Nanopore sequencing as a novel method of characterising anorexia nervosa risk loci.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a polygenic, severe metabopsychiatric disorder with poorly understood aetiology. Eight significant loci have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability was estimated to be ~ 11-17, yet causal variants remain elusive. It is therefore important to define the full spectrum of genetic variants in the wider regions surrounding these significantly associated loci.

Four-component protein nanocages designed by programmed symmetry breaking.

Four, eight or twenty C3 symmetric protein trimers can be arranged with tetrahedral, octahedral or icosahedral point group symmetry to generate closed cage-like structures. Viruses access more complex higher triangulation number icosahedral architectures by breaking perfect point group symmetry, but nature appears not to have explored similar symmetry breaking for tetrahedral or octahedral symmetries. Here we describe a general design strategy for building higher triangulation number architectures starting from regular polyhedra through pseudosymmetrization of trimeric building blocks.

Design of pseudosymmetric protein hetero-oligomers.

Pseudosymmetric hetero-oligomers with three or more unique subunits with overall structural (but not sequence) symmetry play key roles in biology, and systematic approaches for generating such proteins de novo would provide new routes to controlling cell signaling and designing complex protein materials. However, the de novo design of protein hetero-oligomers with three or more distinct chains with nearly identical structures is a challenging unsolved problem because it requires the accurate design of multiple protein-protein interfaces simultaneously. Here, we describe a divide-and-conquer approach that breaks the multiple-interface design challenge into a set of more tractable symmetric single-interface redesign tasks, followed by structural recombination of the validated homo-oligomers into pseudosymmetric hetero-oligomers.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Veterans' Digital Needs.

Importance: Telehealth can expand access to care, but digital needs present barriers for some patients.

Objective: To investigate sociodemographic and clinical associations of digital needs among veterans.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This quality improvement study used data collected between July 2021 and September 2023 from Assessing Circumstances and Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN), a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to systematically screen for, comprehensively assess, and address social risks and social needs.

Planning and evaluating an integrated clinical exercise oncology service: an exploratory mixed-methods study.

Background: This project aimed to design and evaluate the potential to integrate an exercise oncology service into clinical care in a local healthcare system. The goal was to inform the design of an implementation strategy to promote its sustainable use in standard care.

Methods: This two-phase, exploratory study used a mixed-methods approach.

Randomised control trial indicates micronutrient supplementation may support a more robust maternal microbiome for women with antenatal depression during pregnancy.

Background And Aims: We investigated the effects of high dose dietary micronutrient supplementation or placebo on the human gut microbiome in pregnant women who had moderate symptoms of antenatal depression. There is a significant absence of well-controlled clinical studies that have investigated the dynamic changes of the microbiome during pregnancy and the relationship among diet, microbiome and antenatal depression. This research is among the first to provide an insight into this area of research.

Proximity to cancer rehabilitation and exercise oncology by geography, race, and socioeconomic status.

Background: Cancer rehabilitation and exercise oncology (CR/EO) have documented benefits for people living with and beyond cancer. The authors examined proximity to CR/EO programs across the United States with respect to population density, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cancer incidence and mortality rates.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022-2023.

Sequence-specific targeting of intrinsically disordered protein regions.

A general approach to design proteins that bind tightly and specifically to intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins and flexible peptides would have wide application in biological research, therapeutics, and diagnosis. However, the lack of defined structures and the high variability in sequence and conformational preferences has complicated such efforts. We sought to develop a method combining biophysical principles with deep learning to readily generate binders for any disordered sequence.

Complexities of a Provincial CIS Implementation: Thinking Beyond Scale.

CIS implementations are complex processes involving numerous teams, planning changes to both business and technical processes, and extensive change management. The complexity of implementation increases exponentially when dealing with implementation across an entire province rather than just a single site implementation. This paper addresses the One Person One Record Program in Nova Scotia, Canada where a single CIS will be implemented across the entire province involving 47 acute care facilities and 1400 individual ambulatory clinics.

Identification of core competencies for exercise oncology professionals: A Delphi study of United States and Australian participants.

Introduction: Integration of exercise into standard oncology care requires a highly skilled workforce of exercise professionals; however, competency requirements have not kept pace with advancements in the field. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain consensus on core competencies required for an exercise professional to be qualified to work with adults undergoing active cancer treatment.

Materials And Methods: A three-round modified electronic Delphi process was used.

