Massive gene loss in the fungus Sporothrix epigloea accompanied a shift to life in a glucuronoxylomannan-based gel matrix.

Fungi are well known for their ability to both produce and catabolize complex carbohydrates to acquire carbon, often in the most extreme of environments. Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM)-based gel matrices are widely produced by fungi in nature and though they are of key interest in medicine and pharmaceuticals, their biodegradation is poorly understood. Though some organisms, including other fungi, are adapted to life in and on GXM-like matrices in nature, they are almost entirely unstudied, and it is unknown if they are involved in matrix degradation.

The association of medical cannabis use with quality of life in Illinois' opioid alternative pilot program.

Background: In Illinois, the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP) was launched to expand access to medical cannabis to use as a direct substitute for opioids. Although therapeutic benefits have been reported in reducing opioid use, there is an absence of literature that examines how medical cannabis use impacts an individual's quality of life (QoL). This study examines the association of medical cannabis use with QoL among the first enrollees in OAPP.

Cytosolic DNA composition is determined by genomic instability mechanism and regulates dendritic cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity.

Patients with colorectal cancers (CRCs) that have microsatellite instability (MSI) (MSI CRCs) face a better prognosis than those with the more common chromosomal instability (CIN) subtype (CIN CRCs) due to improved T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses. Previous investigations identified the cytosolic DNA (cyDNA) sensor STING as necessary for chemokine-mediated T cell recruitment in MSI CRCs. Here, we find that cyDNA from MSI CRC cells is inherently more capable of inducing STING activation and improves cytotoxic T cell activation by dendritic cells (DCs).

Organizational Initiatives for the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of Black Nurses: A Rapid Review.

Introduction: Black nurses are under-represented in the Canadian nursing workforce. A legacy of discrimination and systemic barriers reinforce the under-representation of Black nurses in the nursing workforce throughout the health system.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify and describe organizational initiatives for the recruitment, retention and advancement of Black nurses in the healthcare system.

Periocular Aging Across Populations and Esthetic Considerations: A Narrative Review.

As the face ages, the skin, fat, muscle, and fascia descend, and the underlying bone, cartilage, and teeth may lose mass. Oculofacial aging is a multifactorial process that is influenced by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. This review summarizes the patterns of oculofacial aging that are observed across populations, including variations in periorbital hollowing, eyelid ptosis, and skin elasticity.

Navigating the Semiochemical Landscape: Attraction of Subcortical Beetle Communities to Bark Beetle Pheromones, Fungal and Host Tree Volatiles.

Subcortical beetle communities interact with a wide range of semiochemicals released from different sources, including trees, fungi, and bark beetle pheromones. While the attraction of bark beetles, their insect predators, and competitors to bark beetle pheromones is commonly studied, the attraction of these beetle communities to other sources of semiochemicals remains poorly understood. We tested the attraction of bark and wood-boring beetles and their predators to host stress volatiles, fungal volatiles, and a mountain pine beetle lure in the field.

Heart Morphogenesis Requires Smyd1b for Proper Incorporation of the Second Heart Field in Zebrafish.

Abnormal development of the second heart field significantly contributes to congenital heart defects, often caused by disruptions in tightly regulated molecular pathways. , a gene encoding a protein with SET and MYND domains, is essential for heart and skeletal muscle development. Mutations in SMYD1 result in severe cardiac malformations and misregulation of expression in mammals.

Lipopolymers as the Basis of Non-Viral Delivery of Therapeutic siRNA Nanoparticles in a Leukemia (MOLM-13) Model.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a promising strategy as the siRNA molecule can specifically target proteins involved in abnormal cell proliferation. The development of a clinically applicable method for delivering siRNA molecules is imperative due to the challenges involved in effectively delivering the siRNA into cells. We investigated the delivery of siRNA to AML MOLM-13 cells with the use of two lipid-substituted polyethyleneimines (PEIs), a commercially available reagent (Prime-Fect) and a recently reported reagent with improved lipid substitution (PEI1.

The Role of Neuroglia in the Development and Progression of Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex heterogenous disorder thought to be caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The theories developed to explain the etiology of schizophrenia have focused largely on the dysfunction of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and glutamate with their receptors, although research in the past several decades has indicated strongly that other factors are also involved and that the role of neuroglial cells in psychotic disorders including schizophrenia should be given more attention. Although glia were originally thought to be present in the brain only to support neurons in a physical, metabolic and nutritional capacity, it has become apparent that these cells have a variety of important physiological roles and that abnormalities in their function may make significant contributions to the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Diagnosis and Management of Skin Toxicities in Systemic Treatment of Genitourinary Cancers.

The landscape of available therapeutic options for treatment of genitourinary (GU) cancers is expanding dramatically. Many of these treatments have distinct, sometimes severe, skin toxicities including morbilliform, bullous, pustular, lichenoid, eczematous, psoriasiform, and palmoplantar eruptions. Pruritus and skin pigmentation changes have also been noted.

Mapping the Gaps: A Scoping Review of Virtual Care Solutions for Caregivers of Children with Chronic Illnesses.

: Caregivers of children with chronic illnesses, including chronic pain, experience high levels of distress, which impacts their own mental and physical health as well as child outcomes. Virtual care solutions offer opportunities to provide accessible support, yet most overlook caregivers' needs. We conducted a scoping review to create an interactive Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) of virtual care solutions across a stepped care continuum (i.

