Mario O Martinez

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This systematic review compiled body composition and dietary intake data for male and female combat sport athletes, finding that most had lower body fat and higher muscle mass than non-athletes. Despite these favorable body composition profiles, many athletes fell short of recommended carbohydrate and protein intakes. The findings highlight nutritional gaps that coaches and dietitians can target to optimize athletic performance.

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Sleep disorders and primary headaches like migraine frequently coexist, and evidence shows the relationship is bidirectional — poor sleep worsens headache, and headache disrupts sleep. Shared biological mechanisms including dopaminergic dysfunction, hypothalamic dysregulation, and neuroinflammation explain the overlap. Targeting these common pathways could enable treatments that address both conditions simultaneously.

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Researchers characterized the venom of Podalia orsilochus, a caterpillar responsible for envenomation cases in northeastern Argentina, identifying a procoagulant protein alongside hemolytic and coagulation-disrupting activities. Venom components were isolated by chromatographic fractionation and confirmed by immunodetection. These findings advance understanding of caterpillar envenomation pathology and could inform antivenom development and clinical treatment.

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Growth hormone deficiency is common after traumatic brain injury but is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms overlap with chronic TBI effects, and IGF-1 — the standard screening biomarker — can be normal even in confirmed cases. Low or low-normal IGF-1 is also nonspecific and can reflect many other conditions. Accurate diagnosis requires careful clinical interpretation alongside provocative testing, not IGF-1 levels alone.

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Eye tracking technology measures eye movements objectively, providing diagnostic and monitoring value across neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury, autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases. This systematic review found portable eye-tracking devices are reliable in clinical settings across diverse patient populations. Portable devices could extend neurological assessment beyond the clinic, enabling more frequent and accessible monitoring.

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Wildlife health surveillance systems have critical gaps that leave biodiversity and public health vulnerable to emerging diseases. Integrating park rangers into systematic wildlife health monitoring offers a cost-effective solution, given that rangers already patrol protected areas at the human-wildlife interface. A four-country pilot showed rangers can collect standardized health event data effectively, expanding surveillance capacity without major new infrastructure.

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A 32-year-old with CLOVES syndrome and severe thrombocytopenia needed biopsy of bleeding cystic lesions, but the bleeding risk made standard percutaneous biopsy dangerous. Transvenous biopsy — routing the sampling device through a blood vessel — was performed safely and obtained sufficient diagnostic tissue. This case establishes transvenous biopsy as a viable alternative when standard approaches carry prohibitive bleeding risk.

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Meropenem is a carbapenem antibiotic increasingly needed in veterinary medicine to treat resistant infections, but no validated susceptibility testing breakpoints exist for animals. Researchers proposed veterinary-specific meropenem breakpoints for dogs based on pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling. These standards would enable standardized resistance monitoring and guide appropriate carbapenem use in veterinary clinical practice.

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Intraoral digital scanners have difficulty accurately capturing very narrow spaces between teeth, but the minimum reproducible interdental distance under clinical conditions was unknown. Testing three scanner models under dry and wet conditions revealed specific threshold distances below which scanning errors increase significantly. These thresholds help clinicians select scanning protocols that ensure accurate digital impressions.

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Plant species diversity was assessed at five Colombian Caribbean coastal dune sites across a gradient of human disturbance, using field plots and environmental measurements. Both natural factors — sediment properties, slope, dune height — and anthropogenic impacts shaped species composition and plant cover, with disturbed sites showing lower diversity. The data provide a conservation baseline for this threatened coastal ecosystem.

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Tissue ingrowth into aneurysm coils after embolization is critical for stable healing but has been measured subjectively and inconsistently in animal models. Researchers developed a machine learning pipeline to automatically quantify tissue ingrowth from histological images, providing objective and reproducible measurements. The tool accelerates comparison of aneurysm treatment strategies and coil materials in preclinical studies.

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Researchers produced recombinant Lopap — a prothrombin-activating protein from the dangerous Lonomia obliqua caterpillar — by using Spodoptera frugiperda moth larvae as biological expression factories. The polyhistidine-tagged protein was purified in a single step and recognized by antilonomic antivenom antibodies. This insect larva-based system provides a scalable, cost-effective source of Lopap for venom research and antivenom development.

