Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of DPP4 Inhibitors in Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Insight and Clinical Outcome.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and cognitive decline. Given the shared neuropathophysiological traits between AD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), repurposing antidiabetic medications, such as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4i), has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. This review comprehensively evaluates the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the potential of DPP4i in preventing or treating AD by modulating Aβ and tau pathology, improving cognitive function, reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and promoting neuronal survival.

Kinetic sand! A tale of sandy times.

Kinetic magnetic sand, composed of ultra-fine sand and dimethicone in a 98%-2% ratio, is a versatile sensory toy known for its moldable properties and structural stability (1). Despite the name, it lacks actual magnetic features. Ingesting kinetic sand can pose risks, including choking and gastrointestinal issues, especially in young children.

Perceptions and Barriers to Outpatient Antiviral Therapy for COVID-19 and Influenza as Observed by Infectious Disease Specialists in North America: Results of an Emerging Infections Network (EIN) Survey, February 2024.

Antiviral therapy is underutilized for outpatients at increased risk for severe COVID-19 or influenza. Results from this survey offer insights into treatment barriers from the infectious disease specialist perspective. Further education is needed about the benefits of early antiviral therapy.

Fidelity of BMI, Waist, and Waist-to-Height Ratio as Adiposity Measures in Normoglycemic Black vs White American Adults.

Objective: To assess ethnic disparities in the association between indirect and direct measures of adiposity in African American (AA) and European American (EA) adults.

Methods: We analyzed the indirect [weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)] and direct [total fat, trunk fat, fat-free mass (FFM)] adiposity measures in healthy AA and EA adults. Assessments included anthropometry, oral glucose tolerance test, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and calculation of direct-to-indirect adiposity ratios (total fat/BMI, trunk fat/WC, trunk fat/WHtR, and FFM/weight).

In Vitro Osteogenic Response to Copper-Doped Eggshell-Derived Hyroxyapatite With Macrophage Supplements.

The high bioactivity and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite (HAP) make it a useful bone graft material for bone tissue engineering. However, the development superior osteoconductive and osteoinductive materials for bone regeneration remains a challenge. To overcome these constraints, Cu-doped hydroxyapatite (HAP(Cu)) from waste eggshells has been produced for bone tissue engineering.

The DNA-based Lassa vaccine INO-4500 confers durable protective efficacy in cynomolgus macaques against lethal Lassa fever.

Background: We have previously developed a DNA-based vaccine, INO-4500, encoding the Lassa lineage IV glycoprotein precursor. INO-4500, when delivered with electroporation, elicited humoral and cellular responses, and conferred 100% protection in cynomolgus non-human primates. Here, we expanded the characterization of INO-4500 assessing immunogenicity and protective efficacy of lower doses and single immunization, and the durability of immune responses.

Valorization of waste pistachio shells to bimetallic magnetic hydrochar for sustainable dual-action wastewater remediation: A comprehensive study with mechanistic insights and life cycle assessment.

This research outlines an integrated experimental and theoretical strategy for converting Pistachio-shells by hydrothermal carbonization into a bimetallic magnetic hydrochar (BMHC), for effective adsorptive-degradation of organic pollutants. Environmental sustainability of BMHC is supported by life cycle assessment(LCA). Adsorption experiments showed rapid and efficient dye (MB, CV) and antibiotic (TC) removal within 50 min, with >97% efficiency.

CD spectra reveal the state of G-quadruplexes and i-motifs in repeated and other DNA sequences.

The B-DNA of the genome contains numerous sequences that can form various noncanonical structures including G-quadruplex (G4), formed by two or more stacks of four guanine residues in a plane, and intercalating motif (i-motif [iM]) formed by alternately arranged C-C pairs. One of the easy yet sensitive methods to study G4s and iMs is circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, which generates characteristic G4 and iM peaks. We have analyzed and compared the effects of various environmental factors including pH, buffer composition, temperature, flanking sequences, complimentary DNA strands, and single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) on the CD patterns of G4s and iMs generated by two groups of DNA molecules, one containing tandem repeats of GGGGCC and CCCCGG from the C9ORF72 gene associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, and the second containing polyG/polyC clusters from oncogene promoter-proximal regions without such tandem repeats.

Gait variability predicts real-life falls in high-functioning stroke survivors.

Background: While over 60 % of adults with stroke fall each year, the risk is greatest in high-functioning individuals with mild motor impairments and greater physical mobility. We lack sensitive predictors of falls in this population. Therefore, our study aimed to determine the relative contribution of gait variability and widely used tests of balance and mobility in predicting real-life falls in high-functioning adults with stroke.

"If We Don't Beat It, How Long Will It Take?" Worries and Concerns of Children with Advanced Cancer and Their Parents.

