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Starphenes are structurally appealing three-fold symmetric polycyclic aromatic compounds with potential interesting applications in molecular electronics and nanotechnology. This family of star-shaped polyarenes can be regarded as three acenes that are connected through a single benzene ring. In fact, just like acenes, unsubstituted large starphenes are poorly soluble and highly reactive molecules under ambient conditions making their synthesis difficult to achieve. Herein, we report two different synthetic strategies to obtain a starphene formed by 19 cata-fused benzene rings distributed within three hexacene branches. This molecule, which is the largest starphene that has been obtained to date, was prepared by combining solution-phase and on-surface synthesis. [19]Starphene was characterized by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) showing a remarkable small HOMO-LUMO transport gap (0.9 eV)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background and Purpose: The dorsal hippocampus (dHIP) is pivotal for learning, memory, and defensive responses. Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptors in the dHIP modulate contextual fear conditioning by triggering a cascade involving glutamate release, nitric oxide (NO) formation and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production. The present study investigated the involvement of dHIP TRPV1 receptors and their interaction with the glutamate/NO/cGMP signalling pathway in modulating the expression of contextual fear conditioning (CFC)., Experimental Approach: Male Wistar rats were submitted to an aversive contextual conditioning session and, 48 h later, were re-introduced to the same aversive environment where the freezing response and autonomic activity (evidenced by increased arterial pressure and heart rate and a decrease in tail temperature) were measured., Key Results: The results demonstrated that the TRPV1 antagonist 6-I-CPS in dHIP reduced the expression of CFC, whereas the agonist capsaicin had the opposite effect. Furthermore, dHIP pre-treatment with an NMDA receptor antagonist (AP7), neuronal NO synthase inhibitor (N-propyl-L-arginine), NO scavenger (c-PTIO) or guanylate cyclase inhibitor (ODQ) attenuated capsaicin-induced increases in CFC. Finally, we observed that re-exposure to the aversive chamber increased dHIP NO levels in conditioned animals compared with a non-conditioned group, which was prevented by the administration of the TRPV1 antagonist, 6-I-CPS., Conclusion and Implications: Our study revealed that TRPV1 receptors in the dHIP play a crucial role in modulating contextual fear expression by acting through the NMDA receptor/NO/cGMP signalling pathway, providing important insights into the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic avenues associated with these pathways., (© 2024 British Pharmacological Society.)

Acenes, the group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with linearly fused benzene rings, possess distinctive electronic properties with potential applicability in material science. Hexacene was the largest acene obtained and characterized in the last century, followed by heptacene in 2006. Since then, a race for obtaining the largest acene resulted in the development of several members of this family as well as diverse innovative synthetic strategies, from solid-state chemistry to the promising on-surface chemistry. This last technique allows the obtention of large acenes, up to tridecacene, the largest acene so far. This review presents the different methodologies employed for the synthesis of acenes, highlighting the newest studies, to provide a much more thorough understanding of the essence of the electronic structure of this captivating group of organic compounds., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The on-surface synthesis of an isomer of undecacene, bearing two four-membered rings and two para-quinodimethane moieties, starting from a tetramethyl-substituted diepoxy precursor, is presented. The transformation implies a thermal double deoxygenation followed by a stepwise double dehydrogenation reaction on the Au(111) surface, locally induced by inelastic tunneling electrons. This results in the transformation of para-dimethylbenzene moieties into non-aromatic para-quinodimethanes. The structures and electronic properties of the intermediate and final products are investigated at the single molecule level with high spatial resolution, using both scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy. The experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: The aim of the study is to analyze microstate patterns in GLUT1-DS, both before and after the ketogenic diet (KD)., Methods: We conducted microstate analysis of a patient with GLUT-1 DS and 27 healthy controls. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was done. We compared the parameters of the patients with those of healthy controls and the incorporating findings in literature., Results: The durations of the patient were notably shorter, and the occurrence rates were longer than those of healthy controls and incorporating findings from the review. After 10 months of KD, the patient's microstate durations exhibited an increase from 53.05 ms, 57.17 ms, 61.80 ms, and 49.49 ms to 60.53 ms, 63.27 ms, 71.11 ms, and 66.55 ms. The occurrence rates changed from 4.0774 Hz, 4.9462 Hz, 4.8006 Hz, and 4.0579 Hz to 3.3354 Hz, 3.7893 Hz, 3.5956 Hz, and 4.1672 Hz. In healthy controls, the durations of microstate class A, B, C, and D were 61.86 ms, 63.58 ms, 70.57 ms, and 72.00 ms, respectively., Conclusions: Our findings suggest EEG microstates may be a promising biomarker for monitoring the effect of KD. Administration of KD may normalize the dysfunctional patterns of temporal parameters., (© 2024. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.)

Exercise improves cardiac function and metabolism. Although long-term exercise leads to circulating and micro-environmental metabolic changes, the effect of exercise on protein post-translational lactylation modifications as well as its functional relevance is unclear. Here, we report that lactate can regulate cardiomyocyte changes by improving protein lactylation levels and elevating intracellular N 6 -methyladenosine RNA-binding protein YTHDF2. The intrinsic disorder region of YTHDF2 but not the RNA m 6 A-binding activity is indispensable for its regulatory function in influencing cardiomyocyte cell size changes and oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R)-stimulated apoptosis via upregulating Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1). Downregulation of YTHDF2 is required for exercise-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, myocardial YTHDF2 inhibition alleviated ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute injury and pathological remodeling. Our results here link lactate and lactylation modifications with RNA m 6 A reader YTHDF2 and highlight the physiological importance of this innovative post-transcriptional intrinsic regulation mechanism of cardiomyocyte responses to exercise. Decreasing lactylation or inhibiting YTHDF2/G3BP1 might represent a promising therapeutic strategy for cardiac diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Precisely introducing topological defects is an important strategy in nanographene crystal engineering because defects can tune π-electronic structures and control molecular assemblies. The synergistic control of the synthesis and assembly of nanographenes by embedding the topological defects to afford two-dimensional (2D) crystals on surfaces is still a great challenge. By in-situ embedding ladder bipyrazinylene (LBPy) into acene, the narrowest nanographene with zigzag edges, we have achieved the precise preparation of 2D nonbenzenoid heteroacene crystals on Au(111). Through intramolecular electrocyclization of o-diisocyanides and Au adatom-directed [2+2] cycloaddition, the nonbenzenoid heteroacene products are produced with high chemoselectivity, and lead to the molecular 2D assembly via LBPy-derived interlocking hydrogen bonds. Using bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy, we determined the atomic structures of the nonbenzenoid heteroacene product and diverse organometallic intermediates. The tunneling spectroscopy measurements revealed the electronic structure of the nonbenzenoid heteroacene, which is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The observed distinct organometallic intermediates during progression annealing combined with DFT calculations demonstrated that LBPy formation proceeds via electrocyclization of o-diisocyanides, trapping of heteroarynes by Au adatoms, and stepwise elimination of Au adatoms., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Microstate sequences summarize the changing voltage patterns measured by electroencephalography, using a clustering approach to reduce the high dimensionality of the underlying data. A common approach is to restrict the pattern matching step to local maxima of the global field power (GFP) and to interpolate the microstate fit in between. In this study, we investigate how the anesthetic propofol affects microstate sequence periodicity and predictability, and how these metrics are changed by interpolation. We performed two frequency analyses on microstate sequences, one based on time-lagged mutual information, the other based on Fourier transform methodology, and quantified the effects of interpolation. Resting-state microstate sequences had a 20 Hz frequency peak related to dominant 10 Hz (alpha) rhythms, and the Fourier approach demonstrated that all five microstate classes followed this frequency. The 20 Hz periodicity was reversibly attenuated under moderate propofol sedation, as shown by mutual information and Fourier analysis. Characteristic microstate frequencies could only be observed in non-interpolated microstate sequences and were masked by smoothing effects of interpolation. Information-theoretic analysis revealed faster microstate dynamics and larger entropy rates under propofol, whereas Shannon entropy did not change significantly. In moderate sedation, active information storage decreased for non-interpolated sequences. Signatures of non-equilibrium dynamics were observed in non-interpolated sequences, but no changes were observed between sedation levels. All changes occurred while subjects were able to perform an auditory perception task. In summary, we show that low dose propofol reversibly increases the randomness of microstate sequences and attenuates microstate oscillations without correlation to cognitive task performance. Microstate dynamics between GFP peaks reflect physiological processes that are not accessible in interpolated sequences., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

