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A numerical method is proposed for a class of one-dimensional stochastic control problems with unbounded state space. This method solves an infinite-dimensional linear program, equivalent to the original formulation based on a stochastic differential equation, using a finite element approximation. The discretization scheme itself and the necessary assumptions are discussed, and a convergence argument for the method is presented. Its performance is illustrated by examples featuring long-term average and infinite horizon discounted costs, and additional optimization constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to develop an automated skills assessment tool for surgical trainees using deep learning. Background: Optimal surgical performance in robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is essential for ensuring good surgical outcomes. This requires effective training of new surgeons, which currently relies on supervision and skill assessment by experienced surgeons. Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents an opportunity to augment existing human-based assessments. Methods: We used a network architecture consisting of a convolutional neural network combined with a long short-term memory (LSTM) layer to create two networks for the extraction and analysis of spatial and temporal features from video recordings of surgical procedures, facilitating action recognition and skill assessment. Results: 21 participants (16 novices and 5 experienced) performed 16 different intra-abdominal robot-assisted surgical procedures on porcine models. The action recognition network achieved an accuracy of 96.0% in identifying surgical actions. A GradCAM filter was used to enhance the model interpretability. The skill assessment network had an accuracy of 81.3% in classifying novices and experiences. Procedure plots were created to visualize the skill assessment. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that AI can be used to automate surgical action recognition and skill assessment. The use of a porcine model enables effective data collection at different levels of surgical performance, which is normally not available in the clinical setting. Future studies need to test how well AI developed within a porcine setting can be used to detect errors and provide feedback and actionable skills assessment in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning (ML) method for the morphological classification of galaxies into two (early-type, late-type) and five (E, S0–S0a, Sa–Sb, Sbc–Scd, Sd–Irr) classes, using a combination of non-parametric (⁠|$C,\, A,\, S,\, A_\mathrm{ S},\, \mathrm{Gini},\, M_{20},\, c_{5090}$|⁠), parametric (Sérsic index, n), geometric (axial ratio, |$BA$|⁠), global colour (⁠|$g-i,\, u-r,\, u-i$|⁠), colour gradient [ |$\Delta (g - i)$| ], and asymmetry gradient (⁠|$\Delta A_{9050}$|⁠) information, all estimated for a local galaxy sample (⁠|$z\lt 0.15$|⁠) compiled from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data. We train the XGBoost model and evaluate its performance through multiple standard metrics. Our findings reveal better performance when utilizing all 14 parameters, achieving accuracies of 88 per cent and 65 per cent for the two-class and five-class classification tasks, respectively. In addition, we investigate a hierarchical classification approach for the five-class scenario, combining three XGBoost classifiers. We observe comparable performance to the 'direct' five-class classification, with discrepancies of only up to 3 per cent. Using Shapley Additive Explanations (an advanced interpretation tool), we analyse how galaxy parameters impact the model's classifications, providing valuable insights into the influence of these features on classification outcomes. Finally, we compare our results with previous studies and find them consistently aligned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper and nickel phthalocyanines incorporating four polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains were synthesized for PEG of 200, 400 and 600 molecular weights. The functionalized phthalocyanines were incorporated into a resorcinol-formaldehyde polymer which was converted to a hierarchically porous macroporous-mesoporous carbon by pyrolysis. The pyrolysis released metal atoms from the phthalocyanines which agglomerated to give metal nanoparticles. Particle sizes were determined by SEM and TEM. Phthalocyanines with PEG of 400 molecular weight gave the smallest nanoparticles, in the 3–10 nm range. Catalytic activity for cyclohexene oxidation (for copper phthalocyanines) and p-nitrophenol reduction (for nickel phthalocyanines) were studied, and found not to correlate well with nanoparticle size, likely reflecting differences in accessibility of the nanoparticles on the carbon surface vs. nanoparticles formed within the carbon matrix. Highlights: Phthalocyanines functionalized with polyethylene glycol chains (MPEGPCs) of varying lengths were prepared. MPEGPCs plus resorcinol and formaldehyde polymer gave a porous polymer that was pyrolyzed. Longer chain length (MW ≥ 200) MPEGPCs were well dispersed in carbon after pyrolysis. MW = 400 MPEGPC gave smallest metal nanoparticles (3–10 nm). MW = 400 MPEGPC nanoparticles were mostly confined within carbon not on surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides the well-known hallucinogenic ketamine, various novel ketamine derivatives are available on the illicit drug market, sold as designer drugs. Minor chemical changes to the parent compound aim to circumvent existing narcotic drug laws while mimicking the effects of the original substance. Ketamine and some of its derivatives possess a chiral centre and therefore exist as two enantiomers. While differences in the effects of S- and R-ketamine are well studied, this is not the case for ketamine derivatives. Therefore, the development and adaptation of suitable enantioseparation methods for those compounds is important to face the problems of the constantly changing drug market. In this study, different chiral separation methods for capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were tested on 11 ketamine derivatives. Some of them were enantioseparated for the first time due to their novelty. All compounds were at least partially separated on both instruments. HPLC separations were conducted using four different polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases. Furthermore, an optical rotation detector coupled to the HPLC enabled the determination of the enantiomer elution order. In CE analysis, enantioseparation was achieved using 2% (w/v) acetyl-β-cyclodextrin or carboxymethyl- β-cyclodextrin in 10 mM di-sodium hydrogen phosphate as the background electrolyte in capillary electrophoresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain localization occurs across the crust in both brittle and viscous regimes, but the exact causes remain debated. Natural rock observations suggest that changes in phase properties (such as physical properties, phase distribution, and grain geometry) are more influential in weakening than variations in stress and temperature. Investigating the early stages of strain accumulation in various pressure–temperature conditions leads to a better understanding of these causes. Our study focuses on three weakly deformed rocks showing zones of localization on a millimeter or smaller scale, which we term "bridge zones". These localized zones appear to mechanically connect weak domains and typically exhibit finer grain sizes within a narrow band. Importantly, these zones occur in less deformed rocks from the margins of shear zones. They result from both in situ grain size reduction and chemical processes leading to phase mixing or element