Cerebrovascular damage caused by the gut microbe/host co-metabolite -cresol sulfate is prevented by blockade of the EGF receptor.

The gut microbiota-brain axis has been associated with the pathogenesis of numerous disorders, but the mechanism(s) underlying these links are generally poorly understood. Accumulating evidence indicates the involvement of gut microbe-derived metabolites. Circulating levels of the gut microbe/host co-metabolite -cresol sulfate (pCS) correlate with cerebrovascular event risk in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but whether this relationship is mechanistic is unclear.

Menopause and Alzheimer's disease susceptibility: Exploring the potential mechanisms.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), responsible for 62% of all dementia cases, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that leads to cognitive dysfunction. The prevalence of AD is consistently higher in women suggesting they are disproportionately affected by this disease. Despite this, our understanding of this female AD vulnerability remains limited.

Levels of evidence for human system risk evaluation.

NASA uses a continuous risk management process to seek out new knowledge of spaceflight-induced risk to human health and performance. The evidence base that informs the risk assessments in this domain is constantly changing as more information is gleaned from a continuous human presence in space and from ongoing research. However, the limitations of this evidence are difficult to characterize because fewer than 700 humans have ever flown in space, and information comes from a variety of sources that span disciplines, including engineering, medicine, food and nutrition, and many other life sciences.

Causal diagramming for assessing human system risk in spaceflight.

For over a decade, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has tracked and configuration-managed approximately 30 risks that affect astronaut health and performance before, during and after spaceflight. The Human System Risk Board (HSRB) at NASA Johnson Space Center is responsible for setting the official risk posture for each of the human system risks and determining-based on evaluation of the available evidence-when that risk posture changes. The ultimate purpose of tracking and researching these risks is to find ways to reduce spaceflight-induced risk to astronauts.

Refined diet consumption increases neuroinflammatory signalling through bile acid dysmetabolism.

Over recent decades, dietary patterns have changed significantly due to the increasing availability of convenient, ultra-processed refined foods. Refined foods are commonly depleted of key bioactive compounds, which have been associated with several deleterious health conditions. As the gut microbiome can influence the brain through a bidirectional communication system known as the 'microbiota-gut-brain axis', the consumption of refined foods has the potential to affect cognitive health.

Updates to the NASA human system risk management process for space exploration.

This paper describes updates to NASA's approach for assessing and mitigating spaceflight-induced risks to human health and performance. This approach continues to evolve to meet dynamically changing risk environments: lunar missions are currently being designed and the ultimate destination will be Mars. Understanding the risks that astronauts will face during a Mars mission will depend on building an evidence base that informs not only how the humans respond to the challenges of the spaceflight environment, but also how systems and vehicles can be designed to support human capabilities and limitations.

Investigating the Relation between Anxiety Sensitivity and Substance Use: What Are the Roles of Social Anxiety and Outcome Expectancies?

Research on the association between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and substance use is mixed, with some studies showing a positive association and others showing no association. Other relevant variables, such as social anxiety and outcome expectancies, may help us understand how and for whom AS is linked to substance use. This study tested (a) the associations between AS and alcohol use, cannabis use, and drinking games and pregaming behaviors among young adults, and (b) the mediating role of social anxiety and moderating role of outcome expectancies in these associations.

Mental health and physical activity in SCI: Is anxiety sensitivity important?

Unlabelled: Compared to research conducted with nondisabled samples, little is known about the relation between mental health and physical activity (PA) in individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite this population being more at risk of experiencing anxiety and depression and less likely to engage in PA, few studies have investigated other factors that may impact this association in this population such as anxiety sensitivity (AS). AS is a fear of physiological arousal sensations, and importantly has been shown to be negatively associated with PA in people without disabilities.

Anxiety Sensitivity in the Sexual Context: Links between Sexual Anxiety Sensitivity and Sexual Well-Being.

Anxiety sensitivity, the fear of physiological arousal sensations, has been linked to lower sexual frequency, poorer sexual function, and greater sexual anxiety. The current study assessed whether anxiety sensitivity specific to the sexual context, termed sexual anxiety sensitivity, was linked to a wide range of indicators of sexual well-being over and above associations accounted for by general anxiety sensitivity. As a first step, we developed the Sexual Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory (SASI).

Saffron extract (Safr'Inside™) improves anxiety related behaviour in a mouse model of low-grade inflammation through the modulation of the microbiota and gut derived metabolites.

