Optimizing mouse metatranscriptome profiling by selective removal of redundant nucleic acid sequences.

Unlabelled: Metatranscriptome (MetaT) sequencing is a critical tool for profiling the dynamic metabolic functions of microbiomes. In addition to taxonomic information, MetaT also provides real-time gene expression data of both host and microbial populations, thus permitting authentic quantification of the functional (enzymatic) output of the microbiome and its host. The main challenge to effective and accurate MetaT analysis is the removal of highly abundant rRNA transcripts from these complex mixtures of microbes, which can number in the thousands of individual species.

Distinct Neutralising and Complement-Fixing Antibody Responses Can Be Induced to the Same Antigen in Haemodialysis Patients After Immunisation with Different Vaccine Platforms.

: Generalised immune dysfunction in chronic kidney disease, especially in patients requiring haemodialysis (HD), significantly enhances the risk of severe infections. Vaccine-induced immunity is typically reduced in HD populations. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic provided an opportunity to examine the magnitude and functionality of antibody responses in HD patients to a previously unencountered antigen-Spike (S)-glycoprotein-after vaccination with different vaccine platforms (viral vector (VV); mRNA (mRV)).

PROMISE: Prognostic Radiomic Outcome Measurement in Acute Subdural Hematoma Evacuation Post-Craniotomy.

Traumatic acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) often requires surgical intervention, such as craniotomy, to relieve mass lesions and pressure. The extent of hematoma evacuation significantly impacts patient outcomes. This study utilizes 3D Slicer software to analyse post-craniotomy hematoma volume changes and evaluate their prognostic significance in aSDH patients.

Men's Attitudes Towards Participation in Organised Prostate Cancer Testing: An Abductive Thematic Analysis.

Background And Objective: Organised prostate cancer (PCa) testing (OPT) was introduced in Sweden to gain knowledge in preparation for a potential national PCa screening programme. This study aims to explore men's opinions regarding the OPT invitation letters and the attitudes influencing their decision to participate in or decline OPT.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 30 men (nine participants and 21 non-participants) from Stockholm County who received OPT invitations.

RADAR - Radiomics on aSDH: predicting outcome with surface area.

Background: Acute subdural hematoma is a critical condition, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Despite advancements in surgical techniques, a portion of patients only show limited clinical improvement post-evacuation. Surgical intervention decisions are critically important, as they can either improve or worsen a patient's condition.

The master male sex determinant Gdf6Y of the turquoise killifish arose through allelic neofunctionalization.

Although sex determination is a fundamental process in vertebrate development, it is very plastic. Diverse genes became major sex determinants in teleost fishes. Deciphering how individual sex-determining genes orchestrate sex determination can reveal new actors in sexual development.

Environmental enrichment is associated with favorable memory-related functional brain activity patterns in older adults.

Background: In humans, environmental enrichment (EE), as measured by the engagement in a variety of leisure activities, has been associated with larger hippocampal structure and better memory function. The present cross-sectional study assessed whether EE during early life (13-30 years) and midlife (30-65 years) is associated with better preserved memory-related brain activity patterns in older age.

Methods: In total, 372 cognitively unimpaired older adults (aged ≥60 years old) of the DZNE-Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE; DRKS00007966) were investigated.

Severe maternal morbidity contributed by obstetric hemorrhage: Maryland, 2020-2022.

Background: Obstetric hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in Maryland and nationally. Currently, through a quality collaborative, the state is implementing the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) patient safety bundle on obstetric hemorrhage.

Objective: To describe SMM events contributed by obstetric hemorrhage and their preventability in Maryland.

KMT2A degradation is observed in decitabine-responsive acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.

Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is a hallmark of leukemia. The hypomethylating agent decitabine covalently binds, and degrades DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). Structural similarities within DNA-binding domains of DNMT1, and the leukemic driver histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) suggest that decitabine might also affect the latter.

Sub-zero soil CO respiration in biostimulated hydrocarbon-contaminated cold-climate soil can be linked to the soil-freezing characteristic curve.

Extending unfrozen water availability is critical for stress-tolerant bioremediation of contaminated soils in cold climates. This study employs the soil-freezing characteristic curves (SFCCs) of biostimulated, hydrocarbon-contaminated cold-climate soils to efficiently address the coupled effects of unfrozen water retention and freezing soil temperature on sub-zero soil respiration activity. Freezing-induced soil respiration experiments were conducted under the site-relevant freezing regime, programmed from 4 to - 10 °C at a seasonal soil-freezing rate of - 1 °C/day.

Critical assessment of commercially available microtitre panels for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of veterinary pathogens.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in the veterinary sector by broth microdilution is mainly based on commercially available microtitre plates with specific panels. A critical review of commercially available microtitre panels identified AST panels that fulfil the requirements for obtaining reliable AST results by covering the necessary antimicrobial concentrations for both clinical breakpoints as well as quality control (QC) ranges for approved QC strains. However, there are AST panels in which these prerequisites are only in part fulfilled, and some AST panels that do not fulfil the aforementioned criteria at all.