A growing body of clinical and cognitive neuroscience studies have adapted a broadband EEG microstate approach to evaluate the electrical activity of large-scale cortical networks. However, the functional aspects of these microstates have not yet been systematically reviewed. Here, we present an overview of the existing literature and systematize the results to provide hints on the functional role of electrical brain microstates. Studies that evaluated and manipulated the temporal properties of resting-state microstates and utilized questionnaires, task-initiated thoughts, specific tasks before or between EEG session(s), pharmacological interventions, neuromodulation approaches, or localized sources of the extracted microstates were selected. Fifty studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. A new microstate labeling system has been proposed for a comprehensible comparison between the studies, where four classical microstates are referred to as A-D, and the others are labeled by the frequency of their appearance. Microstate A was associated with both auditory and visual processing and links to subjects' arousal/arousability. Microstate B showed associations with visual processing related to self, self-visualization, and autobiographical memory. Microstate C was related to processing personally significant information, self-reflection, and self-referential internal mentation rather than autonomic information processing. In contrast, microstate E was related to processing interoceptive and emotional information and to the salience network. Microstate D was associated with executive functioning. Microstate F is suggested to be a part of the Default Mode Network and plays a role in personally significant information processing, mental simulations, and theory of mind. Microstate G is potentially linked to the somatosensory network., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The past 20 years of research on EEG microstates has yielded the hypothesis that the imbalance pattern in the temporal dynamics of microstates C (increased) and D (decreased) is specific to schizophrenia. A similar microstate imbalance has been recently found in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of the present high-density EEG study was to examine whether this pathological microstate pattern is co-specific to schizophrenia and OCD. We compared microstate temporal dynamics using Bayesian analyses, transition probabilities analyses and the Topographic Electrophysiological State Source-Imaging method for source reconstruction in 24 OCD patients and 28 schizophrenia patients, respectively, free of comorbid psychotic and OCD symptoms, and 27 healthy controls. OCD and schizophrenia patients exhibited the same increased contribution of microstate C, decreased duration and contribution of microstate D and greater D → C transition probabilities, compared with controls. A Bayes factor of 4.424 for the contribution of microstate C, 4.600 and 3.824, respectively, for the duration and contribution of microstate D demonstrated that there was no difference in microstate patterns between the two disorders. Source reconstruction further showed undistinguishable dysregulations between the Salience Network (SN), associated with microstate C, and the Executive Control Network (ECN), associated with microstate D, and between the ECN and cognitive cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop in the two disorders. The ECN/CSTC loop dysconnectivity was slightly worsened in schizophrenia. Our findings provide substantial evidence for a common aetiological pathway in schizophrenia and OCD, i.e. microstate co-specificity, and same anomalies in salience and external attention processing, leading to co-expression of symptoms., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

The quantification of resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) is associated with a variety of measures. These include power estimates at different frequencies, microstate analysis, and frequency-resolved source power and connectivity analyses. Resting-state EEG metrics have been widely used to delineate the manifestation of cognition and to identify psychophysiological indicators of age-related cognitive decline. The reliability of the utilized metrics is a prerequisite for establishing robust brain-behavior relationships and clinically relevant indicators of cognitive decline. To date, however, test-retest reliability examination of measures derived from resting human EEG, comparing different resting-state measures between young and older participants, within the same adequately powered dataset, is lacking. The present registered report examined test-retest reliability in a sample of 95 young (age range: 20-35 years) and 93 older (age range: 60-80 years) participants. A good-to-excellent test-retest reliability was confirmed in both age groups for power estimates on both scalp and source levels as well as for the individual alpha peak power and frequency. Partial confirmation was observed for hypotheses stating good-to-excellent reliability of microstates measures and connectivity. Equal levels of reliability between the age groups were confirmed for scalp-level power estimates and partially so for source-level power and connectivity. In total, five out of the nine postulated hypotheses were empirically supported and confirmed good-to-excellent reliability of the most commonly reported resting-state EEG metrics., (© 2023 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) is a rare hereditary disease whose prominent feature is brittle hair. Additional clinical signs are physical and neurodevelopmental abnormalities and in about half of the cases hypersensitivity to UV radiation. The photosensitive form of TTD (PS-TTD) is most commonly caused by mutations in the ERCC2/XPD gene encoding a subunit of the transcription/DNA repair complex TFIIH. Here we report novel ERCC2/XPD mutations affecting proper protein folding, which generate thermo-labile forms of XPD associated with thermo-sensitive phenotypes characterized by reversible aggravation of TTD clinical signs during episodes of fever. In patient cells, the newly identified XPD variants result in thermo-instability of the whole TFIIH complex and consequent temperature-dependent defects in DNA repair and transcription. Improving the protein folding process by exposing patient cells to low temperature or to the chemical chaperone glycerol allowed rescue of TFIIH thermo-instability and a concomitant recovery of the complex activities. Besides providing a rationale for the peculiar thermo-sensitive clinical features of these new cases, the present findings demonstrate how variations in the cellular concentration of mutated TFIIH impact the cellular functions of the complex and underlie how both quantitative and qualitative TFIIH alterations contribute to TTD clinical features., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Quantitative data on longitudinal associations between catastrophizing and pain or physical function are patchy. The study aimed to quantify the prognostic value of catastrophizing for pain and function in fibromyalgia and low back pain before and after rehabilitation., Methods: The associations of state and change on the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) Pain severity scale, the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Physical functioning scale and the Six-Minute Walking Distance (6MWD) with the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) Catastrophizing scale were quantified by multiple regression modelling to adjust for confounders., Results: Sex- and age-matched cohorts (n = 71 each) were compared. Pain and catastrophizing were worse in fibromyalgia than in low back pain, whereas the function levels were comparable. Baseline catastrophizing predicted pain change by adjusted correlations of 0.552 (fibromyalgia) and 0.450 (low back pain), self-rated function by 0.403 and 0.308, and the 6MWD by 0.270 and - 0.072. The change in catastrophizing was associated to the change in pain by 0.440 (fibromyalgia) and 0.614 (low back pain), self-rated function by 0.122 and 0.465, and the 6MWD by 0186 and 0.162., Conclusions: Catastrophizing (pain-related worrying) was a potential prognostic factor, especially for pain and somewhat less for self-rated physical function but it was only weakly predictive for the walking distance in both conditions, independently of potential confounders, such as sex, age, baseline severity and others. Reduction of maladaptive coping should be integrated into the management of chronic pain., Significance: Our study showed surprisingly high associations between state and change in catastrophizing to pain relief and functional improvement in chronic pain patients. This is supported by clinical experience and research data, even if the construct and measurement of catastrophizing is under debate. Our findings and those of literature point to more pessimistic self-rating of pain and catastrophizing in fibromyalgia when compared to other conditions. This might obscure positive effects on pain and function achieved by adaptive coping in fibromyalgia., (© 2022 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.)

Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), in complex with glycoprotein 130 (gp130) as the receptor for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), can bind to a variety of cytokines and subsequently activate a variety of signaling pathways, including Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. LIF, the most multifunctional cytokines of the interleukin-6 family acts as both a growth factor and a growth inhibitor in different types of tumors. LIF/LIFR signaling regulates a broad array of tumor-related processes including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion. However, due to the activation of different signaling pathways, opposite regulatory effects are observed in certain tumor cells. Therefore, the role of LIFR in human cancers varies across different tumor and tissue, despite their recognized value in tumor treatment and prognosis observation is affirmed. Given its aberrant expression in numerous tumor cells and crucial regulatory function in tumorigenesis and progression, LIFR is considered as a promising targeted therapeutic agent. This review provides an overview of LIFR's initiating signaling pathway function as a cytokine receptor and summarize the current literature on the role of LIFR in cancer and its possible use in therapy., (© 2024 UICC.)

Cardiac remodelling involves structural, cellular and molecular alterations in the heart after injury, resulting in progressive loss of heart function and ultimately leading to heart failure. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently rediscovered class of non-coding RNAs that play regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding of the role of circRNAs in the processes governing cardiac remodelling may set the ground for the development of circRNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, the current knowledge about circRNA origin, conservation, characteristics and function is summarized. Bioinformatics and wet-lab methods used in circRNA research are discussed. The regulatory function of circRNAs in cardiac remodelling mechanisms such as cell death, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis and metabolism is highlighted. Finally, key challenges and opportunities in circRNA research are discussed, and orientations for future work to address the pharmacological potential of circRNAs in heart failure are proposed. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue Non-coding RNA Therapeutics. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v182.2/issuetoc., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.)

The human gut microbiota (GM) is a community of microorganisms that resides in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Recognized as a critical element of human health, the functions of the GM extend beyond GI well-being to influence overall systemic health and susceptibility to disease. Among the other omic sciences, metaproteomics highlights additional facets that make it a highly valuable discipline in the study of GM. Indeed, it allows the protein inventory of complex microbial communities. Proteins with associated taxonomic membership and function are identified and quantified from their constituent peptides by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses and by querying specific databases (DBs). The aim of this review was to compile comprehensive information on metaproteomic studies of the human GM, with a focus on the bacterial component, to assist newcomers in understanding the methods and types of research conducted in this field. The review outlines key steps in a metaproteomic-based study, such as protein extraction, DB selection, and bioinformatic workflow. The importance of standardization is emphasized. In addition, a list of previously published studies is provided as hints for researchers interested in investigating the role of GM in health and disease states., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Microbes employ a variety of mechanisms, encompassing chemical signaling (e.g., quorum-sensing molecules) and genetic processes like horizontal gene transfer (HGT), to engage in interactions. HGT, in particular, holds a pivotal role as it facilitates the generation of metabolic diversity, thus directly or indirectly influencing microorganisms' interactions and functioning within their habitat. In this study, we investigate the correlations between enhanced metabolic diversity through HGT and cooperative behavior in the rhizosphere. Despite the potential drawbacks of cooperative behavior, which renders it susceptible to exploitation by cheaters based on evolutionary theory, HGT emerges as a mitigating factor. It serves as a valuable and adaptive tool for survival in competitive environments, notably the rhizosphere. By initiating a comprehensive discussion on these processes combined, we anticipate achieving a profound understanding of the rhizosphere microbiome, ultimately enhancing soil microbiology management and the exploitation of this ecological niche., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Background: Respiratory motion is a challenge for accurate radiotherapy that may be mitigated by real-time tracking. Commercial tracking systems utilize a hybrid external-internal correlation model (ECM), integrating continuous external breathing monitoring with sparse X-ray imaging of the internal tumor position., Purpose: This study investigates the feasibility of using the next generation reservoir computing (NG-RC) model as a hybrid ECM to transform measured external motions into estimated 3D internal motions., Methods: The NG-RC model utilizes the nonlinear vector autoregressive (NVAR) machine to account for the hysteresis or phase differences between external and internal motions. The datasets used to evaluate the efficacy of the NG-RC model include 57 motion traces from the CyberKnife system. The datasets were divided into three regions (central, lower, and upper livers) and three motion patterns. These patterns include linear and nonlinear motion patterns (Group A), hysteresis motion patterns (Group B), and all motion patterns (Group C). Moreover, various updating techniques were examined, such as continuously updating the NG-RC model using the first-in-first-out (FIFO) approach and sampling the internal tumor position every 0 s (strategy A), 60 s (strategy B), 30 s (strategy C), and 50 s (strategy D)., Results: The NG-RC model combined with strategy C resulted in better estimation accuracy than the reported CyberKnife cases (Wilcoxon signed rank p < 0.05). For linear and nonlinear motion patterns, the 3D radial estimation accuracy (mean ± SD) using the NG-RC model combined with strategy C and the CyberKnife system was 1.20 ± 0.78 and 1.1 ± 0.20 mm in the central liver, 0.66 ± 0.25 and 1.49 ± 0.50 mm in the lower liver, and 1.73 ± 0.86 and 1.61 ± 0.42 mm in the upper liver. For hysteresis motion patterns, the corresponding values were 1.13 ± 0.37 and 1.45 ± 0.33 mm, 1.43 ± 1.30 and 1.67 ± 0.42 mm, and 1.20 ± 0.68 and 1.46 ± 0.54 mm in the central, lower, and upper livers, respectively., Conclusion: This study proposed a new hybrid correlation model for real-time tumor tracking, which can be used to account for both linear and nonlinear motion patterns, as well as hysteresis motion patterns. Additionally, the NG-RC model required shorter training data sets (15 s) during pre-treatment and short internal motion sampling (every 30 s) during treatment compared to other ECMs., (© 2024 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

