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Abstract Research on the impacts of COVID-19 on mobility has focused primarily on the increased health vulnerabilities of involuntary migrant and displaced populations. But virtually all migration flows have been truncated and altered because of reduced economic and mobility opportunities of migrants. Here we use a well-established framework of migration decision-making, whereby individual decisions combine the aspiration and ability to migrate, to explain how public responses to the COVID-19 pandemic alter migration patterns among urban populations across the world. The principal responses to COVID-19 pandemic that affected migration are: 1) through travel restrictions and border closures, 2) by affecting abilities to move through economic and other means, and 3) by affecting aspirations to move. Using in-depth qualitative data collected in six cities in four continents (Accra, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dhaka, Maputo, and Worcester), we explore how populations with diverse levels of education and occupations were affected in their current and future mobility decisions. We use data from interviews with sample of internal and international migrants and non-migrants during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic outbreak to identify the mechanisms through which the pandemic affected their mobility decisions. The results show common processes across the different geographical contexts: individuals perceived increased risks associated with further migration, which affected their migration aspirations, and had reduced abilities to migrate, all of which affected their migration decision-making processes. The results also reveal stark differences in perceived and experienced migration decision-making across precarious migrant groups compared to high-skilled and formally employed international migrants in all settings. This precarity of place is particularly evident in low-income marginalised populations.

Abstract Autism has been characterized by a tendency to attend to the local visual details over surveying an image to understand the gist–a phenomenon called local interference. This sensory processing trait has been found to negatively impact social communication. Although much work has been conducted to understand these traits, little to no work has been conducted to intervene to provide support for local interference. Additionally, recent understanding of autism now introduces the core role of sensory processing and its impact on social communication. However, no interventions to the end of our knowledge have been explored to leverage this relationship. This work builds on the connection between visual attention and semantic representation in autistic children. In this work, we ask the following research questions: RQ1: Does manipulating image characteristics of luminance and spatial frequency increase likelihood of fixations in hot spots (Areas of Interest) for autistic children? RQ2: Does manipulating low-level image characteristics of luminance and spatial frequency increase the likelihood of global verbal responses for autistic children? We sought to manipulate visual attention as measured by eye gaze fixations and semantic representation of verbal response to the question “What is this picture about?”. We explore digital strategies to offload low-level, sensory processing of global features via digital filtering. In this work, we designed a global filter to reduce image characteristics found to be distracting for autistic people and compared baseline images to featured images in 11 autistic children. Participants saw counterbalanced images way over 2 sessions. Eye gaze in areas of interest and verbal responses were collected and analyzed. We found that luminance in non-salient areas impacted both eye gaze and verbal responding–however in opposite ways (however versus high levels of luminance). Additionally, the interaction of luminance and spatial frequency in areas of interest is also significant. This is the first empirical study in designing an assistive technology aimed to augment global processing that occurs at a sensory-processing and social-communication level. Contributions of this work include empirical findings regarding the quantification of local interference in images of natural scenes for autistic children in real-world settings; digital methods to offload global visual processing to make this information more accessible via insight on the role of luminance and spatial frequency in visual perception of and semantic representation in images of natural scenes.

In 1963 Boris Polyak suggested a particular step size for gradient descent methods, now known as the Polyak step size, that he later adapted to subgradient methods. The Polyak step size requires knowledge of the optimal value of the minimization problem, which is a strong assumption but one that holds for several important problems. In this paper we extend Polyak's method to handle constraints and, as a generalization of subgradients, general minorants, which are convex functions that tightly lower bound the objective and constraint functions. We refer to this algorithm as the Polyak Minorant Method (PMM). It is closely related to cutting-plane and bundle methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have linked problematic social media use to adverse mental health outcomes. Addiction theories postulate that problematic social media use may also adversely affect one's occupational functioning, yet this association has not been well-established. We conducted a systematic review to examine the association between problematic social media use and occupational functioning. Searches included a combination of keywords for problematic social media use (including social media addiction) and occupational functioning and were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo. Fourteen studies demonstrated a consistent but small negative effect of problematic social media use on occupational functioning. Problematic use of social media was associated with negative occupational outcomes including worse job performance, lower work engagement, and organizational commitment. This is the first comprehensive assessment of the evidence on the effects of problematic social media use on occupational functioning. Establishing a link between problematic social media use and functional outcomes is an important step in recognizing problematic social media use as an addictive disorder. All studies used a cross-sectional study design and were rated as having a moderate-to-high risk of bias. Future studies should prospectively examine the effects of problematic social media use on a broader range of functional outcomes and in occupations (e.g., military, police, and first responders) where optimal job-related functioning and readiness is of great importance for national and community safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with adverse health outcomes, but its association with health care costs in older adults is uncertain. Objectives: To estimate the association of neighborhood Area Deprivation Index (ADI) with total, inpatient, outpatient, skilled nursing facility (SNF), and home health care (HHC) costs among older community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries, and determine whether these associations are explained by multimorbidity, phenotypic frailty, or functional impairments. Design: Four prospective cohort studies linked with each other and with Medicare claims. Participants: In total, 8165 community-dwelling fee-for-service beneficiaries (mean age 79.2 years, 52.9% female). Main Measures: ADI of participant residence census tract, Hierarchical Conditions Category multimorbidity score, self-reported functional impairments (difficulty performing four activities of daily living), and frailty phenotype. Total, inpatient, outpatient, post-acute SNF, and HHC costs (US 2020 dollars) for 36 months after the index examination. Key Results: Mean incremental annualized total health care costs adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sex increased with ADI ($3317 [95% CI 1274 to 5360] for the most deprived vs least deprived ADI quintile, and overall p-value for ADI variable 0.009). The incremental cost for the most deprived vs least deprived ADI quintile was increasingly attenuated after separate adjustment for multimorbidity ($2407 [95% CI 416 to 4398], overall ADI p-value 0.066), frailty phenotype ($1962 [95% CI 11 to 3913], overall ADI p-value 