Life satisfaction around the world: Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used self-report measure of subjective well-being, but studies of its measurement invariance across a large number of nations remain limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset-with data collected between 2020 and 2022 -to assess measurement invariance of the SWLS across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups (N = 56,968). All participants completed the SWLS under largely uniform conditions.

Sex Differences in Long COVID.

Importance: A substantial number of individuals worldwide experience long COVID, or post-COVID condition. Other postviral and autoimmune conditions have a female predominance, but whether the same is true for long COVID, especially within different subgroups, is uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the risk of developing long COVID among adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Maternal Health and Vascular Function in the Fourth Trimester.

Pregnancy is a vulnerable time with significant cardiovascular changes that can lead to adverse outcomes, which can extend into the postpartum window. Exposure to emissions from electronic cigarettes (Ecig), commonly known as "vaping," has an adverse impact on cardiovascular function during pregnancy and post-natal life of offspring, but the postpartum effects on maternal health are poorly understood. We used a Sprague Dawley rat model, where pregnant dams are exposed to Ecigs between gestational day (GD)2-GD21 to examine postpartum consequences.

Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Current and Emerging Therapies.

Purpose Of Review: In this article, we describe current and newer TTR stabilizers, TTR silencers which include small interfering RNA agents (siRNA), antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and TTR depleters, which investigates the use of monoclonal antibodies to remove amyloid fibril deposits for patients with advanced disease.

Recent Findings: Once thought to be a rare and fatal condition, increased recognition, improved non-invasive diagnostic tools, and the explosive development of novel therapies, has transformed the landscape of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). Advances in cardiac imaging with respect to echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and radionuclide bone scintigraphy has increased the diagnosis of ATTR-CM over the last twenty years.

In Utero Nano-Titanium Dioxide Exposure Results in Sexually Dimorphic Weight Gain and Cardiovascular Function in Offspring.

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are capable of crossing the placental barrier and accumulating in fetal tissue. Specifically, the ENM nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO), has been shown to accumulate in placental and fetal tissue, resulting in decreased birthweight in pups. Additionally, nano-TiO is an established cardiac toxicant and regulator of glucose homeostasis, and exposure in utero may lead to serious maladaptive responses in cardiac development and overall metabolism.

Profiles of negative and positive risk-taking behavior among Asian and non-Asian American emerging adults.

Risk-taking includes both negative and positive risky behaviors, but little is known about how negative and positive risk-taking occur simultaneously. This study examined negative and positive risk-taking profiles of Asian American and Non-Asian American emerging adults (N = 401; M = 20.68; 68.

A constellation of anatomical variation: middle scalene, wrist extensor, and aortic arch variants share embryological origins in cervical somites.

During dissection of a 70-year-old male donor, several anatomical variations were observed, highlighted by a bilateral variant middle scalene muscle in the superolateral thoracic wall. The variant scalene muscle was traced from the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae to the fourth rib with a pronounced fascial slip. The elongated middle scalene muscle was thick in girth and abnormally wide at its insertion (56.

Larger Perfusion Mismatch Volume Is Associated With Longer Hospital Length of Stay in Medium Vessel Occlusion Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Prolonged length of stay (LOS) following a stroke is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Factors predicting LOS in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO), impacting up to 40% of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) cases, remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate the predictors of LOS in AIS-MeVO.

Strongyloides Hyperinfection Syndrome (SHS) in a Patient With Prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Exposure: A Case Report.

Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome (SHS) is a severe manifestation of the Strongyloides parasite, often occurring in immunocompromised patients due to the inability to subdue larvae autoinfection. As the parasitic burden increases, the patient can develop worsening respiratory symptoms that mimic common pathologies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The parasite is endemic to the Appalachian region as well as subtropical and tropical areas worldwide.

Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis Due to IgA Nephropathy in a Patient With a Large Renal Mass.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common primary glomerulonephritis characterized by the deposition of IgA immune complexes within the glomerular mesangium. IgAN can present with a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic hematuria to severe renal disease. This case describes a 67-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity who presented with acute kidney injury and clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Binge Drinking among Adults in the United State: Analysis of the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey.

Little is known about the association of social media and belief in alcohol and cancer with binge drinking. This study aimed to perform feature selection and develop machine learning (ML) tools to predict occurrence of binge drinking among adults in the United State. A total of 5,886 adults including 1,252 who ever experienced with binge drinking were selected from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6).

Systematic Review of Patient Preference Studies in Non-metastatic Breast Cancer Adjuvant Medication Therapy: Attribute Selection.

Context: Breast cancer poses significant challenges due to its high incidence and prevalence, necessitating heightened attention. Understanding how patients prioritize different treatment options based on various attributes can assist healthcare decision-makers in maximizing patient utility. The discrete choice experiment, a conjoint method, facilitates preference elicitation by presenting different attributes and choices.

Twenty years of advances in prediction of nucleic acid-binding residues in protein sequences.

