Structural and bioinformatics analyses identify deoxydinucleotide-specific nucleases and their association with genomic islands in gram-positive bacteria.

Dinucleases of the DEDD superfamily, such as oligoribonuclease, Rexo2 and nanoRNase C, catalyze the essential final step of RNA degradation, the conversion of di- to mononucleotides. The active sites of these enzymes are optimized for substrates that are two nucleotides long, and do not discriminate between RNA and DNA. Here, we identified a novel DEDD subfamily, members of which function as dedicated deoxydinucleases (diDNases) that specifically hydrolyze single-stranded DNA dinucleotides in a sequence-independent manner.

Type 2 Diabetes Disease and Management Patterns Across a Large, Diverse Healthcare System: Issues and Opportunities for Guideline-Directed Therapies.

Background: The prevalence, chronicity and clinical impact of type 2 diabetes (T2D) defines this disease state as a critical determinant in morbidity and mortality, as encountered by individuals, health care systems, and public health in general. The need to understand and optimize T2D identification and management is now further heightened by the advent of medications with established cardiovascular (CV) and kidney benefits in such patients, namely sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). Prescription rates for these agents have remained low despite guidelines incorporating and emphasizing their use.

Structure guided modification of 2-chloro-5-(ethyl-phenyl-sulfamoyl)-N-[2-(2-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-phenyl]-benzamide to afford selective inhibitors of Cryptosporidium parvum N-myristoyltransferase.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that causes severe diarrheal illness in children and each year nearly 50,000 children under age 5 die due to the disease. Despite tremendous research efforts, there remains a lack of effective therapies and vaccines. Novel inhibitors against N-myristoyltransferase of C.

AI-assisted Digital Video Analysis Reveals Changes in Gait Among Three-Day Event Horses During Competition.

The value and welfare of a performance horse are closely tie to locomotor behaviors, but we lack objective and quantitative measures for these characteristics, and qualitative approaches for assessing gait do not provide measures suitable for large-scale biomechanical research studies. Digital video analysis utilizing artificial intelligence-based strategies promise to meet the need for an economical, accurate, repeatable and objective technique for field quantification of equine locomotion. Here we describe pilot work using a consumer-level digital video camera to capture high-resolution and high-speed videos of horses moving at the trot during mandatory inspections for international-level eventing competitions.

Chromosome-level echidna genome illuminates evolution of multiple sex chromosome system in monotremes.

Background: A thorough analysis of genome evolution is fundamental for biodiversity understanding. The iconic monotremes (platypus and echidna) feature extraordinary biology. However, they also exhibit rearrangements in several chromosomes, especially in the sex chromosome chain.

A comparative study of Merkel cell carcinoma and melanoma incidence and survival in the United States, 2000-2021.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and melanoma are important contributors to skin cancer mortality in the United States. We evaluated their epidemiology using US cancer registry data. During 2000-2021, 19,444 MCCs and 646,619 melanomas of the skin were diagnosed.

Characterizing the urobiome and associated metabolic profiles during acute rejection in renal transplant patients: A pilot study.

Characteristic alterations in the urinary microbiome, or urobiome, are associated with renal transplant pathology. To date, there has been no direct study of the urobiome during acute allograft rejection. The goal of this study was to determine if unique urobiome alterations are present during acute rejection in renal transplant recipients.

Mapping theme trends and recognizing hot spots in acute spinal cord injury:a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Acute spinal cord injury causes severe motor and sensory dysfunction, significantly burdening individuals and society. This study uses bibliometric analysis to identify research trends and key areas, providing insights for future advancements in treatment.

Methods: Scientific publications on acute spinal cord injury were collected from PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) between 2000 and 2022.

The effects of social loss and isolation on partner odor investigation and dopamine and oxytocin receptor expression in female prairie voles.

In humans, grief is characterized by intense sadness, intrusive thoughts of the deceased, and intense longing for reunion with the deceased. Human fMRI studies show hyperactivity in emotional pain and motivational centers of the brain when an individual is reminded of a deceased attachment figure, but the molecular underpinnings of these changes in activity are unknown. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), which establish lifelong social bonds between breeding pairs, also display distress and motivational shifts during periods of prolonged social loss, providing a model to investigate these behavioral and molecular changes at a mechanistic level.

Integrative analysis of miRNAs and proteins in plasma extracellular vesicles of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Background And Aims: Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a monogenic disease that leads to early-onset atherosclerosis. Causative mutations in FH-related genes are found in 60-80 % of patients, while epigenetic factors may contribute to mutation-negative cases. This study analyzed miRNAs and proteins from plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) of FH patients to explore their contribution in FH diagnosis.

Assessment of Real-Time Natural Language Processing for Improving Diagnostic Specificity: A Prospective, Crossover Exploratory Study.

