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 hypercapnic environment on the International Space Station (ISS): A potential contributing factor to ocular surface symptoms in astronauts.

With increasing advancements and efforts towards space exploration, there is a pressing need to understand the impacts of spaceflight on astronauts' health. Astronauts have reported signs and symptoms of dry eye disease upon traveling to the International Space Station (ISS), thus necessitating an evaluation of the factors that contribute to the onset of spaceflight associated dry eye disease. Prior literature describes the hypercapnic environment of the ISS; however, the link between the high CO levels and astronauts' symptoms of dry eye disease remains unexplored.

Insights From Diverse Perspectives on Social Media Messages to Inform Young Adults With Cancer About Clinical Trials: Focus Group Study.

Background: Low rates of adolescent and young adult (YA; aged 15-39 y) clinical trial enrollment (CTE), particularly among underserved groups, have resulted in a lack of standardized cancer treatments and follow-up guidelines for this group that may limit improvement in cancer treatments and survival outcomes for YAs.

Objective: To understand and address unique barriers to CTE, we conducted focus groups to learn about informational, financial, and psychosocial needs of YAs surrounding CTE and identify strategies to address these barriers.

Methods: We conducted 5 focus groups in 2023 among a diverse sample of YA patients from across the United States.

Cystic Echinococcus of the Liver.

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis is a widely endemic helminthic disease caused by infection with metacestodes (larval stage) of the Echinococcus granulosus tapeworm, which is transmitted by dogs and found on every continent except Antarctica. We sought to review the life cycle, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnostic methods, and treatment of Echinococcus granulosus of the liver.

Methods: A comprehensive review was conducted using Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science accessed between 1990 and 2024.

Correlation Between Postoperative Complications and Number of Colorectal Liver Metastases Resected.

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the relationship between the number of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) resected and the rate of postoperative complications and to determine a threshold level, if any, for which the risk of postoperative complications outweighs the benefit of resection of metastatic disease.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2019 to 2021. Patients were divided into three major groups: one to two, three to four, and more than five CRLM.

Mastering rectal cancer MRI: From foundational concepts to optimal staging.

MRI plays a critical role in the local staging, restaging, surveillance, and risk stratification of patients, ensuring they receive the most tailored therapy. As such, radiologists must be familiar not only with the key MRI findings that influence management decisions but also with the appropriate MRI protocols and structured reporting. Given the complexity of selecting the optimal therapy for each patient-which often requires multidisciplinary discussions-radiologists should be well-versed in relevant treatment strategies and surgical terms, understanding their significance in guiding patient care.

Major advances in protein function assignment by remote homolog detection with protein language models - A review.

There is an ever-increasing need for accurate and efficient methods to identify protein homologs. Traditionally, sequence similarity-based methods have dominated protein homolog identification for function identification, but these struggle when the sequence identity between the pairs is low. Recently, transformer architecture-based deep learning methods have achieved breakthrough performances in many fields.

Feeding nursery pigs diets containing peroxidized soybean oil has minimal effects on oxidative status but dramatically reduces serum vitamin E concentrations.

A subgroup of pigs from two experiments (EXP) were selected to evaluate the impact of pigs fed diets containing peroxidized soybean oil (SO) on plasma-based measures of oxidative stress and vitamin E. Pigs were fed diets containing SO that was either unprocessed (23 °C; peroxide value of 3 meq/kg and an anisidine value of 4) or thermally processed at 135 °C for 42 h (peroxide value of 30 meq/kg and an anisidine value of 501). The corn-soybean meal-based diets contained either 10% SO (EXP 1) or 8% SO (EXP 2).

Influence of feeding thermally peroxidized lipids on the performance of growing pigs.

Feeding pigs lipids containing high levels of lipid oxidation products (LOP) has been shown to reduce growth performance, but data is lacking on quantitative relationships between LOP and pig growth, feed intake and feed efficiency. Four experiments (EXP) were conducted using soybean oil (SO) in EXP 1, 2, and 3, as well as SO, choice white grease (CWG) and palm oil (PO) in EXP 4, to evaluate the impact of feeding diets containing different amounts of LOP on pig performance. Lipid peroxidation was carried out using variable heating temperatures and durations to generate lipids with a broad range of peroxide (PV, mEq) and anisidine value (AnV, unitless).

Residual nitrite and nitrate in processed meats and meat analogues in the United States.

Residual nitrite (NO) and nitrate (NO) have been widely studied in the past few decades for their function to improve processed meat quality and their impact on human health. In this study we examined how the residual nitrite and nitrate (NO) content of major classes of processed meats products (n = 1132) produced locally from three regions (East Coast, Midwest and West Coast) and plant protein-based meat analogues (n = 53) available at retail in the United States was influenced by their composition, processing, and geographical attributes. We also conducted time-dependent depletion studies and observed different patterns of NO depletion and conversion during processing and storage and correlated them with product quality.

Trends in Neurosurgeons Signing Medicare Opt-Out Affidavits.

