Sex in aging matters: exercise and chronic stress differentially impact females and males across the lifespan.

Assessing sex as a biological variable is critical to determining the influence of environmental and lifestyle risks and protective factors mediating behavior and neuroplasticity across the lifespan. We investigated sex differences in affective behavior, memory, and hippocampal neurogenesis following short- or long-term exposure to exercise or chronic mild stress in young and aged mice. Male and female mice were assigned control, running, or chronic stress rearing conditions for 1 month (young) or for 15 months (aged), then underwent a behavioral test battery to assess activity, affective behavior, and memory.

From research to practice: bridging the implementation gap on the use of tranexamic acid in total knee arthroplasty.

Background: The use of intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic agent, has been shown to effectively reduce total blood loss and transfusion rates in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the implementation lag and clinical uptake of the use of TXA for primary TKA after publication of two landmark studies. Additionally, it assessed the efficacy of TXA use in TKA in reducing post-operative blood transfusions and hospital length of stay (LOS).

AI-based analysis of fetal growth restriction in a prospective obstetric cohort quantifies compound risks for perinatal morbidity and mortality and identifies previously unrecognized high risk clinical scenarios.

Background: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a leading risk factor for stillbirth, yet the diagnosis of FGR confers considerable prognostic uncertainty, as most infants with FGR do not experience any morbidity. Our objective was to use data from a large, deeply phenotyped observational obstetric cohort to develop a probabilistic graphical model (PGM), a type of "explainable artificial intelligence (AI)", as a potential framework to better understand how interrelated variables contribute to perinatal morbidity risk in FGR.

Methods: Using data from 9,558 pregnancies delivered at ≥ 20 weeks with available outcome data, we derived and validated a PGM using randomly selected sub-cohorts of 80% (n = 7645) and 20% (n = 1,912), respectively, to discriminate cases of FGR resulting in composite perinatal morbidity from those that did not.

Increased serum GM-CSF at diagnosis of biliary atresia is associated with improved biliary drainage.

Background: The immune heterogeneity of biliary atresia (BA) presents a challenge for development of prognostic biomarkers. This study aimed to identify early immune signatures associated with biliary drainage after Kasai Portoenterostomy (KPE).

Methods: Serum samples, liver slides, and clinical data were obtained from patients enrolled in the NIDDK-supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network.

A deep learning analysis for dual healthcare system users and risk of opioid use disorder.

The opioid crisis has disproportionately affected U.S. veterans, leading the Veterans Health Administration to implement opioid prescribing guidelines.

Flaky sputtered silicon MWCNTs core-shell structure as a freestanding binder-free electrode for lithium-ion battery.

Core-shell silicon/multiwall carbon nanotubes are one of the most promising anode candidates for further improvement of lithium-ion batteries. Sufficient accommodation for massive volume expansion of silicon during the lithiation process and preventing pulverization and delamination with easy fabrication processes are still critical issues for practical applications. In this study, core-shell silicon/MWCNTs anode materials were synthesized using a facile and controllable PECVD technique to realize aligned MWCNTs followed by a silicon sputtering step.

Structure and mechanism of vitamin-K-dependent γ-glutamyl carboxylase.

γ-Glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) is the sole identified enzyme that uses vitamin K (VK) as a cofactor in humans. This protein catalyses the oxidation of VK hydroquinone to convert specific glutamate residues to γ-carboxyglutamate residues in VK-dependent proteins (VDPs), which are involved in various essential biological processes and diseases. However, the working mechanism of GGCX remains unclear.

MuSK regulates neuromuscular junction Nav1.4 localization and excitability.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the linchpin of nerve-evoked muscle contraction. Broadly, the function of the NMJ is to transduce nerve action potentials into muscle fiber action potentials (MFAPs). Efficient neuromuscular transmission requires both cholinergic signaling, responsible for generation of endplate potentials (EPPs), and excitation, the amplification of the EPP by postsynaptic voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav1.

Perylene diimide based fluorescent sensors for aqueous detection of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).

Background: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), one of the most harmful members of the large group of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is notorious for its environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxic effects, raising serious environmental and health concerns. Developing rapid and sensitive methods to detect PFOS in water is critical for effective monitoring and protection against this hazardous chemical.

Results: In this study, we developed rapid and highly sensitive fluorometric sensors (PDI-2+ , PDI-6+ ) for detecting PFOS.

Using augmented reality to deliver cue exposure treatment for smoking cessation: App usability findings and protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Augmented Reality (AR) is a rapidly developing technology with potential utility for treating addictive behaviors, including tobacco smoking. AR inserts digital images into a natural real-time scene as viewed on a smartphone or other video devices. With respect to smoking cessation, AR can place virtual smoking cues (i.

Production and use of lignocellulosic wood vinegar and tar as organic pesticides to fight bacterial canker disease.

This study investigated the production and application of lignocellulosic wood vinegar and tar as organic pesticides to combat bacterial canker disease in trees, caused by pathogenic bacteria. Lignocellulosic wood vinegar and tar were produced from various lignocellulosic wastes through pyrolysis at different temperatures, with sawdust at 300 °C, 350 °C, and 400 °C yielding the highest quantity and quality of vinegar. Chemical analysis revealed that the lignocellulosic vinegar contained significant concentrations of acetic acid, methanol, and phenolic compounds, all known for their strong antimicrobial properties.

