Changes in Lipid Profiles with the Progression of Pregnancy in Black Women.

Background/Objectives: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in maternal health and fetal development. There is a gap in the knowledge of how lipid metabolism changes during pregnancy for Black women who are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes. We hypothesized that the comprehensive lipidome profiles would show variation across pregnancy indicative of requirements during gestation and fetal development. Methods: Black women were recruited at prenatal clinics. Plasma samples were collected at 8-18 weeks (T1), 22-29 weeks (T2), and 30-36 weeks (T3) of pregnancy. Samples from 64 women who had term births (≥37 weeks gestation) were subjected to "shotgun" Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Mixed-effects models were used to quantify systematic changes and dimensionality reduction models were used to visualize patterns and identify reliable lipid signatures. Results: Total lipids and major lipid classes showed significant increases with the progression of pregnancy. Phospholipids and glycerolipids exhibited a gradual increase from T1 to T2 to T3, while sphingolipids and total sterol lipids displayed a more pronounced increase from T2 to T3. Acylcarnitines, hydroxy acylcarnitines, and Lyso phospholipid levels significantly decreased from T1 to T3. A deviation was that non-esterified fatty acids decreased from T1 to T2 and increased again from T2 to T3, suggestive of a potential role for these lipids during the later stages of pregnancy. The fatty acids showing this trend included key fatty acids-non-esterified Linoleic acid, Arachidonic acid, Alpha-linolenic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid, Docosapentaenoic acid, and Docosahexaenoic acid. Conclusions: Mapping lipid patterns and identifying lipid signatures would help develop intervention strategies to reduce perinatal health disparities among pregnant Black women.

LATERAL EPICONDYLE SLIDING OSTEOTOMY IN KNEE ARTHROPLASTIES WITH VALGUS DEFORMITY.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sliding osteotomy of the lateral epicondyle in correcting rigid valgus deformity in knee arthroplasty. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty with lateral epicondyle sliding osteotomy between 2006 and 2018. The main outcome was the incidence of complications and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were Visual Analog Scale for Pain, varus stress test, and varus knee thrust during gait. RESULTS: 19 knees (19 participants) were included in the study. The mean follow-up was 4.2 years. There were no cases of infection or reoperation due to instability. Two participants (10.5%) had mild or moderate knee pain (VAS pain = 4.6 ± 1.9). Two arthroplasties (10.5%) had mild varus stress. No participant presented varus thrust. CONCLUSION: Sliding osteotomy of the lateral epicondyle allows fast and safe ligament balance of knee valgus deformities. Level of Evidence I, Case series.

Avaliar a eficácia e a segurança da osteotomia de deslizamento do epicôndilo lateral na correção da deformidade em valgo rígida na artroplastia de joelho. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo de pacientes submetidos à artroplastia total do joelho com osteotomia de deslizamento do epicôndilo lateral entre 2006 e 2018. O principal desfecho foi a incidência de complicações e eventos adversos. Os desfechos secundários foram escala visual analógica para dor, teste de estresse em varo e flambagem em varo do joelho durante a marcha. Resultados: Foram incluídos no estudo 19 joelhos (19 participantes). O seguimento médio foi de 4,2 anos. Não houve nenhum caso de infecção ou reoperação devido à instabilidade. Dois participantes (10,5%) apresentaram algum tipo de dor leve ou moderada no joelho (EVA = 4,6 ± 1,9). Duas artroplastias (10,5%) apresentaram estresse em varo leve. Nenhum participante apresentou flambagem em varo. Conclusão: A osteotomia de deslizamento do epicôndilo lateral possibilitou o balanço ligamentar das deformidades em valgo do joelho de forma rápida e segura. Nível de Evidência IV, Série de Casos.

