Female Brain and Endocrinological Research-Veteran (FemBER-Vet) study: A study protocol for identifying endocrinological, lifestyle and psychosocial determinants of brain health outcomes in female veterans for future intervention success.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated a greater risk of dementia in female veterans compared to civilians; with the highest prevalence noted for former service women with a diagnosis of psychiatric (trauma, alcoholism, depression), and/or a physical health condition (brain injury, insomnia, diabetes). Such findings highlight the need for increased and early screening of medical and psychiatric conditions, and indeed dementia, in the female veteran population. Further, they call for a better understanding of the underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms that might confer heightened risk for female veterans, to tailor preventative and interventional strategies that support brain health across the lifespan.

Antibodies and Inflammation: Fecal Biomarkers of Gut Health in Domestic Ruminants.

Gastrointestinal infections present major challenges to ruminant livestock systems, and gut health is a key constraint on fitness, welfare, and productivity. Fecal biomarkers present opportunities to monitor animal health without using invasive methods, and with greater resolution compared to observational metrics. Here we developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for three potential fecal biomarkers of gut health in domestic ruminants: two immunological (total immunoglobulin [Ig]A and total IgG) and one inflammatory (lactoferrin).

Integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and network pharmacology to investigate multi-target effects of sporoderm-broken spores of on improving HFD-induced diabetic nephropathy rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major metabolic disease endangering global health, with diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a primary complication lacking curative therapy. Sporoderm-broken spores of (GLP), an herbal medicine, has been used for the treatment of metabolic disorders. In this study, DN was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using streptozotocin (STZ) and a high-fat diet (HFD), and the protective mechanisms of GLP were investigated through transcriptomic, metabolomic, and network pharmacology (NP) analyses.

Vibrational and Electronic Spectroscopy of 2-Cyanoindene Cations.

2-Cyanoindene is one of the few specific aromatic or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules positively identified in Taurus molecular cloud-1 (TMC-1), a cold, dense molecular cloud that is considered the nearest star-forming region to Earth. We report cryogenic mid-infrared (550-3200 cm) and visible (16,500-20,000 cm, over the ← electronic transition) spectra of 2-cyanoindene radical cations (2CNI), measured using messenger tagging (He and Ne) photodissociation spectroscopy. The infrared spectra reveal the prominence of anharmonic couplings, particularly over the fingerprint region.

Association of GLP1R locus with mental ill-health endophenotypes and cardiometabolic traits: A trans-ancestry study in UK Biobank.

Aims: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA), used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, have been associated with off-target behavioural effects. We systematically assessed genetic variation in the GLP1R locus for impact on mental ill-health (MIH) and cardiometabolic phenotypes across diverse populations within UK Biobank.

Materials And Methods: All genetic variants with minor allele frequency >1% in the GLP1R locus were investigated for associations with MIH phenotypes and cardiometabolic phenotypes.

Assessing the Impact of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic on RSV Seasonality in Europe.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, atypical respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulation patterns emerged, with the occurrence of RSV activity outside the typical winter season. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on RSV seasonality.

Methods: The onset, offset and peak of RSV epidemics from 2018 to 2022 across 12 European countries were determined using the 3% positivity threshold method.

Pilot study of a ketogenic diet in bipolar disorder: a process evaluation.

Background: Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, which requires new strategies for prevention and management. Recent evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet may be an effective intervention. This research aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a ketogenic diet intervention for bipolar disorder, fidelity to its behavioural components and the experiences of the participants and research clinicians involved.

Resolution of oncogene-induced senescence markers in HPV-infected cervical cancer tissue.

Background: Oncogene-Induced Senescence (OIS) is a form of senescence that occurs as a consequence of oncogenic overstimulation and possibly infection by oncogenic viruses. Whether senescence plays a role in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer (CC) is not well understood. Moreover, whether cervical epithelial cells that are part of the premalignant cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), exhibit markers of OIS in Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-infected tissue, has not been investigated.

Patient and public involvement in the co-design and assessment of unobtrusive sensing technologies for care at home: a user-centric design approach.

Background: There is growing interest in developing sensing solutions for remote health monitoring to support the safety and independence of older adults. To ensure these technologies are practical and relevant, people-centred design is essential. This study aims to explore the involvement of various stakeholders across different developmental stages to inform the design and assess the capabilities of unobtrusive sensing solutions being developed as part of the Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC), Edinburgh, UK.

A Chromosome-level genome assembly of the alpine medicinal plant Bergenia purpurascens (Saxifragaceae).

Mountain ecosystems harbor high levels of biodiversity, but the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptation to harsh alpine conditions remain largely unknown. Bergenia purpurascens (Saxifragaceae) is an important alpine endemic species of the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM), with this species being used as a source of medicine and as an ornamental plant. In this study, we generated a high-quality genome assembly comprising scaffolds representing the 17 chromosomes, with a total length of 650.

Molten Sn solvent expands liquid metal catalysis.

Regulating favorable assemblies of metallic atoms in the liquid state provides promise for catalyzing various chemical reactions. Expanding the selection of metallic solvents, especially those with unique properties and low cost, enables access to distinctive fluidic atomic structures on the surface of liquid alloys and offers economic feasibility. Here, Sn solvent, as a low-cost commodity, supports unique atomic assemblies at the interface of molten SnInCu, which are highly selective for H synthesis from hydrocarbons.

When did recombination suppression events occur in bird ZW sex chromosomes?

