56Fe-ion Exposure Increases the Incidence of Lung and Brain Tumors at a Similar Rate in Male and Female Mice.

The main deterrent to long-term space travel is the risk of Radiation Exposure Induced Death (REID). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has adopted Permissible Exposure Levels (PELs) to limit the probability of REID to 3% for the risk of death due to radiation-induced carcinogenesis. The most significant contributor to current REID estimates for astronauts is the risk of lung cancer. Recently updated lung cancer estimates from Japan's atomic bomb survivors showed that the excess relative risk of lung cancer by age 70 is roughly fourfold higher in females compared to males. However, whether sex differences may impact the risk of lung cancer due to exposure to high charge and energy (HZE) radiation is not well studied. Thus, to evaluate the impact of sex differences on the risk of solid cancer development after HZE radiation exposure, we irradiated Rbfl/fl, Trp53fl/+ male and female mice infected with Adeno-Cre with various doses of 320 kVp X rays or 600 MeV/n 56Fe ions and monitored them for any radiation-induced malignancies. We conducted complete necropsy and histopathology of major organs on 183 male and 157 female mice after following them for 350 days postirradiation. We observed that lung adenomas/carcinomas and esthesioneuroblastomas (ENBs) were the most common primary malignancies in mice exposed to X rays and 56Fe ions, respectively. In addition, 1 Gy 56Fe-ion exposure compared to X-ray exposure led to a significantly early incidence of lung adenomas/carcinomas (P = 0.02) and ENBs (P < 0.0001) in mice. However, we did not find a significantly higher incidence of any solid malignancies in female mice as compared to male mice, regardless of radiation quality. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of ENBs suggested a distinct gene expression pattern with similar hallmark pathways altered, such as MYC targets and MTORC1 signaling, in ENBs induced by X rays and 56Fe ions. Thus, our data revealed that 56Fe-ion exposure significantly accelerated the development of lung adenomas/carcinomas and ENBs compared to X rays, but the rate of solid malignancies was similar between male and female mice, regardless of radiation quality.

Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Denervation for Early Osteoarthritis: An Overview of the Literature and a Pilot Study on Pain Reduction and Patient Satisfaction.

Background The treatment of patients with osteoarthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint (CMC-I) aims at pain reduction to improve hand function and quality of life. The CMC-I denervation procedure is relatively new and seems appealing, as it is minimally invasive and has few or no disadvantages. To date, however, little research has been done on the results of a CMC-I denervation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether denervation provides pain reduction in patients with early CMC-I osteoarthritis. Methods A literature search was done using PubMed. Studies were excluded if access to full text was not available, if the articles were written in other languages than Dutch or English, and if preoperative testing, follow-up testing, or reporting were incomplete. Studies were included if patients were older than 18 years, had primary CMC-I osteoarthritis with no other wrist pathology, and had received conservative treatment without sustained benefit. The Critical Appraisal Tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute were used for critical appraisal. Clinical data was gathered retrospectively from the medical records to identify patients who underwent CMC-I denervation in The Hand Clinic, Amsterdam. The data of 20 patients were analyzed. Pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores on pain, patient satisfaction, and complications were evaluated. Patients older than 18 years with primary CMC-I osteoarthritis stage I and II and no other wrist pathology, in whom conservative treatment failed were included in the study. Patients with CMC-I osteoarthritis stage III and IV were excluded. Results All 17 search results were screened for full text access, after which 6 case series, 4 systematic reviews, 1 cohort study, 1 comment, and 1 scoping review was included. All but one study showed pain reduction after surgery. In half of the studies, this difference was statistically significant. The average patient satisfaction in these studies was 84.1% and the complication rate was 13.4%. A total of 20 patients were included between 2019 and 2022, with a mean preoperative VAS for pain at rest of 48.2 ± 29.9. After surgery, this decreased to 35.8 ± 34.1. This difference was not statistically significant. The mean VAS for pain during use before denervation was 79 ± 18.4 and this decreased to 49.8 ± 34.2 postoperatively. This difference did appear to be statistically significant. The average patient satisfaction was 60%, and the complication rate was 10%. Conclusion This study provides a literature overview and a pilot study on pain reduction, patient satisfaction, and complications after denervation of the CMC-I joint in patients with early osteoarthritis. Our retrospective case series roughly mirrored the average results found in the literature. There was a statistically significant decrease in pain during use postoperatively. There was no statistically significant difference in pain at rest before and after surgery. The complications were mild and the complication rate was low; however, the average patient satisfaction rate was lower as compared to that reported in the literature.

