A case report of acute claudication due to vena cava thromboembolism in a dog naturally infected with Leishmania Infantum.

Canine leishmaniosis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum, and clinical manifestations of infection range from absent or severe to fatal and result from immune-mediated mechanisms. In dogs, the most common clinical signs of leishmaniosis include skin lesions and lymphadenomegaly. However, the presence of other nontypical signs has been described, and diagnosing these cases can be challenging. The aim of the present short communication was to describe the impact of the formation of circulating immunocomplexes due to L. infantum in a dog with leishmaniosis affected by a massive venous thrombus of the caudal vena cava and external iliac veins. On admission, the dog presented bilateral cutaneous vasculopathy of the thigh and renal disease due to L. infantum infection. Two weeks after starting anti-Leishmania treatment based on meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol administration, the animal developed acute claudication of the hind limbs with the presence of a thrombus in the caudal vena cava and the external iliac veins and a high level of circulating immunocomplexes detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Exacerbation of the humoral immune response, along with deposition of circulating immune complexes in the tissues and the concurrent presence of kidney and liver damage, might have contributed to an imbalance in haemostasis in this patient. Future studies should evaluate and analyse the pathological mechanisms contributing to thrombosis in dogs with leishmaniosis.

Mindfulness-based intervention for depression and insulin resistance in adolescents: Protocol for BREATHE, a multisite, pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Elevated depression symptoms have been associated with higher insulin resistance in adolescents, and consequently, greater risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) may be suited for adolescents at risk for T2D given its potential to decrease depression and improve stress-related behavior/physiology underpinning insulin resistance. To prepare for a future multisite efficacy randomized controlled trial, a rigorous, multisite, pilot and feasibility study is needed to test this approach. The current paper describes the design and protocol for a multisite, pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trial of six-week MBI, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and health education (HealthEd) group interventions, to assess multisite fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability. METHODS: Participants are N = 120 adolescents ages 12-17, with body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile, elevated depression symptoms (20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale total score > 20), and family history of diabetes. Enrollment occurs across four United States (US) sites, two in Colorado, one in Washington, D·C., and one in Maryland. Group interventions are delivered virtually by trained psychologists and co-facilitators. Assessments occur at baseline, six-week follow-up, and one-year follow-up. RESULTS: Primary outcomes are intervention implementation fidelity, based upon expert ratings of audio-recorded sessions (≥80% adherence/competence), and recruitment feasibility, based upon percentage enrollment of eligible youth (≥80%). Secondary outcomes are intervention training fidelity/feasibility/acceptability, recruitment timeframe, and retention/assessment feasibility. CONCLUSION: Findings will inform optimization of training, recruitment, intervention delivery, retention, and assessment protocols for a multisite, efficacy randomized controlled trial evaluating MBI for decreasing depression and improving insulin resistance in adolescents at risk for developing T2D.

Cx43 hemichannels and panx1 channels contribute to ethanol-induced astrocyte dysfunction and damage.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol, a widely abused drug, significantly diminishes life quality, causing chronic diseases and psychiatric issues, with severe health, societal, and economic repercussions. Previously, we demonstrated that non-voluntary alcohol consumption increases the opening of Cx43 hemichannels and Panx1 channels in astrocytes from adolescent rats. However, whether ethanol directly affects astroglial hemichannels and, if so, how this impacts the function and survival of astrocytes remains to be elucidated. RESULTS: Clinically relevant concentrations of ethanol boost the opening of Cx43 hemichannels and Panx1 channels in mouse cortical astrocytes, resulting in the release of ATP and glutamate. The activation of these large-pore channels is dependent on Toll-like receptor 4, P2X7 receptors, IL-1ß and TNF-α signaling, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Notably, the ethanol-induced opening of Cx43 hemichannels and Panx1 channels leads to alterations in cytokine secretion, NO production, gliotransmitter release, and astrocyte reactivity, ultimately impacting survival. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a new mechanism by which ethanol impairs astrocyte function, involving the sequential stimulation of inflammatory pathways that further increase the opening of Cx43 hemichannels and Panx1 channels. We hypothesize that targeting astroglial hemichannels could be a promising pharmacological approach to preserve astrocyte function and synaptic plasticity during the progression of various alcohol use disorders.

