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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had challenged health systems worldwide, including those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Aside from measures to control the pandemic, efforts were made to continue the provision and use of essential services. At that time, information was not organised and readily available to guide country-level decision-making. This review aims to summarise evaluated interventions to maintain essential services for maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health in response to COVID-19 in LMICs, in order to learn from the interventions and facilitate their use in the next disruption., Methods: We conducted a scoping review by Embase, MEDLINE, and Global Health for literature published between 1 January 2020 and 26 December 2022, without restrictions for language. We extracted information about the setting, population targeted, service type, intervention, and evaluation from the included studies and summarised it both quantitatively and narratively., Results: We retrieved 11 395 unique references and included 30 studies describing 32 evaluated interventions. Most interventions (84%) were implemented in 2020, with a median duration of five months (interquartile range (IQR) = 3-8), and were conducted in Africa (34%) or Southeast Asia (31%). Interventions focussed on maintaining services for maternal and newborn health (56%) or children and adolescents (56%) were most common. Interventions aimed to address problems related to access (94%), fear (31%), health workers shortage (25%), and vulnerability (22%). Types of interventions included telehealth (69%), protocols/guidelines to adapt care provision (56%), and health education (40%); a few entailed health worker training (16%). The described interventions were mostly led by the public (56%) or non-profit (34%) sectors. Methodologies of their evaluations were heterogeneous; the majority used quantitative methods, had a prospective research design, and used output- and outcome-based indicators., Conclusions: In this review, we identified an important and growing body of evidence of evaluated interventions to maintain essential services for maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health during COVID-19 in LMICs. To improve preparedness and responsiveness for future disruptions, managers for decision-makers in LMICs could benefit from up-to-date inventories describing implemented interventions and evaluations to facilitate evidence-based implementation of strategies, as well as tools for conducting optimal quality operational and implementation research during disruptions (e.g. rapid ethical approvals, access to routine data)., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interests., (Copyright © 2024 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

Many sources of pollution that are generated by modern society are not addressable by conventional methods. Especially organic compounds, like pharmaceutics, are particularly hard to remove from waterbodies. Herein, a new approach is presented using conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) to coat silica microparticles yielding specifically tailored adsorbents. The CMPs are generated with three different monomers: 2,6-dibromonaphthalene (DBN), 2,5-dibromoaniline (DBA) and 2,5-dibromopyridine (DBPN) respectively coupled to 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene (TEB) via Sonogashira coupling. By optimizing the polarity of the silica surface, all three CMPs were converted into microparticle coatings. The resulting hybrid materials feature the advantages of being adjustable in polarity and functionality, as well as morphology. Sedimentation allows facile removal of the coated microparticles after the adsorption. Further, the expansion of the CMP to a thin coating increases the accessible surface area compared to the bulk material. These effects were demonstrated by the adsorption of the model drug diclofenac. Thereby, the aniline-based CMP proved to be most advantageous due to a secondary crosslinking mechanism of amino and alkyne functionalities. An outstanding adsorption capacity of 228 mg diclofenac per gram of the aniline CMP within the hybrid material was achieved. This represents a five-fold increase compared to the value obtained by the pure CMP material underlining the advantages of the hybrid material., 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 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chest pain is a frequent consultation issue in primary care, with coronary artery disease (CAD) being a serious potential cause. Primary care physicians (PCPs) assess the probability for CAD and refer patients to secondary care if necessary. Our aim was to explore PCPs' referral decisions, and to investigate determinants which influenced those decisions., Methods: PCPs working in Hesse, Germany, were interviewed in a qualitative study. We used 'stimulated recall' with participants to discuss patients with suspected CAD. With a sample size of 26 cases from nine practices we reached inductive thematic saturation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by inductive-deductive thematic content analysis. For the final interpretation of the material, we used the concept of decision thresholds proposed by Pauker and Kassirer., Results: PCPs reflected on their decisions for or against a referral. Aside from patient characteristics determining disease probability, we identified general factors which can be understood as influencing the referral threshold. These factors relate to the practice environment, to PCPs themselves and to non-diagnostic patient characteristics. Proximity of specialist practice, relationship with specialist colleagues, and trust played a role. PCPs sometimes felt that invasive procedures were performed too easily. They tried to steer their patients through the system with the intent to avoid over-treatment. Most PCPs were unaware of guidelines but relied on informal local consensus, largely influenced by specialists. As a result, PCPs gatekeeping role was limited., Conclusions: We could identify a large number of factors that impact referral for suspected CAD. Several of these factors offer possibilities to improve care at the clinical and system level. The threshold model proposed by Pauker and Kassirer was a useful framework for this kind of data analysis., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hypothesis: High nitrogen containing resins such as poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PMF) are known for their very good adsorption properties. Until now, using an ecofriendly hard-templating approach with SiO 2 nanospheres in water for synthesis, only yielded either highly porous particles with diameters up to 1 µm or non-porous particles with diameters above 1 µm. Small particles cannot be used as fixed bed adsorbents in columns because of the very high pressure occurring., Experiments: To yield particles with high porosity and larger diameters for the use as fixed bed adsorbent, we investigated the influence of several synthesis parameters on porosity and particle morphology., Findings: From all variations, we proposed a mechanism for the complex interplay between the PMF prepolymer and resin species with SiO 2 nanoparticles acting both as Pickering-like surfactant and template particle. With this knowledge we were able to produce a suitable column material with high specific surface area up to 260 m 2 /g. We then proved the application of this material for aqueous dichromate adsorption in batch, yielding a maximum capacity of 138 mg/g with recyclability. In column experiments, the contamination of 5 mg/L dichromate in water was reduced to drinking water safe levels for an influent volume equal to over 160 bed volumes., 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.)