Solution-based biophysical characterization of conformation change in structure-switching aptamers.

Structure-switching aptamers have become ubiquitous in several applications, notably in analytical devices such as biosensors, due to their ease of supporting strong signaling. Aside from their ability to bind specifically with their respective target, this class of aptamers also undergoes a conformational rearrangement upon target recognition. While several well-studied and early-developed aptamers (e.g., cocaine, ATP, and thrombin) have been found to have this structure-switching property, the vast majority do not. As a result, it is common to try to engineer aptamers into switches. This proves challenging in part because of the difficulty in obtaining structural and functional information about aptamers. In response, we review various readily available biophysical characterization tools that are capable of assessing structure switching of aptamers. In doing so, we delve into the fundamentals of these different techniques and detail how they have been utilized in characterizing structure-switching aptamers. While each of these biophysical techniques alone has utility, their real power to demonstrate the occurrence of structural change with ligand binding is when multiple techniques are used. We hope that through a deeper understanding of these techniques, researchers will be better able to acquire biophysical information about their aptamer-ligand systems and accelerate the translation of aptamers into biosensors.

Beneficial Effects of Cocoa Flavanols on Microvascular Responses in Young Men May Be Dependent on Ethnicity and Lifestyle.

Cocoa flavan-3-ols affect endothelium-dependent responses in resistance vessels and microcirculation has received little attention. We tested the effects of dark chocolate consumption (396 mg total flavanols/day for 3 days) in two Groups of 10 men (18-25 years; non-smokers) each comprising equal numbers of White European (WE) and South Asian (SA) ethnicity. In Group 1, dark chocolate did not affect reactive hyperaemia in forearm muscle, but augmented muscle dilatation evoked by acute mental stress, and reactive hyperaemia and acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked dilatation in cutaneous microcirculation. Conversely, in Group 2, chocolate did not affect cutaneous reactive hyperaemia or ACh-evoked dilatation, but these responses were blunted in Group 1 relative to Group 2. Further, when Groups 1 and 2 were combined, responses were blunted in SAs relative to WEs, augmented by chocolate in SAs only. In Group 2 individuals whose ACh-evoked dilatation was attenuated by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition, ACh-evoked dilatation was not altered after chocolate, but the attenuating effect of NOS inhibition was lost. Conversely, in Group 2 individuals whose ACh-evoked dilatation was enhanced by NOS inhibition, ACh-evoked dilatation was also augmented by chocolate. We propose that in resistance and microvessels of young men, cocoa flavan-3-ols preferentially augment endothelium-dependent dilator responses whose responses are depressed by familial and lifestyle factors more prevalent in SAs than Wes. Flavan-3-ols may facilitate the NOS pathway but also influence other endothelium-dependent dilators.

Protein Complex Heterogeneity and Topology Revealed by Electron Capture Charge Reduction and Surface Induced Dissociation.

We illustrate the utility of native mass spectrometry (nMS) combined with a fast, tunable gas-phase charge reduction, electron capture charge reduction (ECCR), for the characterization of protein complex topology and glycoprotein heterogeneity. ECCR efficiently reduces the charge states of tetradecameric GroEL, illustrating Orbitrap m/z measurements to greater than 100,000 m/z. For pentameric C-reactive protein and tetradecameric GroEL, our novel device combining ECCR with surface induced dissociation (SID) reduces the charge states and yields more topologically informative fragmentation. This is the first demonstration that ECCR yields more native-like SID fragmentation. ECCR also significantly improved mass and glycan heterogeneity measurements of heavily glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 spike protein trimer and thyroglobulin dimer. Protein glycosylation is important for structural and functional properties and plays essential roles in many biological processes. The immense heterogeneity in glycosylation sites and glycan structure poses significant analytical challenges that hinder a mechanistic understanding of the biological role of glycosylation. Without ECCR, average mass determination of glycoprotein complexes is available only through charge detection mass spectrometry or mass photometry. With narrow m/z selection windows followed by ECCR, multiple glycoform m/z values are apparent, providing quick global glycoform profiling and providing a future path for glycan localization on individual intact glycoforms.

