Timing of Infection as a Key Driver of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Mortality Rates During the Prevaccine Period.

Disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 mortality are driven by inequalities in group-specific incidence rates (IRs), case fatality rates (CFRs), and their interaction. For emerging infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, group-specific IRs and CFRs change on different time scales, and inequities in these measures may reflect different social and medical mechanisms. To be useful tools for public health surveillance and policy, analyses of changing mortality rate disparities must independently address changes in IRs and CFRs.

Neuropathy and the metabolic syndrome.

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are major global health challenges that contribute significantly to the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and neuropathy. Neuropathy, a common and disabling complication of T2D, is characterized by progressive distal-to-proximal axonal degeneration, driven in part by mitochondrial dysfunction in both neurons and axons. Recent evidence points to the toxic effects of saturated fatty acids on peripheral nerve health, with studies demonstrating that these fats impair mitochondrial function and bioenergetics, leading to distal axonal loss.

Characterization of Tip Fold-Over Using Fluoroscopy and Intracochlear Pressure in Cadaver Specimens.

Objectives: Cochlear implant array malpositioning is associated with impaired speech perception, vertigo, and facial nerve stimulation. Tip fold-over is a subset of malpositioning that occurs more often with perimodiolar electrodes, but historically it has not been characterized due to lack of knowledge regarding electrode movements of the electrode within the cochlea. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanics of tip fold-over events and their associated insertion pressure profiles.

A neurodegenerative cellular stress response linked to dark microglia and toxic lipid secretion.

The brain's primary immune cells, microglia, are a leading causal cell type in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, the mechanisms by which microglia can drive neurodegeneration remain unresolved. Here, we discover that a conserved stress signaling pathway, the integrated stress response (ISR), characterizes a microglia subset with neurodegenerative outcomes.

Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology (THRIFT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of vision interventions and online banking among the elderly in Kurigram.

Introduction: Presbyopia, difficulty in seeing close-ups, affects a billion people globally. Mobile financial services (MFS) have been mandated since January 2021 for Bangladesh government social safety net payments, including old age allowance (OAA) and widow allowance (WA). We report the protocol for the Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology randomised trial assessing the impact on the use of online banking of providing presbyopic safety net beneficiaries with reading glasses, and brief smartphone and mobile banking app training.

Post-eclosion growth in the Drosophila Ejaculatory Duct is driven by Juvenile Hormone signaling and is essential for male fertility.

The Drosophila Ejaculatory duct (ED) is a secretory tissue of the somatic male reproductive system. The ED is involved in the secretion of seminal fluid components and ED-specific antimicrobial peptides that aid in fertility and the female post-mating response. The ED is composed of secretory epithelial cells surrounded by a layer of innervated contractile muscle.

Surface Hydration and Antifouling Activity of Coatings of Polymers and Their Zwitterionic Derivatives Prepared Using Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD).

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy was applied to study the surface hydration and protein adsorption behavior on several polymer coatings based on pyridine, imidazole, and amine side groups along with vinyl or methacrylate backbones and their corresponding zwitterionic forms with carboxybetaine or sulfobetaine side chains, prepared by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). iCVD also enables facile tuning of the cross-linking density of the polymer coatings by blending in a cross-linker during the deposition, namely, 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-tetravinyl cyclotetrasiloxane. Our results show that both the low- and high-cross-linking density zwitterionic polymers exhibit significantly better antifouling activities compared to those of the polymers without the zwitterionic side chains.

Preferences, Perceptions, and Environmental Considerations of Natural and Synthetic Psychedelic Substances: Findings from the Global Psychedelic Survey.

Although several studies have well described the characteristics of people who use psychedelics alongside their motivations and beliefs, little research has examined the preferences surrounding the source of psychedelic substances. In an anonymous online survey, we collected data from 6,379 consumers of 11 different psychedelic substances from 85 different countries, exploring their preferences and perceptions on natural and synthetic psychedelics. There was a strong preference of natural sources over synthetic alternatives for psilocybin (75%), DMT (56%), and mescaline (56%).

Characterizing the Relationships Amongst Psychological Safety, the Learning Environment, and Well-Being in Surgical Faculty and Trainees.

Objective: Learning environments affect the well-being of surgical faculty and trainees. Psychological safety (PS) has been linked with learning behaviors and aspects of well-being within medicine; however, given the unique challenges inherent to the surgical learning environment, there is a need to more closely examine these concepts for surgical faculty and trainees. The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between learning environment and PS, as well as PS and well-being with surgery.

Building global collaborative research networks in paediatric critical care: a roadmap.

Paediatric critical care units are designed for children at a vulnerable stage of development, yet the evidence base for practice and policy in paediatric critical care remains scarce. In this Health Policy, we present a roadmap providing strategic guidance for international paediatric critical care trials. We convened a multidisciplinary group of 32 paediatric critical care experts from six continents representing paediatric critical care research networks and groups.

Can We Prevent Recurrent UTIs Without Antibiotics, in Both Those Who Do and Do Not Use Catheters? ICI-RS 2024.

Aims: Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons for antibiotic prescription. The widespread use of antibiotic treatments contributes to the global health problem of antimicrobial resistance development. To slow down the progression of antimicrobial resistance, it is essential that we explore nonantibiotic preventive treatments for this common condition.

Long-Term Outcomes of Neoadjuvant IntraArterial Chemotherapy for Locally Invasive Lacrimal Gland Carcinoma ex Pleomorphic Adenoma.

