An Improved P(V) Thio-Oligonucleotide Synthesis Platform.

Three critical advances in simplifying the adoption of P(V)-based stereopure, phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotide synthesis are reported. A more inexpensive phosphorus-sulfur incorporation reagent () is introduced, a robust linker system was developed, and a systematic study of common nucleobase protecting groups was performed to significantly reduce the barrier to adoption of this technology.

Brain reboot: Enhancing neurogenesis and resilience.

In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Shen et al. investigate in vivo transient expression of Yamanaka factors (YFs) during embryogenesis and an adult mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated amyloidosis. These studies demonstrate that transient induction of YFs may be capable of enhancing neurogenesis and offer resilience against neurodegeneration.

Beyond body image: Self-face recognition and negative self-face evaluations in women at high risk for an eating disorder.

Background: Although one's face represents a core aspect of one's physical appearance, it remains underexplored in eating disorder (ED) populations.

Aims: The current study examined whether self-face recognition accuracy and evaluations differ in those at high (vs. low) ED risk.

HSV-1 Infection Alters Splicing and Promotes Tau Pathology in Neural Models of Alzheimer's Disease.

Introduction: Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection alters critical markers of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in neurons. One key marker of AD is the hyperphosphorylation of Tau, accompanied by altered levels of Tau isoforms. However, an imbalance in these Tau splice variants, specifically resulting from altered 3R to 4R splicing of exon 10, has yet to be directly associated with HSV-1 infection.

Exploring the Benefits of Dog-Assisted Therapy for the Treatment of Complex Trauma in Children: A Systematic Review.

Background: The manifestation of complex trauma results from exposure to severe and repetitive stressors occurring within the caregiver system. Frequently associated with child maltreatment, complex trauma can lead to impairments in multiple domains, including attachment, affect and behavioural regulation, and cognition. Treatments, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, have been shown to be efficacious, but high attrition rates point to the need for complementary methods that boost client retention and treatment efficacy.

iPSC-induced neurons with the V337M MAPT mutation are selectively vulnerable to caspase-mediated cleavage of tau and apoptotic cell death.

Background: Tau post-translational modifications (PTMs) result in the gradual build-up of abnormal tau and neuronal degeneration in tauopathies, encompassing variants of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau proteolytically cleaved by active caspases, including caspase-6, may be neurotoxic and prone to self-aggregation. Also, our recent findings show that caspase-6 truncated tau represents a frequent and understudied aspect of tau pathology in AD in addition to phospho-tau pathology.

Novel online enfacement illusion for investigating self-perception in mental disorders: an experimental study protocol.

Background: Remote research methods and interventions for mental health disorders have become increasingly important, particularly for conditions like eating disorders (EDs). Embodiment illusions, which induce feelings of ownership over another person?s body or body parts, offer valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying self-perception issues in EDs and potential interventions. However, existing research using these illusions has been limited to face-to-face settings.

Human-Induced Range Expansions Result in a Recent Hybrid Zone between Sister Species of Ducks.

Landscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues arising from purported range expansions into the south Texas Brush Country of two sister species of ducks: mottled () and Mexican () ducks.

Fully Human Bifunctional Intrabodies Achieve Graded Reduction of Intracellular Tau and Rescue Survival of Mutation iPSC-derived Neurons.

Tau protein aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), spurring development of tau-lowering therapeutic strategies. Here, we report fully human bifunctional anti-tau-PEST intrabodies that bind the mid-domain of tau to block aggregation and degrade tau via the proteasome using the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) PEST degron. They effectively reduced tau protein in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons in 2D cultures and 3D organoids, including those with the disease-associated tau mutations R5L, N279K, R406W, and V337M.

Enfacement illusions: Filling a knowledge gap in eating disorder risk assessment, prevention, and intervention?

Body image disturbance (BID) is central to eating disorders (EDs), yet the role of self-face perception has received limited empirical attention despite rising sociocultural pressures emphasizing facial appearance through technologies such as social media. Emerging evidence suggests impairments in self-face recognition accuracy and distorted perceptions of facial appearance among individuals with EDs. Enfacement illusions, involving the experimental induction of perceived ownership over another's face, offer a novel paradigm to comprehensively investigate the perceptual multisensory integration processes underlying self-face perception disturbances in ED populations.

Unraveling the Interplay: Soil Biogeochemical Factors Shaping the Efficacy of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Suppressing Fusarium Root Rot of Strawberry.