The increasing demand and implementation of pharmaceutics poses severe risk to different aquatic species as detectable contaminant in almost every surface water worldwide. Diclofenac (DCF) as one of the most common used analgesics was investigated as contaminant to be removed by adsorption onto nanoporous poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PMF) particles featuring a very high amount of nitrogen functionalities. To achieve a high specific surface area (up to 416 m 2 /g) and a tunable pore system by hard templating, four different SiO 2 nanoparticles were used as template. Differences in the pore formation and achieved pore structure were elucidated. For the first time, the adsorption of DCF onto PMF was tested. In batch adsorption experiments, impactful adsorption capacities as high as 76 μmol/g were achieved and complete removal at initial concentrations of 2 mg/L DCF. Differences in the connectivity and the micropore structure were decisive for uptake in low concentrations and the achieved adsorption capacity, respectively. As the presented PMF particles can be easily synthesized with the monomers formaldehyde and melamine combined with colloidal silica as sacrificial template and water as green solvent, this material presents a viable adsorbent for the removal of DCF at a larger scale. Our study further indicates a high potential for the removal of other pharmaceuticals., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: General practitioners (GPs) are the central coordinators for patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy in most health care systems. They are entrusted with the challenging task of deprescribing when inappropriate polypharmacy is present. MediQuit (MQu) is a newly developed electronic tool that guides through a deprescribing consultation. It facilitates the identification of a medicine to be discontinued (stage 1), a shared decision-making process weighing the pros and cons (stage 2), and equips patients with take-home instructions on how to discontinue the drug and monitor its impact (stage 3). We here aim to evaluate utility and acceptance of MQu from GPs' and patients' perspectives., Methods: Uncontrolled feasibility study, in which 16 GPs from two regions in Germany were invited to use MQu in consultations with their multimorbid patients. We collected quantitative data on demography, utility and acceptance of MQu and performed descriptive statistical analyses., Results: Ten GPs performed 41 consultations using MQu. Identification (step 1) and implementation elements (Step 3) were perceived most helpful by GPs. Whereas, shared-decision making elements (step 2) revealed room for improvement. Patients appreciated the use of MQu. They were broadly satisfied with the deprescribing consultation (85%) and with their decision made regarding their medication (90%)., Conclusions: Implementation of MQu in general practice generally seems possible. Patients welcome consultations targeting medication optimization. GPs were satisfied with the support of MQu and likewise gave important hints for future development., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 is one of the most effective ways to control, and ideally, end the global COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy and vaccine rates vary widely across countries and populations and are influenced by complex sociocultural, political, economic and psychological factors. Community engagement is an integral strategy within immunisation campaigns and has been shown to improve vaccine acceptance. As evidence on community engagement to support COVID-19 vaccine uptake is emerging and constantly changing, research that lessens the knowledge-to-practice gap by providing regular and up-to-date evidence on current best-practice is essential., Methods and Analysis: A living systematic review will be conducted which includes an initial systematic review and bimonthly review updates. Searching and screening for the review and subsequent updates will be done in four streams: a systematic search of six databases, grey literature review, preprint review and citizen sourcing. The screening will be done by a minimum of two reviewers at title/abstract and full-text in Covidence, a systematic review management software. Data will be extracted across predefined fields in an excel spreadsheet that includes information about article characteristics, context and population, community engagement approaches, and outcomes. Synthesis will occur using the convergent integrated