"Smoking weed it gets you over the hump": Cannabis co-use as a facilitator of decreased opioid use among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles, California.

Introduction: Opioid overdose mortality rates have surged dramatically in the last decade due largely to fentanyl in the illicit US drug supply. As of June 2024, 38 states, three territories, namely US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, allow the medical use of cannabis products. However, there remains limited qualitative community-based evidence on the role of cannabis co-use among opioid using and injecting populations.

Social and nonsocial environmental loss have differential effects on ventral hippocampus-dependent behavior and inhibitory synaptic markers in adult male mice.

In humans, psychological loss, whether social or nonsocial, can lead to clinical depression, anxiety disorders, and social memory impairments. Researchers have modeled combined social and nonsocial loss in rodents by transitioning them from social, enriched environments (EE) to individual housing, affecting behaviors related to avoidance, stress coping, and cognitive function. However, it remains unclear if these effects are driven by social or nonsocial loss.

Serum amikacin concentrations in dogs with naturally occurring open wounds treated with topical amikacin in carboxymethylcellulose hydrogel.

Objective: To quantify serum amikacin concentrations in dogs undergoing wound management with topical amikacin (45 mg/mL) 3% carboxymethylcellulose hydrogel.

Study Design: Prospective clinical study.

Sample Population: Eleven client-owned dogs.

Pharmacodynamics of 2 dosages of orally administered esomeprazole in client-owned, healthy dogs: A prospective, crossover study.

Background: Esomeprazole use is increasing in dogs, but the gastrointestinal adverse events associated with q12h dosing necessitate pharmacodynamic evaluation of a reduced dose and frequency of administration.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of 2 doses of (q24h) esomeprazole in raising intragastric pH in dogs.

Animals: Nine healthy, client-owned dogs, >20 kg.

Hepatic retinol dehydrogenase 11 dampens stress associated with the maintenance of cellular cholesterol levels.

Objective: Dysregulation of hepatic cholesterol metabolism can contribute to elevated circulating cholesterol levels, which is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol homeostasis in mammalian cells is tightly regulated by an integrated network of transcriptional and post-transcriptional signalling pathways. Whilst prior studies have identified many of the central regulators of these pathways, the extended supporting networks remain to be fully elucidated.

Cross-sectional survey of 43,517 dogs in the Dog Aging Project identifies owner-reported lifetime prevalence and characteristics of gastrointestinal disease.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of and characteristics associated with owner-reported gastrointestinal (GI) disease in companion dogs within the US.

Methods: Cross-sectional owner-reported survey study of 43,517 dogs enrolled in the DAP between December 26, 2019, and December 31, 2022. Dogs were grouped on the basis of having an owner-reported GI disorder (ORGID) versus not having that ORGID at any point in their history (control group).

"I don't need my kid to be high": prioritizing harm reduction when using cannabis during pregnancy.

Background: Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used in pregnancy. As use continues to increase, understanding peoples' behaviors surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this study was to better understand pregnant individuals' perceptions and knowledge of cannabis use and use patterns as well as the social and environmental factors that may influence their use.

From theory to therapy: a One Health approach guides current and future acid suppressant use in veterinary medicine.

Acid-suppressant drugs (ASDs) have revolutionized the treatment of acid-related disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux and gastrointestinal ulceration in both human and veterinary species. However, continued advancement in this field is dependent on a shared understanding of both human and veterinary research as well as an appreciation for species similarities and differences. In this Currents in One Health article, we will compare the efficacy of and indications for ASDs in humans and small animals, noting species differences and knowledge gaps when applicable.

pH-independent effects of acid suppressants in dogs and cats: a One Health perspective and case for further investigation.

Our understanding of the use of acid-suppressant drugs (ASDs) in companion animals is largely centered around the treatment of acid-related disorders including gastroesophageal reflux and gastrointestinal ulceration. The companion article by Grady et al, JAVMA, October 2024, summarizes our current knowledge of the efficacy of and indications for ASDs for the treatment of acid-related disorders. Far less is understood about both the benefits of and potential for adverse effects of ASDs outside of the parietal cell including those directed toward inflammation and immunomodulation, tumorigenesis, fibrosis, and oxidative stress.

Retrospective evaluation of the effect of acid suppressant drugs on leukocyte ratios in dogs with mast cell tumors.

Background: Acid suppressant drugs (ASDs) are commonly used to decrease gastric acid production, but some evidence exists that ASDs exert immunomodulatory effects. Such an effect has not been investigated in dogs for which ASDs are routinely prescribed.

