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This article examines the challenges faced by a Portuguese technical university that is striving to develop its research base within a developing science, technology and higher education system. The paper identifies lack of resources, and also organizational factors, as particular challenges. These include faculty inbreeding, career structures and related incentives as hampering factors preventing a faster development of the university research base. These factors are strongly affected by the development of the science, technology and higher education system. It is argued that these challenges can be tackled, but greater institutional autonomy is necessary as well as an increased participation of research and development in university governing bodies. It is also recognized that the different strategies for dealing with the challenges facing universities should take into account the knowledge base of the development of schools.Higher Education Policy (2008) 21, 123–146. doi:10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300177 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-based affinity assays are used for the selection and characterization of proteins that could be developed into therapeutic molecules. However, these assays have limitations for cell-surface proteins as in most cases their purification requires detergent solubilization and are unlikely to assume conformations in solution that resemble their native states in cell membranes. This report describes a novel electrochemiluminescence-based method, called MSD-CAT, for the affinity analysis of antibodies binding to cell-surface receptors. MSD-CAT was used to evaluate the binding of monoclonal antibodies, Fab fragments, and bispecific antibodies targeting the cell-surface receptor interleukin 3 receptor alpha (CD123) and the results were compared to data obtained using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The data showed that MSD-CAT can be successfully applied to determine binding affinity on cells in a label free format and without the need for laborious solubilization procedures to generate recombinant antigen. In addition, this method has the potential for high-throughput application while enabling simultaneous determination of equilibrium dissociation constant (K D ) and receptor density within the same experiment., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: ERL, RN, JFN, and SJ are employees of Johnson & Johnson and may hold stocks in Johnson & Johnson. SLK, DK, and GDP are former employees of Johnson & Johnson. A patent application covering the MSD-CAT method has been submitted in the US. Patent applicant is Johnson & Johnson; name of inventors are Eilyn R. Lacy, Scott L. Klakamp, and Gordon D. Powers; the application number is yet unpublished; status of application is: filed; The aspect of manuscript covered in patent application is MSD-CAT method described in this paper., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A central paradigm of nonequilibrium physics concerns the dynamics of heterogeneity and disorder, impacting processes ranging from the behavior of glasses to the emergent functionality of active matter. Understanding these complex mesoscopic systems requires probing the microscopic trajectories associated with irreversible processes, the role of fluctuations and entropy growth, and the timescales on which nonequilibrium responses are ultimately maintained. Approaches that illuminate these processes in model systems may enable a more general understanding of other heterogeneous nonequilibrium phenomena, and potentially define ultimate speed and energy cost limits for information processing technologies. Here, we apply ultrafast single-shot X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to resolve the nonequilibrium, heterogeneous, and irreversible mesoscale dynamics during a light-induced phase transition in a (PbTiO 3 ) 16 /(SrTiO 3 ) 16 superlattice. Such ferroelectric superlattice systems are a useful platform to study phase transitions and topological dynamics due to their high degree of tunability. This provides an approach for capturing the nucleation of the light-induced phase, the formation of transient mesoscale defects at the boundaries of the nuclei, and the eventual annihilation of these defects, even in systems with complex polarization topologies. We identify a nonequilibrium correlation response spanning >10 orders of magnitude in timescales, with multistep behavior similar to the plateaus observed in supercooled liquids and glasses. We further show how the observed time-dependent long-time correlations can be understood in terms of stochastic and non-Markovian dynamics of domain walls, encoded in waiting-time distributions with power-law tails. This work defines possibilities for probing the nonequilibrium and correlated dynamics of disordered and heterogeneous media., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) is a powerful technique for investigating crystallisation dynamics with nanometre spatial resolution. However, probing phenomena occurring in liquids while mixing two precursor solutions has proven extremely challenging, requiring sophisticated liquid cell designs. Here, we demonstrate that introducing and withdrawing solvents in sequence makes it possible to maintain optimal imaging conditions while mixing liquids in a commercial liquid cell. We succeeded in visualising a fast nanoscale crystallisation mechanism when an organic molecule of R-BINOL-CN dissolved in chloroform interacts with methanol. The scanning transmission electron microscopy images recorded in real-time during the interaction of the two volatile solvents reveal the formation of chain-like structures of R-BINOL-CN particles, whereas they coalesce to form single large particles when methanol is absent. Our approach of mixing liquids establishes a platform for novel LCTEM studies of a wide range of electron-beam-sensitive materials, including drug molecules, polymers and molecular amphiphiles., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background/Objectives: Argemone platyceras Link & Otto, an endemic plant of Mexico, is widely distributed in the central area of the country, mainly in the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla, and the State of Mexico. Ethnobotanical studies in different communities of these states have demonstrated that it is primarily used to treat diabetes and mental illnesses, such as "los nervios" (nerves) and "el ansia" (anxiety); these terms are used in traditional medicine, but it is accepted that they refer to anxiety disorders. This study aimed to validate the traditional use of aerial parts of A. platyceras Link & Otto in treating these illnesses. Methods: a standardized acidic method to obtain alkaloids was used to obtain an extract (AlkExt), which was tested in adult male Swiss Webster mice in the tail suspension (TST) and forced swimming (FST) tests. Results: AlkExt was analyzed using mass spectrometry techniques (DI-ESI and UHPLC-MS) to detect 2,3',4,5'-Tetramethoxystilbene ( m / z 301.14, 3%), scoulerine ( m / z 328.16, 19.8%), tetrahydro-columbamine ( m / z 342.17, 28.8%), 8-(hydroxymethyl)-2,10-dimethoxy-6,8,13,13a-tetrahydro-5H-isoquinolino[2,1-b]isoquinoline-1,11-diol ( m / z 358.17, 22.8%), and glaucine ( m / z 356.19, 11.1%); these were assayed in a single oral administration of AlkExt, which caused robust anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects without affecting the spontaneous ambulatory activity of the mice. Conclusions: The easy and standardized AlkExt analyzed in pharmaceuticals assays in this study strongly suggest its therapeutic potential to treat the comorbidity of anxiety and depression disorders and support further investigations in people with these diseases.

