Denoising complex-valued diffusion MR images using a two-step, nonlocal principal component analysis approach.

Purpose: To propose a two-step, nonlocal principal component analysis (PCA) method and demonstrate its utility for denoising complex diffusion MR images with a few diffusion directions.

Methods: A two-step denoising pipeline was implemented to ensure accurate patch selection even with high noise levels and was coupled with data preprocessing for g-factor normalization and phase stabilization before data denoising with a nonlocal PCA algorithm. At the heart of our proposed pipeline was the use of a data-driven optimal shrinkage algorithm to manipulate the singular values in a way that would optimally estimate the noise-free signal.

A dual-purification system to isolate mitochondrial subpopulations.

Mitochondria perform diverse functions, such as producing ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, synthesizing macromolecule precursors, maintaining redox balance, and many others. Given this diversity of functions, we and others have hypothesized that cells maintain specialized subpopulations of mitochondria. To begin addressing this hypothesis, we developed a new dual-purification system to isolate subpopulations of mitochondria for chemical and biochemical analyses.

Predictors for long-term incomplete nidus obliteration following stereotactic radiosurgery for brain arteriovenous malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: This study aimed to identify predictive factors for long-term incomplete nidus obliteration following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Material And Methods: A systematic search across the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases identified observational studies reporting such factors. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

Thermal Adaptation of Cytosolic Malate Dehydrogenase Revealed by Deep Learning and Coevolutionary Analysis.

Protein evolution has shaped enzymes that maintain stability and function across diverse thermal environments. While sequence variation, thermal stability and conformational dynamics are known to influence an enzyme's thermal adaptation, how these factors collectively govern stability and function across diverse temperatures remains unresolved. Cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH), a citric acid cycle enzyme, is an ideal model for studying these mechanisms due to its temperature-sensitive flexibility and broad presence in species from diverse thermal environments.

A 10-year examination of people with psychosis in American television programing: are representations improving over time?

Background: Media portrayals inform understandings of mental illness; yet little research has investigated representations of characters with psychosis in fictional television programming.

Aims: This study examined the valence and trends regarding representations of people with psychosis in popular fictional television programing in the United States, one of the most influential markets in the world.

Methods: A content analysis was conducted of the 50 most-watched American primetime fictional television shows from 2011 to 2021.

iBCS: 4. Application of the Inhalation Biopharmaceutics Classification System to the Development of Orally Inhaled Drug Products.

This is the fourth paper in a series describing an inhalation biopharmaceutics classification system (iBCS), an initiative supported by the Product Quality Research Institute. The paper examines the application of the inhalation Biopharmaceutics Classification System (iBCS) through the drug discovery, development, and postapproval phases for orally inhaled drug products (OIDP) and for the development of generic OIDPs. We consider the implication of the iBCS class in terms of product performance and identify the practical gaps that must be filled to enable the classification system to be adopted into day-to-day practice.

Associations between Ultrafine Particles and Incident Dementia in Older Adults.

Fine particulate matter (PM) is linked to dementia risk, but ultrafine particles (UFPs, <100 nm) may be even more toxic due to their distinct physicochemical properties. However, evidence on UFPs and dementia remains limited. This study assessed the association between UFP exposure and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) among U.

Temporal Profiling of Male Cortical Astrocyte Transcription Predicts Molecular Shifts From Early Development to Aging.

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes are born during the early postnatal period in the rodent brain and mature alongside neurons, demonstrating remarkable morphological structural complexity, which is attained in the second postnatal month. Throughout this period of development and across the remainder of the lifespan, astrocytes participate in CNS homeostasis, support neuronal partners, and contribute to nearly all aspects of CNS function.

Availability, Participation, and Interest in Workplace Wellness Programs for Head Start Educators.

Head Start (HS) is the largest federally funded early childhood education program in the United States. It prepares children socially, emotionally, and academically and sets the foundation for school readiness and academic success. In 2024, the Head Start Program Performance Standards were updated to provide enhanced support and workforce stability, including improvements in health and wellness.

Medication experiences in the treatment of opioid use disorders: Insights from Reddit.

Background And Aims: Better understanding the challenges faced by patients on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including methadone and buprenorphine, is critical to increasing their use/retention. Social media platforms such as Reddit offer a space for patients to share their experiences with medications. We aimed to identify and characterize challenges faced by patients taking MOUD through analysis of discussions from the r/Methadone and r/suboxone subreddits.

Transforming Ableism in Physical Therapist Education One Student at a Time: A Case Report of a Student with Blindness.

Objective: The prevalence of students with disabilities in physical therapist education programs in the United States is <1%. This case report explored the experiences surrounding a specific, unique individual student with blindness or visual impairment (BVI) within the context of an entry-level physical therapist program. The purpose was not merely to describe 1 student's journey but to capture the complex dynamics and shifts in perceptions of students, faculty, staff, and clinicians.

Ethical issues surrounding the implementation of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: This article discusses the ethical issues surrounding the integration of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LA-ART) in the programmatic management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As the medical landscape evolves, implementing LA-ART introduces many ethical issues that should be considered for the success of scale-up in diverse settings.

