Impact of vitamin D on hyperoxic acute lung injury in neonatal mice.

Background: Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia can lead to hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI) in preterm neonates. Vitamin D (VitD) stimulates lung maturation and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Our objective was to determine if VitD provides a dose-dependent protective effect against HALI by reducing inflammatory cytokine expression and improving alveolarization and lung function in neonatal mice.

SMOC1 colocalizes with Alzheimer's disease neuropathology and delays Aβ aggregation.

SMOC1 has emerged as one of the most significant and consistent new biomarkers of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies show that SMOC1 is one of the earliest changing proteins in AD, with levels in the cerebrospinal fluid increasing many years before symptom onset. Despite this clear association with disease, little is known about the role of SMOC1 in AD or its function in the brain.

Novel Macrocyclic NLRP3 Inhibitors.

Aberrant activation of NLRP3 due to persistent tissue damage, misfolded proteins or crystal deposits has been linked to multiple chronic inflammatory disorders such as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), neurodegenerative diseases, gouty arthritis, and numerous others. Hence, there has been an increasing interest in NLRP3 inhibitors as therapeutics. A first generation of NLRP3 inhibitors bearing a sulfonylurea core such as MCC950 (developed by Pfizer) were discovered by phenotypic screening, however their mode of action was only elucidated later.

Production and Optimization of LTE, a Leishmania tarentolae Derived Cell-Free Protein Expression System for Recombinant Protein Production.

This protocol outlines the production and optimization of a eukaryotic Cell-Free Protein Expression System (CFPS) derived from the unicellular flagellate Leishmania tarentolae, referred to as Leishmania Translational Extract or LTE. Although this organism originally evolved as a parasite of geckos, it can be cultivated easily and inexpensively in flasks or bioreactors. Unlike Leishmania major, it is non-pathogenic to humans and does not require special laboratory precautions.

Cardinality matching versus propensity score matching for addressing cluster-level residual confounding in implantable medical device and surgical epidemiology: a parametric and plasmode simulation study.

Background: Rapid innovation and new regulations lead to an increased need for post-marketing surveillance of implantable devices. However, complex multi-level confounding related not only to patient-level but also to surgeon or hospital covariates hampers observational studies of risks and benefits. We conducted parametric and plasmode simulations to compare the performance of cardinality matching (CM) vs propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce confounding bias in the presence of cluster-level confounding.

Biogeographic Considerations for Fish-Based Indices of Stream Health in Regions with High Species Richness and Endemism: A Perspective from the Southeastern US.

Agencies monitoring aquatic ecosystems desire to accurately measure the similarity of species assemblages to undisturbed states to assess ecological "health". Over the past century, numerous fish-based indices have been developed to estimate the abstract property of stream health. The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is the predominant technique used by state and federal agencies in the United States and has been widely used by these agencies following its inception over 40 years ago.

Queer- and trans-inclusive faculty hiring-A call for change.

As queer and trans scientists, we face varied and systemic barriers to our professional success, resulting in our relative absence from faculty ranks at many institutions. In this Perspective, we call for a change in faculty hiring practices and present concrete guidance to make it a more inclusive process.

Heterozygous BTNL8 variants in individuals with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with intestinal manifestations. Genetic predisposition, including inborn errors of the OAS-RNAseL pathway, has been reported. We sequenced 154 MIS-C patients and utilized a novel statistical framework of gene burden analysis, "burdenMC," which identified an enrichment for rare predicted-deleterious variants in BTNL8 (OR = 4.

Global Genotype by Environment Prediction Competition Reveals That Diverse Modeling Strategies Can Deliver Satisfactory Maize Yield Estimates.

Predicting phenotypes from a combination of genetic and environmental factors is a grand challenge of modern biology. Slight improvements in this area have the potential to save lives, improve food and fuel security, permit better care of the planet, and create other positive outcomes. In 2022 and 2023 the first open-to-the-public Genomes to Fields (G2F) initiative Genotype by Environment (GxE) prediction competition was held using a large dataset including genomic variation, phenotype and weather measurements and field management notes, gathered by the project over nine years.

