Circulating monocytes upregulate CD52 and sustain innate immune function in cirrhosis unless acute decompensation emerges.

Background & Aims: Infectious complications determine the prognosis of cirrhosis patients. Their infection susceptibility relates to the development of immuneparesis, a complex interplay of different immunosuppressive cells and soluble factors. Mechanisms underlying the dynamics of immuneparesis of innate immunity remain inconclusive.

Significant nocturnal wakefulness after sleep onset in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a multisystemic disease with a multifactorial pathogenesis involving dietary, environmental, and genetic factors. Previous mouse models suggested that circadian misalignment may additionally influence its development as it influences metabolism in diverse organs including the liver. Further, data from sleep questionnaires proved sleep-wake disruption in patients with MASLD.

Topical Probiotics Reduce Atopic Dermatitis Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that commonly appears during childhood but can present at any age. There are interventions that are effective in treating AD in children, but it has been difficult to find effective treatments for adults. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to determine the efficacy of topical probiotic treatment for AD in adult populations.

An invasive appetite: Combining molecular and stable isotope analyses to reveal the diet of introduced house mice (Mus musculus) on a small, subtropical island.

House mice (Mus musculus) pose a conservation threat on islands, where they adversely affect native species' distributions, densities, and persistence. On Sand Island of Kuaihelani, mice recently began to depredate nesting adult mōlī (Laysan Albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis). Efforts are underway to eradicate mice from Sand Island, but knowledge of mouse diet is needed to predict ecosystem response and recovery following mouse removal.

The underappreciated role of biotic factors in controlling the bloom ecology of potentially harmful microalgae in the Hudson-Raritan Bay.

Despite widespread distribution of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and new and improved methods for detecting and quantifying them, no unifying ecological explanation has been found. Improved understanding depends upon local, ecological studies that include analysis of phytoplankton species data in relation to both abiotic and biotic parameters. Ecological network analysis was used to detect co-occurrence patterns among abiotic and biotic parameters in a long-term monitoring dataset (i.

AXL Expression on Homeostatic Resident Liver Macrophages Is Reduced in Cirrhosis Following GAS6 Production by Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Background & Aims: AXL and MERTK expression on circulating monocytes modulated immune responses in patients with cirrhosis (CD14HLA-DRAXL) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (CD14MERTK). AXL expression involved enhanced efferocytosis, sustained phagocytosis, but reduced tumor necrosis factor-α/interleukin-6 production and T-cell activation, suggesting a homeostatic function. Axl was expressed on murine airway in tissues contacting the external environment, but not interstitial lung- and tissue-resident synovial lining macrophages.

Plasticity of monocytes and macrophages in cirrhosis of the liver.

Cirrhosis of the liver is a systemic condition with raising prevalence worldwide. Patients with cirrhosis are highly susceptible to develop bacterial infections leading to acute decompensation and acute-on-chronic liver failure both associated with a high morbidity and mortality and sparse therapeutic options other than transplantation. Mononuclear phagocytes play a central role in innate immune responses and represent a first line of defence against pathogens.

Contrasting patterns of population structure of Bulwer's petrel (Bulweria bulwerii) between oceans revealed by statistical phylogeography.

The patterns of population divergence of mid-latitude marine birds are impacted by only a few biogeographic barriers to dispersal and the effect of intrinsic factors, such as fidelity to natal colonies or wintering grounds, may become more conspicuous. Here we describe, for the first time, the phylogeographic patterns and historical demography of Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and provide new insights regarding the drivers of species diversification in the marine environment. We sampled Bulwer's petrels from the main breeding colonies and used a statistical phylogeography approach based on surveying nuclear and mitochondrial loci (~ 9100 bp) to study its mechanisms of global diversification.

Schedule-Dependent Treatment Increases Chemotherapy Efficacy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but aggressive thoracic malignancy with limited treatment options. One of the standard treatments for MPM is chemotherapy, which consists of concurrent treatment with pemetrexed and cisplatin. Pemetrexed limits tumor growth by inhibiting critical metabolic enzymes involved in nucleotide synthesis.

Low Baseline but Not Delta Cortisol Relates to 28-Day Transplant-Free Survival in Acute and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

Background And Aims: The clinical, prognostic, and therapeutic impact of adrenal insufficiency in acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) remains controversial and exact diagnostic criteria are lacking. We sought to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic value of cortisol measurement and glucocorticoid (GC) treatment in ALF and ACLF.

Methods: 28-day transplant-free survival (TFS) was studied in relation to absolute cortisol concentrations and to GC treatment in ALF (n = 30) and ACLF (n = 34) patients.

Progression to Loss of Ambulation Among Patients with Autosomal Recessive Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy: A Systematic Review.

Unlabelled: BackgroundThe impact of age at autosomal recessive limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMDR) onset on progression to loss of ambulation (LOA) has not been well established, particularly by subtype.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of patients with adult-, late childhood-, and early childhood-onset LGMDR by subtype and characterize the frequency and timing of LOA.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane library.

Epithelial GPR35 protects from Citrobacter rodentium infection by preserving goblet cells and mucosal barrier integrity.

