Superstable lipid vacuoles endow cartilage with its shape and biomechanics.

Conventionally, the size, shape, and biomechanics of cartilages are determined by their voluminous extracellular matrix. By contrast, we found that multiple murine cartilages consist of lipid-filled cells called lipochondrocytes. Despite resembling adipocytes, lipochondrocytes were molecularly distinct and produced lipids exclusively through de novo lipogenesis.

YAP-driven malignant reprogramming of oral epithelial stem cells at single cell resolution.

Tumor initiation represents the first step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Capturing this process as it occurs in vivo, however, remains elusive. Here we employ spatiotemporally controlled oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inhibition together with multiomics to unveil the processes underlying oral epithelial progenitor cell reprogramming into tumor initiating cells at single cell resolution.

Unveiling the impact of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on meadow soil health.

Soil microplastics (MPs) pollution has garnered considerable attention in recent years. The use of biodegradable plastics for mulching has led to significant quantities of plastic entering agro-ecosystems. However, the effects of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) plastics on meadow soils remain underexplored.

Effects of Different Microplastics on Wheat's ( L.) Growth Characteristics and Rhizosphere Soil Environment.

In order to reveal the effects of microplastics (MPs) on the growth and rhizosphere soil environmental effects of wheat ( L.), three microplastic types (polypropylene MPs (PP-MPs), high-density polyethylene MPs (HDPE-MPs), and polylactic acid MPs (PLA-MPs)), particle sizes (150, 1000, and 4000 μm), and concentrations (0.1, 0.

Quantitative Trait Loci Mappings for the Sulfur Utilization Efficiency-Related Traits at the Seedling Stage of Wheat.

Background: Sulfur (S) is a vital element for the normal growth and development of plants, performing crucial biological functions in various life processes.

Methods: This study investigated thirteen S utilization efficiency (SUE)-related traits at the seedling stage of wheat using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were mapped by genetic mapping.

Human iPSC-derived neural stem cells engraft and improve pathophysiology of MPS I mice.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a metabolic disorder characterized by a deficiency in α-l-iduronidase (IDUA), leading to impaired glycosaminoglycan degradation. Current approved treatments seek to restore IDUA levels via enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The effectiveness of these treatment strategies in preventing neurodegeneration is limited due to the inability of ERT to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and HSCT's limited CNS reconstitution of IDUA levels.

A precision oncology-focused deep learning framework for personalized selection of cancer therapy.

Precision oncology matches tumors to targeted therapies based on the presence of actionable molecular alterations. However, most tumors lack actionable alterations, restricting treatment options to cytotoxic chemotherapies for which few data-driven prioritization strategies currently exist. Here, we report an integrated computational/experimental treatment selection approach applicable for both chemotherapies and targeted agents irrespective of actionable alterations.

Phylodynamic analysis reveals disparate transmission dynamics of -complex lineages in Botswana.

Tuberculosis epidemics have traditionally been conceptualized as arising from a single uniform pathogen. However, -complex (Mtbc), the pathogen causing tuberculosis in humans, encompasses multiple lineages exhibiting genetic and phenotypic diversity that may be responsible for heterogeneity in TB transmission. We analysed a population-based dataset of 1,354 Mtbc whole-genome sequences collected over four years in Botswana, a country with high HIV and tuberculosis burden.

Aberrant splicing in Huntington's disease accompanies disrupted TDP-43 activity and altered m6A RNA modification.

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to altered gene expression. However, the mechanisms leading to disrupted RNA processing in HD remain unclear. Here we identify TDP-43 and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer protein METTL3 to be upstream regulators of exon skipping in multiple HD systems.

Parenting Self-Efficacy Moderates the Association Between Unmet Parenting Expectations and NICU-Related PTSD Symptoms Reported by Mothers 1-5 Years Post-Infant NICU Hospitalization.

Infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization increases maternal risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which may negatively impact mother-child attachment and infant growth and development. Prior studies have documented positive associations between unmet parenting expectations and adverse maternal psychological outcomes, including post-NICU discharge. However, no studies have yet explored how unmet parenting expectations may be associated with maternal NICU-related PTSD symptoms.

Bariatric nutrition and evaluation of the metabolic surgical patient: Update to the 2022 Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal hormones, and the microbiome clinical practice statement (CPS).

