Iron rescues glucose-mediated photosynthesis repression during lipid accumulation in the green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis.

Energy status and nutrients regulate photosynthetic protein expression. The unicellular green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis switches off photosynthesis in the presence of exogenous glucose (+Glc) in a process that depends on hexokinase (HXK1). Here, we show that this response requires that cells lack sufficient iron (-Fe). Cells grown in -Fe+Glc accumulate triacylglycerol (TAG) while losing photosynthesis and thylakoid membranes. However, cells with an iron supplement (+Fe+Glc) maintain photosynthesis and thylakoids while still accumulating TAG. Proteomic analysis shows that known photosynthetic proteins are most depleted in heterotrophy, alongside hundreds of uncharacterized, conserved proteins. Photosynthesis repression is associated with enzyme and transporter regulation that redirects iron resources to (a) respiratory instead of photosynthetic complexes and (b) a ferredoxin-dependent desaturase pathway supporting TAG accumulation rather than thylakoid lipid synthesis. Combining insights from diverse organisms from green algae to vascular plants, we show how iron and trophic constraints on metabolism aid gene discovery for photosynthesis and biofuel production.

Unmatched. What's Next? Is a Preliminary Year of Residency or Research Fellowship Better for Reapplicants to Plastic Surgery?

Background: Plastic and reconstructive surgery is one of the most competitive residency programs, and given the increased number of applicants for a relatively fixed number of positions, successfully matching is a challenge. Match rates have declined since 2018, with a match rate of ~55% in 2022. Two common options before reapplying are a preliminary year of residency (preliminary year) or a research fellowship. This study investigated which option is more beneficial for reapplicants seeking a successful match. Methods: This retrospective study included all applicants to an integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery residency from 2015 to 2023. Two cohorts based on reapplication strategy (research fellowship or preliminary year) were created. Demographic, applicant, and match data were collected. Pearson chi-squared, Fisher exact, and Wilcoxon rank sum testing were performed. Results: In total, 125 reapplicants were included. Seventy-one (56.8%) reapplicants pursued a preliminary year, and 29 (23.2%) completed a research fellowship. Research fellowship reapplicants had a greater mean number of first author publications (8.8 versus 3.2, P < 0.001), non-first author publications (11.3 versus 5.9, P = 0.021), poster presentations (9.7 versus 6.0, P = 0.028), and oral presentations (11.8 versus 6.4, P < 0.001). Research fellowship reapplicants were more likely to match into plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) than preliminary year reapplicants, with 72.4% (n = 21) of research fellowship reapplicants matching into PRS compared with 39.4% (n = 28) of preliminary year reapplicants (P = 0.003). Conclusions: Research fellowship reapplicants demonstrated greater research productivity and were almost twice as likely to match into PRS compared with preliminary reapplicants.

Impact of patrilocality on contrasting patterns of paternal and maternal heritage in Central-West Africa.

Despite their ancient past and high diversity, African populations are the least represented in human population genetic studies. In this study, uniparental markers (mtDNA and Y chromosome) were used to investigate the impact of sociocultural factors on the genetic diversity and inter-ethnolinguistic gene flow in the three major Nigerian groups: Hausa (n = 89), Yoruba (n = 135) and Igbo (n = 134). The results show a distinct history from the maternal and paternal perspectives. The three Nigerian groups present a similar substrate for mtDNA, but not for the Y chromosome. The two Niger-Congo groups, Yoruba and Igbo, are paternally genetically correlated with populations from the same ethnolinguistic affiliation. Meanwhile, the Hausa is paternally closer to other Afro-Asiatic populations and presented a high diversity of lineages from across Africa. When expanding the analyses to other African populations, it is observed that language did not act as a major barrier to female-mediated gene flow and that the differentiation of paternal lineages is better correlated with linguistic than geographic distances. The results obtained demonstrate the impact of patrilocality, a common and well-established practice in populations from Central-West Africa, in the preservation of the patrilineage gene pool and in the affirmation of identity between groups.

