Characterization of serum and brain cytokine levels following prolonged binge-like methamphetamine self-administration and cued methamphetamine seeking.

Methamphetamine (METH) use is associated with peripheral and brain inflammation that can contribute to METH-associated toxicity and heightened cue reactivity. However, the persistence of these phenomena, especially with regards to changes in brain proinflammatory cytokine levels, is not yet clear. In this study, we determined the effects of repeated binge-like METH self-administration (96-h/week for 3 weeks) followed by cued drug seeking for up to 60 days into abstinence in male and female rats.

Molecular classification of endometrial cancers (EC) and association with relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes: Ancillary analysis of GOG-0258.

Purpose: Determine if molecular classification using mismatch repair (MMR) and p53 protein expression predicts recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in endometrial cancer (EC) patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation (CRT) versus chemotherapy (CT).

Methods: GOG-0258, a phase III randomized trial (NCT00942357), compared CRT to CT. Immunohistochemistry assessed MMR and p53 status.

Prevalence of FGFR2b Protein Overexpression in Advanced Gastric Cancers During Prescreening for the Phase III FORTITUDE-101 Trial.

Purpose: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 isoform IIIb (FGFR2b) protein overexpression is an emerging biomarker in gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC). We assessed FGFR2b protein overexpression prevalence in nearly 3,800 tumor samples as part of the prescreening process for a global phase III study in patients with newly diagnosed advanced or metastatic GC.

Methods: As of June 28, 2024, 3,782 tumor samples from prescreened patients from 37 countries for the phase III FORTITUDE-101 trial (ClinicalTrials.

Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL.

The Jezero crater floor features a suite of related, iron-rich lavas that were examined and sampled by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, and whose textures, minerals, and compositions were characterized by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). This suite, known as the Máaz formation (fm), includes dark-toned basaltic/trachy-basaltic rocks with intergrown pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and altered olivine and overlying trachy-andesitic lava with reversely zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in a K-rich groundmass. Feldspar thermal disequilibrium textures indicate that they were carried from their crustal staging area.

Stand density and local climate drive allocation of GPP to aboveground woody biomass.

The partitioning of photosynthate among various forest carbon pools is a key process regulating long-term carbon sequestration, with allocation to aboveground woody biomass carbon (AGBC) in particular playing an outsized role in the global carbon cycle due to its slow residence time. However, directly estimating the fraction of gross primary productivity (GPP) that goes to AGBC has historically been difficult and time-consuming, leaving us with persistent uncertainties. We used an extensive dataset of tree-ring chronologies co-located at flux towers to assess the coupling between AGBC and GPP, calculate the fraction of fixed carbon that is allocated to AGBC, and understand the drivers of variability in this fraction.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with postoperative complications after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate.

Objectives: To compare postoperative complication rates of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) with patients without MetS after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients aged >40 years who underwent HoLEP at our institution from 2007 to 2022. Criteria for MetS were diagnoses of at least three of the following: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, or obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m).

Capecitabine and temozolomide or temozolomide alone in patients with atypical carcinoids.

Background: Lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) represent about 20% of all lung cancers. Few therapeutic options are available for atypical carcinoids (ACs). Single-agent temozolomide (TEM) is active in lung NENs, but whether the addition of capecitabine (CAPTEM) is associated with improved outcomes, is unknown.

Proximal remote sensing: an essential tool for bridging the gap between high-resolution ecosystem monitoring and global ecology.

A new proliferation of optical instruments that can be attached to towers over or within ecosystems, or 'proximal' remote sensing, enables a comprehensive characterization of terrestrial ecosystem structure, function, and fluxes of energy, water, and carbon. Proximal remote sensing can bridge the gap between individual plants, site-level eddy-covariance fluxes, and airborne and spaceborne remote sensing by providing continuous data at a high-spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we review recent advances in proximal remote sensing for improving our mechanistic understanding of plant and ecosystem processes, model development, and validation of current and upcoming satellite missions.

Long-term results of staged management of complex lisfranc and chopart injury: a retrospective cohort study and systematic literature review.

