Melanocortin 4 receptor mutation in obesity.

Obesity is increasingly prevalent worldwide, with genetic factors contributing to its development. The hypothalamic leptin-melanocortin pathway is central to the regulation of appetite and weight; leptin activates the proopiomelanocortin neurons, leading to the production of melanocortin peptides; these in turn act on melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) which suppress appetite and increase energy expenditure. MC4R mutations are responsible for syndromic and non-syndromic obesity.

Built environment and childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity, an escalating global health challenge, is intricately linked to the built environment in which children live, learn, and play. This review and perspective examined the multifaceted relationship between the built environment and childhood obesity, offering insights into potential interventions for prevention. Factors such as urbanization, access to unhealthy food options, sedentary behaviors, and socioeconomic disparities are critical contributors to this complex epidemic.

A mediation analysis evaluating change in self-stigma on diabetes outcomes among people with depression in urban India: A secondary analysis from the INDEPENDENT trial of the collaborative care model.

Self-stigma-the internalization of negative community attitudes and beliefs about a disease or condition-represents an important barrier to improving patient care outcomes for people living with common mental disorders and diabetes. Integrated behavioral healthcare interventions are recognized as evidence-based approaches to improve access to behavioral healthcare and for improving patient outcomes, including for those with comorbid diabetes, yet their impact on addressing self-stigma remains unclear. Using secondary data from the Integrating Depression and Diabetes Treatment (INDEPENDENT) study-a trial that aimed to improve diabetes outcomes for people with undertreated and comorbid depression in four urban Indian cities via the Collaborative Care Model-we longitudinally analyzed self-stigma scores and evaluated whether change in total self-stigma scores on diabetes outcomes is mediated by depressive symptom severity.

HIV Drug Resistance in Newly Diagnosed Young Children in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Background: Pretreatment of HIV drug resistance among children living with HIV (CLHIV) can compromise antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectiveness. Resistance may be transmitted directly from mothers or acquired following exposure to antiretrovirals consumed through breastfeeding or administered as prophylaxis.

Methods: We performed resistance testing in children aged <3 years, newly diagnosed with HIV in Western Cape, South Africa (2021-2022), who either (1) acquired HIV via possible breastfeeding transmission from mothers who received ART (any regimen) during pregnancy/postpartum and/or (2) were exposed to protease inhibitors or integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) in utero.

Factors influencing diabetes treatment satisfaction in the INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT randomized clinical trial: A multilevel model analysis.

Aims: Patient satisfaction is associated with positive diabetes outcomes. However, there are no identified studies that evaluate both patient- and clinic-level predictors influencing diabetes care satisfaction longitudinally.

Methods: Data from the INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT trial was used to perform the analysis.

Uncovering multiscale structure in the variability of larval zebrafish navigation.

Animals chain movements into long-lived motor strategies, exhibiting variability across scales that reflects the interplay between internal states and environmental cues. To reveal structure in such variability, we build Markov models of movement sequences that bridges across time scales and enables a quantitative comparison of behavioral phenotypes among individuals. Applied to larval zebrafish responding to diverse sensory cues, we uncover a hierarchy of long-lived motor strategies, dominated by changes in orientation distinguishing cruising versus wandering strategies.

Uncovering multiscale structure in the variability of larval zebrafish navigation.

Animals chain movements into long-lived motor strategies, resulting in variability that ultimately reflects the interplay between internal states and environmental cues. To reveal structure in such variability, we build models that bridges across time scales that enable a quantitative comparison of behavioral phenotypes among individuals. Applied to larval zebrafish exposed to diverse sensory cues, we uncover a hierarchy of long-lived motor strategies, dominated by changes in orientation distinguishing cruising and wandering strategies.

Patterns of red blood cell utilization: Harnessing electronic health records data from the Information Standard for Blood and Transplant (ISBT) 128 system within the Biologics Effectiveness and Safety (BEST) initiative.

Background: Current hemovigilance methods generally rely on survey data or administrative claims data utilizing billing and revenue codes, each of which has limitations. We used electronic health records (EHR) linked to blood bank data to comprehensively characterize red blood cell (RBC) utilization patterns and trends in three healthcare systems participating in the U.S.

Factors associated with vertical transmission of HIV in the Western Cape, South Africa: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Introduction: Monitoring mother-infant pairs with HIV exposure is needed to assess the effectiveness of vertical transmission (VT) prevention programmes and progress towards VT elimination.

Methods: We used routinely collected data on infants with HIV exposure, born May 2018-April 2021 in the Western Cape, South Africa, with follow-up through mid-2022. We assessed the proportion of infants diagnosed with HIV at birth (≤7 days), 10 weeks (>1 to 14 weeks) and >14 weeks as proxies for intrauterine, intrapartum/early breastfeeding and late breastfeeding transmission, respectively.

