Obesity uncovers presence of inflammatory lung macrophage subsets with adipose tissue transcriptomic signature in influenza virus infection.

Obesity is a risk factor for increased lung damage and disease severity during influenza virus infection. White adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation is a key driver of disease pathogenesis in obesity. Whether and how obesity modifies lung and WAT immune cell character and function in obesity to amplify influenza disease severity remains unknown.

Exploring optimal protocols for generating and preserving glucose-responsive insulin-secreting progenitor cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent an unlimited source of β-like cells for both disease modeling and cellular therapy for diabetes. Numerous protocols have been published describing the differentiation of hPSCs into β-like cells that secret insulin in response to a glucose challenge. However, among the most widely used protocols it is not clear which yield the most functional cells with reproducible glucose-stimulated insulin-secretion (GSIS).

Electrochemically-Switched Microwave Response of MXene in Organic Electrolyte.

The increasingly complex electromagnetic (EM) environment necessitates advanced electrically controllable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials that can adapt to varying EM conditions. This study develops a flexible electrochemically tunable EMI shielding device based on ultrathin TiCT MXene films, exhibiting reversible shielding effectiveness (SE) modulation from 18.9 to 26.

Personal care product use and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in pregnant and lactating people in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous chemicals routinely detected in personal care products (PCPs). However, few studies have evaluated the impact of PCP use on PFAS concentrations in pregnant and lactating populations.

Objective: We investigated associations between PCP use and PFAS concentrations in prenatal plasma and human milk.

SMPD4-mediated sphingolipid metabolism regulates brain and primary cilia development.

Genetic variants in multiple sphingolipid biosynthesis genes cause human brain disorders. A recent study looked at people from 12 unrelated families with variants in the gene SMPD4, a neutral sphingomyelinase that metabolizes sphingomyelin into ceramide at an early stage of the biosynthesis pathway. These individuals have severe developmental brain malformations, including microcephaly and cerebellar hypoplasia.

Cultural Insiders and Graphic Stories to Promote Research Readiness Among the South Asian Community: A Focus on Purpose, Protection, and Participation.

South Asians living in the United States are frequently underrepresented in health research. Their lack of participation limits the generalizability of research to them and keeps them from receiving the high-quality care and innovation that some studies may offer. "Research Ready" is a five-panel, community co-created graphic-style story that encourages discussion around the purpose of research, safety/protection while participating, and why diverse participation-including South Asians-improves study results and leads to more effective interventions/treatments.

Another-regulin regulates cardiomyocyte calcium handling via integration of neuroendocrine signaling with SERCA2a activity.

Calcium (Ca) dysregulation is a hallmark feature of cardiovascular disease. Intracellular Ca regulation is essential for proper heart function and is controlled by the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA2a). Another-regulin (ALN) is a newly discovered cardiomyocyte-expressed SERCA2a inhibitor, suggesting cardiomyocyte Ca-handling is more complex than previously appreciated.

Addressing Mental Health and Social Needs in Tandem to Promote Health Equity.

Compelling evidence shows that social risks and mental health are intertwined. Pediatric clinicians can maximize the effectiveness of interventions that address mental health concerns by incorporating social risks and social needs screening and interventions. Approaches that elevate the interconnectedness of social risks and mental health require (a) an understanding of the multi-level contextual factors that contribute to patient and family functioning; and (b) a culturally responsive and multidisciplinary clinical practice that targets contextual factors.

Integrated Behavioral Health: A Guide to Practical Implementation.

Integrating behavioral health providers in primary care settings is an effective model for increasing access to mental and behavioral health services for youth. Resources and subject matter experts can be leveraged by pediatric practices to identify the components of a successful model and to support implementation in community practices. Integrated behavioral health approaches vary in scope and components of the models can be selected and implemented to meet the needs of each practice and the patient population served.

Motivational Interviewing in Pediatric Mental Health.

Although many pediatric clinicians have familiarity with motivational interviewing (MI), they may have limited awareness of how it can benefit mental and behavioral health assessment and management. This article describes the spirit, tasks, and skills of MI. Cases illustrate the application of MI to common presentations of mental health concerns in pediatric primary care.

Stimulator of interferon gene facilitates recruitment of effector CD8 T cells that drive neurofibromatosis type 1 nerve tumor initiation and maintenance.

Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign nerve tumors driven by loss of the tumor suppressor in Schwann cells. PNFs are rich in immune cells, but whether immune cells are necessary for tumorigenesis is unknown. We show that inhibition of stimulator of interferon gene (STING) reduces plasma CXCL10, tumor T cell and dendritic cell (DC) recruitment, and tumor formation.

Type 4 Tibial Tuberosity Avulsion Fractures: Surgical Treatment Early Outcomes and a Presentation of the Distal Cortical Fixation.

: The most published surgical technique for fixating Type 4 (Salter-Harris II) tibial tubercle avulsion fractures is uni-cortical in nature, and stability is suboptimal. This study presents a technique modification that is consistent with AO principles, by which the screws are aimed distally to purchase the posterior cortex of the distal fragment. This technique is defined as a "Distal Cortical Fixation".

Complications of Cholesteatoma.

Complications of cholesteatoma result from characteristic inflammatory and resorptive processes that erode the structures of the middle and inner ear with potential to spread locally. Common intratemporal complications include hearing loss, facial nerve palsy, labyrinthine fistula, and dysgeusia. Extratemporal complications, though less common, may be life-threatening, and include cerebrospinal fluid leak and encephalocele, meningitis, epidural and intraparenchymal abscesses, subdural empyema, and otic hydrocephalus.

MICU1 and MICU2, two peas in a pod or entirely different fruits?

Fluctuations in mitochondrial matrix Ca plays a critical role in matching energy production to cellular demand through direct effects on oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. Disruption in mitochondrial Ca homeostasis, particularly under pathological conditions such as ischemia or heart failure, can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, energy deficit, and eventually death of cardiomyocytes. The primary channel regulating acute mitochondrial Ca influx is the mitochondrial Ca uniporter (mtCU), which is regulated by the mitochondrial Ca uptake (MICU) proteins that were examined here.

Exploring caregiver experiences of communicating with children about differences of sex development (DSD).

Objective: Explore the caregiver experience of communicating about differences of sex development (DSD) with their children. Evidence-based guidance regarding how, when, and what information is shared by caregivers is lacking and is needed to inform optimal information sharing strategies for this population.

Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 caregivers of children with DSD, recruited from 3 multidisciplinary DSD clinics.

Systematic benchmark of single-cell hashtag demultiplexing approaches reveals robust performance of a clustering-based method.

Single-cell technology opened up a new avenue to delineate cellular status at a single-cell resolution and has become an essential tool for studying human diseases. Multiplexing allows cost-effective experiments by combining multiple samples and effectively mitigates batch effects. It starts by giving each sample a unique tag and then pooling them together for library preparation and sequencing.