Gene dysregulation impairs placental angiogenesis in allogeneic pig pregnancies.

Embryo transfer (ET) is a valuable reproductive technology in pigs, albeit its efficiency remains significantly lower than that of natural mating or artificial insemination (AI), owing to high embryonic death rates. Critical for embryo survival and pregnancy success is the placenta, which supports conceptus development through nutrient exchange, hormone production, and immune modulation. Alterations in placental development and function may therefore underlie the reduced efficiency of ET.

The reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of Brief Measure of Eating Compulsivity (MEC) among adolescents.

Background: Food addiction has been increasingly recognized as a contributing factor to obesity and eating disorders. Compulsive eating, characterized by an uncontrollable urge to consume food despite adverse consequences, shares behavioral similarities with substance addiction. This study aims to adapt the Brief Measure of Eating Compulsivity (MEC) into Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability in the adolescent population.

Immune Response Subphenotyping to Predict Mortality in Sepsis: A Prospective Study in Resource-Limited Setting.

Importance: Sepsis remains a leading cause of death in infectious cases. The heterogeneity of immune responses is a major challenge in the management and prognostication of patients with sepsis. Identifying distinct immune response subphenotypes using parsimonious classifiers may improve outcome prediction, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of the Young Spine Questionnaire for the Italian Children.

Purpose: Low back and neck pain are increasing worldwide, even in children. However, Italy lacks validated tools for the assessment of children and adolescents with spine disorders. The Young Spine Questionnaire (YSQ) seems to be an appropriate option.

Association of Atrial Ablation Procedure and Palliative Care for High-Risk Mortality Group With Atrial Fibrillation in U.S. Hospitals: 2016-2021 National Inpatient Sample Analysis.

ObjectivesRecently, atrial fibrillation (AF) has contributed to an increase in cardiovascular deaths in the U.S. Palliative care (PC) and atrial ablation (AA) procedure can elevate quality of life of high-risk AF patients, who are associated with multiple comorbidities.

Identifying Factors Associated with Subsequent Diagnosis of Adrenal Adenoma: a population-based historical case-control study.

Objective: Identify social/metabolic risk factors associated with subsequent diagnosis of adrenal adenoma.

Design: Population-based historical case-control study.

Methods: Cases were adult patients diagnosed with an adrenal adenoma between 2005-2017 with no overt hormone excess.

A 12-Year Analysis of Equity and Efficiency in Living Kidney Donation at a Rural American Center.

Background: In the United States, a severe organ shortage precipitates an extensive transplant waitlist. Living donor kidneys are functionally superior to those from deceased donors and offer an alternative to close the supply-demand gap.

Methods: A retrospective review of 2147 patients who self-referred to begin the living kidney donation workup process at our center between June 1, 2012, and October 1, 2023 was conducted with subsequent statistical analysis of gathered data.

Adapting and implementing a staff-led sleep intervention in an acute rehabilitation setting.

ObjectiveTo adapt and modify the successful SIESTA (Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act) sleep-promoting hospital protocol to an acute stroke rehabilitation setting.DesignThis study utilized a mixed methods design, involving qualitative surveys and interviews. Needs assessment and staff interviews informed the development of the adapted protocol, SIESTA-Rehab.

Identification of proteins in semen-derived extracellular vesicles that bind to Tat and NF-κB and that may impair HIV replication.

Replication of HIV-1 requires the coordinated action of host and viral transcription factors, most critically the viral transactivator Tat and the host nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). This activity is disrupted in infected cells that are cultured with extracellular vesicles (EVs) present in human semen, suggesting that they contain factors that could inform the development of new therapeutics. Here, we explored the contents of semen-derived EVs (SEVs) from uninfected donors and individuals with HIV-1 and identified host proteins that interacted with HIV Tat and the NF-κB subunit p65.

A Novel CART-Driven Decision Tree Combining NLR and CRP for Early Prognostication of Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Prospective Vietnamese Cohort Study.

Background: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a life-threatening condition requiring early risk stratification. While the Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) is widely used, its reliance on complex parameters limits its applicability in resource-constrained settings. This study introduces a decision tree model based on Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis, utilizing Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and C-reactive Protein (CRP), as a simpler alternative for early SAP prediction.

DXA-derived visceral adipose tissue reference values and metabolic syndrome risk threshold in an Algerian adult population.

Background: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with several cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Reference values for VAT vary across populations, genders, and ages. Data on visceral fat in the Algerian population are lacking.

Predicting mortality dynamics in cancer patients: A machine learning approach to pre-death events.

Capturing the dynamic changes in patients' internal states as they approach death due to fatal diseases remains a major challenge in understanding individual pathologies and improving end-of-life care. However, existing methods primarily focus on specific test values or organ dysfunction markers, failing to provide a comprehensive view of the evolving internal state preceding death. To address this, we analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data from a single institution, including 8,976 cancer patients and 77 laboratory parameters, by constructing continuous mortality prediction models based on gradient-boosting decision trees and leveraging them for temporal analyses.

