Production of Carbon Fibers Using a Molten Cu-In Catalyst for Methane Pyrolysis.

Molten metal catalysts for methane pyrolysis and dry reforming are becoming recognized for their potential in decarbonization efforts. Their use in bubble column reactors facilitates continuous operation by allowing the produced carbon to float to the surface for removal. While most reported molten metals produce low-value amorphous carbon or graphitic sheets containing some metals, our study introduces a Cu-In alloy that selectively produces high-purity carbon nanofibers.

Methanolation of Olefins: Low-Pressure Synthesis of Alcohols by the Formal Addition of Methanol to Olefins.

Methanolation of olefins is introduced as a new low-pressure synthetic pathway to C1 elongated alcohols. Formally, HCOH is added to the C=C bond in a 100 % atom efficient manner. Mechanistically, the overall transformation occurs as a tandem reaction sequence by combining the dehydrogenation of methanol to syngas at a CO : H ratio of 1 : 2 with subsequent hydroformylation to the corresponding aldehyde and its final hydrogenation to the alcohol.

Collective search in ants: Movement determines footprints, and footprints influence movement.

Collectively searching animals might be expected to coordinate with their groupmates to cover ground more evenly or efficiently than uncoordinated groups. Communication can lead to coordination in many ways. Previous work in ants suggests that chemical 'footprints', left behind by individuals as they walk, might serve this function by modulating the movement patterns of following ants.

Clinically approved immunomodulators ameliorate behavioral changes in a mouse model of hereditary spastic paraplegia type 11.

We have previously demonstrated that neuroinflammation by the adaptive immune system acts as a robust and targetable disease amplifier in a mouse model of Spastic Paraplegia, type 11 (SPG11), a complicated form of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP). While we identified an impact of neuroinflammation on distinct neuropathological changes and gait performance, neuropsychological features, typical and clinically highly relevant symptoms of complicated HSPs, were not addressed. Here we show that the corresponding SPG11 mouse model shows distinct behavioral abnormalities, particularly related to social behavior thus partially reflecting the neuropsychological changes in patients.

[Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of colonic diseases].

Background: Early diagnosis of a luminal colonic disease is of essential clinical importance to start timely optimised therapy and detect complications early.

Objectives: This paper aims to provide an overview of the use of radiological methods in diagnosing neoplastic and inflammatory luminal diseases of the colon. Characteristic morphological features are discussed and compared.

Ants combine systematic meandering and correlated random walks when searching for unknown resources.

Animal search movements are typically assumed to be mostly random walks, although non-random elements may be widespread. We tracked ants () in a large empty arena, resulting in almost 5 km of trajectories. We tested for meandering by comparing the turn autocorrelations for empirical ant tracks and simulated, realistic Correlated Random Walks.

Targeting Menin disrupts the KMT2A/B and polycomb balance to paradoxically activate bivalent genes.

Precise control of activating H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 histone modifications at bivalent promoters is essential for normal development and frequently corrupted in cancer. By coupling a cell surface readout of bivalent MHC class I gene expression with whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identify specific roles for MTF2-PRC2.1, PCGF1-PRC1.

Alignment with neighbours enables escape from dead ends in flocking models.

Coordinated movement in animal groups (flocks, schools, herds, etc.) is a classic and well-studied form of collective behaviour. Most theoretical studies consider agents in unobstructed spaces; however, many animals move in often complicated environments and must navigate around and through obstacles.

The Contribution of Neutrophils and NETs to the Development of Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting from the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in pancreatic islets. T lymphocytes are the claimed pathogenic effectors but abnormalities of other immune cell types, including neutrophils, also characterize T1D development. During human T1D natural history, neutrophils are reduced in the circulation, while accumulate in the pancreas where release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), or NETosis, is manifest.

[Influence of smoking on the gastrointestinal tract : Range of findings].

Background: Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that, if consumed regularly, can result in chronic or incurable diseases and a reduced quality of life.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to describe the possible health consequences of smoking on the gastrointestinal tract and to provide an overview of related neoplastic and nonneoplastic gastrointestinal diseases.

Materials And Methods: Based on an extensive literature review, the current knowledge about smoker-associated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is summarized.

Cough desensitization treatment: A randomized, sham-controlled pilot trial for patients with refractory chronic cough.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine feasibility of treating refractory chronic cough (RCC) with progressive doses of capsaicin paired with cough suppression.

Methods: In this sham-controlled, parallel RCT, 14 adults with RCC were randomly assigned to either behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST) plus 6 treatment sessions involving exposure to nebulized capsaicin in progressively larger concentrations while actively suppressing cough (n = 8), or BCST plus 6 sessions of exposure to a single subthreshold dose of capsaicin (sham; n = 6). The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) was the primary outcome measure.

