Autism, Personality Pathology, and the Neural Response to Rewards.

The autism social motivation hypothesis suggests that diminished reward value of social stimuli contributes to deficits in social motivation. Research indicates that autistic individuals show decreased neural responding to both social and non-social reward, suggesting domain-general reward system differences. However, autism is heterogenous with extensive co-occurring psychopathology, and the autism phenotype may not be the best way to understand its relationship with neural reward response.

Psychometric Properties of the Neural Response to Rewards and Errors Across Mid- to Late-Adolescence.

Event-related potential (ERP) measures of reward- and error-related brain activity have been used to elucidate neural mechanisms contributing to the development of psychopathology. Adolescence is a critical developmental period that is associated with changes in ERP reward- and error-related brain activity. However, there is a paucity of within-subject research examining whether the reliability of ERP measures is the same or changes across adolescence.

Characterising symptomatic substates in individuals on the psychosis continuum: a hidden Markov modelling approach.

Background: To improve early intervention and personalise treatment for individuals early on the psychosis continuum, a greater understanding of symptom dynamics is required. We address this by identifying and evaluating the movement between empirically derived attenuated psychotic symptomatic substates-clusters of symptoms that occur within individuals over time.

Methods: Data came from a 90-day daily diary study evaluating attenuated psychotic and affective symptoms.

Shifting participatory approach when ideology meets reality: a grounded theory study based on project leaders' experiences with peer-led sex education programs for and by persons with intellectual disabilities and/or autism.

Background: This study explored peer-led sex education for individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism (ID/ASD) from the perspective of project leaders within Swedish non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The purpose of this Grounded Theory study was to develop a conceptual model that characterizes the ways in which peer-led sex education is implemented by Swedish NGOs. This was done by exploring what the concept of peer-led sex education means to NGO project leaders, and how they experience, explain and reason about the application of peer education in their daily operations.

A Screw Length of 14 mm Is Sufficient to Avoid the Physis During Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans Lesion Repair but This Can Vary Based on Age and Region of the Distal Femur.

Purpose: To determine the safest screw length that will avoid penetrating the femoral physis for surgical fixation of juvenile osteochondritis dissecans lesions and to compare the safe screw lengths for different regions in the condyles.

Methods: After institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of pediatric patients. Longitudinal axis reference lines were made on the femur.

Moving from the background towards the spotlight: A critical review of radiation therapy for locally advanced pancreas cancer.

Radiation therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) continues to be controversial. Advances in both systemic therapy and radiation therapy techniques have changed the landscape of LAPC management in recent years. Clinical outcomes of ablative radiation therapy have been encouraging and randomized clinical trials may clarify the role of radiation therapy for LAPC.

Trends in Emergency Department, Primary Care, and Behavioral Health Use for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions in Virginia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health are costly and often preventable. Access to primary care and behavioral health providers can improve mental health and reduce unnecessary ED visits.

Methods: Quantitative analysis of the Virginia All-Payers Claims Database to assess mental health ED and outpatient care for children and adolescents up to age 21 years between 2016 and 2021.

Can shared decision-making interventions increase trust/trustworthiness in the physician-patient encounter? A scoping review.

Objectives: To summarize the existing literature on the impact of shared decision-making (SDM) interventions on patient trust, with a focus on the specific characteristics that influence the effectiveness of each intervention regarding the outcome of trust.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature with the aid of a research librarian. Data was extracted via Covidence regarding the characteristics of the study including interventions performed, trust scale used, primary and secondary outcomes, and effect size.

Telesurgery and the importance of context.

Telesurgery has the potential to overcome geographical barriers in surgical care, encouraging its deployment in areas with sparse surgical expertise. Despite successful in-human experiments and substantial technological progress, the adoption of telesurgery remains slow. In this Review, we analyze the reasons for this slow adoption.

Mechanical Characterization of a Novel Cyclic Olefin-Based Hot-Melt Adhesive.

A novel hot-melt cyclic olefin-based adhesive was designed as a transparent, non-tacky film of amorphous thermoplastic with a unique polymer micro-structure. The aim of the present paper is to assess the mechanical properties of the 0.1 mm thick COP hot-melt adhesive film through adhesive characterizations tests.

Potentiating intratumoral therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors: shifting the paradigm of multimodality therapeutics.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized oncology, yielding remarkable and durable responses in various cancers. However, a significant proportion of patients develop resistance to ICIs. The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in immunotherapy resistance, characterized by immune cell composition, regulatory factors, and tumor mutational burden.

Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and long-term outcomes in people at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common in people at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR), however, the relationship between ACEs and long-term clinical outcomes is still unclear. This study examined associations between ACEs and clinical outcomes in CHR individuals. 344 CHR individuals and 67 healthy controls (HC) were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Bullying Questionnaire and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA).

Characterization of A Bronchoscopically Induced Transgenic Lung Cancer Pig Model for Human Translatability.