A recent paper found that the sex chromosomes of the crested ibis have more gametolog pairs than many other birds. This Comment discusses that this finding suggets that WZ recombination stopped independently in the sex chromosomes in different bird lineages.

Ligand-Directed Actinide Oxo-Bond Manipulation in Actinyl Thiacalix[4]arene Complexes.

Understanding the chemistry of the inert actinide oxo bond in actinyl ions AnO22+ is important for controlling actinide behavior in the environment, during separations, and in nuclear waste (An = U, Np, Pu). The thioether calixarene TC4A (4-tert-butyltetrathiacalix[4]arene) binds equatorially to [AnO2]n+ (An = U, Np) forming a conical pocket that differentiates the two trans-oxo groups. The 'ate' complexes, [A]2[UO2(TC4A)] (A = [Li(DME)2], HNEt3) and [HNEt3]2[NpO2(TC4A)], enable selective oxo chemistry.

Prevalence and potential implications of HPV infection in transgender women with gender reaffirming genital surgery: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common infection of the anogenital tract. Although most infections clear, persistent infections with oncogenic types can predispose to cancer. While the natural history of anogenital HPV infection in cisgendered women is relatively well understood, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding HPV prevalence and clinical implications of genital HPV infection in transgender women (TGW) with neovagina(s).

Continuous colonization of the Atlantic coastal rain forests of South America from Amazônia.

The two main extensions of rain forest in South America are the Amazon (Amazônia) and the Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), which are separated by a wide 'dry diagonal' of seasonal vegetation. We used the species-rich tree genus to test if Amazônia-Mata Atlântica dispersals have been clustered during specific time periods corresponding to past, humid climates. We performed hybrid capture DNA sequencing of 810 nuclear loci for 453 accessions representing 164 species that included 62% of Mata Atlântica species and estimated a dated phylogeny for all accessions using maximum likelihood, and a species-level tree using coalescent methods.

Orchestrated immune responses to Mycobacterium marinum natural infection in tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis).

Mycobacterium marinum is a major pathogen in aquaculture, posing a substantial threat to the health and sustainability of tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) farming. This study investigated the genetic basis of immune response in tongue sole by comparing transcriptome profiles of liver and spleen tissues from symptomatic (susceptible) and healthy (resistant) individuals during a natural M. marinum outbreak.

Future Directions in Understanding Acute and Chronic Effects of Mental Fatigue in Sports: A Commentary on Bridging Laboratory Findings and Real-World Applications.

Background: Mental fatigue (MF) is a psychobiological state that could negatively impact physical and cognitive performance, although the extent of this impact remains controversial. While laboratory studies have provided valuable insights into the acute effects of MF, their ecological validity in real-world sport settings remains limited. Recent research indicates that MF can naturally arise during sport activities, leading to chronic effects on endurance and perceptual-cognitive skills.

Longitudinal observational (single cohort) study on the causes of trypanocide failure in cases of African animal trypanosomosis in cattle near wildlife protected areas of Northern Tanzania.

African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) in cattle is primarily managed through trypanocide administration and insecticide application. Trypanocides can be used for both treatment and prophylaxis, but failure is often reported; this may occur due to resistance, substandard drugs, or inappropriate administration. This study in Tanzania aims to quantify reasons for trypanocide failure.

Maternal education and prenatal smoking associations with adolescent executive function are substantially confounded by genetics.

Twin studies have suggested extremely high estimates of heritability for adolescent executive function, with no substantial contributions from shared environment. However, developmental psychology research has found significant correlations between executive function outcomes and elements of the environment that would be shared in twins. It is unclear whether these seemingly contradictory findings are best explained by genetic confounding in developmental studies or limitations in twin studies, which can potentially underestimate shared environment.

Germ cell quantification in human fetal and prepubertal testis tissues - a comparison of current methodologies.

Methods to quantify germ cell number in human immature testicular tissues are essential to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy exposures and for optimising cryopreservation protocols used in fertility preservation for prepubertal boys. Established quantification methods rely on the presence of round tubules within the tissue. However, round tubular cross sections are limited in human prepubertal testicular tissues, especially when using in vitro culture.

Paradoxical dominant negative activity of an immunodeficiency-associated activating variant.

encodes three regulatory subunits of class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), each associating with any of three catalytic subunits, namely p110α, p110β, or p110δ. Constitutional mutations cause diseases with a genotype-phenotype relationship not yet fully explained: heterozygous loss-of-function mutations cause SHORT syndrome, featuring insulin resistance and short stature attributed to reduced p110α function, while heterozygous activating mutations cause immunodeficiency, attributed to p110δ activation and known as APDS2. Surprisingly, APDS2 patients do not show features of p110α hyperactivation, but do commonly have SHORT syndrome-like features, suggesting p110α hypofunction.

A systematic review of current national hospital-based stroke registries monitoring access to evidence-based care and patient outcomes.

Background: National stroke clinical quality registries/audits support improvements in stroke care. In a 2016 systematic review, 28 registries were identified. Since 2016 there have been important advances in stroke care, including the development of thrombectomy services.

The trade of illicit cigarettes in Ghana: Insights from a policy synthesis and qualitative study.

The illicit trade of tobacco products trade continues to challenge tobacco control efforts in several African countries, including Ghana. Ghana recently ratified the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products ('the Protocol'). This Protocol aims to eliminate all kinds of illicit tobacco.