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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by lipid accumulation in the liver, is the most common cause of liver diseases in Western countries. NAFLD is a major risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, in vitro evaluation of hepatic cancerogenesis fails due to a lack of liver models displaying a proliferation of hepatocytes. Originally designed to overcome primary human hepatocyte (PHH) shortages, upcyte hepatocytes were engineered to obtain continuous proliferation and, therefore, could be a suitable tool for HCC research. We generated upcyte hepatocytes, termed HepaFH3 cells, and compared their metabolic characteristics to HepG2 hepatoma cells and PHHs isolated from resected livers. For displaying NAFLD-related HCCs, we induced steatosis in all liver models. Lipid accumulation, lipotoxicity and energy metabolism were characterized using biochemical assays and Western blot analysis. We showed that proliferating HepaFH3 cells resemble HepG2, both showing a higher glucose uptake rate, lactate levels and metabolic rate compared to PHHs. Confluent HepaFH3 cells displayed some similarities to PHHs, including higher levels of the transaminases AST and ALT compared to proliferating HepaFH3 cells. We recommend proliferating HepaFH3 cells as a pre-malignant cellular model for HCC research, while confluent HepaFH3 cells could serve as PHH surrogates for energy metabolism studies.

Female servicemembers are serving in more complex occupational specialties and are being deployed to combat operations, potentially leading to increased health risks. Similar to their male counterparts, female servicemembers must maintain their medical readiness; however, they have unique health care needs that require access to gender-specific services. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 directed GAO to review a variety of issues related to health care for female servicemembers. This report describes (1) the extent that DOD s policies for assessing individual medical readiness include unique health care issues of female servicemembers; (2) the availability of health care services to meet the unique needs of female servicemembers at domestic Army installations; and (3) the extent that DOD s research organizations have identified a need for research on the specific health care needs of female servicemembers who have served in combat. GAO reviewed DOD and military service policies on individual medical readiness and surveyed senior health care officials about the availability of specific health services at the 27 domestic Army installations with MTFs that report directly to the domestic regional medical commands. GAO focused on the Army because it has more female servicemembers than the other military services. GAO also visited six Army installations two from each of the Army s three domestic regional medical commands and interviewed DOD officials who conduct research on health issues for servicemembers., Report to Congressional Addressees.

Following a series of high-profile sexual assault cases involving servicemembers, in 2004 Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive policy for the Department of Defense (DoD) on the prevention of, and response to, sexual assaults involving servicemembers. Among other things, the legislation required DoD to establish a standardized department-wide definition of sexual assault and procedures for confidentially reporting sexual assault incidents. DoD established the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program in 2005 to promote prevention, encourage increased reporting of the crime, and improve response capabilities for victims. You asked us the following: (1) How are cases of acute sexual assault reported, documented, and investigated, when victims are treated at a military treatment facility (MTF)?; (2) What training is provided to health care professionals working in MTFs on the treatment of victims of sexual assault?; (3) How do MTFs provide acute treatment and care to victims of sexual assault, including forensic medical-legal exams and mental health counseling, as well as preventative treatment for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy?; and (4) What types of long-term services, support, and follow-up, including mental health services, do MTFs provide to victims of sexual assault? This briefing includes information on the following topics from our body of work, which correspond with the questions asked in the request letter: DoD's approach for reporting, documenting, and investigating alleged sexual assault incidents; DoD training of servicemembers related to sexual assault; DoD care and treatment provided to victims of sexual assault, including mental health counseling and medical care.