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Abstract Background Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), have been linked to alterations in tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. However, no studies to date have systematically explored changes in the TRP pathway at both transcriptional and epigenetic levels. This study aimed to investigate transcriptomic, DNA methylomic (5mC) and hydroxymethylomic (5hmC) changes within genes involved in the TRP and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) pathways in AD, using three independent cohorts. Methods DNA derived from post-mortem middle temporal gyrus (MTG) tissue from AD patients (n = 45) and age-matched controls (n = 35) was analyzed, along with DNA derived from blood samples from two independent cohorts: the German Study on Ageing, Cognition, and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe) cohort (n = 96) and the Dutch BioBank Alzheimer Center Limburg (BBACL) cohort (n = 262). Molecular profiling, including assessing mRNA expression and DNA (hydroxy)methylation levels, was conducted using HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip and HM 450 K BeadChip arrays, respectively. Functional interactions between genes and identification of common phenotype-specific positive and negative elementary circuits were conducted using computational modeling, i.e. gene regulatory network (GRN) and network perturbational analysis. DNA methylation of IDO2 (cg11251498) was analyzed using pyrosequencing. Results Twelve TRP- and twenty NAD-associated genes were found to be differentially expressed in the MTG of AD patients. Gene sets associated in the kynurenine pathway, the most common TRP pathway, and NAD pathway, showed enrichment at the mRNA expression level. Downstream analyses integrating data on gene expression, DNA (hydroxy)methylation, and AD pathology, as well as GRN and network perturbation analyses, identified IDO2, an immune regulatory gene, as a key candidate in AD. Notably, one CpG site in IDO2 (cg11251498) exhibited significant methylation differences between AD converters and non-converters in the AgeCoDe cohort. Conclusion These findings reveal substantial transcriptional and epigenetic alterations in TRP- and NAD-pathway-associated genes in AD, highlighting IDO2 as a key candidate gene for further investigation. These genes and their encoded proteins hold potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AD.

Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces immune-mediated diseases. The pathophysiology of COVID-19 uses the following three mechanisms: (1) inflammasome activation mechanism; (2) cGAS–STING signaling mechanism; and (3) SAMHD1 tetramerization mechanism, which leads to IFN-I production. Interactions between the host and virus govern induction, resulting in multiorgan impacts. The NLRP3 with cGAS–STING constitutes the primary immune response. The expression of SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a, NSP6, NSP7, and NSP8 blocks innate immune activation and facilitates virus replication by targeting the RIG-I/MDA5, TRIF, and cGAS–STING signaling. SAMHD1 has a target motif for CDK1 to protect virion assembly, threonine 592 to modulate a catalytically active tetramer, and antiviral IFN responses to block retroviral infection. Plastic and allosteric nucleic acid binding of SAMHD1 modulates the antiretroviral activity of SAMHD1. Therefore, inflammasome activation, cGAS–STING signaling, and SAMHD1 tetramerization explain acute kidney injury, hepatic, cardiac, neurological, and gastrointestinal injury of COVID-19. It might be necessary to effectively block the pathological courses of diverse diseases.

Abstract Immunizing mice with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) nucleoprotein (NP), glycoprotein precursor (GPC), or with the GP38 domain of GPC, can be protective when the proteins are delivered with viral vectors or as a DNA or RNA vaccine. Subunit vaccines are a safe and cost-effective alternative to some vaccine platforms, but Gc and Gn glycoprotein subunit vaccines for CCHFV fail to protect despite eliciting high levels of neutralizing antibodies. Here, we investigated humoral and cellular immune responses and the protective efficacy of recombinant NP, GP38, and GP38 forms (GP85 and GP160) associated with the highly glycosylated mucin-like (MLD) domain, as well as the NP + GP38 combination. Vaccination with GP160, GP85, or GP38 did not confer protection, and vaccination with the MLD-associated GP38 forms blunted the humoral immune responses to GP38, worsened clinical chemistry, and increased viral RNA in the blood compared to the GP38 vaccination. In contrast, NP vaccination conferred 100% protection from lethal outcome and was associated with mild clinical disease, while the NP + GP38 combination conferred even more robust protection by reducing morbidity compared to mice receiving NP alone. Thus, recombinant CCHFV NP alone is a promising vaccine candidate conferring 100% survival against heterologous challenge. Moreover, incorporation of GP38 should be considered as it further enhances subunit vaccine efficacy by reducing morbidity in surviving animals.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) causes human disease ranging from subclinical to a fatal haemorrhagic syndrome. Determinants of CCHF pathogenesis are largely unknown and animal models that recapitulate human disease are limited. A recently described mouse model uses a monoclonal antibody (mAb 5A3) targeting the interferon (IFN) alpha/beta receptor to suppress type I IFN responses, making animals transiently susceptible to infection. To advance utility of this model, we investigated effects of challenge route, timing of 5A3 delivery, mouse sex and age, and virus strain on clinical course and outcome. C57BL/6J mice received mAb 5A3 −1, 0, or −1/+1 days post-infection (dpi). Subsets were challenged with CCHFV strain Turkey04 or IbAr10200 subcutaneously or intraperitoneally, and serially euthanized 3- and 7-dpi, when meeting euthanasia criteria or at study completion (14 dpi). CCHFV-IbAr10200-infected mice almost uniformly succumbed to infection, whereas CCHFV-Turkey04-infected mice transiently lost weight but survived. These results were consistent regardless of mAb timing or route of challenge. Viral replication and dissemination were comparable between the two strains at 3 dpi. However, in the plasma and livers of non-survivors, expression of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines that correspond with macrophage activation and recruitment were significantly elevated. Lethal disease was also associated with elevated levels of macrophage activation marker CD163 in plasma. Further, mouse macrophages were more permissive to IbAr1200 infection in vitro, suggesting tropism for these cells may influence pathogenesis. Our data suggest that early inflammation may be a critical determinant of CCHF outcome and therapeutics to control inflammation may be worthwhile targets for future investigation.

