Ruxolitinib in acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease: real life long-term experience in a multi-center study for adult and pediatric patients, on behalf of the GETH-TC.

Ruxolitinib has been approved for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients ≥12 years with steroid refractory graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). However, real-life studies are needed to confirm the results of clinical trials and further assess its efficacy in special populations. We performed a descriptive, retrospective, multi-center study of 352 adults and 42 pediatric patients treated with ruxolitinib for steroid-refractory acute or chronic GvHD.

Construction of versatile plastic-degrading microbial consortia based on ligninolytic microorganisms associated with agricultural waste composting.

The accumulation of plastic in ecosystems is one of the most critical environmental concerns today. Plastic biodegradation using individual microbial cultures has shown limited success, which can be improved by employing microbial consortia with appropriate enzymatic capabilities. This study aims to assemble and characterize microbial consortia using ligninolytic fungi and bacteria isolated from an agricultural waste composting process, with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of plastic biodegradation.

Dynamics of virological and immunological markers of HIV persistence after allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in the IciStem cohort: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) markedly reduces HIV reservoirs, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are only partly understood. In this study, we aimed to describe the dynamics of virological and immunological markers of HIV persistence after allo-HSCT.

Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, we analysed the viral reservoir and serological dynamics in IciStem cohort participants with HIV who had undergone allo-HSCT and were receiving antiretroviral therapy, ten of whom had received cells from donors with the CCR5Δ32 mutation.

Identification of consistent QTL and candidate genes associated with seed traits in common bean by combining GWAS and RNA-Seq.

Association analysis, colocation study with previously reported QTL, and differential expression analyses allowed the identification of the consistent QTLs and main candidate genes controlling seed traits. Common beans show wide seed variations in shape, size, water uptake, and coat proportion. This study aimed to identify consistent genomic regions and candidate genes involved in the genetic control of seed traits by combining association and differential expression analyses.

Allostatic load, adverse childhood experiences, executive functions, and BMI status in adolescents and young adults.

Objectives: Chronic stress induces preclinical changes in the metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. This phenomenon, known as allostatic load (AL), can impair executive functions (EF), which may be even more affected in individuals with excess weight due to their characteristic inflammatory state and cardiometabolic changes. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to AL and may influence executive functioning presumably via alterations within the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, including epigenetic modifications.

Improved integration of single-cell transcriptome data demonstrates common and unique signatures of heart failure in mice and humans.

Background: Cardiovascular research heavily relies on mouse (Mus musculus) models to study disease mechanisms and to test novel biomarkers and medications. Yet, applying these results to patients remains a major challenge and often results in noneffective drugs. Therefore, it is an open challenge of translational science to develop models with high similarities and predictive value.

Development of functional consortia for the pretreatment of compostable lignocellulosic waste: A simple and effective solution to a large-scale problem.

Microorganisms drive the degradation of organic matter thanks to their enzymatic versatility. However, the structure of lignocellulose poses a great challenge for the microbiota inhabiting a compost pile. Our purpose was to increase the biodegradability of vegetable waste in the early stages of the composting process by applying a microbial consortium with lignocelllulolytic capacity.

ECP versus ruxolitinib in steroid-refractory acute GVHD - a retrospective study by the EBMT transplant complications working party.

Introduction: Extracorporal Photophoresis (ECP) is in clinical use for steroid-refractory and steroid-dependent acute GVHD (SR-aGVHD). Based on recent Phase-III study results, ruxolitinib has become the new standard of care for SR-aGVHD. Our aim was to collect comparative data between ruxolitinib and ECP in SR-aGVHD in order to improve the evidence base for clinical decision making.

From the reward network to whole-brain metrics: structural connectivity in adolescents and young adults according to body mass index and genetic risk of obesity.

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial condition. Genetic variants, such as the fat mass and obesity related gene (FTO) polymorphism, may increase the vulnerability of developing obesity by disrupting dopamine signaling within the reward network. Yet, the association of obesity, genetic risk of obesity, and structural connectivity of the reward network in adolescents and young adults remains unexplored.

Genetic control of pod morphological traits and pod edibility in a common bean RIL population.

QTL mapping, association analysis, and colocation study with previously reported QTL revealed three main regions controlling pod morphological traits and two loci for edible pod characteristics on the common bean chromosomes Pv01 and Pv06. Bean pod phenotype is a complex characteristic defined by the combination of different traits that determine the potential use of a genotype as a snap bean. In this study, the TUM RIL population derived from a cross between 'TU' (dry) and 'Musica' (snap) was used to investigate the genetic control of pod phenotype.

