Conservation of sporulation genes and a transmembrane-containing Spo0B variant in .

Sporulation is a strategy employed by many bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions. The genus includes spore-forming species notorious for spoiling pasteurized dairy products and causing fatal infections in honeybee larvae, leading to colony collapse. Here, we present a comprehensive survey of sporulation genes across 1460 high-quality genomes.

PHLDA2 promotes breast cancer metastasis by co-opting a developmental program for placental vascular remodeling.

Identifying drivers of metastasis is essential for developing new treatments for patients with advanced disease. Here, we identify as a robust driver of breast cancer metastasis. Previous work established as an imprinted gene expressed by trophoblasts which are critical for vascular remodeling during placental development.

Relationship between body mass index and quality of life among Malaysian young adults: Sequential mediated effects of perceived weight stigma and weight-related self-stigma.

The present cross-sectional study examined how perceived weight stigma (PWS) and weight-related self-stigma (WRSS) may sequentially mediate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and quality of life (QoL) among Malaysian young adults. Malaysian university students ( = 1044; mean age = 21.3 years) self-reported their height/weight and completed the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, Perceived Weight Stigma Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF.

Can Addressing Autonomic Hyperarousal with Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Enhance CBT-I Outcomes in Insomnia Disorder?

Objectives: Insomnia often involves physiological hyperarousal, particularly autonomic dysregulation. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is effective, some patients do not achieve complete remission. This preliminary study evaluated whether combining CBT-I with heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback could enhance treatment effects by improving autonomic regulation.

Carrier recombination manipulation for tunable multicolor emission in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide light-emitting devices.

We demonstrate a dual-colored light-emitting device using 2D semiconductors by modulating AC carrier injection through independent electrodes with phase delay, enabling balanced emission from WSe and WS monolayers. This innovative approach allows balanced, dynamically controllable, and spectrally stable emissions from WSe and WS monolayers, significantly enhancing emission control and expanding possibilities in advanced multicolor optoelectronic applications, including integrated photonic circuits and high-resolution display technologies.

Conservation and evolution of the programmed ribosomal frameshift in across the bacterial domain.

When the ribosome reaches a stop codon, translation is terminated by a release factor. Bacteria encode two release factors, RF1 and RF2. In many bacteria, the gene encoding RF2 () contains an in-frame premature stop codon near the beginning of the open reading frame.

Microbeam X-Ray Investigation of the Structural Transition from Circularly Banded to Ringless Dendritic Assemblies in Poly(Butylene Adipate) Through Dilution with Poly(Ethylene Oxide).

In this study, growth mechanisms are proposed to understand how banded dendritic crystal aggregates in poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) transform into straight dendrites upon dilution with a large quantity of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (25-90 wt.%). In growth packing, crystal plates are deformed in numerous ways, such as bending, scrolling, and twisting in self-assembly, into final aggregated morphologies of periodic bands or straight dendrites.

Delphinidin upregulates microRNA-let-7b expression through family with sequence similarity 222 member B.

Delphinidin is a major anthocyanidin belonging to the flavonoid family with pharmacological activities against cancer, inflammation, and muscle atrophy. However, the mechanism regulating its activity is yet to be completely elucidated. The present study aimed to identify the molecules responsible for the effects of delphinidin.

Development and Validation of a Chinese Electronic Trail Making Test for Executive Functions Evaluation: A Pilot Study.

The Trail Making Test is a key cognitive assessment for executive functions, yet a reliable electronic version tailored to Chinese-speaking populations is unavailable. This study develops an electronic TMT (eTMT) adapted for Chinese users, incorporating Chinese Zodiac symbols and characters to replace English letters, and evaluates its test-retest reliability. This pilot study introduces a culturally adapted eTMT for Chinese speakers.

USP15 Drives NSCLC Progression and Chemoresistance, Potentially via Regulation of the U2-Type Spliceosomal Complex.

Objective: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is an aggressive and lethal malignancy with the highest cancer-related mortality rate. More than 50% of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, often accompanied by chemoresistance and poor prognosis. Deubiquitinases (DUBs), which regulate various signaling pathways by removing ubiquitin moieties, are frequently dysregulated in tumors, including the ubiquitin-specific processing protease 15 (USP15).

Adult Children's Responsiveness to Parental Needs During the Pandemic.

Objectives: Guided by the life-course principles of linked lives embedded in historical time and place, we investigated whether nonresident adult children provided financial and time assistance to parents in response to their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Adult children are an important source of support for older adults during crises, yet their ability to help parents may have been constrained during the pandemic.

Method: Data came from the 2016, 2018 and 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

The impact and cost-effectiveness of pulse oximetry and oxygen on acute lower respiratory infection outcomes in children in Malawi: a modelling study.

Background: acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) are the leading global cause of post-neonatal death in children younger than 5 years. The impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of routine pulse oximetry and oxygen on ALRI outcomes at scale remain unquantified.

Methods: We evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of scaling up pulse oximetry and oxygen on childhood ALRI outcomes in Malawi using a new and detailed individual-based model, together with a comprehensive costing assessment for 2024 that includes both capital and operational expenditures.

Effect of Prior Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis on the Calibration Accuracy of Extended Depth of Focus Intraocular Lenses: A Direct Comparative Study.

Personalized precision medicine has become a prevailing trend and applies to the selection of intraocular lenses (IOLs) for cataract surgery based on the unique corneal morphology of each person. The choice of presbyopia-correcting IOLs for post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) cataract surgery is a significant concern. However, few direct comparison studies exist between eyes with and without LASIK history.

Visual outcomes with two posterior chamber phakic intraocular lenses in myopic patients: a contralateral eye study.

Purpose: Assess the efficacy, safety, and visual quality of two posterior chamber phakic intraocular lenses (PIOL) for myopia correction.

Methods: In this randomized double-blind prospective controlled trial, 38 eyes of 19 myopic patients received phakic refractive (PR) IOL in one eye and implantable collamer lens (EVO ICL) in the opposite eye and were followed up for 1 year. Uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, vault, disk halo size, contrast sensitivity, higher-order aberrations, retinal imaging quality, intraocular scattering, and subjective glare/halo perception were measured.

An 8-week exergame-based exercise training program improves cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance performances among primary school children in Taiwan.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of an 8-week exergame-based exercise training program on health-related physical fitness performances among primary school children in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: The study employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, recruiting 68 elementary school children with an average age of 10.76 ± 0.

Tissue-like structures formed by a bacterium.

Bacteria generally form only simple multicellular structures lacking the stable cell-cell connections characteristic of eukaryotic tissues. However, when the antibiotic moenomycin modifies peptidoglycan cell wall synthesis, rod-shaped cells of the Gram-negative bacterium become spherical, fuse their outer membranes, and assemble into stable, honeycomb-like lattices resembling eukaryotic tissues. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that some tissue-like organization could have evolved from stress-induced responses in bacterial ancestors.

Muscle power deficiencies in fallers with lower-limb loss.

Background: Impaired muscle strength has been linked to increased fall risk in clinical populations (Hunter SW, et al. Risk factors for falls in people with a lower limb amputation: a systematic review. Amer Acad of Phys Med and Rehabil.

Haptics and Axis Stability of Customized Vertical Implantable Collamer Lens Implantation.

Purpose: To evaluate the postoperative vault, haptic position, and axis stability of vertical implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation.

Setting: Fudan University Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Design: Prospective.

Measuring emotional intelligence with the MSCEIT 2: theory, rationale, and initial findings.

Introduction: The model of emotional intelligence as an ability has evolved since its introduction 35 years ago. The revised model includes that emotional intelligence (EI) is a broad intelligence within the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence, and that more areas of problem solving are involved than originally detailed. An argument is made here that scoring of EI test responses is a sound procedure relative to scoring keys based on expert consensus or a single emotion theory.

Human-AI collectives most accurately diagnose clinical vignettes.

AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs), are increasingly being employed in high-stakes decisions that impact both individuals and society at large, often without adequate safeguards to ensure safety, quality, and equity. Yet LLMs hallucinate, lack common sense, and are biased-shortcomings that may reflect LLMs' inherent limitations and thus may not be remedied by more sophisticated architectures, more data, or more human feedback. Relying solely on LLMs for complex, high-stakes decisions is therefore problematic.

Eicosapentaenoic acid alleviates fibromyalgia-like pain by modulating microglia, astrocytes, and toll-Like receptor 4 signaling in the mice cerebellum.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a widespread systemic pain disorder often accompanied by symptoms such as insomnia, mania, obesity, and depression. FM is difficult to diagnose and, therefore, cannot be effectively treated with current medical approaches. After prolonged suffering, FM patients frequently seek help from chronic pain physicians and psychiatrists.

The Impact of Leadership in Gender Diversity of Annual Meeting Speakers in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Purpose: The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) is the largest membership organization for hand surgeons. In 2022, the ASSH annual meeting had a man president and men program chairs. In 2023, the ASSH annual meeting was led by a woman president and women co-chairs.

GLAPAL-H: Global, Local, And Parts Aware Learner for Hydrocephalus Infection Diagnosis in Low-Field MRI.

Objective: The study aims to develop a method for differentiating between healthy, post-infectious hydrocephalus (PIH), and non-post-infectious hydrocephalus (NPIH) in infants using low-field MRI, which is a safer, low-cost alternative to CT scans. The study develops a custom approach that captures hydrocephalic etiology while simultaneously addressing quality issues encountered in low-field MRI.

Methods: Specifically, we propose GLAPAL-H, a Global, Local, And Parts Aware Learner, which develops a multi-task architecture with global, local, and parts segmentation branches.

Targeting SUMOylation in ovarian cancer: Sensitivity, resistance, and the role of MYC.

Cells overexpressing MYC depend on SUMOylation for survival and cell division. To assess the therapeutic potential of SUMO inhibition, we screened 30 patient-derived ovarian cancer models (OCMs) with the SUMO-activating enzyme inhibitor ML-792. While most were resistant, seven displayed intermediate sensitivity, and a further five were particularly sensitive, with sensitivity accompanied by mitotic errors, polyploidy, apoptosis, and PML body expansion.

Phase separation of TTBK2 and CEP164 is necessary for ciliogenesis.

The primary cilium plays a crucial function in sensing and transmitting extracellular signals into cells. The initiation of ciliogenesis hinges on the recruitment of Tau tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2) to the distal appendages (DAs) of centrioles through CEP164. However, the detailed mechanism underlying the CEP164/TTBK2 interaction at DAs during ciliogenesis remains incompletely understood.