Purpose: The aim was to assess the long-term functional outcome and quality of life after staged surgical treatment of complex Lisfranc and Chopart injuries in a patient cohort, and to perform a systematic review of the literature.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of all trauma patients with complex Lisfranc and/or Chopart injuries treated at our level 1 trauma center between July 1, 2010, and July 1, 2020 with ≥ 3 years follow-up was analyzed in terms of management, complications, and patient-reported outcomes (American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society midfoot score, AOFAS and Foot Function Index, FFI). A systematic review of the literature (according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines) was performed of studies published between January 2000 to April 2024.

Evaluating Methods for Aflatoxin B1 Monitoring in Selected Food Crops Within Decentralized Agricultural Systems.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination of food crops pose severe public health risks, particularly in decentralized agricultural systems common in low-resource settings. Effective monitoring tools are critical for mitigating exposure, but their adoption is limited by barriers such as cost, infrastructure, and technical expertise. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate common AFB1 detection methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and lateral-flow assays (LFA), validated via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), focusing on their suitability for possible applications in decentralized, low-resource settings; and (2) to conduct a barriers-to-use assessment for commonly available AFB1 detection methods and their applicability in low-resource settings.

Tracking Immunity: An Increased Number of COVID-19 Boosters Increases the Longevity of Anti-RBD and Anti-RBD-Neutralizing Antibodies.

Background/objectives: Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, the virus has caused multiple waves of infection globally. Arizona State University (ASU), the largest four-year university in the United States, offers a uniquely diverse setting for assessing immunity within a large community. This study aimed to test our hypothesis that an increased number of exposures to SARS-CoV-2 RBD through vaccination/boosters/infection will increase SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence by increasing the longevity of anti-RBD and anti-RBD-neutralizing antibodies.

Internal Tremor in Long COVID May Be a Symptom of Dysautonomia and Small Fiber Neuropathy.

Internal tremor (IT) is often reported by patients with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, also known as Long COVID, as a distressing and disabling symptom. Similarly, physicians are typically perplexed by the nature and etiology of IT and find it extremely challenging to manage. We describe a patient with Long COVID who experienced IT as part of post-COVID postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and small fiber neuropathy (SFN) and review the limited literature available on this topic.

Anisotropic Elasticity, Spin-Orbit Coupling, and Topological Properties of ZrTe and NiTe: A Comparative Study for Spintronic and Nanoscale Applications.

The present work investigates the interfacial and atomic layer-dependent mechanical properties, SOC-entailing phonon band structure, and comprehensive electron-topological-elastic integration of ZrTe and NiTe. The anisotropy of Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and shear modulus are analyzed using density functional theory with the TB-mBJ approximation. NiTe has higher mechanical property values and greater anisotropy than ZrTe.

Biological and Social Predictors of HIV-1 RNA Viral Suppression in ART Treated PWLH in Sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV remains a significant health issue, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. There are 39 million people living with HIV (PLWH) globally. Treatment with ART improves patient outcomes by suppressing the HIV RNA viral load.

Newborn screening and the screening laboratory: past, present and future.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for brain development in utero and during the first two to three years of life. The negative effects of TH deficiency on brain development are irreversible. Early detection of TH deficiency in neonates (congenital hypothyroidism (CH) through newborn screening (NBS)) allows for early treatment, thereby preventing brain damage.

Towards Personalized Radiotherapy in Pelvic Cancer: Patient-Related Risk Factors for Late Radiation Toxicity.

Normal tissue reactions vary significantly among patients receiving the same radiation treatment regimen, reflecting the multifactorial etiology of late radiation toxicity. Predicting late radiation toxicity is crucial, as it aids in the initial decision-making process regarding the treatment modalities. For patients undergoing radiotherapy, anticipating late toxicity allows for planning adjustments to optimize individualized care.

Can Jurors Disregard Inadmissible Evidence? Using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy to Test Interventions Derived from Cognitive and Social Psychological Theories.

Inadmissible evidence generally biases jurors toward guilty verdicts; jurors who hear inadmissible evidence are more likely to convict than jurors not exposed to inadmissible evidence-even when evidence is constant. When inadmissible evidence is introduced, the common legal remedy is judicial instructions to jurors to disregard it. Appeals courts repeatedly affirm instructions to disregard as a sufficient safeguard of defendants' constitutional rights, despite research finding that jurors do not disregard when instructed.

