Respiratory extracellular vesicle isolation optimization through proteomic profiling of equine samples and identification of candidates for cell-of-origin studies.

Growing evidence supports the importance of extracellular vesicle (EV) as mediators of communication in pathological processes, including those underlying respiratory disease. However, establishing methods for isolating and characterizing EVs remains challenging, particularly for respiratory samples. This study set out to address this challenge by comparing different EV isolation methods and evaluating their impacts on EV yield, markers of purity, and proteomic signatures, utilizing equine/horse bronchoalveolar lavage samples.

Wildfire-relevant woodsmoke and extracellular vesicles (EVs): Alterations in EV proteomic signatures involved in extracellular matrix degradation and tissue injury in airway organotypic models.

Wildfires adversely impact air quality and public health worldwide. Exposures to wildfire smoke are linked to adverse health outcomes, including cardiopulmonary diseases. Critical research gaps remain surrounding the underlying biological pathways leading to wildfire-induced health effects.

Antibiotic Duration and UTI Outcomes in Recurrent UTI Patients.

Importance: Little evidence is available to inform management of acute urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women with recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI).

Objective: This study aimed to compare the proportion of acute UTIs with persistence/relapse or recurrence based on duration of treatment antibiotics (acute UTI guideline-consistent versus extended).

Study Design: A retrospective noninferiority study of women with rUTI was performed at an academic tertiary referral center from January 2016 to December 2020.

Characterizing the extracellular vesicle proteomic landscape of the human airway using organotypic multi-cellular models.

Extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated intercellular communication significantly influences pulmonary cell health and disease, yet methods to investigate these mechanisms are limited. We hypothesize that organotypic models of the airway can be leveraged to investigate EV-mediated intercellular signaling, focusing on EV proteomic content as a case study. Two airway culture models were evaluated by mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis: a tri-culture model consisting of alveolar epithelial, fibroblast, and lung microvascular endothelial cells and a co-culture model of alveolar epithelial and fibroblasts.

Extracellular Vesicles altered by a Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Mixture: In Vitro Dose-Dependent Release, Chemical Content, and MicroRNA Signatures involved in Liver Health.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as high priority contaminants due to their ubiquity and pervasiveness in the environment. Numerous PFAS co-occur across sources of drinking water, including areas of North Carolina (NC) with some detected concentrations above the Environmental Protection Agency's health advisory levels. While evidence demonstrates PFAS exposure induces harmful effects in the liver, the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential mediators of these effects has yet to be evaluated.

International Urogynecology consultation chapter 2 committee 3: the clinical evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse including investigations into associated morbidity/pelvic floor dysfunction.

Introduction And Hypothesis: This manuscript from Chapter 2 of the International Urogynecology Consultation (IUC) on Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) reviews the literature involving the clinical evaluation of a patient with POP and associated bladder and bowel dysfunction.

Methods: An international group of 11 clinicians performed a search of the literature using pre-specified search MESH terms in PubMed and Embase databases (January 2000 to August 2020). Publications were eliminated if not relevant to the clinical evaluation of patients or did not include clear definitions of POP.

The impact of environmental contaminants on extracellular vesicles and their key molecular regulators: A literature and database-driven review.

Exposure to environmental chemicals is now well recognized as a significant factor contributing to the global burden of disease; however, there remain critical gaps in understanding the types of biological mechanisms that link environmental chemicals to adverse health outcomes. One type of mechanism that remains understudied involves extracellular vesicles (EVs), representing small cell-derived particles capable of carrying molecular signals such as RNAs, miRNAs, proteins, lipids, and chemicals through biological fluids and imparting beneficial, neutral, or negative effects on target cells. In fact, evidence is just now starting to grow that supports the role of EVs in various disease etiologies.

Wildfire Variable Toxicity: Identifying Biomass Smoke Exposure Groupings through Transcriptomic Similarity Scoring.

The prevalence of wildfires continues to grow globally with exposures resulting in increased disease risk. Characterizing these health risks remains difficult due to the wide landscape of exposures that can result from different burn conditions and fuel types. This study tested the hypothesis that biomass smoke exposures from variable fuels and combustion conditions group together based on similar transcriptional response profiles, informing which wildfire-relevant exposures may be considered as a group for health risk evaluations.

Underrepresentation in Pelvic Floor Disorder Patient-Reported Outcomes: Whose Outcomes Are We Measuring?

Importance: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments measure the patient's perspective. It is unclear whether commonly used PRO measures were tested in populations that had racial and ethnic distributions comparable with those reported in U.S.

Integrative exposomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic analyses of human placental samples links understudied chemicals to preeclampsia.

Background: Environmental health research has recently undergone a dramatic shift, with ongoing technological advancements allowing for broader coverage of exposure and molecular biology signatures. Approaches to integrate such measures are still needed to increase understanding between systems-level exposure and biology.

Objectives: We address this gap by evaluating placental tissues to identify novel chemical-biological interactions associated with preeclampsia.

Wildfires and extracellular vesicles: Exosomal MicroRNAs as mediators of cross-tissue cardiopulmonary responses to biomass smoke.

Introduction: Wildfires are a threat to public health world-wide that are growing in intensity and prevalence. The biological mechanisms that elicit wildfire-associated toxicity remain largely unknown. The potential involvement of cross-tissue communication via extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a new mechanism that has yet to be evaluated.

Using liver models generated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for evaluating chemical-induced modifications and disease across liver developmental stages.

