The biodiversity of ice-free Antarctica database.

Antarctica is one of Earth's most untouched, inhospitable, and poorly known regions. Although knowledge of its biodiversity has increased over recent decades, a diverse, wide-ranging, and spatially explicit compilation of the biodiversity that inhabits Antarctica's permanently ice-free areas is unavailable. This absence hinders both Antarctic biodiversity research and the integration of Antarctica in global biodiversity-related studies.

Oocyte/zygote/embryo maturation arrest: a clinical study expanding the phenotype of NOBOX variants.

Purpose: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is an important cause of female infertility, stemming from follicle dysfunction or premature oocyte depletion. Pathogenic variants in genes such as NOBOX, GDF9, BMP15, and FSHR have been linked to POI. NOBOX, a transcription factor expressed in oocytes and granulosa cells, plays a pivotal role in folliculogenesis.

An Exploration of the Interplay Between Caffeine and Antidepressants Through the Lens of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.

Caffeine consumption is regarded as a widespread phenomenon, and its usage has continued to increase. In addition, the growing usage of antidepressants worldwide and increase in mental health disorders were shown in recent statistical analyses conducted by the World Health Organisation. The coadministration of caffeine and antidepressants remains a concern due to potential interactions that can alter a patient's response to therapy.

Rome Foundation Working Team Report on overlap in disorders of gut-brain interaction.

In patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), overlapping non-gastrointestinal conditions such as fibromyalgia, headaches, gynaecological and urological conditions, sleep disturbances and fatigue are common, as is overlap among DGBI in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract. These overlaps strongly influence patient management and outcome. Shared pathophysiology could explain this scenario, but details are not fully understood.

RNA-sequencing unveils FLT4 splice site variants in variable congenital heart disease.

The etiology of congenital heart disease (CHD) is complex, comprising both genetic and environmental factors. Despite documented familial occurrences, the genetic etiology remains largely elusive. Trio exome sequencing identified a heterozygous FLT4 splice site variant in two families with respectively tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and variable CHD comprising both the TOF spectrum and aortic coarctation.

Machine learning meta-analysis identifies individual characteristics moderating cognitive intervention efficacy for anxiety and depression symptoms.

Cognitive training is a promising intervention for psychological distress; however, its effectiveness has yielded inconsistent outcomes across studies. This research is a pre-registered individual-level meta-analysis to identify factors contributing to cognitive training efficacy for anxiety and depression symptoms. Machine learning methods, alongside traditional statistical approaches, were employed to analyze 22 datasets with 1544 participants who underwent working memory training, attention bias modification, interpretation bias modification, or inhibitory control training.

NIRS-BIDS: Brain Imaging Data Structure Extended to Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an increasingly popular neuroimaging technique that measures cortical hemodynamic activity in a non-invasive and portable fashion. Although the fNIRS community has been successful in disseminating open-source processing tools and a standard file format (SNIRF), reproducible research and sharing of fNIRS data amongst researchers has been hindered by a lack of standards and clarity over how study data should be organized and stored. This problem is not new in neuroimaging, and it became evident years ago with the proliferation of publicly available neuroimaging datasets.

Helioseismic inference of the solar radiative opacity.

The Sun is the most studied of all stars, and thus constitutes a benchmark for stellar models. However, our vision of the Sun is still incomplete, as illustrated by the current debate on its chemical composition. The problem reaches far beyond chemical abundances and is intimately linked to microscopic and macroscopic physical ingredients of solar models such as radiative opacity, for which experimental results have been recently measured that still await theoretical explanations.

Genetic coupling of enhancer activity and connectivity in gene expression control.

Gene enhancers often form long-range contacts with promoters, but it remains unclear if the activity of enhancers and their chromosomal contacts are mediated by the same DNA sequences and recruited factors. Here, we study the effects of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) on enhancer activity and promoter contacts in primary monocytes isolated from 34 male individuals. Using eQTL-Capture Hi-C and a Bayesian approach considering both intra- and inter-individual variation, we initially detect 19 eQTLs associated with enhancer-eGene promoter contacts, most of which also associate with enhancer accessibility and activity.

Lateral pterygoid muscle enthesis reconstruction in alloplastic total temporomandibular joint replacement: An animal experiment with histological verification.

In current alloplastic total temporomandibular joint replacements (TMJRs) typically the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) insertion is sacrificed, affecting joint function. This study assesses a novel additively manufactured TMJR (CADskills BV, Gent, Belgium) designed to enable LPM reinsertion through a scaffold feature on the implant. Thirteen TMJRs were implanted in Swifter crossbreed sheep, with follow-up CT scans after 288 days to evaluate LPM reintegration.

Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum revealing acute myeloid leukaemia.

We describe a man in his 60s presenting poor scar development following surgical treatment for popliteal aneurysm. The clinical features in a postoperative context and the poor clinical response to intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics were highly suggestive of bullous pyoderma gangrenosum. Histology, with dense inflammatory infiltrate of neutrophils, subsequently confirmed the diagnosis and the response to systemic corticosteroids was rapid and complete.