Network-wide effects of pallidal deep brain stimulation normalised abnormal cerebellar cortical activity in the dystonic animal model.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting globus pallidus internus (GPi) is a recognised therapy for drug-refractory dystonia. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are not fully understood. This study explores how pallidal DBS alters spatiotemporal pattern formation of neuronal dynamics within the cerebellar cortex in a dystonic animal model, the dt hamster.

Candidate Toroidal Electric Dipole Mode in the Spherical Nucleus ^{58}Ni.

Dipole toroidal modes appear in many fields of physics. In nuclei, such a mode was predicted more than 50 years ago, but clear experimental evidence was lacking so far. Using a combination of high-resolution inelastic scattering experiments with photons, electrons, and protons, we identify for the first time candidates for toroidal dipole excitations in the nucleus ^{58}Ni and demonstrate that transverse electron scattering form factors represent a relevant experimental observable to prove their nature.

Mouse strain-specific habituation to oral metamizole administration.

When pain might occur during an animal experiment, sufficient analgesia is necessary. Metamizole is the third most used postoperative pain medication in animal research. The analgesic effect of metamizole is supposed to last 6-8 h in rodents.

Vitamin D deficiency and duration of COVID-19 symptoms in UK healthcare workers.

Objectives: Vitamin D has a role in the innate immunity against pathogens and is also involved in mechanisms for reducing inflammation. VD deficiency (VDD) may increase COVID-19 infection susceptibility, however research is limited on the association between VDD and COVID-19 symptom prevalence and duration. The study aimed to determine whether VDD is a risk factor for the presence and extended duration of COVID-19 symptoms.

Protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study for UK general population paediatric type 1 diabetes screening-the EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes (ELSA) study.

Aim: The EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune (ELSA) study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of UK paediatric general population screening for type 1 diabetes.

Methods: We aim to screen 20,000 children aged 3-13 years for islet-specific autoantibodies through dried blood spot sample collection at home, hospital or community settings. Children with two or more autoantibodies are offered metabolic staging via oral glucose challenge testing.

Soil fungi remain active and invest in storage compounds during drought independent of future climate conditions.

Microbial growth is central to soil carbon cycling. However, how microbial communities grow under climate change is still largely unexplored. Here we use a unique field experiment simulating future climate conditions (increased atmospheric CO and temperature) and drought concomitantly and investigate impacts on soil microbial activity.

Kv3.3 Expression Enhanced by a Novel Variant in the Kozak Sequence of .

Pathogenic variants in , which encodes the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.3, are associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 13. SCA13 is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by ataxia, dysarthria and oculomotor dysfunction, often in combination with other signs and symptoms such as cognitive impairment.

Greater preservation of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody responses following the ChAdOx1-S (AZD1222) vaccine compared with mRNA vaccines in haematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

Whilst SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines generate high neutralising antibodies (nAb) in most individuals, haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) recipients respond poorly. HSCT/CAR-T treatment ablates existing immune memory, with recipients requiring revaccination analogous to being vaccine naive. An optimal revaccination strategy for this cohort has not been defined.

Adult risk groups for vaccine preventable respiratory infections: an overview of the UK environment.

Introduction: Vaccine-preventable respiratory infections (VPRI) including those caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pose substantial challenges to health and social care systems. In the UK, routine adult respiratory vaccination programs are in place. The objective of this article is to review the current evidence on the impact of four seasonal VPRIs in adults risk group definitions and to explore the strengths and limitations of current recommendations, and to identify evidence gaps for further research.

Effect of a perineal protection device in vacuum-assisted births-a prospective randomized controlled interventional trial.

Background: Birth tears are common after vaginal birth with a prevalence of up to 85%, especially in vaginal-assisted births. Because birth trauma can cause physical and psychological short-term and long-term maternal morbidity, it is essential to improve maternal outcomes at birth.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a perineal protection device on the rate of spontaneous birth tears in the posterior compartment in vacuum-assisted births and the feasibility and safety of the device.

Contaminants and residues have varied distributions in large volumes of wheat.

Analysis of bulk wheat consignments for naturally-occurring contaminants and residues from plant protection products is common, and helps manage potential health risks to consumers. The heterogeneous distribution of some mycotoxins in wheat has been described, however the distribution of other contaminants and residues has not yet been reported. This study characterized distributions of deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, ergot alkaloids, cadmium, and glyphosate in nine large consignments of wheat by analysing composite samples representing sub-lots prepared from increments obtained during the entire loading process.

Catechol acetylglucose: a newly identified benzoxazinoid-regulated defensive metabolite in maize.

An enormous diversity of specialized metabolites is produced in the plant kingdom, with each individual plant synthesizing thousands of these compounds. Previous research showed that benzoxazinoids, the most abundant class of specialized metabolites in maize, also function as signaling molecules by regulating the production callose as a defense response. We searched for additional benzoxazinoid-regulated specialized metabolites, characterized them, examined whether they too function in herbivore protection, and determined how Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm), a prominent maize pest, copes with these metabolites.