Maximizing Free Energy Gain.

Maximizing the amount of work harvested from an environment is important for a wide variety of biological and technological processes, from energy-harvesting processes such as photosynthesis to energy storage systems such as fuels and batteries. Here, we consider the maximization of free energy-and by extension, the maximum extractable work-that can be gained by a classical or quantum system that undergoes driving by its environment. We consider how the free energy gain depends on the initial state of the system while also accounting for the cost of preparing the system.

Generalized Adaptive Diversity Gradient Descent Bit-Flipping with a Finite State Machine.

In this paper, we introduce a novel gradient descent bit-flipping algorithm with a finite state machine (GDBF-wSM) for iterative decoding of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. The algorithm utilizes a finite state machine to update variable node potentials-for each variable node, the corresponding finite state machine adjusts the update value based on whether the node was a candidate for flipping in previous iterations. We also present a learnable framework that can optimize decoder parameters using a database of uncorrectable error patterns.

Unveiling the Anti-Angiogenic Potential of Small-Molecule (Kinase) Inhibitors for Application in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation leading to joint damage and systemic complications. Angiogenesis promotes inflammation and contributes to RA progression. This study evaluated potential anti-angiogenic effects of several compounds including small-molecule kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib (pan-kinase inhibitor), tofacitinib (JAK-inhibitor), NIKi (NF-κB-inducing kinase inhibitor), and the integrin-targeting peptide fluciclatide, using a scratch assay and 3D spheroid-based models of angiogenesis.

Reproducibility and Consistency of Isolation Protocols for Fibroblasts, Smooth Muscle Cells, and Epithelial Cells from the Human Vagina.

(1) Background: For the reconstruction of a human vagina, various surgical procedures are available that are often associated with complications due to their failure to mimic the physiology of the human vagina. We recently developed a vascularized, organ-specific matrix from healthy human vaginal wall tissue with suitable biomechanical properties. A superior graft would require further extensive colonization with autologous vaginal cells to reduce complications upon implantation.

Cognitive Planning Improved After Cycling Exercise in Older Adults with Down Syndrome.

Background/objectives: Cognitive functions are a crucial part of daily living, especially for adults with Down syndrome (DS) who have a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease in adulthood. In addition, adults with DS move slower and are not meeting the standard aerobic activity guidelines each week. The aim of this study was to examine if Assisted Cycle Therapy (ACT) would improve cognitive planning as measured by the Tower of London (TOL), set switching as measured by the modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and spatial memory as measured by the Corsi Block Test in adults with DS as compared to self-paced cycling.

LiveDrive AI: A Pilot Study of a Machine Learning-Powered Diagnostic System for Real-Time, Non-Invasive Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a significant global health issue, affecting over 55 million individuals worldwide, with a progressive impact on cognitive and functional abilities. Early detection, particularly of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as an indicator of potential AD onset, is crucial yet challenging, given the limitations of current diagnostic biomarkers and the need for non-invasive, accessible tools. This study aims to address these gaps by exploring driving performance as a novel, non-invasive biomarker for MCI detection.

Breathing Easy in Maricopa County, Arizona: Empowering K-12 Schools With a Novel Nurse Coaching Model to Facilitate Implementation of a County-Wide School-Based Stock Albuterol Inhaler Program.

To reduce chronic school absenteeism and morbidity and mortality among school-aged children, the prompt administration of albuterol sulfate in schools remains vital. School-based stock inhaler programs are a practical approach to ensure equitable access to life-saving rescue medication for students. School and community partnerships can potentially strengthen program implementation and fidelity by integrating evidence-based practices into routine care.

Temporal Trends of Fungal Infections in Cirrhotic Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study 2016-2020.

Background: Patients with cirrhosis are susceptible to infections due to abnormalities in humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Fungal infections are associated with delayed diagnosis and high mortality rates, emphasizing the importance of performing fungal cultures and maintaining elevated levels of suspicion in this patient population.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzes cirrhotic patients readmitted with bacterial and fungal infections and investigates outcomes, including in-hospital mortality and hospital resource utilization.