Association Between Depression Symptoms and Disability Outcomes in Older Adults at Risk of Mobility Decline.

Objective: To assess the association between depression symptoms and physical functioning and participation in daily life over 2 years in older adults at risk of mobility decline.

Design: A secondary analysis of 2-year observational data from the Boston Rehabilitative Impairment Study of the Elderly.

Setting: Nine primary care clinics within a single health care system.

Exercise and diet support in breast and prostate cancer survivors: findings from focus groups.

Purpose: Cancer survival is improving, making optimal management of long-term treatment-related adverse effects increasingly important. Exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial and regularly recommended in cancer survivorship guidelines; however, few cancer survivors meet these recommendations so there is a need to explore why. This study aimed to understand experiences receiving exercise and diet support among Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors during and following treatment, and to explore what support they would like to receive.

Receptor binding and immunogenic properties of the receptor binding domain of influenza D virus hemagglutinin-esterase-fusion protein expressed from Escherichia coli.

The hemagglutinin-esterase-fusion (HEF) protein binds 9-O-acetylated sialic acids-containing glycans on the cell surface and drives influenza D virus (IDV) entry. The HEF is a primary determinant of the exceptional thermal and acid stability observed in IDV infection biology. Here, we expressed and purified the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the IDV HEF protein in Escherichia coli and characterized its receptor binding and antigenic properties.

Building Tailored Resource Guides to Address Social Risks and Advance Health Equity in the Veterans Health Administration.

Background: Health care organizations, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), are increasingly adopting programs to address social determinants of health. As part of a comprehensive social risk screening and referral model, tailored resource guides can support efforts to address unmet social needs. However, limited guidance is available on best practices for the development of resource guides in health care settings.

De novo design of proteins housing excitonically coupled chlorophyll special pairs.

Natural photosystems couple light harvesting to charge separation using a 'special pair' of chlorophyll molecules that accepts excitation energy from the antenna and initiates an electron-transfer cascade. To investigate the photophysics of special pairs independently of the complexities of native photosynthetic proteins, and as a first step toward creating synthetic photosystems for new energy conversion technologies, we designed C-symmetric proteins that hold two chlorophyll molecules in closely juxtaposed arrangements. X-ray crystallography confirmed that one designed protein binds two chlorophylls in the same orientation as native special pairs, whereas a second designed protein positions them in a previously unseen geometry.

Addressing food insecurity in rural primary care: a mixed-methods evaluation of barriers and facilitators.

Background: Food insecurity (FI) is associated with negative health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. Rural populations face increased rates of FI and encounter additional barriers to achieving food security. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to screening and interventions for FI in rural primary care practices.

Needs for Successful Engagement in Telemedicine Among Rural Older US Veterans and Their Caregivers: Qualitative Study.

Background: Telemedicine is an important option for rural older adults who often must travel far distances to clinics or forgo essential care. In 2014, the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (GRECC) of the US Veterans Health Administration (VA) established a national telemedicine network called GRECC Connect. This network increased access to geriatric specialty care for the 1.

Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States.

Introduction: Growth in the field of clinical exercise science and the potential impacts on overall health and wellbeing have driven the need for qualified, clinically trained, exercise professionals. And yet, it is not well understood what specific credentials employers are seeking when hiring exercise professionals.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the qualification requirements for professionals seeking employment in exercise science, exercise physiology, kinesiology or equivalent fields.

The Development and Use of a New Visual Tool (REVISIT) to Support Participant Recall: Web-Based Interview Study Among Older Adults.

Background: Qualitative health services research often relies on semistructured or in-depth interviews to develop a deeper understanding of patient experiences, motivations, and perspectives. The quality of data gathered is contingent upon a patient's recall capacity; yet, studies have shown that recall of medical information is low. Threats to generating rich and detailed interview data may be more prevalent when interviewing older adults.

Nutrition Interventions on Muscle-Related Components of Sarcopenia in Females: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disease categorized by low muscle strength, muscle quantity or quality, and physical performance. Sarcopenia etiology is multifaceted, and while resistance training is widely agreed upon for prevention and treatment, disease progression is also highly related to poor diet. The incidence of sarcopenia appears sex-specific and may be increased in females, which is problematic because dietary quality is often altered later in life, particularly after menopause.

The role of Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics in enhancing rural access to geriatrics telemedicine specialty care.

Background: Half of the 4.7 M veterans who reside in rural communities and rely on U.S.