Expert eValuation of Efficacy and Rationality of Vildagliptin "EVER-Vilda": An Indian Perspective.

Vildagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor is effective in reducing HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) when administered as monotherapy, dual or triple combination therapy. In India, Vildagliptin is commonly prescribed in T2DM patients because it reduces mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE), has lower risk of hypoglycemia and is weight neutral. Early combination therapy with vildagliptin and metformin is effective and well-tolerated in patients with T2DM, regardless of age or ethnicity.

Association of collaborative care intervention features with depression and metabolic outcomes in the INDEPENDENT study: A mixed methods study.

Aims: The INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT (INDEPENDENT) trial tested a collaborative care model including electronic clinical decision support (CDS) for treating diabetes and depression in India. We aimed to assess which features of this clinically and cost-effective intervention were associated with improvements in diabetes and depression measures.

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of the INDEPENDENT trial data (189 intervention participants) was conducted to determine each intervention feature's effect: 1.

The Impact of a Collaborative Care Model on Health Trajectories among Patients with Co-Morbid Depression and Diabetes: The INDEPENDENT Study.

Context: Collaborative care models for depression have been successful in a variety of settings, but their success may differ by patient engagement. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of the INDEPENDENT trial to investigate the role of differential engagement of participants on health outcomes over 3 years.

Settings And Design: INDEPENDENT study was a parallel, single-blinded, randomised clinical trial conducted at four socio-economically diverse clinics in India.

Sustained-Release Vildagliptin 100 mg in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Review.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4Is) were introduced into the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as they are insulinotropic and have no inherent risk of hypoglycemia and no effect on body weight. Currently, 11 drugs in this class are available for the management of diabetes. Although they have a similar mechanism of action, they differ from one other in their binding mechanisms, which influences their therapeutic and pharmacological profiles.

Fluctuating landscapes and heavy tails in animal behavior.

Animal behavior is shaped by a myriad of mechanisms acting on a wide range of scales, which hampers quantitative reasoning and the identification of general principles. Here, we combine data analysis and theory to investigate the relationship between behavioral plasticity and heavy-tailed statistics often observed in animal behavior. Specifically, we first leverage high-resolution recordings of locomotion to show that stochastic transitions among long-lived behaviors exhibit heavy-tailed first passage time distributions and correlation functions.

Long-term Effects of a Collaborative Care Model on Metabolic Outcomes and Depressive Symptoms: 36-Month Outcomes from the INDEPENDENT Intervention.

Background: Collaborative care (CC) is a multicomponent team-based approach to providing mental health care with systematic integration into outpatient medical settings. The 12-month INDEPENDENT CC intervention improved joint disease control measures in patients with both depression and diabetes at 12 and 24 months following randomization.

Objective: This study investigated the durability of intervention effects on patient outcomes at 36 months following randomization.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Collaborative Care Model Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Depression in India.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of collaborative versus usual care in adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and depression in India.

Research Design And Methods: We performed a within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis of a 24-month parallel, open-label, pragmatic randomized clinical trial at four urban clinics in India from multipayer and societal perspectives. The trial randomly assigned 404 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥8.

Surfactant mediated suppression of aggregation and excited state ring puckering process in Pyrromethene 597-Application in water based dye laser.

Water is being considered as an economical, safe and environmental friendly alternative solvent for dye lasers. However, the use of water in dye laser is restricted due to the formation of non-emissive aggregates of dye molecules. In the present study we have explored the possibility of the use of commercially available surfactant molecules for the water based laser of Pyrromethene 597 (PM597) dye, which has emerged as an alternative for more commonly used Rhodamine dyes in dye laser systems.

Evaluation of Radiation Dose Reduction and its Effect on Image Quality for Different Flat-Panel Detectors.

Purpose: To evaluate the image quality of semi-anatomical chest radiographs acquired using low radiation doses from seven different flat-panel detector (FPD) systems.

Materials And Methods: Radiographs of a semi-anatomical chest phantom were acquired at 70 and 110 kVp using 7 different FPDs from 5 vendors. Radiation doses were measured using a dose-area-product (DAP) meter.

Can the management of depression in type 2 diabetes be democratized?

Both type 2 diabetes and depression are common and are projected to increase. There is increasing evidence for a bidirectional relationship between the two. Diabetes is a risk factor for depression; contrariwise, individuals with depression are at greater risk of developing diabetes.

Effect of a collaborative care model on anxiety symptoms among patients with depression and diabetes in India: The INDEPENDENT randomized clinical trial.

Objective: We assessed the impact of a collaborative care intervention on anxiety symptoms among participants in India with comorbid depression, poorly controlled diabetes, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms.

Method: We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial conducted at four diabetes clinics in India. Participants received either collaborative care or usual care.