A proof-of-mechanism trial in asthma with lunsekimig, a bispecific nanobody® molecule.

Background: Monovalent biologics blocking thymic stromal lymphopoietin or interleukin-13 have been shown to elicit pharmacodynamic responses in asthma following a single dose. Therefore, dual blockade of these cytokines may result in an enhanced response compared to single targeting and has the potential to break efficacy ceilings in asthma. This study assessed the safety and tolerability of lunsekimig, a bispecific NANOBODY molecule that blocks thymic stromal lymphopoietin and interleukin-13, and its effect on Type 2 inflammatory biomarkers and lung function in asthma.

Internalized Sexism and Well-Being in the United States.

Although structural sexism in state-level institutions is harmful to women's and men's health, less is known about how micro-level structural sexism relates to well-being. Using the 2017 and 2021 Gallup Values and Beliefs of the American Public surveys (N = 1,501 in 2017; N = 1,248 in 2021), we investigate diverse approaches to internalized sexism. Although we find no significant associations with self-rated health, gender traditionalism is linked to greater depressive and anxiety symptoms for women and men, providing the first population evidence for its universal harm in the United States.

What's on the agenda? Examining public health communication about opioids.

The way media portray public health problems influences the public's perception of problems and related solutions. Social media allows users to engage with news and to collectively construct meaning. This paper examined news in comparison to user-generated content related to opioids to understand the role of second-level agenda-setting in public health.

Abortion and unintended pregnancy in Pakistan: new evidence for 2023 and trends over the past decade.

Background: Despite induced abortion being highly legally restricted in Pakistan, studies in 2002 and 2012 showed that many women rely on abortion when faced with an unintended pregnancy. Following the 2012 study, concerted efforts were made to improve contraceptive services and to strengthen postabortion care. The availability and use of misoprostol also expanded in the past decade.

Physicians Who Provide Primary Care in US Nursing Homes: Characteristics and Care Patterns.

Objectives: To examine practice trends and characteristics of primary care physicians providing care in US nursing homes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using Medicare Fee-for-Service claims.

Setting And Participants: Physicians who provided primary care to long-stay nursing home residents.

Systems Thinking in the Prevention, Control, and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases 2 (NTDs).

It is estimated that more than one billion people are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Whilst there are existing treatments to reduce morbidity, a major challenge is creating robust programs that are both country led and leverage the existing health systems. Using a systems thinking approach is a critical component for integrating NTD services, as it takes into account all aspects of what might otherwise be considered fragmented systems to create a more efficient system.

Malatya apricot gum: A source of natural gum and its physicochemical, functional and antioxidant properties.

Gums are commonly used in the food industry for their functional properties. However, the growing demand for sustainable and alternative sources has drawn attention to the need for identifying and characterizing non-conventional gum sources with comparable or enhanced features. This study aimed to investigate the exudate gum from apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca) in Malatya as a potential alternative.

Understanding the sorption of paraben on plastics using molecular dynamics simulations.

In a previous publication, we determined the kinetics and equilibrium for the sorption of propylparaben to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In this work, we extend that study to investigate the sorption of methylparaben and propylparaben on tubing surfaces made of PVC and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations suggest the mechanism of sorption to be adsorption.

Estrogen-related receptor gamma is a regulator of mitochondrial, autophagy, and immediate-early gene programs in spiny projection neurons: Relevance for transcriptional changes in Huntington disease.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, transcriptional dysregulation, and protein aggregation are hallmarks of multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). Strategies are needed to counteract these processes to restore neuronal health and function in HD. Recent evidence indicates that the transcription factor estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ/Esrrg) is required for normal expression of mitochondrial, synaptic, and autophagy genes in neurons.

Prostaglandin E and Akt promote stemness in Apc mutant Dclk1+ cells to give rise to colitis-associated cancer.

