Sex-specific effects on the heart from combined exposure to simulated galactic cosmic radiation and hindlimb unloading.

Future long duration space missions will expose astronauts to higher doses of galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) than those experienced on the international space station. Recent studies have demonstrated astronauts may be at risk for cardiovascular complications due to increased radiation exposure and fluid shift from microgravity. However, there is a lack of direct evidence on how the cardiovascular system is affected by GCR and microgravity since no astronauts have been exposed to exploratory mission relevant GCR doses.

Insights From Diverse Perspectives on Social Media Messages to Inform Young Adults With Cancer About Clinical Trials: Focus Group Study.

Background: Low rates of adolescent and young adult (YA; aged 15-39 y) clinical trial enrollment (CTE), particularly among underserved groups, have resulted in a lack of standardized cancer treatments and follow-up guidelines for this group that may limit improvement in cancer treatments and survival outcomes for YAs.

Objective: To understand and address unique barriers to CTE, we conducted focus groups to learn about informational, financial, and psychosocial needs of YAs surrounding CTE and identify strategies to address these barriers.

Methods: We conducted 5 focus groups in 2023 among a diverse sample of YA patients from across the United States.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Intermacs Database Risk Model for Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Statistical risk models for durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation inform candidate selection, quality improvement, and evaluation of provider performance. We developed a 90-day mortality risk model utilizing The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Intermacs Database (STS Intermacs).

Methods: STS Intermacs was queried for primary durable LVAD implants from 1/ 2019 - 9/2023.

Consensus recommendations for measuring the impact of contraception on the menstrual cycle in contraceptive clinical trials.

Objective: We sought to develop consensus recommendations for measurement and analysis of data on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) in contraceptive clinical trials. We built upon previous standardization efforts over the last 50 years and prioritized input from a variety of global experts and current regulatory authority guidance on patient-reported outcomes.

Study Design: We completed a formal consensus-building process with an interdisciplinary group of 57 experts from 30 organizations and 14 countries in five global regions who work across academia, nonprofit research organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and funding agencies.

Lung cancer screening program quality indicators - review & recommendations - An International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Delphi process study.

Introduction: Lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose-computed tomography reduces lung cancer mortality in high-risk individuals. Evaluating and monitoring LCS programs are important to ensure and improve quality, efficiency and participant outcomes. There is no agreement on LCS quality indicators (QIs).

The influence of genotype on the natural history of types 1 - 3 spinal muscular atrophy.

The severity of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is inversely correlated with the number of survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2) copies an individual has. This observational, retrospective analysis of natural history data included untreated individuals with a genetic diagnosis of types 1-3 SMA and stratified disease-related characteristics by SMN2 copy number. The outcomes investigated were time to: death, permanent ventilation, respiratory support, feeding support, scoliosis surgery, and achievement and loss of motor milestones.

Female agency and probable depression in the perinatal period and beyond: Longitudinal findings from rural Pakistan.

In Pakistan, a setting with high gender inequality, the relationship between female agency and mental health has not been studied longitudinally or beyond a defined life stage like pregnancy. Using data from the Bachpan cohort of mother-infant dyads in Pakistan, we investigated female agency and depression at two life stages: perinatal (third trimester to 6-months postpartum; n = 1154) and beyond (3- to 4-years postpartum). Modified Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) for probable depression (PHQ-9) associated with female agency (freedom of movement and participation in household decision-making) at the two life stages.

Estimating the generation time for influenza transmission using household data in the United States.

The generation time, representing the interval between infections in primary and secondary cases, is essential for understanding and predicting the transmission dynamics of seasonal influenza, including the real-time effective reproduction number (Rt). However, comprehensive generation time estimates for seasonal influenza, especially since the 2009 influenza pandemic, are lacking. We estimated the generation time utilizing data from a 7-site case-ascertained household study in the United States over two influenza seasons, 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.

The physiological mechanisms underlying consumer preferences towards organic food.

Previous research has shown that organic food labeling may lead consumers to biased processing of their preferences, the physiological mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not understood. For the first time, this manuscript combines consumer valuation and physiological measures to investigate the explicit and implicit preference dimensions of organic food. The explicit dimension was measured using the expected and actual degree of liking of two identical - but differently labeled - pear juices (organic and non-organic) while the implicit dimension was measured using the activity of the mylohyoid muscle (MM) and the 3D kinematics of the hand, and arm movements.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia across the spectrum of alcohol use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Insomnia is prevalent among patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), potentially undermining treatment and increasing the risk of relapse. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia, but its efficacy is not well-characterized in patients across the spectrum of AUD. The aim of this meta-analysis was to quantify the effectiveness of CBT-I in improving insomnia severity and alcohol-related outcomes in adults with heavy alcohol use and/or varying levels of AUD severity and comorbid insomnia.

