Varenicline Attenuates Memory Impairment in Amyloid-Beta-Induced Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline. Despite extensive research, therapeutic options remain limited. Varenicline, an αβ nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, shows promise in enhancing cognitive function.

Solvent influence on the optical absorption, frontier molecular orbitals, and electronic structure of 1-bromo adamantane.

Context: The study of the influence of solvent on 1-bromo adamantane (BAD) exposes prominent solvatochromatic shifts in the optical absorbance and substantial solvent effects on the electronic structure. This facilitates the molecular probe abilities for the BAD with respect to the surrounding environments such as dielectric constant and polarity. BAD exhibits positive solvatochromism for nonpolar solvents and negative solvatochromatic shifts for polar and aromatic solvents.

Molecular Modeling on Duplexes with Threose-Based TNA and TPhoNA Reveals Structural Basis for Different Hybridization Affinity toward Complementary Natural Nucleic Acids.

Synthetic nucleic acids, also defined as xenobiotic nucleic acids (XNAs), opened an avenue to address the limitations of nucleic acid therapeutics and the development of alternative carriers for genetic information in biotechnological applications. Two related XNA systems of high interest are the α-l-threose nucleic acid (TNA) and (3'-2') phosphonomethyl threosyl nucleic acid (tPhoNA), where TNAs show potential in antisense applications, whereas tPhoNAs are investigated for their predisposition toward orthogonal genetic systems. We present predictions on helical models of TNA and tPhoNA chemistry in homoduplexes and in complex with native ribose chemistries.

Trends and Disparities in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma-related Mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) arises from the epithelial cells of the bile ducts present inside the liver parenchyma and is associated with an overall poor prognosis due to advanced disease stage at the time of diagnosis. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database to determine ICC-related mortality patterns in the United States from 1999 till 2020.

Methods: Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) and crude mortality rates (CMR) were extracted from the CDC WONDER database.

The Regulation of Messenger RNAs and Biological Pathways by Long Non-Coding RNAs and Circular RNAs in Ischemic Stroke.

Our aim was to evaluate the regulation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and biological pathways by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in ischemic stroke. We employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to construct two co-expression networks for mRNAs with circRNAs and lncRNAs, respectively, to investigate their association with ischemic stroke. We compared the overlap of mRNAs and biological pathways in the stroke-associated modules of the two networks.

rsfMRI-based brain entropy is negatively correlated with gray matter volume and surface area.

The brain entropy (BEN) reflects the randomness of brain activity and is inversely related to its temporal coherence. In recent years, BEN has been found to be associated with a number of neurocognitive, biological, and sociodemographic variables such as fluid intelligence, age, sex, and education. However, evidence regarding the potential relationship between BEN and brain structure is still lacking.

Decreases in frequency-dependent intrinsic activity of the default mode network are associated with depression and cognition in patients with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A significant proportion of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 suffer from persistent symptoms, referred to as "post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)". Abnormal brain intrinsic activity has been observed in PASC patients, but the patterns of frequency-dependent intrinsic activity in the PASC and non-PASC (recovered COVID-19 patients without persistent symptoms) groups and their association with neuropsychiatric sequelae remain unclear in PASC. Twenty-nine PASC patients, 27 non-PASC subjects, and 31 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited.

Phytoplankton-environment dynamics in a tropical estuary of the northeastern Arabian Sea: a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) approach.

Phytoplankton are diverse photosynthetic organisms in estuarine ecosystems and sensitive indicators of environmental changes. This study employed Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to explore the impact of environmental variables on the abundance of six dominant phytoplankton species in the tropical Karanja estuary, India. Data were collected from five sampling stations between January 2022 and March 2023.

Engineering yeast to produce fraxetin from ferulic acid and lignin.

Lignin, the most abundant renewable source of aromatic compounds on earth, remains underexploited in traditional biorefining. Fraxetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has garnered considerable attention in the scientific community due to its diverse and potent biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neurological protective actions. To enhance the green and value-added utilization of lignin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered as a cell factory to transform lignin derivatives to produce fraxetin.

Left neck and right biceps muscle vibrations have similar effects on perceived body orientation.

Vibrating muscles to manipulate proprioceptive input creates the sensation of an apparent change in body position. This study investigates whether vibrating the right biceps muscle has similar effects as vibrating the left posterior neck muscles. Based on previous observations, we hypothesized that both types of muscle vibration would shift the perception of healthy subjects' subjective straight-ahead (SSA) orientation in the horizontal plane to the left.

Assessing the role of chest CT in minor blunt trauma: evaluation of the NEXUS decision instrument across an expanded population.

Objective: To evaluate the NEXUS Chest CT ALL decision instrument (DI) in reducing unnecessary chest CT imaging in minor blunt trauma patients while preserving high sensitivity for detecting clinically meaningful injuries. Additionally, we examined the impact of delayed presentation, chronic disease, and anticoagulation/anti-aggregation medications on trauma outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective study included 853 adult minor blunt trauma patients who underwent chest CT in the emergency department (ED) of Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center between 2018 and 2022.

100 years Cell and Tissue Research: the founders and their successors.

One hundred years ago, Cell and Tissue Research was founded under the title "Zeitschrift für Zellen- und Gewebelehre," later "Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie." The founders were four eminent German and Swiss cell biologists and zoologists, R. Goldschmidt, W.

An Algorithmic Overview of Advanced Pain Therapies: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: Quickly referenceable, streamlined, algorithmic approaches for advanced pain management are lacking for patients, trainees, non-pain specialists, and interventional specialists. This manuscript aims to address this gap by proposing a comprehensive, evidence-based algorithm for managing neuropathic, nociceptive, and cancer-associated pain. Such an algorithm is crucial for pain medicine education, offering a structured approach for patient care refractory to conservative management.

