Subclinical knee extensor weakness predicts gait and balance impairment in degenerative cervical myelopathy.

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of non-traumatic spinal cord disorders in older adults. Gait instability and balance dysfunction are common in DCM, even in the absence of clinically evident lower limb weakness. We hypothesized that subclinical weakness, measured through maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) of the knee extensors and ankle plantar flexors, is associated with impaired gait and balance in individuals with DCM.

A Common Representational Code for Event and Object Concepts in the Brain.

Events and objects are two fundamental ways in which humans conceptualize their experience of the world. Despite the significance of this distinction for human cognition, it remains unclear whether the neural representations of object and event concepts are categorically distinct or, instead, can be explained in terms of a shared representational code. We investigated this question by analyzing fMRI data acquired from human participants (males and females) while they rated their familiarity with the meanings of individual words (all nouns) denoting object and event concepts.

Bridging the gap: unveiling key links between autism and anxiety symptoms in autistic children and youth using a network analysis in pooled data from four countries.

Background: Autistic children experience significantly higher rates of anxiety compared to nonautistic children. The precise relations between autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms remain unclear in this population. Previous work has explored associations at the domain level, which involve examining broad categories or clusters of symptoms, rather than the relationships between specific symptoms and/or individual characteristics.

A survey assessing the impact of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and perceptions of workplace productivity: considerations for employer-sponsored menstrual health programs.

Background: Hormonal-related symptoms experienced during natural or contraceptive-driven menstrual cycles have implications on work-related productivity; however, employer-sponsored menstrual health resources are widely unavailable. Actionable research-based evidence is needed to develop menstrual health programs that proactively help working females mitigate their hormonal-related symptoms and optimize their hormone profiles and work-related performance. This study sought to evaluate the prevalence and severity of hormonal-related symptoms and assess the directional impact of hormonal-related symptoms on work-related productivity across cyclical hormone phases.

Mechanical and structural changes to the annulus fibrosus in response to Sub-failure cyclic loading.

This study aimed to quantify how repetitive tensile loading alters the mechanical and structural properties of the annulus fibrosus (AF). Mechanical changes were evaluated through a three-step protocol involving pre-damage characterization of dynamic and viscoelastic properties, damage induction using predetermined loading cycles (n=400, 1600, 6400, 12,800) to a specified strain magnitude (11 %, 20 %, 28 %, 44 %), and post-damage characterization of the same properties. Structural changes were assessed by subjecting tissue to damage cycles and staining with hematoxylin and eosin or fluorescing collagen hybridizing peptides (F-CHP).

What of It? Coding the Unmarked Of-Preposition in Language Samples from Young AAE Speakers.

We examined the of-preposition in language samples because it is a highly variable feature that can be marked or unmarked (e.g., "out [of] the door") depending on context.

Digitally-Driven Surgical Guide for Alveoloplasty Prior to Immediate Denture Placement.

This article presents a step-by-step digital technique for fabricating a 3D-printed surgical guide to assist in alveoloplasty for immediate denture placement. The workflow integrates intraoral scanning, virtual tooth extraction, digital soft tissue modeling, and additive manufacturing to produce a customized guide with an occlusal window and buccal slot, along with a verification stent. This method ensures precise ridge recontouring and verification, enhancing surgical predictability and prosthetic fit.

Convolutional neural network and wavelet composite against geometric attacks a watermarking approach.

Digital e-governance has grown tremendously due to the massive information technology revolution. Banking, Healthcare, and Insurance are some sectors that rely on ownership identification during various stages of service provision. Watermarking has been employed as a primary factor in authenticating stakeholders in such circumstances.

Impact of Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implantation on Attentional Selection in Older Adults.

Objectives/hypothesis: (1) To measure attentional selection based on the three-network model of attention (alerting, orienting, and executive control) in older adults with and without hearing loss, and (2) in adults with hearing loss (a) awaiting a CI and (b) currently using a CI. The principal hypothesis was that hearing rehabilitation with CIs would release higher-order explicit cognitive processes, resulting in attentional selection among CI users similar to controls.

Study Type: Clinical.

A Common Representational Code for Event and Object Concepts in the Brain.

Events and objects are two fundamental ways in which humans conceptualize their experience of the world. Despite the significance of this distinction for human cognition, it remains unclear whether the neural representations of object and event concepts are categorically distinct or, instead, can be explained in terms of a shared representational code. We investigated this question by analyzing fMRI data acquired from human participants (males and females) while they rated their familiarity with the meanings of individual words (all nouns) denoting object and event concepts.

Exploring Perceptions and Experiences of Health Needs Among Women Who Sell Sex.

Women who sell sex in street-based settings (WSS) experience overlapping social and structural vulnerabilities, including housing instability, stigma, violence, and interactions with the criminal legal system, which shape their health and risk environments. Overlapping vulnerabilities to factors such as violence and substance use can drive health inequities. We used a syndemics framework to help understand how WSS perceive and manage these overlapping vulnerabilities.

Diaphragm pacing elicits respiratory plasticity in awake rodents after C2 hemisection.

