Inbreeding and Gallbladder Cancer Risk: Homozygosity Associations Adjusted for Indigenous American Ancestry, BMI, and Genetic Risk of Gallstone Disease.

Latin Americans have a rich genetic make-up that translates into heterogeneous fractions of the autosomal genome in runs of homozygosity (F) and heterogeneous types and proportions of indigenous American ancestry. While autozygosity has been linked to several human diseases, very little is known about the relationship between inbreeding, genetic ancestry, and cancer risk in Latin Americans. Chile has one of the highest incidences of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in the world, and we investigated the association between inbreeding, GBC, gallstone disease (GSD), and body mass index (BMI) in 4029 genetically admixed Chileans.

Microdissection of Distinct Morphological Regions Within Uveal Melanomas Identifies Novel Drug Targets.

: Uveal melanomas (UMs) are rare but often deadly malignancies that urgently require viable treatment options. UMs often exhibit tumour heterogeneity, with macroscopic and microscopic differences in morphology between different regions of the same tumour. However, to date, the clinical significance of this and how it may help guide personalised therapy have not been realised.

Physiological Mechanisms Underlying the Primary Respiratory Mechanism (PRM) and Cranial Rhythmic Impulse (CRI) in Osteopathy: A Systematic Review.

Background: Cranial Rhythmic Impulse (CRI) or Primary Respiratory Mechanism (PRM), movement felt on the scalp or the rest of the body, respectively, is a fundamental concept used by osteopaths in their practice for their diagnosis and treatment. However, the physiological basis of this phenomenon remains unclear. Sutherland, the founder of cranial osteopathy, proposed in 1939 that PRM was due to the movement of the cranial bones pulled by the meninges, themselves pushed by the fluctuation of cerebrospinal fluid and the motility of the central nervous system.

From Spent Black and Green Tea to Potential Health Boosters: Optimization of Polyphenol Extraction and Assessment of Their Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities.

Tea, one of the most popular beverages worldwide, generates a substantial amount of spent leaves, often directly discarded although they may still contain valuable compounds. This study aims to optimize the extraction of polyphenols from spent black tea (SBT) and spent green tea (SGT) leaves while also exploring their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Response surface methodology was utilized to determine the optimal experimental conditions for extracting polyphenols from SBT and SGT.

First Characterization of a Cyanobacterial Xi-Class Glutathione S-Transferase in PCC 6803.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are evolutionarily conserved enzymes crucial for cell detoxication. They are viewed as having evolved in cyanobacteria, the ancient photosynthetic prokaryotes that colonize our planet and play a crucial role for its biosphere. Xi-class GSTs, characterized by their specific glutathionyl-hydroquinone reductase activity, have been observed in prokaryotes, fungi and plants, but have not yet been studied in cyanobacteria.

Exploring the Epigenetic Landscape of Spermatozoa: Impact of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Supplementation on DNA Methylation and Hydroxymethylation.

Reproductive success is dependent on gamete integrity, and oxidative stress alters male nuclei, meaning that no DNA repair is possible due to chromatin compaction. The composition of sperm makes it highly sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS) but, at the same time, ROS are needed for sperm physiology. Over the past 30 years, much attention has been paid to the consequences of oxidative stress on sperm properties and the protective effects of antioxidant formulations to help fertility.

Cannabis (THC) Aggravates the Deleterious Effects of Alcohol (EtOH) on Skeletal Muscles' Mitochondrial Respiration: Modulation by Age and Metabolic Phenotypes.

The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of cannabis might be useful to treat muscle diseases, including those linked or not to alcohol. Nevertheless, delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and ethanol (EtOH), often used concomitantly, can have deleterious effects on cardiac mitochondria. We therefore determined whether EtOH, alone and associated with THC, impairs skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Vitamin D Supplementations Partially Reversed Metabolic Disorders and Restored Gut Microbiota in Obese Wistar Rats.

Obesity is a global public health issue linked to various comorbidities in both humans and animals. This study investigated the effects of vitamin D (VD) and omega-3 fatty acids (ω3FA) on obesity, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic alterations in Wistar rats. After 13 weeks on a standard (S) or High-Fat, High-Sugar (HFHS) diet, the rats received VD, ω3FA, a combination (VD/ω3), or a control (C) for another 13 weeks.

Contemporary Survival Selection Fails to Explain Observed Patterns of Phenotypic Divergence Between Suburban and Forest Populations of the Cuban Endemic Lizard, .

Although urbanization is a major threat to biodiversity, some native species have managed to persist in urban areas. Populations of such species often show phenotypic differences with their rural counterparts. A crucial question is whether such differences result from different selection regimes between habitats.

Anti-Obesity Effects Evaluation of a Blackcurrant Leaf Standardized Hydro-Alcoholic Extract in Wistar Rat Subjected to a High-Fat Diet.

Blackcurrant (BC) extract was reported to exert anti-obesity effects. However, it is unknown whether BC extract with a composition close to the totum differentially affects obesity when compared to one of its active compounds. We evaluated the anti-obesity effects of a BC standardized hydro-alcoholic leaf extract (BC-HLE) in an HFD-induced obesity rat model and compared them with quercetin (QUE).

Unveiling the Tumor Microenvironment Through Fibroblast Activation Protein Targeting in Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine: A Didactic Review on Biological Rationales and Key Imaging Agents.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a dynamic and complex medium that plays a central role in cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Among the key elements of the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are particularly important for their ability to remodel the extracellular matrix, promote angiogenesis, and suppress anti-tumor immune responses. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP), predominantly expressed by CAFs, has emerged as a promising target in both cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Do Cockatiels Choose Their Favourite Tunes? Use of Touchscreen for Animal Welfare Enhancement and Insights into Musical Preferences.