Effect of Foraminal Enlargement on Periapical Healing in Necrotic Teeth: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Foraminal Enlargement (FE) is a cleaning performed in the apical-most region of the tooth, in order to optimize root disinfection. This systematic review evaluated the influence of FE during root canal treatment on bacterial reduction and repair of the periapical lesion. Materials and Methods: Searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Scielo, Lilacs and OpenGrey were performed until January-2024. Ex vivo and in vivo studies evaluating the effects of FE in the bacterial reduction and repair of the periapical lesion were included, respectively, followed by risk of bias assessment (modified version of Joanna Briggs Institute's for ex vivo studies and Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation's risk of bias tools for in vivo studies). The meta-analysis was not feasible and a qualitative summary for each outcome was provided. Results: Of 950 studies, 2 in vivo studies were eligible, using animal models with infected teeth. Of these two, periapical repair was evaluated with hematoxylin-eosin stain, and FE improved periapical healing. Regarding ex vivo studies, 3 were eligible, using extracted human teeth. The inoculations in ex vivo models were performed with Enterococcus (E.) faecalis, and FE reduced E. faecalis in the ex vivo models. Conclusions: Foraminal enlargement seems to increase bacterial reduction within the root canal, and provide major periapical tissue repair on the histological analysis in animal studies. However, caution is necessary when translating these results to the clinical environment.

A conserved phenylalanine motif among Teleost fish provides insight for improving electromagnetic perception.

Magnetoreceptive biology as a field remains relatively obscure; compared to the breadth of species believed to sense magnetic fields, it remains under-studied. Here, we present grounds for the expansion of magnetoreception studies among Teleosts. We begin with the electromagnetic perceptive gene (EPG) from Kryptopterus vitreolus and expand to identify 72 Teleosts with homologous proteins containing a conserved three-phenylalanine (3F) motif. Phylogenetic analysis provides insight as to how EPG may have evolved over time, and indicates that certain clades may have experienced a loss of function driven by different fitness pressures. One potential factor is water type with freshwater fish significantly more likely to possess the functional motif version (FFF), and saltwater fish to have the non-functional variant (FXF). It was also revealed that when the 3F motif from the homolog of Brachyhypopomus gauderio (B.g.) is inserted into EPG - EPG(B.g.) - the response (as indicated by increased intracellular calcium) is faster. This indicates that EPG has the potential to be engineered to improve upon its response and increase its utility to be used as a controller for specific outcomes.

Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tractography Guides Investigation of the Zona Incerta: A Novel Target for Deep Brain Stimulation.

BACKGROUND: The zona incerta (ZI) is a subcortical structure primarily investigated in rodents that is implicated in various behaviors, ranging from motor control to survival-associated activities, partly due to its integration in multiple neural circuits. In the current study, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography to segment the ZI and gain insight into its connectivity in various circuits in humans. METHODS: We performed probabilistic tractography in 7T diffusion MRI on 178 participants from the Human Connectome Project to validate the ZI's anatomical subdivisions and their respective tracts. K-means clustering segmented the ZI based on each voxel's connectivity profile. We further characterized the connections of each ZI subregion using probabilistic tractography with each subregion as a seed. RESULTS: We identified 2 dominant clusters that delineated the whole ZI into rostral and caudal subregions. The caudal ZI primarily connected with motor regions, while the rostral ZI received a topographic distribution of projections from prefrontal areas, notably the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices. We generated a probabilistic ZI atlas that was registered to a patient-participant's magnetic resonance imaging scan for placement of stereoencephalographic leads for electrophysiology-guided deep brain stimulation to treat their obsessive-compulsive disorder. Rostral ZI stimulation improved the patient's core symptoms (mean improvement 21%). CONCLUSIONS: We present a tractography-based atlas of the rostral and caudal ZI subregions constructed using high-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging from 178 healthy participants. Our work provides an anatomical foundation to explore the rostral ZI as a novel target for deep brain stimulation to treat refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder and other disorders associated with dysfunctional reward circuitry.

Challenges of Implementing a Human Multi-Tissue Bank in a Public Hospital in the Interior of São Paulo: Under the Light of the Quality Management System.

