Low intensity mechanical signals promote proliferation in a cell-specific manner: Tailoring a non-drug strategy to enhance biomanufacturing yields.

Biomanufacturing relies on living cells to produce biotechnology-based therapeutics, tissue engineering constructs, vaccines, and a vast range of agricultural and industrial products. With the escalating demand for these bio-based products, any process that could improve yields and shorten outcome timelines by accelerating cell proliferation would have a significant impact across the discipline. While these goals are primarily achieved using or strategies, harnessing cell mechanosensitivity represents a promising - albeit less studied - pathway to promote bioprocessing endpoints, yet identifying which mechanical parameters influence cell activities has remained elusive.

Reversible Nucleophilic Ring-Opening of Tetraoxapentacene Derivatives: Accessing New Materials for Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence.

We report the unexpected nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of electron deficient dioxins in the presence of carbazole under basic conditions. This nucleophilic ring-opening reaction is reversible under basic conditions in the absence of nucleophiles. Further, we demonstrate that this unexpected reactivity can be used to prepare novel donor-acceptor compounds that are emissive in solution and as thin films and exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).

Evaluation of Anxiolytic Activity of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Using Actophotometer Test in Wistar Rats.

Introduction Anxiety disorders are common mental illnesses impacting quality of life, with current treatments like benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) facing limitations due to side effects. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), used primarily for hypertension, have shown potential neuropsychiatric benefits, including anxiolytic effects. This study explores the anxiolytic effects of two ARBs, telmisartan and losartan, by evaluating locomotor activity in Wistar rats, aiming to identify new treatment options for anxiety through modulation of the renin-angiotensin system.

Low Versus Standard Intensity Heparin Protocols in Adults Maintained on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Patients maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) often require systemic anticoagulation to prevent circuit clotting and systemic thromboembolic complications. The optimal intensity of anticoagulation to balance the risk of bleeding and prevention of thrombotic complications in this patient population is not well described. To compare bleeding events in patients on ECMO anticoagulated with standard vs low intensity heparin protocols.

The Literature that Commercial Insurance Payers Use to Substantiate Knee Osteochondral Allograft Policies Are of a Low Level of Evidence.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze how the largest insurance companies support their medical necessity policies regarding osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) and to determine whether the literature they cite in their policies is of a high level of evidence (LOE).

Design: The 10 largest national health insurance companies were identified. Each payer was contacted via phone or email to obtain their coverage policy regarding OCA.

A Retrospective Analysis of AngioVac Outcomes at a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: The AngioVac system is a vacuum aspiration device approved for removal of right-sided cardiac thrombi. It has also been used for management of right-sided endocarditis in selected cases. Retrospective case series have reported high success rate and acceptable 30-day mortality, but there is limited data regarding outcomes beyond the immediate postoperative period.

Ursodeoxycholic Acid's Effectiveness in the Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: This meta-analysis's objective was to assess the effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: Electronic databases like PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were thoroughly looked for randomized controlled trials determining ursodeoxycholic acid's (UDCAs) effectiveness on the serum liver function tests in NAFLD patients. After screening, seven randomized controlled trials were incorporated overall.

Plastid phylogenomics reveals evolutionary relationships in the mycoheterotrophic orchid genus and provides insights into plastid gene degeneration.

The orchid genus R.Br. (Epidendroideae) comprises leafy autotrophic and leafless mycoheterotrophic species, with the latter confined to sect.

Effects of Serum Potassium on Mortality in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Introduction: Disturbances in potassium levels can induce ventricular arrhythmias and heighten mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study evaluates the influence of sK levels on seven-day mortality and incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in STEMI patients to further improve clinical guidelines and outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective, propensity-matched study analyzed approximately 250,000 acute STEMI patients from 55 major academic medical centers/healthcare organizations (HCOs) in the US Collaborative Network of the TriNetX database.

Type 1 Diabetes Impairs Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation Via Increasing Endothelial Cell Glycolysis Through Advanced Glycation End Products, PFKFB3, and Nox1-Mediated Mechanisms.

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a major cause of endothelial dysfunction. Although cellular bioenergetics has been identified as a new regulator of vascular function, whether glycolysis, the primary bioenergetic pathway in endothelial cells (EC), regulates vascular tone and contributes to impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in T1D remains unknown.

Methods: Experiments were conducted in Akita mice with intact or selective deficiency in EC PFKFB3 (6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3), the main regulator of glycolysis.

Deletion of complement factor 5 amplifies glucose intolerance in obese male but not female mice.

Complement factor 5 of the innate immune system generates C5a and C5b ligands, which initiate inflammatory and cell lysis events, respectively. C5 activation has been linked with obesity-associated metabolic disorders; however, whether it has a causative role is unclear. We generated a C5 null (C5) mouse using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to determine whether loss of C5 improves obesity-linked metabolic dysfunction.

Low-Lying Tegmen and Surgical Outcomes Following the Middle Cranial Fossa Repair of Superior Canal Dehiscence.

