Unraveling the impact of congenital deafness on individual brain organization.

Research on brain plasticity, particularly in the context of deafness, consistently emphasizes the reorganization of the auditory cortex. But to what extent do all individuals with deafness show the same level of reorganization? To address this question, we examined the individual differences in functional connectivity (FC) from the deprived auditory cortex. Our findings demonstrate remarkable differentiation between individuals deriving from the absence of shared auditory experiences, resulting in heightened FC variability among deaf individuals, compared to more consistent FC in the hearing group.

Update on Cancer Screening Recommendations for Individuals with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition condition characterized by a high lifetime risk for a wide spectrum of malignancies associated with germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Secondary malignant neoplasms are particularly common. Early cancer detection through surveillance enables early intervention and leads to improved clinical outcomes with reduced tumor-related mortality and treatment-related morbidity.

The Legalome: Microbiology, Omics and Criminal Justice.

Advances in neuromicrobiology and related omics technologies have reinforced the idea that unseen microbes play critical roles in human cognition and behaviour. Included in this research is evidence indicating that gut microbes, through direct and indirect pathways, can influence aggression, anger, irritability and antisocial behaviour. Moreover, gut microbes can manufacture chemicals that are known to compromise cognition.

Volumetric, Microfluidic Plasmonic RT-PCR.

Decentralized molecular detection of pathogens remains an important goal for public health. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the gold-standard molecular detection method, thermocycling using Peltier heaters presents challenges in decentralized settings. Recent work has demonstrated plasmonic PCR, where nanomaterials on a surface or nanoparticles in solution heat upon stimulation by light, as a promising method for rapid thermocycling.

Macroscopically Self-Aligned and Chiralized Carbon Nanotubes: From Filtration to Innovation.

Because of their natural 1D structure combined with intricate chiral variations, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit various exceptional physical properties, such as ultrahigh thermal conductivity and diameter-dependent electrical behavior, ranging from semiconducting to metallic. While CNTs excel individually at the nanoscale, their 1D and chiral nature can be lost on a macroscopic scale when they are randomly assembled. Therefore, the alignment and organization of CNTs in macroscopic structures is crucial for harnessing their full potential.

Antitumor efficacy of intermittent low-dose erlotinib plus sulindac via MHC upregulation and remodeling of the immune cell niche.

A previously reported clinical trial in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients treated with erlotinib plus sulindac (ERL + SUL) highlighted immune response/interferon-γ signaling as a key pathway. In this study, we combine intermittent low-dose ERL ± SUL treatment in the polyposis in rat colon (Pirc) model with mechanistic studies on tumor-associated immune modulation. At clinically relevant doses, short-term (16 weeks) and long-term (46 weeks) ERL ± SUL administration results in near-complete tumor suppression in Pirc colon and duodenum (p < 0.

Deep Learning Estimation of Small Airways Disease from Inspiratory Chest CT: Clinical Validation, Repeatability, and Associations with Adverse Clinical Outcomes in COPD.

Rationale: Quantifying functional small airways disease (fSAD) requires additional expiratory computed tomography (CT) scan, limiting clinical applicability. Artificial intelligence (AI) could enable fSAD quantification from chest CT scan at total lung capacity (TLC) alone (fSAD).

Objectives: To evaluate an AI model for estimating fSAD, compare it with dual-volume parametric response mapping fSAD (fSAD), and assess its clinical associations and repeatability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Preserving the Biologically Coherent Generic Concept of , 'Plant Destroyer'.

is a long-established, well known and globally important genus of plant pathogens. Phylogenetic evidence has shown that the biologically distinct, obligate biotrophic downy mildews evolved from at least twice. Since, cladistically, this renders 'paraphyletic', it has been proposed that evolutionary clades be split into multiple genera (Runge et al.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A National Survey of Physician Practices.

We aimed to identify changes in United States practice patterns in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis and treatment following publication of the 2008 Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) study that supported transition toward a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. A total of 1,030 U.S.

Tryptophan and Its Metabolite Serotonin Impact Metabolic and Mental Disorders via the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis: A Focus on Sex Differences.

The crisis of metabolic and mental disorders continues to escalate worldwide. A growing body of research highlights the influence of tryptophan and its metabolites, such as serotonin, beyond their traditional roles in neural signaling. Serotonin acts as a key neurotransmitter within the brain-gut-microbiome axis, a critical bidirectional communication network affecting both metabolism and behavior.

Metaboloepigenetics: Role in the Regulation of Flow-Mediated Endothelial (Dys)Function and Atherosclerosis.

