Clinical- and Cost-Effectiveness of Liver Disease Staging in Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Microsimulation Study.

Background: Liver disease assessment is a key aspect of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection pre-treatment evaluation but guidelines differ on the optimal testing modality given trade-offs in availability and accuracy. We compared clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of common fibrosis staging strategies.

Methods: We simulated adults with chronic HCV receiving care at US health centers through a lifetime microsimulation across five strategies: (1) no staging or treatment (comparator), (2) indirect serum biomarker testing (Fibrosis-4 index [FIB-4]) only, (3) transient elastography (TE) only, (4) staged approach: FIB-4 for all, TE only for intermediate FIB-4 scores (1.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Hepatitis C Care in Reproductive-Aged Women With Opioid Use Disorder.

Background: In the United States, hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnoses among reproductive-aged women are increasing amidst the ongoing opioid and drug overdose epidemic. While previous studies document racial and ethnic disparities in HCV testing and treatment in largely male populations, to our knowledge no national studies analyze these outcomes in reproductive-aged women with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: We analyzed data from a cohort of reproductive-aged women (aged 15-44 years) with diagnosed OUD captured in the TriNetX Research Network, a network of electronic health records from across the United States.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Testing of Hepatitis C Virus-Exposed Children Across the United States.

Background: Despite rising hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence among pregnant individuals in the United States, HCV testing among exposed infants remains low. Although recent guidelines recommend early ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing for HCV-exposed children to help improve testing rates, national studies describing factors associated with HCV testing and the type of testing completed are lacking.

Methods: In this retrospective national study, we characterized HCV testing and care among HCV-exposed infants born between 2010 and 2020 captured in the electronic health record-based TriNetX Research Network.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 is a suppressor of the adipocyte thermogenic program.

Disruption of adipocyte de novo lipogenesis (DNL) by deletion of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in mice induces browning in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). However, adipocyte FASN knockout (KO) increases acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) and malonyl-CoA in addition to depletion of palmitate. We explore which of these metabolite changes triggers adipose browning by generating eight adipose-selective KO mouse models with loss of ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), ACC2, malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD) or FASN, or dual KOs ACLY/FASN, ACC1/FASN, and ACC2/FASN.

First continuous marine sponge cell line established.

The potential of sponge-derived chemicals for pharmaceutical applications remains largely unexploited due to limited available biomass. Although many have attempted to culture marine sponge cells in vitro to create a scalable production platform for such biopharmaceuticals, these efforts have been mostly unsuccessful. We recently showed that Geodia barretti sponge cells could divide rapidly in M1 medium.

De novo lipogenesis fuels adipocyte autophagosome and lysosome membrane dynamics.

Adipocytes robustly synthesize fatty acids (FA) from carbohydrate through the de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway, yet surprisingly DNL contributes little to their abundant triglyceride stored in lipid droplets. This conundrum raises the hypothesis that adipocyte DNL instead enables membrane expansions to occur in processes like autophagy, which requires an abundant supply of phospholipids. We report here that adipocyte Fasn deficiency in vitro and in vivo markedly impairs autophagy, evident by autophagosome accumulation and severely compromised degradation of the autophagic substrate p62.

Shifts in floristic composition and structure in Australian rangelands.

Monitoring shifts in vegetation composition over time is essential for tracking biodiversity changes and for designing ecosystem management strategies. In Australia, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) provides a continent-wide network of monitoring sites (AusPlots) that can be used to assess the shifts in vegetation composition and structure of Australian Major Vegetation Groups (MVGs). Here we use time-series site data to quantify the extent and rate of MVG shifts between repeat visits and to recommend the most appropriate sampling frequency for specific MVGs.

Plant families exhibit unique geographic trends in C4 richness and cover in Australia.

Numerous studies have analysed the relationship between C4 plant cover and climate. However, few have examined how different C4 taxa vary in their response to climate, or how environmental factors alter C4:C3 abundance. Here we investigate (a) how proportional C4 plant cover and richness (relative to C3) responds to changes in climate and local environmental factors, and (b) if this response is consistent among families.

Applying conservation reserve design strategies to define ecosystem monitoring priorities.

In an era of unprecedented ecological upheaval, monitoring ecosystem change at large spatial scales and over long-time frames is an essential endeavor of effective environmental management and conservation. However, economic limitations often preclude revisiting entire monitoring networks at high frequency. We aimed here to develop a prioritization strategy for monitoring networks to select a subset of existing sites that meets the principles of complementarity and representativeness of the whole ecological reality, and maximizes ecological complementarity (species accumulation) and the spatial and environmental representativeness.

The photosynthetic pathways of plant species surveyed in Australia's national terrestrial monitoring network.

The photosynthetic pathway of plants is a fundamental trait that influences terrestrial environments from the local to global level. The distribution of different photosynthetic pathways in Australia is expected to undergo a substantial shift due to climate change and rising atmospheric CO; however, tracking change is hindered by a lack of data on the pathways of species, as well as their distribution and relative cover within plant communities. Here we present the photosynthetic pathways for 2428 species recorded across 541 plots surveyed by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) between 2011 and 2017.

