Cognitive benefits of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy track with epigenetic changes at an imprint regulator.

Background: The human ZFP57 gene is a major regulator of imprinted genes, maintaining DNA methylation marks that distinguish parent-of-origin-specific alleles. DNA methylation of the gene itself has shown sensitivity to environmental stimuli, particularly folate status. However, the role of DNA methylation in ZFP57's own regulation has not been fully investigated.

The expression of intestinal Cyp2c55 is regulated by the microbiota and inflammation.

Although the mutualistic relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the human host is crucial for maintaining health, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship remain unclear. In the present study, aiming to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing the Cyp2c55 expression, which is predominantly observed in colonic tissues, germ-free, antibiotic-administered and colitic mice, as well as mouse colonoids, were used as experimental models. RNA sequencing showed comparable decreases in the colonic Cyp2c55 expression in germ-free and antibiotic-administered mice, when compared with that in specific pathogen-free mice.

Sclerotherapy with absolute alcohol in a child with spinal aneurysmal bone cyst: A case report.

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign and locally proliferative vascular disorder in the form of a non-neoplastic bone lesion commonly found in children and young adults. Several treatments and therapeutic options are available. Percutaneous sclerotherapy is an alternative treatment for ABC with less morbidity than other therapies.

Amplifying Their Voice: Inclusive Healthcare Provider Perspectives to Improve Advancement, Resilience, and Retention.

Background And Objectives:  Addressing the issues of workplace advancement, resilience, and retention within medicine is crucial for creating a culture of equity, respect, and inclusivity especially towards women and nonbinary (WNB) providers including advanced practice providers (APPs), most notably those from marginalized groups. This also directly impacts healthcare quality, patient outcomes, and overall patient and employee satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to amplify the voices on challenges faced by WNB providers within a pediatric academic healthcare organization, to rank workplace interventions addressing advancement, resilience, and retention highlighting urgency towards addressing these issues, and, lastly, to provide suggestions on how to improve inclusivity.

Motor neurons and endothelial cells additively promote development and fusion of human iPSC-derived skeletal myocytes.

Background: Neurovascular cells have wide-ranging implications on skeletal muscle biology regulating myogenesis, maturation, and regeneration. Although several in vitro studies have investigated how motor neurons and endothelial cells interact with skeletal myocytes independently, there is limited knowledge about the combined effect of neural and vascular cells on muscle maturation and development.

Methods: Here, we report a triculture system comprising human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived skeletal myocytes, human iPSC-derived motor neurons, and primary human endothelial cells maintained under controlled media conditions.

The quandary of sources and sinks of CO2 efflux in tree stems-new insights and future directions.

Stem respiration (RS) substantially contributes to the return of photo assimilated carbon to the atmosphere and, thus, to the tree and ecosystem carbon balance. Stem CO2 efflux (ECO2) is often used as a proxy for RS. However, this metric has often been challenged because of the uncertain origin of CO2 emitted from the stem due to post-respiratory processes.

Carbon dynamics during long-term starving poplar trees-the importance of older carbohydrates and a shift to lipids during survival.

Carbon (C) assimilation can be severely impaired during periods of environmental stress like drought or defoliation, making trees heavily dependent on the use of C reserve pools for survival; yet, dynamics of reserve use during periods of reduced C supply are still poorly understood. We used stem girdling in mature poplar trees (Populus tremula L. hybrids), a lipid-storing species, to permanently interrupt phloem C transport and induced C shortage in the isolated stem section below the girdle and monitored metabolic activity during three campaigns in the growing seasons of 2018, 2019, and 2021.

Sclerotherapy in orbital lymphangioma: A case report.

Orbital lymphangioma is a rare benign lymphatic and vascular malformation, which is distinguished by its abnormal endothelial ducts and can cause proptosis in the patients. Radiological imaging is essential in confirming the diagnosis. Sclerotherapy is an alternative treatment option if surgery is not an option or is too risky.

Prioritization of absent quarantine pests in Brazil through the Analytical Hierarchy Process.

Introducing an Absent Quarantine Pest (AQP) can cause severe economic, social and environmental impacts, generating food insecurity. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is an excellent tool for prioritizing APQs, allowing countries to better prepare against these threats. This study aimed to determine which AQPs should be prioritized in Brazil.

Carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) with coil embolization in interventional radiology: A case report.

Carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) is a condition with abnormal flow from the carotid artery to the cavernous sinus. The characteristic clinical findings are ophthalmic monoplegia, ptosis, exophthalmos, chemosis, Horner's syndrome, facial pain, loss of sensation in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve, and headache. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard modality for evaluating CCF.