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) creates profound respiratory deficits that are commonly managed with chronic mechanical ventilation. Diaphragm pacing (DP) is an emerging clinical intervention designed to combat the deleterious effects associated with chronic mechanical ventilation. While anecdotal evidence suggests that DP may restore independent breathing, the impact of daily DP on respiratory output is unknown.

Wheelchair-mounted robotic arms: a systematic review of technical design and activities of daily living outcomes.

Purpose: This review examines wheelchair-mounted robotic arms (WMRAs) as an emerging assistive technology that enhances independence and quality of life for individuals with upper- and lower-limb disabilities. By enabling independent performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), WMRAs hold significant promise for disability and rehabilitation. The article aims to critically evaluate the state of the art in WMRA research and development, identifying persistent challenges and highlighting promising innovations.

On the Chlorobenzene-Ammonia Cluster Reaction: Entrance Channel Dynamics, 2CR2PI Spectroscopy, and Ion Imaging of the Reaction Dynamics.

Prior studies of halobenzene-ammonia complexes have shown that the nature of the cationic intermediate (i.e., Wheland-type vs ion-radical) may play a key role in determining the reaction products.

A "Re-Imagining the Economic Value of Nursing" Summit: Summary and Recommendations.

In April 2024, the ANA Enterprise sponsored a "Re-imagining the Economic Value of Nursing" Summit to move the conversation forward on recognizing and leveraging the economic value of nursing within organizations across the US healthcare system. Invited participants engaged in a spirited dialogue about reconceptualizing nurses as critical assets in generating value within the production and financial dynamics of contemporary healthcare systems. This article summarizes the discussion and recommendations emerging from the summit.

Dynamic and Static Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Canonical Networks in Military and Civilian Populations with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and/or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are associated with alterations in the functional connectome, specifically in canonical resting state networks including the default mode (DMN), central executive (CEN), and salience networks (SN). Comorbid PTSD+mTBI is linked to worse functional outcomes, but little is known about effects on the functional connectome.

Methods: We investigated brain phenotypes from resting-state fMRI associated with PTSD (n=326), mTBI (n=448), and comorbid PTSD+mTBI (n=289) in military veterans and civilians (n=1526) from ENIGMA-TBI and -PTSD.

Anisotropic mechanical properties of pediatric osteogenesis imperfecta bone in three-point bending between disease phenotypes and controls.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a relatively common rare bone disease which presents with skeletal deformities and increased fracture incidence. Limited studies have characterized the properties of OI bone, which remains an obstacle in accurately predicting risk of fracture in children with OI during daily activities. To evaluate differences between OI types I, III, IV, VI, VII, and VIII, anisotropic mechanical properties were characterized during three-point bending for 299 OI and 83 control miniature cortical bone beams.

Medicare Part B reimbursement and service volume differences between ambulatory nurse practitioners and physicians.

Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs) increasingly deliver ambulatory care, yet state scope of practice (SoP) laws influence how their services are billed and utilized within Medicare.

Purpose: To compare Medicare reimbursement and service volume for ambulatory NPs and physicians by state SoP regulations.

Methods: We analyzed 100% of 2021 Medicare Part B claims, attributing claims to individual providers.

Immunostaining the Yeast Nuclear Membrane for Imaging by Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy.

The ability to image biological samples beyond the diffraction limit (super-resolution) has opened a world of new discoveries in molecular biology. Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy requires specific fluorophores that often require immunostaining with labeled antibodies to achieve the necessary parameters for imaging. Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a common model organism used in cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology.

Experiences and Perspectives of Sexual and Reproductive Health Among Women in Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder.

Background: Women in recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) have unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs resulting in health disparities such as unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections/HIV infection compared with women without OUD. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of co-occurring multiple social-ecologic influences (individual, interpersonal, community, society) on SRH among women in recovery from OUD.

Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit cis-gender women aged 18-49 who self-identify as being in recovery from OUD and speak English.

A Scoping Review of Oral Feeding Skill Development in Typically Developing Children Part I: Methodologies, Populations, and Normative Data.

Purpose: This scoping review is the first in a two-part series aimed at synthesizing literature on oral feeding skills and informing the development of a classification system of observable skills. This article consolidates research on feeding skill development in typically developing children. The second paper analyzes individual skills identified.

The Impact of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity on Bone Health: A Narrative Review from the Rehabilitation Working Group of the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are two key lifestyle factors with profound implications for bone health across the lifespan. While PA is recognized for its positive effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture prevention, emerging evidence highlights the detrimental consequences of prolonged sedentary time, independent of PA levels. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the impact of PA and SB on bone health outcomes, focusing on BMD and fracture risk in children, adolescents, adults, and older populations.

Axicons for improved resolution and depth of focus in adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy.

Adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopes are instrumental for studying the eye, yet they use truncated Gaussian illumination and are limited by diffraction, restricting resolution and depth of focus (DOF). Non-diffractive Bessel beams have emerged as an alternative. Here, we use two axicons configured as: (1) an extended DOF beam for resolving multiple retinal layers; and (2) an annular beam for increasing lateral resolution.