The microgravity environment affects sensorimotor adaptation and its neural correlates.

The microgravity environment results in transient changes in sensorimotor behavior upon astronauts' return to Earth; the effects on behavior inflight are less understood. We examined whether adaptation to sensory conflict is disrupted in microgravity, suggesting competition for adaptive resources. We evaluated sensorimotor adaptation pre-, in-, and post-flight, as well as functional brain changes at pre- and post-flight, in astronauts participating in International Space Station missions.

Influence of Experience, Training Frequency, and Sex on Climbing-Specific Grip Force in Rock Climbers of Varying Skill Level.

Rock climbing is a growing sport at both professional and recreational levels. Rock climbing requires specific hand positions with high force outputs to adapt to changing terrain requirements. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between years of climbing experience, the frequency of training, and skill level on force production in 2 different climbing-specific hand positions.

Effect of sign language learning on temporal resolution of visual attention.

The visual environment of sign language users is markedly distinct in its spatiotemporal parameters compared to that of non-signers. Although the importance of temporal and spectral resolution in the auditory modality for language development is well established, the spectrotemporal parameters of visual attention necessary for sign language comprehension remain less understood. This study investigates visual temporal resolution in learners of American Sign Language (ASL) at various stages of acquisition to determine how experience with sign language affects perceptual sampling.

Development and application of decontamination methods for the re-use of laboratory grade plastic pipette tips.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a need for methods to decontaminate and reuse personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical plastics became a priority. In this investigation we aimed to develop a contamination evaluation protocol for laboratory pipette tips, after decontamination. Decontamination methods tested in this study included cleaning with a common laboratory detergent (2.

First Report of Accumulation of Lyngbyatoxin-A in Edible Shellfish in Aotearoa New Zealand from Marine Benthic Cyanobacteria.

This study reports the first documented accumulation of lyngbyatoxin-a (LTA), a cyanotoxin produced by marine benthic cyanobacteria, in edible shellfish in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study investigates two bloom events in 2022 and 2023 on Waiheke Island, where hundreds of tonnes of marine benthic cyanobacterial mats (mBCMs) washed ashore each summer. Genetic analysis identified the cyanobacterium responsible for the blooms as sp.

Cerebral collateral flow state in acute ischemic stroke correlates with clinical functional outcomes in non-thrombectomy patients.

Introduction: Hypoperfusion index ratio (HIR) measured by computerized tomography perfusion (CTP) has been shown to predict collateral flow state in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Low HIR (<0.4) is indicative of good collateral flow state.

BMIgap: a new tool to quantify transdiagnostic brain signatures of current and future weight.

Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of weight gain could reduce excess mortality and improve long-term trajectories of psychiatric disorders. We used support-vector machines and whole-brain voxel-wise grey matter volume to generate and validate a BMI predictor in healthy individuals (N = 1504) and applied it to individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ,N = 146), clinical high-risk states for psychosis (CHR,N = 213) and recent-onset depression (ROD,N = 200). We computed BMIgap (BMI-BMI), interrogated its brain-level overlaps with SCZ and explored whether BMIgap predicted weight gain at 1- and 2-year follow-up.

Implementation of risk mitigation prescribing during dual public health emergencies: A qualitative study among Indigenous people who use drugs and health planners in Northern British Columbia, Canada.

Background: In response to the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the overdose crisis, the Government of British Columbia (BC) introduced risk mitigation prescribing, or prescribed safer supply. In the context of colonialism and racism, Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by substance use harms and experience significant barriers to receiving care, particularly those living in rural and remote communities. As part of a larger provincial evaluation, we sought to assess the implementation of risk mitigation prescribing as experienced by Indigenous people who use drugs (IPWUD) in Northern BC.

Perirhinal cortex to the nucleus accumbens circuit in novelty salience following methamphetamine self-administration.

Methamphetamine (meth) use disorder is part of an overarching use disorder that encompasses continued drug seeking and an increased risk of returning to drug use following periods of abstaining. Chronic meth use results in drug-induced cortical plasticity in the perirhinal cortex (PRC) that mediates responses to novelty. PRH projection targets are numerous and include the nucleus accumbens core (NAc).

The Most Socially Vulnerable Patients Benefit the Most Following Gender Affirming Facial Surgery.

Objective: While studies have shown that access to facial feminization surgery can be restricted by financial and geographic limitations, there is a lack of information on the impact of surgery on the most vulnerable patients. Therefore, this study assessed the impact of social vulnerability and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on patient-reported outcomes after facial feminization surgery.

Methods: Patients were surveyed pre and postoperatively using the FACE-Q Aesthetics Questionnaire and geo-coded using home addresses to obtain social vulnerability index (SVI) and Area Deprivation Index scores.

Parallel development of object recognition in newborn chicks and deep neural networks.

