Association between age at first birth and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: Evidence from NHANES 2011-2020.

Objective: This study focused on investigating the relation of age at first birth (AFB) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk in women based on the 2011-2020 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data.

Methods: Women were analyzed using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011 to 2020 in the US. Both AFB and RA diagnoses were obtained through self-reported questionnaires.

Terahertz conductivity of two-dimensional materials: a review.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials are shaping the landscape of next-generation devices, offering significant technological value thanks to their unique, tunable, and layer-dependent electronic and optoelectronic properties. Time-domain spectroscopic techniques at terahertz (THz) frequencies offer noninvasive, contact-free methods for characterizing the dynamics of carriers in 2D materials. They also pave the path toward the applications of 2D materials in detection, imaging, manufacturing, and communication within the increasingly important THz frequency range.

Fractional tackles: leveraging player tracking data for within-play tackling evaluation in American football.

Tackling is a fundamental defensive move in American football, with the main purpose of stopping the forward motion of the ball-carrier. However, current tackling metrics are manually recorded outcomes that are inherently flawed due to their discrete and subjective nature. Using player tracking data, we present a novel framework for assessing tackling contribution in a continuous and objective manner.

A co-produced mixed methods protocol: Exploring perceptions of oral health care and quality of life in people with mental health conditions.

This planned mixed methods protocol is designed to explore oral health care for individuals living with serious mental health conditions (SMHC). It was co-produced by academics, people with lived experience of mental health conditions, and oral and mental health clinicians. The study seeks to explore oral health quality of life predictors and oral health care experiences of people diagnosed with serious mental health conditions (e.

Psychological distress in adolescence and later economic and health outcomes in the United States population: A retrospective and modeling study.

Background: Federal policy impact analyses in the United States do not incorporate the potential economic benefits of adolescent mental health policies. Understanding the extent to which economic benefits may offset policy costs would support more effective policymaking. This study estimates the relationship between adolescent psychological distress and later health and economic outcomes and uses these estimates to determine the potential economic effects of a hypothetical policy.

Anomalous pumping in the non-Hermitian Rice-Mele model.

We study topological charge pumping (TCP) in the Rice-Mele (RM) model with irreciprocal hopping. The non-Hermiticity gives rise to interesting pumping physics, owing to the presence of skin effect and exceptional points. In the static one-dimensional (1D) RM model, we find two independent tuning knobs that can drive the topological transition, namely, non-Hermitian parameter $\gamma$ and system size $N$.

Exploring mental health symptoms in elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis on sex differences.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected elite athletes, leading to increased mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Sex differences in mental health may exist among athletes during the COVID-19 crisis. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine sex differences in mental health symptoms among elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Masking is good, but conforming is better: The consequences of masking non-conformity within the college classroom.

In the years following the acute COVID-19 crisis, facemask mandates became increasingly rare, rendering masking a highly visible personal choice. Across three studies conducted in the U.S.

Mice develop obesity and lose myocardial metabolic flexibility months after exertional heat stroke.

As global temperatures rise, heat-related chronic health disorders are predicted to become more prevalent. We tested whether a single exposure to acute heat illness, using a preclinical mouse model of exertional heat stroke (EHS), can induce late-emerging health disorders that progress into chronic disease. Following EHS, mice were followed for 3 months; after two weeks of recovery, half were placed on a Western diet to determine if previous EHS exposure amplifies the negative consequences of an atherogenic diet.

Automated system for diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis using crackle analysis in recorded lung sounds based on iterative envelope mean fractal dimension filter.

Patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) often experience long waits before getting a correct diagnosis, and this delay in reaching specialized care is associated with increased mortality, regardless of the severity of the disease. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of PF can potentially extend life expectancy and maintain a better quality of life. Crackles present in the recorded lung sounds may be crucial for the early diagnosis of PF.

Prothrombin prevents fatal T cell-dependent anemia during chronic virus infection of mice.

Thrombin promotes the proliferation and function of CD8+ T cells. To test if thrombin prevents exhaustion and sustains antiviral T cell activity during chronic viral infection, we depleted the thrombin-precursor prothrombin to 10% of normal levels in mice prior to infection with the clone 13 strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Unexpectedly, prothrombin insufficiency resulted in 100% mortality after infection that was prevented by depletion of CD8+ T cells, suggesting that reduced availability of prothrombin enhances virus-induced immunopathology.

A mixed methods study investigating factors affecting adherence to Plasmodium vivax malaria primaquine radical cure regimens among migrants along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

Background: The countries within the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia have pledged to eliminate malaria by 2030. Elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria is challenging as it requires radical cure to prevent relapse. Understanding and facilitating adherence to primaquine radical cure regimens is necessary for malaria elimination.

Developing an alternative medium for in-space biomanufacturing.

In-space biomanufacturing provides a sustainable solution to facilitate long-term, self-sufficient human habitation in extraterrestrial environments. However, its dependence on Earth-supplied feedstocks renders in-space biomanufacturing economically nonviable. Here, we develop a process termed alternative feedstock-driven in-situ biomanufacturing (AF-ISM) to alleviate dependence on Earth-based resupply of feedstocks.

