Bastyr University

Invasive plant species threaten forest ecosystems by outcompeting native flora for essential resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients. One such invader, English holly (Ilex aquifolium), a shade-tolerant evergreen shrub or tree native to Eurasia and northern Africa, has become increasingly problematic in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This study investigates the environmental factors influencing I. aquifolium distribution and spread using species distribution modeling (maximum entropy) and spatial analysis (Ripley’s K function) in an urban forest near Seattle, Washington. Results indicate that evergreen forests support holly establishment more than deciduous vegetation. Temperature emerged as a strong positive predictor of holly presence, suggesting that climate change could accelerate its invasion. In contrast, soil nutrient levels showed a slight negative association with holly occurrence, potentially indicating either holly’s tolerance for nutrient-poor soils or a disadvantage in nutrient-rich environments. Additionally, holly may deplete soil nutrients through uptake or by altering soil chemistry. Further, the clustered pattern of holly dispersion is likely driven by a combination of short-distance seed dispersal and vegetative spread. By identifying the ecological conditions that favor holly’s spread, this study provides insights to inform management strategies aimed at mitigating its impact on native biodiversity, forest succession, and ecosystem services in urban forests in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

ObjectiveSleep disturbances are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and significantly impact patients’ quality of life. However, the clinical symptoms associated with poor sleep remain underexplored. The Patient-Reported Outcomes in PD (PRO-PD) is a remote patient monitoring tool enabling symptom-level resolution. The goal of this study was to use the PRO-PD to describe symptomatic differences associated with sleep quality.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted using baseline data of an ongoing prospective cohort study of patients with idiopathic PD (IPD). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while disease severity was evaluated using the PRO-PD. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to judge the association between PSQI and PRO-PD, adjusting for age, gender, income, and years since diagnosis.ResultsAmong 331 participants, 70.2% of patients with IPD reported poor sleep quality (PSQI>5). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between PSQI scores and PRO-PD scores (p = 2.24 × 10−12). Multivariable regression analysis confirmed this association, with each unit increase in the PSQI score corresponding to a 39.7-unit increase in the PRO-PD score (p = 1.25 × 10−8). Sleep quality was most strongly correlated with self-reported insomnia (ρ = 0.69), with moderate associations observed for fatigue, anxiety, poor balance, depression, and apathy (ρ = 0.29–0.37), and weaker associations with myalgia, visual complaints, cognition, restless legs, gait, posture, and urinary symptoms (ρ = 0.20–0.28).ConclusionPoor sleepers showed uniformly higher PRO-PD burden, with a non-motor phenotype consisting of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and depression consistent with prior reports. The PRO-PD further identified additional equally-correlated symptoms, such as poor balance, lacking motivation, and social withdrawal providing expanded perspective. These findings highlight the need for routine sleep assessments in PD management and suggest that interventions targeting sleep disturbances may alleviate symptom burden and improve QoL. Future longitudinal studies could help establish causality and explore therapeutic strategies to improve sleep quality in PD.

The establishment of the body plan during gastrulation represents a hallmark of animal life. It emerges from the interplay of gene-regulatory programs and positional cues, yet how these signals are integrated post-transcriptionally remains largely unexplored. Here, we combine the scalability of mouse gastruloids with a single-cell CRISPR screening platform to functionally dissect germ layer specification at single-cell transcriptomic resolution. Focusing on post-transcriptional regulation, we systematically map drivers of mesodermal and endodermal fate and identify the deadenylase Cnot8. Loss of Cnot8 leads to widespread poly(A) tail elongation and transcript stabilization, shifting mesoderm differentiation toward ectopic notochord fate, thereby profoundly impacting axial patterning. Collectively, our findings identify mRNA deadenylation as a fundamental mechanism linking cellular identity with morphogenetic signaling during mammalian body plan formation.

