Updates on Methods for Body Composition Analysis: Implications for Clinical Practice.

Background: Recent technological advances have introduced novel methods for measuring body composition, each with unique benefits and limitations. The choice of method often depends on the trade-offs between accuracy, cost, participant burden, and the ability to measure specific body composition compartments.

Objective: To review the considerations of cost, accuracy, portability, and participant burden in reference and emerging body composition assessment methods, and to evaluate their clinical applicability.

Activation of δ-opioid receptors blocks allodynia in a model of headache induced by PACAP.

Background And Purpose: Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a human migraine trigger that is being targeted for migraine. The δ-opioid receptor (δ-receptor) is a novel target for the treatment of migraine, but its mechanism remains unclear. The goals of this study were to develop a mouse PACAP-headache model using clinically significant doses of PACAP; determine the effects of δ-receptor activation in this model; and investigate the co-expression of δ-receptors, PACAP and PACAP-PAC1 receptor.

Quantifying the Deficits of Body Water and Monovalent Cations in Hyperglycemic Emergencies.

Hyperglycemic emergencies cause significant losses of body water, sodium, and potassium. This report presents a method for computing the actual losses of water and monovalent cations in these emergencies. We developed formulas for computing the losses of water and monovalent cations as a function of the presenting serum sodium and glucose levels, the sum of the concentrations of sodium plus potassium in the lost fluids, and body water at the time of hyperglycemia presentation as measured by bioimpedance or in the initial euglycemic state as estimated by anthropometric formulas.

ProBDNF as a Myokine in Skeletal Muscle Injury: Role in Inflammation and Potential for Therapeutic Modulation of p75.

Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is expressed by skeletal muscle as a myokine. Our previous work showed that the active precursor, proBDNF, is the predominant form of BDNF expressed in skeletal muscle, and that following skeletal muscle injury, proBDNF levels are significantly increased. However, the function of the muscle-derived proBDNF in injury-induced inflammation has yet to be fully understood.

Low Bacterial Biomass in Human Pancreatic Cancer and Adjacent Normal Tissue.

The gut microbiome plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of luminal gastrointestinal malignancies and response to antineoplastic therapy. Preclinical studies have suggested a role of intratumoral gammaproteobacteria in mediating response to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the impact of the PDAC microbiome on chemotherapy response using samples from human pancreatic tumor resections.

Administration of AICAR, an AMPK Activator, Prevents and Reverses Diabetic Polyneuropathy (DPN) by Regulating Mitophagy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes in both Type 1 (T1D) and Type 2 (T2D). While there are no specific medications to prevent or treat DPN, certain strategies can help halt its progression. In T1D, maintaining tight glycemic control through insulin therapy can effectively prevent or delay the onset of DPN.

Targeting MAO-B with Small-Molecule Inhibitors: A Decade of Advances in Anticancer Research (2012-2024).

Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) is a key enzyme in the mitochondrial outer membrane, pivotal for the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines. Its overexpression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cancers, including glioblastoma and colorectal, lung, renal, and bladder cancers, primarily through the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inhibition of MAO-B impedes cell proliferation, making it a potential therapeutic target.

Cycle Effects Are Not Universal: A Case Study of Urinary C-Reactive Protein Concentrations in Rural Polish and Polish American Samples.

Objectives: We need to better understand how the menstrual cycle interacts with other biological systems, such the inflammation and immune response. One way to study this interaction is through C-reactive protein (CRP). Studies of CRP concentrations across the menstrual cycle have been inconsistent.

Valine deficiency has a greater impact on broiler growth and bone health than isoleucine deficiency.

Valine and isoleucine are not only two of the indispensable amino acids (AAs) in chickens but also have special mechanisms with leucine within the branched-chain AA (BCAA) category. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how valine or isoleucine deficiency could specifically affect growth performance in broilers through various analyses. A total of 252 seven-day (d)-old male Cobb 500 broilers were allotted to three treatments with six replicates and reared until d 21.

The genes are important for growth in the presence of sphingosine by promoting sphingosine metabolism.

Sphingoid bases, including sphingosine, are important components of the antimicrobial barrier at epithelial surfaces where they can cause growth inhibition and killing of susceptible bacteria. is a common opportunistic pathogen that is less susceptible to sphingosine than many Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we determined that the deletion of the operon reduced growth in the presence of sphingosine.

Patient and Healthcare Professional Perspectives on Crohn's Perianal Fistula Treatment: Results From a Discrete Choice Experiment.

Background: Crohn's perianal fistulas (CPF) are difficult to manage and often require multiple interventions. This study aimed to assess the preferences of patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) for attributes of CPF-related procedures/surgeries to better inform CPF management.

Methods: This US cross-sectional, observational study was conducted via a web-enabled questionnaire (October 2021-January 2022) among patients aged 21-89 years with a self-reported physician diagnosis of CPF (with or without CPF-related surgery experience) and HCPs (gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons who managed ≥3 patients with CPF in the past 12 months).

Impulsivity behaviors and white matter mediate the relationship between genetic risk for cannabis use disorder and early cannabis use in adolescents.

Background And Aim: Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is strongly influenced by genetic factors; however the mechanisms underpinning this association are not well understood. This study investigated whether a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on a genome-wide association study for CUD in adults predicts cannabis use in adolescents and whether the association can be explained by inter-individual variation in structural properties of brain white matter or risk-taking behaviors.

Design And Setting: Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses using data from the IMAGEN cohort, a European longitudinal study integrating genetic, neuroimaging and behavioral measures.