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A 17-year-old with single-ventricle congenital heart disease and pre-formed anti-HLA antibodies underwent heart transplantation with simultaneous plasmapheresis during cardiopulmonary bypass, processing over 8 liters of blood to reduce antibody levels before the donor heart was implanted. The combined approach successfully lowered antibody concentrations without major complications. This represents the first such case in Argentina and demonstrates a promising strategy for sensitized pediatric heart transplant candidates.

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Researchers developed a reproducible protocol for isolating and identifying microplastics in human blood using confocal Raman microscopy, which identifies plastic polymers by their unique light-scattering signatures. The method includes strict contamination controls and distinguishes multiple polymer types in a complex biological matrix. It provides a validated analytical tool for studying human microplastic exposure at the individual level.

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CD38 is a surface protein with enzymatic activity that regulates NAD+ metabolism and drives immune cell activation, cytokine release, and antigen presentation during inflammation. Evidence links CD38 overactivity to the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions including multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Therapeutic targeting of CD38 — already validated in multiple myeloma — may offer a new approach for treating autoimmune diseases.

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Researchers evaluated how silo-bag storage affects Fusarium fungal diversity, mycotoxin levels, and grain quality in bread wheat over two growing seasons. Storage altered the Fusarium species composition and in some cases reduced mycotoxin contamination, but grain germination and vigor were also affected by six months of bagging. The results inform post-harvest storage practices to preserve wheat quality and minimize food safety risks.

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Researchers identified a significant number of carbon black-based figures in Font-de-Gaume cave in the Dordogne, France — a site previously thought to use only mineral pigments — using reflectance imaging spectroscopy. Carbon-based pigments can be directly radiocarbon dated, which mineral-based pigments cannot, unlocking direct age determination for these artworks. The discovery opens the entire Dordogne Paleolithic art tradition to absolute dating for the first time.

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The Rurankapak methodology for sexual and reproductive health education was collaboratively adapted for culturally diverse adolescent communities in Ecuador through a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study. Participants rated the adapted program as highly relevant and acceptable, and the study found preliminary improvements in sexual health knowledge and attitudes. The findings support culturally tailored, participatory SRH education as feasible and acceptable across diverse sociocultural settings.

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Researchers used physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to investigate why two oral formulations of ivermectin and praziquantel showed unexpected bioavailability differences in dogs despite similar in vitro dissolution. Model analysis revealed that differences in gastric emptying, intestinal transit, and drug solubility interactions explained the in vivo discrepancies. PBPK modeling can predict bioequivalence failures for veterinary drug formulations before costly animal studies.

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Researchers investigated a familial case of malignant early repolarization syndrome — a cardiac condition causing life-threatening arrhythmias — using electrocardiographic imaging and analysis of explanted heart tissue. They found that endocardial overexpression of a potassium channel gene combined with fibrotic structural changes drives the dangerous arrhythmia pattern. These molecular and structural findings could guide patient-specific treatment decisions in refractory early repolarization syndrome.

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Researchers conducted the largest single-site genome-wide association study of cerebrospinal fluid proteins, analyzing over 7,000 proteins in 1,259 individuals to map how genetic variants control protein levels in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. They identified nearly 2,000 genetic associations including 264 previously unknown ones, many linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The dataset provides a powerful resource for identifying disease mechanisms and drug targets in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and related conditions.

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Researchers implemented a community-based HIV antiretroviral dispensing model using a smartphone app and automated locker systems at a community center, shifting medication pickup away from the hospital pharmacy. The approach maintained high adherence rates while improving patient convenience and satisfaction. The model demonstrates how digital tools and decentralized dispensing can support more patient-centered HIV care at scale.

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CXCL1, a chemokine highly expressed in human cerebral aneurysms, was found to impair healing after coil embolization in mouse models. Neutralizing CXCL1 with antibody injections improved tissue ingrowth within coiled aneurysms at 7, 14, and 21 days post-treatment. Blocking CXCL1 represents a potential strategy to reduce aneurysm recurrence following endovascular coiling.

