Acute liver injury (ALI) is a clinically important syndrome with limited mechanism‑based therapies. Notably, mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a central driver of hepatocellular damage and repair failure. The present narrative review aims to summarize the current evidence on mitochondrial quality control (MQC) in ALI, with an emphasis on mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, etiology‑specific regulation and therapeutic implications. For the present review, relevant experimental and translational studies addressing MQC‑related mechanisms and interventions in major forms of ALI, including drug‑induced liver injury, ischemia‑reperfusion injury and viral ALI, were reviewed and integrated. The findings indicated that MQC operates as an interconnected network rather than as isolated pathways. Mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial biogenesis are temporally coordinated to remove damaged mitochondria, remodel mitochondrial networks and restore bioenergetic capacity. However, MQC responses differ across ALI etiologies, and inappropriate or excessive activation may become maladaptive. In conclusion, understanding MQC as a dynamic and context‑dependent repair system may provide a conceptual basis for precision interventions in ALI. Future studies should clarify spatiotemporal MQC regulation, establish reliable biomarkers and validate MQC‑targeted therapies in clinically relevant settings.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for pure aortic regurgitation (PAR) with an enlarged left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) remains challenging due to inadequate anchoring.

A 74-year-old woman with severe PAR and an enlarged LVOT (perimeter 93.7 mm), deemed high risk for surgery, underwent TAVR using a 30-mm self-expanding valve. A modified noncoronary sinus pivot implantation (NCPI-plus) technique was performed, deploying the valve above the virtual annular plane on the noncoronary sinus side to create a supra-annular pivot point. Postprocedural imaging and 12-month follow-up confirmed stable anchoring and excellent valve function without regurgitation.

The NCPI-plus technique provides stable anchoring for TAVR in PAR patients with dilated LVOT, by using the supra-annular pivot point on the noncoronary sinus side as its core design to prevent downward valve displacement during deployment.

The NCPI-plus technique offers a feasible anchoring strategy for TAVR in PAR patients with enlarged LVOT.

Melatonin exerts pleiotropic physiological functions and diverse disease associations, but its genetic architecture remains largely uncharacterized. Using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (lcWGS) in 3,605 Han Chinese adults, we identified four independent loci (P < 1 × 10⁻⁷) associated with circulating melatonin (pg/mL)-located within or near LINC01807, PTPRD, EDIL3/NBPF22P, and LMO1/STK33. Conditional analyses indicated that the STAARpipeline single-variant and sliding-window signals were largely driven by these genome-wide association study (GWAS) lead variants, whereas a gene-centric noncoding aggregation signal in the ZSWIM9 promoter region remained independent. These genes showed tissue-specific expression in neural, vascular, and adrenal tissues (GTEx ). The heritability of serum melatonin was estimated at 21.72% (SE = 11.2%, P = 0.029) using GCTA-GREML, with the four independent significant loci collectively explaining 3.40%. Genetic risk score and one-sample Mendelian randomization analyses suggested a protective effect of higher serum melatonin levels on hypertension risk (OR = 0.45, P = 0.015), as well as on systolic (β = - 4.14, P = 0.014) and diastolic blood pressure (β = - 3.10, P = 0.007). Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization and colocalization analyses suggested that LMO1 and PTPRD may influence hypertension through tissue-specific expression and DNA methylation. These findings reveal novel genetic contributors to melatonin regulation and establish their putative causal relationship with hypertension.

Accumulating evidence establishes intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling as a central regulator of lymphatic endothelial function, with transient receptor potential (TRP) channels emerging as key molecular regulators that may translate mechanical, chemical, and inflammatory cues into lymphatic vascular responses. TRP channel-mediated signaling influences multiple aspects of lymphatic biology, including vessel development, endothelial barrier regulation, contractility, and lymph transport. Dysregulation of these pathways contributes to lymphatic dysfunction in inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases. A deeper mechanistic understanding of TRP channel signaling in the lymphatic vasculature may reveal novel therapeutic targets for lymphatic disorders and related pathologies. This review summarizes current evidence on the roles of TRP channels in the lymphatic vascular system.

The C-reactive protein-triglyceride glucose index (CTI) has recently been introduced as a novel composite biomarker that integrates inflammation and insulin resistance. However, the association between CTI and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with hypertension remains unclear.

We included 168,186 participants from the UK Biobank in this longitudinal analysis. The primary outcomes were incident coronary heart disease (CHD), atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), and stroke. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between CTI and incident CVD outcomes.

In this study, CTI showed significant positive linear associations with CHD (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.23) and stroke (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.21), whereas nonlinear associations were observed for AF (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.13) and HF (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.44) among participants with hypertension. Furthermore, subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these associations.