Goblet cells secrete mucin to create a protective mucus layer against invasive bacterial infection and are therefore essential for maintaining intestinal health. However, the molecular pathways that regulate goblet cell function remain largely unknown. Although GPR35 is highly expressed in colonic epithelial cells, its importance in promoting the epithelial barrier is unclear.

Hemispheric asymmetry in ocean change and the productivity of ecosystem sentinels.

Climate change and other human activities are causing profound effects on marine ecosystem productivity. We show that the breeding success of seabirds is tracking hemispheric differences in ocean warming and human impacts, with the strongest effects on fish-eating, surface-foraging species in the north. Hemispheric asymmetry suggests the need for ocean management at hemispheric scales.

Protocol for a longitudinal, prospective cohort study investigating the biology of uterine fibroids and endometriosis, and patients' quality of life: the FENOX study.

Introduction: Millions of women suffer from the consequences of endometriosis and uterine fibroids, with fibroids the cause for over 50% of hysterectomies in the USA, and direct costs for their treatment estimated at between US$4 and US$9 billion. Endometriosis commonly affects millions of women worldwide predominantly during reproductive age, with severe menstrual and non-menstrual pain and subfertility the main symptoms. Due to the 'unhappy triad' of endometriosis-lack of awareness, lack of clinically relevant biomarkers and the unspecific nature of symptoms-women wait on average for 8-12 years before the definitive endometriosis diagnosis is made.

The role of angiogenic factors in the management of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder causing substantial maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In the UK, its diagnosis currently depends upon new onset hypertension and proteinuria. There is a clinical need for enhanced screening to prevent unnecessary resource use and improve outcomes.

Patterns and correlates of active commuting in adults with type 2 diabetes: cross-sectional evidence from UK Biobank.

Objectives: To describe the active commuting (AC) patterns of adults with type 2 diabetes and how these relate to physical activity and sedentary behaviour in UK Biobank. Social and environmental correlates of AC will also be explored.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study.

Academic and Demographic Predictors of NCLEX-RN Pass Rates in First- and Second-Degree Accelerated BSN Programs.

Relatively few studies have addressed predictors of first-attempt outcomes (pass-fail) on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for accelerated BSN programs. The purpose of this study was to compare potential predictors of NCLEX outcomes in graduates of first-degree accelerated (FDA; n=62) and second-degree accelerated (SDA; n=173) BSN programs sharing a common nursing curriculum. In this retrospective study, bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regression assessed significance of selected demographic and academic characteristics as predictors of NCLEX-RN outcomes.

Change in commute mode and body-mass index: prospective, longitudinal evidence from UK Biobank.

Background: Insufficient physical activity is a determinant of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Active travel to work has declined in high-income countries in recent decades. We aimed to determine which socioeconomic and demographic characteristics predicted switching to or from active commuting, whether switching from passive to active commuting (or the reverse) independently predicts change in objectively measured body-mass index (BMI), and to ascertain whether any association is attenuated by socioeconomic, demographic, or behavioural factors.

The Local Food Environment and Fruit and Vegetable Intake: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach in the ORiEL Study.

Studies that explore associations between the local food environment and diet routinely use global regression models, which assume that relationships are invariant across space, yet such stationarity assumptions have been little tested. We used global and geographically weighted regression models to explore associations between the residential food environment and fruit and vegetable intake. Analyses were performed in 4 boroughs of London, United Kingdom, using data collected between April 2012 and July 2012 from 969 adults in the Olympic Regeneration in East London Study.

Active commuting and obesity in mid-life: cross-sectional, observational evidence from UK Biobank.

Background: Physical inactivity is a leading cause of obesity and premature mortality. We aimed to examine the relation between active commuting and obesity in mid-life using objectively measured anthropometric data from UK Biobank.

Methods: Cross-sectional, observational data from UK Biobank were used.

Will the Effects of Sea-Level Rise Create Ecological Traps for Pacific Island Seabirds?

More than 18 million seabirds nest on 58 Pacific islands protected within vast U.S. Marine National Monuments (1.

Dental care utilization among caregivers who care for older adults.

The goal of this study was to investigate individual and contextual factors associated with dental care utilization by U.S. informal caregivers.

Associations between active commuting, body fat, and body mass index: population based, cross sectional study in the United Kingdom.

Objective: To determine if promotion of active modes of travel is an effective strategy for obesity prevention by assessing whether active commuting (walking or cycling for all or part of the journey to work) is independently associated with objectively assessed biological markers of obesity.

Design: Cross sectional study of data from the wave 2 Health Assessment subsample of Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). The exposure of interest, commuting mode, was self reported and categorised as three categories: private transport, public transport, and active transport.

A survey of public attitudes towards barking dogs in New Zealand.

Aims: To investigate public attitudes towards barking dogs in New Zealand in order to quantify the extent to which people perceive barking dogs to be a problem, to compare tolerance of barking with that of other common suburban noises, to assess the level of public understanding about the function of barking, to determine risk factors for intolerance of barking and to assess knowledge of possible strategies for the investigation and management of problem barking.

Methods: A 12-page questionnaire was sent to 2,000 people throughout New Zealand randomly selected from the electoral roll. Risk factors for being bothered by barking were examined using logistic regression analysis.