approach. We will explore the potential to quantitatively synthesise primary outcomes depending on heterogeneity of the studies., Ethics and Dissemination: The initial review and subsequent bimonthly searches and their results will be disseminated transparently via open-access methods. Quarterly briefs will be shared on the reviews' social media platforms and across other interested networks and repositories. A dedicated web link will be created on the Community Health-Community of Practice site for sharing findings and obtaining feedback. A mailing list will be developed and interested parties can subscribe for updates., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022301996., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Rapid population growth and increasing demand for food, feed, and bioenergy in these times of unprecedented climate change require breeding for increased biomass production on the world's croplands. To accelerate breeding programs, knowledge of the relationship between biomass features and underlying gene networks is needed to guide future breeding efforts. To this end, large-scale multiomics datasets were created with genetically diverse maize lines, all grown in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems. Analysis of the datasets, integrated using regression modeling and network analysis revealed key metabolites, elements, gene transcripts, and gene networks, whose contents during vegetative growth substantially influence the build-up of plant biomass in the reproductive phase. We found that S and P content in the source leaf and P content in the root during the vegetative stage contributed the most to predicting plant performance at the reproductive stage. In agreement with the Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the cis -motifs and identified transcription factors associated with upregulated genes under phosphate deficiency showed great diversity in the molecular response to phosphate deficiency in selected lines. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that genotype-dependent uptake, assimilation, and allocation of essential nutrient elements (especially C and N) during vegetative growth under phosphate starvation plays an important role in determining plant biomass by controlling root traits related to nutrient uptake. These integrative multiomics results revealed key factors underlying maize productivity and open new opportunities for efficient, rapid, and cost-effective plant breeding to increase biomass yield of the cereal crop maize under adverse environmental factors., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the National Academy of Sciences.)

Plant roots are colonized by microorganisms from the surrounding soil that belong to different kingdoms and form a multikingdom microbial community called the root microbiota. Despite their importance for plant growth, the relationship between soil management, the root microbiota, and plant performance remains unknown. Here, we characterize the maize root-associated bacterial, fungal, and oomycetal communities during the vegetative and reproductive growth stages of four maize inbred lines and the pht1 ; 6 phosphate transporter mutant. These plants were grown in two long-term experimental fields under four contrasting soil managements, including phosphate-deficient and -sufficient conditions. We showed that the maize root-associated microbiota is influenced by soil management and changes during host growth stages. We identified stable bacterial and fungal root-associated taxa that persist throughout the host life cycle. These taxa were accompanied by dynamic members that covary with changes in root metabolites. We observed an inverse stable-to-dynamic ratio between root-associated bacterial and fungal communities. We also found a host footprint on the soil biota, characterized by a convergence between soil, rhizosphere, and root bacterial communities during reproductive maize growth. Our study reveals the spatiotemporal dynamics of the maize root-associated microbiota and suggests that the fungal assemblage is less responsive to changes in root metabolites than the bacterial community. IMPORTANCE Plant roots are inhabited by microbial communities called the root microbiota, which supports plant growth and health. We show in a maize field study that the root microbiota consists of stable and dynamic members. The dynamics of the microbial community appear to be driven by changes in the metabolic state of the roots over the life cycle of maize.

