Background Increases in multimorbidity and obesity have been noted in HIV infected populations in the current treatment era. Patterns of multimorbid disease clustering as well as the impact of obesity on multimorbidity are understudied in this population. Methods We examined obesity and multimorbidity patterns among 1844 HIV-infected patients in the UAB 1917 Clinic. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify the underlying factor structure responsible for clustering. Patterns among the resulting morbidity factors by body mass index (BMI) category were explored. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to identify predictors of multimorbidity cluster patterns. Results The prevalence of multimorbidity was 65% (1205/1844). Prevalence increased with progressive BMI categories from underweight (64%) to obese (79%). Three multimorbidity clusters were identified: “Metabolic” including hypertension (HTN), gout, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (range: 0.41 to 0.84; P<0.001); “Behavioral“ including mood disorders, dyslipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic ulcer disease, osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and cardiac disorders (range: 0.32 to 0.57; P<0.001); “Substance Use” including alcohol abuse, substance abuse, tobacco abuse, and hepatitis C (range: 0.53 to 0.89; P<0.001). Obesity was associated with increased odds of multimorbidity (Obese vs. Normal BMI category: OR=1.52, 95%CI=1.15-2.00). Conclusions Three patterns of disease clustering were identified. Obesity was associated with a higher likelihood of multimorbidity. The management of multimorbidity and obesity will need to be addressed in future clinical practice guidelines to enhance long term outcomes of HIV-infected patients in the current treatment era.

In this study, we loaded Pd catalysts onto a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support in an atomically dispersed fashion [i.e., Pd single-atom catalysts (SACs) on rGO or Pd 1 /rGO] via a facile and scalable synthesis based on anchor-site and photoreduction techniques. The as-synthesized Pd 1 /rGO significantly outperformed the Pd nanoparticle (Pd nano ) counterparts in the electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination of chlorinated phenols. Downsizing Pd nano to Pd 1 leads to a substantially higher Pd atomic efficiency (14 times that of Pd nano ), remarkably reducing the cost for practical applications. The unique single-atom architecture of Pd 1 additionally affects the desorption energy of the intermediate, suppressing the catalyst poisoning by Cl − , which is a prevalent challenge with Pd nano . Characterization and experimental results demonstrate that the superior performance of Pd 1 /rGO originates from (1) enhanced interfacial electron transfer through Pd−O bonds due to the electronic metal−support interaction and (2) increased atomic H (H*) utilization efficiency by inhibiting H 2 evolution on Pd 1 . This work presents an important example of how the unique geometric and electronic structure of SACs can tune their catalytic performance toward beneficial use in environmental remediation applications.

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Gastric varices in the setting of portal hypertension occur less frequently than esophageal varices but occur at lower portal pressures and are associated with more massive bleeding events and higher mortality rate. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of gastric varices has been well documented as an effective therapy for portal hypertensive gastric varices. However, BRTO requires lengthy, higher-level post-procedural monitoring and can have complications related to balloon rupture and adverse effects of sclerosing agents. Several modified BRTO techniques have been developed including vascular plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration, coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration, and balloon-occluded antegrade transvenous obliteration. This article provides an overview of various modified BRTO techniques.

There is no proven medical therapy for primary sclerosing cholangitis. The goal of management should be treatment of symptoms and complications of cholestasis, as well as attempts at treating the underlying disease process. In addition, efforts should be made to recognize and treat or prevent the known complications of primary sclerosing cholangitis, such as fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, osteopenia, dominant biliary strictures, and cholangiocarcinoma. Although some medical therapy has been shown to improve serum liver test or histology results, there has been no effect on survival or time to liver transplantation. However, preliminary data on high-dosage ursodeoxycholic acid have been encouraging. Liver transplantation remains the only effective treatment and is recommended for patients with end-stage liver disease and symptomatic portal hypertension, liver failure, and recurrent or intractable bacterial cholangitis.

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Purpose To characterize the involvement of Semaphorin 7A (Sema7a) in corneal neovascularization (NV). Methods We generated anti-Sema7A antibodies to detect protein expression. Corneal fibroblast cells were cultured, stimulated with bFGF, immunostained with anti-Sema7A antibodies, and visualized by confocal microscopy. bFGF pellets were implanted in mouse corneal micropockets for 3–10 days, and corneal sections were immunostained with anti-Sema7A antibodies. Mouse corneas were injected with naked Sema7A DNA and vector control for 3, 7, and 10 days. Mouse corneas were imaged by slit lamp microscopy, and areas of corneal NV were calculated using the ImageJ program. Mouse corneal sections were also immunostained with anti-macrophage marker (F4/80) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A antibodies. Results Our data showed enhanced Sema7A expression levels in bFGF-stimulated cultured corneal fibroblasts. bFGF corneal implantation also demonstrated enhanced Sema7A expression. Corneas injected with a Sema7A expression vector showed evidence of significant corneal NV compared to controls on day 10 (1.8 mm2 vs. 0.11 mm2; p<0.02). Additionally, immunolocalization of Sema7A DNA-injected corneas (at day 7) revealed macrophage recruitment and enhanced VEGF-A levels. Conclusions We demonstrated that Sema7A was expressed in vascularized corneas and showed pro-angiogenic properties in our corneal model. Understanding the mechanism of Sema7A in angiogenesis may provide a therapeutic target for the treatment of corneal angiogenesis-related disorders.

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