Background And Aims: Loss of the tumor suppressor gene Apc in Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells results in aberrant Wnt signaling and colonic tumorigenesis. In the setting of injury, however, we and others have also shown that non-stem cells can also give rise to colonic tumors. The mechanism by which inflammation leads to cellular plasticity and cancer, however, remains largely unknown.

Interferon-γ signaling in eosinophilic esophagitis affects epithelial barrier function and programmed cell death.

Background & Aims: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic esophageal inflammatory disorder characterized by eosinophil-rich mucosal inflammation and tissue remodeling. Prior research has revealed the upregulation of interferon (IFN) response signature genes (ISGs) in biopsy tissue from EoE patients, but the specific cell types that contribute to this IFN response and the effect of interferons on the esophageal epithelium remain incompletely understood. Here, we use scRNA-seq to examine the expression of IFN and ISGs during EoE and explore how IFN-α and IFN-γ treatments affect epithelial function.

An Update on Animal Models of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a significant global health concern and a leading cause of liver disease-related deaths. However, the treatment options are limited due to the lack of animal models that accurately replicate ALD pathogenesis. An ideal ALD animal model should have pathological characteristics similar to those of human ALD, with a clear pathological process and ease of drug intervention.

Rice intake among infants and toddlers from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2016.

Background: The Food and Drug Administration's Closer to Zero Action Plan aims to reduce toxic element exposure from foods infants and toddlers eat. Rice has been identified as a source of inorganic arsenic in the diets of infants and toddlers.

Objective: Evaluate consumption of rice and rice-containing foods from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016.

Sex-Specific Effects of In Utero Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on Placental Development.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants that may impact placental function, and potentially gestational age acceleration (GAA), a deviation from reported and predicted gestational age. GAA potentially represents differences in cell maturation in response to a challenging environment.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the effects of individual and mixtures of PFAS on GAA, cell composition, birth length, and birthweight.

Assessing the potential role of deer in the dissemination of Mycobacterium bovis infection to cattle in Northern Ireland.

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of animal tuberculosis, exhibits a broad host range - infecting, inducing pathology and transmitting from both bovine and wildlife hosts. Considerable effort has been extended to understanding the role wildlife may play in persistence and spread of infection. Infected cervids can spread infection to conspecifics and sympatric livestock as observed in the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) population of Michigan, USA.

Historical biogeography of the Mugil cephalus species complex and its rapid global colonization.

Our understanding of speciation processes in marine environments remains very limited and the role of different reproductive barriers are still debated. While physical barriers were considered important drivers causing reproductive isolation, recent studies highlight the importance of climatic and hydrological changes creating unsuitable habitat conditions as factors promoting population isolation. Although speciation in marine fish has been investigated from different perspectives, these studies often have a limited geographical extant.

Recommending Surgery Increases Patient Satisfaction with Arthroplasty Surgeons.

Background: Current guidelines recommend shared decision-making in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis, but the impact of individual treatment decisions on patient satisfaction scores is unknown. We hypothesized that clinic Press Ganey satisfaction ratings would be higher for patients who later underwent arthroplasty than patients who did not have surgery.

Methods: Press Ganey satisfaction surveys were obtained from all patient visits at a single academic institution's arthroplasty clinic from 2010 to 2018.

Impact of Early Menopause and Hormonal Therapy Replacement on Aortic Stenosis Progression.

Background: Early menopause has been associated with several cardiovascular diseases. Its impact on the progression of aortic stenosis (AS) remains unknown. We conducted an analysis to examine the impact of early menopause without hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) on the progression of AS in postmenopausal women with AS.

Atgl-dependent adipocyte lipolysis promotes lipodystrophy and restrains fibrogenic responses during skin fibrosis.

During skin fibrosis, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins are overproduced, and resident lipid-filled, mature dermal adipocytes are depleted in both human disease and mouse models. However, the mechanisms by which the reduction in lipid-filled adipocytes occurs during fibrosis are not well understood. Here, we identify that adipocyte lipolysis via the rate limiting enzyme, adipocyte triglyceride lipase (Atgl), is required for loss of adipose tissue during skin fibrosis in mice.