Microscopic Origin of the Spatial and Temporal Precision in Biological Systems.

All living systems display remarkable spatial and temporal precision, despite operating in intrinsically fluctuating environments. It is even more surprising given that biological phenomena are regulated by multiple chemical reactions that are also random. While the underlying molecular mechanisms of surprisingly high precision in biology remain not well understood, a novel theoretical picture that relies on the coupling of relevant stochastic processes has been recently proposed and applied to explain different phenomena.

Overexpression, Biophysical and Functional Characterization of a Recombinant FGF21 (rFGF21).

Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) is an endocrine FGF that plays a vital role in regulating essential metabolic pathways. FGF21 increases glucose uptake by cells, promotes fatty acid oxidation, reduces blood glucose levels, and alleviates metabolic diseases. However, detailed studies on its stability and biophysical characteristics have not been reported.

MRI Analysis of the Wrist: Does the Presence of Palmaris Longus Affect Median Nerve Position?

Background: Understanding the median nerve's position relative to surrounding anatomy is essential; however, there are many variations among individuals. This study assesses differences in median nerve position with or without palmaris longus (PL). We hypothesize that PL presence alters median nerve position, resulting in a greater distance to the skin volar surface, a decreased distance to the radius volar surface, and an increased distance to the flexor carpi radialis (FCR).

Brief Ectopic Banking and Immediate Plate Fixation With Free Omental Flap Addresses Multiple Fundamental Problems for Single-Stage Replant of Transhumeral Amputation.

High-velocity traumatic amputations of the proximal upper extremity are devastating to the patient and represent an extreme surgical challenge to the treatment team. The hand surgeon must simultaneously battle devascularization with timely microvascular anastomosis, gross contamination with meticulous debridement, and amputation with stable fixation. In restoring a functional extremity, many of these goals are in contention with each other.

Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice.

Panicle elongation length (PEL), which determines panicle exsertion, is an important outcrossing-related trait. Mining genes controlling PEL in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has great practical significance in breeding cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) lines with increased PEL and simplified, high-efficiency seed production.

Projected changes in moisture sources and sinks affecting the US East Coast and the Caribbean Sea.

This study uses a combination of the FLEXPART Lagrangian dispersion model with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale Eulerian model (FLEXPART-WRF) to analyze the expected mid- to late-century changes in the moisture sources and sinks of the North American East Coast (ENA) and the Gulf of Mexico (GM), as well as their most relevant abrupt moisture transport events-atmospheric rivers (ARs) and low-level jets of the Great Plains (GPLLJ) and the Caribbean (CLLJ). Both the ENA and GM are expected to increase in importance as moisture source regions over the century, both overall and in their contributions to the ARs and both LLJs. A notable increase in the intensity of the GPLLJ and CLLJ moisture sources is also observed.

Treatment of Cutaneous Adnexal Carcinoma With Radiotherapy: A 20-Year, Single-Institution Experience in 49 Patients.

Objectives: Cutaneous adnexal carcinomas (CACs) are rare skin cancers with no established treatment guidelines. Given the limited data, this study aims to explore the characteristics and outcomes of patients with CAC treated with radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with CAC between 2000 and 2020 who received RT were included.

The feasibility of using photovoice as a loneliness intervention with older Myanmar migrants.

Loneliness has detrimental physical and mental health outcomes. To date, there are few studies on loneliness interventions in lower-resource settings. Based on participatory action research methods that are theoretically informed by the social relationship expectations framework, we developed a loneliness intervention called amanane using the photovoice method with older Myanmar migrants in northern Thailand.

Exploring child and youth understanding of loneliness through qualitative insights and evaluating loneliness measures considering those lived experiences.

The overall goal of this paper is to enhance the understanding and measurement of loneliness by identifying key experiential characteristics of loneliness in children and adolescents, and determine whether there is a need for refined assessment tools that accurately capture that experience. In Study 1, we synthesized the qualitative research on the child and youth experience of loneliness and found shared characteristics of loneliness, with some differences related to developmental changes (e.g.

Assessing the Return of Function After Various Approaches to Stable Fixation of Metacarpal Fractures.

Background: Multiple approaches exist for operative fixation of metacarpal fractures; with common treatments including lag screw fixation or open-reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with plates and screws. Recently, the adaptation of intramedullary screw (IMS) placement has allowed for an essentially closed approach with stable fixation and theoretically improved outcomes. Thus, we sought to compare such approaches to ultimately determine the superior method for achieving the goal of return to normal function.

Ocular Telangiectasia and Cerebellar Atrophy in Ataxia-Telangiectasia (Louis-Bar Syndrome).

Background: Ataxia-telangiectasia (Louis-Bar syndrome) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by progressive ataxia, ocular telangiectasias, immunodeficiency and increased cancer risk due to impaired DNA repair.

Phenomenology Shown: Thorough clinical and subsequently radiological examination in a 19-year-old woman with a history of previously undiagnosed, progressive gait ataxia since early childhood, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and severe combined immunodeficiency revealed the eponymous features of the disease, ocular telangiectasias and cerebellar atrophy, enabling targeted genetic testing.

Educational Value: Ocular telangiectasias represent an important clue for a diagnosis of ataxia-telangiectasia in young patients with progressive ataxia, implicating awareness of increased malignancy risk and treatment of immunodeficiency.

Genetic Improvement of rice Grain size Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System.

Rice grain size influences both grain yield and quality, making it a significant target for rice genetic improvement. In recent years, numerous genes related to grain size with differential effects have been cloned. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing system is a convenient tool for modifying genes.

