Harvard University

Metabolomic profiling reveals distinct and shared biology in COPD and IPF

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) are chronic pulmonary disorders with distinct pathologies but shared risk factors. Metabolomics may provide insights into mechanisms. To identify metabolites associated with COPD and IPF, and to...

Leveraging the private sector for health system development in sub-Saharan Africa

Development assistance has historically supported major gains in health and health-system development in sub-Saharan Africa, but recent reductions in development assistance have intensified financing and service-delivery pressures across the region. As governments seek more durab...

δ2-Protocadherins organize parallel indirect basal ganglia circuits

Abstract The basal ganglia (BG) contain multiple parallel neural circuits, each of which may control different behaviors. However, how the distinct parallel BG circuits are molecularly organized is not known. Here we show that two δ2-protocadherins (PCDHs), PCDH17 and PCDH10, whi...

Responsiveness of epigenetic aging biomarkers to longevity interventions in humans

Abstract Aging biomarkers can potentially allow researchers to rapidly monitor the impact of an aging intervention without the need for decade-spanning trials. However, before the use of aging biomarkers, such as epigenetic clocks, as surrogate endpoints, their responsiveness to...

Chronic stress disrupts the network among stress granules, P-bodies, and motor proteins

Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic RNA condensates that assemble rapidly in response to cellular stress following translational arrest, thereby promoting adaptation and influencing disease pathogenesis. Although SG assembly and disassembly during acute stress have been extensively...

Hypoxia-activated scleraxis a mediates epicardial progenitor differentiation into a unique cardiac perivascular cell type

Abstract The epicardium is a crucial source of progenitor cells and paracrine signals that support heart development and regeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms that guide epicardial cell fate decisions remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify the transcription f...

Differential associations between social determinants of health and the initiation of medications for opioid use disorder across care settings

Abstract Objective This study investigated associations between social determinants of health (SDoH) and time to MOUD initiation across care settings, providing insights for targeted interventions to promote equitable care for OUD patients. Material and Methods We linked patient-...

A Hybrid Transfer Learning Approach for Ambient PM2.5 Exposure Modeling in LMIC Contexts: A Case Study from Lima, Peru

Abstract Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) contributes to millions of premature deaths annually worldwide. While epidemiological studies increasingly rely on geospatial technologies, such as satellite remote sensing, low-cost sensors, and chemical transport models, to q...

“As soon as it’s trying to be persuasive, my skepticism kicks in”: A qualitative study to co-design vaccine communication strategies with vaccine hesitant adults in Canada

Vaccine hesitancy continues to impede vaccine uptake in Canada. Few interventions directly engage hesitant adults in co-designing communication materials. This study aimed to co-develop and evaluate digital vaccine communication messages with hesitant adults in Canada to improve...

Paediatric therapeutic development workshop on osteosarcoma

The fourth Paediatric Therapeutic Development Workshop focused on osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone cancer in children and young adults. Current treatment of osteosarcoma comprises surgery and chemotherapy. Outcome has shown very little improvement over the last four dec...

Early improvement in depressive symptoms after pallidothalamic tract deep brain stimulation for drug-induced dystonia

Stimulation for lithium-induced dystoniaLong-term exposure to psychotropic agents, including lithium and dopamine D2/D3 partial agonists such as brexpiprazole, has been associated with delayed and sometimes persistent

The metabokine β-aminoisobutyric acid mediates exercise performance and skeletal muscle adaptation through a PGC1α-BAIBA-PPARδ axis

Abstract Exercise orchestrates an interorgan communication network, in which skeletal muscle releases signaling molecules known as myokines that contribute to exercise training-induced adaptations. We identified the muscle-derived metabolite beta-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) as a...

Effect of Sintering Conditions and Acidic Environments on the Wear of 5Y-ZP Zirconia

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the influence of sintering conditions and acidic environments on the wear of 5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (5Y-ZP). Methods: Sixty zirconia specimens were divided into two sintering groups (conventional and speed) and three immersio...

Association between exposure to air pollution and age at natural menopause: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

CONTEXT: Air pollution is a recognized risk factor for women's subfertility, yet its association with the timing of natural menopause remains understudied. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between exposure to ambient air pollution and age at natural menopause (ANM). DESIGN...

Maximum Likelihood Thresholds of Generic Linear Concentration Models

Abstract. The maximum likelihood threshold of a statistical model is the minimum number of datapoints required to fit the model via maximum likelihood estimation. In this paper, we determine the maximum likelihood thresholds of generic linear concentration models. This turns out...

A Brief Review of Spin Signatures in Time-Averaged Total Intensity Images of LLAGN Accretion Flows

As images of the supermassive black holes Messier 87* (M87*) and Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) grow in number, we gain a better understanding of the typical conditions of the near-horizon region of these objects, and slowly approach a converged ti...

Short mode-locked pulses from planarized Y-coupled THz lasers

Short THz pulses are highly attractive both for fundamental research and practical applications in this underdeveloped region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Typically, THz pulses are generated using nonlinear optical methods, starting from a high-power visible or near-IR mode-l...

Host DNA repair factors empower a mechanism of antiviral nucleoside analog resistance

ABSTRACT How host functions affect resistance to antiviral drugs is poorly understood. Ganciclovir, a chain-terminating nucleoside analog, is a first-line therapy against human cytomegalovirus, a widespread herpesvirus that causes life-threatening disease in immunocompromised ind...

Following the rules: which type 1 diabetes guidelines, protocols and recommendations are tertiary clinics in Australia following? A quantitative study

OBJECTIVES: This study characterises the use of type 1 diabetes (T1D) guidelines and protocols in Australian T1D clinics working with paediatric patients, and determines if management practices align with T1D-specific guidelines. METHODS: T1D clinic service leaders responded to a...

The Impact of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy on Tuberculosis Infection and Disease Progression.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) causes major morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) protects against progression to TB disease, but its effect on preventing new TB infection remains uncertain. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort...