Competitive social feedback amplifies the role of early life contingency in male mice.

Contingency (or "luck") in early life plays an important role in shaping individuals' development. By comparing the developmental trajectories of functionally genetically identical free-living mice who either experienced high levels of resource competition (males) or did not (females), we show that competition magnifies early contingency. Male resource competition results in a feedback loop that magnifies the importance of early contingency and pushes individuals onto divergent, self-reinforcing life trajectories, while the same process appears absent in females.

Disentangling the microbial genomic traits associated with aromatic hydrocarbon degradation in a jet fuel-contaminated aquifer.

Spills of petroleum or its derivatives in the environment lead to an enrichment of microorganisms able to degrade such compounds. The interactions taking place in such microbial communities are complex and poorly understood, since they depend on multiple factors, including diversity and metabolic potential of the microorganisms and a broad range of fluctuating environmental conditions. In our previous study, a complete characterization, based on high-throughput sequencing, was performed in a jet-fuel plume using soil samples and in in-situ microcosms amended with hydrocarbons and exposed for 120 days.

Determination of Binding Constants and Gas Phase Stabilities of Artificial Carbohydrate Receptor Complexes Using Electrospray Mass Spectrometry.

In recent years, binding studies to determine complex stabilities and selectivities of artificial carbohydrate receptors with glycosides have been mainly performed using H NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and other spectroscopic titration techniques. Native electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry is used only to verify the complex stoichiometries, although determination of dissociation constants is also possible. Herein, the binding of a 1,3,5-substituted 2,4,6-triethylbenzene-based receptor (CHR) to four alkyl-β-d-glucosides with varying alkyl side chain lengths (methyl (MGP), hexyl (HGP), octyl (OGP), and dodecyl (DGP)-β-d-glucosides), which was analyzed by ESI Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS) under optimized spray conditions in both ion modes, is reported.

Evaluation of general anesthesia protocols for a highly controlled cardiac ischemia-reperfusion model in mice.

Background: The aim of our study was to test different anesthetic mixtures in order to identify the most suitable one for a surgical cardiac ischemia-reperfusion model in mice.

Methods: 1) Sixty four mice were submitted to one of the 6 combinations of ketamine or alfaxalone associated to xylazine, medetomidine or midazolam. Depth and quality of anesthesia were evaluated via 5 reflex scores.

Perioperative Detection of Cerebral Fat Emboli From Bone Using High-Frequency Doppler Ultrasound.

Objective: Fat embolism syndrome and cerebral fat emboli are rare yet serious conditions arising from systemic distribution of bone marrow emboli. Emboli are known to produce high-intensity transient signals (HITS) in a Doppler signal. We hypothesized that both intramedullary nailing in pigs and median sternotomy in human infants cause bone marrow release, that some of these cause cerebral emboli, and that these were detectable by a new cerebral doppler ultrasound monitoring system (NeoDoppler).

Metal-support interactions in metal oxide-supported atomic, cluster, and nanoparticle catalysis.

Supported metal catalysts are essential to a plethora of processes in the chemical industry. The overall performance of these catalysts depends strongly on the interaction of adsorbates at the atomic level, which can be manipulated and controlled by the different constituents of the active material (, support and active metal). The description of catalyst activity and the relationship between active constituent and the support, or metal-support interactions (MSI), in heterogeneous (thermo)catalysts is a complex phenomenon with multivariate (dependent and independent) contributions that are difficult to disentangle, both experimentally and theoretically.

Heterometallic Transition Metal Oxides Containing Lewis Acids as Molecular Catalysts for the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide with Bimodal Activity.

Electrocatalytic CO reduction (e-CORR) to CO is replete with challenges including the need to carry out e-CORR at low overpotentials. Previously, a tricopper-substituted polyoxometalate was shown to reduce CO to CO with a very high faradaic efficiency albeit at -2.5 V versus Fc/Fc.

Fast, Easy, and Reproducible Fingerprint Methods for Endotoxin Characterization in Nanocellulose and Alginate-Based Hydrogel Scaffolds.

Nanocellulose- and alginate-based hydrogels have been suggested as potential wound-healing materials, but their utilization is limited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements regarding endotoxin levels. Cytotoxicity and the presence of endotoxin were assessed after gel sterilization using an autoclave and UV treatment. A new fingerprinting method was developed to characterize the compounds detected in cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)- and cellulose-nanofiber (CNF)-based hydrogels using both positive- and negative-ion mode electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (ESI FT-ICR MS).

Paratesticular Fibrous Pseudotumor in 8-Year-Old Male Following Scrotal Trauma.

Fibrous pseudotumors are a rare type of benign paratesticular mass that normally present to patients in their 30s secondary to local trauma. Here, we describe an 8-year-old male patient that presented with several right testicular masses following an injury 2 years prior. The masses were successfully resected in a testicle-sparing operation.

Source differentiation of BTEX compounds in groundwater contaminated due to refinery activities.

