Proteomic changes upon treatment with semaglutide in individuals with obesity.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are prevalent chronic diseases effectively managed by semaglutide. Here we studied the effects of semaglutide on the circulating proteome using baseline and end-of-treatment serum samples from two phase 3 trials in participants with overweight or obesity, with or without diabetes: STEP 1 (n = 1,311) and STEP 2 (n = 645). We identified evidence supporting broad effects of semaglutide, implicating processes related to body weight regulation, glycemic control, lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways.

Deciphering the core shunt mechanism in Arabidopsis cuticular wax biosynthesis and its role in plant environmental adaptation.

Plant cuticular waxes serve as highly responsive adaptations to variable environments. Aliphatic waxes consist of very-long-chain (VLC) compounds produced from 1-alcohol- or alkane-forming pathways. The existing variation in 1-alcohols and alkanes across Arabidopsis accessions revealed that 1-alcohol amounts are negatively correlated with aridity factors, whereas alkanes display the opposite behaviour.

Pan-phylum genomes of hornworts reveal conserved autosomes but dynamic accessory and sex chromosomes.

Hornworts, one of the three bryophyte phyla, show some of the deepest divergences in extant land plants, with some families separated by more than 300 million years. Previous hornwort genomes represented only one genus, limiting the ability to infer evolution within hornworts and their early land plant ancestors. Here we report ten new chromosome-scale genomes representing all hornwort families and most of the genera.

Hornworts reveal a spatial model for pyrenoid-based CO-concentrating mechanisms in land plants.

Pyrenoid-based CO-concentrating mechanisms (pCCMs) turbocharge photosynthesis by saturating CO around Rubisco. Hornworts are the only land plants with a pCCM. Owing to their closer relationship to crops, hornworts could offer greater translational potential than the green alga Chlamydomonas, the traditional model for studying pCCMs.

MTCH2 controls energy demand and expenditure to fuel anabolism during adipogenesis.

Mitochondrial carrier homolog 2 (MTCH2) is a regulator of apoptosis, mitochondrial dynamics, and metabolism. Loss of MTCH2 results in mitochondrial fragmentation, an increase in whole-body energy utilization, and protection against diet-induced obesity. In this study, we used temporal metabolomics on HeLa cells to show that MTCH2 deletion results in a high ATP demand, an oxidized cellular environment, and elevated utilization of lipids, amino acids, and carbohydrates, accompanied by a decrease in several metabolites.

A bipartite bacterial virulence factor targets the complement system and neutrophil activation.

The complement system and neutrophils constitute the two main pillars of the host innate immune defense against infection by bacterial pathogens. Here, we identify T-Mac, a novel virulence factor of the periodontal pathogen Treponema denticola that allows bacteria to evade both defense systems. We show that T-Mac is expressed as a pre-protein that is cleaved into two functional units.

Partitioning of fatty acids between membrane and storage lipids controls ER membrane expansion.

Biogenesis of membrane-bound organelles involves the synthesis, remodeling, and degradation of their constituent phospholipids. How these pathways regulate organelle size remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that a lipid-degradation pathway inhibits expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane.

Hypoxia promotes tumor immune evasion by suppressing MHC-I expression and antigen presentation.

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors that has previously been linked to resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and more recently to immunotherapy. In particular, hypoxic tumors exclude T cells and inhibit their activity, suggesting that tumor cells acquire a mechanism to evade T-cell recognition and killing. Our analysis of hypoxic tumors indicates that hypoxia downregulates the expression of MHC class I and its bound peptides (i.

Chaperone-mediated insertion of mitochondrial import receptor TOM70 protects against diet-induced obesity.

Outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) proteins communicate with the cytosol and other organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum. This communication is important in thermogenic adipocytes to increase the energy expenditure that controls body temperature and weight. However, the regulatory mechanisms of OMM protein insertion are poorly understood.

Duration of cryostorage is not associated with rates of thaw survival, fertilization, blastulation and ploidy, or pregnancy outcomes of vitrified human oocytes.

Purpose: This study is to evaluate duration of oocyte cryostorage and association with thaw survival, fertilization, blastulation, ploidy rates, and pregnancy outcomes in patients seeking fertility preservation.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients who underwent fertility preservation from 2011 to 2023 via oocyte vitrification for non-oncologic indications. Primary outcome was thaw survival rate.