MicroRNAs can be found intracellularly incorporated into extracellular vesicles (EV-miRNAs) or extracellularly as cell-free miRNAs (cf-miRNAs). This study aimed to compare the diagnostic and prognostic potential of four miRNAs with recognized roles in prostate cancer as cf-miRNAs and EV-miRNAs, obtained from liquid biopsies (LB). Total RNA was isolated from whole plasma and plasma EVs from 15 controls (CTR) and 30 patients (20 with localized prostate cancer (PCa), 10 with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa)). The miRNAs were quantified by RT-qPCR and the relative expression of these miRNAs was compared between the three groups, and their associations with clinicopathological parameters were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of the miRNAs in discriminating different groups. Overall, EV-miRNAs showed higher expression compared to cf-miRNAs. All EV-miRNAs analyzed showed diagnostic potential with an area under the curve (AUC) above 0.744. EV-miR-21-5p, EV-miR-375-3p, and EV-miR-1290-3p were overexpressed in PCa and mPCa compared to CTR, while EV-miR-200c-3p was overexpressed only in mPCa in comparison to CTR. Remarkably, EV-miR-375-3p and EV-miR-1290-3p could differentiate mPCa with ISUP ≥ 3, demonstrating their prognostic potential. In addition, EV-miR-1290-3p and EV-4-miR-panel detected patients with PSA > 10 ng/mL. Cf-miRNAs performed lower than EV-miRNAs, which can be explained by the greater stability and specificity of EV-miRNAs, making them superior to cf-miRNA. The results show that LB, a non-invasive strategy, is clinically feasible to identify EV-miRNAs as biomarkers for PCa and may provide additional information for assessing PCa risk stratification., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new aeration device based on Bernoulli's principle, Jetventrumixer (JVM), was introduced into an aeration tank in denitrification process, which involved an automatic split injection system (ASIS) into two denitrification tanks every 10 minutes. Real-time monitoring of influent water allowed the calculation of the C/N ratio, enhancing the utilization efficiency of internal carbon sources while reducing the need for external carbon. The comparison of the JVM with the conventional air diffuser for 100 days operation showed that the removal efficiency for NH 4 + -N in both systems was approximately 98 %, but the nitrification efficiencies were 84 % and 80 %, respectively. This indicates that the JVM achieves an high enough removal efficiency and nitrification efficiency compared with conventional air diffuser system with dramatic reduction in energy consumption by 52.1 %. When the influent wastewater was split and injected into duplicate denitrification tanks at ratios of 3:7, 5:5, and 7:3, the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies were 77 %, 73 %, and 72 %, respectively. In contrast, with the implementation of the ASIS, the TN removal efficiency increased up to 82 %. The increase in TN removal indicates that real-time monitoring could stably track changes chemical composition in wastewater influent over 24 h and introducing ASIS facilitate the efficient utilization of internal carbon sources, thereby enhancing denitrification efficiency and improving TN removal efficiency. Finally, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the JVM and air diffuser were 9.39401 and 19.60488 tCO 2 eq year -1 , respectively, representing a 52% reduction. Therefore, JVM and ASIS successfully reduced energy consumption and enhanced both nitrification and denitrification efficiencies., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide and the primary cause of advanced liver disease. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic, frequently relapsing condition characterized by persistent alcohol consumption despite its negative consequences. Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) encompasses a series of stages, from fatty liver (steatosis) to inflammation (steatohepatitis), fibrosis, and, ultimately, liver cirrhosis and its complications. The development of ALD is complex, involving both genetic and environmental factors, yet the exact mechanisms at play remain unclear. Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), a severe form of ALD, presents with sudden jaundice and liver failure. Currently, there are no approved targeted therapies able to interfere in the pathogenesis of ALD to stop the progression of the disease, making alcohol abstinence the most effective way to improve prognosis across all stages of ALD. For patients with advanced ALD who do not respond to medical therapy, liver transplantation is the only option that can improve prognosis. Recently, AH has become an early indication for liver transplantation in non-responders to medical treatment, showing promising results in carefully selected patients. This review provides an update on the epidemiology, natural history, pathogenesis, and current treatments for ALD. A deeper insight into novel targeted therapies investigated for AH focusing on new pathophysiologically-based agents is also discussed, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress drugs, gut-liver axis modulators, and hepatocyte regenerative molecules.