Our findings showed that elevated CTI levels were robustly associated with increased risks of CHD, AF, HF, and stroke, suggesting that CTI may serve as a promising predictive marker for CVD in individuals with hypertension.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) responds rapidly to inflammatory signals. This study investigated the functional involvement of PTX3 in angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated cardiac hypertrophy pathogenesis, with particular focus on its potential regulation through inflammatory pathways and oxidative stress mechanisms. In vivo, chronic Ang II infusion over 4 weeks was used to induce hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in mice. In parallel, an in vitro model of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was established by treating neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) with Ang II for 24 h. Ang II treatment significantly increased PTX3 expression, an effect observed in both mouse heart tissue and NRCMs. The cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice treated with Ang II were alleviated by PTX3 knockout. Genetic ablation of PTX3 attenuated Ang II-induced upregulation of cardiac hypertrophy markers in mice hearts, including atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and beta-myosin heavy chain. Additionally, PTX3 knockout suppressed the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, following Ang II stimulation. Genetic deficiency of PTX3 significantly ameliorated cardiac oxidative stress potentiated by Ang II infusion. These outcomes showed that targeting of PTX3 could ameliorate hypertrophic cardiomyopathy via attenuation of inflammatory response and oxidative stress. PTX3 may be a target for therapy of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the future.

Brain maturation varies between individuals, particularly during dynamic developmental periods such as adolescence. Directly assessing the differences in longitudinal trajectories can reveal deviations from normative patterns.

To ascertain the association of longitudinal change in brain volumes with birth weight, gestational age, and longitudinal changes in psychopathology.

In this cohort study, cross-sectional and longitudinal normative models were developed for brain volumes from the first 2 neuroimaging data collection time points (baseline: 2016-2018; follow-up: 2019-2021) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, an ongoing community-based longitudinal cohort study at 21 US sites. Longitudinal models indexed an individual's expected brain volume at follow-up, conditioned on their baseline measurement, and thus were conditional-longitudinal models. Split-half subsets on demographically matched samples were used to fit the models. ABCD Study participants were recruited through the US school systems. Exclusion criteria included severe medical conditions that interfered with the study protocols. The present analysis further excluded the sample based on imaging quality flags and missing data. Data analysis was performed between May 2024 and August 2025.

Birth weight and gestational age derived from parent-reported questionnaires. General psychopathology and subfactor scores were calculated using a bifactor model.

Brain volumes and change in volume between time points 1 (baseline) and 2 (follow-up). Cross-sectional and longitudinal centiles were used to quantify deviations in volumes.

The sample included 10 830 ABCD Study participants with neuroimaging data collected at baseline (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [0.62] years; 5609 males [51.8%]) and 7262 with data collected at follow-up (mean [SD] age, 12.0 [0.65] years; 3875 males [53.4%]). Longitudinal centiles were sensitive to individual-specific changes in brain volumes. Lower birth weight was associated with lower longitudinal centiles, suggesting larger decreases in brain volumes over time (n = 27 regions, β range = 0.030-0.083). Lower longitudinal centiles were associated with greater increases in psychopathology, suggesting decreasing brain volumes with increasing psychopathology scores (n = 37 regions, β range = -0.061 to -0.031). Changes in psychopathology were not associated with brain volumes at either time point when indexed by cross-sectional centiles.

In this cohort study, conditional-longitudinal models captured individual-level deviations from expected growth trajectories, providing information beyond static positions on a growth curve to assess differences in maturation. Robust associations were observed between individual trajectory deviations, birth weight, and longitudinally assessed mental health symptoms. Conditional-longitudinal models hold promise for applications across psychiatric neuroscience, from development to aging.

Afghans are one of the world's largest refugee populations. Afghan women face compounded health risks due to sociocultural restrictions, low literacy, forced displacement, and limited health care access, yet little is known about their experiences with health care after resettlement in the US.

To explore health and health care access issues of Afghan refugee women in the US.

This qualitative study was part of an ongoing community-based participatory research project started in July 2020. Bilingual investigators conducted semistructured interviews with Afghan refugee women in Dari or English. Dari interviews were interpreted to English by a fluent bilingual investigator, validated by a separate bilingual investigator, and then reviewed with an Afghan immigrant community member for accuracy. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using grounded theory from July 2023 to July 2024. Participants who self-identified as Afghan, were born outside of the US, and were 18 years or older were recruited with convenience and purposive sampling from the San Francisco Bay Area of California through refugee-serving community organizations and word of mouth until data saturation was met.

Themes and subthemes about health and health care access.

Of 23 Afghan women interviewed (median age, 30 years [range, 19-55 years]), most were married (22 [96%]) and had health insurance (16 [70%]). Their median time of residence in the US was 4 years (range, 1-17 years). Five key themes of health and health care access were identified: (1) health system barriers, such as inadequate interpretation causing miscommunication and mistrust, and insensitive health care including lack of informed consent; (2) sociocultural norms and women's autonomy, with patriarchal gender norms persisting after resettlement and limiting women's decision-making; (3) structural barriers resulting in the use of home remedies, driven by long wait times and negative prior experiences; (4) sociocultural barriers to sexual and reproductive health, with knowledge gaps shaped by intergenerational shame; and (5) mental health challenges, including widespread distress expressed through culturally specific idioms and somatic symptoms.

