How international research consortia can strengthen organisations’ research systems and promote a conducive environment and culture by Justin Pulford, Nadia Tagoe, Yan Ding, Imelda Bates, Susie Crossman, Taghreed El Hajj, Tara Tancred, Lorelei Silvester, Martina Savio, Natasha Bevan

“…Consortia often tackle complex problems requiring multidisciplinary inputs, but overcoming disciplinary boundaries—and making everyone feel valued and respected—takes time and skill on the part of consortium leaders. …”
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Development of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) for Hepatitis C Virus genotype 4: a novel approach for vaccine development in Egypt by Ahmed A. Ali, Rasha A. M. Azouz, Nahla A. Hussein, Reem El-Shenawy, Naiera M. Helmy, Yasmine S. El-Abd, Ashraf A. Tabll

“…Methods Lentiviral-based vectors were constructed and employed to integrate the full-length sequence of Core, E1, E2, and P7 genes of HCV genotype 4 into the genome of Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK293T). Upon the expression, HCV structural proteins can oligomerize and self-assemble into VLPs mimicking the structure of HCV native virus. …”
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Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is required to establish the larval glycolytic program in Drosophila melanogaster by Yasaman Heidarian, Tess D. Fasteen, Liam Mungcal, Kasun Buddika, Nader H. Mahmoudzadeh, Travis Nemkov, Angelo D'Alessandro, Jason M. Tennessen

“…Notably, our study also reveals that the Sima/HIF1α-dependent gene expression program shares considerable overlap with that observed in dERR mutant, suggesting that Sima/HIF1α and dERR cooperatively regulate embryonic and larval glycolytic gene expression.…”
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A pan-cancer analysis of homeobox family: expression characteristics and latent significance in prognosis and immune microenvironment by Yuanhui Wang, Jie Gao, Ziyi Ren, Ziyi Shen, Wei Gu, Qinyi Miao, Xiaomeng Hu, Xiaomeng Hu, Yan Wu, Yan Wu, Wei Liu, Jia Jia, Jia Jia, Yi Cai, Chunpeng (Craig) Wan, Lei Sun, Tingdong Yan, Tingdong Yan

“…BackgroundThe Homeobox (HOX) gene family are conserved transcription factors that are essential for embryonic development, oncogenesis, and cancer suppression in biological beings. …”
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Deriving and validating a risk prediction model for long COVID-19: protocol for an observational cohort study using linked Scottish data by Jennifer K Quint, Aziz Sheikh, Chris Robertson, Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi, Emily Moore, Colin R Simpson, Luke Daines, Eleftheria Vasileiou, Syed Ahmar Shah, Rachel H Mulholland, Vicky Hammersley, Steven Kerr, Ting Shi, David Weatherill, Elisa Pesenti

“…We will investigate the potential indicators of long-COVID by performing a matched analysis between those with a positive reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 infection and two control groups: (1) individuals with at least one negative RT-PCR test and never tested positive; (2) the general population (everyone who did not test positive) of Scotland. Cluster analysis will then be used to determine the final definition of the outcome measure for long-COVID. …”
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Engineering aortic valves via transdifferentiating fibroblasts into valvular endothelial cells without using viruses or iPS cells by Peng Tang, Fuxiang Wei, Weihua Qiao, Xing Chen, Chenyang Ji, Wanzhi Yang, Xinyu Zhang, Sihan Chen, Yanyan Wu, Mingxing Jiang, Chenyu Ma, Weiqiang Shen, Qi Dong, Hong Cao, Minghui Xie, Ziwen Cai, Li Xu, Jiawei Shi, Nianguo Dong, Junwei Chen, Ning Wang