0.22), or functional impairments ($1246 [95% CI –706 to 3198], overall ADI p-value 0.29). Conclusions: Total health care costs are higher for older community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries residing in the most socioeconomically deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas. This association was not significant after accounting for the higher prevalence of phenotypic frailty and functional impairments among residents of socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence supports the presence of a general psychopathology dimension, the p factor ('p'). Despite growing interest in the p factor, questions remain about how p is assessed. Although multi-informant assessment of psychopathology is commonplace in clinical research and practice with children and adolescents, almost no research has taken a multi-informant approach to studying youth p or has examined the degree of concordance between parent and youth reports. Further, estimating p requires assessment of a large number of symptoms, resulting in high reporter burden that may not be feasible in many clinical and research settings. In the present study, we used bifactor multidimensional item response theory models to estimate parent- and adolescent-reported p in a large community sample of youth (11–17 years) and parents (N = 5,060 dyads). We examined agreement between parent and youth p scores and associations with assessor-rated youth global functioning. We also applied computerized adaptive testing (CAT) simulations to parent and youth reports to determine whether adaptive testing substantially alters agreement on p or associations with youth global functioning. Parent-youth agreement on p was moderate (r =.44) and both reports were negatively associated with youth global functioning. Notably, 7 out of 10 of the highest loading items were common across reporters. CAT reduced the average number of items administered by 57%. Agreement between CAT-derived p scores was similar to the full form (r =.40) and CAT scores were negatively correlated with youth functioning. These novel results highlight the promise and potential clinical utility of a multi-informant p factor approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of choosing a portfolio that maximizes the cumulative prospect theory (CPT) utility on an empirical distribution of asset returns. We show that while CPT utility is not a concave function of the portfolio weights, it can be expressed as a difference of two functions. The first term is the composition of a convex function with concave arguments and the second term a composition of a convex function with convex arguments. This structure allows us to derive a global lower bound, or minorant, on the CPT utility, which we can use in a minorization–maximization (MM) algorithm for maximizing CPT utility. We further show that the problem is amenable to a simple convex–concave (CC) procedure which iteratively maximizes a local approximation. Both of these methods can handle small and medium size problems, and complex (but convex) portfolio constraints. We also describe a simpler method that scales to larger problems, but handles only simple portfolio constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing disease of skin and soft tissue caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU). In Australia, where the disease is emerging in new geographic areas and human case numbers are increasing, native possum species act as reservoir hosts. To better understand the life history of MU in one of its natural hosts, we conducted intra-dermal challenge of six wild caught, MU-naïve common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus). All six animals developed BU disease consistent with that observed in naturally infected ringtail possums. Time to ulceration varied between 49 and 77 days (mean = 61.8 days). Molecular evidence of systemic infection was detected in five animals and was supported by consistent histopathological findings in four animals. Pathological findings included random, multifocal, granulomatous hepatitis in four possums, one of which also had a mild, multifocal, interstitial granulomatous pneumonia. Acid-fast bacilli were only evident in inflammatory foci beyond the primary inoculation site in one possum. The ringtail possum model of MU infection is an important tool for the investigation of bacterial transmission dynamics, pathogenesis and immune response in a natural host. Data from this model may improve disease risk modelling and help identify intervention points to stop zoonotic transmission and disease spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdoenzymes are essential in global nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur cycling. To date, the only known bioavailable source of molybdenum (Mo) is molybdate. However, in the sulfidic and anoxic (euxinic) habitats that predominate in modern subsurface environments and that were pervasive prior to Earth's widespread oxygenation, Mo occurs as soluble tetrathiomolybdate ion and molybdenite mineral that is not known to be bioavailable. This presents a paradox for how organisms obtain Mo to support molybdoenzymes in these environments. Here, we show that tetrathiomolybdate and molybdenite sustain the high Mo demand of a model anaerobic methanogen, Methanococcus maripaludis, grown via Mo-dependent formate dehydrogenase, formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase, and nitrogenase. Cells grown with tetrathiomolybdate and molybdenite have similar growth kinetics, Mo content, and transcript levels of proteins involved in Mo transport and cofactor biosynthesis when compared to those grown with molybdate, implying similar mechanisms of transport and cofactor biosynthesis. These results help to reconcile the paradox of how Mo is acquired in modern and ancient anaerobes and provide new insight into how molybdoenzymes could have evolved prior to Earth's oxygenation. The nitrogen-fixing anaerobic methanogen, Methanococcus maripaludis, can utilize tetrathiomolybdate and molybdenite, previously considered non-bioavailable, as sources of molybdenum for enzymes involved in nitrogen fixation and anaerobic metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mozambique is making progress towards elimination of trachoma as a public health problem, but in some districts trachomatous inflammation—follicular (TF) prevalence remains above the 5% elimination threshold despite years of various interventions, including antibiotic mass drug administration. To characterize transmission in four districts, we incorporated testing of ocular infection and serology into routine trachoma impact surveys (TIS) in August 2022. We examined residents aged ≥ 1 year for trachoma and collected information on household water, sanitation, and hygiene. Among children aged 1–9 years, we tested conjunctival swabs for Chlamydia trachomatis nucleic acid and dried blood spots for C. trachomatis antibodies. We modeled age-dependent seroprevalence to estimate seroconversion rate (SCR). We examined 4841 children aged 1–9 years. TF prevalence ranged between 1.1 and 6.0% with three districts below the 5% threshold. PCR-confirmed infection prevalence ranged between 1.1 and 4.8%, and Pgp3 seroprevalence ranged between 8.8 and 24.3%. Pgp3 SCR was 1.9 per 100 children per year in the district with the lowest TF prevalence. Two other districts with TF < 5% had SCR of 5.0 and 4.7. The district with TF ≥ 5% had a SCR of 6.0. This enhanced TIS furthered understanding of transmission in these districts and provides information on additional indicators for monitoring trachoma programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon with depleted d13C (down to − 25.6‰ VPDB) found in > 3.7 billion year old metamorphic sediments from the Isua Supracrustal Belt, Southwestern Greenland, has been proposed to represent the oldest remains of life on Earth. Graphitic inclusions within garnet porphyroblasts from this locality have been shown to associate with elements consistent with biogenic remains. In this report, we focus on certain liquid inclusions found in the Isua garnets, characterizing their chemical composition using atomic force microscopy, AFM-based infrared spectroscopy, optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Our results show that the liquid inclusions contain functional groups consisting of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in a configuration similar to amide functional groups. We suspect that the amide groups formed from N, O and C-containing