Music may be one of the oldest forms of art, and its appreciation is thought to be universal among humans. Music could also represent a useful tool to improve captive animals' welfare, especially if individuals can choose the music they prefer. The ability to discriminate between different kinds of music or composers has been demonstrated in numerous non-human species.

Multiple Typing Approach to Characterize Strains from Captive and Livestock Species in Northern Italy Suggests the Circulation of Type-II Variants.

is a widespread foodborne parasite that affects both humans and animals worldwide. The genetic characterization of this parasite has become crucial due to its epidemiological and clinical implications. The present study focused on the direct genetic characterization of -positive DNA samples from Northern Italy, using three standardized genotyping methods.

Open-source Large Language Models can Generate Labels from Radiology Reports for Training Convolutional Neural Networks.

Rationale And Objectives: Training Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) requires large datasets with labeled data, which can be very labor-intensive to prepare. Radiology reports contain a lot of potentially useful information for such tasks. However, they are often unstructured and cannot be directly used for training.

Novel MRI-based Hyper-Fused Radiomics for Predicting Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Breast Cancer.

Rationale And Objectives: To propose a novel MRI-based hyper-fused radiomic approach to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in breast cancer (BC).

Materials And Methods: Pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and ultra-multi-b-value (UMB) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data were acquired in BC patients who received NAT followed by surgery at two centers. Hyper-fused radiomic features (RFs) and conventional RFs were extracted from DCE-MRI or UMB-DWI.

How To Write a Response to Reviewers.

Peer review and comments from reviewers are part of the submission process for scientific papers. We provide tips on how best to respond to reviewers, and point out the most common mistakes that authors make. The ultimate goal is to work with reviewers and editors to improve the quality of a paper so that it is accepted for publication.

Oncological resection and perioperative outcomes of robotic, laparoscopic and open pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma: a propensity score matched international multicenter cohort study.

Background: Ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) typically presents at an early stage due to biliary obstruction and therefore might be specifically suitable for minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy (MIPD). However, studies assessing MIPD specifically for AAC, including the robotic and laparoscopic approach, are limited. The aim of this study is to compare short- and long-term oncological resection and perioperative outcomes of robotic (RPD), laparoscopic (LPD) and open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD) performed specifically for AAC.

Impact of Robotic Artificial Urinary Sphincter Implantation in Female Patients on Quality of Life and Patient-reported Outcomes.

Background And Objective: Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) is commonly used in France in female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). However, it has never been assessed using patient-reported outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes of robotic AUS implantation using validated questionnaires.

Difficulties in Manipulating the Female Artificial Urinary Sphincter Pump: Prevalence and Management.

Purpose: While pump manipulation is rarely problematic in male patients with artificial urinary sphincters (AUSs), the situation may differ in female patients due to anatomical or cultural factors. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of difficulties in pump manipulation among female AUS patients, identify associated risk factors, and explore management strategies for this challenging issue.

Methods: Data were collected from all female patients who underwent a robotic AUS implantation at a single academic center between 2014 and 2022.

The dead can talk: Investigating trace element and organic pollutant exposure in mammalian roadkill under contrasting habitats.

Urban environments are exposed to a substantial range of anthropic pressures, including chemical exposure. While trace metals and legacy pollutants have been well documented, the extent of wildlife exposure to emerging contaminants has received little attention, in terrestrial mammals. Concentrations of trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) and 48 organic pollutants (Polychlorinated Biphenyls: PCBs, Organochlorine Pesticides: OCPs, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: PAHs, phthalates and pyrethroid pesticides) were measured in tissues of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in southern Sweden.

The benefits of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: from immunomodulator to vaccine vector.

Probiotics have been increasingly recognized for positively influencing many aspects of human health. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum), a non-pathogenic bacterium, previously known as Lactobacillus plantarum, is one of the lactic acid bacteria commonly used in fermentation.

The mechanical state of pre-tumoral epithelia controls subsequent Drosophila tumor aggressiveness.

Tumors evolve through the acquisition of increasingly aggressive traits associated with dysplasia. This progression is accompanied by alterations in tumor mechanical properties, especially through extracellular matrix remodeling. However, the contribution of pre-tumoral tissue mechanics to tumor aggressiveness remains poorly known in vivo.

Matrix interactions regulate epithelial polarity and cohesion in the second heart field.

Addition of epithelial progenitor cells drives progressive extension of the heart tube during cardiac morphogenesis. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Arriagada et al. (2024) refine our understanding of how these cells condition and interact with the underlying extracellular matrix, demonstrating that autonomous fibronectin synthesis controls their apicobasal polarity and deployment to the heart.

Human evolution: The lonely Neanderthal?

A recently excavated Neanderthal skeleton from southern France has yielded DNA from a distinct lineage, different from other late Neanderthals. This suggests Neanderthals expanded and diversified about 120,000 years ago, and some of that diversity persisted in Europe until near the time of their extinction.

Leaching of pollutant metals (Pb, Zn) from abandoned mine tailings: A multicomponent reactive transport model of a pilot-scale experiment.

Mine tailing deposits pose a global problem, as they may contain metal contaminants in various geochemical forms and are likely to be leached from the surface into the underlying groundwater, which can result in health and/or environmental risks. Unfortunately, little is currently known regarding the water flow and mass balance related to leaching in the vadose zone as these factors are still difficult to measure at the field scale. A pilot-scale experiment was run in a 1 m instrumented column for 6 months to address this issue.