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Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse

Title: Rising Number of U.S. Cardiac Arrests Tied to Opioid Abuse
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Salmonella Outbreak in 17 States Tied to Italian-Style Meats

Title: Salmonella Outbreak in 17 States Tied to Italian-Style Meats
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Expert Panel Lowers Routine Screening Age for Diabetes to 35

Title: Expert Panel Lowers Routine Screening Age for Diabetes to 35
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2021 12:00:00 AM




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Cooler Weather Could Mean More Diabetes in Dogs

Title: Cooler Weather Could Mean More Diabetes in Dogs
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM




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COVID Incubation Shorter With Each New Variant

Title: COVID Incubation Shorter With Each New Variant
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM




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COVID Boosters Targeted to Latest Variants Could Be Ready After Labor Day

Title: COVID Boosters Targeted to Latest Variants Could Be Ready After Labor Day
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Michigan Officials Puzzled by Mysterious Deaths of 30 Dogs

Title: Michigan Officials Puzzled by Mysterious Deaths of 30 Dogs
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Wife of California Congressman Died After Using Herbal Remedy for Diabetes, Weight Loss

Title: Wife of California Congressman Died After Using Herbal Remedy for Diabetes, Weight Loss
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Gene Therapy Makes Inroads Against a Form of Hemophilia

Title: Gene Therapy Makes Inroads Against a Form of Hemophilia
Category: Health News
Created: 7/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/22/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Change to Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Helped Women

Title: Change to Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Helped Women
Category: Health News
Created: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Cheap, Same-Day Test Could Help Spot Miscarriage Risk

Title: Cheap, Same-Day Test Could Help Spot Miscarriage Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/19/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Osteopenia

Title: Osteopenia
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 2/7/2011 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM




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'Stepped' Approach to Treating Diabetic Eye Disease May Be Best

Title: 'Stepped' Approach to Treating Diabetic Eye Disease May Be Best
Category: Health News
Created: 7/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/15/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Statins vs. Niacin

Title: Statins vs. Niacin
Category: Medications
Created: 10/6/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2022 12:00:00 AM




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California Will Produce Its Own Insulin to Bring Down Prices

Title: California Will Produce Its Own Insulin to Bring Down Prices
Category: Health News
Created: 7/8/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/8/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Disability Payments Can Help Keep Veterans With Diabetes Out of the Hospital

Title: Disability Payments Can Help Keep Veterans With Diabetes Out of the Hospital
Category: Health News
Created: 7/8/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/8/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Is Brown Rice Safe if You Have Diabetes?

Title: Is Brown Rice Safe if You Have Diabetes?
Category: Health and Living
Created: 7/13/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/13/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Fasting Diet Could Help Folks With Type 2 Diabetes

Title: Fasting Diet Could Help Folks With Type 2 Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 7/26/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/26/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Mental Health Issues Can Plague Families of Kids With Type 1 Diabetes

Title: Mental Health Issues Can Plague Families of Kids With Type 1 Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Blood Protein Might Predict Future Diabetes, Cancer Risk

Title: Blood Protein Might Predict Future Diabetes, Cancer Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Common Diabetes Drug May Contain Traces of Carcinogen

Title: Common Diabetes Drug May Contain Traces of Carcinogen
Category: Health News
Created: 8/12/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/12/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Certain Painkillers Raise Heart Failure Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes

Title: Certain Painkillers Raise Heart Failure Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Even Chores, Socializing Might Lower Your Odds for Dementia

Title: Even Chores, Socializing Might Lower Your Odds for Dementia
Category: Health News
Created: 7/28/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/29/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Lifestyle May Be Key to Helping You Avoid Dementia

Title: Lifestyle May Be Key to Helping You Avoid Dementia
Category: Health News
Created: 8/4/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Rural Americans With Early Alzheimer's Find It Tough to See Specialists

Title: Rural Americans With Early Alzheimer's Find It Tough to See Specialists
Category: Health News
Created: 8/9/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/9/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Abnormal Upper Heart Chamber May Boost Dementia Risk

Title: Abnormal Upper Heart Chamber May Boost Dementia Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 8/10/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/10/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Everyday Activities That Can Cut Your Odds for Dementia

Title: Everyday Activities That Can Cut Your Odds for Dementia
Category: Health News
Created: 8/12/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM




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AHA News: People With Dementia May Be Less Likely to Receive an Advanced Treatment For Stroke

Title: AHA News: People With Dementia May Be Less Likely to Receive an Advanced Treatment For Stroke
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Too Few Psychiatric Beds: Psychiatrists' Group Takes Aim at Ongoing Crisis

Title: Too Few Psychiatric Beds: Psychiatrists' Group Takes Aim at Ongoing Crisis
Category: Health News
Created: 8/17/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/18/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear)

Title: Torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear)
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 11/4/2010 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Nerve Block Plus Lidocaine Clears Psoriasis in Small Study

Title: Nerve Block Plus Lidocaine Clears Psoriasis in Small Study
Category: Health News
Created: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/16/2022 12:00:00 AM




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How Do I Know if I Have an Ovarian Cyst or Tumor?

