Biofunctionalized gelatin hydrogels support development and maturation of iPSC-derived cortical organoids.

Human neural organoid models have become an important tool for studying neurobiology. However, improving the representativeness of neural cell populations in such organoids remains a major effort. In this work, we compared Matrigel, a commercially available matrix, to a neural cadherin (N-cadherin) peptide-functionalized gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel (termed GelMA-Cad) for culturing cortical neural organoids.

Influence of temporary emigration on wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) detectability, with implications for abundance estimation.

Reliable population estimates are important for making informed management decisions about wildlife species. Standardized survey protocols have been developed for monitoring population trends of the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), a semi-aquatic freshwater turtle species of conservation concern throughout its distribution in east-central North America. The protocols use repeated active search surveys of defined areas, allowing for estimation of survey-specific detection probability (p) and site-specific abundance.

Cochlear implantation in Waardenburg syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is a genetic condition associated with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this review is to characterize cochlear implant (CI) outcomes in patients with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of WS.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, and Cochrane Library.

Understanding the use and benefits of assistive devices among young children with cerebral palsy and their families in Norway: a cross-sectional population-based registry study.

Purpose: Assistive technology intervention has become an important strategy in enhancing function in young children with cerebral palsy. This study aimed to provide an in-depth knowledge of the use of assistive devices by describing their purposes, the environments in which they are used, frequency of use and perceived benefits from the caregiver's perspective.

Material And Methods: This is a cross-sectional population-based study using data from national cerebral palsy registers in Norway.

Statistical population reconstruction of moose (Alces alces) in northeastern Minnesota using integrated population models.

Given recent and abrupt declines in the abundance of moose (Alces alces) throughout parts of Minnesota and elsewhere in North America, accurately estimating statewide population trends and demographic parameters is a high priority for their continued management and conservation. Statistical population reconstruction using integrated population models provides a flexible framework for combining information from multiple studies to produce robust estimates of population abundance, recruitment, and survival. We used this framework to combine aerial survey data and survival data from telemetry studies to recreate trends and demographics of moose in northeastern Minnesota, USA, from 2005 to 2020.

EVALUATING THE THRESHOLD DENSITY HYPOTHESIS FOR MOOSE (ALCES ALCES), WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS), AND PARELAPHOSTRONGYLUS TENUIS.

Despite the importance of the Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection for moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management, only one peer-reviewed study has evaluated the relationship between deer and moose densities and the potential for parasite-mediated competition between the species. Using polynomial-regression modeling, that study identified a deer-density threshold above which moose populations declined; however, the nature of the data and apparent outliers suggests the approach used to develop that threshold may not have been appropriate. We used the data from the original study to test whether alternative models, including linear models and negative binomial models would be less sensitive to outliers and could better explain that relationship.

Methods for training collaborative biostatisticians.

The emphasis on team science in clinical and translational research increases the importance of collaborative biostatisticians (CBs) in healthcare. Adequate training and development of CBs ensure appropriate conduct of robust and meaningful research and, therefore, should be considered as a high-priority focus for biostatistics groups. Comprehensive training enhances clinical and translational research by facilitating more productive and efficient collaborations.

Suprachoroidally Delivered DNA Nanoparticles Transfect Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium/Choroid in Rabbits.

Purpose: This study evaluated ocular tolerability and transfectability of nonviral DNA nanoparticles (DNPs) after microneedle-based suprachoroidal (SC) administration, in comparison to subretinal (SR) administration.

Methods: The DNPs consisted of a single copy of plasmid DNA with a polyubiquitin C/luciferase transcriptional cassette compacted with 10 kDa PEG-substituted lysine 30-mer peptides (CK30PEG10k). New Zealand White rabbits ( = 4 per group) received a unilateral SC injection (0.

Surgical Treatment of Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review.

Background: Insertional Achilles tendinopathy is a common complaint among patients. Oftentimes, conservative treatment is inadequate, and surgical treatment is required. However, there is no published consensus regarding surgical intervention in reference to insertional Achilles tendinopathy.

Osteochondral Fresh Allograft Transfer to Address Osteochondral Defect of the First Metatarsal Head in Early Hallux Limitus.

Osteochondral fresh allograft transfer of the first metatarsal can be an accepted surgical management option for early stages of hallux limitus. This study consisted of evaluating clinical outcomes with patients who underwent this procedure. Thirteen (N=13) patients were included in this study, 10 (76.

Supporting researchers through full-service hotline and consultation services: Success in simplicity, customization, and staffing.

Navigating the research domain at an academic medical center can be challenging, even for seasoned investigators. To address this, Duke University launched two initiatives: (1) a research navigation "hotline" to provide brief assistance with a variety of research questions; and (2) researcher onboarding and consultation, a one-to-one tailored offering to ensure that researchers are equipped to navigate research resources and processes effectively. The services are provided by the myRESEARCHnavigators (MRN) team, funded by Duke's CTSA.

Facilitating translational team science: The project leader model.

Project management expertise is employed across many professional sectors, including clinical research organizations, to ensure that efforts undertaken by the organization are completed on time and according to specifications and are capable of achieving the needed impact. Increasingly, project leaders (PLs) who possess this expertise are being employed in academic settings to support clinical and preclinical translational research team science. Duke University's clinical and translational science enterprise has been an early adopter of project management to support clinical and preclinical programs.