Resilience Informatics in Public Health: Qualitative Analysis of Conference Proceedings.

Background: In recent years, public health has confronted 2 formidable challenges: the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and the enduring threat of climate change. The convergence of these crises underscores the urgent need for resilient solutions. Resilience informatics (RI), an emerging discipline at the intersection of informatics and public health, leverages real-time data integration from health systems, environmental monitoring, and technological tools to develop adaptive responses to multifaceted crises.

Analyzing Geospatial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Breast Cancer Screening Among Populations in the United States: Machine Learning Approach.

Background: Breast cancer screening plays a pivotal role in early detection and subsequent effective management of the disease, impacting patient outcomes and survival rates.

Objective: This study aims to assess breast cancer screening rates nationwide in the United States and investigate the impact of social determinants of health on these screening rates.

Methods: Data on mammography screening at the census tract level for 2018 and 2020 were collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Trends in Obesity Care Among US Adults, 2010-2021.

Background: Obesity is a major contributor to mortality in the United States. Clinical guidelines emphasize the need for multimodal treatment, but novel treatments may be changing care-seeking behavior.

Objective: To characterize obesity treatment access patterns and factors associated with obesity care from 2010 to 2021 in the United States.

In Silico Evaluation of Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support Systems: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Background: Integrating algorithm-based clinical decision support (CDS) systems poses significant challenges in evaluating their actual clinical value. Such CDS systems are traditionally assessed via controlled but resource-intensive clinical trials.

Objective: This paper presents a review protocol for preimplementation in silico evaluation methods to enable broadened impact analysis under simulated environments before clinical trials.

Transmission of transgenic mosquito-killing fungi during copulation.

Entomopathogenic fungi engineered to express insect-specific neurotoxins have demonstrated potential as microbial control agents against malaria mosquitoes. Currently, the primary application method is via direct contact of spores with indoor resting mosquitoes. However, many malaria-transmitting mosquitoes feed and rest outdoors.

Knowledge translation in Anglo-American paramedicine: a scoping review.

Objective: To map what is currently known about knowledge translation (KT) in Anglo-American paramedicine. The review focuses on reported barriers and facilitators to the implementation of new knowledge, and the use of models, theories and frameworks to guide implementation practice.

Design: Scoping review reported as per both the Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines.

How many stroke survivors develop problematic spasticity requiring pharmacological therapy? An international (Europe and USA) observational study protocol.

Introduction: Current care plans for stroke survivors typically focus on acute management, resulting in many stroke survivors being discharged to their communities without adequate follow-up, despite their often experiencing significant post-stroke complications, such as post-stroke spasticity (PSS). While studies have explored the incidence and prevalence of PSS, little is known about how early PSS develops and how many stroke survivors develop 'problematic' PSS that would benefit from pharmacological treatment.

Methods And Analysis: EPITOME is a prospective, international, observational, epidemiological study of participants (aged 18-90 years) who develop paresis within days 3-14 of a first-ever stroke that occurred within the past 4 weeks.

Impact of warning pictorials and size on perceived effectiveness of cigar warning labels in a nationally representative between-subjects experiment.

Background: People who smoke cigars often have misperceptions about the associated risks, contributing to rises in smoking rates. This study investigates the perceived warning effectiveness (PWE) of health warning labels (HWLs) on cigar packages. We tested the impact of warning type and warning size in the HWLs on PWE and other health outcomes.

Rural-Urban Disparities in State-Level Diabetes Prevalence Among US Adults, 2021.

Introduction: We assessed state-level disparities in diabetes prevalence among adults in rural and urban areas in the United States.

Methods: We estimated state-specific diabetes prevalence in rural and urban areas in 41 states with applicable data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Rural areas were defined based on the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme.

Depression and Incident Hypertension: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Introduction: Compared with White Americans, American Indian adults have disproportionately high depression rates. Previous studies in non-American Indian populations report depression as common among people with uncontrolled hypertension, potentially interfering with blood pressure control. Few studies have examined the association of depressive symptoms with hypertension development among American Indians despite that population's high burden of depression and hypertension.

Gaps in Mental Health Care-Seeking Among Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, September 2022-May 2023.

Health care workers experience substantial chronic stress, burnout, and mental distress, and the COVID-19 pandemic might have exacerbated these conditions. To identify ways to improve mental health care-seeking among this population, mental health symptoms, care-seeking, and self-reported barriers to seeking mental health care among U.S.

Probing quantum floating phases in Rydberg atom arrays.

The floating phase, a critical incommensurate phase, has been theoretically predicted as a potential intermediate phase between crystalline ordered and disordered phases. In this study, we investigate the different quantum phases that arise in ladder arrays comprising up to 92 neutral-atom qubits and experimentally observe the emergence of the quantum floating phase. We analyze the site-resolved Rydberg state densities and the distribution of state occurrences.