Nontoxic alternatives to chemical soil fumigants for suppressing soilborne pathogens such as (), one causative agent of strawberry black root rot complex prevalent in the Southeastern United States, are urgently needed. A promising alternative is anaerobic soil disinfestation, in which soil is amended with labile organic materials, irrigated to field capacity, and tarped to induce anaerobic fermentation for a brief period before planting. Pathogen-suppression mechanisms of anaerobic soil disinfestation include anaerobic conditions and generation of reduced metal cations (Fe and Mn) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs; e.

Real-time control of urban drainage systems using neuro-evolution.

With climate change and urbanization, existing urban drainage systems are being stressed beyond their design capacity in many parts of the world. Real-time control (RTC) can improve the performance of these systems and reduce the need for system upgrades. However, developing optimal control policies for RTC is a challenging research area due to computational demands, high uncertainties and system dynamics.

First report of root rot of strawberry caused by , a member of the species complex, in Tennessee, USA.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) in Tennessee is cultivated on plastic mulched beds annually, and production is limited primarily by multiple oomycete and fungal root rot pathogens that result in reduced vigor and black root rot disease symptoms. In early June 2018, plants (cv. Chandler) with reduced shoot vigor and size, and black, necrotic stunted roots were collected from Rhea County, TN.

People with painful knee osteoarthritis hold negative implicit attitudes towards activity.

Negative attitudes/beliefs surrounding osteoarthritis, pain, and activity contribute to reduced physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). These attitudes/beliefs are assessed using self-report questionnaires, relying on information one is consciously aware of and willing to disclose. Automatic (ie, implicit) assessment of attitudes does not rely on conscious reflection and may identify features unique from self-report.

Making Waves: Towards data-centric water engineering.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to transform many scientific disciplines, with the potential to significantly accelerate scientific discovery. This perspective calls for the development of data-centric water engineering to tackle water challenges in a changing world. Building on the historical evolution of water engineering from empirical and theoretical paradigms to the current computational paradigm, we argue that a fourth paradigm, i.

ENGINEERED NANOBODIES WITH PROGRAMMABLE TARGET ANTIGEN PROTEOLYSIS (PTAP) FUSIONS REGULATE INTRACELLULAR ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN IN VITRO AND IN VIVO.

Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) aggregation and the formation of Lewy pathology (LP) is a foundational pathophysiological phenomenon in synucleinopathies. Delivering therapeutic single-chain and single-domain antibodies that bind pathogenic targets can disrupt intracellular aggregation. The fusion of antibody fragments to a negatively-charged proteasomal targeting motif (PEST) creates bifunctional constructs that enhance both solubility and turnover.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells inhibit replication in clinically relevant models of lung infection.

Introduction: Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can directly inhibit MAC growth, but their effect on intracellular bacilli is unknown. We investigated the ability of human MSCs to reduce bacterial replication and inflammation in MAC-infected macrophages and in a murine model of MAC-PD.

Can Blue-Green Infrastructure enhance resilience in urban drainage systems during failure conditions?

The need to enhance the resilience of urban drainage systems (UDSs) in view of emerging global climate change and urbanisation threats is well recognised. Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) provides a suitable strategy for building the resilience of existing UDSs. However, there are limited quantitative studies that provide evidence of their effectiveness for increased uptake in cities.

The effect of green infrastructure on resilience performance in combined sewer systems under climate change.

Climate change is currently reshaping precipitation patterns, intensifying extremes, and altering runoff dynamics. Particularly susceptible to these impacts are combined sewer systems (CSS), which convey both stormwater and wastewater and can lead to combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges during heavy rainfall. Green infrastructure (GI) can help mitigate these discharges and enhance system resilience under historical conditions; however, the quantification of its effect on resilience in a future climate remains unknown in the literature.

The Effectiveness of Self-supervised Pre-training for Multi-modal Endometriosis Classification.

Endometriosis is a debilitating condition affecting 5% to 10% of the women worldwide, where early detection and treatment are the best tools to manage the condition. Early detection can be done via surgery, but multi-modal medical imaging is preferable given the simpler and faster process. However, imaging-based endometriosis diagnosis is challenging as 1) there are few capable clinicians; and 2) it is characterised by small lesions unconfined to a specific location.

Teaching Patients About Pain: The Emergence of Pain Science Education, its Learning Frameworks and Delivery Strategies.

Since it emerged in the early 2000's, intensive education about 'how pain works', widely known as pain neuroscience education or explaining pain, has evolved into a new educational approach, with new content and new strategies. The substantial differences from the original have led the PETAL collaboration to call the current iteration 'Pain Science Education'. This review presents a brief historical context for Pain Science Education, the clinical trials, consumer perspective, and real-world clinical data that have pushed the field to update both content and method.