Genomic ancestry and cancer among Latin Americans.

Latin American populations, characterized by intricate admixture patterns resulting from the intermingling of ancestries from European, Native American (NA) Asian, and African ancestries which result in a vast and complex genetic landscape, harboring unique combinations of novel variants. This genetic diversity not only poses challenges in traditional population genetics methods but also opens avenues for a deeper understanding of its implications in health. In cancer, the interplay between genetic ancestry, lifestyle factors, and healthcare disparities adds a layer of complexity to the varying incidence and mortality rates observed across different Latin American subpopulations. This complex interdependence has been unveiled through numerous studies, whether conducted on Latin American patients residing on the continent or abroad, revealing discernible differences in germline composition that influence divergent disease phenotypes such as higher incidence of Luminal B and Her2 breast tumors, EGFR and KRAS mutated lung adenocarcinomas in addition to an enrichment in BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants and a higher than expected prevalence of variants in colorectal cancer associated genes such as APC and MLH1. In prostate cancer novel risk variants have also been solely identified in Latin American populations. Due to the complexity of genetic divergence, inputs from each individual ancestry seem to carry independent contributions that interplay in the development of these complex disease phenotypes. By understanding these unique population characteristics, genomic ancestries hold a promising avenue for tailoring prognostic assessments and optimizing responses to oncological interventions.

Corrugated intimal surface of the ovine aorta: when physiology resembles pathology.

The aortic lumen in healthy animals is characterized by a smooth, whitish surface, but sheep have macroscopic corrugation of the intimal surface in the thoracic aorta (TA). Our aim was to determine if this finding was pathological or physiological. Thirteen sheep aortas were included in this work together with aortas from cattle (n = 3), a goat (n = 1), horses (n = 4), dogs (n = 2), rabbits (n = 2) and a pig (n = 1). A corrugated intimal surface in the TA was seen in all the sheep and the goat but was less evident in the cattle. Histologically, in sheep the TA intimal surface was seen to have multifocal bulging areas that protruded into the lumen. The outer half of the tunica media had numerous, randomly distributed muscle islands that disrupted the arrangement of the elastic lamella, displacing them towards the lumen. We conclude that the intimal corrugation of the TA in sheep is physiological and must not be misinterpreted as pathological.

Mannheimia haemolytica-associated fibrinonecrotizing abomasitis in lambs.

Mannheimia haemolytica-associated abomasitis has been clinically described as a cause of sudden death in lambs, but it is poorly characterized. We describe the pathological features of a severe fibrinonecrotizing abomasitis in 3 lambs that died suddenly. All 3 abomasums had a thickened submucosa due to edema and necrotic areas delimited by bands of degenerate neutrophils with slender nuclei (oat cells) and angiocentric distributions. The overlying mucosa was congested. Myriads of gram-negative coccobacilli were observed within the oat cell bands. M. haemolytica was isolated from the abomasum in all 3 animals and was serotyped as A2 in one of them. Pericarditis and pleuritis were observed in 2 of the lambs. Clostridium spp. were isolated in 1 lamb and detected by immunohistochemistry in the 3 animals, suggesting clostridial co-infection. M. haemolytica should be considered among the differential diagnoses of necrotizing abomasitis in lambs.

SUMOylation controls Hu antigen R posttranscriptional activity in liver cancer.

The posttranslational modification of proteins critically influences many biological processes and is a key mechanism that regulates the function of the RNA-binding protein Hu antigen R (HuR), a hub in liver cancer. Here, we show that HuR is SUMOylated in the tumor sections of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in contrast to the surrounding tissue, as well as in human cell line and mouse models of the disease. SUMOylation of HuR promotes major cancer hallmarks, namely proliferation and invasion, whereas the absence of HuR SUMOylation results in a senescent phenotype with dysfunctional mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Mechanistically, SUMOylation induces a structural rearrangement of the RNA recognition motifs that modulates HuR binding affinity to its target RNAs, further modifying the transcriptomic profile toward hepatic tumor progression. Overall, SUMOylation constitutes a mechanism of HuR regulation that could be potentially exploited as a therapeutic strategy for liver cancer.

