A computational approach to matching multiple sclerosis-related, IGH CDR3s with a MBP epitope.

In multiple sclerosis (MS), T-cell receptors (TCRs) and antibodies specifically target the main structural proteins of myelin, including myelin basic protein (MBP), especially a specific, canonical, immunoglobulin (IG)-targeted MBP epitope. Efficient computational analyses to diagnose or monitor autoimmune conditions, which could have broad applicability in clinical trials or in diagnoses, remains a challenge. As such, we considered the possibility that focusing on the immunoglobin heavy chain (IGH) complementarity determining region-3 (CDR3) amino acid sequences could support the development of an efficient, convenient, and user-friendly approach to detecting or assessing IGH targets in MS.

3D-Printed Capsaicin-Loaded Injectable Implants for Targeted Delivery in Obese Patients.

Diet-induced obesity and hyperlipidemia are a growing public health concern leading to various metabolic disorders. Capsaicin, a major bioactive compound obtained from natural chili peppers, has demonstrated its numerous beneficial roles in treating obesity and weight loss. Current treatment involves either administration of antiobesity drugs or surgical procedures such as Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, both of which are associated with serious side effects and poor patient acceptance.

Reassessing rumination: Validity of the Day Reconstruction Method for Rumination (DRM-R) to assess episodes of rumination in daily life.

Rumination is a robust vulnerability to depression and potential treatment target. However, we know relatively little about rumination in daily life. This study tested the validity of a new approach for assessing daily episodes of rumination, the Day Reconstruction Method for Rumination (DRM-R).

Effect of pentobarbital as a euthanasia agent on equine in vitro embryo production.

Postmortem and pre-euthanasia oocyte retrieval provides the last opportunity to preserve the genetic material in mares. Pentobarbital (PB) is the most common euthanasia agent; however, its effect on the developmental competence of oocytes has not been determined. Here, we evaluated the concentration of PB in equine follicular fluid (FF) and investigated its effect on the developmental competence of oocytes using a bovine IVF model to overcome the low availability of equine oocytes.

Inclusion Complex of Clomiphene Citrate with Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin for Intravenous Injection: Formulation and Stability Studies.

Clomiphene citrate is the first-line treatment for women with abnormal or failed ovulation. Currently, it is available as oral tablets, and the parenteral formulation does not exist. In this study, we prepared clomiphene citrate-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex for its use in intravenous injection.

Development of an mHealth App-Based Intervention for Depressive Rumination (RuminAid): Mixed Methods Focus Group Evaluation.

Background: Depression is a common mental health condition that poses a significant public health burden. Effective treatments for depression exist; however, access to evidence-based care remains limited. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer an avenue for improving access.

Old drugs, new tricks: leveraging known compounds to disrupt coronavirus-induced cytokine storm.

A major complication in COVID-19 infection consists in the onset of acute respiratory distress fueled by a dysregulation of the host immune network that leads to a run-away cytokine storm. Here, we present an in silico approach that captures the host immune system's complex regulatory dynamics, allowing us to identify and rank candidate drugs and drug pairs that engage with minimal subsets of immune mediators such that their downstream interactions effectively disrupt the signaling cascades driving cytokine storm. Drug-target regulatory interactions are extracted from peer-reviewed literature using automated text-mining for over 5000 compounds associated with COVID-induced cytokine storm and elements of the underlying biology.

The healthy equine uterus harbors a distinct core microbiome plus a rich and diverse microbiome that varies with geographical location.

The goal of this study was to understand the composition and existence of the resident uterine microbiome in healthy mares and to establish the presence of a core microbiome for the healthy equine uterus. We analyzed the microbiomes of 35 healthy mares that are long-time residents of three farms in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Australia as well as that of 19 mares purchased from scattered owners in the Southern Mid-Western states of the United States. Over 6 million paired-end reads of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene were obtained resulting in 19,542 unique Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs).

Network Modeling of Complex Time-Dependent Changes in Patient Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Treatment in ER+ Breast Cancer.

