Validation of the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences with Swallowing Disorders (CARES) Screening Tool for Neurodegenerative Disease.

Purpose: Swallowing difficulties have a substantial impact on the burden experienced by care partners of individuals with neurodegenerative disease. Given this, there is a clear need to easily identify and quantify the unique aspects of swallowing-related burden. The purpose of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of the Caregiver Analysis of Reported Experiences with Swallowing Disorders (CARES) screening tool in care partners of individuals with neurodegenerative disease.

Clearing the Air on Pollutant Disruptions of the Gut-Brain Axis: Developmental Exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene Disturbs Zebrafish Behavior and the Gut Microbiome in Adults and Subsequent Generations.

Developmental exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has been linked to various toxic effects, including multigenerational behavioral impairment. While the specific mechanisms driving BaP neurotoxicity are not fully understood, recent work highlights two important determinants of developmental BaP neurotoxicity: (1) the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which induces host metabolism of BaP, and (2) the gut microbiome, which may interact with BaP to affect its metabolism, or be perturbed by BaP to disrupt the gut-brain axis. We utilized the zebrafish model to explore the role of AHR, the gut microbiome, and their interaction, on BaP-induced neurotoxicity.

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Bis(dehydrobenzoannuleno)benzenes: An Experimental and Computational Approach.

Given their molecular properties and electronic structure, graphyne and graphdiyne are promising materials with numerous applications in different fields of material science. Dehydrobenzoannules (DBAs) are candidates that can serve as building blocks for synthesizing and designing new 2D carbon allotropes; however, only a few graphynes have been produced on a practical scale. Herein, we present our investigation of three DBAs, which serve as a model to understand the relationship between the structure and property, contributing to 2D carbon allotropes' rational design and synthetic effort.

Species Differences in the Biotransformation of Aflatoxin B1: Primary Determinants of Relative Carcinogenic Potency in Different Animal Species.

It has been known since the early days of the discovery of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) that there were large species differences in susceptibility to AFB1. It was also evident early on that AFB1 itself was not toxic but required bioactivation to a reactive form. Over the past 60 years there have been thousands of studies to delineate the role of ~10 specific biotransformation pathways of AFB1, both phase I (oxidation, reduction) and phase II (hydrolysis, conjugation, secondary oxidations, and reductions of phase I metabolites).

Phenotypic and Complete Reference Whole Genome Sequence Analyses of Two spp. Isolates from a Gray Wolf () Gastrointestinal Tract.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing among mammals around the world, and domestic dogs are no exception. There is no approved cure for canine IBD with limited treatment options. Novel probiotic bacteria discovery from free-ranging animals for the treatment of IBD in domestic pets can likely yield promising probiotic candidates.

Serious Bacterial Infections and Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Syndemic or Intertwined Epidemics?

Limited research has examined the possible synergistic interrelationships between serious bacterial infections (SBIs) of the heart (i.e., endocarditis), bone, spine, brain, or joints (e.

Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Baseplate Stability Is Affected by Bone Density and the Type and Amount of Augmentation.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of bony increased offset (BIO) and metallic augments (MAs) on primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) baseplate stability in cadaveric specimens with variable bone densities.

Methods: Thirty cadaveric specimens were analyzed in an imaging and biomechanical investigation. Computed tomography (CT) scans allowed for preoperative RSA planning and bone density analysis.

Voxel Volumes and Biomass: Estimating Vegetation Volume and Litter Accumulation of Exotic Annual Grasses Using Automated Ultra-High-Resolution SfM and Advanced Classification Techniques.

In much of the northern Great Basin of the western United States, rangelands, and semi-arid ecosystems invaded by exotic annual grasses such as cheatgrass () and medusahead () are experiencing an increasingly short fire cycle, which is compounding and persistent. Improving and expanding ground-based field methods for measuring the above-ground biomass (AGB) may enable more sample collections across a landscape and over succession regimes and better harmonize with other remote sensing techniques. Developments and increased adoption of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) and instrumentation for vegetation monitoring enable greater understanding of vegetation in many ecosystems.

Sex, ethnicity and language differences in statin prescribing in community health center patients.

Background: Statins have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In the United States, statins are underutilized, and the literature suggests women and Latine individuals received even fewer prescriptions than men even when eligible. No study has shown how statins are prescribed when looking at language, ethnicity, and considering sex.

Evolutionary constrained genes associated with autism spectrum disorder across 2,054 nonhuman primate genomes.

Background: Significant progress has been made in elucidating the genetic underpinnings of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the link between genomics, neurobiology and clinical phenotype in scientific discovery. New models are therefore needed to address these gaps.

The Role of Sex and Gender in Acute Kidney Injury - Consensus Statements from the 33 Acute Disease Quality Initiative.