mobility on a limited spatial scale. Numerical modeling aligns high-stress areas with these zones, supporting their impact on reducing rock strength. We propose a conceptual model linking far-field loading to microscale changes in developing these zones. Characterization of bridge zones aids in elucidating the microstructural processes driving deformation localization, which is fundamental for plate tectonics, metamorphism, seismicity, and other lithospheric processes. This research reveals microscale mechanisms driving weak domain development, improving our knowledge of rheological changes and laying the groundwork for predictive models regarding strength evolution in the lithosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) is a reliable method to assess lower limb isometric muscle strength. A portable device (FysioMeter C-station) could serve as a suitable alternative. The reliability and concurrent validity of the FysioMeter C-station have not been evaluated for the IMTP unilateral test. The aims of this study were to (1) examine the between-session reliability of the unilateral IMTP test for the left and the right legs using the C-station, and (2) explore the concurrent validity of these measures when compared to gold standard force plates (AMTI). Twenty healthy, recreationally active males (age: 23 ± 4 years, height: 1.81 ± 0.60 m, weight: 79.6 ± 10.8 kg) participated and completed test sessions one week apart. The participants performed the following: (i) three bilateral IMTPs on dual force plates (AMTIBI); (ii) three unilateral IMTPs on each leg on a single force plate (AMTIRIGHT, AMTILEFT); and (iii) three unilateral IMTPs on each leg on the C-station (CSRIGHT, CSLEFT). The peak force was measured in all the testing modalities and an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) were used to evaluate the reliability and validity. The C-station showed good between-session reliability for CSLEFT (ICC = 0.84) and CSRIGHT (ICC = 0.85). A strong concurrent validity (PCC ≥ 0.82) was found for the C-station compared to the gold standard (AMTI). The C-station appears to be reliable for measuring unilateral IMTP in recreationally active males. Furthermore, strong concurrent validity of the C-station compared to the gold standard was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an update of the British Sarcoma Group guidelines (2016) and provides a reference standard for the clinical care of UK patients with primary malignant bone tumours (PMBT) and giant cell tumours (GCTB) of bone. The guidelines recommend treatments that are effective and should be available in the UK, and support decisions about management and service delivery. The document represents a consensus amongst British Sarcoma Group members in 2024. Key recommendations are that bone pain, or a palpable mass should always lead to further investigation and that patients with clinical or radiological findings suggestive of a primary bone tumour at any anatomic site should be referred to a specialist centre and managed by an accredited bone sarcoma multidisciplinary team. Treatment recommendations are provided for the major tumour types and for localised, metastatic and recurrent disease. Follow-up schedules are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrophysical black holes (BHs) have two fundamental properties: mass and spin. While the mass-evolution of BHs has been extensively studied, much less work has been done on predicting the distribution of BH spins. In this paper, we present the spin evolution for a sample of intermediate-mass and massive BHs from the NewHorizon simulation, which evolved BH spin across cosmic time in a full cosmological context through gas accretion, BH–BH mergers and BH feedback including jet spindown. As BHs grow, their spin evolution alternates between being dominated by gas accretion and BH mergers. Massive BHs are generally highly spinning. Accounting for the spin energy extracted through the Blandford–Znajek mechanism increases the scatter in BH spins, especially in the mass range |$10^{5}{-}10^{7}\,\rm M_\odot$|⁠ , where BHs had previously been predicted to be almost universally maximally spinning. We find no evidence for spin-down through efficient chaotic accretion. As a result of their high spin values, massive BHs have an average radiative efficiency of |$\lt \varepsilon _{\rm r}^{\rm thin}\gt \approx 0.19$|⁠. As BHs spend much of their time at low redshift with a radiatively inefficient thick disc, BHs in our sample remain hard to observe. Different observational methods probe different sub-populations of BHs, significantly influencing the observed distribution of spins. Generally, X-ray-based methods and higher luminosity cuts increase the average observed BH spin. When taking BH spin evolution into account, BHs inject, on average, between three times (in quasar mode) and eight times (in radio mode) as much feedback energy into their host galaxy as previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biochemical complexity of a material determines the biological response of cells triggered by a cell-material interaction. The degree in which this complexity influences basic cell-material interactions such as cell adhesion, spreading, and mechanotransduction is not entirely clear. To this end, we compared three different hydrogel systems, ranging from completely natural to synthetic, in their ability to induce mechanotransduction in kidney epithelial cells (HK-2). A natural hydrogel system was developed based on a decellularized kidney extracellular matrix (dECM). Supramolecular ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy)-glycinamide molecules, with self-associative behavior, were used for a hybrid and complete synthetic system. A hybrid system was engineered by co-assembling this monovalent UPy molecule with a hyaluronic acid, functionalized with ∼7 UPy-groups (UPy-HA), into a transient network. A similar approach was used for the synthetic hydrogel system, in which the multivalent UPy-HA was replaced with a bivalent UPy-PEG molecule with bioinert properties. Both hybrid and synthetic hydrogel systems were more mechanically tunable compared to the dECM hydrogel. The higher bulk stiffness in combination with the introduction of collagen type I mimicking UPy-additives allowed these materials to induce more nuclear yes-associated protein translocation in HK-2 cells compared to the biochemically complex dECM hydrogel. This demonstrated that minimal biochemical complexity is sufficient for inducing mechanotransduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Over time, clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with contemporary drug-eluting stents (DES) has improved. While most patients survive for many years after PCI, data on potential sex differences in age-specific 10-year mortality risk in all-comer patients are scarce. This study aimed to examine the sex- and age-specific 10-year mortality risk after PCI with new-generation DES. Methods and results This investigator-driven study assessed women and men, enrolled in our centre in two large-scale all-comer PCI trials (TWENTE and DUTCH PEERS; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01066650 and NCT01331707 , respectively), and compared their long-term mortality risk with that of the general population. The life status was checked in a national database of personal records. Information about the causes of death was obtained from medical records. Of all 2743 patients, 220/748 women and 461/1995 men died (29.4 vs. 23.1%, respectively, P < 0.001). Deceased patients had higher cardiovascular risk profiles and were older than patients who survived. Compared to the general population of a similar age, women and men who underwent PCI showed significantly increased 10-year all-cause mortality risks with