University students faced significant personal and educational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. With health literacy (HL) being an important resource in navigating the pandemic-associated overabundance of information, this study aimed to summarize the current literature on university students’ HL during the pandemic. We searched PubMed, CINAHL Complete, APA PsychINFO, and ERIC for relevant publications. We included studies that focused on college or university students, used standardized HL assessments in community samples, and reported HL data collected between March 2020 and May 2023. Data extraction focused primarily on students’ HL levels and correlates. Although students displayed moderate to high HL, creating written content and evaluating the reliability of online information posed the greatest challenges. HL varied with preferred information sources. Younger age, female gender, low socioeconomic status, and enrollment in an undergraduate or non-health science program were typically associated with lower HL. HL significantly contributed to better health outcomes through improved health behaviors. Based on our findings, university students could benefit from early HL training and support assessing the reliability of information sources and communicating clearly in writing. More research is needed on the HL of students from traditionally marginalized populations and its impact on health outcomes during public health crises.

The review discusses the risks posed by conventional medical imaging methods, including radiation exposure, allergic reactions, and environmental contamination. It explores recent innovations, such as advanced modalities like photon-counting computed tomography (CT) scanners and ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, which provide high-resolution images with reduced radiation doses. Artificial intelligence (AI) further enhances the field by automating tasks, improving image analysis, and personalizing protocols, including real-time and predictive monitoring. Non-invasive techniques, such as elastography and photoacoustic imaging, are highlighted for minimizing reliance on ionizing radiation. AI-driven strategies also address environmental concerns through the use of biodegradable contrast agents and energy-efficient technologies. Economic assessments reveal the cost-effectiveness of imaging technologies and their impact on healthcare budgets while acknowledging persistent disparities in access. The review examines contrast agents and radiation: their long-term and broad-ranging adverse health impacts and how new imaging techniques aim to eliminate or mitigate these effects. It also considers how advancements in AI improve diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency. Also, the integration of imaging with genomics and telemedicine is discussed, alongside efforts to address economic and accessibility challenges and promote sustainable practices. Imaging technology and AI innovations are transforming diagnostic practices and addressing existing challenges, with ongoing innovation and collaboration essential for optimizing benefits for patients, medical staff, and the environment.

Background: Most systems of traditional medicine have been using herbal medicines to prevent and treat acute respiratory conditions and various other conditions for centuries. The aim of this project is to identify and examine the systematic and narrative reviews reporting on the therapeutic use of herbal medicines as it relates to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and long COVID. Methods: This paper is part of an umbrella review of studies related to natural health products and natural therapies for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. It is a follow-up to a live review that was conducted by the World Naturopathic Federation between May 2022 and May 2023. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for systematic and narrative reviews that met defined quality criteria. Results: Over half of the initial systematic reviews were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion and AMSTAR criteria. The final paper included 25 narrative reviews and 41 systematic reviews (SR), with half of the SRs reporting on the safety of herbal interventions. Various therapeutic properties of over 60 herbal medicines were outlined, some individually and most of them as part of herbal formula (combinations). Conclusion/Summary: Herbal interventions demonstrated statistically significant improved recovery in patients with COVID-19. The most common therapeutic properties identified were immunological properties, anti-inflammatory, anti- microbial, and antioxidant while the most frequently investigated herbs were Glycyrrhiza glabra/uralensis, Tinospora cordifolia, and Curcuma longa. More attention is needed on the regulation of herbal medicines, the quality of research, and the safety of herbal medicines.

