Late-life emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and risk of cognitive impairment in cognitively unimpaired individuals.

Introduction: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) often precede cognitive impairment. We investigated the longitudinal relationship between emergent, significant NPS and cognitive decline in cognitively unimpaired older adults. We also assessed the combined effect of NPS and Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers on subsequent cognitive impairment.

Inter-rater reliability of atherosclerotic plaque enhancement on 7 T vessel wall MRI: Comparison with quantitative analysis.

ObjectiveIntracranial plaque enhancement (IPE) is a potential biomarker of plaque vulnerability but lacks a standardized definition. While subjective assessment may be prone to observer variability, a voxel-based quantification method can detect subtle signal intensity (SI) changes. This study aimed to compare the inter-rater reliability of subjective IPE evaluation with that of a voxel-based quantification method.

Fournier gangrene is associated with increased length of stay and higher healthcare costs compared to non-perineal necrotizing soft tissue infections: a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020).

Background: Fournier gangrene (FG) is a necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) of the perineum. Recent retrospective studies from quaternary centers suggest improved outcomes and a potentially less aggressive clinical course for FG than non-perineal NSTIs. However, comprehensive nationwide data remain limited.

Comparative Effectiveness of Ustekinumab and Vedolizumab as Maintenance Therapy After Tacrolimus-Induced Improvement in Patients with Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is often managed by tacrolimus induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy. We compared the effectiveness of ustekinumab versus vedolizumab as maintenance therapies after tacrolimus induced improvement in patients with ASUC. This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients with ASUC who received tacrolimus induction therapy followed by ustekinumab or vedolizumab between January 2018 and November 2024.

Self-Reported Weight Gain After the Age of 20 and Risk of Steatotic Liver Disease.

: We aimed to identify questionnaire items associated with an increased risk of developing hepatic steatosis in the general population. : A total of 15,063 individuals aged ≥20 years who underwent general health checkups and had no hepatic steatosis at baseline were included. The relationship between questionnaire data at baseline and hepatic steatosis incidence over a median 4.

Rural-urban differences in the symptoms, side effects, and physical activity of cancer survivors in the United States.

Objective: To evaluate rural-urban differences in cancer-related symptoms, side effects, activities of daily living, and physical activity among cancer survivors in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed the Health Information National Trends Survey -Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (HINTS -SEER; n = 1054 cancer survivors) from the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, Iowa, and New Mexico between January - August 2021. Respondents were surveyed on cancer-related symptoms and side effects along with their activities of daily living (ADL) and physical activity (PA).

Correlation of Airway POCUS Measures with Screening and Severity Evaluation Tools in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Exploratory Study.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common occurrence in the perioperative patient population but is often undiagnosed. Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a promising tool for perioperative assessment; however, its effectiveness in detecting the presence or severity of OSA needs to be evaluated. We assessed the ability of airway POCUS as a screening and severity evaluation tool for OSA by examining its correlation with STOP-BANG scores and the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI).

Epidemiological Assessment and Inference in Race-Based Clinical Algorithms: A Narrative Review and Health Policy Analysis Focused on Living Kidney Donation.

Background: Minoritized racial and ethnic groups in the United States face long-standing disparities in a variety of health outcomes, owing to inequitable distribution of social and structural determinants of health along racial and ethnic lines. Although the existence of such disparities has long been a topic of scientific inquiry, there has been a dearth of investigations regarding their underlying mechanisms and potential remedies. This presents a challenge to those creating evidence-based and equity-focused health policy.

Reconsidering Open-Ended Consent for Biospecimen and Health Record Research in the United States and Europe.

Translational and other modern forms of biomedical research often use stored biospecimens and the health records of individuals whose biospecimens will be used in research. As part of the enrollment process for biobank-based research, individuals are frequently asked to provide informed consent for access to and use of their current and future health records. Although individuals might readily agree to give researchers access to their current health records, they might not realize that their future health records could contain new stigmatizing or embarrassing information.

Post-TB lung function, quality of life, and radiographic findings in children.

Background: The long-term effects of pulmonary TB (PTB) on pediatric lung health are poorly understood. Our objective was to assess predictors of lung function and describe health-related quality of life (QoL) and chest radiograph findings in children following PTB treatment in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of children aged 6-16 years who completed PTB treatment within the last five years compared to household controls with no history of active TB.

Trends in first positive culture results in major burn center over a ten-year period.

Patients with severe burns are more vulnerable to infection, sepsis, and death. With heavy use of antimicrobials, changes in burn wound microbial and antibiotic resistance patterns have been reported; however, the literature remains scarce. This study assessed wound colonization trends in first positive cultures in our burn unit over the last decade.

Measuring the aggregated impact of research: Establishing criteria for coding Translational Science Benefits Model data.

Introduction: A promising approach to assessing research impact draws on the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM), an evaluation model that tracks the applied benefits of research in four domains: Clinical and Medical; Community and Public Health; Economic; and Policy and Legislative. However, standardized methods to verify TSBM benefit data, to aid in aggregating impact data within quantitative summaries, do not currently exist.

Methods: A panel of 11 topic experts participated in a modified Delphi process for establishing content and face validity of a set of criteria for verifying qualitative TSBM data.

Outcomes of High Kidney Donor Profile Index Hepatitis C Nucleic Acid Testing Positive Kidneys are Equivalent to Matched Hepatitis C Nucleic Acid Testing Negative Kidneys.

