"Everyone's struggling right now": Impact of COVID-19 on addressing food insecurity in rural primary care.

BACKGROUND: Primary care practices can address food insecurity (FI) through routine screening, practice-based food programmes, and referrals to community resources. The COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionate impacts on health outcomes for food-insecure households. OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI screening and interventions in rural primary care practices in northern New England. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen providers and staff regarding changes to FI screening and interventions, community resources and partnerships, and patient food needs during the pandemic. Themes and exemplar quotations were identified through iterative discussion. RESULTS: Practices reported more frequent informal discussions with patients about FI during the pandemic. Despite limitations in site operations, practices created programmes to distribute food at practice locations or through food deliveries. The adoption of telemedicine had variable impacts on FI screening, creating challenges for some while facilitating screening outside of scheduled visits for others. Practices reported increased food availability due to new or expanded community programmes, but lack of transportation and delivery availability were challenges. New and stronger connections formed between practices and community partners. Increased awareness of FI among both patients and practice staff resulted in decreased stigma. CONCLUSION: Screening for and addressing FI was a priority for rural primary care practices during the pandemic. The implementation of practice-based FI interventions was supported by stronger practice-community connections and a decrease in stigma. The experiences of providers and staff during the pandemic provide insight into best practices for engaging primary care practices in reducing FI.

Aplastic anaemia following antibiotic use for urinary tract infection.

Aplastic anaemia is often associated with recent viral illnesses to include EBV and parvovirus along with certain medications such as anticonvulsants and sulfa containing antibiotics. We describe a case report of a female patient in her 70s who presented with pancytopenia after being treated with nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin for suspected urinary tract infection. She underwent an extensive workup to rule out alternative aetiologies of her pancytopenia to include a broad viral, autoimmune and malignancy evaluation which were unrevealing. Given her recent exposure to ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin and marrow recovery following removal of these agents, it was presumed that antibiotic exposure was the underlying cause of her aplastic anaemia.

Early Pre-clinical Exposure Enhances Medical Student Knowledge and Readiness in Caring for Patients with Disabilities.

Physicians receive little dedicated training in caring for patients with disabilities. This study evaluated whether integrating disability-focused content into pre-clinical curricula improved medical student knowledge, readiness, and attitudes in caring for patients with disabilities. Readings, clinical reasoning cases, and patient panels were added to the existing pre-clinical curricula. Students self-reported increased knowledge and readiness in caring for patients with disabilities following implementation. No changes were reported in student attitudes toward patients with disabilities. Integrating disability-related training into the curricula was effective in improving students' self-reported knowledge and readiness to care for patients with disabilities. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02061-5.

Addressing food insecurity in rural primary care: a mixed-methods evaluation of barriers and facilitators.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity (FI) is associated with negative health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. Rural populations face increased rates of FI and encounter additional barriers to achieving food security. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to screening and interventions for FI in rural primary care practices. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study using surveys and semi-structured interviews of providers and staff members from rural primary care practices in northern New England. Survey data were analyzed descriptively, and thematic analysis was used to identify salient interview themes. RESULTS: Participants from 24 rural practices completed the survey, and 13 subsequently completed an interview. Most survey respondents (54%) reported their practices systematically screen for FI and 71% reported food needs were "very important" for their patients and communities. Time and resource constraints were the most frequently cited barriers to screening for and addressing FI in practices based on survey results. Interview themes were categorized by screening and intervention procedures, community factors, patient factors, external factors, practice factors, process and implementation factors, and impact of FI screening and interventions. Time and resource constraints were a major theme in interviews, and factors attributed to rural practice settings included geographically large service areas, stigma from loss of privacy in small communities, and availability of food resources through farming. CONCLUSIONS: Rural primary care practices placed a high value on addressing food needs but faced a variety of barriers to implementing and sustaining FI screening and interventions. Strategies that utilize practice strengths and address time and resource constraints, stigma, and large service areas could promote the adoption of novel interventions to address FI.