Biophysical mapping of TREM2-ligand interactions reveals shared surfaces for engagement of multiple Alzheimer's disease ligands.

TREM2 is a signaling receptor expressed on microglia that has emerged as an important drug target for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. While a number of TREM2 ligands have been identified, little is known regarding the structural details of how they engage. To better understand this, we created a protein library of 28 different TREM2 variants that could be used to map interactions with various ligands using biolayer interferometry.

Effect of daily alcohol intake on sex hormone levels among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitor therapy: a randomized controlled crossover pilot study.

Background: Alcohol intake is associated with a higher risk of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC), presumably through its confirmed ability to increase sex hormone levels. Whether consuming alcohol within the recommended limit of one serving per day increases sex hormone levels among postmenopausal women taking aromatase inhibitors (AI) to inhibit estrogen production remains unknown. Therefore, we compared sex hormone levels following white wine to levels following white grape juice among ER + BC survivors taking AIs.

Unraveling the genetic architecture of blueberry fruit quality traits: major loci control organic acid content while more complex genetic mechanisms control texture and sugar content.

Background: Fruit quality traits, including taste, flavor, texture, and shelf-life, have emerged as important breeding priorities in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Organic acids and sugars play crucial roles in the perception of blueberry taste/flavor, where low and high consumer liking are correlated with high organic acids and high sugars, respectively. Blueberry texture and appearance are also critical for shelf-life quality and consumers' willingness-to-pay.

Non-Caucasian Race/Ethnicity Predisposes to Unfavorable Stage and Grade at Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Diagnosis.

Objective: To test whether race/ethnicity affects stage or grade distribution at upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) diagnosis.

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database 2004-2020, UTUC patients were identified. Multivariable logistic regression models tested for the association between race/ethnicity and stage as well as grade at diagnosis according to renal pelvis vs.

Global profiling of alternative splicing in non-small cell lung cancer reveals novel histological and population differences.

Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the US. African-American (AA) men are more likely to develop lung cancer with higher incidence and mortality rates than European-American (EA) men. Herein, we report high-confidence alternative splicing (AS) events from high-throughput, high-depth total RNA sequencing of lung tumors and non-tumor adjacent tissues (NATs) in two independent cohorts of patients with adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

Divergent roles of mA in orchestrating brown and white adipocyte transcriptomes and systemic metabolism.

N-methyladenosine (mA) is among the most abundant mRNA modifications, yet its cell-type-specific regulatory roles remain unclear. Here we show that mA methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14) differentially regulates transcriptome in brown versus white adipose tissue (BAT and WAT), leading to divergent metabolic outcomes. In humans and mice with insulin resistance, METTL14 expression differs significantly from BAT and WAT in the context of its correlation with insulin sensitivity.

Effect of Dietary Ketosis and Nicotinamide Riboside on Hippocampal Krebs Cycle Intermediates and Mitochondrial Energetics in a DNA Repair-Deficient 3xTg/POLβ Alzheimer Disease Mouse Model.

Alzheimer disease is a neurodegenerative pathology-modifying mitochondrial metabolism with energy impairments where the effects of biological sex and DNA repair deficiencies are unclear. We investigated the therapeutic potential of dietary ketosis alone or with supplemental nicotinamide riboside (NR) on hippocampal intermediary metabolism and mitochondrial bioenergetics in older male and female wild-type (Wt) and 3xTgAD-DNA polymerase-β-deficient (3xTg/POLβ) (AD) mice. DNA polymerase-β is a key enzyme in DNA base excision repair (BER) of oxidative damage that may also contribute to mitochondrial DNA repair.

Implementation of Ambulatory Kidney Supportive Care in a Safety Net Hospital.

Context: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disproportionately impacts lower socioeconomic groups and is associated with many symptoms and complex decisions. Integration of Kidney Supportive Care (KSC) with CKD care can address these needs. To our knowledge, this approach has not been described in an underserved population.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel thiourea derivatives as small molecule inhibitors for prostate specific membrane antigen.

Prostate cancer (PCa) has emerged to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Molecular imaging of PCa using targeted radiopharmaceuticals specifically to PCa cells promises accurate staging of primary disease, detection of localized and metastasized tumours, and helps predict the progression of the disease. Glutamate urea heterodimers have been popularly used as high-affinity small molecules in the binding pockets of popular and well-characterized PCa biomarker, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

Pulsed Ultrasound-Mediated Drug Delivery Enhancement Through Human Sclera.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize whether pulsed ultrasound (PUS) affects transscleral drug delivery.

Methods: Fluorescein sodium (NaF, 376 Da) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran 40 (FD-40, 40 kDa) were used as model drugs. Human sclera grafts were placed in modified Franz diffusion cells and were treated by PUS (1 megahertz [MHz], 0.

Understanding the Role of Trust in Healthcare and Intentions to Pursue Live Donor Kidney Transplant Among African American End Stage Kidney Disease Patients.

African Americans (AAs) with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) experience significant barriers to accessing living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT), largely due to individual and systemic factors, including a lack of trust in healthcare systems resulting from a legacy of and continued experiences with medical racism. This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from 416 AA patients with ESKD undergoing transplant evaluation in 2019-2023 at two kidney transplant centers in the Southeast United States, examining whether trust (specifically trust in kidney doctors, hospitals, and healthcare) modifies the relationship between attitudes towards LDKT and behavioral intentions to discuss LDKT with family and friends. Multivariable analyses revealed significant interactions.