BACKGROUND: Human multi-tissue banks (HMTB) are important health institutions specialized in the capture, processing, and distribution of human tissues for transplants and research, aiming for safety and quality in the supply of their products, intended for reconstructive surgeries and injury repair, in addition to contributing to the advancement of research developed in regenerative medicine. This study aims to report and share the experience of implementing an HMTB, as well as creating an institution's own quality management system. METHODS: This is a descriptive study, an experience report type, which identifies historical aspects of an HMTB's actions in the 5 years of implementing and operating the service. RESULTS: Initially, a musculoskeletal tissue bank was established in collaboration with the Department of Orthopedics at the State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in June 2018. In 2023, through a management model and associated technologies, the banks of human musculoskeletal and ocular tissues at the institution established the HC-UNICAMP Human Multi-tissue Bank. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the HMTB with modern and technological infrastructure, associated with the development and operation of the quality management system, allowed us to provide excellent organization of work processes, as well as obtain the necessary health license to begin activities. It is believed that this report can be an important source of information and recommendations applicable to the implementation of other human HMTBs.

A fast algorithm to factorize high-dimensional tensor product matrices used in genetic models.

Many genetic models (including models for epistatic effects as well as genetic-by-environment) involve covariance structures that are Hadamard products of lower rank matrices. Implementing these models requires factorizing large Hadamard product matrices. The available algorithms for factorization do not scale well for big data, making the use of some of these models not feasible with large sample sizes. Here, based on properties of Hadamard products and (related) Kronecker products, we propose an algorithm that produces an approximate decomposition that is orders of magnitude faster than the standard eigenvalue decomposition. In this article, we describe the algorithm, show how it can be used to factorize large Hadamard product matrices, present benchmarks, and illustrate the use of the method by presenting an analysis of data from the northern testing locations of the G × E project from the Genomes to Fields Initiative (n ∼ 60,000). We implemented the proposed algorithm in the open-source "tensorEVD" R package.

Energy balance of dairy cows predicted by mid-infrared spectra data of milk using Bayesian approaches.

Information on dry matter intake (DMI) and energy balance (EB) at the animal and herd level is important for management and breeding decisions. However, routine recording of these traits at commercial farms can be challenging and costly. Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy is a noninvasive technique applicable to a large cohort of animals that is routinely used to analyze milk components and is convenient for predicting complex phenotypes that are typically difficult and expensive to obtain on a large scale. We aimed to develop prediction models for EB and use the predicted phenotypes for genetic analysis. First, we assessed prediction equations using 4,485 phenotypic records from 167 Holstein cows from an experimental station. The phenotypes available were body weight (BW), milk yield (MY) and milk components, weekly-averaged DMI, and FT-MIR data from all milk samples available. We implemented mixed models with Bayesian approaches and assessed them through 50 randomized replicates of a 5-fold cross-validation. Second, we used the best prediction models to obtain predicted phenotypes of EB (EBp) and DMI (DMIp) on 5 commercial farms with 2,365 phenotypic records of MY, milk components and FT-MIR data, and BW from 1,441 Holstein cows. Third, we performed a GWAS and estimated heritability and genetic correlations for energy content in milk (EnM), BW, DMIp, and EBp using the genomic information available on the cows from commercial farms. The highest correlation between the predicted and observed phenotype (ry,y^) was obtained with DMI (0.88) and EB (0.86), while predicting BW was, as anticipated, more challenging (0.69). In our study, models that included FT-MIR information performed better than models without spectra information in the 3 traits analyzed, with increments in prediction correlation ranging from 5% to 10%. For the predicted phenotypes calculated by the prediction equations and data from the commercial farms the heritability ranged between 0.11 and 0.16 for EnM, DMIp and EBp, and 0.42 for BW. The genetic correlation between EnM and BW was -0.17, with DMIp was 0.40 and with EBp was -0.39. From the GWAS, we detected one significant QTL region for EnM, and 3 for BW, but none for DMIp and EBp. The results obtained in our study support previous evidence that FT-MIR information from milk samples contribute to improve the prediction equations for DMI, BW, and EB, and these predicted phenotypes may be used for herd management and contribute to the breeding strategy for improving cow performance.

