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The Antarctic-South American bank-forming moss Chorisodontium aciphyllum is known for having the oldest sub-fossils of any extant plant in Antarctica as well as extreme survival abilities, making it a candidate species for possible long-term survival in Antarctica. Applying phylogeographic and population genetic methods using the plastid markers trnL-F and rps4 and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer, we investigated the genetic diversity within C. aciphyllum throughout its range. Low genetic variation was found in all loci, both between and within Antarctic and southern South American populations, suggesting a relatively recent (likely within the last million years) colonization of this moss to the Antarctic, as well as a likely severe bottleneck during Pleistocene glaciations in southern South America. We also performed a simple atmospheric transfer modeling approach to study potential colonization rates of small (microscopic/microbial) or spore-dispersed organisms (such as many mosses and lichens). These suggested that the northern Antarctic Peninsula shows potentially regular connectivity from southern South America, with air masses transferring, particularly southbound, between the two regions. We found elevated genetic variation of C. aciphyllum in Elephant Island, also the location of the oldest known moss banks (> 5500 years), suggesting this location to be a genetic hotspot for this species in the Antarctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA to be designated entirely within the high seas and is managed under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). To assist with research and monitoring of the MPA, an international expedition (‘SO-AntEco’) was undertaken in the austral summer of 2016 to contribute towards a better understanding of selected benthic habitats within the region. The benthic assemblages of the SOISS MPA region were found to be strongly correlated with the texture of the seafloor, where hard substrates hosted a greater number of individuals, taxa and biomass with a dominance of filter feeding vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) taxa, and soft sediments were dominated mostly by deposit feeders. Substantial differences in the abundance of VME taxa were found between sampling gears (shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl). We conclude that camera systems may be more suitable for VME assessments, but additional trawling is advisable for collecting all faunal types and for higher taxonomic resolution. The designation of VME locations based purely on large scale geomorphic classification is not advisable, due to small scale variation in substrate and other local physical influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundData on gender-specific profiles of cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are rare and inconsistent, and possible disease-confounding factors have been insufficiently considered.MethodThe LANDSCAPE study on cognition in PD enrolled 656 PD patients (267 without cognitive impairment, 66% male; 292 with mild cognitive impairment, 69% male; 97 with PD dementia, 69% male). Raw values and age-, education-, and gender-corrected Z scores of a neuropsychological test battery (CERAD-Plus) were compared between genders. Motor symptoms, disease duration, l-dopa equivalent daily dose, depression - and additionally age and education for the raw value analysis - were taken as covariates.ResultsRaw-score analysis replicated results of previous studies in that female PD patients were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.03), while men outperformed women in visuoconstruction (p = 0.002) and figural memory (p = 0.005). In contrast, gender-corrected Z scores showed that men were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.02; recognition, p = 0.04), while no difference was found for visuospatial tests. This picture could be observed both in the overall analysis of PD patients as well as in a differentiated group analysis.ConclusionsNormative data corrected for gender and other sociodemographic variables are relevant, since they may elucidate a markedly different cognitive profile compared to raw scores. Our study also suggests that verbal memory decline is stronger in women than in men with PD. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings, examine the progression of gender-specific cognitive decline in PD and define different underlying mechanisms of this dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report the first comparative population genetics study for vent fauna in the Southern Ocean using cytochrome C oxidase I and microsatellite markers. Three species are examined: the kiwaid squat lobster, Kiwa tyleri, the peltospirid gastropod, Gigantopelta chessoia, and a lepetodrilid limpet, Lepetodrilus sp., collected from vent fields 440 km apart on the East Scotia Ridge ( ESR) and from the Kemp Caldera on the South Sandwich Island Arc, ~95 km eastwards. We report no differentiation for all species across the ESR, consistent with panmixia or recent range expansions. A lack of differentiation is notable for Kiwa tyleri, which exhibits extremely abbreviated lecithotrophic larval development, suggestive of a very limited dispersal range. Larval lifespans may, however, be extended by low temperature-induced metabolic rate reduction in the Southern Ocean, muting the impact of dispersal strategy on patterns of population structure. COI diversity patterns suggest all species experienced demographic bottlenecks or selective sweeps in the past million years and possibly at different times. ESR and Kemp limpets are divergent, although with evidence of very recent ESR-Kemp immigration. Their divergence, possibility indicative of incipient speciation, along with the absence of the other two species at Kemp, may be the consequence of differing dispersal capabilities across a ~1000 m depth range and/or different selective regimes between the two areas. Estimates of historic and recent limpet gene flow between the ESR and Kemp are consistent with predominantly easterly currents and potentially therefore, cross-axis currents on the ESR, with biogeographic implications for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Meiofauna – multicellular animals captured between sieve size 45 μm and 1000 μm – are a fundamental