Long-Term Use of Muscle Relaxant Medications for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Stricter opioid prescribing guidelines have increased prescriptions of skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) for chronic pain, but the efficacy of long-term use of SMRs for chronic pain is unknown.

Objective: To systematically review the effectiveness or efficacy of long-term use of SMRs for chronic pain.

Evidence Review: Two reviewers systematically searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase (Ovid), Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane through December 4, 2023.

Carotid body dysregulation contributes to Long COVID symptoms.

Background: The symptoms of long COVID, which include fatigue, breathlessness, dysregulated breathing, and exercise intolerance, have unknown mechanisms. These symptoms are also observed in heart failure and are partially driven by increased sensitivity of the carotid chemoreflex. As the carotid body has an abundance of ACE2 (the cell entry mechanism for SARS-CoV-2), we investigated whether carotid chemoreflex sensitivity was elevated in participants with long COVID.

Rapid Methadone Induction in a General Hospital Setting: A Retrospective, Observational Analysis.

Background: Outpatient methadone guidelines recommend starting at a low dose and titrating slowly. As fentanyl prevalence and opioid-related mortality increases, there is a need for individuals to rapidly achieve a therapeutic methadone dose. Hospitalization offers a monitored setting for methadone initiation, however dosing practices and safety are not well described.

Aging in females is associated with changes in respiratory modulation of sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure.

Sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) is tightly coupled with the respiratory cycle. In healthy human males, respiratory modulation of SNA does not change with age. However, it is unclear how this modulation is affected by age in females.

Tumor cell heterogeneity drives spatial organization of the intratumoral immune response in squamous cell skin carcinoma.

Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH)-defined as genetic and cellular diversity within a tumor-is linked to failure of immunotherapy and an inferior anti-tumor immune response. The underlying mechanism of this association is unknown. To address this question, we modeled heterogeneous tumors comprised of a pro-inflammatory ("hot") and an immunosuppressive ("cold") tumor population, labeled with YFP and RFP tags respectively to enable precise spatial tracking.

Stretching Peptides to Generate Small Molecule β-Strand Mimics.

Advances in the modulation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) enable both characterization of PPI networks that govern diseases and design of therapeutics and probes. The shallow protein surfaces that dominate PPIs are challenging to target using standard methods, and approaches for accessing extended backbone structures are limited. Here, we incorporate a rigid, linear, diyne brace between side chains at the to 2 positions to generate a family of low-molecular-weight, extended-backbone peptide macrocycles.

(Why) Is Misinformation a Problem?

In the last decade there has been a proliferation of research on misinformation. One important aspect of this work that receives less attention than it should is exactly why misinformation is a problem. To adequately address this question, we must first look to its speculated causes and effects.

Self-reported Side-effects of Ultraviolet-C Disinfection Devices.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased sales of portable UV-C devices as a means of inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Research suggests that excessive UV-C exposure to the eyes and skin can lead to side-effects, primarily photokeratitis and erythema, but these findings are limited to case studies. This study explores self-reported side-effects of UV-C devices by collating five waves of UK consumer survey data from April 2020-December 2021 (N = 26 864).

Variation in medical humanities program mission statements in United States and Canadian Medical Schools.

Purpose: In 2019, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) identified the discipline of medical humanities as a priority in medical education. Although medical humanities programs have existed in medical and osteopathic schools in the U.S.

Actions Do Not Always Speak Louder Than Words.

Financial (dis)incentives (e.g., bonuses, taxes) and social incentives (e.

Direct observation of peptide hydrogel self-assembly.

The characterization of self-assembling molecules presents significant experimental challenges, especially when associated with phase separation or precipitation. Transparent window infrared (IR) spectroscopy leverages site-specific probes that absorb in the "transparent window" region of the biomolecular IR spectrum. Carbon-deuterium (C-D) bonds are especially compelling transparent window probes since they are non-perturbative, can be readily introduced site selectively into peptides and proteins, and their stretch frequencies are sensitive to changes in the local molecular environment.

Overlapping needs for sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention in women with substance use disorders.

Objectives: Women with substance use disorders have high unmet needs for HIV prevention and drug treatment and face challenges accessing care for other unique health issues, including their sexual and reproductive health.

Methods: We did a cross-sectional evaluation of sexual and reproductive health behaviors and outcomes among women with substance use disorders, who were enrolled in one of two concurrent clinical trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Descriptive analyses and bivariate logistic regression were used to assess factors driving contraceptive use, and other essential sexual and reproductive health services utilization and outcomes.

Sympathetic-transduction in untreated hypertension.

Transduction of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) into vascular tone varies with age and sex. Older normotensive men have reduced sympathetic transduction so that a given level of MSNA causes less arteriole vasoconstriction. Whether sympathetic transduction is altered in hypertension (HTN) is not known.

Methadone Access for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the United States and Canada.

Importance: Methadone access may be uniquely vulnerable to disruption during COVID-19, and even short delays in access are associated with decreased medication initiation and increased illicit opioid use and overdose death. Relative to Canada, US methadone provision is more restricted and limited to specialized opioid treatment programs.

Objective: To compare timely access to methadone initiation in the US and Canada during COVID-19.

"A good mother": Impact of motherhood identity on women's substance use and engagement in treatment across the lifespan.

Background: Women are underrepresented in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Interpersonal and structural factors affect women's access to SUD treatment, but limited research evaluates how motherhood is a potential barrier and facilitator to engagement in SUD treatment. We focus on women from young to middle adulthood, and capture women's identities as mothers, caretakers, and grandmothers, outside of pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Daily wellness behaviors in college students across a school year.

To establish the prevalence of mood and wellness behaviors in college students across a school year. 1,554 college students (69.4% female; average age 18.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on College Student Mental Health and Wellness.

Objective: To test the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic on the emotions, behavior, and wellness behaviors of first-year college students.

Method: A total of 675 first-year university students completed a full assessment of behavioral and emotional functioning at the beginning of the spring semester 2020. Of these, 576 completed the same assessment at the end of the spring semester, 600 completed at least 1 item from a COVID-related survey after the onset of COVID pandemic, and 485 completed nightly surveys of mood and wellness behaviors on a regular basis before and after the onset of the COVID crisis.