Immunotherapy-Resistant Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue Predict Quality-of-Life in Contactin-Associated Protein-Like 2 Antibody Disease.

The long-term clinical outcomes and associated prognostic factors in contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2)-antibody diseases are unknown. A total of 75 participants with CASPR2 antibodies were longitudinally assessed for disability, quality-of-life, and chronic pain. Although most symptoms improved within 6 months of treatment, neuropathic pain and fatigue were the most immunotherapy refractory, and persisted for up to 6 years.

Defining and Conceptualizing Technology-Facilitated Abuse ("Tech Abuse"): Findings of a Global Delphi Study.

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) describes the misuse or repurposing of digital systems to harass, coerce, or abuse. It is a global problem involving both existing and emerging technologies. Despite significant work across research, policy, and practice to understand the issue, the field operates within linguistic, conceptual, and disciplinary silos, inhibiting collaboration.

Associations between anthropogenic heat emissions and serum lipids among adults in northeastern China.

Few epidemiological studies have investigated associations between anthropogenic heat emissions (AE) and serum lipids. We recruited 15,477 adults from 33 communities in northeastern China in 2009. We estimated AE flux by using data on energy consumption and socio-economic statistics covering building, transportation, industry, and human metabolism.

The commercial roots of the genomic commons.

Accounts of the origins of the genomic commons typically focus on the development of public repositories and data-sharing agreements. This article tells a different story. During the 1990s in the United States, efforts of private companies to prevent the patenting of certain kinds of DNA sequences were essentially a conservative response to shifts in the sociotechnical constitution of the pharmaceutical innovation system, and to the operation of intellectual property as one of the key knowledge control regimes that regulate that system.

Cognitive, Behavioral and Educational Outcomes in Children Aged 5-11 Years With Spina Bifida in Northern Ireland.

Introduction: While improved medical and surgical care for children with pina bifida has improved their survival, some may have lower cognitive, behavioral and educational performance. The paper assesses the effect of spina bifida on cognitive, behavioral, and educational outcomes in 5-11 year olds.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used where data were collected from parents/guardians and teachers using Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, second edition (BRIEF2), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Teacher Academic Attainment Scale (TAAS).

Industry updates from the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine in December 2024.

Latest developments in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine compiled from publicly available information and press releases from non-academic institutions in December 2024.

Does remission of type 2 diabetes matter? A qualitative study of healthcare professionals' perspectives and views about supporting remission in primary care.

Background: Trials conducted in highly selected populations have shown that type 2 diabetes (T2D) remission is possible, but the feasibility and acceptability of supporting remission in routine clinical practice remain uncertain.

Aim: We explored primary care professionals' perceptions and understandings of T2D remission and their views about supporting remission within routine clinical care.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 GPs and nine nurses working in Scottish general practices.

DNA methylation at birth and IgE trajectories from birth to adolescence, different patterns between White and Asian.

Aim: We aim to assess association of DNA methylation (DNAm) at birth with total immunoglobulin E (IgE) trajectories from birth to late adolescence and whether such association is ethnicity-specific.

Methods: We examined the association of total IgE trajectories from birth to late adolescence with DNAm at birth in two independent birth cohorts, the Isle of wight birth cohort (IOWBC) in UK ( = 796; White) and the maternal and infant cohort study (MICS) in Taiwan ( = 60; Asian). Biological pathways and methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL) for associated Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine sites were studied.

Characterisation of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis: A comparative study using microCT and radiography in age-matched controls.

Background: Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a painful disorder primarily affecting the incisor teeth of horses over 15 years of age. Clinical signs of the disease include prehension problems, halitosis and in severe cases weight loss. The disease predominately affects the reserve crown and presents as a loss of dental tissue and excessive build-up of cementum.

The sulfur-related metabolic status of during infection reveals cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase as a promising antifungal target.

Sulfur metabolism is an essential aspect of fungal physiology and pathogenicity. Fungal sulfur metabolism comprises anabolic and catabolic routes that are not well conserved in mammals, therefore is considered a promising source of prospective novel antifungal targets. To gain insight into sulfur-related metabolism during infection, we used a NanoString custom nCounter-TagSet and compared the expression of 68 key metabolic genes in different murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, at 3 time-points, and under a variety of conditions.

Management Measures and Trends of Biological Invasions in Europe: A Survey-Based Assessment of Local Managers.

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales.

Arrhythmogenic calmodulin variants D131E and Q135P disrupt interaction with the L-type voltage-gated Ca channel (Ca1.2) and reduce Ca-dependent inactivation.

Aim: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) and catecholaminergic polymorphism ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) are inherited cardiac disorders often caused by mutations in ion channels. These arrhythmia syndromes have recently been associated with calmodulin (CaM) variants. Here, we investigate the impact of the arrhythmogenic variants D131E and Q135P on CaM's structure-function relationship.

ENHANCED RESTORATION OF VISUAL CODE AFTER TARGETING ON BIPOLAR CELLS COMPARED TO RETINAL GANGLION CELLS WITH OPTOGENETIC THERAPY.

Optogenetic therapy is a promising vision restoration method where light sensitive opsins are introduced to the surviving inner retina following photoreceptor degeneration. The cell type targeted for opsin expression will likely influence the quality of restored vision. However, a like-for-like pre-clinical comparison of visual responses evoked following equivalent opsin expression in the two major targets, ON bipolar (ON BCs) or retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), is absent.

