Reproducible gut microbial signatures in bipolar and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A metagenome-wide study.

Background: Numerous studies report gut microbiome variations in bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) compared to healthy individuals, though, there is limited consensus on which specific bacteria are associated with these disorders.

Methods: In this study, we performed a comprehensive metagenomic shotgun sequencing analysis in 103 Dutch patients with BD/SSD and 128 healthy controls matched for age, sex, body mass index and income, while accounting for diet quality, transit time and technical confounders. To assess the replicability of the findings, we used two validation cohorts (total n = 203), including participants from a distinct population with a different metagenomic isolation protocol.

Ellagic acid-modified gold nanoparticles to combat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and .

The overuse of antibiotics has led to the rapid development of multi-drug resistant bacteria, making antibiotics increasingly ineffective against bacterial infections. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies to combat multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections. In this study, gold nanoparticles modified with ellagic acid (EA-AuNPs) were prepared using a simple and mild one-pot hydrothermal process.

Pancreatic stellate cells support human pancreatic β-cell viability and enhance survival of immunoisolated human islets exposed to cytokines.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is proposed as a cure for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Despite its success in optimal regulation of glucose levels, limitations in longevity of islet grafts still require innovative solutions. Inflammatory stress post-transplantation and loss of extracellular matrix attribute to the limited β-cell survival.

Untargeted faecal metabolomics for the discovery of biomarkers and treatment targets for inflammatory bowel diseases.

The gut microbiome has been recognised as a key component in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and the wide range of metabolites produced by gut bacteria are an important mechanism by which the human microbiome interacts with host immunity or host metabolism. High-throughput metabolomic profiling and novel computational approaches now allow for comprehensive assessment of thousands of metabolites in diverse biomaterials, including faecal samples. Several groups of metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan metabolites and bile acids, have been associated with IBD.

Antigen-specific age-related memory CD8 T cells induce and track Alzheimer's-like neurodegeneration.

Cerebral (Aβ) plaque and (pTau) tangle deposition are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet are insufficient to confer complete AD-like neurodegeneration experimentally. Factors acting upstream of Aβ/pTau in AD remain unknown, but their identification could enable earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments. T cell abnormalities are emerging AD hallmarks, and CD8 T cells were recently found to mediate neurodegeneration downstream of tangle deposition in hereditary neurodegeneration models.

High LDL Particle and APOB Concentrations in Patients With Adrenal Cortical Adenomas.

Context: Patients with nonfunctioning adenomas (NFAs), adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and Cushing syndrome (CS) demonstrate an increased cardiovascular risk.

Objective: This work aimed to determine the extent of lipoprotein abnormalities in NFA, MACS, and CS.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, cross-sectional study of patients with NFA (n = 167), MACS (n = 213), CS (n = 142), and referent individuals (n = 202) between January 2015 and July 2022.

Candid insights and overlooked facets: what medical students write about patient-centeredness in diaries on longitudinal patient contacts.

Despite students' exposure to patient-centered care principles, their dedication to patient-centeredness often experiences a wane throughout their academic journey. The process of learning patient-centeredness is complex and not yet fully understood. Therefore, in our study, we sought to explore what aspects of patient-centeredness students spontaneously document in their diaries during interactions with actual patients.

Nano-architectonics of Pt single-atoms and differently-sized nanoparticles supported by manganese-oxide nanosheets and impact on catalytic and anti-biofilm activities.

Hybrid-nanozymes are promising in various applications, but comprehensive comparison of hybrid-nanozymes composed of single-atoms or nanoparticles on the same support has never been made. Here, manganese-oxide nanosheets were loaded with Pt-single-atoms or differently-sized nanoparticles and their oxidase- and-peroxidase activities compared. High-resolution Transmission-Electron-Microscopy and corresponding Fast Fourier Transform imaging showed that Pt-nanoparticles (1.

pH-Responsive Charge Convertible Hyperbranched Poly(ionic liquid) Nanoassembly with High Biocompatibility for Resistance-Free Antimicrobial Applications.

As a potential alternative to antibiotics, hyperbranched poly(ionic liquid)s (HPILs) have demonstrated significant potential in combating bacterial biofilms. However, their high cation density poses a high risk of toxicity, greatly limiting their applications. In this study, we constructed a biocompatible HPIL (HPIL-Glu) from a hyperbranched polyurea core with modified terminals featuring charge-convertible ionic liquids.

Characterization of Moderate and Severe Asthma Exacerbations in the CAPTAIN Study.

Background: Limited data exist on the relative impact of moderate and severe exacerbations on asthma control and impairment.

Objective: To explore data from the CAPTAIN trial to evaluate the relationship between first moderate or severe exacerbation and changes in lung function, symptoms, physical activity limitation scores, and short-acting β-agonist (SABA) usage to determine the clinical relevance of moderate events.

