Global metabolomic alterations associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals among pregnant individuals and newborns.

Background: Gestational exposure to non-persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. While many EDCs affect the endocrine system, their effects on endocrine-related metabolic pathways remain unclear. This study aims to explore the global metabolome changes associated with EDC biomarkers at delivery.

Prenatal metal(loid) exposure and preterm birth: a systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a common pregnancy complication associated with significant neonatal morbidity. Prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals, including toxic and/or essential metal(loid)s, may contribute to PTB risk.

Objective: We aimed to summarize the epidemiologic evidence of the associations among levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) assessed during the prenatal period and PTB or gestational age at delivery; to assess the quality of the literature and strength of evidence for an effect for each metal; and to provide recommendations for future research.

Selective resection of the medial wall of the cavernous sinus in pituitary surgery: results of a prospective single center analysis.

Purpose: Pituitary adenomas, despite their histologically benign nature, can severely impact patients' quality of life due to hormone hypersecretion. Invasion of the medial wall of the cavernous sinus (MWCS) by these tumors complicates surgical outcomes, lowering biochemical remission rates and increasing recurrence. This study aims to share our institutional experience with the selective resection of the MWCS in endoscopic pituitary surgery.

Optical band gap modulation in functionalized chitosan biopolymer hybrids using absorption and derivative spectrum fitting methods: A spectroscopic analysis.

In this study, biopolymer composites based on chitosan (CS) with enhanced optical properties were functionalized using Manganese metal complexes and black tea solution dyes. The results indicate that CS with Mn-complexes can produce polymer hybrids with high absorption, high refractive index and controlled optical band gaps, with a significant reduction from 6.24 eV to 1.

Evaluating physician concordance in interpretation of tracheobronchomalacia diagnosis and phenotyping using dynamic expiratory chest computed tomography.

Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) presents diagnostic challenges due to its nonspecific symptoms and variability in diagnostic methods. This study evaluates physician concordance in TBM diagnosis and phenotyping using chest computed tomography (CT) scans with dynamic expiratory views. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study at Mayo Clinic Rochester, analyzing 150 patients with dynamic expiratory CT scans.

Fecal microbiota transplantation to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease: pre-planned interim analysis of donor effect.

Gut microbiota disruptions after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) are associated with increased risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). We designed a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial to test whether healthy-donor fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) early after alloHCT reduces the incidence of severe aGVHD. Here, we report the results from the single-arm run-in phase which identified the best of 3 stool donors for the randomized phase.

Bifunctional poly(1,3-dioxolane)-graphitic CN composite interlayers enable stable and compatible anode interfaces in solid lithium batteries.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) hold great promise in the practical deployment of solid lithium batteries (SLBs) owing to their high voltage stability but suffer from poor stability against Li-metal. Herein, a poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDOL)-graphitic CN (g-CN, i.e.

Challenges for complement functional assays in the clinical laboratory: From test validation to clinical interpretation.

Complement functional assays are essential first-tier tests for a gamut of disorders spanning from inborn errors of the immune system which lead to recurrent severe infections, to angioedema attacks, presentation of autoimmune disease, thrombotic microangiopathies and rare kidney disorders. These assays evaluate the activity of the three complement pathways and specific complement components, which helps in differential diagnosis and monitoring disease progression. The rising use of complement inhibitors for treating complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathies has heightened the demand for personalized treatment plans and laboratory assessment of complement blockage.

Allergen-induced activation of epithelial P2Y receptors promotes ATP exocytosis and type 2 immunity in airways.

Background: Environmental allergens induce the release of danger signals from the airway epithelium that trigger type 2 immune responses and promote airway inflammation.

Objective: To investigate the role of allergen-stimulated P2Y receptor activation in regulating ATP, IL-33 and DNA release by human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells and mouse airways.

Methods: hBE cells were exposed to Alternaria alternata extract and secretion of ATP, IL-33 and DNA were studied in vitro.

Improving MRI turbulence quantification by addressing the measurement errors caused by the derivatives of the turbulent velocity field - Sequence development and in-vitro validation.

Purpose: To improve the current method for MRI turbulence quantification which is the intravoxel phase dispersion (IVPD) method. Turbulence is commonly characterized by the Reynolds stress tensor (RST) which describes the velocity covariance matrix. A major source for systematic errors in MRI is the sequence's sensitivity to the variance of the derivatives of velocity, such as the acceleration variance, which can lead to a substantial measurement bias.

Mapping the aging brain: Insights into microstructural changes from free water-corrected fractional anisotropy.

Aging has a significant impact on brain structure, demonstrated by numerous MRI studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). While these studies reveal changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) across different brain regions, they tend to focus on white matter tracts and cognitive regions, often overlooking gray matter and motor areas. Additionally, traditional DTI metrics can be affected by partial volume effects.

The Landscape of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is increasing in prevalence due to the growing opioid epidemic; however, its impact on pediatric kidney transplantation is unknown. This study compared kidney transplant outcomes between HCV-positive and propensity-score-weighted HCV-negative pediatric recipients. It also examined HCV-positive kidney utilization for pediatric transplantation in the United States.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by FUS mutations: advances with broad implications.