This study aims to identify sources of groundwater contamination in a refinery area using integrated compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA), oil fingerprinting techniques, hydrogeological data, and distillation analysis. The investigations focused on determination of the origin of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), and aliphatic hydrocarbons as well. Groundwater and floating oil samples were collected from extraction wells for analysis.

Clonal competition assays identify fitness signatures in cancer progression and resistance in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a genetically heterogeneous disease and the management of relapses is one of the biggest clinical challenges. alterations are established high-risk markers and are included in the current disease staging criteria. is the most frequently mutated gene affecting around 20% of MM patients.

Exploring the heterogeneity in community pharmacist-led medication review studies - A systematic review.

Background: Findings on the effectiveness of medication reviews led by community pharmacists (CPs) are often inconclusive. It has been hypothesized that studies are not sufficiently standardized, and thus, it is difficult to draw conclusions.

Objective(s): To examine differences in the way CP-led medication review studies are set up.

Fertility Preservation in Children and Adolescents: Where We Are and Where We Are Going.

Purpose Of Review: This review will describe current pediatric and adolescent fertility preservation methodologies and the ethical concerns surrounding these procedures, as well as highlight recent research that may pave the way for the development of new fertility preservation options.

Recent Findings: Research is ongoing to allow prepubertal patients, particularly those with testes, to be able to have biologic children in the future. Studies on sperm in vitro maturation highlight the importance of supporting the spermatogonial stem cell niche for the development of mature sperm.

Changes in T-cell subsets, preexisting cytopenias and hyperferritinaemia correlate with cytopenias after BCMA targeted CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: Results from a prospective comprehensive biomarker study.

Biomarkers for cytopenias following CAR T-cell treatment in relapsed/refractory (RR) multiple myeloma (MM) are not completely defined. We prospectively analysed 275 sequential peripheral blood (PB) samples from 58 RRMM patients treated with BCMA-targeted CAR T cells, and then divided them into three groups: (i) baseline (before leukapheresis), (ii) ≤day+30, and (iii) >day+30 after CAR T-cell therapy. We evaluated laboratory data and performed flow cytometry to determine the (CAR) T-cell subsets.

Sex-specific competitive social feedback amplifies the role of early life contingency in male mice.

Contingency (or 'luck') in early life plays an important role in shaping individuals' development. When individuals live within larger societies, social experiences may cause the importance of early contingencies to be magnified or dampened. Here we test the hypothesis that competition magnifies the importance of early contingency in a sex-specific manner by comparing the developmental trajectories of genetically identical, free-living mice who either experienced high levels of territorial competition (males) or did not (females).

Galactosamine and mannosamine are integral parts of bacterial and fungal extracellular polymeric substances.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are produced by microorganisms and interact to form a complex matrix called biofilm. In soils, EPS are important contributors to the microbial necromass and, thus, to soil organic carbon (SOC). Amino sugars (AS) are used as indicators for microbial necromass in soil, although the origin of galactosamine and mannosamine is largely unknown.

Leaking in Intimate Partner Homicide: A Systematic Review.

Intimate partner homicides (IPH) are serious offenses by a heterogeneous group of offenders with diverse risk factors that are too unspecific for the successful prediction of an offense. Recent research suggested several warning signs that may precede IPH and enhance its prevention, but little is still known about "leaking." Leaking comprises all offense-related statements, behaviors, or actions that express the perpetrator's thoughts, fantasies, ideas, interests, feelings, intentions, plans, or positive evaluations of an own violent act or previous similar offenses prior to the own attack.

Genetically identical mice express alternative reproductive tactics depending on social conditions in the field.

In many species, establishing and maintaining a territory is critical to survival and reproduction, and an animal's ability to do so is strongly influenced by the presence and density of competitors. Here we manipulate social conditions to study the alternative reproductive tactics displayed by genetically identical, age-matched laboratory mice competing for territories under ecologically realistic social environmental conditions. We introduced adult males and females of the laboratory mouse strain C57BL/6J into a large, outdoor field enclosure containing defendable resource zones under one of two social conditions.

Female behavior drives the formation of distinct social structures in C57BL/6J versus wild-derived outbred mice in field enclosures.

Background: Social behavior and social organization have major influences on individual health and fitness. Yet, biomedical research focuses on studying a few genotypes under impoverished social conditions. Understanding how lab conditions have modified social organizations of model organisms, such as lab mice, relative to natural populations is a missing link between socioecology and biomedical science.

Anaerobic dihydrogen consumption of nutrient-limited aquifer sediment microbial communities examined by stable isotope analysis.

The biogeochemical consequences of dihydrogen (H) underground storage in porous aquifers are poorly understood. Here, the effects of nutrient limitations on anaerobic H oxidation of an aquifer microbial community in sediment microcosms were determined in order to evaluate possible responses to high H partial pressures. Hydrogen isotope analyses of H yielded isotope depletion in all biotic setups indicating microbial H consumption.