Background: A recent Organ Procurement and Transplant Network policy change removes hepatitis C virus (HCV) status and race from the Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) calculation, thereby lowering the KDPI of HCV nucleic acid testing positive (NAT) kidneys and increasing their allocation priority. However, even in the era of direct-acting antivirals, high KDPI HCV NAT kidneys exhibited higher discard rates compared with their HCV NAT counterparts, and outcome data for this "high-risk" group remain limited. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by providing comprehensive outcome data to better inform organ allocation and selection decisions under the new KDPI framework.

Establishing data governance for sharing and access to real-world data: a case study.

Importance: Data governance, the policies, and procedures for managing data, is a critical factor for secondary use of clinical data for research.

Objectives: This paper describes the evolution of an academic health-care organization's data governance for research, development of an external data sharing process, implementation of related processes, continuous improvement, and ongoing observations of data governance maturity.

Materials And Methods: The program was designed to improve the access to and sharing of real-world data for research.

Metabolite perturbations in type 1 diabetes associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Although MASLD has been widely studied in persons with Type 2 diabetes (T2D), far less in known about the pathogenesis and severity of MASLD in Type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Objectives: Determine metabolic perturbations associated with MASLD in persons with T1D.

Impact of Clinical Variables and Aneurysm Morphology on Hemorrhage Volume and Clinical Outcomes.

Background And Objectives: It is unknown what determines the volume of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We aimed to investigate the features associated to the burden of subarachnoid hemorrhage after aneurysm rupture and its impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods: Patients admitted with aSAH between 2009 and 2022 were included.

Gestational hypertension increases risk of seizures in children and mice.

Gestational hypertension (GH) is prevalent, with life-long health burdens for mothers and their children exposed in utero. We analyzed the nation-wide Epic Cosmos dataset and found significantly higher rates of seizures in children of mothers with GH than in children of normotensive mothers. Complementary studies of nested Iowa and Stanford cohorts and a large Taiwanese cohort also revealed significantly increased seizure risk after covariate adjustments.

Establishing Heart Rate Norms in Children with Fontan Palliation Using Holter Monitors.

Background: Fontan palliation is associated with an increased risk for arrhythmias and sinus node dysfunction. Although annual Holter monitoring is recommended for routine surveillance, there is no normative Holter data for this population, with only one study describing such data in healthy children.

Objective: To describe Holter data for patients with Fontan physiology, compare this data to healthy children, and establish a normative data set for those undergoing routine ambulatory ECG screening.

Vascular dysfunction is associated with major adverse cardiovascular events in prediabetes: A cohort study.

Background: Prediabetes is a growing public health concern that increases the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Vascular dysfunction worsens with hyperglycemia and is associated with MACE in several high-risk populations. However, it is unknown whether vascular dysfunction contributes to MACE in prediabetes.

Personal Health Record Software for Neuroendocrine Tumors: Patient-Centered Design Approach.

Background: Personal health record (PHR) software has the potential of aiding with patient engagement and data collection in longitudinal research to better understand the long-term impact of treatments on patients with rare medical conditions. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) represent a rare condition with unique challenges related to symptom management, treatment tracking, and patient-provider communication.

Objective: This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate PHR software tailored for patients with NETs as part of a longitudinal research study.

Building and implementation of a common infrastructure for specimen and data storage at an academic medical center.

Precision or "Personalized Medicine" and "Big Data" are growing trends in the biomedical research community and highlight an increased focus on access to larger datasets to effectively explore disease processes at the molecular level versus the previously common one-size-fits all approach. This focus necessitated a local transition from independent lab and siloed projects to a single software application utilizing a common ontology to create access to data from multiple repositories. Use of a common system has allowed for increased ease of collaboration and access to quality biospecimens that are extensively annotated with clinical, molecular, and patient associated data.

Effect of a multifaceted intervention with audit and feedback on low-risk childbirth practice: a multicentre prospective study.

Background: Care for low-risk childbirths constitutes a large proportion of deliveries and is highly influenced by factors such as region, birthing facilities, and health care providers. Audit and feedback as a quality indicator (QI) intervention alone have limited effectiveness. Multidisciplinary approaches, including QI and organizational development, are reportedly effective; however, the impact on low-risk childbirth care remains unclear.

Examining rural health equity and impact through the translational science benefits model: outcomes from the CTSA Consortium of Rural States (CORES).

Introduction: Rural communities often lack access to healthcare, have limited resources and infrastructure, and may experience suboptimal translation of evidence-based interventions into practice or measurement of translational research impact. The Consortium of Rural States (CORES), comprising eight Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs, is a research consortium that focuses on clinical and translational research impacting rural health.

Methods: Utilizing the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) framework, each CTSA hub's evaluation lead co-created an inventory of rural-focused activities, projects, and initiatives that occurred at their respective site during the funding period 2021-2023.

An axon guidance-related microRNA panel identifies perivascular plexus local recurrence following curative surgery in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Background: Complete oncological local control is essential for a potential cure in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but predicting local recurrence following curative surgery remains clinically challenging. In this study, we performed comprehensive biomarker discovery to identify an Axon guidance-related miRNA panel (AGMP) for risk-stratification of perivascular plexus recurrence (PPR) following curative surgery in patients with PDAC.

Methods: To identify axon guidance-related microRNAs, we performed the pathway-miRNA interaction analysis using the miRPathDB2.