Abstract The plant cell wall serves as a critical interface between the plant and its environment, offering protection against various stresses and contributing to biomass production. Hemicellulose is one of the major components of the cell wall, and understanding the transcriptional regulation of its production is essential to fully understanding cell wall formation. This study explores the regulatory mechanisms underlying one of the genes involved in hemicellulose biosynthesis, PtrPARVUS2. Six transcription factors (TFs) were identified from a xylem-biased library to negatively regulate PtrPARVUS2 expression. These TFs, belonging to diverse TF families, were confirmed to bind to specific cis-elements in the PtrPARVUS2 promoter region, as validated by Yeast One-Hybrid (Y1H) assays, transient expression analysis, and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) assays. Furthermore, motif analysis identified putative cis-regulatory elements bound by these TFs, shedding light on the transcriptional regulation of SCW biosynthesis genes. Notably, several TFs targeted genes encoding uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs), crucial enzymes involved in hemicellulose glycosylation. Phylogenetic analysis of UGTs regulated by these TFs highlighted their diverse roles in modulating hemicellulose synthesis. Overall, this study identifies a set of TFs that regulate PARVUS2 in poplar, providing insights into the intricate coordination of TFs and PtrPARVUS2 in SCW formation. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms enhances our ability to engineer plant biomass for tailored applications, including biofuel production and bioproduct development.

Abstract Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) can cause severe human disease and is considered a WHO priority pathogen due to the lack of efficacious vaccines and antivirals. A CCHF virus replicon particle (VRP) has previously shown protective efficacy in a lethal Ifnar-/- mouse model when administered as a single dose at least 3 days prior to challenge. Here, we determine that non-specific immune responses are not sufficient to confer short-term protection, since Lassa virus VRP vaccination 3 days prior to CCHFV challenge was not protective. We also investigate how CCHF VRP vaccination confers protective efficacy by examining viral kinetics, histopathology, clinical analytes and immunity early after challenge (3 and 6 days post infection) and compare to unvaccinated controls. We characterize how these effects differ based on vaccination period and correspond to previously reported CCHF VRP-mediated protection. Vaccinating Ifnar-/- mice with CCHF VRP 28, 14, 7, or 3 days prior to challenge, all known to confer complete protection, significantly reduced CCHFV viral load, mucosal shedding, and markers of clinical disease, with greater reductions associated with longer vaccination periods. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in innate immune responses, T cell activation, or antibody titers after challenge between groups of mice vaccinated a week or more before challenge, but higher anti-NP antibody avidity and effector function (ADCD) were positively associated with longer vaccination periods. These findings support the importance of antibody-mediated responses in VRP vaccine-mediated protection against CCHFV infection.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between lifestyle factors and body weight in a nationally representative sample of US adults and to evaluate the association between a novel “Healthy Habits Composite Score (HHCS)” and risk of obesity. Methods This cross‐sectional study included data from 4870 adults who participated in the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The HHCS was developed based on 4 factors: diet, physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep, all of which were measured during the NHANES. A “healthy lifestyle” was defined as meeting ≥3 of the 4 established criteria. Data analysis was conducted using SAS 9.4 and procedures to account for the complex survey design. All models were adjusted for age, sex, race, household income, and education. Results Adults with obesity had significantly lower dietary quality (48.8 ± 0.6 vs. 53.2 ± 0.9) and reported significantly more sedentary time (∼1 h more; 356.3 ± 7.0 vs. 301.4 ± 8.3 min) than lean adults, both p

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne nairovirus with a wide geographic spread that can cause severe and lethal disease. No specific medical countermeasures are approved to combat this illness. The CCHFV L protein contains an ovarian tumor (OTU) domain with a cysteine protease thought to modulate cellular immune responses by removing ubiquitin and ISG15 post-translational modifications from host and viral proteins. Viral deubiquitinases like CCHFV OTU are attractive drug targets, as blocking their activity may enhance cellular immune responses to infection, and potentially inhibit viral replication itself. We previously demonstrated that the engineered ubiquitin variant CC4 is a potent inhibitor of CCHFV replication in vitro. A major challenge of the therapeutic use of small protein inhibitors such as CC4 is their requirement for intracellular delivery, e.g., by viral vectors. In this study, we examined the feasibility of in vivo CC4 delivery by a replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus (Ad-CC4) in a lethal CCHFV mouse model. Since the liver is a primary target of CCHFV infection, we aimed to optimize delivery to this organ by comparing intravenous (tail vein) and intraperitoneal injection of Ad-CC4. While tail vein injection is a traditional route for adenovirus delivery, in our hands intraperitoneal injection resulted in higher and more widespread levels of adenovirus genome in tissues, including, as intended, the liver. However, despite promising in vitro results, neither route of in vivo CC4 treatment resulted in protection from a lethal CCHFV infection.

Abstract Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays are frequently used to evaluate gene expression in animal model studies. Data analyses depend on normalization using a suitable reference gene (RG) to minimize effects of variation due to sample collection, sample processing, or experimental set-up. Here, we investigated the suitability of nine potential RGs in laboratory animals commonly used to study viral hemorrhagic fever infection. Using tissues (liver, spleen, gonad [ovary or testis], kidney, heart, lung, eye, brain, and blood) collected from naïve animals and those infected with Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (mice), Nipah (hamsters), or Lassa (guinea pigs) viruses, optimal species-specific RGs were identified based on five web-based algorithms to assess RG stability. Notably, the Ppia RG demonstrated stability across all rodent tissues tested. Optimal RG pairs that include Ppia were determined for each rodent species (Ppia and Gusb for mice; Ppia and Hrpt for hamsters; and Ppia and Gapdh for guinea pigs). These RG pair assays were multiplexed with viral targets to improve assay turnaround time and economize sample usage. Finally, a pan-rodent Ppia assay capable of detecting Ppia across multiple rodent species was developed and successfully used in ecological investigations of field-caught rodents, further supporting its pan-species utility.

Abstract Objectives To assess if the results following intake of a diet using an Okinawan-based Nordic diet (OBND) over one month differs in endocrinological, periodontal clinical outcome, and serum cytokine levels compared to a standard hospital care diet in individuals with diabetes type 2 (T2D) (control group). Background Scientific evidence suggests that the use of diet for individuals with T2D may be beneficial. Methods Participating individuals with T2D were randomly assigned to a test (OBND) (n = 14), or control group (n = 16). Anthropometric data, blood glucose levels, HbA1c levels, lipids, serum inflammation markers (CRP, and a routine panel of 24 cytokines), blood pressure, gingival bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depths (PPD), and clinical attachment levels (CAL) were studied. Results Statistical analyses of baseline study data failed to demonstrate study group differences. The mean weight reduction was greater in the OBND group (4.1 kg) versus the control group (1.3 kg) (p

