Abnormal cardiovascular control during exercise: Role of insulin resistance in the brain.

During exercise circulatory adjustments to meet oxygen demands are mediated by multiple autonomic mechanisms, the skeletal muscle exercise pressor reflex (EPR), the baroreflex (BR), and by feedforward signals from central command neurons in higher brain centers. Insulin resistance in peripheral tissues includes sensitization of skeletal muscle afferents by hyperinsulinemia which is in part responsible for the abnormally heightened EPR function observed in diabetic animal models and patients. However, the role of insulin signaling within the central nervous system (CNS) is receiving increased attention as a potential therapeutic intervention in diseases with underlying insulin resistance.

What makes a trauma 'pathological'? - Perceived peritraumatic threat influences the development of intrusive memories.

Intrusions are a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While dysfunctional cognitions are known posttraumatic contributors, peritraumatic processes are less understood. Perceived threat, alongside emotional factors, is theorized as significant, but experimental studies are lacking.

Palliative care utilization among head and neck cancer patients: A population-based analysis.

Purpose: Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients face substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite the potential benefits of palliative care (PC) in improving quality of life, many HNC patients do not receive these services. This study aimed to quantify the proportion of HNC patients receiving PC, the timing of PC referrals, and the mental health and clinical outcomes of this population.

A better diet quality based on the Healthy Eating Index-2020 is associated with lower energy intake and age but not with a pre-diabetes/T2DM diagnosis among Hispanic women with overweight/obesity.

Low diet quality is related to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk among Hispanic women. This cross-sectional study compared diet quality among Hispanic women with overweight/obesity based on their T2DM diagnosis (pre-diabetes/T2DM group, n = 104 vs no diagnosis, at-risk group, n = 84). It was hypothesized that having a pre-diabetes or T2DM diagnosis would be associated with better diet quality based on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 score.

Machine learning for synthetic gene circuit engineering.

Synthetic biology leverages engineering principles to program biology with new functions for applications in medicine, energy, food, and the environment. A central aspect of synthetic biology is the creation of synthetic gene circuits - engineered biological circuits capable of performing operations, detecting signals, and regulating cellular functions. Their development involves large design spaces with intricate interactions among circuit components and the host cellular machinery.

Brown adipose tissue is associated with reduced weight loss and risk of cancer cachexia: A retrospective cohort study.

Background & Aims: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been mainly investigated as a potential target against cardiometabolic disease, but it has also been linked to cancer-related outcomes. Although preclinical data support that BAT and the thermogenic adipocytes in white adipose tissue may play an adverse role in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia, results from studies in patients have reported inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationship between presence of detectable BAT, changes in body weight, and cachexia in patients with cancer.

Behind the scenes of palliative care: Qualitative study with oncology family caregivers.

Purpose: Long-term caregiving tasks can be exhausting for family caregivers, resulting in high psychological morbidity. The study aims to explore the experiences, challenges, and strengths of family caregivers providing care for cancer patients in palliative care, in-patient or at home.

Method: Nine caregivers were included, predominantly women aged 34 to 70, from various regions of Portugal.

Exploring factors influencing body acceptance in women with breast cancer: A cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Body acceptance in women with breast cancer is a crucial factor related to their physical, psychological health, and quality of life. However, research on the factors influencing body acceptance in this population is lacking. This study aims to identify these factors to provide insights for developing tailored interventions.

Green growth transition and carbon neutrality nexus: A comparative study on the top carbon emitters.

This is a comparative study that investigates the role of green growth, green technological innovations, agricultural eco-efficiency and trade openness on carbon neutrality in the top three carbon emitting countries, namely, China, the USA and India, using panel quantile regression with quarterly data for the time period of 2010-2022. The results reveal different findings which have important policy implications. Firstly, carbon emissions vs green growth and carbon emissions vs green technological innovation have a significant U-shaped relationship, which indicate that when green growth and green technological innovations increases, the rate of carbon emissions continues to decline up to a threshold point and start to increase thereafter.

bneR: A collaborative workflow for air pollution exposure modeling and uncertainty characterization using the Bayesian Nonparametric Ensemble.

Background: Air pollution is a major public health threat globally. Health studies, regulatory actions, and policy evaluations typically rely on air pollutant concentrations from single exposure models, assuming accurate estimations and ignoring related uncertainty. We developed a modeling framework, bneR, to apply the Bayesian Nonparametric Ensemble (BNE) prediction model that combines existing exposure models as inputs to provide air pollution estimates and their spatio-temporal uncertainty.

The effect of conflicting versus consistent messaging on older women's support for breast cancer screening cessation.

Objective: Breast cancer over-screening is common in older women. Messaging about breast cancer screening cessation may reduce over-screening but the broader informational environment often emphasizes screening continuation. We aimed to examine the effect of receiving consistent messages about breast cancer screening cessation versus conflicting messages (i.

Unveiling the trends: Growing cancer and venous thromboembolism mortality in older adults in the United States, 1999-2020.

Background: While cancer mortality rates in the United States (U.S.) have decreased due to advances in chemotherapy, older adults with cancer face an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Towards contrast-agnostic soft segmentation of the spinal cord.

