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The article presents a study which explores the ways that media influences individuals and society includes investigations of all forms of news and entertainment mass media, including film, radio, television, newspapers, websites, books, video games, music, and magazines. Information on the method used in the study, the results and conclusion are discussed.

Treating manure with aluminum sulfate (alum) is a best management practice (BMP) which reduces ammonia (NH3) emissions and phosphorus (P) runoff from poultry litter. However, the price of alum has increased markedly in recent years, creating a need for less expensive products to control NH3 volatilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new litter amendment made from alum mud, bauxite, and sulfuric acid (alum mud litter amendment or AMLA) on NH3 emissions, litter chemistry, and poultry production in a pen trial. Three separate flocks of 1000 broilers were used for this study. The first flock of birds was used to produce the poultry litter needed for the experiment. The second and third flocks of birds were allocated to 20 pens in a randomized block design with four replicates of five treatments: (1) control, (2) 49 kg AMLA/100 m2 incorporated, (3) 98 kg AMLA/100 m2 incorporated, (4) 98 kg AMLA/100 m2 surface applied, and (5) 98 kg alum/100 m2 incorporated. Ammonia flux measurements and litter samples were collected from each pen at day 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. The average litter pH for both flocks was higher in untreated litter (7.92) compared to incorporating alum (7.32) or AMLA (7.18). The two flocks' average NH4-N concentrations at day 42 were 38% and 30% higher for the high rates of incorporated alum and AMLA compared to the untreated litter. Compared with untreated litter, AMLA reduced overall NH3 emissions by 27% to 52% which was not significantly different from reductions in emissions by alum (35%). Alum mud litter amendment reduced cumulative NH3 losses from litter as much as, and in some cases more than, alum applied at the same rate. These data indicate that AMLA, which can be manufactured for lower price than alum, is an effective alternative litter amendment for reducing NH3 emissions from poultry litter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly performed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), however studies on vascular access are limited.Objective: We sought to describe vascular access choice and outcomes of PCI from transfemoral (TFA) compared to transradial access (TRA) in ESRD patients on dialysis.Methods: Patients with ESRD on dialysis undergoing PCI from October 2010 to January 2017 at two hospitals in a health system reporting to the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI registry as well as their respective electronic medical records (Epic) were analyzed. Baseline characteristics, procedural and in-hospital outcomes were compared according to access site, TFA versus TRA.Results: There were 270 patients with ESRD on dialysis who underwent PCI, 234 via the TFA and 36 via the TRA. Mean age of the patients was 67 and 67.4% were male. The TFA patients had a lower body-mass-index (BMI) (P < 0.001) and were more likely to have prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) (P < 0.001) and PCI of the left main coronary artery (LM) (P = 0.04). Access site cross over only occurred in one patient in each group. Bleeding within 72 h was seen in 3.8% of the TFA group and in 2.8% of the TRA group (P = 0.75).Conclusion: Use of TRA is uncommon in patients with ESRD on dialysis, but is feasible and associated with low complication rates, similar to TF.Summary For the Annotated Table Of Contents: While PCI is being increasingly performed in patients with end-stage renal disease, there are is a lack of data on vascular access for this group. This study shows that while a transradial approach TRA is less common than transfemoral (TFA), it is still a feasible option and is associated with low complications similar to TFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages are required for healthy repair of the lungs following injury, but they are also implicated in driving dysregulated repair with fibrosis. How these two distinct outcomes of lung injury are mediated by different macrophage subsets is unknown. To assess this, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on lung macrophages isolated from mice treated with lipopolysaccharide or bleomycin. Macrophages were categorized based on anatomic location (airspace versus interstitium), developmental origin (embryonic versus recruited monocyte-derived), time after inflammatory challenge, and injury model. Analysis of the integrated dataset revealed that macrophage subset clustering was driven by macrophage origin and tissue compartment rather than injury model. Gpnmb-expressing recruited macrophages that were enriched for genes typically associated with fibrosis were present in both injury models. Analogous GPNMB-expressing macrophages were identified in datasets from both fibrotic and non-fibrotic lung disease in humans. We conclude that this subset represents a conserved response to tissue injury and is not sufficient to drive fibrosis. Beyond this conserved response, we identified that recruited macrophages failed to gain resident-like programming during fibrotic repair. Overall, fibrotic versus non-fibrotic tissue repair is dictated by dynamic shifts in macrophage subset programming and persistence of recruited macrophages.

