Tobacco Treatment Disparities Among California Medicaid Members With and Without Chronic Disease Who Smoke.

Introduction: People who are covered by Medicaid have a higher smoking prevalence than the general population and are at an increased risk for tobacco-related disease, a major driver of Medicaid costs. California has the largest Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, whose members also have higher tobacco-use rates and tobacco-related disease. Quitting is beneficial at any age, and health professional advice and assistance are a key indicator of smoking cessation.

Mixed histiocytic sarcoma in a Bernese Mountain Dog.

An 8-y-old, spayed female Bernese Mountain Dog was presented to a referral center for evaluation of right thoracic limb lameness and previously suspected Evans syndrome that had been poorly responsive to immunosuppressive therapy. Based on review of examination findings and laboratory data, Evans syndrome was deemed unlikely and hemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma (HHS) was strongly suspected. On blood smear evaluation, atypical, histiocytic cells were noted, some of which exhibited siderophagia.

Development of a comprehensive food glycomic database and its application: Associations between dietary carbohydrates and insulin resistance.

Carbohydrates are an integral part of a healthy diet. The molecular compositions of carbohydrates encompass a very broad range of unique structures with many being ill-defined. This vast structural complexity is distilled into vague categories such as total carbohydrates, sugars, starches, and soluble/insoluble fibers.

ISCT MSC committee statement on the US FDA approval of allogenic bone-marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.

The December 2024 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Mesoblast's Ryoncil (remestemcel-L-rknd)-allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC(M)) therapy-in pediatric acute steroid-refractory graft-versus-host-disease finally ended a long-lasting drought on approved MSC clinical products in the United States. While other jurisdictions-including Europe, Japan, India, and South Korea-have marketed autologous or allogeneic MSC products, the United States has lagged in its approval. The sponsor's significant efforts and investments, working closely with the FDA addressing concerns regarding clinical efficacy and consistent MSC potency through an iterative process that spanned several years, was rewarded with this landmark approval.

Combining Brillouin Light Scattering Spectroscopy and Machine-Learned Interatomic Potentials to Probe Mechanical Properties of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

The mechanical properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are of high fundamental and practical relevance. A particularly intriguing technique for determining anisotropic elastic tensors is Brillouin scattering, which so far has rarely been used for highly complex materials like MOFs. In the present contribution, we apply this technique to study a newly synthesized MOF-type material, referred to as GUT2.

A phylogenetic epidemiology approach to predicting the establishment of multi-host plant pests.

Forecasting emergent pest spread is paramount to mitigating their impacts. For host-specialized pests, epidemiological models of spread through a single host population are well developed. However, most pests attack multiple host species; the challenge is predicting which communities are most vulnerable to infestation.

Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Chronic Pain and Alzheimer's Disease-A Review.

The coexistence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic pain (CP) in the elderly population has been extensively documented, and a growing body of evidence supports the potential interconnections between these two conditions. This comprehensive review explores the mechanisms by which CP may contribute to the development and progression of AD, with a particular focus on neuroinflammatory pathways and the role of microglia, as well as the activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The review proposes that prolonged pain processing in critical brain regions can dysregulate the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome within microglia, leading to the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and excessive oxidative stress in these regions.

Fluorogenic Biosensing with Tunable Polydiacetylene Vesicles.

Polydiacetylenes (PDAs) are conjugated polymers that are well known for their colorimetric transition from blue to red with the application of energetic stimulus. Sensing platforms based on polymerized diacetylene surfactant vesicles and other structures have been widely demonstrated for various colorimetric biosensing applications. Although less studied and utilized, the transition also results in a change from a non-fluorescent to a highly fluorescent state, making polydiacetylenes useful for both colorimetric and fluorogenic sensing applications.

Ferns as facilitators of community recovery following biotic upheaval.

The competitive success of ferns has been foundational to hypotheses about terrestrial recolonization following biotic upheaval, from wildfires to the Cretaceous-Paleogene asteroid impact (66 million years ago). Rapid fern recolonization in primary successional environments has been hypothesized to be driven by ferns' high spore production and wind dispersal, with an emphasis on their competitive advantages as so-called disaster taxa. We propose that a competition-based view of ferns is outdated and in need of reexamination in light of growing research documenting the importance of positive interactions (i.

Secrets of the Goo: the Genome assembly of the Pacific Banana Slug, Ariolimax columbianus.

The Pacific banana slug, Ariolimax columbianus, is endemic to the forests of the Pacific Northern West. Found throughout coastal foothills and mountains of California, the hermaphroditic molluscs Ariolimax spp. are niche-constrained, hyper-localized, and phenotypically diverse.

26S Proteasome Subunit SlPBB2 Regulates Fruit Development and Ripening in Tomato.

Proteasomes are protein complexes responsible for degrading unneeded or damaged proteins through proteolysis and play critical roles in regulating plant development and response to environmental stresses. However, it is still unclear whether proteasomes regulate fruit development and ripening. In this study, we investigated the function of a core proteasome subunit, SlPBB2, in tomato fruit.

Deep learning enabled rapid classification of yeast species in food by imaging of yeast microcolonies.

Diverse species of yeasts are commonly associated with food and food production environments. The contamination of food products by spoilage yeasts poses significant challenges, leading to quality degradation and food loss. Similarly, the introduction of undesirable strains during fermentation can cause considerable challenges with the quality and progress of the fermentation process.