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) is a widely used technique for nucleic acid amplification due to its high specificity, sensitivity, and rapid results. Advances in microfluidic lab-on-chip (LOC) technology have enabled the integration of LAMP into miniaturized devices, known as μ-LAMP, which require precise thermal control for optimal DNA amplification. This paper introduces a novel thermal bed design using PCB copper traces and FR-4 dielectric materials, providing a reliable, modular, and repairable heating platform. The system achieves accurate and stable temperature control, which is critical for μ-LAMP applications, with temperature deviations within ±1.0 °C. The thermal bed's performance is validated through finite element method (FEM) simulations, showing uniform temperature distribution and a rapid thermal response of 2.5 s to reach the target temperature. These results highlight the system's potential for applications such as disease diagnostics, biological safety, and forensic analysis, where precision and reliability are paramount.

Ultrafast stimuli can stabilize metastable states of matter inaccessible by equilibrium means. Establishing the spatiotemporal link between ultrafast excitation and metastability is crucial to understand these phenomena. Here we utilize single-shot optical pump-X-ray probe measurements to capture snapshots of the emergence of a persistent polar vortex supercrystal in a heterostructure that hosts a fine balance between built-in electrostatic and elastic frustrations by design. By perturbing this balance with photoinduced charges, an initially heterogeneous mixture of polar phase disorders within a few picoseconds, leading to a state composed of disordered ferroelectric and suppressed vortex orders. On the picosecond-nanosecond timescales, transient labyrinthine fluctuations develop, accompanied by the recovery of the vortex order. On longer timescales, these fluctuations are progressively quenched by dynamical strain modulations, which drive the collective emergence of a single vortex supercrystal phase. Our results, corroborated by dynamical phase-field modelling, reveal non-equilibrium pathways following the ultrafast excitation of designer systems to persistent metastability., (© 2024. UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory, and the Authors, under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Cinnamic alcohol (CA) is a phenylpropanoid found in the essential oil of the bark of the genus Cinnamomum spp. Schaeff. (Lauraceae Juss.), known as cinnamon. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of CA and its possible mechanism of action on mice submitted to the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced epileptic seizures model. Behavioral, neurochemical, histomorphometric and immunohistochemistry analysis were carried out. The administration of CA (50-200 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min prior to PTZ and 0.7-25 mg/kg, i.p., 60 min prior to PTZ) increased the latency to seizure onset and the latency to death. The effects observed with CA treatment at 60 min were partially reversed by pretreatment with flumazenil. Furthermore, neurochemical assays indicated that CA reduced the concentration of malondialdehyde and nitrite, while increasing the concentration of reduced glutathione. Finally, histomorphometric and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed a reduction in inflammation and an increase in neuronal preservation in the hippocampi of CA pre-treated mice. Taken together, the results suggest that CA seems to modulate the GABAA receptor, decrease oxidative stress, mitigate neuroinflammation, and reduce cell death processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors confirm that they have no conflicts of interest with respect to the work described in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Owing to its simplicity of measurement, effluent conductivity is one of the most studied factors in evaluations of desalination performance based on the ion concentrations in various ion adsorption processes such as capacitive deionization (CDI) or battery electrode deionization (BDI). However, this simple conversion from effluent conductivity to ion concentration is often incorrect, thereby necessitating a more congruent method for performing real-time measurements of effluent ion concentrations. In this study, a random forest (RF)-based artificial intelligence (AI) model was developed to address this shortcoming. The proposed RF model showed an excellent prediction accuracy when it was first validated in predicting the effluent conductivity for both CDI (R 2 = 0.86) and BDI (R 2 = 0.95) data. Moreover, the RF model successfully predicted the concentration of each ion (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca 2 ⁺, and Cl⁻) from the conductivity values. The accuracy of the ion concentration prediction was even higher than that of the effluent conductivity prediction, likely owing to the linear correlation between the input and output variables of the dataset. The effect of the sampling interval was also evaluated for conductivity and ion concentrations, and there was no significant difference up to sampling intervals of <80 s based on the error value of the model. These findings suggest that an RF model can be used to predict ion concentrations in CDI/BDI, which may be used as core indicators in evaluating desalination performance., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Recent advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based substrates and sample holders for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are currently enabling exciting new opportunities for the nanoscale investigation of materials and devices. The ability to perform electrical testing while simultaneously capturing the wide spectrum of signals detectable in a TEM, including structural, chemical, and even electronic contrast, represents a significant milestone in the realm of nanoelectronics. In situ studies hold particular promise for the development of Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) devices for use in next-generation computing. However, achieving successful device operation in the TEM typically necessitates meticulous sample preparation involving focused ion beam (FIB) systems. Conducting contamination introduced during the FIB thinning process and subsequent attachment of the sample onto a MEMS-based chip remains a formidable challenge. This article delineates an improved FIB-based sample preparation methodology that results in good electrical connectivity and operational functionality across various MIM devices. To exemplify the efficacy of the sample preparation technique, we demonstrate preparation of a clean cross section extracted from a Au/Pt/BaSrTiO 3 /SrMoO 3 tunable capacitor (varactor). The FIB-prepared TEM lamella mounted on a MEMS-based chip showed current levels in the tens of picoamperes range at 0.1 V. Furthermore, the electric response and current density of the TEM lamella device closely align with macro-scale devices. These samples exhibit comparable current densities to their macro-sized counterparts thus validating the sample preparation process and confirming device connectivity. The simultaneous operation and TEM characterization of electronic devices enabled by this process enables direct correlation between device structure and function, which could prove pivotal in the development of new MIM systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The 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 © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The integration of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based chips for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has emerged as a highly promising technique in the study of nanoelectronic devices within their operational parameters. This innovative approach facilitates the comprehensive exploration of electrical properties resulting from the simultaneous exposure of these devices to a diverse range of stimuli. However, the control of each individual stimulus within the confined environment of an electron microscope is challenging. In this study, we present novel findings on the effect of a multi-stimuli application on the electrical performance of TEM lamella devices. To approximate the leakage current measurements of macroscale electronic devices in TEM lamellae, we have developed a postfocused ion beam (FIB) healing technique. This technique combines dedicated MEMS-based chips and in situ TEM gas cells, enabling biasing experiments under environmental conditions. Notably, our observations reveal a reoxidation process that leads to a decrease in leakage current for SrTiO3-based memristors and BaSrTiO3-based tunable capacitor devices following ion and electron bombardment in oxygen-rich environments. These findings represent a significant step toward the realization of multi-stimuli TEM experiments on metal-insulator-metal devices, offering the potential for further exploration and a deeper understanding of their intricate behavior., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Microscopy Society of America.)

Robotics has various applications in dentistry, particularly in orthodontics, although the potential use of these technologies is not yet clear. This review aims to summarize the application of robotics in orthodontics and clarify its function and scope in clinical practice. Original articles addressing the application of robotics in any area of orthodontic practice were included, and review articles were excluded. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and DOAJ were searched from June to August 2023. The risk of bias was established using the risk of bias in non-randomized studies (ROBINS) and certainty assessment tools following the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. A narrative synthesis of the data was generated and presented according to its application in surgical and non-surgical orthodontics. The search retrieved 2,106 articles, of which 16 articles were selected for final data synthesis of research conducted between 2011 and 2023 in Asia, Europe, and North America. The application of robotics in surgical orthodontics helps guide orthognathic surgeries by reducing the margin of error, but it does not replace the work of a clinician. In non-surgical orthodontics, robotics assists in performing customized bending of orthodontic wires and simulating orthodontic movements, but its application is expensive. The articles collected for this synthesis exhibited a low risk of bias and high certainty, and the results indicated that the advantages of the application of robotics in orthodontics outweigh the disadvantages. This project was self-financed, and a previous protocol was registered at the PROSPERO site (registration number: CRD42023463531)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, De La Garza-Ramos et al.)

