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Abstract Remote sensing imagery can provide critical information on the magnitude and extent of damage caused by forest pests and pathogens. However, monitoring short‐term changes in deciduous forest condition caused by defoliating insects is challenging and requires approaches that directly account for seasonal vegetation dynamics. We implemented a previously published harmonic modeling approach for forest condition monitoring in Google Earth Engine and systematically assessed the relative ability of condition change products generated using various model parameterizations for predicting pest abundances and defoliation during the 2016–2018 gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) outbreak in southern New England. Our comparisons revealed that most models made reasonable predictions of changes in canopy condition and egg and larval abundances of L. dispar, indicating a strong correlation between our harmonic‐based estimates of condition change and defoliator activity. The greatest differences in predictive ability were in the spectral domain, with assessments based on Tasseled Cap Greenness, Simple Ratio, and the Enhanced Vegetation Index ranking among the top models, and the commonly used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index consistently exhibiting poorer performance. We also observed notable differences in the magnitude of scores for different baseline periods. Additionally, we found that Landsat‐based condition scores better explained larval abundance than egg mass counts, which have historically been used as a proxy for later‐season larval abundance, indicating that our remote sensing approach may be more accurate and cost‐effective for generating consistent retrospective assessments of L. dispar population abundance in addition to estimates of canopy damage. These findings provide important linkages between spectral changes detected using a harmonic modeling approach and biophysical aspects of defoliator activity, with potential to extend monitoring and prediction to regional or even continental scales.

Tregs are crucial for maintaining maternal immunotolerance against the semiallogeneic fetus. We investigated the elusive transcriptional profile and functional adaptation of human uterine Tregs (uTregs) during pregnancy. Uterine biopsies, from placental bed (materno-fetal interface) and incision site (control) and blood were obtained from women with uncomplicated pregnancies undergoing cesarean section. Tregs and CD4+ non-Tregs were isolated for transcriptomic profiling by Cel-Seq2. Results were validated on protein and single cell levels by flow cytometry. Placental bed uTregs showed elevated expression of Treg signature markers, including FOXP3, CTLA-4, and TIGIT. Their transcriptional profile was indicative of late-stage effector Treg differentiation and chronic activation, with increased expression of immune checkpoints GITR, TNFR2, OX-40, and 4-1BB; genes associated with suppressive capacity (HAVCR2, IL10, LAYN, and PDCD1); and transcription factors MAF, PRDM1, BATF, and VDR. uTregs mirrored non-Treg Th1 polarization and tissue residency. The particular transcriptional signature of placental bed uTregs overlapped strongly with that of tumor-infiltrating Tregs and was remarkably pronounced at the placental bed compared with uterine control site. In conclusion, human uTregs acquire a differentiated effector Treg profile similar to tumor-infiltrating Tregs, specifically at the materno-fetal interface. This introduces the concept of site-specific transcriptional adaptation of Tregs within 1 organ.

Sara La Manna,1 Alessia Cugudda,1 Flavia Anna Mercurio,2 Marilisa Leone,2 Sara Fortuna,3 Concetta Di Natale,4 Elena Lagreca,4 Paolo Antonio Netti,4 Valeria Panzetta,4 Daniela Marasco1 1Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Research Center on Bioactive Peptides- University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy; 2Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (CNR), Naples, 80131, Italy; 3Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, 16152, Italy; 4Department of Ingegneria Chimica del Materiali e della Produzione Industriale (DICMAPI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80125, ItalyCorrespondence: Daniela Marasco, Email daniela.marasco@unina.itIntroduction: SOCS3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 3) protein is a crucial regulator of cytokine-induced inflammation, and its administration has been shown to have therapeutic effects. Recently, we designed a chimeric proteomimetic of SOCS3, mimicking the interfacing regions of a ternary complex composed of SOCS3, JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) and gp130 (glycoprotein 130) proteins. The derived chimeric peptide, KIRCONG chim, demonstrated limited mimetic function owing to its poor water solubility.Methods: We report investigations concerning a PEGylated variant of KIRCONG mimetic, named KIRCONG chim, bearing a PEG (Polyethylene glycol) moiety as a linker of noncontiguous SOCS3 regions. Its ability to bind to the catalytic domain of JAK2 was evaluated through MST (MicroScale Thermophoresis), as well as its stability in biological serum assays. The structural features of the cyclic compounds were investigated by CD (circular dichroism), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and molecular dynamic (MD) studies. To evaluate the cellular effects, we employed a PLGA-nanoparticle as a delivery system after characterization using DLS and SEM techniques.Results: KIRCONG chim PEG-revealed selective penetration into triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells with respect to the human breast epithelial cell line (MCF10A), acting as a potent inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation.Discussion: Overall, the data indicated that miniaturization of the SOCS3 protein is a promising therapeutic approach for aberrant dysregulation of JAK/STAT during cancer progression.Keywords: SOCS3 protein, JAK/STAT pathway, mimetic chimeric peptides, nanoparticles

The detection of the 1809 keV emission line associated with the decay of 26Al in the interstellar medium provides a direct evidence of recent nucleosynthesis events in our galaxy. 26Al is thought to be mainly produced in massive stars, but in order to have a quantita- tive understanding of the 26Al distribution, the cross section of all the nuclear reactions involved in its production should be accurately known. A recent sensitivity study demonstrated that the 25Mg(α,n)28Si is the reaction with the strongest impact on the synthesis of 26Al during explosive Neon and Carbon burning [4]. In order to improve the experimental knowledge of the 25Mg(α,n)28Si cross section, a new direct measurement has been performed at Legnaro National Laboratories. The experimental setup, the data analysis and preliminary results are discussed.

The so-called "Rutherford's experiment," as it is outlined in many physics textbooks, is a case in point of the flaws around the history at the educational level of one of the decisive event of modern physics: the discovery that the atom has a nucleus. This paper shows that this alleged experiment is a very approximate and very partial synthesis of a series of different particle scattering experiments, starting with that carried out by Rutherford in 1906 and ending with Geiger and Marsden's 1913 experiments.

Summary: Global warming is a major public health concern. Volatile anaesthetics are greenhouse gases that increase the carbon footprint of healthcare. Modelling studies indicate that total intravenous anaesthesia is less carbon intensive than volatile anaesthesia, with equivalent quality of care. In this observational study, we aimed to apply the findings of previous modelling studies to compare the carbon footprint per general anaesthetic of an exclusive TIVA strategy vs. a mixed TIVA‐volatile strategy. This comparative retrospective study was conducted over 2 years in two French hospitals, one using total intravenous anaesthesia only and one using a mixed strategy including both intravenous and inhalation anaesthetic techniques. Based on pharmacy procurement records, the quantity of anaesthetic sedative drugs was converted to carbon dioxide equivalents. The primary outcome was the difference in carbon footprint of hypnotic drugs per intervention between the two strategies. From 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022, 25,137 patients received general anaesthesia in the hospital using the total intravenous anaesthesia strategy and 22,020 in the hospital using the mixed strategy. The carbon dioxide equivalent footprint of hypnotic drugs per intervention in the hospital using the total intravenous anaesthesia strategy was 20 times lower than in the hospital using the mixed strategy (emissions of 2.42 kg vs. 48.85 kg carbon dioxide equivalent per intervention, respectively). The total intravenous anaesthesia strategy significantly reduces the carbon footprint of hypnotic drugs in general anaesthesia in adult patients compared with a mixed strategy. Further research is warranted to assess the risk–benefit ratio of the widespread adoption of total intravenous anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]