component of terrestrial, and marine benthic ecosystems, forming an integral element of food webs, and playing a critical roll in nutrient recycling. Most phyla have meiofaunal representatives and studies of these taxa impact on a wide variety of sub-disciplines as well as having social and economic implications. However, studies of variation in meiofauna are presented with several important challenges. Isolating individuals from a sample substrate is a time consuming process, and identification requires increasingly scarce taxonomic expertise. Finding suitable morphological characters in many of these organisms is often difficult even for experts. Molecular markers are extremely useful for identifying variation in morphologically conserved organisms. However, for many species markers need to be developed de novo, while DNA can often only be extracted from pooled samples in order to obtain sufficient quantity and quality. Importantly, multiple independent markers are required to reconcile gene evolution with species evolution. In this primarily methodological paper we provide a proof of principle of a novel and effective protocol for the isolation of meiofauna from an environmental sample. We also go on to illustrate examples of the implications arising from subsequent screening for genetic variation at the level of the individual using ribosomal, mitochondrial and single copy nuclear markers. Results To isolate individual tardigrades from their habitat substrate we used a non-toxic density gradient media that did not interfere with downstream biochemical processes. Using a simple DNA release technique and nested polymerase chain reaction with universal primers we were able amplify multi-copy and, to some extent, single copy genes from individual tardigrades. Maximum likelihood trees from ribosomal 18S, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, and the single copy nuclear gene Wingless support a recent study indicating that the family Hypsibiidae is a non-monophyletic group. From these sequences we were able to detect variation between individuals at each locus that allowed us to identify the presence of cryptic taxa that would otherwise have been overlooked. Conclusion Molecular results obtained from individuals, rather than pooled samples, are a prerequisite to enable levels of variation to be placed into context. In this study we have provided a proof of principle of this approach for meiofaunal tardigrades, an important group of soil biota previously not considered amenable to such studies, thereby paving the way for more comprehensive phylogenetic studies using multiple nuclear markers, and population genetic studies.

Understanding how ecological, environmental and geographic features influence population genetic patterns provides crucial insights into a species' evolutionary history, as well as their vulnerability or resilience under climate change. In the Southern Ocean, population genetic variation is influenced across multiple spatial scales ranging from circum-Antarctic, which encompasses the entire continent, to regional, with varying levels of geographic separation. However, comprehensive analyses testing the relative importance of different environmental and geographic variables on genomic variation across these scales are generally lacking in the Southern Ocean. Here, we examine genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms of the Southern Ocean octopus Pareledone turqueti across the Scotia Sea and the Antarctic continental shelf, at depths between 102 and 1342 m, throughout most of this species' range. The circumpolar distribution of P. turqueti is biogeographically structured with a clear signature of isolation-by-geographical distance, but with long-distance genetic connectivity also detected between East and West Antarctica. Genomic variation of P. turqueti was also associated with bottom water temperature at a circumpolar scale, driven by a genotype-temperature association with the warmer sub-Antarctic Shag Rocks and South Georgia. Within the Scotia Sea, geographic distance, oxygen and fine-scale isolation-by-water depth were apparent drivers of genomic variation at regional scales. Putative positive selection of haemocyanin (oxygen transport protein), calcium ion transport and genes linked to RNA modification, detected within the Scotia Sea, suggest physiological adaptation to the regional sharp temperature gradient (~0-+2°C). Overall, we identified seascape drivers of genomic variation in the Southern Ocean at circumpolar and regional scales in P. turqueti and contextualised the role of environmental adaptations in the Southern Ocean., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an inevitably fatal condition that leads to a progressive loss of physical functioning, which results in a high psychosocial burden and organizational challenges related to medical care. Multidimensional and multiprofessional care is advised to meet the complex needs of patients and their families. Many healthcare systems, including Germany, may not be able to meet these needs because non-medical services such as psychological support or social counselling are not regularly included in the care of patients with ALS (pwALS). Specialised neuropalliative care is not routinely implemented nor widely available. Caregivers of pwALS are also highly burdened, but there is still a lack of support services for them., Methods: This project aims to assess the perceptions and satisfaction with ALS care in Germany in pwALS and their caregivers. This will be achieved by means of a cross-sectional, multicentre survey. The examination will assess, to which extend the patients' needs in the six domains of physical, psychological, social, spiritual, practical and informational are being met by current care structures. This assessment will be linked to mental well-being, subjective quality of life, attitudes toward life-sustaining measures and physician-assisted suicide, and caregiver burden. The study aims to recruit 500 participants from nationwide ALS centres in order to draw comprehensive conclusions for Germany. A total of 29 centres, mostly acquired via the clinical and scientific German Network for Motor Neuron Diseases (MND-NET), will take part in the project, 25 of which have already started recruitment., Perspective: It is intended to provide data-based starting points on how current practice of care in Germany is perceived pwALS and their caregivers and how it can be improved according to their needs. Planning and initiation of the study has been completed., Trial Registration: The study is registered at ClinicalTrails.gov; NCT06418646., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS,) associated with progressive physical limitations, is a challenge to the patients themselves and also to their family caregivers, who have to deal with psychosocial, socio-medical and organizational issues. Caregivers are often closely involved and heavily burdened themselves, which is why specific support is recommended. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptance of psychologically guided supportive group meetings for family caregivers in a specialist ALS outpatient clinic., Methods: Over a period of two years, data were collected from a total of 26 caregivers of ALS patients in order to evaluate the relevance, usefulness and criticisms of open-topic meetings that took place every three months., Results: Topics discussed in the meetings included mainly psychosocial issues such as self-care, dealing with emotions or with conflicts with the patients and third parties, as well as practical and organizational matters. The meetings were predominantly rated as helpful, well understandable and personally relevant and the exchange in a "community of destiny" was perceived as emotionally relieving., Discussion: The ALS caregiver group meetings in the described format were easy to carry out and well accepted. Supportive interventions, such as the one reported here, might be a valuable component of ALS care, to relieve the highly burdened caregivers of ALS-patients by providing them with social, emotional and practical support. However, the quantitative verification of the intervention's effectiveness is challenging - both methodologically and due to the caregivers' complex life situation. Psychosocial support services for ALS caregivers are feasible with little effort and should be an integral part of the standard ALS care based on a multi-dimensional, palliative care concept., Competing Interests: A.H. hat Honorare für Vorträge/Beiräte/von Amylyx, Desitin und IFT Pharma erhalten. Er hat Honorare von Elsevier Press und Kohlhammer erhalten. Alle anderen Autor*innen erklären, dass sie sich in keinem Interessenkonflikt befinden., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Patellogastropoda, the true limpets, is a major group of gastropods widely distributed in marine habitats from the intertidal to deep sea. Though important for understanding their evolutionary radiation, the phylogenetic relationships among the patellogastropod families have always been challenging to reconstruct, with contradictory results likely due to insufficient sampling. Here, we obtained mitogenomic and phylogenomic data (transcriptomic or genomic) from six species representing the three predominantly deep-water patellogastropod families: Lepetidae, Neolepetopsidae, and Pectinodontidae. By using various phylogenetic methods, we show that mitogenome phylogeny recovers monophyly of eight families in most of the trees, though the relationships among families remain contentious. Meanwhile, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology was achieved by phylogenomics. This also reveals that these mainly deep-water families are monophyletic, suggesting a single colonisation of the deep water around the Jurassic. We also found a lack of significant correlation between genome size and habitat depth, despite some deep-water species exhibiting larger genome sizes. Our phylogenomic tree provides a stable phylogenetic backbone for Patellogastropoda that includes seven of the nine recognized families and paves the way for future evolutionary analyses in this major group of molluscs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can result into an incomplete locked in state (iLIS), in which communication depends on eye tracking computer devices. Oculomotor function impairments in ALS have been reported, but there is little research, particularly with respect to patients in iLIS. In the present study, we compared reflexive and executive oculomotor function by means of an eye tracking test battery between three groups: advanced ALS patients in iLIS (n = 22), patients in early to middle ALS stages (n = 44) and healthy subjects (n = 32). Patients with ALS showed significant deteriorations in oculomotor functions, with stronger impairments in iLIS. More specifically, ALS patients produced visually guided prosaccades with longer latencies and more frequent hypometria compared to healthy subjects. Longest latencies were obtained in iLIS patients, with a stronger prolongation for vertical than for horizontal prosaccades. ALS patients made more antisaccade errors and generated antisaccades with longer latencies. Smooth pursuit was also impaired in ALS. In the earlier ALS stages, bulbar onset patients presented stronger antisaccade and smooth pursuit deficits than spinal onset patients. Our findings reveal a relevant deterioration of important oculomotor functions in ALS, which increases in iLIS. It includes impairments of reflexive eye movements to loss of executive inhibitory control, indicating a progressing pathological involvement of prefrontal, midbrain and brainstem areas. The assessment of oculomotor functions may therefore provide clinically relevant bio- and progression marker, particularly in advanced ALS., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The marine-based West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is considered vulnerable to irreversible collapse under future climate trajectories, and its tipping point may lie within the mitigated warming scenarios of 1.5° to 2°C of the United Nations Paris Agreement. Knowledge of ice loss during similarly warm past climates could resolve this uncertainty, including the Last Interglacial when global sea levels were 5 to 10 meters higher than today and global average temperatures were 0.5° to 1.5°C warmer than preindustrial levels. Using a panel of genome-wide, single-nucleotide polymorphisms of a circum-Antarctic octopus, we show persistent, historic signals of gene flow only possible with complete WAIS collapse. Our results provide the first empirical evidence that the tipping point of WAIS loss could be reached even under stringent climate mitigation scenarios.