The liver is a pivotal organ regulating critical developmental stages of fetal metabolism and detoxification. Though numerous studies have evaluated links between prenatal/perinatal exposures and adverse health outcomes in the developing fetus, the central role of liver to health disruptions resulting from these exposures remains understudied, especially concerning early development and later-in-life health outcomes. While numerous in vitro methods for evaluating liver toxicity have been established, the use of iPSC-derived hepatocytes appears to be particularly well suited to contribute to this critical research gap due to their potential to model a diverse range of disease phenotypes and different stages of liver development.

Chemical Mixtures in Household Environments: In Silico Predictions and In Vitro Testing of Potential Joint Action on PPARγ in Human Liver Cells.

There are thousands of chemicals that humans can be exposed to in their everyday environments, the majority of which are currently understudied and lack substantial testing for potential exposure and toxicity. This study aimed to implement in silico methods to characterize the chemicals that co-occur across chemical and product uses in our everyday household environments that also target a common molecular mediator, thus representing understudied mixtures that may exacerbate toxicity in humans. To detail, the Chemical and Products Database (CPDat) was queried to identify which chemicals co-occur across common exposure sources.

Treatment of Pediatric Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder: A Review of the State of the Literature.

Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (FNSD), or experiencing neurological symptoms incompatible with either a neurological condition or a medical condition, is a common condition presenting in children and adolescents. It is associated with impairment in quality of life for patients and their families and represents a significant burden to the healthcare system. There is currently limited research available regarding effective treatment of pediatric FNSD.

Approaches to incorporate extracellular vesicles into exposure science, toxicology, and public health research.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent small, membrane-enclosed particles that are derived from parent cells and are secreted into the extracellular space. Once secreted, EVs can then travel and communicate with nearby or distant cells. Due to their inherent stability and biocompatibility, these particles can effectively transfer RNAs, proteins, and chemicals/metabolites from parent cells to target cells, impacting cellular and pathological processes.

Developing a standardized national undergraduate curriculum for future healthcare professionals on self-management support for chronic conditions.

This is a report on the development of the second part of a national undergraduate interprofessional standardized curriculum in chronic disease prevention for healthcare professionals in the Republic of Ireland; . The development processes involved in Part 1, , were described earlier. This report presents an overview of the development of a national self-management support curriculum and barriers and enablers encountered.

Is it feasible to learn research skills in addition to audit skills through clinical audit? A mixed methods study in general practice.

Background: Involving medical students in research in their undergraduate careers may increase the likelihood that they will be research active after graduation. To date, there has been a paucity of published research of students doing research in general practice.

Aim: The study aims to evaluate the impact of general practice clinical audits on early-stage graduate entry students' audit and research self-efficacy and explore feasibility issues from the student and GP perspective.

Curriculum initiatives to enhance research skills acquisition by medical students: a scoping review.

Background: Although it is accepted that providing medical students with opportunities to engage in research activity is beneficial, little data has been collated on how medical degree curricula may address this issue. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a scoping review examining curriculum initiatives that seek to enhance research experience for medical students.

Methods: This review looks to specifically look at 'doing research' as defined by the MEDINE 2 consensus rather than 'using research' for the bachelor component of the Bologna Cycle.

Predictive modeling of biological responses in the rat liver using Tox21 bioactivity: Benefits from high-throughput toxicokinetics.

Computational methods are needed to more efficiently leverage data from cell-based models to predict what occurs within whole body systems after chemical insults. This study set out to test the hypothesis that high-throughput screening (HTS) data can more effectively predict biological responses when chemical disposition and toxicokinetic (TK) modeling are employed. HTS data from the Tox21 consortium were analyzed in concert with chemical disposition modeling to derive nominal, aqueous, and intracellular estimates of concentrations eliciting 50% maximal activity.

Two distinct trophectoderm lineage stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

The trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst-stage embryo is the precursor for all trophoblast cells in the placenta. Human trophoblast stem (TS) cells have emerged as an attractive tool for studies on early trophoblast development. However, the use of TS cell models is constrained by the limited genetic diversity of existing TS cell lines and restrictions on using human fetal tissue or embryos needed to generate additional lines.

Synthetic Sequencing Standards: A Guide to Database Choice for Rumen Microbiota Amplicon Sequencing Analysis.

Our understanding of complex microbial communities, such as those residing in the rumen, has drastically advanced through the use of high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies. Indeed, with the use of barcoded amplicon sequencing, it is now cost effective and computationally feasible to identify individual rumen microbial genera associated with ruminant livestock nutrition, genetics, performance and greenhouse gas production. However, across all disciplines of microbial ecology, there is currently little reporting of the use of internal controls for validating HTS results.

Imperforate cor triatriatum dexter with patent foramen ovale and pulmonic stenosis in three dogs: Diagnostic findings and attempted surgical correction.

Three canines were identified with aberrant drainage of the caudal vena cava to the left atrium, consistent with imperforate cor triatriatum dexter, and concurrent patent foramen ovale. All three had concurrent significant pulmonic stenosis with varying degrees of hypoplasia of the right ventricular outflow tract. Echocardiography, positive contrast studies, and angiography confirmed the diagnosis.

What factors influence medical students to enter a career in general practice? A scoping review.

Background: Internationally, healthcare systems are providing more community-based care. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for GPs and other healthcare professionals to work in primary care and this has implications for undergraduate medical education.

Aims: In this scoping review, we aim to examine 'What factors positively influence medical students to pursue a career in general practice?'

Methods: The five-stage framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) was utilized to review the extant literature.

Review of the environmental prenatal exposome and its relationship to maternal and fetal health.

Environmental chemicals comprise a major portion of the human exposome, with some shown to impact the health of susceptible populations, including pregnant women and developing fetuses. The placenta and cord blood serve as important biological windows into the maternal and fetal environments. In this article we review how environmental chemicals (defined here to include man-made chemicals [e.