Serinophospholipids: A Third Type of Natural Phospholipid Discovered in a Thermophilic Bacterium.

Phospholipids are an essential constituent of cells with all life thought to produce these compounds with either a glycerol or sphingoid moiety at their core. For the first time, we demonstrate that a thermophilic bacterium, NGM72.4, produces a third type of phospholipid, serinophospholipids, which are distinct from glycero- and sphingophospholipids by featuring a serinol backbone instead.

Consensus recommendations for measuring the impact of contraception on the menstrual cycle in contraceptive clinical trials.

Objective: We sought to develop consensus recommendations for measurement and analysis of data on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) in contraceptive clinical trials. We built upon previous standardization efforts over the last 50 years and prioritized input from a variety of global experts and current regulatory authority guidance on patient-reported outcomes.

Study Design: We completed a formal consensus-building process with an interdisciplinary group of 57 experts from 30 organizations and 14 countries in five global regions who work across academia, nonprofit research organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and funding agencies.

Comparison of AAPM TG282 and Dance breast dosimetry models: Impact on estimates of average MGD for the United Kingdom breast screening programmes.

Background: The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task group 282 (TG282) in collaboration with the European Federation for Organisations of Medical Physics (EFOMP) have developed a novel breast dosimetry model intended as a single international standard.

Purpose: To explore the impact of TG282 dosimetry on estimates of average Mean Glandular Dose (MGD) in the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) Breast Screening Programmes (BSP).

Methods: MGDs were estimated, using the TG282 dosimetry model, for the most recent UK NHSBSP dose survey.

Rapid Increase in Soil Respiration and Reduction in Soil Nitrate Availability Following CO Enrichment in a Mature Oak Forest.

In the future, with elevated atmospheric CO (eCO), forests are expected to increase woody biomass to capture more carbon (C), though this is dependent on soil nutrient availability. While young forests may access unused nutrients by growing into an unexplored soil environment, it is unclear how or if mature forests can adapt belowground under eCO. Soil respiration ( ) and nutrient bioavailability are integrative ecosystem measures of below-ground dynamics.

Measurement Properties of the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale in Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

Introduction: The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale-Activities of Daily Living (FARS-ADL) is a valid, highly utilized measure for assessing ADL impacts in patients with Friedreich ataxia. We provide evidence of the psychometric validity of the FARS-ADL in two cohorts of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA).

Methods: Using data from a cohort of real-world subjects with SCA (recruited at Massachusetts General Hospital [MGH]; n = 33) and a phase 3 trial of troriluzole in adults with SCA (NCT03701399 [Study 206]; n = 217), comprising a subset of patients with the SCA3 genotype (n = 89), the psychometric measurement properties and minimal change thresholds of the FARS-ADL were examined.