Introduction: The introduction of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) has revolutionized prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, enhancing the localization of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and guiding targeted biopsies. However, significant disparities in the execution, interpretation, and reporting of prostate MRI examinations across centers necessitate greater standardization and accuracy. This study compares the diagnostic efficacy of mpMRI from academic and nonacademic centers in detecting csPCa and identifies factors associated with csPCa detection., Materials and Methods: Between July 2018 and October 2023, we prospectively followed 810 men at SS. Annunziata Hospital of Chieti who underwent MRI/US fusion biopsies due to elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and/or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE). Patients with mpMRI-documented suspicious lesions classified as PI-RADS ≥ 3 were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on the source of their mpMRI (academic or nonacademic centers). All biopsies were conducted using the MRI/US fusion technique. Clinical, mpMRI, and pathological data were collected and analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using R software., Results: The cohort included 354 patients from academic centers and 456 from nonacademic centers. There were no significant differences in patient demographics, such as age and PSA levels, between the groups. Patients at academic centers were more likely to receive a higher number of elevated PI-RADS scores compared to those at nonacademic centers (PI-RADS > 3: 72.6% vs. 62.3%, p = 0.003). Histopathological analysis revealed no significant differences in the ISUP grade distribution between groups. Increased age, PSA levels, and positive DRE were significantly associated with higher odds of detecting csPCa. Median PSA density was significantly higher in patients with csPCa compared to those without csPCa (0.14 vs. 0.11 ng/mL/cm³, p < 0.001). Academic centers exhibited a higher odds ratio for csPCa detection in patients with PI-RADS scores > 3 compared to nonacademic centers., Conclusion: Our study highlights significant variability in PI-RADS score assignments between academic and nonacademic centers, affecting csPCa detection rates. This variability underscores the need for greater standardization in PI-RADS scoring to reduce disparities and improve diagnostic uniformity across centers., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Prostate published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Microorganisms change the properties of microplastics, at the same time, microplastics can also affect the distribution of microorganisms. To investigate this issue, we chose to study Jianhu Lake, a plateau lake in southwestern China, by collecting data at three sampling locations. The microplastics and bacterial communities in the sediment columns of Jianhu Lake were sampled within a 0 to 60 cm profile, and the basic characteristics of microplastic abundance, shape, color, size, and polymer type were determined accordingly, via their collection, separation, extraction, and identification. The bacterial community in the sediment samples were identified using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, and we assessed whether those microplastic characteristics influenced the community composition and structure. We found the abundance of microplastics ranged from 624 to 3050 particles/kg (dw [dry weight]) in the three sediment columns. Line microplastics accounted for the largest proportion and these were found distributed in each layer. The polymer types present in the largest proportions were rayon (RY), polyester terephthalate (PET) and low-density styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS). Among the bacterial communities in the sediment columns, the dominant phyla were Chloroflexi, Sva0485, Acidobacteriota, etc. The co-occurrence network analysis between the bacterial community and microplastic features in the sediment columns of Jianhu Lake revealed that there was a correlation between them, and the network were more complex at a depth of 20-40 cm. Our results demonstrate that microplastics can affect the diversity and structural characteristics of microbial communities in a lake ecosystem., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The transcription-coupled repair (TCR) pathway resolves transcription-blocking DNA lesions to maintain cellular function and prevent transcriptional arrest. Stalled RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) triggers repair mechanisms, including RNAPII ubiquitination, which recruit UVSSA and TFIIH. Defects in TCR-associated genes cause disorders like Cockayne syndrome, UV-sensitive syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, and recently defined AMeDS. TCR safeguards transcription, linking its failure to neurodegeneration and disease phenotypes., (© 2024 The Author(s). FEBS Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

