Unravelling viral ecology and evolution over 20 years in a freshwater lake.

As freshwater lakes undergo rapid anthropogenic change, long-term studies reveal key microbial dynamics, evolutionary shifts and biogeochemical interactions, yet the vital role of viruses remains overlooked. Here, leveraging a 20 year time series from Lake Mendota, WI, USA, we characterized 1.3 million viral genomes across time, seasonality and environmental factors.

WEBA dataset as the Reflection of Work content effect on Workload perception in Real life Working conditions.

The effect of work content on workload, stress, and performance was not well addressed in the literature, due to the lack of comprehensive conceptualization, problem definition, and relevant dataset. The gap between laboratory-simulated studies and real-life working conditions delays the generalization, hindering the development of performance management and monitoring tools. Contributing to this topic, a data collection effort is organized, which considers unique work conditions and work content factors of a coffee shop, to conceptualize scenarios that better highlight their effect on human performance, thus creating the Work content Effect on BAristas (WEBA) dataset.

Towards transcervical ultrasound-guided transoral robotic surgery.

Background: In the context of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma (OPSCC), preoperative imaging and intraoperative visualization plays a pivotal role in optimizing resection margins. Prior work has demonstrated the ability of transoral ultrasound (US) in identifying OPSCC margins and vascular structures. This study evaluates the effectiveness of transcervical ultrasound (TUS), as well as other preoperative imaging modalities, in evaluating OPSCC volumes and compares this to post TORS pathological OPSCC volumes.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in high-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma: anatomical site matters.

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the tumor microenvironment are prognostically beneficial in many solid cancer types. Reports on TLS in high-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) are few, and the prognostic impact is unclear. We investigated mature TLS (mTLS), immature TLS (iTLS) and lymphoid aggregates (LA) in primary adnexal tumors (PTs) and synchronous omental/peritoneal metastases (pMets) of HGSC.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Recent studies suggest that iron and neuroinflammation are key components of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology. Ferrous Fe can cause oxidative stress and cellular toxicity, but it is unknown to what extent Fe is elevated in AD, in particular with the hippocampus. To answer this question, we quantified iron oxidation state in frozen human brain hippocampi.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative proteinopathy in which Aβ can misfold and aggregate into seeds that structurally corrupt native proteins, mimicking a prion-like process. These amyloid aggregation and propagation processes are influenced by three factors: the origin of the Aβ seed, time of incubation and host. However, the mechanism underlying the differential effect of each factor is poorly known.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: A case study on a PSEN1 (E280A) carrier with APOECh (R136S) mutation revealed changes in APOE protein function led to a protective effect on AD outcomes. Notably, there is an intriguing disparity between the two hallmark pathologies: a reduction in tauopathy but no change in plaque burden. Given that the APOE protein is predominantly produced by astrocytes and activated microglia, and the APOE gene is among the disease-associated microglia (DAM) genes, it is conceivable that the variance in pathological outcomes may be rooted in the glial response.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε4 gene variant is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease, but is not entirely predictive. Emerging evidence suggests environmental factors contribute to disease etiology, with epidemiological studies associating pesticide exposure with lower cognitive scores. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide used extensively in the US until 1972, persists in trace amounts due to its long half-life, bioaccumulation, and existing dumpsites.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) has been associated with molecular and cellular signatures associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We explored the use of both recent single-cell and bulk transcriptomics technologies in dissecting the molecular and cellular virus-human interactions with HSV-1 infected cerebral organoids (2D and 3D). We compared the results with our previous observations from bulk RNA sequencing and discovered novel insights into HSV-1 induced AD-associated molecular pathology that were made possible by each transcriptomics technology.

Cost-Effective Drug Testing: Analytical Methodology, Best Practices, and Clinical Utility.

Background: Drug overdose-related deaths continue to increase globally. Testing demands have likewise increased, prompting healthcare facilities to adopt a range of methods, from simple point-of-care immunoassays to comprehensive chromatographic and mass spectrometry-based techniques. Each of these testing methods has trade-offs related to cost, performance, speed, and convenience, requiring healthcare facilities to carefully determine the best options to meet their clinical needs.

Hyperglycemia causes differential change in macrophage population in the lacrimal gland, conjunctiva and cornea.

Background: Due to its location, the ocular surface is exposed to environmental microbes. Innate immune cells including macrophages are first line defense against infections. exposure to high glucose as well as diabetes-associated hyperglycemia has been shown to affect innate immune cell function and population.

Development of 6-amido-4-aminoisoindolyn-1,3-diones as p70S6K1 inhibitors and potential breast cancer therapeutics.

Introduction: Many breast cancer therapeutics target the PI3K/AKT/mTOR oncogenic pathway. Development of resistance to the therapeutics targeting this pathway is a frequent occurrence. Therapeutics targeting p70S6K1, a downstream member of this pathway, have recently gained importance due to its critical role in all types of breast cancer and its status as a prognostic marker.

Combination of Hotspot Mutations With Methylation and Fragmentomic Profiles to Enhance Multi-Cancer Early Detection.

Background: Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) through a single blood test significantly advances cancer diagnosis. However, most MCED tests rely on a single type of biomarkers, leading to limited sensitivity, particularly for early-stage cancers. We previously developed SPOT-MAS, a multimodal ctDNA-based assay analyzing methylation and fragmentomic profiles to detect five common cancers.

