Microfluidics-generated PLA nanoparticles: impact of purification method on macrophage interactions, anti-inflammatory effects, biodistribution, and protein corona formation.

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are traditionally formulated using batch methodologies that are poorly scalable and require time consuming, hands-on purification procedures. Here, we prepared poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based polymeric NPs using a scalable microfluidics-based method and systematically investigated the impact of purification method (centrifugation tangential flow filtration (TFF)) to remove poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on macrophage uptake, anti-inflammatory effects, biodistribution, and protein corona formation. TFF purification demonstrated significantly higher recovery of NPs compared to the centrifugation method, with little-to-no aggregation observed.

Lipid Nanoparticles from Walp Mitigate Sepsis through Multimodal Protein Corona Formation.

Background: Plant-derived nanoparticles (PDNP) are nano-sized particles isolated from various edible plants that contain bioactive components involved in regulating cellular immune responses against pathogenic intrusion and inflammation.

Purpose: This study describes a novel PDNP derived from Walp (maca) that efficiently captures pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins in its protein corona to enhance survival in two representative lethal models of sepsis.

Methods: Lipid nanoparticles were isolated from maca (MDNP) and triacylglycerols and phytoceramides were identified as major constituents using lipidomics.

A Systematic Review of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Background: There is limited characterization of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Along with commonly presenting symptoms of IIH, including headache and papilledema, NPS may have a significant impact on IIH outcomes.

Objective: We completed a systematic review of the literature to characterize the most common non-cognitive NPS in IIH patients and examine associations between non-cognitive NPS and IIH outcomes.

A Randomized-Controlled Trial Targeting Cognition in Early Alzheimer's Disease by Improving Sleep with Trazodone (REST).

 Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among aging populations worldwide. Despite arduous research efforts, treatment options for this devastating neurodegenerative disease are limited. Sleep disturbances, through their link to changes in neural excitability and impaired clearance of interstitial abnormal protein aggregates, are a key risk factor for the development of AD.

A Systematic Review of Sleep Disturbance in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Purpose Of Review: Sleep disturbances, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), may have a significant impact on the outcomes of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). We conducted a PRISMA-compliant systematic literature review to study sleep disturbance in adult patients with IIH.

Recent Findings: The current literature on the relationship between IIH and sleep is quite limited.

Sleepiness in retired male boxers: daytime sleepiness and its relationship with impulsiveness and depression symptomatology in retired professional male boxers.

Background: Boxing exposes fighters to head impacts and potential traumatic brain injury (TBI). Though research has explored the neuropsychiatric consequences of contact sports, there is limited research into Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) and its relationship to other outcomes, such as impulsiveness and depression. Therefore, this study aimed to describe EDS in retired boxers using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and to examine how boxing and sleepiness relate to impulsiveness and depression symptomatology.

Impact of motor dysfunction on neuropsychiatric symptom profile in patients with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease.

Motor dysfunction, which includes changes in gait, balance, and/or functional mobility, is a lesser-known feature of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), especially as it relates to the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). This study (1) compared rates of NPS between autopsy-confirmed AD patients with and without early-onset motor dysfunction and (2) compared rates of non-AD dementia autopsy pathology (Lewy Body disease, Frontotemporal Lobar degeneration) between these groups. This retrospective longitudinal cohort study utilized National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) data.

Concepts for drone based pipeline leak detection.

The quickly developing drone technology can be used efficiently in the field of pipeline leak detection. The aim of this article is to provide drone mission concepts for detecting releases from pipelines. It provides an overview of the current applications of natural gas pipeline surveys, it considers environmental conditions by plume modelling, it discusses suitable commercially available sensors, and develops concepts for routine monitoring of pipelines and short term missions for localising and identifying a known leakage.

Lessons learned from a UAV survey and methane emissions calculation at a UK landfill.

Accurate quantification of methane emissions from landfills is crucial for improving greenhouse gas inventories and mitigating climate change impacts. Existing methodologies, such as theoretical gas production models and labour-intensive measurement approaches, present limitations including large uncertainties and high operational costs. This study adds to a growing body of research and applications which aim to bridge this gap.

Pandemic-Related Post-traumatic Stress Symptomatology in COVID-19 Patients with and without Post-COVID Conditions.

Trauma and stressor-related symptoms have been frequently reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies compare post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) between patients and non-infected controls. Using data from an ongoing natural history study of COVID-19, this study compared PTSS between patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the pandemic and controls.

The Relationship Between First Presenting Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Older Adults and Autopsy-Confirmed Memory Disorders.

Objectives: Although dementia is typically considered a disease of cognitive decline, almost all patients present with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) at some stage of their disease. Few studies have assessed the timing of NPS onset in relation to pathological diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases. We sought to examine the association between the first presenting clinically significant NPS in aging individuals and neuropathological diagnoses of memory disorders.

Multimodal nanoparticle-containing modified suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid polymer conjugates to mitigate immune dysfunction in severe inflammation.

