Complications of excess weight seen in two tier 3 paediatric weight management services: an observational study.

Background: Children and young people living with severe obesity experience a range of complications of excess weight (CEW); however the prevalence of complications is not well defined. We have evaluated baseline characteristics and CEW of patients from two UK tier 3 paediatric weight management services.

Methods: All new patients aged 2-17 years seen from March 2022 to February 2023 were included.

Associations between Wastewater Microbiome and Population Smoking Rate Identified Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology.

Tobacco use is known to cause health damage, partly by changing the mouth, respiratory tract, and gut-related microbiomes. This study aims to identify the associations between the human microbiome detected in domestic wastewater and the population smoking rate. Metagenomic sequencing and a biomarker discovery algorithm were employed to identify microorganisms as potential microbial biomarkers of smoking through wastewater-based epidemiology.

Automate, Illuminate, Predict: A Universal Framework for Integrating Wearable Sensors in Healthcare.

Background: Wearable sensors have been heralded as revolutionary tools for healthcare. However, while data are easily acquired from sensors, users still grapple with questions about how sensors can meaningfully inform everyday clinical practice and research.

Summary: We propose a simple, comprehensive framework for utilizing sensor data in healthcare.

Peripheral innate immunophenotype in neurodegenerative disease: blood-based profiles and links to survival.

The innate immune system plays an integral role in the progression of many neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to central innate immune cells (e.g.

Correction: Gene expression and chromatin conformation of microglia in virally suppressed people with HIV.

"Despite ART, we detected occasional microglia containing cell-associated HIV RNA and HIV DNA integrated into open regions of the host's genome (∼0.005%)" should be corrected to: "Despite ART, we detected occasional microglia containing cell-associated HIV RNA and HIV DNA integrated into open regions of the host's genome (∼0.5%).

The COVID Pandemic Worsened Physical Activity Disproportionately in Frailer Adults: A Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Introduction: Frailty is associated with increased hospitalization and mortality and may be exacerbated with physical inactivity. The COVID-19 pandemic has heterogeneously impacted peoples' physical activity level, but the impact on the frail population is unclear.

Objective: The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that higher frailty levels were associated with worse changes in physical activity, ability to move around the home, and do housework during the pandemic.

Mass azithromycin for prevention of child mortality among children with acute malnutrition: A subgroup analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Children with acute malnutrition are at high risk of morality. Mass azithromycin distribution reduces all-cause mortality among children aged 1-59 months, and effects may be greater in underweight infants. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of azithromycin for reducing all-cause mortality in children aged 6-59 months with acute malnutrition (mid-upper arm circumference, MUAC, < 12.

Sarcoidosis Mortality in North Carolina: Role of Region, Race, and Other Sociodemographic Variables.

Background: There is regional variability in sarcoidosis mortality across the United States. North Carolina ranks highly in sarcoidosis-related mortality, especially among African Americans (AA). We sought to determine any regional variability of sarcoidosis-related mortality and the relationship to sociodemographic determinants of health in North Carolina.

Visual exposure to green light therapy reduces knee joint pain and alters the lipidome in osteoarthritic rats.

Visual exposure to dim, green, light has been found to reduce pain levels in patients living with migraine, low back pain, and fibromyalgia. Preclinical studies discovered that the analgesic effect of green light was due to the central release of endogenous opioids and a reduction in inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid. The present study assessed the effect of green light therapy (GLT) on joint pain in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA) and investigated the role of endolipids.

First-in-human microelectrode recordings from the vagus nerve during clinical vagus nerve stimulation.

Introduction: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective treatment for people with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, its mechanisms of action are poorly understood, including which nerve fibers are activated in humans during VNS in typical clinical settings and which are required for clinical efficacy. In particular, there have been no intraneural recordings of vagus nerve fiber activation in awake humans undergoing chronic VNS.

Neurotrophic extracellular matrix proteins promote neuronal and iPSC astrocyte progenitor cell- and nano-scale process extension for neural repair applications.

