Selective response of soil bacterial and fungal taxa to biodegradable polymers.

Biodegradable mulching films offer an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics in agriculture, but their effects on soil parameters are not well understood. A microcosm experiment (20 °C, 75% field capacity) investigated the impact of two doses (0.021% and 1% w/w) of a biodegradable polymer on soil chemical and microbiological properties over a year.

Cystathionine Gamma-Lyase Regulates TNF-α-Mediated Injury Response in Human Colonic Epithelial Cells and Colonoids.

Cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) and TNF-α are now recognized as key regulators of intestinal homeostasis, inflammation, and wound healing. In colonic epithelial cells, both molecules have been shown to influence a variety of biological processes, but the specific interactions between intracellular signaling pathways regulated by CSE and TNF-α are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated these interactions in normal colonocytes and an organoid model of the healthy human colon using CSE-specific pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA-mediated transient gene silencing in analytical and functional assays in vitro.

Psychological well-being of Ukrainian students three months after the emerge of full-scale war.

Objectives: To depict overall psychological well-being of a large group of students of different universities in Ukraine three months after the emerge of the full-scale war.

Methods: A total of 1,142 participants were asked to measure their psychological well-being on a 0-10 scale before and after the onset of full-scale war. Mental health symptoms were measured with questionnaires targeting depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), sleep problems (ISI), eating disorders (SCOFF), alcohol abuse (CAGE), and PTSD symptoms (PC-PTSD-5).

Mental Health of Adolescents Exposed to the War in Ukraine.

Importance: With exposure to traumatic events and reduced access to mental health care, adolescents of Ukraine during the Russian invasion since February 2022 are at high risk of psychiatric conditions. However, the actual mental health burden of the war has scarcely been documented.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of a positive screen for psychiatric conditions among adolescents amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as their associations with war exposure.

The hidden network of biocrust successional stages in the High Arctic: Revealing abiotic and biotic factors shaping microbial and metazoan communities.

Despite the important role that biocrust communities play in maintaining ecosystem structure and functioning in deglaciated barren soil, few studies have been conducted on the dynamics of biotic communities and the impact of physicochemical characteristics in shaping the different successional stages. In this study an integrated approach encompassing physicochemical parameters and molecular taxonomy was used for identifying the indicator taxa and the presence of intra- and inter-kingdom interactions in five different crust/biocrust successional stages: i) physical crust, ii) cyanobacteria-dominated biocrust, iii) cyanobacteria/moss-dominated biocrust, iv) moss-dominated biocrust and v) bryophyte carpet. The phylum Gemmatimonadota was the bacterial indicator taxon in the early stage, promoting both inter- and intra-kingdom interactions, while Cyanobacteria and Nematoda phyla played a pivotal role in formation and dynamics of cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts.

Increased Activity of MAPKAPK2 within Mesenchymal Cells as a Target for Inflammation-Associated Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells are suggested to play a critical role in Crohn's disease [CD]-associated fibrosis. MAPKAPK2 [MK2] has emerged as a potential therapeutic target to reduce inflammation in CD. However, the cell-specific pattern of phospho-MK2 activation and its role in CD-associated fibrosis are unknown.

The battle for mental well-being in Ukraine: mental health crisis and economic aspects of mental health services in wartime.

The ongoing war in Ukraine is having profound impacts on both the local and global economy, as well as the infrastructure and overall well-being of the people. The prolonged duration of the conflict, coupled with its many related consequences such as total uncertainty, unfavorable economic conditions, and a distressing media backdrop, have a lasting impact on the mental health of the population. The ongoing war in Ukraine has exposed weaknesses in the national mental health care system and underscored the importance of mental health economics.

Identification of multivariable Boolean patterns in microbiome and microbial gene composition data.

Virtually every biological system is governed by complex relations among its components. Identifying such relations requires a rigorous or heuristics-based search for patterns among variables/features of a system. Various algorithms have been developed to identify two-dimensional (involving two variables) patterns employing correlation, covariation, mutual information, etc.

Impact of Colorectal Cancer Sidedness and Location on Therapy and Clinical Outcomes: Role of Blood-Based Biopsy for Personalized Treatment.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in the United States and worldwide, and it remains among the top three causes of cancer-related death. A new understanding of molecular characteristics has changed the profile of colorectal cancer and its treatment. Even controlling for known mutational differences, tumor side of origin has emerged as an independent prognostic factor, and one that impacts response to therapy.

Study Protocol: Adolescents of Ukraine During the Russian Invasion (AUDRI) Cohort.

