Sympathetic innervation of interscapular brown adipose tissue is not a predominant mediator of Oxytocin (OT)-elicited reductions of body weight gain and adiposity in male diet-induced obese rats.

Recent studies indicate that central administration of oxytocin (OT) reduces body weight (BW) in high fat diet-induced obese (DIO) rodents by reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure (EE). Previous studies in our lab have shown that administration of OT into the fourth ventricle (4V; hindbrain) elicits weight loss and stimulates interscapular brown adipose tissue temperature (T) in DIO rats. We hypothesized that OT-elicited stimulation of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation of IBAT contributes to its ability to activate BAT and reduce BW in DIO rats.

Recycled glass powder and calcium carbide residue geopolymer to stabilise silty sand soil: Mechanical performances and statistical analysis.

Geopolymerization is a soil improvement technique widely used for waste management in recent years. This study explores the potential of geopolymerization for roadbed improvement using waste materials. Recycled glass powder (RGP) and calcium carbide residue (CCR) were investigated as precursors and alkaline activators, respectively, to enhance the properties of silty sand soil.

Systemic Lupus Erythematous: Gene Polymorphisms, Epigenetics, Environmental, Hormonal and Nutritional Factors in the Consideration of Personalized Therapy.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic illness that can affect many tissues through the production of autoantibodies. A definite etiology has not been conclusively established, but current research points to the influences which include genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. SLE is difficult to treat due to its multifactorial pathogenesis and heterogeneity in clinical manifestations.

Multimodal Deep Learning for Differentiating Bacterial and Fungal Keratitis Using Prospective Representative Data.

Objective: This study develops and evaluates multimodal machine learning models for differentiating bacterial and fungal keratitis using a prospective representative dataset from South India.

Design: Machine learning classifier training and validation study.

Participants: Five hundred ninety-nine subjects diagnosed with acute infectious keratitis at Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Medicinal Plants with Allopathic Medicine in Musculoskeletal Diseases.

Musculoskeletal diseases encompass a diverse array of disorders affecting the muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues, leading to significant impairments in mobility, function, and quality of life. Affecting over 1.3 billion individuals globally, musculoskeletal diseases represent a major source of disability and economic burden.

Thiazide-Associated Hyponatremia and Mortality Risk: A Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective: There are likely over 42 million patients with hypertension taking thiazides in the United States and many more worldwide. Hyponatremia is a common complication of thiazide therapy. It is not currently known if thiazide-associated hyponatremia is also associated with increased mortality.

Afatinib and Necitumumab in -Mutant NSCLC with Acquired Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Introduction: Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective against NSCLC harboring sensitizing gene mutations, acquired resistance is inevitable. Preclinical studies suggest that combining EGFR TKI and monoclonal antibody therapies may have activity in mutated NSCLC that has progressed on TKI therapy alone. Therefore, we prospectively evaluated afatinib plus necitumumab in patients with mutated NSCLC.

Use of optimal fluoroscopic angulation to facilitate effective pulsed field ablation in a patient with atrial fibrillation.

The circular-shaped PulseSelect™ PFA catheter has demonstrated comparable efficacy to traditional thermal catheter ablation in achieving pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), while preventing thermally mediated complications. However, this catheter does not have any objective parameters to confirm real-time tissue-catheter contact. We report a case in which PVI was achieved through PFA using optimal biplane fluoroscopic angulations which were more useful for accurately assessing and adjusting the position and rotation of the circular catheter electrodes than the conventional fluoroscopic angulations.

Band structure and magnetism engineering of InSe monolayers through doping with IVA- and VA-group atoms: role of impurities.

In this work, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of the InSe monolayer enriched by doping with IVA-group (Si and Ge) and VA-group (P and As) atoms. Both In and Se sublattices are considered as doping sites to realize n- and p-type doping (X@InSe and X@InSe systems, X = Si, Ge, P, and As), respectively. The pristine InSe monolayer is an indirect gap semiconductor with a band gap of 1.

Tobacco Treatment Disparities Among California Medicaid Members With and Without Chronic Disease Who Smoke.

Introduction: People who are covered by Medicaid have a higher smoking prevalence than the general population and are at an increased risk for tobacco-related disease, a major driver of Medicaid costs. California has the largest Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, whose members also have higher tobacco-use rates and tobacco-related disease. Quitting is beneficial at any age, and health professional advice and assistance are a key indicator of smoking cessation.

Challenges of Engaging Primary Care Providers in Specialized Telementoring Education About Sickle Cell Disease for Sickle Cell Specialists: Results from the Sickle Cell Disease Training and Mentoring Program for Primary Care Providers (STAMP) Project ECHO.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 individuals in the U.S. A lack of knowledgeable providers, particularly for adult patients, has led to a significant number of adults without access to high-quality care.

Health- and Non-Health-Related Corporate Social Responsibility Statements in Top Selling Restaurant Chains in the U.S. Between 2012 and 2018: A Content Analysis.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence and content of corporate social responsibility statements in the top-selling chain restaurants between 2012 and 2018 to inform the ways restaurants can impact population health.

Methods: The study used a web scraping technique to abstract relevant text information (=6,369 text sections that contained possible corporate social responsibility statements or thematically coded portions of the text section) from the archived web pages of the 96 top-selling chain restaurants. Content analysis was used to identify key themes in corporate social responsibility statements across restaurants and over time.

Office-Based Endoscopic Urological Procedures Under Local Anesthesia: Prospective Evaluation of Feasibility, Pain, and Patient Preference.

Several diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic urological procedures, such as stent placement, ureteroscopy, and bladder stone lithotripsy, can be performed in a hospital, an ambulatory surgery center, in the office with IV sedation, or in the office using only topical anesthesia. The potential benefits of performing procedures in the office setting using topical anesthesia include efficiency and cost reduction. The potential harms are failure to achieve the desired outcome and patient pain.

