WNT3A-loaded exosomes enable cartilage repair.

Cartilage defects repair poorly. Recent genetic studies suggest that WNT3a may contribute to cartilage regeneration, however the dense, avascular cartilage extracellular matrix limits its penetration and signalling to chondrocytes. Extracellular vesicles actively penetrate intact cartilage.

Liquid biopsy in lymphoma: Is it primed for clinical translation?

The simultaneous growth in our understanding of lymphoma biology and the burgeoning therapeutic options has come with a renewed drive for precision-based approaches and how best to incorporate them into contemporary and future patient care. In the hunt for accurate and sensitive biomarkers, liquid biopsies, particularly circulating tumour DNA, have come to the forefront as a promising tool in multiple cancer types including lymphomas, with considerable implications for clinical practice. Liquid biopsy analyses could supplement existing tissue biopsies with distinct advantages including the minimally invasive nature and the ease with which it can be repeated during a patient's clinical journey.

Extracellular vesicles from monocyte/platelet aggregates modulate human atherosclerotic plaque reactivity.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as key players in different stages of atherosclerosis. Here we provide evidence that EVs released by mixed aggregates of monocytes and platelets in response to TNF-α display pro-inflammatory actions on endothelial cells and atherosclerotic plaques. Tempering platelet activation with Iloprost, Aspirin or a P2Y inhibitor impacted quantity and phenotype of EV produced.

Trophic resource partitioning drives fine-scale coexistence in cryptic bat species.

Understanding the processes that enable species coexistence has important implications for assessing how ecological systems will respond to global change. Morphology and functional similarity increase the potential for competition, and therefore, co-occurring morphologically similar but genetically unique species are a good model system for testing coexistence mechanisms. We used DNA metabarcoding and high-throughput sequencing to characterize for the first time the trophic ecology of two recently described cryptic bat species with parapatric ranges, and .

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Medicine and Cardiology: Next Steps for .

We, the Editors of the , sincerely regret the publication of the article "Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity: Evolution of Race and Ethnicity Considerations for the Cardiology Workforce in the United States of America From 1969 to 2019". We are aware that the publication of this flawed and biased article has caused a great deal of unnecessary pain and anguish to a number of parties, and reflects extremely poorly on us. We fully support the retraction of this article.

Viral filtration using carbon-based materials.

Viral infections alone are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and have a detrimental impact on global healthcare and socio-economic development. The discovery of novel antiviral treatments has gained tremendous attention and support with the rising number of viral outbreaks. In this work, carbonaceous materials, including graphene nanoplatelets and graphene oxide nanosheets, were investigated for antiviral properties.

Phenotypic responses to temperature in the ciliate .

Understanding the effects of temperature on ecological and evolutionary processes is crucial for generating future climate adaptation scenarios. Using experimental evolution, we evolved the model ciliate in an initially novel high temperature environment for more than 35 generations, closely monitoring population dynamics and morphological changes. We observed initially long lag phases in the high temperature environment that over about 26 generations reduced to no lag phase, a strong reduction in cell size and modifications in cell shape at high temperature.

Migration of Junior Doctors: The Case of Psychiatric Trainees in Portugal.

Introduction: In the last few decades, the rates of international medical migration have continuously risen. In Psychiatry, there is great disparity in the workforce between high and low-income countries. Yet, little is known about the 'push' and 'pull' factors and the migratory intentions of trainees.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Gene Therapy in Mice Inhibits Myeloma Tumor Growth, But Has a Negative Impact on Bone.

Multiple myeloma is characterized by accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Most patients suffer from an osteolytic bone disease, caused by increased bone degradation and reduced bone formation. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is important for both pre- and postnatal bone formation and induces growth arrest and apoptosis of myeloma cells.

Genomic assessment of local adaptation in dwarf birch to inform assisted gene flow.

When populations of a rare species are small, isolated and declining under climate change, some populations may become locally maladapted. Detecting this maladaptation may allow effective rapid conservation interventions, even if based on incomplete knowledge. Population maladaptation may be estimated by finding genome-environment associations (GEA) between allele frequencies and environmental variables across a local species range, and identifying populations whose allele frequencies do not fit with these trends.

Effectiveness of a quality improvement collaborative in reducing time to surgery for patients requiring emergency cholecystectomy.

Background: Acute gallstone disease is a high-volume emergency general surgery presentation with wide variations in the quality of care provided across the UK. This controlled cohort evaluation assessed whether participation in a quality improvement collaborative approach reduced time to surgery for patients with acute gallstone disease to fewer than 8 days from presentation, in line with national guidance.

Methods: Patients admitted to hospital with acute biliary conditions in England and Wales between 1 April 2014 and 31 December 2017 were identified from Hospital Episode Statistics data.

Systematic review of the incidence, presentation and management of gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm after pancreatic resection.

Background: Gastroduodenal artery (GDA) pseudoaneurysm is a serious complication following pancreatic resection, associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. This review aimed to report the incidence of GDA pseudoaneurysm after pancreatic surgery, and describe clinical presentation and management.

Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were searched systematically for clinical studies evaluating postoperative GDA pseudoaneurysm.

A framework for analysing learning health systems: Are we removing the most impactful barriers?

Introduction: Learning health systems (LHS) are one of the major computing advances in health care. However, no prior research has systematically analysed barriers and facilitators for LHS. This paper presents an investigation into the barriers, benefits, and facilitating factors for LHS in order to create a basis for their successful implementation and adoption.