Fecal microbiota changes associated with pathogenic and non-pathogenic diarrheas in foals.

Objectives: Diarrhea is a common disease that could threaten the welfare of newborn foals. While there are several forms of foal diarrhea, the etiologies can be considered known pathogenic or non-pathogenic in nature. Moreover, there are likely differences in the composition of microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tracts of foals depending upon the etiology of diarrhea.

Computational Nuclear Oncology Toward Precision Radiopharmaceutical Therapies: Ethical, Regulatory, and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Theranostic Digital Twins.

Computational nuclear oncology for precision radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is a new frontier for theranostic treatment personalization. A key strategy relies on the possibility to incorporate clinical, biomarker, image-based, and dosimetric information in theranostic digital twins (TDTs) of patients to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. The TDT framework enables treatment optimization by real-time monitoring of the real-world system, simulation of different treatment scenarios, and prediction of resulting treatment outcomes, as well as facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among health care professionals adopting a harmonized TDT.

How do restrictions on opioid prescribing, harm reduction, and treatment coverage policies relate to opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2013-2020? An application of a new state opioid policy scale.

Background: Identifying the most effective state laws and provisions to reduce opioid overdose deaths remains critical.

Methods: Using expert ratings of opioid laws, we developed annual state scores for three domains: opioid prescribing restrictions, harm reduction, and Medicaid treatment coverage. We modeled associations of state opioid policy domain scores with opioid-involved overdose death counts in 3133 counties, and among racial/ethnic subgroups in 1485 counties (2013-2020).

From human to superhuman: the impact of the microbiome on physiology.

The complex microbial community residing in the human gut has long been understood to regulate gastrointestinal physiology and to participate in digestive diseases, but its extraintestinal actions and influences are increasingly recognized. This article discusses bidirectional interactions between the gut microbiome and athletic performance, metabolism, longevity and the ability of the gut-brain axis to influence cognitive function and mental health.

Hypotensive Episodes Identified on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Impaired Cognitive Function: Insights From the SPRINT Study.

Background: Hypotensive episodes detected by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring capture daily cumulative hypotensive stress and could be clinically relevant to cognitive impairment, but this relationship remains unclear.

Methods: We included participants from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (receiving intensive or standard BP treatment) who had 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring measured near the 27-month visit and subsequent biannual cognitive assessments. We evaluated the associations of hypotensive episodes (defined as systolic BP drops of ≥20 mm Hg between 2 consecutive measurements that reached <100 mm Hg) and hypotensive duration (cumulative time of systolic BP <100 mm Hg) with subsequent cognitive function using adjusted linear mixed models.

Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction using synthetic suture tape: A systematic review of biomechanical and clinical outcomes.

Purpose: To review outcomes of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) using synthetic suture tape in biomechanical and clinical studies.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in three databases. Studies reporting biomechanical and/or clinical outcomes of MPFLR using synthetic suture tape were included.

Novel p.Arg534del Mutation and MTHFR C667T Polymorphism in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) With Autism Spectrum Phenotype: A Case Report.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) presents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia during infancy, joint laxity, behavioral issues, and characteristic facial features. The predominant mechanism is due to CGG trinucleotide repeat expansion of more than 200 repeats in the 5'UTR (untranslated region) of (Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1) causing promoter methylation and transcriptional silencing. However, not all patients presenting with the characteristic phenotype and point/frameshift mutations with deletions in have been described in the literature.

Meeting report - Alpine desmosome disease meeting 2024: advances and emerging topics in desmosomes and related diseases.

Desmosomes are adhesive cell contacts abundant in tissues exposed to mechanical strain, such as the stratified and simple epithelia of the epidermis and mucous membranes, as well as the myocardium. Besides their role in mechanical cell cohesion, desmosomes also modulate pathways important for tissue differentiation, wound healing and immune responses. Dysfunctional desmosomes, resulting from pathogenic variants in genes encoding desmosomal components, autoantibodies targeting desmosomal adhesion molecules or inflammation, cause the life-threatening diseases arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and pemphigus and contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

XopAE Effector from pv. Targets HSP20-Like p23 Cochaperone to Suppress Plant Basal Immunity.

Pathogenic bacteria use Type 3 effector proteins to manipulate host defenses and alter metabolism to favor their survival and spread. The non-model bacterial pathogen pv. () causes devastating disease in cassava.

panniculitis in a cat from northern California.

Case Summary: A 9-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat from northern California was evaluated for a 12-month history of dermal and subcutaneous dermatitis in the inguinal region. Histopathologic examination of a biopsy revealed severe, chronic, multifocal to coalescing pyogranulomatous dermatitis and panniculitis, accompanied by ulceration and central necrosis. Aerobic bacterial culture of lesions yielded mycobacterial growth.

Systematic ocular phenotyping of 8,707 knockout mouse lines identifies genes associated with abnormal corneal phenotypes.

Purpose: Corneal dysmorphologies (CDs) are typically classified as either regressive degenerative corneal dystrophies (CDtrs) or defective growth and differentiation-driven corneal dysplasias (CDyps). Both eye disorders have multifactorial etiologies. While previous work has elucidated many aspects of CDs, such as presenting symptoms, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, the genetic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.