Spinal cord segmentation is clinically relevant and is notably used to compute spinal cord cross-sectional area (CSA) for the diagnosis and monitoring of cord compression or neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. While several semi and automatic methods exist, one key limitation remains: the segmentation depends on the MRI contrast, resulting in different CSA across contrasts. This is partly due to the varying appearance of the boundary between the spinal cord and the cerebrospinal fluid that depends on the sequence and acquisition parameters.

Identifying risk factors and developing a nomogram for HFNC failure in patients with hypercapnic acute respiratory failure.

Background: Currently, there is a deficiency in nomograms specifically designed for predicting the failure of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy in patients with hypercapnic acute respiratory failure (hypercapnic ARF). The aim of this retrospective study is to develop and evaluate a nomogram that assesses the risk of HFNC failure in this patient population.

Methods: Patients with ARF and hypercapnia (PaCO ≥ 45 mmHg in the initial arterial blood gas) who received HFNC in the intensive care unit (ICU) from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023 were enrolled in this study.

Patch-based dual-domain photon-counting CT data correction with residual-based WGAN-ViT.

Objective: X-ray photon-counting detectors (PCDs) have recently gained popularity due to their capabilities in energy discrimination power, noise suppression, and resolution refinement. The latest extremity photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) scanner leverages these advantages for tissue characterization, material decomposition, beam hardening correction, and metal artifact reduction. However, technical challenges such as charge splitting and pulse pileup can distort the energy spectrum and compromise image quality.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line ISMMSi060-A from a patient with combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 25.

We have described a novel mitochondrial disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the methionyl-tRNA synthetase 2 gene (MARS2), now termed Combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 25 (COXPD25). This study focuses on the generation and characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts of a patient with COXPD25. The resulting iPSC line ISMMSi060-A, carries the compound heterozygous variants c.

Regulation of trophectoderm morphogenesis by small GTPase RHOA through HIPPO signaling-dependent and -independent mechanisms in mouse preimplantation development.

The trophectoderm (TE) is the first tissue to differentiate during the preimplantation development of the mammalian embryo. It forms the outer layer of the blastocyst and is responsible for generating the blastocoel, a fluid-filled cavity whose expansion is essential for successful hatching and implantation. Here, we investigated the role of the small GTPase RHOA in the morphogenesis of the TE, particularly its relationship with HIPPO signaling, using mouse embryos as a model.

Thoughts and thinkers: On the complementarity between objects and processes.

We argue that "processes versus objects" is not a useful dichotomy. There is, instead, substantial theoretical utility in viewing "objects" and "processes" as complementary ways of describing persistence through time, and hence the possibility of observation and manipulation. This way of thinking highlights the role of memory as an essential resource for observation, and makes it clear that "memory" and "time" are also mutually inter-defined, complementary concepts.

Imaging-based prediction of early recurrence and neoadjuvant therapy outcomes for resectable beyond Milan HCC.

Purpose: To develop and validate an MRI-based model for predicting postoperative early (≤2 years) recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients receiving upfront surgical resection (SR) for beyond Milan hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to assess the model's performance in separate patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy for similar-stage tumors.

Method: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients with resectable BCLC A/B beyond Milan HCC undergoing upfront SR or neoadjuvant therapy. All images were independently evaluated by three blinded radiologists.

Pinpointing the timing of prenatal stress associated with infant biobehavioral reactivity.

Prenatal stress has a well-established link to negative biobehavioral outcomes in young children, particularly for girls, but the specific timing during gestation of these associations remains unknown. In the current study, we examined differential effects of timing of prenatal stress on two infant biobehavioral outcomes [i.e.

Emerging Technologies for Multiphoton Writing and Reading of Polymeric Architectures for Biomedical Applications.

The rise in popularity of two-photon polymerization (TPP) as an additive manufacturing technique has impacted many areas of science and engineering, particularly those related to biomedical applications. Compared with other fabrication methods used for biomedical applications, TPP offers 3D, nanometer-scale fabrication dexterity (free-form). Moreover, the existence of turnkey commercial systems has increased accessibility.

Designer Organs: Ethical Genetic Modifications in the Era of Machine Perfusion.

Gene therapy is a rapidly developing field, finally yielding clinical benefits. Genetic engineering of organs for transplantation may soon be an option, thanks to convergence with another breakthrough technology, ex vivo machine perfusion (EVMP). EVMP allows access to the functioning organ for genetic manipulation prior to transplant.

Single-Session Interventions for Mental Health Problems and Service Engagement: Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Most people with mental health needs cannot access treatment; among those who do, many access services only once. Accordingly, single-session interventions (SSIs) may help bridge the treatment gap. We conducted the first umbrella review synthesizing research on SSIs for mental health problems and service engagement in youth and adults.

Cell-Instructive Biomaterials with Native-Like Biochemical Complexity.

Biochemical signals in native tissue microenvironments instruct cell behavior during many biological processes ranging from developmental morphogenesis and tissue regeneration to tumor metastasis and disease progression. The detection and characterization of these signals using spatial and highly resolved quantitative methods have revealed their existence as matricellular proteins in the matrisome, some of which are bound to the extracellular matrix while others are freely diffusing. Including these biochemical signals in engineered biomaterials can impart enhanced functionality and native-like complexity, ultimately benefiting efforts to understand, model, and treat various diseases.