Challenges and Resiliency: Social Determinants of Health, COVID-19, and the Disproportionate Impact on Immigrants and Refugees Living with HIV.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic is a global public health and social justice issue. HIV continues to disproportionately affect marginalized populations, including immigrants and refugees living with HIV (IRLHIV). This study investigated and captured the experiences of IRLHIV using the social determinants of health framework.

Exploring the Perspectives of Canadian Clinicians Regarding Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies Utilized for Trauma-Affected Populations.

Many clinical sites shifted towards digital delivery of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still much to learn regarding tailoring digitally delivered interventions for trauma-affected populations. The current study examined the perceptions of Canadian mental health clinicians who provided digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations.

A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communities.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) and the impact of colonization can make Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities susceptible to infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and studied what is known about selected pandemics (COVID-19, tuberculosis, and H1N1 influenza) and SDHs (healthcare accessibility, food insecurity, mental health, cultural continuity, housing, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (SES)) for Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities. Original studies published in English and French up to October 2024 were located in databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL), , and through reference tracking.

DICER1: The Argonaute Endonuclease Family Member and Its Role in Pediatric and Youth Pathology.

In 2001, two enzyme-encoding genes were recognized in the fruit fly . The genetic material, labeled and , encodes ribonuclease-type enzymes with slightly diverse target substrates. The human orthologue is .

Defining Hyperphagia for Improved Diagnosis and Management of MC4R Pathway-Associated Disease: A Roundtable Summary.

Purpose Of Review: Hyperphagia is a condition associated with rare obesity-related diseases, presenting as a pathologic, insatiable hunger accompanied by abnormal food-seeking behaviors. In October 2023, a group of researchers and clinicians with expert knowledge on hyperphagia convened at the annual ObesityWeek meeting to discuss the need for a unified definition of hyperphagia and key items necessary to improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of hyperphagia in patients with melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) pathway-associated diseases.

Recent Findings: The definition of hyperphagia proposed by this group is a pathologic, insatiable hunger accompanied by abnormal food-seeking behaviors.

Pediatric COVID-19 severity by SARS-CoV-2 lineage and vaccine status in Canada: an IMPACT study.

Background: Interpretations of pediatric COVID-19 severity are complicated by novel lineages and COVID-19 vaccine introduction. We estimated the risk of severe COVID-19 by SARS-CoV-2 lineage and vaccination status among hospitalized Canadian children.

Methods: Data were collected through the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (April 2020-May 2021) and Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (June 2021-December 2022).

Stable laser-acceleration of high-flux proton beams with plasma collimation.

Laser-plasma acceleration of protons offers a compact, ultra-fast alternative to conventional acceleration techniques, and is being widely pursued for potential applications in medicine, industry and fundamental science. Creating a stable, collimated beam of protons at high repetition rates presents a key challenge. Here, we demonstrate the generation of multi-MeV proton beams from a fast-replenishing ambient-temperature liquid sheet.

Effect of spring runoff on 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone formation during water treatment.

This study investigated the impacts of spring runoff on the formation of halobenzoquinones (HBQs) and their correlation with common water quality parameters (WQPs) and aromatic amino acids (AAs) in source water. Source water and treated water samples were collected at two drinking water treatment plants in 2021, 2022, and 2023. HBQs and aromatic AAs were analyzed using solid phase extraction with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods.

Keystone bacterial groups dominate Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in long-term reclaimed water headwater stream.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a highly pathogenic zoonotic bacterium, with water serving as a key medium for its environmental transmission. However, the survival characteristics of E.

Cardiometabolic benefits of a non-industrialized-type diet are linked to gut microbiome modulation.

Industrialization adversely affects the gut microbiome and predisposes individuals to chronic non-communicable diseases. We tested a microbiome restoration strategy comprising a diet that recapitulated key characteristics of non-industrialized dietary patterns (restore diet) and a bacterium rarely found in industrialized microbiomes (Limosilactobacillus reuteri) in a randomized controlled feeding trial in healthy Canadian adults. The restore diet, despite reducing gut microbiome diversity, enhanced the persistence of L.

Identifying Research Priorities for Cognition in CKD: A Delphi Study.

Background: Cognition is a research priority for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but identification of critical research questions is lacking. This study aimed to determine which cognition-related research questions are most important to CKD stakeholders.

Methods: A modified Delphi technique with 3 survey rounds was used.

Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL.

The Jezero crater floor features a suite of related, iron-rich lavas that were examined and sampled by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, and whose textures, minerals, and compositions were characterized by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). This suite, known as the Máaz formation (fm), includes dark-toned basaltic/trachy-basaltic rocks with intergrown pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and altered olivine and overlying trachy-andesitic lava with reversely zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in a K-rich groundmass. Feldspar thermal disequilibrium textures indicate that they were carried from their crustal staging area.

Symptoms in Persons With Either Active or Inactive Crohn's Disease Are Agnostic to Disease Phenotype: The Magic in Imagine Study.

Background: We aimed to examine the relationship between disease symptoms and disease phenotype in a large Canadian cohort of persons with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Adults (n=1515) with CD from 14 Canadian centers participated in the Mind And Gut Interactions Cohort (MAGIC) between 2018 and 2023. Disease activity was measured using the 24-item IBD Symptom Inventory-Short-Form (IBDSI-SF).