Biphasic calcium phosphate with submicron surface topography in an model of instrumented posterolateral spinal fusion.

As spinal fusions require large volumes of bone graft, different bone graft substitutes are being investigated as alternatives. A subclass of calcium phosphate materials with submicron surface topography has been shown to be a highly effective bone graft substitute. In this work, a commercially available biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) with submicron surface topography (MagnetOs; Kuros Biosciences BV) was evaluated in an model of instrumented posterolateral fusion.

The BRadykinesia Akinesia INcoordination (BRAIN) Tap Test: Capturing the Sequence Effect.

Background: The BRadykinesia Akinesia INcoordination (BRAIN) tap test is an online keyboard tapping task that has been previously validated to assess upper limb motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: To develop a new parameter that detects a sequence effect and to reliably distinguish between PD patients and medication. In addition, we sought to validate a mobile version of the test for use on smartphones and tablet devices.

Ecosystem services provided by bromeliad plants: A systematic review.

The unprecedented loss of biological diversity has negative impacts on ecosystems and the associated benefits which they provide to humans. Bromeliads have high diversity throughout the Neotropics, but they have been negatively affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, and commercialization for ornamental purpose. These plants provide direct benefits to the human society, and they also form microecosystems in which accumulated water and nutrients support the communities of aquatic and terrestrial species, thus maintaining local diversity.

Warming at the population level: Effects on age structure, density, and generation cycles.

The impact of climate change on strongly age-structured populations is poorly understood, despite the central role of temperature in determining developmental rates in ectotherms. Here we examine the effect of warming and its interactions with resource availability on the population dynamics of the pyralid moth populations of which normally show generation cycles, a consequence of strong and asymmetric age-related competition. Warming by 3°C above the standard culture temperature led to substantial changes in population density, age structure, and population dynamics.

Molecular diet analysis finds an insectivorous desert bat community dominated by resource sharing despite diverse echolocation and foraging strategies.

Interspecific differences in traits can alter the relative niche use of species within the same environment. Bats provide an excellent model to study niche use because they use a wide variety of behavioral, acoustic, and morphological traits that may lead to multi-species, functional groups. Predatory bats have been classified by their foraging location (edge, clutter, open space), ability to use aerial hawking or substrate gleaning and echolocation call design and flexibility, all of which may dictate their prey use.

Study Protocol for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for a Degenerated Aortic Bioprosthesis in a Japanese Cohort.

The valve-in-valve (VIV) procedure is being increasingly performed in high-risk patients with a degenerated bioprosthesis in an aortic position in Western countries. The early safety and efficacy of the VIV procedure, however, remain unclear in Japanese patients with a small aortic annulus. We present the protocol for a study designed to evaluate the early safety and efficacy of the VIV procedure in the aortic position in Japanese patients.

Transgenerational plasticity and selection shape the adaptive potential of sticklebacks to salinity change.

In marine climate change research, salinity shifts have been widely overlooked. While widespread desalination effects are expected in higher latitudes, salinity is predicted to increase closer to the equator. We took advantage of the steep salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea as a space-for-time design to address effects of salinity change on populations.

-BEEHAVE: A systems model for exploring multifactorial causes of bumblebee decline at individual, colony, population and community level.

World-wide declines in pollinators, including bumblebees, are attributed to a multitude of stressors such as habitat loss, resource availability, emerging viruses and parasites, exposure to pesticides, and climate change, operating at various spatial and temporal scales. Disentangling individual and interacting effects of these stressors, and understanding their impact at the individual, colony and population level are a challenge for systems ecology. Empirical testing of all combinations and contexts is not feasible.

River ecosystem resilience to extreme flood events.

Floods have a major influence in structuring river ecosystems. Considering projected increases in high-magnitude rainfall events with climate change, major flooding events are expected to increase in many regions of the world. However, there is uncertainty about the effect of different flooding regimes and the importance of flood timing in structuring riverine habitats and their associated biotic communities.

Spatiotemporal and demographic variation in the diet of New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats ().

Variation in the diet of generalist insectivores can be affected by site-specific traits including weather, habitat, and season, as well as demographic traits such as reproductive status and age. We used molecular methods to compare diets of three distinct New Zealand populations of lesser short-tailed bats, . Summer diets were compared between a southern cold-temperate (Eglinton) and a northern population (Puroera).

Flower preferences and pollen transport networks for cavity-nesting solitary bees: Implications for the design of agri-environment schemes.

Floral foraging resources are valuable for pollinator conservation on farmland, and their provision is encouraged by agri-environment schemes in many countries. Across Europe, wildflower seed mixtures are widely sown on farmland to encourage pollinators, but the extent to which key pollinator groups such as solitary bees exploit and benefit from these resources is unclear. We used high-throughput sequencing of 164 pollen samples extracted from the brood cells of six common cavity-nesting solitary bee species (, , , , and ) which are widely distributed across the UK and Europe.

Systematic review of the impact of breast-conserving surgery on cancer outcomes of multiple ipsilateral breast cancers.

Background: The clinical effectiveness of treating ipsilateral multifocal (MF) and multicentric (MC) breast cancers using breast-conserving surgery (BCS) compared with the standard of mastectomy is uncertain. Inconsistencies relate to definitions, incidence, staging and intertumoral heterogeneity. The primary aim of this systematic review was to compare clinical outcomes after BCS versus mastectomy for MF and MC cancers, collectively defined as multiple ipsilateral breast cancers (MIBC).