Lasso peptides are a diverse class of naturally occurring, highly stable molecules kinetically trapped in a distinctive [1]rotaxane conformation. How the ATP-dependent lasso cyclase constrains a relatively unstructured substrate peptide into a low entropy product has remained a mystery owing to poor enzyme stability and activity in vitro. In this study, we combined substrate tolerance data with structural predictions, bioinformatic analysis, molecular dynamics simulations and mutational scanning to construct a model for the three-dimensional orientation of the substrate peptide in the lasso cyclase active site. Predicted peptide cyclase molecular contacts were validated by rationally engineering multiple, phylogenetically diverse lasso cyclases to accept substrates rejected by the wild-type enzymes. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of lasso cyclase engineering by robustly producing previously inaccessible variants that tightly bind to integrin αvβ8, which is a primary activator of transforming growth factor β and, thus, an important anti-cancer target., Competing Interests: Competing interests: M.J.B. and D.A.M. are co-founders of and own stock in Lassogen, Inc. S.E.B. and D.A.M. are inventors on a provisional patent application filed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign covering lasso cyclase engineering (US Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/673,853). M.J.B., P.A.J. and G.C.M.d.C. are inventors on a provisional patent application filed by Lassogen, Inc. for the design of lasso peptide integrin binders (US Provisional Application No. 63/612,957). The other authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Objective: To study whether transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) affected the uterine peristalsis (UP) patterns in nonpregnant participants., Design: Institutional review board-approved, prospective observational cohort study. The noninvasive UP imaging (UPI) system uses electrode patches placed on the patient's skin just above the pubic bone and on the low back to quantify the 3-dimensional electrical activation pattern during UP by calculating peristalsis frequency, duration, magnitude, and activation ratio. A 20-minute UPI scan was completed without TVUS followed by a 10-minute UPI scan acquired simultaneously during TVUS examination as a comparison., Setting: University medical center., Patients: Twenty-eight participants with regular menstrual cycles not taking hormonal medication and with a normal uterus were included in analysis., Interventions: Subjects were imaged longitudinally during the four phases of the menstrual cycle (menses, proliferative, periovulatory, and secretory) with a UPI scan followed by concurrent TVUS and UPI scan. Serum hormone levels (estradiol and progesterone) and TVUS evaluating follicular development were obtained during each visit to confirm menstrual cycle phase., Main Outcome Measures: Duration, frequency, magnitude, and activation ratio of the UP waves., Results: With the use of simultaneous TVUS, UP waves had a change in at least one of the outcomes measured in all visits. The frequency, magnitude, and duration were significantly higher with TVUS use in all phases of the menstrual cycle. The activation ratio was higher with TVUS during all phases except the periovulatory phase., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that TVUS may inherently affect UP waves. Therefore, noninvasive technology may more accurately measure physiologic peristalsis waves., Competing Interests: K.A. reports funding from March of Dimes Center Grant (22-FY14-486). S.W. has nothing to disclose. S.P. has nothing to disclose. Q.W. has nothing to disclose. Y.W. is a scientific consultant for Medtronic and EP Solution and reports grant R01HD104822 (PIs Wang/Schwartz/Cahill) and grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD094381, PIs Wang/Cahill), Burroughs Wellcome Fund Preterm Birth Initiative (NGP10119, PI Wang), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-037302, INV-005417, INV-035476, and 16INV-037302, PI Wang), and Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (5927, PI Wang) for the submitted work. V.R. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-037302)., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). We and others have shown that the inflammatory response of microglia is partially regulated by the immunoproteasome, an inducible form of the proteasome responsible for the generation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I epitopes. While the role of the proteasome in the adaptive immune system is well established, emerging evidence suggests the immunoproteasome may have discrete functions in the innate immune response. Here, we show that inhibiting the immunoproteasome reduces the IFNγ-dependent induction of complement activator C1q, suppresses phagocytosis, and alters the cytokine expression profile in a microglial cell line and microglia derived from human inducible pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, we show that the immunoproteasome regulates the degradation of IκBα, a modulator of NF-κB signaling. Finally, we demonstrate that NADH prevents induction of the immunoproteasome, representing a potential pathway to suppress immunoproteasome-dependent immune responses., Competing Interests: Neither I nor my family members have a financial interest in any commercial product, service, or organization providing financial support for this research.

