tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Structural Racism, Mass Incarceration, and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity
Authors: Elleni M. Hailu, Corinne A. Riddell, Patrick T. Bradshaw, Jennifer Ahern, Suzan L. Carmichael, Mahasin S. Mujahid
Journal: JAMA Network Open (2024)

Importance Racial and ethnic inequities in the criminal-legal system are an important manifestation of structural racism. However, how these inequities may influence the risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and its persistent racial and ethnic disparities remains underinvestigated. Objective To examine the association between county-level inequity in jail incarceration rates comparing Black and White individuals and SMM risk in California. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cross-sectional study used state-wide data from California on all live hospital births at 20 weeks of gestation or later from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2018. Data were obtained from hospital discharge and vital statistics records, which were linked with publicly available county-level data. Data analysis was performed from January 2022 to February 2023. Exposure Jail incarceration inequity was determined from the ratio of jail incarceration rates of Black individuals to those of White individuals and was categorized as tertile 1 (low), tertile 2 (moderate), tertile 3 (high), with mean cutoffs across all years of 0 to 2.99, 3.00 to 5.22, and greater than 5.22, respectively. Main Outcome and Measures This study used race- and ethnicity-stratified mixed-effects logistic regression models with birthing people nested within counties and adjusted for individual- and county-level characteristics to estimate the odds of non–blood transfusion SMM (NT SMM) and SMM including blood transfusion–only cases (SMM; as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SMM index) associated with tertiles of incarceration inequity. Results This study included 10 200 692 births (0.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 13.4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 5.8% Black, 50.8% Hispanic or Latinx, 29.6% White, and 0.1% multiracial or other [individuals who self-identified with ≥2 racial groups and those who self-identified as “other” race or ethnicity]). In fully adjusted models, residing in counties with high jail incarceration inequity (tertile 3) was associated with higher odds of SMM for Black (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29 for NT SMM; OR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.01-1.42 for SMM), Hispanic or Latinx (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.14-1.34 for NT SMM; OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.14-1.27 for SMM), and White (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.93-1.12 for NT SMM; OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.17 for SMM) birthing people, compared with residing in counties with low inequity (tertile 1). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study highlight the adverse maternal health consequences of structural racism manifesting via the criminal-legal system and underscore the need for community-based alternatives to inequitable punitive practices.
Perceived Success After Participation in the Summer Health Professions Education Program
Authors: Patricia Xirau-Probert, Tram Lai, Erik Black, Dany Fanfan, Amy Blue, Caronne C. Rush, Rachel Powers, Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini
Journal: JAMA Network Open (2024)

Importance The number of active health care professionals has not kept pace with the increasing number of minoritized individuals in the US. The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) was developed to alleviate this underrepresentation in the health workforce. Objective To evaluate students’ changes in perceived barriers and motivators for entering and succeeding in professional school after SHPEP participation. Design, Setting, and Participants For this cohort study, anonymous electronic surveys were sent to the 2017 to 2021 SHPEP participants at an academic health center at a large university in the southern US. Participants were first- and second-year undergraduates interested in the health professions and enrolled in the SHPEP. Program participants were invited to complete the study. Exposures An anonymous electronic survey was administered before and immediately after program completion. Main Outcomes and Measures The SHPEP Career Barriers Survey (SCBS) is composed of 22 questions on motivators and 20 questions on barriers to entering and succeeding in health professional school. Students responded using a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 5 indicating strongly agree. Mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze the program’s latent factors. Results Of all 402 SHPEP participants (mean [SD] age, 19.32 [0.88] years) from 2017 to 2021, 325 completed the preprogram survey and 259 also completed the postprogram survey. Of the 325 initial participants, 4 identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (1.2%); 12 as Asian (3.7%); 188 as Black (57.8%); 95 as Hispanic or Latino (29.2%); 7 as White (2.2%); and 16 as multiracial (4.9%). Two hundred twelve participants were female (65.2%), and 226 were first-generation college students (69.5%). Results of the SCBS indicate that the SHPEP had a significant small to moderate association on perceived motivators (mean [SD] x̅ = 84.60 [9.67] vs 80.95 [8.93]; P = .001) and decreases in perceived barriers (mean [SD] x̅ = 48.02 [13.20] vs 51.72 [11.39]; P = .008). There was no significant difference in program success between studied years. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, the SHPEP appeared to provide essential support for underrepresented students as measured by improved perceived motivators and reduced perceived barriers to entering professional education. Knowledge from this study can assist educators and health care professionals who wish to implement similar enrichment programs.
Backbone cationized highly branched poly(β-amino ester)s as enhanced delivery vectors in non-viral gene therapy
Authors: Yinghao Li, Bei Qiu, Zishan Li, Xianqing Wang, Zhonglei He, Darío Manzanares Sandoval, Rijian Song, A. Sigen, Chunyu Zhao, Melissa Johnson, Jing Lyu, Irene Lara-Sáez, Wenxin Wang
Journal: Journal of Controlled Release (2024)

