A sweeping view of avian mycoplasmas biology drawn from comparative genomic analyses.

Background: Avian mycoplasmas are small bacteria associated with several pathogenic conditions in many wild and poultry bird species. Extensive genomic data are available for many avian mycoplasmas, yet no comparative studies focusing on this group of mycoplasmas have been undertaken so far.

Results: Here, based on the comparison of forty avian mycoplasma genomes belonging to ten different species, we provide insightful information on the phylogeny, pan/core genome, energetic metabolism, and virulence of these avian pathogens.

Socioeconomic status moderates the effect of physical education on overweight and obesity in children: a quasi-experimental trial.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to estimate the effects of an intensive school-based physical education intervention on the risk of developing overweight or obesity in primary school students when accounting for the moderating role of socioeconomic status. This quasi-experimental trial included data from primary school students participating in an intensive physical education program comprising 4.5 h of weekly physical activity compared to 1.

Commutability assessment of new standard reference materials (SRMs) for determining serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D using ligand binding and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assays.

Commutability is where the measurement response for a reference material (RM) is the same as for an individual patient sample with the same concentration of analyte measured using two or more measurement systems. Assessment of commutability is essential when the RM is used in a calibration hierarchy or to ensure that clinical measurements are comparable across different measurement procedures and at different times. The commutability of three new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for determining serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], defined as the sum of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], was assessed through an interlaboratory study.

Using cationic liposomes as carriers for long dsRNA to trigger an antiviral response in rainbow trout cell lines.

Long dsRNA induces the expression of type I interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) to establish an antiviral state. When induced prophylactically, this antiviral state can reduce the severity and mortality of viral infections. One of the limiting factors in delivering dsRNA in animal models is the lack of an effective carrier that protects the dsRNA from degradation in the extracellular space.

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.

Impact of RSVpreF vaccination on reducing the burden of respiratory syncytial virus in infants and older adults.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a substantial health burden among infants and older adults. Prefusion F protein-based vaccines have shown high efficacy against RSV disease in clinical trials, offering promise for mitigating this burden through maternal and older adult immunization. Employing an individual-based model, we evaluated the impact of RSV vaccination on hospitalizations and deaths in 13 high-income countries, assuming that the vaccine does not prevent infection or transmission.

Shaping current European mitochondrial haplogroup frequency in response to infection: the case of SARS-CoV-2 severity.

The frequency of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups (mtDNA-HG) in humans is known to be shaped by migration and repopulation. Mounting evidence indicates that mtDNA-HG are not phenotypically neutral, and selection may contribute to its distribution. Haplogroup H, the most abundant in Europe, improved survival in sepsis.

Ongoing replication stress tolerance and clonal T cell responses distinguish liver and lung recurrence and outcomes in pancreatic cancer.

Patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma survive longer if disease spreads to the lung but not the liver. Here we generated overlapping, multi-omic datasets to identify molecular and cellular features that distinguish patients whose disease develops liver metastasis (liver cohort) from those whose disease develops lung metastasis without liver metastases (lung cohort). Lung cohort patients survived longer than liver cohort patients, despite sharing the same tumor subtype.

Escherichia coli growing under antimicrobial gallium nitrate stress reveals new processes of tolerance and toxicity.

Metals have been used throughout history to manage disease. With the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, metal-based antimicrobials (MBAs) have re-emerged as an alternative to combat infections. Gallium nitrate has shown promising efficacy against several pathogens.

Population genomics and connectivity of Vazella pourtalesii sponge grounds of the northwest Atlantic with conservation implications of deep sea vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Sponges are key ecosystem engineers that shape, structure and enhance the biodiversity of marine benthic communities globally. Sponge aggregations and reefs are recognized as vulnerable marine ecosystems (or VMEs) due to their susceptibility to damage from bottom-contact fishing gears. Ensuring their long-term sustainability, preservation, and ecosystem functions requires the implementation of sound scientific conservation tools.

A bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine elicited broad immune responses and protection against Omicron subvariants infection.

Continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants pose a threat thwarting the effectiveness of approved COVID-19 vaccines. Especially, the protection breadth and degree of these vaccines against antigenically distant Omicron subvariants is unclear. Here, we report the immunogenicity and efficacy of a bivalent mRNA vaccine, PTX-COVID19-M1.

Neoadjuvant or concurrent atezolizumab with chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer: a randomized phase I trial.

Combined immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and chemoradiation (CRT) is approved in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) but optimal sequencing of CRT and ICB is unknown. NRG-GY017 (NCT03738228) was a randomized phase I trial of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) neoadjuvant and concurrent with CRT (Arm A) vs. concurrent with CRT (Arm B) in patients with high-risk node-positive LACC.

The NE/AAT/CBG axis regulates adipose tissue glucocorticoid exposure.

Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG; SERPINA6) binds >85% of circulating glucocorticoids but its influence on their metabolic actions is unproven. Targeted proteolytic cleavage of CBG by neutrophil elastase (NE; ELANE) significantly reduces CBG binding affinity, potentially increasing 'free' glucocorticoid levels at sites of inflammation. NE is inhibited by alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT; SERPINA1).

Major ABO Incompatibility in Non-Myeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease-Not an Insurmountable Obstacle.

