Prediction and Characterization of Genetically-Regulated Expression of Asthma Tissues from African-Ancestry Populations.

Background: Genetic control of gene expression in asthma-related tissues is not well-characterized, particularly for African-ancestry populations, limiting advancement in our understanding of the increased prevalence and severity of asthma in those populations.

Objective: To create novel transcriptome prediction models for asthma tissues (nasal epithelium and CD4+ T cells) and apply them in transcriptome-wide association study to discover candidate asthma genes.

Methods: We developed and validated gene expression prediction databases for unstimulated CD4+ T cells and nasal epithelium using an elastic net framework.

Evidence for Similar Collectivity of High Transverse-Momentum Particles in p-Pb and Pb-Pb Collisions.

Charged hadron elliptic anisotropies (v_{2}) are presented over a wide transverse momentum (p_{T}) range for proton-lead (pPb) and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies of 8.16 and 5.02 TeV, respectively.

Boreal Toad Survival Varies by Degree of Attenuation and Adaptation of a Fungal Pathogen.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a fungal pathogen responsible for dramatic declines of amphibian populations around the world. Experimental exposure studies have documented differences in host susceptibility to Bd, but variation in study designs may limit our ability to compare inferences across studies. Using laboratory-maintained pathogen cultures that may lose virulence over time (i.

The flexible stalk domain of sTREM2 modulates its interactions with brain-based phospholipids.

The microglial surface protein Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) plays a critical role in mediating brain homeostasis and inflammatory responses in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The soluble form of TREM2 (sTREM2) exhibits neuroprotective effects in AD, though the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Moreover, differences in ligand binding between TREM2 and sTREM2, which have major implications for their roles in AD pathology, remain unexplained.

Directional associations between antisocial behavior and alcohol use disorder symptoms from adolescence through adulthood: A sibling comparison cross-lagged approach.

Background: A well-established link between antisocial behavior (ASB) and problematic alcohol use in adolescence has been demonstrated, yet the direction of this association across the lifespan remains unclear. Although antisocial conduct may increase exposure to known social and environmental risk factors for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD), alcohol use may also impair social functioning and self-regulation that subsequently increases ASB risk. Using a sibling comparison design in a high-risk sample, this study tested bidirectional associations between symptom counts of ASB and AUD from adolescence through adulthood.

Dopaminergic frontostriatal pathways in major depressive disorder and childhood sexual abuse: a multimodal neuroimaging investigation.

Dysregulated dopaminergic signaling has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and childhood sexual abuse (CSA), but inconsistencies abound. In a multimodal PET-functional MRI study, harnessing the highly selective tracer [C]altropane, we investigated dopamine transporter availability (DAT) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) within reward-related regions among 112 unmedicated individuals (MDD: n = 37, MDD/CSA: n = 18; CSA no MDD: n = 14; controls: n = 43). Striatal DAT and seed-based rsFC were assessed in the dorsal and ventral striatum and the ventral tegmental area.

Examining the Role of Sleep in Body Weight Regulation and Implications for Obesity Treatment: A Narrative Review.

Despite significant public health efforts to counter the obesity epidemic, approximately 50% of US adults will have obesity by 2030. The cornerstone of obesity treatment is a behavioral intervention promoting negative energy balance via a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Behavioral treatment also requires additional support to promote adherence to these recommended lifestyle changes.

The Italian validation of the Watson Caritas Co-Worker Score for nurses and health care professionals.

Purpose: To translate, adapt, and validate the Watson Caritas Co-Worker Score in Italian.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 182 nurses and healthcare professionals.

Methods: Content Validity and construct validity, with Cronbach's alpha (α) and test-retest Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs), were calculated to assess validity and reliability.

Adjusting the management of the Antarctic krill fishery to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Antarctic krill () is the central prey species in the Southern Ocean food web, supporting the largest and fastest-growing fishery in the region, managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Climate change is threatening krill populations and their predators, while current catch limits do not take into account climate variability or krill population dynamics. In 2024, CCAMLR was unable to renew its spatial catch limits, highlighting the urgent need for improved management of the krill fishery to prevent any harm to the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Understanding thromboembolus transport patterns in the brain for stroke in the presence of carotid artery stenosis.

Deciphering the source of an embolism is a common challenge encountered in stroke treatment. Carotid stenosis is a key source of embolic strokes. Carotid interventions can be indicated when a patient has greater than 50% stenosis in the carotid ipsilateral to the cerebral infarction, which is designated as the symptomatic carotid.

Atomic-Scale Electric Potential Landscape across Molecularly Gated Bilayer MoS Resolved by Photoemission.

Electric gating in atomically thin field-effect devices based on transition-metal dichalcogenides has recently been employed to manipulate their excitonic states, even producing exotic phases of matter, such as an excitonic insulator or Bose-Einstein condensate. Here, we mimic the electric gating effect of a bilayer-MoS on graphite by charge transfer induced by the adsorption of molecular p- and n-type dopants. The electric fields produced are evaluated from the electronic energy-level realignment and Stark splitting determined by X-ray and UV photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and compare very well with literature values obtained by optical spectroscopy for similar systems.

Tree ring C and C content reveal reliance on fast cycling carbon for pine growth in semiarid montane forests.

Trees harbor large stores of nonstructural carbohydrates, some of which are quite old (> 10 yr), yet we know little of how these older stores may be used for woody growth. Crucially, the use of old carbohydrates during cellulose biosynthesis could confound climate reconstructions that rely on tree ring stable isotope ratios. We analyzed tree-ring cellulose ΔC and δC in earlywood of two pine species from montane forests in western North America using tree rings produced during the radiocarbon bomb pulse (1966-1980).