Abstract Background Despite substantial illness burden and healthcare utilization conferred by pain from vaso-occlusive episodes (VOE) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), disease-modifying therapies to effectively treat SCD-VOE are lacking. The aim of the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment with Arginine Therapy (STArT) Trial is to provide definitive evidence regarding the efficacy of intravenous arginine as a treatment for acute SCD-VOE among children, adolescents, and young adults. Methods STArT is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 3, multicenter trial of intravenous arginine therapy in 360 children, adolescents, and young adults who present with SCD-VOE. The STArT Trial is being conducted at 10 sites in the USA through the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). Enrollment began in 2021 and will continue for 5 years. Within 12 h of receiving their first dose of intravenous opioids, enrolled participants are randomized 1:1 to receive either (1) a one-time loading dose of L-arginine (200 mg/kg with a maximum of 20 g) administered intravenously followed by a standard dose of 100 mg/kg (maximum 10 g) three times a day or (2) a one-time placebo loading dose of normal saline followed by normal saline three times per day at equivalent volumes and duration as the study drug. Participants, research staff, and investigators are blinded to the participant’s randomization. All clinical care is provided in accordance with the institution-specific standard of care for SCD-VOE based on the 2014 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines. The primary outcome is time to SCD-VOE pain crisis resolution, defined as the time (in hours) from study drug delivery to the last dose of parenteral opioid delivery. Secondary outcomes include total parental opioid use and patient-reported outcomes. In addition, the trial will characterize alterations in the arginine metabolome and mitochondrial function in children with SCD-VOE. Discussion Building on the foundation of established relationships between emergency medicine providers and hematologists in a multicenter research network to ensure adequate participant accrual, the STArT Trial will provide definitive information about the efficacy of intravenous arginine for the treatment of SCD-VOE for children. Trial registration The STArT Trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on April 9, 2021, and enrollment began on June 21, 2021 (NCT04839354).

Abstract Objective There is substantial inter‐individual variability in response to weight loss interventions and emerging evidence suggests that weight loss during the early weeks of an intervention may be predictive of longer‐term weight loss. This secondary analysis of data from a commercial program therefore examined 1) the associations between early weight loss (i.e., week 4) with final visit weight loss and duration on the program, and 2) other predictors of lower weight loss at final visit. Methods Client charts of adults with overweight or obesity (N = 748) were analyzed. Clients were stratified into categories of weight loss at the week 4 (< and ≥2%, 3% and 4%) and final visits (< and ≥5% and 10%). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of

Abstract Common data models solve many challenges of standardizing electronic health record (EHR) data but are unable to semantically integrate all of the resources needed for deep phenotyping. Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry ontologies provide computable representations of biological knowledge and enable the integration of heterogeneous data. However, mapping EHR data to OBO ontologies requires significant manual curation and domain expertise. We introduce OMOP2OBO, an algorithm for mapping Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) vocabularies to OBO ontologies. Using OMOP2OBO, we produced mappings for 92,367 conditions, 8611 drug ingredients, and 10,673 measurement results, which covered 68–99% of concepts used in clinical practice when examined across 24 hospitals. When used to phenotype rare disease patients, the mappings helped systematically identify undiagnosed patients who might benefit from genetic testing. By aligning OMOP vocabularies to OBO ontologies our algorithm presents new opportunities to advance EHR-based deep phenotyping.

A growing human population requires sustainable solutions to regulate and dispose of municipal wastewater. Water treatment facilities in northern Idaho are permitted to apply reclaimed wastewater to forest land during the growing season at specified monthly hydraulic loading rates. We assessed the spatial and temporal variability of drainage below the rooting zone between non-irrigated (control) and irrigated (effluent) stands during the growing and dormant seasons in 2021. No drainage was observed during the two months of annual seasonal drought, but large magnitudes of drainage were recorded during the dormant season (38–94 cm), which was consistent with seasonal precipitation. The overall effect of effluent treatment on the drain gauge measurements did not differ from the controls, as effluent only increased the drainage at some facilities. The measured drainage averaged from 35 to 62 cm among facilities. We then used the drainage measurements to calibrate hydrological models (Hydrus-1D and Water Erosion Prediction Project [WEPP]) and predict the drainage in 50 measurement plots distributed evenly among five forest water reclamation facilities. As with the observed drainage, there were no statistically significant growing season differences in the predicted monthly drainage during the growing season between the effluent and control plots, suggesting the successful use of hydrologic models to support the measured drainage findings. While both models struggled to accurately predict the quantity of drainage during the dormant season, they both successfully predicted that drainage would continue through May. WEPP also successfully predicted that the treated plots began to drain in September and October following late-season irrigation at some facilities. The models showed that the prescribed crop coefficient used by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality was adequate in avoiding drainage during the peak summer months.

Several filoviruses, including Marburg virus (MARV), cause severe disease in humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). However, the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB, Rousettus aegyptiacus), the only known MARV reservoir, shows no overt illness upon natural or experimental infection, which, like other bat hosts of zoonoses, is due to well-adapted, likely species-specific immune features. Despite advances in understanding reservoir immune responses to filoviruses, ERB peripheral blood responses to MARV and how they compare to those of diseased filovirus-infected spillover hosts remain ill-defined. We thus conducted a longitudinal analysis of ERB blood gene responses during acute MARV infection. These data were then contrasted with a compilation of published primate blood response studies to elucidate gene correlates of filovirus protection versus disease. Our work expands on previous findings in MARV-infected ERBs by supporting both host resistance and disease tolerance mechanisms, offers insight into the peripheral immunocellular repertoire during infection, and provides the most direct known cross-examination between reservoir and spillover hosts of the most prevalently-regulated response genes, pathways and activities associated with differences in filovirus pathogenesis and pathogenicity.

Antiretroviral APOBEC3 may contribute to HIV-1 latency. In this study, Ajoge and Renner et al. identify a previously undescribed function of human APOBEC3 proteins in redirecting integrations of HIV-1 DNA into more transcriptionally inactive regions of the genome.

Lassa fever (LF) is endemic to broad regions of West Africa. Infection with Lassa virus (LASV), the etiologic agent of LF, results in a spectrum of clinical signs in humans, including severe and lethal hemorrhagic disease. Person-to-person transmission occurs through direct contact with body fluids or contaminated bedding and clothing. To investigate transmission risk in acute LASV infection, we evaluated viral RNA and infectious virus obtained from conjunctival, nasal, oral, genital, and rectal swab specimens from guinea pigs modelling lethal and non-lethal LF. Viral RNA and infectious virus were detected in all specimen types beginning 8 days post infection, prior to onset of fever. In the pre-clinical and clinical period, virus was isolated from a subset of nasal, oral, genital, and rectal swabs, and from all conjunctival swabs. Overall, conjunctival and nasal specimens most frequently yielded infectious virus. These findings indicate mucosal transmission risk based on virus isolation from various sites early in infection and support potential utility of minimally invasive specimen evaluation by RT-qPCR for LASV diagnostics.