a standardized mortality ratio of 2.13 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.85–2.41] and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.48–1.78), respectively. No sex difference in causes of death was observed (cardiac, 28.2% women vs. 30.8% men, P = 0.46; vascular, 4.1 vs. 5.4%, P = 0.45; non-cardiovascular, 38.2 vs. 44.5%, P = 0.11). Conclusion PCI patients of both sexes showed higher 10-year age-specific mortality risks than the general population with a more pronounced difference observed in women. There was no sex difference in underlying causes of death. Furthermore, both women and men who died had higher cardiovascular risk profiles than those who survived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding relationships between environmental characteristics and variation in species occurrence and density can provide information for managing human activities, protected species, and species of commercial importance in a dynamic system. To identify environmental drivers associated with variation in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) densities in the Salish Sea, Washington, we analyzed 20 years of boat‐based survey data and environmental covariates using a hierarchical distance sampling model. We included spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal environmental covariates in our model and produced fine‐scale predictive maps displaying in‐water estimated densities from our model results. We found that spatial covariates were the strongest predictors for harbor seal densities in the Salish Sea. Harbor seals were more abundant closer to major river mouths, near shore, in shallower waters, and in areas with more haul‐out sites. Additionally, harbor seal density varied with shoreline type. Changes in predicted harbor seal spatial use of the Salish Sea varied but with little difference between breeding/molting and nonbreeding/nonmolting seasons. Our results revealed spatiotemporal variation in harbor seal fine‐scale density in the Salish Sea, which are particularly important for conservation planning, as spatiotemporal variation in harbor seal density can exert heterogenous top‐down effects on prey species populations, some of which are threatened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Philippine educational system and its core curriculum is oriented toward the formation of the modern, autonomous, rational subject, particularly one that will fit into the contemporary global market and production system. Through this system, Filipinos are deepening the colonization of their rationalities and subjectivities by imposing a system that shapes a subject who exists to serve the global market by being a fit worker, consumer, entrepreneur, and producer of knowledge. However useful this educational system may be, it does not consider the 'Filipino' subjectivity's need for formation as a loob who is a kapwa. The Filipino subjectivity which is grounded on the experience of a loob filled with liwanag opening to the world, needs an education in its own capacity for knowing and realizing its well-being. The conception of the subject in relation to the world calls for a different kind of education, particularly in the development of indigenous skills in humanistic research. This paper will argue that as a Filipino student is subjected to the imposition of the dominant Western educational system, they should also equally be given an education in their own rationality rooted in their own native subjectivity. A people must have the opportunity to be trained in their own rationality rooted in their own subjectivity in order to evaluate its value for human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LHP) has emerged as a novel, minimally invasive technique for managing symptomatic hemorrhoids, gaining popularity among clinicians. Despite its increasing adoption, significant variations exist in the application of LHP across different practices. Purpose: The aim of these recommendations was to spell out some basic principles and recommendations for performing a standard LHP procedure. Methods: The Recommendation Development Group (RDG) consisting of surgeons with experience in LHP were invited to formulate recommendations for the procedure. The recommendations were generated following systematic literature research and discussion amongst experts (expert opinion) where no substantial literature was available. The developed recommendations were voted upon by a panelist via the Delphi process. Consensus was a priori defined as agreement of 75% and above, with strong consensus defined as 85% and above. Results: The RDG developed 21 recommendations that were voted upon by 49 panelists. Consensus was reached for all 21 recommendations after the first Delphi round, including 16 recommendations with strong consensus. Conclusion: The RDP offers a comprehensive suite of guidelines to enhance the safety and efficacy of standard LHP procedures. Out of 21 detailed recommendations, 16 reached strong consensus, collectively addressing the full spectrum of LHP procedures—from laser settings and preoperative preparations to perioperative strategies and postoperative care. This coherent framework is anticipated not only to standardize but also to refine the LHP technique across the board, thereby elevating the management of symptomatic hemorrhoidal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the relationship between myocardial infarction size (IS), myocardial edema, and diastolic dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction (MI) both in the acute phase, and in the development of diastolic dysfunction in the follow-up setting. A further purpose is to study diastolic function using a mechanistic model as well as conventional parameters. Patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and echocardiography including mechanistic analysis using the parameterized diastolic filling method within 4–7 days (acute) and 6 months after a first acute anterior MI (n = 74). Linear regression modeling of echocardiographic diastolic parameters using CMR IS with and without inclusion of the myocardium at risk (MAR) and model comparisons with likelihood ratio tests were performed. Diastolic parameters at 6 months follow-up were modelled using final IS. For most parameters there was no association with acute IS, except for deceleration time (R2 = 0.24, p < 0.001), left atrial volume index (R2 = 0.13, p = 0.01) and the mechanistic stiffness parameter (R2 = 0.21, p < 0.001). Adding MAR improved only the e′ model (adjusted R2 increase: 0.08, p = 0.02). At 6 months follow-up, final IS was only associated with viscoelastic energy loss (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.001). In acute MI, both IS and MAR are related to diastolic function but only to a limited extent. At 6 months after infarction, increasing IS is related to less viscoelastic energy loss, albeit also to a limited extent. The relationship between IS and diastolic dysfunction seems to be mediated by mechanisms beyond simply the spatial extent of ischemia or infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new concept – termed 'planarity' – which aims to quantify planar structure in galaxy satellite systems without recourse to the number or thickness of planes. We use positions and velocities from the Gaia EDR3 to measure planarity in Milky Way (MW) satellites and the extent to which planes within the MW system are kinematically supported. We show that the position vectors of the MW satellites exhibit strong planarity but the velocity vectors do not, and that kinematic coherence cannot, therefore, be confirmed from current observational data. We then apply our methodology to NewHorizon , a high-resolution cosmological simulation, to compare satellite planarity in MW-like galaxies