Humic substances modulate bacterial communities and mitigate adverse effects of temperature stress in coral reef organisms.

Aims: In the present study, we tested if terrestrially-derived humic substances (HS) could mitigate the adverse effects of elevated temperature and UVB radiation on the bacterial communities of two hard corals (Montipora digitata and Montipora capricornis), one soft coral (Sarcophyton glaucum), sediment and water. We also examined the impact of temperature, UVB radiation and HS supplementation on coral photosynthetic activity, a proxy for coral bleaching.

Methods And Results: We performed a multifactorial experiment using a randomized-controlled microcosm setup.

Lanthanide-controlled protein switches: development and in vitro and in vivo applications.

Lanthanides, which are part of the rare earth elements group have numerous applications in electronics, medicine and energy storage.  However, our ability to extract them is not meeting the rapidly increasing demand. The discovery of the bacterial periplasmic lanthanide-binding protein lanmodulin spurred significant interest in developing biotechnological routes for lanthanide detection and extraction.

Preclinical development of a standardized extract of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil for the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Obesity is a global epidemic often associated with serious medical complications such as diabetes, hypertension and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Considering the multifactorial nature of these diseases, medicinal plants could be a valuable therapeutic strategy as their phytoconstituents interact with multiple and relevant biological targets. In this context, Ilex paraguariensis emerges as a potential alternative to treat obesity and associated metabolic diseases since several studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects.

A Rare Cause of Scalp Swelling in Infants: Two Case Reports.

Delayed subaponeurotic fluid collection (DSFC) is an uncommon condition that causes scalp swelling in infants, usually appearing within the first weeks to months of life. Although the precise etiology is unclear, DSFC is frequently associated with instrumental or traumatic deliveries. We report two cases of DSFC: a 12-week-old boy and a six-week-old girl, both presenting with progressive, fluctuant scalp swelling without any history of trauma.