Cervicovaginal microbiome and natural history of Chlamydia trachomatis in adolescents and young women.

This study investigated the cervicovaginal microbiome's (CVM's) impact on Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection among Black and Hispanic adolescent and young adult women. A total of 187 women with incident CT were matched to 373 controls, and the CVM was characterized before, during, and after CT infection. The findings highlight that a specific subtype of bacterial vaginosis (BV), identified from 16S rRNA gene reads using the molBV algorithm and community state type (CST) clustering, is a significant risk factor for CT acquisition.

Longitudinal single-cell profiles of lung regeneration after viral infection reveal persistent injury-associated cell states.

Functional regeneration of the lung's gas exchange surface following injury requires the coordination of a complex series of cell behaviors within the alveolar niche. Using single-cell transcriptomics combined with lineage tracing of proliferating progenitors, we examined mouse lung regeneration after influenza injury, demonstrating an asynchronously phased response across different cellular compartments. This longitudinal atlas of injury responses has produced a catalog of transient and persistent transcriptional alterations in cells as they transit across axes of differentiation.

Modeling non-genetic adaptation in tumor cells.

Treatment resistance poses a significant challenge in the care of cancer patients. Hirsch et al. applied computational and genomic approaches, examining gene expression dynamics from a mouse model of melanoma at single-cell resolution to reveal that semi-heritable non-genetic alterations in tumor cell populations confer adaptive resistance to treatment.

Establishing quality assurance for COVID-19 antigen tests in the Indo Pacific Region: A multi-site implementation study.

Background: Quality assurance programs (QAPs) are used to evaluate the analytical quality of a diagnostic test and provide feedback to improve quality processes in testing. Rapid diagnostic tests were used in both laboratory and non-laboratory settings to diagnose COVID-19, although varied in reported performance. We aimed to design and implement a QAP for antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for COVID-19 in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Papua New Guinea.

Healthcare Costs and Early Complications in Liver-Transplanted Patients With Portal Vein Thrombosis: Experience From a Colombian Reference Center.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the direct healthcare costs and early complications associated with pretransplant portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in cirrhotic patients undergoing their first orthotopic liver transplant (LT) at a hospital in Colombia from 2013 to 2021.

Methods: A registry-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted on cirrhotic patients aged 14 years or older who underwent their first LT at the San Vicente Fundación Rionegro Hospital between January 2013 and April 2021. The primary outcomes were early (30-day) vascular and biliary complications and direct healthcare costs.

Advances in our understanding of the estrous cycle and applications for improving targeted reproductive management in livestock.

The scientific discipline of endocrinology has been invaluable to our understanding of the estrous cycle. In the second half of the twentieth century the development of immunoassay technologies provided a rapid and sensitive method to quantify circulating concentrations of reproductive hormones and relate them to stage of the estrous cycle and physiological status of the animal. Ovarian ultrasonography provided the ability to track the growth and regression of ovarian structures within the same animal across the estrous cycle in real time and, in combination with hormonal profiling, accurately identify mechanisms regulating the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Occurrence, seasonal distribution and probabilistic source-specific health risk assessment of dissolved trace metals in southwestern rivers, Nigeria.

The presence of trace metals (TMs) in river systems at certain levels can cause toxicity and pose significant risks to human health. In this study, nine TMs (Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in water samples collected from six major rivers from southwestern Nigeria during both dry and wet seasons. Across both seasons, the mean concentrations (mg/L) ranged from 0.

Environmental contaminants assessment for frequently harvested migratory waterfowl in the Northeast Atlantic flyway.

Waterfowl serve as indicators of ecosystem health and represent a pathway of contaminant exposure for hunters who consume them. In the northeast Atlantic Flyway, data on baseline contaminant loads in waterfowl are lacking. We assessed five species of commonly harvested (and consumed) waterfowl for mercury, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Effects of warning information at medication initiation on deprescribing intentions in older adults: A hypothetical vignette.

Objectives: To explore to what degree providing patients warning information about the long-term risks of a medication would affect their subsequent desire to discontinue it.

Methods: We conducted a vignette-based online experiment in which participants aged ≥ 65 years from the United States were asked to imagine starting and subsequently stopping omeprazole. Participants were randomized to one of four vignettes about starting omeprazole (potential long-term harms or no harm information; OTC vs.

Long-term suppression of Microcystis aeruginosa by tannic acid: Risks of microcystin pollution and proteomic mechanisms.

Harmful algal blooms are a critical eco-environmental issue with severe impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Tannic acid (TA) has been suggested as an effective algal bloom control, but the molecular mechanisms of its interaction with algae cells and its effects on algal toxin release remain unclear. This study tracked toxin production and release in the toxigenic species Microcystis aeruginosa (M.