Emerging Frontiers in Colorectal Cancer Therapy: From Targeted Molecules to Immunomodulatory Breakthroughs and Cell-Based Approaches.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, necessitating urgent advancements in therapeutic approaches. The emergence of groundbreaking therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapies, oncolytic viruses, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, marks a transformative era in oncology. These innovative modalities, tailored to individual genetic and molecular profiles, hold the promise of significantly enhancing patient outcomes.

Abbreviated Duration of Vasoactive Agents Has Similar Outcomes as Standard Duration of Therapy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis and Variceal Bleeding: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis.

Background: This two-stage individual patient data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) compared the efficacy of a shorter duration (≤ 2 days) of vasoactive (VA) drug therapy to standard duration (3-5 days) after acute variceal bleeding (AVB) in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Patients And Methods: Randomized clinical trials on patients with cirrhosis and AVB undergoing endoscopic band ligation which compared a short duration versus the standard duration of VA therapy were included. The primary outcome was 5-day rebleeding rate.

Re-intervention Utility After Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy Using a Partially Covered Stent with Anchoring Flange.

Background And Aim: Although long self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) with a sufficient intragastric portion is typically preferred for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS), this design can complicate endoscopic re-intervention for recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic re-intervention for RBO through the stent after EUS-HGS using a novel partially covered SEMS with an anchoring flange.

Methods: The partially covered SEMS was designed with a intrahepatic uncovered portion measuring 1.

Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Drug Concentration Is Not Associated with Disease Outcomes in Pouchitis: A Retrospective, International Study.

Background: Therapeutic drug monitoring is important for optimizing anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. However, the exposure-response relationship has never been assessed in pouchitis.

Aims: To explore associations between anti-TNF-α drug concentration and pouchitis disease activity in patients with a background of ulcerative colitis.

Integrated analysis of marked and count data to characterize fine-scale stream fish movement.

Immigration and emigration are key demographic processes of animal population dynamics. However, we have limited knowledge on how fine-scale movement varies over space and time. We developed a Bayesian integrated population model using individual mark-recapture and count data to characterize fine-scale movement of stream fish at 20-m resolution in a 740-m study area every two months for 28 months.

Role of major cardiovascular surgery-induced metabolic reprogramming in acute kidney injury in critical care.

Purpose: Major cardiovascular surgery imposes high physiologic stress, often causing severe organ dysfunction and poor outcomes. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated metabolic changes induced by major cardiovascular surgery and the potential role of identified metabolic signatures in postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI).

Retrospective Cohort Study of Elderly Users of Single- or Multiple-Inhaler Triple Therapy for the Treatment of Asthma in the USA.

Introduction: Escalation to single- or multiple-inhaler triple therapy (SITT; MITT) is a recommended option for patients with asthma who remain uncontrolled by medium-dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β-agonist; however, characterization of elderly users of triple therapy is limited. This real-world cohort study describes demographics and clinical characteristics of elderly patients with asthma with and without comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are new users of triple therapy, and asthma treatment patterns preceding triple therapy initiation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used administrative claims data from the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart database.

Severe bradycardia in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and good early response to CPAP.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may lead to heart rhythm abnormalities including bradycardia. Our aim was to ascertain clinical and echocardiographic parameters in patients with OSA in whom severe bradycardia was detected in an outpatient setting, as well as to evaluate the efficacy of CPAP therapy on heart rate normalization at the early stages of treatment.

Methods: Fifteen patients mild, moderate or severe OSA and concomitant bradycardia were enrolled.

The triglyceride-glucose index as a surrogate measure to assess glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: It has been revealed that the potential utility of the triglycerides and glucose (TyG) index as an effective option for assessing glycemic control; however, evidence in this field is still scarce.

Aims: The goal of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the TyG index, as an alternative option, to detect inadequate glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Men and women between 30 and 60 years of age diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were included in a cross-sectional study.

Advances in understanding the role of squalene epoxidase in cancer prognosis and resistance.

Recently, there has been burgeoning interest in the involvement of cholesterol metabolism in cancer. Squalene epoxidase (SQLE), as a critical rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, has garnered attention due to its overexpression in various cancer types, thereby significantly impacting tumor prognosis and resistance mechanisms. Firstly, SQLE contributes to unfavorable prognosis through diverse mechanisms, encompassing modulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, manipulation of the cancer microenvironment, and participation in ferroptosis.

Unveiling astaxanthin: biotechnological advances, delivery systems and versatile applications in nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

Astaxanthin (ASX), "king of carotenoids", is a xanthophyll carotenoid that is characterized by a distinct reddish-orange hue, procured from diverse sources including plants, microalgae, fungi, yeast, and lichens. It exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-ageing properties and has been demonstrated to mitigate ultraviolet-induced cellular and DNA damage, enhance immune system function, and improve cardiovascular diseases. Despite its broad utilization across nutraceutical, cosmetic, aquaculture, and pharmaceutical sectors, the large-scale production and application of ASX are constrained by the limited availability of natural sources, low production yields and stringent production requirements.

Subtypes of Insulin Restriction in Diabetes Management: A Systematic Review.

Purpose Of Review: Insulin restriction is commonly studied as a form of disordered eating, but people may restrict insulin for many reasons. This systematic review examined how insulin restriction has been conceptualized and measured, and its associated predictors and outcomes.

Recent Findings: Forty-seven unique articles measured non-specified insulin restriction (IR), insulin restriction specifically for weight control (IRWC), or both.