Background: There remains a need for animal models with human translatability in lung cancer (LC) research. Findings in pigs have high impact on humans due to similar anatomy and physiology. We present the characterization of a bronchoscopically-induced LC model in Oncopigs carrying inducible KRAS and TP53 mutations.

Inhibition of adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1) and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC) restores ATP-sensitive potassium (K) channel activity after chronic opioid exposure.

Prolonged exposure to Gαi/o receptor agonists such as opioids can lead to a sensitization of adenylyl cyclases (ACs), resulting in heterologous sensitization or cyclic AMP (cAMP) overshoot. The molecular consequences of cAMP overshoot are not well understood, but this adaptive response is suggested to play a critical role in the development of opioid tolerance and withdrawal. We found that genetic reduction of AC1 and simultaneous upregulation of ATP-sensitive potassium (K) channel subunits, SUR1 or Kir6.

De novo whole genome assembly of the critically endangered southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides).

The southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides) is one of the two species of muriquis (genus Brachyteles), the largest body sized nonhuman primate from the Neotropics. Deforestation and illegal hunting have led to a continuing decline in the muriqui population, leading to their current classification as critically endangered. The lack of a reference genome for the genus Brachyteles prevents scientists from taking full advantage of genomic tools to improve their conservation status.

Ex vivo biomechanical comparison of pedicle screw and rod constructs with and without interbody fusion devices for equine cervical vertebral stabilization.

Objective: To determine the biomechanical properties of pedicle screw and rod (PSR) constructs alone and with an interbody fusion device (PSRIFD) for equine ventral cervical vertebral stabilization.

Study Design: Cadaveric ex vivo biomechanical analysis.

Sample Population: A total of 14 (n = 14) adult equine cervical vertebral columns.

Tenoscopic-guided resection of the manica flexoria utilizing radiofrequency energy. A proof of concept study.

Objective: To develop and optimize a tenoscopic technique for resection of the manica flexoria utilizing a radiofrequency probe.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Animals: Eighteen cadaver limbs and two experimental horses.

Citrulline Inhibits Clostridioides difficile Infection With Anti-inflammatory Effects.

Background & Aims: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes colitis and diarrhea. C. difficile bacterium produces toxins A and B, which cause intestinal inflammation.

Instant variable stiffness in cardiovascular catheters based on fiber jamming.

Variable stiffness (VS) has revolutionized miniature surgical instruments, including cardiovascular catheters for minimally invasive surgeries (MISs), enabling advanced capabilities in stiffness modulation and multi-curvature bending. However, existing VS catheters with phase-changing materials are slow in softening and stiffening rates (≈90 s), which can lead to substantial increase in surgery duration. To address the slow stiffness change, we propose a VS catheter based on fiber jamming (FJ) that achieves instant stiffness changes (≤300 ms), enabling seamless catheter operations without delays.

New diagnosis in psychiatry: beyond heuristics.

Background: Diagnosis in psychiatry faces familiar challenges. Validity and utility remain elusive, and confusion regarding the fluid and arbitrary border between mental health and illness is increasing. The mainstream strategy has been conservative and iterative, retaining current nosology until something better emerges.

Piezoelectrostatic Catalysis of the Azide-Alkyne Huisgen Cycloaddition.

Electric fields are increasingly recognized for their role as 'smart reagents' that can trigger or accelerate chemical reactions. Expanding upon this concept, our research introduces an innovative method that exploits electric fields induced by ultrasound on piezoelectric nanoparticles to facilitate the azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition in nonaqueous environments. The intense electric field generated around the BaTiO nanoparticles, as supported by density functional theory calculations, provides the suitable conditions necessary to trigger the cycloaddition of the alkyne-functionalized nanoparticles and the azide present in the solution.

Biomechanical enhancement in rotator cuff repairs: the impact of innovative nanofiber technology.

Background: Rotator cuff repair surgeries often face high failure rates, particularly in cases involving tendon degeneration. Traditional repair techniques and devices frequently fail to adequately restore a healthy native enthesis and strong tendon-bone integration. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel, fully synthetic, bioresorbable nanofiber scaffold in restoring the native enthesis and enhancing the biomechanical properties and overall success of rotator cuff repairs, particularly in the context of chronically degenerated tendons.

Attenuated Doors-Locked P300 Amplitude and Elevated Depressive Symptoms: Effects of Age and Sex in Two Independent Samples of Youth.

Deficits in cognitive and reward-related functions, measured via reductions in the P300 and reward positivity (RewP) event-related potential (ERP) components, are commonly observed in adults suffering with depression. Considering higher risk for depression emerges among females in adolescence, examination of the neurological underpinnings of depression during this critical developmental period can help further elucidate our overall understanding of the etiology of depressive disorders. Therefore, the present study sought to first examine associations between doors-locked P300 amplitude, RewP amplitude, current depression symptoms, and age in an all-female youth sample (sample 1: n = 296; age, 8 to 14).