Cilia assembly and function rely on the bidirectional transport of components between the cell body and ciliary tip via Intraflagellar Transport (IFT) trains. Anterograde and retrograde IFT trains travel along the B- and A-tubules of microtubule doublets, respectively, ensuring smooth traffic flow. However, the mechanism underlying this segregation remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContamination of soils with toxic metals poses significant threats to human health and ecosystems. Plant-based remediation strategies can play a vital role in mitigating these risks, and the use of plants as a remediation strategy can help reduce these risks. In this study, we investigate the remediation potential of native plants in accumulating and translocating metal(loid)s at a Colombian site impacted by gold mining.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMain Aim: In July 2022, an extensive outbreak of Mpox (monkeypox) was considered by WHO as a Public Health Emergency. The objective of this study is to describe the obtained results from a Mpox case detection program in a semi-urban healthcare area where approximately 420 Primary Care physicians work.
Design: An observational prospective study performed between June 01, 2022 and December 31, 2023.
Raphid diatoms are one of the few eukaryotes capable of gliding motility, which is remarkably fast and allows for quasi-instantaneous directional reversals. Besides other mechanistic models, it has been suggested that an actomyosin system provides the force for diatom gliding. However, in vivo data on the dynamics of actin and myosin in diatoms are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe evaluation of metal contamination, ecological risk, bioavailability, and the environmental dredging depth in sediments of two Colombian riverine systems impacted by artisanal gold mining and agricultural activities, was conducted following dredging processes. Results indicated significant contamination by Cd and Pb before dredging, based on the contamination factor (CF) and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo). Additionally, Cu and Hg were found to cause adverse biological effects according to sediment quality guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe QUANT study represents the most extensive open-access evaluation of commercial air quality sensor systems to date. This comprehensive study assessed 49 systems from 14 manufacturers across three urban sites in the UK over a three-year period. The resulting open-access dataset captures high time-resolution measurements of a variety of gasses (NO, NO, O, CO, CO), particulate matter (PM, PM, PM), and key meteorological parameters (humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrotubules (MTs) are dynamically unstable polar biopolymers switching between periods of polymerization and depolymerization, with the switch from the polymerization to the depolymerization phase termed catastrophe and the reverse transition termed rescue. In presence of MT-crosslinking proteins, MTs form parallel or anti-parallel overlaps and self-assemble reversibly into complex networks, such as the mitotic spindle. Differential regulation of MT dynamics in parallel and anti-parallel overlaps is critical for the self-assembly of these networks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Mild breast swelling is frequently observed in newborns during the first postnatal week. Breast enlargement is also observed in a minor proportion of infants beyond the first postnatal week, leading to discussions how to deal with it. Our objective was to review a case series of infants with prolonged breast swelling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGold mining not only introduces mercury (Hg) contamination to soils but also facilitates the mobilization of other toxic substances, including arsenic (As). This study assessed the total content, chemical species, and bioavailable fraction of As in surface soils impacted by mining residues during frequent flooding. Analysis of 207 soil samples across the floodplain region of La Mojana, Colombia, screened to 2 mm with polyethylene mesh, revealed significant correlations (p < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Treatment for transmasculine youth (TMY) can involve testosterone treatment and is sometimes preceded by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment for puberty blockade. GnRHas can increase final height in birth-assigned females with central precocious puberty. Maximizing final adult height (FAH) is an important outcome for many TMY.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrotubule motors play key roles in cellular functions, such as transport, mitosis and cell motility. Fueled by ATP hydrolysis, they convert chemical energy into mechanical work, which enables their movement on microtubules. While their motion along the long axis of microtubules has been studied extensively, some motors display an off-axis component, which results in helical motion around microtubules and the generation of torque in addition to linear forces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Even if understanding of neuronal enteropathies, such as Hirschsprung's disease and functional constipation, has been improved, specialized therapies are still missing. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) has been established in the treatment of defecation disorders in adults. The aim of the study was to investigate effects of SNM in children and adolescents with refractory symptoms of chronic constipation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the risk of IgE sensitization and symptoms to shrimp in a population that has received AIT with polymerized mite extract.
Methods: Patients with allergic rhinitis sensitized to dust mites (Dermatophogides spp) with an indication for mite AIT were included. Those patients who had not yet received AIT or had received less than 6 doses were included as controls and those who had received more than 24 doses of AIT were included as cases.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a type of death that occurs suddenly and without any apparent explanation, affecting infants between 28 days of life and up to a year. Recognition of this entity includes performing an autopsy to determine if there is another explanation for the event and performing both an external and internal examination of the different tissues to search for possible histopathological findings. Despite the relative success of awareness campaigns and the implementation of prevention measures, SIDS still represents one of the leading causes of death among infants worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Centralization of neonatal surgical care for congenital malformations is already under discussion. Acute care of neonatal emergencies in perinatal centers with affiliated hospitals is not uniformly regulated in Germany.
Materials And Methods: Analyses are based on acute pediatric surgical care at four affiliated hospitals of a perinatal center.
Background: A therapeutic effect of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) on fecal incontinence (FI) and quality of life has been proven in adults. SNM is, however, rarely used in pediatric cases. The aim of the study is to investigate effects of SNM in pediatric constipation in a prospective parallel-group trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContractile rings are formed from cytoskeletal filaments during cell division. Ring formation is induced by specific crosslinkers, while contraction is typically associated with motor protein activity. Here, we engineer DNA nanotubes and peptide-functionalized starPEG constructs as synthetic crosslinkers to mimic this process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis work reports an optimized method to experimentally quantify the Gd-nanoparticle dose enhancement generated by electronic brachytherapy. The dose enhancement was evaluated considering energy beams of 50 kVp and 70 kVp, determining the Gd-nanoparticle concentration ranges that would optimize the process for each energy. The evaluation was performed using delaminated radiochromic films and a Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) phantom covered on one side by a thin 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article provides a comprehensive study of ecosystem rehabilitation methods widely used in the 21st century, focusing on Europe. The review covers the evolution and trends in scientific article publication, identification of European countries demonstrating high publication outputs, collaboration patterns, leading journals, and thematic areas. Additionally, it examines primary stressors in European aquatic ecosystems, and different methods and treatments commonly employed for remediation purposes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring mitosis, motor proteins and microtubule-associated protein organize the spindle apparatus by cross-linking and sliding microtubules. Kinesin-5 plays a vital role in spindle formation and maintenance, potentially inducing twist in the spindle fibers. The off-axis power stroke of kinesin-5 could generate this twist, but its implications in microtubule organization remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring the last few decades, inputs of mercury (Hg) to the environment from anthropogenic sources have increased. The Ebro Delta is an important area of rice production in the Iberian Peninsula. Given the industrial activity and its legacy pollution along the Ebro river, residues containing Hg have been transported throughout the Ebro Delta ecosystems.
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