β-alanine supplementation in adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Objective: Overweight and obesity are characterized by excess adiposity and systemic, chronic, low-grade inflammation, which is associated with several metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and tolerability of β-alanine supplementation and to explore the effects on cardiometabolic health and cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal function in adults with overweight and obesity.

Methods: A total of 27 adults (44% female; mean [SD], age: 58 [10] years, BMI: 31.

Better sleep hygiene is associated with better sleep health in mining shift workers in Australia.

Australia's mine sites are largely situated in remote locations and operate around the clock. Many shift workers fly to site, where they work 12-hr shifts and sleep in camp accommodation before they return home for the period rostered off work. Mining shift workers experience poor sleep, yet limited research is available on contributing factors.

Autologous macrophage therapy for liver cirrhosis: a phase 2 open-label randomized controlled trial.

Cirrhosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; however, there are no approved therapies except orthotopic liver transplantation. Preclinical studies showed that bone-marrow-derived macrophage injections reduce inflammation, resolve fibrosis and stimulate liver regeneration. In a multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, phase 2 randomized controlled trial ( ISRCTN10368050 ) in n = 51 adult patients with compensated cirrhosis and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score ≥10 and ≤17, we evaluated the efficacy of autologous monocyte-derived macrophage therapy (n = 27) compared to standard medical care (n = 24).

Efficacy of priming and commitment posters on urgent care patients' antibiotic expectations and knowledge: a cluster randomized trial.

Objective: Successfully educating urgent care patients on appropriate use and risks of antibiotics can be challenging. We assessed the conscious and subconscious impact various educational materials (informational handout, priming poster, and commitment poster) had on urgent care patients' knowledge and expectations regarding antibiotics.

Design: Stratified Block Randomized Control Trial.

Accelerating biosimilar market access: the case for allowing earlier standing.

Biosimilars, which are affordable alternatives to biologic medicines, face delays in market entry due to the current patent litigation framework under the Biologic Price Competition and Innovation Act. Currently, biosimilar manufacturers can only initiate patent litigation to attempt to clear weak and invalid patents after submitting their Biologic License Application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which happens after completing extensive, and costly clinical trials. By contrast, generic drug manufacturers can start litigation earlier due to shorter development times and less stringent clinical requirements, allowing them to launch immediately after the primary patent expires.

Harnessing global HLA data for enhanced patient matching in iPSC haplobanks.

Background: Several countries have either developed or are developing national induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) banks of cell lines derived from donors with HLA homozygous genotypes (two identical haplotypes) prevalent in their local populations to provide immune matched tissues and cells to support regenerative medicine therapies. This 'haplobank' approach relies on knowledge of the HLA genotypes of the population to identify the most beneficial haplotypes for patient coverage, and ultimately identify donors or cord blood units carrying two copies of the target haplotype.

Aims: A potentially more efficient alternative to a national bank approach is to assess the haplotypes required to provide global patient coverage and to produce a single, global haplobank.

Glycerol-3-phosphate contributes to the increase in FGF23 production in chronic kidney disease.

Why fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels increase markedly in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown. Recently, we found that phosphate stimulates renal production of glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P), which circulates to bone to trigger FGF23 production. To assess the impact of G-3-P on FGF23 production in CKD, we compared the effect of adenine-induced CKD in mice deficient in glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (Gpd1), an enzyme that synthesizes G-3-P, along with wild-type littermates.

Profiles of the maternal occupational exposome during pregnancy and associations with intrauterine growth: Analysis of the French Longitudinal Study of Children - ELFE study.

Background: Numerous agents in the workplace are suspected of impairing fetal growth. To date, no epidemiological studies have specifically described the occupational exposome during pregnancy.

Objective: The objectives were to determine maternal occupational exposome profiles and study their associations with intrauterine growth characteristics measured by small for gestational age (SGA), birthweight (BW), and head circumference (HC).

Joint position statement on immersion pulmonary oedema and diving from the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) and the United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC) 2024.

