Design and Test of a Calibration System for Avalanche Photodiodes Used in X-Ray Compton Polarimeters for Space.

The development and calibration of a measurement system designed for assessing the performance of the avalanche photodiodes (APDs) used in the Compton scattering polarimeter of the CUSP project is discussed in this work. The designed system is able to characterize the APD gain GAPD and energy resolution across a wide range of temperatures (from -20 °C to +60 °C) and bias voltages Vbias (from 260 V to 410 V). The primary goal was to experimentally determine the GAPD dependence on the and Vbias in order to establish a strategy for stabilizing GAPD by compensating for fluctuations, acting on Vbias.

Single-cell spatial mapping reveals alteration of cell type composition and tissue microenvironment during early colorectal cancer formation.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a hereditary syndrome that raises the risk of developing CRC, with total colectomy as the only effective prevention. Even though FAP is rare (0.

The hex1 gene of Trichoderma simmonsii is involved in stress responses, biocontrol potential and wheat plant growth.

Woronin bodies are unique organelles in Pezizomycotina fungi that allow hyphae compartmentalization and prevent cytoplasmatic bleeding after mechanical injury. Several studies have related the peroxisomal protein HEX1, the major component of Woronin bodies with other biological processes such as hyphal growth, osmotic stress tolerance and pathogenicity. Trichoderma spp.

Multiomic analysis of familial adenomatous polyposis reveals molecular pathways associated with early tumorigenesis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a genetic disease causing hundreds of premalignant polyps in affected persons and is an ideal model to study transitions of early precancer states to colorectal cancer (CRC). We performed deep multiomic profiling of 93 samples, including normal mucosa, benign polyps and dysplastic polyps, from six persons with FAP. Transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and lipidomic analyses revealed a dynamic choreography of thousands of molecular and cellular events that occur during precancerous transitions toward cancer formation.

Global loss of promoter-enhancer connectivity and rebalancing of gene expression during early colorectal cancer carcinogenesis.

Although three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture is crucial for gene regulation, its role in disease remains elusive. We traced the evolution and malignant transformation of colorectal cancer (CRC) by generating high-resolution chromatin conformation maps of 33 colon samples spanning different stages of early neoplastic growth in persons with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Our analysis revealed a substantial progressive loss of genome-wide cis-regulatory connectivity at early malignancy stages, correlating with nonlinear gene regulation effects.

Achieving Inclusive Healthcare through Integrating Education and Research with AI and Personalized Curricula.

Precision medicine promises significant health benefits but faces challenges such as the need for complex data management and analytics, interdisciplinary collaboration, and education of researchers, healthcare professionals, and participants. Addressing these needs requires the integration of computational experts, engineers, designers, and healthcare professionals to develop user-friendly systems and shared terminologies. The widespread adoption of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 and Claude 3 highlights the importance of making complex data accessible to non-specialists.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection in Wastewater and Its Effective Correlation with Clinical Data during the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Salamanca.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the final stage of the anthropogenic water cycle where a wide range of chemical and biological markers of human activity can be found. In COVID-19 disease contexts, wastewater surveillance has been used to infer community trends based on viral abundance and SARS-CoV-2 RNA variant composition, which has served to anticipate and establish appropriate protocols to prevent potential viral outbreaks. Numerous studies worldwide have provided reliable and robust tools to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, although due to the high dilution and degradation rate of the viral RNA in such samples, the detection limit of the pathogen has been a bottleneck for the proposed protocols so far.

Benefit of a multimodal approach combining chemotherapy and surgery in oligometastatic gastric cancer: experience from a tertiary referral center.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide with limited therapeutic options. The aim of this study was to analyze the value of adding surgery to the first-line treatment in patients with oligometastatic GC (OGC).

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with OGC who underwent induction chemotherapy followed by surgery of both primary tumor and synchronous metastasis between April 2012 and April 2022.

PIF transcriptional regulators are required for rhythmic stomatal movements.

Stomata govern the gaseous exchange between the leaf and the external atmosphere, and their function is essential for photosynthesis and the global carbon and oxygen cycles. Rhythmic stomata movements in daily dark/light cycles prevent water loss at night and allow CO uptake during the day. How the actors involved are transcriptionally regulated and how this might contribute to rhythmicity is largely unknown.

Personalized transcriptome signatures in a cardiomyopathy stem cell biobank.

Background: There is growing evidence that pathogenic mutations do not fully explain hypertrophic (HCM) or dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathy phenotypes. We hypothesized that if a patient's genetic background was influencing cardiomyopathy this should be detectable as signatures in gene expression. We built a cardiomyopathy biobank resource for interrogating personalized genotype phenotype relationships in human cell lines.

