Survival Disparity and the Unique Genomic and Microbiome Profiles of Colon Cancer in Appalachian Kentucky.

Background: Colon cancer is a leading cause of mortality in Appalachian Kentucky. Studies suggest that the microbiome may influence cancer outcomes. We investigate differential gene expression, the tumor microbiome, and the association between the two as potential drivers of disparities in colon cancer outcomes.

A nociceptor-specific RNAi screen in larvae identifies RNA-binding proteins that regulate thermal nociception.

Nociception is the process by which sensory neurons detect and encode potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral responses. Nociceptor neurons exhibit plasticity in which their sensitivity to noxious stimuli and subsequent ability to drive behavior may be altered by environmental conditions, injury, infection, and inflammation. In some cases, nociceptor sensitization requires regulated changes in gene expression, and recent studies have indicated roles for post-transcriptional mechanisms in regulating these changes as an aspect of nociceptor plasticity.

Perceived organizational support for the treatment of opioid use disorder and its association with primary care provider treatment willingness and medication prescribing.

Introduction: Buprenorphine is a highly effective medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD; OUD), which can be prescribed alongside naloxone in the primary care setting as part of a harm reduction approach to OUD. Despite this potential, implementation challenges have limited adoption of MOUD. To address barriers at the organizational level, we need better tools to measure perceived organizational support for the treatment of OUD and use of MOUD in the primary care setting.

Coping after the COVID-19 pandemic: nurses' learning intent and implications for the workforce and education.

Background/aim: Addressing the critical global shortage of nurses requires an understanding of how a global pandemic reshaped nurses' motivations and intentions toward education. This study aimed to describe COVID-19's impact on nurses' intent to pursue additional education.

Method: This descriptive study, based in North Carolina in the USA, used content analysis with an inductive approach to examine the responses of nurses to one open-ended question in a large quantitative workforce survey: how has COVID-19 influenced your plans for future education? Responses were coded with counts and organised into themes and subthemes.

Effects of Quercetin and Citrulline on Nitric Oxide Metabolites and Antioxidant Biomarkers in Trained Cyclists.

Background: Quercetin (QCT) and citrulline (CIT) have been independently associated with improved antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide (NO) production, potentially enhancing cardiovascular function and exercise performance. This study aimed to evaluate the combined and independent effects of QCT and CIT supplementation on NO metabolites and antioxidant biomarkers in 50 trained cyclists undergoing a 20 km cycling time trial (TT).

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, forty-two male and eight female trained cyclists were assigned to QCT + CIT, QCT, CIT, or placebo (PL) groups.

Gut microbiomes are largely unchanged when exposed to their amphibian host's latitudinally variable upper thermal limit.

Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of temperature extremes. Links between host thermal physiology and their gut microbiota suggest that organisms' responses to future climates may be mediated by their microbiomes, raising the question of how the thermal environment influences the microbiome itself. Vertebrate gut microbiomes influence the physiological plasticity of their hosts via effects on immunity, metabolism, and nutrient uptake.

Methylmercury in subarctic amphibians: environmental gradients, bioaccumulation, and estimated flux.

Rapid warming in polar regions is causing large changes to ecosystems, including altering environmentally available mercury (Hg). Although subarctic freshwater systems have simple vertebrate communities, Hg in amphibians remains unexplored. We measured total Hg (THg) in wetland sediments and methylmercury (MeHg) in multiple life-stages (eggs to adults) of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) and larval boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) from up to 25 wetlands near Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), during the summers of 2018-2019.

Contexts, people, and work designs: Developing and testing a multilevel theory for understanding variability in work design consequences.

Work design scholarship has demonstrated that work characteristics are important determinants of a wide range of individual outcomes including well-being, motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Yet this scholarship has also revealed substantial and unaccounted for variance in these effects, prompting calls for theory and research that applies multilevel and contextual perspectives to expand our understanding of work designs. We develop theory that spans occupation, job, and individual levels to connect the influences of both context and personal attributes (e.

The future of flourishing in veterinary medicine: a systems-informed positive psychology approach in veterinary education.

Individuals in the veterinary profession are experiencing significant mental health and wellbeing challenges. A holistic view of wellbeing, which encompasses both physical and mental health, underscores their interconnected nature. This integrated approach reduces the artificial separation of wellbeing facets, and highlights how mental states influence not only individuals, but also their interactions with animals, the environment, and others in the workplace.

Development of a statewide network hub for screening, referral, and enrollment into food as medicine programs across Kentucky.

Unlabelled: Widespread recognition of food as medicine interventions' role in reducing food insecurity and improving health outcomes has recently emerged. Several states have released In Lieu of Services, state-approved alternative services that may be offered by managed care organizations in place of covered benefits, or 1,115 Medicaid waivers, which may allow for expanded nutrition services to reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes. However, there are significant gaps in understanding how to create a statewide system for delivering "healthcare by food" interventions.

Impact of Total Body Surface Area Burn Injuries on Clinical Outcomes and Comorbidities in Elderly Patients Aged Over 65.

Introduction: Burn injuries are associated with high mortality and morbidity, especially in the elderly population. Although burns are preventable, they account for the fourth most common cause of trauma worldwide. The majority of the mortality associated with burn victims is also seen in the elderly age group.

Likelihood of using a harm reduction vending machine among rural people who inject drugs in Appalachian Kentucky.

