Spatiotemporal analyses suggest the role of glacial history and the ice-free corridor in shaping American badger population genetic variation.

Recurring glacial cycles through the Quaternary period drastically altered the size and distribution of natural populations of North American flora and fauna. The "southerly refugia model" has been the longstanding framework for testing the effects of glaciation on contemporary genetic patterns; however, insights from ancient DNA have contributed to the reconstruction of more complex histories for some species. The American badger, , provides an interesting species for exploring the genetic legacy of glacial history, having been hypothesized to have postglacially emerged from a single, southerly refugium to recolonize northern latitudes.

Treatment With Oral Versus Intravenous Acetaminophen in Elderly Trauma Patients With Rib Fractures: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

Background: Rib fractures are common injuries among traumatically injured patients, and elderly patients with rib fractures are at increased risk for adverse events and death. The purpose of this study was to determine if oral (PO) acetaminophen is as effective as intravenous (IV) acetaminophen in treating the pain associated with rib fractures.

Methods: We performed a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study.

Cold-hearted: A case for cold stress in cancer risk.

A negative correlation exists between environmental temperature and cancer risk based on both epidemiological and statistical analyses. Previously, cold stress was reported to be an effective cause of tumorigenesis. Several studies have demonstrated that cold temperature serves as a potential risk factor in cancer development.

Quality and targeting of new referrals for ocular complications of diabetes from primary care to a public hospital ophthalmology service in Western Sydney, Australia.

Patients with diabetes require regular examination for eye disease, usually in primary care settings. Guidelines recommend patients with at least moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) be referred to an ophthalmologist for treatment; however, poorly targeted referrals lead to access blocks. The quality of new referrals associated with diabetes to a public ophthalmology service in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, were assessed for referral completeness and targeting.

Effect of chitosan on adult longevity when fed, in no-choice experiments, to Musca domestica L., Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart, and Phormia regina (Meigen) adults and its consumption in adult Musca domestica L.

Background: The literature reports that more research needs to be done on using chitosan as an environmentally friendly bioinsecticide, especially against dipterans. Thus, we examined the effect of chitosan when fed, in no-choice experiments, to adult Musca domestica, Tabanus nigrovittatus, and Phormia regina.

Results: A 2% chitosan solution was fed, in no-choice experiments, to adults of Musca domestica, Tabanus nigrovittatus, and Phormia regina to study the effects on survivorship.

Characteristics of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections at a Midwestern Tertiary Hospital: A Retrospective Study of 365 Patients.

Background: The prevalence of infections due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing worldwide, yet little is known about the epidemiology and pathophysiology of these ubiquitous environmental organisms. Pulmonary disease due to complex is most prevalent, but many other NTM species can cause disease in virtually any organ system. As NTM becomes an increasingly common cause of morbidity and mortality, more information is needed about the epidemiology of NTM disease.

Ocular Actinomycosis Mimicking Meningioma.

Orbital actinomycosis is an unusual clinical manifestation of orbital infection caused by species. Herein we report a case of orbital actinomycosis in a 67-year-old woman with recurrent swelling and erythema around her left eye with an orbital mass initially thought to be a meningioma.

Chronic glucokinase activator treatment activates liver Carbohydrate response element binding protein and improves hepatocyte ATP homeostasis during substrate challenge.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that glucokinase activators (GKAs) induce hepatic adaptations that alter intra-hepatocyte metabolite homeostasis.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice on a standard rodent diet were treated with a GKA (AZD1656) acutely or chronically. Hepatocytes were isolated from the mice after 4 or 8 weeks of treatment for analysis of cellular metabolites and gene expression in response to substrate challenge.

Global Estimates and Long-Term Trends of Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations (1998-2018).

Exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter (PM) is a leading risk factor for mortality. We develop global estimates of annual PM concentrations and trends for 1998-2018 using advances in satellite observations, chemical transport modeling, and ground-based monitoring. Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from advanced satellite products including finer resolution, increased global coverage, and improved long-term stability are combined and related to surface PM concentrations using geophysical relationships between surface PM and AOD simulated by the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model with updated algorithms.

Microglia depletion fails to abrogate inflammation-induced sickness in mice and rats.

Background: Production of inflammatory mediators by reactive microglial cells in the brain is generally considered the primary mechanism underlying the development of symptoms of sickness in response to systemic inflammation.

Methods: Depletion of microglia was achieved in C57BL/6 mice by chronic oral administration of PLX5622, a specific antagonist of colony stimulating factor-1 receptor, and in rats by a knock-in model in which the diphtheria toxin receptor was expressed under the control of the endogenous fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) promoter sequence. After successful microglia depletion, mice and rats were injected with a sickness-inducing dose of lipopolysaccharide according to a 2 (depletion vs.

Data on the relationship of signal-to-cutoff ratio of two HIV antigen/antibody combination assays to subsequent confirmation of HIV-1 infection in a low-prevalence population.

HIV-1/2 antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) immunoassays that detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies and HIV-1 p24 antigen are commonly used in the diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infections in human plasma/serum. Samples from patients with positive screening results require confirmation by antibody differentiation and/or HIV PCR assays. HIV screening assays are commonly reported as positive or negative based on a signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) threshold.

Clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients treated with tocilizumab: An individual patient data systematic review.

