Modular Maximization Theory: A functional account of economic behavior in laboratory animal models with applications to drug-seeking behavior.

Substance abuse research depends on precise and sensitive assessments of reinforcer efficacy in animal models. However, conventional methods often lack theoretical rigor and specificity to support these assessments. To address these gaps, the Modular Maximization Theory (MMT) is introduced as a comprehensive framework for understanding instrumental behavior.

A Retrospective Chart Analysis Comparing Breast Cancer Detection Rates Between Annual Versus Biennial Mammograms.

Background: Per American Cancer Society, breast cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of cancer-related mortality in women in the United States. Different organizations vary in their recommendations regarding frequency of mammograms, with the United State Preventive Service Taskforce recommending biennial screening and other organizations like American College of Radiology promoting annual screening. The purpose of this study was to analyze institutional data to compare breast cancer detection rates among women undergoing annual vs.

[Oral health conditions and nutritional, functional and cognitive status - An approach to the institutionalized older adult].

Introduction/objective: Multidimensional geriatric assessment is an important diagnostic method in geriatrics. The objective of this article was to establish the relationship between nutritional, functional, cognitive status and oral health of institutionalized older adults.

Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out, where 93 institutionalized older adults participated, including oral assessment and Barthel, Minimental, Mininutritional and Yesavage scales.

A Small-Molecule Approach Enables RNA Aptamers to Function as Sensors for Reactive Inorganic Targets.

Fluorescent light-up aptamer (FLAP) systems are promising (bio)sensing platforms that are genetically encodable. However, FLAP-mediated detection of each distinct target necessitates either in vitro selection or engineering of nucleic acid sequences. Furthermore, an aptamer that binds an inorganic target or a chemical species with a short lifetime is challenging to realize.

Switching Mediterranean Consumers to Mediterranean Sustainable Healthy Dietary Patterns (SWITCHtoHEALTHY): Study Protocol of a Multicentric and Multi-Cultural Family-Based Nutritional Intervention Study.

Background/objectives: Populations in Mediterranean countries are abandoning the traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) and lifestyle, shifting towards unhealthier habits due to profound cultural and socioeconomic changes. The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a multi-component nutritional intervention to improve the adherence of families to the MD in three Mediterranean countries, thus prompting a dietary behavior change.

Methods: A parallel, randomized, single-blinded, and controlled multicentric nutritional intervention study will be conducted over 3 months in 480 families with children and adolescents aged 3-17 years from Spain, Morocco, and Turkey.

Changes in choroidal thickness and lamina cribrosa position in subjects with overdipper pattern of arterial pressure.

Introduction: The purpose is to analyze the changes produced in subjects with an overdipper pattern of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with the aim of understanding the pathophysiology of normal tension glaucoma.

Methods: A cross sectional study was performed in patients exhibiting overdipper and non-overdipper blood pressure patterns, respectively. Different optic parameters were assessed including the analysis of ganglion cell layer (GCL), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and Bruch's membrane opening-minimum rim width (BMO-MRW), as well as changes produced in choroidal thickness (CT) and lamina cribrosa (LC) position at two different periods of the day (early morning and evening).

Routes of importation and spatial dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants during localized interventions in Chile.

Human mobility is strongly associated with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 via air travel on an international scale and with population mixing and the number of people moving between locations on a local scale. However, these conclusions are drawn mostly from observations in the context of the global north where international and domestic connectivity is heavily influenced by the air travel network; scenarios where land-based mobility can also dominate viral spread remain understudied. Furthermore, research on the effects of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) has mostly focused on national- or regional-scale implementations, leaving gaps in our understanding of the potential benefits of implementing NPIs at higher granularity.

Executive functions, mental health, and quality of life in healthy older adults.

Unlabelled: Population aging brings about numerous challenges, particularly concerning cognitive health. In this context, socioeconomic factors such as education have received special attention due to their role in brain health.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the performance of executive functions, mental health variables, and quality of life among healthy older adults in relation to their level of education.

Solar Light Elimination of Bacteria, Yeast and Organic Pollutants by Effective Photocatalysts Based on Ag/Cr-TiO and Pd/Cr-TiO.

This study focused on searching for more effective nanomaterials for environmental remediation and health protection; thus, coliform bacteria, yeast and the organic food dye sunset yellow were selected as target pollutants to be eliminated under solar light by Ag/Cr-TiO and Pd/Cr-TiO. Firstly, Cr was in situ incorporated into the anatase crystalline lattice by the sol-gel method; then, Ag or Pd nanoparticles were deposited on Cr-TiO by chemical photoreduction. The scientific challenge addressed by the development of these composites was to analyse the recovery of Cr, to be employed in photocatalyst formulation and the enhancement of the TiO photocatalytic activity by addition of other noble metals.

COVID-19 pandemic interventions reshaped the global dispersal of seasonal influenza viruses.

The global dynamics of seasonal influenza viruses inform the design of surveillance, intervention, and vaccination strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a singular opportunity to evaluate how influenza circulation worldwide was perturbed by human behavioral changes. We combine molecular, epidemiological, and international travel data and find that the pandemic's onset led to a shift in the intensity and structure of international influenza lineage movement.

Construction and Application of a Static Magnetic Field Exposure Apparatus for Biological Research in Aqueous Model Systems and Cell Culture.

With the growth of the quantum biology field, the study of magnetic field (MF) effects on biological processes and their potential therapeutic applications has attracted much attention. However, most biologists lack the experience needed to construct an MF exposure apparatus on their own, no consensus standard exists for exposure methods, and protocols for model organisms are sorely lacking. We aim to provide those interested in entering the field with the ability to investigate static MF effects in their own research.