We investigate whether living in a state that expanded Medicaid eligibility is associated with receiving alcohol screening and brief counseling among nonelderly, low-income adults and a subgroup with chronic health conditions caused or exacerbated by alcohol use. Data are from the 2017 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 15,743 low-income adults; n = 7062 with a chronic condition). We used propensity score-weighted, covariate-adjusted, modified Poisson regression to estimate associations between residence in a Medicaid-expansion state and receipt of alcohol screening and brief counseling. Models estimated associations in the overall sample and chronic conditions subsample, as well as differential associations across sex, race, and ethnicity using interaction terms. Living in a state that expanded Medicaid eligibility was associated with being asked whether one drank (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08, 1.22), but not with further alcohol screening, guidance about harmful drinking, or advice to reduce drinking. Among individuals with alcohol-related chronic conditions, expansion state residence was associated with being asked about drinking (PR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.20) and, among past 30-day drinkers with chronic conditions, being asked how much one drank (PR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.59) and about binge drinking (PR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.99). Interaction terms suggest that some associations differ by race and ethnicity. Living in a state that expanded Medicaid is associated with a higher prevalence of receiving some alcohol screening at a check-up in the past 2 years among low-income residents, particularly among individuals with alcohol-related chronic conditions, but not with the receipt of high-quality screening and brief counseling. Policies may have to address provider barriers to delivery of these services in addition to access to care.

Evidence for acupuncture to treat pain is growing. Electrostimulation of acupuncture needles (electroacupuncture) is common for pain and is thought to augment the therapeutic effect. To examine the association of pain outcomes after a single acupuncture session with electrostimulation included (EA) compared with no electrostimulation included (NEA). A retrospective observational study was conducted using electronic health records of acupuncture sessions for adults with acute pain under the care of an acute pain service. Paired t-test and linear regression were used to report pain intensity changes after a single acupuncture session and by including EA. Ordered logistic regression was used to report categorical pain relief. Logistic regression was used to explore the odds of adding EA and the patient's age, gender, and pretreatment pain. From July 24, 2017, through November 9, 2020, 465 acupuncture sessions recorded EA (n = 194), or NEA (n = 271). Acupuncture, independent of EA status, reduced pain intensity by a mean 2.5 points. EA was associated with a mean 0.38-point reduction in pain intensity more than NEA (confidence interval [95% CI]: -0.75 to -0.01). Among sessions reporting categorical pain relief (n = 415), higher relief was more likely with EA (odds ratio = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52-3.08). There was no association between EA and the patient's age, gender, and pretreatment pain intensity. After a single acupuncture session, both EA and NEA reduced pain intensity. Higher categorical pain relief was reported with EA, though the clinical meaning is uncertain. Future research should focus on well-defined populations for electroacupuncture and factors for including electrostimulation.

ObjectiveWhile there are several well-established environmental risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a paucity of evidence exists linking environmental toxicants with RA prevalence. We aimed to examine the associations between various environmental toxicants and RA among adults in the U.S. general population while adjusting for non-heritable risk factors.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 2007 to 2016.ParticipantsThe study included 21 987 adult participants (no RA: 20 569; RA: 1418). Participants were excluded (n=7214) if they did not answer questions related to self-reporting of RA, had another or unknown type of arthritis, or did not have interview or biospecimen data.Primary and secondary outcome measuresAssociation between individual toxicants and body burden scores for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), phthalates and plasticisers (PHTHTEs) metabolites or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and participant self-reported RA based on multivariable logistic regression models while adjusting for age, sex, urine creatinine, body mass index, smoking, race, education, family poverty income ratio, any vigorous or moderate activity and dietary fibre.ResultsWhile increased prevalence of RA was observed in participants with the highest quartile of various individual PAHs, only 1-hydroxynaphthalene (OR: 1.8 (1.1 to 3.1); p=0.020) remained associated in a fully adjusted model. PAH body burden was found to be associated with RA (Q4 vs Q1, OR: 2.2 (1.09 to 4.2); p=0.028) in a fully adjusted model. Interestingly, after accounting for PAH body burden, smoking was not associated with RA (OR: 1.4 (0.89 to 2.3); p=0.13). A mediation analysis demonstrated that PAH body burden accounted for 90% of the total effect of smoking on RA. PHTHTE and VOC metabolites were not associated with RA in fully adjusted models.Conclusions and relevancePAHs are associated with RA prevalence, mediate the majority of the effects of smoking on RA, and are associated with RA independent of smoking status.