Androgen deficiency-induced loss of Lactobacillus salivarius extracellular vesicles is associated with the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

Male osteoporosis is primarily caused by a decrease in testicular testosterone production. Male osteoporosis remains a disease with insufficient diagnosis and treatment, and its consequences are severe, especially in older patients. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in its occurrence and development.

Strain diversity and host specificity of the gut symbiont Gilliamella in Apis mellifera, Apis cerana and Bombus terrestris.

Social bees, with their specialized gut microbiota and societal transmission between individuals, provide an ideal model for studying host-gut microbiota interactions. While the functional disparities arising from strain-level diversity of gut symbionts and their effects on host health have been studied in Apis mellifera and bumblebees, studies focusing on host-specific investigations of individual strains across different honeybee hosts remain relatively unexplored. In this study, the complete genomic sequences of 17 strains of Gilliamella from A.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa T6SS secretes an oxygen-binding hemerythrin to facilitate competitive growth under microaerobic conditions.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a prominent respiratory pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, thriving in the hypoxic airway mucus. Previous studies have established the role of the oxygen-binding hemerythrin, Mhr, in enhancing P. aeruginosa's fitness under microaerobic conditions.

Management of epilepsia partialis continua: A systematic review.

Purpose: Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is form of focal motor status epilepticus, with limited guidelines regarding effective pharmacological management. This systematic review aimed to describe previously utilized pharmacological management strategies for EPC, with a focus on patient outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review of the databases PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS was performed from inception to May 2024.

Investigating the frequency of neural autoantibodies in refractory focal epilepsy.

Objectives: There have been conflicting reports about the frequency of neural autoantibodies in epilepsy cohorts, which is confounded by the lack of clear distinction of epilepsy from acute symptomatic seizures due to encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of neural autoantibodies in a well characterised population of refractory focal epilepsy of known and unknown cause.

Methods: Cases were recruited from epilepsy outpatient clinics at the Princess Alexandra, Mater, Royal Brisbane and Women's and Cairns Base Hospitals from 2021 - 2023.

RetinaRegNet: A zero-shot approach for retinal image registration.

Retinal image registration is essential for monitoring eye diseases and planning treatments, yet it remains challenging due to large deformations, minimal overlap, and varying image quality. To address these challenges, we propose RetinaRegNet, a multi-stage image registration model with zero-shot generalizability across multiple retinal imaging modalities. RetinaRegNet begins by extracting image features using a pretrained latent diffusion model.

VcaNet: Vision Transformer with fusion channel and spatial attention module for 3D brain tumor segmentation.

Accurate segmentation of brain tumors from MRI scans is a critical task in medical image analysis, yet it remains challenging due to the complex and variable nature of tumor shapes and sizes. Traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs), while effective for local feature extraction, struggle to capture long-range dependencies crucial for 3D medical image analysis. To address these limitations, this paper presents VcaNet, a novel architecture that integrates a Vision Transformer (ViT) with a fusion channel and spatial attention module (CBAM), aimed at enhancing 3D brain tumor segmentation.

Prevalence and associated characteristics of sexual exploitation in a representative sample of spanish youth from an intersectional perspective.

Background: Child sexual exploitation (CSE) involves using a child or youth as a sexual object in exchange for remuneration, reward, or favors, meeting their survival needs, and also serving the perpetrator's aims for sexual, social, or economic gain.

Objective: The present study addresses the prevalence of CSE in Spain.

Participants: A representative sample of 4024 secondary school adolescents from 14 to 17 years old (M = 15.

Tissue remodeling during high-altitude pulmonary edema in rats: Biochemical and histomorphological analysis.

High altitude characterized by the low partial pressure of the oxygen is a life-threatening condition that contributes to the development of acute pulmonary edema and hypoxic lung injury. In this study, we aimed to investigate the contribution of some inflammatory and oxidative stress markers along with antioxidant system enzymes in the pathogenesis of HAPE (high-altitude pulmonary edema) formation. We incorporated the study on 42 male rats to unravel the role of mast cells (MCs) and TNF-α in the lung after the effect of acute hypobaric hypoxia.

Improving the accuracy of temperature measurement on TEM samples using plasmon energy expansion thermometry (PEET): Addressing sample thickness effects.

Advances in analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and in microelectronic mechanical systems (MEMS) based microheaters have enabled in-situ materials' characterization at the nanometer scale at elevated temperature. In addition to resolving the structural information at elevated temperatures, detailed knowledge of the local temperature distribution inside the sample is essential to reveal thermally induced phenomena and processes. Here, we investigate the accuracy of plasmon energy expansion thermometry (PEET) as a method to map the local temperature in a tungsten (W) lamella in a range between room temperature and 700 °C.

Procyanidin-crosslinked gradient silk fibroin composite nanofiber scaffold with sandwich structure for rotator cuff repair.

Improving the regeneration of the tendon-bone interface (TBI) helps to decrease the risk of rotator cuff retears after repair surgeries. Unfortunately, the lack of inherent healing capacity of the TBI, insufficient mechanical properties, and abnormal and persistent inflammation during repair are the key factors leading to suboptimal healing of the rotator cuff. Therefore, a high-strength rotator cuff repair material capable of regulating the unbalanced immune response and enhancing the regeneration of the TBI is urgently needed.

Modifying the antibacterial performance of cu surfaces by topographic patterning in the micro- and nanometer scale.

Antimicrobial surfaces are a promising approach to reduce the spread of pathogenic microorganisms in various critical environments. To achieve high antimicrobial functionality, it is essential to consider the material-specific bactericidal mode of action in conjunction with bacterial surface interactions. This study investigates the effect of altered contact conditions on the antimicrobial efficiency of Cu surfaces against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Prenatal opioid exposure, neonatal abstinence syndrome diagnosis, and child welfare involvement.