Impact of surfactant raw material variability on extrudate clarity appearance (transparency) in HME continuous manufacturing.

The appearance of an extrudate formulation was monitored during hot-melt extrusion (HME) continuous manufacturing over 3 days. The formulation matrix consisted of a polymeric component, copovidone, and a low molecular weight surfactant, polysorbate 80. Based on studies prior to the continuous manufacturing, the desired appearance of the target extrudate is translucent. Although process parameters such as feed rate and screw speed were fixed during the continuous manufacturing, the extrudate appearance changed over time from turbid to translucent. For root-cause investigation, the extrudates were analyzed offline by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and advanced polymer chromatography (APC™). Although the polysorbate 80 content of both turbid and translucent extrudates was within target, the glass transition temperature of the turbid extrudate was 2 °C above expected value. The observed turbidity was traced to lot-to-lot variability of the polysorbate 80 used in the continuous manufacturing, where APC™ analysis revealed that the relative content of the low molecular weight component varied from 23% to 27% in correlation with the evolution from turbid to translucent extrudates. This work stresses the importance of taking feeding material variability into account during continuous manufacturing.

System-agnostic prediction of pharmaceutical excipient miscibility via computing-as-a-service and experimental validation.

We applied computing-as-a-service to the unattended system-agnostic miscibility prediction of the pharmaceutical surfactants, Vitamin E TPGS and Tween 80, with Copovidone VA64 polymer at temperature relevant for the pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion process. The computations were performed in lieu of running exhaustive hot melt extrusion experiments to identify surfactant-polymer miscibility limits. The computing scheme involved a massively parallelized architecture for molecular dynamics and free energy perturbation from which binodal, spinodal, and mechanical mixture critical points were detected on molar Gibbs free energy profiles at 180 °C. We established tight agreement between the computed stability (miscibility) limits of 9.0 and 10.0 wt% vs. the experimental 7 and 9 wt% for the Vitamin E TPGS and Tween 80 systems, respectively, and identified different destabilizing mechanisms applicable to each system. This paradigm supports that computational stability prediction may serve as a physically meaningful, resource-efficient, and operationally sensible digital twin to experimental screening tests of pharmaceutical systems. This approach is also relevant to amorphous solid dispersion drug delivery systems, as it can identify critical stability points of active pharmaceutical ingredient/excipient mixtures.

Preclinical antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of Erythrophleum africanum (benth.) harms in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the antidiabetic effects of the methanolic extract of E. africanum (MEEA) stem bark on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) in Wistar rats. METHODS: The in vitro enzyme (α-amylase) inhibitory activity of MEEA was measured using a standard procedure. Diabetic rats with fasting blood glucose above 250 mg/dL were considered diabetic and were divided into the following groups: control (distilled water-treated), diabetic-control, diabetic metformin (100 mg/kg), diabetes + MEEA (150 mg/kg), and diabetes + MEEA (300 mg/kg) via oral gavage once daily for 14 days. At the end of the experimental period, kidney tissues were collected for biochemical and histological analyses. Kidney apoptosis and marker gene expression were measured by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: MEEA exhibited α-amylase inhibitory effects. MEEA significantly (p<0.05) reduced the STZ-induced increases in blood glucose, serum urea, serum creatinine, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and malondialdehyde and increased the STZ-induced decreases in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione. In addition, MEEA protects against DN by significantly downregulating the mRNA expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP-response binding protein (CREB), and cFOS and upregulating B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), suggesting that the nephroprotective ability of MEEA is due to the modulation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB/cFOS signaling pathway. Furthermore, MEEA treatment protected against histopathological alterations observed in diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: The data from this study suggest that MEEA modulates glucose homeostasis and inhibits redox imbalance in DN rats.

Widening geographic range of Rift Valley fever disease clusters associated with climate change in East Africa.

BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiology of Rift Valley fever (RVF) disease in Africa suggests growing frequency and expanding geographic range of small disease clusters in regions that previously had not reported the disease. We investigated factors associated with the phenomenon by characterising recent RVF disease events in East Africa. METHODS: Data on 100 disease events (2008-2022) from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were obtained from public databases and institutions, and modelled against possible geoecological risk factors of occurrence including altitude, soil type, rainfall/precipitation, temperature, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), livestock production system, land-use change and long-term climatic variations. Decadal climatic variations between 1980 and 2022 were evaluated for association with the changing disease pattern. RESULTS: Of 100 events, 91% were small RVF clusters with a median of one human (IQR, 1-3) and three livestock cases (IQR, 2-7). These clusters exhibited minimal human mortality (IQR, 0-1), and occurred primarily in highlands (67%), with 35% reported in areas that had never reported RVF disease. Multivariate regression analysis of geoecological variables showed a positive correlation between occurrence and increasing temperature and rainfall. A 1°C increase in temperature and a 1-unit increase in NDVI, one months prior were associated with increased RVF incidence rate ratios of 1.20 (95% CI 1.1, 1.2) and 1.93 (95% CI 1.01, 3.71), respectively. Long-term climatic trends showed a significant decadal increase in annual mean temperature (0.12-0.3°C/decade, p<0.05), associated with decreasing rainfall in arid and semi-arid lowlands but increasing rainfall trends in highlands (p<0.05). These hotter and wetter highlands showed increasing frequency of RVF clusters, accounting for 76% and 43% in Uganda and Kenya, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the changing epidemiology of RVF disease. The widening geographic range of disease is associated with climatic variations, with the likely impact of wider dispersal of virus to new areas of endemicity and future epidemics.

Use of Ambient Light Compatible Fluorescence-Guided Surgical Technology for Objective Assessment of Flap Perfusion in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Decreased autologous flap vascular perfusion can lead to secondary procedures. Fluorescence angiography during surgery reduces the probability of repeat surgery but suffers from interpretation variability. Recently, the OnLume Avata System was developed, which evaluates real-time vascular perfusion in ambient light. This study aims to predict complications in autologous breast reconstruction using measures of relative intensity (RI) and relative area (RA). METHODS: Patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction underwent intraoperative tissue perfusion assessment using the OnLume Avata System. Post-hoc image annotation was completed by labeling areas of the flap interpreted to be "Well Perfused," "Questionably Perfused," and "Under Perfused." RIs and RAs were calculated for the marked areas. Primary complications of interest were overall complication rate, fat and mastectomy skin flap necrosis, and surgical revision. Logistic regression was applied to determine the odds of developing a complication based on RI and RA for each image. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients (45 flaps) were included. In total, 17 patients (68%) developed at least one complication. Patients who developed any complication (p = 0.02) or underwent a surgical revision for complications (p = 0.02) had statistically lower RI of under-perfused portions of the flap. Patients with greater areas of under-perfused flap had a significantly higher risk of developing fat necrosis (odds ratio [OR]: 5.71, p = 0.03) and required a revision operation (OR: 1.10, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Image-based interpretation using the OnLume Avata System correlated with the risk of developing postoperative complications that standard fluorescence imaging systems may not appreciate. This information can benefit surgeons to improve perfusion assessment and intraoperative decision-making.

The PREVENT dementia programme: baseline demographic, lifestyle, imaging and cognitive data from a midlife cohort study investigating risk factors for dementia.