Abstract Patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have shown clinical improvement after secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. We sought to determine if this post‐ASD closure improvement is secondary to the expected course in BPD patients or related to the closure itself. A novel BPD‐ASD score was created to assess patients' clinical status (higher score = worse disease) and applied to 10 BPD‐ASD inpatients weighing ≤ 10 kg who underwent ASD closure. The score and its subcomponents were retrospectively calculated serially ranging from 8 weeks pre‐ to 8 weeks post‐intervention, and pre‐ and post‐intervention score slopes were created. These slopes were compared using mixed regression modeling with an interaction term. There was a significant difference in pre‐ versus post‐intervention slope with the most score drop the first week post‐intervention (−2.1 + /− 0.8, p = 0.014). The mean score also dropped through weeks 2 (slope −0.8 + /− 0.8, p = 0.013) and 4 (slope −1.0 + /− 0.5, p = 0.001) post‐intervention. There was a significant difference in pre‐ and post‐intervention slopes for diuretics (p = 0.018) and the combined score of respiratory support, FiO2 need, and respiratory symptoms (p = 0.018). This study demonstrated significant improvement in BPD‐ASD score, diuretic need, and respiratory status after ASD closure in BPD‐ASD patients ≤ 10 kg that was outside of the natural course of BPD. Our study was limited by its small, single‐center, retrospective nature. Future studies should be performed in a larger multicenter population to both validate the scoring system and compare to non‐intervention infants.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV; family Nairoviridae) is a tick-borne pathogen that frequently causes lethal disease in humans. CCHFV has a wide geographic distribution, and cases have been reported in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Availability of a safe and efficacious vaccine is critical for restricting outbreaks and preventing disease in endemic countries. We previously developed a virus-like replicon particle (VRP) vaccine that provides complete protection against homologous and heterologous lethal CCHFV challenge in mice after a single dose. However, the immune responses induced by this vaccine are not well characterized, and correlates of protection remain unknown. Here we comprehensively characterized the kinetics of cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in VRP-vaccinated mice, and demonstrate that they predominantly target the nucleoprotein (NP). NP antibodies are not associated with protection through neutralizing activity, but VRP vaccination results in NP antibodies possessing Fc-mediated antibody effector functions, such as complement activation (ADCD) and antibody-mediated cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). This suggests that Fc-mediated effector functions may contribute to this vaccine’s efficacy.

To reflect human development, it is critical to create a substrate that can support long-term cell survival, differentiation, and maturation. Hydrogels are promising materials for 3D cultures. However, a bulk structure consisting of dense polymer networks often leads to suboptimal microenvironments that impedes nutrient exchange and cell-to-cell interaction. Herein, granular hydrogel-based scaffolds were used to support 3D human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural networks. A custom designed 3D printed toolset was developed to extrude hyaluronic acid hydrogel through a porous nylon fabric to generate hydrogel granules. Cells and hydrogel granules were combined using a weaker secondary gelation step, forming self-supporting cell laden scaffolds. At three and seven days, granular scaffolds supported higher cell viability compared to bulk hydrogels, whereas granular scaffolds supported more neurite bearing cells and longer neurite extensions (65.52 ± 11.59 μm) after seven days compared to bulk hydrogels (22.90 ± 4.70 μm). Long-term (three-month) cultures of clinically relevant hiPSC-derived neural cells in granular hydrogels supported well established neuronal and astrocytic colonies and a high level of neurite extension both inside and beyond the scaffold. This approach is significant as it provides a simple, rapid and efficient way to achieve a tissue-relevant granular structure within hydrogel cultures.

Introduction: After discharge from the emergency department (ED), pain management challenges parents, who have been shown to undertreat their children’s pain. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of a five-minute instructional video for parents on pain treatment in the home setting to address common misconceptions about home pediatric pain management. Methods: We conducted a randomized, single-blinded clinical trial of parents of children ages 1–18 years who presented with a painful condition, were evaluated, and were discharged home from a large, tertiary care pediatric ED. Parents were randomized to a pain management intervention video or an injury prevention control video. The primary outcome was the proportion of parents that gave their child pain medication at home after discharge. These data were recorded in a home pain diary and analyzed using the chi square test to determine significant difference. Parents’ knowledge about components of at-home pain treatment were tested before, immediately following, and two days after intervention. We used McNemar’s test statistic to compare incorrect pretest/correct post-test answers between intervention and control groups. Results: A total of 100 parents were enrolled: 59 parents watched the pain education video, and 41 the control video. Overall, 75% of parents completed follow-up, providing information about home medication use. Significantly more parents provided pain medication to their children after watching the educational video: 96% vs 80% (difference 16%; 95% CI 7.8–31.3%). Significantly more parents had correct pain treatment knowledge immediately following the educational video about pain scores (P = 0.04); the positive effects of analgesics (P

IntroductionHereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) is a rare yet serious type of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The burden in the pediatric population remains high yet underreported. The objective of this study is to describe the distribution of mutations found on targeted PAH panel testing at a large pediatric referral center.MethodsChildren with PAH panel administered by the John Welsh Cardiovascular Diagnostic Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas between October 2012 to August 2021 were included into this study. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for clinical correlation.ResultsSixty-six children with PAH underwent PAH genetic testing. Among those, 9 (14%) children were found to have pathogenic mutations, 16 (24%) children with variant of unknown significance and 41 (62%) children with polymorphism (classified as likely benign and benign). BMPR2 mutation was the most common pathogenic mutation, seen in 6 of the 9 children with detected mutations. Hemodynamic studies showed higher pulmonary vascular resistance among those with pathogenic mutations than those without (17.4 vs. 4.6 Wood units). All children with pathogenic mutations had severe PAH requiring triple therapy. There were tendencies for higher lung transplantation rate but lower mortality among those with pathogenic mutations.ConclusionsAbnormalities on genetic testing are not uncommon among children with PAH, although majority are of unclear significance. However, children with pathogenic mutations tended to present with more severe PAH requiring aggressive medical and surgical therapies. Genetic testing should be routinely considered due to consequences for treatment and prognostic implications. Larger scale population studies and registries are warranted to characterize the burden of HPAH in the pediatric population specifically.

Selexipag, a selective prostacyclin receptor agonist, is approved for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension in WHO Group 1 adult patients. Compared to parenteral prostacyclin formulations, selexipag offers a significant improvement in patient’s and caregiver’s quality of life because of its oral formulation, frequency of administration, and mechanism of action. Although experience in the pediatric population is limited and selexipag is not FDA-approved for use in the pediatric pulmonary hypertension population, many US pediatric centers are expanding the use of this therapy to this younger population. We report our institution's experience in the use of selexipag to treat pulmonary hypertension in children under 10 years of age, between 10 and 30 kg. Seven patients were initiated on selexipag therapy including de novo initiation and transition from intravenous treprostinil to oral selexipag. All patients were on stable background therapy with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor and endothelin receptor antagonist therapies at baseline. All patients reached their planned goal selexipag dose during admission without the need for changes to the titration schedule and without hemodynamic deterioration. In our experience, oral selexipag is safe and well-tolerated in young pediatric patients with pulmonary hypertension. Based on our favorable experience, we developed an institution-specific selexipag process algorithm for continued successful use in the pediatric population.

Although epigenome-wide association studies of Alzheimer’s disease have highlighted neuropathology-associated DNA methylation differences, previous studies have been limited in sample size and brain region used. Here, the authors combine data from six DNA methylomic studies of Alzheimer’s disease (N = 1453 unique individuals) to identify differentially methylated loci across cortex.

Summary: Brain inflammation generally accelerates neurodegeneration. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) triggers an innate immune response by activating a cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway. Our study investigated patients with leprosy and AD. They were treated with dapsone (4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, DDS) as a neuroinflammasome competitor and cGAS/STING pathway inhibitor. Four groups were defined: Treatment (T) 1: DDS prescribed AD diagnosed, T 2: DDS prescribed AD undiagnosed, T 3 DDS unprescribed AD diagnosed, and T 4: DDS unprescribed AD undiagnosed. Dapsone effects on AD can be clearly distinguished according to dapsone presence or absence. T1:T3 proved that the incidence of AD was significantly reduced by dapsone. T2:T3 proved that the prevalence of AD was significantly high without dapsone. T1:T4 proved that the prevalence decreased when taking dapsone. Our study demonstrates that dapsone can prevent AD exacerbation and may represent a preventive therapeutic option for exacerbated AD.

Flood is one of the most damaging natural hazards in urban areas in many places around the world as well as the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Recently, Fredericton has been flooded in two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. Due to the complicated behaviour of water when a river overflows its bank, estimating the flood extent is challenging. The issue gets even more challenging when several different factors are affecting the water flow, like the land texture or the surface flatness, with varying degrees of intensity. Recently, machine learning algorithms and statistical methods are being used in many research studies for generating flood susceptibility maps using topographical, hydrological, and geological conditioning factors. One of the major issues that researchers have been facing is the complexity and the number of features required to input in a machine-learning algorithm to produce acceptable results. In this research, we used Random Forest to model the 2018 flood in Fredericton and analyzed the effect of several combinations of 12 different flood conditioning factors. The factors were tested against a Sentinel-2 optical satellite image available around the flood peak day. The highest accuracy was obtained using only 5 factors namely, altitude, slope, aspect, distance from the river, and land-use/cover with 97.57% overall accuracy and 95.14% kappa coefficient.

Water vapour continuum absorption is potentially important for both closure of the Earth's energy budget and remote sensing applications. Currently, there are significant uncertainties in its characteristics in the near-infrared atmospheric windows at 2.1 and 1.6 µm. There have been several attempts to measure the continuum in the laboratory; not only are there significant differences amongst these measurements, but there are also difficulties in extrapolating the laboratory data taken at room temperature and above to temperatures more widely relevant to the atmosphere. Validation is therefore required using field observations of the real atmosphere. There are currently no published observations in atmospheric conditions with enough water vapour to detect a continuum signal within these windows or where the self-continuum component is significant. We present observations of the near-infrared water vapour continuum from Camborne, UK, at sea level using a Sun-pointing, radiometrically calibrated Fourier transform spectrometer in the window regions between 2000 and 10 000 cm−1. Analysis of these data is challenging, particularly because of the need to remove aerosol extinction and the large uncertainties associated with such field measurements. Nevertheless, we present data that are consistent with recent laboratory datasets in the 4 and 2.1 µm windows (when extrapolated to atmospheric temperatures). These results indicate that the most recent revision (3.2) of the MT_CKD foreign continuum, versions of which are widely used in atmospheric radiation models, requires strengthening by a factor of ∼5 in the centre of the 2.1 µm window. In the higher-wavenumber window at 1.6 µm, our estimated self- and foreign-continua are significantly stronger than MT_CKD. The possible contribution of the self- and foreign-continua to our derived total continuum optical depth is estimated by using laboratory or MT_CKD values of one, to estimate the other. The obtained self-continuum shows some consistency with temperature-extrapolated laboratory data in the centres of the 4 and 2.1 µm windows. The 1.6 µm region is more sensitive to atmospheric aerosol and continuum retrievals and therefore more uncertain than the more robust results at 2.1 and 4 µm. We highlight the difficulties in observing the atmospheric continuum and make the case for additional measurements in both the laboratory and field and discuss the requirements for any future field campaign.

Abstract Cellulosic biofuel from forest thinning operations is a potential renewable energy source in regions with overstocked forests such as those in western United States. However, it is possible that biomass removal can deplete nutrients from soil, which can alter soil respiration (Rs) and exoenzyme properties, and potentially impact tree growth. This study evaluates the impact of biomass removal on Rs and exoenzyme properties and the capacity of soil amendments to counteract any potential effects. At two study locations, we created four post‐thinning biomass retention levels: full biomass removal (0×), full biomass retention (1×), double biomass retention (2×), and a no‐thin treatment. Four soil amendment treatments were applied to each biomass retention level: N fertilizer (F), biochar (B), fertilizer plus biochar (FB), and an untreated control (C). We evaluated treatment effects on Rs and activity of four exoenzymes to represent C‐cycling, N‐release, and P‐release processes. Biomass retention levels had no effect on Rs (p = .42) or exoenzyme activities (p > .29). Variation in exoenzyme activity was explained by location, season, soil organic matter, soil moisture content, and temperature. Variation in Rs was explained by the same variables, in addition to C‐cycling exoenzyme activity and soil pH. Soil amendments had no effect on exoenzyme activities (p > .49), and no main effect on Rs (p = .48), though amendments influenced Rs differently at each location (p = .02). Short‐term findings suggest small‐diameter biomass removal for cellulosic biofuel production will not impact Rs and exoenzyme properties, and paired with our tree growth study, provide evidence that biofuel systems are a feasible renewable energy source in the western North America.

