Histochemical indications for a chemically complex signal produced by the cervical gill slit gland of the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps).

The pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) possesses an exocrine gland associated with its false gill slit pigmentation pattern. The cervical gill slit gland is a compound tubuloalveolar gland that produces a holocrine secretion and displays maturational changes in size and secretory histology. While the morphology of the cervical gill slit gland has been described in detail, to date, the chemical composition of its secretion remains uncharacterized.

Future increase in compound soil drought-heat extremes exacerbated by vegetation greening.

Compound soil drought and heat extremes are expected to occur more frequently with global warming, causing wide-ranging socio-ecological repercussions. Vegetation modulates air temperature and soil moisture through biophysical processes, thereby influencing the occurrence of such extremes. Global vegetation cover is broadly expected to increase under climate change, but it remains unclear whether vegetation greening will alleviate or aggravate future increases in compound soil drought-heat events.

Automated Detection of Drusenoid Pigment Epithelial Detachments From Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients With AMD.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an algorithm for automated detection of drusenoid pigment epithelial detachments (DPEDs) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) volumes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to compare its performance against traditional reading center grading on color-fundus photographs (CFPs).

Methods: Eyes with a range of AMD severities, excluding neovascular disease, were imaged using spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) and paired CFPs and were followed annually for up to 5 years. DPEDs were automatically identified by segmenting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch's membrane (BM) layers from the SD-OCT volumes and imposing both a minimum RPE BM height (>75 µm) and a two-dimensional length requirement (>433 µm).

Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Geographic Atrophy Progression: Age-Related Eye Diseases Study 2 Report 34.

Purpose: To examine potential relationships between alcohol consumption and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression, including progression to late AMD and geographic atrophy (GA) enlargement rate.

Design: Post hoc analysis of cohorts within the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study 2.

Participants: A total of 6670 eyes (of 3673 participants) with no late AMD at baseline; 1143 eyes (of 841 participants) with GA at ≥2 consecutive visits.

Evidence for widespread thermal acclimation of canopy photosynthesis.

Plants acclimate to temperature by adjusting their photosynthetic capacity over weeks to months. However, most evidence for photosynthetic acclimation derives from leaf-scale experiments. Here we address the scarcity of evidence for canopy-scale photosynthetic acclimation by examining the correlation between maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and growth temperature ( ) across a range of concurrent temperatures and canopy foliage quantity, using data from >200 eddy covariance sites.

Mimicking the Architecture and Dissolution Chemistry of Cancellous Bone Tissue to Optimize the Biocompatibility of Bioactive Scaffolds.

Synthesis of mechanically stable porous scaffolds with an architecture analogous to cancellous bone tissue poses significant challenges to bioactive glass (BG) based scaffolds. This is primarily due to densification and crystallization of the BG's during heat treatment. This study presents a modified BG series (42SiO-xTiO-24NaO-21CaO-13PO, where x = 8 and 16 TiO).

Acclimation of Photosynthesis to CO Increases Ecosystem Carbon Storage due to Leaf Nitrogen Savings.

Photosynthesis is the largest flux of carbon between the atmosphere and Earth's surface and is driven by enzymes that require nitrogen, namely, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBisCO). Thus, photosynthesis is a key link between the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycle, and the representation of this link is critical for coupled carbon-nitrogen land surface models. Models and observations suggest that soil nitrogen availability can limit plant productivity increases under elevated CO.

Structural dissection of the CMP-pseudaminic acid synthetase, PseF.

Pseudaminic acid is a non-mammalian sugar found in the surface glycoconjugates of many bacteria, including several human pathogens, and is a virulence factor thought to facilitate immune evasion. The final step in the biosynthesis of the nucleotide activated form of the sugar, CMP-Pse5Ac7Ac is performed by a CMP-Pse5Ac7Ac synthetase (PseF). Here we present the biochemical and structural characterization of PseF from Aeromonas caviae (AcPseF), with AcPseF displaying metal-dependent activity over a broad pH and temperature range.

Intraoperative Aberrometry versus Preoperative Biometry for Intraocular Lens Power Calculations: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Purpose: To evaluate the published literature to compare intraoperative aberrometry (IA) with preoperative biometry-based formulas with respect to intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation accuracy for various clinical scenarios.

Methods: Literature searches in the PubMed database conducted in August 2022, July 2023, and February 2024 identified 157, 18, and 6 citations, respectively. These were reviewed in abstract form, and 61 articles were selected for full-text review.

Harnessing glycofluoroforms for impedimetric biosensing.

Glycans play a major role in biological cell-cell recognition and signal transduction but have found limited application in biosensors due to glycan/lectin promiscuity; multiple proteins are capable of binding to the same native glycan. Here, site-specific fluorination is used to introduce protein-glycan selectivity, and this is coupled with an electrochemical detection method to generate a novel biosensor platform. 3F-lacto--biose glycofluoroform is installed onto polymer tethers, which are subsequently immobilised onto gold screen printed electrodes, providing a non-fouling surface.

Synthesis and screening of a library of Lewis deoxyfluoro-analogues reveals differential recognition by glycan-binding partners.

Glycan-mediated interactions play a crucial role in biology and medicine, influencing signalling, immune responses, and disease pathogenesis. However, the use of glycans in biosensing and diagnostics is limited by cross-reactivity, as certain glycan motifs can be recognised by multiple biologically distinct protein receptors. To address this specificity challenge, we report the enzymatic synthesis of a 150-member library of site-specifically fluorinated Lewis analogues ('glycofluoroforms') using naturally occurring enzymes and fluorinated monosaccharides.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Age-Related Hearing Loss.

Objective: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a prevalent but often underdiagnosed and undertreated condition among individuals aged 50 and above. It is associated with various sociodemographic factors and health risks including dementia, depression, cardiovascular disease, and falls. While the causes of ARHL and its downstream effects are well defined, there is a lack of priority placed by clinicians as well as guidance regarding the identification, education, and management of this condition.

Plain Language Summary: Age-Related Hearing Loss.

The plain language summary explains age-related hearing loss to patients, families, and care partners. The summary is for any patient aged 50 years and older, families, and care partners. It is based on the 2024 "Clinical Practice Guideline: Age-Related Hearing Loss.

An Updated Simplified Severity Scale for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Incorporating Reticular Pseudodrusen: Age-Related Eye Disease Study Report Number 42.

Purpose: To update the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) simplified severity scale for risk of late age-related macular degeneration (AMD), including incorporation of reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), and to perform external validation on the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2).

Design: Post hoc analysis of 2 clinical trial cohorts: AREDS and AREDS2.

Participants: Participants with no late AMD in either eye at baseline in AREDS (n = 2719) and AREDS2 (n = 1472).

Validation of Thermal Imaging and the ALT-70 Prediction Model to Differentiate Cellulitis From Pseudocellulitis.

Importance: Cellulitis is misdiagnosed in up to 30% of cases due to mimic conditions termed pseudocellulitis. The resulting overuse of antibiotics is a threat to patient safety and public health. Surface thermal imaging and the ALT-70 (asymmetry, leukocytosis, tachycardia, and age ≥70 years) prediction model have been proposed as tools to help differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis.

Mapping the global distribution of C vegetation using observations and optimality theory.

Plants with the C photosynthesis pathway typically respond to climate change differently from more common C-type plants, due to their distinct anatomical and biochemical characteristics. These different responses are expected to drive changes in global C and C vegetation distributions. However, current C vegetation distribution models may not predict this response as they do not capture multiple interacting factors and often lack observational constraints.