How do newborns learn to see? We propose that visual systems are space-time fitters, meaning visual development can be understood as a blind fitting process (akin to evolution) in which visual systems gradually adapt to the spatiotemporal data distributions in the newborn's environment. To test whether space-time fitting is a viable theory for learning how to see, we performed parallel controlled-rearing experiments on newborn chicks and deep neural networks (DNNs), including CNNs and transformers. First, we raised newborn chicks in impoverished environments containing a single object, then simulated those environments in a video game engine.

Opportunities to enhance retention on medication for opioid use disorder for adolescents and young adults: results from a qualitative study with medical providers in Philadelphia, PA.

Background: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are under-prescribed to adolescents and young adults (AYA). Few published studies have explored challenges to and opportunities to enhance continuous provision of MOUD for AYA. Our report focuses on this emergent theme that was identified as part of a larger qualitative study.

Deficiency of mitophagy mediator Parkin in aortic smooth muscle cells exacerbates abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a degenerative aortic disease and associated with hallmarks of aging, such as mitophagy. Despite this, the exact associations among mitophagy, aging, and AAA progression remain unknown. In our study, gene expression analysis of human AAA tissue revealed downregulation of mitophagy pathways, mitochondrial structure, and function-related proteins.

Neurocognitive dysfunction in adolescents with recent onset major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional comparative study.

The aim of this study was to examine the neurocognitive deficits associated with the first episode of major depressive disorder (recent onset depression, ROD) in adolescents as compared to adult patients. Cross-sectional neurocognitive data from the baseline assessments of the PRONIA study with N = 650 (55.31% females) were analyzed.

Adolescent Chlamydia Screening in Pediatric Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project.

Aim: To increase Chlamydia trachomatis screening in adolescents 15-19 years of age from 7.8% to 15% following a 6-week implementation of universal chlamydia screening at three paediatric primary care (PPC) sites.

Methods: Pre-implementation (1 January 2022-19 October 2022) and post-implementation (20 October 2022-1 June 2023) screening rates were tracked through run charts and compared via Chi-square testing.

Fertility Planning Is More Critical Now Than Ever.

Comprehensive fertility care has been reduced in many parts of the United States following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2022 in the Dobbs v.

A Randomized Trial of Drug Route in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Background: In patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the effectiveness of drugs such as epinephrine is highly time-dependent. An intraosseous route of drug administration may enable more rapid drug administration than an intravenous route; however, its effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial across 11 emergency medical systems in the United Kingdom that involved adults in cardiac arrest for whom vascular access for drug administration was needed.

The Influence of the Estrous Cycle on Neuropeptide S Receptor-Mediated Behaviors.

The neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR) has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Central administration of neuropeptide S (NPS) in male mice produces anxiolytic-like effects, hyperlocomotion, and memory enhancement. Currently, the literature is limited in the number of studies investigating the effects of NPS in female test subjects despite females facing a higher prevalence of anxiety-related pathology, as well as greater risk for adverse effects while taking psychoactive drugs.

Minimally Invasive Transhiatal Esophagectomy Using Antegrade Inversion Technique in Esophageal Cancer: 10-Year Experience from a Tertiary Care Center.

Esophageal cancer surgery aims for curative intent but carries high complication rates. Transthoracic esophagectomy is the dominant approach, however, transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) offers selective advantages in certain clinical scenarios. Minimally invasive THE (MI-THE) is an evolving technique with limited data.

Unveiling the silent suffering: Examining the complexities of disclosure and concealment strategies in women living with obstetric fistula.

Obstetric Fistula (OF), one of the tragic birth injuries in developing countries, overwhelms women living with this condition with multifaceted effects. Although concealing has been justified in some studies, revealing is also encouraged. Such uncertainty leaves women in a loop of tension in managing the disclosure or non-disclosure of their diagnosis.

Experiences of residents in a therapeutic community model of substance use disorder treatment in a mental hospital in Ghana.

Background: In Ghana, the use of illegal drugs and alcohol has been classified as endemic. To manage this menace, the Therapeutic Community model for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) was introduced in Ghana about a decade ago as an alternative to other existing strategies. However, the effectiveness of this treatment modality for substance use disorders in Pantang Mental Hospital and Accra Psychiatric Hospital has not been scientifically studied.

Physiological deterioration prior to in-hospital cardiac arrest: What does the National Early Warning Score-2 miss?

Aim: To determine the frequency with which the National Early Warning Score-2 (NEWS-2) fails to detect physiological deterioration preceding in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of all adult patients (age ≥ 18) who had suffered an IHCA between 1st July 2019 and 31st December 2021 in two large acute hospitals located in an urban centre (Nottingham, UK). Clinical observations and case notes were examined for the period leading up to IHCA events to determine if there was evidence of physiological deterioration which warranted an urgent patient assessment, whether NEWS-2 was triggered, and whether an urgent assessment actually took place.