Controlled human infection studies accelerate vaccine development.

Clinical trials that employ human challenge, also known as controlled human infection models (CHIM), have rapidly advanced vaccine development for multiple pathogens, including at least 30 disease models to date. CHIM studies, championed by networks of researchers, regulators, ethicists, technical experts, and other stakeholders, limit exposure of individuals to an investigational product, de-risk product investments, identify correlates of protection, and most importantly provide a prompt readout of vaccine efficacy. While CHIM studies provide multiple advantages, important challenges exist, including strengthening the relevance and comparability of CHIM study results to efficacy trials in endemic areas, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on Patients With Psoriasis: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease primarily treated through molecular-targeted therapies. However, emerging evidence suggests that dietary interventions may also play a role in managing inflammation associated with this condition. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), prevalent in southern European countries, has been widely recognized for its ability to reduce cardiovascular mortality, largely due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Treating Opioid Use Disorder and Opioid Withdrawal in the Context of Fentanyl.

The opioid crisis, driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, presents significant challenges in treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid withdrawal syndrome. Fentanyl is uniquely lethal due to its rapid onset and respiratory depressant effects, driving the surge in overdose deaths. This review examines the limitations of traditional diagnostic criteria like those of the , Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) and explores the potential of dimensional models such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) for a more nuanced understanding of OUD.

Iron Deficiency and All-Cause Hospitalization Risk in a Clinical Cohort of COPD.

Background: The impact of iron deficiency on COPD morbidity independent of anemia status is unknown. Understanding the association between iron deficiency, anemia status, and risk of hospitalization in COPD may inform an approach to these comorbidities.

Study Design And Methods: Adults ≥40 years from the Johns Hopkins COPD Precision Medicine Center of Excellence data repository with an outpatient iron profile and 1 year of subsequent follow-up time were included in the study.

PET Reporter Probes for Brain Imaging of Transduced Gene and Cell Expression: Status and Challenges.

Gene therapy and cell transduction are gaining interest as therapeutic strategies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been established as a uniquely powerful modality for brain molecular imaging in vivo. The utility of PET depends on the development and application of suitably specific radiotracers and/or reporter probes.

Development and implementation of an electronic health record system for use in humanitarian emergencies, disaster response, and conflict zones.

Humanitarian medical response to natural and human-made disasters can be complicated by high clinician, staff, and patient turnover. While electronic medical records are being scaled up globally, their use remains limited in humanitarian response settings. The Fast Electronic Medical Record (fEMR) system is an open-source electronic health record system specifically designed for use in resource-limited settings and humanitarian crises.

Quasi-Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnetic Spin Fluctuations in the Spin-Triplet Superconductor Candidate CeRh_{2}As_{2}.

The tetragonal heavy-fermion superconductor CeRh_{2}As_{2} (T_{c}=0.3  K) exhibits an exceptionally high critical field of 14 T for B∥c. It undergoes a field-driven first-order phase transition between superconducting states, potentially transitioning from spin-singlet to spin-triplet superconductivity.

Absorption-Emission Codes for Atomic and Molecular Quantum Information Platforms.

Diatomic molecular codes [V. V. Albert, J.

Measurement of Λ_{b}^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Λ Decay Parameters Using Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-} Decays.

A comprehensive study of the angular distributions in the bottom-baryon decays Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-}(h=π,K), followed by Λ_{c}^{+}→Λh^{+} with Λ→pπ^{-} or Λ_{c}^{+}→pK_{S}^{0} decays, is performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The decay parameters and the associated charge-parity (CP) asymmetries are measured, with no significant CP violation observed. For the first time, the Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-} decay parameters are measured.

Theory for Dissipative Time Crystals in Coupled Parametric Oscillators.

Discrete time crystals are novel phases of matter that break the discrete time translational symmetry of a periodically driven system. In this Letter, we propose a classical system of weakly nonlinear parametrically driven coupled oscillators as a test bed to understand these phases. Such a system of parametric oscillators can be used to model period-doubling instabilities of Josephson junction arrays as well as semiconductor lasers.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pediatric Counseling on Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Weight: A Secondary Analysis of the BP-CATCH Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Pediatric obesity and hypertension are highly correlated. To mitigate both conditions, provision of counseling on nutrition, lifestyle, and weight to children with high blood pressure (BP) measurements is recommended.

Objective: To examine racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of nutrition, lifestyle, and weight counseling among patients with high BP at pediatric primary care visits stratified by patients' weight status.

Sensitivity to Environmental Stress and Adversity and Lung Cancer.

Importance: Sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity may influence lung cancer risk, highlighting a critical link between psychosocial factors and cancer etiology.