The UHRF1 protein is a key regulator of retrotransposable elements and innate immune response to viral RNA in human cells.

While epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modification are known to be important for gene suppression, relatively little is still understood about the interplay between these systems. The UHRF1 protein can interact with both DNA methylation and repressive chromatin marks, but its primary function in humans has been unclear. To determine what that was, we first established stable UHRF1 knockdowns (KD) in normal, immortalized human fibroblasts using targeting shRNA, since CRISPR knockouts (KO) were lethal.

Differences between tree stem CO efflux and O influx rates cannot be explained by internal CO transport or storage in large beech trees.

Tree stem respiration (R ) is a substantial component of the forest carbon balance. The mass balance approach uses stem CO efflux and internal xylem fluxes to sum up R , while the oxygen-based method assumes O influx as a proxy of R . So far, both approaches have yielded inconsistent results regarding the fate of respired CO in tree stems, a major challenge for quantifying forest carbon dynamics.

A rare disease of Kallmann syndrome: A case report.

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a rare genetic disorder that refers to the association between hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia or hyposmia due to abnormal migration of olfactory axons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-producing neurons. Here, we present a case of a 40-year-old man who presented with psychological problems (emotional disturbance) as the chief complaint. Physical examination revealed gynecomastia, absence of facial and axillary hair, and sparse pubic hair, micropenis, undescended right testicle, low libido and lack of sexual function.

Folic acid intervention during pregnancy alters DNA methylation, affecting neural target genes through two distinct mechanisms.

Background: We previously showed that continued folic acid (FA) supplementation beyond the first trimester of pregnancy appears to have beneficial effects on neurocognitive performance in children followed for up to 11 years, but the biological mechanism for this effect has remained unclear. Using samples from our randomized controlled trial of folic acid supplementation in second and third trimester (FASSTT), where significant improvements in cognitive and psychosocial performance were demonstrated in children from mothers supplemented in pregnancy with 400 µg/day FA compared with placebo, we examined methylation patterns from cord blood (CB) using the EPIC array which covers approximately 850,000 cytosine-guanine (CG) sites across the genome. Genes showing significant differences were verified using pyrosequencing and mechanistic approaches used in vitro to determine effects on transcription.

Drug-Coated Balloon Versus Drug-Eluting Stent in Patients With Femoropopliteal Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to compare drug-coated balloon (DCB) to drug-eluting stent (DES) in patients with femoropopliteal lesions in terms of restenosis, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and mortality.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed through PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases. The intervention group was patients receiving percutaneous balloon angioplasty using the DCB.

A European, prospective, observational study of enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: PREMISE.

In randomized clinical trials, the androgen-receptor inhibitor enzalutamide has demonstrated efficacy and safety in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study captured efficacy, safety and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of enzalutamide in mCRPC patients in a real-world European setting. PREMISE (NCT0249574) was a European, long-term, prospective, observational study in mCRPC patients prescribed enzalutamide as part of standard clinical practice.

Third Ventricular Floor Bowing Indicates Surgical Success in Patients Undergoing Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic performance of third ventricular floor bowing (TVFB) as a marker for surgical success in patients undergoing endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV).

Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search for studies comparing ETV success in patients with TVFB compared with those without using PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, and EuropePMC. TVFB was defined as inferior bowing or bulging deformation or convex third ventricular floor.

Clinical Impact of the Predict Prostate Risk Communication Tool in Men Newly Diagnosed with Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer: A Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: Predict Prostate is a freely available online personalised risk communication tool for men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Its accuracy has been assessed in multiple validation studies, but its clinical impact among patients has not hitherto been assessed.

Objective: To assess the impact of the tool on patient decision-making and disease perception.

Empowering adolescents as peer-educators for early prevention of non-communicable diseases: Through existing 'POSBINDU' program in Indonesia.

Background: Human lifestyles, including sedentary activities, obesity, and smoking, are associated with a high risk of non-communicable diseases that are a leading cause of death globally. Accordingly, health promotion should be done as early as possible in the adolescent period.

Aims: This study explores the efficacy of a peer-educator program in promoting the healthy habits of adolescents, via an existing Indonesian community initiative program called 'POSBINDU' (Integrated Counseling Post), led by the general practitioners.

The size and the age of the metabolically active carbon in tree roots.

Little is known about the sources and age of C respired by tree roots. Previous research in stems identified two functional pools of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC): an "active" pool supplied directly from canopy photo-assimilates supporting metabolism and a "stored" pool used when fresh C supplies are limited. We compared the C isotope composition of water-soluble NSC and respired CO for aspen roots (Populus tremula hybrids) cut off from fresh C supply after stem-girdling or prolonged incubation of excised roots.