Background and Aim: Food access is an important social determinant of health and refers to geographical and infrastructural aspects of food availability. Using publicly available data on food access from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), geospatial analyses can identify regions with variable food access, which may impact acute pancreatitis (AP), an acute inflammatory condition characterized by unpredictable outcomes and substantial mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association of clinical outcomes in patients with AP with geospatial food access., Methods: We examined AP-related hospitalizations at a tertiary center from January 2008 to December 2018. The physical addresses were geocoded through ArcGIS Pro2.7.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA). USDA Food Access Research Atlas defined low food access as urban areas with 33% or more of the population residing over one mile from the nearest food source. Regression analyses enabled assessment of the association between AP outcomes and food access., Results: The study included 772 unique patients with AP residing in Massachusetts with 931 AP-related hospitalizations. One hundred and ninety-eight (25.6%) patients resided in census tracts with normal urban food access and 574 (74.4%) patients resided in tracts with low food access. AP severity per revised Atlanta classification [OR 1.88 (95%CI 1.21-2.92); p = 0.005], and 30-day AP-related readmission [OR 1.78(95%CI 1.11-2.86); p = 0.02] had significant association with food access, despite adjustment for demographics, healthcare behaviors, and comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index). However, food access lacked significant association with AP-related mortality (p = 0.40) and length of stay (LOS: p = 0.99)., Conclusion: Low food access had a significant association with 30-day AP-related readmissions and AP severity. However, mortality and LOS lacked significant association with food access. The association between nutrition, lifestyle, and AP outcomes warrants further prospective investigation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a common systemic autoimmune disease that affects mainly women. Key pathologic features include the infiltration of exocrine glands by lymphocytes and the activation of B lymphocytes with the production of autoantibodies. We aimed to analyze the transcriptome of circulating B cells from patients with SJD and healthy controls to decipher the B-cell-specific contribution to SJD., Methods: RNA from peripheral blood B cells of five untreated female patients with SjD and positive ANA, positive anti-SSA (both Ro-52 and Ro-60), positive anti-SSB and positive rheumatoid-factor, and five healthy controls was subjected to whole-transcriptome sequencing. A false discovery rate of < 0.1 was applied to define differentially expressed genes (DEG)., Results: RNA-sequencing identified 56 up and 23 down DEG. Hierarchal clustering showed a clear separation between the two groups. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that these genes may play a role in interferon signaling, chronic mycobacterial infection, and transformation to myeloproliferative disorders., Conclusions: We found upregulated expression of type-I and type-II interferon (IFN)-induced genes, as well as genes that may contribute to other concomitant conditions, including infections and a higher risk of myeloproliferative disorders. This adds insight into the autoimmune process and suggests potential targets for future functional and prognostic studies.

Background: Healthcare disparities adversely affect clinical outcomes in racial and ethnic minorities. Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex disorder, and pressures for time and cost-containment may amplify the disparity for minorities in this condition. This study aimed to assess ethno-racial differences in the clinical outcomes of CP patients cared for at our institution., Methods: This is a study of CP patients with available ethno-racial information followed at our pancreas center. We reviewed their demographics, comorbidities, clinical outcomes, and resource utilization: pain, frequent flares (≥ 2/year), local complications, psychosocial variables, exocrine, and endocrine insufficiency, imaging, endoscopic procedures, and surgeries. The outcomes underwent logistic regression to ascertain association(s) with covariates and were expressed as odds ratio (95% confidence intervals)., Results: Of the 445 CP patients, there were 23 Hispanics, 330 Non-Hispanic Whites, 47 Non-Hispanic Blacks, 16 Asian Americans, and 29 patients from Other/mixed races. Over a median follow-up of 7 years, no significant differences in the pain profile (p = 0.36), neuromodulator use (p = 0.94), and opioid use for intermittent (p = 0.34) and daily pain (p = 0.80) were observed. Frequent flares were associated with Hispanic ethnicity [2.98(1.20-7.36); p = 0.02], despite adjustment for smoking [2.21(1.11-4.41); p = 0.02)] and alcohol [1.88(1.06-3.35); p = 0.03]. Local complications (pseudocysts, mesenteric thrombosis, and biliary obstruction), exocrine and endocrine dysfunction, and healthcare resource utilization (cross-sectional imaging, endoscopic procedures, celiac blocks, or surgeries) were comparable across all ethno-racial groups., Conclusions: Although no significant differences in clinical outcomes, and health resource utilization were noted across ethno-racial groups, Hispanic ethnicity had significant association with CP flares. This study calls for further investigation of an understudied minority population with CP., (© 2024. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)

