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Introduction: Telemental health is increasingly recognized for its potential to overcome barriers like cost and stigma, particularly for marginalized groups. Sexual minority women in particular may benefit from increased access to telemental health services, due to the unique health disparities faced by this population. However, very little research thus far has assessed the telemental health preferences of this group. Methods: The present study surveyed 1,092 cisgender sexual minority women regarding their demographic information, mental health, and telemental health preferences, using the Prolific.co research platform. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify subgroups within the sample based on their responses to the survey. Results: Results revealed diverse attitudes toward telemental health, with some that prefer in-person sessions, whereas others show a strong interest in virtual options. Latent class analysis identified five groups, termed the Neutral, Ambivalent, Inclined, Inclined Related to Travel, and Averse groups. There were statistically significant differences between groups on measures of rurality, socioeconomic status, previous therapy experience, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Overall, sexual minority women demonstrated interest in telemental health, especially individuals with mobility challenges and those living in rural areas. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of tailoring mental health services to diverse needs and suggests that telemental health could be a valuable tool in addressing health disparities among sexual minority women. Importantly, these data were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research could examine how sexual minority women's attitudes toward telemental health have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic and how telemental health services could be tailored for marginalized subgroups.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochaete Treponema pallidum. Patients with untreated syphilis can develop meningovascular syphilis at any stage of the disease. This is a case report of a 44-year-old man displaying two instances of acute vertigo and lateralized paraesthesia. MRI showed infarctions in the left thalamus and capsula interna. Subsequent investigations including cerebral spinal fluid analysis revealed a diagnosis of neurosyphilis. The patient was treated intravenously with benzylpenicillin and ceftriaxone with complete clinical remission., (Published under Open Access CC-BY-NC-BD 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

Live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) are human microbiome therapies showing promise in the clinic for a range of diseases and conditions. Describing the kinetics and behavior of LBPs poses a unique modeling challenge because, unlike traditional therapies, LBPs can expand, contract, and colonize the host digestive tract. Here, we present a novel cellular kinetic-pharmacodynamic quantitative systems pharmacology model of an LBP. The model describes bacterial growth and competition, vancomycin effects, binding and unbinding to the epithelial surface, and production and clearance of butyrate as a therapeutic metabolite. The model is calibrated and validated to published data from healthy volunteers. Using the model, we simulate the impact of treatment dose, frequency, and duration as well as vancomycin pretreatment on butyrate production. This model enables model-informed drug development and can be used for future microbiome therapies to inform decision making around antibiotic pretreatment, dose selection, loading dose, and dosing duration., (© 2023 Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

In soft devices, complex actuation sequences and precise force control typically require hard electronic valves and microcontrollers. Existing designs for entirely soft pneumatic control systems are capable of either digital or analog operation, but not both, and are limited by speed of actuation, range of pressure, time required for fabrication, or loss of power through pull-down resistors. Using the nonlinear mechanics intrinsic to structures composed of soft materials-in this case, by leveraging membrane inversion and tube kinking-two modular soft components are developed: a piston actuator and a bistable pneumatic switch. These two components combine to create valves capable of analog pressure regulation, simplified digital logic, controlled oscillation, nonvolatile memory storage, linear actuation, and interfacing with human users in both digital and analog formats. Three demonstrations showcase the capabilities of systems constructed from these valves: 1) a wearable glove capable of analog control of a soft artificial robotic hand based on input from a human user's fingers, 2) a human-controlled cushion matrix designed for use in medical care, and 3) an untethered robot which travels a distance dynamically programmed at the time of operation to retrieve an object. This work illustrates pathways for complementary digital and analog control of soft robots using a unified valve design.

Otoliths are the primary gravity sensors of the vestibular system and are responsible for the ocular counter-roll (OCR). This compensatory eye torsion ensures gaze stabilization and is sensitive to a head roll with respect to gravity and the Gravito-Inertial Acceleration vector during, e.g., centrifugation. To measure the effect of prolonged spaceflight on the otoliths, we quantified the OCR induced by off-axis centrifugation in a group of 27 cosmonauts in an upright position before and after their 6-month space mission to the International Space Station. We observed a significant decrease in OCR early postflight, larger for first-time compared to experienced flyers. We also found a significantly larger torsion for the inner eye, the eye closest to the rotation axis. Our results suggest that experienced cosmonauts have acquired the ability to adapt faster after G-transitions. These data provide a scientific basis for sending experienced cosmonauts on challenging missions that include multiple g-level transitions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)