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Gloeocapsopsis dulcis strain AAB1 is an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium isolated from the Atacama Desert (i.e., the driest and oldest desert on Earth) that holds astrobiological significance due to its ability to biosynthesize compatible solutes at ultra-low water activities. We sequenced and assembled the G. dulcis genome de novo using a combination of long- and short-read sequencing, which resulted in high-quality consensus sequences of the chromosome and two plasmids. We leveraged the G. dulcis genome to generate a genome-scale metabolic model (iGd895) to simulate growth in silico. iGd895 represents, to our knowledge, the first genome-scale metabolic reconstruction developed for an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium. The model's predictive capability was assessed by comparing the in silico growth rate with in vitro growth rates of G. dulcis, in addition to the synthesis of trehalose. iGd895 allowed us to explore simulations of key metabolic processes such as essential pathways for water-stress tolerance, and significant alterations to reaction flux distribution and metabolic network reorganization resulting from water limitation. Our study provides insights into the potential metabolic strategies employed by G. dulcis, emphasizing the crucial roles of compatible solutes, metabolic water, energy conservation, and the precise regulation of reaction rates in their adaptation to water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Purpose: One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) and single anastomosis duodenoileostomy with sleeve (SADI-S) are two highly effective bariatric procedures that have been recently endorsed by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). We compared the outcomes and safety profiles of SADI-S and OAGB using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis on patients who underwent SADI-S or OAGB obtained from the MBSAQIP database 2020–2021. Patients who underwent concurrent procedures (besides EGD) or had missing data were removed. Variables included age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and pertinent medical comorbidities. Data were analyzed for 30-day postoperative morbidity, mortality, reoperation, reintervention, and readmissions. p values were calculated using Student's t-test or Fisher analysis. Results: A total of 694 and 1068 patients respectively underwent SADI-S or OAGB. Statistically significant comorbidities included age (42.2 ± 10.8 vs. 43.7 ± 12.2), BMI (50.6 ± 9.1 vs. 45.3 ± 7.1), ASA 2 (66 (9.5%) vs. 165 (15.4%)), ASA 4 [69 (9.9%) vs. 20 (1.9%)], and immunosuppressive therapy [24 (3.5%) vs. 17 (1.6%)]. Clavien-Dindo-based analysis highlighted that SADI-S had higher grade 2 (p = 0.005) and grade 4b (p = 0.001) complications. Patients who underwent SADI-S were twice as likely to be readmitted within 30 days (3.7% vs. 1.9%; p = 0.021). Conclusion: SADI-S had higher readmission rates and higher Clavien-Dindo grade 2 and 4b complications. To note, SADI-S patients had higher BMIs. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term complications and efficacy of both operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Obesity and its related comorbidities are associated with serious health risks. This trial evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the ORBERA® Intragastric Balloon System (IGB) as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention in a post-marketing clinical setting. Methods and Materials: In this multicenter study, 258 adults with a body mass index of 30–40 kg/m2 were treated with the IGB as an adjunct to weight reduction and followed for up to 12 months. The primary objective was to demonstrate in a post-marketing clinical setting that the incidence of device and procedure-related serious adverse events (SAEs) after 26 weeks of IGB treatment is no greater than 15%. Results: The incidence of device and procedure-related SAEs was 8.9% with a 1-sided upper limit confidence interval of 12.4%, compared with the 9.6% overall SAE rate seen in the US pivotal study; therefore, the primary safety endpoint was met. The key secondary effectiveness endpoint was also met with a mean maximum %TBWL of 12.5 being achieved at the time of IGB removal (26 weeks). Conclusions: The post-marketing safety and effectiveness profile of the IGB are consistent with what was observed in the US pivotal study. No new risks were identified. Clinical trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov NCT02828657 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The combination of intragastric balloons (IGB) with comprehensive lifestyle and behavioral changes is critical for ongoing weight loss. Many community and rural practices do not have access to robust obesity resources, limiting the use of IGBs. Online aftercare programs were developed in response to this need, delivering lifestyle coaching to maximize effectiveness. How these programs compare to traditional follow-up is currently unknown. Methods: Using propensity scoring (PS) methods, two large prospective databases of patients undergoing IGB therapy were compared to estimate the difference in percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) between groups while identifying predictors of response. Results: Seven hundred fifty-eight unique patients across 78 different participating practices (online n = 437; clinical registry n = 321) was analyzed. The mean %TBWL at balloon removal was 11% ± 6.9 with an estimated treatment difference (ETD) between online and traditional follow-up of − 1.5% TBWL (95% CI − 3–0.4%; p = 0.125). Three months post-balloon removal, the combined %TBWL was 12.2% ± 8.3 with an ETD of only 1% TBWL (95%CI – 3–3%; p = 0.08). On multivariable linear regression, each incremental follow-up was associated with increased %TBWL (β = 0.6% p = 0.002). Conclusion: Online IGB aftercare programs provide similar weight loss compared with traditional programs. Increased lifestyle coaching whether in person or remotely is associated with more %TBWL at removal and during follow-up. Close follow-up for clinical symptoms is still warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Unveiling metabolic pathways involved in the extreme desiccation tolerance of an Atacama cyanobacterium" published in Scientific Reports. The correction addresses an incomplete Acknowledgements section in the original article. The correction adds the European Research Council Grant as a source of support for one of the authors. The original article has been corrected. The authors of the article are Rachel A. Moore, Armando Azua-Bustos, Carlos González-Silva, and Christopher E. Carr. [Extracted from the article]