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Adolescent male rats released action sequences prematurely in an operant task requiring a sustained withhold before responding, showing higher impulsivity than adult rats. The premature releases were specific to the timing requirement, not due to general hyperactivity or learning deficits. These findings identify adolescent impulsivity as a distinct behavioral trait tied to action timing control, with relevance for understanding risk-taking in human adolescence.

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Researchers prospectively measured calcium levels in trauma patients arriving at three Level I trauma centers and found calcium derangements — both high and low — occurred before any transfusions were given. Both hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia on arrival were independently associated with worse outcomes including higher mortality. The findings suggest early monitoring and correction of calcium levels in trauma patients may improve outcomes.

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Neural population activity is high-dimensional but often approximated by low-dimensional patterns, and existing methods for finding these patterns either ignore temporal structure or impose rigid dynamical assumptions. Researchers developed dynamic compression flows, a method that identifies low-dimensional latent representations of neural time series while respecting temporal dynamics. The approach outperforms existing dimensionality reduction methods on neural recordings from multiple brain areas.

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Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is controlled globally through serological surveillance, but the standard AGID test has limited sensitivity. Researchers developed an ELISA using a synthetic peptide from the EIAV surface glycoprotein gp90 and validated it on 773 horse sera, achieving 85% sensitivity — superior to AGID — while maintaining acceptable specificity. The new assay could strengthen surveillance programs and identify infected horses that the standard test misses.

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An 80-year-old woman on home tracheostomy care was found to have a metallic density near her right lung on a post-operative chest X-ray taken after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement. Bronchoscopy confirmed it was an aspirated tracheostomy cleaning brush, which was successfully retrieved. The case highlights the importance of investigating incidental radiographic metallic densities in tracheostomy patients, as aspirated objects can be subtle and mistaken for procedure-related findings.

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Researchers designed a mechanically tunable cardiac patch with three distinct structural zones — cell alignment, force transmission, and elastic attachment — to act as a biological ventricular assist device for hearts damaged by infarction. Computational modeling guided the patch architecture, and cardiomyocyte cultures validated alignment and function within the regenerative zone. The platform allows personalized cardiac patch design matched to individual patient anatomy and mechanical needs.

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Gout and type 2 diabetes frequently coexist and amplify each other through shared mechanisms including elevated uric acid, insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut microbiota disruption. The review proposes combined therapeutic strategies that target these overlapping pathways — such as medications that lower both uric acid and blood glucose — to manage both conditions simultaneously. This integrated approach could reduce the metabolic burden of managing two interacting chronic diseases separately.

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The Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee shaped a public precision medicine conference in 2025, guiding topic selection, speaker choice, and outreach. The conference achieved strong attendance and participant satisfaction, demonstrating that patients can be effective partners in designing and delivering scientific events. The experience offers practical lessons for integrating patient voices into knowledge translation in oncology.

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A cluster-randomized trial across 640 surgeons and 19 hospitals tested whether guideline-based reductions in initial post-operative opioid prescriptions led to more refill requests or new opioid prescriptions. Reducing initial prescriptions did not increase refill rates or new opioid requests across three surgical specialties. Physicians can safely prescribe fewer post-operative opioids without compromising pain management or increasing patient burden.

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Refugees face unique barriers to end-of-life care including language differences, trauma histories, cultural practices around death, and distrust of healthcare systems. This article provides a practical, humility-centered framework for nurses delivering palliative care to refugee communities, addressing structural inequities and the importance of cultural responsiveness. Implementing this framework can help close the large gap between refugees' palliative care needs and what they currently receive.

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Resiquimod activates the innate immune system through toll-like receptor 7, and prenatal exposure during late gestation was used as a rat model of maternal immune activation. Offspring of exposed dams showed altered development and behavioral changes compared to controls, including differences in weight gain and stress responses. The findings support the hypothesis that maternal immune activation programs lasting neurodevelopmental changes in offspring.

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In a large retrospective study spanning over 20 years, colonoscopists with higher sessile serrated lesion detection rates had significantly lower rates of colorectal cancer diagnosed after their procedures. Sessile serrated lesions are precancerous growths that are harder to spot than adenomas, yet no performance benchmark exists for detecting them. Establishing a sessile serrated lesion detection rate standard alongside adenoma detection rate could improve colonoscopy quality and reduce post-colonoscopy cancer.