Four cases of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with calcified cerebral toxoplasmosis associated with perilesional edema causing a single episode of neurological manifestations have recently been reported. Here, we describe the first detailed description of perilesional edema associated with calcified cerebral toxoplasmosis causing three episodes of neurological manifestations in a PLWHA, including seizures in two of them. These recurrences occurred over approximately a decade. Throughout this period, the patient showed immunological and virological control of the HIV infection, while using antiretroviral therapy regularly. This case broadens the spectrum of an emerging presentation of calcified cerebral toxoplasmosis, mimicking a well-described finding of neurocysticercosis in immunocompetent hosts.

This study focuses on the bioremediation of nitrate-contaminated groundwater, which has become a significant environmental problem due to the increasing usage of fertilizers and sewage disposal. The nitrate reduction efficiencies of biological denitrification by injection of carbon source in a pilot-scale treatment system setup were investigated at a groundwater contamination site. The field test was conducted using acetate as a carbon source for 22 days to assess the nitrate reduction efficiencies of in-situ treatment. Geochemical parameters and microbial community analysis using next-generation sequencing were performed before and after carbon source injection. After 12 h of reaction time, nitrate concentration decreased from 31.6 to 4.2 mg-N/L at PC-2, and then remained stable at 3.9 mg-N/L. The nitrate reduction rate when acetate was injected was 29.0 mg-N/L/day. Aquabacterium commune, pseudomonas brassicacearum, dechloromonas denitrificans, and Massilia FAOS were dominant species after acetate injection. Predictive metabolic pathway analysis indicated that nitrate reduction metabolisms during injection of acetate were denitrification and assimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. The evaluated hazard quotient of nitrate-contaminated groundwater significantly decreased after acetate injection (non-carcinogenic risk decreased from 1.176 to 0.134 for children). This research could provide fundamental information for decision-makers in nitrate-contaminated groundwater quality protection and management., 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 Ltd.)

Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) technique has been used to perform a wide range of in situ and operando studies. While most studies are based on the sample contrast change in the liquid, acquiring high qualitative results in the native liquid environment still poses a challenge. Herein, we present a novel and facile method to perform high-resolution and analytical electron microscopy studies in a liquid flow cell. This technique is based on removing the liquid from the observation area by a flow of gas. It is expected that the proposed approach can find broad applications in LPTEM studies., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Scholars and practitioners have described how investing in health care earlier rather than later can be beneficial, from how "biomarkers" offer promise for early disease detection to healthcare system "incentives" that can promote early preventive medicine. Work by health economists has also made clear that the "health capital" of an individual depreciates over time in the absence of investments in health. Yet, our current policy makers and healthcare system continue prioritizing care of late-stage complex symptomatic illness, often when cure is impossible and disease reversal is improbable, thus exacerbating public health burdens. Critically missing are predicates to address this challenge include the following: first, identifying and validating the specific set of presymptomatic biomarkers that will inform the most appropriate intervention timing for those medical conditions amenable to early intervention; second, shifting fundamental health economic incentives to influence the appropriate disease prevention market; and third, formulating and executing a viable economic framework of reimbursement. We examine these predicates and propose actionable policy recommendations that may help align stakeholder interests to improve public health., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Drug Information Association, Inc.)

The origin of the pseudogap in many strongly correlated materials has been a longstanding puzzle. Here, we present experimental evidence that many-body interactions among small Holstein polarons, i.e., the formation of bipolarons, are primarily responsible for the pseudogap in (TaSe 4 ) 2 I. After weak photoexcitation of the material, we observe the appearance of both dispersive (single-particle bare band) and flat bands (single-polaron sub-bands) in the gap by using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Based on Monte Carlo simulations of the Holstein model, we propose that the melting of pseudogap and emergence of new bands originate from a bipolaron to single-polaron crossover. We also observe dramatically different relaxation times for the excited in-gap states in (TaSe 4 ) 2 I (∼600 fs) compared with another 1D material Rb 0.3 MoO 3 (∼60 fs), which provides a new method for distinguishing between pseudogaps induced by polaronic or Luttinger-liquid many-body interactions.

There is tremendous interest in employing collective excitations of the lattice, spin, charge, and orbitals to tune strongly correlated electronic phenomena. We report such an effect in a ruthenate, Ca 3 Ru 2 O 7 , where two phonons with strong electron-phonon coupling modulate the electronic pseudogap as well as mediate charge and spin density wave fluctuations. Combining temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy with density functional theory reveals two phonons, B 2 P and B 2 M , that are strongly coupled to electrons and whose scattering intensities respectively dominate in the pseudogap versus the metallic phases. The B 2 P squeezes the octahedra along the out of plane c-axis, while the B 2 M elongates it, thus modulating the Ru 4d orbital splitting and the bandwidth of the in-plane electron hopping; Thus, B 2 P opens the pseudogap, while B 2 M closes it. Moreover, the B 2 phonons mediate incoherent charge and spin density wave fluctuations, as evidenced by changes in the background electronic Raman scattering that exhibit unique symmetry signatures. The polar order breaks inversion symmetry, enabling infrared activity of these phonons, paving the way for coherent light-driven control of electronic transport., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

