Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

• CNT alignment can be tailored inside the liquid matrix by external electric fields. • Composites have higher electrical conductivity and lower percolation threshold. • A CNT polarization kinetic model and a homogenization scheme are built. • A coated-CNT model is built to analyze frequency-dependent interfacial effects. • Three independent experimental validation confirms the model's accuracy. Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanocomposites exhibit exceptional electrical tunability under external electric fields, while the dynamics of field-driven CNT alignment and its impact on transverse isotropy of the overall composite remain underexplored. This study establishes a unified micro-mesoscale framework to decode the electro-structural evolution of CNT-polymer composites. We integrate an overdamped rotational kinetics model for CNT reorientation with an effective-medium homogenization scheme, incorporating interfacial electron tunneling, electron hopping, and dielectric relaxation. Our theory quantifies how electric field parameters (strength, frequency, and duration) govern CNT alignment-characterized by a maximum distribution angle-and subsequently modulate the composite's effective electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. Validated against three independent experiments, this work provides insights into the alignment dynamics of CNTs, the evolution of percolation thresholds, and the field-tuned electrical behaviors of composites. The modeling and theory are crucial for the design and optimization of CNT nanocomposites for flexible electronics, energy storage, and field-responsive smart materials.

Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD1/PD-L1 and CTLA4 pathways has limited activity in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC). In a prior study, the combination of cetuximab and pembrolizumab failed to improve outcomes for patients with advanced RAS wild-type (RASwt) CRC. In this post hoc secondary analysis, we show that the cetuximab and pembrolizumab-treated patients with TP53 mutant (p53mt) tumors had significantly higher progression-free survival (PFS) and a decrease in tumor burden compared to patients with TP53 wild-type (p53wt) tumors but no difference in overall survival compared to patients with p53wt tumors. The gene set enrichment analysis showed a uniform upregulation of multiple metabolic and immune gene sets, including NK-mediated immunity and IL-12 pathway, while the IL6 pathway was downregulated. There were no overlapping transcriptional alterations between the p53mt and p53wt groups with treatment that remain constant despite the therapeutic intervention. Functional overlap with treatment in both groups in the proliferative, immune, and metabolic pathways were identified. In the baseline tumor samples, the number of PD-L1+ tumor cells was significantly higher in p53mt tumors while the number of OX40-/AE1_AE3-/PD-L1- non-tumor cells, positive for either LAG3, CTLA4 or TIM3, was significantly higher in p53wt tumors. In conclusion, TP53 status was prognostic of improved PFS with cetuximab plus pembrolizumab in RASwt CRC. Future studies evaluating immune-oncology agents in patients with MSS, RASwt CRC should include TP53 as an integrated biomarker and evaluate its performance as a positive predictive biomarker (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02713373).

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in pain severity and treatment persist across healthcare settings, reflecting inequities shaped by patients' experiences of discrimination and bias. Perceived healthcare discrimination (PHCD), feeling dismissed, disrespected, or treated unfairly by healthcare providers, may contribute to persistent pain disparities among socially disadvantaged populations, yet its independent role relative to everyday discrimination remains underexplored. Using cross-sectional data from the All of Us Research Program, we examined associations between PHCD and pain severity among 89,069 participants from the Registered Tier Dataset (v7, R2022Q4R9), excluding individuals with missing data or non-categorized racial identities. Multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and education were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for pain severity. Both occasional and frequent PHCD were significantly associated with higher odds of mild, moderate, and severe pain (all p <.001). Participants reporting frequent PHCD had nearly eightfold higher odds of severe pain compared with those reporting no discrimination (OR = 7.98, 95% CI: 6.85-9.30). These associations persisted after full covariate adjustment, demonstrating a clear dose-response relationship between discrimination frequency and pain severity. PHCD emerged as a robust and independent predictor of pain severity in a large, diverse national sample, highlighting discrimination as a modifiable social determinant of pain and underscoring the need for equity-focused clinical communication and systemic interventions to improve pain management. PERSPECTIVE: This study, the largest to date examining perceived healthcare discrimination, demonstrates a significant association with greater pain severity across diverse populations. Highlighting a critical social determinant of health, these findings underscore the importance of addressing discrimination within clinical care. Integrating equity-focused strategies into pain assessment and management is essential to reduce disparities and improve outcomes among marginalized communities.

Alcohol use is associated with suicidal thoughts, urges, and behavior. However, prior research has been mostly cross-sectional, limiting understanding of how these variables influence one another across short time periods. The present study used ecological momentary assessment methods to establish the temporal ordering of alcohol- and suicide-related phenomena, specifically exploring the momentary dynamic between these variables. A diverse sample of college students (N = 527, 50.5% Asian, 72.0% cisgender female, Mage = 19.4) completed smartphone ecological momentary assessment up to 6 times daily for 6 to 8 weeks (81,299 total observations; MObservations = 154 per person), answering questions about current urge to use alcohol and urge to engage in suicidal behavior. Dynamic structural equation modeling was used to investigate within-person autoregressive and cross-lagged effects. Autoregressive effects were found, such that urge to do a behavior at the previous time point (t-1) positively predicted urge to do that same behavior at the current time point (t). Cross-lagged analyses revealed that alcohol urges at the previous time point positively predicted suicide urges at the current time point, and suicide urges at the previous time point positively predicted alcohol urges at the current time point, demonstrating a reciprocal dynamic (i.e., positive feedback loop). Results provide initial empirical support for a reciprocal dynamic between drinking urges and urge to engage in suicidal behavior among young people and college students that occurs over a short time period, underscoring the potential importance of in the moment intervention strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Practicing CBT skills outside of therapy sessions is a core component of effective treatment, yet meaningful engagement can be difficult during periods of elevated psychological distress. Smartphone-based ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) offer a promising approach to support real-time skill use, but most research has focused on frequency rather than quality of engagement. This study examined the quality of CBT skills practice in a 28-day smartphone-based EMI following inpatient discharge and explored its associations with internal context and intervention effectiveness. Twenty-three adults hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors participated, selecting and practicing one of three guided CBT skills exercises (Mindful Emotional Awareness, Countering Emotional Behavior, or Cognitive Flexibility) up to three times daily. A structured coding system was used to rate the completeness and relevance of 945 total exercises (0-2 scale). Quality varied primarily within individuals and was lower during moments of high suicidal intent and urge. When combining across all skills, quality was not associated with proximal change. However, higher-quality Countering Emotional Behavior practice predicted greater reductions in suicidal intent, and higher-quality Countering Emotional Behavior and Cognitive Flexibility practice predicted greater reductions in anger. These findings suggest that momentary distress can impact engagement quality, and that the short-term impact of skills practice may depend on both the specific CBT strategy and type of distress targeted. Understanding and enhancing engagement quality is a key step toward optimizing mobile interventions for individuals in the midst of psychological distress.