Virtual diversity and the value-ladenness of science.

Collins, Evans, and Reyes-Galindo develop the concept of interactional expertise into the idea of virtual diversity. They thereby provide a strong case against the epistemic barriers established by identity politics. This commentary questions, however, whether virtual diversity can incorporate the critique of institutional power that Wynne has argued is at the center of tensions between lay publics and scientific establishments.

Systematic empirical evaluation of individual base editing targets: validating therapeutic targets in USH2A and comparison of methods.

Base editing shows promise for the correction of human mutations at a higher efficiency than other repair methods and is especially attractive for mutations in large genes that are not amenable to gene augmentation therapy. Here, we demonstrate a comprehensive workflow for in vitro screening of potential therapeutic base editing targets for the USH2A gene and empirically validate the efficiency of adenine and cytosine base editor/guide combinations for correcting 35 USH2A mutations. Editing efficiency and bystander edits are compared between different target templates (plasmids versus transgenes) and assays (Next generation sequencing versus Sanger), as well as comparisons between unbiased empirical results and computational predictions.

Shorter Digestion Times of Donor Islets Is Associated With Better Islet Graft Function After Islet Transplantation.

Although islet transplantation is effective in reducing severe hypoglycemia events and controlling blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes, maintaining islet graft function long-term is a significant challenge. Islets from multiple donors are often needed to achieve insulin independence, and even then, islet function can decline over time when metabolic demand exceeds islet mass/insulin secretory capacity. We previously developed a method that calculated the islet graft function index (GFI) and a patient's predicted insulin requirement (PIR) using mathematical nonlinear regression.

The role of renal dual-energy computed tomography in exploring the gouty kidney: the RENODECT study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the ability of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) to detect monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposits in the kidneys and renal artery walls, and uric acid urolithiasis, in patients with gout and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: Patients with gout and with stage 2-4 CKD were prospectively included in this cross-sectional study. Patients underwent renal, knee and feet DECT scans.

Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with clinical outcomes following spinal surgery for lumbar spinal disorders.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were comprehensively searched for observational studies comparing clinical outcomes after lumbar spine surgery in patients with and without RA (>18 years).

Cerebral Air Embolism Risks in TAVR Procedures: Insights from a 75-Year-Old Patient Case.

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure increasingly used to treat severe aortic stenosis, especially in elderly patients and those with significant comorbidities who are at high risk for surgical intervention. While TAVR is generally safe and effective, rare complications can occur, including cerebral air embolism, which can result in acute neurological deficits. This report presents the case of a 75-year-old man who developed a cerebral air embolism following TAVR.

High-Yield Generation of Glucose-Responsive Pseudoislets From Murine Insulinoma Cells for Studies and Longitudinal Monitoring of Graft Survival .

Compared to primary pancreatic islets, insulinoma cell-derived 3D pseudoislets offer a more accessible, consistent, renewable, and widely applicable model system for optimization and mechanistic studies in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we report a simple and efficient method for generating 3D pseudoislets from MIN6 and NIT-1 murine insulinoma cells. These pseudoislets are homogeneous in size and morphology (~150 µm), exhibit functional glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) up to 18 days (NIT-1) enabling long-term studies, are produced in high yield [>35,000 Islet Equivalence from 30 ml culture], and are suitable for both and studies, including for encapsulation studies.

Subtypes A1 and D, and recombinant HIV-1 natural polymorphisms associated with lenacapavir drug resistance in Uganda.

Background: Lenacapavir, a novel HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, shows promise for treating MDR HIV-1, as well as for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in prevention of HIV infection. Its unique mechanism and lack of cross-resistance with other antiretroviral classes make lenacapavir a significant addition to HIV therapy. The clinical trials CALIBRATE and CAPELLA have demonstrated high viral suppression rates in both ART-naive individuals and individuals with MDR HIV-1.

Liver injury related to vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a pharmacovigilance analysis of the USA FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database.

Background: While vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) are known to cause adverse events like cardiotoxicity and haematotoxicity, their impact on liver injury remains understudied. This study evaluates the association between VEGFR-TKIs and liver injury using data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2006 to 2024.