PREVENT is a multi-centre prospective cohort study in the UK and Ireland that aims to examine midlife risk factors for dementia and identify and describe the earliest indices of disease development. The PREVENT dementia programme is one of the original epidemiological initiatives targeting midlife as a critical window for intervention in neurodegenerative conditions. This paper provides an overview of the study protocol and presents the first summary results from the initial baseline data to describe the cohort. Participants in the PREVENT cohort provide demographic data, biological samples (blood, saliva, urine and optional cerebrospinal fluid), lifestyle and psychological questionnaires, undergo a comprehensive cognitive test battery and are imaged using multi-modal 3-T MRI scanning, with both structural and functional sequences. The PREVENT cohort governance structure is described, which includes a steering committee, a scientific advisory board and core patient and public involvement groups. A number of sub-studies that supplement the main PREVENT cohort are also described. The PREVENT cohort baseline data include 700 participants recruited between 2014 and 2020 across five sites in the UK and Ireland (Cambridge, Dublin, Edinburgh, London and Oxford). At baseline, participants had a mean age of 51.2 years (range 40-59, SD ± 5.47), with the majority female (n = 433, 61.9%). There was a near equal distribution of participants with and without a parental history of dementia (51.4% versus 48.6%) and a relatively high prevalence of APOEɛ4 carriers (n = 264, 38.0%). Participants were highly educated (16.7 ± 3.44 years of education), were mainly of European Ancestry (n = 672, 95.9%) and were cognitively healthy as measured by the Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination-III (total score 95.6 ± 4.06). Mean white matter hyperintensity volume at recruitment was 2.26 ± 2.77 ml (median = 1.39 ml), with hippocampal volume being 8.15 ± 0.79 ml. There was good representation of known dementia risk factors in the cohort. The PREVENT cohort offers a novel data set to explore midlife risk factors and early signs of neurodegenerative disease. Data are available open access at no cost via the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative platform and Dementia Platforms UK platform pending approval of the data access request from the PREVENT steering group committee.

Genome-wide analysis to assess if heavy alcohol consumption modifies the association between SNPs and pancreatic cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include common genetic variants and potentially heavy alcohol consumption. We assessed if genetic variants modify the association between heavy alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide interaction analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) by heavy alcohol consumption (more than 3 drinks per day) for pancreatic cancer in European ancestry populations from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Our analysis included 3,707 cases and 4,167 controls from case-control studies and 1,098 cases and 1,162 controls from cohort studies. Fixed effect meta-analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A potential novel region of association on 10p11.22, lead SNP rs7898449 (Pinteraction = 5.1 x 10-8 in the meta-analysis, Pinteraction = 2.1x10-9 in the case-control studies, Pinteraction = 0.91 cohort studies) was identified. A SNP correlated with this lead SNP is an eQTL for the NRP1 gene. Of the 17 genomic regions with genome-wide significant evidence of association with pancreatic cancer in prior studies, we observed suggestive evidence that heavy alcohol consumption modified the association for one SNP near LINC00673, rs11655237 on 17q25.1 (Pinteraction = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: We identified a novel genomic region that may be associated with pancreatic cancer risk in conjunction with heavy alcohol consumption located near an eQTL for the NRP1, a protein that plays an important role in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer Impact: This work can provide insight into the etiology of pancreatic cancer particularly in heavy drinkers.

Assessment of biometrics and stress indicators of the adult Village Weaver birds (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons in Jos, Nigeria.