Introduction: Women account for 23% of new human immunodeficiency virus diagnoses in the United States, yet remain understudied. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and consequent viral suppression are keys to preventing human immunodeficiency virus transmission, reducing risk of drug resistance, and improving health outcomes. Objectives: This review identified and synthesized peer-reviewed studies in the United States describing factors associated with viral suppression among cisgender women living with human immunodeficiency virus. Methods: We searched five databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO, and reported the findings using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Eligible studies included: (1) peer-reviewed English-language articles published since 2010; (2) includes only cisgender women; (3) participants were at least 18 years of age; (4) reported metrics on viral loads; and (5) conducted in the United States. Results: Fourteen studies in total were reviewed. Eight studies had adult women living with human immunodeficiency virus, four recruited only pregnant women, and two included only racial minority women. The most commonly reported factors negatively associated with viral suppression were substance use ( n = 4), followed by availability of health insurance, financial constraint, complexity of human immunodeficiency virus treatment regimen ( n = 3), and intimate partner violence ( n = 2). Other factors were depression, race, and age. In addition, all four studies that included only pregnant women reported early human immunodeficiency virus care engagement as a significant predictor of low viral loads pre- and post-partum. Conclusion: Substance use, financial constraint, lack of health insurance, human immunodeficiency virus treatment regimen type, intimate partner violence, and late human immunodeficiency virus care pre–post pregnancy were the most common factors negatively associated with viral suppression. There is a paucity of data on viral suppression factors related to transgender and rural populations. More human immunodeficiency virus research is needed to explore factors associated with human immunodeficiency virus treatment outcomes in transgender women and cisgender women in rural U.S. regions.

ABSTRACT Defective interfering particles (DIs) contain a considerably smaller genome than the parental virus but retain replication competency. As DIs can directly or indirectly alter propagation kinetics of the parental virus, they offer a novel approach to antiviral therapy, capitalizing on knowledge from natural infection. However, efforts to translate in vitro inhibition to in vivo screening models remain limited. We investigated the efficacy of virus-like particles containing DI genomes (therapeutic infectious particles [TIPs]) in the Syrian hamster model of lethal Nipah virus (NiV) disease. We found that coadministering a high dose of TIPs intraperitoneally with virus challenge improved clinical course and reduced lethality. To mimic natural exposure, we also evaluated lower-dose TIP delivery and virus challenge intranasally, finding equally efficacious reduction in disease severity and overall lethality. Eliminating TIP replicative capacity decreased efficacy, suggesting protection via direct inhibition. These data provide evidence that TIP-mediated treatment can confer protection against disease and lethal outcome in a robust animal NiV model, supporting further development of TIP treatment for NiV and other high-consequence pathogens. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate that treatment with defective interfering particles (DIs), a natural by-product of viral infection, can significantly improve the clinical course and outcome of viral disease. When present with their parental virus, DIs can directly or indirectly alter viral propagation kinetics and exert potent inhibitory properties in cell culture. We evaluated the efficacy of a selection of virus-like particles containing DI genomes (TIPs) delivered intranasally in a lethal hamster model of Nipah virus disease. We demonstrate significantly improved clinical outcomes, including reduction in both lethality and the appearance of clinical signs. This work provides key efficacy data in a robust model of Nipah virus disease to support further development of TIP-mediated treatment against high-consequence viral pathogens.

Guinea pigs are important animal models for human disease, and both outbred and inbred lines are utilized in biomedical research. The optimal maintenance of guinea pig colonies, commercially and in research settings, relies on robust informed breeding programs, however, breeding data on specialized inbred strains are limited. Here, we investigated the effects of parental age, parity, and pairing approaches on mean total fetus count, percentage of female pups in the litter, and pup survival rate after 10 days in strain 13/N guinea pigs. Our analysis of colony breeding data indicates that the average litter size is 3.3 pups, with a 25.2% stillbirth rate, a failure-to-thrive outcome in 5.1% of pups, and a 10 day survival rate of 69.7%. The only variable to significantly affect the reproductive outcomes examined was parental age (p < 0.05). In comparison to adults, both juvenile and geriatric sows had lower total fetus counts; juvenile boars had a higher percentage of females in litters, and geriatric boars had a lower 10 day survival rate of pups. These studies provide valuable information regarding the reproductive characteristics of strain 13/N guinea pigs, and support a variety of breeding approaches without significant effects on breeding success.

Retroviral integration site targeting is not random and plays a critical role in expression and long-term survival of the integrated provirus. To better understand the genomic environment surrounding retroviral integration sites, we performed a meta-analysis of previously published integration site data from evolutionarily diverse retroviruses, including new experimental data from HIV-1 subtypes A, B, C and D. We show here that evolutionarily divergent retroviruses exhibit distinct integration site profiles with strong preferences for integration near non-canonical B-form DNA (non-B DNA). We also show that in vivo-derived HIV-1 integration sites are significantly more enriched in transcriptionally silent regions and transcription-silencing non-B DNA features of the genome compared to in vitro-derived HIV-1 integration sites. Integration sites from individuals infected with HIV-1 subtype A, B, C or D viruses exhibited different preferences for common genomic and non-B DNA features. In addition, we identified several integration site hotspots shared between different HIV-1 subtypes, all of which were located in the non-B DNA feature slipped DNA. Together, these data show that although evolutionarily divergent retroviruses exhibit distinct integration site profiles, they all target non-B DNA for integration. These findings provide new insight into how retroviruses integrate into genomes for long-term survival.

Abstract In the July/August issue of Intereconomics, Ilona Sologoub argued that increasing the cost of war would limit the ability of an authoritarian state to wage a war. Here, Charles D. Coleman comments on this statement and offers clarification, followed by a reply from Sologoub.