Background: Current evidence suggests an important role of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related cytokine release storm in severely ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Inhibition of the IL-6 pathway with tocilizumab has been employed successfully in some of these patients but the data is mostly consistent of case reports and series.

Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Medline from 22nd April 2020 and again on 27th April 2020 using the following search terms alone or in combination: "COVID-19," "coronavirus," "SARS-CoV-2," "COVID," "anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibodies," "anti-IL-6," "tocilizumab," "sarilumab," "siltuximab.

Interleukin 6-independent metabolic reprogramming as a driver of cancer-related fatigue.

Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom of cancer with few effective interventions. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is often associated with increases in inflammatory cytokines, however inflammation may not be requisite for this symptom, suggesting other biological mediators also play a role. Because tumors are highly metabolically active and can amplify their energetic toll via effects on distant organs, we sought to determine whether CRF could be explained by metabolic competition exacted by the tumor.

Medications for opioid use disorder among pregnant women referred by criminal justice agencies before and after Medicaid expansion: A retrospective study of admissions to treatment centers in the United States.

Background: Criminal justice involvement is common among pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD). Medications for OUD improve pregnancy-related outcomes, but trends in treatment data among justice-involved pregnant women are limited. We sought to examine trends in medications for OUD among pregnant women referred to treatment by criminal justice agencies and other sources before and after the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.

The Metformin Mechanism on Gluconeogenesis and AMPK Activation: The Metabolite Perspective.

Metformin therapy lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes by targeting various pathways including hepatic gluconeogenesis. Despite widespread clinical use of metformin the molecular mechanisms by which it inhibits gluconeogenesis either acutely through allosteric and covalent mechanisms or chronically through changes in gene expression remain debated. Proposed mechanisms include: inhibition of Complex 1; activation of AMPK; and mechanisms independent of both Complex 1 inhibition and AMPK.

A systematic review on internal jugular vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Objective: Whereas the internal jugular vein is the most common site of thrombosis in patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the upper extremity, the association between internal jugular vein thrombus and pulmonary embolism (PE) has not been clearly characterized. The objective of this paper was to determine the risk of embolization of an isolated internal jugular vein thrombus causing a clinically overt PE, with the secondary objective of assessing the value of therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with isolated internal jugular vein thrombosis (IJVT) in improving clinical outcomes.

Methods: The National Center for Biotechnology Information, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched for articles.

Antibiotic de-escalation on internal medicine services with rounding pharmacists compared to services without.

Background Antimicrobial stewardship programs ensure antibiotic therapy is used appropriately and includes de-escalation when clinical status or culture data indicates broad-spectrum agents are no longer needed. Although the impact of infectious diseases clinical pharmacists has been well documented, there is limited research evaluating the impact of adult internal medicine clinical pharmacists on broad-spectrum antibiotic de-escalation while rounding on internal medicine teams. Objective To determine if broad-spectrum antibiotics were de-escalated more regularly and more rapidly in patients on internal medicine services with a rounding pharmacist at the bedside compared to internal medicine services without rounding pharmacists.

Diagnosis-independent loss of T-cell costimulatory molecules in individuals with cytomegalovirus infection.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with physiological changes commonly observed with increasing age, such as inflammation and impaired immune function. Age-related impaired adaptive immunity is characterized by the loss of naive T-cells and the reciprocal accumulation of memory T-cells together with the loss of T-cell co-stimulatory molecules. Additionally, the presence and activity of cytomegalovirus (CMV) alters the architecture of the T-cell compartment in a manner consistent with premature aging.

A roadmap for gene functional characterisation in crops with large genomes: Lessons from polyploid wheat.

Understanding the function of genes within staple crops will accelerate crop improvement by allowing targeted breeding approaches. Despite their importance, a lack of genomic information and resources has hindered the functional characterisation of genes in major crops. The recent release of high-quality reference sequences for these crops underpins a suite of genetic and genomic resources that support basic research and breeding.

Genotyping on the ark: A synthesis of genetic resources available for species in zoos.

Using molecular genetic information to guide population management can improve the sustainability of species in captivity. However, empirical population genetics has not been commonly applied to species management programs in zoos. One limitation may be the availability of genetic resources (e.

Holmes Tremor due to Artery of Percheron Infarct: Clinical Case and Treatment Using Deep Brain Stimulation of the Vim and ZI Targets.

Background: Holmes tremor (HT) arises from disruption of the cerebellothalamocortical pathways. A lesion can interrupt the projection at any point, resulting in this tremor. We describe a case of HT due to the rare artery of Percheron infarct and its successful treatment using deep brain stimulation.

The association between wildfire smoke exposure and asthma-specific medical care utilization in Oregon during the 2013 wildfire season.

Wildfire smoke (WFS) increases the risk of respiratory hospitalizations. We evaluated the association between WFS and asthma healthcare utilization (AHCU) during the 2013 wildfire season in Oregon. WFS particulate matter ≤ 2.

Quality improvement of the end of life care experience through bereavement calls made by spiritual care.

Improving the end of life care experience of people dying in acute care has become a priority for our organization since 2016 with the launch of the "Quality Living and Dying Initiative." This initiative has three distinct foci. The first two areas of focus, advance care planning and standardized comfort measures, are well established while the third focus bereavement program remains in its early stages.