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Microbes and Infection Jun 2024The endogenous retrovirus type W (HERV-W) is a human-specific entity, which was initially discovered in multiple sclerosis (MS) patient derived cells. We initially found...
The endogenous retrovirus type W (HERV-W) is a human-specific entity, which was initially discovered in multiple sclerosis (MS) patient derived cells. We initially found that the HERV-W envelope (ENV) protein negatively affects oligodendrogenesis and controls microglial cell polarization towards a myelinated axon associated and damaging phenotype. Such first functional assessments were conducted ex vivo, given the human-specific origin of HERV-W. Recent experimental evidence gathered on a novel transgenic mouse model, mimicking activation and expression of the HERV-W ENV protein, revealed that all glial cell types are impacted and that cellular fates, differentiation, and functions were changed. In order to identify HERV-W-specific signatures in glial cells, the current study analyzed the transcriptome of ENV protein stimulated microglial- and astroglial cells and compared the transcriptomic signatures to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated cells, owing to the fact that both ligands can activate toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4). Additionally, a comparison between published disease associated glial signatures and the transcriptome of HERV-W ENV stimulated glial cells was conducted. We, therefore, provide here for the first time a detailed molecular description of specific HERV-W ENV evoked effects on those glial cell populations that are involved in smoldering neuroinflammatory processes relevant for progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
PubMed: 38944109
DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105382 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... Jun 2024Transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) is a rare congenital condition characterized by migration of both testes through the same inguinal canal and often presents with an...
INTRODUCTION
Transverse testicular ectopia (TTE) is a rare congenital condition characterized by migration of both testes through the same inguinal canal and often presents with an inguinal hernia. TTE is associated with various genitourinary anomalies.
CASE PRESENTATION
A three-year-old boy presented with a non-palpable right testis and a palpable undescended left testis in the left inguinal area. Ultrasound (US) indicated the presence of both testes in the left inguinal canal. In surgery, the two testes were found with separated cord and one hernia sac which was dissected and ligated thus the two cords freed. Next, subdartos pouches were created on both scrotum sides, so that testes placed into the left side first, and then a window created in the scrotal septum which allowed the right testis to be translocated and secured in the right subdartos pouch without tension.
DISCUSSION
TTE is a rare condition and the etiology is not definitively known. TTE usually presents with an inguinal hernia and contralateral cryptorchidism. The diagnosis is made during surgery, but some radiological methods can help in diagnosis. Management is usually surgical and involves interventions such as hernia repair, reduction of the testis and orchiopexy. Continuous monitoring is essential for ensuring postoperative testes health and evaluating the risk of malignancy.
CONCLUSION
TTE should be suspected in cases with unilateral empty scrotum and family history of genital disorders. US is critical for accurately localizing the testes, along with surgical exploration, to proceed with the appropriate surgical intervention.
PubMed: 38943934
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.109949 -
Current Opinion in Plant Biology Jun 2024Studying morphological novelties offers special insights into developmental biology and evolution. The inflated calyx syndrome (ICS) is a largely unrecognized but... (Review)
Review
Studying morphological novelties offers special insights into developmental biology and evolution. The inflated calyx syndrome (ICS) is a largely unrecognized but fascinating feature of flower development, where sepals form balloon-like husks that encapsulate fruits. Despite its independent emergence in many lineages of flowering plants, the genetic and molecular mechanisms of ICS remain unknown. Early studies in the Solanaceae genus Physalis put forth key roles of MADS-box genes in ICS. However, recent work suggests these classical floral identity transcription factors were false leads. With newfound capabilities that allow rapid development of genetic systems through genomics and genome editing, Physalis has re-emerged as the most tractable model species for dissecting ICS. This review revisits current understanding of ICS and highlights how recent advancements enable a reset in the search for genetic and molecular mechanisms using unbiased, systematic approaches.
PubMed: 38943829
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102595 -
Plant & Cell Physiology Jun 2024Root parasitic plants in the Orobancheceae, such as Striga and Orobanche, cause significant damage to crop production. The germination step of these root parasitic...
Root parasitic plants in the Orobancheceae, such as Striga and Orobanche, cause significant damage to crop production. The germination step of these root parasitic plants is induced by host-root-derived strigolactones (SLs). After germination, the radicles elongate toward the host and invade the host root. We have previously discovered that a simple amino acid, tryptophan (Trp), as well as its metabolite, the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), can inhibit radicle elongation of Orobanche minor. These results suggest that auxin plays a crucial role in the radicle elongation step in root parasitic plants. In this report, we used various auxin chemical probes to dissect the auxin function in the radicle growth of O. minor and Striga hermonthica. We found that synthetic auxins inhibited radicle elongation. In addition, auxin receptor antagonist, auxinole, rescued the inhibition of radicle growth by exogenous IAA. Moreover, a polar transport inhibitor of auxin, N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), affected radicle bending. We also proved that exogenously applied Trp is converted into IAA in O. minor seeds, and auxinole partly rescued this radicle elongation. Our data demonstrate a pivotal role of auxin in radicle growth. Thus, manipulation of auxin function in root parasitic plants should offer a useful approach to combat these parasites.