in a Lambda cold dark matter (⁠|$\rm {\Lambda CDM}$|⁠)-based model to that in the MW satellite data. We demonstrate that kinematically supported planes are common in the simulation and that the observed planarity of MW satellites is not in tension with the standard |$\rm {\Lambda CDM}$| paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Leaf spot disease caused by the fungal pathogen Curvularia oryzae is one of the most common diseases found in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) nurseries in South East Asia, and is most prevalent at the seedling stage. Severe infections result in localized necrotic regions of leaves that rapidly spread within nurseries leading to poor quality seedlings and high economic losses. Methods: To understand the molecular mechanisms of this plant-pathogen interaction, RNA-Seq was used to elucidate the transcriptomes of three oil palm genotypes with contrasting pathogen responses (G10 and G12, resistant and G14, susceptible) following infection with C. oryzae spores. Transcriptomes were obtained from Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing of mRNA at four different time points (day 0, before treatment; day 1, 7, and 21 post treatment). Results and discussion: Analysis of differentially expressed gene (DEG) profiles in these three genotypes provided an overview of the genes involved in the plant defence. Genes involved in disease resistance, phytohormone biosynthesis, gene regulation (transcription factors), and those encoding proteins associated with cell wall hardening were identified and likely contribute to the resistance of oil palm to C. oryzae. Such genes represent good candidates for targets to enhance oil palm productivity and resilience through molecular breeding approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing has enabled large-scale crop classification for understanding agricultural ecosystems and estimating production yields. In recent years, machine learning has become increasingly relevant for automated crop classification. However, the existing algorithms require a huge amount of annotated data. Self-supervised learning, which enables training on unlabeled data, has great potential to overcome the problem of annotation. Contrastive learning, a self-supervised approach based on instance discrimination, has shown promising results in the field of natural as well as remote sensing images. Crop data often consists of field parcels or sets of pixels from small spatial regions. Additionally, one needs to account for temporal patterns to correctly label crops. Hence, the standard approaches for landcover classification cannot be applied. In this work, we propose two contrastive self-supervised learning approaches to obtain a pre-trained model for crop classification without the need for labeled data. First, we adopt the uni-modal contrastive method (SCARF) and, second, we use a bi-modal approach based on Sentinel-2 and Planetscope data instead of standard transformations developed for natural images to accommodate the spectral characteristics of crop pixels. Evaluation in three regions of Germany and France shows that crop classification with the pre-trained multi-modal model is superior to the pre-trained uni-modal method as well as the supervised baseline models in the majority of test cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stellar stripping of satellites in cluster haloes is understood to play an important role in the production of intracluster light. Increasingly, cosmological simulations have been utilized to investigate its origin and assembly. However, such simulations typically model individual galaxies at relatively coarse resolutions, raising concerns about their accuracy. Although there is a growing literature on the importance of numerical resolution for the accurate recovery of the mass-loss rates of dark matter (DM) haloes, there has been no comparable investigation into the numerical resolution required to accurately recover stellar mass-loss rates in galaxy clusters. Using N -body simulations of satellite galaxies orbiting in a cluster halo represented by a static external potential, we conduct a set of convergence tests in order to explore the role of numerical resolution and force softening length on stellar stripping efficiency. We consider a number of orbital configurations, satellite masses, and satellite morphologies. We find that stellar mass resolution is of minor importance relative to DM resolution. Resolving the central regions of satellite DM haloes is critical to accurately recover stellar mass-loss rates. Poorly resolved DM haloes develop cored inner profiles and, if this core is of comparable size to the stellar component of the satellite galaxy, this leads to significant overstripping. To prevent this, relatively high DM mass resolutions of around |$M_{\rm DM}\sim 10^{6}$|  M |$_{\odot }$|⁠ , better than those achieved by many contemporary cosmological simulations, are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and leptin signal recent feeding and long-term energy stores, respectively, and play complementary roles in the modulation of energy balance. Previous work using single-cell techniques in mice revealed the existence of a population of leptin receptor (Lepr)–containing dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) neurons marked by the expression of GLP-1 receptor (Glp1r; LepRGlp1r neurons) that play important roles in the control of feeding and body weight by leptin. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a population of LepRGlp1r neurons in the DMHs of nonhuman primates (NHPs), suggesting the potential translational relevance of these neurons. Consequently, we developed a GLP-1R/LepR dual agonist and demonstrated the physiological activity of both components in vivo using leptin-deficient and Lepr-deficient murine models. We further found roles for LepRGlp1r neurons in mediating the dual agonist's efficacy on food intake and body weight loss. Ablating Lepr in Glp1r-expressing neurons (LeprGlp1rKO mice) abrogated the suppression of food intake by the dual agonist. Furthermore, reactivation of Glp1r expression in Lepr neurons on an otherwise Glp1r-null background (Glp1rLeprRe mice) was sufficient to permit the suppression of food intake and body weight by the dual agonist. Hence, LepRGlp1r neurons represent targets for a GLP-1R/LepR dual agonist that potently reduces food intake and body weight. Editor's summary: Obesity pharmacotherapies typically target short-term regulatory signals such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), because targeting longer-term energy homeostasis pathways, such as through the leptin receptor alone, has proven ineffective. Finding that some neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalami of nonhuman primates and mice express both the GLP-1 receptor and leptin receptor, Polex-Wolf et al. created a bivalent GLP-1 receptor/leptin receptor dual agonist that reduced food intake and body weight in leptin-deficient mouse models of obesity, with effects from both portions of the molecule observed. This work may open the door to cotargeting of short- and long-term regulatory pathways in obesity. —Catherine Charneski [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the current limitations and future perspectives of precision medicine for childhood cancer, focusing on large-scale pediatric precision medicine initiatives. It highlights the challenges of variability in sequencing technologies, lack of availability of drugs for actionable mutations, and the need for standardization in outcome reporting. The study emphasizes the potential benefits of molecular profiling in diagnosis, cancer predisposition syndromes, risk stratification, and treatment toxicity prediction. It calls for international collaboration, standardized analysis, and clinical trial designs to fully realize the benefits of comprehensive profiling initiatives in children with cancer. [Extracted from the article]