Research Design And Methods: Nine VEGFR-TKIs (Axitinib, Vandetanib, Cabozantinib, Lenvatinib, Pazopanib, Ponatinib, Regorafenib, Sunitinib, Sorafenib) were analyzed.

Morphological and molecular phylogeny of sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae, using DNA barcode from a South American freshwater fish.

Here, we present a comprehensive morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis of sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae parasitizing two freshwater fish species from Southeast Brazil: (piranha) and (tambuatá). The morphological examination revealed distinct characteristics of metacercariae in each host.

Differential Associations of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation with Generalized Anxiety and Social Withdrawal Among Children.

Anxiety and social withdrawal are common internalizing problems among children linked to poor emotion regulation (ER). We investigated how specific components of ER (emotion awareness, emotion regulation strategy) are associated with generalized anxiety and social withdrawal in the two ER domains (intrapersonal and interpersonal). Study participants were 398 fourth- and fifth-grade students (49% girls) and 22 teachers from a Midwestern state in the United States.

Health-Related Social Needs Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Caregivers: An Exploratory Study Using Human-Centered Design.

Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasingly common and projected to impact over 200,000 adolescents and young adults by 2060. Youth with T2D frequently experience health-related social needs (HRSN) that increase their risk for poor outcomes. Using human-centered design methodology, we explored how best to address HRSN in pediatric endocrinology clinics.

Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee Points to Consider: Proposal and Recommendations to Reduce Euthanasia of Control Nonhuman Primates in Nonclinical Toxicity Studies.

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have been and remain a highly valuable animal model with an essential role in translational research and pharmaceutical drug development. Based on current regulatory guidelines, the nonclinical safety of novel therapeutics should be evaluated in relevant nonclinical species, which commonly includes NHPs for biotherapeutics. Given the practical and ethical limitations on availability and/or use of NHPs and in line with the widely accepted guiding "3Rs" (replace, reduce, and refine) principles, many approaches have been considered to optimize toxicity study designs to meaningfully reduce the number of NHPs used.

Midterm to Long-term Follow-up After Limited Saucerization of a Discoid Lateral Meniscus: Radiological and Functional Outcomes With Age-Dependent Variations.

Background: A discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) is the most common meniscus variant and is commonly treated with arthroscopic saucerization. There are mixed data regarding long-term results after surgery, especially in terms of radiological parameters.

Purpose/hypothesis: The aim was to evaluate the functional and radiological results of patients who underwent arthroscopic saucerization for a symptomatic DLM.

Photon-counting CT imaging of a patient with coiled and untreated intracranial saccular aneurysms.

We describe a novel application of photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in neurovascular imaging by harnessing the improved spatial resolution, attenuation of electronic noise, and reduction of metal artifacts. The presented case offers the unique challenge of high-quality imaging for the assessment of treated and untreated intracranial saccular aneurysms, in the setting of metal artifacts from embolization coils. Our goal was to explore optimized reconstruction parameters for ultra-high-resolution imaging (UHR) using a dedicated, sharp neurovascular kernel (Hv72) and the highest strength of quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR-4) for detailed characterization of the vasculature.

Is lean mass quantity or quality the determinant of maximal fat oxidation capacity? The potential mediating role of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Background: Impaired fat oxidation is linked to cardiometabolic risk. Maximal fat oxidation rate (MFO) reflects metabolic flexibility and is influenced by lean mass, muscle strength, muscle quality - defined as the ratio of strength to mass - and cardiorespiratory fitness. The relationship between these factors and fat oxidation is not fully understood.

Long-term effects of adolescent versus adult nicotine self-administration on cholinergic modulation of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core.

Adolescence is a developmental period marked by significant alterations to brain neurobiology and behavior. Adolescent nicotine use disrupts developmental trajectories and increases vulnerability to maladaptive drug-taking in adulthood. The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, including the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), mediates the reinforcing effects of nicotine.

Serum starvation impacts rhinovirus spread from cell to cell.

