Learning & motivational talk in smoking cessation interventions: An examination of session language in two randomized trials.

Objectives: Motivational Interviewing (MI), a client-centered approach that seeks to evoke and resolve ambivalence, and health education (HE), which provides health information and advice, may both provide some benefit to unmotivated smokers. In HE, it is possible that client language reflective of new learning, or "learning talk" (LT), and rejection of health advice, or "rejection talk," (RT), may uniquely reflect intent of subsequent behavior change.

Methods: This project utilized MI and HE sessions from two randomized clinical trials (RCTs), one in a low-income, diverse community civilian sample of 255 unmotivated smokers, and the other in a sample of Veterans with mental illness who were unmotivated smokers (n = 55).

Randomized Clinical Trial of Brief Primary Care-Based Mindfulness Training Versus a Psychoeducational Group for Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are often reluctant to engage in traditional mental health care but do seek primary care services. Alternative strategies are needed to develop emotional regulation skills among individuals with PTSD symptoms. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of Primary Care Brief Mindfulness Training (PCBMT) compared to a psychoeducational group for reducing PTSD symptoms.

Understanding Who Uses Whole Health Services: A Program Evaluation.

Background: The Veterans Health Administration is rolling out a Whole Health system of care as part of an enhanced focus on proactive, person-centered healthcare.

Objective: Our program evaluation seeks to characterize what Veterans use Whole Health services, for what diagnoses they are seeking Whole Health services, and to examine "high utilizers" of Whole Health services.

Methods: Data were collected on 174 Veterans using Whole Health services from December 2018 through March 2020 and consisted of chart review and self-report data.

Protamine is an antagonist of apelin receptor, and its activity is reversed by heparin.

Apelin signaling plays an important role during embryo development and regulates angiogenesis, cardiovascular activity, and energy metabolism in adulthood. Overexpression and hyperactivity of this signaling pathway is observed in various pathologic states, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, which highlights the importance of inhibiting apelin receptor (APJ); therefore, we developed a cell-based screening assay that uses fluorescence microscopy to identify APJ antagonists. This approach led us to identify the U.

A mesocosm study of the effects of wet-dry cycles on nutrient release from constructed wetlands in agricultural landscapes.

Given the projection that wet-dry periods will be more frequent in the US Midwest, a study was conducted to understand the impact of these hydro-climatic alterations on nutrient dynamics in wetlands constructed on former croplands in the region. Soil cores were collected from two constructed wetlands and a wooded riparian area (surface: 0-20 cm; subsurface: 40-60 cm) downslope from an agricultural field. Cores were either kept moist or subjected to a 5-week drying treatment, after which all cores were flooded for 36 days.

Attenuation of ischemia-reperfusion injury in a canine model of autologous renal transplantation.

Background: This study examined the potential therapeutic effects of a combination therapy consisting of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribonucleoside (AICAR) and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to attenuate ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a canine model of autologous renal transplantation.

Methods: Male mongrel dogs (15-20 kg) underwent left nephrectomy followed by flushing and static preservation of the kidney in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution for 48 hr. The treatment group received AICAR (50 mg/kg) plus NAC (100 mg/kg) intravenously before the left nephrectomy.

C-terminal regions of the human telomerase catalytic subunit essential for in vivo enzyme activity.

Most human cancer cells are thought to acquire the ability to divide beyond the capacity of normal somatic cells through illegitimately activating the gene hTERT, which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. While telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is conserved in most eukaryotes, mounting evidence suggests that the C terminus of the human protein may have functions unique to higher eukaryotes. To search for domains responsible for such functions, we assayed a panel of tandem substitution mutations encompassing this region of human TERT for in vitro and in vivo functionality.