Objective: To evaluate whether genetically estimated sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity is associated with lung cancer risk.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data were obtained from a genome-wide association study identifying 37 independent genetic variants strongly associated with sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity and a cross-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium.

Longitudinal Analysis of Obesity Drug Use and Public Awareness.

Importance: Obesity, a chronic disease with escalating global prevalence, poses considerable health risks. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), including liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, have demonstrated efficacy for weight loss in clinical trials. The paradigm shift in the approach to obesity management drugs (OMDs) may offer an opportunity to examine online search activity and prescription trends.

With a little help from my friends: importance of protist-protist interactions in structuring marine protistan communities in the San Pedro Channel.

Unlabelled: Marine protists form complex communities that are shaped by environmental and biological ecosystem properties, as well as ecological interactions between organisms. While all of these factors play a role in shaping protistan communities, the specific ways in which these properties and interactions influence protistan communities remain poorly understood. Fourteen years and 9 months of eukaryotic amplicon (18S-V4 rRNA gene) data collected monthly at the San Pedro Ocean Time-series (SPOT) station were used to evaluate the impacts that environmental and biological factors, and protist-protist interactions had on protistan community composition.

Identification of near full-length human pegivirus type 2 (HPgV-2) genomes in blood donor samples co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Human pegivirus (HPgV) identified from an HCV-infected plasma sample through nanopore metagenomics. The analysis revealed a nearly complete HPgV-2 genome. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed its classification within the HPgV-2 genotype, providing insights into viral co-infection dynamics.

Virus-like particle-based vaccines targeting the mosquito salivary protein TRIO.

Malaria is a highly lethal infectious disease caused by parasites. These parasites are transmitted to vertebrate hosts when mosquitoes of the genus probe for a blood meal. Sporozoites, the infectious stage of , transit to the liver within hours of injection into the dermis.

Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Tap Water from the American Healthy Homes Survey II.

Humans experience widespread exposure to anthropogenic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through various media, which can lead to a wide range of negative health impacts. Tap water is an important source of exposure in communities with any degree of contamination but routine or large-scale PFAS monitoring often depends on targeted analytical methods limited to measuring specific PFAS. We analyzed 680 tap water samples from the American Healthy Homes Survey II for PFAS using non-targeted analysis (NTA) to expand the range of detectable PFAS.

"Everything cannot be handled virtually": Understanding intention and use of digital health technologies among rural adults and rural cancer survivors.

Purpose: This qualitative study assessed internet access and use, barriers and facilitators to participating in digital health interventions or programs, and the engagement experience in virtual versus in-person health interventions among rural adults and rural cancer survivors.

Methods: Rural adults (n = 10) and rural cancer survivors (n = 10) were recruited from previous studies to participate in an in-depth interview. The interview guide contained eight open-ended questions related to participation in technology-based programs.

Innate Immunity Never "NODs" Off: NLRs Regulate the Host Anti-Viral Immune Response.

A robust innate immune response is essential in combating viral pathogens. However, it is equally critical to quell overzealous immune signaling to limit collateral damage and enable inflammation resolution. Pattern recognition receptors are critical regulators of these processes.

Association Between Metabolomics Findings and Brain Hypometabolism in Mild Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition with rising prevalence due to the aging global population. Existing methods for diagnosing AD are struggling to detect the condition in its earliest and most treatable stages. One early indicator of AD is a substantial decrease in the brain's glucose metabolism.

Refractory and Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Mucocutaneous Infections in Immunocompromised Patients: Literature Review and Proposed Definitions for Use in Clinical Trials.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections worldwide. In general, host immunity is sufficient to clear viral shedding and recurrences, although it is insufficient to prevent subsequent virologic reactivations. In immunocompromised patients, prolonged and difficult-to-treat HSV infections may develop.

Trends of Representation of Women in Professional Medical Societal Leadership in the United States and Europe.

Background: There continue to be significant gender disparities with women being underrepresented in medical professional society leadership roles, despite more women entering medical school.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the pattern of representation of women in medical society presidential positions in the United States and Europe over the past 50 years. It further examines gender-related trends in the field of cardiology and among medical trainees.

Evaluating endogenous viral targets as potential treatment monitoring surrogates for onsite non-potable water reuse.

Onsite non-potable water reuse systems (ONWS) are decentralized systems that treat and repurpose locally collected waters ( greywater or combined wastewater) for uses such as irrigation and flushing toilets. To ensure that treatment is meeting risk benchmarks, it is necessary to monitor the efficacy of pathogen removal. However, accurate assessment of pathogen reduction is hampered by their sporadic and low occurrence rates in source waters and concentrations in treated water that are generally below measurement detection limits.