In this qualitative study, Afghan women described multilayered health care barriers, including displacement-related trauma, sociocultural norms, and structural deficiencies. Study findings suggest that culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate public health interventions and structural changes are needed to improve health care access for Afghan women in the US.

Psychedelics exert widespread effects on brain activity, but their impact on motor function is unclear. This is clinically relevant given the emerging interest in psychedelic-assisted physical therapy for disorders of motor function. This study examined the feasibility and safety of administering movement tasks following low-to-moderate doses of psilocybin in healthy volunteers.

Healthy adult participants were randomly assigned three psilocybin doses consisting of either (1) 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg or (2) 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg, with at least 1 week between doses. Movement tasks were administered at 1.5 h, 3 h and 4.5 h post-dose. Participants, physiotherapists and statisticians were blinded to the dosing order. Feasibility was assessed by evaluating completion of the de Morton Mobility Index and Functional Movement Exploration (assessing gross motor function). Safety outcomes included vital signs and adverse events. Additional exploratory motor outcomes included the Action Research Arm Test (assessing upper limb functional performance), Box and Block Test (Original and Modified versions) (combining dexterity with motor speed), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (combining motor speed with intellectual functions) and Reaction Time Ruler Drop Test (assessing reaction time). Alterations in conscious states and blinding efficacy were also assessed. Outcomes were summarised descriptively and with post hoc linear mixed-effects modelling performed to explore dose- and time-related effects.

A total of 13 participants (62% male) were enrolled, with a median age of 33 years (range 22-39 years), median height of 177 cm (155-188 cm) and median weight of 74 kg (51-94 kg). One participant was unable to complete several movement tasks at 20 mg. Nausea (n = 8, 62%) and headache (n = 7, 54%) were the most common adverse events. No serious adverse events or adverse events related to movement task administration occurred. Median values [interquartile ranges] remained near-perfect for the de Morton Mobility Index (92.5-100.0 [85.0-100.0]), Functional Movement Exploration (100.0 [96.0-100.0]) and Action Research Arm Test (56.0-57.0 [52.0-57.0]). Baseline Box and Block Test (Original) median scores (65.0 [60.0-67.0]) improved to 79.0 [70.0-83.0] at 5 mg and 4.5 h post-dose (5 mg-4.5 h), and worsened to 57.5 [51.0-64.0] at 20 mg-1.5 h. Baseline Box and Block Test (Modified) median scores (48.0 [47.0-53.0]) worsened to 43.0 [35.0-45.0] at 20 mg-1.5 h. Baseline Digit Symbol Substitution Test median scores (73.0 [66.0-77.0]) improved to 87.0 [81.0-90.0] at 10 mg-4.5 h, and worsened to 62.0 [54.0-86.0] at 20 mg-1.5 h. Reaction Time Ruler Drop Test scores lacked consistent dose-related changes. Alterations in conscious states were greatest at 20 mg. Participants and physiotherapists correctly guessed the administered dose 53% and 50% of the time, respectively.

Movement tasks were feasible during psilocybin dosing up to 15 mg. No significant safety concerns related to movement task participation during the acute drug effects were observed. At 20 mg, impairments were observed in movement tasks that combined motor and additional cognitive functions. These findings inform future studies utilising psilocybin-assisted physical rehabilitation in clinical populations.

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12621000560897. Date registered: 12 May 2021.

To examine whether pre-pandemic state Medicaid expansions for adults affected children's healthcare access and utilization, child health, and parental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sample includes children from households with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level using data from the 2016-2023 National Survey of Children's Health. Child outcomes include insurance coverage, usual place for sick care, personal doctor or nurse, unmet healthcare needs, past 12-month utilization of any medical services, preventive medical and dental visits, mental health professional treatments, non-mental health specialist visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and general/oral health ratings. Parent outcomes include physical and mental health ratings. Difference-in-differences models estimate year-by-year differences in outcomes between Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states.

There is a decline in usual place for sick care, personal doctor or nurse, and preventive medical visits in the first or second pandemic year and in child health in 2020/2023 in expansion versus non-expansion states. In contrast, there is an increase in mental health professional treatments and other specialist visits in 2021-2023 in expansion states. Lastly, there are declines in maternal physical/mental health and father's mental health in 2020 but increase in father's mental/physical health in 2023 in expansion states.

During the pandemic, children in low-income households had less care continuity and preventive care but more mental health treatments and non-mental specialist visits in Medicaid expansion versus non-expansion states. There were also declines in both child and parent health. Findings potentially reflect intertwined effects from greater parental coverage but more pandemic-related social mobility restrictions disrupting routine/preventive care and worsening mental health more in expansion states.