The impact of health risk communication on self-perceived health and worry of targeted groups: Lessons from the Swedish COVID-19 response.

Background: The Swedish COVID-19 strategy aimed to protect vulnerable groups through targeted measures, categorizing individuals aged 70 and above as high-risk. This study examines the impact of such group-based risk assessments on subjective health and virus-related concerns among older adults.

Methods: We analyzed survey data from the SOM Institute for 68- to 71-year-olds in 2019 (N = 684) and 2020 (N = 726).

Critical Insights into LEAP2 Biology and Physiological Functions: Potential Roles Beyond Ghrelin Antagonism.

Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) has recently emerged as a novel hormone that reduces food intake and glycemia by acting through the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), also known as the ghrelin receptor. This discovery has led to a fundamental reconceptualization of GHSR's functional dynamics, now understood to be under a dual and opposing regulation. LEAP2 exhibits several distinctive features.

Distribution and Environmental Preference of Potential Mercury Methylators in Paddy Soils across China.

The neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) is produced mainly from the transformation of inorganic Hg by microorganisms carrying the gene pair. Paddy soils are known to harbor diverse microbial communities exhibiting varying abilities in methylating inorganic Hg, but their distribution and environmental drivers remain unknown at a large spatial scale. Using gene amplicon sequencing, this study examined Hg-methylating communities from major rice-producing paddy soils across a transect of ∼3600 km and an altitude of ∼1300 m in China.

Low functional change despite high taxonomic turnover characterizes the microbiome across a 2000-km salinity gradient.

The green seaweed relies on associated bacteria for morphogenesis and is an important model to study algal-bacterial interactions. -associated bacteria exhibit high turnover across environmental gradients, leading to the hypothesis that bacteria contribute to the acclimation potential of the host. However, the functional variation of these bacteria in relation to environmental changes remains unclear.

Protocol for in vivo immune cell analysis in subcutaneous murine tumor models using advanced flow cytometry.

Here, we present a protocol for guiding tissue preparation and flow cytometric analysis in subcutaneous murine tumor models and secondary lymphoid organs. We describe steps for dissociating tumors, spleens, and lymph nodes to obtain single-cell suspensions. We then detail procedures for immune cell staining and analysis and gating strategies including the use of fluorescence-minus-one controls (FMOs).

Protocol to infer off-target effects of drugs on cellular signaling using interactome-based deep learning.

Drugs that target specific proteins often have off-target effects. We present a protocol using artificial neural networks to model cellular transcriptional responses to drugs, aiming to understand their mechanisms of action. We detail steps for predicting transcriptional activities, inferring drug-target interactions, and explaining the off-target mechanism of action.

Estimated pulse wave velocity associated with cognitive phenotypes in a rural older population in China: A cohort study.

Introduction: To examine the longitudinal association between estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) and cognitive phenotypes in a rural Chinese older population.

Methods: This population-based study included 1857 dementia-free participants (age ≥60 years) who were examined in 2014 and followed in 2018. ePWV was calculated using age and mean blood pressure (MBP).

Barcoded Hybrids of Extracellular Vesicles and Lipid Nanoparticles for Multiplexed Analysis of Tissue Distribution.

Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents is a persistent challenge in modern medicine. Recent efforts in this area have highlighted the utility of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as drug carriers, given that they naturally occur in bloodstream and tissues, and can be loaded with a wide range of therapeutic molecules. However, biodistribution and tissue tropism of EVs remain difficult to study systematically.

The Importance of Olfaction for Mixed Paternity in Birds.

Olfaction can aid individuals in finding genetically compatible mates in many animals, while high levels of mixed paternity may result from a limited ability to evaluate their mate's genetic profile against their own before mating. To test this suggestion and explore if olfaction may indeed influence mating patterns in birds, we combined published measures of olfactory ability with data on genetic mating pattern in the same species, across a phylogenetically broad range of species. We used three measures of olfaction: (1) olfactory bulb diameter, (2) olfactory bulb volume and (3) number of olfactory receptor genes (148, 134 and 48 species, respectively).

Error mitigation in forensic handwriting examination: the examiner's perspective.

Like other pattern recognition disciplines, forensic handwriting examination relies on various human factors. Expert opinions in the field are based on visual analysis and comparison, and the evaluation of findings is generally conducted without reference to tabulated data. This high level of subjectivity may contribute to bias and error in the examination process.

Deep Eutectic Solvents Meet Non-Aqueous Cosolvents: A Modeling and Simulation Perspective-A Tutorial Review.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently gained attention due to their tailorable properties and versatile applications in several fields, including green chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and energy storage. Their tunable properties can be enhanced by mixing DESs with cosolvents such as ethanol, acetonitrile, and water. DESs are structurally complex, and molecular modeling techniques, including quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, play a crucial role in understanding their intricate behavior when mixed with cosolvents.

Glenoid wear and migration pattern of a humeral head resurfacing implant: a prospective study using radio stereometric analysis.

Background: The humeral head resurfacing arthroplasty (HHR) is normally used as a hemi shoulder arthroplasty and has been in use for the treatment of Gleno-Humeral osteoarthritis (OA) of the shoulder for more than 30 years. Some studies, however, shows that anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty provides better improvement in function than a HHR for patients with OA. Reasons for this may be a progressive glenoid wear (GW) or loosening of the HHR.