A global multicohort study to map subcortical brain development and cognition in infancy and early childhood.

The human brain grows quickly during infancy and early childhood, but factors influencing brain maturation in this period remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we harmonized data from eight diverse cohorts, creating one of the largest pediatric neuroimaging datasets to date focused on birth to 6 years of age. We mapped the developmental trajectory of intracranial and subcortical volumes in ∼2,000 children and studied how sociodemographic factors and adverse birth outcomes influence brain structure and cognition. The amygdala was the first subcortical volume to mature, whereas the thalamus exhibited protracted development. Males had larger brain volumes than females, and children born preterm or with low birthweight showed catch-up growth with age. Socioeconomic factors exerted region- and time-specific effects. Regarding cognition, males scored lower than females; preterm birth affected all developmental areas tested, and socioeconomic factors affected visual reception and receptive language. Brain-cognition correlations revealed region-specific associations.

What We Should Expect from an Innovative Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Product: Expert Opinion Based on a Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IAHA) products are often used in the treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The International Symposium on Intra-Articular Treatment (ISIAT) convened a multidisciplinary technical expert panel to define characteristics for an innovative IAHA product that should answer unmet needs in the clinical management of adults with mild-to-moderate KOA. METHODS: An initial set of evidence-based statements was developed based on data extracted from articles identified through a comprehensive literature search. A Delphi panel comprising 19 experts in KOA voted in 3 rounds to rate their degree of agreement with accepted statements. RESULTS: The final set of 13 accepted statements focus on the effect of an innovative IAHA across 5 key domains of nociceptive pain, joint function, quality of life, joint structure and integrity, and adverse effects. The statements set thresholds for clinically meaningful improvements that exceed those generally achievable by currently available IAHA products. CONCLUSION: The characteristics described by these statements from the ISIAT set new standards for what should be expected from an innovative IAHA. These statements should serve as a framework for driving the development of innovative IAHA products that will surpass the actual outcomes achieved by current viscosupplements in patients with mild-to-moderate KOA.

EFFECTIVENESS OF VISCOSUPPLEMENTATION IN THE TREATMENT OF HEMOPHILIC ARTHROPATHY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Objective: To describe the efficacy of using viscosupplementation in patients with hemophilic arthropathy (HA), on pain, limb functionality, and quality of life. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed following the PRISMA guidelines without limitations of language or year of publication. The search was performed on the following medical databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, BVS/BIREME, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and PROQUEST in April 2020. The search used the following word: (hemophilia AND joint diseases) OR (haemophilic arthropathy OR hemophilic arthropathy) AND viscosupplementation. Results: The systematic review identified 127 articles, 10 of which were selected for data extraction and qualitative analysis. The 10 selected articles included 297 joints with HA in 177 hemophilic subjects. Our review showed positive results in alleviating pain and improving functional capacity, and quality of life. No major adverse effects were observed. Conclusion: There is a lack of scientific evidence regarding viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid, but the results presented in this research suggest that it is an effective and safe therapeutic option to alleviate pain and improve functional capacity in patients with HA. Level of Evidence II, Systematic Review.

