Calcium oxalate crystals in cacao trees and their interactions with cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao beans from Latin America often exceed limits for trading. A better understanding of the mechanisms of Cd accumulation in Theobroma cacao L. trees is necessary to advance mitigation strategies.

Emodepside: the anthelmintic's mode of action and toxicity.

Nematode parasitic infections continue to be a major health problem for humans and animals. Drug resistance to currently available treatments only worsen the problem. Drug discovery is expensive and time-consuming, making drug repurposing an enticing option.

Water Heater Type, Temperature Setting, Operational Conditions, and Insulation Affect Ecological Niches for Growth.

Residential water heating represents an important nexus of energy/water conservation, waterborne disease, hygiene, and consumer preference. Here, we examine attributes of two off-the-shelf 151-L tank water heaters, one with hot water recirculation (recirculating) and another without recirculation (standard), compared to a tankless on-demand heater (on-demand). Energy efficiency decreased in the order on-demand > standard > continuous recirculation.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are refractory to disease-modifying therapy (DMT). AHSCT after failure of high-efficacy DMT in aggressive forms of relapsing-remitting MS is a generally accepted indication, yet the optimal placement of this approach in the treatment sequence is not universally agreed upon. Uncertainties also remain with respect to other indications, such as in rapidly evolving, severe, treatment-naive MS, progressive MS, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Donor Strand Complementation and Calcium Ion Coordination Drive the Chaperone-free Polymerization of Archaeal Cannulae.

Cannulae are tubular protein filaments that accumulate on the extracellular surface of the hyperthermophilic archaeon during cell division. Cannulae have been postulated to act as a primitive extracellular matrix through which cells could communicate or exchange material, although their native biological function remains obscure. Here, we report cryoEM structural analyses of cannulae and of protein assemblies derived from recombinant cannula-like proteins.

"Y" Configuration of the Arterial Pedicle or the Use of a Saphenous Vein Graft for Microsurgical Reconstruction in the Old and Diseased-A Retrospective Study.

Non-healing soft tissue defects pose challenges to treating physicians. Microsurgical reconstruction is a treatment option for achieving wound closure and limb salvage. These free tissue transfers are often challenging due to associated risk factors.

In Situ Raman Spectroscopy for Early Corrosion Detection in Coated AA2024-T3.

Here we describe the synthesis and evaluation of a molecular corrosion sensor that can be applied in situ in aerospace coatings, then used to detect corrosion after the coating has been applied. A pH-sensitive molecule, 4-mercaptopyridin (4-MP), is attached to a gold nanoparticle to allow surface-enhanced Raman-scattering (SERS) for signal amplification. These SERS nanoparticles, when combined with an appropriate micron-sized carrier system, are incorporated directly into an MIL-SPEC coating and used to monitor the process onset and progression of corrosion using pH changes occurring at the metal-coating interface.

A shared serial order system for verbal working memory and language production: evidence from aphasia.

Many aspects of human performance require producing sequences of items in serial order. The current study takes a multiple-case approach to investigate whether the system responsible for serial order is shared across cognitive domains, focusing on working memory (WM) and word production. Serial order performance in three individuals with post-stroke language and verbal WM disorders (hereafter persons with aphasia, PWAs) were assessed using recognition and recall tasks for verbal and visuospatial WM, as well as error analyses in spoken and written production tasks to assess whether there was a tendency to produce the correct phonemes/letters in the wrong order.

Measuring trends in extinction risk: a review of two decades of development and application of the Red List Index.

The Red List Index (RLI) is an indicator of the average extinction risk of groups of species and reflects trends in this through time. It is calculated from the number of species in each category on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with trends influenced by the number moving between categories when reassessed owing to genuine improvement or deterioration in status. The global RLI is aggregated across multiple taxonomic groups and can be disaggregated to show trends for subsets of species (e.

Pixels to precision: Neuroradiology's leap into 3D printing for personalized medicine.

The realm of precision medicine, particularly its application within various sectors, shines notably in neuroradiology, where it leverages the advancements of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. This synergy has significantly enhanced surgical planning, fostered the creation of tailor-made medical apparatus, bolstered medical pedagogy, and refined targeted therapeutic delivery. This review delves into the contemporary advancements and applications of 3D printing in neuroradiology, underscoring its pivotal role in refining surgical strategies, augmenting patient outcomes, and diminishing procedural risks.

The Promise and Challenges of Bioprinting in Tissue Engineering.

Organ transplantation, biomimetic organ models, and the restoration of damaged or eviscerated tissues have been key goals in surgical and medical research since their inception [...

RE: Reinterpreting the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Plantar Heel Pain Through an International Lens.