CYP97C1 as a haem-containing cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (P450-type) is important for carotene hydroxylation and xanthophyll biosynthesis. Research about this type of hydroxylase was mainly reported in several model plant species which have no specialized tissues accumulating massive carotenoids. The function of CYP97C1 in the horticultural plant, like carrots, was not fully studied. In this study, we focused on the role of DcCYP97C1 in carotenoid flux and colour formation in carrot. DcCYP97C1 was found highly expressed in the 'turning stage' of carrot taproot. Using stable transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout technology, DcCYP97C1 was confirmed the rate-limiting enzyme for lutein biosynthesis and important for taproot colour formation. Overexpression of DcCYP97C1 in an orange carrot KRD (Kurodagosun) resulted in five times overproduction of lutein accompanied by dramatic reduction of carotenes. Knockout of DcCYP97C1 in orange KRD and yellow carrot QTH (Qitouhuang) reduced all kinds of carotenoids including lutein, α-carotene and β-carotene reflecting the key role of DcCYP97C1 for total carotenoid accumulation in taproot 'turning stage'. Our study demonstrated that manipulation of DcCYP97C1 was sufficient to influence carotenoid flux, change carrot colour and for high lutein production. The uncovered role of DcCYP97C1 may be helpful for understanding plant carotenoid metabolism and breeding colourful carrot cultivars., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This review briefly summarizes 50 years of research on insect neuropeptide and peptide hormone (collectively abbreviated NPH) signaling, starting with the sequencing of proctolin in 1975. The first 25 years, before the sequencing of the Drosophila genome, were characterized by efforts to identify novel NPHs by biochemical means, mapping of their distribution in neurons, neurosecretory cells, and endocrine cells of the intestine. Functional studies of NPHs were predominantly dealing with hormonal aspects of peptides and many employed ex vivo assays. With the annotation of the Drosophila genome, and more specifically of the NPHs and their receptors in Drosophila and other insects, a new era followed. This started with matching of NPH ligands to orphan receptors, and studies to localize NPHs with improved detection methods. Important advances were made with introduction of a rich repertoire of innovative molecular genetic approaches to localize and interfere with expression or function of NPHs and their receptors. These methods enabled cell- or circuit-specific interference with NPH signaling for in vivo assays to determine roles in behavior and physiology, imaging of neuronal activity, and analysis of connectivity in peptidergic circuits. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in reports on the multiple functions of NPHs in development, physiology and behavior. Importantly, we can now appreciate the pleiotropic functions of NPHs, as well as the functional peptidergic "networks" where state dependent NPH signaling ensures behavioral plasticity and systemic homeostasis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Approval is not necessary since this is a review article (and no experiments conducted). Consent to participate: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Air contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen elements that are essential for the constitution of amino acids. Converting the air into amino acids, powered with renewable electricity, provides a green and sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based methods that produce waste and pollution. Here, taking glycine as an example, we demonstrated the complete production chain for electrorefining amino acids directly from CO 2 , N 2 , and H 2 O. Such a prospective Scheme was composed of three modules, linked by a spontaneous C-N bond formation process. The high-purity bridging intermediates, separated from the stepwise synthesis, boosted both the carbon selectivity from CO 2 to glycine of 91.7 % and nitrogen selectivity from N 2 to glycine of 98.7 %. Under the optimum condition, we obtained glycine with a partial current density of 160.8 mA cm -2 . The high-purity solid glycine product was acquired with a separation efficiency of 98.4 %. This work unveils a green and sustainable method for the abiotic creation of amino acids from the air components., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Increasing emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels and ongoing deforestation are affecting the global climate. To reach the Paris climate agreement, in the coming decades low emission technologies must be developed, which allow for carbon removal on a Gt per year-scale. In this regard, we propose the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to oxalic acid as a potentially viable pathway for large scale CO 2 utilization and storage. Combined with water oxidation, in principle this transformation does not need stoichiometric amounts of co-reagents and minimize the necessary electrons for the reduction of carbon dioxide., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Human cases of arboviral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes are increasing worldwide and spreading to new areas of the United States. These diseases continue to re-emerge, likely due to changes in vector ecology, urbanization, human migration, and larger range of climatic suitability. Recent shifts in landscape and weather variables are predicted to impact the habitat patterns of urban mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus . Miami, FL is in the tropical zone, while Charleston, SC is in the humid subtropical zone, and both cities are established hotspots for arboviruses. We applied remote sensing with land-use cover and weather variation to identify mosquito infestation patterns. We detected statistically significant positive and negative associations between entomological indicators and most weather variables in combined data from both cities. For all entomological indices, weekly wind speed and relative humidity were significantly positively associated, while precipitation and maximum temperature were significantly negatively associated. Aedes egg abundance was significantly positively associated with open land in Charleston but was negatively associated with vegetation cover in combined data.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance by suppressing response to self-antigens and harmless antigens to prevent autoimmune diseases and uncontrolled immune responses. Therefore, using Treg cells is considered a therapeutic strategy treating inflammatory diseases. Based on their origin, Treg cells are classified into thymus-derived, peripherally induced, and in vitro induced Treg cells. Our group discovered a novel Treg cell subset, namely, Treg-of-B (Treg/B) cells, generated by culturing CD4 + CD25 - T cells with B cells, including Peyer's patch B cells, splenic B cells and peritoneal B1a cells, for 3 days. Treg/B cells express CD44, OX40 (CD134), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CD152), glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor family-related protein (CD357), interleukin-10 receptor, lymphocyte activation gene-3 (CD223), inducible co-stimulator (CD278), programmed-death 1 (CD279), tumor necrosis factor receptor II, and high levels of IL-10, but not forkhead box protein P3, similar to type 1 Treg (Tr1) cells. However, unlike Tr1 cells, Treg/B cells do not express CD103, CD226, and latency-associated peptide. Treg/B cells have been applied for the treatment of some murine models of inflammatory diseases, including allergic asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, collagen-induced arthritis, gout, psoriasis and primary biliary cholangitis. This review summarizes the current knowledge of Treg/B cells., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics Approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any author. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction/aims: Persons with spinal muscular atrophy (pwSMA) report progressive muscle weakness but also reduced endurance when performing repetitive tasks in daily life, referred to as "performance fatigability" (PF). Data regarding the effects of the new disease-modifying drugs on PF are scarce. Thus, our main objective was to examine PF in adult ambulatory pwSMA treated long-term with nusinersen., Methods: Six-minute walk test (6MWT) data from 14 adult pwSMA treated with nusinersen for up to 70 months were retrospectively analyzed to determine PF. Performance fatigability was defined as the percentage change in the distance covered between the last and first minute of the 6MWT. In addition, relationships between PF and other clinical features were assessed., Results: Performance fatigability was found in 12/14 pwSMA (85.7%) prior to treatment. The mean distance walked in the sixth minute (71.1 m) was shorter than the distance covered in the first minute (81.8 m), corresponding to a mean PF of 13.