Background: This dataset contributes to the knowledge of macro- and megafaunal Mollusca associated with a range of benthic habitat types in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica, an exceptionally diverse region of the Southern Ocean. The information presented is derived from Agassiz trawl samples collected on the archipelago's shelf plateau and slope, within and outside of the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area (SOISS MPA). Sampling was conducted in the framework of the British Antarctic Survey/SCAR "South Orkneys - State of the Antarctic Ecosystem" (SO-AntEco) project aboard RRS James Clark Ross during expedition JR15005 in Austral summer 2016. This dataset is published by the British Antarctic Survey under the licence CC-BY 4.0. We would appreciate it if you could follow the guidelines from the SCAR Data Policy (SCAR 2023) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, do not hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via data-biodiversity-aq@naturalsciences.be. Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/biodiversity-aq/data-publication/. This dataset is part of the Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Project of the Environmental Change and Evolution Program of the British Antarctic Survey. The cruise report of the expedition is available at https://www.bodc.ac.uk/resources/inventories/cruise_inventory/reports/jr15005.pdf., New Information: We report occurrences of Mollusca from individual samples taken with a 2 m-wide Agassiz trawl (AGT) in the framework of the February - March 2016 research expedition JR15005 of RRS James Clark Ross to the SOISS MPA and adjacent shelf and slope areas. Of 78 successful AGT deployments, 44 trawls at depths ranging from 235-2194 m yielded living Mollusca, totalling 2276 individuals, 67 morphospecies and 163 distributional records. One hundred and fifteen empty shells were also collected and recorded in the dataset. Three morphospecies (one Bivalvia and two Gastropoda) were sampled exclusively as empty shells, yielding a total of 70 morphospecies and 2391 specimens represented in the dataset. All specimens were preserved in 96% undenatured ethanol and are stored as vouchers in the collections of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge, United Kingdom. The publication of this dataset aims at increasing the knowledge on the biodiversity, abundance and geographical and bathymetric distribution of larger-sized epi- and shallow infaunal Mollusca of the South Orkney Islands., (Jan Steger, Katrin Linse, Yi-Ming Gan, Huw J. Griffiths.)

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disease caused by mutations of the SMN1 gene. Deficient SMN protein causes irreversible degeneration of alpha motor neurons characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Considering that SMA is a multi-systemic disorder and SMN protein was found to be expressed in cortical structures, the cognitive profile of adult patients with SMA has recently been of particular interest. With nusinersen, a novel, disease-modifying drug has been established, but its effects on neuropsychological functions have not been validated yet. Aim of this study was to investigate the cognitive profile of adult patients with SMA during treatment initiation with nusinersen and to reveal improvement or deterioration in cognitive performance., Methods: This monocentric longitudinal study included 23 patients with SMA type 2 and 3. All patients were assessed with the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) before and after 14 months of treatment initiation with nusinersen. Additionally, motor function was evaluated by Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE), Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R)., Results: Of the treatment-naive patients, only three were below the age- and education-matched cut-off for cognitive impairment in the ECAS total score. Significant differences between SMA type 2 and 3 were only detected in the domain of Language. After 14 months of treatment, patients showed significant improvement of absolute scores in all three ALS-specific domains, in the non-ALS-specific domain of Memory, in both subscores and in the ECAS total score. No associations were detected between cognitive and functional outcome measures., Conclusions: In some adult patients with SMA abnormal cognitive performance in ALS-specific functions of the ECAS was evident. However, the presented results suggest no clinically significant cognitive changes during the observed treatment period with nusinersen., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