Treatment with BRAF/MEK: inhibitors in mutant BRAF V600E papillary craniopharyngioma.

Summary: Craniopharyngiomas (CPs) are rare brain epithelial tumours arising in the suprasellar region, infiltrating adjacent areas causing visual loss, panhypopituitarism, cognitive deficits and morbid obesity. Papillary CPs (PCPs) harbour in 94% BRAF mutation cases. Two patients with PCP and BRAF V600E mutations but with different tumour status were treated with BRAF and MEK inhibitors.

Disease characteristics and outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia in germline deficiency (Familial Platelet Disorder with associated Myeloid Malignancy).

Familial Platelet Disorder with associated Myeloid Malignancy (FPDMM, FPD/AML, -FPD), caused by monoallelic deleterious germline variants, is characterized by bleeding diathesis and predisposition for hematologic malignancies, particularly myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clinical data on FPDMM-associated AML (FPDMM-AML) are limited, complicating evidence-based clinical decision-making. Here, we present retrospective genetic and clinical data of the largest cohort of FPDMM patients reported to date.

An emotion regulation skills training for adolescents and parents: perceptions and acceptability of methodological aspects.

Introduction: Difficulties with emotion regulation are associated with the development and maintenance of psychiatric symptoms. Focusing on emotion regulation can be beneficial when treating symptoms and behavioral problems. Here we describe a seven-session transdiagnostic approach to regulating emotions, delivered jointly to adolescents and parents in a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient setting, and we explore the perceptions and acceptability of the methodological aspects of the intervention.

The influence of xeno-free culture conditions on the angiogenic and adipogenic differentiation properties of adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

Introduction: Before performing cell therapy clinical trials, it is important to understand how cells are influenced by different growth conditions and to find optimal xeno-free medium formulations. In this study we have investigated the properties of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) cultured under xeno-free conditions.

Methods: Human lipoaspirate samples were digested to yield the stromal vascular fraction cells which were then seeded in i) Minimum Essential Medium-α (MEM-α) supplemented with 10 % (v/v) fetal bovine serum (FBS), ii) MEM-α supplemented with 2 % (v/v) human platelet lysate (PLT) or iii) PRIME-XV MSC expansion XSFM xeno-free, serum free medium (XV).

Plasma biomarkers of amyloid, tau, astrogliosis, and axonal injury in a mixed memory clinic cohort.

Introduction: Studies have shown that blood biomarkers can differentiate dementia disorders. However, the diagnosis of dementia still relies primarily on cerebrospinal fluid and imaging modalities. The new disease-modifying treatments call for more widely applicable biomarkers.

Multiple, Single Trait GWAS and Supervised Machine Learning Reveal the Genetic Architecture of Fraxinus excelsior Tolerance to Ash Dieback in Europe.

Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is under intensive attack from the invasive alien pathogenic fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causing ash dieback at epidemic levels throughout Europe. Previous studies have found significant genetic variation among genotypes in ash dieback susceptibility and that host phenology, such as autumn yellowing, is correlated with susceptibility of ash trees to H. fraxineus; however, the genomic basis of ash dieback tolerance in F.

Current and novel biomarkers in cardiogenic shock.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) carries a 30-50% in-hospital mortality rate, with little improvement in outcomes in the last decade. Challenges in improving outcomes are closely linked to the frequent late presentation or diagnosis of CS where the 'point of no return' has often passed, leading to haemodynamic dysregulation, progressive myocardial depression, hypotension, and a downward spiral of hypoperfusion, organ dysfunction and decreasing myocardial function, driven by inflammation and metabolic derangements. Novel therapeutic interventions may have varying efficacy depending on the type and stage of shock in which they are applied.

A Concurrent Validity Study of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI) in Infants with an Elevated Likelihood or Diagnosis of Autism.

Infants at elevated likelihood for or later diagnosed with autism typically have smaller vocabularies than their peers, as shown by the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI). However, the extent to which MSEL and CDI scores align remains unclear, especially across clinical and non-clinical populations. This study examined whether the concurrent validity of the MSEL and CDI differs based on autism likelihood and diagnosis.

Direct utilisation of impulse response data in reduction index assessment without intermediate reverberation time estimation (L).

An approach is proposed for reduction index measurement where impulse response data are utilised directly without relying on intermediate reverberation time estimation. The theoretical framework is presented and the main result is substantiated by shown equivalence to the conventional method for ideal exponential decay curves of acoustic energy. Additionally, the study introduces a formula for estimating effective reverberation time in cases of non-exponential decay curves.

Plasma N-terminal tau fragment is an amyloid-dependent biomarker in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Novel fluid biomarkers for tracking neurodegeneration specific to Alzheimer's disease (AD) are greatly needed.

Methods: Using two independent well-characterized cohorts (n = 881 in total), we investigated the group differences in plasma N-terminal tau (NT1-tau) fragments across different AD stages and their association with cross-sectional and longitudinal amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, tau tangles, brain atrophy, and cognitive decline.

Results: Plasma NT1-tau significantly increased in symptomatic AD and displayed positive associations with Aβ PET (positron emission tomography) and tau PET.

Analysis of lung cancer incidence, mortality trends, and smoking rates in Japan:1975-2022 with insights on the impact of COVID-19.

In Japan, high-quality cancer statistics are collected through cancer registries. However, these data are rarely summarized or reported in research articles. We compiled statistical data on lung cancer in Japan including the COVID-19 pandemic.