Excessive immune activation and immunosuppression are opposing factors that contribute to the dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses seen in severe inflammation and sepsis. Here, a novel analog of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA-OH), was incorporated into immunomodulatory poly(lactic acid)-based nanoparticles (iNP-SAHA) by employing a prodrug approach through the covalent modification of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with SAHA-OH. iNP-SAHA formulation allowed for controlled incorporation and delivery of SAHA-OH from iNP-SAHA and treatment led to multimodal biological responses including significant reductions in proinflammatory cytokine secretions and gene expression, while increasing the survival of primary macrophages under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.

Toward Personalized Cognitive Training in Older Adults: A Pilot Investigation of the Effects of Baseline Performance and Age on Cognitive Training Outcomes.

Background: Cognitive training holds potential as a non-pharmacological intervention to decrease cognitive symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but more research is needed to understand individual differences that may predict maximal training benefits.

Objective: We conducted a pilot study using a six-month training regimen in healthy aging adults with no cognitive decline. We investigated the effects of baseline performance and age on training and transfer improvements.

Cell and biomaterial delivery strategies to induce immune tolerance.

The prevalence of immune-mediated disorders, including autoimmune conditions and allergies, is steadily increasing. However, current therapeutic approaches are often non-specific and do not address the underlying pathogenic condition, often resulting in impaired immunity and a state of generalized immunosuppression. The emergence of technologies capable of selectively inhibiting aberrant immune activation in a targeted, antigen (Ag)-specific manner by exploiting the body's intrinsic tolerance pathways, all without inducing adverse side effects, holds significant promise to enhance patient outcomes.

The Emotional and Personal Experiences of the COVID-19 Illness During the Early Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Several studies report the incidence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders among patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, little is known about the emotional impact of acute COVID-19 illness and recovery on these survivors. Qualitative methods are ideal for understanding the psychological impact of a novel illness.

Objective: To describe the emotional experience of the acute COVID-19 illness and recovery in patients who contracted the virus during the early months of the pandemic.

Modified Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Reduced Drug-Associated Immune Cell Death and Organ Damage under Lipopolysaccharide Inflammatory Challenge.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) induce potent anti-inflammatory responses when used to treat inflammatory diseases. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a pan-HDACi, decreases pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and attenuates cytokine storm in sepsis; however, its toxicity profile toward immune cells has limited its use as a sepsis therapeutic. Here, we developed a modification to SAHA by -hydroxymethylating the capping group to generate SAHA-OH.

Examining the factor structure of the DSM-5 Level 1 cross-cutting symptom measure.

Objectives: The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (DSM-XC) was developed by the American Psychiatric Association as a transdiagnostic mental health symptom survey. Despite its promise as a screening tool, few studies have assessed its latent dimensionality or provided guidance on interpreting responses. We examined the factor structure of the DSM-XC in a convenience sample of participants with varying degrees of psychopathology.

A Longitudinal Study of COVID-19 Sequelae and Immunity: Baseline Findings.

Background: A substantial proportion of persons who develop COVID-19 report persistent symptoms after acute illness. Various pathophysiologic mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Objective: To characterize medical sequelae and persistent symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 in a cohort of disease survivors and controls.

Nanoparticle personalized biomolecular corona: implications of pre-existing conditions for immunomodulation and cancer.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have demonstrated great promise as immunotherapies for applications ranging from cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease. Upon encountering biological fluids, NPs rapidly adsorb biomolecules, forming the "biomolecular corona" (BC), and the altered character of NPs due to their newly acquired biological identity can impact their fate. Recently, it has been shown that the NP-BC is person-specific, and even minute differences in the biomolecule composition can give rise to altered immune recognition, cellular interactions, pharmacokinetics, and biodistribution.

Isotopic signatures of methane emissions from tropical fires, agriculture and wetlands: the MOYA and ZWAMPS flights.

We report methane isotopologue data from aircraft and ground measurements in Africa and South America. Aircraft campaigns sampled strong methane fluxes over tropical papyrus wetlands in the Nile, Congo and Zambezi basins, herbaceous wetlands in Bolivian southern Amazonia, and over fires in African woodland, cropland and savannah grassland. Measured methane C isotopic signatures were in the range -55 to -49‰ for emissions from equatorial Nile wetlands and agricultural areas, but widely -60 ± 1‰ from Upper Congo and Zambezi wetlands.

Microfluidic-Generated Immunomodulatory Nanoparticles and Formulation-Dependent Effects on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Macrophage Inflammation.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a highly useful and clinically translatable drug delivery platform for vast therapeutic payloads. Through the precise tuning of their physicochemical properties, NPs can be engineered to exhibit controlled drug release properties, enhanced circulation times, improved cellular uptake and targeting, and reduced toxicity profiles. Conventional bulk methods for the production of polymeric NPs suffer from the ability to control their size and polydispersity, batch-to-batch variability, significant preparation times, and low recovery.

COVID-19 and Mental Health: Predicted Mental Health Status is Associated with Clinical Symptoms and Pandemic-Related Psychological and Behavioral Responses.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic threats to health and social life. Study objectives - develop a prediction model leveraging subsample of known Patient/Controls and evaluate the relationship of predicted mental health status to clinical outcome measures and pandemic-related psychological and behavioral responses during lockdown (spring/summer 2020).

Methods: Online cohort study conducted by National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program.