For both patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their next of kin (NOK), the maintenance of quality of life (QoL) and mental health is particularly important. First studies suggest significant discrepancies between QoL reports by patients and NOK, but little is known for advanced ALS stages. To address this issue, we screened 52 ALS patients in incomplete locked-in state (iLIS). Final results were obtained for 15 couples of iLIS patients and NOK. We assessed patients' and NOK's subjective QoL, depression and anxiety and NOK's caregiver burden. Gaze controlled questionnaires allowed direct assessment of patients. Patients and NOK self-reported comparable, mostly moderate to high levels of QoL. Of note, NOK indicated stronger anxiety symptoms. Higher anxiety levels in NOK were associated with stronger caregiver burden and reduced QoL. No significant misjudgment of patient's QoL by the NOK was evident, while patients overestimated NOK's global QoL. However, NOK with severe caregiver burden and depression symptoms gave poorer estimations of patients' QoL. This relationship is relevant, considering NOK's impact on life critical treatment decisions. While the daily time NOK and patient spend together was positively correlated with NOK's QoL and mental health, this was not reversely found for the patients. Our results suggest that NOK adapt less successfully to the disease and concomitant experience of loss and point to an urgent need for specialized psychosocial support. The findings emphasize the importance of direct psychological wellbeing assessment of both patients and NOK in clinical practice, enabled by eye-tracking technology for patients in iLIS., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The Ægir Ridge System (ARS) is an ancient extinct spreading axis in the Nordic seas extending from the upper slope east of Iceland (∼550 m depth), as part of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), to a depth of ∼3,800 m in the Norwegian basin. Geomorphologically a rift valley, the ARS has a canyon-like structure that may promote increased diversity and faunal density. The main objective of this study was to characterize benthic habitats and related macro- and megabenthic communities along the ARS, and the influence of water mass variables and depth on them. During the IceAGE3 expedition (Icelandic marine Animals: Genetics and Ecology) on RV Sonne in June 2020, benthic communities of the ARS were surveyed by means of a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) and epibenthic sledge (EBS). For this purpose, two working areas were selected, including abyssal stations in the northeast and bathyal stations in the southwest of the ARS. Video and still images of the seabed were usedtoqualitatively describebenthic habitats based on the presence of habitat-forming taxa and the physical environment. Patterns of diversity and community composition of the soft-sediment macrofauna, retrieved from the EBS, were analyzed in a semiquantitative manner. These biological data were complemented by producing high-resolution bathymetric maps using the vessel's multi-beam echosounder system. As suspected, we were able to identify differences in species composition and number of macro- and megafaunal communities associated with a depth gradient. A biological canyon effect became evident in dense aggregates of megafaunal filter feeders and elevated macrofaunal densities. Analysis of videos and still images from the ROV transects also led to the discovery of a number ofVulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) dominated by sponges and soft corals characteristic of the Arctic region. Directions for future research encompass a more detailed, quantitative study of the megafauna and more coherent sampling over the entire depth range in order to fully capture the diversity of the habitats and biota of the region. The presence of sensitive biogenic habitats, alongside seemingly high biodiversity and naturalness are supportive of ongoing considerations of designating part of the ARS as an "Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area" (EBSA)., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Brix et al.)

Background: Less than 0.5% of intravenously injected drugs reach tumors, contributing to side effects. To limit damage to healthy cells, various delivery vectors have been formulated; yet, previously developed vectors suffer from poor penetration into solid tumors. This issue was resolved by the discovery of HN-1 peptide isolated via biopanning a phage-display library. HN-1 targets human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (breast, thyroid; potentially lung, cervix, uterine, colon cancer), translocates across the cell membrane, and efficiently infiltrates solid tumors. HN-1 peptide has been conjugated to various anticancer drugs and imaging agents though the identity of its receptor remained enigmatic., Aim: To decipher the clues that pointed to retinoblastoma (Rb)-regulated discoidin-domain receptor 1 as the putative receptor for HN-1 is described., Methods: HN-1 peptide was synthesized and purified using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and gel electrophoresis. The predicted mass was confirmed by mass spectroscopy. To image the 3-dimensional structure of HN-1 peptide, PyMOL was used. Molecular modeling was also performed with PEP-FOLD3 software via RPBS bioinformatics web portal (INSERM, France). The immunohistochemistry results of discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) protein were obtained from the publicly accessible database in the Human Protein Atlas portal, which contained the images of immunohistochemically labeled human cancers and the corresponding normal tissues., Results: The clues that led to DDR1 involved in metastasis as the putative receptor mediating HN-1 endocytosis are the following: (1) HN-1 is internalized in phosphate-buffered saline and its uptake is competitively inhibited; (2) HN-1 (TSPLNIHNGQKL) exhibits similarity with a stretch of amino acids in alpha5 beta3 