Incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of new liver disorders 3.5 years post COVID-19 pandemic in the Montefiore Health System in Bronx.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of newly diagnosed liver disorders (LD) up to 3.5-year post-acute COVID-19, and risk factors associated with new LD. METHODS: We analyzed 54,699 COVID-19 patients and 1,409,547 non-COVID-19 controls from March-11-2020 to Jan-03-2023. New liver disorders included abnormal liver function tests, advanced liver failure, alcohol and non-alcohol related liver disorders, and cirrhosis. Comparisons were made with ambulatory non-COVID-19 patients and patients hospitalized for other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Demographics, comorbidities, laboratory data, incomes, insurance status, and unmet social needs were tabulated. The primary outcome was new LD at least two weeks following COVID-19 positive test. RESULTS: Incidence of new LD was not significantly different between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cohorts (incidence:1.99% vs 1.90% p>0.05, OR = 1.04[95%CI: 0.92,1.17], p = 0.53). COVID-19 patients with new LD were older, more likely to be Hispanic and had higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and obesity compared to patients without new LD. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients had no elevated risk of LD compared to hospitalized LRTI patients (2.90% vs 2.07%, p>0.05, OR = 1.29[0.98,1.69], p = 0.06). Among COVID-19 patients, those who developed LD had fewer patients with higher incomes (14.18% vs 18.35%, p<0.05) and more with lower incomes (21.72% vs 17.23%, p<0.01), more Medicare and less Medicaid insurance, and more patients with >3 unmet social needs (6.49% vs 2.98%, p<0.001) and fewer with no unmet social needs (76.19% vs 80.42%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Older age, Hispanic ethnicity, and obesity, but not COVID-19 status, posed increased risk for developing new LD. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher incidence of new LD.

Updates on mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States (US). Animal models, specifically mouse models have been developed to better elucidate disease mechanisms and test therapeutic strategies for AD. A large portion of effort in the field was focused on developing transgenic (Tg) mouse models through over-expression of genetic mutations associated with familial AD (FAD) patients. Newer generations of mouse models through knock-in (KI)/knock-out (KO) or CRISPR gene editing technologies, have been developed for both familial and sporadic AD risk genes with the hope to more accurately model proteinopathies without over-expression of human AD genes in mouse brains. In this review, we summarized the phenotypes of a few commonly used as well as newly developed mouse models in translational research laboratories including the presence or absence of key pathological features of AD such as amyloid and tau pathology, synaptic and neuronal degeneration as well as cognitive and behavior deficits. In addition, advantages and limitations of these AD mouse models have been elaborated along with discussions of any sex-specific features. More importantly, the omics data from available AD mouse models have been analyzed to categorize molecular signatures of each model reminiscent of human AD brain changes, with the hope to guide future selection of most suitable models for specific research questions to be addressed in the AD field.

Benchmarking the dynamic luminescence properties and UV stability of B18H22-based materials.

The dynamic photoluminescence properties, and potential quenching mechanisms, of anti-B18H22, 4,4'-Br2-anti-B18H20, and 4,4'-I2-anti-B18H20 are investigated in solution and polymer films. UV stability studies of the neat powders show no decomposition occurring after intense 7 day light soaking. In contrast, clusters incorporated into polymer films are found to degrade into smaller borane fragments under the same irradiation conditions. To highlight the utility of these compounds, we leverage their favorable optical properties in a prototype UV imaging setup.

Reversible Silver Electrodeposition from Boron Cluster Ionic Liquid (BCIL) Electrolytes.

Electrochemical systems offer a versatile means for creating adaptive devices. However, the utility of electrochemical deposition is inherently limited by the properties of the electrolyte. The development of ionic liquids enables electrodeposition in high-vacuum environments and presents opportunities for creating electrochemically adaptive and regenerative spacecraft components. In this work, we developed a silver-rich, boron cluster ionic liquid (BCIL) for reversible electrodeposition of silver films. This air and moisture stable electrolyte was used to deposit metallic films in an electrochemical cell to tune the emissivity of the cell in situ, demonstrating a proof-of-concept design for spacecraft thermal control.

The Momedemameter: An Affordable Preeclampsia Detector For Low Resource Environments.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific disorder, is the third leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. METHOD OF APPROACH: To develop a device to detect preeclampsia in pregnant women living in low resource environments, a method was needed that had to be very low cost and, preferably, easily monitored by the woman herself. Due to the high cost and expertise involved in monitoring the two diagnostic criteria of preeclampsia (elevated blood pressure and proteinuria), edema, an indicator of preeclampsia was chosen instead. RESULTS: The general principle of the method is to have each pregnant woman, early in pregnancy, fitted, on either her wrist or ankle, with a detection band, which is set to a preset expansion limit (e.g., expansion by 5%). When edema causes that body part to swell to the limit, the pregnant mother knows that she should seek medical assistance. CONCLUSIONS: The resulting prototype device and calibration method requires little knowledge, and is very durable, cost-effective and portable.

Increased endothelial monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 in preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that preeclampsia is associated with increased endothelial cell chemokine production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 necessary for monocyte recruitment to the vascular endothelium. METHODS: Plasma was collected from women with severe preeclampsia and normal pregnant women at term and measured for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-8, and lipid peroxide levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and malondialdehyde assays. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured with 5% plasma from normal or preeclamptic patients and the media assayed for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production. RESULTS: In women with severe preeclampsia, plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-8, and lipid peroxides were elevated (1.5-fold, 2.5-fold, and 4.5-fold higher, respectively) compared with normal pregnant women. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured with plasma from preeclamptic women significantly increased the production of both monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (2.3-fold) and interleukin-8 (1.5-fold) compared with plasma from normal pregnant women. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production was decreased by the antioxidant vitamin E in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with preeclamptic plasma, suggesting that the production of these cytokines may be regulated by signaling mechanisms sensitive to oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that circulating factors in the plasma of women with preeclampsia activate endothelial cell monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production, and although not directly examined in this study, may increase monocyte adherence to the vascular endothelium.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy and acetaminophen toxicity leading to liver failure and postpartum liver transplantation. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is a rare entity. A MEDLINE English-language search from 1966 to the present revealed no reports of acetaminophen toxicity and acute fatty liver in pregnancy. CASE: An 18-year-old, African American woman, gravida 1, presented at 33 weeks' gestation with signs and symptoms consistent with acute fatty liver of pregnancy and fetal death. Markedly elevated transaminases prompted a search for other etiologies, and acetaminophen toxicity was diagnosed. Liver biopsy revealed acute fatty liver of pregnancy and toxin-induced injury consistent with acetaminophen use. The patient's condition deteriorated, resulting in fulminant hepatic failure and requiring postpartum orthotopic liver transplantation. CONCLUSION: The combination of acute fatty liver of pregnancy and acetaminophen toxicity resulted in acute liver failure. Attention to clinical and biochemical parameters can lead to diagnosis and management.