Objective: To compare treatment response from the middle cranial fossa repair of superior canal dehiscence (SCD) between cases with and cases without low-lying tegmen (LLT).

Study Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Single tertiary care institution.

Laser enucleation of the prostate (LEP) vs. simple prostatectomy: an analysis of hospital charges and comparison of practice trends.

Purpose: Laser enucleation of the prostate (LEP) and simple prostatectomy (SP) are surgical treatment options for large gland Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. While multiple studies compare clinical outcomes of these procedures, there are limited data available comparing hospital charges in the United States. Here, we present current practice trends and a hospital charge analysis on a national level using an annual insurance claims data repository.

Low intensity mechanical signals promote proliferation in a cell-specific manner: Tailoring a non-drug strategy to enhance biomanufacturing yields.

Biomanufacturing relies on living cells to produce biotechnology-based therapeutics, tissue engineering constructs, vaccines, and a vast range of agricultural and industrial products. With the escalating demand for these bio-based products, any process that could improve yields and shorten outcome timelines by accelerating cell proliferation would have a significant impact across the discipline. While these goals are primarily achieved using or strategies, harnessing cell mechanosensitivity represents a promising - albeit less studied - pathway to promote bioprocessing endpoints, yet identifying which mechanical parameters influence cell activities has remained elusive.

Computed tomography approximated superior semicircular canal dehiscence size and location and their association with clinical presentation.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) size and location with patient symptomatology and audiometry.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed SSCD cases presented to a tertiary institution between 2011 and 2022. Dehiscence length and width measured on high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography imaging were used to calculate an approximate dehiscence area (ADA).

Cryopreserved human precision-cut lung slices provide an immune competent pulmonary test system for "on-demand" use and long-term cultures.

Human precision-cut lung slices (hPCLS), considered a highly relevant ex vivo model of the lung, offer native architecture and cells of the lung tissue including respiratory parenchyma, small airways, and immune competent cells. However, the irregular availability of donor lungs has limited the accessibility of this system. As described here, thousands of hPCLS can be created from 1 lung, cryopreserved, and used "on demand" by applying slicing and cryopreservation methodology improvements.

Distribution of age, sex, race, and ethnicity in COVID-19 clinical drug trials in the United States: A review.

Background: COVID-19 quickly overwhelmed the world, but disproportionately affects certain communities, particularly minority groups. Despite overrepresentation among COVID-19 cases and death, minority groups were underrepresented in some of the early COVID-19 clinical trials.

Objective: To assess and compare the demographic characteristics of COVID-19 clinical trial participants to national COVID-19 data.

Natural Alternatives and the Common Cold and Influenza.

The use of complementary and integrative medicine has increased . It is estimated that one-third of the population of the United States uses some form of alternative medicine. Physicians should consider integrative medicine therapies .

A Lost Bullet in the Coronary Sinus: A Cautionary Tale.

We present a case of venous bullet embolism to the right atrium following a gunshot wound (GSW) to the abdomen. A 53-year-old male presented after a GSW to the abdomen. His workup included a computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrating an aortic injury with aortocaval fistula.

Role of Caveolae in the Development of Microvascular Dysfunction and Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes (T2D) microvascular dysfunction can interfere with tissue glucose uptake thereby contributing to the development of hyperglycemia. The cell membrane caveolae orchestrate signaling pathways that include microvascular control of tissue perfusion. In this study, we examined the role of caveolae in the regulation of microvascular vasomotor function under the condition of hyperglycemia in T2D patients and rodent models.

Exposure to combustion derived particulate matter exacerbates influenza infection in neonatal mice by inhibiting IL22 production.

Background: Particulate matter (PM) containing environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are formed during various combustion processes, including the thermal remediation of hazardous wastes. Exposure to PM adversely affects respiratory health in infants and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to acute lower respiratory tract infections. We previously reported that early-life exposure to PM damages the lung epithelium and suppresses immune responses to influenza virus (Flu) infection, thereby enhancing Flu severity.

Masked Face Analysis via Multi-Task Deep Learning.

Face recognition with wearable items has been a challenging task in computer vision and involves the problem of identifying humans wearing a face mask. Masked face analysis via multi-task learning could effectively improve performance in many fields of face analysis. In this paper, we propose a unified framework for predicting the age, gender, and emotions of people wearing face masks.

Simultaneous Quantification of Betulinic Acid, Lupeol, and β-Sitosterol in Madhuca longifolia Methanolic Extract of Bark by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometric Method.

Background: Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry is used widely used for the quantitative analysis of phytoconstituents present in medicinal plants to assess the quality of extract used for different investigations.

Objective: A sensitive, precise, and accurate liquid chromatographic method with tandem mass spectrometric detection was developed for simultaneous quantification of lupeol, betulinic acid, and β-sitosterol in the methanolic extract of Madhuca longifolia bark.

Method: The three compounds were eluted with a stationary phase Gemini C18 column (50 × 2.