How SNARE proteins generate force to fuse membranes.

Membrane fusion is central to fundamental cellular processes such as exocytosis, when an intracellular machinery fuses membrane-enclosed vesicles to the plasma membrane for contents release. The core machinery components are the SNARE proteins. SNARE complexation pulls the membranes together, but the fusion mechanism remains unclear.

Fluoride-induced testicular and ovarian toxicity: evidence from animal studies.

Fluoride (F), as a natural element found in a wide range of sources such as water and certain foods, has been proven to be beneficial in preventing dental caries, but concerns have been raised regarding its potential deleterious effects on overall health. Sodium fluoride (NaF), another form of F, has the ability to accumulate in reproductive organs and interfere with hormonal regulation and oxidative stress pathways, contributing to reproductive toxicity. While the exact mechanisms of F-induced reproductive toxicity are not fully understood, this review aims to elucidate the mechanisms involved in testicular and ovarian injury.

sVEGFR3 alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury through regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and immune cell infiltration.

Recent studies have suggested that sVEGFR3 is involved in cardiac diseases by regulating lymphangiogenesis; however, results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the function and mechanism of sVEGFR3 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). sVEGFR3 effects were evaluated in vivo in mice subjected to MI/RI, and in vitro using HL-1 cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion.

GRAiCE: reconstructing terrestrial water storage anomalies with recurrent neural networks.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its follow-on (GRACE-FO) missions have provided estimates of Terrestrial Water Storage Anomalies (TWSA) since 2002, enabling the monitoring of global hydrological changes. However, temporal gaps within these datasets and the lack of TWSA observations prior to 2002 limit our understanding of long-term freshwater variability. In this study, we develop GRAiCE, a set of four global monthly TWSA reconstructions from 1984 to 2021 at 0.

Predictors, patterns, and correlates of moderate-severe psychological distress among New York City College Students during Waves 2-4 of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated mental health conditions by introducing and/or modifying stressors, particularly in university populations. We examined longitudinal patterns, time-varying predictors, and contemporaneous correlates of moderate-severe psychological distress (MS-PD) among college students. During 2020-2021, participants completed self-administered questionnaires quarterly (T1 = 562, T2 = 334, T3 = 221, and T4 = 169).

Poor fixation stability does not account for motion perception deficits in amblyopia.

People with amblyopia show deficits in global motion perception, especially at slow speeds. These observers are also known to have unstable fixation when viewing stationary fixation targets, relative to healthy controls. It is possible that poor fixation stability during motion viewing interferes with the fidelity of the input to motion-sensitive neurons in visual cortex.

Adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment in high compared to low TB burden countries: study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis with a qualitative meta-synthesis of themes.

Introduction: Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment poses a significant challenge to effective TB management globally and is a major contributor to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB. Although adherence to TB treatment has been widely studied, a comprehensive evaluation of the comparative levels of adherence in high- versus low-TB burden settings remains lacking. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the levels of adherence to TB treatment in high-TB burden countries compared to low-burden countries.

Imaging Approach to Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is a rare but important clinical problem that presents a sometimes challenging diagnostic dilemma. The diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension relies on a combination of clinical testing and radiologic imaging, with chest computed tomography (CT) often serving as the primary imaging modality for comprehensive evaluation of the chest. Chest CT can be used to evaluate for causes of pulmonary hypertension including chronic lung disease, pulmonary artery obstruction, and congenital heart disease.

Digital Profiling of Immune Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: Relation to Anthracycline Benefit.

Assessment of the tumor immune microenvironment can be used as a prognostic tool for improved survival and as a predictive biomarker for treatment benefit, particularly from immune modulating treatments including cytotoxic chemotherapy. Using Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP), we studied the tumor immune microenvironment of 522 breast cancer cases by quantifying 35 immune biomarkers on tissue microarrays from the MA.5 phase III clinical trial.

An umbrella review and meta-analysis of 87 meta-analyses examining healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) experienced several changes in their work (e.g., longer hours, new policies) that affected their mental health.