Designing sustainable soil conditioners: Nanocomposite-based thermoplastic starch for enhanced soil health and crop performance.

The growing demand for sustainable solutions in agriculture, driven by global population growth and increasing soil degradation, has intensified the search for sustainable soil conditioners. This study investigated the impact of adding nanoclay (NC) and nano lignin (NL) to thermoplastic starch (TPS) on its physical, chemical, and thermal properties, its effectiveness as a soil conditioner, and its resistance to UV-C degradation. TPS nanocomposites were prepared with varying NC (3 %, 5 %, 7 %) and NL (0.

Mobile Health for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Patients' Preferences and Perception of Patient-Centeredness.

Background: The increasingly fast development of mobile health technologies holds significant value for individuals dealing with mental health conditions. However, inadequate consideration of patients' preferences and expectations undermines real-world outcomes, including sustained adherence. Driven by the belief that specific characteristics, such as youth and higher education, of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder make them suitable for digital adoption, we investigated mHealth-related desirability factors within this patient group.

Unravelling the complex influence of dissolved organic matter on microbial diversity in a salinized lake.

Ecosystems in cold and arid regions, such as Dai Lake - a typical inland, salinized lake in the semi-arid region of northern China - face severe environmental challenges, including salinization and biodiversity loss. This study investigates the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the structure of microbial communities in lake water and sediments, offering novel insights into the ecosystem's dynamics. In winter, DOM in the lake water is primarily derived from decaying plant and animal matter, while sediment DOM is predominantly associated with microbial activity.

"Actor-critic" dichotomous hyperactivation and hypoconnectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Dysfunctional response inhibition, mediated by the striatum and its connections, is thought to underly the clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the exact neural mechanisms remain controversial. In this study, we undertook a novel approach by positing that a) inhibition is a dynamic construct inherently susceptible to numerous failures, which require error-processing, and b) the actor-critic framework of reinforcement learning can integrate neural patterns of inhibition and error-processing in OCD with their behavioural correlates.

Negative valence in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A worldwide mega-analysis of task-based functional neuroimaging data of the ENIGMA-OCD consortium.

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with altered brain function related to processing of negative emotions. To investigate neural correlates of negative valence in OCD, we pooled fMRI data of 633 individuals with OCD and 453 healthy controls from 16 studies using different negatively-valenced tasks across the ENIGMA-OCD Working-Group.

Methods: Participant data were processed uniformly using HALFpipe, to extract voxelwise participant-level statistical images of one common first-level contrast: negative vs.

Advancing Health and Sustainability: A Holistic Approach to Food Production and Dietary Habits.

Producing healthier food requires expertise in methods that yield significant benefits for human health, sustainability, economic growth, cultural heritage, and overall well-being. Investing in conscientious and sustainable food systems can improve individual and planetary quality of life by preventing diseases, delaying ageing, and enhancing well-being. While healthy eating habits begin at home, schools play a pivotal role in reinforcing them from an early age.

Interference of the positioning of nickel, chromium and cobalt in the results of patch tests.

Background: The positioning of substances, which are co-sensitizers and/or with a tendency to cross-react, is not considered in the technique when applying patch tests (PT).

Objective: To investigate the interference of the positioning of nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) in patch tests (PT) results, when applied close or distant from each other.

Methods: PT were performed in patients suspected of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), using the standard battery (SB), with substances showing a tendency towards cross-react and co-sensitizers applied far apart, and an additional battery (AB) with the metals placed close to each other.

Flank-free modified supine vs. prone position for pediatric nephrolithotripsy: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is widely performed as the preferred treatment for kidney stones larger than 20 mm in pediatric patients, with current research focusing on comparing outcomes between prone and supine positions to determine optimal procedural positioning. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of prone versus supine positioning in pediatric PCNL, providing clarity on this critical aspect of the procedure to guide clinical decision-making.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science and Google Scholar.

Schwann cells exposed to articaine display distinct toxic pathways compared to lidocaine.

Articaine (ATC) has emerged as one of the most popular local anesthetics (LA) in dental clinics, despite its relatively recent introduction to the market. As a member of the amino-amide class of LA, ATC possesses unique features, including a thiophene ring and an ester group, which allow for its use at higher clinical concentrations. However, reports have indicated a higher incidence of paresthesia associated with ATC, though the underlying cause of this effect remains unclear.

Genetically diverse Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates manipulate inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion independently of macrophage metabolic rewiring.

The diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) impacts the outcome of tuberculosis. We previously showed that Mtb isolates obtained from patients with severe disease induced low inflammasome activation and IL-1β production by infected macrophages. Here we questioned whether this differential modulation of macrophages by Mtb isolates depended on distinct metabolic reprogramming.

Cytogenetic and photosynthetic responses of plants after exposure to water from a lake environment.

