Adult Human Heart ECM Improves Human iPSC-CM Function via Mitochondrial and Metabolic Maturation.

Myocardial infarction can lead to the loss of billions of cardiomyocytes, and while cell-based therapies are an option, immature nature of in vitro-generated human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (iCMs) is a roadblock to their development. Existing iPSC differentiation protocols don't go beyond producing fetal iCMs. Recently, adult extracellular matrix (ECM) was shown to retain tissue memory and have some success driving tissue-specific differentiation in unspecified cells in various organ systems.

The 100 most-cited articles in WALANT hand surgery: A bibliometric and visualized analysis.

This bibliometric analysis aimed to define important topics and developments across wide awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) hand surgery, an innovative ambulatory technique that gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles were searched and screened using the Web of Science core collection database. VOSviewer 1.

Task activation results in regional C-lactate signal increase in the human brain.

Hyperpolarized-C magnetic resonance imaging (HP-C MRI) was used to image changes in C-lactate signal during a visual stimulus condition in comparison to an eyes-closed control condition. Whole-brain C-pyruvate, C-lactate and C-bicarbonate production was imaged in healthy volunteers (N = 6, ages 24-33) for the two conditions using two separate hyperpolarized C-pyruvate injections. BOLD-fMRI scans were used to delineate regions of functional activation.

A-kinase anchor protein 12 promotes oligodendrogenesis and cognitive recovery in carbon monoxide therapy for traumatic brain injury.

Therapeutic drug development for central nervous system injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), presents significant challenges. TBI results in primary mechanical damage followed by secondary injury, leading to cognitive dysfunction and memory loss. Our recent study demonstrated the potential of carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) to improve TBI recovery by enhancing neurogenesis.

Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate: Allergen of the Year 2025.

Toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate (PTDS), also known as toluene diamine sulfate or 2,5-diaminotoluene sulfate, is an aromatic amine that can be used as a paraphenylenediamine (PPD) hair dye alternative. Patients may develop contact allergy to PTDS, and it is often omitted from standard patch test screening series, possibly leading to underdiagnosis. The American Contact Dermatitis Society named PTDS the Allergen of the Year for 2025, aiming to raise awareness of its dual role as both an allergen and an alternative for some PPD-allergic individuals.

Setting standards for brain collection procedures in metabolomic studies.

Current metabolomics technologies can measure hundreds of chemical entities in tissue extracts with good reliability. However, long-recognized requirements to halt enzyme activities during the initial moments of sample preparation are usually overlooked, allowing marked postmortem shifts in levels of labile metabolites representing diverse pathways. In brain many such changes occur in a matter of seconds.

Utilization of Potentially Inappropriate Sedative-Hypnotic and Atypical Antipsychotic Medications among Elderly Individuals with Insomnia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Study Objectives: This study assessed the utilization of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) including oral sedative-hypnotic and atypical antipsychotic (OSHAA), healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs among elderly individuals with insomnia and in the subpopulation with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) who also had a diagnosis of insomnia.

Methods: Using claims database containing International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, the cohort included individuals aged ≥ 65 with incident insomnia (EI, N=152,969) and AD insomnia subpopulation (ADI, N=4,888). Proportion of patients utilizing atypical antipsychotics or oral sedative-hypnotic medications, namely z-drugs, benzodiazepines, doxepin, Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists (DORAs), and melatonin agonists, were assessed.

Early surgical intervention for Parsonage-Turner Syndrome after COVID-19 infection results in improved outcomes.

Parsonage-Turner Syndrome after COVID-19 infection or vaccination is rare. Motor, sensory deficits and neuropathic pain may result from inflammation and compression around the brachial plexus. Early surgical intervention in patients with significant motor deficits may result in improved outcomes.

'It is scary to pause treatment': perspectives on HIV cure-related research and analytical treatment interruptions from women diagnosed during acute HIV in Durban, South Africa.

Background: HIV remains a major challenge in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, particularly for young women who face disproportionate risks and barriers to prevention and treatment. Most HIV cure trials, however, occur in high-income countries.

Objective: To examine the perspectives of young women diagnosed with acute HIV in a longitudinal study, focusing on their perceptions on ATI-inclusive HIV cure trials and the barriers and facilitators to participation.

Animal models of kabuki syndrome and their applicability to novel drug discovery.

Introduction: Kabuki Syndrome (KS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by distinctive facial features, intellectual disability, and multiple congenital anomalies. It is caused by pathogenic variants in the and genes. Despite its significant disease burden, there are currently no approved therapies for KS, highlighting the need for advanced research and therapeutic development.

Virtual screening: hope, hype, and the fine line in between.

Introduction: Technological advancements in virtual screening (VS) have rapidly accelerated its application in drug discovery, as reflected by the exponential growth in VS-related publications. However, a significant gap remains between the volume of computational predictions and their experimental validation. This discrepancy has led to a rise in the number of unverified 'claimed' hits which impedes the drug discovery efforts.

2024 White Paper on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis: Three Way-Cross Validation; Urine Clinical Analysis; Automated Methods; Regulatory Queries on Plasma Protein Binding; Automated Biospecimen Management; ELN Migration; Ultra-Sensitivity Mass Spectrometry ( - Recommendations on Advanced Strategies for Mass Spectrometry Assays, Chromatography, Sample Preparation and BMV/Regulated Bioanalysis - Regulatory Agencies' Inputs on Regulated Bioanalysis/BMV).

The 18 Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis (18 WRIB) took place in San Antonio, TX, USA on May 6-10, 2024. Over 1100 professionals representing pharma/biotech companies, CROs, and multiple regulatory agencies convened to actively discuss the most current topics of interest in bioanalysis. The 18 WRIB included 3 Main Workshops and 7 Specialized Workshops that together spanned 1 week to allow an exhaustive and thorough coverage of all major issues in bioanalysis of biomarkers, immunogenicity, gene therapy, cell therapy and vaccines.

Detecting noncredible symptomology in ADHD evaluations using machine learning.

Introduction: Diagnostic evaluations for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are becoming increasingly complicated by the number of adults who fabricate or exaggerate symptoms. Novel methods are needed to improve the assessment process required to detect these noncredible symptoms. The present study investigated whether unsupervised machine learning (ML) could serve as one such method, and detect noncredible symptom reporting in adults undergoing ADHD evaluations.

COVID-19 health distress among autistic adults: Does psychological flexibility explain effects of health distress on mental health concerns?

In the United States, the COVID-19 Pandemic caused many autistic adults to be fearful and worried about their health. There is a lot of research that says that when autistic adults experience health distress it can worsen their mental health. We do not know, however, what might explain how experiencing health distress negatively affects mental health.

The silent pandemic of stress: impact on menstrual cycle and ovulation.

In the current age of technological advancement, stress has emerged as a silent pandemic affecting individuals, especially young generations, globally. Factors such as increased competition, social pressures fueled by social media and smartphones, and a sense of diminished control in the face of modern challenges contribute to rising stress levels. In addition to the negative implications on mental well-being, stress affects physiological processes such as the menstrual cycle.

Patient Perceptions of an Intervention for Cancer Distress and Traumatic Stress Symptoms: A Qualitative Analysis.

This study aimed to explore contextual elements of the cancer experience that are consistently distressing and/or psychologically traumatic, as well as explore perceptions of Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART®) and its influence on the cancer experience. Using a qualitative descriptive design, semi-structured interviews were completed by 12 participants following the completion of ART. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis to identify major themes and patterns.

Cultural differences on baby loss experiences: A comparison of the US and New Zealand.

Prior research has shown that the death of a baby (whether it be through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss) can have profound effects on the parents involved. However, research has yet to adequately understand how these effects differ cross-culturally. Our research addresses these issues through a qualitative study of 47 bereaved mothers in the United States and New Zealand-cultures that have differing perspectives on death.

Pharmacist-Directed Transition of Care Services Decrease Readmissions at a Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: Limited data exist describing the influence of pharmacist-led transition of care (TOC) services in safety-net hospital settings.

Objective: This analysis assessed the impact of pharmacist-led TOC services on hospital readmissions in a high-risk managed Medicaid population impacted by housing instability, substance use disorder (SUD), and mental health issues.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation of patients who received safety-net hospital-based TOC pharmacy services between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, was conducted.

SEPO-FI: Deep-learning based software to calculate fusion index of muscle cells.

The fusion index is a critical metric for quantitatively assessing the transformation of in vitro muscle cells into myotubes in the biological and medical fields. Traditional methods for calculating this index manually involve the labor-intensive counting of numerous muscle cell nuclei in images, which necessitates determining whether each nucleus is located inside or outside the myotubes, leading to significant inter-observer variation. To address these challenges, this study proposes a three-stage process that integrates the strengths of pattern recognition and deep-learning to automatically calculate the fusion index.

Short and mid-term research priorities for Veterans with multiple sclerosis: A modified Delphi process engaging Veterans, researchers, and operational partners.

Background/objective: Identifying research priorities of Veterans, MS researchers, and key stakeholders is critical to advance high-quality, evidence-based, and Veteran-specific MS care.

Methods: We used a modified Delphi approach to identify research priorities for Veterans with MS. Electronic surveys were distributed to Veterans with MS (n = 50,975), MS researchers (n = 191), VA healthcare providers (1,337), and funding agency representatives (n = 6) asking about their 2-3 most important research questions that would benefit Veterans with MS for researchers to answer in the next 5-10 years.

You better keep an eye on your contacts.

Membrane contact sites (MCS) are specialized compartments found in all eukaryotic cells that are formed between membranes of different organelles that are in close proximity. MCS have important functions as they are sites of efficient transfer of molecules between neighboring organelles. Two recent articles have used the splitFAST system to mark and follow the dynamics of membrane contact sites and used the method to highlight the importance of MCS between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lipid droplets in metabolic adaptation and MCS between the ER and mitochondria in Ca signal propagation.

Heterogeneous distribution of the reported prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infections in Australian canids - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reports of Dirofilaria immitis infection vary by location in the USA and Europe, with an occurrence gradient increasing towards the equator and warmer climates. In Australia, heartworm preventative guidelines are not climate specific, implying homogenous risk of infection across the continent. We systematically reviewed the published literature to assess if the distribution of D.

Differential expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and M1 macrophage marker nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) in lymph node granulomas of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

Bovine tuberculosis is mainly caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated strain of M. bovis which provides variable disease protection.

HemaScope: A Tool for Analyzing Single-cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Data of Hematopoietic Cells.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) techniques hold great value in evaluating the heterogeneity and spatial characteristics of hematopoietic cells within tissues. These two techniques are highly complementary, with scRNA-seq offering single-cell resolution and ST retaining spatial information. However, there is an urgent demand for well-organized and user-friendly toolkits capable of handling single-cell and spatial information.