Background: Harm reduction vending machines (HRVMs) that dispense safe injection equipment and other supplies have operated globally for more than 30 years, yet few operate in the U.S., particularly in the rural epicenters of drug-related harms.

Sexual dimorphic effects of a keystone predator on prey communities.

The importance of trait variation has long been recognized in ecological and evolutionary research. The divergence of sexually dimorphic traits (e.g.

Species Distribution Models Reveal Varying Degrees of Refugia From the Invasive Asian Needle Ant for Native Ants Versus Ant-Plant Seed Dispersal Mutualisms.

The Asian Needle Ant, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), has spread throughout a substantial portion of the southeastern United States where it has primarily been restricted to low elevations. We focused on the . invasion in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).

Scoping review of the societal impacts of compound climate events.

Unlabelled: Climatic extremes have historically been seen as univariate; however, recent international reports have highlighted the potential for an increase in compound climate events (e.g., hot and dry events, recurrent flooding).

Multilevel Mentorship Prepares Youth for the Oncology Workforce in Appalachian Kentucky.

Kentucky faces the highest age-adjusted overall cancer incidence rates and the second highest overall cancer mortality rates in the United States, with the eastern Appalachian Region of the state contributing significantly to this burden. As one of 57 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is Kentucky's only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. This designation is important for receiving the support necessary to fund programs that can further the cancer research, education, and community outreach opportunities for Kentuckians.

Ecosystem Drivers of Freshwater Mercury Bioaccumulation Are Context-Dependent: Insights from Continental-Scale Modeling.

Significant variation in mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation is observed across the diversity of freshwater ecosystems in North America. While there is support for the major drivers of Hg bioaccumulation, the relative influence of different external factors can vary widely among waterbodies, which makes predicting Hg risk across large spatial scales particularly challenging. We modeled Hg bioaccumulation by coupling Hg concentrations in more than 21,000 dragonflies collected across the United States from 2008 to 2021 with a suite of chemical (e.

A discrete choice experiment with health professions trainees to improve the urban-rural health care access disparity in Appalachia: Study protocol.

Globally, those who live in rural areas experience significant barriers to accessing health care due to a maldistribution of health care providers. Those who live in rural areas in the Appalachian region of the United States face one of the worst shortages of health care providers despite experiencing more complex health needs compared to Americans in more affluent, urban areas. Prior research has failed to identify effective solutions to narrow the provider maldistribution, despite it being a policy focus for decades.

The effect of replacing prolonged sitting with intermittent standing during a simulated workday on the subsequent night's sleep.

A bout of leisure-time physical activity improves sleep on the subsequent night. However, whether breaking up sedentary time during the workday improves sleep is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether breaking up prolonged sitting by standing during the workday leads to better sleep the following night.

Improving locomotor performance with motor imagery and tDCS in young adults.

The study aimed to assess the feasibility and potential efficacy of a non-motor intervention utilizing motor imagery (MI) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to enhance motor function. The research involved a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial with three groups: MIActive, MISham, and Control. Participants engaged in a cognitively demanding obstacle course, with time and prefrontal activation (ΔO2Hb and ΔHHb) measured across three-time points (Baseline, Post-test, 1-week follow-up).

Prevalence, characteristics, and adverse birth outcomes of teen births in West Virginia: A population-based study.

Study Objective: Despite falling teen birth rates in the United States, there is a disproportionate burden of teen births in rural regions. The study aims to investigate the characteristics of teenage mothers and examine the relationships between teen birth and adverse birth outcomes in the rural Appalachian state of West Virginia (WV).

Methods: Data was obtained from a population-based cohort (Project WATCH) of all singleton live births in WV between May 2018 and April 2023.

Common Questions and Misconceptions About Energy Drinks: What Does the Scientific Evidence Really Show?

Energy drinks are a commonly consumed beverage, and studies suggest a possible performance-enhancing effect. A Google Scholar search using the keywords "energy drinks" and "exercise" yields numerous results, underscoring the voluminous research on this topic. However, there are questions regarding the effectiveness and safety of energy drinks.

Sustainable poultry education for undergraduate students.

Sustainable poultry production can help address many critical socio- and environmental issues, including food insecurity, climate crisis, and loss of biodiversity. The education of undergraduate students in poultry science helps prepare a future workforce in poultry production and to develop responsible citizens for global engagement. The University of Connecticut has a poultry project, funded by U.

The influence of environmental factors on the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 variants in dormitory wastewater at a primarily undergraduate institution.

Unlabelled: Testing for the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been crucial in tracking disease spread and informing public health decisions. Wastewater-based epidemiology has helped to alleviate some of the strain of testing through broader, population-level surveillance, and has been applied widely on college campuses. However, questions remain about the impact of various sampling methods, target types, environmental factors, and infrastructure variables on SARS-CoV-2 detection.

A Scale-Out Study of an Evidence-Based Family Meals Program Delivered in the Head Start Setting: Results, Challenges, and Opportunities.

There is need to identify evidence-based early childhood obesity prevention programs that are feasible and demonstrate cost-effectiveness for a broader health impact. This scale-out study leveraged community-engaged principles to compare the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of three delivery modes of a childhood obesity prevention family meals program (Simple Suppers) that demonstrated positive impacts on child and caregiver diet/nutritional health-related outcomes in a previous experimental trial tested among elementary-aged children. This three-arm (in-person, online, hybrid) pre-(T0) and post-(T1)-test study included families recruited from Head Start.