volatile components that were released from the original kerogenous material enclosed in the garnets, as this was graphitized during thermal maturation. This is consistent with the observed inclusion assemblage of solid graphitic and viscous fluid inclusions alike. Our observations are compatible with the inclusions forming from biogenic precursor material, and when considered alongside previous reports on the carbonaceous material in the Isua metamorphic sediments, these and our study collectively indicate that the carbonaceous material in the Isua metasediments represents the oldest traces of life on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas Reid famously claimed that our perceptual experiences reveal what primary qualities are in themselves, while providing us with only an obscure notion of secondary qualities. I maintain that this claim is largely correct and that, consequently, any adequate theory of perception must explain the fact that perceptual experiences provide significantly less insight into the nature of secondary qualities than into the nature of primary qualities. I maintain that neither naïve realism nor the standard Russellian variety of the content view can provide a satisfying explanation; instead, in order to provide a satisfying explanation, we must posit that perceptual experiences represent properties via Fregean modes of presentation. Further, I maintain that we must depart from the standard Fregean variety of the content view in two important respects. First, the relevant modes of presentation must be characterized without appealing to causal relations between perceptual experiences and perceived properties; and second, we must posit that primary and secondary qualities are represented via modes of presentation of different kinds. The resulting view is that primary qualities are represented via perceptual modes of presentation analogous to highly detailed descriptions, while secondary qualities are represented via perceptual modes of presentation analogous to impoverished descriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that people who are immunocompromised or have a comorbidity are at an increased risk for acquiring COVID-19, having a longer duration of COVID-19 symptoms, and a greater likelihood of severe outcomes, including people living with HIV (PLHIV) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Basics of covid-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 31. 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html). However, treatment for PLHIV can greatly reduce the amount of HIV in a person's blood, known as viral suppression. This study compared the outcome of COVID-associated hospitalization among virally suppressed and unsuppressed PLHIV in Colorado. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted including all known PLHIV in Colorado that were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2022. Relevant covariates were identified including race/ethnicity, age at time of diagnosis, region of diagnosis, and vaccination status. An initial univariate logistic regression was then built to test the statistical significance of the association between viral suppression and hospitalization. The final model included all associated covariates and crude and adjusted odds ratios were analyzed. When controlling for covariates, PLHIV who were not virally suppressed at the time of their COVID-19 diagnosis were 2.5 (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6-4.0) times as likely to be hospitalized at the time of their first COVID-19 diagnosis compared to those that were suppressed. These findings suggest that viral suppression among PLHIV is protective against poor COVID-19 outcomes. This study is an important first step in highlighting the importance of PLHIV being retained in care and achieving viral suppression in reducing hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Colorado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Prior research has demonstrated that cognitive inflexibility is associated with anxiety in autistic individuals. Everyday patterns of behavioral inflexibility (e.g. observable inflexible behavior in the context of the need to change or adapt and that is manifested in real-world everyday settings) is common in autism and can be distinguished from performance on discrete cognitive tasks that tap flexible attention, learning, or decision-making. The purpose of this study was to extend this prior work on inflexibility in autism but with measures specifically developed with input from stakeholders (caregivers and clinicians) for autistic youth designed to measure everyday behavioral inflexibility (BI). We characterized anxiety in a large sample of autistic (N = 145) and non-autistic youth (N = 91), ages 3 to 17 years, using the Parent Rated Anxiety Scale for Autism Spectrum Disorder (PRAS-ASD). Further, we sought to understand how BI, measured via the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale (BIS), predicted anxiety compared to other variables known to increase anxiety in youth (chronological age, IQ, autism diagnosis, assigned sex at birth). Autistic youth had higher parent-related anxiety and BI compared to non-autistic youth. BI was the strongest predictor of anxiety scores, irrespective of diagnosis. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of BI to the understanding of anxiety in autistic youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining physical function with aging is associated with structural and functional brain network organization. Gaining a greater understanding of network associations may be useful for targeting interventions that are designed to slow or prevent such decline. Our previous work demonstrated that the Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB) score and body mass index (BMI) exhibited a statistical interaction in their associations with connectivity in the sensorimotor cortex (SMN) and the dorsal attention network (DAN). The current study examined if components of the eSPPB have unique associations with these brain networks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 192 participants in the BNET study, a longitudinal and observational trial of community-dwelling adults aged 70 or older. Functional brain networks were generated for resting state and during a motor imagery task. Regression analyses were performed between eSPPB component scores (gait speed, complex gait speed, static balance, and lower extremity strength) and BMI with SMN and DAN connectivity. Gait speed, complex gait speed, and lower extremity strength significantly interacted with BMI in their association with SMN at rest. Gait speed and complex gait speed were interacted with BMI in the DAN at rest while complex gait speed, static balance, and lower extremity strength interacted with BMI in the DAN during motor imagery. Results demonstrate that different components of physical function, such as balance or gait speed and BMI, are associated with unique aspects of brain network organization. Gaining a greater mechanistic understanding of the associations between low physical function, body mass, and brain physiology may lead to the development of treatments that not only target specific physical function limitations but also specific brain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the performance of a least-squares regression model, as judged by out-of-sample R 2 . Shapley values give a fair attribution of the performance of a model to its input features, taking into account interdependencies between features. Evaluating the Shapley values exactly requires solving a number of regression problems that is exponential in the number of features, so a Monte Carlo-type approximation is typically used. We focus on the special case of least-squares regression models, where several tricks can be used to compute and evaluate regression models efficiently. These tricks give a substantial speed up, allowing many more Monte Carlo samples to be evaluated, achieving better accuracy. We refer to our method as least-squares Shapley performance attribution (LS-SPA), and describe our open-source implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pinyon jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its continued decline in the wild caused by impacts to its unique pinyon-juniper woodland habitat. Recent reviews do not mention commercial trade as a threat and no information is given on use and trade at all. Here we provide evidence of recent international trade in pinyon jays observed in the European Union. We recommend listing the species in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to enable the monitoring of international trade. Additionally, the desirability of a listing in a higher appendix of CITES at the next Conference of the Parties, as a more restrictive measure, should be assessed, as it may provide a necessary tool to prevent illegal international trade from becoming an additional threat for this unique North American songbird. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological pump supplies carbon to the oceans’ interior, driving long-term carbon sequestration and providing energy for deep-sea ecosystems1,2. Its efficiency is set by transformations of newly formed particles in the euphotic zone, followed by vertical flux attenuation via mesopelagic processes3. Depth attenuation of the particulate organic carbon (POC) flux is modulated by multiple processes involving zooplankton and/or microbes4,5. Nevertheless, it continues to be mainly parameterized using an empirically derived relationship, the ‘Martin curve’6. The derived power-law exponent is the standard metric used to compare flux attenuation patterns across oceanic provinces7,8. Here we present in situ experimental findings from C-RESPIRE9, a dual particle interceptor and incubator deployed at multiple mesopelagic depths, measuring microbially mediated POC flux attenuation. We find that across six contrasting oceanic regimes, representing a 30-fold range in POC flux, degradation by particle-attached microbes comprised 7–29 per cent of flux attenuation, implying a more influential role for zooplankton in flux attenuation. Microbial remineralization, normalized to POC flux, ranged by 20-fold across sites and depths, with the lowest rates at high POC fluxes. Vertical trends, of up to threefold changes, were linked to strong temperature gradients at low-latitude sites. In contrast, temperature played a lesser role at mid- and high-latitude sites, where vertical trends may be set jointly by particle biochemistry, fragmentation and microbial ecophysiology. This deconstruction of the Martin curve reveals the underpinning mechanisms that drive microbially mediated POC flux attenuation across oceanic provinces.In situ experimental findings from six contrasting oceanic regimes, at multiple mesopelagic depths, are used to determine the mechanisms that drive microbially mediated carbon flux attenuation in the oceanic biological pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microtubules are essential for various cellular processes. The functional diversity of microtubules is attributed to the incorporation of various α- and β-tubulin isotypes encoded by different genes. In this work, we investigated the functional role of β4B-tubulin isotype (TUBB4B) in hearing and vision as mutations in TUBB4B are associated with sensorineural disease. Using a Tubb4b knockout mouse model, our findings demonstrate that TUBB4B is essential for hearing. Mice lacking TUBB4B are profoundly deaf due to defects in the inner and middle ear. Specifically, in the inner ear, the absence of TUBB4B lead to disorganized and reduced densities of microtubules in pillar cells, suggesting a critical role for TUBB4B in providing mechanical support for auditory transmission. In the middle ear, Tubb4b−/− mice exhibit motile cilia defects in epithelial cells, leading to the development of otitis media. However, Tubb4b deletion does not affect photoreceptor function or cause retinal degeneration. Intriguingly, β6-tubulin levels increase in retinas lacking β4B-tubulin isotype, suggesting a functional compensation mechanism. Our findings illustrate the essential roles of TUBB4B in hearing but not in vision in mice, highlighting the distinct functions of tubulin isotypes in different sensory systems. Mice lacking TUBB4B are profoundly deaf due to defects in both the middle and inner ear consisting in microtubule alterations in cochlear supporting cells and motile cilia defects in epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review examined core elements within school-based interventions and supports for Black adolescent males (12 to 18 years of age) and identified themes for research in this area. Several educational, psychology, and social science databases were searched systematically. From this search, 13 published studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed for detailed analysis. Our analysis of the literature on published findings for effective types of school-based interventions for Black boys revealed four overarching themes: (1) partnership with local school districts and schools, (2) utilization of family and community resources, (3) provision of educational opportunities for Black boys, and (4) encouragement of active engagement among Black boys through personal and cultural relevance to the boys' lives. We discuss implications for future interventions targeting Black adolescent males. Finally, we propose a call for additional interventions for Black adolescent males and scientifically rigorous evaluation of those interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of minimizing a function that is a sum of convex agent functions plus a convex common public function that couples them. The agent functions can only be accessed via a subgradient oracle; the public function is assumed to be structured and expressible in a domain specific language (DSL) for convex optimization. We focus on the case when the evaluation of the agent oracles can require significant effort, which justifies the use of solution methods that carry out significant computation in each iteration. To solve this problem we integrate multiple known techniques (or adaptations of known techniques) for bundle-type algorithms, obtaining a method which has a number of practical advantages over other methods that are compatible with our access methods, such as proximal subgradient methods. First, it is reliable, and works well across a number of applications. Second, it has very few parameters that need to be tuned, and works well with sensible default values. Third, it typically produces a reasonable approximate solution in just a few tens of iterations. This paper is accompanied by an open-source implementation of the proposed solver, available at https://github.com/cvxgrp/OSBDO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings of high rates of complex trauma among justice-involved young people have engendered interest in developing trauma-informed youth justice systems. Although there have been several reviews of trauma-informed practice in youth justice settings, uncertainty remains about whether this approach can produce the outcomes expected of youth justice services. In this study we summarize findings from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses to provide an overview of evidence relevant to implementing trauma-informed youth justice. We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews published between 2017 and 2023 that included group-based primary studies of trauma-informed interventions for justice-involved young people. Reviews were located via searches of PsycINFO, PubMedCentral, Embase, Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text, and ProQuest. Data extracted from each review included the number and type of primary studies reviewed, and outcomes related to trauma symptomatology, mental health and wellbeing, and justice system involvement. Nine systematic reviews met our inclusion criteria. Improvements in trauma symptoms, mental health and wellbeing, and justice system involvement were documented in each review. The strongest evidence related to the impact of trauma-focused interventions on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, but less evidence was available to demonstrate outcomes of organizational level and systemic components of trauma-informed practice. Each review highlighted the need to strengthen the methodological quality of primary studies. Trauma-informed practice should be seriously considered as part of any effort to implement evidence-based youth justice. This should extend beyond treatment of trauma symptomatology to incorporate a broader approach to trauma-informed practice that is organizationally embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but little is known about the temporal profile of change in ROS post-EIMD and how ROS levels relate to the onset of and recovery from EIMD. Our primary aim was to examine the effect of EIMD on the pattern of change in the blood level of