Actin Polymerization Status Regulates Tenocyte Homeostasis Through Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor-A.

The actin cytoskeleton is a potent regulator of tenocyte homeostasis. However, the mechanisms by which actin regulates tendon homeostasis are not entirely known. This study examined the regulation of tenocyte molecule expression by actin polymerization via the globular (G-) actin-binding transcription factor, myocardin-related transcription factor-a (MRTF).

Transactivation of Human Endogenous Retroviruses by Viruses.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that are part the human genome and are normally silenced through epigenetic mechanisms. However, HERVs can be induced by various host and environmental factors, including viral infection, and transcriptionally active HERVs have been implicated in various physiological processes. In this review, we summarize mounting evidence of transactivation of HERVs by a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses.

Hydrogen Trapping at Fe/Cu Interfaces.

Copper (Cu) in steel production can be a residual element, causing challenges during steel processing, as well as an alloying element, improving corrosion resistance and providing hardenability by nanosized precipitates. For the transition toward a green economy, increased recycling rates in steel production and alternative energy carriers, such as hydrogen, are of vital importance. As hydrogen is known for its embrittling effect on high-strength steels, this work sought to explore possible mitigation strategies for hydrogen embrittlement (HE) with the help of Cu precipitates.

Developmental Trajectories of Loneliness Among Chinese Early Adolescents: The Roles of Early Peer Preference and Social Withdrawal.

This study aimed to examine distinct loneliness trajectories and to explore the roles of group-level peer preference and individual-level social withdrawal (i.e., unsociability and shyness) as predictors of these trajectories.

Exploring variations in the implementation of a health system level policy intervention to improve maternal and child health outcomes in resource limited settings: A qualitative multiple case study from Uganda.

Background: Despite growing literature, few studies have explored the implementation of policy interventions to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Even fewer studies explicitly articulate the theoretical approaches used to understand contextual influences on policy implementation. This under-use of theory may account for the limited understanding of the variations in implementation processes and outcomes.

Embedding equity and inclusion in universities through motivational theory and community-based conservation approaches.

Despite widespread plans to embed justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII) into universities, progress toward deeper, systemic change is slow. Given that many community-based conservation (CBC) scholars have experience creating enduring social change in diverse communities, they have transferable skills that could help embed JEDII in universities. We synthesized the literature from CBC and examined it through the lens of self-determination theory to help identify generalizable approaches to create resilient sociocultural change toward JEDII in universities.

Temporal complexity of the BOLD-signal in preterm versus term infants.

Preterm birth causes alterations in structural and functional cerebral development that are not fully understood. Here, we investigate whether basic characteristics of BOLD signal itself might differ across preterm, term equivalent, and term infants. Anatomical, fMRI, and diffusion weighted imaging data from 716 neonates born at 23-43 weeks gestational age were obtained from the Developing Human Connectome Project.

Ileal microbial microbiome and its secondary bile acids modulate susceptibility to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in dairy goats.

Background: Liver damage from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) presents a significant challenge to the health and productivity of ruminants. However, the regulatory mechanisms behind variations in NASH susceptibility remain unclear. The gut‒liver axis, particularly the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids (BAs), plays a crucial role in regulating the liver diseases.

Equity of financial protection for health in high-income countries: scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Financial protection (FP) is a central function of health systems to enhance access to essential care and improve health equity. We aim to characterise evidence on the distribution of FP in high-income countries as well as how equity of FP is conceptualised and measured in these settings. Findings from this review can advance methodological and conceptual knowledge about equity in FP, guide the evaluation of health systems and inform policy on eliminating inequitable barriers to care to achieve universal health coverage.

The bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid associates with reduced stroke in humans and mice.

Bile acids are liver-derived signaling molecules that can be found in the brain, but their role there remains largely unknown. We found increased brain chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in mice with absent 12α-hydroxylase (Cyp8b1), a bile acid synthesis enzyme. In these Cyp8b1, and in Wt mice administered CDCA, stroke infarct area was reduced.

Production of Carbon Fibers Using a Molten Cu-In Catalyst for Methane Pyrolysis.

Molten metal catalysts for methane pyrolysis and dry reforming are becoming recognized for their potential in decarbonization efforts. Their use in bubble column reactors facilitates continuous operation by allowing the produced carbon to float to the surface for removal. While most reported molten metals produce low-value amorphous carbon or graphitic sheets containing some metals, our study introduces a Cu-In alloy that selectively produces high-purity carbon nanofibers.

Computational Prediction of Linear Interacting Peptides.

