Dietary inflammation and childhood adiposity: Analysis of individual participant data from six birth cohorts.

Background & Aims: Childhood adiposity and inflammation impact long-term health. However, associations between dietary inflammation and childhood adiposity are unclear. We investigated if more pro-inflammatory diets are associated with greater adiposity in early-, mid-, and late-childhood.

Probing Autism and ADHD subtypes using cortical signatures of the T1w/T2w-ratio and morphometry.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental conditions that share genetic etiology and frequently co-occur. Given this comorbidity and well-established clinical heterogeneity, identifying individuals with similar brain signatures may be valuable for predicting clinical outcomes and tailoring treatment strategies. Cortical myelination is a prominent developmental process, and its disruption is a candidate mechanism for both disorders.

Proportions of incommensurate, resonant, and chaotic orbits for torus maps.

This paper focuses on distinguishing classes of dynamical behavior for one- and two-dimensional torus maps, in particular, between orbits that are incommensurate, resonant, periodic, or chaotic. We first consider Arnold's circle map, for which there is a universal power law for the fraction of nonresonant orbits as a function of the amplitude of the nonlinearity. Our methods give a more precise calculation of the coefficients for this power law.

A Review of Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Pancreatic Cancer: Ready for the Clinic?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a devastating disease which is associated with an increase in cancer-related death in the USA. The minority of patients are cured by surgery alone and typically require adjuvant chemotherapy in order to improve clinical outcomes. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging technology whereby microscopic levels of minimal residual disease (MRD) can be detected in the bloodstream.

Food availability has direct and delayed effects on structural growth and body reserves in garter snakes.

Phenotypic plasticity in body growth enables organisms to cope with unpredictable paucities in resource availability. Growth traits influence survival and reproductive success, and thereby, population persistence, and early-life resource availability may govern lifetime patterns in growth, reproductive success, and survival. The influence of early-life environment is decidedly consequential for indeterminately growing ectotherms, which rely on available resources and ambient temperatures to maximize fitness throughout life.

Accurate identification of snoRNA targets using variational graph autoencoder to advance the redevelopment of traditional medicines.

Existing studies indicate that dysregulation or abnormal expression of small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) is closely associated with various diseases, including lung cancer. Furthermore, these diseases often involve multiple targets, making the redevelopment of traditional medicines highly promising. Accurate prediction of potential snoRNA therapeutic targets is essential for early disease intervention and the redevelopment of traditional medicines.

Long term health outcomes in people with diabetes 12 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK: a prospective cohort study.

Background: People with diabetes are at increased risk of hospitalisation, morbidity, and mortality following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Long-term outcomes for people with diabetes previously hospitalised with COVID-19 are, however, unknown. This study aimed to determine the longer-term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19 in people with and without diabetes.

Integrating microfluidics, hydrogels, and 3D bioprinting for personalized vessel-on-a-chip platforms.

Thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, presents a complex challenge in cardiovascular medicine due to the intricacy of clotting mechanisms in living organisms. Traditional research approaches, including clinical studies and animal models, often yield conflicting results due to the inability to control variables in these complex systems, highlighting the need for more precise investigative tools. This review explores the evolution of thrombosis models, from conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices to advanced hydrogel-based systems and cutting-edge 3D bioprinted vascular constructs.

Cryo-electron tomography pipeline for plasma membranes.

Cryo-electron tomography (cryoET) provides sub-nanometer protein structure within the dense cellular environment. Existing sample preparation methods are insufficient at accessing the plasma membrane and its associated proteins. Here, we present a correlative cryo-electron tomography pipeline optimally suited to image large ultra-thin areas of isolated basal and apical plasma membranes.

At-Home Immersive Virtual Reality Exergames to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk Among Office Workers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The worldwide rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases has increased the recognition of the need to identify modifiable risk factors for preventing and managing these diseases. The office worker, as a representative group of physically inactive workers, is exposed to risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which is a primary driver of noncommunicable diseases. The use of virtual reality (VR) exergames may offer a potential solution to the problem of increasing noncommunicable disease prevalence, as it can help individuals increase their physical activity levels while providing a more immersive experience.

Volumetry of Selected Brain Regions-Can We Compare MRI Examinations of Different Manufacturers and Field Strengths?

Purpose: Magnetic Resonance Imaging based brain segmentation and volumetry has become an important tool in clinical routine and research. However the impact of the used hardware is only barely investigated. This study aims to assess the influence of scanner manufacturer, field strength and head-coil on volumetry results.

Anesthetic Management of a Patient With Arnold Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia During Laparoscopic Surgery With Neurologic Monitoring: A Case Report.