Gene therapy holds great potential for treating Lung Cystic Fibrosis (CF) which is a fatal hereditary condition arising from mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, resulting in dysfunctional CFTR protein. However, the advancement and clinical application of CF gene therapy systems have been hindered due to the absence of a highly efficient delivery vector. In this work, we introduce a new generation of highly branched poly(β-amino ester) (HPAE) gene delivery vectors for CF treatment. Building upon the classical chemical composition of HPAE, a novel backbone cationization strategy was developed to incorporate additional functional amine groups into HPAE without altering their branching degree. By carefully adjusting the type, proportion, and backbone distribution of the added cationic groups, a series of highly effective HPAE gene delivery vectors were successfully constructed for CF disease gene therapy. In vitro assessment results showed that the backbone cationized HPAEs with randomly distributed 10% proportion of 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine (E7) amine groups exhibited superior transfection performance than their counterparts. Furthermore, the top-performed backbone cationized HPAEs, when loaded with therapeutic plasmids, successfully reinstated CFTR protein expression in the CFBE41o- disease model, achieving levels 20–23 times higher than that of normal human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Their therapeutic effectiveness significantly surpassed that of the currently advanced commercial vectors, Xfect and Lipofectamine 3000.
Issue Information
Journal: HemaSphere (2024)

Aims and ScopeHemaSphere publishes results of highly relevant basic, translational, and clinical research in hematology.We are especially looking for strong studies reporting novel findings that are of high impact to the field of hematology.Review articles and guideline articles provide clear overviews and discussions of new developments as well as recommendations for patient care.HemaSphere is the premier hematology information resource, which is enhanced by the HemaTopics and HemaPolicy sections of the journal.These sections provide insightful discussions on all aspects related to hematology, including summaries of important articles, reports of ne w therapies, discussions on European policy, and other hematology news items.HemaSphere is guided by
Exploring the molecular biomarker utility of circCCT3 in multiple myeloma: A favorable prognostic indicator, particularly for R‐ISS II patients
Authors: Maria Papatsirou, Christos K. Kontos, Ioannis Ntanasis‐Stathopoulos, Panagiotis Malandrakis, Diamantis C. Sideris, Despina Fotiou, Christine‐Ivy Liacos, Maria Gavriatopoulou, Efstathios Kastritis, Meletios A. Dimopoulos, Andreas Scorilas, Evangelos Terpos
Journal: HemaSphere (2024)