Purpose: There is no current standard treatment regimen for carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) of the lacrimal gland. Neoadjuvant intraarterial cytoreductive chemotherapy (IACC) followed by multimodal therapy has achieved good locoregional control in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. We reviewed our experience with neoadjuvant IACC followed by multimodal therapy for CXPA of the lacrimal gland.

Open-Source Anaerobic Digestion Modeling Platform, Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 Fast (ADM1F).

An open-source modeling platform, called Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 Fast (ADM1F), is introduced to achieve fast and numerically stable simulations of anaerobic digestion processes. ADM1F is compatible with an iPython interface to facilitate model configuration, simulation, data analysis, and visualization.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Surgeons and Attitudes Towards Wearable Devices for Ergonomic Optimization.

Objective: To assess the burden of ergonomic strain and to examine factors influencing intention to use wearable technology that may improve ergonomics during surgery.

Background: Surgical ergonomic strain leads to high rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and pain, contributing to early surgeon retirement and an epidemic of burnout.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of surgeons at a single institution was conducted using two validated instruments, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), assessing musculoskeletal strain and facilitators of wearable sensor use, respectively.

Photoacoustic and fluorescence dual-modality imaging of cerebral biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease rodent model.

Significance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a predominant form of dementia that can lead to a decline in the quality of life and mortality. The understanding of the pathological changes requires monitoring of multiple cerebral biomarkers simultaneously with high resolution. Photoacoustic microscopy resolves single capillaries, allowing investigations into the most affected types of vessels.

surtvep: An R package for estimating time-varying effects.

The surtvep package is an open-source software designed for estimating time-varying effects in survival analysis using the Cox non-proportional hazards model in R. With the rapid increase in large-scale time-to-event data from national disease registries, detecting and accounting for time-varying effects in medical studies have become crucial. Current software solutions often face computational issues such as memory limitations when handling large datasets.

Chromatin Organization during Early Development.

Embryogenesis is characterized by dynamic chromatin remodeling and broad changes in chromosome architecture. These changes in chromatin organization are accompanied by transcriptional changes, which are crucial for the proper development of the embryo. Several independent mechanisms regulate this process of chromatin reorganization, including segregation of chromatin into heterochromatin and euchromatin, deposition of active and repressive histone modifications, and the formation of 3D chromatin domains such as TADs and LADs.

The future of clinical trials of gut microbiome therapeutics in cirrhosis.

The last two decades have witnessed an explosion of microbiome research, including in hepatology, with studies demonstrating altered microbial composition in liver disease. More recently, efforts have been made to understand the association of microbiome features with clinical outcomes and to develop therapeutics targeting the microbiome. While microbiome therapeutics hold much promise, their unique features pose certain challenges for the design and conduct of clinical trials.

Organizational on-boarding practices and shifts in alcohol misuse among at-risk college recruits.

With a significant proportion of college students in many countries engaging in risky drinking behavior, this study examines the tendency of such young adults to 'mature out' of such behavior in their first year of employment after graduating, and the degree to which three mainstream organizational on-boarding experiences may expedite such 'maturing out'. Focusing on newcomers' experiences with alcohol-oriented job orientation, job empowerment, and organizational efforts to facilitate the development of supportive peer relationships, we test hypotheses regarding the direct effects of time on the change in alcohol misuse among those reporting misuse in college, as well as the degree to which individual on-boarding experiences account for the variance in young adults' maturing out trajectories over the course of their first year of employment. Findings generated from data collected from over 400 young adults over multiple waves offer important theoretical and practical implications regarding how and why particular onboarding tactics may be more or less effective in influencing newcomers' health-related behaviors.

Post-Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Right Atrial Pressure and Left Atrial Volume Index Predict Heart Failure and Mortality: Dual Center Experience.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement affects up to 20% of patients. Understanding factors associated with post-TIPS HF is critical. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes.

Evidence on sex differences in sports performance.

Sex differences in sports performances continue to attract considerable scientific and public attention, driven in part by high profile cases of: 1) biological male (XY) athletes who seek to compete in the female category after gender transition, and 2) XY athletes with medical syndromes collectively known as disorders or differences of sex development (DSD). In this perspective we highlight scientific evidence that informs eligibility criteria and applicable regulations for sex categories in sport. There are profound sex differences in human performance in athletic events determined by strength, speed, power, endurance, and body size such that males outperform females.

Nonequilibrium Self-Assembly of Microtubules Through Stepwise Sequential Interactions of DNA.

The assembly of biological systems forms nonequilibrium patterns with different functionalities through molecular-level communication via stepwise sequential interaction and activation. The mimicking of this molecular signaling offers extensive opportunities to design self-assemblies of bioinspired synthetic nonequilibrium systems to develop molecular robots with active, adaptive, and autonomous behavior. Herein, the design and construction of biomolecular motor system, microtubule (MT)-kinesin based molecular swarm system, are reported through stepwise sequential interactions of DNA.

Discontinuation of SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA among persons with Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease treated in US cardiology clinics.

SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA are recommended for persons with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) but are underused in clinical practice. The COORDINATE-Diabetes randomized clincal trial evaluated a multi-faceted intervention to increase the use of evidence-based therapies for reducing cardiovascular risk among participants with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This analysis reports the discontinuation rate of SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA in follow up and summarises the clinician-reported reasons underlying these decisions.