Background: Since February 14, 2022, Ukraine has once again been under attack by the Russian forces, putting the nation in one of the biggest emergencies in Europe since World War II. This puts Ukrainians at high risk of psychiatric disorders, amidst unseen attacks on infrastructure that have put massive strain on Ukraine's mental health services. Despite this, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents and their changes over time have not yet been documented in Ukraine during the invasion.

Oxidative Stress Is a Concept, Not an Indication for Selective Antioxidant Treatment.

The steady-state redox status is physiologically important and therefore homeostatically maintained. Changes in the status result in signaling (eustress) or oxidative damage (distress). Oxidative stress (OS) is a hard-to-quantitate term that can be estimated only based on different biomarkers.

Dynamics of hospitalizations and staffing of Ukraine's mental health services during the Russian invasion.

Background: Since February 2022, the people of Ukraine have experienced devastating losses due to the Russian invasion, increasing the demand for mental healthcare across the nation. Using longitudinal data on mental health facilities across the nation up to summer 2022, we aimed to provide an updated picture of Ukrainian mental health services during the 2022 Russian invasion.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide longitudinal study on Ukrainian inpatient mental health facilities during the Russian invasion since February 2022.

Disruption of retinol-mediated IL-6 expression in colon cancer-associated fibroblasts: new perspectives on the role of vitamin A metabolism.

Stromal myo-/fibroblasts (MFs) account for up to 30% of lamina propria cells in the normal human colon and their number is dramatically increased in colon cancer (CRC). Fibroblasts from cancers, also known as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), differ from normal colonic MF (N-MFs) and support tumor-promoting inflammation, in part due to increased IL-6 secretion. In this editorial, we highlight recent data obtained regarding IL-6 regulation in colorectal cancer CAFs through vitamin A (retinol) metabolism, discuss current limitations in our understanding of the mechanisms leading to the CAF pro-inflammatory phenotype, and discuss potential approaches to target CAF retinoid metabolism during CRC treatment.

Impact of PVC microplastics on soil chemical and microbiological parameters.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants whose occurrence is a global problem in natural ecosystems including soil. Among MPs, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a well-known polymer with remarkable resistance to degradation, and because its recalcitrant nature serious environmental concerns are created during manufacturing and waste disposal. The effect of PVC (0.

Loss of alcohol dehydrogenase 1B in cancer-associated fibroblasts: contribution to the increase of tumor-promoting IL-6 in colon cancer.

Background: Increases in IL-6 by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to colon cancer progression, but the mechanisms involved in the increase of this tumor-promoting cytokine are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify novel targets involved in the dysregulation of IL-6 expression by CAFs in colon cancer.

Methods: Colonic normal (N), hyperplastic, tubular adenoma, adenocarcinoma tissues, and tissue-derived myo-/fibroblasts (MFs) were used in these studies.

Mental health services in Ukraine during the early phases of the 2022 Russian invasion.

Background: In February 2022, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. War increases the demand for mental healthcare among affected populations, but with devastating losses across the nation, it is unclear if Ukrainian mental health services are able to meet the needs of the people.

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the state of Ukrainian in-patient mental health services, which remains the backbone of the nation's psychiatric services, early in the 2022 Russian invasion.

Prognostic Assessment of Stress-Related Factors in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is an extraordinary challenge for all countries and affects the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals working with people suffering from COVID-19 and puts them at a high risk of mental health problems. The aim of the study was to identify stress-related factors that affect the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 1098 Ukrainian healthcare workers were surveyed using an online questionnaire consisting of questions relating to a) socio-demographic characteristics; b) perceptions of the COVID-19 related situation; and c) stress and protective factors.

Th17 Cell-Derived Amphiregulin Promotes Colitis-Associated Intestinal Fibrosis Through Activation of mTOR and MEK in Intestinal Myofibroblasts.

Background & Aims: Intestinal fibrosis is a significant complication of Crohn's disease (CD). Gut microbiota reactive Th17 cells are crucial in the pathogenesis of CD; however, how Th17 cells induce intestinal fibrosis is still not completely understood.

Methods: In this study, T-cell transfer model with wild-type (WT) and Areg Th17 cells and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis model in WT and Areg mice were used.

Deletion of cystathionine-γ-lyase in bone marrow-derived cells promotes colitis-associated carcinogenesis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by widespread relapsing inflammation of the colonic mucosa. Colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is one of the most serious complications of a prolonged history of UC. Hydrogen sulfide (HS) has emerged as an important physiological mediator of gastrointestinal homeostasis, limiting mucosal inflammation and promoting tissue healing in response to injury.