In this era of climate change, some biological conservationists' concerns are based on seasonal studies that highlight how wild birds' physiological fitness are interconnected with the immediate environment to avoid population decline. We investigated how seasonal biometrics correlated to stress parameters of the adult Village Weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) during breeding and post-breeding seasons of the Weaver birds in Amurum Forest Reserve. Specifically, we explored the following objectives: (i) the seasonal number of birds captured; (ii) whether seasonal baseline corticosterone (CORT), packed cell volume (PCV), and heterophil to lymphocytes ratio (H:L) were sex-dependent; (iii) whether H:L ratio varied with baseline (CORT); (iv) whether phenotypic condition (post-breeding moult) and brood patch varied with baseline (CORT) and H:L ratio; and (v) how body biometrics co-varied birds' seasonal baseline (CORT), (PCV) and (H:L) ratio. Trapping of birds (May-November) coincided with breeding and post-breeding seasons. The birds (n = 53 males, 39 females) were ringed, morphologically assessed (body mass, wing length, moult, brood patch) and blood collected from their brachial vein was used to assess CORT, PCV and H:L ratio. Although our results indicated more male birds trapped during breeding, the multiple analyses of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the seasonal temperature of the trapping sites correlated (P < 0.05) significantly to baseline (CORT). The general linear mixed model analyses (GLMMs) indicated that the baseline (CORT) also correlated significantly to H:L ratio of the male and female birds. However, PCV correlated significantly to body size of the birds (wing length) and not body mass. Haematological parameters such as the baseline CORT and the H:L ratio as indicators of stress in wild birds. Hence, there is the possibility that the Village Weaver birds suffered from seasonally induced stress under the constrained effect of environmental temperature. Hence, future studies should investigate whether the effect observed is also attributable to other passerine species.

Widening geographic range of Rift Valley fever disease clusters associated with climate change in East Africa.

Background: Recent epidemiology of Rift Valley fever (RVF) disease in Africa suggests growing frequency and expanding geographic range of small disease clusters in regions that previously had not reported the disease. We investigated factors associated with the phenomenon by characterizing recent RVF disease events in East Africa. Methods: Data on 100 disease events (2008 - 2022) from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were obtained from public databases and institutions, and modeled against possible geo-ecological risk factors of occurrence including altitude, soil type, rainfall/precipitation, temperature, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), livestock production system, land-use change, and long-term climatic variations. Decadal climatic variations between 1980-2022 were evaluated for association with the changing disease pattern. Results: Of 100 events, 91% were small RVF clusters with a median of one human (IQR, 1-3) and 3 livestock cases (IQR, 2-7). These clusters exhibited minimal human mortality (IQR 0-1), and occurred primarily in highlands (67%), with 35% reported in areas that had never reported RVF disease. Multivariate regression analysis of geo-ecological variables showed a positive correlation between occurrence and increasing temperature and rainfall. A 1oC increase in temperature and 1-unit increase in NDVI, 1-3 months prior were associated with increased RVF incidence rate ratios (IRR) of 1.20 (95% CI 1.1,1.2) and 9.88 (95% CI 0.85, 119.52), respectively. Long-term climatic trends showed significant decadal increase in annual mean temperature (0.12 to 0.3oC/decade, P<0.05), associated with decreasing rainfall in arid and semi-arid lowlands but increasing rainfall trends in highlands (P<0.05). These hotter and wetter highlands showed increasing frequency of RVF clusters, accounting for 76% and 43% in Uganda and Kenya, respectively. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the changing epidemiology of RVF disease. The widening geographic range of disease is associated with climatic variations, with the likely impact of wider dispersal of virus to new areas of endemicity and future epidemics. Key questions: What is already known on this topic?: Rift Valley fever is recognized for its association with heavy rainfall, flooding, and El Niño rains in the East African region. A growing body of recent studies has highlighted a shifting landscape of the disease, marked by an expanding geographic range and an increasing number of small RVF clusters.What this study adds: This study challenges previous beliefs about RVF, revealing that it predominantly occurs in small clusters rather than large outbreaks, and its association with El Niño is not as pronounced as previously thought. Over 65% of these clusters are concentrated in the highlands of Kenya and Uganda, with 35% occurring in previously unaffected regions, accompanied by an increase in temperature and total rainfall between 1980 and 2022, along with a rise in the annual number of rainy days. Notably, the observed rainfall increases are particularly significant during the short-rains season (October-December), aligning with a secondary peak in RVF incidence. In contrast, the lowlands of East Africa, where typical RVF epidemics occur, display smaller and more varied trends in annual rainfall.How this study might affect research, practice, or policy: The worldwide consequence of the expanding RVF cluster is the broader dispersion of the virus, leading to the establishment of new regions with virus endemicity. This escalation heightens the risk of more extensive extreme-weather-associated RVF epidemics in the future. Global public health institutions must persist in developing preparedness and response strategies for such scenarios. This involves the creation and approval of human RVF vaccines and therapeutics, coupled with a rapid distribution plan through regional banks.