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are associated with the pathobiology of multiple myeloma (MM). Recent findings regarding circCCT3 support its involvement in the development and progression of MM, through microRNA sponging. Thus, we aimed to examine the expression of circCCT3 in smoldering and symptomatic MM and to assess its clinical importance. Three cell lines from plasma cell neoplasms were cultured and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) samples were collected from 145 patients with MM or smoldering MM. Next, CD138 + enrichment was performed in BMA samples, followed by total RNA extraction and reverse transcription. Preamplification of circCCT3 and GAPDH cDNA was performed. Finally, a sensitive assay for the relative quantification of circCCT3 using nested real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was developed, optimized, and implemented in the patients' samples and cell lines. MM patients exhibited significantly higher intracellular circCCT3 expression in their CD138 + plasma cells, compared to those from SMM patients. In addition, MM patients overexpressing circCCT3 had longer progression‐free and overall survival intervals. The favorable prognostic significance of high circCCT3 expression in MM was independent of disease stage (either International Staging System [ISS] or revised ISS [R‐ISS]) and age of MM patients. Interestingly, circCCT3 expression could serve as a surrogate molecular biomarker of prognosis in MM patients, especially those of R‐ISS stage II. In conclusion, our study sheds new light on the significance of circCCT3 as a promising molecular marker for predicting MM patients' prognosis.
Causative mechanisms and clinical impact of immunoglobulin deficiencies in ataxia telangiectasia
Authors: Sanami Takada, Thomas J Weitering, Nienke J H van Os, Likun Du, Ingrid Pico-Knijnenburg, Thomas B Kuipers, Hailiang Mei, Elisabeth Salzer, Michèl A A P Willemsen, Corry M R Weemaes, Qiang Pan-Hammarstrom, Mirjam van der Burg
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2024)
Lipid oxidation in emulsions: New insights from the past two decades
Authors: Marie Hennebelle, Pierre Villeneuve, Erwann Durand, Jérôme Lecomte, John van Duynhoven, Anne Meynier, Betül Yesiltas, Charlotte Jacobsen, Claire Berton-Carabin
Journal: Progress in Lipid Research (2024)

Lipid oxidation constitutes the main source of degradation of lipid-rich foods, including food emulsions. The complexity of the reactions at play combined with the increased demand from consumers for less processed and more natural foods result in additional challenges in controlling this phenomenon. This review provides an overview of the insights acquired over the past two decades on the understanding of lipid oxidation in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. After introducing the general structure of O/W emulsions and the classical mechanisms of lipid oxidation, the contribution of less studied oxidation products and the spatiotemporal resolution of these reactions will be discussed. We then highlight the impact of emulsion formulation on the mechanisms, taking into consideration the new trends in terms of emulsifiers as well as their own sensitivity to oxidation. Finally, novel antioxidant strategies that have emerged to meet the recent consumer's demand will be detailed. In an era defined by the pursuit of healthier, more natural, and sustainable food choices, a comprehensive understanding of lipid oxidation in emulsions is not only an academic quest, but also a crucial step towards meeting the evolving expectations of consumers and ensuring the quality and stability of lipid-rich food products.
Efficacy and Safety of Faricimab for Macular Edema due to Retinal Vein Occlusion
Authors: Ramin Tadayoni, Liliana P. Paris, Carl J. Danzig, Francis Abreu, Arshad M. Khanani, Christopher Brittain, Timothy Y.Y. Lai, Zdenka Haskova, Taiji Sakamoto, Aachal Kotecha, Patricio G. Schlottmann, Ying Liu, András Seres, Anne-Cecile Retiere, Jeffrey R. Willis, Young Hee Yoon
Journal: Ophthalmology (2024)