Associations of social and cognitive-behavioral variables with disinhibited eating and anxiety: An ecological momentary assessment study.

OBJECTIVE: Among adolescents, disinhibited eating and anxiety commonly co-occur. Precision intervention approaches targeting unique mechanistic vulnerabilities that contribute to disinhibited eating and anxiety may therefore be helpful. However, the effectiveness of such interventions hinges on knowledge of between- and within-person associations related to disinhibited eating, anxiety, and related processes. METHOD: A sample of 39 adolescent females (12-17 years) with elevated anxiety and above-average weight (BMI %ile ≥ 75th) completed measures of theoretically driven social and cognitive-behavioral variables, disinhibited eating, and anxiety via ecological momentary assessment over 7 days. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Between-person differences in social stressors were linked to emotional eating, eating in the absence of hunger, and anxiety, whereas between-person differences in negative thoughts were associated with all disinhibited eating variables and anxiety. Between-person differences in avoidance were not related to any outcome. Additionally, between-person differences in social stressors and negative thoughts-as well as within-person deviations (from person-average levels) of social stressors, negative thoughts, and avoidance-were associated with anxiety. In turn, between-person differences in anxiety predicted eating in the absence of hunger and emotional eating, and within-person deviations in anxiety were associated with emotional eating at any given time point. DISCUSSION: Findings support elements of both the interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral models of disinhibited eating. Differential trigger effects on anxiety, both at the between- and within-person levels, and significant associations between anxiety and all eating-related outcomes, highlight the potential utility of interventions targeting individual differences in sensitivity to anxiety triggers. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Findings provide support for the interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral models of disinhibited eating, highlighting anxiety as a salient vulnerability and potential mechanistic factor underlying disinhibited eating. Social, cognitive, and behavioral variables were differentially related to anxiety across participants, suggesting potential for future intervention tailoring and intervention selection based on adolescents' sensitivity to anxiety as a trigger for disinhibited eating behavior.

Diagnostic Efficacy of Fecal Calprotectin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Literature Review

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of pathologies that include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which have similar manifestations. Currently, the diagnosis and monitoring of this disease rely mainly on endoscopic studies. Still, this method can hardly be applied to periodic disease monitoring as it is expensive, invasive, and not readily available. Fecal calprotectin is widely known, easy to use, and affordable, and it is currently the best-characterized biomarker for this pathology. Materials and methods: The research design is a systematic diagnostic test validation literature review. A search was conducted in different databases using the QUADAS-2 checklist to evaluate the methodological quality. Results: The initial search yielded 352,843 articles published chiefly in PubMed, followed by Scopus and Science Direct. After multiple filters, 221 papers were selected and wholly reviewed. They were evaluated with inclusion and exclusion criteria, with 18 articles being chosen. Conclusions: Fecal calprotectin is a reliable surrogate marker of endoscopic activity in IBD. However, there is a lack of consensus on delimiting a cut-off point and improving applicability and diagnostic accuracy. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard in all studies.

Introducción: La enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal es un conjunto de patologías entre las que están incluidas la colitis ulcerativa y la enfermedad de Crohn, las cuales tienen presentación similar. En la actualidad, el diagnóstico y seguimiento de dicha enfermedad se basa principalmente en estudios endoscópicos, pero este método difícilmente puede aplicarse a la monitorización periódica de la enfermedad al ser costoso, invasivo y con disponibilidad limitada. La calprotectina fecal cumple con ser ampliamente disponible, fácil de usar y de precio asequible, y actualmente es el biomarcador mejor caracterizado para el uso en esta patología. Metodología: Diseño de investigación tipo revisión sistemática de la literatura de validación de prueba diagnóstica. Se realizó una búsqueda en diferentes bases de datos y para la evaluación de la calidad metodológica se empleó la lista verificación QUADAS-2. Resultados: La búsqueda inicial para la selección de los artículos arrojó un total de 352.843 artículos publicados principalmente en PubMed seguido de Scopus y Science Direct. Después de múltiples filtros se logró elegir 221 artículos, los cuales se llevaron a revisión completa. Se valoraron con criterios de inclusión y exclusión, lo que determinó la elección final de 18 artículos. Conclusiones: La calprotectina fecal es un marcador sustituto fiable de la actividad endoscópica en la EII. Se evidencia la falta de consenso para delimitar un punto de corte y mejorar la aplicabilidad y la precisión diagnóstica. La colonoscopia sigue siendo en todos los estudios el estándar de oro.