Endothelial dysfunction is the main initiating factor in atherosclerosis. Through mechanotransduction, shear stress regulates endothelial cell function in both homeostatic and diseased states. Accumulating evidence reveals that epigenetic changes play critical roles in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis.

Few-Layer Graphene-Based Optical Nanobiosensors for the Early-Stage Detection of Ovarian Cancer Using Liquid Biopsy and an Active Learning Strategy.

Ovarian cancer survival depends strongly on the time of diagnosis. Detection at stage 1 must be the goal of liquid biopsies for ovarian cancer detection. We report the development and validation of graphene-based optical nanobiosensors (G-NBSs) that quantify the activities of a panel of proteases, which were selected to provide a crowd response that is specific for ovarian cancer.

Interleukin 24 Promotes Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Glucose Regulation, and Apoptosis by Inactivating Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta in Human Prostate Cancer Cells.

Interleukin 24 (IL-24) is a tumor-suppressing protein currently in clinical trials. We previously demonstrated that IL-24 leads to apoptosis in cancer cells through protein kinase A (PKA) activation in human breast cancer cells. To better understand the mechanism by which IL-24 induces apoptosis, we analyzed the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β), a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase in cancer cells and a downstream target of PKA.

Chronic Pain Induced by Social Defeat Stress in Juvenile Mice Depends on TLR4.

A significant portion of adolescents suffer from mental illnesses and persistent pain due to repeated stress. The components of the nervous system that link stress and pain in early life remain unclear. Prior studies in adult mice implicated the innate immune system, specifically Toll-like receptors (TLRs), as critical for inducing long-term anxiety and pain-like behaviors in social defeat stress (SDS) models.

Differences in Formation of Prepuce and Urethral Groove During Penile Development Between Guinea Pigs and Mice Are Controlled by Differential Expression of Shh, Fgf10 and Fgfr2.

The penile tubular urethra forms by canalization of the urethral plate without forming an obvious urethral groove in mice, while the urethral epithelium forms a fully open urethral groove before urethra closure through the distal-opening-proximal-closing process in humans and guinea pigs. Our knowledge of the mechanism of penile development is mainly based on studies in mice. To reveal how the fully opened urethral groove forms in humans and guinea pigs, we compared the expression patterns and levels of key developmental genes using in situ hybridization and quantitative PCR during glans and preputial development between guinea pigs and mice.

Targeted Inhibition of CHD1L by OTI-611 Reprograms Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Suppresses Proliferation to Produce Synergistic Antitumor Effects in Breast and Colorectal Cancer.

The second and third most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide are breast (2.3 million new cases) and colorectal (1.9 million new cases), respectively.

The Microbiome in Asthma Heterogeneity: The Role of Multi-Omic Investigations.

Asthma is one of the most prevalent and extensively studied chronic respiratory conditions, yet the heterogeneity of asthma remains biologically puzzling. Established factors like exogenous exposures and treatment adherence contribute to variability in asthma risk and clinical outcomes. It is also clear that the endogenous factors of genetics and immune system response patterns play key roles in asthma.

Expression of CD47 protein in hematolymphoid neoplasms: Implications for CD47-mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Objectives: Recent studies show that blocking CD47-SIRPα interactions is a promising target in checkpoint inhibition for cancer immunotherapy. However, to date, the expression of CD47 is not well characterized in various hematolymphoid neoplasms.

Methods: This study evaluates CD47 expression in a wide range of hematolymphoid neoplasms using immunohistochemistry on 834 cases.

Penile prosthesis for erectile dysfunction: recommendations from the 5th International Consultation on Sexual Medicine.

Introduction: Penile prosthesis (PP) is one of the main approved therapies for erectile dysfunction (ED). Greater than 50 years of clinical use has led to considerable innovation in PP surgery and patient care.

Objectives: To summarize the current literature and provide updated clinical evidence to inform healthcare providers on best practices with PP.

Multi-level barriers to equitable postpartum permanent contraception.

Background: There are several barriers to fulfillment of desired postpartum permanent contraception (PC). Prior research has primarily focused on the federal Medicaid sterilization policy as a barrier to PC; however, other barriers need to be examined.

Objectives: To explore the levels and intersections of barriers to postpartum PC that exist external to the Medicaid policy.

Multiscale Mechanical Characterization of Mineral-Reinforced Wood Cell Walls.

Studying the multiscale mechanics of bio-based composites offers unique perspectives on underlying structure-property relations. Cellular materials, such as wood, are highly organized, hierarchical assemblies of load-bearing structural elements that respond to mechanical stimuli at the microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scale. In this study, we modified oak wood with nanocrystalline ferrihydrite, a widespread ferric oxyhydroxide mineral, and characterized the resulting mechanical properties of the composite at various levels of organization.