Objetivo: Descrever o uso da viscossuplementação com ácido hialurônico em pacientes com artropatia hemofílica (HA), sua eficácia na dor, a funcionalidade do membro e a qualidade de vida após sua aplicação. Métodos: Revisão sistemática da literatura (RSL) que seguiu as diretrizes PRISMA, sem limitação de idioma ou ano de publicação. A pesquisa foi realizada em abril de 2020 nas seguintes bases de dados médicas: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, BVS/BIREME, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost e ProQuest. A estratégia de pesquisa foi: (hemofilia AND joint disease) OR (artropatia hemofílica OU artropatia hemofílica) E viscossuplementação. Resultados: A RSL identificou 127 artigos, dos quais 10 foram selecionados para extração de dados e análise qualitativa. Os 10 artigos selecionados incluíram 297 articulações com AH em 177 indivíduos hemofílicos. Nossa revisão mostrou resultados positivos na melhora da dor, na capacidade funcional e na qualidade de vida. Não foram observados efeitos adversos importantes. Conclusão: A evidência científica atual a respeito da viscossuplementação com ácido hialurônico é escassa, mas os resultados apresentados nesta pesquisa sugerem que é uma opção terapêutica eficaz e segura para diminuir a dor e melhorar a capacidade funcional em pacientes com AH. Nível de Evidência II, Revisão Sistemática.

An Unusual Cause of Posterior Knee Pain: Mucoid Degeneration of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament - Case Report.

Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an uncommon cause of pain in the posterior region of the knee, of unknown pathophysiology and underdiagnosed. The best treatment modality is still under discussion. Resection of the lesion with partial ACL debridement has shown good results without the occurrence of instability. The authors present a case of mucoid degeneration of the ACL treated with resection of the mucoid degeneration and partial debridement of the ACL by arthroscopy.

Leveraging data from the Genomes-to-Fields Initiative to investigate genotype-by-environment interactions in maize in North America.

Genotype-by-environment (G×E) interactions can significantly affect crop performance and stability. Investigating G×E requires extensive data sets with diverse cultivars tested over multiple locations and years. The Genomes-to-Fields (G2F) Initiative has tested maize hybrids in more than 130 year-locations in North America since 2014. Here, we curate and expand this data set by generating environmental covariates (using a crop model) for each of the trials. The resulting data set includes DNA genotypes and environmental data linked to more than 70,000 phenotypic records of grain yield and flowering traits for more than 4000 hybrids. We show how this valuable data set can serve as a benchmark in agricultural modeling and prediction, paving the way for countless G×E investigations in maize. We use multivariate analyses to characterize the data set's genetic and environmental structure, study the association of key environmental factors with traits, and provide benchmarks using genomic prediction models.

Design, analysis, and interpretation of treatment response heterogeneity in personalized nutrition and obesity treatment research.

It is increasingly assumed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary recommendations for the management and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. This phenomenon that not all individuals respond uniformly to a given treatment has become an area of research interest given the rise of personalized and precision medicine. To conduct, interpret, and disseminate this research rigorously and with scientific accuracy, however, requires an understanding of treatment response heterogeneity. Here, we define treatment response heterogeneity as it relates to clinical trials, provide statistical guidance for measuring treatment response heterogeneity, and highlight study designs that can quantify treatment response heterogeneity in nutrition and obesity research. Our goal is to educate nutrition and obesity researchers in how to correctly identify and consider treatment response heterogeneity when analyzing data and interpreting results, leading to rigorous and accurate advancements in the field of personalized medicine.

Advantages of treating sponge-gourd waste by mechanical refining on the properties of fiber-based poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/polylactide biocomposites.

This study compares the morphology, thermal, and dynamic-mechanical properties of composites based on polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactide biocomposites with sponge gourd waste treated code as R, and non-treated sponge gourd, coded as NR, by mechanical disc refining after milled process. Extrusion followed by compression molding was used to produce biocomposites with fiber contents of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 15% wt/wt for R and NR sponge gourd fibers. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals that NR has the morphology of a rigid tubular shape, whereas R is a thinner, twisted, and fibrillated fiber. Regardless of the type of sponge gourd fiber used, the thermal stability of the composite decreases as the sponge gourd content increases. At 25°C, the biocomposite with 10%wt/wt R fiber has the highest storage modulus value. The comparison of Tangent  peak values reveals that the presence of sponge gourd fibers reduces the energy dissipation of the biocomposites. The analysis of the loss modulus at 25°C reveals that R fiber contributes more to the reduction of energy dissipation of the biocomposites than NR. Furthermore, the Cole-Cole plot shows that R and NR fibers are dispersed and do not significantly change the homogeneity of the biopolymer systems.

