Kidney REPLACEment therapies in patients with acute kidney injury and RHABDOmyolysis (ReplaceRhabdo): a pilot trial.

Background: Rhabdomyolysis is frequently associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). Due to the nephrotoxic properties of myoglobin, its rapid removal is relevant. If kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is necessary for AKI, a procedure with effective myoglobin elimination should be preferred.

Effects of MyBFF@school, a multifaceted obesity intervention program, on anthropometry and body composition of overweight and obese primary schoolchildren.

Background: Recently, there has been an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity in Malaysia, raising concerns about increased cardiometabolic morbidity. MyBFF@school is a multifaceted program comprising physical activity, nutritional education, and psychological empowerment introduced to combat childhood obesity in Malaysia. The efficacy of a six-month intervention on the body composition of overweight and obese primary schoolchildren was evaluated.

Anemia in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence, determinants, and health impacts in Egypt.

Background: The WHO considers anemia in pregnancy a severe public health issue when prevalence surpasses 40%. In response, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine anemia among pregnant women in Egypt, focusing on its prevalence, determinants, and associated complications.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search for studies published between January 1, 2010, and August 18, 2024, to identify studies from Egypt reporting on anemia in pregnant women, including its prevalence, associated determinants, and complications.

Recruiting participants for focus groups in health research: a meta-research study.

Background: Focus groups (FGs) are an established method in health research to capture a full range of different perspectives on a particular research question. The extent to which they are effective depends, not least, on the composition of the participants. This study aimed to investigate how published FG studies plan and conduct the recruitment of study participants.

Synergy of zinc oxide nanoparticles to losartan attenuates kidney injury induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction through modulation of the TNF-α/IL6 and BAX/BCL2 signaling pathways.

Aim: Although the relief of ureteral obstruction seems to be a radical treatment for obstructive uropathy (OU), progressive kidney damage is the result because of the associated increased apoptosis and fibrosis. Therefore, it is urgent to find a complementary renoprotective therapy against partially obstructed uropathy cascades. Thus, this study investigated the renoprotective effects of both losartan (LOS) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (PUUO).

Multiplex genome editing eliminates lactate production without impacting growth rate in mammalian cells.

The Warburg effect, which describes the fermentation of glucose to lactate even in the presence of oxygen, is ubiquitous in proliferative mammalian cells, including cancer cells, but poses challenges for biopharmaceutical production as lactate accumulation inhibits cell growth and protein production. Previous efforts to eliminate lactate production in cells for bioprocessing have failed as lactate dehydrogenase is essential for cell growth. Here, we effectively eliminate lactate production in Chinese hamster ovary and in the human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293 by simultaneous knockout of lactate dehydrogenases and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases, thereby removing a negative feedback loop that typically inhibits pyruvate conversion to acetyl-CoA.

Association of falls with risk of dementia and all-cause mortality: a cohort study of Japanese older adults with a 9-year follow-up.

Objective: Many risk factors affect dementia and all-cause mortality. However, whether falls are a risk factor for dementia and all-cause mortality is unclear. The study examines the association of falls with the risk of dementia and all-cause mortality, and whether dementia mediates the association of falls with all-cause mortality.

Patterns of incident Burkitt lymphoma during the HIV epidemic among the Black African and White population in South Africa.

Background: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) may be HIV-associated but data on BL trends in South Africa (SA), where HIV is highly prevalent, are scarce. We compared BL incidence trends over 36 years among Black African and White individuals.

Methods: We included histologically diagnosed BL from the National Cancer Registry in SA between 1986-2021.

Fractional CO laser combined with narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy versus NB-UVB monotherapy in vitiligo patients: prospective, self-controlled, and randomized trial.

Vitiligo is a chronic depigmenting condition that causes amelanotic macules and patches on the skin. Despite various treatment options, treating vitiligo is a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the combination of laser CO fractional and narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) versus NB-UVB monotherapy in vitiligo patients.

Serum laminin γ2 monomer as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The identification of effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is critical to improving the outcomes of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We explored the potential of serum levels of laminin γ2 monomer (LG2m) as a biomarker in PDAC.

Methods: This study included two cohorts.

Variational graph autoencoder for reconstructed transcriptomic data associated with NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis in periodontitis.

The NLRP3 inflammasome, regulated by TLR4, plays a pivotal role in periodontitis by mediating inflammatory cytokine release and bone loss induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Periodontal disease creates a hypoxic environment, favoring anaerobic bacteria survival and exacerbating inflammation. The NLRP3 inflammasome triggers pyroptosis, a programmed cell death that amplifies inflammation and tissue damage.

Nanocarrier imaging at single-cell resolution across entire mouse bodies with deep learning.

Efficient and accurate nanocarrier development for targeted drug delivery is hindered by a lack of methods to analyze its cell-level biodistribution across whole organisms. Here we present Single Cell Precision Nanocarrier Identification (SCP-Nano), an integrated experimental and deep learning pipeline to comprehensively quantify the targeting of nanocarriers throughout the whole mouse body at single-cell resolution. SCP-Nano reveals the tissue distribution patterns of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) after different injection routes at doses as low as 0.

The use of the Prospector calculator reduces antibiotic therapy in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations frequently cause patient consultations in both out- and inpatient settings. Recent data suggest that only 40-60% of exacerbations are of bacterial origin and mandate antibiotic treatment. However, a reliable tool to justify prescribing antibiotics for COPD exacerbation is still lacking.