We describe a patient with severe Arnold Chiari Malformation and syringomyelia who underwent gynecological laparoscopy in an emergency context; no brain imaging was available. We here report the successful use of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) velocity measurements as surrogate monitoring for cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure, respectively. MCA velocity was low when assessed after peritoneal insufflation and ONSD increased to 6.

A post-assembly conformational change makes the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase elongation-competent.

Coronaviruses (CoV) encode sixteen non-structural proteins (nsps), most of which form the replication-transcription complex (RTC). The RTC contains a core composed of one nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), two nsp8s and one nsp7. The core RTC recruits other nsps to synthesize all viral RNAs within the infected cell.

Municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico: Analysis of two nationally representative surveys.

Background: Recreational cannabis use is increasing in Mexico, where legalization is a possibility. The current area-level socioeconomic context of cannabis use has not been studied in the country, limiting our understanding and public health response. We aimed to analyze the association between the municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico.

α-Synuclein fibrils enhance HIV-1 infection of human T cells, macrophages and microglia.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and viral reservoirs in the brain remain a significant challenge. Despite their importance, the mechanisms allowing HIV-1 entry and replication in the central nervous system (CNS) are poorly understood. Here, we show that α-synuclein and (to a lesser extent) Aβ fibrils associated with neurological diseases enhance HIV-1 entry and replication in human T cells, macrophages, and microglia.

5-HT agonism as a neurotherapeutic for sarcopenia: preclinical proof of concept.

Sarcopenia, the pathological age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, contributes to physical decline, frailty, and diminished healthspan. The impact of sarcopenia is expected to rise as the aging population grows, and treatments remain limited. Therefore, novel approaches for enhancing physical function and strength in older adults are desperately needed.

Adherence to multi-target stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening in the United States.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA and is highly preventable, with early screening vital for improving outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate adherence rates of multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) testing, following updated guidelines recommending screening starting at age 45.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used aggregated data from Exact Sciences Laboratories LLC, examining new users (first-time testers) aged 45-85 with commercial, Medicare, or Medicaid insurance who received mt-sDNA test kits (point-of-care) between January 1, 2023, and June 1, 2023.

Performance of MR fusion biopsy, systematic biopsy and combined biopsy on prostate cancer detection rate in 1229 patients stratified by PI-RADSv2 score on 3T multi-parametric MRI.

Purpose: We analyzed the additional value of systematic biopsy (SB) to MR-Ultrasound fusion biopsy (MRgFbx) for detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), as increased sampling may cause increased morbidity.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study cohort was comprised of 1229 biopsy sessions between July 2016 and May 2020 in men who had a Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADSv2) category ≥ 3 lesion on 3 Tesla multiparametric MRI (3TmpMRI) and subsequent combined biopsy (CB; MRgFbx and SB) for suspected prostate cancer (PCa). Cancer detection rates (CDR) were calculated for CB, MRgFbx and SB in the study cohort and sub-cohorts stratified by biopsy history and PI-RADSv2 category.

Discovery of a DNA methylation profile in individuals with Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

A constitutive interferon-high immunophenotype defines response to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Fewer than 50% of metastatic deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Identifying and expanding this patient population remains a pressing clinical need. Here, we report that an interferon-high immunophenotype locally enriched in cytotoxic lymphocytes and antigen-presenting macrophages is required for response.

Assessing the impact of messages about reduced nicotine cigar products among people who use little cigar and cigarillo: Insights from a discrete choice experiment.

Introduction: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) pursuit of a low nicotine standard for cigarettes raises concerns that a focus on cigarettes may encourage people to use other combusted tobacco products, undermining the policy's effectiveness.

Varying Projection Quality of Good Local Electric Field Gradients of Monochlorobenzaldehydes.

Rotational spectroscopy is an excellent tool for structure determination, which can provide additional insights into local electronic structure by investigating the hyperfine pattern due to nuclear quadrupole coupling. Jet-cooled molecules are good experimental benchmark targets for electronic structure calculations, as they are free of environmental effects. We report the rotational spectra of 2-chlorobenzaldehyde, 3-chlorobenzaldehyde, and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, including a complete experimental description of the nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, which were previously not experimentally determined.

Coding intensity variation in Medicare Advantage.

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans rose to over 50% of eligible Medicare patients in 2023. Payments to MA plans incorporate risk scores that are largely based on patient diagnoses from the prior year, which incentivizes MA plans to code diagnoses more intensively. We estimated coding inflation rates for individual MA contracts using a method that allows for differential selection into contracts based on patient health.

The global prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection in pregnant women: a meta-analysis.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections with severe detrimental effects on pregnant women and fetuses. CTGI increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy, exogenous fetal infection, and respiratory complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. According to the different published reports, this systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the global prevalence of CTGI in pregnant women.