Prevalence and incidence are fundamental metrics with numerous applications in epidemiology. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline lacks specific items for reporting studies of disease prevalence or incidence. To address this gap, the STROBE Enhanced Prevalence and Incidence Criteria (STROBE EPIC) extension was developed in accordance with established methods for reporting guideline development. The authors generated an initial list of reporting items, conducted a modified Delphi process, and convened a face-to-face consensus meeting to confirm the need for a STROBE extension and to generate an early version of the checklist. They conducted 2 further Delphi surveys, first extending from typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses to all infectious diseases, and then to noncommunicable diseases and injuries. Finally, experts piloted the checklist on relevant manuscripts to critically assess if it was clear, concise, complete, and free of errors. An executive group curated the checklist after every survey round. The STROBE EPIC checklist comprises 47 items in the domains of title (1 item), abstract (2 items), introduction (1 item), methods (25 items), results (6 items), discussion (7 items), and other information (5 items). STROBE EPIC items address reporting of study design, adjustment factors for underreporting and underdiagnosis, denominator population estimation, case ascertainment methods, factors producing artefactual changes to observed disease prevalence or incidence, limitations of incomplete surveillance coverage, generalizability of short-duration studies, and data availability. The authors anticipate that the STROBE EPIC extension will be used by researchers, authors, modelers, burden-of-disease researchers, peer reviewers, and journal editors to optimize the presentation of epidemiologic evidence to support diverse health policy decisions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder associated with amyloid aggregation, tau pathology, and neuroinflammation. In this study, an integrated computational workflow combining ADMET prediction, PASS-based activity screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was employed to evaluate the interactions of oleuropein with five AD-related protein targets, including β-amyloid, tau, apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), and complement protein C1q. ADMET and PASS analyses predicted pharmacokinetic properties and potential biological activities associated with neurodegenerative disease-related pathways. Docking analysis predicted favorable binding affinities across the investigated targets, with the strongest predicted interaction observed for the C1q protein (-7.5 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics (MD) trajectory analyses, including root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), dynamic cross-correlation matrix (DCCM), principal component analysis (PCA), and distance-based metrics, were used to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the protein-ligand complexes during the simulations. The computational analyses suggested relatively stable interactions for tau, C1q, and TREM2 complexes, whereas β-amyloid and ApoE4 exhibited comparatively higher conformational variability during portions of the simulations. These findings provide a preliminary computational assessment of oleuropein interactions with AD-related proteins and may support future experimental studies investigating its potential biological relevance in neurodegenerative disease models.

Cinematic rendering (CR) is a physically based three-dimensional visualization technique that uses Monte Carlo path tracing with global illumination to generate photorealistic images from volumetric medical imaging data. Although CR has been extensively applied to cardiovascular computed tomography, its application to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), particularly to gadolinium-enhanced datasets, has been only rarely described. This report demonstrates the feasibility of applying CR to three-dimensional early and late gadolinium enhancement (EGE/LGE) CMR acquired in a single adult patient at 1.5T. Using a Monte Carlo path-tracing platform with vendor-integrated artificial intelligence (AI) denoising (syngo.via Cinematic Anatomy, Siemens Healthineers), matched CR reconstructions were generated in four-chamber, two-chamber, and short-axis orientations, as well as additional oblique perspectives. The protocol details acquisition parameters, segmentation methodology, rendering workflow, and parameter documentation to support reproducibility. CR is presented as a complementary visualization adjunct suitable for multidisciplinary communication, procedural planning, and trainee education, and is not intended as a primary diagnostic tool for myocardial enhancement. The photorealistic surface texture characteristic of path tracing should not be interpreted as diffuse enhancement. Future studies in scar-positive cohorts are required to evaluate comparative reader performance against conventional grayscale reconstructions and to validate any potential clinical role.

Methionine is a key limiting amino acid in poultry nutrition and plays an essential role in growth, metabolism, and antioxidant defence. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different sources and combinations of methionine on performance, carcass traits, intestinal morphology, and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments with five replicates of 10 birds each. The treatments included a control diet without methionine (60-MET), 100% powder methionine (CONT), 100% liquid methionine (100-LM), and three combinations of powder and liquid methionine (50-LPM, 25-LPM, and 75-LPM). Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved in all methionine-supplemented groups, particularly in 100-LM and 50-LPM (p < 0.05) compared with the 60-MET group. Carcass yield did not differ significantly, but thigh and breast percentages increased in supplemented groups (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively) compared with the 60-MET group. Intestinal morphology analysis showed a significant increase in villus height with methionine supplementation (p = 0.001), while crypt depth and muscular thickness remained unchanged. Blood biochemical analysis showed that methionine supplementation significantly reduced serum urea, uric acid, AST, ALT, and MDA levels (p < 0.05), while increasing albumin, total protein, and total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05) compared with the 60-MET group. In conclusion, both powder and liquid methionine sources, especially in the 100-LM and 50-LPM treatments, had positive effects on performance, gut morphology, and physiological health in broilers, indicating the efficiency of liquid form.

