Increasing microplastic concentrations have nonlinear impacts on the physiology of reef-building corals.

The pollution of marine environments with plastics, particularly microplastic (MP, i.e., plastic particles <5 mm), is a major threat to marine biota, including corals.

Adherence to institutional stroke alert criteria in an academic adult emergency department population.

Background: Timely recognition of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is essential to identify patients who may be eligible for acute intervention. Protocols to streamline systems-based care, such as "stroke alerts" in the emergency department (ED) can safely reduce time-to-care while enhancing safety. However, clinician adherence to stroke alert criteria is poorly described.

The dispositif is alive! Recovering social agents in Foucauldian analysis.

Michel Foucault's concept of the dispositif is increasingly salient in sociological scholarship. We identify and criticise an 'anonymous' emphasis in this scholarship, which often presents the dispositif as an anonymous network that acts without human agents. To remedy this tendency we develop an agent-inclusive version of the dispositif for sociological research.

Impacts of City Life on Nutrition: Evidence From Resettlement Lotteries in China.

Urban environments are thought to improve food security, by offering enhanced access to markets and income opportunities. Yet this idea is hard to test empirically due to an abundance of confounding factors and selection issues. This study leverages a resettlement program in China to provide the first quasi-experimental estimate of city life on food consumption and nutrition among low-income households.

Real-world safety and efficacy of teclistamab in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: results from a multicenter, retrospective study and descriptive meta-analysis.

Patients participating in clinical trials are highly selected and may not represent the general population. The pivotal study of teclistamab (MajesTEC-1), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)xCD3 bispecific antibody, demonstrated impressive response rates and progression free survival in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with acceptable toxicity. We performed a retrospective study of 58 patients treated as standard of care at four US academic centers to determine how these results translated to the real-world.

Fate erasure logic of gene networks underlying direct neuronal conversion of somatic cells by microRNAs.

Neurogenic microRNAs 9/9 and 124 (miR-9/9-124) drive the direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts into neurons with the initiation of the fate erasure of fibroblasts. However, whether the miR-9/9-124 fate erasure logic extends to the neuronal conversion of other somatic cell types remains unknown. Here, we uncover that miR-9/9-124 induces neuronal conversion of multiple cell types: dura fibroblasts, astrocytes, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes.

SLC7A5 is required for cancer cell growth under arginine-limited conditions.

Tumor cells must optimize metabolite acquisition between synthesis and uptake from a microenvironment characterized by hypoxia, lactate accumulation, and depletion of many amino acids, including arginine. We performed a metabolism-focused functional screen using CRISPR-Cas9 to identify pathways and factors that enable tumor growth in an arginine-depleted environment. Our screen identified the SLC-family transporter SLC7A5 as required for growth, and we hypothesized that this protein functions as a high-affinity citrulline transporter.

Protocol for assessing T cell receptor-mediated human T cell cytotoxicity.

Measuring the cytotoxicity of human T cells is a valuable but challenging task. We present a protocol for assessing the ability of polyclonal human T cells to kill target cells upon T cell receptor (TCR) triggering. We describe steps for preparing L and T cells for the assay and incubation of target cells with effector cells.

Protocol for capturing a full transcriptome from single preimplantation embryos using So-Smart-seq.

Strand-optimized Smart-seq (So-Smart-seq) can capture a comprehensive transcriptome from low-input samples. This technique detects both polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated RNAs, inclusive of repetitive RNAs, while excluding highly abundant ribosomal RNAs. So-Smart-seq preserves strand information and minimizes 5' to 3' coverage bias.

Protocol for generating splice isoform-specific mouse mutants using CRISPR-Cas9 and a minigene splicing reporter.

Here, we present a protocol to alter the production of alternatively spliced mRNA variants, without affecting the overall gene expression, through CRISPR-Cas9-engineered genomic mutations in mice. We describe steps for designing guide RNA to direct Cas9 endonuclease to consensus splice sites, producing transgenic mice through pronuclear injection, and screening for desired mutations in cultured mammalian cells using a minigene splicing reporter. Splice isoform-specific mouse mutants provide valuable tools for genetic analyses beyond loss-of-function and transgenic alleles.

Evidence-Based Medicine in Otolaryngology Part 17: A Qualitative Research Primer.

As qualitative data analysis becomes more frequently applied within the fields of medicine and surgery, it is beneficial to expand our knowledge of the utility, methodology, and interpretation of these techniques. While qualitative research serves a distinct purpose and differs from quantitative research, both can be approached with diligence, with careful techniques that are similarly maintained and respected. In advance of this installment in the Evidence-Based Medicine in Otolaryngology series, we presented a comparison between qualitative and quantitative methods.

Microbiological Profiles and Patterns of Resistance in Patients With Sinus Infections After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.

Objective: Identify common pathogens and antibiotic resistances in chronic rhinosinusitis patients post-endoscopic sinus surgery presenting with an active sinus infection.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Single-institution rhinology private practice in Southeast Florida.

National and Regional Trends in Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection From 1998 to 2019.