Methods: This article examines key issues such as bioethical concerns around the rollout of LA-ART, including regulatory requirements, a person's autonomy, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality; the societal implications of providing LA-ART, including the impact on stigma and discrimination; ethics around who receives LA-ART, financial accessibility, equitable access, inclusive decision-making and cultural sensitivity; and the ethics of providing an expensive intervention, including cost-effectiveness, supply chain sustainability and resource allocation.

Wnt5a regulates the expression of developmental genes in the adult retina following optic nerve crush injury.

Canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways are well-characterized regulators of retinal development. Wnt signaling also promotes neuroprotection and regeneration in adult tissues, including retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and axonal regrowth after optic nerve injury. However, it is unknown whether Wnt-dependent neuroprotection after injury in the adult CNS is associated with altered expression of developmental genes.

Invasive ductal carcinoma at the site of a cosmetic nipple piercing.

We report a young female patient diagnosed with an invasive ductal carcinoma at the site of a prior cosmetic nipple piercing. She had no significant familial, genetic, or other carcinogenic risk factors to account for her presentation. A review of the literature confirms that trauma can occasionally be associated with invasive breast cancer, but such a connection has not previously been related to nipple piercing procedures.

 and -two additional new species from the Neotropics (Peltigerales, Peltigeraceae).

Two additional species of are described as new to science based on material from Bolivia and Peru and supported by phylogenetic analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker. The two new species represent lineages within clade I on the global phylogeny. Ossowska, B.

Antibody responses in Burkinabe children against proteins associated with reduced risk of clinical malaria.

Individuals residing in malaria-endemic regions with high disease transmission can develop semi-immunity within five years of age. Although understanding the target of the IgGs in this age group helps discover novel blood-stage vaccine candidates and serological markers, it has not been well elucidated due to limited accessibility to plasmodial antigens and samples. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of antibody levels in plasma obtained from Burkinabe children (n=80, aged 0 to 5 years) to 1307 proteins expressed by the eukaryotic wheat germ cell-free system.

Maplirpacept: a CD47 decoy receptor with minimal red blood cell binding and robust anti-tumor efficacy.

Introduction: CD47 is highly expressed on cancer cells and triggers an anti-phagocytic "don't eat me" signal when bound by the inhibitory signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) expressed on macrophages. While CD47 blockade can mitigate tumor growth, many CD47 blockers also bind to red blood cells (RBCs), leading to anemia. Maplirpacept (TTI-622, PF-07901801) is a CD47 blocking fusion protein consisting of a human SIRPα fused to an IgG4 Fc region and designed to limit binding to RBCs.

The multi-faceted immune modulatory role of S100A4 in cancer and chronic inflammatory disease.

S100A4 is a Ca-binding protein involved in multiple chronic inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. This review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of S100A4 function in immune cells, comparing and contrasting S100A4 regulation of immune responses in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. We provide evidence that S100A4 regulation of immune cell function has a profound role in promoting the pathogenesis of cancer and pro-inflammatory conditions.

Impact of menopause and age on breast density and background parenchymal enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: Breast density (BD) and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) are important imaging biomarkers for breast cancer (BC) risk. We aim to evaluate longitudinal changes in quantitative BD and BPE in high-risk women undergoing dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), focusing on the effects of age and transition into menopause.

Approach: A retrospective cohort study analyzed 834 high-risk women undergoing breast DCE-MRI for screening between 2005 and 2020.

A comparative analysis of influenza and COVID-19: Environmental-ecological impacts, socioeconomic implications, and future challenges.

In the last century, global pandemics have been primarily driven by respiratory infections, which consistently rank among the top 20 causes of death worldwide. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the intricate nature of managing multiple health crises simultaneously. In recent years, climate change has emerged as a major biosafety and population health challenge.

Biomarkers to aid in diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an increasingly common skin condition characterized by itchy rashes in response to allergens. The most common diagnostic test involves patch testing (PT), but despite the efficacy of PT for identifying and guiding patients toward avoidance of allergens, PT alone does not elucidate the underlying biomechanistic changes which may be useful for sub-categorizing ACD further. In addition, some patients may never be able to identify their causative allergens unless they go to highly specialized ACD centers.

Profiling hippocampal neuronal populations reveals unique gene expression mosaics reflective of connectivity-based degeneration in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit neurological deficits throughout life including the development of in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and cognitive impairment. At the cellular level, dysregulation in neuronal gene expression is observed in postmortem human brain and mouse models of DS/AD. To date, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of hippocampal neuronal gene expression including the characterization of discrete circuit-based connectivity in DS remains a major knowledge gap.

Sorting of complex sphingolipids within the cellular endomembrane systems.

Cells contain a plethora of structurally diverse lipid species, which are unevenly distributed across the different cellular membrane compartments. Some of these lipid species require vesicular trafficking to reach their subcellular destinations. Here, we review recent advances made in the field that contribute to understanding lipid sorting during endomembrane trafficking.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tobacco product consumption and behavioral patterns from a low-middle income country perspective: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Previous studies investigating socioeconomic status and tobacco consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic were survey-based. To extend knowledge beyond prevalence rates and trends of tobacco consumption, qualitative research is needed to identify individual's experiences. There is a critical gap within this context, particularly in low-middle income countries.