Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Astrocytes Is Altered in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disease. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are proviral remnants of ancient retroviral infection of germ cells that now constitute about 8% of the human genome. Under certain disease conditions, HERV genes are activated and partake in the disease process.

Structure, kinetics, and mechanism of Pseudomonas putida sulfoquinovose dehydrogenase, the first enzyme in the sulfoglycolytic Entner-Doudoroff pathway.

The sulfosugar sulfoquinovose (SQ) is catabolized through the sulfoglycolytic Entner-Doudoroff pathway, beginning with the oxidation of SQ to sulfogluconolactone by SQ dehydrogenase. We present a comprehensive structural and kinetic characterization of Pseudomonas putida SQ dehydrogenase (PpSQDH). PpSQDH is a tetrameric enzyme belonging to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily with a strong preference for NAD+ over NADP+.

Supervision of Pediatric Anesthesia After-Hours: A Survey of Pediatric Anesthetists in Australia and New Zealand.

Background: After-hours pediatric anesthesia may pose increased risks, with a heightened potential for sudden cardio-respiratory decline. While mortality rates are low in Australia and New Zealand, critical events and morbidity occur more frequently and present ongoing challenges. However, little is known about how trainees are supervised during these high-risk periods.

The multifaceted role of XCL1 in health and disease.

The chemokine XC motif chemokine ligand 1 (XCL1) is an unusually specialized member of a conserved family of around 50 small, secreted proteins that are best known for their ability to stimulate the directional migration of cells. All chemokines adopt a very similar folded structure that binds a specific G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), and most chemokines bind extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans, often in a dimeric or oligomeric form. Owing in part to the lack of a disulfide bond that is conserved in all other chemokines, XCL1 interconverts between two distinct structures with distinct functions.

LGBTQ+ Adult Sexual Violence Critical Scoping Review: Insights into Victimization and Perpetration.

The existing research on sexual violence has primarily concentrated on instances where cisgender, heterosexual men have perpetrated sexual violence against cisgender, heterosexual women, with knowledge about LGBTQ+ people underdeveloped. However, there is a growing body of literature examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. No previous review has critically synthesized both quantitative and qualitative scholarly studies on adult LGBTQ+ sexual violence globally.

LGBTQ+ Adult Sexual Violence Critical Scoping Review: Victimization Risk Factors.

Sexual violence experienced by LGBTQ+ adults is a rapidly expanding field of academic study. Therefore, there is a need for a synthesis and critical analysis of the research. The aim of this review was to conduct a critical review of the academic literature on adult LGBTQ+ sexual violence and to provide recommendations for future research.

Metformin use and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma outcomes: a narrative review.

Background: Metformin is a diabetes medication with anti-mitotic properties. A narrative review was performed to investigate people using metformin and the risk of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as survival outcomes in established PDAC.

Methods: Relevant studies on metformin use and PDAC were retrieved from PubMed including observational studies on metformin and the risk of developing PDAC and survival outcomes in PDAC, and randomized controlled trials of metformin as a treatment in PDAC.

Amplifying Women's Voices in Menopause Research: The Importance of Inclusive Perspectives.

Menopause, a significant life transition for half the global population, intersects biological, cultural and social dimensions. Despite its universal occurrence, menopause research has historically been dominated by biomedical perspectives, often neglecting women's voices and diverse experiences. This article highlights the importance of including women's perspectives in menopause research to ensure relevance, accuracy and equity.

Monogenic causes of cerebral small vessel disease- models for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia?

Purpose Of Review: Recent advancements in molecular biomarkers and therapeutic options for Alzheimer's disease have brought into focus the need for greater progress in the second most common cause of dementia, vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). We examine how the study of monogenic causes of VCID has contributed to the understanding of its pathophysiology and potential biomarker and treatment research.

Recent Findings: It is widely accepted that conditions which disrupt the cerebral small vessels contribute to vascular pathologies including stroke and cerebral microbleeds, ultimately leading to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.

10 Years Development of Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), with abundant resources and low cost, are considered as a promising alternative to commercial lithium-ion batteries for low-cost and large-scale applications. Over the past decade, significant academic progresses are made in the development of PIBs, including advancements in cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes. However, most improvements are achieved under laboratory conditions (e.

Alport syndrome: an update.

Purpose Of Review: The recent widespread availability of genetic testing has resulted in the diagnosis of many more people with Alport syndrome. This increased recognition has been paralleled by advances in understanding clinical consequences, genotype-phenotype correlations and in the development of new therapies.

Recent Findings: These include the international call for a change of name to 'Alport spectrum' which better reflects the diverse clinical features seen with autosomal dominant and X-linked Alport syndrome; the demonstration of how common Alport syndrome is in people with haematuria, proteinuria, or kidney failure; the inability of current genetic testing to detect all pathogenic variants in suspected Alport syndrome; the different genotype-phenotype correlations for autosomal dominant and X-linked disease; and the novel treatments that are available including SGLT2 inhibitors for persistent albuminuria despite renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade, as well as early studies of gene-modifying agents.

Universal Hydrogel Carrier Enhances Bone Graft Success: Preclinical and Clinical Evaluation.

Orthopedic, maxillofacial, and complex dentoalveolar bone grafting procedures that require donor-site bone harvesting can be associated with post-surgical complications. There has been widespread adoption of exogenously sourced particulate bone graft materials (BGM) for bone regenerative procedures; however, the particulate nature of these materials may lead to compromised healing outcomes, mainly attributed to structural collapse of the BGM, prolonged tissue healing. In this study, a fully synthetic thermoresponsive hydrogel-based universal carrier matrix (TX) that forms flowable and shapable putties with different BGMs while spatially preserving the particles in a 3D scaffold at the implantation site is introduced.