Inhibition of T-antigen expression promoting glycogen synthase kinase 3 impairs merkel cell carcinoma cell growth.

Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive skin cancer frequently caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). Since proliferation of MCPyV-positive MCC tumor cells strictly depends on expression of the virus-encoded T antigens (TA), these proteins theoretically represent ideal targets for different kinds of therapeutic approaches. Here we developed a cell-based assay to identify compounds which specifically inhibit growth of MCC cells by repressing TA expression.

5-HTT Deficiency in Male Mice Affects Healing and Behavior after Myocardial Infarction.

Anxiety disorders and depression are common comorbidities in cardiac patients. Mice lacking the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) exhibit increased anxiety-like behavior. However, the role of 5-HTT deficiency on cardiac aging, and on healing and remodeling processes after myocardial infarction (MI), remains unclear.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans in beta cells provide a critical link between endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress and type 2 diabetes.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) consist of a core protein with side chains of the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS). We have previously identified (i) the HSPGs syndecan-1 (SDC1), and collagen type XVIII (COL18) inside mouse and human islet beta cells, and (ii) a critical role for HS in beta cell survival and protection from reactive oxygen species (ROS). The objective of this study was to investigate whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to oxidative stress and type 2 diabetes (T2D) by depleting beta cell HSPGs/HS.

The complement system drives local inflammatory tissue priming by metabolic reprogramming of synovial fibroblasts.

Arthritis typically involves recurrence and progressive worsening at specific predilection sites, but the checkpoints between remission and persistence remain unknown. Here, we defined the molecular and cellular mechanisms of this inflammation-mediated tissue priming. Re-exposure to inflammatory stimuli caused aggravated arthritis in rodent models.

Serotonin transporter genotype modulates resting state and predator stress-induced amygdala perfusion in mice in a sex-dependent manner.

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a key molecule of serotoninergic neurotransmission and target of many anxiolytics and antidepressants. In humans, 5-HTT gene variants resulting in lower expression levels are associated with behavioral traits of anxiety. Furthermore, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies reported increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) during resting state (RS) and amygdala hyperreactivity.

Heparanase and Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in pancreatic islets. The degradation of the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate (HS) by the endo-β-D-glycosidase heparanase plays a critical role in multiple stages of the disease process. Heparanase aids (i) migration of inflammatory leukocytes from the vasculature to the islets, (ii) intra-islet invasion by insulitis leukocytes, and (iii) selective destruction of beta cells.

Loss of Orai2-Mediated Capacitative Ca Entry Is Neuroprotective in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death. The principal goal of acute stroke treatment is the recanalization of the occluded cerebral arteries, which is, however, only effective in a very narrow time window. Therefore, neuroprotective treatments that can be combined with recanalization strategies are needed.

Association of Platelet Count and Mean Platelet Volume with Overall Survival in Patients with Cirrhosis and Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Platelets have been reported to influence tumor biology and may promote metastasis. Traditionally, thrombocytopenia, a hallmark of cirrhosis, was associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. However, the impact of platelet count on outcome in patients with established HCC is not well studied.

Identification of Cholecystokinin by Genome-Wide Profiling as Potential Mediator of Serotonin-Dependent Behavioral Effects of Maternal Separation in the Amygdala.

Converging evidence suggests a role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis in the brain, in modulating long-term, neurobiological effects of early-life adversity. Here, we aimed at further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction, and its consequences for socio-emotional behaviors, with a focus on anxiety and social interaction. In this study, adult, male null mutant ( ) and heterozygous ( ) mice, and their wildtype littermates ( ) were exposed to neonatal, maternal separation (MS) and screened for behavioral changes, followed by genome-wide RNA expression and DNA methylation profiling.

Serotonin Deficiency Increases Context-Dependent Fear Learning Through Modulation of Hippocampal Activity.

Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system dysfunction is implicated in exaggerated fear responses triggering various anxiety-, stress-, and trauma-related disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we investigated the impact of constitutively inactivated 5-HT synthesis on context-dependent fear learning and extinction using tryptophan hydroxylase 2 () knockout mice.

Dissociation of impulsivity and aggression in mice deficient for the ADHD risk gene Adgrl3: Evidence for dopamine transporter dysregulation.

Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3, LPHN3) has putative roles in neuronal migration and synapse function. Various polymorphisms in ADGRL3 have been linked with an increased risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we examined the characteristics of Adgrl3-deficient mice in multiple behavioural domains related to ADHD: locomotive activity, impulsivity, gait, visuospatial and recognition memory, sociability, anxiety-like behaviour and aggression.