Antidepressants and Weight Gain: An Update on the Evidence and Clinical Implications.

Purpose Of Review: To highlight recent research on antidepressant use and weight change and explore best clinical practices for reducing weight gain and obesity risk in individuals with depression.

Recent Findings: Research on antidepressant use and weight gain suggests that genetic and biological factors including metabolizer phenotypes and inflammation can help to predict an individual's threshold for weight change among specific agents. For individuals with increased susceptibility to metabolic complications, medications including bupropion, fluoxetine, and newer agents (e.

Assessment of choroidal vessels in healthy eyes using 3-dimensional vascular maps and a semi-automated deep learning approach.

To assess the choroidal vessels in healthy eyes using a novel three-dimensional (3D) deep learning approach. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, swept-source OCT 6 × 6 mm scans on Plex Elite 9000 device were obtained. Automated segmentation of the choroidal layer was achieved using a deep-learning ResUNet model along with a volumetric smoothing approach.

Flow-Based Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patency Metrics: Uncertainty Quantification Simulations to Guide Development.

Purpose: Over time, transit time flow measurement (TTFM) has proven itself as a simple and effective tool for intra-operative evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs). However, metrics used to screen for possible technical error show considerable spread, preventing the definition of sharp cut-off values to distinguish between patent, questionable, and failed grafts. The simulation study presented in this paper aims to quantify this uncertainty for commonly used patency metrics, and to identify the most important physiological parameters influencing it.

Magnetic resonance imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma: a spectrum of uncommon morphologic subtypes, unusual imaging patterns and mimics.

Advances in imaging techniques have evolved, allowing for early noninvasive diagnosis and improved management of high-risk patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The hallmark imaging features of HCC on multiphasic cross-sectional imaging can be explained by the multistep process of hepatocarcinogenesis and is seen in 60% of cases. However, approximately 40% of cases do not abide by the classic imaging appearance and may pose a diagnostic challenge for radiologists.

Perception of emotion across cultures: Norms of valence, arousal, and sensory experience for 4923 Chinese words translated from English in Warriner et al. (2013).

Perception of emotion conveyed through language is influenced by embodied experiences obtained from social interactions, which may vary across different cultures. To explore cross-cultural differences in the perception of emotion between Chinese and English speakers, this study collected norms of valence and arousal from 322 native Mandarin speakers for 4923 Chinese words translated from Warriner et al., (Behavior Research Methods, 45, 1191-1207, 2013).

Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth.

Rapid growth in bio-logging-the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife-offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption.

Multi-Layered Microneedles Loaded with Microspheres.

Delivery of therapies into skin is attractive for medical indications including vaccination and treatment of dermatoses but is highly constrained by the stratum corneum barrier. Microneedle (MN) patches have emerged as a promising technology to enable non-invasive, intuitive, and low-cost skin delivery. When combined with biodegradable polymer formulations, MN patches can further enable controlled-release drug delivery without injection.

Creating a predictive model and online calculator for high-value care outcomes following glioblastoma resection: incorporating neighborhood socioeconomic status index.

Purpose: Social determinants of health including neighborhood socioeconomic status, have been established to play a profound role in overall access to care and outcomes in numerous specialized disease entities. To provide glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients with high-quality care, it is crucial to identify predictors of hospital length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and access to postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation. In this study, we incorporate a novel neighborhood socioeconomic status index (NSES) and develop three predictive algorithms for assessing post-operative outcomes in GBM patients, offering a tool for preoperative risk stratification of GBM patients.

Frailty and neurocognitive impairments in Chinese survivors of childhood cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of frailty and the association between frailty and neurocognitive impairments among Chinese survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods: A total of 185 survivors of childhood cancer were recruited from a long-term follow-up clinic in Hong Kong (response rate: 94.4%; 48.

Immunohistochemical labeling of ongoing axonal degeneration 10 days following cervical contusion spinal cord injury in the rat.

Study Design: Experimental Animal Study.

Objective: To continue validating an antibody which targets an epitope of neurofilament light chain (NF-L) only available during neurodegeneration and to utilize the antibody to describe the pattern of axonal degeneration 10 days post-unilateral C4 contusion in the rat.

Setting: University of Florida laboratory in Gainesville, USA.