The Cross-Sectional Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Background And Aims: The prevalence of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease has increased in parallel with a rise in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), but little is known about their association.

Methods: We cross-sectionally examined associations of UPF with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in 2,458 (mean age 54 years; 55.9% women) community-dwelling adults who completed vibration-controlled transient elastography and a food frequency questionnaire.

Body Mass Index Did Not Impact Efficacy and Safety of Etrasimod: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ELEVATE UC Clinical Program.

Objective: High body mass index (BMI) may reduce ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment efficacy. Etrasimod is an oral, once-daily (QD), selective sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)1,4,5 receptor modulator for the treatment of moderately to severely active UC. This post hoc analysis assessed treatment outcomes according to BMI in ELEVATE UC 52 and ELEVATE UC 12.

Functional innovation through new genes as a general evolutionary process.

In the past decade, our understanding of how new genes originate in diverse organisms has advanced substantially, and more than a dozen molecular mechanisms for generating initial gene structures were identified, in addition to gene duplication. These new genes have been found to integrate into and modify pre-existing gene networks primarily through mutation and selection, revealing new patterns and rules with stable origination rates across various organisms. This progress has challenged the prevailing belief that new proteins evolve from pre-existing genes, as new genes may arise de novo from noncoding DNA sequences in many organisms, with high rates observed in flowering plants.

Icariin modulates osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation in ADSCs via the Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway: a novel therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis.

Background: Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) transplantation presents a promising approach for osteoporosis (OP) treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of ADSCs is hindered by low post-transplantation survival rates and limited capacities for adhesion, migration, and differentiation. Icariin (ICA), the primary active compound of Epimedium, has been shown to promote cell proliferation and induce osteogenic differentiation; however, its specific effects on ADSC osteogenesis and the mechanisms by which ICA enhances osteoporosis treatment through cell transplantation remain inadequately understood.

Prediction of Radiation Therapy Induced Cardiovascular Toxicity from Pretreatment CT Images in Patients with Thoracic Malignancy via an Optimal Biomarker Approach.

Rationale And Objectives: Cardiovascular toxicity is a well-known complication of thoracic radiation therapy (RT), leading to increased morbidity and mortality, but existing techniques to predict cardiovascular toxicity have limitations. Predictive biomarkers of cardiovascular toxicity may help to maximize patient outcomes.

Methods: The machine learning optimal biomarker (OBM) method was employed to predict development of cardiotoxicity (based on serial echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction and longitudinal strain) from computed tomography (CT) images in patients with thoracic malignancy undergoing RT.