An Evaluation of the Effect of App-Based Exercise Prescription Using Reinforcement Learning on Satisfaction and Exercise Intensity: Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: The increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles has prompted the development of innovative public health interventions, such as smartphone apps that deliver personalized exercise programs. The widespread availability of mobile technologies (eg, smartphone apps and wearable activity trackers) provides a cost-effective, scalable way to remotely deliver personalized exercise programs to users. Using machine learning (ML), specifically reinforcement learning (RL), may enhance user engagement and effectiveness of these programs by tailoring them to individual preferences and needs.

Biofunctionalized gelatin hydrogels support development and maturation of iPSC-derived cortical organoids.

Human neural organoid models have become an important tool for studying neurobiology. However, improving the representativeness of neural cell populations in such organoids remains a major effort. In this work, we compared Matrigel, a commercially available matrix, to a neural cadherin (N-cadherin) peptide-functionalized gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel (termed GelMA-Cad) for culturing cortical neural organoids.

The Validity of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 for Serial Measurements of Heart Rate Variability and Resting Heart Rate.

The widespread use of wearable devices has enabled continuous monitoring of biometric data, including heart rate variability (HRV) and resting heart rate (RHR). However, the validity of these measurements, particularly from consumer devices like Apple Watch, remains underexplored. This study aimed to validate HRV measurements obtained from Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 against the Polar H10 chest strap paired with the Kubios HRV software, which together served as the reference standard.

Anatomically and Physiologically Accurate Engineered Neurovascular Unit and Blood-Brain Barrier Model Using Microvessels Isolated from Postmortem Human Brain Tissue.

Brain vasculature is a complex and heterogeneous physiological structure that serves specialized roles in maintaining brain health and homeostasis. There is substantial interest in developing representative human models of the brain vasculature for drug screening and disease modeling applications. Many contemporary strategies have focused on culturing neurovascular cell types in hydrogels and microdevices, but it remains challenging to achieve anatomically relevant vascular structures that have physiologically similar function to their counterparts.

Pretreatment Spatially Aware Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics Can Predict Distant Brain Metastases (DBMs) After Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Radiation Therapy (SRS/SRT).

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery/radiation therapy (SRS/SRT) increasingly has been used to treat brain metastases. However, the development of distant brain metastases (DBMs) in the untreated brain remains a serious complication. We sought to develop a spatially aware radiomic signature to model the time-to-DBM development in a cohort of patients leveraging pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiation therapy treatment planning data including radiation dose distribution maps.

Growth factor free, peptide-functionalized gelatin hydrogel promotes arteriogenesis and attenuates tissue damage in a murine model of critical limb ischemia.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) occurs when blood flow is restricted through the arteries, resulting in ulcers, necrosis, and chronic wounds in the downstream extremities. The development of collateral arterioles (i.e.

Growth factor-free, peptide-functionalized gelatin hydrogel promotes arteriogenesis and attenuates tissue damage in a murine model of critical limb ischemia.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) occurs when blood flow is restricted through the arteries, resulting in ulcers, necrosis, and chronic wounds in the downstream extremities. The development of collateral arterioles (i.e.

Surgical and Patient-Reported Outcomes of 694 Two-Stage Prepectoral versus Subpectoral Breast Reconstructions.

Background: Opinion regarding the optimal plane for prosthetic device placement in breast reconstruction patients has evolved. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in complication rates and patient satisfaction between patients who underwent prepectoral and subpectoral implant-based breast reconstruction (IBR).

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent two-stage IBR at their institution from 2018 to 2019.

Shelter Bans Among People Experiencing Homelessness: an Exploratory Study of Predictors in Two Large Canadian Datasets.

Emergency shelters are a core component of homeless service systems that address immediate basic needs. Service bans, which refer to temporary or permanent disallowances from a program or organization, are an underresearched phenomenon that can leave people experiencing homelessness without needed supports. This exploratory study examined the factors associated with shelter bans among people experiencing homelessness using secondary data from two Canadian studies: (1) a multisite randomized controlled trial of Housing First (At Home/Chez Soi Demonstration Project) and (2) a cross-sectional survey of youth experiencing homelessness across Canada (2019 Without a Home-National Youth Homelessness Survey).

Rapid prototyping of cell culture microdevices using parylene-coated 3D prints.

Fabrication of microfluidic devices by photolithography generally requires specialized training and access to a cleanroom. As an alternative, 3D printing enables cost-effective fabrication of microdevices with complex features that would be suitable for many biomedical applications. However, commonly used resins are cytotoxic and unsuitable for devices involving cells.

Recent Advancements in Engineering Strategies for Manipulating Neural Stem Cell Behavior.

Purpose Of Review: Stem cells are exquisitely sensitive to biophysical and biochemical cues within the native microenvironment. This review focuses on emerging strategies to manipulate neural cell behavior using these influences in three-dimensional (3D) culture systems.