Reversible Photochromism of 4,4'-Disubstituted 2,2'-Bipyridine in the Presence of SO3.

We report an unusual photochromic behavior of 4,4'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridine. It was found that in the presence of a SO3 source and HCl, 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dibutyl ester undergoes a color change from yellow to magenta in solution with maximum absorbance at 545 nm upon irradiation with 395 nm light. The photochromism is thermally reversible in solution. Different from the known bipyridine-based photoswitching pathways, the photo response does not involve any metal which form colored complexes or the formation of colored free radical cations like the photo-reduction of viologens. A combination of experimental and computational analysis was used to probe the mechanism. The results suggest the colored species to be a complex formed between N-oxide of the 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dibutyl ester and SO2; the N-oxide and SO2 are formed from photoactivated oxidation of the bipyridine with SO3 serving as the oxygen source. This complex represents a new addition to the library of photoswitches that is easy to synthesize, reversible in solution, and of high fatigue resistance, making it a promising candidate for applications in photo-switchable materials and SO3 detection. We also demonstrated experimentally similar photochromic behaviors with 2,2'-bipyridine-containing polymers.

Gpbar-1/cAMP/PKA signaling mitigates macrophage-mediated acute cholestatic liver injury via antagonizing NLRP3-ASC inflammasome.

Acute cholestatic liver injury (ACLI) is a disease associated with bile duct obstruction that causes liver inflammation and apoptosis. Although G protein-coupled bile acid receptor1 (Gpbar-1) has diverse metabolic roles, its involvement in ACLI-associated immune activation remains unclear. Liver tissues and blood samples from 20 patients with ACLI and 20 healthy individuals were analyzed using biochemical tests, H&E staining, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry to verify liver damage and expression of Gpbar-1. The expression of Gpbar-1, cAMP/PKA signaling, and the NLRP3 inflammasome was tested in wild-type (WT) and Gpbar-1 knockdown (si-Gpbar-1) mice with ACLI induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) and in primary Kupffer cells (KCs) with or without Gpbar-1-siRNA. The results showed that total bile acids and Gpbar-1 expressions were elevated in patients with ACLI. Gpbar-1 knockdown significantly worsened BDL-induced acute hepatic damage, inflammation, and liver apoptosis in vivo. Knockdown of Gpbar-1 heightened KC sensitivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Gpbar-1 activation inhibited LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses in normal KCs but not in Gpbar-1-knockdown KCs. Notably, NLRP3-ASC inflammasome expression was effectively enhanced by Gpbar-1 deficiency. Additionally, Gpbar-1 directly increased intracellular cAMP levels and PKA phosphorylation, thus disrupting the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome. The pro-inflammatory characteristic of Gpbar-1 deficiency was almost neutralized by the NLRP3 inhibitor CY-09. In vitro, M1 polarization was accelerated in LPS-stimulated Gpbar-1-knockdown KCs. Therapeutically, Gpbar-1 deficiency exacerbated BDL-induced ACLI, which could be rescued by inhibition of the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome. Our study reveal that Gpbar-1 may act as a novel immune-mediated regulator of ACLI by inhibiting the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome.

Predicting Nipple Necrosis with a "Lights-on" Indocyanine Green Imaging System: A Report of Two Patients.