Alterations in aperiodic and periodic EEG activity in young children with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of intellectual disability, yet little is known about the neurobiological pathways leading to cognitive impairments. Electroencephalographic (EEG) measures are commonly used to study neurodevelopmental disorders, but few studies have focused on young children with DS. Here we assess resting state EEG data collected from toddlers/preschoolers with DS (n = 29, age 13-48 months old) and compare their aperiodic and periodic EEG features with both age-matched (n = 29) and developmental-matched (n = 58) comparison groups. DS participants exhibited significantly reduced aperiodic slope, increased periodic theta power, and decreased alpha peak amplitude. A majority of DS participants displayed a prominent peak in the theta range, whereas a theta peak was not present in age-matched participants. Overall, similar findings were also observed when comparing DS and developmental-matched groups, suggesting that EEG differences are not explained by delayed cognitive ability.

Post-operative Crohn's Disease Recurrence and Infectious Complications: A Transcriptomic Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by complications such as strictures, fistulas, and neoplasia. Despite medical advancements, a significant number of patients with Crohn's disease require surgery, and many experience post-operative complications and recurrence. Previous studies have analyzed gene expression to study recurrence and post-operative complications independently. This study aims to identify overlapping differentially expressed genes and pathways for recurrence and post-operative complications. METHODS: A dataset including 45 patients with Crohn's disease, including gene expression from ileum and colon tissue, endoscopic recurrence, and intra-abdominal septic complications was analyzed. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify gene pathways associated with the outcomes. Finally, a multi-variable logistic regression model was created to assess whether gene pathways were independently associated with both outcomes. RESULTS: In ileum tissue, several inflammatory pathways, including interferon alpha and gamma response were upregulated in patients with endoscopic recurrence and intra-abdominal septic complications. In addition, there was upregulation of the epithelial mesenchymal transition pathway. In colon tissue, metabolic processes, such as myogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation were downregulated in both outcomes. In a multivariate model, downregulation of myogenesis in colon tissue was significantly associated with both endoscopic recurrence and intra-abdominal septic complications. CONCLUSION: These findings shed light on the underlying biology of these outcomes and suggest potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets to reduce their occurrence. Further validation and multi-institutional studies are warranted to confirm these results and improve post-operative outcomes for patients with Crohn's disease.

Salmonella re-engineers the intestinal environment to break colonization resistance in the presence of a compositionally intact microbiota.

The gut microbiota prevents harmful microbes from entering the body, a function known as colonization resistance. The enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar (S.) Typhimurium uses its virulence factors to break colonization resistance through unknown mechanisms. Using metabolite profiling and genetic analysis, we show that the initial rise in luminal pathogen abundance was powered by a combination of aerobic respiration and mixed acid fermentation of simple sugars, such as glucose, which resulted in their depletion from the metabolome. The initial rise in the abundance of the pathogen in the feces coincided with a reduction in the cecal concentrations of acetate and butyrate and an increase in epithelial oxygenation. Notably, these changes in the host environment preceded changes in the microbiota composition. We conclude that changes in the host environment can weaken colonization resistance even in the absence of overt compositional changes in the gut microbiota.

LRRK2 kinase activity is necessary for development and regeneration in Nematostella vectensis.

BACKGROUND: The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, is an emerging model organism with a high regenerative capacity, which was recently found to possess an orthologue to the human Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene. Mutations in this gene are the most common cause of inherited Parkinson's Disease (PD), highlighting the importance of understanding its function. Despite two decades of research, however, the function of LRRK2 is not well established. METHODS: To investigate the function of LRRKs in Nematostella vectensis, we applied small molecule inhibitors targeting the kinase activity of LRRK2 to examine its function in development, homeostasis and regeneration in Nematostella vectensis. RESULTS: In vivo analyses inhibiting the kinase function of this enzyme demonstrated a role of nvLRRK2 in development and regeneration of N. vectensis. These findings implicate a developmental role of LRRK2 in Nematostella, adding to the expanding knowledge of its physiological function. CONCLUSIONS: Our work introduces a new model organism with which to study LRRK biology. We report that LRRK kinase activity is necessary for the development and regeneration of Nematostella. Given the short generation time, genetic trackability and in vivo imaging capabilities, this work introduces Nematostella vectensis as a new model in which to study genes linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

A cross-sectional study of physicians on fluoride-related beliefs and practices, and experiences with fluoride-hesitant caregivers.