Single-cell studies of virus infection have found significant heterogeneity in virus and host gene expression as well as the kinetics of progeny particle release. However, such studies have yet to examine how the resulting virus descendants spread and infect nearby cells. We monitored reporter-gene expression from a recombinant rhinovirus in cell monolayers infected at low multiplicity of infection; we found that the second round of infection consistently exhibited a shorter delay in fluorescence signal appearance relative to the first round, indicating an acceleration in infection spread.

A comprehensive study of the ground vibrational state of the C-13 substituted methanol using high-resolution Synchrotron radiation spectra: Perturbation, forbidden, torsional fundamental overtone, excited overtones, and hot overtones transitions.

This work represents a comprehensive study of the ground vibrational state of C-13 substituted methanol using very high-resolution far-infrared (FIR) and infrared (IR) Synchrotron Radiation spectra recorded with a very high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in the entire region from 40to5000cm, at the Canadian Light sources. High resolution combined with a high S/N ratio allowed the recording to be done with an unprecedented resolution of about 0.0017cm.

Ultrasound-guided intraoperative liver ablation - retrospective review of indications and outcomes.

Aim: To define the indications and outcomes of intraoperative ablation of hepatic malignancies.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study comprises 27 patients (male/female: 19/8; mean age: 56 ± 13) undergoing intraoperative ablation (IOA) of liver tumours between July 2001 and August 2021 for 42 tumours, including colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) (n = 27), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)(n = 14), and ovarian cancer metastasis (n = 1). The mean tumour diameter was 2.

Evaluation of the Femoral Condyle Radius of Curvature at the Chondral Surface Shows Significant Correlation With the Anterior-Posterior Length.

Background: Accurate donor-recipient matching of the femoral condyle radius of curvature (ROC) in osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation may aid in minimizing articular surface incongruities. Matching linear femorotibial dimensions, such as the femoral condyle anterior-posterior length (APL), femoral condyle width (lateral-medial length, LML), femoral hemicondyle width (HCW), and tibial plateau width (TPW), can provide similar results if they correlate well with ROC. This study investigates the relationship between femorotibial dimensions and ROC at the cartilage surface using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Dose Accuracy and Reliability of a Connected Insulin Pen System.

For people with diabetes on insulin injection therapy, insulin pen dose accuracy and reliability are key features. Dose accuracy of the Tempo Pen with attached Tempo Smart Button [Module] (the system) was tested for three doses under standard atmospheric conditions. Reliability and the ability of the Module to detect, store, and transmit dose-related data were also tested.

Associations between interpersonal and community-level violence experiences and HIV outcomes: implications for violence screening in Ryan White Clinics.

Violence experience, interpersonal and community-level, is commonly reported by people living with HIV (PLWH). Understanding the impact of the various forms of violence on HIV outcomes is critical for prioritizing violence screening and support resources in care settings. From February 2021 to December 2022, among 285 PLWH purposively sampled to attain diversity by gender, race/ethnicity, and HIV care retention status in Atlanta, Georgia, we examined interpersonal and community violence experiences and proxy measures of violence (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression) and their associations with HIV outcomes (engagement and retention in care and HIV viral suppression) using multivariable analysis.

The effects of age, fitness, and health on the passive stiffness of the intact low back and its impact on seated work in a healthy, working, female population.

Age is associated with increased tissue stiffness and a higher risk of low back pain, particularly in older, sedentary workers who spend long periods sitting. This study explored how trunk stiffness changes with age and its relationship with posture during prolonged sitting in a sample of 37 women aged 20-65 years. Age was assessed as both Chronological Age and Fitness Age, with trunk stiffness measured using a passive trunk flexion apparatus.

Orthopaedic Sports Injuries in an Aging Population: Current Trends and Future Projections.

Background: The elderly US population is growing quickly and staying active longer. However, there is limited information on sports-related injuries in older adults.

Hypotheses: (1) National estimate and incidence of sports-related orthopaedic injuries in the US elderly population have increased over the last 10 years, (2) types and causes of sports-related injuries in the elderly have changed, and (3) elderly sports-related injuries will increase more than the number of treating physicians by 2040.