The synthesis and characterisation (UV-Vis, IR, HRESI-MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, electrochemistry) is reported of the novel title material (1: alternatively named rac-1-(2′-benzothiazolyl)-2-ferrocenyl-2-propanol): a rare example of a ferrocenyl-benzothiazole hybrid species. Compound 1 is produced by the low temperature reaction of acetylferrocene (3) with a solution of the methyl anion derived via the deprotonation of 2-methyl-1,3-benzothiazole. The yield of 1 is moderate (34%) after purification and is an air and thermally stable solid under ambient conditions. Attempts to sublime 1, however, result in decomposition with one of the products being identified (NMR) as 3. The spectroscopic features of 1 are presented. Attempts to obtain suitable crystalline material of 1 for a single crystal X-ray diffraction study were unfortunately unsuccessful. Compound 1 also does not form stable coordination complexes with various metal salts (e.g., Ni[2+], Co[2+], etc.) under the conditions tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery has led to significant improvements in patient outcomes, yet may have come at a cost to surgeons' musculoskeletal (MSK) health. We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of work‐related MSK disorders (WRMDs) in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeons; to investigate contributing factors for WRMD in this population; and to evaluate the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions on the severity or prevalence of WRMD in this population. Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to April 2, 2024. A bibliographic examination was performed for further papers. Review Methods: Inclusion criteria included original peer‐reviewed papers with work‐related MSK outcomes (prevalence, contributing factors, and interventions) relating to endoscopic sinus and/or skull base surgeons in any language. Results: Of 25,772 unique citations, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled lifetime, point, and 12‐month prevalences of WRMD were 75.9% (95% confidence interval; I2, 67.2%‐83.6%, I2 95.6%), 80.8% (77.0%‐84.3%, I2 98.0%), and 82.0% (71.8%‐90.3%, I2 60.96%) respectively. The neck, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine were the most commonly involved areas. One of 9 studies on contributing factors investigated discomfort as an outcome. The remainder focussed on surrogate outcomes (eg, posture, hand dysfunction). Two of the 13 intervention studies investigated pain or fatigue as an outcome. The remainder targeted posture, muscle activity, or workload. Conclusion: WRMDs are highly prevalent in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeons. Further studies focusing on the direct outcomes of WRMD such as pain are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: RNA interference (RNAi) is an endogenous eukaryote viral defence mechanism representing a unique form of post‐transcriptional gene silencing. Owing to its high specificity, this technology is being developed for use in dsRNA‐based biopesticides for control of pest insects. Whilst many lepidopteran species are recalcitrant to RNAi, Tuta absoluta, a polyphagous insect responsible for extensive crop damage, is sensitive. Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular calcium channels regulating calcium ion (Ca2+) release. The chemical pesticide class of diamides functions agonistically against lepidopteran RyR, resulting in uncontrolled Ca2+ release, feeding cessation and death. Resistance to diamides has emerged in T. absoluta, derived from RyR point mutations. RESULTS: RNAi was used to target RyR transcripts of T. absoluta. Data presented here demonstrate the systemic use of exogenous T. absoluta RyR‐specific (TaRy) dsRNA in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) to significantly downregulate expression of the target gene, resulting in significant insect mortality and reduced leaf damage. Using a leaflet delivery system, daily dosing of 3 μg TaRy dsRNA for 72 h resulted in 50% downregulation of the target gene and 50% reduction in tomato leaf damage. Corrected larval mortality and adult emergence were reduced by 38% and 33%, respectively. TaRy dsRNA demonstrated stability in tomato leaves ≤72 h after dosing. CONCLUSIONS: This work identifies TaRy as a promising target for RNAi control of this widespread crop pest. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate representation of the turbulent exchange of carbon, water, and heat between the land surface and the atmosphere is critical for modelling global energy, water, and carbon cycles in both future climate projections and weather forecasts. Evaluation of models' ability to do this is performed in a wide range of simulation environments, often without explicit consideration of the degree of observational constraint or uncertainty and typically without quantification of benchmark performance expectations. We describe a Model Intercomparison Project (MIP) that attempts to resolve these shortcomings, comparing the surface turbulent heat flux predictions of around 20 different land models provided with in situ meteorological forcing evaluated with measured surface fluxes using quality-controlled data from 170 eddy-covariance-based flux tower sites. Predictions from seven out-of-sample empirical models are used to quantify the information available to land models in their forcing data and so the potential for land model performance improvement. Sites with unusual behaviour, complicated processes, poor data quality, or uncommon flux magnitude are more difficult to predict for both mechanistic and empirical models, providing a means of fairer assessment of land model performance. When examining observational uncertainty, model performance does not appear to improve in low-turbulence periods or with energy-balance-corrected flux tower data, and indeed some results raise questions about whether the energy balance correction process itself is appropriate. In all cases the results are broadly consistent, with simple out-of-sample empirical models, including linear regression, comfortably outperforming mechanistic land models. In all but two cases, latent heat flux and net ecosystem exchange of CO2 are better predicted by land models than sensible heat flux, despite it seeming to have fewer physical controlling processes. Land models that are implemented in Earth system models also appear to perform notably better than stand-alone ecosystem (including demographic) models, at least in terms of the fluxes examined here. The approach we outline enables isolation of the locations and conditions under which model developers can know that a land model can improve, allowing information pathways and discrete parameterisations in models to be identified and targeted for future model development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a complex disease pattern in which pathogenesis polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMN) play a key role. In previous experiments, we could show that interaction with collagen III (an important component of pulmonary tissue) is a possible trigger of neutrophil reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. To investigate possible correlations, further elucidate ARDS pathophysiology, and maybe find pharmacological targets, we evaluated PMNs from blood (circulating PMNs: cPMNs) and tracheal secretion (tPMNs) from patients with and without ARDS with regard to function and phenotype. Blood samples and tracheal secretions were obtained from intensive care patients with and without ARDS. Isolation of cPMN was performed