Treatment of anxiety and depression predominantly centres around pharmacological interventions, which have faced criticism for their associated side effects, lack of efficacy and low tolerability. Saffron, which is reportedly well tolerated in humans, has been recognised for its antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. Indeed, we previously reported upon the efficacy of saffron extract supplementation in healthy adults with subclinical anxiety.

Gender Differences and the Influence of Body Composition on Land and Pool-Based Assessments of Anaerobic Power and Capacity.

Consistent differences between males and females have been shown in land-based measurements of anaerobic power and capacity. However, these differences have not been investigated for a tethered 30-s maximal swimming test (TST). The purpose of this study is to explore gender differences in land and pool-based assessments of anaerobic power (Fpeak) and capacity (Fmean), as well as the influence of body composition.

Microbial-derived metabolites as a risk factor of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

A consequence of our progressively ageing global population is the increasing prevalence of worldwide age-related cognitive decline and dementia. In the absence of effective therapeutic interventions, identifying risk factors associated with cognitive decline becomes increasingly vital. Novel perspectives suggest that a dynamic bidirectional communication system between the gut, its microbiome, and the central nervous system, commonly referred to as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, may be a contributing factor for cognitive health and disease.

Differences in Cardiometabolic Comorbidities Between Black and White Persons Living With Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: To determine differences in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension in Black patients compared with White patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design: Cross-sectional database review.

Setting: Large academic medical center research records database.

Anthocyanins Promote Learning through Modulation of Synaptic Plasticity Related Proteins in an Animal Model of Ageing.

Anthocyanin-rich foods, such as berries, reportedly ameliorate age-related cognitive deficits in both animals and humans. Despite this, investigation into the mechanisms which underpin anthocyanin-mediated learning and memory benefits remains relatively limited. The present study investigates the effects of anthocyanin intake on a spatial working memory paradigm, assessed via the cross-maze apparatus, and relates behavioural test performance to underlying molecular mechanisms.

Citrus Polyphenols in Brain Health and Disease: Current Perspectives.

In addition to essential micronutrients such as vitamin C, citrus fruits represent a considerably rich source of non-essential bioactive compounds, in particular flavanones which form a sub-set of the flavonoid group. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective potential of citrus flavonoids and have highlighted both the well-established (anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties), and newly emerging (influence upon blood-brain barrier function/integrity) mechanistic actions by which these neurological effects are mediated. Encouragingly, results from human studies, although limited in number, appear to support this preclinical basis, with improvements in cognitive performance and disease risk observed across healthy and disease states.

Metal-ferroelectric supercrystals with periodically curved metallic layers.

Simultaneous manipulation of multiple boundary conditions in nanoscale heterostructures offers a versatile route to stabilizing unusual structures and emergent phases. Here, we show that a stable supercrystal phase comprising a three-dimensional ordering of nanoscale domains with tailored periodicities can be engineered in PbTiO-SrRuO ferroelectric-metal superlattices. A combination of laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, piezoresponse force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and phase-field simulations reveals a complex hierarchical domain structure that forms to minimize the elastic and electrostatic energy.

Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Sex-Dependent Changes in Late-Onset Sensory Hypersensitivity and Glutamate Neurotransmission.

Women approximate one-third of the annual 2.8 million people in the United States who sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI). Several clinical reports support or refute that menstrual cycle-dependent fluctuations in sex hormones are associated with severity of persisting post-TBI symptoms.

Mental health morbidity among people subject to immigration detention in the UK: a feasibility study.

Aims: The UK has one of the largest systems of immigration detention in Europe.. Those detained include asylum-seekers and foreign national prisoners, groups with a higher prevalence of mental health vulnerabilities compared with the general population.

Weaning nocturnal ventilation and decannulation in a pediatric ventilator care program.

Introduction: Children with chronic respiratory failure and upper airway disorders may require tracheostomy placement and long-term mechanical ventilation, yet many improve to permit ventilator weaning and decannulation.

Methods: As a quality improvement project, we conducted a chart review of patients followed by our Ventilator Care Program who underwent evaluation for weaning nocturnal ventilation (NV) and/or decannulation from 2007-2014. We collected patient demographics and characterized location, monitoring techniques, and outcomes for patients undergoing weaning NV or decannulation.

Common characteristics of patients diagnosed with upper-extremity venous thromboembolism during hospitalization: a descriptive study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the common characteristics of patients diagnosed with upper-extremity venous thromboembolism (UEVTE) during hospitalization.

Design: This was a retrospective chart review.

Setting: This study was performed at a Midwest multisite hospital of 5 acute-care hospitals and 2051 beds.