An Unusual Cause of Posterior Knee Pain: Mucoid Degeneration of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament - Case Report / Uma causa incomum de dor posterior no joelho: degeneração mucóide do ligamento cruzado anterior - Relato de caso

Abstract Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an uncommon cause of pain in the posterior region of the knee, of unknown pathophysiology and underdiagnosed. The best treatment modality is still under discussion. Resection of the lesion with partial ACL debridement has shown good results without the occurrence of instability. The authors present a case of mucoid degeneration of the ACL treated with resection of the mucoid degeneration and partial debridement of the ACL by arthroscopy.

Resumo A degeneração mucoide do ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) é uma causa pouco frequente de dor na região posterior do joelho, de patofisiologia desconhecida e subdiagnosticada. A melhor modalidade de tratamento ainda está em discussão. A ressecção da lesão com desbridamento parcial do LCA tem apresentado bons resultados, sem a ocorrência de instabilidade. Os autores apresentam um caso de degeneração mucoide do LCA tratado com ressecção da degeneração mucoide e desbridamento parcial do LCA por artroscopia.

Using residual regressions to quantify and map signal leakage in genomic prediction.

BACKGROUND: Most genomic prediction applications in animal breeding use genotypes with tens of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, modern sequencing technologies and imputation algorithms can generate ultra-high-density genotypes (including millions of SNPs) at an affordable cost. Empirical studies have not produced clear evidence that using ultra-high-density genotypes can significantly improve prediction accuracy. However, (whole-genome) prediction accuracy is not very informative about the ability of a model to capture the genetic signals from specific genomic regions. To address this problem, we propose a simple methodology that detects chromosome regions for which a specific model (e.g., single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP)) may fail to fully capture the genetic signal present in such segments-a phenomenon that we refer to as signal leakage. We propose to detect regions with evidence of signal leakage by testing the association of residuals from a pedigree or a genomic model with SNP genotypes. We discuss how this approach can be used to map regions with signals that are poorly captured by a model and to identify strategies to fix those problems (e.g., using a different prior or increasing marker density). Finally, we explored the proposed approach to scan for signal leakage of different models (pedigree-based, ssGBLUP, and various Bayesian models) applied to growth-related phenotypes (average daily gain and backfat thickness) in pigs. RESULTS: We report widespread evidence of signal leakage for pedigree-based models. Including a percentage of animals with SNP data in ssGBLUP reduced the extent of signal leakage. However, local peaks of missed signals remained in some regions, even when all animals were genotyped. Using variable selection priors solves leakage points that are caused by excessive shrinkage of marker effects. Nevertheless, these models still miss signals in some regions due to low linkage disequilibrium between the SNPs on the array used and causal variants. Thus, we discuss how such problems could be addressed by adding sequence SNPs from those regions to the prediction model. CONCLUSIONS: Residual single-marker regression analysis is a simple approach that can be used to detect regional genomic signals that are poorly captured by a model and to indicate ways to fix such problems.

Genomes to Fields 2022 Maize genotype by Environment Prediction Competition.

OBJECTIVES: The Genomes to Fields (G2F) 2022 Maize Genotype by Environment (GxE) Prediction Competition aimed to develop models for predicting grain yield for the 2022 Maize GxE project field trials, leveraging the datasets previously generated by this project and other publicly available data. DATA DESCRIPTION: This resource used data from the Maize GxE project within the G2F Initiative [1]. The dataset included phenotypic and genotypic data of the hybrids evaluated in 45 locations from 2014 to 2022. Also, soil, weather, environmental covariates data and metadata information for all environments (combination of year and location). Competitors also had access to ReadMe files which described all the files provided. The Maize GxE is a collaborative project and all the data generated becomes publicly available [2]. The dataset used in the 2022 Prediction Competition was curated and lightly filtered for quality and to ensure naming uniformity across years.