Sitetack: a deep learning model that improves PTM prediction by using known PTMs.

Motivation: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) increase the diversity of the proteome and are vital to organismal life and therapeutic strategies. Deep learning has been used to predict PTM locations. Still, limitations in datasets and their analyses compromise success.

Spatial scales of COVID-19 transmission in Mexico.

During outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, internationally connected cities often experience large and early outbreaks, while rural regions follow after some delay. This hierarchical structure of disease spread is influenced primarily by the multiscale structure of human mobility. However, during the COVID-19 epidemic, public health responses typically did not take into consideration the explicit spatial structure of human mobility when designing nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Genotypes in an Ecuadorian Population: A Preliminary Study.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 257-291 million people worldwide. The World Health Organization reported 890,000 HBV-related deaths in 2019, higher than reported previously. There are 10 HBV genotypes (A-J) subdivided into several subgenotypes that differ considerably by geography.

Reevaluating human-microbiota symbiosis: Strain-level insights and evolutionary perspectives across animal species.

The prevailing consensus in scientific literature underscores the mutualistic bond between the microbiota and the human host, suggesting a finely tuned coevolutionary partnership that enhances the fitness of both parties. This symbiotic relationship has been extensively studied, with certain bacterial attributes being construed as hallmarks of natural selection favoring the benefit of the human host. Some scholars go as far as equating the intricate interplay between humans and their intestinal microbiota to that of endosymbiotic relationships, even conceptualizing microbiota as an integral human organ.

A single-blinded, randomized, parallel intervention to evaluate genetics and omics-based personalized nutrition in general population via an e-commerce tool: The PREVENTOMICS e-commerce study.

Background: Personalized nutrition (PN) has been proposed as a strategy to increase the effectiveness of dietary recommendations and ultimately improve health status.

Objectives: We aimed to assess whether including omics-based PN in an e-commerce tool improves dietary behavior and metabolic profile in general population.

Methods: A 21-wk parallel, single-blinded, randomized intervention involved 193 adults assigned to a control group following Mediterranean diet recommendations (n = 57, completers = 36), PN (n = 70, completers = 45), or personalized plan (PP, n = 68, completers = 53) integrating a behavioral change program with PN recommendations.

Sitetack: A Deep Learning Model that Improves PTM Prediction by Using Known PTMs.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) increase the diversity of the proteome and are vital to organismal life and therapeutic strategies. Deep learning has been used to predict PTM locations. Still, limitations in datasets and their analyses compromise success.

Biomimetic Vesicles with Designer Phospholipids Can Sense Environmental Redox Cues.

Cell-like materials that sense environmental cues can serve as next-generation biosensors and help advance the understanding of intercellular communication. Currently, bottom-up engineering of protocell models from molecular building blocks remains a grand challenge chemists face. Herein, we describe giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with biomimetic lipid membranes capable of sensing environmental redox cues.

Mutational landscape of risk variants in comorbid depression and obesity: a next-generation sequencing approach.

Major depression (MD) and obesity are complex genetic disorders that are frequently comorbid. However, the study of both diseases concurrently remains poorly addressed and therefore the underlying genetic mechanisms involved in this comorbidity remain largely unknown. Here we examine the contribution of common and rare variants to this comorbidity through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach.

Epidemiology of social phobia in Andalusia.

Introduction: Population studies on social anxiety disorder (SAD) are relatively scarce and there is no previous reported evidence on prevalence or correlates of SAD in an Andalusian general population sample.

Material And Methods: We used a random representative sample previously identified via standard stratification procedures. Thus, a final sample of 4507 participants were included (response rate 83.

Early Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: An In-Depth Review.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are significant health issues that result in high death rates globally. Early detection of cardiovascular events may lower the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and reduce death rates in people with CVDs. Traditional data analysis is inadequate for managing multidimensional data related to the risk prediction of CVDs, heart attacks, medical image interpretations, therapeutic decision-making, and disease prognosis due to the complex pathological mechanisms and multiple factors involved.

Comparison of ICSI, IVF, and in vivo derived embryos to produce CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited pigs for xenotransplantation.

Genome editing in pigs for xenotransplantation has seen significant advances in recent years. This study compared three methodologies to generate gene-edited embryos, including co-injection of sperm together with the CRISPR-Cas9 system into oocytes, named ICSI-MGE (mediated gene editing); microinjection of CRISPR-Cas9 components into oocytes followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF), and microinjection of in vivo fertilized zygotes with the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Our goal was to knock-out (KO) porcine genes involved in the biosynthesis of xenoantigens responsible for the hyperacute rejection of interspecific xenografts, namely GGTA1, CMAH, and β4GalNT2.

Identification of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs in the Rat Hippocampus during Adolescence through an Epigenome-Wide Analysis.

Introduction: Epigenetic mechanisms involving microRNAs (miRNAs) play a fundamental role in many biological processes, particularly during prenatal and early postnatal development. Their role in adolescent brain development, however, has been poorly described. The present study aimed to explore miRNA expression in the hippocampus during adolescence compared to adulthood in rats.

Comprehensive Development of a Cellulose Acetate and Soy Protein-Based Scaffold for Nerve Regeneration.

Background: The elaboration of biocompatible nerve guide conduits (NGCs) has been studied in recent years as a treatment for total nerve rupture lesions (axonotmesis). Different natural polymers have been used in these studies, including cellulose associated with soy protein. The purpose of this report was to describe manufacturing NGCs suitable for nerve regeneration using the method of dip coating and evaporation of solvent with cellulose acetate (CA) functionalized with soy protein acid hydrolysate (SPAH).