Telomere dynamics and reproduction.

The oocyte, a long-lived, postmitotic cell, is the locus of reproductive aging in women. Female germ cells replicate only during fetal life and age throughout reproductive life. Mechanisms of oocyte aging include the accumulation of oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of proteins, including cohesion.

Moral injury in post-9/11 combat-experienced military veterans: A qualitative thematic analysis.

War zone exposure is associated with enduring negative mental health effects and poorer responses to treatment, in part because this type of trauma can entail crises of conscience or moral injury. Although a great deal of attention has been paid to posttraumatic stress disorder and fear-based physiological aspects of trauma and suffering, comparatively less attention has been given to the morally injurious dimension of trauma. Robust themes of moral injury were identified in interviews with 26 post-9/11 military veterans.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Body Mass Index Among Hispanic Children Accessing a Primary Care Clinic in Central Texas: An Epidemic Amidst a Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to lifestyle disruptions that increased the risk for pediatric obesity and health disparities among Hispanic children. This study aimed to assess weight and body mass index (BMI) trends longitudinally, pre- and intra-COVID-19 pandemic, among Hispanic children.

Method: A retrospective chart review included Hispanic children (n = 88) accessing a Federally Qualified Health Center, including six pediatric primary care clinics 6 months prepandemic and 6-, 12- and 18-month intrapandemic intervals.

NREM-REM alternation complicates transitions from napping to non-napping behavior in a three-state model of sleep-wake regulation.

The temporal structure of human sleep changes across development as it consolidates from the polyphasic sleep of infants to the single nighttime sleep episode typical in adults. Experimental studies have shown that changes in the dynamics of sleep need may mediate this developmental transition in sleep patterning, however, it is unknown how sleep architecture interacts with these changes. We employ a physiologically-based mathematical model that generates wake, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep states to investigate how NREM-REM alternation affects the transition in sleep patterns as the dynamics of the homeostatic sleep drive are varied.