An evaluation framework for clinical use of large language models in patient interaction tasks.

The integration of large language models (LLMs) into clinical diagnostics has the potential to transform doctor-patient interactions. However, the readiness of these models for real-world clinical application remains inadequately tested. This paper introduces the Conversational Reasoning Assessment Framework for Testing in Medicine (CRAFT-MD) approach for evaluating clinical LLMs.

Regional patterns and climatic predictors of viruses in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies over time.

Honey bee viruses are serious pathogens that can cause poor colony health and productivity. We analyzed a multi-year longitudinal dataset of abundances of nine honey bee viruses (deformed wing virus A, deformed wing virus B, black queen cell virus, sacbrood virus, Lake Sinai virus, Kashmir bee virus, acute bee paralysis virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, and Israeli acute paralysis virus) in colonies located across Canada to describe broad trends in virus intensity and occurrence among regions and years. We also tested climatic variables (temperature, wind speed, and precipitation) as predictors in an effort to understand possible drivers underlying seasonal patterns in viral prevalence.

Lignin nano/micro-particles from agricultural biomasses: Developing direct precipitation for integrated biorefinery.

The state-of-the-art, simple and scalable methods for lignin micro-/nano-particles recovery from agricultural biomasses were evaluated in this review. Being non-wood biomasses, these materials can be easily fibrillated, supporting the usage of mild soda or organic solvent pretreatment. Different approaches in particle recovery were compared to conclude that the bottom-up approach facilitates smaller particles towards the nano-size range whereas mechanical treatment can act as a supporting method to increase uniformity and reduce particle sizes after bottom-up precipitation.

Solar energy prediction through machine learning models: A comparative analysis of regressor algorithms.

Solar energy generated from photovoltaic panel is an important energy source that brings many benefits to people and the environment. This is a growing trend globally and plays an increasingly important role in the future of the energy industry. However, it intermittent nature and potential for distributed system use require accurate forecasting to balance supply and demand, optimize energy storage, and manage grid stability.

Contribution of paranasal sinus, chest, and abdomen/pelvis computed tomography in patients with febrile neutropenia.

Objective: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious clinical event, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Imaging has a central role in the identification of the fever cause. The study objectives were to assess abnormalities of potential infectious origin on paranasal sinus, chest and abdomen/pelvis CT scans performed during an episode of FN, in patients with or without specific clinical signs, and to evaluate their impact on the frequency of changes in treatment.

Strategic Acyl Carrier Protein Engineering Enables Functional Type II Polyketide Synthase Reconstitution In Vitro.

Microbial polyketides represent a structurally diverse class of secondary metabolites with medicinally relevant properties. Aromatic polyketides are produced by type II polyketide synthase (PKS) systems, each minimally composed of a ketosynthase-chain length factor (KS-CLF) and a phosphopantetheinylated acyl carrier protein (-ACP). Although type II PKSs are found throughout the bacterial kingdom, and despite their importance to strategic bioengineering, type II PKSs have not been well-studied .

Recycling electroplating sludge as an efficient photocatalyst for degradation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous solution.

This research investigates the potential of electroplating sludge (ESs) as a sustainable and effective photocatalyst for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in wastewater. The study demonstrates that ESs, containing photoactive metal oxides, can effectively degrade CIP under ultraviolet light irradiation. This research suggests that ESs offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to wastewater treatment, promoting a circular economy.

Conformational effects in the identification and quantification of ketohydroperoxides in the oxidation of -pentane.

Stereochemistry plays a key role in both fundamental chemical processes and the dynamics of a large set of molecular systems of importance in chemistry, medicine and biology. Predicting the chemical transformations of organic precursors in such environments requires detailed kinetic models based on laboratory data. Reactive intermediates play a critical role in constraining the models but their identification and especially their quantification remain challenging.

Melanoma toolkit for early detection for primary care clinicians: a 1-year follow-up on outcomes.

Introduction: Primary care providers or clinicians (PCPs) have the potential to assist dermatologists in screening patients at risk for skin cancer, but require training to appropriately identify higher-risk patients, perform skin checks, recognize and biopsy concerning lesions, interpret pathology results, document the exam, and bill for the service. Very few validated dermatology training programs exist for PCPs and those that are available focus primarily on one emphasis area, which results in variable efficacy and single-topic limited scope.

Methods: We have created a free, online, continuing education program (Melanoma Toolkit for Early Detection, MTED) that allows learners to choose from a variety of multimedia tools (image recognition, videos, written material, in-person seminars, self-tests, etc.

Prescribing Patterns of Gabapentinoids in Chronic Pain Management: A Single Institution Retrospective Chart Review.

Gabapentin and pregabalin are widely used in the management of neuropathic pain though their prescribing patterns, effectiveness, and safety profiles remain topics of ongoing research. This retrospective chart review analyzed the prevalence of gabapentinoid use in a chronic pain clinic over a one-year period from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024. The study examined patient records from four pain management physicians, focusing on those prescribed gabapentin or pregabalin.

Slick potassium channels limit TRPM3-mediated activation of sensory neurons.

Heat sensation is mediated by specialized heat-sensitive neurons in the somatosensory system that innervates the skin. Previous studies revealed that noxious heat sensation is controlled by the sodium (Na)-activated potassium (K) channel Slick (Kcnt2), which is highly expressed in nociceptive Aδ-fibers. However, the mechanism by which Slick modulates heat sensation is poorly understood.