integrin (KLLITIHDRKEF). Aside from two identical residues (Ile-His) in the middle, the overall distribution of polar and nonpolar residues throughout the sequences is nearly identical. As HN-1 sequence lacks the Arg-Gly-Asp motif recognized by integrins, HN-1 may interact with an "integrin-like" molecule. The tertiary structure of both peptides showed similarity at the 3-dimensional level; (3) HN-1 is internalized by attached cells but not by suspended cells. As culture plates are typically coated with collagen, collagen-binding receptor (expressed by adherent but not suspended cells) may represent the receptor for HN-1; (4) DDR1 is highly expressed in head and neck cancer (or breast cancer) targeted by HN-1; (5) Upon activation by collagen, DDR1 becomes internalized and compartmentalized in endosomes consistent with the determination of 'energy-dependent clathrin-mediated endocytosis' as the HN-1 entry route and the identification of HN-1 entrapped vesicles as endosomes; and (6) DDR1 is essential for the development of mammary glands consistent with the common embryonic lineage rationale used to identify breast cancer as an additional target of HN-1. In summary, collagen-activated tyrosine kinase receptor DDR1 overexpressed in HNSCC assumes a critical role in metastasis. Further studies are warranted to assess HN-1 peptide's interaction with DDR1 and the therapeutic potential of treating metastatic cancer. Additionally, advances in delivery (conformation, endocytic mechanism, repertoire of targeted cancers of HN-1 peptide), tracking (HN-1 conjugated imaging agents), and activity (HN-1 conjugated therapeutic agents) are described., Conclusion: The discovery of DDR1 as HN-1 peptide's putative receptor represents a significant advance as it enables identification of metastatic cancers or clinical application of previously developed therapeutics to block metastasis., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Hong has received royalties from University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center patent covering materials related to HN-1 peptide. All other authors have nothing to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: During the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), patients and their families are faced with existential decisions concerning life-prolonging and -shortening measures. Correct anticipation of patient's well-being and preferences is a prerequisite for patient-centered surrogate decision making. Methods : In Germany ( N  = 84), Poland ( N  = 77) and Sweden ( N  = 73) patient-caregiver dyads were interviewed. Standardized questionnaires on well-being (ADI-12 for depressiveness; ACSA for global quality of life) and wish for hastened death (SAHD) were used in ALS patients. Additionally, caregivers were asked to fill out the same questionnaires by anticipating patients' perspective (surrogate perspective). Results : Caregivers significantly underestimated patients' well-being in Germany and Poland. For Swedish caregivers, there were just as many who underestimated and overestimated well-being. The same was true for wish for hastened death in all three countries. For Swedish and Polish patients, caregivers' estimation of well-being was not even associated with patients' responses and the same was true for estimation of wish for hastened death in all three countries. Older caregivers and those with the most frequent encounter with the patient were the closest in their rating of well-being and wish for hastened death to the patients' actual state, while caregivers with chronic disease him/herself were more likely to underestimate patient's well-being. Discussion : Despite distinct cultural differences, there was a clear discrepancy between patients' and caregivers' perspective on patients' well-being and preferences towards life in all three countries. This possible bias in caregivers' judgment needs to be taken into account in surrogate decision making.

Cognitive function is tested through speech- or writing-based neuropsychological instruments. The application and validity of those tests is impeded for patients with diseases that affect speech and hand motor skills. We therefore developed a "motor-free" gaze-controlled version of the Trail Making Test (TMT), including a calibration task to assess gaze accuracy, for completion by means of an eye-tracking computer system (ETCS). This electronic TMT version (eTMT) was evaluated for two paradigmatic "motor-neurodegenerative" diseases, Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We screened 146 subjects, of whom 44 were excluded, e.g., because of vision deficits. Patients were dichotomized into subgroups with less (ALS-, PD-) or severe motor affection (ALS+, PD+). All 66 patients and all 36 healthy controls (HC) completed the eTMT. Patients with sufficient hand motor control (ALS-, PD-, PD+) and all HC additionally completed the original paper-pencil-based version of the TMT. Sufficient and comparable gaze fixation accuracy across all groups and the correlations of the eTMT results with the TMT results supported the reliability and validity of the eTMT. PD+ patients made significantly more errors than HC in the eTMT-B. We hereby proved the good applicability of a motor-free cognitive test. Error rates could be a particularly sensitive marker of executive dysfunction.

