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One Young World: #TogetherApart (Podcast Review)
No full textA podcast review of the podcast #TogetherApart produced by the London non-profit One Young World
Neurobiological Correlates Of Emotion Processing And Cognitive Control Interference In Adolescents: The Role Of Childhood Trauma
No full textChildhood trauma significantly affects emotional and cognitive development, often heightening bottom-up threat detection and emotional reactivity. These enhanced responses can impair cognitive control and increase vulnerability to trauma-related disorders such as anxiety and PTSD. Critical gaps remain in our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in post-trauma risk and resilience.This dissertation addresses two interrelated gaps in this literature. First, it investigates individual variability in brain-based threat processing biomarkers, specifically amygdala activity and fear learning, and their associations with heterogeneous trauma-related outcomes. Using data-driven analytical approaches, this work reviews functional MRI-based neural biotypes that may predict differential outcomes following trauma exposure. It also examines the relationship between candidate biomarkers, including amygdala responses to negative emotion and psychophysiological indicators of fear learning, in trauma-exposed youth. Additionally, the dissertation explores methodological variability, particularly the effects of reporter discordance (e.g., caregiver vs. youth self-report), in assessing trauma-related symptoms. Second, this work examines how trauma exposure may disrupt cognitive control under emotional load through neurometabolic mechanisms. Using 1H functional MRS, it assesses Glu modulation during tasks involving cognitive control with and without emotion interference. This novel approach provides insights into the dynamic neurometabolic processes supporting emotional and cognitive functioning in trauma-exposed adolescents. Together, these investigations advance understanding of the neurobiological and methodological factors contributing to heterogeneous outcomes following childhood trauma
MASLD/MASH Pharmacologic Therapeutic Efficacy in a Predominately African American Medical Center Population
Full text linkIntroduction: Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) can contribute to adverse liver-related outcomes and cardiac mediated events. Recognizing the benefits of weight loss in patients with MASLD, this study investigates the efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists in promoting weight reduction in a MASLD cohort.
Methods: We identified 52 individuals with imaging confirmed liver steatosis. Weight loss (pounds) was calculated by comparing weights before and during GLP-1 therapy. Efficacy was evaluated by comparing GLP-1 users with non-users within a similar timeframe.
Result: Of the 52 patients with a post-2020 follow-up, 33% were prescribed GLP-1 agonists. The majority were AA patients (33/52, 63%), with no racial disparities in GLP-1 agonist prescription rates. GLP-1 agonist users experienced significant and consistent weight loss (average of 16.8 lbs, p\u3c0.004) compared to non-users, who had minimal weight change (0.4 lbs, p=0.92). Women were more likely to be prescribed GLP-1 agonists than men (41% vs. 15%, p=0.04), and patients with diabetes were also more likely to receive GLP-1 therapy than those without diabetes (41% vs. 18%). Statistically significant weight loss was observed in AA individuals, females, and patients with diabetes treated with GLP-1 agonists compared to their non-GLP-1 counterparts.
Conclusions: GLP-1 agonist therapy was associated with an average weight loss of 16 pounds in MASLD patients, compared to less than 1 pound in non-users. These findings underscore the potential of GLP-1 agonist therapy in promoting weight reduction in both AA and non-AA MASLD patients, particularly when administered before the progression to advanced liver disease
Paradigm shifts: Efficacy of CABG for diabetic patients with coronary artery disease and prior PCI, and the utility of artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making
Full text linkA clinical decision report using:
Thielmann M, Neuhäuser M, Knipp S, et al. Prognostic impact of previous percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes mellitus and triple-vessel disease undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007;134(2):470-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2007.04.019
for a patient with prior coronary artery catheterization being referred for surgical intervention, and a clinician encountering a nonexistent clinical reference hallucinated by a large language model
Dante’s Protohumanism: Enriching Posthumanist Thought on Personhood, Empire, and Universality
No full textThe emergence of artificial superintelligence (ASI) seems to require that our humanist beliefs be superseded by something akin to dataism, the posthumanist creed popularized by Yuval Harari. To explore how such thinking could influence our views on otherness and cross-cultural cooperation, this article compares three works of fiction that appear to bookend the humanist era. Dante’s protohumanist Divine Comedy (ca. 1308–20) argues for a global empire built on a universalism that contradicts the Eurocentricity of later humanisms. The Swedish TV series Real Humans (2012–14) and its British remake, Humans (2015–18), argue for an ASI-driven empire built on algorithmic universality, an ontology made possible by new technologies. Like Dante, the two TV series portray benign manipulation of human cognition as a necessity for individual and social flourishing. Such submission to the certainty of an assumed superior being, however, could be far more perilous with respect to a machine than an imagined god
Comparative Analysis of Y-Chromosome Data from Xinjiang and Ningxia Hui Populations with the Hui Population Nationwide