Effects of Cannabinoids on Emotional States and Alcohol Use Among Underrepresented Groups: Moderation by Perceived Discrimination.

Objective: This study examined the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on negative mood and drinking behaviors, and whether those effects were moderated by levels of perceived discrimination among participants who identify with a racial, ethnic, gender, or sexual identity that is underrepresented in research.

Methods: Participants were either not using cannabis, using cannabis with THC, or using cannabis with CBD and were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4-weeks following ad libitum use of a legal market cannabis product that was randomly assigned to them. Primary outcomes included scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS) Scale and number of drinking days.

Cannabis administration is associated with reduced alcohol consumption: Evidence from a novel laboratory co-administration paradigm.

Background: Alcohol and cannabis co-use is increasingly prevalent across the U.S., concomitant with trends towards recreational cannabis legalization.

Real-time visualization of reconstituted transcription reveals RNAPII activation mechanisms at single promoters.

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is regulated by sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) and the pre-initiation complex (PIC): TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIID, TFIIE, TFIIF, TFIIH, and Mediator. TFs, Mediator, and RNAPII contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and form phase-separated condensates, but how IDRs control RNAPII function remains poorly understood. Using purified PIC factors, we developed a real-time in vitro fluorescence transcription (RIFT) assay for second-by-second visualization of transcription at hundreds of promoters simultaneously.

Modelling nitrogen dioxide dispersion in urban street canyons through sensor-based emission assessment.

This study assesses the performance of the ADMS-Urban dispersion model in estimating 1-h mean nitrogen dioxide (NO) concentrations within the street canyons of Prague. While traditional air quality modeling that relies on sparse data from localized monitoring stations, this approach pioneers the integration of traffic, background, and rooftop sensor network, to archive a more granular validation of model outputs. The results demonstrate robust model performance, with FAC2 values ranging from 0.

Transport of Adoptive Cell Transfers With Magnetic Helical Microrobots.

Adoptive cell transfers (ACTs) can interact specifically with inflamed tissues, but lack a mechanism for transport through viscous biological barriers such as mucus when administered locally. Further, maintaining cell function is challenging due to the loss of cellular phenotypes in diseased microenvironments. In this work, the use of magnetically controlled helical microrobots is examined to transport macrophages through physiologically representative mucus and maintain functional phenotypes through drug elution for improved cell delivery.

Developmental auditory deprivation in one ear impairs brainstem binaural processing and reduces spatial hearing acuity.

Early sensory experience can exert lasting perceptual consequences. For example, a brief period of auditory deprivation early in life can lead to persistent spatial hearing deficits. Some forms of hearing loss (i.

Evolutionary dynamics in plastomes and mitogenomes of diatoms.

Diatoms are pivotal in global oxygen, carbon dioxide, and silica cycling, contributing significantly to photosynthesis and serving as fundamental components in aquatic ecosystems. Recent advancements in genomic sequencing have shed light on their evolutionary dynamics, revealing evolutionary complex genomes influenced by symbiotic relationships and horizontal gene transfer events. By analyzing publicly available sequences for 120 plastomes and 70 mitogenomes, this paper aims to elucidate the evolutionary dynamics of diatoms across diverse lineages.

Space-time crystals from particle-like topological solitons.

Time crystals are unexpected states of matter that spontaneously break time-translation symmetry either in a discrete or continuous manner. However, spatially mesoscale space-time crystals that break both space and time symmetries have not been reported. Here we report a continuous space-time crystal in a nematic liquid crystal driven by ambient-power, constant-intensity unstructured light.

Navigating the landscape of personalized oncology: overcoming challenges and expanding horizons with computational modeling.

Objectives: We discuss challenges using computational modeling approaches for personalized prediction in clinical practice to predict treatment response for rare diseases treated by novel therapies using clinical oncology as an example context. Several challenges are discussed, including data scarcity, data sparsity, and difficulties in establishing interdisciplinary teams. Machine learning (ML), mechanistic modeling (MM), and hybrid modeling (HM) are discussed in the context of these challenges.

Contributions of inherited mtDNA to longevity: evidence from extended pedigrees with 176 million kinship pairs.

Background: Mitochondria are bacteria-like organelles with their own DNA (mtDNA) that exist in the cellular cytoplasm of almost every cell in the human body. Because mitochondria are critical for sustaining life, it follows that inherited mtDNA could be a key aetiologic element underlying longevity. Unfortunately, biometric approaches able to quantify heritable contributions of mtDNA have not been available.

Independent neural drives and distinct motor unit discharge characteristics in hamstring muscles during isometric knee flexion.

Purpose: Our study investigated the discharge characteristics of motor units (MUs) in the semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris (BF) at three knee-joint angles that varied muscle length.

Methods: Fifteen males (21.1 ± 2.

Circulating TNF-α levels in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis and comparison to TNF-α levels in sepsis.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions and sepsis. Although anti-TNF-α therapies have demonstrated clinical efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is no established evidence for benefit in patients with sepsis.

Objectives: We sought to quantify circulating TNF-α in patients with RA and compare results to TNF-α levels in sepsis.

A graph theory-based algorithm for the reduction of atmospheric chemical mechanisms.

The atmospheric chemistry of volatile organic compounds (VOC) has a major influence on atmospheric pollutants and particle formation. Accurate modeling of this chemistry is essential for air quality models. Complete representations of VOC oxidation chemistry are far too large for spatiotemporal simulations of the atmosphere, necessitating reduced mechanisms.