A growing body of literature describes the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-epileptic properties of the cannabis sativa constituent cannabidiol, suggesting that it might play a useful role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN2 disease) is a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorder resulting from an inherited dysfunction of the lysosome. CLN2 disease, and its representative animal models, display neuroimmune response, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and epileptic seizures, and these symptoms are all touted as potential targets of cannabidiol therapeutic benefit. Here, we treated a valid model of CLN2 disease with long-term daily cannabidiol (300 mg/kg) from 1 month of age until disease end stage and evaluated epileptic seizures, lifespan, and markers of neuroimmune response. Chronic cannabidiol treatment significantly delayed or fully eliminated seizures in CLN2 model mice compared to those treated with vehicle only, and the treatment led to a non-significant extension of lifespan. These effects occurred in the absence of any therapeutic benefit to physiological markers of disease such as GFAP, CD68, and cytokine/chemokine reactivity. Taken together, we show that chronic treatment with cannabidiol confers significant anti-seizure benefit to the mouse model of CLN2 disease, and that it does not appear to do so by altering the inflammatory and neuroimmune markers traditionally used to track CLN2 disease progression.

As the population of older individuals living with HIV continues to expand, identifying non-euphoric therapeutic interventions for HIV-associated complications is essential. While cannabidiol (CBD) has demonstrated neuroprotective potential, its effects following prolonged exposure in the context of an aging biological environment remain poorly understood. This study utilized aged (15-18 months) male and female HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice to evaluate the impact of chronic CBD (3 mg/kg, s.c., for 12 weeks). A behavioral battery was employed to assess object recognition memory, anxiety-like behavior, spontaneous nociception, and locomotor activity. Subsequently, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and Western blotting were used to map endocannabinoid ligands (AEA, 2-AG, AA), metabolic enzymes (FAAH, MAGL), and receptors (CB1R, CB2R, GPR55) across the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, brainstem, and spinal cord. Results indicated that chronic CBD improved recognition memory specifically in female Tat(+) mice. While CBD treatment did not affect spinal cord-related tail flick sensitivity it universally increased supraspinal hot plate sensitivity. Chronic CBD treatment also elevated baseline body temperature and modulated body mass without impairing general locomotion. Furthermore, chronic CBD restructured the eCB signaling landscape across all examined CNS regions in a highly sex- and genotype-dependent manner. Notably, cannabinoid receptor and GPR55 expression exhibited distinct regulatory shifts governed by significant three-way interactions. These findings demonstrate that chronic CBD intervention interacts with the eCB system of aged mice in a region-specific manner. These results underscore the critical importance of considering age, sex, and treatment duration when evaluating cannabinoid-based therapies for the management of neuroHIV.

Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and bees have a mutually beneficial relationship where nectar is exchanged for pollination service, which may enhance seed yield. However, pesticide use on soybeans during flowering could disrupt this relationship by harming bees and therefore reducing the yield benefits from pollinatiors. This study examined how pesticide applications during flowering affect bee foraging and soybean yield, focusing on application timing (mid-morning vs. mid-day) and flowering stage (R3-full bloom vs. R5-late/end of bloom), compared to an untreated control. To do this, an experiment was conducted in central Ohio in 2023 and 2024, where soybean plots were sprayed with a bee-toxic mixture of a pyrethroid insecticide (0.9% alpha-cypermethrin) and a sterol biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicide (41.8% propiconazole) using a backpack sprayer. Bee activity was monitored using audio recorders placed in each plot and analyzed with the machine learning tool buzzDetect. Bioacoustic analysis showed no effect of pesticide application on bee activity, regardless of timing. Bee activity was significantly higher during the R3 growth stage, when soybeans were at peak bloom, compared to the R5 growth stage, when flowers were less abundant. Bee activity was significantly higher in mid-day than in mid-morning. No significant differences in soybean defoliation or yield were detected across pesticide treatments. These results provide insight into how bee foraging varies across the soybean growing season and throughout the day, which can inform pesticide application recommendations to minimize bee exposure.

Policymakers use information campaigns to alter health behaviors, but their effectiveness depends on how the information compares to viewers' initial beliefs and their perceptions of its value. In August 2024, we experimentally tested whether political identity influenced how individuals responded to information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Our sample included 288 self-identified Democrats and 291 self-identified Republicans. We found that Democrats and Republicans similarly overestimated the frequency and severity of COVID-19 infections, as well as the vaccination rate. Participants were not better at predicting the COVID-19 experiences of their concordant party. However, participants who learned they underestimated the discordant party vaccination rate were more likely to report an intent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.