Relationship Between an SNP and Relapse After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Unrelated bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a curative treatment for hematological malignancies. While HLA mismatch is a recognized risk factor in unrelated BMT, the significance of non-HLA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remains uncertain. Cytokines play key roles in several aspects of unrelated BMT.

Structure-guided engineering of a mutation-tolerant inhibitor peptide against variable SARS-CoV-2 spikes.

Pathogen mutations present an inevitable and challenging problem for therapeutics and the development of mutation-tolerant anti-infective drugs to strengthen global health and combat evolving pathogens is urgently needed. While spike proteins on viral surfaces are attractive targets for preventing viral entry, they mutate frequently, making it difficult to develop effective therapeutics. Here, we used a structure-guided strategy to engineer an inhibitor peptide against the SARS-CoV-2 spike, called CeSPIACE, with mutation-tolerant and potent binding ability against all variants to enhance affinity for the invariant architecture of the receptor-binding domain (RBD).

Vegetation-climate feedbacks across scales.

Vegetation is often viewed as a consequence of long-term climate conditions. However, vegetation itself plays a fundamental role in shaping Earth's climate by regulating the energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles across terrestrial landscapes. It exerts influence by consuming water resources through transpiration and interception, lowering atmospheric CO concentration, altering surface roughness, and controlling net radiation and its partitioning into sensible and latent heat fluxes.

Characterization, Quantification, and Molecular Identification of Co-Infection of Canine Parvovirus (CPV-2) Variants in Dogs Affected by Gastroenteritis in Ecuador During 2022-2023.

Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) is a highly contagious virus in canines, and it is mostly spread by touching infected feces. Dogs of all ages can catch it, but puppies are more likely to suffer from it. Severe signs include vomiting, diarrhea with blood, feeling tired, and not drinking enough water.

Mucosal Immunization with an Influenza Vector Carrying SARS-CoV-2 N Protein Protects Naïve Mice and Prevents Disease Enhancement in Seropositive Th2-Prone Mice.

Intranasal vaccination enhances protection against respiratory viruses by providing stimuli to the immune system at the primary site of infection, promoting a balanced and effective response. Influenza vectors with truncated NS1 are a promising vaccine approach that ensures a pronounced local CD8+ T-cellular immune response. Here, we describe the protective and immunomodulating properties of an influenza vector FluVec-N carrying the C-terminal fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein within a truncated NS1 open reading frame.

Unelongated Stems are an Active Nitrogen-Fixing Site in Rice Stems Supported by Both Sugar and Methane Under Low Nitrogen Conditions.

Enhancing nitrogen (N) fixation in rice plants can reduce N fertilizer application and contribute to sustainable rice production, particularly under low-N conditions. However, detailed microbial and metabolic characterization of N fixation in rice stems, unlike in the well-studied roots, has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the active N-fixing sites, their diazotroph communities, and the usability of possible carbon sources in stems compared with roots.

Concurrent Perioperative Benzodiazepine and Opioid Utilization in Opioid-Naive Patients Undergoing Soft Tissue Hand Surgery.

Background: While concomitant opioid and benzodiazepine use is discouraged due to an increased risk of sedation/overdose, the extent of perioperative opioid utilization in hand surgery patients already using benzodiazepines is unknown.

Methods: Using an administrative claims database, we identified adults undergoing carpal tunnel, DeQuervain, or trigger finger release, palmar fasciectomies, ganglion/mucoid cyst removals, and hand/wrist soft tissue mass excisions from 2011 to 2021. We identified opioid-naive patients with a benzodiazepine prescription within 90 days before surgery.

MI-Mamba: A hybrid motor imagery electroencephalograph classification model with Mamba's global scanning.

Deep learning has revolutionized electroencephalograph (EEG) decoding, with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) being a predominant tool. However, CNNs struggle with long-term dependencies in sequential EEG data. Models like long short-term memory and transformers improve performance but still face challenges of computational efficiency and long sequences.

Modular access to saturated bioisosteres of anilines via photoelectrochemical decarboxylative C(sp)-N coupling.

In drug development, the substitution of benzene rings in aniline-based drug candidates with saturated bridged bicyclic ring systems often enhances pharmacokinetic properties while preserving biological activity. However, current efforts predominantly focuses on bicyclo[1.1.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors +/- Chemotherapy for Patients With NSCLC and Brain Metastases: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Multiple studies have demonstrated the intracranial efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) +/- chemotherapy. The efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy compared to ICI alone in patients with metastatic NSCLC and brain metastases (BM) remains unknown.

Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis were performed to evaluate ICI efficacy and the influence of additional chemotherapy on survival outcomes in treatment-naïve metastatic NSCLC with BM.

Linkage Mapping and Identification of Candidate Genes for Cold Tolerance in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) at the Bud Bursting Stage.

Rice is highly sensitive to low temperatures, making cold stress a significant factor limiting its growth, especially during the bud bursting stage. To address this, an RIL population derived from a cross between cold-tolerant and cold-sensitive rice varieties was used to identify nine QTLs linked to cold tolerance under temperatures of 4 ℃, 5 °C, and 6 ℃ using a high-density genetic map. One candidate gene, LOC_Os07g44410, was identified through gene function annotation, haplotype analysis, and qRT-PCR, with two main haplotypes (Hap1 and Hap2) showing distinct phenotypic differences.

Data-driven discovery of associations between prescribed drugs and dementia risk: A systematic review.

Abstract: Recent clinical trials on slowing dementia progression have led to renewed focus on finding safer, more effective treatments. One approach to identify plausible candidates is to assess whether existing medications for other conditions may affect dementia risk. We conducted a systematic review to identify studies adopting a data-driven approach to investigate the association between a wide range of prescribed medications and dementia risk.