Globally, there is growing awareness of the important contributions men can make as key stakeholders in maternal and newborn health (MNH), and increased investment in interventions designed to influence men's engagement to improve MNH outcomes. Interventions typically target men, women, couples or health providers, yet how these stakeholders perceive and experience interventions is not well understood and the fact that women may experience these interventions as disempowering has been identified as a major concern. This review aims to synthesise how women, men, and providers perceive and experience interventions designed to influence men's engagement in MNH, in order to identify perceived benefits and risks of participating in interventions, and other key factors affecting uptake of and adherence to interventions. We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis based on a systematic search of the literature, analysing a purposive sample of 66 out of 144 included studies to enable rich synthesis. Women, men and providers report that interventions enable more and better care for women, newborns and men, and strengthen family relationships between the newborn, father and mother. At the same time, stakeholders report that poorly designed or implemented interventions carry risks of harm, including constraining some women's access to MNH services and compounding negative impacts of existing gender inequalities. Limited health system capacity to deliver men-friendly MNH services, and pervasive gender inequality, can limit the accessibility and acceptability of interventions. Sociodemographic factors, household needs, and peer networks can influence how men choose to support MNH, and may affect demand for and adherence to interventions. Overall, perceived benefits of interventions designed to influence men's engagement in MNH are compelling, reported risks of harm are likely manageable through careful implementation, and there is clear evidence of demand from women and men, and some providers, for increased opportunities and support for men to engage in MNH., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Due to the existence-threatening risk to aquatic life and entire ecosystems, the removal of oxyanions such as sulfate and phosphate from anthropogenic wastewaters, such as municipal effluents and acid mine drainage, is inevitable. Furthermore, phosphorus is an indispensable resource for worldwide plant fertilization, which cannot be replaced by any other substance. This raises phosphate to one of the most important mineral resources worldwide. Thus, efficient recovery of phosphate is essential for ecosystems and the economy. To face the harsh acidic conditions, such as for acid mine drainage, an adsorber material with a high chemical resistivity is beneficial. Poly(melamine- co -formaldehyde) (PMF) sustains these conditions whilst its very high amount of nitrogen functionalities (up to 53.7 wt.%) act as efficient adsorption sides. To increase adsorption capacities, PMF was synthesized in the form of mesoporous particles using a hard-templating approach yielding specific surface areas up to 409 m 2 /g. Different amounts of silica nanospheres were utilized as template and evaluated for the adsorption of sulfate and phosphate ions. The adsorption isotherms were validated by the Langmuir model. Due to their properties, the PMF particles possessed outperforming maximum adsorption capacities of 341 and 251 mg/g for phosphate and sulfate, respectively. Furthermore, selective adsorption of sulfate from mixed solutions of phosphate and sulfate was found for silica/PMF hybrid particles.

Marine algae catalyze half of all global photosynthetic production of carbohydrates. Owing to their fast growth rates, Ulva spp. rapidly produce substantial amounts of carbohydrate-rich biomass and represent an emerging renewable energy and carbon resource. Their major cell wall polysaccharide is the anionic carbohydrate ulvan. Here, we describe a new enzymatic degradation pathway of the marine bacterium Formosa agariphila for ulvan oligosaccharides involving unsaturated uronic acid at the nonreducing end linked to rhamnose-3-sulfate and glucuronic or iduronic acid (Δ-Rha3S-GlcA/IdoA-Rha3S). Notably, we discovered a new dehydratase (P29_PDnc) acting on the nonreducing end of ulvan oligosaccharides, i.e., GlcA/IdoA-Rha3S, forming the aforementioned unsaturated uronic acid residue. This residue represents the substrate for GH105 glycoside hydrolases, which complements the enzymatic degradation pathway including one ulvan lyase, one multimodular sulfatase, three glycoside hydrolases, and the dehydratase P29_PDnc, the latter being described for the first time. Our research thus shows that the oligosaccharide dehydratase is involved in the degradation of carboxylated polysaccharides into monosaccharides., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Deprescribing is an important task for general practitioners (GPs) in the face of risky polypharmacy. The electronic tool "MediQuit" was developed to guide GPs and patients through a deprescribing consultation that entails a drug-selection phase, shared decision making, and advice on safe implementation., Objectives: A pilot study was conducted to determine the target group of patients that is selected for consultation and to assess the impact, patient involvement, and feasibility of the tool., Methods: This was an uncontrolled pilot study. GPs from two German regions were invited to use MediQuit in consultations with a view to deprescribing one drug, if appropriate. They selected patients on the basis of broad inclusion criteria. Collected data entailed participants' characteristics, patients' medication lists, deprescribed drugs, and feasibility assessments. Patients were contacted shortly after the consultation and again after 4 weeks., Results: In total, 16 GPs agreed to participate, of whom ten actually performed deprescribing consultations. They selected 41 predominately older patients on excessive polypharmacy. Deprescribing was achieved in 70% of consultations in agreement with patients. Drugs deprescribed were symptom-lowering and preventive drugs (mainly anatomical therapeutic chemical classes A and C). GPs found MediQuit useful in initiating communication on this issue and enhancing deliberations for a deprescribing decision. The median consultation length was 15 min (interquartile range 10-20). At follow-up, GPs and patients infrequently disagreed on which drug(s) was discontinued, and GPs rated patient involvement higher than did patients themselves., Discussion: MediQuit assists in identifying concrete deprescribing opportunities, patient involvement, and shared decision making. The three-step deprescribing procedure is well-accepted once initial organizational efforts are overcome. After revision, further studies are needed to enhance the quality of evidence on acceptance and effectiveness., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The modification of the biobased polymer chitosan is a broad and widely studied field. Herein, an insight into the hydrophobization of low-molecular-weight chitosan by substitution of amino functionalities with hexanoyl chloride is reported. Thereby, the influence of the pH of the reaction media was investigated. Further, methods for the determination of the degree of substitution based on 1 H-NMR, FTIR, and potentiometric titration were compared and discussed regarding their accuracy and precision. 1 H-NMR was the most accurate method, while FTIR and the potentiometric titration, though precise and reproducible, underlie the influence of complete protonation and solubility issues. Additionally, the impact of the pH variation during the synthesis on the properties of the samples was investigated by Cd 2+ sorption experiments. The adjusted pH values during the synthesis and, therefore, the obtained degrees of substitution possessed a strong impact on the adsorption properties of the final material.

