.

Polypharmacy-related drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are a significant and growing healthcare concern. An increasing number of therapeutic drugs on the market underscores the necessity to accurately assess new drug combinations during pre-clinical evaluation for DDIs. primary human hepatocytes (PHH) models are only applicable for short term induction studies due to their rapid loss of metabolic function.

Utilization of a Human Liver Tissue Chip for Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme Induction Studies of Perpetrator and Victim Drugs.

Polypharmacy-related drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are a significant and growing healthcare concern. Increasing number of therapeutic drugs on the market underscores the necessity to accurately assess the new drug combinations during pre-clinical evaluation for DDIs. primary human hepatocyte (PHH)-only models are commonly used only for perpetrator DDI studies due to their rapid loss of metabolic function.

Climate, climate change and the global diversity of human houses.

Globally, human house types are diverse, varying in shape, size, roof type, building materials, arrangement, decoration and many other features. Here we offer the first rigorous, global evaluation of the factors that influence the construction of traditional (vernacular) houses. We apply macroecological approaches to analyse data describing house features from 1900 to 1950 across 1000 societies.

A Novel Milli-fluidic Liver Tissue Chip with Continuous Recirculation for Predictive Pharmacokinetics Applications.

A crucial step in lead selection during drug development is accurate estimation and optimization of hepatic clearance using in vitro methods. However, current methods are limited by factors such as lack of physiological relevance, short culture/incubation times that are not consistent with drug exposure patterns in patients, use of drug absorbing materials, and evaporation during long-term incubation. To address these technological needs, we developed a novel milli-fluidic human liver tissue chip (LTC) that was designed with continuous media recirculation and optimized for hepatic cultures using human primary hepatocytes.

Sourdough starters exhibit similar succession patterns but develop flour-specific climax communities.

The microbial fermentation behind sourdough bread is among our oldest technologies, yet there are many opportunities for sourdough science to learn from traditional bakers. We analyzed 16S rRNA sequences in R to assess the bacterial community structure and performance of 40 starters grown from 10 types of flour over 14 days, and identified six distinct stages of succession. At each stage, bacterial taxa correlate with determinants of bread quality including pH, rise, and aromatic profile.

Cost-effectiveness of a motivational interviewing obesity intervention versus usual care in pediatric primary care offices.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of a 2-year motivational interviewing (MI) intervention versus usual primary care.

Methods: A national trial was implemented in the Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) network of the American Academy of Pediatrics to evaluate MI versus usual care for children (2-8 years old; baseline BMI 85th-97th percentiles). Health care use, food costs, provider fees, and training costs were assessed, and sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Evaluation of Spatially Targeted Scleral Stiffening on Neuroprotection in a Rat Model of Glaucoma.

Purpose: Scleral stiffening may protect against glaucomatous retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss or dysfunction associated with ocular hypertension. Here, we assess the potential neuroprotective effects of two treatments designed to stiffen either the entire posterior sclera or only the sclera adjacent to the peripapillary sclera in an experimental model of glaucoma.

Methods: Rat sclerae were stiffened in vivo using either genipin (crosslinking the entire posterior sclera) or a regionally selective photosensitizer, methylene blue (stiffening only the juxtaperipapillary region surrounding the optic nerve).

Computational modeling of corneal and scleral collagen photocrosslinking.

Scleral photocrosslinking is increasingly investigated for treatment of myopia and glaucoma. In this study a computational model was developed to predict crosslinking efficiency of visible/near infrared photosensitizers in the sclera. Photocrosslinking was validated against riboflavin corneal crosslinking experimental studies and subsequently modeled for the sensitizer, methylene blue, administered by retrobulbar injection to the posterior sclera and irradiated with a transpupillary light beam.

The evolution of sour taste.

The evolutionary history of sour taste has been little studied. Through a combination of literature review and trait mapping on the vertebrate phylogenetic tree, we consider the origin of sour taste, potential cases of the loss of sour taste, and those factors that might have favoured changes in the valence of sour taste-from aversive to appealing. We reconstruct sour taste as having evolved in ancient fish.

Sugar-seeking insects as a source of diverse bread-making yeasts with enhanced attributes.

Insects represent a particularly interesting habitat in which to search for novel yeasts of value to industry. Insect-associated yeasts have the potential to have traits relevant to modern food and beverage production due to insect-yeast interactions, with such traits including diverse carbohydrate metabolisms, high sugar tolerance, and general stress tolerance. Here, we consider the potential value of insect-associated yeasts in the specific context of baking.

