Applying causal models to explore the mechanism of action of simvastatin in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Understanding the mode of action of drugs is a challenge with conventional methods in clinical trials. Here, we aimed to explore whether simvastatin effects on brain atrophy and disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are mediated by reducing cholesterol or are independent of cholesterol. We applied structural equation models to the MS-STAT trial in which 140 patients with SPMS were randomized to receive placebo or simvastatin.

The Role of Data Type and Recipient in Individuals' Perspectives on Sharing Passively Collected Smartphone Data for Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

Background: The growing field of personal sensing harnesses sensor data collected from individuals' smartphones to understand their behaviors and experiences. Such data could be a powerful tool within mental health care. However, it is important to note that the nature of these data differs from the information usually available to, or discussed with, health care professionals.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist pre-treatment and early post-treatment to minimize reperfusion injury after ST-elevation myocardial infarction: The MINIMIZE STEMI trial.

Background: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) therapy has been shown to prevent adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with heart failure. Whether initiating MRA therapy prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) accrues additional benefit of reducing myocardial infarct size and preventing adverse LV remodeling is not known. We aimed to investigate whether MRA therapy initiated prior to reperfusion reduces myocardial infarct (MI) size and prevents adverse LV remodeling in STEMI patients.

Advanced Illumination Modeling for Data Analysis and Calibration. Application to the Moon.

We present a new illumination modeling tool, called IllumNG, developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). We describe its capabilities to enhance the analysis and calibration of science data collected by planetary missions. We highlight these with examples making use of lunar data, particularly the topographic and radiometric measurements collected by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument, with applications to radiometric measurements from other LRO instruments as well.

Opioid use disorder during pregnancy: An overview.

Women with opioid use disorder who become pregnant are a particularly vulnerable population and require a comprehensive treatment approach for mother and fetus. Research is continuing on opioid use disorder, effects of opioid use on the fetus, and best treatment approaches. This article reviews current recommendations and guidelines for treatment.

Utilization of Near Infrared Fluorescence Imaging to Track and Quantify the Pulmonary Retention of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Mice.

As nanomaterials are used in a wide array of applications, investigations regarding health impacts associated with inhalation are a concern. Reports show that exposure to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can induce fibrosis, allergic-type reactions, and pathogen susceptibility. Airway clearance is known to play a primary role in these disease states, yet SWCNT detection in biological systems is challenging.

Quality of life in caregivers of a family member with serious mental illness: Evidence from China.

Purpose: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and social support among family caregivers of a family member with a mental illness and to identify factors associated with the QoL.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, where participants were recruited and independently interviewed using a questionnaire, consisting of demographic characteristics, the Medical Outcome Survey SF-36 form, and social support rating scales. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to analyse the factors related to QoL.

Trigger finger: An overview of the treatment options.

Stenosing flexor tenosynovitis, more commonly known as trigger finger, is one of the most common causes of hand pain and dysfunction. Clinicians must be able to identify the disorder, know the broad range of treatment options, and counsel patients on the treatment best suited for their condition. Awareness of the economic burden each option entails is central to optimizing treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Characteristics of Automated Insulin Suspension and Glucose Responses with the Predictive Low-Glucose Management System.

Background: The Predictive Low-Glucose Management (PLGM) system suspends basal insulin when hypoglycemia is predicted and reduces hypoglycemia. The aim of this analysis was to explore the characteristics of automated insulin suspension and sensor glucose (SG) responses following PLGM-initiated pump suspension.

Research Design And Methods: Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes used the Medtronic MiniMed™ 640G pump as part of a randomized controlled trial.

Differences in hippocampal subfield volume are seen in phenotypic variants of early onset Alzheimer's disease.

The most common presentation of early onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD - defined as symptom onset <65 years) is with progressive episodic memory impairment - amnestic or typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD). However, EOAD is notable for its phenotypic heterogeneity, with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) - characterised by prominent higher-order visual processing deficits and relative sparing of episodic memory - the second most common canonical phenotype. The hippocampus, which comprises a number of interconnected anatomically and functionally distinct subfields, is centrally involved in Alzheimer's disease and is a crucial mediator of episodic memory.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 Receptor Expression Is Promoted by Human Herpesvirus 8-Encoded Interleukin-6 and Contributes to Viral Latency and Productive Replication.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) viral interleukin-6 (vIL-6) localizes largely to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and here associates functionally with both the gp130 signal transducer and the novel ER membrane protein vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 variant-2 (VKORC1v2). The latter interaction contributes to the viability of latently infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells and to HHV-8 productive replication, in part via promotion of ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of nascent pro-cathepsin D (pCatD) and consequent suppression of lysosome-localized proapoptotic mature CatD. Here we report that VKORC1v2 associates with insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R), also known as cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor, which is involved in trafficking of mannose-6-phosphate-conjugated glycoproteins to lysosomes.

Spatiotemporal analysis for detection of pre-symptomatic shape changes in neurodegenerative diseases: Initial application to the GENFI cohort.

Brain atrophy as measured from structural MR images, is one of the primary imaging biomarkers used to track neurodegenerative disease progression. In diseases such as frontotemporal dementia or Alzheimer's disease, atrophy can be observed in key brain structures years before any clinical symptoms are present. Atrophy is most commonly captured as volume change of key structures and the shape changes of these structures are typically not analysed despite being potentially more sensitive than summary volume statistics over the entire structure.