Author response to the Letter to the Editor-in-Chief "Reinterpreting the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Plantar Heel Pain Through an International Lens" .

Enhancing the Immunotherapeutic Effect by IP-001 and Irreversible Electroporation in Mouse Oligometastatic Models of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the immunotherapeutic effect of irreversible electroporation (IRE) and IP-001 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma with metastasis.

Methods: Orthotopic models of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with hepatic oligometastasis were established by implantation of tumor tissues (derived from Pan02 or KPC cells) size 2 mm into the pancreas and left liver lobe in C57BL/6J mice. One week after implantation, the tumor-burden mice were subjected to saline control, IRE, IP-001, and IRE+IP-001.

Clinical characteristics and serological profiles of Lyme disease in children: a 15-year retrospective cohort study in Switzerland.

Background: Lyme disease (LD) is caused by and is the most common tickborne disease in the northern hemisphere. Although classical characteristics of LD are well-known, the diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. Laboratory diagnosis by serological testing is recommended for most LD manifestations.

Impact of Metastatic Pattern on Survival Following Pancreatectomy for Cancer.

Background And Methods: The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing, and up to 55% of patients present with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Many patients also develop metastatic disease following surgical resection. The impact of metastatic patterns on outcomes has not been described.

Unique infrared thermographic profiles and altered hypothalamic neurochemistry associated with mortality in endotoxic shock.

Neonatal sepsis results in significant morbidity and mortality, but early detection is clinically challenging. In a neonatal rat model of endotoxic shock, we characterised unique infrared thermographic (IRT) profiles in skin temperature that could identify risk of later mortality. Ten-day old rats were placed in a thermally stable isolette and IRT images of cranial (T), scapula (T) and rump (T) skin temperature were obtained continuously for 8 h following an intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline.

Intensity of Intrathecal Total IgG Synthesis in Multiple Sclerosis Correlates with the Degree of Pleocytosis, Diversity of Intrathecal Antiviral Antibody Specificities, and Female Sex.

Background: The presence of intrathecal total IgG production is a hallmark of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics in multiple sclerosis (MS). Herein, we systematically analyze how the intensity (instead of mere presence) of intrathecal total IgG production relates to basic CSF parameters in MS.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical routine CSF findings from 390 therapy-naïve relapsing-remitting MS patients diagnosed according to 2017 revised McDonald criteria.

Artificial intelligence virtual assistants in primary eye care practice.

Purpose: To propose a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual assistant trained on tabular clinical data that can provide decision-making support in primary eye care practice and optometry education programmes.

Method: Anonymised clinical data from 1125 complete optometric examinations (2250 eyes; 63% women, 37% men) were used to train different machine learning algorithm models to predict eye examination classification (refractive, binocular vision dysfunction, ocular disorder or any combination of these three options). After modelling, adjustment, mining and preprocessing (one-hot encoding and SMOTE techniques), 75 input (preliminary data, history, oculomotor test and ocular examinations) and three output (refractive, binocular vision status and eye disease) features were defined.

Evaluating Bard Gemini Pro and GPT-4 Vision Against Student Performance in Medical Visual Question Answering: Comparative Case Study.

Background: The rapid development of large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT has significantly impacted medical research and education. These models have shown potential in fields ranging from radiological imaging interpretation to medical licensing examination assistance. Recently, LLMs have been enhanced with image recognition capabilities.

A practical introduction to radio frequency electronics for NMR probe builders.

In this tutorial paper, we describe some basic principles and practical considerations for designing probe circuits for NMR or MRI. The goal is building a bridge from material that is familiar from undergraduate physics courses to more specialized information needed to put together and tune a resonant circuit for magnetic resonance. After a brief overview of DC and AC circuits, we discuss the properties of circuit elements used in an NMR probe and how they can be assembled into building blocks for multi-channel circuits.

Protocol for the assessment, improvement, and harmonization of somatic variant calling using ONCOLINER.

The interoperability of variant identification pipelines is fundamental for achieving consistent clinical care across oncology research centers and hospitals. Here, we present a protocol for using ONCOLINER, a platform for the assessment, improvement, and harmonization of somatic variant discovery of multiple pipelines. We describe steps for acquiring benchmarking datasets and executing the user variant calling pipeline.

Reinfection and resistance associated substitutions following a minimal monitoring approach for HCV treatment in MINMON trial.

Background: Simplified approaches to HCV treatment delivery are needed to meet elimination goals. However, the impact of low-touch strategies on individuals at higher risk due to treatment failure or reinfection is unknown. We estimated HCV reinfection rates, and the impact of resistance associated substitutions (RASs) on response in the ACTG A5360 (MINMON) trial.