Moose movement rates are altered by wolf presence in two ecosystems.

Predators directly impact prey populations through lethal encounters, but understanding nonlethal, indirect effects is also critical because foraging animals often face trade-offs between predator avoidance and energy intake. Quantifying these indirect effects can be difficult even when it is possible to monitor individuals that regularly interact. Our goal was to understand how movement and resource selection of a predator (wolves; ) influence the movement behavior of a prey species (moose; ).

Moose at their bioclimatic edge alter their behavior based on weather, landscape, and predators.

Populations inhabiting the bioclimatic edges of a species' geographic range face an increasing amount of stress from alterations to their environment associated with climate change. Moose are large-bodied ungulates that are sensitive to heat stress and have exhibited population declines and range contractions along their southern geographic extent. Using a hidden Markov model to analyze movement and accelerometer data, we assigned behaviors (rest, forage, or travel) to all locations of global positioning system-collared moose (13, moose-years = 19) living near the southern edge of the species' range in and around Voyageurs National Park, MN, USA.

Erratum: Moose at their bioclimatic edge alter their behavior based on weather, landscape, and predators.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox047.]

High-resolution helix orientation in actin-bound myosin determined with a bifunctional spin label.

Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of a bifunctional spin label (BSL) bound stereospecifically to Dictyostelium myosin II, we determined with high resolution the orientation of individual structural elements in the catalytic domain while myosin is in complex with actin. BSL was attached to a pair of engineered cysteine side chains four residues apart on known α-helical segments, within a construct of the myosin catalytic domain that lacks other reactive cysteines. EPR spectra of BSL-myosin bound to actin in oriented muscle fibers showed sharp three-line spectra, indicating a well-defined orientation relative to the actin filament axis.

Landscape influence on spatial patterns of meningeal worm and liver fluke infection in white-tailed deer.

Parasites that primarily infect white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), such as liver flukes (Fascioloides magna) and meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis), can cause morbidity and mortality when incidentally infecting moose (Alces alces). Ecological factors are expected to influence spatial variation in infection risk by affecting the survival of free-living life stages outside the host and the abundance of intermediate gastropod hosts. Here, we investigate how ecology influenced the fine-scale distribution of these parasites in deer in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota.

Impact of methionine oxidation on calmodulin structural dynamics.

We have used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to examine the structural impact of oxidizing specific methionine (M) side chains in calmodulin (CaM). It has been shown that oxidation of either M109 or M124 in CaM diminishes CaM regulation of the muscle calcium release channel, the ryanodine receptor (RyR), and that mutation of M to Q (glutamine) in either case produces functional effects identical to those of oxidation. Here we have used site-directed spin labeling and double electron-electron resonance (DEER), a pulsed EPR technique that measures distances between spin labels, to characterize the structural changes resulting from these mutations.

Disease risk in a dynamic environment: the spread of tick-borne pathogens in Minnesota, USA.

As humans and climate change alter the landscape, novel disease risk scenarios emerge. Understanding the complexities of pathogen emergence and subsequent spread as shaped by landscape heterogeneity is crucial to understanding disease emergence, pinpointing high-risk areas, and mitigating emerging disease threats in a dynamic environment. Tick-borne diseases present an important public health concern and incidence of many of these diseases are increasing in the United States.

Redox-sensitive residue in the actin-binding interface of myosin.

We have examined the chemical and functional reversibility of oxidative modification in myosin. Redox regulation has emerged as a crucial modulator of protein function, with particular relevance to aging. We previously identified a single methionine residue in Dictyostelium discoideum (Dicty) myosin II (M394, near the myosin cardiomyopathy loop in the actin-binding interface) that is functionally sensitive to oxidation.

Electron paramagnetic resonance resolves effects of oxidative stress on muscle proteins.

We have used site-directed spin labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to explore the effects of oxidation on muscle function, with particular focus on the actin-myosin interaction. EPR measurements show that aging or oxidative modification causes a decrease in the fraction of myosins in the strong-binding state, which can be traced to the actin-binding cleft of the myosin catalytic domain.

Conformationally trapping the actin-binding cleft of myosin with a bifunctional spin label.

We have trapped the catalytic domain of Dictyostelium (Dicty) myosin II in a weak actin-binding conformation by chemically crosslinking two engineered cysteines across the actin-binding cleft, using a bifunctional spin label (BSL). By connecting the lower and upper 50 kDa domains of myosin, the crosslink restricts the conformation of the actin-binding cleft. Crosslinking has no effect on the basal ATPase activity of isolated myosin, but it impairs rigor actin binding and actin-activation of myosin ATPase.

Efficacy of extended-release divalproex combined with "condensed" dialectical behavior therapy for individuals with borderline personality disorder.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a significant psychiatric illness for which medication treatments are still being explored. The goal of this study was to assess divalproex extended release (ER) vs placebo for patients receiving dialectal behavior therapy (DBT).

Methods: Patients with BPD received 4 weeks of "condensed DBT.