The gut-brain axis underlying hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis.

Up to 50-70% of patients with liver cirrhosis develop hepatic encephalopathy (HE), which is closely related to gut microbiota dysbiosis, with an unclear mechanism. Here, by constructing gut-brain modules to assess bacterial neurotoxins from metagenomic datasets, we found that phenylalanine decarboxylase (PDC) genes, mainly from Ruminococcus gnavus, increased approximately tenfold in patients with cirrhosis and higher in patients with HE. Cirrhotic, not healthy, mice colonized with R.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is associated with increased risks of heart failure.

Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), defined by steatotic liver disease (SLD) and cardiometabolic factors, is increasing in prevalence, but its association with heart failure (HF) is unclear.

Methods And Results: Patients with SLD without a history of HF from 2006 to 2021 were retrospectively included and were classified into MASLD and non-MASLD groups that were followed longitudinally. The primary outcome was the new development of HF, which was sub-classified by echocardiography.

Change in p53 nuclear localization in response to extracellular matrix stiffness.

Chondrocytes are commonly applied in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Thus, the discovery of optimal culture conditions to obtain cells with good properties and behavior for transplantation is important. In addition to biochemical cues, physical and biomechanical changes can affect the proliferation and protein expression of chondrocytes.

Activity of the mammalian DNA transposon piggyBat from Myotis lucifugus is restricted by its own transposon ends.

Members of the piggyBac superfamily of DNA transposons are widely distributed in host genomes ranging from insects to mammals. The human genome has retained five piggyBac-derived genes as domesticated elements although they are no longer mobile. Here, we have investigated the transposition properties of piggyBat from Myotis lucifugus, the only known active mammalian DNA transposon, and show that its low activity in human cells is due to subterminal inhibitory DNA sequences.

Investigating the effect of mindfulness training for stress management in military training: the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and emotional regulation.

Background: Military personnel face an increased risk of developing mental disorders owing to the stressful environments they encounter. Effective stress management strategies are crucial to mitigate this risk. Mindfulness training (MT) is promising as a stress management approach in such demanding settings.