Health literacy after traumatic brain injury: characterisation and control comparison.

Background Little is known about health literacy in traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. The aims of this study were to compare health literacy in individuals with TBI with that of a control group; to examine the association between health literacy in individuals with TBI and demographic, injury, and cognitive factors; and compare the relationship between health literacy and physical and mental health outcomes. Methods A cross-sectional observational study design was used.

Mechanisms of Intracellular Communication in Cancer and Pathogen Spreading.

Cell-to-cell interactions are essential for proper development, homeostasis, and complex syncytia/organ formation and function. Intercellular communication are mediated by multiple mechanisms including soluble mediators, adhesion molecules and specific mechanisms of cell to cell communication such as Gap junctions (GJ), tunneling nanotubes (TNT), and exosomes. Only recently, has been discovered that TNTs and exosomes enable the exchange of large signaling molecules, RNA, viral products, antigens, and organelles opening new avenues of research and therapeutic approaches.

Correlative Imaging to Detect Rare HIV Reservoirs and Associated Damage in Tissues.

Correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) has evolved in the last decades, especially after significant developments in sample preparation, imaging acquisition, software, spatial resolution, and equipment, including confocal, live-cell, super-resolution, and electron microscopy (scanning, transmission, focused ion beam, and cryo-electron microscopy). However, the recent evolution of different laser-related techniques, such as mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and laser capture microdissection, could further expand spatial imaging capabilities into high-resolution OMIC approaches such as proteomic, lipidomics, small molecule, and drug discovery. Here, we will describe a protocol to integrate the detection of rare viral reservoirs with imaging mass spectrometry.

Characterizing Health Literacy and Its Correlates Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A TBI Model Systems Study.

Objective: To characterize health literacy among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at least a year postinjury and to explore its relationship to sociodemographic variables, injury severity, and cognition.

Setting: Community following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Participants: In total, 205 individuals with complicated mild to severe TBI who completed follow-up as part of a national longitudinal study of TBI and completed a web-based health literacy measure.

Mechanisms of HIV-mediated blood-brain barrier compromise and leukocyte transmigration under the current antiretroviral era.

HIV-associated neurological compromise is observed in more than half of all people with HIV (PWH), even under antiretroviral therapy (ART). The mechanism has been associated with the early transmigration of HIV-infected monocytes across the BBB in a CCL2 and HIV replication-dependent manner. However, the mechanisms of chronic brain damage are unknown.

Tunneling nanotubes and tumor microtubes-Emerging data on their roles in intercellular communication and pathophysiology: Summary of an International FASEB Catalyst Conference October 2023.

In the past decade, there has been a steady rise in interest in studying novel cellular extensions and their potential roles in facilitating human diseases, including neurologic diseases, viral infectious diseases, cancer, and others. One of the exciting new aspects of this field is improved characterization and understanding of the functions and potential mechanisms of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), which are actin-based filamentous protrusions that are structurally distinct from filopodia. TNTs form and connect cells at long distance and serve as direct conduits for intercellular communication in a wide range of cell types in vitro and in vivo.

Safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a novel 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine in toddlers: A phase 1 randomized controlled trial.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) significantly reduced pneumococcal disease burden. Nevertheless, alternative approaches for controlling more serotypes are needed. Here, the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a 24-valent (1/2/3/4/5/6A/6B/7F/8/9N/9V/10A/11A/12F/14/15B/17F/18C/19A/19F/20B/22F/23F/33F) pneumococcal vaccine based on Multiple Antigen-Presenting System (MAPS) technology (Pn-MAPS24v) was assessed in toddlers.

The Relationship of Health Literacy to Health Outcomes Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

Objective: To examine the associations between health literacy and health outcomes among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at least a year post-injury.

Setting: Community following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Participants: A total of 205 individuals with complicated mild to severe TBI who completed a TBI Model Systems National Database follow-up interview and a web-based health literacy measure.

The role of Pannexin-1 channels, ATP, and purinergic receptors in the pathogenesis of HIV and SARS-CoV-2.

Infectious agents such as human immune deficiency virus-1 (HIV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) use host proteins to infect, replicate, and induce inflammation within the host. A critical component of these diseases is the axis between pannexin-1 channels, extracellular ATP, and purinergic receptors. Here, we describe the potential therapeutic role of Pannexin-1/purinergic approaches to prevent or reduce the devastating consequences of these pathogens.

Curriculum in Neuro-Ophthalmic Principles for National Football League Game Officials: Comparison of Pretraining and Posttraining Ratings of Knowledge.

Background: We hypothesize that creation of a structured curriculum in neuro-ophthalmology principles might improve self-rated learner satisfaction and knowledge base of National Football League (NFL) game officials. Our initial objective is to create the said curriculum in coordination with game official experts and staff at the NFL to increase levels of understanding of neuro-ophthalmology principles. We reviewed the prior published literature on applicable neuro-ophthalmic principles in professional sports.

An Umbrella Review of Self-Management Interventions for Health Conditions With Symptom Overlap With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To synthesize evidence for the effectiveness of self-management interventions for chronic health conditions that have symptom overlap with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in order to extract recommendations for self-management intervention in persons with TBI.

Design: An umbrella review of existing systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized studies targeting self-management of chronic conditions and specific outcomes relevant to persons with TBI.

Method: A comprehensive literature search of 5 databases was conducted using PRISMA guidelines.

