Chemogenetic activation of corticotropin-releasing factor-expressing neurons in the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis reduces effortful motivation behaviors.

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (aBNST) is associated with chronic stress and avoidance behavior. However, CRF + BNST neurons project to reward- and motivation-related brain regions, suggesting a potential role in motivated behavior. We used chemogenetics to selectively activate CRF+ aBNST neurons in male and female CRF-ires-Cre mice during an effort-related choice task and a concurrent choice task.

Dietary Sources of Linoleic Acid (LA) Differ by Race/Ethnicity in Adults Participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2017-2018.

Linoleic acid (LA) is a primary -6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), which is of interest to nutritional professionals as it has been associated with health outcomes. However, as some LA-rich foods offer protection against chronic diseases such as CVD (e.g.

Engrailed 2 deficiency and chronic stress alter avoidance and motivation behaviors.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, cognition, and communication, as well as the presence of repetitive or stereotyped behaviors and interests. ASD is most often studied as a neurodevelopmental disease, but it is a lifelong disorder. Adults with ASD experience more stressful life events and greater perceived stress, and frequently have comorbid mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Two year follow up of supercapsular percutaneously assisted total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Dislocation after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has an incidence of 2-3%. Approximately 77% of dislocations occur within the first year after surgery. The SuperPATH technique is a minimally invasive approach for THA that preserves soft tissue attachments.

Optimizing drug inventory management with a web-based information system: The TBTC Study 31/ACTG A5349 experience.

Introduction: Efficient management of study drug inventory shipments is critical to keep research sites enrolling into multisite clinical treatment trials. A standard manual drug-management process used by the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC), did not accommodate import permit approval timelines, shipment transit-times and time-zone differences. We compared a new web-based solution with the manual process, during an international 34-site clinical trial conducted by the TBTC and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG); TBTC Study 31/ACTG A5349.

Central monitoring in a randomized, open-label, controlled phase 3 clinical trial for a treatment-shortening regimen for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Introduction: With the growing use of online study management systems and rapid availability of data, timely data review and quality assessments are necessary to ensure proper clinical trial implementation. In this report we describe central monitoring used to ensure protocol compliance and accurate data reporting, implemented during a large phase 3 clinical trial.

Material And Methods: The Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) Study 31/AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) study A5349 (S31) is an international, multi-site, randomized, open-label, controlled, non-inferiority phase 3 clinical trial comparing two 4-month regimens to a standard 6 month regimen for treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) among adolescents and adults with a sample size of 2500 participants.

Rationale and design of the Baylor Infant Twin Study-A study assessing obesity-related risk factors from infancy.

Background: Early childhood (0-3 years) is a critical period for obesity prevention, when tendencies in eating behaviors and physical activity are established. Yet, little is understood about how the environment shapes children's genetic predisposition for these behaviors during this time. The Baylor Infant Twin Study (BITS) is a two phase study, initiated to study obesity risk factors from infancy.

Calcific tendonitis of the flexor pollicis longus tendon at the thumb interphalangeal joint in childhood.

In rare instances, calcific tendonitis may manifest in the pediatric population as inflammatory calcium hydroxyapatite deposition. To our knowledge, there have been no previous case reports involving the flexor pollicis longus tendon at the thumb interphalangeal joint. We present a 9-year-old boy with a painful mass at the right thumb interphalangeal joint.

Evolution and regression of imaging findings in treated pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

In rare instances, pediatric Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) may manifest as lung disease. While the imaging features at presentation have been reported, we present sequential computed tomography (CT) scans of a 3-year-old boy with pulmonary LCH, revealing the evolution and regression of the disease. Sequential CT scans during treatment demonstrated variable evolution of pulmonary cysts, including changes in size, thinning of walls, and a pattern of collapse into irregular nodules and involution.

Early-life stress alters affective behaviors in adult mice through persistent activation of CRH-BDNF signaling in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Early-life stress (ELS) leads to stress-related psychopathology in adulthood. Although dysfunction of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) mediates chronic stress-induced maladaptive affective behaviors that are historically associated with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, it remains unknown whether ELS affects CRH function in the adult BNST. Here we applied a well-established ELS paradigm (24 h maternal separation (MS) at postnatal day 3) and assessed the effects on CRH signaling and electrophysiology in the oval nucleus of BNST (ovBNST) of adult male mouse offspring.

Longitudinal magnetic resonance findings in delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy.

Delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy is a rare condition that can occur following prolonged cerebral hypo-oxygenation and manifests as acute onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms after a period of apparent recovery. We describe a case of a 76-year-old man who presented after an unwitnessed fall of unknown duration with initial recovery followed by progressive neurocognitive decline resulting in dementia, dysphasia, and gait apraxia. Initial brain magnetic resonance imaging was unremarkable but repeated brain imaging revealed progressive leukoencephalopathy, which started as small foci of abnormal diffusion restriction in bilateral frontal lobes and gradually evolved over the next 3 weeks to diffuse signal changes in the white matter.

Skin cancer risk and tanning in pageant contestants.

Since tanned skin may be perceived as a marker of beauty in American pageant culture, we evaluated pageant contestants regarding motivations for tanning, skin care behaviors, and possible tanning addiction. Responses were analyzed via summary statistics and compared across Fitzpatrick skin types. Statistically significant differences were found between skin types regarding tanning frequency, feelings of attractiveness after tanning, and perceptions of elevated mood after tanning.

Chronic Stress Induces Maladaptive Behaviors by Activating Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Signaling in the Mouse Oval Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis.

