Animals can associate events with their outcomes, even if there is a long delay between the two. For example, in conditioned taste aversion, animals gain an aversion to a taste (the conditioned stimulus, CS) if sickness (an unconditioned stimulus, US) is induced up to 12 hours later. Established correlational plasticity mechanisms, operating on timescales of […]

Astrocyte diversity is currently expanding both between and within specific brain regions. Here, we assessed the spatial distribution and transcriptomic profile of two hippocampal astrocyte subpopulations, defined by combinatorial expression of the cell surface astrocyte markers ACSA-1 or GLAST/SLC1A3, and ACSA-2 or ATP1B2. Fluorescence activated cell sorting and genome-wide transcriptomics by bulk RNAseq uncovered distinct […]

Background: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) continues to be widely used as a treatment for refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). With advancements in technology and surgical technique, we might expect fewer surgical complications to occur in the modern era as compared to established rates that are often quoted in the literature and patient counseling. Methods: We queried […]

Importance: Women are consistently reported to experience steeper rates after an Alzheimers disease (AD) diagnosis. We tested if this could be due to a sex-specific cognitive reserve based in verbal memory. Objective: To determine whether the divergence in verbal memory trajectories from cognitively normal (CN) to AD varies by sex. Design: We employed a longitudinal […]

Walking, stopping and maintaining posture are essential motor behaviors, yet the underlying neural processes remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate neural activity behind locomotion and its walk-to-stop transition. Based on a new theory of the lumbar spinal cord(1, 2) we propose and predict that spinal population activity contains limit cycle dynamics to drive walking and […]

Objective In this pre-registered study, we aimed to explore the protein leverage hypothesis in a general population, by studying the relationship between habitual dietary protein intake, total energy intake, and body mass index (BMI), and whether proportion of ultra-processed food (UPF) was associated with any of these variables. Methods We used regression-based analyses to investigate […]

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of acute lower respiratory infections worldwide, with high morbidity among infants and older adults. Recent approvals of long-acting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines offer new prevention opportunities, but their impact in Asian settings remains uncertain. Methods We developed age-structured SEIR transmission models for Hong Kong, Beijing, […]

Objective To develop a predictive tool capable of early identification of the risk of acute respiratory failure within 48 hours of hospital admission in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Method A retrospective cohort of 257 CAP patients (median age: 76.0 years, IQR: 68.0-84.0; 56.4% male) was analyzed, among whom 148 (57.6%) developed respiratory failure within […]

Background: Despite established relationship between atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), evidence on subclinical atherosclerosis and its differential associations with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) versus late-onset coronary artery disease (LCAD) remains limited. Aims: This study aims to delve deeper into the associations between subclinical atherosclerosis and the incidence risk of both PCAD and LCAD. […]

Abstract Background: Long-COVID is a post-acute sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection characterized by persistent, multi-system symptoms. Neurologic symptoms, such as mental fatigue, are often reported. While vaccination prior to infection is known to lessen symptom burden, its impact on mental fatigue remains unclear. Objective: Examine the association between vaccination and long-COVID-associated mental fatigue. Methods: We analyzed […]