The extracellular matrix plays a critical role in modulating cell behaviour in the developing and adult central nervous system influencing neural cell morphology, function and growth. Neurons and astrocytes, play vital roles in neural signalling and support respectively and respond to cues from the surrounding matrix environment. However, a better understanding of the impact of specific individual extracellular matrix proteins on both neurons and astrocytes is critical for advancing the development of matrix-based scaffolds for neural repair applications.

The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at Upper Mississippi River Basin-Ames.

Agricultural systems evolve from the interactions of climate, crops, soils, management practices (e.g., tillage, cover crops, nutrient management), and economic risks and rewards.

Long-term safety and efficacy of adjunctive lacosamide in the treatment of generalized onset tonic-clonic seizures: An open-label extension trial.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of lacosamide (LCM) as adjunctive therapy for generalized onset tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) in patients aged ≥4 years with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE).

Methods: EP0012 (NCT02408549) was a phase 3, multicenter, open-label extension (OLE) trial. Patients were enrolled from SP0982 (NCT02408523).

Pulling Forces Differentially Affect Refolding Pathways Due to Entangled Misfolded States in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain.

Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) experiments can monitor protein refolding by applying a small force of a few piconewtons (pN) and slowing down the folding process. Bell theory predicts that in the narrow force regime where refolding can occur, the folding time should increase exponentially with increased external force. In this work, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we compared the refolding pathways of SARS-CoV-1 RBD and SARS-CoV-2 RBD (RBD refers to the receptor binding domain) starting from unfolded conformations with and without a force applied to the protein termini.

Sympathetic Innervation of Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue Is Not a Predominant Mediator of Oxytocin-Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Female High Fat Diet-Fed Rats.

Recent studies have indicated that hindbrain [fourth ventricle (4V)] administration of the neurohypophyseal hormone, oxytocin (OT), reduces body weight, energy intake and stimulates interscapular brown adipose tissue temperature (T) in male diet-induced obese (DIO) rats. What remains unclear is whether chronic hindbrain (4V) OT can impact body weight in female high fat diet-fed (HFD) rodents and whether this involves activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT). We hypothesized that OT-elicited stimulation of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation of interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) contributes to its ability to activate BAT and reduce body weight in female high HFD-fed rats.

Shear-Thinning Extrudable Hydrogels Based on Star Polypeptides with Antimicrobial Properties.

Hydrogels with low toxicity, antimicrobial potency and shear-thinning behavior are promising materials to combat the modern challenges of increased infections. Here, we report on 8-arm star block copolypeptides based on poly(L-lysine), poly(L-tyrosine) and poly(S-benzyl-L-cysteine) blocks. Three star block copolypeptides were synthesized with poly(S-benzyl-L-cysteine) always forming the outer block.

Assessing the criterion validity of the activPAL CREA v1.3 algorithm and ActiPASS 2023.12 software for detecting steps during a progressive treadmill-based laboratory protocol.

Thigh-worn accelerometry is commonly implemented to measure step cadence. The default activPAL CREA algorithm is a valid measure of cadence during walking, but its validity during running is unknown. The ActiPASS software is designed to analyse tri-axial accelerometry data from various brands.

Psychological Distress Is Prevalent and Interdependent Among Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis and Their Caregivers.

Introduction: Little is known about the interdependence of psychological distress among patients with decompensated cirrhosis and their caregivers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we examined the interdependence of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) among 127 patient-caregiver dyads using Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling.

Results: Among dyads, 26% had both partners reporting clinically significant anxiety and 18% reporting clinically significant depression.

Chemotherapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia is mediated by A20 suppression of spontaneous necroptosis.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a deadly hematopoietic malignancy. Although many patients achieve complete remission with standard induction therapy, a combination of cytarabine and anthracycline, ~40% of patients have induction failure. These refractory patients pose a treatment challenge, as they do not respond to salvage therapy or allogeneic stem cell transplant.