Gut Microbiota Metabolites Sensed by Host GPR41/43 Protect Against Hypertension.

Background: Fermentation of dietary fiber by the gut microbiota leads to the production of metabolites called short-chain fatty acids, which lower blood pressure and exert cardioprotective effects. Short-chain fatty acids activate host signaling responses via the functionally redundant receptors GPR41 and GPR43, which are highly expressed by immune cells. Whether and how these receptors protect against hypertension or mediate the cardioprotective effects of dietary fiber remains unknown.

Aprocitentan for Blood Pressure Reduction in Black Patients.

Background: Black individuals frequently present with resistant hypertension and disproportionately increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist aprocitentan in Black individuals enrolled in the PRECISION study (Parallel-Group, Phase 3 Study with Aprocitentan in Subjects with Resistant Hypertension).

Methods: Patients with confirmed resistant hypertension were randomized to aprocitentan 12.

Evidence-Based Application of Natriuretic Peptides in the Evaluation of Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in the Ambulatory Outpatient Setting.

Background: Plasma NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) is commonly used to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but its diagnostic performance in the ambulatory/outpatient setting is unknown because previous studies lacked objective reference standards.

Methods: Among patients with chronic dyspnea, diagnosis of HFpEF or noncardiac dyspnea was determined conclusively by exercise catheterization in a derivation cohort (n=414), multicenter validation cohort 1 (n=560), validation cohort 2 (n=207), and a nonobese Japanese validation cohort 3 (n=77). Optimal NT-proBNP cut points for HFpEF rule out (optimizing sensitivity) and rule in (optimizing specificity) were derived and tested, stratified by obesity and atrial fibrillation.

Recent advances in synthesis and application of Magnéli phase titanium oxides for energy storage and environmental remediation.

High-temperature reduction of TiO causes the gradual formation of structural defects, leading to oxygen vacancy planar defects and giving rise to Magnéli phases, which are substoichiometric titanium oxides that follow the formula Ti O, with 4 ≤ ≤ 9. A high concentration of defects provides several possible configurations for Ti and Ti within the crystal, with the variation in charge ordered states changing the electronic structure of the material. The changes in crystal and electronic structures of Magnéli phases introduce unique properties absent in TiO, facilitating their diverse applications.

Photodegradation reveals that singlet energy transfer impedes energy-gradient-driven singlet fission in polyacene blends.

Singlet fission (SF) is a process that is potentially beneficial for photovoltaics by producing two triplet excitons from a single photon, but its application is often hindered by the inability to effectively separate the resultant triplet excitons. It has been proposed that an energy gradient can assist in separating triplet excitons through triplet energy transfer between chromophores of different triplet energies, but this approach has only been studied in solution and the efficacy of this strategy in the solid state is under explored. Here, we investigate energy-gradient-driven SF in a disordered solid state, in the form of suspensions of 5,12-bis(triisopropylsilylethnyl)tetracene:6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethnyl)pentance (TIPS-Tn:TIPS-Pn) blend nanoparticles (NPs).

Competing pathways to aromaticity governed by amine dehydrogenation and metal-organic complexation in on-surface synthesis.

We investigated the reactivity of a -dichlorovinyl-carbazole precursor in the on-surface synthesis approach. Our findings reveal that, on the Au(111) surface, the thermally-induced dehalogenation reaction led to the formation of cumulene dimers. Contrastingly, the more reactive Cu(111) surface promoted the formation of a polyheterocyclic compound exhibiting extended aromaticity.

ASA Class Is a Stronger Predictor of Early Revision Risk Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty than BMI.

Background: Although there is a known correlation between obesity and revision risk following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is an ongoing debate regarding the appropriateness of denying TKA solely based on the body mass index (BMI) of a patient. Our aim was to determine whether a patient's American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class predicts their risks of early all-cause revision and revision for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following primary TKA, independent of their BMI.

Methods: Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) were obtained regarding all patients who underwent primary TKA for osteoarthritis in Australia from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022.

Laboratory performance assessment of low-cost water level sensor for field monitoring in the tropics.

As Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a key strategy in integrated urban water management worldwide, there is a need for robust monitoring of WSUD systems. Being economical and flexible for operation and communication, low-cost sensor systems show great potential to mainstream digital water management. Yet, such systems are insufficiently tested, casting doubt on the reliability of their measurements.

Pandemic one health clones of and producing CTX-M-14, CTX-M-27, CTX-M-55 and CTX-M-65 ESβLs among companion animals in northern Ecuador.

From a One Health perspective, dogs and cats have begun to be recognized as important reservoirs for clinically significant multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and genomic features of ESβL producing Enterobacterales isolated from dogs, in the province of Imbabura, Ecuador. We identified four isolates expressing ESβLs from healthy and diseased animals.

Clinical phenotype and trio whole exome sequencing data from a patient with glycogen storage disease IV in Indonesia.

Glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV) is a rare disease caused by a defect in glycogen branching enzyme 1 (GBE1), which played a crucial role in glycogen branching. GSD IV occurs once in approximately 1 in every 760,000 to 960,000 live births and is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Early diagnosis of GSD IV is challenging due to non-specific symptoms, such as liver and spleen enlargement, which can overlap with other hematologic and hepatobiliary disorders.

Endoscopic View of the Aorta Through the Oesophagus: An Unusual Complication Post Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.

We present a case of an 80-year-old female who presented with chest pain, vomiting and night sweats a few weeks post thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR). A computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a type 1B endoleak for which she underwent a repeat TEVAR. Postoperatively, she developed fever, dysphagia, haematemesis and melaena.