Introduction: Moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease treatment transitioned from step-up therapy to induction of remission with a biologic agent, but insurance coverage varies., Methods: Top 50 insurance companies were searched for publicly available policies for 5 biologic/small molecule agents. Data regarding coverage requirements were compared with American College of Gastroenterology/American Gastroenterological Association guidelines., Results: Thirty-four insurers had public policies. Adherence to American College of Gastroenterology/American Gastroenterological Association guidelines ranged from 5.8% to 58.8%. Only 14.71% and 17.65% of policies permitted any first-line biologic therapy in Crohn's disease and in ulcerative colitis., Discussion: Nearly every insurance company required failure of steroids and immunomodulators before biologic therapy. Further work is required to improve patient access to standard-of-care treatment., (Copyright © 2024 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Interstitial macrophages (IMs) reside in the lung tissue surrounding key structures including airways, vessels, and alveoli. Recent work has described IM heterogeneity during homeostasis, however, there are limited data on IMs during inflammation. We sought to characterize IM origin, subsets, and transcriptomic profiles during homeostasis and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung inflammation. During homeostasis, we used three complementary methods, spectral flow cytometry, single-cell RNA-sequencing, and gene regulatory network enrichment, to demonstrate that IMs can be divided into two core subsets distinguished by surface and transcriptional expression of folate receptor β ( Folr2 /FRβ). These subsets inhabited distinct niches within the lung interstitium. Within FRβ + IMs we identified a subpopulation marked by coexpression of LYVE1. During acute LPS-induced inflammation, lung IM numbers expand. Lineage tracing revealed IM expansion was due to recruitment of monocyte-derived IMs. At the peak of inflammation, recruited IMs were comprised two unique subsets defined by expression of genes associated with interferon signaling and glycolytic pathways. As recruited IMs matured, they adopted the overall transcriptional state of FRβ - resident IMs but retained expression in several origin-specific genes, such as IL-1β. FRβ + IMs were of near-pure resident origin. Taken together our data show that during LPS-induced inflammation, there are distinct populations of IMs that likely have unique functions. FRΒ + IMs comprise a stable, resident population, whereas FRβ - ΙΜs represent a mixed population of resident and recruited IMs.

Purpose: To study patient satisfaction with new patient telehealth visits in a reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) office., Methods: A cross-sectional study in a university-based fertility clinic was completed including all new patients seen via telehealth between March 1, 2021, and August 19, 2021. Primary outcomes were perceived patient satisfaction, access, and preferences to telehealth visits., Results: A total of 351 participants were contacted, 61.8% (n = 217) agreed to participate in the study, and 28.8% (n = 101) completed the survey. There were no significant differences in age, BMI, distance from clinic, or length of infertility with response to survey. Ninety-three percent of responders would use telehealth services again and were satisfied with the telehealth system. Telehealth improved access to healthcare for 88% and travel time for 96%. The median distance from clinic was 24 miles, and there was no significance difference in preference for telehealth visits over in person visits (p = 0.696)., Conclusions: In the era of COVID-19, healthcare implementation has dramatically changed with a drastic increase in telehealth services. Based on our survey, majority of patients were satisfied with telehealth visits and believed it saved travel time while improving access to REI care. Despite no differences in patient preference for in person versus telehealth depending on their distance from clinic, this is reassuring because patients are satisfied with telehealth for reasons other than distance from clinic., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Producers in Northwest Arkansas and globally need alternative management practices to ensure long-term sustainable and economical use of poultry litter, which is an abundant source of valuable carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Project objectives were to measure the efficacy of conservation management practices (i.e., pasture aeration and subsurface litter incorporation) to reduce nutrient runoff compared to poultry litter surface applications from small watersheds under rainfed and grazed conditions. Watersheds (0.23 ha each) were assigned a treatment [pasture aeration, subsurface litter incorporation, or surface application of litter (positive control)] on a Leadvale (fine-silty, siliceous, thermic Typic Fragiudult) silt loam. Poultry litter was applied annually to each watershed from 2007-2012. Over