A synthetic cyclic peptide for promoting antigen presentation and immune activation.

Cyclic peptides are often used as scaffolds for the multivalent presentation of drug molecules due to their structural stability and constrained conformation. We identified a cyclic deca-peptide incorporating lipoamino acids for delivering T helper and B cell epitopes against group A Streptococcus (GAS), eliciting robust humoral immune responses. In this study, we assessed the function-immunogenicity relationship of the multi-component vaccine candidate (referred to as VC-13) to elucidate a mechanism of action.

Catalytic-independent functions of the Integrator-PP2A complex (INTAC) confer sensitivity to BET inhibition.

Chromatin and transcription regulators are critical to defining cell identity through shaping epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes, with their misregulation being closely linked to oncogenesis. Pharmacologically targeting these regulators, particularly the transcription-activating BET proteins, has emerged as a promising approach in cancer therapy, yet intrinsic or acquired resistance frequently occurs, with poorly understood mechanisms. Here, using genome-wide CRISPR screens, we find that BET inhibitor efficacy in mediating transcriptional silencing and growth inhibition depends on the auxiliary/arm/tail module of the Integrator-PP2A complex (INTAC), a global regulator of RNA polymerase II pause-release dynamics.

Proteomic, metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in community acquired pneumonia for differentiating viral and bacterial infections.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has a significant impact on public health, especially in light of the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To enhance disease characterization and improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms, a comprehensive analysis of the plasma lipidome, metabolome and proteome was conducted in patients with viral and bacterial CAP infections, including those induced by SARS-CoV-2. Lipidomic, metabolomic and proteomic profiling were conducted on plasma samples of 69 patients suffering either from viral or bacterial CAP.

Deep-Learning-based Automated Identification of Ventriculoperitoneal-Shunt Valve Models from Skull X-rays.

Introduction: Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) are an essential part of the treatment of hydrocephalus, with numerous valve models available with different ways of indicating pressure levels. The model types often need to be identified on X‑rays to assess pressure levels using a matching template. Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular deep learning, is ideally suited to automate repetitive tasks such as identifying different VPS valve models.

Fluid structure Interaction analysis for rupture risk assessment in patients with middle cerebral artery aneurysms.

Accurate rupture risk assessment is essential for optimizing treatment decisions in patients with cerebral aneurysms. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has provided critical insights into aneurysmal hemodynamics, most analyses focus on blood flow patterns, neglecting the biomechanical properties of the aneurysm wall. To address this limitation, we applied Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis, an integrative approach that simulates the dynamic interplay between hemodynamics and wall mechanics, offering a more comprehensive risk assessment.

Algae extract-based nanoemulsions for photoprotection against UVB radiation: an electrical impedance spectroscopy study.

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, with exposure to UVB radiation being a significant risk factor for its development. To prevent skin cancer, continuous research efforts have focused on finding suitable photoprotective ingredients from natural sources that are also environmentally friendly. This study aimed to develop oil-in-water photoprotective nanoemulsions containing marine macroalgae extract.

Comparative efficacy of plant derived extracts with the insecticide mospilan on two whitefly species Bemisia tabaci biotype B and Trialeurodes ricini.

The insecticidal, synergistic, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory effects of plant n-hexane extracts (HEs) were evaluated. The HEs from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leaves, garlic (Allium sativum L.

Fedratinib for the treatment of myelofibrosis: a critical appraisal of clinical trial and "real-world" data.

Fedratinib is a predominantly JAK2 inhibitor that has shown efficacy in untreated and ruxolitinib-exposed patients with myelofibrosis (MF). Based on randomized clinical trial data, it is approved for use in patients with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) or Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS) intermediate-2 or high-risk disease and is distinguished from ruxolitinib in that it can be administered without dose reduction in patients with thrombocytopenia, to a platelet count above 50,000/µL. In these trials, fedratinib achieved significant spleen volume reduction in ~30-45% of patients and improvement in total symptom scores in 35-40% with good tolerability.

Rare variant associations with birth weight identify genes involved in adipose tissue regulation, placental function and insulin-like growth factor signalling.

Investigating the genetic factors influencing human birth weight may lead to biological insights into fetal growth and long-term health. We report analyses of rare variants that impact birth weight when carried by either fetus or mother, using whole exome sequencing data in up to 234,675 participants. Rare protein-truncating and deleterious missense variants are collapsed to perform gene burden tests.

Digestive cancers: mechanisms, therapeutics and management.

Cancers of the digestive system are major contributors to global cancer-associated morbidity and mortality, accounting for 35% of annual cases of cancer deaths. The etiologies, molecular features, and therapeutic management of these cancer entities are highly heterogeneous and complex. Over the last decade, genomic and functional studies have provided unprecedented insights into the biology of digestive cancers, identifying genetic drivers of tumor progression and key interaction points of tumor cells with the immune system.

A diagnostic host-specific transcriptome response for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to guide pediatric patient treatment.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes atypical pneumonia in children and young adults. Its lack of a cell wall makes it resistant to beta-lactams, which are the first-line treatment for typical pneumonia. Current diagnostic tests are time-consuming and have low specificity, leading clinicians to administer empirical antibiotics.