Background: In 2022, the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) published a Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) which provided an overview of bariatric surgery and related procedures, a discussion on gastrointestinal hormones and a review of the microbiome as it relates to patients with obesity. This update to the 2022 OMA CPS provides a focus on nutrition as it relates to the adult bariatric surgery patient, incorporating a detailed discussion on how to conduct a bariatric nutrition assessment and manage patients seeking metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) and postoperative nutrition care. In particular, the section on macronutrients, micronutrients, and bariatric surgery has been updated, highlighting practical approaches to nutrient deficiencies typically encountered in the bariatric surgery patient.

Herbal Medicine for the Management of Wounds: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.

Background: Cuts and wounds are unfortunate yet inevitable events. Traditional remedies have historically harnessed various plants for wound healing, undergoing clinical and pre-clinical scrutiny. Hence, this systematic review focuses on clinically researched herbal formulations for wound healing.

Factors affecting return to work in breast cancer survivors in Korea: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Return to work (RTW) has been understudied in Asian women with cancer, despite the increasing number of breast cancer survivors (BCS). This study examined RTW among Korean BCS, exploring its associations with cancer-related fatigue, quality of sleep, mental adjustment, and psychosocial factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited BCS from a hospital, a breast cancer support group, and an online community in Korea between July and August 2019.

Patient activation improves with a multi-component personalized mHealth intervention in older patients at risk of cardiovascular disease: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the effect of a multi-component mHealth intervention on patient activation and examine its predictors among older adults at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods And Results: This pilot randomized controlled trial compared two groups: Get FIT (control), who received healthy lifestyle counselling from a licensed health coach, a mHealth app (MyFitnessPal) with push alerts, and an activity tracker, and Get FIT + (intervention), who received the same interventions and had personalized text messages with 3- and 6-month follow-up periods. Patient activation was measured using the 13-item Patient Activation Measure; higher scores indicated better activation.

Does emotional freedom techniques affect premenstrual syndrome? A randomized controlled study.

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effect of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on the severity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Methods: The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial, with a premenstrual syndrome sample comprising 78 single female students of reproductive age presenting with PMS complaints (40 in the experimental group and 38 in the control group). Students in the experimental group were interviewed individually in the week before their menstrual cycle and received two EFT sessions with a 3-day interval.

Reproducibility of liver iron concentration measured by R2* method based on 1.5-T MRI: a meta-analysis.

Objectives: To explore the reproducibility of the 1.5-T MR imaging (MRI)-based R2* method in measuring the liver iron concentration (LIC) across different MRI scanners, scan parameters, and postprocessing techniques.

Materials And Methods: We performed a systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases and identified studies that used the 1.

Alcohol Consumption and Breast and Ovarian Cancer Development: Molecular Pathways and Mechanisms.

Alcohol consumption has been consistently linked to an increased risk of several cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer. Despite substantial evidence supporting this association, the precise mechanisms underlying alcohol's contribution to cancer pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. This narrative review focuses on the key current literature on the biological pathways through which alcohol may influence the development of breast and ovarian cancer.

A Randomized Pilot Study of Four Dosing Schemes of Sublingual Methazolamide in Glaucoma Patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sublingual methazolamide in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and inform future trial design.

Methods: Fourteen participants (28 eyes) aged 50 to 90 years with bilateral OAG and intraocular pressure (IOP) between 18 and 35 mmHg after medication washout were included. Participants were randomized to receive either 25 mg or 50 mg of sublingual methazolamide once daily for one week, followed by twice-daily administration during the second week.

The Leaky Preexposure Prophylaxis Cascade: Barriers and Facilitators to Preexposure Prophylaxis Uptake and Adherence Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in the US South, a Mixed Methods Study.

Adherence to preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is lower among high-risk populations, including youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). This study determined the feasibility of urine PrEP adherence biomarker testing and examined the barriers and facilitators to PrEP uptake and adherence among YEH. YEH were recruited from a randomized control trial conducted in a large urban setting in southern United States.

Long-Term Functional and Clinical Outcomes in Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: To characterize long-term functional and anatomical outcomes in patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients with a diagnosis of FEVR at a tertiary academic institution and its affiliated children's hospital treated from January 2003 through January 2024. Demographic and clinical data were collected.