Aims/hypothesis: Improved biomarkers are acutely needed for the detection of developing type 1 diabetes, prior to critical loss of beta cell mass. We previously demonstrated that elevated beta cell microRNA 21-5p (miR-21-5p) in rodent and human models of type 1 diabetes increased beta cell apoptosis. We hypothesised that the inflammatory milieu of developing diabetes may also increase miR-21-5p in beta cell extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo and that circulating EV miR-21-5p would be increased during type 1 diabetes development.Methods: MIN6 and EndoC-βH1 beta cell lines and human islets were treated with IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α to mimic the inflammatory milieu of early type 1 diabetes. Serum was collected weekly from 8-week-old female NOD mice until diabetes onset. Sera from a cross-section of 19 children at the time of type 1 diabetes diagnosis and 16 healthy children were also analysed. EVs were isolated from cell culture media or serum using sequential ultracentrifugation or ExoQuick precipitation and EV miRNAs were assayed.Results: Cytokine treatment in beta cell lines and human islets resulted in a 1.5- to threefold increase in miR-21-5p. However, corresponding EVs were further enriched for this miRNA, with a three- to sixfold EV miR-21-5p increase in response to cytokine treatment. This difference was only partially reduced by pre-treatment of beta cells with Z-VAD-FMK to inhibit cytokine-induced caspase activity. Nanoparticle tracking analysis showed cytokines to have no effect on the number of EVs, implicating specific changes within EV cargo as being responsible for the increase in beta cell EV miR-21-5p. Sequential ultracentrifugation to separate EVs by size suggested that this effect was mostly due to cytokine-induced increases in exosome miR-21-5p. Longitudinal serum collections from NOD mice showed that EVs displayed progressive increases in miR-21-5p beginning 3 weeks prior to diabetes onset. To validate the relevance to human diabetes, we assayed serum from children with new-onset type 1 diabetes compared with healthy children. While total serum miR-21-5p and total serum EVs were reduced in diabetic participants, serum EV miR-21-5p was increased threefold compared with non-diabetic individuals. By contrast, both serum and EV miR-375-5p were increased in parallel among diabetic participants.Conclusions/interpretation: We propose that circulating EV miR-21-5p may be a promising marker of developing type 1 diabetes. Additionally, our findings highlight that, for certain miRNAs, total circulating miRNA levels are distinct from circulating EV miRNA content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective method of achieving weight loss and alleviating obesity-related comorbidities. Yet, it is not being used equitably. This study seeks to identify if there is a disparity in payer status of patients undergoing bariatric surgery and what factors are associated with this disparity. Methods: We performed a case-control analysis of National Inpatient Sample. We identified adults with body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 kg/m who underwent bariatric surgery and matched them with overweight inpatient adult controls not undergoing surgery. The sample was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: We identified 132,342 cases, in which the majority had private insurance (72.8%). Bariatric patients were significantly more likely to be privately insured than any other payer status; Medicare- and Medicaid-covered patients accounted for a low percentage of cases (Medicare 5.1%, OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.29-0.37, p < 0.001; Medicaid 8.7%, OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.18-0.25, p < 0.001). Medicare (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.33-1.78, p < 0.001) and Medicaid (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08-1.60, p = 0.007) patients undergoing bariatric surgery had an increased risk of complications compared to privately insured patients. Conclusions: Publicly insured patients are significantly less likely to undergo bariatric surgery. As a group, these patients experience higher rates of obesity and related complications and thus are most in need of bariatric surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consensus is growing among scientists and public health experts that unregulated, potentially hazardous chemicals threaten human and ecosystem viability. The USA is the second largest producer of industrial chemicals, yet very few of these chemicals have been tested for safety due to ineffective regulations. Empirical evidence suggests the American public is largely unaware of the health and environmental challenges posed by toxic substances, and many people are ignorant about chemicals policy and chemical use in consumer products. Chemicals policy reform is under negotiation in the US Congress for the first time in almost 40 years, and the public must be educated about the significance and impact of the various potential policy outcomes as well as how it can engage in reform efforts. Formulating and implementing effective public outreach and engagement methods will require integration of numerous scientific and professional disciplines and communication across traditional disciplinary boundaries. This paper intends to initiate a dialogue in an interdisciplinary venue about why potentially hazardous chemicals do not appear to be a significant concern to the general public and how advocates, academics, scientists, and the media can better work together to improve public education and engagement on chemicals in consumer products and chemicals policy reform. Using interview and focus group findings, evidence of limited science literacy among the American public, and an analysis of media coverage, we begin to address these issues. We invite others to build on this initial work by adding their insights, data, and knowledge to help promote public awareness and engagement on exposures to hazardous chemicals in everyday life and the need for reform of our current system of chemicals management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective:To quantify longitudinal increses in fetal, fetal liver, and fetal brain volume using echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging and to quantify the results using appropriate statistical modeling.Methods:Fifty-six singleton fetuses were studied using echo-planar (snap-shot) magnetic resonance imaging, between 19 weeks and term. They were assessed at a variety of different gestations and on a different number of occasions, thereby requiring multilevel statistical modeling to analyze the pattern of fetal growth.Results:Fetal volume varied according to the following equation: square root (√) [fetal volume] = -37.71 + 2.17·gestational age (GA) - 0.004·GA2. The equation for fetal liver volume was √[fetal liver volume] = 9.47 + 0.56·GA - 0.02·GA2, for fetal brain volume was √[fetal brain volume] = 15.50 + 0.69·GA - 0.014·GA2, and for placental volume √[placental volume] = 28.54 + 0.95·GA - 0.039·GA2, where GA is the gestational age in weeks -30.Conclusion:The assessment of fetal, fetal organ, and placental volume was feasible using echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging from 20 weeks to term. Multilevel statistical modeling can be applied to analyze sets of data with different measurements on different occasions. This information is useful clinically to assess abnormal fetal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]