The goal of this study was to describe medical providers' fluoride-related beliefs and practices, experiences with fluoride-hesitant caregivers, and barriers to incorporating oral health activities into their practice. In this cross-sectional study, we specifically tested the hypothesis of whether these factors differed between pediatric and family medicine providers. A 39-item online survey was administered to a convenience sample of pediatric and family medicine providers in Washington state and Ohio (U.S.A.). Responses to the fluoride survey were compared between pediatric and family medicine providers with a chi-square test (α = 0.05). Of the 354 study participants, 45% were pediatric providers and 55% were family medicine providers. About 61.9% of providers believed fluoridated water was highly effective at preventing tooth decay while only 29.1% believed prescription fluoride supplements were highly effective. Nearly all providers recommend over-the-counter fluoride toothpaste (87.3%), 44.1% apply topical fluoride in clinic, and 30.8% prescribe fluoride supplements. Most providers reported fluoride hesitancy was a small problem or not a problem (82.5%) and the most common concerns patients raise about fluoride were similar to those raised about vaccines. Lack of time was the most commonly reported barrier to incorporating oral health into practice, which was more commonly reported by family medicine providers than pediatric providers (65.6% vs. 50.3%; p = .005). Pediatric and family medicine providers have early and frequent access to children before children visit a dentist. Improving the use of fluorides through children's medical visits could improve pediatric oral health and reduce oral health inequities, especially for vulnerable populations at increased risk for tooth decay.

The JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement and Regulation) Intervention in Down Syndrome: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Children with Down syndrome (DS) often need support building language, socialization, and regulation, yet few receive behavioral intervention for this. The Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement and Regulation (JASPER) intervention holds promise as a clinician-caregiver-mediated approach. AIMS: The aims of this pilot study were to (1) describe the behavioral phenotype of children with DS (2) quantify change in child engagement following JASPER receipt, (3) measure caregiver adoption of JASPER strategies, and (4) generate hypotheses and directions for future research. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Sixteen toddlers with DS and their caregivers enrolled in the study. Dyads were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: immediate intervention or waitlist control. During the COVID-19 pandemic, intervention was delivered remotely. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Caregivers learned to implement JASPER strategies and pilot data suggest improvements in joint engagement and regulation during play. Case series data show individual heterogeneity of intervention response. Remote intervention delivery may be associated with greater participant retention. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: JASPER may be a viable treatment option to improve joint engagement and emotion regulation in young children with DS. Parents appear receptive to learning and implementing JASPER strategies at home. Remote JASPER delivery may improve participation in research or treatment programs.

Molecular evidence of altered stress responsivity related to neuroinflammation in the schizophrenia midbrain.

Stress and inflammation are risk factors for schizophrenia. Chronic psychosocial stress is associated with subcortical hyperdopaminergia, a core feature of schizophrenia. Hyperdopaminergia arises from midbrain neurons, leading us to hypothesise that changes in stress response pathways may occur in this region. To identify whether transcriptional changes in glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (NR3C1/GR, NR3C2/MR) or other stress signalling molecules (FKBP4, FKBP5) exist in schizophrenia midbrain, we measured gene expression in the human brain (N = 56) using qRT-PCR. We assessed whether alterations in these mRNAs were related to previously identified high/low inflammatory status. We investigated relationships between stress-related transcripts themselves, and between FKBP5 mRNA, dopaminergic, and glial cell transcripts in diagnostic and inflammatory subgroups. Though unchanged by diagnosis, GR mRNA levels were reduced in high inflammatory compared to low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p = 0.026). We found no effect of diagnosis or inflammation on MR mRNA. FKBP4 mRNA was decreased and FKBP5 mRNA was increased in schizophrenia (p < 0.05). FKBP5 changes occurred in high inflammatory (p < 0.001), whereas FKBP4 changes occurred in low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p < 0.05). The decrease in mRNA encoding the main stress receptor (GR), as well as increased transcript levels of the stress-responsive negative regulator (FKBP5), may combine to blunt the midbrain response to stress in schizophrenia when neuroinflammation is present. Negative correlations between FKBP5 mRNA and dopaminergic transcripts in the low inflammatory subgroup suggest higher levels of FKBP5 mRNA may also attenuate dopaminergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia even when inflammation is absent. We report alterations in GR-mediated stress signalling in the midbrain in schizophrenia.

A 3D-printed multi-compartment organ-on-chip platform with a tubing-free pump models communication with the lymph node.

