Clinical outcomes and long-term efficacy of high tibial osteotomy in treating knee instability: An updated systematic review.

Introduction: Knee joint stability is influenced by force distribution and ligament structures. High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO) treats knee deformities and redistributes load, reducing further invasive procedures. High Tibial Osteotomy (HTO) is a well-established procedure for addressing knee instability, particularly in cases involving ligament deficiencies such as ACL and PCL insufficiencies.

Bergapten Ameliorates Psoriatic Skin Lesions and IL-17A-Induced Activation of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway via the Downregulation of CYP1B1.

Bergapten (BP) is a plant-derived furocoumarin that has a wide range of pharmacological effects. BP serves as a candidate amplifier in phototherapy against skin inflammation, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. However, the anti-inflammatory role of BP remains elusive.

Molecular-level insights into the degradation of dissolved organic matter from cyanobacteria-impacted water by electro-oxidation and electro-Fenton with carbon-based electrodes.

Algal organic matter (AOM) originating from cyanobacteria-impacted reservoirs presents a significant risk to drinking water. Electrochemical oxidation is an emerging technology effective in AOM degradation. This study focuses on the elimination of AOM, including extracellular organic matter (EOM) and intracellular organic matter (IOM), extracted from Microcystis aeruginosa (MA).

Differential modulation of pain and associated anxiety by GABAergic neuronal circuits in the lateral habenula.

Persistent pain frequently precipitates the development of anxiety disorders, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we employed a mouse model that simulates trigeminal neuralgia and observed a marked reduction in the activity of GABAergic neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb), a critical region for modulating pain and anxiety. We utilized precise optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques to modulate these neurons, which significantly alleviated behaviors associated with pain and anxiety.

Engineered Biomimetic Cancer Cell Membrane Nanosystems Trigger Gas-Immunometabolic Therapy for Spinal-Metastasized Tumors.

Despite great progress in enhancing tumor immunogenicity, conventional gas therapy cannot effectively reverse the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME), limiting immunotherapy. The development of therapeutic gases that are tumor microenvironment responsive and efficiently reverse the TIME for precisely targeted tumor gas-immunometabolic therapy remains a great challenge. In this study, a novel cancer cell membrane-encapsulated pH-responsive nitric oxide (NO)-releasing biomimetic nanosystem (MP@AL) is prepared.

Noninvasive Monitoring of Steatotic Liver Disease in Western Diet-Fed Obese Mice Using Automated Ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography.

Background And Aims: Ultrasound imaging and shear wave elastography (SWE) can be used to noninvasively stage hepatopathologies and are widespread in clinical practice. These techniques have recently been adapted for small animal use in a novel 3D in vivo imaging system capable of high-throughput automated scanning. Our goal was to evaluate the feasibility of using this imaging tool in the murine Western diet (WD) model, a highly translatable preclinical model of obesity, metabolic disease and liver fibrosis.

A Novel Interaction between a 23-SNP Genetic Risk Score and Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Intake on HbA1c Levels in Southeast Asian Women.

Metabolic diseases result from interactions between genetic and lifestyle factors. Understanding the combined influences of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and lifestyle is crucial. This study employs genetic risk scores (GRS) to assess SNPs, providing insight beyond single gene/SNP studies by revealing synergistic effects.

Efficiency of Anatomical Hepatectomy in the Treatment of Hepatic Cystic Echinococcosis.

Total cystectomy and hepatectomy are the main radical surgical procedures for hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE). When CE lesions severely invade intrahepatic biliary ducts and vessels or single or multiple lesions occupy one hepatic lobe, performing total cystectomy is not indicated. This study aimed to analyze the clinical efficiency of anatomical hepatectomy in the treatment of patients with hepatic CE.

Preserving coastal ecosystem through micro-zonation analysis of Karimunjawa, Indonesia.

Small island ecosystems and their inhabitants face a significant threat from global warming, jeopardizing their sustainability. These communities are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, as they heavily rely on natural resources for their livelihoods and are more vulnerable than mainland regions. Therefore, it is essential to take urgent action to address the challenges small island states face and promote their resilience in the face of climate change.

Foxg1 Modulation of the Prkcd Gene in the Lateral Habenula Mediates Trigeminal Neuralgia-Associated Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Mice.

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is a debilitating disorder frequently accompanied by mood complications such as depression and anxiety. The current study sought to elucidate the molecular underpinnings that contribute to the pathogenesis of TN and its associated anxiety. Employing a partial transection of the infraorbital nerve (pT-ION) in a murine model, we successfully induced sustained primary and secondary orofacial allodynia alongside anxiety-like behavioral manifestations.

Nuclear-Targeted Nanostrategy Regulates Spatiotemporal Communication for Dual Antitumor Immunity.

Intercellular communication between tumor cells and immune cells regulates tumor progression including positive communication with immune activation and negative communication with immune escape. An increasing number of methods are employed to suppress the dominant negative communication in tumors such as PD-L1/PD-1. However, how to effectively improve positive communication is still a challenge.

Resting-state fMRI reveals changes within the anxiety and social avoidance circuitry of the brain in mice with psoriasis-like skin lesions.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease that often co-occurs with psychological morbidities such as anxiety and depression, and psychosocial issues also lead psoriasis patients to avoid other people. However, the precise mechanism underlying the comorbidity of psoriasis and anxiety is unknown. Also, whether the social avoidance phenomenon seen in human patients also exists in psoriasis-like animal models remains unknown.

Benchmarking of novel green fluorescent proteins for the quantification of protein oligomerization in living cells.

Protein-protein-interactions play an important role in many cellular functions. Quantitative non-invasive techniques are applied in living cells to evaluate such interactions, thereby providing a broader understanding of complex biological processes. Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy describes a group of quantitative microscopy approaches for the characterization of molecular interactions at single cell resolution.

Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Methylation Level and Its Significance in Patients With Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Hypertension.

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) often coexists with hypertension (HYT). DNA methylation has elicited vital functionality in their development. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a vital enzyme in blood pressure.

Advances in fluorescence microscopy for orthohantavirus research.

Orthohantaviruses are important zoonotic pathogens responsible for a considerable disease burden globally. Partly due to our incomplete understanding of orthohantavirus replication, there is currently no effective antiviral treatment available. Recently, novel microscopy techniques and cutting-edge, automated image analysis algorithms have emerged, enabling to study cellular, subcellular and even molecular processes in unprecedented detail and depth.

Perception and willingness to accept COVID-19 Vaccines: A cross-sectional survey of the general population of Sokoto State, Nigeria.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally is well over 400 million, however, the number of cases is showing a downward trend especially in developed countries largely as a result of effective vaccination against COVID-19. In developing countries, vaccination coverage is still very low as a result of vaccine hesitancy, which could be attributed to misconceptions about COVID-19 itself and its newly developed vaccines. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and perception amongst the adult population in Sokoto state, Nigeria.

Lumefantrine solid dispersions with piperine for the enhancement of solubility, bioavailability and anti-parasite activity.

Crystallinity and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated efflux of drugs with low aqueous solubility collaboratively contributes to erratic absorption resulting in low/variable bioavailability. Herein, the amorphous solid dispersions (SD) of lumefantrine (LUMF) containing piperine (PIP), a P-gp and CYP3A4 inhibitor, were formulated with Soluplus (Sol), Klucel (Klu) and Lutrol F68 (Lut), polymeric carriers, to improve solubility and bioavailability of LUMF following oral administration. The LUMF-PIP-SD prepared with Sol exhibited higher aqueous solubility of LUMF in concentration dependent manner and LUMF-PIP-Sol demonstrating maximum aqueous LUMF solubility were characterized by DSC, FTIR and XRD.

Maternal Vitamin D Status and Its Associated Environmental Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common among women during pregnancy. This study aims to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and their shared modifiable environmental factors among pregnant women in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Methods: Blood samples of 844 third-trimester pregnant women (Indonesians: 311; Malaysians: 533) were collected to determine their serum 25(OH) D levels.

Impact of maternal dietary carbohydrate intake and vitamin D-related genetic risk score on birth length: the Vitamin D Pregnant Mother (VDPM) cohort study.

Background: Our objectives were to investigate the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and IGF-1 levels in healthy Minangkabau pregnant mothers and their impact on newborn anthropometry outcomes and to examine whether this relationship was modified by dietary intake using a nutrigenetic approach.

Methods: Healthy singleton pregnant mother and infant pairs (n = 183) were recruited. We created three genetic risk scores (GRSs): a six-SNP GRS based on six vitamin D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in the synthesis of vitamin D (vitamin D-GRS), a two-SNP GRS using SNPs in VDR genes (VDR-GRS) and a four-SNP GRS using SNPs from DHCR7, GC, CYP24A1 and CYP2R1 genes (non-VDR GRS).

Responsivity and NEP Improvement of Terahertz Microbolometer by High-Impedance Antenna.

The antenna-coupled microbolometer with suspended titanium heater and thermistor was attractive as a terahertz (THz) detector due to its structural simplicity and low noise levels. In this study, we attempted to improve the responsivity and noise-equivalent power (NEP) of the THz detector by using high-resistance heater stacked on the meander thermistor. A wide range of heater resistances were prepared by changing the heater width and thickness.

Association between pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain on pregnancy outcomes: a cohort study in Indonesian pregnant women.

Background: Pre-pregnancy BMI (PP BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are prominent anthropometric indicators for maternal nutritional status and are related to an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting total GWG, PP BMI and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Methods: This observational analysis was conducted among healthy women in the Vitamin D Pregnant Mother (VDPM) cohort study.

Development of a Robotic Shear Wave Elastography System for Noninvasive Staging of Liver Disease in Murine Models.

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an ultrasound-based stiffness quantification technology that is used for noninvasive liver fibrosis assessment. However, despite widescale clinical adoption, SWE is largely unused by preclinical researchers and drug developers for studies of liver disease progression in small animal models due to significant experimental, technical, and reproducibility challenges. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a tool designed specifically for assessing liver stiffness and echogenicity in small animals to better enable longitudinal preclinical studies.

Validation of a combined ultrasound and bioluminescence imaging system with magnetic resonance imaging in orthotopic pancreatic murine tumors.

Preclinical mouse solid tumor models are widely used to evaluate efficacy of novel cancer therapeutics. Recent reports have highlighted the need for utilizing orthotopic implantation to represent clinical disease more accurately, however the deep tissue location of these tumors makes longitudinal assessment challenging without the use of imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a new multi-modality high-throughput in vivo imaging system that combines bioluminescence imaging (BLI) with robotic, hands-free ultrasound (US) for evaluating orthotopic mouse models.

BHLHE40 modulates post-traumatic stress disorder behaviors with the involvement of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is closely related to the exposure to traumatic events and results in the structural and functional changes of hippocampus. Human basic helix-loop-helix family member e40 (BHLHE40) was reported to be implicated with neuron maturity and neuronal differentiation. The present study aimed to reveal the role of BHLHE40 on single-prolonged stress (SPS) model of PTSD in mice.

The Association of Maternal Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy and Neonatal Anthropometric Measurements: A Longitudinal Study in Minangkabau Pregnant Women, Indonesia.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) appears to be increasing. VDD during pregnancy has been associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between VDD and fetal anthropometric measurement.