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.5-19.6, p = .0007). During treatment with nusinersen, there was a mean reduction in PF of 5.6% (95% CI: -10.0 to -1.3, p = .0148). We found no relationship between PF and fatigue as measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale., Discussion: This study demonstrates the presence of PF as an independent component of motor impairment and as a potential therapeutic target in our cohort of adult ambulatory pwSMA. Furthermore, the observations in our cohort suggest that nusinersen may have a beneficial effect on PF., (© 2024 The Author(s). Muscle & Nerve published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Carbon isotope discrimination (∆) in leaf biomass (∆ BL ) and tree rings (∆ TR ) provides important proxies for plant responses to climate change, specifically in terms of intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). However, the nonphotosynthetic 12 C/ 13 C fractionation in plant tissues has rarely been quantified and its influence on iWUE estimation remains uncertain. We derived a comprehensive, ∆ based iWUE model (iWUE com ) which includes nonphotosynthetic fractionations (d) and characterized tissue-specific d-values based on global compilations of data of ∆ BL , ∆ TR and real-time ∆ in leaf photosynthesis (∆ online ). iWUE com was further validated with independent datasets. ∆ BL was larger than ∆ online by 2.53‰, while ∆ BL and ∆ TR showed a mean offset of 2.76‰, indicating that ∆ TR is quantitatively very similar to ∆ online . Applying the tissue-specific d-values (d BL  = 2.5‰, d TR  = 0‰), iWUE estimated from ∆ BL aligned well with those estimated from ∆ TR or gas exchange. ∆ BL and ∆ TR showed a consistent iWUE trend with an average CO 2 sensitivity of 0.15 ppm ppm -1 during 1975-2015. Accounting for nonphotosynthetic fractionations improves the estimation of iWUE based on isotope records in leaf biomass and tree rings, which is ultimate for inferring changes in carbon and water cycles under historical and future climate., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Macrophages are instrumental in maintaining tissue homeostasis, modulating inflammation, and driving regeneration. The advent of omics techniques has led to the identification of numerous tissue-specific macrophage subtypes, thereby introducing the concept of the "macrophage niche". This paradigm underscores the ability of macrophages to adapt their functions based on environmental cues, such as tissue-specific signals. This adaptability is closely linked to their metabolic states, which are crucial for their function and role in health and disease. Macrophage metabolism is central to their ability to switch between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory states. In this regard, environmental factors, including the extracellular matrix, cellular interactions, and microbial metabolites, profoundly influence macrophage behavior. Moreover, diet and gut microbiota significantly impact macrophage function, with nutrients and microbial metabolites influencing their activity and contributing to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. Targeting specific macrophage functions and their metabolic processes is leading to the development of novel treatments for a range of chronic inflammatory conditions. The exploration of macrophage biology enriches our understanding of immune regulation and holds the promise of innovative approaches to managing diseases marked by inflammation and immune dysfunction, offering a frontier for scientific and clinical advancement., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Given that ethanol can be obtained from abundant biomass resources (e.g., crops, sugarcane, cellulose, and algae), waste, and CO 2 , its conversion into value-added chemicals holds promise for the sustainable production of high-demand chemical commodities. Nonoxygenated chemicals, including light olefins, 1,3-butadiene, aromatics, and gasoline, are some of the most important of these commodities, substantially contributing to modern lifestyles. Despite the industrial implementation of some ethanol-to-hydrocarbons processes, several fundamental questions and technological challenges remain unaddressed. In addition, the utilization of ethanol as an intermediate provides new opportunities for the direct valorization of CO and CO 2 . Herein, the recent advances in the design of ethanol conversion catalysts are summarized, providing mechanistic insights into the corresponding reactions and catalyst deactivation, and discussing the related future research directions, including the exploitation of active site proximity to achieve better synergistic effects for reactions involving ethanol., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Diabetes is one of the major diseases and concerns of public health systems that affects over 200 million patients worldwide. It is estimated that 90% of these patients suffer from diabetes type 2, while 10% present diabetes type 1. This type of diabetes and certain types of diabetes type 2, are characterized by dysregulation of blood glycemic levels due to the total or partial depletion of insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. Different approaches have been proposed for long-term treatment of insulin-dependent patients; amongst them, cell-based approaches have been the subject of basic and clinical research since they allow blood glucose level sensing and in situ insulin secretion. The current gold standard for insulin-dependent patients is on-demand exogenous insulin application; cell-based therapies aim to remove this burden from the patient and caregivers. In recent years, protocols to isolate and implant pancreatic islets from diseased donors have been developed and tested in clinical trials. Nevertheless, the shortage of donors, along with the need of immunosuppressive companion therapies, have pushed researchers to focus their attention and efforts to overcome these disadvantages and develop alternative strategies. This review discusses current tested clinical approaches and future potential alternatives for diabetes type 1, and some diabetes type 2, insulin-dependent patients. Additionally, advantages and disadvantages of these discussed methods., Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Established ecological theory has focused on unitary organisms, and thus its concepts have matured into a form that often hinders rather than facilitates the ecological study of modular organisms. Here, we use the example of filamentous fungi to develop concepts that enable integration of non-unitary (modular) organisms into the established community ecology theory, with particular focus on its spatial aspects. In doing so, we provide a link between fungal community ecology and modern coexistence theory (MCT). We first show how community processes and predictions made by MCT can be used to define meaningful scales in fungal ecology. This leads to the novel concept of the unit of community interactions (UCI), a promising conceptual tool for applying MCT to communities of modular organisms with indeterminate clonal growth and hierarchical individuality. We outline plausible coexistence mechanisms structuring fungal communities, and show at what spatial scales and in what habitats they are most likely to act. We end by describing challenges and opportunities for empirical and theoretical research in fungal competitive coexistence., (© 2024 The Author(s). Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the dynamic accuracy and latency of the surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) system using TrueBeam and AlignRT in compliance with SGRT guidelines. Beam characteristics-flatness, symmetry, beam quality, and output-were compared between gated and nongated beams using a two-dimensional ionization chamber array and a Farmer-type chamber. Dynamic accuracy was assessed using a moving platform and breast phantom, with measurements taken for various shift values (5, 10, 30 mm), region-of-interest (ROI) shapes, reference-surface image types (DICOM and capture), surface resolutions, and room illuminations. Latency due to differences in frame rates was evaluated using radiochromic film, calculated from position displacements of profiles at two speeds. Differences in beam characteristics between gated and nongated beams were within 0.1%. Dynamic accuracy showed minimal dependence on settings, with deviations of < 1 mm for a 10-mm shift. A maximum displacement of 1.9 mm was observed with a 30-mm shift at the body ROI. Beam-on latency at 12, 16, 25, and 35 frames per second was 253.2 ± 21.9, 225.7 ± 33.7, 177.1 ± 43.0, and 112.4 ± 29.2 ms, respectively, with similar trends for beam-off latency. This study is the first to evaluate the dynamic accuracy of the TrueBeam and AlignRT system under SGRT-specific settings. While accuracy was generally maintained (< 1 mm), ROI shape significantly impacted results. Latency results indicate that certain frame rates may not meet guideline limits, underscoring the need for careful SGRT system use in clinical applications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: This work was supported by Shintaro Akatsu Young Scientist Incentive Program of the St. Luke’s Health Science Research Fund. Ethical approval and informed consent. This study did not involve any experiments using human participants or animals. This study did not involve any human participants; therefore, no informed consent was required., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics.)