Computational prediction of nucleic acid-binding residues in protein sequences is an active field of research, with over 80 methods that were released in the past 2 decades. We identify and discuss 87 sequence-based predictors that include dozens of recently published methods that are surveyed for the first time. We overview historical progress and examine multiple practical issues that include availability and impact of predictors, key features of their predictive models, and important aspects related to their training and assessment.

Bariatric Surgery and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Obesity, Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

Aims: Bariatric surgery (BS) is a potential treatment option for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and obesity. These patients are also at substantial risk of developing cardiovascular events and associated mortality. We aimed to assess if BS could reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality and improve long-term survival.

Evaluating Young Children With Fractures for Child Abuse: Clinical Report.

Fractures are common injuries in childhood and can be caused by unintentional injury, medical conditions, and child abuse. Although the consequences of failing to diagnose an abusive injury in a child can be grave, the consequences of incorrectly diagnosing child abuse in a child whose fractures have another etiology are also significant. This report aims to review recent advances in the understanding of fracture specificity, fracture mechanisms, and other medical conditions that predispose infants and children to fracture.

Fibrotic extracellular matrix preferentially induces a partial Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition phenotype in a 3-D agent based model of fibrosis.

One of the main drivers of fibrotic diseases is epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT): a transdifferentiation process in which cells undergo a phenotypic change from an epithelial state to a pro-migratory state. The cytokine transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been previously shown to regulate EMT. TGF-β1 binds to fibronectin (FN) fibrils, which are the primary extracellular matrix (ECM) component in renal fibrosis.

Estimating the Cost-Saving Threshold of a Rural Syringe Services Program Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aimed to examine shifts in the cost-savings threshold of a rural syringe services program (SSP) that resulted in the 12-months following the identification of the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared SSP operational costs during the 12-months immediately before and after identification of the COVID-19 pandemic using administrative data from the Cabell-Huntington Harm Reduction Program (CHHRP), which is operated by the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in West Virginia. Data included monthly counts of client encounters, sterile syringe distribution, and HIV testing.

Window into the Brain: In Vivo Multiphoton Imaging.

Decoding the principles underlying neuronal information processing necessitates the emergence of techniques and methodologies to monitor multiscale brain networks in behaving animals over long periods of time. Novel advances in biophotonics, specifically progress in multiphoton microscopy, combined with the development of optical indicators for neuronal activity have provided the possibility to concurrently track brain functions at scales ranging from individual neurons to thousands of neurons across connected brain regions. This Review presents state-of-the-art multiphoton imaging modalities and optical indicators for in vivo brain imaging, highlighting recent advancements and current challenges in the field.

Quantitative peripheral live single T-cell dynamic polyfunctionality profiling predicts lung cancer checkpoint immunotherapy treatment response and clinical outcomes.

Background: Predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), e.g., programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportional score (TPS), remain limited in clinical applications.

Promotion of Student Success and Positive Chemistry Course Perception through Frequent Metacognitive Reporting.

Explicit metacognitive interventions in undergraduate chemistry courses have been shown to improve student outcomes. Less studied have been the outcomes of students who implicitly and frequently practice metacognition and the resultant effects on the student-instructor relationship. In this project set within a large enrollment introductory chemistry course, we elevated student voice and enhanced student-instructor communication through weekly metacognitive reporting to study the characteristics of reporting students and their perceptions of the effects of metacognitive reporting.

Impact of sarcoidosis in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement: Insight from nationwide readmission database 2016-2019.

It is not well-known if valve replacement outcomes differ in patients with sarcoidosis, especially in aortic valve intervention, where the pressure gradients are physiologically high. In this retrospective study, we included all patients who underwent surgical/transcatheter aortic valve replacement from the Nationwide Readmission Database (2016-2019), and then divided them into those with and without sarcoidosis. Logistic and cox proportional hazard regression models were used.

Beta-Blockers After PCI for Stable Coronary Artery Disease and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Background: Limited data exist on the long-term impact of beta-blocker therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of early beta-blocker initiation vs no initiation following PCI in patients with stable CAD and preserved LVEF.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study employed target trial emulation and incident user design, utilizing the TriNetx database (2009-2024).

Pilomatrix carcinoma unveiled: a systematic review of clinical characteristics, pathogenesis, diagnostic puzzles, and management strategies.

Pilomatrix carcinoma (PC) is a rare malignant adnexal tumor originating from follicular matrix cells primarily impacting Caucasian males. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature on PC through an exploration of 206 cases reported between 1980 and 2024. We discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation, histopathology, and diagnostic challenges of PC, and explore various treatment methods for this rare malignancy as well as their associated outcomes.

Adherence to multi-target stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening in the United States.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA and is highly preventable, with early screening vital for improving outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate adherence rates of multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing, following updated guidelines recommending screening starting at age 45.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used aggregated data from Exact Sciences Laboratories LLC, examining new users (first-time testers) aged 45-85 with commercial, Medicare, or Medicaid insurance who received mt-sDNA test kits (point-of-care) between January 1, 2023, and June 1, 2023.