<strong>Background:</strong> Long COVID is a clinical condition that significantly influences quality of life, productivity, and morbidity in the individuals affected. Much of the research to date has examined medical comorbidities and their associations with long COVID, but there remains a substantial need to understand the social and behavioral factors associated with long COVID. <strong>Objective:</strong> The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associations of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)–defined long COVID among adults in the United States through the application of the Andersen behavioral model. <strong>Methods:</strong> This cross-sectional database study used the 2022 MEPS dataset. Variables in this analysis were organized according to the Andersen behavioral model. The appropriate weighting variable was used to obtain weighted population-based estimates. Between-group differences (ie, those with MEPS-defined long COVID vs those without) were assessed using chi-square tests, and a multivariable binomial logistic regression model was developed to assess the association between each variable and having MEPS-defined long COVID. <strong>Results:</strong> A total of 11,266 individuals were eligible for inclusion in this study. This represented a weighted population of 256,500,584 American adults. Of these 11,266 individuals, 790 (7%; weighted population=18,397,214) had MEPS-defined long COVID, whereas 10,476 (93%; weighted population=238,103,371) did not. Variables identified that were statistically associated with having MEPS-defined long COVID among American adults included 3 predisposing variables (age, sex, and Asian race), 2 enabling variables (marital status and employment status), 3 need variables (number of chronic conditions, health status, and instrumental activity of daily living limitations), 1 personal health practices variable (ever receiving the COVID-19 vaccine), and 1 external environmental variable (south region). <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The prevalence and factors associated with having MEPS-defined long COVID among American adults in this study offer insights to expand our limited understanding of the complex environmental and social factors associated with MEPS-defined long COVID. Further research is required among the long COVID population to better understand and differentiate the causes and consequences of this condition.
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is roughly one in 36 people, with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. The disorder is known to be influenced by multiple factors, both genetic (gene mutations and copy number variations) and environmental, such as infections during pregnancy. However, the role of immunity in genetic ASD remains unclear.
One area of interest lies in lymphocytes—cells that are known to shape neurodevelopment and behavior. But their roles in neurodevelopmental disorders are not well defined.
Now, new research shows that a subset of T cells—γδ T cells—can infiltrate the brain and contribute to changes in social behavior in a genetic mouse model that mimics behavioral features of ASD. Depleting these cells from the brain increased sociability, suggesting that targeting abnormal immune function during neurodevelopment may offer interventions for ASD.
Infections during pregnancy can induce the release of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) from T helper 17 cells and γδ T cells. Prior research has linked this type of maternal immune activation to neurodevelopmental disorders, but there is a lack of evidence connecting IL-17A and social behaviors in genetic mouse models.
To investigate this further, a team of researchers from the Division of Allergy and Immunology in the Medical Institute of Bioregulation at Kyushu University, in Fukuoka, Japan, studied 15q11-13 duplication (15q dup) mice—a mouse model that mimics a chromosome duplication found in some humans with ASD. These mice also demonstrate reduced social interactions, behavioral inflexibility, and increased anxiety-like behaviors.
The team analyzed immune cell populations in the brains of the 15q dup mice. Their findings suggest an increase in γδ T cells in the developing brains when compared with wild-type mice.
Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), the team uncovered that this was most likely due to microglia in the brain expressing the chemokine CXCL16, which promotes immune cell migration. CXCL16 was highly expressed in the brains of 15q dup mice and contributed to increased infiltration of γδ T cells.
In addition, experiments revealed that deleting IL-17A–producing γδ T cells or blocking them with antibodies after birth increased sociability and reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the15q dupmice.
Taken together, the authors note that these findings suggest that “immune dysregulation contributes to social behavior deficits in 15q dup mice, consistent with observations in maternal immune activation models, and may represent a potential target for interventions for ASD-associated differences in social behavior.”
Nursing female mice that were fed a diet enriched with TVA passed the nutrient to their pups, leading to increased production of immune cells during early development. Genetic analyses showed that TVA exposure during breastfeeding reprogrammed immune cells to improve responses to pathogens. Mice that were nursed on TVA-enriched milk responded faster to infections with viruses or common bacteria, even into adulthood.
“It’s common knowledge that breastfeeding is important for neonatal immune development and overall health, but breast milk is so complex that it seems almost impossible that one single molecule would be sufficient to change a baby’s immune development,” said Jing Chen, PhD, professor of medicine at UChicago and co-corresponding author on the study. “So, it was very surprising to see that during this crucial stage of development, one nutrient derived from the mother’s diet and delivered through breastfeeding has such a tremendous effect.”
TVA is a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products from grazing animals such as cows and sheep. The human and mouse body must obtain TVA through diet.