the 4-yr study period, runoff loads of NO 3 -N, total nitrogen (TN), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and total phosphorus (TP) varied per conservation practice ( P ≤ 0.05). Specifically, average annual loads of NO 3 -N, TN, SRP, and TP loads were reduced 49, 42, 28, and 35% following pasture aeration and by 78, 72, 55, and 59% from subsurface applying poultry litter, relative to surface applications, respectively. Greatest annual N loads and runoff corresponded with surface poultry litter applications, followed by pasture aeration, with subsurface incorporation of poultry litter resulting in lowest ( P ≤ 0.05) TN and NO 3 -N loads. Overall, subsurface incorporation of poultry litter and pasture aeration are two promising conservation practices for reducing non-point source pollution in watersheds with nutrient imbalances. Further work needs to be done on factors influencing the efficacy of these conservation practices under rainfed conditions, as well as the economic feasibility of these conservation agricultural practices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: To examine the effect of aging on postoperative neurocognitive decline (NCD) in cardiac surgery patients., Methods: Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft or open aortic valve replacement were administered the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status at preoperative, postoperative day (POD) 4, and 1 month. Blood samples were collected at preoperative, 6 hours postoperative, and POD 4. Plasma interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were quantified. Quality of life was measured with the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey. Data were analyzed using paired ratio and unpaired t tests with Welch's correction, and linear regression for cytokine levels., Results: NCD occurred in 15 patients (N = 33, 45.5%). Dichotomized at age extremes (<60 years; ≥75 years), youngest patients had greater preoperative scores ( P  = .02) with lower scores by POD 4 ( P  = .03). There was no NCD in the oldest patients, and scores were not different between age groups on POD 4 ( P  = .08). Regression at 1 month showed NCD scores again declined by age (n = 15), with younger scores returning toward baseline ( P  = .008). Regression analyses showed decline by age at 6 hours postoperative and POD 4 in plasma CRP levels ( P  = .05 6 hours, P  = .02 POD 4). Dichotomizing IL-6 levels by age (<70 years, ≥70 years) demonstrated that levels were greater in younger versus older patients at 6 hours postoperative ( P  = .03), but not on POD 4., Conclusions: Younger patients tend to have better cognitive scores before surgery but scores at POD 4 are similar to those of older patients, with this trend disappearing at 1 month. IL-6 and CRP upregulation is greater in younger patients, suggesting that a robust perioperative inflammatory response may be associated with reduction in neurocognitive function, and this may be greater in younger versus older patients., (© 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery.)

Background: Cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass are associated with alterations in blood pressure in the perioperative period, which, if uncontrolled, can result in end organ damage or dysfunction. Microvessels, significant contributors to blood pressure, both in the myocardium and peripheral skeletal muscle, have diminished responsiveness to major mediators of vascular tone, including thromboxane and serotonin after cardiopulmonary bypass. Responsiveness of these vessels to β-adrenergic stimulation, a major mediator of vascular tone, has not yet been studied. In this report, we investigated the role of β-adrenergic receptors in vascular tone regulation in human skeletal muscle microvessels before and after β-adrenergic stimulation., Methods: Skeletal muscle microvessels were isolated from patients undergoing cardiac surgery before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Vessels were exposed in an ex vivo model to the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol, or the direct adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin, and the selective β-receptor antagonist ICI18.551 hydrochloride plus isoproterenol. Immunofluorescence of β receptors and Western blotting were also performed., Results: Microvessels showed diminished responsiveness to isoproterenol (10 -6 to 10 -4 M) after cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 8/group, P = .01). Pretreatment with the selective β-2 blocker ICI18.551 (10 -6 M) prevented isoproterenol-induced microvascular relaxation (P = .001). Forskolin-induced relaxation response was also significantly diminished after cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 4/group, P < .05 versus before cardiopulmonary bypass). No significant changes in the total protein expression of β-1, β-2, and β-3 receptors were detected by western blotting or immunofluorescence., Conclusion: Microvessels isolated from human skeletal muscle show diminished responsiveness to isoproterenol and its downstream activator forskolin after cardiopulmonary bypass, suggesting there is an alteration in β-adrenergic receptor responsive in adenylate cyclase. The relaxation response to isoproterenol was via activation β-2 receptors without changes in β-adrenergic receptor abundance., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)