Multi-organ-on-chip systems (MOOCs) have the potential to mimic communication between organ systems and reveal mechanisms of health and disease. However, many existing MOOCs are challenging for non-experts to implement, due to complex tubing, electronics, or pump mechanisms. In addition, few MOOCs have incorporated immune organs such as the lymph node (LN), limiting their applicability to critical events such as vaccination. Here we developed a 3D-printed, user-friendly device and companion tubing-free impeller pump with the capacity to co-culture two or more tissue samples, including a LN, under a recirculating common media. Native tissue structure and immune function were incorporated by maintaining slices of murine LN tissue ex vivo in 3D-printed mesh supports for at least 24 hr. In a two-compartment model of a LN and an upstream injection site in mock tissue, vaccination of the multi-compartment chip was similar to in vivo vaccination in terms of locations of antigen accumulation and acute changes in activation markers and gene expression in the LN. We anticipate that in the future, this flexible platform will enable models of multi-organ immune responses throughout the body.

Evaluation of a Commercial TIMS-Q-TOF Platform for Native Mass Spectrometry.

Mass-spectrometry based assays in structural biology studies measure either intact or digested proteins. Typically, different mass spectrometers are dedicated for such measurements: those optimized for rapid analysis of peptides or those designed for high molecular weight analysis. A commercial trapped ion mobility-quadrupole-time-of-flight (TIMS-Q-TOF) platform is widely utilized for proteomics and metabolomics, with ion mobility providing a separation dimension in addition to liquid chromatography. The ability to perform high-quality native mass spectrometry of protein complexes, however, remains largely uninvestigated. Here, we evaluate a commercial TIMS-Q-TOF platform for analyzing noncovalent protein complexes by utilizing the instrument's full range of ion mobility, MS, and MS/MS (both in-source activation and collision cell CID) capabilities. The TIMS analyzer is able to be tuned gently to yield collision cross sections of native-like complexes comparable to those previously reported on various instrument platforms. In-source activation and collision cell CID were robust for both small and large complexes. TIMS-CID was performed on protein complexes streptavidin (53 kDa), avidin (68 kDa), and cholera toxin B (CTB, 58 kDa). Complexes pyruvate kinase (237 kDa) and GroEL (801 kDa) were beyond the trapping capabilities of the commercial TIMS analyzer, but TOF mass spectra could be acquired. The presented results indicate that the commercial TIMS-Q-TOF platform can be used for both omics and native mass spectrometry applications; however, modifications to the commercial RF drivers for both the TIMS analyzer and quadrupole (currently limited to m/z 3000) are necessary to mobility analyze protein complexes greater than about 60 kDa.

Cognitive Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To determine the objective cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).Data Sources: A database search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase was conducted on September 22, 2022, using the search terms "schizophrenia" and "electroconvulsive therapy." The search was limited to the articles published from 1985 to present, in English, and human studies.Study Selection: A total of 4293 articles were identified. After screening by title and full text, 17 articles met eligibility criteria. Controlled, open-label, and retrospective studies of acute, maintenance, or continuation ECT were included. An objective cognitive measure(s) had to be the primary or secondary outcome of the study, with no other interventions administered, besides standard-of-care treatment (ie, antipsychotics).Data Extraction: Data regarding the study design, type of ECT provided, cognitive outcome measures, and change in cognitive performance pre- to post-ECT were extracted. Results are presented as a narrative review.Results: Overall, ECT was not associated with any significant cognitive deficits in participants with TRS across the domains of global cognition, attention, language, visuospatial function, and executive function. Findings for immediate effects on memory were equivocal, but the majority of studies found no change or an improvement in memory after treatment.Conclusions: The current evidence supports the conclusion that ECT does not have negative long-term effects on cognition among patients with TRS. Larger, sham-controlled trials are needed to support these conclusions. All studies in this review assessed ECT adjunct to antipsychotics; therefore, the cognitive effects of ECT independent of antipsychotics remain unclear.

Cost-effort analysis of Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and environmental DNA (eDNA) in monitoring marine ecological communities.

Monitoring the diversity and distribution of species in an ecosystem is essential to assess the success of restoration strategies. Implementing biomonitoring methods, which provide a comprehensive assessment of species diversity and mitigate biases in data collection, holds significant importance in biodiversity research. Additionally, ensuring that these methods are cost-efficient and require minimal effort is crucial for effective environmental monitoring. In this study we compare the efficiency of species detection, the cost and the effort of two non-destructive sampling techniques: Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to survey marine vertebrate species. Comparisons were conducted along the Sussex coast upon the introduction of the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw. This Byelaw aims to boost the recovery of the dense kelp beds and the associated biodiversity that existed in the 1980s. We show that overall BRUV surveys are more affordable than eDNA, however, eDNA detects almost three times as many species as BRUV. eDNA and BRUV surveys are comparable in terms of effort required for each method, unless eDNA analysis is carried out externally, in which case eDNA requires less effort for the lead researchers. Furthermore, we show that increased eDNA replication yields more informative results on community structure. We found that using both methods in conjunction provides a more complete view of biodiversity, with BRUV data supplementing eDNA monitoring by recording species missed by eDNA and by providing additional environmental and life history metrics. The results from this study will serve as a baseline of the marine vertebrate community in Sussex Bay allowing future biodiversity monitoring research projects to understand community structure as the ecosystem recovers following the removal of trawling fishing pressure. Although this study was regional, the findings presented herein have relevance to marine biodiversity and conservation monitoring programs around the globe.