thiol-oxidised albumin, a marker of oxidative stress. Methods: Seven male participants were subjected on separate days to eccentric muscle contraction to cause EIMD or a no-exercise condition. After each session, the participants collected daily dried blood spots to measure thiol-oxidised albumin and returned to the laboratory every 2 days for the assessment of indirect markers of EIMD, namely maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), creatine kinase (CK), and myoglobin. Results: Eccentric exercise resulted in a significant decrease in MVC and increase in DOMS, CK, myoglobin, and thiol-oxidised albumin with the latter reaching above baseline level within 24–48 h post-exercise. All the markers of EIMD returned to baseline level within 6 days post-exercise, but not the level of thiol-oxidised albumin which remained elevated for 10 days after exercise. There was a moderate correlation between changes in thiol-oxidised albumin and DOMS, but no significant relationship between any other markers of muscle damage. Conclusion: The levels of thiol-oxidised albumin increase in response to EIMD and remain elevated for several days post-exercise. The temporal pattern of change in the level of thiol-oxidised albumin suggests that this may be a useful biomarker of muscle repair post-EIMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the processing techniques and nutritional properties of the Triodia pungens seed, a rare desert Aboriginal seed food. It includes traditional knowledge shared by Aboriginal women from various language groups. Laboratory testing reveals that the seeds are energy-dense, low in fat, and high in carbohydrates. The article discusses the lack of documentation on Triodia pungens seed cakes and explores the potential health and economic benefits of reintroducing traditional seed foods into remote communities. It also highlights the decline of Aboriginal seed foods in modern diets and emphasizes the importance of preserving knowledge about lesser-known seed foods like Tjinalpa. Additionally, the article briefly mentions the artistic works of Indigenous Australian artist Napangarti and American artist Boyd R. Wright, highlighting their unique perspectives and cultural influences. [Extracted from the article]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects as many as 1 in 200 people in the adult population globally. Patients may present with exertional dyspnea, presyncope or syncope, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart failure, and even sudden cardiac death. Current guideline-based therapy involves medical therapy for treatment of symptoms in milder forms of the disease and surgical or catheter-based septal reduction therapies in obstructive HCM. Until recently, there has existed a gap between these two approaches that is now being filled by a new class of drugs, cardiac myosin inhibitors, which directly target the underlying disease process in HCM. Current investigations examine the effects of two cardiac myosin inhibitors on reported symptoms, echocardiographic evidence of disease, and the associated need for septal reduction. This paper reviews the contemporary evidence for the use of cardiac myosin inhibitors in HCM in adults and highlights future directions for this exciting field of cardiovascular medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) experience Social Cognition (SC) difficulties, which could be related to executive functioning. While motor interventions are common, there is limited knowledge about the impact of cognitive interventions on SC in this population. This study examined the relationship between SC and Executive Function (EF) skills and the effectiveness of an EF intervention that included some SC tasks for improving SC in children with CP. SC and EF domains were assessed in 60 participants with CP (30 females; 8–12 years). The relationship between SC and EF baseline scores was analyzed by bivariate correlations and contingency tables. Participants were matched by age, sex, motor ability, and intelligence quotient and randomized into intervention or control groups. The intervention group underwent a 12-week home-based computerized EF intervention. Analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in SC components between groups at post-intervention and 9 months after. Significant positive correlations were found between the SC and EF scores. The frequencies of impaired and average scores in SC were distributed similarly to the impaired and average scores in EFs. The intervention group showed significant improvements in Affect Recognition performance post-intervention, which were maintained at the follow-up assessment, with a moderate effect size. Long-term improvements in Theory of Mind were observed 9 months after. Conclusions: This study highlights the association between SC and EFs. A home-based computerized cognitive intervention program improves SC in children with CP. Including SC tasks in EF interventions may lead to positive short- and long-term effects for children with CP. Clinical trial registration: NCT04025749 retrospectively registered on 19 July 2019. What Is Known: • Executive functions and social cognition are associated with social and community participation in people with cerebral palsy. • A home-based computerized cognitive intervention can improve the executive functioning of children with cerebral palsy. What Is New: • Social cognition performance is related to core and higher-order executive functions. • A home-based computerized executive function intervention, including social cognition tasks, has positive short- and long-term effects on social cognition skills in children with cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider robust empirical risk minimization (ERM), where model parameters are chosen to minimize the worst-case empirical loss when each data point varies over a given convex uncertainty set. In some simple cases, such problems can be expressed in an analytical form. In general the problem can be made tractable via dualization, which turns a min-max problem into a min-min problem. Dualization requires expertise and is tedious and error-prone. We demonstrate how CVXPY can be used to automate this dualization procedure in a user-friendly manner. Our framework allows practitioners to specify and solve robust ERM problems with a general class of convex losses, capturing many standard regression and classification problems. Users can easily specify any complex uncertainty set that is representable via disciplined convex programming (DCP) constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Hypothesis: Obesity is increasing worldwide, and data are limited on how body mass index (BMI) affects surgical risk in pelvic organ prolapse. This study is aimed at evaluating the impact of obesity on outcomes after apical pelvic organ prolapse surgery. We hypothesize that obese patients have higher rates of postoperative complications. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2014 to 2018. Current Procedural Terminology codes identified subjects aged 18–89 who underwent apical prolapse repair, including vaginal colpopexy and laparoscopic or robotic sacrocolpopexy. Minor and major complications were analyzed using the World Health Organization BMI category. Regression analysis was performed to adjust for confounders. Results: The total cohort was 24,718 with 15,137 vaginal colpopexy and 9,581 laparoscopic/robotic sacrocolpopexy. The average age was 60.1, 76.5% were white, 24.2% were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 3 or 4, and 44.7% had a major medical comorbidity. Eight hundred and eighty-five patients (5.4%) experienced a minor complication, 324 (2.0%) a major complication, and 1,167 (7.2%) any complication. There was no difference in any, major, or minor complication by BMI and this persisted after adjusting for age, race, ASA class, smoking, and surgical approach. Conclusions: There is no difference in complication rates after apical prolapse surgery by BMI regardless of age, race, ASA class, smoking use, and surgical approach. Patients and surgeons should be reassured that minimally invasive apical prolapse surgery is safe, with low complication rates. Randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with inherited cancer syndromes, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), may be motivated to adopt health-protective behaviors, such as eating more fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity. Examining these health behaviors among young people with high