Characterisation of the ocular inflammatory response to AAV reveals divergence by sex and age.

Progress for ocular AAV gene therapy has been hindered by AAV-induced inflammation, limiting dose escalation and long-term efficacy. Broadly, the extent of inflammatory responses alters with age and sex, yet these factors are poorly represented in pre-clinical development of ocular AAV gene therapies. Here, we combined clinical imaging, flow cytometry and bulk-sequencing of sorted microglia to interrogate the longitudinal inflammatory response following intravitreal delivery of AAV2 in young (3-month), middle aged (9-month) and old (18-month) Cx3cr1-creER:R26tdTomato+/- mice of both sexes.

Development of a Deep Learning Tool to Support the Assessment of Thyroid Follicular Cell Hypertrophy in the Rat.

Thyroid tissue is sensitive to the effects of endocrine disrupting substances, and this represents a significant health concern. Histopathological analysis of tissue sections of the rat thyroid gland remains the gold standard for the evaluation for agrochemical effects on the thyroid. However, there is a high degree of variability in the appearance of the rat thyroid gland, and toxicologic pathologists often struggle to decide on and consistently apply a threshold for recording low-grade thyroid follicular hypertrophy.

Storage and controlled release of fragrances maintaining a constant ratio of volatile compounds.

Controlled fragrance release at the right time, in the right place, depending on the context remains a technological challenge in the areas of psychophysiology, biochemistry and the entertainment industry. In this study, we demonstrate how bulk poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) templates may effectively take up and retain volatile organic compounds of essential orange oil in the original form without significantly shifting the scent profile. This is done depending on the sampling approach that follows a controllable and slow fragrance release maintaining a constant ratio of volatile compounds in a template-thickness, temperature and time-dependent manner.

Is measurement uncertainty from sampling related to analyte concentration?

The contribution of sampling to the combined uncertainty of measurement is assessed using a combination of literature review and experimental determination of sampling variability in a range of foodstuffs in order to determine whether there is a consistent relationship between analyte level and proportion of variation attributable to sampling. Experimental determinations used the duplicate method, an economical method of assessing the relative contributions of sampling and analytical variability to the overall variance of results. The experimental work covered sampling of retail foodstuffs.

Iridium-catalysed C-H borylation of β-aryl-aminopropionic acids.

Iridium-catalysed catalytic, regioselective C-H borylation of β-aryl-aminopropionic acid derivatives gives access to 3,5-functionalised protected β-aryl-aminopropionic acid boronates. The synthetic versatility of these new boronates is demonstrated through sequential one-pot functionalisation reactions to give diverse building blocks for medicinal chemistry. The C-H borylation is also effective for dipeptide substrates.

Functional variants in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Background: Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF; a recessive disorder) have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Evidence suggests individuals with a single CFTR variant may also have increased CRC risk.

Methods: Using population-based studies (GECCO, CORECT, CCFR, and ARIC; 53 785 CRC cases and 58 010 controls), we tested for an association between the most common CFTR variant (Phe508del) and CRC risk.

The mRNA-1647 vaccine: A promising step toward the prevention of cytomegalovirus infection (CMV).

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of congenital infections and significant health complications in immunocompromised individuals. With no licensed CMV vaccine available, the development of the mRNA-1647 offers promising advancements in CMV prevention. We have reviewed results from Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the mRNA-1647 vaccine, demonstrating robust immune responses in both seronegative and seropositive participants.

Impact of Centralisation of Radical Prostatectomy Driven by the Introduction of Robotic Systems on Positive Surgical Margin and Biochemical Recurrence in pT2 Prostate Cancer.

Background: To assess how centralisation of cancer services via robotic surgery influenced positive surgical margin (PSM) occurrence and its associated risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in cases of pT2 prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all radical prostatectomy (RP) cases performed in the West of Scotland during the period from January 2013 to June 2022. Primary outcomes were PSM and BCR.

A parallel bioreactor strategy to rapidly determine growth-coupling relationships for bioproduction: a mevalonate case study.

Background: The climate crisis and depleting fossil fuel reserves have led to a drive for 'green' alternatives to the way we manufacture chemicals, and the formation of a bioeconomy that reduces our reliance on petrochemical-based feedstocks. Advances in Synthetic biology have provided the opportunity to engineer micro-organisms to produce compounds from renewable feedstocks, which could play a role in replacing traditional, petrochemical based, manufacturing routes. However, there are few examples of bio-manufactured products achieving commercialisation.

The interplay of sex and genotype in disease associations: a comprehensive network analysis in the UK Biobank.

Background: Disease comorbidities and longer-term complications, arising from biologically related associations across phenotypes, can lead to increased risk of severe health outcomes. Given that many diseases exhibit sex-specific differences in their genetics, our objective was to determine whether genotype-by-sex (GxS) interactions similarly influence cross-phenotype associations. Through comparison of sex-stratified disease-disease networks (DDNs)-where nodes represent diseases and edges represent their relationships-we investigate sex differences in patterns of polygenicity and pleiotropy between diseases.

Exploring the purpose and stages of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in audiology research: a case study approach.

Background: Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) has become an integral component of contemporary audiology research. It aims to capture diverse views and experiences, essential for evaluating the long-term impact of technological advancements and care models on individuals. Traditional inclusion methods, such as focus groups, may exclude individuals with additional needs or communication difficulties, necessitating the development of more inclusive approaches.