PubMed: 38943636
DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcae071 -
Bratislavske Lekarske Listy 2024This study aimed to assess the perceived need among surgical residents to revisit their anatomical knowledge and evaluate their attitude towards integrating clinical...
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the perceived need among surgical residents to revisit their anatomical knowledge and evaluate their attitude towards integrating clinical anatomists into surgical residency program curriculum.
BACKGROUND
While medical students learn human anatomy during undergraduate years, the practical application of clinically oriented anatomy becomes vital in surgical specialties. However, this aspect has not been adequately addressed in Indian surgical residency programs.
METHODS
An 11-item questionnaire, including closed-ended and Likert-scale questions, was administered to 153 surgical residents. Consent was obtained, and responses were collected via Google Forms.
RESULTS
Half of the respondents (50%) felt confident in their self-directed anatomy learning, but 87% believed integrating clinical anatomists would enhance their surgical expertise. Additionally, 88% saw value in revisiting cadaveric dissection. Third-year residents showed a significantly higher inclination towards cadaveric dissection. Deficiencies in the curriculum and time constraints were identified as major barriers.
CONCLUSION
The study highlights a perceived need among surgical residents to augment their anatomical knowledge, advocating for the integration of clinical anatomists and cadaveric dissection into training. A collaborative approach, emphasizing both horizontal and vertical integration of anatomy, is recommended to enhance surgical education and practice. (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 25).
Topics: Humans; Internship and Residency; Anatomy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Curriculum; Anatomists; India; Female; Male; Surgeons; Dissection; Attitude of Health Personnel; General Surgery
PubMed: 38943507
DOI: 10.4149/BLL_2024_69 -
Otolaryngology--head and Neck Surgery :... Jun 2024Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is a surgical treatment option for select patients with obstructive sleep apnea that currently requires intraoperative dissection of...
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is a surgical treatment option for select patients with obstructive sleep apnea that currently requires intraoperative dissection of the hypoglossal nerve (HGN) for implantation of an electrode array. Most HNS strategies target select HGN protrusor muscle branches and exclude undesirable retractor branches. We hypothesized that the target HGN branches could instead be selectively stimulated with a percutaneously delivered electrode array under ultrasound guidance via several anatomic approaches. Five different anatomic approaches were iteratively developed and evaluated during drug-induced sleep endoscopy across 14 patients: posterior, intraoral, anteromedial, anterolateral, and paracoronal. The paracoronal and anterolateral approaches were the most successful, with comparable changes in pharyngeal critical closing and opening pressures. Our data suggest that percutaneous delivery of an HGN electrode is feasible and may decrease the morbidity of HNS therapy implantation. Further work is necessary to ascertain what anatomic approach is optimal for percutaneous electrode delivery.
PubMed: 38943442
DOI: 10.1002/ohn.880 -
Technology and Health Care : Official... Jun 2024Aortic dissection is usually managed with interventional therapy, conservative therapy, and surgery to inhibit disease progression and improve prognoses. Nevertheless,...
BACKGROUND
Aortic dissection is usually managed with interventional therapy, conservative therapy, and surgery to inhibit disease progression and improve prognoses. Nevertheless, the absence of meticulous and effective nursing during the treatment greatly increases the complication rates, which is detrimental to the recovery of patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to explore the efficacy of predictive pain intervention in the nursing process of patients with aortic dissection.
METHODS
Sixty patients with aortic dissection who were admitted to our hospital from December 2018 to December 2020 were observed in this study. Specifically, these patients were randomly and equally classified into Group A (patients who were given conventional nursing intervention) and Group B (patients who were given predictive pain intervention). Subsequently, the pain score, complication rates, and nursing satisfaction in the two groups were compared and analyzed.
RESULTS
Compared with patients in Group A, patients in Group B had significantly lower pain scores (P< 0.05); complication rates were significantly lower in Group B than in Group A (6.67% vs. 23.33%, P< 0.05); patient satisfaction with care was significantly better in Group B compared to Group A (96.67% vs. 73.33%, P< 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Predictive pain intervention is widely recognized as useful in the treatment of patients with aortic dissection. It has significant clinical application value as it can largely alleviate pain and is relatively safe for patients.
PubMed: 38943408
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231066 -
Veterinary Research Jun 2024Migratory birds are important vectors for virus transmission, how migratory birds recognize viruses and viruses are sustained in birds is still enigmatic. As an animal...