Outcomes of De Novo Oligometastatic Breast Cancer Treated With Surgery of Primary and Metastasis Directed Radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: With sensitive imaging for breast cancer, the question arises whether present-day oncologists treat dOMBC with palliative systemic therapy (ST), which, a few years earlier, would have been treated with curative intent. We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of dOMBC treated with curative intent using a combination of surgery, metastasis-directed radiotherapy (RT), and adjuvant/neoadjuvant ST and have also explored the possible role of total lesional glycolysis of metastases and p53 immunohistochemistry in predicting outcomes. METHODS: Data were collected from a prospectively maintained database using electronic medical records and Radiation Oncology Information System. In the study, dOMBC was defined as up to 3 metastatic sites, all amenable to treatment with ablative RT and primary and axillary disease amenable to curative surgery. Patients were treated with surgery, ST, and RT. RESULTS: Patients underwent either breast conservation surgery or modified radical mastectomy. Patients were treated with 6 to 8 cycles of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting. Hormone receptor-positive patients received either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Trastuzumab was offered to Her-2-neu receptor-positive patients. RT included locoregional RT and metastases-directed ablative body RT. The median progression-free survival was 39 months (95% CI: -28.7 to 50.1 mo). Two and 3 year estimated disease-free survival (DFS) was 79% and 60.5%, respectively. The median overall survival was not reached. The estimated 3-year overall survival was 87.3%. Total lesional glycolysis of metastases score and p53 status did not affect DFS. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment of surgery, metastases-directed ablative RT, and ST may provide prolonged DFS in dOMBC.

High-Risk HPV Screening Initiative in Kosovo-A Way to Optimize HPV Vaccination for Cervical Cancer.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection. There are 14 recognized hrHPV genotypes (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68), and hrHPV genotypes 16 and 18 comprise approximately 66% of all cases worldwide. An additional 15% of cervical cancers are caused by hrHPV genotypes 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Screening patients for hrHPV as a mechanism for implementation of early treatment is a proven strategy for decreasing the incidence of HPV-related neoplasia, cervical cancer in particular. Here, we present population data from an HPV screening initiative in Kosovo designed to better understand the prevalence of the country's HPV burden and local incidence of cervical cancer by hrHPV genotype. Nearly 2000 women were screened for hrHPV using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) assay followed by melt curve analysis to establish the prevalence of hrHPV in Kosovo. Additionally, DNA was extracted from 200 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded cervical tumors and tested for hrHPV using the same method. Cervical screening samples revealed a high prevalence of hrHPV genotypes 16 and 51, while cervical cancer specimens predominantly harbored genotypes 16, 18, and 45. This is the first comprehensive screening study for evaluating the prevalence of hrHPV genotypes in Kosovo on screening cervical brush samples and cervical neoplasms. Given the geographic distribution of hrHPV genotypes and the WHO's global initiative to eliminate cervical cancer, this study can support and direct vaccination efforts to cover highly prevalent hrHPV genotypes in Kosovo's at-risk population.

Incidental FAPI Localization in Benign Bone Lesions in a Case of Carcinoma Stomach.

ABSTRACT: Recently developed radiolabeled FAPI (fibroblast-activation protein inhibitors) have attracted researcher's attention in diagnosing various tumors because of its high specificity and better tumor-to-background ratio. Increasing use of 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT has resulted in reporting of incidental benign findings as well. We hereby present a case of suspected carcinoma stomach showing increased uptake in primary tumor in stomach as well as incidental uptake in benign subchondral cysts in bilateral shoulder joints and right hip joint on 68 Ga-FAPI PET CT scan.

Educational Policy Development as a Leadership Experience: Inclusive Institutional Change.

Medical students have a unique opportunity to advocate for educational policies that promote best practices in undergraduate medical education. At the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, students play a crucial role in the development of medical education policies. This article describes two innovative, inclusive, and effective approaches to increase student engagement: (1) restructuring Medical Education Subcommittees to diversify student perspectives and (2) including students in a values-based design thinking approach to the development of new academic advancement and promotion and conduct policies. Through deliberate participation, medical students gain valuable skills that can be applied as future educators and academic leaders.

A hybrid educational approach to service learning: impact on student attitudes and readiness in working with medically underserved communities.

Medical students engage with medically underserved communities (MUC) and vulnerable populations but often lack preparation to advocate appropriately for these communities. While preclinical programs with an experiential community component effectively increase knowledge about serving MUC, the pandemic limited clinical opportunities in community settings for learners. We examined the impact of a streamlined, hybrid service learning curriculum on first-year medical student attitudes towards MUC and their readiness and interest in addressing health barriers faced by this population. The redesigned curriculum for the student-led program required participants to attend nine virtual seminars led by faculty and community members with expertise serving MUC. Students partnered with one of three community agencies to organize service projects and gain exposure to the life experiences of MUC using virtual and in-person approaches. Of the fifteen first year medical students who participated in the program, positive attitudes were sustained across all scales using the Medical Student Attitudes Toward the Underserved (MSATU) questionnaire after one year. A majority (≥50%) of students reported a large increase in their knowledge of the health challenges faced by underserved populations after each didactic session. Despite the mostly virtual nature of community partnerships, students reported increased confidence in their ability to direct MUC patients to local resources (p < 0.01). The program also had a positive impact on student interest in working with medically underserved patients in the future, with 71% of participants indicating a significant impact on their interest in working in a medically underserved area. Our redesigned elective curriculum provided participants with foundational knowledge to advocate appropriately for underserved populations and demonstrated the efficacy of virtual approaches for community service and service learning. Our findings suggest hybrid and virtual experiential learning opportunities are a viable and non-inferior curricular approach to teaching health equity and community health.