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Project AMEN delivered mental health workshops, homilies, and text messages through Latino Catholic parishes to reduce mental health stigma and link community members to care. The intervention reached 579 participants across multiple parishes and achieved high satisfaction, strong fidelity, and measurable reductions in stigma at one-year follow-up. Faith communities are effective, culturally grounded partners for mental health outreach in Latino populations.

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Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) uses microspheres injected into the hepatic artery to deliver targeted radiation to liver tumors, and was tested in a prospective multicenter phase 2 study for inoperable neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases. The study found meaningful tumor response rates with an acceptable safety profile and identified a dose-response relationship where higher radiation doses correlated with better outcomes. SIRT is an effective liver-directed therapy for this patient population when surgery is not an option.

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The LA-COMET network analyzed 246 publications from seven Latin American countries using the comet assay — a technique for detecting DNA damage in cells — and evaluated technical quality using a standardized scoring rubric. Most studies scored highly on the rubric, and cancer, environmental pollution, and in vivo testing dominated the research topics. The analysis highlights the strength of Latin American comet assay research while identifying opportunities for greater standardization.

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GW250114 is the loudest gravitational wave signal ever detected, produced by two merging black holes, and provided an exceptional opportunity to test general relativity in extreme gravity conditions. Analysis of the post-merger ringdown signal found at least two distinct vibrational modes, with the dominant mode matching predictions for a Kerr black hole to high precision. The measurement confirms Einstein's general relativity and constrains the properties of the remnant black hole with unprecedented accuracy.

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Researchers examined whether prenatal exposure to extreme temperatures during specific weeks of pregnancy is associated with autism diagnosis by age 5, using birth cohort data from Southern California spanning 2001 to 2014. Associations were found between gestational heat exposure during specific developmental windows and increased autism risk. The findings raise concern that ongoing climate warming may increase the prevalence of neurodevelopmental conditions.

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Duckweed (Lemna minor) effectively removes the pharmaceutical metformin from water through phytoremediation, but the role of plant-associated microbes in this process was unclear. Plants with their natural microbial communities removed metformin as effectively as sterile plants but showed different accumulation patterns and stress responses. Microbial symbionts modulate how duckweed processes pharmaceutical pollutants, an important factor for optimizing plant-based water treatment.

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Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation using ECMO requires rapid cannulation that teams must practice repeatedly, but commercial simulators are expensive and poorly integrated into standard cardiac arrest training. Researchers built a realistic ECMO cannulation simulator using inexpensive agar-agar gel to mimic vessel tissue, enabling trainees to practice the procedure within simulated cardiac arrest scenarios. The low-cost model provides an accessible training tool for programs that cannot afford commercial ECMO simulators.

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Hemispherectomy removes or disconnects an entire diseased brain hemisphere to treat severe childhood epilepsy, inevitably causing contralateral weakness with limited recovery of fine hand movements. This review examines the neural mechanisms underlying partial motor recovery and evaluates whether non-invasive or invasive neuromodulation could enhance outcomes beyond spontaneous recovery. Targeted stimulation of surviving motor pathways shows promise for improving functional motor recovery in these children.

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Allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis are triggered by IgE responses to specific allergens that vary significantly by geographic region and climate. Researchers profiled molecular sensitization patterns in 291 Spanish patients from 12 cities with distinct bioclimates and found that local environmental factors strongly shaped which specific allergen molecules drove disease in each area. Precision allergy diagnosis targeting region-specific molecular allergens could improve immunotherapy selection and outcomes.

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Hispanic Americans have high rates of alcohol use disorder but are less likely to seek formal treatment, often managing problems within family or faith communities. Using longitudinal data from Hispanic church attendees with probable alcohol use disorder, researchers identified that congregation relationships and clergy support were associated with greater help-seeking behavior. Faith-based communities represent underutilized but promising entry points for linking Hispanic individuals to alcohol treatment.

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Researchers designed aerosol particles with an asymmetric shape that causes scattered light to preferentially travel forward rather than backward, creating a one-directional vision environment where observers on one side can see through the plume while observers on the other side cannot. The effect was characterized computationally and experimentally by analyzing how particle orientation controls the directional asymmetry of scattered light. This asymmetric scattering principle could be applied to privacy screens, optical camouflage, or directed imaging systems.