Xenotransplantation: future frontiers and challenges.

Purpose Of Review: Recent advancements in genetic engineering have propelled the field of xenotransplantation from preclinical models to early compassionate use cases. As first-in-human clinical trials (FIHCTs) approach, we examine recent developments, ethical and regulatory challenges, immunological considerations, and the clinical infrastructure necessary for successful xenotransplantation trials.

Recent Findings: Expanded access transplants of pig hearts, kidneys, and livers have identified key challenges.

Mechanosensation of the heart and gut elicits hypometabolism and vigilance in mice.

Interoception broadly refers to awareness of one's internal milieu. Although the importance of the body-to-brain communication that underlies interoception is implicit, the vagal afferent signalling and corresponding brain circuits that shape perception of the viscera are not entirely clear. Here, we use mice to parse neural circuits subserving interoception of the heart and gut.

Patterns in affect and personality states across the menstrual cycle.

Affective, behavioral, and cognitive (i.e., personality) states fluctuate across situations and context, yet the biological mechanisms regulating them remain unclear.

Identifying psychosocial predictors and developing a risk score for preterm birth among Kenyan pregnant women.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neonatal mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where 40% of global neonatal deaths occur. We identified and combined demographic, clinical, and psychosocial correlates of PTB among Kenyan women to develop a risk score.

Methods: We used data from a prospective study enrolling HIV-negative women from 20 antenatal clinics in Western Kenya (NCT03070600).

Delayed Onset Iliopsoas Tendonitis With Intramuscular Hematoma Following Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Iliopsoas tendonitis following total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be challenging to diagnose due to the many causes of postoperative groin pain. This case involves a 66-year-old female with right-sided hip and groin pain and a palpable mass, 3 years post-THA. Initial recovery was unremarkable until the sudden onset of symptoms after exercise.

Transcriptomic and genetic profiling in a spontaneous non-human primate model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) afflicts humans, cats, pigs, and rhesus macaques. Disease sequelae include congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Sarcomeric mutations explain some human and cat cases, however, the molecular basis in rhesus macaques remains unknown.

Laboratory Studies on the Influence of Hydrogen on Titan-like Photochemistry.

Laboratory investigations of photochemical reactions in simulated Titan-like atmospheric systems provide insight into the formation of gas and aerosol products and the influence of different environmental parameters on the types of organic molecules generated. Studying the gas-phase products as a function of reaction time provides further insight into the reaction pathways that lead to organic production. The stable isotopes in the reactants and products serve as tracers and help to disentangle these reaction pathways.

Single Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of -Associated Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Across Species Reveals Conservation of Biological Process But Not Gene Expression.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heritable heart disease where the most frequently associated mutations occur in the myosin-binding protein C () sarcomere-associated gene. HCM is also a common veterinary clinical problem in certain cat breeds such as Maine Coons and Ragdolls, also most associated with mutations in . Mouse models of HCM in which mutations are introduced recapitulate some, but not all, features of human HCM.

Global Insights from Patients, Providers, and Staff on Challenges and Solutions in Managing Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is a global public-health concern, associated with a considerable burden to individuals, healthcare systems, and society. The objective of this study was to understand different perspectives on the challenges associated with the clinical management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, which could elucidate measures to comprehensively improve clinical care and outcomes.

Methods: A survey was carried out of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, their providers, and clinic staff in 77 clinics across 24 countries on six continents, from a diverse range of healthcare systems, settings, and reimbursement models.

Improving Clinical Management of Diabetic Macular Edema: Insights from a Global Survey of Patients, Healthcare Providers, and Clinic Staff.

Introduction: In contrast with patients receiving therapy for retinal disease during clinical trials, those treated in routine clinical practice experience various challenges (including administrative, clinic, social, and patient-related factors) that can often result in high patient and clinic burden, and contribute to suboptimal visual outcomes. The objective of this study was to understand the challenges associated with clinical management of diabetic macular edema from the perspectives of patients, healthcare providers, and clinic staff, and identify opportunities to improve eye care for people with diabetes.

Methods: We conducted a survey of patients with diabetic macular edema, providers, and clinic staff in 78 clinics across 24 countries on six continents, representing a diverse range of individuals, healthcare systems, settings, and reimbursement models.

Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness for Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Related Lower Respiratory Tract Disease.

Importance: Clinical trials have demonstrated high vaccine efficacy (VE) against lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) but enrolled a smaller proportion of persons aged 75 years or older and those with comorbidities than seen in highest-risk populations in clinical practice settings. Additionally, VE against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits is not yet fully described.

Objective: To estimate Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F (RSVpreF) effectiveness in older adults.

Pathophysiology and Management of Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Purpose Of Review: Discuss the current understanding of the pathophysiology and management of refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN). This includes a discussion on why TN can recur after microvascular decompression and a discussion on "outside of the box" options when both first- and second-line management strategies have been exhausted.

Recent Findings: This review discusses second- and third-line oral medication options, botulinum toxin A, repeat microvascular decompression, repeat ablative procedures, internal neurolysis, trigeminal branch blockade, and neuromodulation using TMS or peripheral stimulation.