Deconvolution of polygenic risk score in single cells unravels cellular and molecular heterogeneity of complex human diseases.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are commonly used for predicting an individual's genetic risk of complex diseases. Yet, their implication for disease pathogenesis remains largely limited. Here, we introduce scPRS, a geometric deep learning model that constructs single-cell-resolved PRS leveraging reference single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling data to enhance biological discovery as well as disease prediction.

Identification of Tomato microRNAs in Late Response to .

The tomato () is an important crop worldwide and is considered a model plant to study stress responses. Small RNAs (sRNAs), 21-24 nucleotides in length, are recognized as a conserved mechanism for regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Plant endogenous sRNAs, such as microRNA (miRNA), have been involved in disease resistance.

Organization of the human intestine at single-cell resolution.

The intestine is a complex organ that promotes digestion, extracts nutrients, participates in immune surveillance, maintains critical symbiotic relationships with microbiota and affects overall health. The intesting has a length of over nine metres, along which there are differences in structure and function. The localization of individual cell types, cell type development trajectories and detailed cell transcriptional programs probably drive these differences in function.

Volatile Organic Compounds Regulated by the THCTF1 Transcription Factor Are Involved in Antifungal Activity and Beneficial Plant Responses.

The transcription factor THCTF1 from , previously linked to the production of 6-pentyl-2-pyran-2-one (6-PP) derivatives and antifungal activity against , has been related in this study to conidiation, production of an array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and expression of methyltransferase genes. VOCs emitted by three strains (wild type T34, transformant ΔD1-38 that is disrupted in the gene encoding the transcription factor THCTF1, and ectopic integration transformant ΔJ3-16) were characterized by Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole interface-Time-Of-Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-Qi-TOF-MS). disruption affected the production of numerous VOCs such as the antifungal volatiles 2-pentyl furan and benzaldehyde which were under-emitted, and acetoine, a plant systemic defense inductor, which was over-emitted.

Adjuvant denosumab in early breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Background: In early breast cancer (BC) the impact of denosumab on survival outcomes is still unclear. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess efficacy and safety of adjuvant denosumab in addition to standard anticancer therapy.

Methods: PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Embase, and oncological meetings websites were screened to identify potentially eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Chloroplast engineering of the green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for the production of HAA, the lipid moiety of rhamnolipid biosurfactants.

Hydroxyalkanoyloxyalkanoates (HAA) are lipidic surfactants with a number of potential applications, but more remarkably, they are the biosynthetic precursors of rhamnolipids (RL), which are preferred biosurfactants thanks to their excellent physicochemical properties, biological activities, and environmental biodegradability. Because the natural highest producer of RLs is the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, important efforts have been dedicated to transfer production to heterologous non-pathogenic microorganisms. Unicellular photosynthetic microalgae are emerging as important hosts for sustainable industrial biotechnology due to their ability to transform CO efficiently into biomass and bioproducts of interest.

Vela pulsar wind nebula X-rays are polarized to near the synchrotron limit.

Pulsar wind nebulae are formed when outflows of relativistic electrons and positrons hit the surrounding supernova remnant or interstellar medium at a shock front. The Vela pulsar wind nebula is powered by a young pulsar (B0833-45, aged 11,000 years) and located inside an extended structure called Vela X, which is itself inside the supernova remnant. Previous X-ray observations revealed two prominent arcs that are bisected by a jet and counter jet.

A risk assessment study of SARS-CoV-2 propagation in the manufacturing of cellular products.

The potential infection of cellular therapies by SARS-CoV-2 present high risks, as the target patients for these treatments are often immunocompromised or have chronic diseases associated with a higher risk of serious illness and death by COVID-19. The multicellular tropism of this virus presents challenges for the manufacturing of cell therapies, whereby the material could potentially become infected at the source or during cell processing. In this review we assess the risk of a SARS-CoV-2 propagation in cell types used to date in cellular therapies.

Polarized blazar X-rays imply particle acceleration in shocks.

Most of the light from blazars, active galactic nuclei with jets of magnetized plasma that point nearly along the line of sight, is produced by high-energy particles, up to around 1 TeV. Although the jets are known to be ultimately powered by a supermassive black hole, how the particles are accelerated to such high energies has been an unanswered question. The process must be related to the magnetic field, which can be probed by observations of the polarization of light from the jets.

Trichoderma: a multipurpose, plant-beneficial microorganism for eco-sustainable agriculture.

Trichoderma is a cosmopolitan and opportunistic ascomycete fungal genus including species that are of interest to agriculture as direct biological control agents of phytopathogens. Trichoderma utilizes direct antagonism and competition, particularly in the rhizosphere, where it modulates the composition of and interactions with other microorganisms. In its colonization of plants, on the roots or as an endophyte, Trichoderma has evolved the capacity to communicate with the plant and produce numerous multifaceted benefits to its host.