Prelimbic Cortex Activity Predicts Anxiety-Like Behavior in the Elevated Plus Maze.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a critical role in emotional regulation, and its dysregulation is linked to anxiety disorders. In particular, the prelimbic cortex (PrL) of the mPFC is thought to modulate anxiety-related behaviors, though its precise role remains debated. Here, we used endoscopic in vivo calcium imaging to assess PrL neuronal activity in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats performing in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), a widely used task to measure anxiety-like behavior.

Store-operated Ca entry is involved in endothelium-to-mesenchymal transition in lung vascular endothelial cells.

Unlabelled: Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a biological process that converts endothelial cells to mesenchymal cells with increased proliferative and migrative abilities. EndMT has been implicated in the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a fatal and progressive lung vascular disease. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β ), an inflammatory cytokine, is known to induce EndMT in many types of endothelial cells including lung vascular endothelial cells (LVEC).

Distinct populations suppress or escalate intake of cocaine paired with aversive quinine.

Background: Only a subset of individuals who encounter illicit drugs become persons with a substance use disorder. Individual differences in aversive reactions to drug-associated phenomena like smoke inhalation and unpleasant taste are predictors for continued use. While several preclinical studies have explored self-administration involving aversive cues, none have simultaneously introduced aversion with the initial drug self-administration.

Thymoma-Associated Multiorgan Autoimmunity (TAMA) Presenting as a Graft Versus Host Disease-Like Erythroderma.

Thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity (TAMA) is a rare paraneoplastic disorder that presents similarly to graft versus host disease (GVHD). We report a unique case of TAMA presenting as a GVHD-like erythroderma in an elderly male with a history of benign thymoma. Cutaneous histopathological findings demonstrated vacuolar interface dermatitis with numerous dyskeratotic keratinocytes, exocytosis of lymphocytes, and a mildly acanthotic epidermis, which can be seen in several different disease processes.

Supercomputer framework for reverse engineering firing patterns of neuron populations to identify their synaptic inputs.

In this study, we develop new reverse engineering (RE) techniques to identify the organization of the synaptic inputs generating firing patterns of populations of neurons. We tested these techniques in silico to allow rigorous evaluation of their effectiveness, using remarkably extensive parameter searches enabled by massively-parallel computation on supercomputers. We chose spinal motoneurons as our target neural system, since motoneurons process all motor commands and have well-established input-output properties.

Evaluating protocols for reproducible targeted metabolomics by NMR.

Metabolomics aims to study the downstream effects of variables like diet, environment, or disease on a given biological system. However, inconsistencies in sample preparation, data acquisition/processing protocols lead to reproducibility and accuracy concerns. A systematic study was conducted to assess how sample preparation methods and data analysis platforms affect metabolite susceptibility.

Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Applications for Metabolomics.

Metabolomics is an interdisciplinary field that aims to study all metabolites < 1500 Da that are ubiquitously found within all organisms. Metabolomics is experiencing exponential growth and commonly relies on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) is a form of HRMS that is particularly well suited for metabolomics research due to its exceptionally high resolution (10-10) and sensitivity with a mass accuracy in parts per billion (ppb).

The Legality of Labor and Perceptions of Deservingness of Rights and Services for Sex Workers.

Access to social services like healthcare, education, housing, and welfare are integral to creating an equitable society. While many populations inherently benefit from these services, sex workers are often denied these rights and services because of the nature of their work. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of deservingness of sex workers for a wide range of rights and services.

Simulated LC-MS Data Set for Assessing the Metabolomics Data Processing Pipeline Implemented into MVAPACK.

Metabolomics commonly relies on using one-dimensional (1D) H NMR spectroscopy or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to derive scientific insights from large collections of biological samples. NMR and MS approaches to metabolomics require, among other issues, a data processing pipeline. Quantitative assessment of the performance of these software platforms is challenged by a lack of standardized data sets with "known" outcomes.

In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions.

Scope: There is a lack of research comparing how different protein isolates influence the microbiome, especially when carbohydrate (CHO) availability is varied. The objective is to determine changes in gut microbiota composition and function during fermentation of digested protein isolates under high and low CHO conditions.

Methods And Results: Protein isolates from beef, egg white, milk, pea, and soy are subjected to in vitro digestion and fermentation with human fecal microbiota.

Digital Adherence Technologies and Differentiated Care for Tuberculosis Treatment and Their Acceptability Among Persons With Tuberculosis, Health Care Workers, and Key Informants in the Philippines: Qualitative Interview Study.

Background: Digital adherence technologies (DATs) are being studied to determine their potential to support tuberculosis (TB) treatment and address the shortcomings of directly observed therapy. Previous research has shown inconclusive results on whether DATs can enhance medication adherence among persons with TB.

Objective: This study aims to understand the acceptability of DATs, namely, medication labels and smart pillboxes, among persons with TB, health care workers (HCWs), and key informants (KIs) in the Philippines.

Distinct populations suppress or escalate intake of cocaine paired with aversive quinine.

Background: Only a subset of individuals who encounter drugs of abuse become habitual users. Aversive subjective effects like coughing and unpleasant taste are predictors for continued use. While several preclinical studies have explored self-administration involving aversive cues, none have simultaneously introduced aversion with the initial drug self-administration.

Is Access to Optimal Concussion Care for Pediatric Athletes Limited by Geography?

Objective: To evaluate access to optimal concussion care based on a pediatric patients' geography; the hypothesis is that differential access across the Unites States exists.

Design: Employed a novel strategy using internet searches to find local care, mimicking what families might do in different parts of the country.

Setting: Virtual internet searches.

RECORD, a high-throughput, customizable system that unveils behavioral strategies leveraged by rodents during foraging-like decision-making.

Translational studies benefit from experimental designs where laboratory organisms use human-relevant behaviors. One such behavior is decision-making, however studying complex decision-making in rodents is labor-intensive and typically restricted to two levels of cost/reward. We design a fully automated, inexpensive, high-throughput framework to study decision-making across multiple levels of rewards and costs: the REward-COst in Rodent Decision-making (RECORD) system.

Depression: an individual-level early warning indicator of virologic failure in HIV patients in South Africa.

Objective: To identify individual-level early warning indicators of virologic failure in HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa.

Design: A matched case-control study of individuals with and without virologic failure (VF) (>5 months on ART and HIV-1 plasma viral load >1,000 copies/mL) was conducted between June 2014 and June 2018. Of the 1,000 participants enrolled in the parent cohort, 96 experienced VF, and 199 additional controls were identified from the parent cohort and matched 1:2 (some matched 1:3) for sex, age, ART duration, and site.

Modeling normal mouse uterine contraction and placental perfusion with non-invasive longitudinal dynamic contrast enhancement MRI.

Background: The placenta is a transient organ critical for fetal development. Disruptions of normal placental functions can impact health throughout an individual's entire life. Although being recognized by the NIH Human Placenta Project as an important organ, the placenta remains understudied, partly because of a lack of non-invasive tools for longitudinally evaluation for key aspects of placental functionalities.

Structural and Dynamic Features of Acinetobacter baumannii OXA-66 β-Lactamase Explain Its Stability and Evolution of Novel Variants.

OXA-66 is a member of the OXA-51 subfamily of class D β-lactamases native to the Acinetobacter genus that includes Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the ESKAPE pathogens and a major cause of drug-resistant nosocomial infections. Although both wild type OXA-66 and OXA-51 have low catalytic activity, they are ubiquitous in the Acinetobacter genomes. OXA-51 is also remarkably thermostable.