Assessment of upper respiratory and gut bacterial microbiomes during COVID-19 infection in adults: potential aerodigestive transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 is the viral pathogen responsible for COVID-19. Although morbidity and mortality frequently occur as a result of lung disease, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is recognized as a primary location for SARS-CoV-2. Connections and interactions between the microbiome of the gut and respiratory system have been linked with viral infections via what has been referred to as the 'gut-lung axis' with potential aerodigestive communication in health and disease.

Vinculin haploinsufficiency impairs integrin-mediated costamere remodeling on stiffer microenvironments.

Vinculin (VCL) is a key adapter protein located in force-bearing costamere complexes, which mechanically couples the sarcomere to the ECM. Heterozygous vinculin frameshift genetic variants can contribute to cardiomyopathy when external stress is applied, but the mechanosensitive pathways underpinning VCL haploinsufficiency remain elusive. Here, we show that in response to extracellular matrix stiffening, heterozygous loss of VCL disrupts force-mediated costamere protein recruitment, thereby impairing cardiomyocyte contractility and sarcomere organization.

The inductive effect does not explain electron density in haloacetates: are our textbooks wrong?

The inductive effect is a central concept in chemistry and is often exemplified by the p values of acetic acid derivatives. The reduction in p is canonically attributed to the reduction in the electron density of the carboxylate group through the inductive effect. However, wave functional theory calculations presented herein reveal that the charge density of the carboxylate group is not explained by the inductive effect.

A Narrative Review of Old and Emerging Treatment Modalities for Substance Use Disorders.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent one of the leading causes of preventable death in the setting of overdose and comorbidities leading to mortality. A multi-database literature search limited to peer-reviewed articles within the last 10 years was conducted to compare treatment modalities used to treat SUDs. This literature review aims to provide a concise yet comprehensive summary of the various treatment modalities that exist to address these disorders in clinical practice.