Missed opportunities to improve food security for pregnant people: a qualitative study of prenatal care settings in Northern New England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity during pregnancy has important implications for maternal and newborn health. There is increasing commitment to screening for social needs within health care settings. However, little is known about current screening processes or the capacity for prenatal care clinics to address food insecurity among their patients. We aimed to assess barriers and facilitators prenatal care clinics face in addressing food insecurity among pregnant people and to identify opportunities to improve food security among this population. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study among prenatal care clinics in New Hampshire and Vermont. Staff and clinicians engaged in food security screening and intervention processes at clinics affiliated with the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network (NNEPQIN) were recruited to participate in key informant interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify prominent themes in the interview data. RESULTS: Nine staff members or clinicians were enrolled and participated in key informant interviews. Key barriers to food security screening and interventions included lack of protocols and dedicated staff at the clinic as well as community factors such as availability of food distribution services and transportation. Facilitators of screening and intervention included a supportive culture at the clinic, trusting relationships between patients and clinicians, and availability of clinic-based and community resources. CONCLUSION: Prenatal care settings present an important opportunity to identify and address food insecurity among pregnant people, yet most practices lack specific protocols for screening. Our findings indicate that more systematic processes for screening and referrals, dedicated staff, and onsite food programs that address transportation and other access barriers could improve the capacity of prenatal care clinics to improve food security during pregnancy.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Insecurity in Northern New England Primary and Prenatal Care Settings.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Food insecurity (FI) is associated with adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. Primary care and prenatal practices can identify and address FI among patients through screening and interventions. It is unclear how practices and communities responded to FI during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the pandemic may have impacted practices' FI strategies. We aimed to understand how practices providing primary care or prenatal care in northern New England experienced changes in FI during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey of clinicians and staff from 43 unique practices providing primary care or prenatal care in northern New England. RESULTS: Most practices (59.5%) reported at least 1 new food program in the practice or community since the pandemic began. Practices reporting new practice- or community-based food programs were more likely to be rural, federally qualified health centers, and have greater confidence in practice and community capacity to address FI (chi-square tests, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that practices and surrounding communities in northern New England responded to FI during the pandemic by increasing food support programs. Future work is needed to examine the impact of food programs initiated during the pandemic and determine optimal strategies for practices to address FI among patients.

Elevated levels of uterine anti-apoptotic signaling may activate NFKB and potentially confer resistance to caspase 3-mediated apoptotic cell death during pregnancy in mice.

Preserving the uterus in a state of relative quiescence is vital to the maintenance of a successful pregnancy. Elevated cytoplasmic levels of uterine caspase 3 during pregnancy have been proposed as a potential regulator of uterine quiescence through direct targeting and disabling of the uterine contractile architecture. However, despite highly elevated levels of uterine caspase 3 during pregnancy, there is minimal evidence of apoptosis. This current study defines the mechanism whereby the pregnant uterine myocyte may harness the tocolytic activity of active caspases while avoiding apoptotic cell death. Using the pregnant mouse model, we have analyzed the uterus for changes in pro- and antiapoptotic signaling patterns associated with the advancing stages of pregnancy. Briefly, we have found that members of the IAP family, such as SURVIVIN and XIAP, and the Bcl2 family members, such as MCL1, are elevated in the uterine myocyte during late gestation. The IAP family members are the only endogenous inhibitors of active caspase 3, and MCL1 limits activation of caspase 3 by suppressing proapoptotic signaling. Elevated XIAP levels partner with SURVIVIN, resulting in increased levels of the antiapoptotic MCL1 via NFKB activation; these together have the potential to limit both the activity and level of active caspase 3 in the pregnant uterus as term approaches. We propose that modification of these antiapoptotic signaling partners allows the pregnant uterus to escape the apoptotic action of elevated active caspase 3 levels but also functions to limit the levels of active uterine caspase 3 near term.