Background: Collaborative care approaches between general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists have received international recognition for medication optimization and deprescribing efforts. Although specialist providers have been shown to influence deprescribing, their profession so far remains omitted from collaborative care approaches for medication optimization. Similarly, while explorative studies on role perception and collaboration between GPs and pharmacists grow, interaction with specialists for medication optimization is neglected. Our qualitative study therefore aims to explore GPs', community pharmacists' and specialist providers' role perceptions of deprescribing, and to identify interpersonal as well as structural factors that may influence collaborative medication optimization approaches., Method: Seven focus-group discussions with GPs, community pharmacists and community specialists were conducted in Hesse and Lower Saxony, Germany. The topic guide focused on views and experiences with deprescribing with special attention to inter-professional collaboration. We conducted conventional content analysis and conceptualized emerging themes using the Theoretical Domains Framework., Results: Twenty-six GPs, four community pharmacists and three community specialists took part in the study. The main themes corresponded to the four domains 'Social/professional role and identity' (1), 'Social influences' (2), 'Reinforcement' (3) and ´Environmental context and resources' (4) which were further described by beliefs statements, that is inductively developed key messages. For (1), GPs emerged as central medication managers while pharmacists and specialists were assigned confined or subordinated tasks in deprescribing. Social influences (2) encompassed patients' trust in GPs as a support, while specialists and pharmacists were believed to threaten GPs' role and deprescribing attempts. Reinforcements (3) negatively affected GPs' and pharmacists' effort in medication optimization by social reprimand and lacking reward. Environmental context (4) impeded deprescribing efforts by deficient reimbursement and resources as well as fragmentation of care, while informational and gate-keeping resources remained underutilized., Conclusion: Understanding stakeholders' role perceptions on collaborative deprescribing is a prerequisite for joint approaches to medication management. We found that clear definition and dissemination of roles and responsibilities are premise for avoiding intergroup conflicts. Role performance and collaboration must further be supported by structural factors like adequate reimbursement, resources and a transparent continuity of care.

Aims: The aim of this systematic review was to identify generic instruments for drug discontinuation in patients with polypharmacy in the primary care setting., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE, 8 guideline databases (AWMF, NICE, NGC, SIGN, NHMRC, CPG, KCE), the Cochrane Library and grey literature (Google) in 2016 and 2017. Two independent researchers screened and analysed data. The drug discontinuation instruments of the included publications were described and classified., Results: We identified 16 relevant publications. Here we found complex algorithms as well as instruments composed of distinct sequential steps. Two guidelines are constructed as electronic web-applications. Instruments revealed diverging emphases on the stages of deprescribing, i.e. preparation, drug evaluation, decision-making and implementation. Accordingly, 3 types of instruments emerged: general frameworks, detailed drug assessment tools and comprehensive discontinuation guidelines., Conclusion: Diverse generic instruments exist for different areas of applications in regard to drug discontinuation. However, there is still a need for practical and user-friendly tools that support physicians in communicational aspects, visualise trade-offs and also enhance patient involvement., (© 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.)