Objective: To analyze temporal changes and to assess the possible effect of newborn hearing screening (NBHS) programs on changes in congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) diagnostic rates in the United States.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

Otolaryngology Resident Education: Beyond Procedural Case Logs-A 10-Year Single Institutional Review.

Objective: To quantify the otolaryngologic diagnoses encountered in outpatient clinics by otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) residents during their 5 years of postgraduate training.

Methods: This is a retrospective review at a single institution following 5 consecutive graduating resident cohorts throughout their training. The electronic health record was queried for OHNS clinic encounters from 2013 through 2022 during which the resident physicians were included as the visit provider or assistant to an attending physician.

Disparities in Survival of Head and Neck Cancer in the Hispanic Population: Systematic-Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: The Hispanic health paradox (HHP), the observation that Hispanic people in the United States often experience better health outcomes than non-Hispanic people despite having worse prognostic factors, has not been evaluated for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a malignancy with marked racial disparities in outcomes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the HHP within the context of HNSCC.

Data Sources: CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus.

Meniscal forces and knee kinematics are affected by tibial slope modifying high tibial osteotomy.

Purpose: To quantify the effect of increasing the posterior tibial slope (PTS) on knee kinematics and the resultant medial and lateral meniscal forces.

Methods: In this controlled laboratory study, a 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) robotic testing system was used to apply external loading conditions to seven fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees: (1) 200-N axial compressive load, (2) 5-N m internal tibial +10-N m valgus torque and (3) 5-N m external tibial + 10-N m varus torque. Knee kinematics and the resultant medial and lateral meniscal forces were acquired for two PTS states: (1) native PTS and (2) increased PTS.

Iliac Crest Bone Graft and Fascia Lata Free Flap for Rescue of Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis.

Objective: Describe the use, indications, and outcomes of iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) with concomitant anterolateral thigh fascia lata (ALTFL) rescue flap for the management of mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN).

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Single institution.

Assessing the Impact of Vaccination Status on Meningitis Risk Post Cochlear Implantation.

Objective: To better understand the protective benefit of pneumococcal vaccines on rates of meningitis after cochlear implantation.

Study Design: Retrospective large database review.

Setting: Several studies have shown that cochlear implantation increases the incidence of bacterial meningitis, mostly due to pneumococcal meningitis.

Ref-1 is overexpressed in neovascular eye disease and targetable with a novel inhibitor.

Reduction-oxidation factor-1 or apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (Ref-1/APE1) is a crucial redox-sensitive activator of transcription factors such as NF-κB, HIF-1α, STAT-3 and others. It could contribute to key features of ocular neovascularization including inflammation and angiogenesis; these underlie diseases like neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). We previously revealed a role for Ref-1 in the growth of ocular endothelial cells and in choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

Imagine, Discover, Inspire: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the Trisomy 21 Research Society.

Down syndrome (DS) or trisomy 21 (T21) is present in a significant number of children and adults around the world and is associated with cognitive and medical challenges. Through research, the T21 Research Society (T21RS), established in 2014, unites a worldwide community dedicated to understanding the impact of T21 on biological systems and improving the quality of life of people with DS across the lifespan. T21RS hosts an international conference every two years to support collaboration, dissemination, and information sharing for this goal.

Ferguson Plot Analysis of Chaperone ClpB from Moderate Halophile.

The Ferguson plot is a simple method for determining the molecular weight of native proteins and their complexes. In this study, we tested the validity of the Ferguson plot based on agarose native gel electrophoresis using multimeric chaperone protein, ClpB, derived from a moderate halophile that forms a native hexamer. The Ferguson plot showed a single band with a molecular weight of 1,500 kDa, approximately twice the size of the native hexamer.

Demographic and clinical trends of young breast cancer patients from the national cancer database: disproportionate effect on minority populations.

Purpose: There is an increasing incidence of young breast cancer (YBC) patients with uncertainty surrounding the factors and patterns that are contributing.

Methods: We obtained characteristics and survival data from 206,156 YBC patients (≤ 40 years of age) diagnosed between 2005 and 2019 from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Patients were subdivided into two comparison groups based on year of diagnosis (2005-2009, Old vs.

Targeted animal models for preclinical assessment of cellular and gene therapies in pancreatic and liver diseases: regulatory and practical insights.

Cellular and gene therapy (CGT) products have emerged as a popular approach in regenerative medicine, showing promise in treating various pancreatic and liver diseases in numerous clinical trials. Before these therapies can be tested in human clinical trials, it is essential to evaluate their safety and efficacy in relevant animal models. Such preclinical testing is often required to obtain regulatory approval for investigational new drugs.

Nonopioid vs opioid analgesics after impacted third-molar extractions: The Opioid Analgesic Reduction Study randomized clinical trial.

Background: Opioids are still being prescribed to manage acute postsurgical pain. Unnecessary opioid prescriptions can lead to addiction and death, as unused tablets are easily diverted.

Methods: To determine whether combination nonopioid analgesics are at least as good as opioid analgesics, a multisite, double-blind, randomized, stratified, noninferiority comparative effectiveness trial was conducted, which examined patient-centered outcomes after impacted mandibular third-molar extraction surgery.