Use of weight loss medications in relation with prostate, colorectal and male breast cancers among older men: SEER-Medicare 2007-2015.

Background: The association of weight loss medications with prostate (PCa), colorectal (CRC) or male breast cancers, including assessment of these cancers combined (HRCs, hormone-associated cancers) remain poorly understood. Testosterone replacement therapy (TTh) is reported to be inversely associated with obesity, PCa and CRC, but it is unclear whether TTh modifies the association of weight loss medications with HRCs.

Methods: In 49,038 men (≥ 65 years) of SEER-Medicare, we identified 15,471 men diagnosed with PCa, 4836 with CRC, and 141 with male breast cancers.

Chronic brain damage in HIV-infected individuals under antiretroviral therapy is associated with viral reservoirs, sulfatide release, and compromised cell-to-cell communication.

HIV infection has become a chronic and manageable disease due to the effective use of antiretroviral therapies (ART); however, several chronic aging-related comorbidities, including cognitive impairment, remain a major public health issue. However, these mechanisms are unknown. Here, we identified that glial and myeloid viral reservoirs are associated with local myelin damage and the release of several myelin components, including the lipid sulfatide.

Impact of Adjunct Testosterone on Cancer-Related Fatigue: An Ancillary Analysis from a Controlled Randomized Trial.

Many cancer patients undergoing treatment experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Inflammatory markers are correlated with CRF but are not routinely targeted for treatment. We previously demonstrated in an NIH-funded placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial (NCT00878995, closed to follow-up) that seven weekly injections of 100 mg adjunct testosterone preserved lean body mass in cancer patients undergoing standard-of-care treatment in a hospital setting.

Experimental Nanovaccine Offers Protection Against Repeat Exposures to Through Activation of Polyfunctional T Cell Response.

A parasitic protozoan () is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Previously, we have identified antigens TcG2 and TcG4 as potential vaccine candidates, cloned in eukaryotic expression vector pCDNA3.1 (referred as p2/4) and tested their ability to elicit protection from infection.

Complete bilateral ophthalmoplegia in malignant intracranial hypertension in a child.

Purpose: To describe a case of fulminant idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in a child with "malignant" presentation.

Case Report: A 16-year-old, previously healthy, girl presented with bilateral visual loss and bilateral global limitation of eye movements in the absence of headache. Extensive laboratory evaluation for infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and neoplastic conditions was negative.

Antigen-Based Nano-Immunotherapy Controls Parasite Persistence, Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress, and Cardiac Fibrosis, the Hallmarks of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy, in A Mouse Model of Infection.

Chagas cardiomyopathy is caused by (). We identified two candidate antigens (TcG2 and TcG4) that elicit antibodies and T cell responses in naturally infected diverse hosts. In this study, we cloned and in a nanovector and evaluated whether nano-immunotherapy (referred as nano2/4) offers resistance to chronic Chagas disease.

Impact of hemodynamic goal-directed resuscitation on mortality in adult critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The effect of hemodynamic optimization in critically ill patients has been challenged in recent years. The aim of the meta-analysis was to evaluate if a protocolized intervention based on the result of hemodynamic monitoring reduces mortality in critically ill patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Glucocorticoids increase skeletal muscle NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK): links to muscle atrophy.

Glucocorticoids (GC) are a frontline therapy for numerous acute and chronic diseases because of their demonstrated efficacy at reducing systemic inflammation. An unintended side effect of GC therapy is the stimulation of skeletal muscle atrophy. Pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for GC-induced skeletal muscle atrophy have been extensively investigated, and the ability to treat patients with GC without unintended muscle atrophy has yet to be realized.

Prevalence and Correlates of the Perpetration of Cyber Dating Abuse among Early Adolescents.

Much is known about the prevalence and correlates of dating violence, especially the perpetration of physical dating violence, among older adolescents. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence and correlates of the perpetration of cyber dating abuse, particularly among early adolescents. In this study, using a predominantly ethnic-minority sample of sixth graders who reported ever having had a boyfriend/girlfriend (n = 424, 44.

Association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010.

Purpose: Obesity is characterised by chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation. Elevated FeNO levels reflect airway inflammation in various lung diseases including asthma.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from NHANES 2007-2010.

The All-Alpha Domains of Coupling Proteins from the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 and Enterococcus faecalis pCF10-Encoded Type IV Secretion Systems Confer Specificity to Binding of Cognate DNA Substrates.

Unlabelled: Bacterial type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) bind and mediate the delivery of DNA substrates through associated type IV secretion systems (T4SSs). T4CPs consist of a transmembrane domain, a conserved nucleotide-binding domain (NBD), and a sequence-variable helical bundle called the all-alpha domain (AAD). In the T4CP structural prototype, plasmid R388-encoded TrwB, the NBD assembles as a homohexamer resembling RecA and DNA ring helicases, and the AAD, which sits at the channel entrance of the homohexamer, is structurally similar to N-terminal domain 1 of recombinase XerD.

The role of inflammation in brain cancer.

Malignant brain tumors are among the most lethal of human tumors, with limited treatment options currently available. A complex array of recurrent genetic and epigenetic changes has been observed in gliomas that collectively result in derangements of common cell signaling pathways controlling cell survival, proliferation, and invasion. One important determinant of gene expression is DNA methylation status, and emerging studies have revealed the importance of a recently identified demethylation pathway involving 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC).