Amid national reckoning, Americans divided on whether increased focus on race will lead to major policy change

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand Americans’ outlook on racial equality amid increased attention to this issue following George Floyd’s death and explore whether attitudes have changed since 2019. For this analysis, we surveyed 10,093 U.S. adults from Sept. 8 to 13, 2020

Low Neuroactive Steroids Identifies a Biological Subtype of Depression in Adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus on Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy.

BackgroundThe prevalence and mortality risk of depression in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) is higher than in the general population, yet biomarkers for therapeutic targeting are unknown. In the current study, we aimed to identify plasma metabolites associated with depressive symptoms in people with HIV receiving ART.MethodsThis is a prospective study of ART-treated HIV-infected adults with or without depressive symptoms assessed using longitudinal Beck Depression Inventory scores. Plasma metabolite profiling was performed in 2 independent cohorts (total n = 99) using liquid and gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsParticipants with depressive symptoms had lower neuroactive steroids (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHEA-S], androstenediols, and pregnenolone sulfate) compared with those without depressive symptoms. The cortisol/DHEA-S ratio, an indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis imbalance, was associated with depressive symptoms (P < .01) because of low DHEA-S levels, whereas cortisol was similar between groups. The odds of having depressive symptoms increased with higher cortisol/DHEA-S ratios (adjusted odds ratio, 2.5 per 1-unit increase in z score; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.7), independent of age and sex. The kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio showed no significant associations.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that altered neuroactive steroid metabolism may contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression in ART-treated HIV-infected adults, representing a potential biological pathway for therapeutic targeting

Local burn wound environment versus systemic response : Comparison of proteins and metabolites

In this study, paired blood plasma (BP) and blister fluid (BF) samples from five paediatric burn patients were analysed using mass spectrometry to compare their protein and metabolite composition. The relative quantification of proteins was achieved through a label-free data independent acquisition mode. The relative quantification of metabolites was achieved using a Shimadzu Smart Metabolite Database gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) targeted assay. In total, 562 proteins and 141 individual metabolites were identified in the samples. There was 81% similarity in the proteins present in the BP and BF, with 50 and 54 unique proteins found in each sample type respectively. BF contained keratinocyte proliferation-related proteins and blood plasma contained abundant blood clotting proteins and apolipoproteins. BF contained more carbohydrates and less alpha-hydroxy acid metabolites than the BP. In this study, there were unique proteins and metabolites in BF and BP which were reflective of the local wound environment and systemic environments respectively. The results from this study demonstrate that the biomolecule content of BF is mostly the same as blood, but it also contains information specific to the local wound environment.</p