Nipple-areolar complex (NAC) necrosis is a devastating complication in nipple-sparing mastectomies (NSMs) that significantly impacts patient's quality of life. The use of fluorescence angiography for intraoperative assessment of mastectomy skin flap perfusion in NSM has been successfully described and can be utilized to help guide surgical decision-making. Recently, a novel fluorescence-guided surgical imager was developed, OnLume Avata System (OnLume Surgical, Madison, WI), which provides intraoperative evaluation of vascular perfusion in ambient light. In this case report, we describe the use of OnLume fluorescence-guided surgery technology to help aid in clinical decision-making for two breast reconstruction cases with concern for intraoperative nipple hypoperfusion.

Livestreaming Microsurgery Education: An Avenue to Expand Global Plastic Surgery.

Microsurgery is a complex subspecialty requiring fine manual dexterity and a thorough understanding of microsurgical techniques, requiring years of training to reach proficiency. On a global scale, trainees may not have access to a longitudinal microsurgery curriculum and instead attend brief courses to learn microsurgical techniques, limiting their ability to practice the nuances of microsurgery. There remains a gap in global microsurgical education for trainees to have consistent educational exposure. This article presents a novel and easy to use software-based microsurgical system for virtual microsurgical teaching. In doing so, this system provides a free-of-cost and highly accessible avenue to deliver consistent microsurgical education worldwide.

Hepatitis B virus infection among illegal drug users in Enugu State, Nigeria: prevalence, immune status, and related risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B virus infection poses a global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income African countries. Illicit drug use exacerbates the problem, with drug users having a higher HBV infection risk and maintaining a quiet transmission pool. This study aimed to determine HBV infection prevalence, immune status, and risk factors among illegal drug users in Enugu State, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Enugu State, using privileged access interviewer methods to enroll drug users. Pre-tested structured questionnaires were administered after informed consent was obtained. Blood samples were tested for HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb using immunochromatographic rapid test kits. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. RESULTS: One hundred drug users were recruited into the study. Overall, 7% of the drug users had HBV infection. 61% were found to be susceptible to HBV infection, 15% showed serological evidence of immunity from HBV vaccination and 1% developed natural immunity from HBV exposure. Significant risk factors for HBV infection were age less than 20 years, young age (≤ 20 years) at drug initiation, being single, injecting drugs more than or equal to 20 times per month and injecting with used syringes. CONCLUSION: This study shows high intermediate endemicity of HBV infection among drug users, low vaccination uptake, and high susceptibility to HBV infection. This calls for the urgent inclusion of drug users in national HBV vaccination campaigns and the adoption of the World Health Organization's recommendations on the prevention of viral hepatitis among people who inject drugs.

OMEF biochip for evaluating red blood cell deformability using dielectrophoresis as a diagnostic tool for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent and debilitating disease with numerous health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, kidney dysfunction, and nerve damage. One important aspect of T2DM is its association with the abnormal morphology of red blood cells (RBCs), which leads to increased blood viscosity and impaired blood flow. Therefore, evaluating the mechanical properties of RBCs is crucial for understanding the role of T2DM in cellular deformability. This provides valuable insights into disease progression and potential diagnostic applications. In this study, we developed an open micro-electro-fluidic (OMEF) biochip technology based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) to assess the deformability of RBCs in T2DM. The biochip facilitates high-throughput single-cell RBC stretching experiments, enabling quantitative measurements of the cell size, strain, stretch factor, and post-stretching relaxation time. Our results confirm the significant impact of T2DM on the deformability of RBCs. Compared to their healthy counterparts, diabetic RBCs exhibit ∼27% increased size and ∼29% reduced stretch factor, suggesting potential biomarkers for monitoring T2DM. The observed dynamic behaviors emphasize the contrast between the mechanical characteristics, where healthy RBCs demonstrate notable elasticity and diabetic RBCs exhibit plastic behavior. These differences highlight the significance of mechanical characteristics in understanding the implications for RBCs in T2DM. With its ∼90% sensitivity and rapid readout (ultimately within a few minutes), the OMEF biochip holds potential as an effective point-of-care diagnostic tool for evaluating the deformability of RBCs in individuals with T2DM and tracking disease progression.