Performance prediction of hub-based swarms.

There are powerful tools for modelling swarms that have strong spatial structures like flocks of birds, schools of fish and formations of drones, but relatively little work on developing formalisms for other swarm structures like hub-based colonies doing foraging, maintaining a nest or selecting a new nest site. We present a method for finding low-dimensional representations of swarm state for simulated homogeneous hub-based colonies solving the best-of-N problem. The embeddings are obtained from latent representations of convolution-based graph neural network architectures and have the property that swarm states which have similar performance have very similar embeddings.

Optimizing nano-sized oxygen bubble application for prolonged aerobic degradation of BTEX in contaminated groundwater.

This study investigates the use of nano-sized oxygen bubbles (NOBs) to enhance BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) biodegradation in groundwater. Optimized NOBs, averaging 155 nm and at a concentration of 6.59 × 10⁸ bubbles/mL, were found to provide sustained oxygen release with a half-life of approximately 50 days.

Acute effects of voluntary breathing patterns on postural control during walking.

Introduction: Breathing and postural control is reported to be both neuromuscularly and mechanically interdependent. To date, the effects of voluntary abdominal and thoracic breathing (VAB and VTB) on the EMG activity of muscles involved in both respiratory and postural functions, as well as gait biomechanics related to these breathing patterns, have not been investigated in young, healthy adults. The aim of the study was to evaluate the EMG responses of neck and trunk muscles, as well as the kinematic, stability, and kinetic parameters of gait induced by VAB and VTB compared to involuntary breathing (INB).

A reproductive justice investigation of utilizing digital interventions among underserved populations with criminal legal system supervision: Policy brief.

Background: Mobile health interventions that utilize artificial intelligence may provide way for underserved populations to engage with healthcare.

Purpose: Examine the policy considerations that must be deliberated when developing, regulating, implementing, and sustaining mHealth apps among historically underserved individuals.

Methods: Reproductive Justice was used to investigate policy considerations for those with criminal legal system supervision who engage with mHealth apps.

Phase I Clinical Trial of High Doses of Seleno-L-methionine in Combination with Axitinib in Patients with Previously Treated Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Data in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) xenografts defined the seleno-L-methionine (SLM) dose and the plasma selenium concentrations associated with the enhancement of HIF1α/2α degradation, stabilization of tumor vasculature, enhanced drug delivery, and efficacy of axitinib. The data provided the rationale for the development of this phase I clinical trial of SLM and axitinib in advanced or metastatic relapsed ccRCC.

Patients And Methods: Patients were ≥18 years with histologically and radiologically confirmed advanced or metastatic ccRCC who had received at least one prior systemic therapy, which could include axitinib (last dose ≥6 months prior to enrollment).

AGER-dependent macropinocytosis drives resistance to KRAS-G12D-targeted therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) driven by the mutation presents a formidable health challenge because of limited treatment options. MRTX1133 is a highly selective and first-in-class KRAS-G12D inhibitor under clinical development. Here, we report that the advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (AGER) plays a key role in mediating MRTX1133 resistance in PDAC cells.

Measuring STEM Instructors' Learning of and Growth in Inclusive Teaching: Development and Evaluation of the STEM Faculty Inclusive Teaching Survey (FITS).

There is a growing emphasis for professional development programs that teach instructors about inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) practices and the impact of instructor and student identities on these practices. As instructors implement these practices, there is a need for instructors, departments, and faculty developers to measure instructor progress and to help identify next steps in improving inclusive STEM teaching. This study describes the development of the Faculty Inclusive Teaching Survey (FITS) using scale-development theory, frameworks using Clarke and Hollingsworth's interconnected model of professional growth and Dewsbury's Deep Teaching model, and higher-education STEM, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and professional development literature.

Factors Influencing the Self-Reported Palliative Care Practices of Acute Care Nurses.

Background: Provision of palliative care in acute care settings is significantly lacking despite evidence that early integration leads to better patient/family-related outcomes and improved healthcare cost and efficiency.

Objective: This study investigated influencing factors that affect the nature and frequency of palliative care practices of acute care nurses.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to examine the effects of personal and environmental factors on nurses' palliative care practices in the acute care setting.

Noncoding variants and sulcal patterns in congenital heart disease: Machine learning to predict functional impact.

Neurodevelopmental impairments associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) may arise from perturbations in brain developmental pathways, including the formation of sulcal patterns. While genetic factors contribute to sulcal features, the association of noncoding variants (ncDNVs) with sulcal patterns in people with CHD remains poorly understood. Leveraging deep learning models, we examined the predicted impact of ncDNVs on gene regulatory signals.

Survey of sodium gluconate content in retail Cheddar cheese.

The presence of sodium gluconate in Cheddar cheese, which can be added as a processing aid during manufacture, has been shown as a contributing factor to gas production and gas defects in aged cheese. A survey of gluconate content in retail Cheddar cheese was performed. Fifty-three retail packs of Cheddar cheese were purchased from stores in Utah as blocks, shreds, sliced cheeses, or individual-sized cuts and sticks.