Downscaling air temperatures for high-resolution niche modeling in a valley of the Amazon lowland forests: A case study on the microclima R package.

The forests of the Amazon basin are threatened by climate and land use changes. Due to the transition towards a drier climate, moisture-dependent organisms such as canopy epiphytes are particularly affected. Even if the topography in the Amazon lowland is moderate, mesoscale nocturnal katabatic flows result from cold air production related to radiative cooling.

Herbarium specimens reveal a cryptic invasion of polyploid Centaurea stoebe in Europe.

Numerous plant species are expanding their native ranges due to anthropogenic environmental change. Because cytotypes of polyploid complexes often show similar morphologies, there may be unnoticed range expansions (i.e.

Where is the heat threat in a city? Different perspectives on people-oriented and remote sensing methods: The case of Prague.

Extreme heat in urban areas has a severe impact on urban populations worldwide. In light of the threats posed by climate change, it is clear that more holistic and people-oriented approaches to reducing heat stress in urban areas are needed. From this perspective we aim to identify and compare thermal hotspots and places with favourable thermal conditions, based on three different methods - thermal walk, participatory-based cognitive mapping, and remote sensing in a Central European city.

Humoral immune response as an indicator for protection against Covid-19 after anti-SARS-COV2-booster vaccination in hematological and oncological patients.

Cancer patients are at a higher risk to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population and regularly show an impaired immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In our oncological center, 357 patients with hematological and oncological diseases were monitored for neutralizing antibodies from October 2021 over 12 months. All patients had received three anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations with an mRNA-(Comirnaty/BionTech or Spikevax/Moderna) or a vector vaccine (Vakzevria/AstraZeneca or JCOVDEN/Johnson&Johnson).

Definition of the Post-COVID syndrome using a symptom-based Post-COVID score in a prospective, multi-center, cross-sectoral cohort of the German National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON).

Purpose: The objective examination of the Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) remains difficult due to heterogeneous definitions and clinical phenotypes. The aim of the study was to verify the functionality and correlates of a recently developed PCS score.

Methods: The PCS score was applied to the prospective, multi-center cross-sectoral cohort (in- and outpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection) of the "National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON, Germany)".

Facile and Green Synthesis of Well-Defined Nanocrystal Oxygen Evolution Catalysts by Rational Crystallization Regulation.

The development of catalysts for an economical and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for clean and sustainable energy storage and conversion. Nickel-iron-based (NiFe) nanostructures are widely investigated as active OER catalysts and especially shape-controlled nanocrystals exhibit optimized surface structure and electronic properties. However, the structural control from amorphous to well-defined crystals is usually time-consuming and requires multiple stages.

Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity: the Hamburg Declaration.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression and cancers, are on the rise worldwide and are often associated with a lack of physical activity (PA). Globally, the levels of PA among individuals are below WHO recommendations. A lack of PA can increase morbidity and mortality, worsen the quality of life and increase the economic burden on individuals and society.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids improve intestinal barrier integrity-albeit to a lesser degree than short-chain fatty acids: an exploratory analysis of the randomized controlled LIBRE trial.

Purpose: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with beneficial health effects, including gastrointestinal disorders. Preclinical studies suggest that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), found in Mediterranean foods like nuts and fish, improve intestinal barrier integrity. Here, we assessed possible effects of n-3 PUFAs on barrier integrity in a randomized controlled trial.

Potential Modulation of Inflammation and Physical Function by Combined Probiotics, Omega-3 Supplementation and Vitamin D Supplementation in Overweight/Obese Patients with Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Obesity is characterized by low-grade inflammation and increased gut permeability. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of a nutritional supplement on these parameters in subjects with overweight and obesity. A double-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 76 adults with overweight or obesity (BMI 28 to 40) and low-grade inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) between 2 and 10 mg/L).

Reducing O sensitivity in electrochemical nitric oxide releasing catheters: An O-tolerant copper(II)-ligand nitrite reduction catalyst and a glucose oxidase catheter coating.

Electrocatalytic nitric oxide (NO) generation from nitrite (NO) within a single lumen of a dual-lumen catheter using Cu-ligand (Cu-L) mediators have been successful at demonstrating NO's potent antimicrobial and antithrombotic properties to reduce bacterial counts and mitigate clotting under low oxygen conditions (e.g., venous blood).

Efficacy of Antihypertensive Drugs of Different Classes After Renal Denervation in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) lowers blood pressure (BP) in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Limited data exist on the effectiveness of different antihypertensive medications following RDN on BP and maladaptive cardiac phenotypes.

Methods: Eighty-nine male spontaneously hypertensive rats with continuous BP recording underwent RDN or sham operation.

The Greifswald Post COVID Rehabilitation Study and Research (PoCoRe)-Study Design, Characteristics and Evaluation Tools.

(1) Background: COVID-19 is often associated with significant long-term symptoms and disability, i.e., the long/post-COVID syndrome (PCS).

Differential Effects of Somatostatin, Octreotide, and Lanreotide on Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Proliferation in Established and Primary NET Cell Lines: Possible Crosstalk with TGF-β Signaling.

