Abca4, mutated in Stargardt Disease, is required for cone outer segment structural integrity.

Stargardt Disease (STGD), the leading cause of inherited childhood blindness, is primarily caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene, yet the underlying mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration remain elusive, partly due to limitations in existing animal disease models. To expand our understanding, we mutated the ABCA4 paralogues, abca4a and abca4b, in zebrafish, which has a cone-rich retina. Our study unveiled striking dysmorphology and elongation of cone outer segments in abca4a;abca4b double mutants, alongside reduced phagocytosis by the retinal pigmented epithelium.

A mixed methods examination of a text message-based mHealth media literacy intervention for U.S. college students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

: During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students were navigating confusing and often conflicting information on social media. Media literacy can help people interpret information online. We developed and tested a text-message media literacy intervention designed for college students.

A proof-of-concept study examining a health communication intervention to reduce cannabis misuse among college students.

Objective: A growing number of U.S. states have legalized cannabis for people 21 and older, but cannabis use and misuse can negatively impact college students' health and academic achievements.

Detectability of runs of homozygosity is influenced by analysis parameters and population-specific demographic history.

Wild populations are increasingly threatened by human-mediated climate change and land use changes. As populations decline, the probability of inbreeding increases, along with the potential for negative effects on individual fitness. Detecting and characterizing runs of homozygosity (ROHs) is a popular strategy for assessing the extent of individual inbreeding present in a population and can also shed light on the genetic mechanisms contributing to inbreeding depression.

Public responses and parasocial relationships following senator John Fetterman's depression disclosure.

Research has found that when a public figure discloses an illness, it can motivate members of the public to reconsider their own health behaviors, particularly when they have a parasocial relationship with the public figure. When the public figure is a politician, it is possible that partisan differences may also influence emotional, attentional, and behavioral responses to health news. We empirically examined public responses to Democrat John Fetterman's disclosure of his treatment for depression shortly after he was inducted into the United States Senate as the junior senator from Pennsylvania in 2023.