Hypothesis: Compared to naïve subjects, dogs treated with ASDs will exhibit differences in leukocyte ratios after treatment.

Adult-born granule cells modulate CA2 network activity during retrieval of developmental memories of the mother.

Adult-born granule cells (abGCs) project to the CA2 region of the hippocampus, but it remains unknown how this circuit affects behavioral function. Here, we show that abGC input to the CA2 of adult mice is involved in the retrieval of remote developmental memories of the mother. Ablation of abGCs impaired the ability to discriminate between a caregiving mother and a novel mother, and this ability returned after abGCs were regenerated.

deletion disrupts oligodendroglia function: Implication for myelination, neural circuitry, and auditory hypersensitivity in ASD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a complex etiology, with genetic determinants significantly influencing its manifestation. Among these, the gene emerges as a pivotal player, crucially involved in both glial and neuronal functionality. This study elucidates the underexplored roles of in oligodendrocytes, and its subsequent impact on myelination and auditory neural processes.

Developmental and adult stress: effects of steroids and neurosteroids.

In humans, exposure to early life adversity has profound implications for susceptibility to developing neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Studies in rodents have shown that stress experienced during early postnatal life can have lasting effects on brain development. Glucocorticoids and sex steroids are produced in endocrine glands and the brain from cholesterol; these molecules bind to nuclear and membrane-associated steroid receptors.

A Single Ascending-Dose Study of the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of the Novel Respiratory Stimulant ENA-001.

Background ENA-001 (formerly known as GAL-021) is a novel, first-in-class respiratory stimulant. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, plus safety and tolerability, were assessed in a randomized, single-center study of healthy volunteers. Methodology This four-period study was designed to test continuous two-hour intravenous infusion regimens of ENA-001 at doses of 0.

"I think my vagina is still there?": Women's perspectives on sexual function and dysfunction following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, a qualitative study.

Background: Women's sexual health after radical cystectomy is an important but poorly understood aspect of bladder cancer survivorship. Dedicated investigation is needed to elucidate patient perceptions on sexual function and dysfunction in this setting.

Aims: In this study we sought to qualitatively examine women's perceptions and experiences of sexual health following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

Comparison of Epworth Sleepiness Scale and OSA-18 Scores With Polysomnography in Children.

Objective: Our goal is to determine if there is a correlation between Modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale (M-ESS) scores, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-18 scores, and polysomnography (PSG) outcomes in children.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Pediatric otolaryngology clinic.

Dopamine transmission in the tail striatum: Regional variation and contribution of dopamine clearance mechanisms.

The striatum can be divided into four anatomically and functionally distinct domains: the dorsolateral, dorsomedial, ventral and the more recently identified caudolateral (tail) striatum. Dopamine transmission in these striatal domains underlies many important behaviours, yet little is known about this phenomenon in the tail striatum. Furthermore, the tail is divided anatomically into four divisions (dorsal, medial, intermediate and lateral) based on the profile of D and D dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons, something that is not seen elsewhere in the striatum.

Multi-institutional retrospective study investigating blood culture protocols and test positivity in 701 dogs.

Objectives: (i) To determine the influence of specimen collection protocol (timing and specimen quantity), primary disease process, and pre-existing antimicrobial or immunosuppressive therapy on blood culture (BC) positivity and (ii) To determine agreement between urine culture and BC results.

Animals: 701 client-owned dogs.

Methods: Multi-institutional retrospective study (2019-2022).

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Grand Rounds Attendance: Comparison of In-Person and Remote Conferences.

Background: Many academic medical centers transitioned from in-person to remote conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact on faculty attendance is unknown.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate changes in attendance at medical grand rounds (MGR) following the transition from an in-person to remote format and as a function of the COVID-19 census at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Methods: We obtained the faculty attendee characteristics from Department of Medicine records.

Gastric pH and serum gastrin concentration in age-matched healthy dogs and dogs with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Gastric hyperacidity and hypergastrinemia are purported to cause gastric ulceration in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, no published studies have evaluated gastric pH with serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with CKD.

Hypothesis: To compare mean intragastric pH, mean percent pH distribution, and serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with CKD to age-matched, healthy dogs. We hypothesized there would be no difference in mean gastric pH or serum gastrin between groups.

Implementing code review in the scientific workflow: Insights from ecology and evolutionary biology.

Code review increases reliability and improves reproducibility of research. As such, code review is an inevitable step in software development and is common in fields such as computer science. However, despite its importance, code review is noticeably lacking in ecology and evolutionary biology.