Effective conservation of migratory species relies on habitat protection throughout their annual cycle. Although protected areas (PAs) play a central role in conservation, their effectiveness at conserving habitats across the annual cycle of migratory species has rarely been assessed. We developed seasonal ecological niche models for 418 migratory butterfly species across their global distribution to assess whether they were adequately represented in the PAs across their full annual cycle. PA coverage was inadequate in at least one season for 84% of migratory butterflies, adequate for only 17% of species in one season, and inadequate for 45% of species in all seasons. There was marked geographic variation in PA coverage: 77% of species met representation targets in Sri Lanka, for example, but only 32% met targets in Italy. Our results suggest that coordinated efforts across multiple countries will be needed to develop international networks of PAs that cover the full annual cycle of migratory insects and that conservation measures, in addition to the establishment and maintenance of PAs, are likely to be needed to effectively conserve these species., (© 2024 Society for Conservation Biology.)

Dealing with chronic inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis can be extremely difficult. Current treatments, such as topical corticosteroids, often have limitations and side effects. However, researchers have discovered that the placenta's remarkable properties may provide a breakthrough in effectively addressing these skin conditions. The placenta comprises three essential tissues: decidua, placental membrane, and umbilical cord. Placental derivatives have shown significant potential in treating psoriasis by reducing inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation. In the case of atopic dermatitis, umbilical cord stem cells have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects by targeting critical factors and promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines. The scope of benefits associated with placental derivatives transcends these specific applications. They also potentially address other inflammatory skin diseases, such as vitiligo, by stimulating melanin production. Moreover, these derivatives have been leveraged in the treatment of pemphigus and epidermolysis bullosa (EB), showcasing potential as a wound dressing that could eliminate the necessity for painful dressing changes in EB patients. In summary, the integration of placental derivatives stands to revolutionize our approach to inflammatory skin conditions owing to their distinct properties and the prospective benefits they offer. This comprehensive review delves into the current applications of placental derivatives in addressing inflammatory skin diseases, presenting a novel treatment approach., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing Interests The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. Ethical Approval not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural ecosystems poses a notable threat to dynamics of soil ecosystems, crop productivity, and global food security. MPs enter agricultural ecosystems from various sources and have considerable impacts on the physiochemical properties soil, soil organisms and microbial communities, and plants. However, the intensity of these impacts can vary with the size, shape, types, and the concentrations of MPs in the soil. Besides, MPs can enter food chain through consummation of crops grown on MPs polluted soils. In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 1636 publications on the effects of MPs on agricultural ecosystems from 2012 to May 2024. The results revealed a substantial increase in publications over the years, and China, the USA, Germany, and India have emerged as leading countries in this field of research. Social network analysis identified emerging trends and research hotspots. The latest burst keywords were contaminants, biochar, polyethylene microplastics, biodegradable microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes, and quantification. Furthermore, we have summarized the effects of MPs on various components of agricultural ecosystems. By integrating findings from diverse disciplinary perspectives, this study provides a valuable insight into the current knowledge landscape, identifies research gaps, and proposes future research directions to effectively tackle the intricate challenges associated with MPs pollution in agricultural environments., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Eutrophication reduces the variability of the community composition of plankton. However, the mechanisms underlying the diversity and restructuring of eukaryotic algal communities remain unknown. This study analysed the diversity and compositional patterns of algal communities in shallow eutrophic lakes. It investigated how these communities were modified by key genera through mediating inter-algal associations under the influence of abiotic factors. Inter-algal associations explained more variance in algal communities than environmental variables, and variation in composition and diversity was primarily derived from Scenedesmus, Desmodesmus and Cryptomonas, rather than nutrients. Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus were positively correlated with the genera of Chlorophyta and formed the hub of the algal association network. When the relative abundance of Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus increased from 0.41% to 13.74%, communities enriched in biomarkers of Bacillariophyta, Chrysophyceae and Cryptophyta transitioned to communities enriched in biomarkers of Chlorophyta. Moreover, negative associations between the Chlorophyta hub genera and other non-Chlorophyta genera increased. High concentrations of total phosphorus altered the composition of algal communities by increasing the abundance of Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus, which in turn had cascading effects through inter-algal associations. Additionally, algal communities with higher abundances of Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus were more susceptible to the effects of total phosphorus. Our study suggested that inter-algal associations, centred on Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus, had a greater influence on algal diversity and community structure than other factors. Nutrient levels were not a direct driver of algal diversity and community structure adjustments, but acted indirectly by enhancing the influence of Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The present review discusses the growing concern of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in soil, together with their sources, concentration, distribution, and impact on soil microorganisms, human health, and ecosystems. MPs and NPs can enter the soil through various pathways, such as agricultural activities, sewage sludge application, and atmospheric deposition. Once in the soil, they can accumulate in the upper layers and affect soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. The presence of MPs and NPs in soil can also have ecological consequences, acting as carriers for pollutants and contaminants, such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Additionally, the leaching of chemicals and additives from MPs and NPs can pose public health risks through the food web and groundwater contamination. The detection and analyses of MPs and NPs in soil can be challenging, and methods involve spectroscopic and microscopy techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. To mitigate the presence and effects of MPs and NPs in soil, it is essential to reduce plastic waste production, improve waste management practices, and adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Effective mitigation measures include implementing stricter regulations on plastic use, promoting biodegradable alternatives, and enhancing recycling infrastructure. Additionally, soil amendments, such as biochar and compost, can help immobilize MPs and NPs, reducing their mobility and bioavailability. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of these emerging environmental issues and identify potential solutions to alleviate their impact on soil health, ecosystem functioning, and community health., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Environmental Quality © 2024 American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.)

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal RNA modification in mammals. However, limited research has been conducted on the role of m6A in coronary artery disease (CAD). We conducted methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing to obtain a genome-wide profile of m6A-modified long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells either exposed to oxidized low-density lipoprotein treatment or not, and the characteristics of the expression profiles were explored using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. The predictive effects of seven selected lncRNAs on CAD were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The differentially m6A-modified and expressed lncRNAs related genes were predominantly enriched in small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, ErbB signaling, and Rap1 signaling. Additionally, the expression levels of uc003pes.1, ENST00000422847, and NR&#95;110155 were significantly associated with CAD, with uc003pes.1 identified as an independent risk factor and NR&#95;110155 as an independent protective factor for CAD. NR&#95;110155 and uc003pes.1 in PBMCs have the potential to serve as biomarkers for predicting CAD., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cell Biology International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Cell Biology.)

Dectin-1 is a C-type lectin-receptor involved in sensing fungi by innate immune cells. Encoded by the Clec7a gene, Dectin-1 exists in two major splice isoforms, Dectin-1a and 1b, which differ in the presence of a membrane-proximal stalk domain. As reported previously, this domain determines degradative routes for Dectin-1a and 1b leading to the generation of a stable N-terminal fragment exclusively from Dectin-1a. Here, we narrow down the responsible part of the stalk and demonstrate the stabilisation of the Dectin-1a N-terminal fragment in tetraspanin-enriched microdomains. C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice show divergent Dectin-1 isoform expression patterns, which are caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 of the Clec7a gene, leading to a non-sense Dectin-1a mRNA in C57BL/6 mice. Using backcrossing, we generated mice with the C57BL/6 Clec7a allele on a BALB/c background and compared these to the parental strains. Expression of the C57BL/6 allele leads to the exclusive presence of the Dectin-1b protein. Furthermore, it was associated with higher Dectin-1 mRNA expression, but less Dectin-1 at the cell surface according to flow cytometry. In neutrophils, this altered ROS production induced by Dectin-1 model ligands, while cellular responses in macrophages and dendritic cells were not significantly influenced by the Dectin-1 isoform pattern., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Immunology published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

