Cystic Fibrosis-Related Neurodegenerative Disease Associated with Tauopathy and Cognitive Decline in Aged Cf Mice

Background: Highly effective modulator therapies (HEMT) are increasing the lifespan for many people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), making it necessary to identify and understand CF specific age-related consequences. In this study, we examine the impact of aging on cognitive function and age-related brain pathology in a CF mouse model focusing on phospho-Tau (pTau) pathology. Methods: Cognitive function was measured by novel object recognition and spontaneous alternation behavior tests. Hippocampal neuronal function was assessed by measuring long-term potentiation (LTP) electrophysiology, the synaptic correlate of learning and memory. Tau pathology was assessed by immunohistochemical analyses and western blot assessment of pTau levels in CF mouse brain, as well as human nasal epithelial cells isolated from pwCF. Results: Cognitive function declined progressively with age in Cftr (G542X/G542X) (G542X) mice, a model of CF, compared to wild-type (WT) littermate controls. LTP was also deficient in older G542X mice. Increased pTau was observed by staining and western blot analysis in the hippocampus of aged CF mice. Secondary impacts of tauopathy, including increased microglial uptake of cholesterol and reduced neuronal density were also observed. Lastly, human nasal epithelial cells from pwCF were found to display elevated pTau levels compared to non-CF controls. Conclusions: Aging CF mice develop tauopathy, cognitive decline, LTP impairment, microglial activation, and neurodegeneration that is not experienced by age-matched WT littermates, a condition herein termed cystic fibrosis-related neurodegeneration (CFND). These findings suggest that pwCF may be at risk for tauopathy-related neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment with aging

Oceanic Wahhabism

At some point around 1810, a leading Wahhabi theologian in the capital of the First Saudi State fielded an intriguing question: Although Wahhabi leaders preached the ideals of enmity and violence toward non-Wahhabi peoples, could Wahhabi merchants travel to non-Wahhabi lands, do business with non-Wahhabi persons, and reside among them while pursuing commercial agend as? The theologian answered yes. I argue that this question and its answer reveal a lived reality in Najd that historians have yet to fully uncover. The theologian’s answer reveals how Arabia’s interior where Wah habismemerged was enmeshed alongside Arabia’s coasts within the broader Afro-Asian Indian Ocean world. Oceanic Wah habism thus situates Najd, the emergence of Wahhabism and the First Saudi State as parts of an interregional world in which Najdi peoples helped forge, consolidate, and sustain political, social, and commercial connections before and after Wahhabism’s emergence. An oceanic, world historical framework highlights individuals, agendas, and events that add new dynamics to the standard tribes-religion-oilframe work for studying Arabia and its history, and helps to continue uncovering a portrait of Arabia—interior and all—as integral to modern world history

Pirfenidone Delivery by Blow-Molded Pcl Nanofiber Mat to Reduce Collagen Synthesis by Fibroblasts

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) during glaucoma is sometimes mitigated by insertion of glaucoma drainage devices (GDD). Excessive fibrosis around GDD plates may confine drainage and requiring revision surgeries in some patients. Pirfenidone (PFD) is an FDA approved drug to treat lung fibrosis, and it may be effective in limiting capsule formation around the GDD. To enable this, we aimed to develop a polymeric GDD encasement sheath that can sustainably release PFD to reduce fibrous capsule formation. The PFD-doped sheath was manufactured by blow molding of (poly)caprolactone (PCL). We investigated the effects of PCL concentration, spray distance, and molecular weight on the morphology of nanofibers as well as the release rate of PFD. The effects of PFD delivery on viability, number of living cells and collagen production by L-929 fibroblasts were measured in vitro. It was found that concentrations of 6%, 8%, and 10% PCL resulted in average fiber diameters of 277 ± 134, 436 ± 176, and 689 ± 297 nm, respectively. With increasing fiber diameter, the blow-spun nanofiber matrix displayed reduced burst release of PFD; ~75%, ~60%, and 45% respectively. Lower molecular weight PCL (25 kDa) demonstrated a slower release than higher molecular weight PCL (80 kDa). PCL loaded with PFD reduced collagen synthesis by L929 fibroblasts in vitro. The materials were also placed in a preliminary capacity as a proof of concept in the extraorbital space in rabbits and scored histologically to infer the severity of the inflammatory reaction. Assessment of in vivo response to blow-spun nanofibrous forms of PCL indicated a notably high inflammatory reaction to PCL. Therefore, while PFD can be integrated in PCL during blow-spinning and demonstrates antifibrotic effect in vitro, in vivo response to nanofibrous PCL by and itself suggests that this material platform does not appear to be suitable for drug delivery in the extraocular milieu

Virtual Reality in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Nursing Education: A Scoping Review Protocol Integrating Data Mining for Topic Discovery

Virtual Reality (VR) encompasses a range of computer-based technologies that simulate complex scenarios, offering immersive, experiential learning in a controlled virtual environment. In nurs- ing education, VR has the potential to enhance both technical and non-technical competencies. However, the existing literature on VR in nursing education is fragmented, making it challenging to fully grasp its scope, applications, and emerging trends. This scoping review protocol outlines a systematic approach to mapping the existing literature on the use of VR in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and the PRISMA- ScR 2020 framework, the review will include studies published in English, Spanish, or Italian, as well as those with an accessible HTML version to enable accurate automated translation and eli- gibility assessment. A comprehensive search will be conducted across PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and EMBASE, with no time restrictions. Two independent reviewers will assess study eligibility and extract data using a standardized form. Additionally, data mining techniques, including La- tent Dirichlet Allocation enhanced by Bayesian optimization, will be employed to identify trends and emerging topics in the field, providing valuable insights for educators, researchers, and pol- icymakers. • This scoping review protocol outlines the methodology for systematically mapping the exist- ing literature on VR in nursing education, providing a comprehensive overview of its appli- cations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. • Advanced data mining techniques will be applied to uncover emerging trends and key topics, enhancing the understanding of VR’s evolving role in nursing education. • Findings will offer methodological and practical insights, supporting educators, researchers, and policymakers in optimizing and expanding VR-based learning strategies in nursing

Innovative Instagram Education: A Tool to Prevent Relationship and Sexual Violence

During the 2024 Fall semester, at the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Utah, our team solidified an educational plan to create Instagram posts on topics related to relationship and sexual violence. The Instagram Educational Series Programming consists of weekly posts addressing the primary prevention of relationship and sexual violence on the @uofucvp Instagram. This educational series aims to break down research and complex ideas to make them accessible to a wider audience. The posts with the most engagement address more complex topics. People’s thinking starts to shift when we address topics in a way that is unique from the ways we traditionally talk about relationship and sexual violence prevention

Scholars and Changemakers: The Vital Role of Graduate Students in Campus Women\u27s Centers

On college campuses, Women’s Centers serve as a safe space for many marginalized students, faculty, and staff members across campus. These Centers are active spaces that serve a wide variety of individuals including graduate students who play multifaceted roles that are essential to the Center’s work. These students contribute significantly to the functioning of the Center while also gaining professional and personal development from their involvement. In this article, we reflect on our own experiences as two graduate students working within a campus-based Women’s Center while simultaneously integrating literature on the function of graduate students within these spaces. Employing a dual auto-ethnographic methodology, we engage in joint analysis and writing, arguing that graduate students are crucial members of Women’s Centers who benefit not only the students that utilize the Center, but also other staff, faculty, and the graduate students themselves

Examination of Protective Factors that Promote Prosocial Skill Development Among Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

This retrospective cohort study examined prosocial skills development in child welfare-involved children, how intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure explained heterogeneity in children\u27s trajectories of prosocial skill development, and the degree to which protective factors across children\u27s ecologies promoted prosocial skill development. Data were from 1,678 children from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being I, collected between 1999 and 2007. Cohort-sequential growth mixture models were estimated to identify patterns of prosocial skill development between the ages of 3 to 10 years. Four diverse pathways were identified, including two groups that started high (high subtle-decreasing; high decreasing-to-increasing) and two groups that started low (low stable; low increasing-to-decreasing). Children with prior history of child welfare involvement, preschool-age IPV exposure, school-age IPV exposure, or family income below the federal poverty level had higher odds of being in the high decreasing-to-increasing group compared with the high subtle-decreasing group. Children with a mother with greater than high school education or higher maternal responsiveness had higher odds of being in the low increasing-to-decreasing group compared with the low stable group. The importance of maternal responsiveness in fostering prosocial skill development underlines the need for further assessment and intervention. Recommendations for clinical assessment and parenting programs are provided

Super-Resolution Imaging Reveals Resistance to Mass Transfer in Functionalized Stationary Phases

Chemical separations are costly in terms of energy, time, and money. Separation methods are optimized with inefficient trial-and-error approaches that lack insight into the molecular dynamics that lead to the success or failure of a separation and, hence, ways to improve the process. We perform super-resolution imaging of fluorescent analytes in five different commercial liquid chromatography materials. Unexpectedly, we observe that chemical functionalization can block more than 50% of the material’s porous interior, rendering it inaccessible to small-molecule analytes. Only in situ imaging unveils the inaccessibility when compared to the industry-accepted ex situ characterization methods. Selectively removing some of the functionalization with solvent restores pore access without substantially altering the single-molecule kinetics that underlie the separation and agree with bulk chromatography measurements. Our molecular results determine that commercial “fully porous” stationary phases are overfunctionalized and provide an alternative avenue to characterize and direct separation material design from the bottom up