Uterine endoplasmic reticulum stress and its unfolded protein response may regulate caspase 3 activation in the pregnant mouse uterus.

We have previously proposed that uterine caspase-3 may modulate uterine contractility in a gestationally regulated fashion. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism by which uterine caspase-3 is activated and consequently controlled in the pregnant uterus across gestation. Utilizing the mouse uterus as our gestational model we examined the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathways and the endoplasmic reticulum stress response as potential activators of uterine caspase-3 at the transcriptional and translational level. Our study revealed robust activation of the uterine myocyte endoplasmic reticulum stress response and its adaptive unfolded protein response during pregnancy coinciding respectively with increased uterine caspase-3 activity and its withdrawal to term. In contrast the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathways remained inactive across gestation. We speculate that physiological stimuli experienced by the pregnant uterus likely potentiates the uterine myocyte endoplasmic reticulum stress response resulting in elevated caspase-3 activation, which is isolated to the pregnant mouse myometrium. However as term approaches, activation of an elevated adaptive unfolded protein response acts to limit the endoplasmic reticulum stress response inhibiting caspase-3 resulting in its decline towards term. We speculate that these events have the capacity to regulate gestational length in a caspase-3 dependent manner.

Antiapoptotic signaling via MCL1 confers resistance to caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cell death in the pregnant human uterine myocyte.

Our group has previously identified elevated levels of nonapoptotic active caspase 3 (CASP3) accompanied by increased prosurvival, antiapoptotic signaling in the pregnant mouse uterus during late gestation. We speculated that increased antiapoptotic signaling desensitized the pregnant uterine myocyte to the apoptotic action of uterine CASP3. This current study examines the mechanism by which the pregnant myocyte gains resistance to the apoptotic effects of increased uterine CASP3. Using both primary human pregnant fundal myometrial cultures and the telomerase-immortalized human uterine myocyte cell line (hTERT) as our model systems, uterine myocytes were exposed to UV irradiation and Fas ligand to stimulate both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Stimulation of either the intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways resulted in elevated levels of uterine myocyte CASP3. However, apoptotic cell death was restricted to CASP3 activated by intrinsic stimulation via UV light. In contrast Fas ligand-mediated CASP3 activation was accompanied by increased antiapoptotic signaling mimicking our in vivo observations in the pregnant mouse uterus. Using small interfering RNA to inhibit antiapoptotic signaling, we determined the ability of the human uterine myocyte to resist apoptotic cell death in the absence of the prosurvival, antiapoptotic signaling. Accordingly, suppression of antiapoptotic signaling specifically mediated by myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 was sufficient to sensitize the uterine myocyte to undergo apoptotic cell death. These data demonstrate that elevated myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 levels are sufficient to confer apoptotic resistance on the human uterine myocyte despite highly elevated levels of active CASP3.

Caste and sex specific olfactory glomerular organization and brain architecture in two sympatric ant species Camponotus sericeus and Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1798).

We use monoclonal antibodies against synaptic proteins and anterograde tracing with neurobiotin to describe the architecture of the antennal lobes in different castes of two ant species -Camponotus sericeus and Camponotus compressus. The reproductives and worker classes are readily categorized based on size and external morphology. The overall organization of brain neuropile is comparable between castes with differences only in the visual ganglia. Males have a larger fraction of neuropile occupied by the medulla and lobula than females. In the diurnal species, C. sericeus these regions are more highly represented, than in the nocturnal species C. compressus. The most striking differences are in the antennal lobe where males possess a macroglomerulus, which is about ten times larger in volume than the other glomeruli; such a specialization is absent in females. Minor workers possess a significantly larger number of glomeruli than the majors despite the smaller overall volume of the lobe. These caste-specific differences occur mainly within glomerular clusters that receive input from sensory neurons that project in tracts - T4 and T5 - within the antennal nerve. The comparative anatomy of different castes of ants provides an entry point into a future systematic analysis of how divergent brain architectures can arise within a single species.

Triple X syndrome with rare phenotypic presentation.

Triple X syndrome is a rare numerical chromosomal anomaly, occurring as a result of non dysjunction in meiosis I. Most cases have neurodevelopmental defects and functional problems. We report two cases diagnosed in our centre. The first was a fetus with cleft lip and palate, 47, XXX was identified by Fetal Blood Sampling. The second was a child with multisystem anomaly including cleft lip and palate, whose karyotype also revealed 47, XXX. Though isolated cases of associated abnormalities have been reported there have not been consistent phenotypic changes reported with this condition.