Environmental Changes Recorded in Sedimentary Rocks in the Clay-Sulfate Transition Region in Gale Crater, Mars: Results From the Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analysis Instrument Onboard the Mars Science Laboratory Rover.

The rover explored the region between the orbitally defined phyllosilicate-bearing Glen Torridon trough and the overlying layered sulfate-bearing unit, called the "clay-sulfate transition region." Samples were drilled from the top of the fluviolacustrine Glasgow member of the Carolyn Shoemaker formation (CSf) to the eolian Contigo member of the Mirador formation (MIf) to assess in situ mineralogical changes with stratigraphic position. The Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analysis (SAM-EGA) instrument analyzed drilled samples within this region to constrain their volatile chemistry and mineralogy.

An Amperometric Sensor with Anti-Fouling Properties for Indicating Xylazine Adulterant in Beverages.

Amperometric electrochemical sensing schemes, which are easily fabricated and can directly relate measured current with analyte concentrations, remain a promising strategy for the development of the portable, in situ detection of commonly employed adulterants. Xylazine (XYL) is a non-narcotic compound designed for veterinary use as a sedative known as Rompun. XYL is increasingly being abused as a recreational drug, as an opioid adulterant and, because of its chemical properties, has found unfortunate prominence as a date rape drug spiked into beverages.

Fouling-Resistant Voltammetric Xylazine Sensors for Detection of the Street Drug "Tranq".

As the opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc on a global scale, it is increasingly critical to develop methodologies to detect the most dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and its derivatives, which have orders of magnitude higher potency than morphine. The scientific challenge for chemical detection of fentanyl and its derivatives is complicated by both the constantly increasing synthetic variations of the drug as well as the expanded use of adulterants. One tragically consequential example is the nocuous street drug known as "Tranq", which combines fentanyl or a fentanyl derivative with the veterinary sedative Rompun, chemically identified as xylazine (XYL).

Electronic Monitoring of Mom's Schedule (eMOMS™): A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Postpartum Weight Retention and Breastfeeding Duration Among Populations With Overweight/Obesity.

Background: Globally, rising trends in gestational diabetes and body mass index contribute to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle modifications and breastfeeding may reverse this effect, although few studies combine these into one intervention.

Research Aims: To measure postpartum weight retention, breastfeeding duration, hemoglobin A1C, and mean arterial blood pressure at 6 months postpartum among women with elevated pre-pregnancy body mass index.

Differences Between Lifelong Singles and Ever-Partnered Individuals in Big Five Personality Traits and Life Satisfaction.

Being romantically partnered is widely seen as a societal norm, and it has been shown to be positively associated with important life outcomes, such as physical and mental health. However, the percentage of singles is steadily increasing, with more people staying single for life. We used the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; = 77,064, mainly ≥ 50 years, 27 countries) to investigate Big Five personality traits and life satisfaction in lifelong singles compared with ever-partnered individuals.

Angiotensin-II drives changes in microglia-vascular interactions in rats with heart failure.

Activation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, leading to the subsequent release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, has been linked to cardiac remodeling, autonomic disbalance, and cognitive deficits in heart failure (HF). While previous studies emphasized the role of hippocampal Angiotensin II (AngII) signaling in HF-induced microglial activation, unanswered mechanistic questions persist. Evidence suggests significant interactions between microglia and local microvasculature, potentially affecting blood-brain barrier integrity and cerebral blood flow regulation.

Mary Main's concept of conditional strategies: influences on studies of child-parent and adult romantic attachments.

Among Mary Main's many vital contributions to the field of attachment is the idea that human infants develop adaptive in the service of maintaining proximity to a secure base in light of a particular caregiving history. In this tribute paper, we describe Main's original theorizing, which delineated three types of conditional strategies: a primary strategy and two secondary strategies of or the naturally occurring output of the attachment behavioral system, using a variety of cognitive, affective, and behavioral means. We review the large body of evidence for minimizing and maximizing strategies in infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Impaired oxytocin signalling in the central amygdala in rats with chronic heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) patients suffer from cognitive decline and mood impairments, but the molecular signals and brain circuits underlying these effects remain elusive. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in regulating mood, and OTergic signalling in the central amygdala (CeA) is a key mechanism that controls emotional responses including anxiety-like behaviours. Still, whether an altered OTergic signalling contributes to mood disorders in HF remains unknown.

Coordination of parent and adolescent attachment across time.

Adolescence is a period of rapid social changes that may have important implications for the ways adolescents think, feel, and behave in their close relationships. According to family systems theory, adolescents' attachment-related changes have the potential to spread throughout their family system, leading to coordinated changes in parents' and adolescents' attachment styles over time. The present study analyzed data from 205 adolescents ( = 14.

Highly enriched carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonate-derived CO at Gale crater, Mars.

Carbonate minerals are of particular interest in paleoenvironmental research as they are an integral part of the carbon and water cycles, both of which are relevant to habitability. Given that these cycles are less constrained on Mars than they are on Earth, the identification of carbonates has been a point of emphasis for rover missions. Here, we present carbon (δC) and oxygen (δO) isotope data from four carbonates encountered by the Curiosity rover within the Gale crater.