Migratory birds are important vectors for virus transmission, how migratory birds recognize viruses and viruses are sustained in birds is still enigmatic. As an animal model for waterfowl among migratory birds, studying and dissecting the antiviral immunity and viral evasion in duck cells may pave a path to deciphering these puzzles. Here, we studied the mechanism of antiviral autophagy mediated by duck STING in DEF cells. The results collaborated that duck STING could significantly enhance LC3B-II/I turnover, LC3B-EGFP puncta formation, and mCherry/EGFP ratio, indicating that duck STING could induce autophagy. The autophagy induced by duck STING is not affected by shRNA knockdown of ATG5 expression, deletion of the C-terminal tail of STING, or TBK1 inhibitor BX795 treatment, indicating that duck STING activated non-classical selective autophagy is independent of interaction with TBK1, TBK1 phosphorylation, and interferon (IFN) signaling. The STING R235A mutant and Sar1A/B kinase mutant abolished duck STING induced autophagy, suggesting binding with cGAMP and COPII complex mediated transport are the critical prerequisite. Duck STING interacted with LC3B through LIR motifs to induce autophagy, the LIR 4/7 motif mutants of duck STING abolished the interaction with LC3B, and neither activated autophagy nor IFN expression, indicating that duck STING associates with LC3B directed autophagy and dictated innate immunity activation. Finally, we found that duck STING mediated autophagy significantly inhibited duck plague virus (DPV) infection via ubiquitously degraded viral proteins. Our study may shed light on one scenario about the control and evasion of diseases transmitted by migratory birds.
Topics: Animals; Ducks; Autophagy; Signal Transduction; Mardivirus; Interferons; Alphaherpesvirinae; Immunity, Innate; Membrane Proteins; Poxviridae Infections
PubMed: 38943190
DOI: 10.1186/s13567-024-01338-2 -
Molecular Imaging and Biology Jun 2024There is currently no ideal radiotracer for imaging bacterial infections. Radiolabelled D-amino acids are promising candidates because they are actively incorporated...
PURPOSE
There is currently no ideal radiotracer for imaging bacterial infections. Radiolabelled D-amino acids are promising candidates because they are actively incorporated into the peptidoglycan of the bacterial cell wall, a structural feature which is absent in human cells. This work describes fluorine-18 labelled analogues of D-tyrosine and D-methionine, O-(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-D-tyrosine (D-[F]FET) and S-(3-[F]fluoropropyl)-D-homocysteine (D-[F]FPHCys), and their pilot evaluation studies as potential radiotracers for imaging bacterial infection.
PROCEDURES
D-[F]FET and D-[F]FPHCys were prepared in classical fluorination-deprotection reactions, and their uptake in Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated over 2 h. Heat killed bacteria were used as controls. A clinically-relevant foreign body model of S. aureus infection was established in Balb/c mice, as well as a sterile foreign body to mimic inflammation. The ex vivo biodistribution of D-[F]FPHCys in the infected and inflamed mice was evaluated after 1 h, by dissection and gamma counting. The uptake was compared to that of [F]FDG.
RESULTS
In vitro uptake of both D-[F]FET and D-[F]FPHCys was specific to live bacteria. Uptake was higher in S. aureus than in P. aeruginosa for both radiotracers, and of the two, higher for D-[F]FPHCys than D-[F]FET. Blocking experiments with non-radioactive D-[F]FPHCys confirmed specificity of uptake. In vivo, D-[F]FPHCys had greater accumulation in S. aureus infection compared with sterile inflammation, which was statistically significant. As anticipated, [F]FDG showed no significant difference in uptake between infection and inflammation.
CONCLUSIONS
D-[F]FPHCys uptake was higher in infected tissues than inflammation, and represents a fluorine-18 labelled D-AA with potential to detect a S. aureus reference strain (Xen29) in vivo. Additional studies are needed to evaluate uptake of this radiotracer in clinical isolates.
PubMed: 38942967
DOI: 10.1007/s11307-024-01929-7 -
Asian Journal of Surgery Jun 2024Distal gastrectomy (DG) with lymph node dissection for gastric cancer is routinely performed. In this meta-analysis, we present an updated overview of the perioperative... (Review)
Review
Distal gastrectomy (DG) with lymph node dissection for gastric cancer is routinely performed. In this meta-analysis, we present an updated overview of the perioperative and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic DG (LDG) and robotic DG (RDG) to compare their safety and overall outcomes in patients undergoing DG. An extensive search was conducted using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from the establishment of the database to June 2023 for randomized clinical trials comparing RDG and LDG. The primary outcome was operative results, postoperative recovery, complications, adequacy of resection, and long-term survival. We identified twenty studies, evaluating 5,447 patients (1,968 and 3,479 patients treated with RDG and LDG, respectively). We observed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the proximal resection margin, number of dissected lymph nodes, major complications, anastomosis site leakage, time to first flatus, and length of hospital stay. The RDG group had a longer operative time (P < 0.00001), lesser bleeding (P = 0.0001), longer distal resection margin (P = 0.02), earlier time to oral intake (P = 0.02), fewer overall complications (P = 0.004), and higher costs (P < 0.0001) than the LDG group. RDG is a promising approach for improving LDG owing to acceptable complications and the possibility of radical resection. Longer operative times and higher costs should not prevent researchers from exploring new applications of robotic surgery.
PubMed: 38942631
DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2024.06.051