We report the long way to the correct diagnosis in two teenage sisters who developed a cardiac arrest after consuming minimal amounts of alcohol. The older girl dramatically survived two cardiac arrests at the age of 14 and 15 years. She underwent an extensive examination that revealed isolated cardiac abnormalities including fibrosis, dilated cardiomyopathy and inflammation. The younger girl also had a cardiac arrest at the age of 15 and died suddenly after consuming 1-2 beers, 3 years after her sister´s first incident. Autopsy of the heart revealed acute myocarditis without structural alterations. Multigene panel analysis (not including PPA2) showed SCN5A and CACNA1D variants in both sisters and their healthy mother. Six years later duo exome allowed the diagnosis of an autosomal recessive PPA2-related mitochondriopathy. We discuss the molecular results and clinical picture of our patients compared to other PPA2-related cases. We highlight the diagnostic contribution of multigene panels and exome analysis. The genetic diagnosis is important for medical care and for everyday life, specifically because alcohol intake can result in cardiac arrest and should be strictly avoided.   Conclusion: Duo exome sequencing clarified the diagnosis of PPA2-related mitochondriopathy in two sisters with isolated cardiac features and sudden cardiac arrest triggered by minimal amounts of alcohol. What is Known: • Multigene-Panel or exome analysis is a valuable tool to identify genetic causes of hereditary cardiac arrhythmias. • Variants of unknown significance can lead to misinterpretation. PPA2-related mitochondriopathy is a very rare autosomal recessive condition that is normally fatal in infancy. What is New: • Duo exome analysis in two teeenage sisters with cardiac arrest revealed a homozygous mild PPA2 mutation as the underlying pathology restricted to the heart muscle., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is thought to be the developmental origins of the host's health and disease through the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis: such as immune-mediated, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders, and growing evidence indicates the contribution of the gut microbiome changes and imbalances to these conditions, pointing to the importance of considering the MGB axis in their treatment. This review summarizes the general knowledge of gut microbial colonization and development in early life and its role in the pathogenesis of ASD/ADHD, highlighting a promising therapeutic approach for ASD/ADHD through modulation of the gut microbiome using psychobiotics (probiotics that positively affect neurological function and can be applied for the treatment of psychiatric diseases) and fecal microbial transplantation (FMT)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kwak, Kim, Kim, Tanpure, Kim, Jeon and Park.)

Background: The severe pharmacodermias (SF) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Chronic kidney failure (CKD) related with dialysis is one of the main factors associated with higher mortality. ABCD-10 is a predictive mortality scale that includes the history of dialysis., Case Report: Male 2 years old with a history of CKD on peritoneal dialysis and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, admitted to the hospital due to acute peritonitis and developed SJS-NET secondary to phenytoin administration. He was treated with immunoglobulin and systemic steroid without improvement. Septic shock was added, presenting a fatal outcome., Conclusions: In the case presented, the ABCD-10 scale was applied, reporting a greater prediction of mortality compared to SCORTEN due to a history of dialysis. In children with SF there are no validated predictive mortality. Future initiatives should search for risk factors for mortality in children who develop SF for the creation of a predictive mortality scale., Competing Interests: Los autores no tienen conflictos de interés.

This study aimed to evaluate the difference in gut microbiomes between preterm and term infants using third-generation long-read sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT) compared with an established gold standard, Illumina (second-generation short-read sequencing). A total of 69 fecal samples from 51 term (T) and preterm (P) infants were collected at 7 and 28 days of life. Gut colonization profiling was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using ONT. We used Illumina to validate and compare the patterns in 13 neonates. Using bioinformatic analysis, we identified features that differed between P and T. Both T1 and P1 microbiomes were dominated by Firmicutes ( Staphylococcus and Enterococcus ), whereas sequentially showed dominant transitions to Lactobacillus ( p  < 0.001) and Streptococcus in T2 ( p  = 0.001), and pathogenic bacteria ( Klebsiella ) in P2 ( p  = 0.001). The abundance of beneficial bacteria ( Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus ) increased in T2 ( p  = 0.026 and p  < 0.001, respectively). These assignments were correlated with the abundance at the species-level. Bacterial α-diversity increased in T ( p  = 0.005) but not in P ( p  = 0.156), and P2 showed distinct β-diversity clustering than T2 ( p  = 0.001). The ONT reliably identified pathogenic bacteria at the genus level, and taxonomic profiles were comparable to those identified by Illumina at the genus level. This study shows that ONT and Illumina are highly correlated. P and T had different microbiome profiles, and the α- and β-diversity varied. ONT sequencing has potential for pathogen detection in neonates in clinical settings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cha, Kim, Keum, Kwak, Park, Hoh, Kim, Jeon and Park.)

Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO)-based solid-state Li batteries (SSLBs) have emerged as one of the most promising energy storage systems due to the potential advantages of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), such as ionic conductivity, mechanical strength, chemical stability and electrochemical stability. However, there remain several scientific and technical obstacles that need to be tackled before they can be commercialised. The main issues include the degradation and deterioration of SSEs and electrode materials, ambiguity in the Li + migration routes in SSEs, and interface compatibility between SSEs and electrodes during the charging and discharging processes. Using conventional ex situ characterization techniques to unravel the reasons that lead to these adverse results often requires disassembly of the battery after operation. The sample may be contaminated during the disassembly process, resulting in changes in the material properties within the battery. In contrast, in situ / operando characterization techniques can capture dynamic information during cycling, enabling real-time monitoring of batteries. Therefore, in this review, we briefly illustrate the key challenges currently faced by LLZO-based SSLBs, review recent efforts to study LLZO-based SSLBs using various in situ / operando microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, and elaborate on the capabilities and limitations of these in situ / operando techniques. This review paper not only presents the current challenges but also outlines future developmental prospects for the practical implementation of LLZO-based SSLBs. By identifying and addressing the remaining challenges, this review aims to enhance the comprehensive understanding of LLZO-based SSLBs. Additionally, in situ / operando characterization techniques are highlighted as a promising avenue for future research. The findings presented here can serve as a reference for battery research and provide valuable insights for the development of different types of solid-state batteries.

Introduction: Hyper-IgM syndrome is an innate error of immunity in which there is a defect in change of isotype of immunoglobulins, with decreased values of IgG, IgA, and IgE, but normal or increased level of IgM. This predisposes to infectious processes at the respiratory and gastrointestinal levels, as well as autoimmune diseases and neoplasm., Case Report: A 5 year 7-month-old boy with a history of 2 pneumonias, one of them severe, and chronic diarrhea since he was 2 years old. Persistent moderate neutropenia decreased IgG and elevated IgM. Cytometry flow confirmed absence of CD40L. Clinical evolution with early hepatic involvement., Discussion: Hyper-IgM syndrome predisposes to liver damage, so a complete evaluation is required as well as early diagnosis. Active anti-infective treatment and control of the inflammatory response are key to the treatment of liver damage.

Objectives: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia solium. NCC mainly occurs in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia and can cause a variety of clinical signs/symptoms. Although it is a rare disease in Europe, it should nonetheless be considered as a differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and management of patients with NCC diagnosed and treated in Europe., Methods: We conducted a systematic search of published and unpublished data on patients diagnosed with NCC in Europe (2000-2019) and extracted demographic, clinical and radiological information on each case, if available., Results: Out of 293 identified NCC cases, 59% of patients presented initially with epileptic seizures (21% focal onset); 52% presented with headache and 54% had other neurological signs/symptoms. The majority of patients had a travel or migration history (76%), mostly from/to Latin America (38%), Africa (32%) or Asia (30%). Treatment varied largely depending on cyst location and number. The outcome was favorable in 90% of the cases., Conclusions: Management of NCC in Europe varied considerably but often had a good outcome. Travel and migration to and from areas endemic for T. solium will likely result in continued low prevalence of NCC in Europe. Therefore, training and guidance of clinicians is recommended for optimal patient management., (© International Society of Travel Medicine 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Distal transradial access (dTRA) as a refinement of the conventional transradial access (TRA) has advantages in terms of risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO). In order to evaluate the real-world feasibility and safety of dTRA as the default access site for routine coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a Latin-American centre, this prospective observational registry was conducted., Methods: Consecutive patients with a prior assessment for CAG and/or PCI were enrolled in this single-centre prospective registry from October 2018 to March 2019. The primary endpoints were the success rate of CAG and PCI. Secondary endpoints included the success rate of puncture of the distal radial artery, complications at the puncture site and puncture time., Results: The success rates of CAG and PCI were 100% (155/155) and 97% (69/71), respectively. Puncture time and fluoroscopic time were 52 ± 19 seconds and 16.3 ± 35.4 minutes, respectively. Haemostasis time was 142 ± 45 min. A total of 19 (12.5%) puncture site complications occurred, including 18 (11.6%) minor haematomas and one (0.6%) arterial perforation, in which the artery was patent at the one-month follow-up. Five patients complained of left thumb numbness at a one-month follow-up. No distal radial artery occlusion, pseudoaneurysm, or arteriovenous fistula occurred., Conclusions: The success and complication rates of ldTRA support the feasibility and safety of this procedure using the appropriate materials in previously selected patients.