by density-gradient gravity sedimentation without centrifugation. For tPMN isolation, endotracheal aspirate was filtered, and tPMNs were separated from the remaining aspirate using a particle filter. Specific surface epitopes (CD66b, CD62L, fMLP-receptor, LOX-1, CD49d, CD29, CD11b) of the isolated PMN cells were labeled with antibody-coupled dyes and analyzed by flow cytometry. Neutrophil ROS production before and after activation with N-formyl-methyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) was quantified using rhodamine-123. In addition, a qualitative cytological hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed with a portion of the secretion. tPMNs were observed in both bloody and mucosal tracheal secretions from ARDS patients. The epitope distribution on cPMNs and tPMNs differed significantly in patients with and without ARDS: tPMNs generally showed increased expression of CD66b, LOX-1 and fMLP-receptor compared to cPMNs, and decreased expression of CD62L. The CD49d levels of all cPMNs were at the same level as tPMNs in ARDS, whereas CD49d expression was increased on tPMNs without ARDS. ROS production was significantly stimulated by fMLP/TNFα in cPMNs regardless of the patient group, while it was similarly increased in tPMNs with and without stimulation. Increased expression of CD66b, LOX-1 and fMLP-receptor on tPMNs indicated a higher activity status compared to cPMNs. Increased CD49d expression on tPMNs without ARDS marks different PMN surface changes in lung disease. PMNs appear to be in a more activated state in lung secretions than in blood, as indicated by higher CD66b and lower CD62L expression, higher constitutive ROS production and lower excitability with fMLP and TNFα. In the context of possible CD49d-triggered ROS production, it is noteworthy that CD49d is downregulated in secretion from patients with ARDS compared to patients without. This phenotypic and functional PMN characterization can provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic information for the intensive care treatment of ARDS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As coronavirus disease 2019 made its way across the world in 2019, health systems began to develop guidelines to allocate what was expected to be a scarcity of medical resources. Considerable attention was given to triaging intensive care resources such as ventilators. While there was general agreement among bioethicists and policymakers that it may be permissible to withhold life-sustaining interventions from patients with poor prognoses in order to make them available to patients with better prognoses, there was disagreement about the permissibility of withdrawing such interventions for this purpose. Some maintained that the doctrine of double effect (DDE) revealed the intrinsic wrongness of such acts of reallocation. This article argues that so long as there is transparency and effective ongoing communication, the DDE may permit the discontinuation of life-sustaining interventions from patients who may still benefit from them in order to make them available to patients with more favorable prognoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi‐arid ecosystems, common across the Australian continent, strongly influence the inter‐annual variability and trend in the global terrestrial net carbon sink. Here we explore the future Australian terrestrial carbon cycle using the CMIP6 ensemble, and the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ‐GUESS. Uncertainty in Australia's carbon storage in vegetation ranged between 6 and 49 PgC at the end of the century and was strongly linked to biases in the meteorological forcing. Using LPJ‐GUESS with bias‐corrected meteorological forcing reduced uncertainty in the vegetation carbon storage to between 14 and 20 PgC, with the remaining range linked to model sensitivities to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, and precipitation variability. Reducing this uncertainty will require improved terrestrial biosphere models, but also major improvements in the simulation of regional precipitation by Global Climate Models. Plain Language Summary: Vegetation on land takes up about one‐third of greenhouse gas emissions associated with human activities and strongly influences the year‐to‐year variability in the atmospheric growth rate of CO2. Semi‐arid areas in the Southern Hemisphere, for example, in Australia, dominate the variability and trend in the net carbon sink. We use both coupled climate‐carbon cycle and uncoupled carbon cycle simulations to study future changes in the Australian carbon cycle and provide the first comprehensive regional analysis of future carbon cycle trends for Australia accounting for Global Climate Model uncertainty. Biases in the simulated climate lead to large uncertainty in the simulated carbon cycle but this uncertainty can be reduced when the biases are corrected. We identify areas of uncertainty in the process representation in the vegetation models, specifically carbon residence time, and a discrepancy in the sensitivity to three forcing variables (atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, and precipitation). Our study highlights that reducing precipitation biases in Global Climate Models would lead to a better understanding of future changes to the regional carbon cycle and help inform climate mitigation strategies. Key Points: A key area of future uncertainty in regional terrestrial carbon cycle projections is linked to biases in climate projectionsWe provide a comprehensive regional analysis of future carbon cycle trends for Australia accounting for uncertainty in climate projectionsApplying bias‐correction to the climate projections reduces the uncertainty in projected vegetation carbon from 6 – 49 PgC to 14–20 PgC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective antimicrobial therapy is an essential part of intensive care medicine and renal replacement therapy is an important and common intervention which significantly affects the pharmacokinetics of many antimicrobials. This is especially critical for substances with a narrow therapeutic range, creating a dilemma of weighing the risk of toxicity from increased drug exposure against risk of ineffective treatment and promotion of antimicrobial resistance. To address this problem, we investigate a target-controlled dialysis by in vitro experiments — a novel technique in which drug is spiked into the dialysis solution to make use of the physicochemical properties of renal replacement therapy for solute transport, with the goal to reduce the risk of inadequate drug exposure. Methods: Five antibiotics (ceftazidime, meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, flucloxacillin) were dialyzed in an in vitro model of continuous veno-venous hemodialysis using 1 L of bovine serum albumin solution as simulated patient plasma compartment. This was done with and without antibiotics in target concentrations added to the dialysis solution, mimicking three clinically relevant scenarios: (i) target-controlled dialysis in a subject with sub-therapeutic drug levels, (ii) target-controlled dialysis in a subject with supra-therapeutic drug levels, and (iii) traditional dialysis of drugs starting at the target concentration. Drug levels were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Additionally, the stability over 24 h of all antibiotics in two typical dialysis solutions was assessed. Results: Our data shows that with target-controlled dialysis, antibiotic concentrations will change in the desired direction towards the target concentration, depending on the patients' unbound drug levels in relation to the concentration in the dialysis solution. The desired target concentrations can be induced and maintained, regardless of the initial concentration. Furthermore, the