Effective ecosystem monitoring requires a multi-scaled approach.

Ecosystem monitoring is fundamental to our understanding of how ecosystem change is impacting our natural resources and is vital for developing evidence-based policy and management. However, the different types of ecosystem monitoring, along with their recommended applications, are often poorly understood and contentious. Varying definitions and strict adherence to a specific monitoring type can inhibit effective ecosystem monitoring, leading to poor program development, implementation and outcomes.

Breakthrough in Marine Invertebrate Cell Culture: Sponge Cells Divide Rapidly in Improved Nutrient Medium.

Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are among the oldest Metazoa and considered critical to understanding animal evolution and development. They are also the most prolific source of marine-derived chemicals with pharmaceutical relevance. Cell lines are important tools for research in many disciplines, and have been established for many organisms, including freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates.

Comparison of Cryopreservation Techniques for Cells of the Marine Sponge Dysidea etheria.

Background: Cryopreservation is a commonly used method for the long-term storage of cell lines and provides a stable source of cells for experiments, allowing researchers to study species that are not geographically nearby, and useful to progress studies on sponge cell biotechnology.

Objective: The marine sponge Dysidea etheria was chosen as our model organism to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of two commonly used cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and glycerol.

Materials And Methods: By testing a range of concentrations (3-10% DMSO, 10-50% glycerol), we determined the optimal cryoprotectant for D.

Genetic algorithm as an optimization tool for the development of sponge cell culture media.

Sponges are rich sources of novel natural products. Production in cell cultures may be an option for supply of these compounds but there are currently no sponge cell lines. Because there is a lack of understanding about the precise conditions and nutritional requirements that are necessary to sustain sponge cells in vitro, there has yet to be a defined, sponge-specific nutrient medium.

Remote tropical island colonization does not preclude symbiotic specialists: new evidence of mycorrhizal specificity across the geographic distribution of the Hawaiian endemic orchid Anoectochilus sandvicensis.

Background And Aims: For symbiotic organisms, their colonization and spread across remote oceanic islands should favour generalists. Plants that form obligate symbiotic associations with microbes dominate island ecosystems, but the relationship between island inhabitance and symbiotic specificity is unclear, especially in the tropics. To fill this gap, we examined the mycorrhizal specificity of the Hawaiian endemic orchid Anoectochilus sandvicensis across multiple populations encompassing its entire geographic distribution.

A benthic bioindicator reveals distinct land and ocean-Based influences in an urbanized coastal embayment.

Biogeochemical maps of coastal regions can be used to identify important influences and inputs that define nearshore environments and biota. Biogeochemical tracers can also track animal movement and their diet, monitor human coastal development, and evaluate the condition of habitats and species. However, the beneficial applications of spatial biogeochemical analysis are hindered by a limited understanding of how tracer distribution is affected by different land and ocean-based influences.

A global perspective on the trophic geography of sharks.

Sharks are a diverse group of mobile predators that forage across varied spatial scales and have the potential to influence food web dynamics. The ecological consequences of recent declines in shark biomass may extend across broader geographic ranges if shark taxa display common behavioural traits. By tracking the original site of photosynthetic fixation of carbon atoms that were ultimately assimilated into muscle tissues of 5,394 sharks from 114 species, we identify globally consistent biogeographic traits in trophic interactions between sharks found in different habitats.

Fibrous Dysplasia in the Calcaneus.

Unlabelled: Fibrous dysplasia in the calcaneus is extremely rare; the most common locations of monostotic fibrous dysplasia of extremity bones being the proximal femoral shaft, tibia, humerus, and radius. An extensive literature search has revealed only 3 case reports that have been published concerning this topic, the most recent published in 2003. This is a case report of fibrous dysplasia in the calcaneus of a young male, including a discussion of the classical presentation of fibrous dysplasia and how this case differed.

Evolution of the Antisense Overlap between Genes for Thyroid Hormone Receptor and Rev-erbα and Characterization of an Exonic G-Rich Element That Regulates Splicing of TRα2 mRNA.

The α-thyroid hormone receptor gene (TRα) codes for two functionally distinct proteins: TRα1, the α-thyroid hormone receptor; and TRα2, a non-hormone-binding variant. The final exon of TRα2 mRNA overlaps the 3' end of Rev-erbα mRNA, which encodes another nuclear receptor on the opposite strand of DNA. To understand the evolution of this antisense overlap, we sequenced these genes and mRNAs in the platypus Orthorhynchus anatinus.

Regional movement patterns of a small-bodied shark revealed by stable-isotope analysis.

This study used stable-isotope analysis to define the nearshore regional residency and movements of the small-bodied Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori. Plasma and muscle δ(13) C and δ(15) N of R. taylori were collected from across five embayments and compared with values of seagrass and plankton from each bay.

First cases of KPC-type carbapenemase-producing bacteria in patients in New Zealand hospitals.

The emergence and global spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) is a significant public health problem. Between October 2010 and July 2013, KPC-producing K. pneumoniae were isolated from four patients in New Zealand hospitals.