Poorer objective but not subjective driving performance in drivers vulnerable to sleep loss effects during extended wake.

Sleepiness-related errors are a leading cause of driving accidents, requiring drivers to effectively monitor sleepiness levels. However, there are inter-individual differences in driving performance after sleep loss, with some showing poor driving performance while others show minimal impairment. This research explored if there are differences in self-reported sleepiness and driving performance in healthy drivers who exhibited vulnerability or resistance to objective driving impairment following extended wakefulness.

Increasing a Quitline's Reach to Low-Income Tobacco Users Through 211 Agencies.

Introduction: Low-income individuals bear a disproportionate share of the burden of tobacco use. This study tested the feasibility of increasing a quitline's reach to low-income tobacco users by collaborating with 211 information and referral agencies, which primarily serve people experiencing economic hardship.

Aims And Methods: Study participants (N = 114 888) were adult tobacco users referred to the California quitline by 211 agencies, referred by healthcare clinics, or self-referred from April 17, 2021 to December 31, 2023.

Unsupervised deep learning of electrocardiograms enables scalable human disease profiling.

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is inexpensive and widely available. Whether conditions across the human disease landscape can be detected using the ECG is unclear. We developed a deep learning denoising autoencoder and systematically evaluated associations between ECG encodings and ~1,600 Phecode-based diseases in three datasets separate from model development, and meta-analyzed the results.

Evolving Roles: Adolescent perspectives on shared decision making with their parents and healthcare providers.

Introduction: Shared decision making (SDM) involving adolescents presents unique challenges. To adequately support and evaluate SDM that includes adolescents, parents, and healthcare providers, it is imperative to understand adolescent perspectives. This study aims to describe the perspectives of adolescents with chronic health conditions regarding sharing medical decisions with their parents and healthcare providers.

Conservation benefits of a large marine protected area network that spans multiple ecosystems.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely implemented tools for long-term ocean conservation and resource management. Assessments of MPA performance have largely focused on specific ecosystems individually and have rarely evaluated performance across multiple ecosystems either in an individual MPA or across an MPA network. We evaluated the conservation performance of 59 MPAs in California's large MPA network, which encompasses 4 primary ecosystems (surf zone, kelp forest, shallow reef, deep reef) and 4 bioregions, and identified MPA attributes that best explain performance.

Single-cell analysis of lung epithelial cells reveals age and cell population-specific responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in ciliated cells.

Introduction: The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to evade antiviral immune signaling in the airway contributes to the severity of COVID-19 disease. Additionally, COVID-19 is influenced by age and has more severe presentations in older individuals. This raises questions about innate immune signaling as a function of lung development and age.

Rickettsia parkeri forms extensive, stable contacts with the rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Upon invasion into the host cell, a subset of bacterial pathogens resides exclusively in the cytosol. While previous research revealed how they reshape the plasma membrane during invasion, subvert the immune response, and hijack cytoskeletal dynamics to promote their motility, it was unclear if these pathogens also interacted with the organelles in this crowded intracellular space. Here, we examined if the obligate intracellular pathogen Rickettsia parkeri interacts with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a large and dynamic organelle spread throughout the cell.

Prenatal Breastfeeding Intention Is Consistently Associated with Breastfeeding Duration Among WIC-Participating Women.

Background/objective: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides breastfeeding support to participating women in low-income households. This study aimed to determine the relationships between prenatal maternal and household characteristics and breastfeeding duration, as well as whether these characteristics modify associations of prenatal breastfeeding intention with breastfeeding duration.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of pregnant respondents to Los Angeles County (LAC), California, WIC surveys conducted between 2005 and 2020 (n = 1014).

Genetics of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) represents a life-threatening form of stroke, marked by its impact on survival and quality of life. ICH can be categorized from monogenic disorders linked to causal germline variants in ICH-related genes to complex sporadic cases, highlighting the interaction among lifestyle factors, environmental influences, and genetic components in determining risk. Among sporadic ICH, the influence of these factors varies across ICH subtypes, evidenced by heritability rates of up to 73% for lobar ICH versus 34% for non-lobar ICH.

Management of choroidal/ciliary body metastasis in the era of targeted cancer therapy.

Introduction: Choroidal metastases from systemic malignancies are the most common intraocular malignancies in adults. External beam radiation (EBR) has historically been first-line therapy for metastatic tumors to the choroid. However, good responses have been described with newer targeted biologics.

Effect of randomised blood pressure lowering treatment and intensive glucose control on dementia and cognitive decline according to baseline cognitive function and other subpopulations of individuals with type 2 diabetes: Results from the ADVANCE trial.

Background And Aims: Accumulating evidence indicates that reducing high blood pressure (BP) prevents dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, although diabetes is a risk factor for dementia and MCI, there is uncertainty of the effect of intensive glucose control on these endpoints. This study aimed to determine the effects of BP-lowering (vs placebo) and intensive glucose-lowering (vs standard control) treatments according to baseline cognition and other characteristics on dementia and cognitive decline (CD) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Impact of chronic ethanol consumption and SARS-COV-2 on the liver and intestine: A pilot dose-response study in mice.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a marked increase in alcohol consumption. COVID-19 superimposed on underlying liver disease notably worsens the outcome of many forms of liver injury. The goal of a current pilot study was to test the dual exposure of alcohol and COVID-19 infection in an experimental animal model of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD).

Novel Insights into Hg Oxidation in Rice Leaf: Catalase Functions and Transcriptome Responses.

