St. Petersburg College

BACKGROUND:Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), characterized by loss of sensation and impaired physical function, is a prevalent and debilitating side effect of chemotherapy, affecting 30%-50% of breast cancer survivors (BCS) with effects lasting years after treatment completion. Mindfulness-based interventions are shown to be efficacious in reducing symptoms in neuropathies. This subgroup analysis examined the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Breast Cancer (MBSR(BC)) compared to Breast Cancer Education Support (BCES) or Usual Care (UC) on CIPN among BCS who received chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation. METHODS:BCS (n = 114) were randomly assigned to the 6-week MBSR(BC) (n = 48), BCES (n = 52), or UC (n = 14) regimen. Demographic and clinical data were assessed at baseline, and CIPN was assessed using the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy assessment tool (CIPNAT) at baseline, 6, 12, and 26 weeks. Between- and within-group differences were evaluated and change over time was compared between groups. RESULTS:BCS (mean age = 52.7 years, range: 28-81 years) were primarily White and non-Hispanic (n = 78, 68%). The pattern of effect sizes was similar for CIPNAT symptoms and interference with improvements in CIPN for MBSR(BC) and BCES groups overtime. For both groups, the effects were larger compared to the UC. Differences tended to increase over time with significant effects observed between MBSR(BC) and UC, and between BCES and UC at weeks 12 and 26. CONCLUSIONS:The findings indicate that MBSR(BC) and BCES may effectively reduce CIPN symptoms among BCS compared to UC. MBSR(BC) and BCES programs are effective non-pharmacological interventions for CIPN that may translate into practice.

Coronaviruses comprise a diverse group of enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses capable of causing high morbidity in humans and livestock. The repeated emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 underscores the critical need for broad-spectrum countermeasures. Mounting evidence demonstrates that successful coronavirus infection depends on the manipulation of host cellular pathways governing translation, metabolism, autophagy, and survival. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase that functions via the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and complex 2 (mTORC2) to integrate extracellular and intracellular signals. Rather than remaining passive metabolic bystanders, coronaviruses actively exploit and rewrite host PI3K/Akt/mTOR networks to facilitate structural translation, assemble double-membrane replication organelles, suppress autophagic clearance, and reprogram protective innate and adaptive immune landscapes. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the molecular mechanisms dictating coronavirus–mTOR interactions across human pathogens and high-impact veterinary models. We detail the clinical consequences of dysregulated mTOR signaling—including immunometabolic perturbations, long-term metabolic memory, and tissue-specific complications—and evaluate the therapeutic potential of allosteric rapalogs, dual ATP-competitive inhibitors, and natural compounds as host-directed platforms designed to complement conventional antiviral regimens and enhance global pandemic preparedness.

Persistent distrust between Black communities and public institutions remains a critical barrier to achieving social equity in the United States. This commentary explores the historical and contemporary roots of institutional distrust, emphasizing how legacies of exclusion, systemic bias, and administrative neglect continue to fracture relationships between Black citizens and the public sector. Drawing on recent events and policy shifts, the essay argues that racial healing must be central to any effort to rebuild legitimacy and trust. It highlights the role of public administrators as agents of change—capable of fostering transparency, accountability, and culturally responsive governance. By framing trust-building as both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity, this piece offers a pathway for institutions to engage in restorative practices that honor lived experiences and promote justice. The urgency of this moment demands bold reflection and action to transform public administration into a vehicle for healing and equity.

Recent advances in spatial biology have redefined our understanding of cellular compartmentalization. Beyond classical membrane-bound organelles, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) drives the formation of biomolecular condensates—dynamic, membrane-less compartments that concentrate proteins and nucleic acids. During viral infection, biomolecular condensates serve as the central arena where host defense mechanisms and viral propagation collide. Rather than viewing viral-host interactions through static protein-protein interaction networks, this review establishes biomolecular condensates as the unifying spatial principle governing innate immunity, viral replication, and RNA metabolism. We highlight how host RNAbinding proteins (RBPs) organize antiviral condensates such as stress granules and P-bodies, and how viruses subvert, remodel, or de novo build dedicated condensates—including viroplasms and viral replication organelles—to facilitate transcription, translation, and genome packaging. By comparing representative RNA and DNA viruses (HIV, SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, Flaviviruses, and RSV), we demonstrate that spatial partitioning determines whether an RBP acts as an antiviral restriction factor or a proviral replicative engine. Finally, we explore emerging spatial proteomics and RNA interactomics technologies, as well as novel therapeutic paradigms aimed at targeting the physical state of biomolecular condensates.

Haloferax volcanii ( H. volcanii) is a facultatively anaerobic model halophilic archaeon capable of anaerobic growth using nitrate, chlorate, fumarate, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as alternative electron acceptors. H. volcanii has been previously documented to tolerate high concentrations of perchlorate during aerobic respiration, but has not been previously documented to grow anaerobically using perchlorate as an alternative electron acceptor. Here, we document the novel metabolic capability of H. volcanii to grow anaerobically using perchlorate and show the initial preferred conditions with respect to NaCl concentration, pH, carbon sources, and perchlorate concentration. Additionally, we investigate changes in carotenoid composition during anaerobic growth on perchlorate with relevance for the search for signs of extinct and extant life on Mars. Our results show that NaCl concentrations of > 175 g/l are required to induce anaerobic growth on perchlorate. We show a preference for a pH of 7.0 and a combination of yeast extract and casamino acids as preferred carbon sources. Furthermore, we document anaerobic growth and perchlorate reduction in the presence of perchlorate concentrations (200 mM) that exceed the currently accepted limit for any organism (100 mM). Raman spectra of cultures grown anaerobically on perchlorate show significant decreases in the intensity of the carotenoid peaks corresponding to bacterioruberin at ~ 1505 cm -1 , ~ 1150 cm -1 , and ~ 1000 cm -1 , highlighting how extreme Martian conditions may cause biosignature degradation. Notably, we demonstrate the previously unreported ability of the model halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii to grow anaerobically using perchlorate and extend the known limits of biological perchlorate tolerance under anoxic conditions. The discovery that H. volcanii is capable of perchlorate reduction has potential implications for the development of biological strategies for perchlorate remediation and for the interpretation of potential biosignatures in perchlorate-rich environments, including those hypothesized to exist on Mars.