A preliminary study of latent trajectories of change in dietary restraint during CBT-E for bulimia-spectrum eating disorders and their associations with treatment response.

OBJECTIVE: Dietary restraint is a primary target of CBT-E. However, little research has examined how specific types of dietary restraint change during CBT-E for bulimia-spectrum eating disorders (BN-EDs) or the association between changes in dietary restraint and treatment response. This study examined latent trajectories of change in eating enough, eating a range of macronutrients, and following dietary rules during CBT-E for BN-EDs and the relationships between these trajectories and pre- to post-treatment change in BN symptoms and remission. METHOD: Participants were 56 adults with BN-EDs who received 16 sessions of CBT-E and completed the Eating Disorder Examination and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of eating behaviors and BN symptoms. Latent growth mixture modeling identified trajectories of change in dietary restraint, which were compared on pre- to post-treatment BN symptom change and remission. RESULTS: Three trajectories of change were identified for eating enough, eating a range of macronutrients, and food rules. Trajectories of change in eating enough were differentially associated with pre- to post-treatment change in BN symptoms, and trajectories of change in eating a range of macronutrients and food rules were differentially associated with remission. CONCLUSIONS: CBT-E yields heterogeneous trajectories of change in dietary restraint, which are associated with treatment response.

New insights in bacterial organophosphorus cycling: From human pathogens to environmental bacteria.

In terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, phosphorus (P) availability controls primary production, with consequences for climate regulation and global food security. Understanding the microbial controls on the global P cycle is a prerequisite for minimising our reliance on non-renewable phosphate rock reserves and reducing pollution associated with excessive P fertiliser use. This recognised importance has reinvigorated research into microbial P cycling, which was pioneered over 75 years ago through the study of human pathogenic bacteria-host interactions. Immobilised organic P represents a significant fraction of the total P pool. Hence, microbes have evolved a plethora of mechanisms to transform this fraction into labile inorganic phosphate, the building block for numerous biological molecules. The 'genomics era' has revealed an extraordinary diversity of organic P cycling genes exist in the environment and studies going 'back to the lab' are determining how this diversity relates to function. Through this integrated approach, many hitherto unknown genes and proteins that are involved in microbial P cycling have been discovered. Not only do these fundamental discoveries push the frontier of our knowledge, but several examples also provide exciting opportunities for biotechnology and present possible solutions for improving the sustainability of how we grow our food, both locally and globally. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of bacterial organic P cycling, covering studies on human pathogens and how this knowledge is informing new discoveries in environmental microbiology.

Conceptualizing avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder via an executive functioning lens.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a heterogeneous disorder wherein restrictive eating is primarily attributed to non-shape/weight-based reasons (e.g., sensory sensitivity) that empirical research continues to explore. Mounting evidence suggests that ARFID often presents alongside neurodevelopmental diagnoses (NDs) or divergent neurodevelopment broadly. Executive functioning (EF) differences often characterize divergent neurodevelopmental trajectories. Additionally, restrictive eating in anorexia nervosa has been conceptualized as related to EF factors (e.g., set shifting). Given the neurodevelopmental phenotype that may be associated with ARFID and the role of EF in anorexia nervosa, this paper proposes EF as a potentially important, yet understudied factor in ARFID pathology. We posit that various observed ARFID behavioral/cognitive tendencies can be conceptualized in relation to EF differences. We contextualize commonly observed ARFID presentations within "core" EF components (i.e., cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control), leading to hypotheses about EF in ARFID. Finally, we offer additional considerations/directions for future research on EF in ARFID. Increased research on EF in ARFID is needed to consider this potential common factor in the etiology and maintenance of this heterogeneous disorder. We aim to promote further consideration of EF in ARFID etiology, maintenance, and treatment-outcome research. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: This article proposes that aspects of executive functioning (EF) may play a role in the onset and maintenance of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), although this notion is largely untested by existing research. Further research on the role of EF in ARFID may assist with refining models and treatments for this heterogeneous disorder.