Enhancing earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) tolerance to plastic contamination through gut microbiome fortification with plastic-degrading microorganisms.

Microorganisms from L. terrestris gut previously exposed to different types of plastic (PET, LDPE, LLDPE, and PS) were studied to be used as probiotics of earthworms in plastic-contaminated soils (LDPE, LLDPE and recycled mulching film) at mesocosm-scale trials. The most abundant morphotypes with enzymatic capacities of interest were identified.

Cooperativity and oscillations: Regulatory mechanisms of K-Ras nanoclusters.

K-Ras nanoclusters (NCs) concentrate all required molecules belonging to the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in a small area where signaling events take place, increasing efficiency and specificity of signaling. Such nanostructures are characterized by controlled sizes and lifetimes distributions, but there is a poor understanding of the mechanisms involved in their dynamics of growth/decay. Here, a minimum computational model is presented to analyze the behavior of K-Ras NCs as cooperative dynamic structures that self-regulate their growth and decay according to their size.

Genetic erosion within the Fabada dry bean market class revealed by high-throughput genotyping.

The Fabada market class within the dry beans has a well-differentiated seed phenotype with very large white seeds. This work investigated the genetic diversity maintained in the seed collections within this market class and possible genetic erosion over the last 30 years. A panel with 100 accessions was maintained in seed collections for 30 years, 57 accessions collected from farmers in 2021, six cultivars developed in SERIDA, and 16 reference cultivars were gathered and genotyped with 108,585 SNPs using the genotyping-by-sequencing method.

A Comparative Study on Graft and Overall Survival Rates Between Diabetic and Nondiabetic Kidney Transplant Patients Through Survival Analysis.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have worse graft and overall survival, but recent evidence suggests that the difference is no longer significant.

Objective: To compare the outcomes between patients with end-stage kidney disease due to DM (ESKD-DM) and ESKD due to nondiabetic etiology (ESKD-non-DM) who underwent kidney transplantation (KT) up to 10 years of follow-up.

Design: Survival analysis of a retrospective cohort.

Sustainable approach to the control of airborne phytopathogenic fungi by application of compost extracts.

The search for new sustainable alternatives for plant disease control has gained interest in the last decades. Compost extracts are nowadays considered a remarkable alternative to agrochemicals due to their biopesticidal properties. However, these properties could be affected by the different variables of extraction protocols and by starting compost.

Body mass index, systemic inflammation and cognitive performance in adolescents: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Excessive body weight has been related to lower cognitive performance. One of the mechanisms through which excess body weight may affect cognition is inflammation.

Hypothesis: Our hypothesis is that both body mass index (BMI) and circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers will be negatively related to cognitive performance.

Polymorphisms within Autophagy-Related Genes as Susceptibility Biomarkers for Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis of Three Large Cohorts and Functional Characterization.

Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk.

Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms.

The increase in the production of highly recalcitrant plastic materials, and their accumulation in ecosystems, generates the need to investigate new sustainable strategies to reduce this type of pollution. Based on recent works, the use of microbial consortia could contribute to improving plastic biodegradation performance. This work deals with the selection and characterization of plastic-degrading microbial consortia using a sequential and induced enrichment technique from artificially contaminated microcosms.

Genome-wide association study for the extractable phenolic profile and coat color of common bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Background: A large variation in seed coat colors and seed phenolic metabolites is present in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The study of the relationships between seed coat color phenotype and the phenolic profile is an important step in the elucidation of the gene network involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway.

COVID-19 severity is related to poor executive function in people with post-COVID conditions.

Patients with post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) conditions typically experience cognitive problems. Some studies have linked COVID-19 severity with long-term cognitive damage, while others did not observe such associations. This discrepancy can be attributed to methodological and sample variations.

Mitigation of phytotoxic effect of compost by application of optimized aqueous extraction protocols.

The abuse of chemical fertilizers in recent decades has led the promotion of less harmful alternatives, such as compost or aqueous extracts obtained from it. Therefore, it is essential to develop liquid biofertilizers, which in addition of being stable and useful for fertigation and foliar application in intensive agriculture had a remarkable phytostimulant extracts. For this purpose, a collection of aqueous extracts was obtained by applying four different Compost Extraction Protocols (CEP1, CEP2, CEP3, CEP4) in terms of incubation time, temperature and agitation of compost samples from agri-food waste, olive mill waste, sewage sludge and vegetable waste.