Rice leaves can assimilate atmospheric mercury (Hg), which is accumulated by grains and causes health risks to rice consumers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Hg assimilation in rice leaves remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated catalase's (CAT) function in Hg oxidation within rice leaves, as well as the Hg speciation and transcriptomic profiles of rice leaves exposed to Hg.

From motion to emotion: exploring challenging behaviors in autism spectrum disorder through analysis of wearable physiology and movement.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of wearable physiology and movement sensors in identifying a spectrum of challenging behaviors, including self-injurious behavior (SIB), in children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in real-world settings.

Approach: We utilized a long-short-term memory (LSTM) network with features derived using the wavelet scatter transform to analyze physiological biosignals, including electrodermal activity and skin temperature, alongside three-dimensional movement data captured via accelerometers. The study was conducted in naturalistic environments, focusing on participants' daily activities.

The Perceived Impact of Global Surgery Engagement on Career Advancement among US Medical Students.

Introduction: There is growing interest among medical institutions to formalize global surgery training. Understanding medical students' perceptions of how global surgery engagement can enhance career advancement is essential for providing appropriate guidance and support for individuals with aspirations in academic global surgery.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study of US-based medical students from 38 participating schools was performed.

Regulation of Paneth cell-specific genes in COVID-19 patients and SARS-CoV-2-infected mice by quantification of mRNA from exfoliated cells in stool samples.

The Paneth cell, a secretory cell of the small intestine, expresses numerous host defense proteins, and is hypothesized to play an important role in host defense against infection. However, studying gene expression in this cell requires invasive procedures. To test the hypothesis that we could observe Paneth cell-specific gene regulation from exfoliated cells in infectious conditions, we obtained stool samples from patients with COVID-19 and uninfected controls.

nsP2 Protease Inhibitor Blocks the Replication of New World Alphaviruses and Offer Protection in Mice.

New World alphaviruses, including Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), are mosquito-transmitted viruses that cause disease in humans. These viruses are endemic to the western hemisphere, and disease in humans may lead to encephalitis and long-term neurological sequelae. There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or antiviral therapeutics available for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by these viruses.

Does the Experience Level of Surgeons and Assistants Influence the Rate of Complications Following Appendicectomy?

Background Appendicectomies are the most frequently performed acute general surgery. The risk of complications depends on several factors, including patient age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), duration of symptoms, serum inflammatory markers, and the grade of inflammation. Prior research failed to demonstrate a relationship between the rate of complications and the surgeon's level of experience.

Associated Factors of Long-Term Functional Outcome and Recovery Pattern After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Population-Based Study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Background: Long-term patterns of functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have not been well elucidated in population-based studies from low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to define long-term functional outcomes, associated prognostic factors, and recovery patterns for patients with acute ICH.

Methods: We conducted a prospective population-based stroke incidence study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with prospective follow-up.

Association of social vulnerability and depression incidence post intracerebral haemorrhage: a cohort study.

Objectives: Survivors of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) are at high risk of incident depression, which is modified by social determinants of health (SDOH) and associated with worse functional outcomes. We sought to determine the role of prestroke SDOH in depression incidence after ICH to better characterise post-ICH outcomes.

Study Design: We analysed data from a cohort study of ICH survivors without prestroke depression, presenting at Massachusetts General Hospital between 2006 and 2017.

Influence of renal function on blood pressure control and outcome in thrombolyzed patients after acute ischemic stroke: analysis of the ENCHANTED trial.

Background: The effect of renal impairment in patients who receive intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is unclear. We aimed to determine the associations of renal impairment and clinical outcomes and any modification of the effect of intensive versus guideline-recommended blood pressure (BP) control in the BP arm of the International Enhanced Control of Hypertension and Thrombolysis Stroke Study (ENCHANTED).

Methods: We conducted a analysis of the ENCHANTED BP arm, which involved 2,196 thrombolyzed AIS patients.

Non-ionotropic NMDAR signalling activates Panx1 to induce P2X4R-dependent long-term depression in the hippocampus.

In recent years, evidence supporting non-ionotropic signalling by the NMDA receptor (niNMDAR) has emerged, including roles in long-term depression (LTD). Here, we investigated whether niNMDAR-pannexin-1 (Panx1) contributes to LTD at the CA3-CA1 hippocampal synapse. Using whole-cell, patch clamp electrophysiology in rat hippocampal slices, we show that a low-frequency stimulation (3 Hz) of the Schaffer collaterals produces LTD that is blocked by continuous but not transient application of the NMDAR competitive antagonist, MK-801.

Adaptive Platform Trials in Stroke.

Clinical trials of treatments for stroke have generally utilized 2-arm, randomized designs to evaluate a single intervention against a control. Running separate clinical trials, with each addressing a single therapeutic question, is resource intensive and slows evidence generation, especially in a field with rapidly expanding treatment options and evolving practices. Platform trials-randomized clinical trials designed to evaluate multiple interventions that may enter and exit the ongoing platform based on a master protocol-accelerate the investigation of multiple therapeutic options within a single infrastructure.

Unraveling the neural basis of behavioral isolation through the lens of audition in anurans.

Background The origin and maintenance of species is a unifying theme in evolutionary biology. Mate choice and selection on sexual signals have emerged as powerful drivers of reproductive isolation-the key pillar of the Biological Species Concept. The mechanistic underpinnings of isolating behaviors lie in the circuit- and cellular-level properties of the brain and yet remain relatively understudied.