Navigating pediatric advanced cancer is challenging for children and parents, resulting in increased risk for psychological distress. While research has explored parent worries/concerns, few studies have included children's perspectives. To explore worries/concerns in children with advanced cancer and their parents.

Appeal and Sensory Characteristics of Oral Nicotine Products in Young Adults Who Vape E-Cigarettes.

Introduction: This study applied a novel tobacco regulatory science paradigm to characterize inter-product variation in the appeal and sensory features of emerging commercial and therapeutic oral nicotine products (ONPs) among young adults that vape e-cigarettes.

Methods: Twenty-three young adults without ONP experience who use e-cigarettes completed a single-blind, single-visit remote lab study. Participants rated appeal and sensory characteristics during 5-minute standardized self-administrations of 8 ONPs (4 fruit, 4 mint) from various brands (Lucy, Rouge, Solace, Nicorette, On!, Velo).

CZ CELLxGENE Discover: a single-cell data platform for scalable exploration, analysis and modeling of aggregated data.

Hundreds of millions of single cells have been analyzed using high-throughput transcriptomic methods. The cumulative knowledge within these datasets provides an exciting opportunity for unlocking insights into health and disease at the level of single cells. Meta-analyses that span diverse datasets building on recent advances in large language models and other machine-learning approaches pose exciting new directions to model and extract insight from single-cell data.

Basic and preclinical epilepsy research Scientists' perception of clinical epileptology.

The interaction between basic science epilepsy researchers and clinical epileptologists is a longstanding issue. Efforts to provide opportunities for a dialogue between preclinical and clinical epilepsy professionals are crucial to reduce the knowledge gap between them and improve the translational success of neurobiology-based research. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Research and Innovation Task Force circulated a survey to investigate the need for an update on new clinical epilepsy concepts within the basic science community.

Recurrent Nasal Subcutaneous Emphysema: A Rare Complication of Open Septorhinoplasty.

Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) is a notably rare complication of surgical procedures, particularly in the context of rhinoplasty. In this report, we present a novel case of recurrent nasal SE following routine open septorhinoplasty in a 59-year-old male. This patient developed persistent subcutaneous air over the nasal dorsum, linked to a fistula tract to the nasal vault, despite initial conservative management with needle aspiration.

Synthesis, structural characterisation, and anticancer potential of mono and dinuclear Pd(II) complexes of -(2-pyridyl)thiourea.

Cancer is a prominent global cause of mortality. Palladium complexes have the potential to serve as effective anticancer and pharmacological agents, offering a viable alternative to platinum medications. This work focused on the development of a new thiolato-bridged dinuclear [Pd(M3MPyThU)Cl]2 and mononuclear palladium [Pd(M3MPyThU)2] complexes containing 1-methyl-3-(3-methylpyridin-2-yl) thiourea (HM3MPyThU) ligand.

Adult-Onset Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Associated With Epstein-Barr Virus, Lyme Disease, and Anaplasmosis.

Adult-onset hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome characterized by dysregulated immune activation. Diagnosing HLH poses significant challenges due to its nonspecific clinical presentation, which often mimics infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. Early recognition and prompt initiation of immunosuppressive therapy are crucial, as delayed treatment is associated with a high risk of mortality.

The ClinGen Syndromic Disorders Gene Curation Expert Panel: Assessing the Clinical Validity of 111 Gene-Disease Relationships.

Purpose: The Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) Gene Curation Expert Panels (GCEPs) have historically focused on specific organ systems or phenotypes; thus, the ClinGen Syndromic Disorders GCEP (SD-GCEP) was formed to address an unmet need.

Methods: The SD-GCEP applied ClinGen's framework to evaluate the clinical validity of genes associated with rare syndromic disorders. 111 Gene-Disease Relationships (GDRs) associated with 100 genes spanning the clinical spectrum of syndromic disorders were curated.

Examining Brain Structures and Cognitive Functions in Patients with Recovered COVID-19 Infection: A Multicenter Study Using 7T MRI.

Importance: Emerging evidence suggests that severe acute respiratory syndrome, COVID-19, negatively impacts brain health, with clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing a wide range of neurologic manifestations but no consistent pattern. Compared with 3 Tesla (3T) MRI, 7 Tesla (7T) MRI can detect more subtle injuries, including hippocampal subfield volume differences and additional standard biomarkers such as white matter lesions. 7T MRI could help with the interpretation of the various persistent post-acute and distal onset sequelae of COVID-19 infection.

Leveraging Deep Learning of Chest Radiograph Images to Identify Individuals at High Risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: This study assessed whether deep learning applied to routine outpatient chest X-rays (CXRs) can identify individuals at high risk for incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Using cancer screening trial data, we previously developed a convolutional neural network (CXR-Lung-Risk) to predict lung-related mortality from a CXR image. In this study, we externally validated CXR-Lung-Risk to predict incident COPD from routine CXRs.