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: The majority of individuals with hearing loss worldwide reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but there is limited information regarding the characteristics of hearing loss in these regions. This descriptive study aims to address this knowledge gap by analysing audiogram patterns in LMIC populations. Greater knowledge about the properties of hearing loss in LMICs allows for improved planning of interventions.

Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children With Down Syndrome in an Australian Population.

Objectives: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is known to be higher in children with Down syndrome (DS) than the general pediatric population, with lower rates of surgical cure. This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictors of OSA and evaluate the outcomes of surgical intervention for OSA in a cohort of Australian children with DS.

Methodology: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 156 patients with DS from 0 to 18 years who had undergone overnight, attended polysomnography (PSG) at Sydney Children's Hospital from January 2010 to July 2023.

Retinal Degeneration Associated With Biallelic RDH12 Variants: Longitudinal Evaluation of Retinal Structure and Visual Function in Pediatric Patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the natural history of the photoreceptor disease in a large group of pediatric patients with RHD12-associated Leber congenital amaurosis (RDH12-LCA), to estimate the changes expected over the duration of a clinical trial, and to define the relationship between the photoreceptor loss and visual dysfunction.

Methods: Forty-six patients representing 36 families were included. The great majority of patients were under the age of 18 years.

Significant Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity and Sociodemographic Factors.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities. We evaluated the impact of income and geography on racial/ethnic disparities across the HCC care cascade in the United States.

Methods: Using NCI registry data spanning 2000 to 2020, adults with HCC were evaluated to determine race/ethnicity-specific differences in tumor stage at diagnosis, delays and gaps in treatment, and survival.

Fatty Liver Education Promotes Physical Activity in Vulnerable Groups, Including Those With Unhealthy Alcohol Use.

Background And Aims: Fatty liver disease (FLD), alcohol-associated and metabolically associated, often coexists. Increase in physical activity is associated with metabolic health and decreased FLD. We aimed to identify factors associated with physical activity and its improvement following FLD education in a racially diverse, vulnerable population.

Screening for social determinants of health among populations at risk for MASLD: a scoping review.

Background: Social determinants of health (SDoH) have been associated with disparate outcomes among those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its risk factors. To address SDoH among this population, real-time SDoH screening in clinical settings is required, yet optimal screening methods are unclear. We performed a scoping review to describe the current literature on SDoH screening conducted in the clinical setting among individuals with MASLD and MASLD risk factors.

Staff-Facilitated Telemedicine Care Delivery for Treatment of Hepatitis C Infection among People Who Inject Drugs.

Background: Telemedicine offers the opportunity to provide clinical services remotely, thereby bridging geographic distances for people engaged in the medical system. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread adoption of telemedicine in clinical practices has persisted, highlighting its continued relevance for post-pandemic healthcare. Little is known about telemedicine use among people from socially marginalized groups.

Telehepatology Satisfaction Is Associated with Ethnicity: The Real-World Experience of a Vulnerable Population with Fatty Liver Disease.

Background: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, telemedicine use has transformed healthcare delivery. Yet there is concern that telemedicine may widen care disparities for vulnerable populations, and patient experience data are limited.

Aims: We aimed to assess patient satisfaction with hepatology-related telemedicine (telehepatology) for delivery of fatty liver disease (FLD) care in a safety-net healthcare system.

Cross-sectional study on stigma and motivation to adhere to lifestyle modification among vulnerable populations with fatty liver disease.

Objectives: Adherence to lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, and alcohol cessation) for fatty liver disease (FLD) management remains challenging. The study examined stigma, barriers, and factors associated with motivation to adhere to lifestyle modification in a diverse and vulnerable population with FLD.

Methods: From 2/19/2020 to 2/28/2022, 249 FLD patients within San Francisco safety-net hepatology clinics were surveyed along with clinical data taken from medical records.

Structure of phosphorylated-like RssB, the adaptor delivering σ to the ClpXP proteolytic machinery, reveals an interface switch for activation.

In enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli, the general stress response is mediated by σ, the stationary phase dissociable promoter specificity subunit of RNA polymerase. σ is degraded by ClpXP during active growth in a process dependent on the RssB adaptor, which is thought to be stimulated by the phosphorylation of a conserved aspartate in its N-terminal receiver domain. Here we present the crystal structure of full-length RssB bound to a beryllofluoride phosphomimic.

A pilot study to understand and respond to loss, theft, and misplacement of hepatitis C treatment medication for people who inject drugs.

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Community engagement in the development of health-related data visualizations: a scoping review.

Objective: This scoping review aims to address a gap in the literature on community engagement in developing data visualizations intended to improve population health. The review objectives are to: (1) synthesize literature on the types of community engagement activities conducted by researchers working with community partners and (2) characterize instances of "creative data literacy" within data visualizations developed in community-researcher partnerships.

Methods: Using the 2018 PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, the review focuses on peer-reviewed journal articles from 2010 to 2022 in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.

Undiagnosed abnormal alanine transaminase levels in vulnerable populations: Impact of sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass.

Background: Liver disease is a leading cause of death in the United States and is often initially detected incidentally on lab tests ordered by general practitioners. Alanine transaminase (ALT), a marker of liver inflammation, is commonly ordered and may be abnormal in the setting of elevated body mass index, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Data regarding ALT testing within vulnerable populations are limited.

Evaluation of a pilot, community-led mental illness de-stigmatization theater intervention in rural uganda.

Background: In rural areas of low- and middle- income countries, mental health care is often unavailable and inaccessible, and stigma is a major barrier to treatment. Destigmatization can increase treatment-seeking attitudes, community support, and acceptance of individuals suffering from mental illness. This study's primary objective was to evaluate the impact of a community-led, theater-based destigmatization campaign for mental illness conducted in the Busoga region of Eastern Uganda.