Title: How Do I Know if I Have an Ovarian Cyst or Tumor?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 7/7/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/7/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Vegetarian Women at Higher Odds for Hip Fracture

Title: Vegetarian Women at Higher Odds for Hip Fracture
Category: Health News
Created: 8/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/12/2022 12:00:00 AM




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New Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Shows Promise in Trial

Title: New Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Shows Promise in Trial
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Is Chlamydia Contagious?

Title: Is Chlamydia Contagious?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 5/28/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/1/2022 12:00:00 AM




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silver sulfadiazine

Title: silver sulfadiazine
Category: Medications
Created: 8/2/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/2/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Being Social May Be Key to 'Sense of Purpose' as You Age

Title: Being Social May Be Key to 'Sense of Purpose' as You Age
Category: Health News
Created: 7/12/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/12/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Looking for Reliable Hay Fever Advice? It's Probably Not on YouTube

Title: Looking for Reliable Hay Fever Advice? It's Probably Not on YouTube
Category: Health News
Created: 8/16/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/16/2022 12:00:00 AM




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SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

Title: SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/8/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Australia's Current Flu Season Is Tough: Will America's Be the Same?

Title: Australia's Current Flu Season Is Tough: Will America's Be the Same?
Category: Health News
Created: 8/4/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2022 12:00:00 AM




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damiana

Title: damiana
Category: Medications
Created: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM




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Impaired lung function and associated risk factors in children born prematurely: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Immature lung development and respiratory morbidity place preterm-born children at high risk of long-term pulmonary sequelae. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify lung function in preterm-born children and identify risk factors for a compromised lung function.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus for relevant studies published on preterm cohorts born since 1990. Studies comparing forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in preterm-born children aged ≥5 years to term-born controls or normative data were included. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. Standardised mean differences in FEV1 and secondary spirometry outcomes per study were pooled using meta-analysis. The impact of different demographic and neonatal variables on studies’ FEV1 effect sizes was investigated by meta-regression analyses. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations framework.

Results

We identified 42 studies with unique cohorts including 4743 preterm children and 9843 controls. Median gestational age in the studies was 28.0 weeks and age at assessment ranged from 6.7 to 16.7 years. Preterm children had lower FEV1 than controls (–0.58 sd, 95% CI –0.69– –0.47 sd, p<0.001) resulting in a relative risk of 2.9 (95% CI 2.4–3.4) for abnormal outcome, with high certainty of evidence. FEV1 was significantly associated with gestational age, birthweight, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and invasive mechanical ventilation in univariate meta-regression analyses (R2=36–96%).

Conclusion

This systematic review shows robust evidence of impaired lung function in preterm-born children with a high certainty of evidence.




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Antibody-mediated protection against respiratory syncytial virus in children

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major global pathogen, causing lower respiratory tract disease in at-risk populations including young children. Antibodies form a crucial layer of protection from RSV disease, particularly in immunologically naïve infants. Such antibodies are derived from the mother via transplacental transfer and breast milk, but may be particularly low in high-risk infants such as those born preterm. Maternally derived antibodies can now be supplemented by the administration of anti-RSV monoclonal antibodies, while a rising wave of maternal and paediatric vaccine strategies are approaching. The implementation of these prophylactics may profoundly decrease the healthcare burden of RSV. In this article, we review the role of antibody-mediated immunity in protecting children from RSV. We focus on maternally derived antibodies as the main source of protection against RSV and study factors that influence the scale of this transfer. The role of passive and active prophylactic approaches in protecting infants against RSV are discussed and knowledge gaps in our understanding of antibody-mediated protection against RSV are identified.




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Noninvasive diagnostic modalities and prediction models for detecting pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease: a narrative review

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is highly prevalent in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Widely available noninvasive screening tools are warranted to identify patients at risk for PH, especially severe PH, that could be managed at expert centres. This review summarises current evidence on noninvasive diagnostic modalities and prediction models for the timely detection of PH in patients with ILD. It critically evaluates these approaches and discusses future perspectives in the field. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in PubMed and Scopus, identifying 39 articles that fulfilled inclusion criteria. There is currently no single noninvasive test capable of accurately detecting and diagnosing PH in ILD patients. Estimated right ventricular pressure (RVSP) on Doppler echocardiography remains the single most predictive factor of PH, with other indirect echocardiographic markers increasing its diagnostic accuracy. However, RVSP can be difficult to estimate in patients due to suboptimal views from extensive lung disease. The majority of existing composite scores, including variables obtained from chest computed tomography, pulmonary function tests and cardiopulmonary exercise tests, were derived from retrospective studies, whilst lacking validation in external cohorts. Only two available scores, one based on a stepwise echocardiographic approach and the other on functional parameters, predicted the presence of PH with sufficient accuracy and used a validation cohort. Although several methodological limitations prohibit their generalisability, their use may help physicians to detect PH earlier. Further research on the potential of artificial intelligence may guide a more tailored approach, for timely PH diagnosis.