SMOC1 colocalizes with Alzheimer's disease neuropathology and delays Aβ aggregation.

SMOC1 has emerged as one of the most significant and consistent new biomarkers of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies show that SMOC1 is one of the earliest changing proteins in AD, with levels in the cerebrospinal fluid increasing many years before symptom onset. Despite this clear association with disease, little is known about the role of SMOC1 in AD or its function in the brain.

Spatial and temporal determinants of particulate matter peak exposures during pregnancy and early postpartum.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important environmental risk for maternal and children's health, with peak exposures especially those derived from primary combustion hypothesized to pose greater risk. Identifying PM peaks and their contributions to personal exposure remains challenging. This study measured personal PM exposure, characterized primary combustion peaks, and investigated their determinants during and after pregnancy and among Hispanic women in Los Angeles, CA.

ClassifieR 2.0: expanding interactive gene expression-based stratification to prostate and high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Background: Advances in transcriptional profiling methods have enabled the discovery of molecular subtypes within and across traditional tissue-based cancer classifications. Such molecular subgroups hold potential for improving patient outcomes by guiding treatment decisions and revealing physiological distinctions and targetable pathways. Computational methods for stratifying transcriptomic data into molecular subgroups are increasingly abundant.

Soybean genomics research community strategic plan: A vision for 2024-2028.

This strategic plan summarizes the major accomplishments achieved in the last quinquennial by the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genetics and genomics research community and outlines key priorities for the next 5 years (2024-2028).

Mortality in a Clostridium sordellii Case Series.

Introduction: Clostridium sordellii (C sordellii) is a gram positive, anaerobic bacterium that causes severe, often fatal infections. Classically, C sordellii infection is described as a high mortality process for women of childbearing age. We examined C sordellii infections in our hospital to determine if there have been any changes in prevalence, treatment, or outcome.

Strong Correlation Between Double-Strand DNA Breaks and Total Sperm DNA Fragmentation in the Human Ejaculate.

Background: Double- and single-strand DNA breaks (DSBs and SSBs, respectively) in spermatozoa, which emerge from intrinsic and extrinsic degenerative processes, are likely related to the underlying male pathology.

Aim: To determine whether the incidence of DSBs in the human ejaculate is a consistent predictor of whole sperm DNA fragmentation (W-SDF = SSBs + DSBs).

Methods: A correlation between the proportion of spermatozoa that showed whole W-SDF and those displaying only DSBs in DNA.

The Challenges and Lessons Learned Building a New UK Infrastructure for Finding and Accessing Population-Wide COVID-19 Data for Research and Public Health Analysis: The CO-CONNECT Project.

The COVID-19-Curated and Open Analysis and Research Platform (CO-CONNECT) project worked with 22 organizations across the United Kingdom to build a federated platform, enabling researchers to instantaneously and dynamically query federated datasets to find relevant data for their study. Finding relevant data takes time and effort, reducing the efficiency of research. Although data controllers could understand the value of such a system, there were significant challenges and delays in setting up the platform in response to COVID-19.

Musculoskeletal Soreness Location and Intensity in Soccer Athletes Across Multiple Seasons.

Objective: To compare soreness location and intensity between male and female soccer athletes across 2 competitive seasons.

Design: Descriptive Cohort Study.

Setting: Collegiate Sports Medicine Facility.

Incidence of diabetes mellitus following hospitalisation for COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: A prospective observational study.

Background: People hospitalised for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have elevated incidence of diabetes. However, it is unclear whether this is due to shared risk factors, confounding or stress hyperglycaemia in response to acute illness.

Methods: We analysed a multicentre prospective cohort study (PHOSP-COVID) of people ≥18 years discharged from NHS hospitals across the United Kingdom following COVID-19.

Dose response effects of theacrine on cognitive performance and subsequent sleep.

Psychostimulants can be employed as a countermeasure to cognitive declines resulting from insufficient sleep. Although caffeine is the most consumed psychostimulant, consumption can cause adverse side-effects, including sleep disturbance. Therefore, there is interest in identifying alternative supplements that improve cognitive performance without compromising subsequent sleep.