With advances in conditioning strategies and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prevention, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a safe, curative treatment option for pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, donor options have been limited in non-myeloablative matched sibling donor (MSD) setting by excluding recipients with major ABO blood group incompatible donors due to concern of the risk of significant complications such as pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). We present three cases of successful HSCT with major ABO incompatibility with their donors, and discuss strategies to safely expand the donor pool to include these donors.

TDP-43 Cryptic RNAs in Perry Syndrome: Differences across Brain Regions and TDP-43 Proteinopathies.

Background: Perry syndrome (PS) is a rare and fatal hereditary autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in dynactin (DCTN1). PS brains accumulate inclusions positive for ubiquitin, transactive-response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), and to a lesser extent dynactin.

Objectives: Little is known regarding the contributions of TDP-43, an RNA binding protein that represses cryptic exon inclusion, in PS.

Sex hormone-dependent host-microbiome interactions and cardiovascular risk (XCVD): design of a longitudinal multi-omics cohort study.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present differently in women and men, influenced by host-microbiome interactions. The roles of sex hormones in CVD outcomes and gut microbiome in modifying these effects are poorly understood. The XCVD study examines gut microbiome mediation of sex hormone effects on CVD risk markers by observing transgender participants undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), with findings expected to extrapolate to cisgender populations.

Evaluation of the implementation in primary care of genetic testing for the screening of MODY2 (iMOgene): protocol for an implementation pilot study.

Introduction: MODY2 (maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2, MIM125851) is a monogenic diabetes with an autosomal dominant transmission caused by a variant of the gene. MODY2 is often confused with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but despite a slightly elevated blood glucose level, it does not induce long-term vascular complications, nor does it require pharmacological treatment. Genetic testing for the diagnosis of MODY2 is currently reserved for genetic specialists and some physicians.

Development of a predictive model for loss of functional and cognitive abilities in long-term care home residents: a protocol.

Introduction: Long-term care (LTC) residents require extensive assistance with daily activities due to physical and cognitive impairments. Medical treatment for LTC residents, when not aligned with residents' wishes, can cause discomfort without providing substantial benefits. Predictive models can equip providers with tools to guide treatment recommendations that support person-centred medical decision-making.

Importance of infarct topography in determination of stroke mechanism and recurrence risk: a post-hoc analysis of the dabigatran acute treatment of stroke trial.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between infarct pattern, inferred stroke mechanism and risk of recurrence in patients with ischaemic stroke. The question is clinically relevant to optimise secondary stroke prevention investigations and treatment.

Design: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the dabigatran treatment of acute stroke II (DATAS II) trial (ClinicalTrials.

Identifying people with post-COVID condition using linked, population-based administrative health data from Manitoba, Canada: prevalence and predictors in a cohort of COVID-positive individuals.

Objective: Many individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 experience long-term symptoms as part of a syndrome called post-COVID condition (PCC). Research on PCC is still emerging but is urgently needed to support diagnosis, clinical treatment guidelines and health system resource allocation. In this study, we developed a method to identify PCC cases using administrative health data and report PCC prevalence and predictive factors in Manitoba, Canada.

Precuneus activity during retrieval is positively associated with amyloid burden in cognitively normal older carriers.

The precuneus is a site of early amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation. Previous cross-sectional studies reported increased precuneus fMRI activity in older adults with mild cognitive deficits or elevated Aβ. However, longitudinal studies in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) are lacking and the relationship to the Apolipoprotein-E () genotype is unclear.

Effectiveness of an 8-week neck exercise training on pain, jaw function, and oral health-related quality of life in women with chronic temporomandibular disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

To test the effectiveness of an 8-week exercise program targeted to the neck muscles compared to manual therapy, and placebo treatments on orofacial pain intensity, jaw function, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and jaw range of motion (ROM) in women with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). In this randomized controlled trial, fifty-four women (between 18-45 years old) with a diagnosis of myofascial or mixed TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) were randomized into three groups: Neck motor control training (NTG), Manual Therapy Group (MTG), and Placebo Group (PG). All patients were evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale, Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and jaw Range of Motion (ROM) at baseline, immediately after treatment (after 8 weeks of treatment), one month, and three-month follow-up.

Comorbidity of migraine and fibromyalgia in patients with cluster headache: psychological burden and healthcare resource utilization. A cross-sectional study.

The aim was to describe the comorbidity and impact of fibromyalgia and/or migraine on patients with cluster headache. Comorbid diseases can exacerbate the physical and psychological burden experienced by patients. The comorbidities of cluster headache have been scarcely investigated, with the exception of migraine, which is well-known to coexist with cluster headache.

Increased respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalizations and ambulatory visits in very preterm infants in the first year of life following discontinuation of access to palivizumab.

Background: From 2002 to 2023, palivizumab was the only intervention to reduce RSV-associated hospitalizations in high-risk infants in Canada, but advances in RSV prevention are drastically changing this landscape. Eligibility criteria for this monoclonal antibody for preterm infants varied over time across each of 10 Canadian provinces and 3 territories. The national professional pediatric association (Canadian Paediatric Society) revised its eligibility recommendations in 2015, removing access for preterm infants 30 to 32 weeks gestation (WG).