No full textThe Hui population, the third largest ethnic group in China, is dispersed throughout the country and has a history of assimilation with indigenous East Asians. Previous studies have primarily focused on Hui populations in specific regions, lacking comprehensive comparative analyses. This study analyzed 338 unrelated male individuals from Hui populations in Altay, Xinjiang Province, and Haiyuan or Tongxin, Ningxia Province, using 108 Y-chromosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 24 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats, comparing findings with data from 749 published individuals from Hui populations in 11 provinces and 997 published Eurasian populations. The analysis reveals that the national Hui population can be categorized into three groups: Hui_Northwestern, Hui_Northern, and Hui_Southern, supported by analysis of molecular variance and principal components analysis. In Xinjiang and Ningxia Provinces, the most prevalent Y-haplogroups in East Asian populations accounted for 53.8% and 59.1%, respectively, while common haplogroups in West Eurasian populations accounted for 46.2% and 40.9%, respectively. This suggests a mixed paternal origin from both East Asian and Eurasian populations in both study regions. High frequencies of haplogroups R1a1a1b2-Z93 and J-M304 were observed in the Hui populations studied, with the network of haplogroup J-M304 indicating a unique cluster within the western Asian subhaplogroup J2a-M410. The most recent common ancestor for this cluster was estimated to be approximately 1341.9 years ago. Additionally, the network of haplogroup R1a1a1b2-Z93 revealed similarities between northwestern Hui populations and Iranian/Turkic-speaking populations. Our study provides insights into the complexity of Hui populations on a national scale and sheds light on potential events and ancestral origins related to the formation of the Hui population
A Spectrum of Violence: The Intersection of Antemortem and Postmortem Embodiment in Migrant Death Investigation at the US-Mexico Border
No full textThe objective of this literature review is to examine how the humanitarian crisis of migrant death at the US-Mexico border epitomizes the antemortem and postmortem dimensions of structural violence and the lasting effects it can have on the human body. The review aims to expose biological scientists to applied embodiment research in the US-Mexico border context and to further dialogues on the utility of embodiment in medicolegal spheres. After describing the ongoing migrant death crisis, the article reviews embodiment constructs in biological anthropology pertaining to structural violence and marginalization across the life course. It then surveys studies examining skeletal and dental biomarkers of structural violence as embodied in migrant populations, including oral pathology, dental modifications, porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, enamel hypoplasia, cranial fluctuating asymmetry, vertebral neural canal size, and stature. These studies, conducted in forensic institutions with data collected through casework, provide evidence of structural vulnerabilities faced by different migrant groups and demonstrate that the migrant lived experience is not uniform. After death, the bodies and material artifacts of those who perish while migrating further embody structural violence by reflecting the arduousness of the journey, undergoing taphonomic changes, and receiving treatment that often leads to further erasure. While many migrant decedents disappear in desert and ranchland environments, those who are found are often trapped in the medicolegal system, either undergoing further bodily destruction for the purpose of identification or being buried in unmarked graves without proper investigation. To exemplify the various postmortem trajectories of migrant individuals, the authors describe the investigative experiences of Operation Identification (OpID), a humanitarian forensic initiative in Texas, highlighting the realities of how embodiment principles are incorporated into migrant death casework. Throughout forensic exhumations and the identification process, OpID regularly encounters the biological and circumstantial evidence of violence reviewed throughout the article. The authors conclude by discussing future directions for integrating embodiment frameworks into death investigation around the country
Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders
Full text linkAssessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders
Introduction:
Substance use disorders (SUD) among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations remain largely understudied, despite evidence of high prevalence rates and lower rates of treatment engagement. Unique cultural conceptualizations and beliefs surrounding substance use disorders may perpetuate stigma, further contributing to disparities in access to and utilization of treatment services. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perspectives of individuals from MENA communities regarding substance use disorders, with the goal of identifying and addressing barriers to treatment.
Methods:
An anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey was administered, gathering responses from Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) participants as well as non-MENA participants (n = 162, ages 18 and older). The survey assessed participants\u27 attitudes across multiple dimensions, including stigma toward substance use disorders, perceptions of treatment modalities, and expectations regarding recovery and future outcomes.
Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, employing a variety of statistical techniques to examine group differences and associations. These included Chi-squared tests to evaluate categorical variables, Pearson bivariate correlations to explore relationships between continuous variables, and ANCOVA and t-tests to assess mean differences while controlling for covariates.
Results:
Stigma towards substance use disorders was significantly higher among non-MENA participants under a one-sided test (p = 0.042), but not under a two-sided test (p = 0.083). MENA participants were significantly less likely to agree with harm reduction as a treatment approach (p = 0.006). However, there was no significant difference between MENA and non-MENA participants in their likelihood of using harm reduction resources (p = 0.737), suggesting a potential gap between ideological attitudes and practical behaviors. MENA participants were significantly more likely to align with the Choice Model of addiction, emphasizing personal responsibility, compared to non-MENA participants (p = 0.002). Religious support was also significantly preferred by MENA participants (p = 0.003). Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between aligning with the Choice Model of addiction and preferring religious support (p \u3c 0.001).
Discussion:
Our study reveals significant cultural differences in attitudes toward substance use disorders, particularly among MENA participants, who were more likely to align with the Choice Model of addiction, which views substance use disorders as the result of deliberate choices made by individuals and favors religious support in treatment. These findings suggest that cultural and religious frameworks strongly influence how addiction and recovery are conceptualized in MENA communities. Interestingly, while MENA participants expressed lower agreement with harm reduction ideologies, their likelihood of engaging with harm reduction resources was similar to that of non-MENA participants, indicating a disconnect between attitudes and practical behaviors. This gap highlights opportunities to design interventions that address ideological barriers while leveraging existing openness to resource utilization. These insights highlight the importance of integrating cultural values, such as faith-based support and personal ideologies, into treatment approaches to reduce stigma and improve treatment engagement in MENA populations
Budesonide for Engraftment Fever Prophylaxis following Autologous vs. Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: An Interim Analysis
Full text linkBackground: Engraftment Syndrome (ES), an inflammatory process involving fever and rash, has been observed to be a frequent complication following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); however, there is limited data on its incidence after allogeneic HSCT. Studies by Betticher et al. and others have illustrated the role of steroids in reducing ES. Due to a lack of randomized trials exploring prophylactic measures, we conducted a prospective study to establish whether there is a difference between autologous vs. allogeneic groups with respect to budesonide prophylaxis and reduction of ES.
Methods: This randomized trial is based on 56 patients who received allogeneic (n=18) or autologous (n=38) HSCT at Henry Ford Health. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either budesonide 3mg (n=30) or no prophylaxis (n=26) starting 5 days after the procedure until neutrophil engraftment. Aim is assessing difference of ES between the two groups.
Results: In the intention to treat analysis, among the autologous group, of the 22 patients who received budesonide, 16 experienced fevers, and of the 16 non-budesonide patients, 12 experienced fevers. In the allogeneic group, of the 8 patients who received budesonide, 3 experienced fevers, and of the 10 non-budesonide patients, 7 experienced fevers. There was a trend for patients receiving budesonide to experience fewer fevers, however, there is no statistically significant difference between the autologous and allogeneic groups in terms of fever incidence (p=0.104).
Conclusion: In this interim analysis, ES incidence in patients on budesonide did not show a statistical significance between autologous and allogeneic HSCT patients
Two-year Outcomes of Bleb Needling Following Primary Glaucoma Filtering Surgery in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Full text linkTwo-year Outcomes of Bleb Needling Following Primary Glaucoma Filtering Surgery in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Maryam Ashrafkhorasani MD1, Vaama Patel MD2, Gilbert Xue DO3, Mohamed Haidar DO3, Bryan Turco MD4, Sruti Ramamoorthy BS1, Matthew Mello BS1, Timothy Page BA1, Karim Dirani MD1, Vivian Rajeswaren MD1, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi MD5, Mark Juzych MD1, Bret Hughes MD1 Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital, Warren, MI, USA Corewell Health Beaumont, Royal Oak, MI, USA Glaucoma Center of Michigan, Southfield, MI, USA
Purpose: To evaluate the two-year success rate of bleb needling in a predominantly African American population and to identify factors contributing to successful outcomes.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from 2008 to 2018 and included patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent primary trabeculectomy, with or without EXPRESS shunt placement, followed by a bleb needling procedure. Patients were followed at three-month intervals for a period of two years. Failure was categorized into three stratified groups based on intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of glaucoma medications required, and the presence of complications (Table 1). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was utilized to estimate bleb needling success rates, while multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with failure.
Results: Seventy-four eyes from 71 patients were included in the study, with the majority of eyes (74.3%) from African Americans. The mean patient age was 68.3 ± 11.2 years. The mean pre-needling IOP was 27.4 ± 8.1 mmHg, the mean pre-needling mean deviation in Humphrey field analysis was -20.8 ± 8.6 dB, and the mean pre-needling number of medications was 3.0 ± 1.7. The overall success rate at 12 months and two years was 28.1% and 14.3%, respectively based on the least stringent criteria. However, the complete success rate (completely weaned off of medications) was 12.7% and 5.1% at 12 months and 2 years, respectively. COX regression analysis revealed age, prior laser surgery, interval between glaucoma filtering surgery-bleb needling, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and the number of medications pre-bleb needling were not significantly associated with success. The most frequent reasons for bleb needling failure included increased number of glaucoma medications (40%), surgical revision (31.7%), and IOP that exceeded threshold (21.7%).
Conclusion: The trends in mean intraocular pressure (Figure 1) and the mean number of glaucoma medications (Figure 2) over the two-year follow-up period demonstrate an initial improvement post-needling, followed by stabilization.
The two-year success rate of bleb needling observed in our study is lower compared to previous reports, which may be attributed to the greater severity of glaucoma in our patient population