Multidimensional socio-medical care with an early integration of palliative principles is strongly recommended in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but provided inconsistently. We conducted telephone interviews with 49 former caregivers of deceased ALS patients to examine their experience of care in the terminal phase including caregiver burden. Patients who received specialized palliative care (45% of patients) were more likely to die at home ( p = 0.004) and without burdening symptoms ( p = 0.021). The majority of caregivers (86%) reported deficits in socio-medical care. Most frequently mentioned were problems receiving medical aids (45%) and a lack of caregiver support (35%). A higher level of deficits experienced by caregivers was associated with negative health outcomes on the side of the caregivers (reported by 57% of them; p = 0.002) and stronger caregiver burden ( p = 0.004). To provide good quality of dying to patients and reduce the burden on caregivers, multidimensional-including palliative-care in ALS urgently needs to be strengthened in the healthcare structures.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with various non-motor symptoms, including cognitive deterioration., Objective: Here, we used data from the DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE cohort to describe the association between progression of cognitive profiles and the PD motor phenotypes: postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD), tremor-dominant (TR-D), and not-determined (ND)., Methods: Demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological six-year longitudinal data of 711 PD-patients were included (age: M = 67.57; 67.4% males). We computed z-transformed composite scores for a priori defined cognitive domains. Analyses were controlled for age, gender, education, and disease duration. To minimize missing data and drop-outs, three-year follow-up data of 442 PD-patients was assessed with regard to the specific role of motor phenotype on cognitive decline using linear mixed modelling (age: M = 66.10; 68.6% males)., Results: Our study showed that in the course of the disease motor symptoms increased while MMSE and PANDA remained stable in all subgroups. After three-year follow-up, significant decline of overall cognitive performance for PIGD-patients were present and we found differences for motor phenotypes in attention (β= -0.08, SE = 0.003, p < 0.006) and memory functions showing that PIGD-patients deteriorate per months by -0.006 compared to the ND-group (SE = 0.003, p = 0.046). Furthermore, PIGD-patients experienced more often difficulties in daily living., Conclusion: Over a period of three years, we identified distinct neuropsychological progression patterns with respect to different PD motor phenotypes, with early executive deficits yielding to a more amnestic profile in the later course. Here, in particular PIGD-patients worsened over time compared to TR-D and ND-patients, highlighting the greater risk of dementia for this motor phenotype.

Peracarid data were collected in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean. Sampling was performed during nine different expeditions on board of RRS James Clark Ross and RV Polarstern , using epibenthic sledges (EBS) at depth ranging between 160-6348 m at 109 locations. The correlation between environmental variables and peracarid abundance was investigated. Abundance data comprise a total of 128570 peracarids (52366 were amphipods, 28516 were cumaceans, 36142 isopods, 5676 mysidaceans and 5870 were tanaidaceans). The presented data are useful to investigate the composition and abundance patterns of peracarid orders at a wide depth range and spatial scale in the Southern Ocean. They can also be reused to compare their abundance with that of other taxa in broader ecological surveys., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have or could be perceived to have influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Plastic pollution in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean has been recorded in scientific literature since the 1980s; however, the presence of microplastic particles (<5 mm) is less understood. Here, we aimed to determine whether microplastic accumulation would vary among Antarctic and Southern Ocean regions through studying 30 deep-sea sediment cores. Additionally, we aimed to highlight whether microplastic accumulation was related to sample depth or the sediment characteristics within each core. Sediment cores were digested and separated using a high-density sodium polytungstate solution (SPT) and microplastic particles were identified using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μFTIR). Microplastic pollution was found in 93% of the sediment cores (28/30). The mean (±SE) microplastics per gram of sediment was 1.30 ± 0.51, 1.09 ± 0.22, and 1.04 ± 0.39 MP/g, for the Antarctic Peninsula, South Sandwich Islands, and South Georgia, respectively. Microplastic fragment accumulation correlated significantly with the percentage of clay within cores, suggesting that microplastics have similar dispersion behavior to low density sediments. Although no difference in microplastic abundance was found among regions, the values were much higher in comparison to less remote ecosystems, suggesting that the Antarctic and Southern Ocean deep-sea accumulates higher numbers of microplastic pollution than previously expected.

Biogeographic patterns of globally widespread species are expected to reflect regional structure, as well as connectivity caused by occasional long-distance dispersal. We assessed the level and drivers of population structure, connectivity, and timescales of population isolation in one of the most widespread and ruderal plants in the world - the common moss Ceratodon purpureus . We applied phylogenetic, population genetic, and molecular dating analyses to a global (n = 147) sampling data set, using three chloroplast loci and one nuclear locus. The plastid data revealed several distinct and geographically structured lineages, with connectivity patterns associated with worldwide, latitudinal "bands." These imply that connectivity is strongly influenced by global atmospheric circulation patterns, with dispersal and establishment beyond these latitudinal bands less common. Biogeographic patterns were less clear within the nuclear marker, with gene duplication likely hindering the detection of these. Divergence time analyses indicated that the current matrilineal population structure in C. purpureus has developed over the past six million years, with lineages diverging during the late Miocene, Pliocene, and Quaternary. Several colonization events in the Antarctic were apparent, as well as one old and distinct Antarctic clade, possibly isolated on the continent since the Pliocene. As C. purpureus is considered a model organism, the matrilineal biogeographic structure identified here provides a useful framework for future genetic and developmental studies on bryophytes. Our general findings may also be relevant to understanding global environmental influences on the biogeography of other organisms with microscopic propagules (e.g., spores) dispersed by wind., (Copyright © 2020 Biersma, Convey, Wyber, Robinson, Dowton, van de Vijver, Linse, Griffiths and Jackson.)

