Cutaneous expression of growth-associated protein 43 is not a compelling marker for human nerve regeneration in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) has long been used as a marker for nerve regeneration following nerve injury, with numerous in vitro and animal studies showing its upregulation in regenerating neurons. In humans, expression of GAP-43 has predominantly been examined in skin biopsies from patients with peripheral neuropathies; with several studies showing a reduction in GAP-43 immunoreactive cutaneous nerve fibres. However, it remains elusive whether cutaneous GAP-43 is a valid marker for human nerve regeneration.

Qualitative Study of Participation Facilitators and Barriers for Emergency School Meals and Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) in an Urban Setting during COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly fewer of New York City's (NYC's) 1.1 million public school children participated in emergency grab-and-go meals-heightening the risk of inadequate nutrition security for many of NYC's most vulnerable residents. This study sought to examine student families' facilitators and barriers to participation in the grab-and-go meal service and their experiences with pandemic-electronic benefit transfer (P-EBT) funds, a cash benefit distributed when schools were closed.

Local Measures to Curb Dollar Store Growth: A Policy Scan.

In recent years, advocates have expressed concern about the exponential growth of dollar stores in low-income communities, given their limited stock of healthy foods, and several municipalities in the U.S. have passed novel policies to curb the proliferation of these stores.

Comparison of Missing School Meals among Public Schools: How Did New York State Do during COVID-19?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created barriers to participation in school meals. As a result, many students may have missed out on school meals. The objectives of this study are (1) to compare the number of school meals served by New York State public schools during the first spring and summer of the COVID-19 pandemic to the number served before the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to determine relationships between the number of meals served and the levels of school district need and urbanicity.

Evaluating a psychological support service focused on the needs of critical care and theatres staff in the first wave of COVID-19.

Background: In response to COVID-19, the authors used clinical psychology resources from their hospital's Pain Medicine Department to provide direct support to critical areas.

Aims: The degree to which the service met the needs of staff and managers between March and August 2020 was evaluated.

Methods: A total of 51 staff were referred.

State and Local Healthy Kids' Meal Laws in the United States: A Review and Content Analysis.

Background: To address unhealthy restaurant food intake among children, localities and states are passing healthy restaurant kids' meal laws. However, there is limited knowledge of what these policies require and how they compare with expert and industry nutrition standards.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a research instrument to evaluate healthy kids' meal laws and assess their alignment with expert and industry nutrition standards.

Addressing Food Insecurity through a Health Equity Lens: a Case Study of Large Urban School Districts during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Reduced access to school meals during public health emergencies can accelerate food insecurity and nutritional status, particularly for low-income children in urban areas. To prevent the exacerbation of health disparities, there is a need to understand the implementation of meal distribution among large urban school districts during emergencies and to what degree these strategies provide equitable meal access. Our case study of four large urban school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic aims to address these knowledge gaps.

Expanding and Enhancing Food and Nutrition Education in New York City Public Schools: An Examination of Program Characteristics and Distribution.

To expand their capacity, many schools partner with food and nutrition education programs (FNPs). Public policies and funding can support FNPs, but comprehensive data on the organizations that run FNPs, their program characteristics, or distribution across schools did not exist in NYC. This study aims to help local education and health agencies assess the characteristics of food and nutrition education in schools, as well as to measure progress implementing school policies and practices.

Checkpoint signaling and error correction require regulation of the MPS1 T-loop by PP2A-B56.

During mitosis, the formation of microtubule-kinetochore attachments is monitored by the serine/threonine kinase monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1). MPS1 is recruited to unattached kinetochores where it phosphorylates KNL1, BUB1, and MAD1 to initiate the spindle assembly checkpoint. This arrests the cell cycle until all kinetochores have been stably captured by microtubules.

Cross-modal attention-switching is impaired in autism spectrum disorders.

This investigation aimed to determine if children with ASD are impaired in their ability to switch attention between different tasks, and whether performance is further impaired when required to switch across two separate modalities (visual and auditory). Eighteen children with ASD (9-13 years old) were compared with 18 typically-developing children matched with the ASD group for mental age, and also with 18 subjects with learning difficulties matched with the ASD group for mental and chronological age. Individuals alternated between two different visual tasks, and between a different visual task and an auditory task.

Hibernation reduces pancreatic amylase levels in ground squirrels.

Pancreatic enzyme levels in mammals are influenced by food intake and dietary composition. In this study, we examined the activity and expression of pancreatic amylase in a hibernating mammal, a natural model for long-term fasting. Pancreatic tissues were obtained from summer-active 13-lined ground squirrels and hibernating squirrels that had not eaten for at least 6 weeks.