lifetime genetic cancer risk may provide important insights to guide future behavioral interventions that aim to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We used a self-regulatory framework to investigate relationships among diet and physical activity behaviors and psychosocial constructs (e.g., illness perceptions, coping, HRQOL) in adolescents and young adults (AYAs; aged 15–39 years) with LFS. This longitudinal mixed-methods study included 57 AYAs aged 16–39 years at enrollment), 32 (56%) of whom had a history of one or more cancers. Participants completed one or two telephone interviews and/or an online survey. We thematically analyzed interview data and conducted regression analyses to evaluate relationships among variables. AYAs described adopting healthy diet and physical activity behaviors to assert some control over health and to protect HRQOL. More frequent use of active coping strategies was associated with greater reported daily fruit and vegetable intake. Greater reported physical activity was associated with better quality of psychological health. Healthy diet and physical activity behaviors may function as LFS coping strategies that confer mental health benefits. Clinicians might emphasize these potential benefits and support AYAs in adopting health behaviors that protect multiple domains of health. Future research could use these findings to develop behavioral interventions tailored to AYAs with high genetic cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored mild and cost-effective conditions for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported magnetic core double-shell nanomaterials were successfully synthesized by an innovative four-step approach. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were first produced to act as cores without using any surfactants. The magnetite/silica core–shell structure was then prepared by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of core particles under alkaline conditions. The outermost shell, the α-Fe2O3/TiO2 layer, was grown over a magnetic core of Fe3O4@SiO2 using a co-precipitation and calcination approach. Furthermore, nanohybrids were fabricated by loading Fe3O4@SiO2@α-Fe2O3/TiO2 nanoparticles on rGO using a hydrothermal method. Nanomaterial characterization by vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed both nanomaterials with and without rGO support are soft ferromagnetic and the presence of Fe3O4, TiO2, Fe2O3 and SiO2 in both nanomaterials. The nanohybrids exhibited increasing photocurrent as a function of illumination by cool white fluorescent light, and their magnetic property enabled the particles to be magnetically separated for recycling and reuse. The efficient photoactivity of the Fe3O4@SiO2@α-Fe2O3/TiO2-rGO nanohybrids was confirmed for conversion of two lignocellulose model compounds: 83.9% for conversion of D-xylose, and production of 0.49 mol lactic acid for conversion of 1 kg of sodium lignosulfonate; these results represent an improvement compared to the core double-shell nanoparticle without rGO support. Increased productivities were also obtained for four other products in conversion of sodium lignosulfonate using the rGO-supported nanomaterials compared to the ones without rGO support. These findings indicate that the rGO support improved the properties of Fe3O4@SiO2@α-Fe2O3/TiO2, possibly by acting as an electron acceptor—thereby avoiding high recombination of electron–hole pairs and increasing the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Our primary results suggest that the approach exemplified by the produced photocatalysts may potentially lead to cost-effective and environment-friendly strategies for reducing lignocellulosic biomass and generating value-added chemicals in large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD) is a rare and poorly understood disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by acute or subacute neuropsychiatric symptoms in previously healthy individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Many patients exhibit immunotherapy-responsiveness, indicative of immune dysregulation as a potential underlying etiology. While hypotheses are emerging regarding the role of interferon signaling in DSRD and other autoimmune conditions associated with DS, it is unclear why a small subset of individuals with DS develop DSRD. The aim of this study was to investigate genes of immune regulation in persons with DSRD. Methods: This study included individuals with DSRD aged 10–30 years with trio exome sequencing performed during the diagnostic work up. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis (Chi-square and Fisher's exact test) were used to describe and compare the characteristics of individuals with and without variants. Results: Forty-one individuals with DSRD had trio exome sequencing results. Eight (20%) had heterozygous de novo variants of immune regulatory genes, with four variants being pathogenic or likely pathogenic (UNC13D, XIAP, RNASEH2A, and DNASE1L3). All genes harboring pathogenic variants were associated with interferon type-1 inflammatory response. Individuals harboring variants were more likely to have a preceding trigger (p = 0.03, 95% CI 1.21–97.06), rapid clinical decline in less than 1 month (p = 0.01, 95% CI 1.67–52.06), and MRI abnormalities (p < 0.001, 95% CI 4.89–527.71). Discussion: A distinct subset of individuals with DSRD exhibited pathogenic variants in immune regulation genes associated with interferon-mediated inflammatory response, coinciding with previously established links between these genes and interferonopathies such as Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome. Our observations suggest that these variants might potentially contribute to the development of DSRD in individuals with DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: National studies examining alcohol and other drug use by sexual orientation have been primarily cross-sectional. Understanding changes in sexual orientation over time may further elucidate the mechanisms behind sexual orientation differences in alcohol and other drug use. This national longitudinal study examines changes in sexual orientation across four waves (2013–2019), and the associations with symptomatic alcohol and other drug use. Methods: Data from Waves 1 through 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study were used to examine associations of sexual identity change/stability and sexual identity–attraction discordance/concordance from baseline to follow-up with symptomatic substance use at follow-up. We examined four outcomes: any symptomatic substance use, symptomatic alcohol use, symptomatic other drug use, and symptomatic alcohol + other drug use. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used and all analyses were weighted and stratified by sex. Results: In models adjusting for potential confounders, greater likelihood of symptomatic alcohol and other drug use outcomes was found among males and females experiencing a change from a heterosexual to sexual minority identity and among females with new or consistent sexual identity–attraction discordance. Conclusion: These findings highlight important sex differences and suggest that the period of transitioning to a sexual minority identity is a particularly vulnerable period for symptomatic alcohol and other drug use. For females, incongruent sexual identity and attraction is also a risk factor. Interventions that assist individuals during this transitional period and during a time when identity and attraction are incongruent, may reduce symptomatic substance use during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart spray technology developed at the University of Florida was designed to reduce off-target applications when applying postemergence (POST) herbicides for weed control in plasticulture systems. A trial was conducted in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 to evaluate smart spray technology in row middles in a banana pepper field at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, FL. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of targeted POST-herbicide applications in plasticulture pepper row middles in the presence or absence of a pre-emergent (PRE) herbicide. Flumioxazin reduced broadleaf and overall weed densities in both seasons and lowered grass density in the spring. Two targeted applications reduced the nutsedge density in spring compared to the two banded applications. No significant pepper damage was observed in any treatments. Applied POST herbicide volume following PRE-herbicide was reduced by 84% and 54% for fall and spring respectively. In the absence of a PRE herbicide, targeted applications reduced POST-herbicide volumes by 30% and 45% for fall and spring respectively. No reduction in weed control or pepper yield was observed when comparing targeted with banded applications. Overall, the use of smart spray technology for POST herbicides in row middles reduced applied spray volume with no reduction in weed control, significant injuries on pepper, or negative effects on yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The very large demand for songbirds in Indonesia undermines the efforts of the Government of Indonesia to regulate and control harvest and trade. As more species become increasingly rare, new species are sought after and included in the trade to supply demand from hobbyists, traders and songbird competition participants. One such group of species is the butcherbirds. Four species of butcherbirds are native to Indonesia and prior to 2016 these birds were hardly found in trade. Since then, the trade has grown rapidly and during 57 surveys of bird markets in 12 cities on Java, Bali and Lombok, we recorded 235 butcherbirds. We found 43 advertisements online offering butcherbirds for sale. The highest numbers were recorded in the easternmost cities we surveyed (Mataram, 11.5 birds/survey; Denpasar 9.0 birds/survey) and we recorded higher numbers of butcherbirds for sale nearer to their natural distribution range. Compared to other species, butcherbirds command high prices (hooded butcherbird: US$185; black butcherbird: US$122). Despite the authorities attempting to regulate the exploitation of butcherbirds with annual harvest and trade quotas (set at zero for 2022), the trade evidently is challenging to control and may pose a threat to the conservation of these species in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural aerosols are an important, yet understudied, part of the Arctic climate system. Natural marine biogenic aerosol components (e.g., methanesulfonic acid, MSA) are becoming increasingly important due to changing environmental conditions. In this study, we combine in situ aerosol observations with atmospheric transport modeling and meteorological reanalysis data in a data-driven framework with the aim to (1) identify the seasonal cycles and source regions of MSA, (2) elucidate the relationships between MSA and atmospheric variables, and (3) project the response of MSA based on trends extrapolated from reanalysis variables and determine which variables are contributing to these projected changes. We have identified the main source areas of MSA to be the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Arctic. Using gradient-boosted trees, we were able to explain 84% of the variance and find that the most important variables for MSA are indirectly related to either the gas- or aqueous-phase oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS): shortwave and longwave downwelling radiation, temperature, and low cloud cover. We project MSA to undergo a seasonal shift, with non-monotonic decreases in April/May and increases in June-September, over the next 50 years. Different variables in different months are driving these changes, highlighting the complexity of influences on this natural aerosol component. Although the response of MSA due to changing oceanic variables (sea surface temperature, DMS emissions, and sea ice) and precipitation remains to be seen, here we are able to show that MSA will likely undergo a seasonal shift solely due to changes in atmospheric variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term reconstituting haematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) are used to treat blood disorders via stem cell transplantation. The very low abundance of LT-HSCs and their rapid differentiation during in vitro culture hinders their clinical utility. Previous developments using stromal feeder layers, defined media cocktails, and bioengineering have enabled HSC expansion in culture, but of mostly short-term HSCs and progenitor populations at the expense of naive LT-HSCs. Here, we report the creation of a bioengineered LT-HSC maintenance niche that recreates physiological extracellular matrix organisation, using soft collagen type-I hydrogels to drive nestin expression in perivascular stromal cells (PerSCs). We demonstrate that nestin, which is expressed by HSC-supportive bone marrow stromal cells, is cytoprotective and, via regulation of metabolism, is important for HIF-1α expression in PerSCs. When CD34+ve HSCs were added to the bioengineered niches comprising nestin/HIF-1α expressing PerSCs, LT-HSC numbers were maintained with normal clonal and in vivo reconstitution potential, without media supplementation. We provide proof-of-concept that our bioengineered niches can support the survival of CRISPR edited HSCs. Successful editing of LT-HSCs ex vivo can have potential impact on the treatment of blood disorders. The ability to maintain blood stem cells (HSCs) in vitro would allow us to provide better therapies for blood diseases. Here, the authors report that polymer-organised extracellular proteins, coupled to soft environments mimicking bone marrow stiffness, allow stromal cells to maintain HSCs in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decay energy spectroscopy (DES) is an increasingly popular technique for measuring isotopic composition of actinide samples for nuclear safeguards applications. Current approaches for actinide DES utilize milligram-scale external gold absorbers (> 0.1 nJ/K) that are integrated with actinide samples through mechanical kneading and are thermally connected to microcalorimeters using indium or gold wire bonds. This leads to relatively slow sensor rise time and, consequently, limits counting speed to a few counts per second. We are developing faster metallic magnetic calorimeter-based DES by integrating actinide samples with magnetic sensor materials. This reduces signal rise time and enables high counting speed while maintaining the ability to knead the radioactive source with the absorber. We have measured signal rise time of 0.7 μs with a 1.5 mg external gold absorber using this approach. We also demonstrated online DES operation using an Ortec DSPEC 50, a commercially available data acquisition system developed for semiconductor detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Frailty is common in critically ill patients but the timing and optimal method of frailty ascertainment, trajectory and relationship with care processes remain uncertain. We sought to elucidate the trajectory and care processes of frailty in critically ill patients as measured by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Frailty Index (FI). Methods: This is a multi-centre prospective cohort study enrolling patients ≥ 50 years old receiving life support > 24 h. Frailty severity was assessed with a CFS, and a FI based on the elements of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) at intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hospital discharge and 6 months. For the primary outcome of frailty prevalence, it was a priori dichotomously defined as a CFS ≥ 5 or FI ≥ 0.2. Processes of care, adverse events were collected during ICU and ward stays while outcomes were determined for ICU, hospital, and 6 months. Results: In 687 patients, whose age (mean ± standard deviation) was 68.8 ± 9.2 years, frailty prevalence was higher when measured with the FI (CFS, FI %): ICU admission (29.8, 44.8), hospital discharge (54.6, 67.9), 6 months (34.1, 42.6). Compared to ICU admission, aggregate frailty severity increased to hospital discharge but improved by 6 months; individually, CFS and FI were higher in 45.3% and 50.6% patients, respectively at 6 months. Compared to hospital discharge, 18.7% (CFS) and 20% (FI) were higher at 6 months. Mortality was higher in frail patients. Processes of care and adverse events were similar except for worse ICU/ward mobility and more frequent delirium in frail patients. Conclusions: Frailty severity was dynamic, can be measured during recovery from critical illness using the CFS and FI which were both associated with worse outcomes. Although the CFS is a global measure, a CGA FI based may have advantages of being able to measure frailty levels, identify deficits, and potential targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is an important noxious plants in many countries around the world. Currently, the primary method used to