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a forebrain region highly responsive to stress that expresses corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and is implicated in mood disorders, such as anxiety. However, the exact mechanism by which chronic stress induces CRH-mediated dysfunction in BNST and maladaptive behaviors remains unclear. Here, we first confirmed that selective acute optogenetic activation of the oval nucleus BNST (ovBNST) increases maladaptive avoidance behaviors in male mice.

Metabolomic Insights into the Effects of Breast Milk Versus Formula Milk Feeding in Infants.

Purpose Of Review: This review summarizes the latest scientific evidence for the presence of metabolomic differences between infants fed breast milk (I-BM) and infants fed formula milk (I-FM).

Recent Findings: Across the studies included in this review, a total of 261 metabolites were analyzed, of which 151 metabolites were reported as significantly associated with infant feeding modality (BM versus FM). However, taken as a whole, the relevant literature was notable both for methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, and heterogeneity between the studies.

Observations of Toddlers' sensory-based exploratory behaviors with a novel food.

Background: Food neophobia hinders the acceptance of healthy foods in young children, and may be overcome by repeated food exposure. Prevalent literature states that children exhibit five sensory-based exploratory behaviors (SBEBs): smelling, licking, spitting, manipulating and/or swallowing as they progress towards accepting a novel food, yet there is a paucity of research on these behaviors. This study aimed to use direct observations of SBEBs across first-time exposures to hummus to (1) determine the prevalence of five SBEBs (smelling, licking, spitting, manipulating and swallowing) in 12-35 month olds, (2) quantify the psychometric properties of the SBEB assessment; and (3) examine the association of SBEBs with parent-assessed food fussiness, and consumption of the novel food.

HDAC3 Inhibitor RGFP966 Modulates Neuronal Memory for Vocal Communication Signals in a Songbird Model.

Epigenetic mechanisms that modify chromatin conformation have recently been under investigation for their contributions to learning and the formation of memory. For example, the role of enzymes involved in histone acetylation are studied in the formation of long-lasting memories because memory consolidation requires gene expression events that are facilitated by an open state of chromatin. We recently proposed that epigenetic events may control the entry of specific sensory features into long-term memory by enabling transcription-mediated neuronal plasticity in sensory brain areas.

Predictors and patterns of weight gain during treatment for tuberculosis in the United States of America.

Objectives: Patients with tuberculosis (TB) often present with weight loss. Lack of weight gain with TB treatment has been associated with treatment failure. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of weight gain in patients with TB and determine the disease characteristics that predict weight gain.

The Homeobox Transcription Factor RHOX10 Drives Mouse Spermatogonial Stem Cell Establishment.

The developmental origins of most adult stem cells are poorly understood. Here, we report the identification of a transcription factor-RHOX10-critical for the initial establishment of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Conditional loss of the entire 33-gene X-linked homeobox gene cluster that includes Rhox10 causes progressive spermatogenic decline, a phenotype indistinguishable from that caused by loss of only Rhox10.

The Antagonistic Gene Paralogs Upf3a and Upf3b Govern Nonsense-Mediated RNA Decay.

Gene duplication is a major evolutionary force driving adaptation and speciation, as it allows for the acquisition of new functions and can augment or diversify existing functions. Here, we report a gene duplication event that yielded another outcome--the generation of antagonistic functions. One product of this duplication event--UPF3B--is critical for the nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) pathway, while its autosomal counterpart--UPF3A--encodes an enigmatic protein previously shown to have trace NMD activity.

Sensory Cortical Plasticity Participates in the Epigenetic Regulation of Robust Memory Formation.

Neuroplasticity remodels sensory cortex across the lifespan. A function of adult sensory cortical plasticity may be capturing available information during perception for memory formation. The degree of experience-dependent remodeling in sensory cortex appears to determine memory strength and specificity for important sensory signals.

shRNA off-target effects in vivo: impaired endogenous siRNA expression and spermatogenic defects.

RNA interference (RNAi) is widely used to determine the function of genes. We chose this approach to assess the collective function of the highly related reproductive homeobox 3 (Rhox3) gene paralogs. Using a Rhox3 short hairpin (sh) RNA with 100% complementarity to all 8 Rhox3 paralogs, expressed from a CRE-regulated transgene, we successfully knocked down Rhox3 expression in male germ cells in vivo.

Neural responses in songbird forebrain reflect learning rates, acquired salience, and stimulus novelty after auditory discrimination training.

How do social interactions form and modulate the neural representations of specific complex signals? This question can be addressed in the songbird auditory system. Like humans, songbirds learn to vocalize by imitating tutors heard during development. These learned vocalizations are important in reproductive and social interactions and in individual recognition.

The use of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions.

Background: Non-palpable thyroid nodules can be difficult to access by conventional ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, particularly when they are intrathoracic. Many of these patients are subject to multiple follow up scans or invasive diagnostic procedures such as mediastinoscopy or surgical resection. We aim to describe the feasibility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for diagnosis of thyroid lesions.

Hemispheric asymmetry in new neurons in adulthood is associated with vocal learning and auditory memory.

Many brain regions exhibit lateral differences in structure and function, and also incorporate new neurons in adulthood, thought to function in learning and in the formation of new memories. However, the contribution of new neurons to hemispheric differences in processing is unknown. The present study combines cellular, behavioral, and physiological methods to address whether 1) new neuron incorporation differs between the brain hemispheres, and 2) the degree to which hemispheric lateralization of new neurons correlates with behavioral and physiological measures of learning and memory.

He hears, she hears: are there sex differences in auditory processing?

Songbirds learn individually unique songs through vocal imitation and use them in courtship and territorial displays. Previous work has identified a forebrain auditory area, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), that appears specialized for discriminating and remembering conspecific vocalizations. In zebra finches (ZFs), only males produce learned vocalizations, but both sexes process these and other signals.