CO 2 conversion via hydrogenation over iron-based catalysts on non-carbon supports produces mainly CO or methane by the Sabatier reaction, while the formation of C 2+ hydrocarbons is of greatest interest. C x H y production from CO 2 may be considered as a two-step process with the initial formation of carbon monoxide by the reverse water gas shift reaction followed by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). In the present work CO 2 hydrogenation over iron-based catalysts (Fe, FeCr, FeK) deposited on a carbon carrier has been studied. The catalyst structure has been investigated by XRD, TEM, XPS, Mössbauer spectroscopy and in situ magnetometry. Spinel-type oxide phases (magnetite Fe 3 O 4 ; maggemite γ-Fe 2 O 3, and, in the case of FeCr/C catalyst, iron chromite Fe 1+x Cr 2-x O 4 ) are formed on the catalysts, and they contribute exclusively to the CO production. Iron carbides, active in FTS, are formed on Fe- and FeK-catalysts during pre-activation in reducing environment and then during the reaction. The reaction over the 20Fe1K/C catalyst in supercritical high-density CO 2 /H 2 substrate (400 °C, 8.5 MPa) leads to 72 % selectivity for C 1 -C 12+ hydrocarbons (alkanes and alkenes). Under the same conditions, iron carbides do not form on the FeCr/C catalysts, and CO 2 hydrogenation results in the CO formation with the selectivity of 90-100 %., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Aim: There is no consensus on the best prophylaxis for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in infancy. We studied the efficacy and safety of sotalol., Method: This retrospective study comprised infants diagnosed with SVT before 1 year of age and treated with sotalol during 2002-2018 in Stockholm, Sweden. The patients' characteristics, comorbidities, sotalol dosages, QT intervals and outcomes were extracted from their medical records., Results: We studied 85 infants (65% boys) with a median age of eight (range 0-288) days at the time of diagnosis, including 78 with re-entry tachycardia. Sotalol was completely or partially successful in the 67/75 patients who completed the treatment, as well as in four of the seven patients with other tachycardia mechanisms. The 48 infants with postnatal debut had significantly higher success rates than the 27 with foetal debut (96% vs. 78%, p = 0.04). Prolongation of corrected QT (QTc) intervals of ≥450 ms occurred in 16% of the total cohort and two patients with QTc intervals of ≥500 ms had their treatment changed. There were no cases of proarrhythmia after sotalol treatment., Conclusion: Sotalol provided effective and safe prophylaxis for SVT during infancy. QTc prolongation rarely caused treatment discontinuation and there were no cases of proarrhythmia., (© 2024 The Author(s). Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)

The increasing use of industrial chemicals has raised concerns regarding exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which interfere with developmental, reproductive and metabolic processes. Of particular concern is their interaction with adipose tissue, a vital component of the endocrine system regulating metabolic and hormonal functions. The SGBS (Simpson Golabi Behmel Syndrome) cell line, a well-established human-relevant model for adipocyte research, closely mimics native adipocytes' properties. It responds to hormonal stimuli, undergoes adipogenesis and has been successfully used to study the impact of EDCs on adipose biology. In this study, we screened human exposure-relevant doses of various EDCs on the SGBS cell line to investigate their effects on viability, lipid accumulation and adipogenesis-related protein expression. Submicromolar doses were generally well tolerated; however, at higher doses, EDCs compromised cell viability, with cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) showing the most pronounced effects. Intracellular lipid levels remained unaffected by EDCs, except for tributyltin (TBT), used as a positive control, which induced a significant increase. Analysis of adipogenesis-related protein expression revealed several effects, including downregulation of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) by dibutyl phthalate, upregulation by CdCl 2 and downregulation of perilipin 1 and FABP4 by perfluorooctanoic acid. Additionally, TBT induced dose-dependent upregulation of C/EBPα, perilipin 1 and FABP4 protein expression. These findings underscore the importance of employing appropriate models to study EDC-adipocyte interactions. Conclusions from this research could guide strategies to reduce the negative impacts of EDC exposure on adipose tissue., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Applied Toxicology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Injurie to the lateral clavicle and acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) are frequent events which are relevant to everyday life and particularly affect active adults at the age of 20-40 years. The Rockwood classification has been established for the classification of ACJ injuries. Lateral clavicle fractures are classified according to the Neer classification or the Jäger and Breitner classification. A newly established classification is the Cho classification. Depending on the injury pattern and in particular the presence of instability, various conservative and surgical care strategies are used. This article provides an overview of the various treatment concepts., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Introduction/aims: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects small nerve fibers early, but adequate evaluation has proven difficult. One method for functional assessment of small nerve fiber function is the axon-reflex flare (ARF) response. This study aimed to 1) validate the histamine-induced ARF response in a nonselected population with diabetes, 2) compare the response to that induced by local heating, and 3) compare both methods to an established method (quantitative sensory testing) in a nonselected population with diabetes., Methods: Thirty-four participants with type 1 diabetes were included. The participants underwent a neurological examination, quantitative sensory testing, sural nerve conduction, and histamine- and heat-induced ARF response measurements by full-field laser speckle perfusion imaging after epidermal application of histamine and after local heating by 44 ° Celsius thermode, respectively. Spearman's correlations were assessed. Logistic regression was used to generate receiver operating characteristic curves using the cold detection threshold of quantitative sensory testing as reference., Results: The histamine-induced ARF had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82, a sensitivity of 67%, and a specificity of 70%. The heat-induced ARF had an AUC of 0.40, a sensitivity of 36%, and a specificity of 57%. No significant correlation between the histamine- and the heat-induced ARF responses was found., Discussion: The histamine-induced ARF response is a valid marker for small fiber neuropathy even in nonselected populations with diabetes with good agreement with established markers and can thus be used for evaluation of C-fiber function. The lack of correlation with the heat-induced ARF may be due to insufficient heating., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Definitive diagnosis of endometriosis is established by histologic confirmation in tissue from surgically visualized lesions; however, the diagnostic sensitivity of this approach varies widely. We hypothesized that incomplete tissue block sampling may contribute to false-negative diagnosis, particularly if the focus of endometriosis in the tissue section is scant. This study defined the diagnostic value of deeper level tissue sections in cases in which none of the specimen parts contained endometriosis on the initial tissue sections, using the World Health Organization essential criteria for diagnosis of endometriosis (presence of endometrial glands and endometrial stroma). Among 135 patients who underwent surgery for suspected endometriosis by a single surgeon at an academic institution from 2015 to 2019, the initial tissue sections resulted in a diagnosis of endometriosis in 73.3% (99/135), at an average diagnostic yield of 5.9 slides per diagnosis of endometriosis. An additional 9 patients were diagnosed with endometriosis by deeper level tissue sections, increasing the diagnostic rate to 80% (108/135). This 6.7% gain in the diagnostic rate came at an increase in resource utilization, with an overall overage diagnostic yield of 9.8 slides per diagnosis of endometriosis. Overall, 8.3% of patients had a false-negative diagnosis on the initial tissue sections. When extrapolated to a population level, the number of patients potentially affected by this source of false-negative diagnosis and the implications for patients merit consideration of the use of deeper level sections if none of the initial sections of any of the specimens contains endometriosis., Competing Interests: J.T.R. reports that his spouse receives salary and stock options from Merck & Co. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists.)