ABSTRACT: Background: Numerous publications describe the clinical manifestations of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC or “long COVID”), but they are difficult to integrate because of heterogeneous methods and the lack of a standard for denoting the many phenotypic manifestations. Patient-led studies are of particular importance for understanding the natural history of COVID-19, but integration is hampered because they often use different terms to describe the same symptom or condition. This significant disparity in patient versus clinical characterization motivated the proposed ontological approach to specifying manifestations, which will improve capture and integration of future long COVID studies. Methods: The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) is a widely used standard for exchange and analysis of phenotypic abnormalities in human disease but has not yet been applied to the analysis of COVID-19. Funding: We identified 303 articles published before April 29, 2021, curated 59 relevant manuscripts that described clinical manifestations in 81 cohorts three weeks or more following acute COVID-19, and mapped 287 unique clinical findings to HPO terms. We present layperson synonyms and definitions that can be used to link patient self-report questionnaires to standard medical terminology. Long COVID clinical manifestations are not assessed consistently across studies, and most manifestations have been reported with a wide range of synonyms by different authors. Across at least 10 cohorts, authors reported 31 unique clinical features corresponding to HPO terms; the most commonly reported feature was Fatigue (median 45.1%) and the least commonly reported was Nausea (median 3.9%), but the reported percentages varied widely between studies. Interpretation: Translating long COVID manifestations into computable HPO terms will improve analysis, data capture, and classification of long COVID patients. If researchers, clinicians, and patients share a common language, then studies can be compared/pooled more effectively. Furthermore, mapping lay terminology to HPO will help patients assist clinicians and researchers in creating phenotypic characterizations that are computationally accessible, thereby improving the stratification, diagnosis, and treatment of long COVID. Funding: U24TR002306; UL1TR001439; P30AG024832; GBMF4552; R01HG010067; UL1TR002535; K23HL128909; UL1TR002389; K99GM145411.

The integration of the HIV-1 genome into the host genome is an essential step in the life cycle of the virus and it plays a critical role in the expression, long-term persistence, and reactivation of HIV expression. To better understand the local genomic environment surrounding HIV-1 proviruses, we assessed the influence of non-canonical B-form DNA (non-B DNA) on the HIV-1 integration site selection. We showed that productively and latently infected cells exhibit different integration site biases towards non-B DNA motifs. We identified a correlation between the integration sites of the latent proviruses and non-B DNA features known to potently influence gene expression (e.g., cruciform, guanine-quadruplex (G4), triplex, and Z-DNA). The reactivation potential of latent proviruses with latency reversal agents also correlated with their proximity to specific non-B DNA motifs. The perturbation of G4 structures in vitro using G4 structure-destabilizing or -stabilizing ligands resulted in a significant reduction in integration within 100 base pairs of G4 motifs. The stabilization of G4 structures increased the integration within 300–500 base pairs from G4 motifs, increased integration near transcription start sites, and increased the proportion of latently infected cells. Moreover, we showed that host lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 and cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 (CPSF6) influenced the distribution of integration sites near several non-B DNA motifs, especially G4 DNA. Our findings identify non-B DNA motifs as important factors that influence productive and latent HIV-1 integration and the reactivation potential of latent proviruses.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is an emerging pediatric illness associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The syndrome is rare, and evidence-based guidelines are lacking. This report reviews a patient who presented for medical care multiple times early in the course of his illness, thus offering near-daily documentation of symptoms and laboratory abnormalities. The patient did not have thrombocytopenia, anemia, or myocardial inflammation until the fifth day of fever. These laboratory abnormalities coincided with the onset of rash, conjunctival injection, vomiting, and diarrhea: clinical signs that could serve as indicators for when to obtain blood tests. The timing of this patient’s onset of multisystem involvement suggests that testing for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children after only 24 h of fever, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, may yield false-negative results. Testing for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children after 4 days of fever may be more reliable.

A potential method by which society's reliance on fossil fuels can be lessened is via the large-scale utilization of biofuels derived from the secondary cell walls of woody plants; however, there remain a number of technical challenges to the large-scale production of biofuels. Many of these challenges emerge from the underlying complexity of the secondary cell wall. The challenges associated with lignin have been well explored elsewhere, but the dicot cell wall components of hemicellulose and pectin also present a number of difficulties. Here, we provide an overview of the research wherein pectin and xylan biosynthesis has been altered, along with investigations on the function of irregular xylem 8 (IRX8) and glycosyltransferase 8D (GT8D), genes putatively involved in xylan and pectin synthesis. Additionally, we provide an analysis of the evidence in support of two hypotheses regarding GT8D and conclude that while there is evidence to lend credence to these hypotheses, there are still questions that require further research and examination.

Summary Objective Lifestyle interventions remain the cornerstone for obesity treatment. Commercial programs offer one weight loss approach, yet the efficacy of few such programs have been rigorously investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two commercial weight‐loss programs, both utilizing pre‐portioned meal replacements (MRs) and different levels of behavioural support, compared to a self‐directed control diet in adults with overweight and obesity. Methods In this 16‐week study, participants were randomized to the low‐calorie OPTAVIA® 5&1 Plan® with telephone coaching (OPT), the reduced‐calorie Medifast® 4&2&1 self‐guided plan (MED), or a self‐directed, reduced‐calorie control diet. Differences in weight, body composition (DXA) and body circumferences, all measured monthly, were assessed by analysis of covariance with sex and baseline measures as covariates. Results Of 198 participants randomized (80.8% female, BMI 34.2 kg/m2, 45.7 years), 92.3% completed the study. The OPT and MED groups had significantly greater reductions in body weight (−5.7% and − 5.0%, respectively, p

The clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is notoriously inaccurate and current methods are often expensive, time-consuming, or invasive. Simple inexpensive and noninvasive methods of diagnosis could provide valuable support for clinicians when combined with cognitive assessment scores. Biological processes leading to neuropathology progress silently for years and are reflected in both the central nervous system and vascular peripheral system. A blood-based screen to distinguish and classify neurodegenerative diseases is especially interesting having low cost, minimal invasiveness, and accessibility to almost any world clinic. In this study, we set out to discover a small set of blood transcripts that can be used to distinguish healthy individuals from those with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich’s ataxia, or frontotemporal dementia. Using existing public datasets, we developed a machine learning algorithm for application on transcripts present in blood and discovered small sets of transcripts that distinguish a number of neurodegenerative diseases with high sensitivity and specificity. We validated the usefulness of blood RNA transcriptomics for the classification of neurodegenerative diseases. Information about features selected for the classification can direct the development of possible treatment strategies.

Syrian hamsters are a key animal model of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and are useful for the evaluation of associated medical countermeasures. Delivery of an infectious agent or intervention to the respiratory tract mirrors natural routes of exposure and allows for the evaluation of clinically relevant therapeutic administration. The data to support instillation or inoculation volumes are important both for optimal experimental design and to minimize or avoid effects of diluent alone, which may compromise both data interpretation and animal welfare. Here we investigate four intranasal (IN) instillation volumes in hamsters (50, 100, 200, or 400 µL). The animals were monitored daily, and a subset were serially euthanized at one of four pre-determined time-points (1, 3, 7, and 14 days post-instillation). Weight, temperature, oxygen saturation, CBC, radiographs, and respiratory tissue histopathology were assessed to determine changes associated with instillation volume alone. With all the delivery volumes, we found no notable differences between instilled and non-instilled controls in all of the parameters assessed, except for histopathology. In the animals instilled with 200 or 400 µL, inflammation associated with foreign material was detected in the lower respiratory tract indicating that higher volumes may result in aspiration of nasal and/or oropharyngeal material in a subset of animals, resulting in IN instillation-associated histopathology.