Background Reliable, precise, timely, and clear documentation of diagnoses is difficult. Poor specificity or the absence of diagnostic documentation can lead to decreased revenue and increased payor denials, audits, and queries to providers. Nuance's Dragon Medical Advisor (DMA) is a computer-assisted physician documentation (CAPD) product.

Probing the Self-Assembly dynamics of cellulose nanocrystals by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

Hypothesis: Charge-stabilized colloidal cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can self-assemble into higher-ordered chiral nematic structures by varying the volume fraction. The assembly process exhibits distinct dynamics during the isotropic to liquid crystal phase transition, which can be elucidated using X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS).

Experiments: Anionic CNCs were dispersed in propylene glycol (PG) and water spanning a range of volume fractions, encompassing several phase transitions.

A comprehensive analysis of serotype-specific invasive capacity, clinical presentations, and mortality trends of invasive pneumococcal disease.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) reduced invasive disease, but the overall prevalence of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization among children has not changed significantly. Our knowledge of which serotypes, once colonized, hold a higher likelihood to cause invasive disease is limited.

Methods: Serotype-specific invasive capacity (IC) of Streptococcus pneumoniae was estimated using an enhanced population-based invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) surveillance in children <7 years of age in Massachusetts and surveillance of nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization in selected Massachusetts communities in corresponding respiratory seasons.

Understanding and addressing the global impact: A systematic review and cross-sectional bibliometric analysis of Langya henipavirus and pre-existing severe henipaviruses.

In 2022, Langya henipavirus was identified in patients with fever in eastern China. This study provides an overview of the scientific landscape, highlights research focus areas, and outlines potential future investigations. The relevant scientific literature was systematically searched and reviewed via advanced bibliometric techniques.

Bone health ECHO case report: High bone mass in a patient with chronic kidney disease.

Bone Health ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a growing family of online educational programs. Its mission is to enhance delivery of best practice skeletal healthcare worldwide. Each program typically consists of a didactic lecture and discussion of clinical cases with diagnostic and treatment dilemmas.

Bone Health ECHO Case Report: Rare Cases of Hypophosphatemia and Low-Traumatic Fractures in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Bone Health ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a virtual community of practice that has been connecting healthcare professionals online once weekly for the past 10 years. A key component of each ECHO session is presentation and discussion of patient cases with diagnostic and treatment dilemmas. Here we present two wheelchair-bound female patients aged 47 years (Patient 1) and 34 years (Patient 2), both with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

A generalized objective CT-based method for quantifying articular fracture severity.

A CT-based method for objectively assessing fracture severity was previously developed and validated to address poor reliability in existing subjective fracture classification systems. The method involved quantifying the energy involved in creating a fracture. However, clinical utility of the method was hindered by reliance upon an intact contralateral CT and lengthy analysis time (8-10 h).

Exploring social determinants of healthcare and cognition levels among diverse older adults.

Background: The purpose was to investigate the impact of social determinants of health on healthcare utilization among older adults in two cognition groups: normal and dementia/impaired cognition.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 16,339) to assess healthcare utilization: hospital stay, nursing home stay, hospice care, and doctor visits. The respondents were classified into two cognition groups using the Langa-Weir approach.

Spirituality, self-blame, and trauma symptoms among adolescents waiting for treatment after disclosing sexual abuse.

Background: Adolescents who have been sexually abused commonly experience trauma symptoms, and many spend considerable time waiting for treatment.

Objective: This study examines the extent to which adolescent perceptions of divine spiritual support, divine spiritual struggles, and self-blame collected during a screening assessment predict trauma symptoms at the beginning of treatment.

Participants And Setting: Participants were 224 adolescents (92.

Computational advances in discovering cryptic pockets for drug discovery.

A number of promising therapeutic target proteins have been considered "undruggable" due to the lack of well-defined ligandable pockets. Substantial research in protein dynamics has elucidated the existence of "cryptic" pockets that only exist transiently and become favorable for binding in the presence of a ligand. These pockets provide an avenue to target challenging proteins, inspiring the development of multiple computational methods.

Regional Variations in the Management of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis of Surgical Excision and Endovascular Embolization.

Introduction: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) represent a complex neurosurgical challenge with management strategies that vary significantly across regions. The decision to treat unruptured AVMs, in particular, is controversial, with options ranging from conservative management to surgical excision or endovascular embolization. This study investigates regional variations in treating unruptured and ruptured AVMs in the United States.

Navigating marginalized identities in diverse organizations.

People with marginalized identities must often manage the diversity dynamics that are activated by their presence in organizations. Due to underrepresentation and stigmatization, they cope with a range of identity threats while navigating diverse settings. A host of studies over the past twenty-five years have examined the wide range of verbal and nonverbal tactics that people use to suppress and express their devalued versus valued social identities at work.