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Opioids for the palliation of symptoms in people with serious respiratory illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

People living with serious respiratory illness experience a high burden of distressing symptoms. Although opioids are prescribed for symptom management, they generate adverse events, and their benefits are unclear.

Methods

We examined the efficacy and safety of opioids for symptom management in people with serious respiratory illness. Embase, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to 11 July 2022. Reports of randomised controlled trials administering opioids to treat symptoms in people with serious respiratory illness were included. Key exclusion criteria included <80% of participants having a nonmalignant lung disease. Data were extracted regarding study characteristics, outcomes of breathlessness, cough, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adverse events. Treatment effects were pooled using a generic inverse variance model with random effects. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool version 1.

Results

Out of 17 included trials, six were laboratory-based exercise trials (n=70), 10 were home studies measuring breathlessness in daily life (n=788) and one (n=18) was conducted in both settings. Overall certainty of evidence was "very low" to "low". Opioids reduced breathlessness intensity during laboratory exercise testing (standardised mean difference (SMD) –0.37, 95% CI –0.67– –0.07), but not breathlessness measured in daily life (SMD –0.10, 95% CI –0.64–0.44). No effects on HRQoL (SMD –0.42, 95% CI –0.98–0.13) or cough (SMD –1.42, 95% CI –3.99–1.16) were detected. In at-home studies, opioids led to increased frequency of nausea/vomiting (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.70–6.51), constipation (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.69–5.61) and drowsiness (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01–1.86), with serious adverse events including hospitalisation and death identified.

Conclusions

Opioids improved exertional breathlessness in laboratory exercise studies, but did not improve breathlessness, cough or HRQoL measured in daily life at home. There were significant adverse events, which may outweigh any benefits.




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PWAS Hub for exploring gene-based associations of common complex diseases [RESOURCES]

PWAS (proteome-wide association study) is an innovative genetic association approach that complements widely used methods like GWAS (genome-wide association study). The PWAS approach involves consecutive phases. Initially, machine learning modeling and probabilistic considerations quantify the impact of genetic variants on protein-coding genes’ biochemical functions. Secondly, for each individual, aggregating the variants per gene determines a gene-damaging score. Finally, standard statistical tests are activated in the case-control setting to yield statistically significant genes per phenotype. The PWAS Hub offers a user-friendly interface for an in-depth exploration of gene–disease associations from the UK Biobank (UKB). Results from PWAS cover 99 common diseases and conditions, each with over 10,000 diagnosed individuals per phenotype. Users can explore genes associated with these diseases, with separate analyses conducted for males and females. For each phenotype, the analyses account for sex-based genetic effects, inheritance modes (dominant and recessive), and the pleiotropic nature of associated genes. The PWAS Hub showcases its usefulness for asthma by navigating through proteomic-genetic analyses. Inspecting PWAS asthma-listed genes (a total of 27) provide insights into the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Comparison of PWAS-statistically significant genes for common diseases to the Open Targets benchmark shows partial but significant overlap in gene associations for most phenotypes. Graphical tools facilitate comparing genetic effects between PWAS and coding GWAS results, aiding in understanding the sex-specific genetic impact on common diseases. This adaptable platform is attractive to clinicians, researchers, and individuals interested in delving into gene–disease associations and sex-specific genetic effects.




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Theoretical framework for the difference of two negative binomial distributions and its application in comparative analysis of sequencing data [METHODS]

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies have been instrumental in investigating biological questions at the bulk and single-cell levels. Comparative analysis of two HTS data sets often relies on testing the statistical significance for the difference of two negative binomial distributions (DOTNB). Although negative binomial distributions are well studied, the theoretical results for DOTNB remain largely unexplored. Here, we derive basic analytical results for DOTNB and examine its asymptotic properties. As a state-of-the-art application of DOTNB, we introduce DEGage, a computational method for detecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in scRNA-seq data. DEGage calculates the mean of the sample-wise differences of gene expression levels as the test statistic and determines significant differential expression by computing the P-value with DOTNB. Extensive validation using simulated and real scRNA-seq data sets demonstrates that DEGage outperforms five popular DEG analysis tools: DEGseq2, DEsingle, edgeR, Monocle3, and scDD. DEGage is robust against high dropout levels and exhibits superior sensitivity when applied to balanced and imbalanced data sets, even with small sample sizes. We utilize DEGage to analyze prostate cancer scRNA-seq data sets and identify marker genes for 17 cell types. Furthermore, we apply DEGage to scRNA-seq data sets of mouse neurons with and without fear memory and reveal eight potential memory-related genes overlooked in previous analyses. The theoretical results and supporting software for DOTNB can be widely applied to comparative analyses of dispersed count data in HTS and broad research questions.