Objective: In recent decades, many physicians have chosen to opt out of Medicare, allowing them to set their own pricing models for their patients. Characterization of Medicare opt-outs has not been thoroughly studied in any surgical specialty, including Neurosurgery. Our study characterizes the factors that may influence a neurosurgeon's decision to opt out of Medicare acceptance and contextualizes them both within the field and across various surgical specialties.

A forward genetic screen identifies potassium channel essentiality in SHH medulloblastoma maintenance.

Distinguishing tumor maintenance genes from initiation, progression, and passenger genes is critical for developing effective therapies. We employed a functional genomic approach using the Lazy Piggy transposon to identify tumor maintenance genes in vivo and applied this to sonic hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma (MB). Combining Lazy Piggy screening in mice and transcriptomic profiling of human MB, we identified the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNB2 as a candidate maintenance driver.

Clinical and intracranial electrophysiological signatures of post-operative and post-ictal delirium.

Objectives: (1) Gain insight into the mechanisms of postoperative delirium (POD). (2) Determine mechanistic overlap with post-ictal delirium (PID). Epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial electrophysiological monitoring can experience both POD and PID, and thus are suitable subjects for these investigations.

Differential expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and M1 macrophage marker nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) in lymph node granulomas of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

Bovine tuberculosis is mainly caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated strain of M. bovis which provides variable disease protection.

Effects of Dual-Site Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Attention, Decision-Making, and Working Memory during Sports Fatigue in Elite Soccer Athletes.

Background: Sports fatigue in soccer athletes has been shown to decrease neural activity, impairing cognitive function and negatively affecting motor performance. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can alter cortical excitability, augment synaptic plasticity, and enhance cognitive function. However, its potential to ameliorate cognitive impairment during sports fatigue remains largely unexplored.

Optimizing Tongue Fluid Sampling and Testing Protocols for Enhanced PRRSV Isolation from Perinatal Swine Mortalities.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains a major concern for swine health. Isolating PRRSV is essential for identifying infectious viruses and for vaccine formulation. This study evaluated the potential of using tongue fluid (TF) from perinatal piglet mortalities for PRRSV isolation.

Global Transcriptomic Analysis of Inbred Lines Reveal Candidate Genes for Response to Maize Lethal Necrosis.

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is a significant threat to food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with limited commercial inbred lines displaying tolerance. This study analyzed the transcriptomes of four commercially used maize inbred lines and a non-adapted inbred line, all with varying response levels to MLN. RNA-Seq revealed differentially expressed genes in response to infection by maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), the causative agents of MLN.

Food Insecurity Predictors Differ for White, Multicultural, and International College Students in the United States.

Higher education institutions and public health agencies in the United States (US) have recognized that food insecurity is pervasive and interferes with student learning on multiple levels. However, less research has examined food insecurity among culturally diverse college students. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence and predictors of food insecurity for US-born White, US-born Multicultural, and International students aged 18-34 at a Midwest university.

Metal-Coordinated Polymer-Inorganic Hybrids: Synthesis, Properties, and Application.

This review examines the recent advancements and unique properties of polymer-inorganic hybrid materials formed through coordination bonding (Class II hybrids), which enable enhanced functionality and stability across various applications. Here, we categorize these materials based on properties gained through complexation, focusing on electrical conductivity, thermal stability, photophysical characteristics, catalytic activity, and nanoscale self-assembly. Two major synthetic approaches to making these hybrids include homogeneous and heterogeneous methods, each with distinct tradeoffs: Homogeneous synthesis is straightforward but requires favorable mixing between inorganic and polymer species, which are predominantly water-soluble complexes.

Pradofloxacin Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Profiling of Isolates: Insights into Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Swine.

This study evaluated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of pradofloxacin against various swine respiratory pathogens, including , , , , and (), associated with disease in swine. This research was conducted in two phases: the initial phase examined isolates from the lungs that could be either commensal or pathogenic, while the second phase focused on systemic strains that spread from the respiratory tract to the brain. The pradofloxacin MIC values of the second phase were within the MIC range of the initial phase, with MIC and MIC values highlighting its potential as an effective antimicrobial agent.

Endoscopic Resection of Large Non-Pedunculated Colonic Polyps Without Submucosal Injection Is Safe and Effective with Adequate Technique.

: Endoscopic resection with lift polypectomy using submucosal injection (SI) for large non-pedunculated colorectal polyps is recommended to facilitate complete mucosal resection and decrease the risk of perforation; however, there are no studies comparing the safety and efficacy of large polypectomies with and without lift polypectomy. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the polypectomy technique without SI compared to the routine use of SI. : We performed a single tertiary center retrospective study evaluating all consecutive large non-pedunculated colorectal polyps (≥20 mm) referred to expert endoscopists in polypectomy from 2018 through 2021.

Do Anxiety, Depression, Fear of Movement and Fear of Achilles Rupture Correlate with Achilles Tendinopathy Pain, Symptoms or Physical Function?

To determine if psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, fear of movement and fear of rupture are associated with increased tendon-related disability, quantified by the Tendinopathy Severity Assessment-Achilles (TENDINS-A). Cross-sectional. Online Qualtrics survey.