How to: share and reuse data - challenges and solutions from PrIMAVeRa project.

Background: Data sharing accelerates scientific progress and improves evidence quality. Even though journals and funding institutions require investigators to share data, only a small part of studies made their data publicly available upon publication. The procedures necessary to share retrospective data for re-use in secondary data analysis projects can be cumbersome.

Combination of clinical frailty score and myostatin concentrations as mortality predictor in hemodialysis patients.

Background And Aims: Frailty is common among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Its assessment is usually based on clinical criteria. In the present work, we evaluated the interest of combining clinical frailty score and biomarkers to predict mortality of chronic HD patients.

Molecular miscibility of ASD blend components: an evaluation of (the added value of) solid state NMR spectroscopy and relaxometry.

In order to evaluate the stability of an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) it is crucial to be able to accurately determine whether the ASD components are homogeneously mixed or not. Several solid-state analysis techniques are at the disposal of the formulation scientist, such as for example modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (ssNMR). ssNMR is a robust, versatile, and accurate analysis technique with a large number of application possibilities.

Optimizing thermal and thermal-alkaline pretreatments for polylactic acid biodegradation by Amycolatopsis orientalis and Amycolatopsis thailandensis.

Environmental pollution from packaging, has led to a need for sustainable alternatives. This study investigates the biodegradation of polylactic acid (PLA) by Amycolatopsis orientalis and Amycolatopsis thailandensis after thermal and thermal-alkaline pretreatments. The biodegradation was assessed based on weight loss, CO evolution, carbon balance analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Environmental impact of peat alternatives in growing media for European mushroom production.

Button mushrooms are an important protein source with a production of >48 million metric tonnes in 2021. Several life cycle assessments (LCAs) have been employed in assessing mushroom cultivation. This paper assessed potential impacts of relevant alternatives (sphagnum moss, grass fibres, spent casing and bark) to peat as casing materials for mushroom production across Europe by using LCA using a cradle to farm gate approach.

Guidelines International Network: Principles for Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Health Guideline Enterprise.

Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) has been defined by the High-Level Expert Group on AI of the European Commission as "systems that display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions-with some degree of autonomy-to achieve specific goals." Artificial intelligence has the potential to support guideline planning, development and adaptation, reporting, implementation, impact evaluation, certification, and appraisal of recommendations, which we will refer to as "guideline enterprise." Considering this potential, as well as the lack of guidance for the use of AI in guidelines, the Guidelines International Network (GIN) proposes a set of principles for the development and use of AI tools or processes to support the health guideline enterprise.

Exploring the Feasibility of a 5-Week mHealth Intervention to Enhance Physical Activity and an Active, Healthy Lifestyle in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Advancements in mobile technology have paved the way for innovative interventions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA).

Objective: The main objective of this feasibility study was to assess the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of the More In Action (MIA) app, designed to promote PA among older adults. MIA offers 7 features: personalized tips, PA literacy, guided peer workouts, a community calendar, a personal activity diary, a progression monitor, and a chatbot.

PRRSV-2 nsp2 Ignites NLRP3 inflammasome through IKKβ-dependent dispersed trans-Golgi network translocation.

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a fundamental component of the innate immune system, yet its excessive activation is intricately associated with viral pathogenesis. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 2 (PRRSV-2), belonging to the family Arteriviridae, triggers dysregulated cytokine release and interstitial pneumonia, which can quickly escalate to acute respiratory distress and death. However, a mechanistic understanding of PRRSV-2 progression remains unclear.

Investigation of the canine elbow joint innervation in 100 joints.

The canine elbow joint is innervated by four nerves: the musculocutaneous, median, radial, and ulnar nerves. There is little data in the veterinary literature examining the course of the articular branches of those nerves. There is also no agreement as to their anatomical location in the joint capsule nor to their number.

Crystal structure of submicron-sized sulfur particles using 3D ED obtained in atmospheric conditions.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a promising candidate for the next generation of rechargeable batteries. Despite extensive research on this system over the last decade, a complete understanding of the phase transformations has remained elusive. Conventional in-situ powder X-ray diffraction has struggled to determine the unit cell and space group of the polysulfides formed during charge and discharge cycles due to the high solubility of these solid products in the liquid electrolyte.

Early palliative care in metastatic uveal melanoma (early together): protocol of a prospective randomized Phase III trial.

Metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) patients often initially present with limited symptoms despite a poor prognosis, complicating communication with patients and caregivers. Early Together (NCT04728113) is a randomized Phase III trial that integrates early palliative care through systematic joint visits involving the palliative care team and the medical oncologist, compared with standard oncological care, in 162 metastatic UM patients beginning systemic treatment. This collaboration aims to enhance patient functioning, improve quality of life and facilitate coping mechanisms.