PurposeTo evaluate the 24-week efficacy and safety of the dual angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2)/vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) inhibitor, faricimab, compared with aflibercept in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).DesignTwo identically designed, phase 3, global, randomized, double-masked, active comparator–controlled trials: BALATON (NCT04740905; N = 149 sites) and COMINO (NCT04740931; N = 192 sites).ParticipantsPatients ≥18 years of age with treatment-naïve foveal center-involved macular edema due to branch (BALATON) or central or hemiretinal (COMINO) RVO.MethodsPatients were randomized 1:1 to faricimab 6.0 mg or aflibercept 2.0 mg every 4 weeks for 24 weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresThe primary end point was the change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 24. Efficacy analyses included patients in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses included patients who received ≥1 dose of study drug.Results553 and 729 patients were enrolled in BALATON and COMINO, respectively. The BCVA gains from baseline at week 24 with faricimab were noninferior to aflibercept in BALATON (adjusted mean [95.03% confidence interval] change: +16.9 letters [15.7, 18.1] vs. +17.5 letters [16.3, 18.6]) and COMINO (+16.9 letters [15.4, 18.3] vs. +17.3 letters [15.9, 18.8]). Adjusted mean (95.03% confidence interval) central subfield thickness reductions from baseline were comparable for faricimab and aflibercept at week 24 in BALATON (−311.4 μm [−316.4, −306.4] and −304.4 μm [−309.3, −299.4]) and COMINO (−461.6 μm [−471.4, −451.9] and −448.8 μm [−458.6, −439.0]). A greater proportion of patients in the faricimab arm versus the aflibercept arm achieved absence of fluorescein angiography-based macular leakage at week 24 in BALATON (33.6% vs. 21.0%; nominal P = 0.0023) and COMINO (44.4% vs. 30.0%; nominal P = 0.0002). Faricimab was well tolerated, with an acceptable safety profile comparable with aflibercept. The incidence of ocular adverse events was similar between patients receiving faricimab (16.3% [n = 45] and 23.0% [n = 84] in BALATON and COMINO, respectively) and aflibercept (20.4% [n = 56] and 27.7% [n = 100]).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the efficacy and safety of faricimab, a dual Ang-2/VEGF-A inhibitor, in patients with macular edema secondary to RVO.
Less is more: Uptake of recommended vaccines in a UK travel clinic
Authors: Thomas Harrison, Jacqueline Clark, Thomas C. Darton
Journal: Journal of Infection (2024)

The acceptance of vaccines and vaccine-related information from healthcare providers has been a hot topic during the COVID pandemic. 1This topic is not new to most travel health clinics, where refusal of recommended vaccines may be high, up to 25% in a large US study 2 , or even very high (>40%) especially for some travel-specific vaccines such as rabies or Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccines.Known factors increasing the risk of refusal of vaccines include travelling to visit friends and relatives (VFRs), trip duration >28 days, and having no underlying medical problems. 1,3,4Refusal of travel vaccines by VFRs is particularly concerning as they are often at higher risk of vaccine preventable disease. 5In a fee-paying travel clinic set within a UK NHS hospital, we aimed to quantify the rates of vaccine uptake and identify factors associated with refusal in those who self-referred for assessment prior to travel.In our clinic, travel advice is given in accordance with national guidance, 6 and details of which vaccines are recommended and received are collected during each consultation.For this study,
Highly Sensitive Early Diagnosis of Kidney Damage Using Renal Clearable Zwitterion‐Coated Ferrite Nanoprobe via Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Vivo
Authors: Ting Zhou, Yanzhi Dong, Xiaoyi Wang, Ruxia Liu, Ran Cheng, Jinbin Pan, Xuejun Zhang, Shao‐Kai Sun
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials (2024)

Abstract Iron oxide nanoprobes exhibit substantial potential in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of kidney diseases and can eliminate the nephrotoxicity of gadolinium‐based contrast agents (GBCAs). Nevertheless, there is an extreme shortage of highly sensitive and renal clearable iron oxide nanoprobes suitable for early kidney damage detection through MRI. Herein, a renal clearable ultra‐small ferrite nanoprobe (UMFNPs@ZDS) is proposed for highly sensitive early diagnosis of kidney damage via structural and functional MRI in vivo for the first time. The nanoprobe comprises a ferrite core coated with a zwitterionic layer, and possesses a high T 1 relaxivity (12.52 m m −1 s −1 ), a small hydrodynamic size (6.43 nm), remarkable water solubility, excellent biocompatibility, and impressive renal clearable ability. In a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), the nanoprobe‐based MRI can not only accurately visualize the locations of renal injury, but also provide comprehensive functional data including peak value, peak time, relative renal function (RRF), and clearance percentage via MRI. The findings prove the immense potential of ferrite nanoprobes as a superior alternative to GBCAs for the early diagnosis of kidney damage.
Follicular lymphoma international prognostic index.
Authors: P. Solal-Celigny, Pascal Roy, P. Colombat, J. White, J.O. Armitage, R. Arranz-Saez, W.Y. Au, M. Bellei, P. Brice, D. Caballero, B. Coiffier, E. Conde-Garcia, C. Doyen, M. Federico, R.I. Fisher, J.F. Garcia-Conde, C. Guglielmi, A. Hageenbeek, C. Haioun, M. Leblanc, A.T. Lister, A. Lopez-Guillermo, P. Mclaughlin, N. Milpied, Pierre Morel, N. Mounier, S.J. Proctor, A. Rohatiner, P. Smith, Pierre Soubeyran, H. Tilly, U. Vitolo, P.L. Zinzani, E. Zucca, E. Montserrat
Journal: Blood (2004)
Recent advances in the adjunctive management of diabetic foot ulcer: Focus on noninvasive technologies
Authors: Fen Wang, Xiaoling Zhang, Jing Zhang, Qinqin Xu, Xuefeng Yu, Anhui Xu, Chengla Yi, Xuna Bian, Shiying Shao
Journal: Medicinal Research Reviews (2024)