Background: The Pfizer-BioNTech® BNT162b2 vaccine, provides 95% effectiveness from the second dose onwards. The reported rate of anaphylaxis to COVID-19 vaccines is 4.7 cases/million doses administered., Case Report: 30-year-old female, health professional, history of allergic rhinitis, asthma, reaction to eye cosmetics and adhesive tape: erythema, edema, and local pruritus. Immediately after application of the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, she presented grade III anaphylaxis. The patient was stratified, phenotyped and skin tests with PEG 3350 were positive. A recommendation was issued not to reapply vaccine containing polyethylene glycol and alternatives were offered., Conclusions: An adequate risk stratification should be performed before applying mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines for the first time in at-risk groups. In case of anaphylaxis at the first dose, phenotyping and further study with PEG skin tests should be performed and vaccination alternatives should be offered., Competing Interests: No se declaran conflictos de interés.

Background/aim: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequent neoplasms in men around the world. In recent years, the search for new biomarkers with greater prognostic potential for PCa has intensified. This study aimed to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a combined panel of these polymorphisms in relation to biochemical recurrence in patients who were through prostatectomy, with an average of 7 years of follow-up., Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with PCa (n=197) participated in this cohort study. Thirteen SNPs were analyzed: rs2279115 (BCL-2), rs26677604 (CASP3), rs1052571 (CASP9), rs11781886 (NKX3-1), rs2735343 (PTEN), rs2494750 (AKT1), rs2699887 (PI3KCA), rs3195676 (AMACR), rs17302090 (AR), rs2536 (mTOR), rs1695 (GSTP1), rs2308321 (MGMT) and rs1544410 (VDR). Variants were combined and four main panels were defined: cell death, cell survival, growth receptors, and metabolism. Genotyping was performed by real-time PCR., Results: We did not observe any significant relation between the panels of variants analyzed, apart from the rare allele (G) of rs2308321 (MGMT) that was associated with a higher risk of recurrence (p=0.036) when compared to the prevalent (A) in the allelic model., Conclusion: This MGMT variant occurs in an exon, and it could potentially affect DNA repair and, therefore, the biochemical relapse of PCa patients., (Copyright © 2023 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

The impact of cocoa lipid content on chocolate quality has been extensively described. Nevertheless, few studies have elucidated the cocoa lipid composition and their bioactive properties, focusing only on specific lipids. In the present study the lipidome of fine-flavor cocoa fermentation was analyzed using LC-MS-QTOF and a Machine Learning model to assess potential bioactivity was developed. Our results revealed that the cocoa lipidome, comprised mainly of fatty acyls and glycerophospholipids, remains stable during fine-flavor cocoa fermentations. Also, several Machine Learning algorithms were trained to explore potential biological activity among the identified lipids. We found that K-Nearest Neighbors had the best performance. This model was used to classify the identified lipids as bioactive or non-bioactive, nominating 28 molecules as potential bioactive lipids. None of these compounds have been previously reported as bioactive. Our work is the first untargeted lipidomic study and systematic effort to investigate potential bioactivity in fine-flavor cocoa lipids., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Magnetism in topological materials creates phases exhibiting quantized transport phenomena with potential technological applications. The emergence of such phases relies on strong interaction between localized spins and the topological bands, and the consequent formation of an exchange gap. However, this remains experimentally unquantified in intrinsic magnetic topological materials. Here, this interaction is quantified in MnBi 2 Te 4 , a topological insulator with intrinsic antiferromagnetism. This is achieved by optically exciting Bi-Te p states comprising the bulk topological bands and interrogating the consequent Mn 3d spin dynamics, using a multimodal ultrafast approach. Ultrafast electron scattering and magneto-optic measurements show that the p states demagnetize via electron-phonon scattering at picosecond timescales. Despite being energetically decoupled from the optical excitation, the Mn 3d spins, probed by resonant X-ray scattering, are observed to disorder concurrently with the p spins. Together with atomistic simulations, this reveals that the exchange coupling between localized spins and the topological bands is at least 100 times larger than the superexchange interaction, implying an optimal exchange gap of at least 25 meV in the surface states. By quantifying this exchange coupling, this study validates the materials-by-design strategy of utilizing localized magnetic order to manipulate topological phases, spanning static to ultrafast timescales., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)