Faunal assemblages at hydrothermal vents associated with island-arc volcanism are less well known than those at vents on mid-ocean ridges and back-arc spreading centres. This study characterizes chemosynthetic biotopes at active hydrothermal vents discovered at the Kemp Caldera in the South Sandwich Arc. The caldera hosts sulfur and anhydrite vent chimneys in 1375-1487 m depth, which emit sulfide-rich fluids with temperatures up to 212°C, and the microbial community of water samples in the buoyant plume rising from the vents was dominated by sulfur-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria. A total of 12 macro- and megafaunal taxa depending on hydrothermal activity were collected in these biotopes, of which seven species were known from the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) vents and three species from vents outside the Southern Ocean. Faunal assemblages were dominated by large vesicomyid clams, actinostolid anemones, Sericosura sea spiders and lepetodrilid and cocculinid limpets, but several taxa abundant at nearby ESR hydrothermal vents were rare such as the stalked barnacle Neolepas scotiaensis . Multivariate analysis of fauna at Kemp Caldera and vents in neighbouring areas indicated that the Kemp Caldera is most similar to vent fields in the previously established Southern Ocean vent biogeographic province, showing that the species composition at island-arc hydrothermal vents can be distinct from nearby seafloor-spreading systems. δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope values of megafaunal species analysed from the Kemp Caldera were similar to those of the same or related species at other vent fields, but none of the fauna sampled at Kemp Caldera had δ 13 C values, indicating nutritional dependence on Epsilonproteobacteria, unlike fauna at other island-arc hydrothermal vents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Objectives: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is further associated with progressive cognitive decline. In respect to motor phenotype, there is some evidence that akinetic-rigid PD is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline in general and a greater risk of developing dementia.The objective of this study was to examine cognitive profiles among patients with PD by motor phenotypes and its relation to cognitive function., Methods: Demographic, clinical and neuropsychological cross-sectional baseline data of the DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE study, a multicentre longitudinal cohort study of 538 patients with PD were analysed, stratified by motor phenotype and cognitive syndrome. Analyses were performed for all patients and for each diagnostic group separately, controlling for age, gender, education and disease duration., Results: Compared with the tremor-dominant phenotype, akinetic-rigid patients performed worse in executive functions such as working memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised backward; p=0.012), formal-lexical word fluency (p=0.043), card sorting (p=0.006), attention (Trail Making Test version A; p=0.024) and visuospatial abilities (Leistungsprüfungssystem test 9; p=0.006). Akinetic-rigid neuropsychological test scores for the executive and attentive domain correlated negatively with non-tremor motor scores. Covariate-adjusted binary logistic regression analyses showed significant odds for PD-mild cognitive impairment for not-determined as compared with tremor-dominant (OR=3.198) and akinetic-rigid PD (OR=2.059). The odds for PD-dementia were significant for akinetic-rigid as compared with tremor-dominant phenotype (OR=8.314)., Conclusion: The three motor phenotypes of PD differ in cognitive performance, showing that cognitive deficits seem to be less severe in tremor-dominant PD. While these data are cross-sectional, longitudinal data are needed to shed more light on these differential findings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: GD has received lecture fees from Boston Scientific and has been serving as a consultant for Boston Scientific. He received royalties from Thieme Publishers. He is a government employee and receives through his institution funding for his research from the German Research Council, the German Ministry of Education and Research, and Medtronic. KW received reimbursement of congress fees from BIAL and Desitin; and grants from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Research Foundation., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Apathy is a frequent symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), substantially aggravating the course of PD. Regarding the accumulating evidence of the key role of apathy in PD, time-efficient assessments are useful for fostering progress in research and treatment. The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) is widely used for the assessment of apathy across different nosologies., Objective: To facilitate the application of the AES in PD, we reduced the AES to two-thirds its length and validated this abbreviated version., Design: Data sets of 339 PD patients of the DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE study without dementia and depression were randomly split into two samples. Data of sample 1 were used to develop a brief version of the AES (AES-12PD). A cross-validation was conducted in sample 2 and in a subsample of 42 PD patients with comorbid dementia and depressive symptomatology. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was applied to determine the optimal cutoff of the AES-12PD as an indicator of apathy., Results: The AES-12PD featured high internal consistency that was better compared to the AES. The abbreviated scale was well differentiated from motor impairment and cognitive deficits. The AES-12PD cutoff of 27/28 was the optimal cutoff for apathy in PD patients without dementia and depression. The cutoff of 25/26 indicated apathy in PD patients with comorbid dementia and depression., Conclusion: Results confirm a high internal consistency and good discriminant validity of the AES-12PD. The AES-12PD represents a reliable tool for the efficient assessment of apathy that can be applied in PD patients with and without dementia and depression., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)