Plants are sensitive to environmental pollutants and are excellent organisms for genetic and physiological testing. Plant-based test systems are often used to study aquatic, aerial, and terrestrial pollution, especially Allium cepa, but studies with Tradescatia pallida specimens have gained prominence due to their sensitivity and applicability. Among the biomarkers, cytogenetic damage and chlorophyll levels are used in stress studies due to their responses to single or combined factors.

Metabolomic characterization of MC3T3-E1pre-osteoblast differentiation induced by ipriflavone-loaded mesoporous nanospheres.

This study reports on the metabolic changes accompanying the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 osteoprogenitor cells induced by mesoporous bioactive glass nanospheres (nMBG) loaded with ipriflavone (nMBG-IP). Ipriflavone (IP) is a synthetic isoflavone known for inhibiting bone resorption, maintaining bone density, and preventing osteoporosis. Delivering IP intracellularly is a promising strategy to modulate bone remodeling at significantly lower doses compared to free drug administration.

Antitumoral Activity and Metabolic Signatures of Dichloroacetate, 6-Aminonicotinamide and Etomoxir in Breast-Tumor-Educated Macrophages.

Pharmacological targeting of metabolic pathways represents an appealing strategy to selectively kill cancer cells while promoting antitumor functions of stromal cells. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of 13 metabolic drugs (MDs) in steering generated breast tumor-educated macrophages (TEMs) toward an antitumoral phenotype. For that, the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), two important regulators of tumor progression, was evaluated.

Use of biomarkers in bullfrog tadpoles Aquarana catesbeiana (Shaw 1802) for ecotoxicological evaluation of Pirajibú River (São Paulo, Brazil).

This study focused on investigating the water quality in the Pirajibú River, a relevant water body that flows through the industrial zone of Sorocaba (São Paulo/Brazil). Due to the limitations of assessing water quality based solely on standard physicochemical tests, an ecotoxicological approach was used to assess biomarker changes in the liver of bullfrog tadpoles (Aquarana catesbeiana). The animals were divided into groups and exposed to water samples collected upstream and downstream of the industrial zone.

Adherence to Exercise in People with Lung or Head and Neck Cancer: Self-Reported Symptoms and Motivation During Cancer Treatment Need to Be Considered.

: Symptoms and motivation may impact adherence to home-based exercise training programs (HETP) during cancer treatment (CT) for lung or head and neck cancer. This study aimed to identify self-reported symptoms and their frequency, as well as motivation towards an HETP during CT for primary lung or head and neck cancer. Associations between symptoms and motivation with HETP adherence were also investigated.

Informed Consent in Clinical Training: Perspectives from Medical Students and Faculty in Portugal.

The student-patient relationship represents the cornerstone of medical education, shaping future doctors' knowledge, skills and attitudes. While most patients allow student involvement in their care, some may express discomfort. Thus, obtaining explicit consent is essential to respect patients' right of autonomy.

Gallium: a decisive "Trojan Horse" against microorganisms.

Controlling multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MRM) has a long history with the extensive and inappropriate use of antibiotics. At the cost of these drugs being scarce, new possibilities have to be explored to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Thus, metallic compounds have shown to be promising as a viable alternative to contain pathogens resistant to conventional antimicrobials.

Changes in Serum Metabolome Following Low-Energy Diet-Induced Weight Loss in Women with Overweight and Prediabetes: A PREVIEW-New Zealand Sub-Study.

As obesity develops, metabolic changes increase the risk of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). Weight loss is crucial for improving health in T2D and cardiometabolic conditions. However, weight loss rates vary between individuals, even with identical diets or energy restrictions, highlighting the need to identify markers or predictors of weight loss success to enhance intervention outcomes.

Distinct oscillatory patterns differentiate between segregation and integration processes in perceptual grouping.

Recently, there has been a resurgence in experimental and conceptual efforts to understand how brain rhythms can serve to organize visual information. Oscillations can provide temporal structure for neuronal processing and form a basis for integrating information across brain areas. Here, we use a bistable paradigm and a data-driven approach to test the hypothesis that oscillatory modulations associate with the integration or segregation of visual elements.

Collaborative action between noradrenergic and serotoninergic systems in peripheral antinociception in mice.

Noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) induce nociception and antinociception. This antagonistic effect can be explained by the dose and type of activated receptors. We investigated the existence of synergism between the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems during peripheral antinociception.

Symbiosis: Aquatic apicomplexans shedding light on disguised associations.

Aquatic apicomplexans called Corallicolida have been found in tropical and coral-reef settings, infecting many coral species. New data challenge this tropical distribution and expand the corallicolids' range well into the cold temperate. Surprisingly, the sister clade to corallicolids infects only one group of vertebrates - bony fishes.

Neural underpinnings of ethical decisions in life and death dilemmas in naïve and expert firefighters.

When a single choice impacts on life outcomes, faculties to make ethical judgments come into play. Here we studied decisions in a real-life setting involving life-and-death outcomes that affect others and the decision-maker as well. We chose a genuine situation where prior training and expertise play a role: firefighting in life-threatening situations.