High Environmental Heat Exposure Is a Risk Factor for Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology has been reported in Mesoamerican regions and other parts of the world, with increasing evidence pointing to heat stress as a central contributing factor. The incidence of acute kidney injury appears to correlate strongly with heat exposure, as demonstrated in both human and animal studies. The underlying mechanisms of heat-induced kidney injury are likely multifactorial, involving hemodynamic changes, immune responses, and possibly coagulopathies.

The Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding with Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Cirrhotics Undergoing Liver Transplant Evaluation.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) cirrhosis is now the second leading indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events before and after LT. Cirrhotics who undergo left heart catheterization (LHC) with coronary artery stenting for LT evaluation require dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Data regarding the safety, risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and mortality risk of cirrhotics receiving DAPT is limited.

Comparison of Short- and Long-Term Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Tools in US Young Adults.

Background: In 2023, the American Heart Association published the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events (PREVENT) equations for estimating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in adults aged 30 to 79 years. We compared PREVENT's performance with existing US guideline recommended models-Pooled Cohort Equations for 10-year ASCVD risk and FHS (Framingham Heart Study) equations for 30-year ASCVD risk-among young adults.

Methods: We analyzed adults aged 20 to 39 years without baseline ASCVD from 2 sources: (1) pooled data from 2 large epidemiologic cohorts (CARDIA [Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults] and FHS, n=7763), and (2) electronic health records from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (n=266 378).

Changes in tobacco use in rural South Africa during the 2020 tobacco sales ban: an analysis of current and previous behaviours using cross-sectional data.

Background: As part of its COVID-19 response, South Africa banned tobacco sales between March and August 2020. We examined self-reported tobacco use before, during and after the ban among a rural South African population with high HIV prevalence.

Methods: Between May 2021 and November 2022, we conducted a telephonic survey on tobacco use among a purposively selected subset of a population-based cohort in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Screening for pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: when, how often and does it matter?

Objective: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) associated pulmonary hypertension (BPD-PH) is the most severe endotype of BPD; there is insufficient evidence to support the optimal screening strategy in at-risk infants. We hypothesised that serial echocardiography throughout hospitalisation would improve PH detection with increased negative predictive value (NPV) beyond 36 week's postmenstrual age (PMA).

Study Design: This was a single centre cohort study conducted between 2017 and 2023.

Safety, adherence, and compliance in a RCT of supervised exercise training among persons with multiple sclerosis who have slowed cognitive processing speed.

Background: Safety, adherence, and compliance have been poorly-characterized in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise training within multiple sclerosis (MS) research. The MoXFo initiative recently proposed standard criteria for defining exercise safety, adherence, and compliance, yet these criteria have infrequently been applied within an exercise training RCT involving people with MS.

Objective: This study applied published criteria for characterizing safety, adherence, and compliance within a RCT that compared 12-weeks of supervised treadmill walking exercise (TMWX) training (intervention condition) with 12-weeks of stretching-and-toning (active control condition) among fully-ambulatory persons with MS who demonstrated slowed cognitive processing speed (CPS).

Mechanical consequences of scaphotrapeziotrapezoid fusion studied by computational modelling.

Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid arthrodesis is a controversial surgical procedure for wrist disorders and its biomechanical effect remains unclear. This study investigated scaphotrapeziotrapezoid fusion based on a previously validated whole-wrist finite element model to simulate arthrodesis by creating a unified bone complex from the three bones (scaphoid, trapezium and trapezoid) in the joint. The model was analysed under physiological grasping loads to examine axial load distributions and articular contact pressures at the radioscaphoid and radiolunate interfaces.

Survey Validation of Exercise and Body Composition Testing and Exercise Training Programs for People With Cystic Fibrosis: A Delphi Study.

Background: Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Exercise testing is also recommended as part of a routine assessment to provide physical activity counseling/exercise prescription. Body composition assessment is also an important assessment that can also guide dietary counseling.

Associations of Biomarkers of Kidney Tubule Health with Retinal Microvascular Signs: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: CKD is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet the etiology responsible for this link remains elusive. Novel blood and urine biomarkers reflecting kidney tubule dysfunction and injury may provide novel insights to mechanisms linking the kidney to CVD.

Methods: In 470 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) without type 2 diabetes, CVD or CKD, we measured six plasma (kidney injury molecule-1 [KIM-1], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1], soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor [suPAR], tumor necrosis factor receptor [TNFR] 1 and 2, and anti-chitinase-3-like protein 1 [YKL-40]) and six urinary (alpha 1 microglobulin [A-1M], epidermal growth factor [EGF], KIM-1, MCP-1, YKL-40 and uromodulin [UMOD]) kidney tubule health biomarkers.

Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling Mediates Resistance to Therapy in Matrix Rigidity-Induced Dormant Brain Metastatic Breast Cancer Spheroids.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in females. Approximately 20-30% of patients with advanced breast cancer develop brain metastasis. Often, brain metastatic breast cancer (BMBC) exhibits a nonproliferative (dormant) phenotype and therapy resistance due to the unfavorable organ microenvironment.

Deciphering Pharmacological Targets of Plumbagin in Cisplatin-resistant Ovarian Cancer Model using in vitro and in silico Approaches.

Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a malignancy of the female reproductive system for which cisplatin chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments. Despite the initial response to chemotherapy, such patients eventually develop resistance, which poses a major obstacle to treatment, along with potential side effects. Phytochemicals function as chemosensitizers, offering novel therapies in OC patients by targeting drug resistance, and are perceived to be less toxic.

Beyond Perceived Discrimination: Weight Discrimination in College Social Networks is associated with Poorer Mental and Behavioral Health.

Background: Weight discrimination is associated with poorer health but has not been studied using social network analysis. This is surprising, as discrimination is a highly social phenomenon, and peer relationships are associated with health, discrimination, and behavior.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze relationships between freshman health and weight discrimination in college social networks during October-December, 2021.

A Defined Artificial Saliva Medium Allows Characterization of the Hypothiocyanite Response of Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus mutans.

Hypothiocyanite (OSCN/HOSCN) is an antimicrobial molecule found at high concentrations in saliva. HOSCN is thought to differentially affect oral streptococci, since noncariogenic streptococci (e.g.

Interplay of PD-L1, FOXP3, and CD8 in the Immune Microenvironment of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Expression Profiles and Correlations.

This study investigates the interplay between PD-L1, FOXP3+ regulatory T cells, and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in penile squamous cell carcinoma (penile SCC), where understanding the tumor immune microenvironment is crucial. We analyzed 108 penile SCC specimens using tissue microarrays (528 spots). Immunohistochemistry was performed for PD-L1, FOXP3, and CD8.

Predicting risk of cardiovascular events (PREVENT) score accuracy among people with HIV in the multicenter CNICS cohort.

Background: People with HIV (PWH) are at elevated cardiovascular risk, but existing calculators have suboptimal calibration for this population. The American Heart Association developed new prediction equations (PREVENT) to replace the pooled cohort equations (PCE). PREVENT has not been validated among PWH.

Scnanoseq: an nf-core pipeline for oxford nanopore single-cell RNA-sequencing.

Motivation: Recent advancements in long-read single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have facilitated the quantification of full-length transcripts and isoforms at the single-cell level. Historically, long-read data would need to be complemented with short-read single-cell data in order to overcome the higher sequencing errors to correctly identify cellular barcodes and unique molecular identifiers. Improvements in Oxford Nanopore sequencing, and development of novel computational methods have removed this requirement.

Identifying cystic fibrosis programs in the United States with disproportionately disadvantaged patient populations: Methodology and implications for care.

Introduction: Providing care to under-resourced patients places additional burdens on CF care teams, therefore it is important to identify programs that serve disproportionately disadvantaged populations.

Methods: Using the U.S.

mA-driven transcriptomic rewiring in tumor immune surveillance.

RNA molecules are subject to extensive post-transcriptional modifications that fine-tune their stability, localization, and function. Among the more than 100 known RNA modifications, N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most abundant internal mark on eukaryotic messenger RNAs. This dynamic modification is installed by methyltransferases ("writers"), removed by demethylases ("erasers"), and interpreted by RNA-binding proteins ("readers") to modulate gene expression.

Item selection for the development and validation of a revised classification criteria for adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: MyoROC project.

Objective: A revision of the 2017 EULAR-ACR myositis classification criteria, namely EULAR-ACR funded Myositis Revision of Classification (MyoROC) project, is currently underway involving a large international group of experts. In the first phase of this project, we identified additional items to be tested in the criteria.

Methods: We distributed an electronic survey to International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies (IMACS) members to identify new items.

One Dose versus Three Doses of Benzathine Penicillin G in Early Syphilis.

Background: Controversy persists regarding the appropriate duration of therapy with benzathine penicillin G in persons with early (i.e., primary, secondary, or early latent) syphilis ( infection).

Pathways between intimate partner violence and HIV care and treatment during pregnancy and postpartum: A qualitative study in southwestern Kenya.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with suboptimal HIV treatment behaviors and health outcomes among perinatal women. Less is known about the postpartum phase or how distinct types of perinatal IPV exposure may inhibit HIV-related care. We conducted a qualitative study nested within an ongoing trial among perinatal women in rural Kenya to explore the influence of IPV on adherence to HIV treatment during pregnancy and postpartum.