Pups who were nursed by mothers with a diet enriched with TVA demonstrated a broader and more effective immune cell population, particularly CD4+ T cells that are important for adaptive immunity.Mice raised on TVA-enriched breast milk responded more quickly and had higher survival rates when exposed to the flu virus or Salmonella.
“We saw that only postnatal exposure to TVA through breastfeeding is important to train the neonatal T cells, and this can have long-lasting imprinting effects,” Chen said. “Even in adulthood, when we challenged the mice with influenza, the ones that were exposed to higher TVA levels during breastfeeding responded better when battling the infection.”
The team also analyzed TVA levels in breast milk and blood samples from human nursing mothers and infants. They found that higher TVA levels in breast milk were closely linked to higher TVA levels in infants’ blood. In preterm infants, levels of circulating TVA correlated with similar shifts in immune responses seen in mice.
Higher TVA levels in human breast milk were also associated with reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects premature infants with underdeveloped lungs and increased susceptibility to respiratory infection.
Chen hopes for more research on the possibilities for supplementing diets with TVA during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or infant formula. The team will also investigate additional fatty acids and nutrients found in breast milk to understand their benefits.
“There are close to 40 fatty acids in total in breast milk, along with hundreds of other components,” Chen said. “So, I think it’s safe for us to say that we believe there could be additional fatty acids and nutrients that can do something similar.”
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Good morning! Pharma companies are on a biotech buying spree, an LSD pill just delivered unusually strong late-stage depression data, and the FDA reverses course of Regenxbio’s treatment.
Also: Today, thousands of industry players (and me!) are gathering in San Diego for BIO to talk deals, science, and whatever comes next. Check out the last item for a jaunt down memory lane about the conference.
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
Inside the world’s deepest and longest subsea road tunnel
—Niall Firth
I’m currently around 1,000 feet beneath the North Sea, in a dark, dank cave. It smells weird. And I’m increasingly aware of the pressure from millions of tons of seawater just above my head.
I’m under the iconic fjords of Norway to visit what will soon become the world’s longest and deepest subsea road tunnel—an exceptional engineering feat that will carry drivers deep beneath the North Sea.
I’m here to understand how you make a 16.6-mile highway that sits 1,280 feet below the sea at its deepest point. And also—at a time when it can feel hard to get anything done—to reassure myself that ambitious engineering is still possible. That we can still make things.
This story is from the next edition of our magazine, which is all about engineering. Subscribe now to get a copy when it lands on Wednesday!
Want to get a data center online quickly? Give it some flex.
The AI boom is putting unprecedented pressure on the electric grid. But rather than rushing to build new power plants, companies could find part of the solution right under our noses—or, more precisely, in the transmission lines under our feet and above our heads.
If data centers can limit the power they draw during high-demand stretches, they won’t need to wait for big infrastructure upgrades or build their own off-grid generation.
The idea of flexibility isn’t entirely foreign to grid operators. But a new generation of software could make the process faster, smarter, and more precise for the AI era.
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 SK Hynix has overtaken Samsung as South Korea’s most valuable company It’s also now the world’s most valuable memory chipmaker. (Reuters $) + And one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI boom. (BBC) + AI’s need for memory chips is set to skyrocket device prices. (WSJ $)
2 Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat “Well, not now, but a week ago, maybe,” he told The Axios Show. (Axios) + He praised the response of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. (Reuters $) + Anthropic’s IPO outcome could depend on the midterms. (WSJ $) + A culture war tactic against Anthropic has backfired. (MIT Technology Review)
3 SpaceX has received the lowest possible ESG rating Index provider MSCI gave the company a triple C. (Financial Times $) + Russia got the same score after invading Ukraine. (Business Times) + Elon Musk previously called ESG metrics the “Devil Incarnate.” (CNBC)
4 A Tesla on Autopilot allegedly crashed into a Texas home and killed a woman The driver said his Tesla Model 3 was in self-driving mode. (NYT $) + Tesla’s AI trainers don’t trust its self-driving tech. (Reuters $)
5 Polymarket reportedly paid creators to post fake betting videos Clips showed them winning big on bets they would have really lost. (WSJ $) + Polymarket bets on an Iran deal are fueling insider-trading fears. (Bloomberg $)
6 Physicists have proposed that black holes don’t exist They may be something much stranger: “gravastars.” (404 Media) + This is the first ever photo of a black hole. (MIT Technology Review)
7 A daring space rescue mission is set to launch this week A spacecraft will try to lift an observatory into a safer orbit. (Space) + We’re putting more stuff into space than ever. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Nothing’s next budget phone has been cancelled due to “RAMageddon” The company said memory prices pushed costs too high. (The Verge $) + Buying a used phone makes more sense than ever. (Wired $)
9 A viral doomsday scenario aims to pierce Europe’s AI complacency It envisions the US and China tearing Europe into pieces. (Guardian)
10 Scientists have invented a way to brew espresso with ultrasonic waves No hot water required. (Wired $)
Quote of the day
“Even before we start reaping the benefits of AI in our devices, we are already paying the bill.”
—Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC, tells CNBC that consumers are covering the costs of the ongoing memory shortage.
One More Thing
BRIAN OTIENO
How mobile money supercharged Kenya’s sports betting addiction
As the lorry he’d flagged down lurched through Kenya’s western highlands, Bill Kirwa’s Infinix smartphone dinged with a notification. The bet of 3,500 shillings he’d placed with mobile money—then worth approximately $35—had just turned into nearly $8,500.
Kirwa, now 26, put the windfall to good use, purchasing a car that enabled him to drive for Wasili, an Uber-style ride-hailing service. But he continued gambling, and over time, his losses mounted. In just a few years, he’s effectively erased his big win.
Kirwa’s experience is hardly unique. Across Africa, the rapid spread of smartphones and mobile money has fueled an explosion in online gambling. But nowhere is the craze as acute as it is in Kenya. Find out why.
—Jonathan W. Rosen
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ A clever Bengal cat has seemingly learned to understand English—and talk back. + This list of the 100 greatest bird names lovingly captures the quirks of avian taxonomy. + Darth Vader’s weird chestplate transforms into a cassette player in these reworked Star Wars clips. + Trace the history and evolution of heavy metal music through the interactive genres and playlists of Map of Metal.
In recent years, multiple clinical and translational studies have investigated the application and mechanisms of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in gastrointestinal disorders (GIDs), with consideration given to pathophysiology, stimulation parameters, and patient-specific factors. In this review, we systematically synthesize recent evidence from clinical trials and preclinical models published in leading gastroenterology and neurology journals. Our focus is on taVNS-mediated modulation of the brain–gut axis, particularly its role in improving autonomic balance, reducing visceral sensitivity, and attenuating inflammatory responses, with the aim of enhancing therapeutic outcomes in functional and inflammatory GIDs. There is a need to optimize stimulation protocols through mechanistic insights and to promote the use of this non-invasive, well-tolerated neuromodulation approach. These advances are essential for expanding taVNS accessibility in clinical practice, especially for patients with refractory symptoms, comorbid psychological conditions, and in settings where conventional treatments are limited or contraindicated. Personalized taVNS strategies and biomarker-guided dosing represent emerging trends in neuromodulation therapy. However, standardized protocols and predictive models have yet to be established for widespread clinical implementation.
BackgroundParoxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) is a devastating complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI), characterized by the simultaneous onset of various manifestations due to sympathetic overactivity. Paradoxical bradycardia, an uncommon manifestation of PSH, is poorly characterized, and there is limited evidence regarding its clinical features, pathophysiological mechanisms and targeted management.Case presentationA 25-years-old male sustained severe traumatic brain injury in a nighttime motorcycle collision with a parked vehicle and underwent multiple neurosurgical procedures. He developed typical PSH on day 48 post injury, with a Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity Assessment Measure (PSH-AM) score of 27. On the 92nd day post-injury, the patient developed persistent resting bradycardia (40–66 beats/min) after cranioplasty, while a reduced maximum heart rate (140–159 beats/min) was noted during PSH episodes. He subsequently experienced an acute PSH episode with severe bradycardia (38–43 beats/min, PSH-AM score of 20). After excluding common predisposing factors, intravenous isoproterenol (initial dose 4 μg/min, titrated to 2 μg/min) was administered in combination with anti-PSH medication regimen, and the patient’s clinical symptoms were relieved. The patient was discharged in a stable condition and had no further episodes of bradycardia at the 3-months follow-up.ConclusionParadoxical bradycardia represents an atypical clinical phenotype of post-TBI PSH, likely mediated by an atypical Cushing reflex secondary to fluctuating intracranial pressure elevations during PSH exacerbations. Clinically, for TBI patients with unexplained bradycardia, potential primary causes should be actively explored, with particular attention to monitoring dynamic changes in intracranial pressure.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, characterized by progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and emotional dysregulation. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) critically contributes to cognition and mood but undergoes precipitous decline during AD progression. Here, we investigated whether enhancing AHN through genetic expansion of endogenous neural stem cells (NSC) ameliorates AD-related phenotypes. Using lentiviral overexpression of the cell cycle regulators Cdk4 and CyclinD1 in the dentate gyrus of 3xTg-AD mice, we show that enhancing AHN is accompanied by partial improvements in selected behavioral measures associated with hippocampal function, including in the open-field test and Morris water maze. These findings indicate that the AD-compromised neurogenic niche remains responsive to NSC-targeted stimulation and support the use of AHN as a potential additional avenue for multi-modal therapeutic strategies for AD.