identify this plant is based on visual evaluations of the leaf shape and arrangement. In this study, we evaluated four variations of YOLO-Tiny to identify Poison ivy and we proposed a smartphone application (APP) to perform the detection in real-time. Images were taken in different parks located in the United States and then augmented, totaling 3,407 images and 73,824 annotations. The model with the highest mean average precision (mAP), precision (P), recall (R), F1-score, and lowest loss function value was selected to build the APP. Two smartphones (Motorola M51 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro) and five input resolutions were evaluated (224, 288, 320, 384, and 416 width and height pixels). The best performance during the training was achieved using a YOLOv4-Tiny-3 L architecture with mAP of 78.8%, 0.85 (P), 0.60 (R), 0.7 (F1-score), and 3.55 for the loss function. The APP evaluation revealed that at 224 and 288 pixels, F1-scores were lower (around 0.39) and fewer plants were identified but the FPS was relatively high (around 4.87). At 416 pixels, more plants were identified with high F1-scores (around 0.66), but with a low FPS rate (around 1.96). The best balance between performance and accuracy was observed at 340 and 320 pixels for both devices. Overall, the results suggest that YOLOv4-tiny-Tiny-3 L can successfully be deployed in smartphones to identify Poison ivy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioavailability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is vital for skeletal muscle health, yet the mechanisms or signals regulating NAD homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we uncover a pathway connecting peripheral glucose sensing to the modulation of muscle NAD through TAS1R2, the sugar-sensing G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) initially identified in taste perception. Muscle TAS1R2 receptor stimulation by glucose and other agonists induces ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation and activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase1 (PARP1), a major NAD consumer in skeletal muscle. Consequently, muscle-specific deletion of TAS1R2 (mKO) in male mice suppresses PARP1 activity, elevating NAD levels and enhancing mitochondrial capacity and running endurance. Plasma glucose levels negatively correlate with muscle NAD, and TAS1R2 receptor deficiency enhances NAD responses across the glycemic range, implicating TAS1R2 as a peripheral energy surveyor. These findings underscore the role of GPCR signaling in NAD regulation and propose TAS1R2 as a potential therapeutic target for maintaining muscle health. The bioavailability of NAD is vital for muscle health. Here, the authors unveil a pathway from glucose sensing to muscle NAD modulation via the TAS1R2 receptor, suggesting TAS1R2 as a therapeutic target for muscle health preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and has previously been associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders affecting multiple organ systems. The high prevalence of autoimmune disease, in conjunction with other inflammatory and infectious diseases, in this population suggests an intrinsic immune dysregulation associated with triplication of chromosome 21. Emerging data on the role of chromosome 21 in interferon activation, cytokine production, and activation of B-cell mediated autoimmunity are emerging hypotheses that may explain the elevated prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease, celiac disease, type I diabetes, autoimmune skin disease, and a variety of autoimmune neurologic conditions. As the life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome increases, knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical features, management and underlying causes of these conditions will become increasingly important. Disorders such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis are prevalent in between 13 and 34% of individuals with Down syndrome but only 3% of the neurotypical population, a pattern similarly recognized in individuals with Celiac Disease (5.8% v 0.5–2%), alopecia areata (27.7% v. 2%), and vitiligo (4.4% v. 0.05–1.55%), respectively. Given the chronicity of autoimmune conditions, early identification and management can significantly impact the quality of life of individuals with Down syndrome. This comprehensive review will highlight common clinical autoimmune conditions observed in individuals with Down syndrome and explore our current understanding of the mechanisms of disease in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron beam welding processes have highly accurate control of both spatial and temporal heating profiles which provide unique capabilities in dissimilar metals joining. In this work, electron beam welds were made between commercially pure nickel and iron to determine the effect of fusion zone composition on solidification behavior and microstructure evolution. The weld was made with a beam deflected in a circular pattern to enable joining and promote mixing. The beam traveled at a shallow angle of approximately 1 deg to the joint interface starting in the nickel and finishing in the iron. The shallow angle created a weld with a composition gradient along its 110 mm length. The solidification behavior and final weld microstructure were characterized using both light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Electron backscatter diffraction was used to determine the phase fractions in the fusion zone. A change in solidification mode from face-centered cubic austenite to body-centered cubic ferrite was observed as a function of fusion zone composition. Weld cross-sections containing 65.5 wt pct Fe and 76.9 wt pct Fe had a two-phase fcc + bcc microstructure. Using the compositions and phase fractions, the two-phase region was estimated to be between 56.4 and 79.7 wt pct Fe. Martensite was observed in cross-sections containing between 76.9 wt pct Fe and 98.1 wt pct Fe, which was confirmed using hardness measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate EEG monitoring during neonatal ECMO and to identify any correlations between seizure detection to abnormal neuroimaging. Eight-year, service evaluation of neonates who received at least one continuous EEG (cEEG) whilst on ECMO at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Pearson's chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess clinical and EEG variables association with seizures and neuroimaging findings. Fifty-seven neonates were studied; 57 cEEG recordings were reviewed. The incidence of seizures was 33% (19/57); of these 74% (14/19) were electrographic-only. The incidence of status epilepticus was 42%, (8/19 with 6 neonates having electrographic-only status and 2 electro-clinical status. Seizures were detected within an hour of recording in 84%, (16/19). The overall mortality rate was 39% (22/57). Seizure detection was strongly associated with female gender (OR 4.8, 95% CI: 1.1–20.4, p = 0.03), abnormal EEG background activity (OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1–7.4, p = 0.03) and abnormal EEG focal features (OR 23.6, 95% CI: 5.4–103.9, p = 0.001). There was a strong association between the presence of seizures and abnormal neuroimaging findings (OR 10.9, 95% CI: 2.8–41.9, p = 0.001). Neonates were highly likely to have abnormal neuroimaging findings in the presence of severely abnormal background EEG (OR 9.5, 95% CI 1.7–52.02, p = 0.01) and focal EEG abnormalities (OR 6.35, 95% CI 1.97–20.5, p = 0.002) Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of cEEG in neonates undergoing ECMO. An association between seizure detection and abnormal neuroimaging findings was described. What is Known: • Patients on ECMO are at a higher risk of seiures. • Continuous EEG monitoring is recommended by the ACNS for high risk and ECMO patients. What is New: • In this cohort, neonates with sezirues were 11 times more likely of having abnromal neuroimaging findings. • Neonates with burst suppressed or suppressed EEG background were 9.5 times more likely to have abnormal neuroimaging findings. What does this study add? • This study reports a 33% incidence of neonatal seizures during ECMO. • Neonates with seizures were 11 times more likely to have an abnormal brain scan. • The study captures the real-time approach of EEG monitoring. • Recommended cEEG monitoring should last at least 24 h for ECMO patients. • This is the first study to assess this in neonates only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]