Intrinsically disordered protein regions, IDRs, are observed in many eukaryotic proteins. They play critical roles in essentially all cellular processes because segments of these regions, known as linear interacting peptides (LIPs), are heavily involved in regulatory protein interactions across proteomes. This chapter presents an integrated summary of the results from the last two Critical Assessments of protein Intrinsic Disorder predictions, known as CAID events, on the computational prediction of LIP segments.

Clinical study design strategies to mitigate confounding effects of time-dependent clearance on dose optimization of therapeutic antibodies.

Time-dependent pharmacokinetics (TDPK) is a frequent confounding factor that misleads exposure-response (ER) analysis of therapeutic antibodies, where a decline in clearance results in increased drug exposure over time in patients who respond to therapy, causing a false-positive ER finding. The object of our simulation study was to explore the influence of clinical trial designs on the frequency of false-positive ER findings. Two previously published population PK models representative of slow- (pembrolizumab) and fast-onset (rituximab) TDPK were used to simulate virtual patient cohorts with time-dependent clearance and the frequency of false-positive ER findings.

Biolayer interferometry for measuring the kinetics of protein-protein interactions and nanobody binding.

Protein-protein interactions underpin nearly all biological processes, and understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern these interactions is crucial for the progress of biomedical sciences. The emergence of artificial intelligence-driven computational tools can help reshape the methods of structural biology; however, model data often require empirical validation. The large scale of predictive modeling data will therefore benefit from optimized methodologies for the high-throughput biochemical characterization of protein-protein interactions.

"Should we just stop fighting the beast?": Tackling the wicked problem of surplus dairy calf management using a participatory framework.

Early life killing of male and female dairy calves not needed as replacements for the lactating herd poses a threat to the social sustainability of the dairy industry. However, implementing sustainable alternatives to this common practice is a complex challenge exhibiting many characteristics of a 'wicked problem'. Addressing these problems requires understanding the needs of a wide range of actors including farmers, their advisors, beef and dairy value chain stakeholders, the public, and the animals.

Rapid, potent, and persistent covalent chemical probes to deconvolute PI3Kα signaling.

Chemical probes have gained importance in the elucidation of signal transduction in biology. Insufficient selectivity and potency, lack of cellular activity and inappropriate use of chemical probes has major consequences on interpretation of biological results. The catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) is one of the most frequently mutated genes in cancer, but fast-acting, high-quality probes to define PI3Kα's specific function to clearly separate it from other class I PI3K isoforms, are not available.

Tracking the North American Asian Longhorned Beetle Invasion With Genomics.

Biological invasions pose significant threats to ecological and economic stability, with invasive pests like the Asian longhorned beetle ( Motschulsky, ALB) causing substantial damage to forest ecosystems. Effective pest management relies on comprehensive knowledge of the insect's biology and invasion history. This study uses genomics to address these knowledge gaps and inform existing biosurveillance frameworks.

Accuracy of the Canadian COVID-19 Mortality Score (CCMS) to predict in-hospital mortality among vaccinated and unvaccinated patients infected with Omicron: a cohort study.

Objective: The objective is to externally validate and assess the opportunity to update the Canadian COVID-19 Mortality Score (CCMS) to predict in-hospital mortality among consecutive non-palliative COVID-19 patients infected with Omicron subvariants at a time when vaccinations were widespread.

Design: This observational study validated the CCMS in an external cohort at a time when Omicron variants were dominant. We assessed the potential to update the rule and improve its performance by recalibrating and adding vaccination status in a subset of patients from provinces with access to vaccination data and created the adjusted CCMS (CCMS).

Relationship between critical illness recovery and social determinants of health: a multiperspective qualitative study in British Columbia, Canada.

Objectives: There are health disparities and inequities in the outcomes of critical illness survivors related to the influence of social determinants of health on recovery. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between critical illness recovery and the intermediary social determinants of health in the Canadian context. Because Canadian healthcare is provided within a universal publicly funded system, this analysis sheds light on the role of social determinants of health in the context of universal health services and a relatively robust social safety net.

Too Hot to Handle: A Meta-Analytical Review of the Thermal Tolerance and Adaptive Capacity of North American Sturgeon.

Understanding how ectotherms may fare with rising global temperatures and more frequent heatwaves is especially concerning for species already considered at-risk, such as long-lived, late-maturing sturgeon. There have been concerted efforts to collect data on the movement behavior and thermal physiology of North American sturgeon to enhance conservation efforts; thus, we sought to synthesize these data to understand how sturgeon respond to thermal stress and what capacity they have to acclimate and adapt to warming. Here, we combined a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, integrating field-based observations (distribution and spawning) and laboratory-based experiments (survival, activity, growth, metabolism, and upper thermal limits) for large-scale insights to understand the vulnerability of North American sturgeon to rising global temperatures.