Structure and Functional Attributes of Bacterial Communities in Premise Plumbing Across the United States.

Microbes that thrive in premise plumbing can have potentially important effects on human health. Yet, how and why plumbing-associated microbial communities vary across broad spatial scales remain undetermined. We characterized the bacterial communities in 496 showerheads collected from across the continental United States.

The toughest animals of the Earth versus global warming: Effects of long-term experimental warming on tardigrade community structure of a temperate deciduous forest.

Understanding how different taxa respond to global warming is essential for predicting future changes and elaborating strategies to buffer them. Tardigrades are well known for their ability to survive environmental stressors, such as drying and freezing, by undergoing cryptobiosis and rapidly recovering their metabolic function after stressors cease. Determining the extent to which animals that undergo cryptobiosis are affected by environmental warming will help to understand the real magnitude climate change will have on these organisms.

Structure of Chimpanzee Gut Microbiomes across Tropical Africa.

Understanding variation in host-associated microbial communities is important given the relevance of microbiomes to host physiology and health. Using 560 fecal samples collected from wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) across their range, we assessed how geography, genetics, climate, vegetation, and diet relate to gut microbial community structure (prokaryotes, eukaryotic parasites) at multiple spatial scales. We observed a high degree of regional specificity in the microbiome composition, which was associated with host genetics, available plant foods, and potentially with cultural differences in tool use, which affect diet.

Screen time use impacts low-income preschool children's sleep quality, tiredness, and ability to fall asleep.

Background: Sleep is increasingly recognized as a vital part of health. Screen time has been linked to sleep quality in children. The purpose of this study was to analyze associations between screen time and sleep characteristics among low-income preschoolers.

The diversity and function of sourdough starter microbiomes.

Humans have relied on sourdough starter microbial communities to make leavened bread for thousands of years, but only a small fraction of global sourdough biodiversity has been characterized. Working with a community-scientist network of bread bakers, we determined the microbial diversity of 500 sourdough starters from four continents. In sharp contrast with widespread assumptions, we found little evidence for biogeographic patterns in starter communities.

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors profile of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli isolated from different environments exposed to anthropogenic activity.

Objective: The study aimed to identify the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants and virulence factors in Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli recovered from different anthropogenic areas in North Carolina.

Methods: Soil samples were collected from different anthropogenic areas, urban and natural.

Youth Perspectives of Prescription Pain Medication in the Opioid Crisis.

Objective: To characterize current youth perspectives of prescription pain medication.

Study Design: In total, 1047 youths aged 14-24 years were recruited by targeted social media advertisements to match national demographic benchmarks. Youths were queried by open-ended text message prompts about exposure and access to prescription pain medication, perceived safety of prescribed and nonprescribed medication, and associations with the word "opioid.

Substance Use Among Young Mothers: An Analysis of Facebook Posts.

Background: Substance use among young pregnant women is a common and significant public health concern associated with a number of adverse outcomes for both mothers and infants. Social media posts by young women can provide valuable, real-world insight into their perceptions of substance use immediately before and during pregnancy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the frequency and content of posts regarding substance use in the year before pregnancy and during pregnancy among young mothers.

Youth Preferences for Weight-Related Conversations.

Little guidance is available to clinicians on how to talk about weight with their patients. The aim of this study is to explore youth preferences for weight-related conversations. Participants came from the National MyVoice Text Message Cohort.

Confidentiality in the Doctor-Patient Relationship: Perspectives of Youth Ages 14-24 Years.

Objective: To describe the experiences of youth regarding confidentiality with their healthcare provider and how confidentiality affects their interactions with the healthcare system.

Study Design: Using MyVoice, a national mixed methods text message poll, 4 qualitative probes were asked to 1268 youth age 14-24 years from July 2017 through December 2017. Respondents were asked about their opinions and experiences with confidentiality in their healthcare.

"Baby Wants Tacos": Analysis of Health-Related Facebook Posts from Young Pregnant Women.

Objectives Pregnant young women gain more weight than recommended by the National Academy of Medicine, increasing the likelihood of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. The purpose of this study is to use online social media to understand beliefs and practices surrounding weight gain, diet and exercise during pregnancy among young women. Methods Facebook posts were mined from young women ages 16 to 24 during pregnancy who were consented from two Midwest primary care clinics serving low-income communities.