An in vitro model of adipose tissue-associated macrophages.

Obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation plays a central role in the development of insulin resistance. Macrophages are key players in adipose tissue homeostasis, and their phenotypic shift from the anti-inflammatory or alternatively activated (M2) form to the pro-inflammatory, classically activated (M1) form is a hallmark of insulin resistance. However, adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) have been identified as a distinct subpopulation of macrophages in several recent studies. These ATMs, described as metabolically activated macrophages (MMe), differ from M1 and are primarily found in the adipose tissue of obese individuals. In our study, we developed an in vitro model of MMe macrophages to establish a simple and reproducible system to understand their characteristics and role in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance. We examined their characteristics such as inflammatory patterns, surface markers, and metabolic features, and compared them with M1 and M2 macrophages. We found that a cell line-based in vitro model effectively mirrors the characteristics of ATMs, highlighting distinct inflammatory phenotypes, metabolism, surface markers, altered lysosomal activity, and ER stress akin to macrophages in vivo. This model captures the subtle distinctions between MMe and M1, and can be effectively used to study several features of macrophage-adipose interactions of therapeutic importance.

A 58-year-old woman with recurrent pneumonias and a pulmonary abscess.

A 58-year-old female with a history of recurrent pneumonia was evaluated for fevers, right lower back pain, and hematuria. A noncontrast abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed air and fluid-filled area in the right lower lobe for which a contrast-enhanced CT chest was performed. The CT of the chest revealed the cystic mass was supplied by an anomalous artery from the descending aorta. The patient was then diagnosed with a superinfected bronchopulmonary sequestration which was treated with surgical resection.

Applying FAIR Principles to Improve Data Searchability of Emergency Department Datasets: A Case Study for HCUP-SEDD.

BACKGROUND: There is a recognized need to improve how scholarly data are managed and accessed. The scientific community has proposed the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data principles to address this issue. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this case study was to develop a system for improving the FAIRness of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Emergency Department Databases (HCUP's SEDD) within the context of data catalog availability. METHODS: A search tool, EDCat (Emergency Department Catalog), was designed to improve the "FAIRness" of electronic health databases and tested on datasets from HCUP-SEDD. ElasticSearch was used as a database for EDCat's search engine. Datasets were curated and defined. Searchable data dictionary-related elements and unified medical language system (UMLS) concepts were included in the curated metadata. Functionality to standardize search terms using UMLS concepts was added to the user interface. RESULTS: The EDCat system improved the overall FAIRness of HCUP-SEDD by improving the findability of individual datasets and increasing the efficacy of searches for specific data elements and data types. DISCUSSION: The databases considered for this case study were limited in number as few data distributors make the data dictionaries of datasets available. The publication of data dictionaries should be encouraged through the FAIR principles, and further efforts should be made to improve the specificity and measurability of the FAIR principles. CONCLUSION: In this case study, the distribution of datasets from HCUP-SEDD was made more FAIR through the development of a search tool, EDCat. EDCat will be evaluated and developed further to include datasets from other sources.

A 39-Year-Old Pregnant Woman with Pulmonary Emboli on Long Term Anticoagulation.

We present the case of a 39-year-old pregnant woman with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS). We demonstrate the risks of multiple, co-existing pro-thrombotic states (pregnancy, KTS), discuss complications of KTS (deep venous thromboembolisms and pulmonary emboli) and highlight general and disease-specific preventive measures against venous thromboembolic events (VTE). KTS is a rare condition and it's co-existence with pregnancy and VTEs is rarer still.