iEEG-BIDS, extending the Brain Imaging Data Structure specification to human intracranial electrophysiology

The Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) is a community-driven specification for organizing neuroscience data and metadata with the aim to make datasets more transparent, reusable, and reproducible. Intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) data offer a unique combination of high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of the living human brain. To improve internal (re)use and external sharing of these unique data, we present a specification for storing and sharing iEEG data: iEEG-BIDS

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

The Interface between Cell Signaling Pathways and Pregnane X Receptor

Highly expressed in the enterohepatic system, pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2) is a well-characterized nuclear receptor (NR) that regulates the expression of genes in the liver and intestines that encode key drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporter proteins in mammals. The net effect of PXR activation is to increase metabolism and clear drugs and xenobiotics from the body, producing a protective effect and mediating clinically significant drug interaction in patients on combination therapy. The complete understanding of PXR biology is thus important for the development of safe and effective therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, PXR activation is now known to specifically transrepress the inflammatory- and nutrient-signaling pathways of gene expression, thereby providing a mechanism for linking these signaling pathways together with enzymatic drug biotransformation pathways in the liver and intestines. Recent research efforts highlight numerous post-translational modifications (PTMs) which significantly influence the biological function of PXR. However, this thrust of research is still in its infancy. In the context of gene-environment interactions, we present a review of the recent literature that implicates PXR PTMs in regulating its clinically relevant biology. We also provide a discussion of how these PTMs likely interface with each other to respond to extracellular cues to appropriately modify PXR activity