Real-world evaluation of a novel automated method for measuring ADAMTS13 activity using the Ceveron® s100 analyzer.

Introduction: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by a severe functional deficiency of ADAMTS13. Measuring ADAMTS13 activity is crucial for diagnosing TTP (<10 IU/dL), monitoring treatments, and detecting relapses (<20 IU/dL). The Technofluor® assay allows a rapid ADAMTS13 activity measurement using the CEVERON® s100 analyzer.

Comparing immunoassay and mass spectrometry techniques for salivary sex hormone analysis.

From a confluence of events, our team acquired salivary sex hormone data from two different assays; namely, enzyme-linked immunosorbent immunoassay (ELISA; Salimetrics) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). As previous research has often discussed inter-assay differences but lacked direct comparative data for these specific hormones in saliva, this paper compared both techniques on their ability to accurately quantify concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone in healthy young adults (72 combined oral contraceptive [COC] users, 99 naturally cycling [NC] women in the early follicular and pre-ovulatory phases, and 47 men). Using multivariate and computational approaches, our results converged and showed poor performance of ELISA for measuring salivary sex hormones, with estradiol and progesterone being much less valid than testosterone.

Benefits of Intensive Rehabilitation Programs Using Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercises in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Purpose Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) affects 3% of adolescents. Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis Specific Exercises (PSSE) are recommended to limit AIS progression, especially within intensive multidisciplinary programs. Our study evaluated the efficiency of these programs in AIS cases with a high progression risk.

Starting the pill during adolescence: Age of onset and duration of use influence morphology of the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

From adolescence, women become more likely to experience fear dysregulation. Oral contraceptives (OCs) can modulate the brain regions involved in fear processes. OCs are generally used for years and often initiated during adolescence, a sensitive period where certain brain regions involved in the fear circuitry are still undergoing important reorganization.

Morphologic alterations of the fear circuitry: the role of sex hormones and oral contraceptives.

Background: Endogenous sex hormones and oral contraceptives (OCs) have been shown to influence key regions implicated in fear processing. While OC use has been found to impact brain morphology, methodological challenges remain to be addressed, such as avoiding selection bias between OC users and non-users, as well as examining potential lasting effects of OC intake.

Objective: We investigated the current and lasting effects of OC use, as well as the interplay between the current hormonal milieu and history of hormonal contraception use on structural correlates of the fear circuitry.

The role of sex hormones, oral contraceptive use, and its parameters on visuospatial abilities, verbal fluency, and verbal memory.

Sex hormones can cross the blood-brain barrier and access brain regions underlying higher-order cognition. Containing synthetic sex hormones, oral contraceptives (OC) have been found to modulate visuospatial and verbal abilities, though inconsistencies have been found in the literature. Among possible explanations, certain OC use parameters (progestin androgenicity, synthetic hormone levels, duration of use) have not received consistent consideration.

Activatable Nanoreporters for Real-Time Tracking of Macrophage Phenotypic States Associated with Disease Progression.

Diagnosis of inflammatory diseases is characterized by identifying symptoms, biomarkers, and imaging. However, conventional techniques lack the sensitivities and specificities to detect disease early. Here, it is demonstrated that the detection of macrophage phenotypes, from inflammatory M1 to alternatively activated M2 macrophages, corresponding to the disease state can be used to predict the prognosis of various diseases.

Demographic, behavioral, dietary, and clinical predictors of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).

Aims: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation, is associated with atherosclerosis, and recent studies indicate that therapies targeting inflammation are associated with reductions in cardiovascular risk. However, factors predictive of elevated hs-CRP in the general population have not been elucidated.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of elevated hs-CRP (≥3 mg/L) utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 cycle.

Supramolecular nanotherapeutics enable metabolic reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages to inhibit tumor growth.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exist in multiple phenotypes across the spectrum, defined by an M1 antitumorigenic phenotype and an M2 pro-tumorigenic phenotype on two ends of the spectrum. A largely immunosuppressive tumor-microenvironment aids the polarization of the infiltrating macrophages to a pro-tumorigenic M2 phenotype that promotes tumor progression and metastasis. Recent developments in macrophage immunotherapy have focused on strategies to re-educate TAMs from an M2 to M1 phenotype.

A Year Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Deleterious Impact of Hormonal Contraception on Psychological Distress in Women.

Background: Women are more at risk than men of suffering from psychological distress during disease outbreaks. Interestingly, no biological factors have been studied to explain this disparity in such contexts. Sex hormone variations induced by hormonal contraceptives (HC) have been associated with mental health vulnerabilities.

Supramolecular Nanotherapeutics for Macrophage Immunotherapy.

Tumor-associated macrophages are recruited in high abundance in the tumor microenvironment and are implicated in the various stages of tumorigenesis, such as tumor proliferation, enhanced angiogenesis, metastasis, and immune escape. However, inherent macrophage plasticity and ability of macrophages to switch their phenotype and function from tumor-promoting (M2 phenotype) to tumor-eliminating capacities (M1 phenotype) make them ideal for therapeutic targeting. This spotlight on applications summarizes our recent efforts in designing supramolecular nanotherapeutics for macrophage immunotherapy, specifically, the strategies that can repolarize the M2 tumor-associated macrophages to M1-phenotype by sustained inhibition of key signaling pathways.

Exploring the sex and gender correlates of cognitive sex differences.

The correlates of cognitive sex differences are yet to be fully understood. Many biological and psychosocial factors modulate these cognitive abilities leading to mixed results in the scientific literature. The current study aims to explore the different parameters potentially influencing cognitive abilities acting in synergy.

A perception bias of the gravitational vertical is confirmed in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Purpose: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is the most frequent spine deformity in adolescence. The cause of AIS remains unknown. Several studies show that AIS can be associated with a perception bias of gravitational vertical.

Engineered Multifunctional Nano- and Biological Materials for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy is set to emerge as the future of cancer therapy. However, recent immunotherapy trials in different cancers have yielded sub-optimal results, with durable responses seen in only a small fraction of patients. Engineered multifunctional nanomaterials and biological materials are versatile platforms that can elicit strong immune responses and improve anti-cancer efficacy when applied to cancer immunotherapy.

Vicarious conditioned fear acquisition and extinction in child-parent dyads.

The biological mechanisms involved in fear transmission within families have been scarcely investigated in humans. Here we studied (1) how children acquired conditioned fear from observing their parent, or a stranger, being exposed to a fear conditioning paradigm, and (2) the subsequent fear extinction process in these children. Eighty-three child-parent dyads were recruited.

Granzyme B nanoreporter for early monitoring of tumor response to immunotherapy.

Despite recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy, accurate monitoring of its efficacy is challenging due to heterogeneous immune responses. Conventional imaging techniques lack the sensitivity and specificity for early response assessment. In this study, we designed a granzyme B (GrB) nanoreporter (GNR) that can deliver an immune checkpoint inhibitor to the tumor and track time-sensitive GrB activity as a direct way to monitor initiation of effective immune responses.

Trends in Sodium Intake in Children and Adolescents in the US and the Impact of US Department of Agriculture Guidelines: NHANES 2003-2016.

Objective: To examine trends in sodium intake and the impact of nutritional guidelines in the US pediatric population.

Study Design: Sodium intake data collected between 2003 and 2016 in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) were analyzed. Trends in intake for individuals aged 4-17 years and subgroups based on age, sex, and race and ethnicity were examined.

Supramolecular Polysaccharide Nanotheranostics that Inhibit Cancer Cells Growth and Monitor Targeted Therapy Response.

Targeted anticancer therapies directed against specific molecular drivers of tumors are emerging as effective treatment strategies, however, monitoring their response is still challenging. Current clinical imaging techniques that measure either morphological or metabolic changes in the tumor are not always indicative of clinical outcome due to delayed or variable responses. Here, dual-stage polysaccharide-based supramolecular nanotheranostics (SPN) were designed that enable co-delivery of kinase inhibitor and an activatable imaging probe.

A Nitric Oxide (NO) Nanoreporter for Noninvasive Real-Time Imaging of Macrophage Immunotherapy.

Macrophage-centered therapeutic approaches that rely on immune modulation of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) from a pro-tumorigenic phenotype (M2) to an anti-tumorigenic phenotype (M1) have facilitated a paradigm shift in macrophage immunotherapy. However, limited clinical success has been achieved due to the low response rates observed in different types of cancers. The ability to measure immune response in real time is critical in order to differentiate responders from non-responders; however, there are currently no platforms to monitor real-time macrophage immunotherapy response.

A review on how stress modulates fear conditioning: Let's not forget the role of sex and sex hormones.

Stress and fear are two fields of research that have evolved simultaneously. It was not until the eighties that these domains converged in order to better characterize the impact of stress on fear memory formation. Here, we reviewed the effects of stress occurring before fear acquisition on the main phases of fear conditioning protocols (acquisition training, extinction training, extinction retention test), with a specific focus on sex and sex hormones.

Ten-year outcomes in adult patients with congenital heart disease and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Background: Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients may be at risk of sudden cardiac death and be candidates for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). We evaluated the long-term rates of ventricular arrhythmias requiring treatment and mortality in these patients.

Methods: A single-center retrospective case-series identified ACHD patients with an ICD and were evaluated for the primary outcome of appropriate ICD intervention or ablation for ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Lipid-based phagocytosis nanoenhancer for macrophage immunotherapy.

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important role in initiating the immunosuppressive environment that negatively impacts the immunotherapy efficacy and has long been linked with cancer progression. On the other hand, activated macrophages display immense phagocytic potential and can be used as an effector cell for cancer therapy. But, activating TAMs to effectively phagocytose cancer cells is challenging.

Dual inhibition of CSF1R and MAPK pathways using supramolecular nanoparticles enhances macrophage immunotherapy.

Among the numerous immune interactions, or lack-thereof, that occur during cancer progression, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) - cancer cell interactions have been shown to play an important role in modulating the tumor-microenvironment to an immune suppressive mode, promoting accelerated tumor growth, survival and metastatic spread. TAMs are predominantly polarized to a pro-tumorigenic M2-phenotype through macrophage colony stimulating factor 1 (MCSF) cytokines that bind to the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), a class III receptor tyrosine kinase. This MCSF-CSF1R interaction results in autophosphorylation of CSF1R and subsequent phosphorylation and activation of downstream signaling pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway leading to proliferation, survival and functional activity of M2 TAMs.

Trends in Dietary Sodium Intake in the United States and the Impact of USDA Guidelines: NHANES 1999-2016.

Background: Moderation in sodium consumption is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality; however, trends in intake and the impact of guidelines have not been examined.

Methods: Sodium intake data collected from 1999-2016 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed. Trends in sodium intake for individuals aged 18 years or over and in subgroups based on age, sex, race and ethnicity, and sodium-sensitive chronic diseases were examined.

Do Adolescents With Idiopathic Scoliosis Have an Erroneous Perception of the Gravitational Vertical?

Study Design: Multicenter, case-control study.

Objectives: Demonstrate altered perception of verticality in AIS compared with matched controls.

Summary Of Background Data: The cause of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains to be found.