A major challenge for sustainable food, fuel, and fiber production is simultaneous genetic improvement of yield, biomass quality, and resilience to episodic environmental stress and climate change. For Populus and other forest trees, quality traits involve alterations in the secondary cell wall (SCW) of wood for traditional uses, as well as for a growing diversity of biofuels and bioproducts. Alterations in wood properties that are desirable for specific end uses can have negative effects on growth and stress tolerance. Understanding of the diverse roles of SCW genes is necessary for the genetic improvement of fast-growing, short-rotation trees that face perennial challenges in their growth and development. Here, we review recent progress into the synergies and antagonisms of SCW development and abiotic stress responses, particularly, the roles of transcription factors, SCW biogenesis genes, and paralog evolution.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes progressive skeletal myopathy involving atrophy, weakness, and fatigue. Mitochondria have been thought to contribute to skeletal myopathy; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle metabolism changes in CKD are unknown. We employed a comprehensive mitochondrial phenotyping platform to elucidate the mechanisms of skeletal muscle mitochondrial impairment in mice with adenine-induced CKD. CKD mice displayed significant reductions in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which was strongly correlated with glomerular filtration rate, suggesting a link between kidney function and muscle mitochondrial health. Biochemical assays uncovered that OXPHOS dysfunction was driven by reduced activity of matrix dehydrogenases. Untargeted metabolomics analyses in skeletal muscle revealed a distinct metabolite profile in CKD muscle including accumulation of uremic toxins that strongly associated with the degree of mitochondrial impairment. Additional muscle phenotyping found CKD mice experienced muscle atrophy and increased muscle protein degradation, but only male CKD mice had lower maximal contractile force. CKD mice had morphological changes indicative of destabilization in the neuromuscular junction. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of mitochondrial health in murine CKD muscle to our knowledge and uncovers several unknown uremic metabolites that strongly associate with the degree of mitochondrial impairment.

The ability to comprehensively profile proteins in intact tissues in situ is crucial for our understanding of health and disease. However, the existing methods suffer from low sensitivity and limited sample throughput. To address these issues, here we present a highly sensitive and multiplexed in situ protein analysis approach using cleavable fluorescent tyramide and off-the-shelf antibodies. Compared with the current methods, this approach enhances the detection sensitivity and reduces the imaging time by 1–2 orders of magnitude, and can potentially detect hundreds of proteins in intact tissues at the optical resolution. Applying this approach, we studied protein expression heterogeneity in a population of genetically identical cells, and performed protein expression correlation analysis to identify co-regulated proteins. We also profiled >6,000 neurons in a human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) hippocampus tissue. By partitioning these neurons into varied cell clusters based on their multiplexed protein expression profiles, we observed different sub-regions of the hippocampus consist of neurons from distinct clusters.

Silicon nanoparticles produced via a plasma-based technique have been sintered into bulk nanostructured samples. These samples have micron-sized crystalline domains and contain well-dispersed oxide nanoinclusions. We have compared the thermoelectric performance of such structure to that of a control sample produced by sintering ball-milled silicon powders. The control sample has lower precipitate density and is composed of nanograins. Despite the stark difference in nanostructure, both samples have comparable thermal conductivity, and the sample with nanoinclusions has higher power factor and ZT. This result confirms that grain size engineering is not the only promising route to achieving improved thermoelectric performance.

Abstract Background Expression of glycosyl hydrolases in lignocellulosic biomass has been proposed as an alternative to improve efficiency of cellulosic ethanol production. In planta production of hyperthermophilic hydrolytic enzymes could prevent the detrimental effects often seen resulting from the expression of recombinant mesophilic enzymes to plant hosts. Utilizing lignocellulosic feedstocks to produce hyperthermophilic hydrolases provides additional benefits for ethanol production in the way of transgenic feedstocks serving as both enzyme providers and cellulosic substrates. Results In this study, transgenic hybrid poplar (Populus alba × grandidentata) was generated to express a hyperthermophilic endoglucanase from Thermotoga neapolitana with an optimal temperature over 100 °C. Functional hyperthermoactive endoglucanase was successfully produced in the transgenic events, and altered phenotypic growth was observed in transgenic lines. Moreover, the line with the highest TnCelB expression in both leaf and developing xylem had reduced lignin content and cellulose crystallinity, resulting in a more digestible cell wall. The activation of TnCelB by a post-harvest heat treatment resulted in enhanced saccharification efficiencies of transgenic poplar lines with moderate TnCelB expression and without alteration of cellulose and lignin when not heat-treated. In planta high-level overexpression of a hyperthermophilic endoglucanase paired with heat treatment following harvest, resulted in biomass that was comparable with wild-type lines that underwent a traditional pretreatment for saccharification. Conclusions Overexpression of hyperthermophilic endoglucanase in feedstock had impacts on plant growth and cell wall composition, especially when the enzyme was highly expressed. Improved glucan saccharification efficiencies from transgenic lines before and after heat treatment could reduce both the economic and environmental costs associated with ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in reduced kidney function, uremia, and accumulation of uremic metabolites. Mitochondrial alterations have been suggested to play a role in the disease pathology within various tissues. The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive bioenergetic and proteomic phenotyping of mitochondria from skeletal muscle (SkM), cardiac muscle (CM), and renal tissue from mice with CKD. The 5-month-old C57BL/6J male mice were fed a casein control or adenine-supplemented diet for 6 months. CKD was confirmed by blood urea nitrogen. A mitochondrial diagnostic workflow was employed to examine respiratory function, membrane and redox potential, reactive oxygen species production, and maximal activities of matrix dehydrogenases and electron transport system (ETS) protein complexes. Additionally, tandem-mass-tag-assisted proteomic analyses were performed to uncover possible differences in mitochondrial protein abundance. CKD negatively impacted mitochondrial energy transduction (all p < 0.05) in SkM, CM, and renal mitochondria, when assessed at physiologically relevant cellular energy demands (ΔGATP) and revealed the tissue-specific impact of CKD on mitochondrial health. Proteomic analyses indicated significant abundance changes in CM and renal mitochondria (115 and 164 proteins, p < 0.05), but no differences in SkM. Taken together, these findings reveal the tissue-specific impact of chronic renal insufficiency on mitochondrial health.