“…How to generate differentiated cells such as valvular endothelial cells (VECs) has remained a major challenge.Utilizing a combinatorial strategy of selective soluble chemicals, cytokines and substrate stiffness modulation, mouse embryonic fibroblasts are directly and efficiently transdifferentiated into induced aortic endothelial cell-like cells (iAECs), or human primary adult fibroblasts are transdifferentiated into induced valvular endothelial cell-like cells (hiVECs), without expressing pluripotency stem cell markers. …”
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Standardization and validation of a novel reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method for detecting virulent strains of the infectious bursal disease virus by Vladimir Longa-Bobadilla, Phillip Ormeño-Vásquez, Manuel Criollo-Orozco, Luis Tataje-Lavanda, Katherine Huamán-Gutierrez, Ángela Montalván, Mirko Zimic, Manolo Fernández-Sanchez, Manolo Fernández-Díaz

“…Then, a pathogenic strain of IBDV was propagated in embryonated chicken eggs, and the viral RNA was extracted. …”
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Nr5a2 promotes cancer stem cell properties and tumorigenesis in nonsmall cell lung cancer by regulating Nanog by Ting Ye, Jingyuan Li, Zhiwei Sun, Yongli Liu, Liangsheng Kong, Shixia Zhou, Junlin Tang, Jianyu Wang, H. Rosie Xing

“…The orphan nuclear receptor Nr5a2 is a transcriptional factor, and a regulator of stemness of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. …”
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Nanoliposomal L-Asparaginase and Its Antitumor Activities in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Tumor-Induced BALB/c Mice by Thi Thao Do, Thi Phuong Do, Thi Nga Nguyen, Thi Cuc Nguyen, Thi Thu Phuong Vu, Thi Giang An Nguyen

“…The in vitro cytotoxic activity of liposomal L-ASP was less effective against LLC, MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma), HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma), SK-LU-1 (human lung carcinoma), and NTERA-2 (pluripotent human embryonic carcinoma) cells than that of free L-ASP. …”
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MET-PREVENT: metformin to improve physical performance in older people with sarcopenia and physical prefrailty/frailty – protocol for a double-blind, randomised controlled proof-of... by Andrew Clegg, James Wason, Miles Witham, Nina Wilson, Claire J Steves, Helen C Hancock, Avan A P Sayer, Leanne Marsay, Claire McDonald, Thomas von Zglinicki, Katherine J Rennie, Penny Bradley, Stephen Connolly, Shaun Hiu, Laura Robertson, Laura Simms, Alison J Steel, Bryony Storey

“…Resistance training may prevent and treat sarcopenia and physical frailty, but not everyone can or wants to exercise. Finding alternatives is critical to alleviate the burden of adverse outcomes associated with sarcopenia and physical frailty. …”
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Lung transplant outcomes for recipients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, by use of alpha-1 antitrypsin augmentation therapy by Atharv V. Oak, MEng, Jessica M. Ruck, MD, PhD, Alfred J. Casillan, MD, PhD, Armaan F. Akbar, BS, Ramon A. Riojas, MD, PhD, Pali D. Shah, MD, Jinny S. Ha, MD, MHS, Sara Strout, PharmD, Allan B. Massie, PhD, Dorry L. Segev, MD, PhD, Christian A. Merlo, MD, MPH, Errol L. Bush, MD

“…The ATE measures the observed effect we would see if everyone in the population received the intervention as opposed to just a subset. …”
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De Novo Mutation of m.3243A>G together with m.16093T>C Associated with Atypical Clinical Features in a Pedigree with MIDD Syndrome by Zhixin Jiang, Yinan Zhang, Jingbin Yan, Fengwen Li, Xinqian Geng, Huijuan Lu, Xiaoer Wei, Yanmei Feng, Congrong Wang, Weiping Jia

“…Our study showed that de novo m.3243A>G mutation accompanied by other point mutations may occur in the very early embryonic or germ cell stage without maternal inheritance, bringing about both typical and atypical clinical features.…”
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Genome-wide identification and characterization of the bZIP family in the Mangrove Plant Kandelia obovata and its role in response to stress by Yuchong Yi, Yuting Qiu, Hongyao Hu, Dandan Qin, Hechen Huang, Taiping Chen, Wenqi Zha, Yingjia Shen