A volumetric modulated arc therapy-based dynamic conformal arc technique with limited monitor units (VMATliMU) to reduce multileaf collimator interplay effects: A computational phantom study for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for lung cancer involves complex multileaf collimator (MLC) motion, which increases sensitivity to interplay effects with tumour motion. Current dynamic conformal arc methods address this issue but may limit the achievable dose distribution optimisation compared with standard VMAT. This study examined the clinical utility of a VMAT technique with monitor unit limits (VMATliMU) to mimic conformal arc delivery and reduce interplay effects while maintaining plan quality.

Evaluation of diagnostic measurements in patients with non-specific complaints: A secondary analysis after implementation of a care-pathway in the emergency department.

Background: Older patients presenting with nonspecific complaints (NSC) in the Emergency Department (ED) pose diagnostic challenges. The lack of clear symptoms leads to high misdiagnosis rates, extended hospital stays, and functional impairment. However, limited research exists on diagnostic test utilization for this population.

Promoting patients' empowerment in rheumatic diseases: the perspective of the International Society of Behçet's Disease Working Group on Patient Empowerment, Adherence to Therapy and Patients' Education.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare multisystemic vasculitis that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Effective management of BD requires a patient-centred approach that empowers individuals to actively participate in their care. This work explores the importance of patient empowerment, adherence to treatment, and patient education in BD.

Perceived Chronic Stress prior to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Predicts Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Understanding chronic stress as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 progression could inform public health measures and personalized preventive interventions. Therefore, we investigated the influence of chronic stress prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection on symptom persistence 1 month after COVID-19 onset.

Methods: The participants of this prospective cohort study named "StressLoC" were adults with COVID-19 who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection within the last 7 days.

The association between reproductive factors and neurocognitive and neuroimaging markers of brain aging.

BackgroundWomen have a higher risk of dementia than men. Reproductive factors may be implicated.ObjectiveDetermine the association between reproductive factors (earlier menarche, later menopause, longer reproductive lifespan (RLS), post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy [pmHRT] use, and serum estradiol/estrone) and neurocognitive and neuroimaging markers of brain aging and incident dementia in cognitively healthy women.

Determinants of Hyperglycemia in Adult People Living With HIV Taking Dolutegravir- Based Antiretroviral Therapy at University of Gondar Hospital, North West Ethiopia, 2022: A Case-Control Study.

BackgroundDolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral treatment is now the recommended regimen because of its high efficacy and fewer adverse effects. Nonetheless, hyperglycemia as adverse effect of DTG was reported in few clinical observations.MethodsA case-control study was carried out among DTG-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) users during the study period.

Rac1 palmitoylation is required for cardiac stress adaptation and regulation of Protein Kinase A signaling.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common adaptation to cardiovascular stress and often a prelude to heart failure. We examined how S-palmitoylation of the small GTPase, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1), impacts cardiomyocyte stress signaling. Mutation of the cysteine-178 palmitoylation site impaired activation of Rac1 when overexpressed in cardiomyocytes.

Antithrombin-binding heparan sulfate is ubiquitously expressed in epithelial cells and suppresses pancreatic tumorigenesis.

3-O-sulfation of heparan sulfate (HS) is the key determinant for binding and activation of Antithrombin III (AT). This interaction is the basis of heparin treatment to prevent thrombotic events and excess coagulation. Antithrombin-binding HS (HSAT) is expressed in human tissues, but is thought to be expressed in the subendothelial space, mast cells, and follicular fluid.

Adrenal lipoma formation via PI(3,4,5)P/AKT-dependent transdifferentiation of adrenocortical cells into adipocytes.

Adrenal lipomas are benign tumors containing ectopic adipose tissue in the adrenal gland, an organ that normally lacks both adipocytes and their progenitors. The origin of this ectopic fat remains enigmatic, and the absence of a genetic animal model has hindered its investigation. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P], a key signaling lipid that regulates cellular growth and differentiation, is tightly regulated by the lipid phosphatases PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) and SHIP2 (SH2-containing inositol phosphatase 2).

Digital Psychological Intervention for Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) frequently experience psychological distress; however, access to psychological support remains limited.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a digital psychological intervention for individuals with IRDs.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Participants aged 18 years or older were recruited across Germany between February 22 and June 4, 2024, if they had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or systemic lupus erythematosus and reported psychological distress and reduced quality of life.

Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use at the End of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Importance: Patients with advanced cancer frequently receive broad-spectrum antibiotics, but changing use patterns across the end-of-life trajectory remain poorly understood.

Objective: To describe the patterns of broad-spectrum antibiotic use across defined end-of-life intervals in patients with advanced cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study used data from the South Korean National Health Insurance Service database to examine broad-spectrum antibiotic use among patients with advanced cancer who died between July 1, 2002, and December 31, 2021.