Multi-Site Identification and Generalization of Clusters of Walking Behaviors in Individuals With Chronic Stroke and Neurotypical Controls.

BACKGROUND: Walking patterns in stroke survivors are highly heterogeneous, which poses a challenge in systematizing treatment prescriptions for walking rehabilitation interventions. OBJECTIVES: We used bilateral spatiotemporal and force data during walking to create a multi-site research sample to: (1) identify clusters of walking behaviors in people post-stroke and neurotypical controls and (2) determine the generalizability of these walking clusters across different research sites. We hypothesized that participants post-stroke will have different walking impairments resulting in different clusters of walking behaviors, which are also different from control participants. METHODS: We gathered data from 81 post-stroke participants across 4 research sites and collected data from 31 control participants. Using sparse K-means clustering, we identified walking clusters based on 17 spatiotemporal and force variables. We analyzed the biomechanical features within each cluster to characterize cluster-specific walking behaviors. We also assessed the generalizability of the clusters using a leave-one-out approach. RESULTS: We identified 4 stroke clusters: a fast and asymmetric cluster, a moderate speed and asymmetric cluster, a slow cluster with frontal plane force asymmetries, and a slow and symmetric cluster. We also identified a moderate speed and symmetric gait cluster composed of controls and participants post-stroke. The moderate speed and asymmetric stroke cluster did not generalize across sites. CONCLUSIONS: Although post-stroke walking patterns are heterogenous, these patterns can be systematically classified into distinct clusters based on spatiotemporal and force data. Future interventions could target the key features that characterize each cluster to increase the efficacy of interventions to improve mobility in people post-stroke.

Nodular (keloidal) scleroderma.

Keloidal or nodular scleroderma (NS) is a variant of localized scleroderma (LS) frequently seen in patients with limited or diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc). It presents as raised, firm plaques or nodules with extensive dermal fibrosis and hyalinized collagen bundles. We present a patient with SSc who presented with this rare entity.

Esclerodermia nodular (queloidea) / Nodular (keloidal) scleroderma

Keloidal or nodular scleroderma (NS) is a variant of localized scleroderma (LS) frequently seen in patients with limited or diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc). It presents as raised, firm plaques or nodules with extensive dermal fibrosis and hyalinized collagen bundles. We present a patient with SSc who presented with this rare entity. (AU)

La esclerodermia nodular o queloidea es una variante de esclerodermia localizada que se encuentra predominantemente en pacientes con esclerosis sistémica limitada o difusa (SSc). La presentación clínica es de placas o nódulos firmes y sobreelevados con fibrosis dérmica y haces de colágeno hialinizados. En este reporte de caso presentamos a una paciente con SSc con esta entidad rara. (AU)

A case of canine intestinal malakoplakia.

Malakoplakia is a rare chronic granulomatous disease usually affecting the urinary bladder and other locations. In humans, the gastrointestinal tract is the second most common location but there are no reports of intestinal malakoplakia in animals. A 10-month-old female French Bulldog was presented with chronic haemorrhagic diarrhoea and anorexia with normochromic-normocytic anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. Grossly, there was mucosal thickening and ulceration of the caecum, colon and rectum. Microscopically, transmural sheets of foamy macrophages were seen in these tissues. Macrophages were periodic acid-Schiff, vimentin and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 positive and contained von Kossa- and Prussian blue-positive Michaelis-Gutmann bodies. Giemsa staining revealed rod-shaped bacterial colonies and fluorescence in-situ hybridization demonstrated Escherichia coli within macrophages. This is the first reported case of intestinal malakoplakia in domestic animals. Pathological features of intestinal malakoplakia share many similarities with ulcerative histiocytic colitis in dogs but it is unclear if they are different forms of the same pathological process or distinct entities.

