Why Do They Persist? Understanding Living Kidney Donors and Persistence.

Many participants persist through the living kidney donation process, although it is challenging, multifaceted, and burdensome, particularly during the predonation evaluation (PDE) phase. This study uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyze the experiences of living kidney donors (LKDs) undergoing evaluation who shared their perspectives in blog reflections. One hundred five (105) blog posts met the inclusion criteria.

Spatiotemperal Dynamics of Osteoarthritis: Bridging Insights from Bench to Bedside.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifaceted degenerative joint disorder affected by various risk factors such as age, mechanical stress, inflammation, and metabolic influences. These elements contribute to its diverse phenotypes and endotypes, underscoring the disease's inherent complexity. The involvement of multiple tissues and their interplay further complicates OA's investigation.

Passivation, phase, and morphology control of CdS nanocrystals probed using fluorinated aromatic amines and solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Nanocrystals are widely explored for a range of medical, imaging, sensing, and energy conversion applications. CdS nanocrystals have been reported as excellent photocatalysts, with thin film CdS also highly important in photovoltaic devices. To optimise properties of nanocrystals, control over phase, facet, and morphology are vital.

Comparative Analysis of the Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by Aged and Young Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease, burdens global healthcare due to aging and obesity. Recent studies show that extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) contribute to joint homeostasis and OA management. However, the impact of donor age on BMSC-derived EV efficacy remains underexplored.

A novel tape-free sample preparation method for human osteochondral cryosections for high throughput hyperspectral imaging.

Understanding the osteochondral junction, where non-mineralised cartilage and mineralised bone converge, is crucial for joint health. Current sample preparation techniques are insufficient for detailed spatial hyperspectral imaging analysis. Using the enhanced Kawamoto method, we used the super cryo embedding medium's temperature-dependent properties to transfer high-quality tissue samples onto slides for spatial imaging analysis.

MuscleMap: An Open-Source, Community-Supported Consortium for Whole-Body Quantitative MRI of Muscle.

Disorders affecting the neurological and musculoskeletal systems represent international health priorities. A significant impediment to progress in trials of new therapies is the absence of responsive, objective, and valid outcome measures sensitive to early disease changes. A key finding in individuals with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders is the compositional changes to muscles, evinced by the expression of fatty infiltrates.

Direct Photochemical Synthesis of Substituted Benzo[]fluorenes.

We report a new and straightforward route toward substituted benzo[]fluorenes via the direct photochemical conversion of alkynylated chalcones. This transformation exploits a high-power light-emitting diode emitting ultraviolet A light to enable the rapid formation of the target products ( = 5 min). A continuous flow approach thereby facilitates reproducibility and scalability, granting streamlined access to these important scaffolds and their derivatives.

Provision of inguinal hernia surgery in first-referral hospitals across low- and middle-income countries: Secondary analysis of an international cohort study.

Introduction: Surgical care in first-referral hospitals (FRHs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is poorly characterized. Inguinal hernia repair can act as a good tracer condition. This study aimed to evaluate the variation in hernia repair across different hospital types in LMICs.

Four-Week GLP Immunotoxicity Assessment of Lactoferrin Alpha Produced by in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Oral toxicity and toxicokinetic properties of human lactoferrin (LF) alpha produced in (effera™) were investigated in adult Sprague-Dawley rats over a 28-day period under good laboratory practice conditions. Main study dosing used groups of 10 rats/sex/dose, and a secondary study evaluating toxicokinetic parameters used 6 rats/sex/dose. The vehicle control group received sodium citrate buffer, test groups received daily doses of 200, 600, and 2000 mg of effera™ per kg body weight, and the comparative control group received 2000 mg bovine LF (bLF)/kg body weight per day.

Effects of tree species identity on soil microbial communities in and plantations.

Understanding how different tree species affect soil microbial communities is crucial for sustainable forestry and ecosystem management practices. Despite Black walnut ( L.) forestry having a rich history, the overall comprehension of how this hardwood species influences soil remains incomplete.

Effects of iron overload in human joint tissue explant cultures and animal models.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease affecting over 530 million individuals worldwide. Recent studies suggest a potential link between iron overload, a condition characterised by the excessive accumulation of iron in the body, and the onset of OA. Iron is essential for various biological processes, and any disruption in its homeostasis can trigger significant health effects, including OA.

Artificial Intelligence in Spine and Paraspinal Muscle Analysis.

Disorders affecting the neurological and musculoskeletal systems represent international health burdens. A significant impediment to progress with interventional trials is the absence of responsive, objective, and valid outcome measures sensitive to early disease or disorder change. A key finding in individuals with spinal disorders is compositional changes to the paraspinal muscle and soft tissue (e.

CD9 and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Are Markers of Human CD19+CD14+ Atypical B Cells and Are Dysregulated in Systemic Lupus Erythematous Disease.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor whose expression regulates immune cell differentiation. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling was used to ascertain the heterogeneity of AHR expression in human B cell subpopulations. We identified a unique population of B cells marked by expression of AHR, CD9, and myeloid genes such as CD14 and CXCL8.

Author language and communication preferences, and familiarity with global publication guidelines, for English-language industry-sponsored publications in Asia-Pacific: insights from a cross-sectional survey.

Objective: To understand current practices and challenges for collecting author feedback for English-language, industry-sponsored publications in Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the implications for adherence to international publication guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional, internet-based survey of industry ('internal') authors (17 questions) and publication professionals (18 questions) supporting publications in APAC, conducted between November 18 and December 4, 2022.

Results: Overall, 142 survey responses were received, of which 94 (66%) were complete and included in the analysis (33 internal authors, 61 publication professionals).

Aging reveals a sex-dependent susceptibility of sarcospan-deficient mice to cardiometabolic disease.

Numerous genes including sarcospan (SSPN) have been designated as obesity-susceptibility genes by human genome-wide association studies. Variants in the locus have been linked with sex-dependent obesity-associated traits; however, this association has not been investigated in vivo. To delineate the role SSPN plays in regulating metabolism with potential to impact cardiac function, we subjected young and aged global SSPN-deficient (SSPN) male and female mice to obesogenic conditions (60% fat diet).

High water temperature significantly influences swimming performance of New Zealand migratory species.

Anthropogenic structures in freshwater systems pose a significant threat by fragmenting habitats. Effective fish passage solutions must consider how environmental changes introduce variability into swimming performance. As temperature is considered the most important external factor influencing fish physiology, it is especially important to consider its effects on fish swimming performance.

Orchestrated centers for the production of proteins or "translation factories".

The mechanics of how proteins are generated from mRNA is increasingly well understood. However, much less is known about how protein production is coordinated and orchestrated within the crowded intracellular environment, especially in eukaryotic cells. Recent studies suggest that localized sites exist for the coordinated production of specific proteins.

A retrospective analysis of outcomes and complications of living- and deceased-donor split-liver transplantation in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Background: South African transplant centres are faced with significant challenges in meeting the need for liver transplantation, owing to the low and ever-decreasing number of deceased-donor organs. To increase organ utility, deceased-donor split-liver transplant (DDSLT) and living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) programmes were initiated in the Wits Transplant Unit.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes of the LDLT and DDSLT programmes.