stability tests revealed only a minor and clinically irrelevant loss in drug concentration (all < 10.2%) after 12 h. Conclusions: We outlined the mechanistic plausibility and provided experimental evidence of the feasibility of the target-controlled dialysis concept, which could help to maintain therapeutic concentrations of many time-dependent antibiotics in critically ill patients under renal replacement therapy. The required stability in dialysis solutions was shown for a set of important antibiotics. The next step will be the prudent application of this concept to patients in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-enrichment is one of the leading explanations for chemical anomalies in globular clusters. In this scenario, various candidate polluter stars have been proposed to eject gas with altered chemical composition during the self-enrichment process. Most of the proposed polluters will also eject radioactive |$^{26}$| Al into the surroundings. Hence, any detection of |$^{26}$| Al in young massive star clusters (YMCs) would support the self-enrichment scenario if YMCs were indeed the progenitors of globular clusters. Observations of gamma-ray data from COMPTEL and INTEGRAL, as well as detections of |$^{26}$| AlF molecules by the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA), indicate the maturing of |$^{26}$| Al detection methods. Detection possibilities will be enhanced in the short- to mid-term by the upcoming launch of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI). The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) could in principle also detect radio recombination lines of the positronium formed from the decay products of |$^{26}$| Al. Here, we show for a sample of YMCs in the nearby Universe, where self-enrichment could plausibly take place. For some nearby galaxies, this could enhance |$^{26}$| Al by an order of one magnitude. Detecting |$^{26}$| AlF with ALMA appears feasible for many candidate self-enrichment clusters, although significant challenges remain with other detection methods. The Large Magellanic Cloud, with its YMC R136, stands out as the most promising candidate. Detecting a 1.8 MeV radioactive decay line of |$^{26}$| Al here would require at least 15 months of targeted observation with COSI, assuming ongoing self-enrichment in R136. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater discharges from Silurian bedrock exposures at the Niagara Escarpment have been documented using photography. It is demonstrated that patterns of groundwater discharges are best discernible from ice formation during sub-zero winter conditions. The photographs indicate that discharges at natural exposures tend to follow hydrostratigraphic boundaries, with point seeps indicating channelized preferential flow. At anthropogenic exposures, the groundwater discharges appear more closely related to the actual exposure morphology with vertical fracturing causing vertical flow and bypass of acquitards, as well as aquifers with groundwater discharge occurring at local topographical lows. The associated seeps at anthropogenic exposures may approximate planar preferential horizontal flow horizons if competent beds are encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. As a 'duty of care', it is important to test whether new forage plants for ruminants contain secondary compounds (PSCs) that affect reproductive performance. We have previously observed, a posteriori, that the presence of a methanolic extract of Biserrula pelecinus during maturation of sheep oocytes increased fertilisation rate and blastocyst development. This result needed to be verified a priori and, if the outcome was repeated, we needed to identify the plant secondary metabolite responsible. Aims. To test whether PSCs from B. pelecinus, when added to the oocyte maturation medium, improve fertilisation rate and blastocyst development; to test whether loliolide is the active molecule produced by B. pelecinus. Methods. Methanol-chloroform extracts of B. pelecinus were fractionated using rapid silica filtration and solvents of increasing polarity. Fractions at final concentrations of 0, 100 or 200 µg mL-1 were added to the medium used to mature sheep cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and effects were determined for maturation, subsequent cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, hatching rate, blastocyst efficiency and total blastocyst cell number (TCN). Results. Fraction BP-6 at 100 µgmL-1 reduced blastocyst rate (P < 0.05), but had no effect when the dose was doubled to 200 µg mL-1. Further fractionation using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography showed loliolide as the most abundant compound in BP-6. Supplementation of the in vitro maturation medium with loliolide (0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 25 µgmL-1) did not affect any measure of embryo development. All COCs treated with B. pelecinus fractions reached the final stage of embryo development, blastocyst hatching. Total blastocyst cell number was not affected. Conclusion. The presence of fractions of B. pelecinus extract during in vitro oocyte maturation can reduce embryo development. Implications. In vitro techniques can detect potential effects of forages on reproduction. Some fractions from an extract of B. pelecinus when present during oocyte maturation can reduce embryo development. The abundant PSC, loliolide, was not responsible. There was no indication that a PSC in B. pelecinus improves outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace metals emitted from human activities may have penetrated into the deep seas, and the underlying control mechanisms remain poorly understood. Sinking particles collected by moored time-series sediment traps from the northern South China Sea (NSCS) basin showed significant enrichment of anthropogenic aerosol Pb relative to lithogenic Fe. Total mass flux was primarily driven by seasonal primary production, and significant positive correlations were found between Pb/Fe flux and major biogenic components, indicating the crucial role of the biological pump in Pb/Fe scavenging in the water column. Notably, Pb exhibited 30–50 times higher affinity to biogenic components than Fe. A comparison was made between the enrichment factors of Fe and Pb in aerosols, euphotic particles, and sinking particles, which revealed that Pb exhibited significantly higher particle reactivity than Fe. This higher particle reactivity may encompass processes such as adsorption/desorption, bioaccumulation and decomposition release. The differential scavenging behavior of Pb suggested that the majority of Pb was rapidly scavenged in the euphotic zone and was preferentially released for accumulation in the twilight zone. This accumulation may further outflow through the Luzon Strait and result in the high dissolved Pb concentration observed in the subsurface water columns in both the NSCS and western Pacific Ocean. The rest of anthropogenic Pb in sinking particles tended to penetrate into deeper water layers and continue to be released below the twilight zone. These findings provide new insights into the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals originating from anthropogenic aerosols in marginal seas and serve as an example of the fate of other anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) catalysts synthesized via three different methods is presented, aiming to evaluate their catalytic activities in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) chemical depolymerization by glycolysis. The synthesized catalysts have been characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The conversion of PET into bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalate (BHET) monomer was examined using these cobalt