Different Patterns of Response in Hypersensitivity Reactions to Arylpropionic Acid Derivatives.

BACKGROUND: Ibuprofen and other arylpropionic acid derivatives (APs) are among the most consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs worldwide at all age ranges; however, little is known about drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) they induce. OBJECTIVE: To characterize in detail patients reporting DHRs to APs. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated patients with symptoms suggestive of AP-DHRs and analyzed their clinical characteristics, reported reactions, and diagnostic approaches. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-two patients confirmed as hypersensitive to APs were included: 489 with cross-reactive reactions (CRs) (73.86%) and 173 with selective reactions (SRs) (26.13%). The percentage of subjects reporting reactions to ibuprofen and dexketoprofen was higher in CRs (P = .005 and P = .01, respectively), whereas naproxen and ketoprofen were more frequently involved in SRs (P = .0002 and P = .00001, respectively). The most frequent symptoms induced by ibuprofen, dexketoprofen, and naproxen were isolated angioedema and urticaria, combined or not with angioedema in both CRs and SRs. The result of nasal provocation test with lysine acetylsalicylate was positive in 156 cases (77.14% in patients showing exclusively respiratory symptoms, and in 68.18% of those with both cutaneous and respiratory involvement). To confirm diagnosis, drug provocation test with acetylsalicylic acid was required in 246 CR patients (50.3%), whereas in 28 SR patients (16.18%) drug provocation test with the culprit AP was required. CONCLUSIONS: Skin is the organ most commonly involved in AP-DHRs, with ibuprofen and dexketoprofen inducing most frequently CRs, and naproxen and ketoprofen SRs. More studies are necessary to clarify the underlying mechanism in DHRs induced by APs.

Feline osteochondromatosis in a 12-year-old feline leukaemia virus-negative cat.

Feline osteochondromatosis is a spontaneous osteocartilaginous exostosis associated with feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection or due to a frameshift variant in the exostosin glycosyltransferase 1 (EXT1) gene. Osteochondromatosis was diagnosed in an indoor-only, 12-year-old, neutered female, Russian Blue cat. Radiographs revealed bilateral calcified proliferations in the elbow, costochondral and sternochondral joints, which distorted the normal skeletal structure. Grossly, the proliferated joints presented with consistent, rounded masses, causing complete ankylosis. The main histopathological finding was an osteocartilaginous proliferation composed of multiple irregular islands of well-differentiated hyaline cartilage surrounded and delimited by osteoid tissue. Immunohistochemistry of the osteochondromas, bone marrow and mediastinal lymph nodes, using a primary anti-FeLV gp70 antibody, and FeLV proviral DNA real-time polymerase chain reaction on bone marrow were negative. Sequencing of exon 6 of the EXT1 gene was performed and nucleotide BLAST analysis demonstrated the absence of a frameshift variant. This study reports the only case of spontaneous feline osteochondromatosis in an animal more than 10 years old.

3D Printing characteristics and mechanical properties of a bio scaffold obtained from a Micro-CT Scan, using the fused deposition modeling technique

The objective is to determine which biopolymer has the best 3D printing characteristics and mechanical properties for the manufacture of a bioscaffold, using the fused deposition printing technique, with models generated from an STL file obtained from a Micro-CT scan taken from a bovine iliac crest bone structure. Through an experimental exploratory study, three study groups of the analyzed biopolymers were carried out with thirteen printed structures of each one. The first is made of 100% PLA. The second, 90B, we added 1g of diatom extract, and the third, 88C, differs from the previous one in that it also contains 1g of calcium phosphate. The 39 printed structures underwent a visual inspection test, which required the fabrication of a gold standard scaffold in resin, with greater detail and similarity to the scanned bone structure. Finally, the structures were subjected to a compressive force (N) to obtain the modulus of elasticity (MPa) and compressive strength (MPa) of each one of them. A statistically significant difference (p=0.001) was obtained in the printing properties of the biomaterial 88C, compared to 90B and pure PLA and the 88C presented the best 3D printing characteristics. In addition, it also presented the best mechanical properties compared to the other groups of materials. Although the difference between these was not statistically significant (p=0.388), in the structures of the 88C biomaterial, values of compressive strength (8,84692 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (43,23615 MPa) were similar to those of cancellous bone in the jaws could be observed. Because of this result, the 88C biomaterial has the potential to be used in the manufacture of bioscaffolds in tissue engineering.