Sex differences exist in acute kidney injury (AKI), and the role that sex and gender play along the AKI care continuum remains unclear. The 33 Acute Disease Quality Initiative meeting evaluated available data on the role of sex and gender in AKI and identified knowledge gaps. Data from experimental models, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical care, gender, social determinants of health, education, and advocacy were reviewed.

Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine effectiveness among US veterans, September, 2023 to March, 2024: a target trial emulation study.

Background: New respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines have been approved in the USA for the prevention of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in adults aged 60 years and older. Information on the real-world effectiveness of these vaccines is needed.

Methods: We used electronic health records in the Veterans Health Administration to emulate a target trial comparing a single dose of a recombinant stabilised prefusion F protein RSV vaccine versus no vaccination among veterans aged 60 years and older.

Orismilast, a PDE4B/D inhibitor, in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: Efficacy and safety from a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 2b dose-ranging study (ADESOS).

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterized by eczematous skin lesions and pruritus. There is an unmet need for effective first-line systemic therapies with good safety profiles, particularly oral medications. Orismilast is a novel first-in-class oral phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) B/D inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of moderate-to-severe AD.

Cushing's syndrome related to higher rates and earlier onset of cataract: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To investigate the risk of cataract in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) and evaluate whether disease onset occurs at an earlier age compared to general population.

Methods: A nationwide retrospective matched-cohort study including individuals diagnosed with endogenous CS from 2000 to 2023. Patients with CS were matched in a 1:5 ratio with a control group individually matched for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and body mass index.

Determinants of stigma against help-seeking in schools and help-seeking behaviors of Asian American and Latinx youth experiencing internalizing problems.

Objectives: This study examined individual and school factors related to stigma against seeking mental health support among Asian American and Latinx youth and tested whether stigma moderated the link between internalizing symptoms and help-seeking behaviors across different sources of support.

Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional, routine school-based mental health needs assessment. The sample included 1,371 Asian American and 801 Latinx students in Grades 4-12 ( = 8.

Identification and validation of a T cell receptor targeting KRAS G12V in HLA-A*11:01 pancreatic cancer patients.

T cells targeting a KRAS mutation can induce durable tumor regression in some patients with metastatic epithelial cancer. It is unknown whether T cells targeting mutant KRAS that are capable of killing tumor cells can be identified from peripheral blood of patients with pancreatic cancer. We developed an in vitro stimulation approach and identified HLA-A*11:01-restricted KRAS G12V-reactive CD8+ T cells and HLA-DRB1*15:01-restricted KRAS G12V-reactive CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood of 2 out of 6 HLA-A*11:01-positive patients with pancreatic cancer whose tumors expressed KRAS G12V.

Receipt of medications for opioid use disorder among rural and urban veterans health administration patients.

Aim: We examined differences in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) receipt between rural and urban veteran patients following initiatives within the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand access to MOUD.

Methods: Data for this retrospective cohort study were obtained from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse, which contains national electronic health record data for all VA patients. The analytic sample included all patients diagnosed with OUD from 10/1/2018-9/30/20.

Computational structure-based design of antiviral peptides as potential protein-protein interaction inhibitors of rabies virus phosphoprotein and human LC8.

Rabies is a serious zoonotic disease caused by the rabies virus (RABV). Despite the successful development of vaccines and efforts made in drug discovery, rabies is incurable. Therefore, development of novel drugs is of interest to the scientific community.

Cryopreservation of brain cell structure: a review.

Cryopreservation, the preservation of tissues at subzero temperatures, is a mainstay of brain banking that allows for the storage of brain tissue without the use of chemical fixatives. This is particularly important for molecular studies that are incompatible with tissue fixation. However, brain tissue is vulnerable to various forms of damage during the cryopreservation process, in particular due to the phase transition of water from a liquid to a solid state with the formation of ice crystals, which can disrupt cellular morphology.

Putting seedlings on the map: Trade-offs in demographic rates between ontogenetic size classes in five tropical forests.

All species must partition resources among the processes that underly growth, survival, and reproduction. The resulting demographic trade-offs constrain the range of viable life-history strategies and are hypothesized to promote local coexistence. Tropical forests pose ideal systems to study demographic trade-offs as they have a high diversity of coexisting tree species whose life-history strategies tend to align along two orthogonal axes of variation: a growth-survival trade-off that separates species with fast growth from species with high survival and a stature-recruitment trade-off that separates species that achieve large stature from species with high recruitment.

Seagrass wasting disease prevalence and lesion area increase with invertebrate grazing across the northeastern Pacific.

Disease is a key driver of community and ecosystem structure, especially when it strikes foundation species. In the widespread marine foundation species eelgrass (Zostera marina), outbreaks of wasting disease have caused large-scale meadow collapse in the past, and the causative pathogen, Labyrinthula zosterae, is commonly found in meadows globally. Research to date has mainly focused on abiotic environmental drivers of seagrass wasting disease, but there is strong evidence from other systems that biotic interactions such as herbivory can facilitate plant diseases.