Early patient discontinuation from adjuvant endocrine treatment (ET) is multifactorial and complex: Patients must adapt to various challenges and make the best decisions they can within changing contexts over time. Predictive models are needed that can account for the changing influence of multiple factors over time as well as decisional uncertainty due to incomplete data. AtlasTi8 analyses of longitudinal interview data from 82 estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer patients generated a model conceptualizing patient-, patient-provider relationship, and treatment-related influences on early discontinuation.

Computational prediction of intracellular targets of wild-type or mutant vesicular stomatitis matrix protein.

The matrix (M) protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has a complex role in infection and immune evasion, particularly with respect to suppression of Type I interferon (IFN). Viral strains bearing the wild-type (wt) M protein are able to suppress Type I IFN responses. We recently reported that the 22-25 strain of VSV encodes a wt M protein, however its sister plaque isolate, strain 22-20, carries a M[MD52G] mutation that perturbs the ability of the M protein to block NFκB, but not M-mediated inhibition of host transcription.

Reclaiming public spaces: The case for the built environment as a restorative tool in neighborhoods with high levels of community violence.

Early-life exposure to neighborhood violence can negatively affect children's socioemotional development and long-term health outcomes. Community-level interventions that modify the built environment to facilitate social encounters can have a positive impact on health. An example of such interventions is the building of green spaces and playgrounds.

MRI-based thalamic volumetry in multiple sclerosis using FSL-FIRST: Systematic assessment of common error modes.

Background And Purpose: FSL's FMRIB's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FSL-FIRST) is a widely used and well-validated tool. Automated thalamic segmentation is a common application and an important longitudinal measure for multiple sclerosis (MS). However, FSL-FIRST's algorithm is based on shape models derived from non-MS groups.

Modification of O-ring intrauterine devices (IUDs) in mares: Contraception without estrus suppression.

A significant welfare concern for those within the horse industry is that of the overpopulation in free-roaming horses in the western US. The goal of the present study was to identify a humane and inexpensive means of providing contraception and reducing pregnancy rates in a way that could be applied to free-roaming horses on the western U.S.

DeepGRAI (Deep Gray Rating via Artificial Intelligence): Fast, feasible, and clinically relevant thalamic atrophy measurement on clinical quality T2-FLAIR MRI in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Thalamic volume loss is a key marker of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). T2-FLAIR MRI is a common denominator in clinical routine MS imaging, but current methods for thalamic volumetry are not applicable to it.

Objective: To develop and validate a robust algorithm to measure thalamic volume using clinical routine T2-FLAIR MRI.

Multiplex Human Malaria Array: Quantifying Antigens for Malaria Rapid Diagnostics.

Malaria antigen detection through rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is widely used to diagnose malaria and estimate prevalence. To support more sensitive next-generation RDT development and screen asymptomatic malaria, we developed and evaluated the Q-Plex Human Malaria Array (Quansys Biosciences, Logan, UT), which quantifies the antigens commonly used in RDTs--specific histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), specific lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH), specific LDH ( LDH), and Pan malaria lactate dehydrogenase (Pan LDH), and human C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of severity in malaria. At threshold levels yielding 99.

Canine endometrial and vaginal microbiomes reveal distinct and complex ecosystems.

The objective of this study was to characterize the normal microbiome of healthy canine vagina and endometrium and to determine the effect of the stage of estrous, on the resident microbiome. Cranial vaginal swabs and uterine biopsy samples were collected from twenty-five bitches in five different stages of estrous at elective ovariohysterectomy (OVH). Over 4 million reads of the V4 region of 16S rDNA gene were obtained and used for further analyses.

Simultaneous Quantification of Antigens and Host Factor C-Reactive Protein in Asymptomatic Individuals with Confirmed Malaria by Use of a Novel Multiplex Immunoassay.

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) primarily detect antigen histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) and the malaria-conserved antigen lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for and other malaria species. The performance of RDTs and their utility is dependent on circulating antigen concentration distributions in infected individuals in a population in which malaria is endemic and on the limit of detection of the RDT for the antigens. A multiplexed immunoassay for the quantification of HRP2, LDH, and all-malaria LDH (pan LDH) was developed to accurately measure circulating antigen concentration and antigen distribution in a population with endemic malaria.