GEP-NETs are heterogeneous tumors originating from the pancreas (panNET) or the intestinal tract. Only a few patients with NETs are amenable to curative tumor resection, and for most patients, only palliative treatments to successfully control the disease or manage symptoms remain, such as with synthetic somatostatin (SST) analogs (SSAs), such as octreotide (OCT) or lanreotide (LAN). However, even cells expressing low levels of SST receptors (SSTRs) may exhibit significant responses to OCT, which suggests the possibility that SSAs signal through alternative mechanisms, e.

Mesothelin Gene Variants Affect Soluble Mesothelin-Related Protein Levels in the Plasma of Asbestos-Exposed Males and Mesothelioma Patients from Germany.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a severe disease mostly caused by asbestos exposure. Today, one of the best available biomarkers is the soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP), also known as mesothelin. Recent studies have shown that mesothelin levels are influenced by individual genetic variability.

Analyzing siRNA Concentration, Complexation and Stability in Cationic Dendriplexes by Stem-Loop Reverse Transcription-qPCR.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful therapeutic approach for messenger RNA (mRNA) level regulation in human cells. RNAi can be triggered by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which are delivered by non-viral carriers, e.g.

Functional outcome measures in young, steroid-naïve boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The purpose of this study was to quantitate motor performance in 196 genetically confirmed steroid-naïve boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), to evaluate the test-retest reliability of measures of motor performance in young DMD boys, and to assess correlations among the different functional outcomes including timed tests. Boys aged 4-7 years were recruited in the FOR-DMD study, a comparative effectiveness study of different steroid regimens in DMD. Eligible boys had to be able to rise from the floor independently and to perform pulmonary function testing consistently.

The speed limit of optoelectronics.

Light-field driven charge motion links semiconductor technology to electric fields with attosecond temporal control. Motivated by ultimate-speed electron-based signal processing, strong-field excitation has been identified viable for the ultrafast manipulation of a solid's electronic properties but found to evoke perplexing post-excitation dynamics. Here, we report on single-photon-populating the conduction band of a wide-gap dielectric within approximately one femtosecond.

Screening for phenotypic outliers identifies an unusually low concentration of a β-lactoglobulin B protein isoform in bovine milk caused by a synonymous SNP.

Background: Milk samples from 10,641 dairy cattle were screened by a mass spectrometry method for extreme concentrations of the A or B isoforms of the whey protein, β-lactoglobulin (BLG), to identify causative genetic variation driving changes in BLG concentration.

Results: A cohort of cows, from a single sire family, was identified that produced milk containing a low concentration of the BLG B protein isoform. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BLG B protein isoform concentration in milk from AB heterozygous cows, detected a group of highly significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within or close to the BLG gene.

Oral Bioavailability of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Carotenoids from the Microalgae in Healthy Young Adults.

The microalgae (PT) contains valuable nutrients such as proteins, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (-3 PUFA), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and some docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), carotenoids such as fucoxanthin (FX), and beta-glucans, which may confer health benefits. In a randomized intervention trial involving 22 healthy individuals, we administered for two weeks in a crossover manner the whole biomass of PT (5.3 g/day), or fish oil (FO) containing equal amounts of EPA and DHA (together 300 mg/day).

Environmentally associated chromosomal structural variation influences fine-scale population structure of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).

Chromosomal rearrangements (e.g., inversions, fusions, and translocations) have long been associated with environmental variation in wild populations.

Functional and clinical outcomes of FMRI-based neurofeedback training in patients with alcohol dependence: a pilot study.

Identifying treatment options for patients with alcohol dependence is challenging. This study investigates the application of real-time functional MRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NF) to foster resistance towards craving-related neural activation in alcohol dependence. We report a double-blind, placebo-controlled rtfMRI study with three NF sessions using alcohol-associated cues as an add-on therapy to the standard treatment.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and kisspeptin: It takes two to tango.

Kisspeptin (Kp), a family of peptides comprising products of the Kiss1 gene, was discovered 20 years ago; it is recognised as the major factor controlling the activity of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurones and thus the activation of the reproductive axis in mammals. It has been widely documented that the effects of Kp on reproduction through its action on GnRH neurones are mediated by the GPR54 receptor. Kp controls the activation of the reproductive axis at puberty, maintains reproductive axis activity in adults and is involved in triggering ovulation in some species.

Novel PRMT7 mutation in a rare case of dysmorphism and intellectual disability.

Protein arginine N-methyltransferase 7 (PRMT7) encodes an arginine methyltransferase central to a number of fundamental biological processes, mutations in which result in an autosomal recessive developmental disorder characterized by short stature, brachydactyly, intellectual developmental disability and seizures (SBIDDS). To date, fewer than 15 patients with biallelic mutations in PRMT7 have been documented. Here we report brothers from a consanguineous Iraqi family presenting with a developmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, shortened stature, facial dysmorphisms, brachydactyly, and kidney dysfunction.

Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for production of scyllo-inositol, a drug candidate against Alzheimer's disease.

Scyllo-inositol has been identified as a potential drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, cost-efficient processes for the production of this compound are desirable. In this study, we analyzed and engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum with the aim to develop competitive scyllo-inositol producer strains.