Autosomal dominant mutations in the gene encoding the DNA and RNA binding protein FUS are a cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and about 0·3-0·9% of patients with ALS are FUS mutation carriers. FUS-mutation-associated ALS (FUS-ALS) is characterised by early onset and rapid progression, compared with other forms of ALS. However, different pathogenic mutations in FUS can result in markedly different age at symptom onset and rate of disease progression.

Hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by painful, deep-seated nodules, abscesses, and draining tunnels in the skin of axillary, inguinal, genitoanal, or inframammary areas. In recent years, the body of knowledge in hidradenitis suppurativa has advanced greatly. This disorder typically starts in the second or third decade of life.

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.

Environmentally-friendly rGO/Mn nanocomposites for efficient removal of tetracycline and its degradation pathway.

Since the widespread use of antibiotics, the residues of antibiotics have frequently been detected in various water sources, making antibiotic pollution an urgent environmental issue. In this paper, one-step green synthetic reduced graphene/manganese nanoparticles (rGO/Mn NPs) composites have been utilized as a novel environmentally-friendly catalyst for tetracycline (TC) removal. The results demonstrated that rGO/Mn NPs exhibit excellent adsorption performance for TC, and can efficiently activate sodium persulfate (PDS) to oxidize and degrade TC.

The Anatomy of Gossip: Dissecting Dynamics and Impacts in Surgical Residency.

Background: Gossip, defined by social scientists as "evaluative talk about an absent third party," is anecdotally pervasive yet poorly understood in surgical residency programs. Gossip is known to have both positive and negative impacts. This study sought to deconstruct the role of gossip in surgical residency and evaluate its impact through the lens of surgical residents.

Are AI chatbots concordant with evidence-based cancer screening recommendations?

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether information from AI chatbots on benefits and harms of breast and prostate cancer screening were concordant with evidence-based cancer screening recommendations.

Methods: Seven unique prompts (four breast cancer; three prostate cancer) were presented to ChatGPT in March 2024. A total of 60 criteria (30 breast; 30 prostate) were used to assess the concordance of information.

Multiple insights into differential Cd detoxification mechanisms in new germplasms of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) and potential mitigation strategy.

Long-term cadmium (Cd) exposure inhibits plant growth and development, reduces crop yield and quality, and threatens food security. Exploring the Cd tolerance mechanisms and safe production of crops in Cd-contaminated environment has become a worldwide concern. In this study, mung bean (Vigna radiata L.

Safety and Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota, Live-jslm (REBYOTA®), for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection in Participants With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in PUNCH CD3-OLS.

Background: Fecal microbiota, live-jslm (RBL; REBYOTA®), is the first single-dose, broad consortia, microbiota-based live biotherapeutic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) in adults following standard-of-care antimicrobials. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common risk factor for rCDI, yet patients with IBD are often excluded from prospective trials. This subgroup analysis of PUNCH CD3-OLS (NCT03931941) evaluated the safety and efficacy of RBL in participants with rCDI and IBD.

A rare case of primary testicular follicular lymphoma in a pediatric patient.

Testicular follicular lymphoma (TFL) is an exceedingly rare lymphoma that typically occurs in young male patients and is now recognized as a distinct diagnostic entity in the International Consensus Classification. TFL shows some clinicopathologic and genetic overlap with pediatric-type follicular lymphoma (PTFL). We report a case of TFL occurring in an otherwise healthy 4-year-old boy who presented with painless scrotal swelling.

Identification of Novel Biomarkers for Ischemic Stroke Through Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis and Machine Learning.

Ischemic stroke leads to permanent damage to the affected brain tissue, with strict time constraints for effective treatment. Predictive biomarkers demonstrate great potential in the clinical diagnosis of ischemic stroke, significantly enhancing the accuracy of early identification, thereby enabling clinicians to intervene promptly and reduce patient disability and mortality rates. Furthermore, the application of predictive biomarkers facilitates the development of personalized treatment plans tailored to the specific conditions of individual patients, optimizing treatment outcomes and improving prognoses.

Development of Attention-based Prediction Models for All-cause Mortality, Home Care Need, and Nursing Home Admission in Ageing Adults in Spain Using Longitudinal Electronic Health Record Data.

Predicting health-related outcomes can help with proactive healthcare planning and resource management. This is especially important on the older population, an age group growing in the coming decades. Considering longitudinal rather than cross-sectional information from primary care electronic health records (EHRs) can contribute to more informed predictions.

Patient Perceptions of an Intervention for Cancer Distress and Traumatic Stress Symptoms: A Qualitative Analysis.

This study aimed to explore contextual elements of the cancer experience that are consistently distressing and/or psychologically traumatic, as well as explore perceptions of Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART®) and its influence on the cancer experience. Using a qualitative descriptive design, semi-structured interviews were completed by 12 participants following the completion of ART. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis to identify major themes and patterns.