This joint position statement (JPS) on immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) and diving is the product of a workshop held at the 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) from 12-17 May 2024, and consultation with the United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC), three members of which attended the meeting. The JPS is a consensus of experts with relevant evidence cited where available. The statement reviews the nomenclature, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical features, prehospital treatment, investigation of and the fitness for future compressed gas diving following an episode of IPO.

Rethinking phase 2 trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

There is a long history in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) of promoting therapies based on Phase 2 data, which then fail in Phase 3 trials. Experience suggests that studies of 6 months in duration are too short, especially with function-based outcome measures. Multiplicity poses a serious threat to data interpretation, and strategies to impute missing data may not be appropriate for ALS where progression is always expected.

Assessment of the ability of Lactococcus lactis 537 to bind aflatoxin M1 in the presence of inulin and Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum).

One promising method for the detoxification of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) involves the use of probiotic bacteria combined with prebiotics. This approach is both safe and cost-effective, while also offering additional health benefits. The objective of this study was to investigate the capacity of Lactococcus lactis 537 (Lc.

The infected blood inquiry report-lessons for gamete donation.

Donation of substances of human origin (SoHO) is essential for the treatment of many patients and ranges from the donation of whole organs to the donation of tissue or cell products, including also gamete donation. In order to ensure the safety of recipients of SoHOs there are multiple steps taken in the donation pathway of all such substances to ensure the quality and safety of the donation. However, despite this, there is always a residual risk associated with SoHOs.

Epi-microRNA mediated metabolic reprogramming counteracts hypoxia to preserve affinity maturation.

To increase antibody affinity against pathogens, positively selected GC-B cells initiate cell division in the light zone (LZ) of germinal centers (GCs). Among these, higher-affinity clones migrate to the dark zone (DZ) and vigorously proliferate by utilizing energy provided by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). However, it remains unknown how positively selected GC-B cells adapt their metabolism for cell division in the glycolysis-dominant, cell cycle arrest-inducing, hypoxic LZ microenvironment.

Isolation of an exopolysaccharide-producing Weissella confusa strain from lettuce and exploring its application as a texture modifying adjunct culture in a soy milk alternative.

Consumers often seek healthier options but still desire the familiar eating experience of traditional dairy. Incorporating exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing cultures into fermented plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) offers a promising approach to improving the textural quality of these products. For this, it is essential that the EPS-producing cultures are able to produce EPS in the plant-based substrate.

Reconfigurable nanomaterials folded from multicomponent chains of DNA origami voxels.

In cells, proteins rapidly self-assemble into sophisticated nanomachines. Bioinspired self-assembly approaches, such as DNA origami, have been used to achieve complex three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures and devices. However, current synthetic systems are limited by low yields in hierarchical assembly and challenges in rapid and efficient reconfiguration between diverse structures.

Partnership of I-ACT for children (US) and European pediatric clinical trial networks to facilitate pediatric clinical trials.

Background/aims: Due to a lack of standard pediatric prescribing information, medicines are often used in a dosage form or for an indication that has not been investigated in children. Pediatric clinical trial research networks aim to facilitate the timely availability of innovative drugs for children by developing standardized trial facilitation and conduct processes. This paper aims to assess the (pre)feasibility duration and characteristics of a US-sponsored clinical trial, in collaboration with I-ACT for Children, for distribution across European sites via European clinical research facilitation networks.

Imaging following endoscopic and surgical treatment of achalasia.

Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder characterized by absent esophageal peristalsis associated with failure of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Patients with achalasia may present with long-standing and slowly progressive dysphagia to solids and liquids, heartburn, regurgitation, refractory reflux symptoms and noncardiac chest pain. The esophagram and the timed barium swallow are useful imaging studies that may contribute to the diagnosis of achalasia and may be used to determine improvement after treatment.

Developing Allies: Preparing Pharmacy Students to Practice With Cultural and Structural Humility.

Objectives: The Curricular Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities learning outcome of Cultural and Structural Humility was updated, prompting programs to evaluate how this content is included. The authors reviewed relevant literature published within the past 10 years (2014-2024) and provided a summary and relevant recommendations, as well as resources.

Findings: Calls to action were made within the Academy for programs to develop a holistic programmatic approach to developing students' cultural and structural humility.