Background: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), or withdrawal from prenatal opioid exposure at birth, can trigger a referral to child protective services (CPS). However, there is some evidence of selection into NAS diagnosis because NAS screening is not universal. Such referrals may protect the infant, help connect the mother to services, or cause harm.

Investigating disparity in labor epidural analgesia management in black vs. white women: a retrospective case-control study (2018-2022).

Background: Disparities in labor epidural analgesia (LEA) management could reduce maternal satisfaction and increase risk. We compared times from the first administration of breakthrough pain medication (top-up) to LEA replacement to evaluate disparities across race.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study (01-01-2018 to 12-31-2022), all patients with LEA and maternal race/ethnicity of non-Hispanic White or Black were eligible.

Decoding Extracellular Protein Glycosylation in Human Health and Disease.

Protein glycosylation, the covalent attachment of carbohydrate, or glycan, structures onto the protein backbone, is one of the most complex and heterogeneous post-translational modifications (PTMs). Extracellular protein glycosylation, in particular N- and mucin-type O-glycosylation, plays pivotal roles in a number of biophysical and biochemical processes, such as protein folding and stability, cell adhesion, signaling, and protection. As such, aberrant glycosylation is implicated in a variety of diseases, including cancer.

Adaptive Cost-Benefit Control Fueled by Striatal Dopamine.

The twenty-first century has brought forth a deluge of theories and data shedding light on the neural mechanisms of motivated behavior. Much of this progress has focused on dopaminergic dynamics, including their signaling properties (how do they vary with expectations and outcomes?) and their downstream impacts in target regions (how do they affect learning and behavior?). In parallel, the basal ganglia have been elevated from their original implication in motoric function to a canonical circuit facilitating the initiation, invigoration, and selection of actions across levels of abstraction, from motor to cognitive operations.

Clinical Microbiome Analysis by Mass Spectrometry-Based Metaproteomics.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metaproteomics have long been used in the study of human microbiomes, with the potential of metaproteomics only recently being fully harnessed. This progress is due to the advancements of high-performance mass spectrometers, innovative proteomics strategies, and the development of dedicated bioinformatics tools. In this review, we critically examine the recent technological developments that enhance the application of metaproteomics in clinical microbiome analysis.

Robust and Regular Micronano Binary Texture on the Complex Curved Surface for Enhanced Reendothelialization and Antithrombotic Performance.

Blood-contacting medical devices can easily trigger immune responses, leading to thrombosis and hyperblastosis. Constructing microtexture that provides efficient antithrombotic and rapid reendothelialization performance on complex curved surfaces remains a pressing challenge. In this work, we present a robust and regular micronano binary texture on the titanium surface, characterized by exceptional mechanical strength and precisely controlled wettability to achieve excellent hemocompatibility.

Radiation Exposure in Concurrent Abdominoplevic and Chest CT Scans: An Analysis of Overlap and Clinical Impact.

This study investigated the additional radiation exposure, influencing factors, and clinical significance of overlapping Z-axis coverage in abdominopelvic CT scans performed consecutively after same-day chest CT scans. Data from 761 patients were analyzed, with measuring the total and overlapping Z-axis coverage of the portal venous phase in abdominopelvic CT scans. The average overlapping portion was 33.

Using the Key Characteristics Framework to Unlock the Mysteries of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Effects on the Immune System.

Initially discovered for its role mediating the deleterious effects of environmental contaminants, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is now known to be a crucial regulator of the immune system. The expanding list of AHR ligands includes synthetic and naturally derived molecules spanning pollutants, phytochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and substances derived from amino acids and microorganisms. The consequences of engaging AHR vary, depending on factors such as the AHR ligand, cell type, immune challenge, developmental state, dose, and timing of exposure relative to the immune stimulus.

ALC-0315 Lipid-Based mRNA LNP Induces Stronger Cellular Immune Responses Postvaccination.

At the end of 2019, SARS-CoV-2 emerged and rapidly spread, having a profound negative impact on human health and socioeconomic conditions. In response to this unprecedented global health crisis, significant advancements were made in the mRNA vaccine technology. In this study, we have compared the difference between two SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) mRNA-Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccines prepared from two different ionizable cationic lipids: ALC-0315 and MC3.

Microfluidic and Computational Tools for Neurodegeneration Studies.

Understanding the molecular, cellular, and physiological components of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is paramount for developing accurate diagnostics and efficacious therapies. However, the complexity of ND pathology and the limitations associated with conventional analytical methods undermine research. Fortunately, microfluidic technology can facilitate discoveries through improved biomarker quantification, brain organoid culture, and small animal model manipulation.

Effectiveness of a program director for osteopathic medical education to support osteopathic recognition at a training site with multiple programs.

Context: With the advent of the Single Accreditation System (SAS) within the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), few programs have achieved Osteopathic Recognition (OR) status to date. OR is an accreditation that graduate medical education (GME) programs can achieve to distinctly acknowledge the additional focus on osteopathic training. There is an effort by national osteopathic organizations to determine barriers for programs to achieve OR and what innovative methods might help overcome them.

Tailoring Design of Microneedles for Drug Delivery and Biosensing.

Microneedles (MNs) are emerging as versatile tools for both therapeutic drug delivery and diagnostic monitoring. Unlike hypodermic needles, MNs achieve these applications with minimal or no pain and customizable designs, making them suitable for personalized medicine. Understanding the key design parameters and the challenges during contact with biofluids is crucial to optimizing their use across applications.