Peptide nucleic acids: Recent advancements and future opportunities in biomedical applications.

Peptide nucleic acids (PNA), synthetic molecules comprising a peptide-like backbone and natural and unnatural nucleobases, have garnered significant attention for their potential applications in gene editing and other biomedical fields. The unique properties of PNA, particularly enhanced stability/specificity/affinity towards targeted DNA and RNA sequences, achieved significant attention recently for gene silencing, gene correction, antisense therapy, drug delivery, biosensing and other various diagnostic aspects. This review explores the structure, properties, and potential of PNA in transforming genetic engineering including potent biomedical challenges.

Impact of orthognathic surgery on the cheek area using the Barcelona line.

A facial appearance of premature aging due to poor bone support of the soft tissues is frequently found in patients with midface hypoplasia. This study was performed to evaluate the changes in the soft tissues of the cheek area in patients subjected to bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. The cheek line angle and length of 27 consecutive patients who underwent bimaxillary surgery, were measured on cone beam computed tomography scans obtained before surgery and at 1 and 12 months after surgery using 3D software.

Multidimensional sleep health and cognitive function across adulthood.

Study Objectives: Sleep is essential for proper function of the mind and body. Studies report the effect of sleep problems on cognition but focus on only a single or limited number of sleep indicators or on clinical populations (e.g.

Mechanisms and rationales of SAM homeostasis.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the primary methyl donor for numerous cellular methylation reactions. Its central role in methylation and involvement with many pathways link its availability to the regulation of cellular processes, the dysregulation of which can contribute to disease states, such as cancer or neurodegeneration. Emerging evidence indicates that intracellular SAM levels are maintained within an optimal range by a variety of homeostatic mechanisms.

Impact of Fli1 deletion on B cell populations: A focus on age-associated B cells and transcriptional dynamics.

Background: Altered Fli1 expression is associated with various autoimmune diseases, yet its impact on B cells remains unexplored.

Objective: This study investigated the direct effects of Fli1 depletion on B cell populations, focusing on age-associated B cells (ABCs).

Methods: Splenocytes of Fli1 BcKO (Cd19-Cre; Fli1) and Cd19-Cre mice were analyzed flow cytometrically.

Surface steel ball calibration - A novel method for facilitating fluoroscopic measurement during implantation of WATCHMAN.

Background: Although the method of autocalibration or calibration based on catheter diameters was proposed for fluoroscopic measurement during percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), it may be imprecise and lead to mismeasurement. We sought to investigate whether the utilization of the surface steel ball calibration (SSBC) method under fluoroscopy could facilitate the fluoroscopic measurement of the post-implanted WATCHMAN device (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA, USA) in LAAO.

Methods: This retrospective study included 97 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous LAAO with the WATCHMAN device.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the BBX gene family in Lagerstroemia indica grown under light stress.

B-box proteins (BBX) play pivotal roles in the regulation of numerous growth and developmental processes in plants, particularly the light-mediated biosynthesis of pigments. To elucidate the role of BBX transcription factors in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway of Lagerstroemia indica leaves, this study identified 41 BBX genes in the L. indica genome.

Surface coating nanoarchitectonics for optimizing cytocompatibility and antimicrobial activity: The impact of hyaluronic acid positioning as the outermost layer.

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) based on hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) were deposited on oxidized polystyrene (PS) via the layer-by-layer (LbL) method. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the PEM deposition on PS, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated that the surface roughness of PS also increased after PEM deposition. The PEMs significantly enhanced PS wettability, reducing the contact angle from 73° on PS to 24° on PDDA-terminated (PDDA/HA) PEM (2.

Identification of novel phenolic inhibitors from traditional Chinese medicine against toxic α-synuclein aggregation via regulating phase separation.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder without cure, is characterized by the pathological aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in Lewy bodies. Classic deposition pathway and condensation pathway contribute to α-Syn aggregation, and liquid-liquid phase separation is the driving force for condensate formation, which subsequently undergo liquid-solid phase separation to form toxic fibrils. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in treating neurodegenerative disease, herein; we identified chemicals from herbs that inhibit α-Syn aggregation.

Metabolomics signatures of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (escitalopram), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (duloxetine) and cognitive-behavioral therapy on key neurotransmitter pathways in major depressive disorder.

Metabolomics provides powerful tools that can inform about heterogeneity in disease and response to treatments. In this exploratory study, we employed an electrochemistry-based targeted metabolomics platform to assess the metabolic effects of three randomly-assigned treatments: escitalopram, duloxetine, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in 163 treatment-naïve outpatients with major depressive disorder. Serum samples from baseline and 12 weeks post-treatment were analyzed using targeted liquid chromatography-electrochemistry for metabolites related to tryptophan, tyrosine metabolism and related pathways.