Developing a model for prioritizing occupational risk prevention practices in industries: a Delphi study.

Background: Occupational accidents, injuries, and diseases remain critical health concerns. Designing and implementing checklists for occupational risk prevention are key strategies to mitigate these accidents and their adverse effects. However, due to the diverse nature of occupational hazards, these checklists tend to encompass a substantial number of prevention practices, making their full implementation challenging in terms of financial and human resources.

Molecular HIV Surveillance: Beyond Cluster Detection and Response.

There has been significant controversy surrounding the use of HIV sequence data to identify outbreaks of HIV transmission since the initiation of molecular HIV surveillance (MHS) in the US. The current approach to MHS is comprehensive cluster detection and response (CDR), in which clusters of related infections are identified and used as the basis for cluster-based or population-based interventions. With CDR, there are ethical and stigma concerns around the impingement of individual privacy, as well as legal concerns around the inference of transmission in regions where HIV criminalization laws and statutes exist.

Intraspecific gene regulation in cis- and trans.

Changes in gene expression underlie much of evolution and occur via either cis-acting mutations, which lie near the affected gene and act in a context specific manner, or trans-acting mutations, which may be far from the affected gene and act through diffusible molecules such as transcription factors. A commonly held view is that most expression variation within species is controlled in trans- while expression differences between species are largely controlled in cis-. Here, we summarize recent intraspecific gene regulation studies and find, contrary to this widely held view, that many studies in diverse taxa have revealed a large role for cis-acting mutations underlying expression variation within species.

Changes in HER2 Amplification Status for Breast Cancer Patients After Immunohistochemistry Directed In Situ Hybridization.

The 2018 ASCO/CAP guidelines for HER2 testing for breast cancer implemented the addition of immunohistochemistry (IHC) directed in situ hybridization (ISH) recount to resolve equivocal results. The implementation of an additional 2+ IHC-directed ISH recount adds additional complexity to the testing workflow for an unclear impact on HER2 results. A retrospective review of all equivocal ISH cases (groups 2, 3, and 4) that underwent 2+ IHC-directed ISH, since the 2018 guidelines, which were finalized as either amplified or not amplified, was performed.

Mixed histiocytic sarcoma in a Bernese Mountain Dog.

An 8-y-old, spayed female Bernese Mountain Dog was presented to a referral center for evaluation of right thoracic limb lameness and previously suspected Evans syndrome that had been poorly responsive to immunosuppressive therapy. Based on review of examination findings and laboratory data, Evans syndrome was deemed unlikely and hemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma (HHS) was strongly suspected. On blood smear evaluation, atypical, histiocytic cells were noted, some of which exhibited siderophagia.

Historical redlining and survival among children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer diagnosed between 2000-2019 in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.

Background: Historical redlining has been associated with inferior survival in adult-onset cancers. However, its relationship with pediatric, adolescent, and young-adult-onset cancer outcomes is unknown.

Methods: This study identified incident cancer among individuals <40 years of age living in Seattle and Tacoma between 2000-2019 via the population-based Cancer Surveillance System.

Antibody ligation of HLA class II induces YAP nuclear localization and formation of cytoplasmic YAP condensates in human endothelial cells.

Antibody (Ab) crosslinking of HLA class II (HLA II) molecules on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs) triggers proliferative and prosurvival intracellular signaling, which are implicated in promoting chronic Ab-mediated rejection (cAMR). Despite the importance of cAMR in transplant medicine, the mechanisms involved remain incompletely understood. Here, we examined the regulation of yes-associated protein (YAP) nuclear cytoplasmic localization and phosphorylation in human ECs challenged with Abs that bind HLA II, which are strongly associated with cAMR.

Carotid intima medial thickness and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in children with overweight and obesity: A hospital based cross-sectional study.

A hospital based cross sectional study involving children aged 2-15 years attending the obesity clinic of a tertiary care hospital from January 2016 to March 2018 was carried out to study carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in children with overweight and obesity. Secondary objective was to compare children with elevated (EcIMT) and normal cIMT (NcIMT). Out of 223 patients enrolled for the study, 102 (45.

Optimizing health system volume flexibility: key determinants and strategies during the COVID-19 crisis.

Purpose: The need to match highly variable demand for healthcare services with existing capacity has been a significant health system challenge experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite mounting research on various COVID-19 responses in the recent literature, there has not been a structured review examining key determinants of health system volume flexibility. The focus of the present research is to review recent literature based on a conceptual framework developed based on the volume flexibility literature on COVID-19.

Lighting the Path to Precision Healthcare: Advances and Applications of Wearable Photonic Sensors.

Recent advancements in wearable photonic sensors have marked a transformative era in healthcare, enabling non-invasive, real-time, portable, and personalized medical monitoring. These sensors leverage the unique properties of light toward high-performance sensing in form factors optimized for real-world use. Their ability to offer solutions to a broad spectrum of medical challenges - from routine health monitoring to managing chronic conditions, inspires a rapidly growing translational market.

Observation of Real-Time Spin-Orbit Torque Driven Dynamics in Antiferromagnetic Thin Film.

In the burgeoning field of spintronics, antiferromagnetic materials (AFMs) are attracting significant attention for their potential to enable ultra-fast, energy-efficient devices. Thin films of AFMs are particularly promising for practical applications due to their compatibility with spin-orbit torque (SOT) mechanisms. However, studying these thin films presents challenges, primarily due to the weak signals they produce and the rapid dynamics driven by SOT, that are too fast for conventional electric transport or microwave techniques to capture.