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Systematic identification of interchromosomal interaction networks supports the existence of specialized RNA factories [METHODS]

Most studies of genome organization have focused on intrachromosomal (cis) contacts because they harbor key features such as DNA loops and topologically associating domains. Interchromosomal (trans) contacts have received much less attention, and tools for interrogating potential biologically relevant trans structures are lacking. Here, we develop a computational framework that uses Hi-C data to identify sets of loci that jointly interact in trans. This method, trans-C, initiates probabilistic random walks with restarts from a set of seed loci to traverse an input Hi-C contact network, thereby identifying sets of trans-contacting loci. We validate trans-C in three increasingly complex models of established trans contacts: the Plasmodium falciparum var genes, the mouse olfactory receptor "Greek islands," and the human RBM20 cardiac splicing factory. We then apply trans-C to systematically test the hypothesis that genes coregulated by the same trans-acting element (i.e., a transcription or splicing factor) colocalize in three dimensions to form "RNA factories" that maximize the efficiency and accuracy of RNA biogenesis. We find that many loci with multiple binding sites of the same DNA-binding proteins interact with one another in trans, especially those bound by factors with intrinsically disordered domains. Similarly, clustered binding of a subset of RNA-binding proteins correlates with trans interaction of the encoding loci. We observe that these trans-interacting loci are close to nuclear speckles. These findings support the existence of trans-interacting chromatin domains (TIDs) driven by RNA biogenesis. Trans-C provides an efficient computational framework for studying these and other types of trans interactions, empowering studies of a poorly understood aspect of genome architecture.




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Mutational scanning of CRX classifies clinical variants and reveals biochemical properties of the transcriptional effector domain [RESEARCH]

The transcription factor (TF) cone-rod homeobox (CRX) is essential for the differentiation and maintenance of photoreceptor cell identity. Several human CRX variants cause degenerative retinopathies, but most are variants of uncertain significance. We performed a deep mutational scan (DMS) of nearly all possible single amino acid substitutions in CRX using a cell-based transcriptional reporter assay, curating a high-confidence list of nearly 2000 variants with altered transcriptional activity. In the structured homeodomain, activity scores closely aligned to a predicted structure and demonstrated position-specific constraints on amino acid substitution. In contrast, the intrinsically disordered transcriptional effector domain displayed a qualitatively different pattern of substitution effects, following compositional constraints without specific residue position requirements in the peptide chain. These compositional constraints were consistent with the acidic exposure model of transcriptional activation. We evaluated the performance of the DMS assay as a clinical variant classification tool using gold-standard classified human variants from ClinVar, identifying pathogenic variants with high specificity and moderate sensitivity. That this performance could be achieved using a synthetic reporter assay in a foreign cell type, even for a highly cell type-specific TF like CRX, suggests that this approach shows promise for DMS of other TFs that function in cell types that are not easily accessible. Together, the results of the CRX DMS identify molecular features of the CRX effector domain and demonstrate utility for integration into the clinical variant classification pipeline.




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AGAP duplicons associate with structural diversity at Chromosome 10q11.22 [RESEARCH]

The 10q11.22 chromosomal region is a duplication-rich interval of the human genome and one of the last to be fully assembled. It carries copy number–variable genes associated with intellectual disability, bipolar disorder, and obesity. In this study, we characterized the structural diversity at this locus by analyzing 64 haploid assemblies produced by the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium. We identified 11 alternative haplotypes that differ in the copy number and/or orientation of large genomic segments, ranging from hundreds of kilobase pairs (kbp) to over one megabase pair (Mbp). We uncovered a 2.4 Mbp size difference between the shortest and longest haplotypes. Breakpoint analysis revealed that genomic instability results from nonallelic homologous recombination between segmental duplication (SD) pairs with varying similarity (94.4%–99.6%). Nonetheless, these pairs generally recombine at positions where their identity is higher (>99.6%). Recurrent inversions occur with different breakpoints within the same inverted SD pair. Inversion polymorphisms shuffle the entire SD arrangement, creating new predispositions to copy-number variations. The SD architecture is associated with a catarrhine-specific subgroup of the AGAP gene family, which likely triggered the accumulation of SDs at this locus over the past 25 million years of human evolution. Our results reveal extensive structural diversity and genomic instability at the 10q11.22 locus, and expand the general understanding of the mutational mechanisms behind SD-mediated rearrangements.