Maize, a main crop worldwide, establishes a mutualistic symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi providing nutrients to the roots from soil volumes which are normally not in reach of the non-colonized root. The mycorrhizal phosphate uptake pathway (MPU) spans from extraradical hyphae to root cortex cells housing fungal arbuscules and promotes the supply of phosphate to the mycorrhizal host in exchange for photosynthetic carbon. This symbiotic association with the mycobiont has been shown to affect plant host nutritional status and growth performance. However, whether and how the MPU affects the root microbial community associated with mycorrhizal hosts in association with neighboring plants, remains to be demonstrated. Here the maize germinal Mu transposon insertion mutant pht1;6, defective in mycorrhiza-specific Pi transporter PHT1;6 gene, and wild type B73 (wt) plants were grown in mono- and mixed culture and examined under greenhouse and field conditions. Disruption of the MPU in pht1;6 resulted in strongly diminished growth performance, in reduced P allocation to photosynthetic source leaves, and in imbalances in leaf elemental composition beyond P. At the microbial community level a loss of MPU activity had a minor effect on the root-associated fungal microbiome which was almost fully restricted to AM fungi of the Glomeromycotina. Moreover, while wt grew better in presence of pht1;6, pht1;6 accumulated little biomass irrespective of whether it was grown in mono- or mixed culture and despite of an enhanced fungal colonization of its roots in co-culture with wt. This suggested that a functional MPU is prerequisite to maintain maize growth and that neighboring plants competed for AM fungal Pi in low P soil. Thus future strategies towards improving yield in maize populations on soils with low inputs of P fertilizer could be realized by enhancing MPU at the individual plant level while leaving the root-associated fungal community largely unaffected., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Marine seaweeds increasingly grow into extensive algal blooms, which are detrimental to coastal ecosystems, tourism and aquaculture. However, algal biomass is also emerging as a sustainable raw material for the bioeconomy. The potential exploitation of algae is hindered by our limited knowledge of the microbial pathways-and hence the distinct biochemical functions of the enzymes involved-that convert algal polysaccharides into oligo- and monosaccharides. Understanding these processes would be essential, however, for applications such as the fermentation of algal biomass into bioethanol or other value-added compounds. Here, we describe the metabolic pathway that enables the marine flavobacterium Formosa agariphila to degrade ulvan, the main cell wall polysaccharide of bloom-forming Ulva species. The pathway involves 12 biochemically characterized carbohydrate-active enzymes, including two polysaccharide lyases, three sulfatases and seven glycoside hydrolases that sequentially break down ulvan into fermentable monosaccharides. This way, the enzymes turn a previously unexploited renewable into a valuable and ecologically sustainable bioresource.

Plants respond to phosphorus (P) limitation through an array of morphological, physiological and metabolic changes which are part of the phosphate (Pi) starvation response (PSR). This response influences the establishment of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis in most land plants. It is, however, unknown to what extent available P and the PSR redefine plant interactions with the fungal microbiota in soil. Using amplicon sequencing of the fungal taxonomic marker ITS2, we examined the changes in root-associated fungal communities in the AM nonhost species Arabidopsis thaliana in response to soil amendment with P and to genetic perturbations in the plant PSR. We observed robust shifts in root-associated fungal communities of P-replete plants in comparison with their P-deprived counterparts, while bulk soil communities remained unaltered. Moreover, plants carrying mutations in the phosphate signaling network genes, phr1, phl1 and pho2, exhibited similarly altered root fungal communities characterized by the depletion of the chytridiomycete taxon Olpidium brassicae specifically under P-replete conditions. This study highlights the nutritional status and the underlying nutrient signaling network of an AM nonhost plant as previously unrecognized factors influencing the assembly of the plant fungal microbiota in response to P in nonsterile soil., (© 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.)

Sphingolipids are well known to promote keratinocyte differentiation and to induce ceramide production. In addition, they show anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the potential effect of sphinganine on prolonging the hair anagen rate and improving the overall hair quality and scalp health. The inhibitory potential of sphinganine toward 5-α-reductase was studied using an in vitro assay. The stimulation of the antimicrobial peptide HBD2 by sphinganine was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining. Sphinganine bioavailability was studied ex vivo using a pig skin model. A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of sphinganine on hair loss and hair/scalp quality in vivo. In vitro results showed that sphinganine is a potent inhibitor of 5-α-reductase type I that prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a key factor of androgenetic male baldness. In vivo results demonstrated efficacy in reducing non-illness-related hair loss among males. In terms of expert rating, all hair quality and scalp parameters improved after application of sphinganine. Improved scalp health might be linked to the observed increase of the antimicrobial peptide HBD2. Thus, sphinganine is well suited as a topical alternative for the improvement of scalp health and hair quality and anti-hair loss application.