Pole Dancing for Fitness: The Physiological and Metabolic Demand of a 60-Minute Class.

Nicholas, JC, McDonald, KA, Peeling, P, Jackson, B, Dimmock, JA, Alderson, JA, and Donnelly, CJ. Pole dancing for fitness: The physiological and metabolic demand of a 60-minute class. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2704-2710, 2019-Little is understood about the acute physiological or metabolic demand of pole dancing classes.

Vesicle Self-Assembly of Monoalkyl Amphiphiles under the Effects of High Ionic Strength, Extreme pH, and High Temperature Environments.

Vesicles and other bilayered membranous structures can self-assemble from single hydrocarbon chain amphiphiles. Their formation and stability are highly dependent on experimental conditions such as ionic strength, pH, and temperature. The addition of divalent cations, for example, often results in the disruption of vesicles made of a single fatty acid species through amphiphile precipitation.

Evaluation of the Georgia trauma system using the American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems tool.

Background: The American College of Surgeons Needs Based Assessment of Trauma Systems (NBATS) tool was developed to help determine the optimal regional distribution of designated trauma centers (DTC). The objectives of our current study were to compare the current distribution of DTCs in Georgia with the recommended allocation as calculated by the NBATS tool and to see if the NBATS tool identified similar areas of need as defined by our previous analysis using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Injury Severity Score (ICISS).

Methods: Population counts were acquired from US Census publications.

Mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical properties of Pr doped ceria from wafer curvature measurements.

This work demonstrates, for the first time, that a variety of disparate and technologically-relevent thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical oxygen-exchange material properties can all be obtained from in situ, current-collector-free wafer curvature measurements. Specifically, temperature or oxygen partial pressure induced changes in the curvature of 230 nm thick (100)-oriented Pr0.1Ce0.

Comparative effectiveness of dimethyl fumarate versus fingolimod and teriflunomide among MS patients switching from first-generation platform therapies in the US.

Background: Previous real-world comparative research of MS disease modifying therapies (DMTs) in the overall population has suggested dimethyl fumarate (DMF) to be comparable to fingolimod (FTY) and more efficacious than teriflunomide (TERI) in reducing relapses. However, there is limited comparative evidence in patients switching from platform DMTs in the US. The objective of the study was to compare the annualized relapse rate (ARR) and risk of relapse in MS patients who have switched from a platform therapy to DMF, FTY, or TERI.

Verbal adynamia in parkinsonian syndromes: behavioral correlates and neuroanatomical substrate.

Verbal adynamia (impaired language generation, as during conversation) has not been assessed systematically in parkinsonian disorders. We addressed this in patients with Parkinson's dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. All disease groups showed impaired verbal fluency and sentence generation versus healthy age-matched controls, after adjusting for general linguistic and executive factors.

Presymptomatic white matter integrity loss in familial frontotemporal dementia in the GENFI cohort: A cross-sectional diffusion tensor imaging study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate mutation-specific white matter (WM) integrity changes in presymptomatic and symptomatic mutation carriers of the ,, and mutations by use of diffusion-weighted imaging within the Genetic Frontotemporal dementia Initiative (GENFI) study.

Methods: One hundred and forty mutation carriers (54 , 30 , 56 ), 104 presymptomatic and 36 symptomatic, and 115 noncarriers underwent 3T diffusion tensor imaging. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the association between diffusion parameters and years from estimated symptom onset in ,, and mutation carriers versus noncarriers.

Cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 levels in frontotemporal dementia differ by genetic and pathological subgroup.

Background: Reliable biomarkers of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are currently lacking. FTD may be associated with chronic immune dysfunction, microglial activation and raised inflammatory markers, particularly in progranulin (GRN) mutation carriers. Levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) are elevated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but they have not been fully explored in FTD.

Effect of 6 months hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery in young people with type 1 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Automated insulin delivery (also known as closed loop, or artificial pancreas) has shown potential to improve glycaemic control and quality of life in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Automated insulin delivery devices incorporate an insulin pump with continuous glucose monitoring(CGM) and an algorithm, and adjust insulin in real time. This study aims to establish the safety and efficacy of a hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system in a long-term outpatient trial in people with T1D aged 12 -<25 years of age, and compare outcomes with standard therapy for T1D as used in the contemporary community.

Body composition and physical function in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.

Physical function is critical for mobility and quality of life. We hypothesized that higher total lean mass is associated with higher physical function, and body fat inversely associated, among postmenopausal women. Women's Health Initiative Observational Study participants at Pittsburgh, PA; Birmingham, AL; and Tucson-Phoenix, AZ (1993-1998) completed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and the Rand SF-36 questionnaire at baseline and 3 y (N = 4526).

Management of extremity fasciotomy sites prospective randomized evaluation of two techniques.

Introduction: Morbidity from the treatment of extremity compartment syndrome is underappreciated. Closure technique effectiveness has yet to be definitively established.

Methods: A randomized non-blinded prospective study was performed involving patients who underwent an extremity fasciotomy following trauma.

Using Mobile Phone Sensor Technology for Mental Health Research: Integrated Analysis to Identify Hidden Challenges and Potential Solutions.

Background: Mobile phone sensor technology has great potential in providing behavioral markers of mental health. However, this promise has not yet been brought to fruition.

Objective: The objective of our study was to examine challenges involved in developing an app to extract behavioral markers of mental health from passive sensor data.