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most costly and serious complications of diabetes. Treatment of DFU is usually challenging and new approaches are required to improve the therapeutic efficiencies. This review aims to update new and upcoming adjunctive therapies with noninvasive characterization for DFU, focusing on bioactive dressings, bioengineered tissues, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapy, platelet and cytokine-based therapy, topical oxygen therapy, and some repurposed drugs such as hypoglycemic agents, blood pressure medications, phenytoin, vitamins, and magnesium. Although the mentioned therapies may contribute to the improvement of DFU to a certain extent, most of the evidence come from clinical trials with small sample size and inconsistent selections of DFU patients. Further studies with high design quality and adequate sample sizes are necessitated. In addition, no single approach would completely correct the complex pathogenesis of DFU. Reasonable selection and combination of these techniques should be considered.
Metal complexes bearing EGFR‐inhibiting ligands as promising anticancer agents
Authors: Xiaoyan Ma, Zhaoran Wang, Yifei Li, Yawen Wang, Wukun Liu
Journal: Medicinal Research Reviews (2024)

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, erbB1) has been observed in a wide range of solid tumors and has frequently been associated with poor prognosis. As a result, EGFR inhibition has become an attractive anticancer drug design strategy, and a large number of small molecular inhibitors have been developed. Despite the widespread clinical use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), their drug resistance, inadequate accumulation in tumors, and severe side effects have spurred the search for better antitumor drugs. Metal complexes have attracted much attention because of their different mechanisms compared with EGFR-TKIs. Therefore, the combination of metals and inhibitors is a promising anticancer strategy. For example, Ru and Pt centers are introduced to design complexes with double or multiple targets, while Au complexes are combined with inhibitors to overcome drug resistance. Co complexes are designed as prodrugs with weak side effects and enhanced targeting by the hypoxia activation strategy, and other metals such as Rh and Fe enhance the anticancer effect of the complexes. In addition, the introduction of Ga center is beneficial to the development of nuclear imaging tracers. In this paper, metal EGFR-TKI complexes in the last 15 years are reviewed, their mechanisms are briefly introduced, and their advantages are summarized.
Recent advances in dietary androgen receptor inhibitors
Authors: Li Ren, Tiehua Zhang, Jie Zhang
Journal: Medicinal Research Reviews (2024)

As a nuclear transcription factor, the androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role not only in normal male sexual differentiation and growth of the prostate, but also in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer. Multiple population-based epidemiological studies demonstrated that prostate cancer risk was inversely associated with increased dietary intakes of green tea, soy products, tomato, and so forth. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the structure and function of AR, and further illustrate the structural basis for antagonistic mechanisms of the currently clinically available antiandrogens. Due to the limitations of these antiandrogens, a series of natural AR inhibitors have been identified from edible plants such as fruits and vegetables, as well as folk medicines, health foods, and nutritional supplements. Hence, this review mainly focused on recent experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies about natural AR inhibitors, particularly the association between dietary intake of natural antiandrogens and reduced risk of prostatic diseases. Since natural products offer multiple advantages over synthetic antiandrogens, this review may provide a comprehensive and updated overview of dietary-derived AR inhibitors, as well as their potential for the nutritional intervention against prostatic disorders.