“…The expression profiles of KobZIP genes during root development and post-embryonic stages, along with their responses to ABA, low temperature, and salt stress, underscore their potential significance in the adaptation of mangrove plants to the intertidal environment.…”
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Comparative cytogenetics of anembryonic pregnancies and missed abortions in human by T. V. Nikitina, E. A. Sazhenova, E. N. Tolmacheva, N. N. Sukhanova, S. A. Vasilyev, I. N. Lebedev

“…Miscarriage is an important problem in human reproduction, affecting 10–15 % of clinically recognized pregnancies. The cases of embryonic death can be divided into missed abortion (MA), for which the ultrasound sign of the embryo death is the absence of cardiac activity, and anembryonic pregnancy (AP) without an embryo in the gestational sac. …”
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Perception of phage therapy and research across selected professional and social groups in Poland by Maciej Żaczek, Marcin W. Zieliński, Andrzej Górski, Andrzej Górski, Andrzej Górski, Beata Weber-Dąbrowska, Ryszard Międzybrodzki, Ryszard Międzybrodzki, Ryszard Międzybrodzki

“…In addition to 36 general questions addressed to everyone (including lay people), representatives of the health care sector and science and research sector received individually selected questions. …”
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Mis-localization of endogenous TDP-43 leads to ALS-like early-stage metabolic dysfunction and progressive motor deficits by Yiying Hu, Alexander Hruscha, Chenchen Pan, Martina Schifferer, Michael K. Schmidt, Brigitte Nuscher, Martin Giera, Sarantos Kostidis, Özge Burhan, Frauke van Bebber, Dieter Edbauer, Thomas Arzberger, Christian Haass, Bettina Schmid

“…Taking advantage of zebrafish’s embryonic development that solely relys on yolk usage until 5 days post fertilization, we demonstrated that microglia proliferation and activation in the hypothalamus is independent from food intake. …”
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Development of a Human Intestinal Organoid Model for In Vitro Studies on Gut Inflammation and Fibrosis by Leonidas Kandilogiannakis, Eirini Filidou, Ioannis Drygiannakis, Gesthimani Tarapatzi, Stylianos Didaskalou, Maria Koffa, Konstantinos Arvanitidis, Giorgos Bamias, Vassilis Valatas, Vasilis Paspaliaris, George Kolios

“…We developed HIOs from the human embryonic stem cell line, H1, and examined the expression of mesenchymal markers during their maturation process. …”
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Genomic and Pathogenic Characteristics of Virulent Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from Chicken in Live Bird Markets and Backyard Flocks in Kenya by Irene N. Ogali, Paul O. Okumu, Erick O. Mungube, Jacqueline K. Lichoti, Stephen Ogada, Grace K. Moraa, Bernard R. Agwanda, Sheila C. Ommeh

“…The results showed that all three isolates are virulent, as assessed by the mean death time (MDT) and intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) in specific antibody negative (SAN) embryonated eggs and 10-day-old chickens, respectively. …”
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Plasma prolactin axis shift from placental to pituitary origin in late prepartum mice by Taku James Sairenji, Shinnosuke Masuda, Yuya Higuchi, Mitsue Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yajima, Oh Kwan Ee, Yuki Fujiwara, Takuya Araki, Noriaki Shimokawa, Noriyuki Koibuchi

“…Relative quantitative analysis between embryonic day 17 (E17) and E18 placentas showed no significant difference in the expression of PRL3B1 and most PRL family members except PRL7C1. …”
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Causal Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Migraine: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study by Wang YP, Wei HX, Hu YY, Zhang C, Niu YM

“…Yu-Pei Wang,1,* Hui-Xia Wei,2,* Yuan-Yuan Hu,3 Chao Zhang,4 Yu-Ming Niu3– 5 1Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, People’s Republic of China; 5Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yu-Ming Niu, Department of Stomatology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13581370999, Email niuyuming@yeah.net Chao Zhang, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, People’s Republic of China, Email zhangchao0803@126.comObjective: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) frequently suffer from migraine, however the causal relationship between OSA and migraine is unknown. …”
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