El objetivo es determinar cuál biopolímero presenta las mejores características de impresión 3D y propiedades mecánicas para la fabricación de un bioandamiaje, utilizando la técnica de impresión por deposición fundida, con modelos generados a partir de un archivo en formato STL que se obtuvo de un Micro-CT Scan de una estructura osea de cresta iliaca bovina. Mediante un estudio exploratorio, se realizaron 3 grupos de estudio con trece estructuras impresas de cada uno. El primero, se compone 100% de PLA. El segundo, 90B, se le agrega 1g de extracto de diatomea, y el tercero, 88C, se diferencia del anterior ya que contiene además, 1g de fosfato de calcio. A las 39 estructuras impresas se les realizó una prueba de inspección visual, por lo que se requirió la confección de un patrón de oro en resina, con mayor detalle y similitud a la estructura ósea escaneada. Finalmente, las estructuras fueron sometidas a una fuerza compresiva (N) para la obtención del módulo de elasticidad (MPa) y de la resistencia compresiva (MPa) de cada una de ellas. Se obtuvo una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0,001) en las propiedades de impresión del biomaterial 88C, con respecto al 90B y al PLA puro, presentando las mejores características de impresión 3D. Además, obtuvo las mejores propiedades mecánicas en comparación con los otros grupos de materiales. Aunque la diferencia entre estos no fue estadísticamente significativa (p=0,388), en las estructuras del biomaterial 88C, se pudieron observar valores de resistencia compresiva (8,84692 MPa) y módulo de elasticidad (43,23615 MPa) que son semejantes a los del hueso esponjoso de los maxilares. A razón de este resultado, el biomaterial 88C cuenta con el potencial para ser utilizado en la fabricación de bioandamiajes en la ingeniería tisular.

Habitual exercise evokes fast and persistent adaptation during split-belt walking.

Changing movement patterns in response to environmental perturbations is a critical aspect of gait and is related to reducing the energetic cost of the movement. Exercise improves energetic capacity for submaximal exercise and may affect how people adapt movement to reach an energetic minimum. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported exercise behavior influences gait adaptation in young adults. Young adults who met the optimal volume of exercise according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (MOVE; n = 19) and young adults who did not meet the optimal volume of exercise (notMOVE; n = 13) walked on a split-belt treadmill with one belt moving twice the speed of the other belt for 10 minutes. Step length asymmetry (SLA) and mechanical work done by each leg were measured. Nonlinear mixed effects models compared the time course of adaptation between MOVE and notMOVE, and t-tests compared net work at the end of adaptation between MOVE and notMOVE. Compared to notMOVE, MOVE had a faster initial response to the split belt treadmill, and continued to adapt over the duration of split-belt treadmill walking. Young adults who engage in sufficient amounts of exercise responded more quickly to the onset of a perturbation, and throughout the perturbation they continued to explore movement strategies, which might be related to reduction of energetic cost. Our findings provide insights into the multisystem positive effects of exercise, including walking adaptation.

Loss of control eating in relation to blood pressure among adolescent girls with elevated anxiety at-risk for excess weight gain.

Loss of control (LOC)-eating, excess weight, and anxiety are robustly linked, and are independently associated with markers of poorer cardiometabolic health, including hypertension. However, no study has examined whether frequency of LOC-eating episodes among youth with anxiety symptoms and elevated weight status may confer increased risk for hypertension. We examined the relationship between LOC-eating frequency and blood pressure among 39 adolescent girls (14.9 ± 1.8 years; body mass index [BMI] = 29.9 ± 5.6; 61.5 % White; 20.5 % African American/Black; 5 % Multiple Races; 2.5 % Asian; 12.8 % Hispanic/Latino; 30.8 % with reported LOC-eating) with elevated anxiety and above average BMI who enrolled in a clinical trial aimed at preventing excess weight gain. LOC-eating over the past three months was assessed via clinical interview, and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) was measured with an automatic blood pressure monitor. Adjusting for age, fat mass, and height, LOC-eating episode frequency was significantly, positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (ß = 0.38, p = 0.02), but not with systolic blood pressure (ß = 0.13, p = 0.41). Replication studies, with larger sample sizes, participants of varying weight-strata, and prospective data are required to elucidate the relationship between LOC-eating and cardiovascular functioning in youth with elevated anxiety.

Daily mindfulness, negative affect, and eating behaviors in adolescents at risk for excess weight gain.

OBJECTIVE: Loss-of-control and overeating are common in adolescents with high body mass index (BMI). Mindfulness may affect negative affect, and both may relate to loss-of-control and overeating. Yet, there is limited understanding of these associations in adolescents' daily lives. METHODS: Forty-five adolescents (77% female; Mage = 14.4 years, SDage = 1.7 years) with high weight (92% with BMI [kg/m2 ] ≥85th percentile for age/sex) provided daily, repeated measurements of mindfulness, negative affect, loss-of-control, and overeating for ~7 days (M = 5.6 days; range = 1-13). Multilevel mixed modeling was conducted to test within-person (intraindividual) and between-person (interindividual) associations for the same-day (concurrent) and next-day (time-ordered/prospective). RESULTS: There were within-person and between-person associations of higher mindfulness with lower negative affect on the same-day and next-day. Greater between-person mindfulness related to lower odds of adolescents' loss-of-control occurrence (same-day) and conversely, more perceived control over eating (same-day and next-day). Greater within-person mindfulness related to less odds of next-day overeating. DISCUSSION: Dynamic relations exist among mindfulness, negative affect, and eating in adolescents at-risk for excess weight gain. Mindfulness may be an important element to consider in loss-of-control and overeating. Future work using momentary-data within an experimental design would help disentangle the intraindividual effects of increasing mindfulness/decreasing negative affect on disordered eating. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Loss-of-control and overeating are common in teenagers with high weight. Greater mindfulness-present-moment, non-judgmental attention-and less negative emotions may relate to healthier eating, but we do not know how these processes play out in teenagers' daily lives. Addressing this knowledge gap, the current findings showed that greater daily mindfulness, but not negative affect, related to less loss-of-control/overeating, suggesting the importance of mindfulness for eating patterns in teenagers' daily lives.

Multi-site identification and generalization of clusters of walking behaviors in individuals with chronic stroke and neurotypical controls.

Background: Walking patterns in stroke survivors are highly heterogeneous, which poses a challenge in systematizing treatment prescriptions for walking rehabilitation interventions. Objective: We used bilateral spatiotemporal and force data during walking to create a multi-site research sample to: 1) identify clusters of walking behaviors in people post-stroke and neurotypical controls, and 2) determine the generalizability of these walking clusters across different research sites. We hypothesized that participants post-stroke will have different walking impairments resulting in different clusters of walking behaviors, which are also different from control participants. Methods: We gathered data from 81 post-stroke participants across four research sites and collected data from 31 control participants. Using sparse K-means clustering, we identified walking clusters based on 17 spatiotemporal and force variables. We analyzed the biomechanical features within each cluster to characterize cluster-specific walking behaviors. We also assessed the generalizability of the clusters using a leave-one-out approach. Results: We identified four stroke clusters: a fast and asymmetric cluster, a moderate speed and asymmetric cluster, a slow cluster with frontal plane force asymmetries, and a slow and symmetric cluster. We also identified a moderate speed and symmetric gait cluster composed of controls and participants post-stroke. The moderate speed and asymmetric stroke cluster did not generalize across sites. Conclusions: Although post-stroke walking patterns are heterogenous, these patterns can be systematically classified into distinct clusters based on spatiotemporal and force data. Future interventions could target the key features that characterize each cluster to increase the efficacy of interventions to improve mobility in people post-stroke.