Methods: CAPTAIN was a phase IIIA 24- to 52-week, multicenter, international, randomized controlled trial evaluating efficacy and safety of fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) versus FF/VI in patients with uncontrolled asthma on inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β-agonist.

Self-reported smoking, urine cotinine, and risk of type 2 diabetes: Findings from the PREVEND prospective cohort study.

Background: Smoking is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the evidence has mostly relied on self-reports. We aimed to compare the associations of smoking exposure as assessed by self-reports and urine cotinine with T2D.

Methods: Using the PREVEND prospective study, smoking status was assessed at baseline by self-reports and urine cotinine in 4708 participants (mean age, 53 years) without a history of diabetes.

Interleukin 27, like interferons, activates JAK-STAT signaling and promotes pro-inflammatory and antiviral states that interfere with dengue and chikungunya viruses replication in human macrophages.

Interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines that activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to induce an antiviral state in cells. Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is a member of the IL-6 and/or IL-12 family that elicits both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Recent studies have reported that IL-27 also induces a robust antiviral response against diverse viruses, both and , suggesting that IFNs and IL-27 share many similarities at the functional level.

Perineural Invasion is an Important Prognostic Factor in Patients With Radically Resected (R0) and Node-negative (pN0) Pancreatic Cancer.

Objective: To investigate the association between perineural invasion (PNI) and overall survival (OS) in a nationwide cohort of patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), stratified for margin negative (R0) or positive (R1) resection and absence or presence of lymph node metastasis (pN0 or pN1-N2, respectively).

Background: Patients with R0 and pN0 resected PDAC have a relatively favorable prognosis. As PNI is associated with worse OS, this might be a useful factor to provide further prognostic information for patients counselling.

Cetyltrimethylammonium-chloride assisted in situ metabolic incorporation of nano-sized ROS-generating cascade-reaction containers in Gram-positive and Gram-negative peptidoglycan layers for the control of bacterially-induced sepsis.

Cascade-reaction containers generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) as an alternative for antibiotic-based strategies for bacterial infection control, require endogenous oxygen-sources and ROS-generation close to or preferably inside target bacteria. Here, this is achieved by cetyltrimethylammonium-chloride (CTAC) assisted in situ metabolic labeling and incorporation of mesoporous SiO-nanoparticles, dual-loaded with glucose-oxidase and FeO-nanoparticles as cascade-reaction containers, inside bacterial cell walls. First, azide-functionalized d-alanine (D-Ala-N) was inserted in cell wall peptidoglycan layers of growing Gram-positive pathogens.

Accumulation of Ambient Black Carbon Particles Within Key Memory-Related Brain Regions.

Importance: Ambient air pollution is a worldwide problem, not only related to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases but also to neurodegenerative disorders. Different pathways on how air pollutants could affect the brain are already known, but direct evidence of the presence of ambient particles (or nanoparticles) in the human adult brain is limited.

Objective: To examine whether ambient black carbon particles can translocate to the brain and observe their biodistribution within the different brain regions.

Evaluation of Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Resection in Patients with Locally Advanced versus (Borderline) Resectable Pancreatic Cancer.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes following pancreatectomy in patients with LAPC compared to (B)RPC patients.

Summary Background Data: Selected patients diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) are increasingly undergoing resection following induction chemotherapy. To evaluate the benefit of this treatment approach, it is helpful to compare outcomes in resected patients with primary LAPC to outcomes in resected patients with primary (borderline) resectable pancreatic cancer ((B)RPC).

Fasting Plasma Ketone Bodies Are Associated with NT-proBNP: A Potential Mechanism to Provide Fuel for the Failing Heart.

Heart failure (HF) features a shift in metabolism towards enhanced utilization of ketone bodies. While elevations in plasma natriuretic peptides represent a biochemical hallmark of HF, natriuretic peptides may promote lipolysis, thereby contributing to fatty acid availability for ketogenesis. We cross-sectionally tested to what extent fasting plasma total ketone bodies (measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) are associated with N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP; electrochemiluminescent sandwich immunoassay) in individuals with and without HF.

Histopathological comparison of Sjögren-related features between paired labial and parotid salivary gland biopsies of sicca patients.

Objectives: To compare focus score and other histopathological features between paired labial and parotid salivary gland biopsies in a diagnostic cohort of suspected Sjögren's disease (SjD) patients.

Methods: Labial and parotid salivary gland biopsies were simultaneously obtained from patients with sicca complaints, suspected of having SjD. Biopsies were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded.

Patterns of Medical Residents' Preferences for Organizational Socialization Strategies to Facilitate Their Transitions: A Q-study.

Introduction: To facilitate various transitions of medical residents, healthcare team members and departments may employ various organizational socialization strategies, including formal and informal onboarding methods. However, residents' preferences for these organizational socialization strategies to ease their transition can vary. This study identifies patterns (viewpoints) in these preferences.