ferrites. The BHET in the reaction mixture was analyzed by FTIR, HPLC, DSC, and TGA and results show the catalyst synthesized by coprecipitation demonstrates the highest BHET yield (95.4%) at a temperature of 200 °C and a pressure of 0.7 bar in 1 h with only 1.0 wt% loading. Hydrothermal synthesized CoFe2O4 and solvent-free synthesized CoFe2O4 both showed lower BHET yields. The catalytic performance of the coprecipitated CoFe2O4 catalyst was influenced by the presence of unintentionally trapped FeCl3 within the catalyst, which resulted in its enhanced activity. The CoFe2O4 catalyst from coprecipitation exhibited acceptable magnetic recoverability and reusability for four consecutive cycles, further highlighting its usefulness and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how canopy-scale photosynthesis responds to temperature is of paramount importance for realistic prediction of the likely impact of climate change on forest growth. The effects of temperature on leaf-scale photosynthesis have been extensively documented but data demonstrating the temperature response of canopy-scale photosynthesis are relatively rare, and the mechanisms that determine the response are not well quantified. Here, we compared leaf- and canopy-scale photosynthesis responses to temperature measured in a whole-tree chamber experiment and tested mechanisms that could explain the difference between leaf and crown scale temperature optima for photosynthesis. We hypothesized that (i) there is a large contribution of non-light saturated leaves to total crown photosynthesis, (ii) photosynthetic component processes vary vertically through the canopy following the gradient in incident light and (iii) seasonal temperature acclimation of photosynthetic biochemistry has a significant role in determining the overall temperature response of canopy photosynthesis. We tested these hypotheses using three models of canopy radiation interception and photosynthesis parameterized with leaf-level physiological data and estimates of canopy leaf area. Our results identified the influence of non-light saturated leaves as a key determinant of the lower temperature optimum of canopy photosynthesis, which reduced the temperature optimum of canopy photosynthesis by 6–8 °C compared with the leaf scale. Further, we demonstrate the importance of accounting for within-canopy variation and seasonal temperature acclimation of photosynthetic biochemistry in determining the magnitude of canopy photosynthesis. Overall, our study identifies key processes that need to be incorporated in terrestrial biosphere models to accurately predict temperature responses of whole-tree photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body fossils set limits on feasible reconstructions of functional capacity and behavior in theropod dinosaurs, but do not document in-life behaviors. In contrast, trace fossils such as footprints preserve in-life behaviors that can potentially test and enhance existing reconstructions. Here, we demonstrate how theropod trackways can be used as indirect evidence of pre-avian aerial behavior, expanding the approaches available to study vertebrate flight origins. This involved exploring the behavioral implications of a two-toed Cretaceous-aged theropod trackway produced by a small, bird-like microraptorine moving at high speed. Applying first principle running biomechanics, we were able to conclude that the trackway is atypical, indirectly evidencing pre-avian aerial behavior. This trackway documents the evidence of wing-assisted aerodynamic force production during locomotion, supporting a broader distribution of this behavior than currently known. These findings support previously proposed aerial behavior in early bird-like theropods, showing how trackways will help to deepen our understanding of theropod flight origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interventions that leverage implicit motives — affect-based, non-conscious motivational dispositions — may increase physical activity by making physical activity more pleasurable. However, there is no evidence synthesis of the empirical data linking the major implicit motives (achievement, affiliation, and power motives) and physical activity. We aimed to close this research gap. Methods: Following a systematic literature search in the PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science databases until August 2024, we performed a scoping review. We included German- or English-language publications in peer-reviewed journals or books that followed an observational or intervention study design. Studies had to link ≥ 1 major implicit motive measured via a well-established method to physical activity behavior. We critically appraised the methodological quality of the included studies using an adaptation of the JBI critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies and synthesized the evidence qualitatively. Results: Out of 1047 potentially relevant records, five publications (seven studies, N = 550) were included. All eligible studies were observational (six cross-sectional, one prospective longitudinal). The achievement motive was researched the most. The data indicated a relatively consistent positive association between physical activity and the achievement motive, particularly in athletes and in sports-specific settings. The associations with the affiliation and power motives were more mixed. Most studies were conducted in sports-specific settings. All studies elicited methodological concerns, to varying degrees. Conclusions: The available data indicate a positive association between achievement motive strength and physical activity. However, important limitations, especially the lack of intervention studies and the use of non-gold standard assessment methods, limit the confidence in the findings. More, methodologically sound research is needed to better understand the link between implicit motives and physical activity, especially in the general population. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42023392198. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low molecular weight gels are formed via the self-assembly of small molecules into fibrous structures. In the case of hydrogels, these networks entrap large volumes of water, yielding soft materials. Such gels tend to have weak mechanical properties and a high permeability for cells, making them particularly appealing for regenerative medicine applications. Ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) supramolecular gelators are self-assembling systems that have demonstrated excellent capabilities as biomaterials. Here, we combine UPy-gelators with another low molecular weight gelator, the functionalized dipeptide 2NapFF. We have successfully characterized these multicomponent systems on a molecular and bulk scale. The addition of 2NapFF to a crosslinked UPy hydrogel significantly increased hydrogel stiffness from 30 Pa to 1300 Pa. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to probe the underlying structures of the systems and showed that the mixed UPy and 2NapFF systems resemble the scattering data produced by the pristine UPy systems. However, when a bifunctional UPy-crosslinker was added, the scattering was close to that of the 2NapFF only samples. The results suggest that the crosslinker significantly influences the assembly of the low molecular weight gelators. Finally, we analysed the biocompatibility of the systems using fibroblast cells and found that the cells tended to spread more effectively when the crosslinking species was incorporated. Our results emphasise the need for thorough characterisation at multiple length scales to finely control material properties, which is particularly important for developing novel biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]