Recent Findings: Traditional systems for neural cell differentiation typically produce heterogeneous populations with limited diversity rather than the complex, organized tissue structures observed .

The Second National Canadian Homeless Youth Survey: Mental Health and Addiction Findings: La Deuxième Enquête Nationale Auprès des Jeunes Sans Abri : Résultats en Matière De Santé Mentale et de Toxicomanie.

Objective: Youth experiencing homelessness represent a major social problem in Canada and, as demonstrated in the first national survey of this population conducted in 2015, are experiencing significant mental health challenges. The present study examines the findings of a second national survey completed in 2019. These findings afford the opportunity to examine the reliability of the findings of the first study with another large, representative sample and to attempt to articulate the unique characteristics of youth experiencing the greatest distress among this at-risk population.

Development of an N-Cadherin Biofunctionalized Hydrogel to Support the Formation of Synaptically Connected Neural Networks.

models of the human central nervous system (CNS), particularly those derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are becoming increasingly recognized as useful complements to animal models for studying neurological diseases and developing therapeutic strategies. However, many current three-dimensional (3D) CNS models suffer from deficits that limit their research utility. In this work, we focused on improving the interactions between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and iPSC-derived neurons to support model development.

Spatiotemporal Control of Morphogen Delivery to Pattern Stem Cell Differentiation in Three-Dimensional Hydrogels.

Morphogens are biological molecules that alter cellular identity and behavior across both space and time. During embryonic development, morphogen spatial localization can be confined to small volumes in a single tissue or permeate throughout an entire organism, and the temporal effects of morphogens can range from fractions of a second to several days. In most cases, morphogens are presented as a gradient to adjacent cells within tissues to pattern cell fate.

Spatiotemporal control and modeling of morphogen delivery to induce gradient patterning of stem cell differentiation using fluidic channels.

The process of cell differentiation in a developing embryo is influenced by numerous factors, including various biological molecules whose presentation varies dramatically over space and time. These morphogens regulate cell fate based on concentration profiles, thus creating discrete populations of cells and ultimately generating large, complex tissues and organs. Recently, several in vitro platforms have attempted to recapitulate the complex presentation of extrinsic signals found in nature.

Structural, functional, and behavioral insights of dopamine dysfunction revealed by a deletion in .

The human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT) mediates clearance of DA. Genetic variants in hDAT have been associated with DA dysfunction, a complication associated with several brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the structural and behavioral bases of an ASD-associated in-frame deletion in hDAT at N336 (∆N336).

A national study of Indigenous youth homelessness in Canada.

Objective: This study was designed to address the need for more detailed information about Indigenous homeless youth, a group overrepresented in the homeless population, using a national-level data set.

Study Design: The study used a cross-sectional, self-report survey design.

Methods: Surveys were used to gather demographic, mental health, and quality of life data from a sample of 1103 Canadian youth accessing homeless services with data collected in 2015.

A Customizable, Low-Cost Perfusion System for Sustaining Tissue Constructs.

The fabrication of engineered vascularized tissues and organs requiring sustained, controlled perfusion has been facilitated by the development of several pump systems. Currently, researchers in the field of tissue engineering require the use of pump systems that are in general large, expensive, and generically designed. Overall, these pumps often fail to meet the unique demands of perfusing clinically useful tissue constructs.

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence and prevalence of chronic infection in the adult population in Ireland: a study of residual sera, April 2014 to February 2016.

Robust data on hepatitis C virus (HCV) population prevalence are essential to inform national HCV services. In 2016, we undertook a survey to estimate HCV prevalence among the adult population in Ireland. We used anonymised residual sera available at the National Virus Reference Laboratory.

The 2015 National Canadian Homeless Youth Survey: Mental Health and Addiction Findings.

Objective: This study was designed to provide a representative description of the mental health of youth accessing homelessness services in Canada. It is the most extensive survey in this area to date and is intended to inform the development of mental health and addiction service and policy for this marginalized population.

Methods: This study reports mental health-related data from the 2015 "Leaving Home" national youth homelessness survey, which was administered through 57 agencies serving homeless youth in 42 communities across the country.

Intracellular acidosis and pH regulation in central respiratory chemoreceptors.

Dysfunctions of brainstem regions responsible for central CO2 chemoreception have been proposed as an underlying pathophysiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). We recorded respiratory motor output and intracellular pH (pHi) from chemosensitive neurons in an in vitro tadpole brainstem during normocapnia and hypercapnia. Flash photolysis of the H+ donor nitrobenzaldehyde was used to induce focal decreases in pHi alone.

The association of comorbid anxiety and depression with asthma-related quality of life and symptom perception in adults.

Background And Objective: There are limited data on the association and interaction between anxiety and depression comorbidity and asthma-related quality of life (AQOL) and symptom perception. This study evaluated these associations in patients subsequent to an emergency department (ED) visit for asthma.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 110 (38 male) adult asthma patients (mean age 42 years), who had visited an ED in the previous 18 months.