Availability and occurrence of coelenterazine in a Swedish fjord to maintain Amphiura filiformis bioluminescence.

The bioluminescent European brittle star Amphiura filiformis produces blue light at the arm-spine level thanks to a biochemical reaction involving coelenterazine as substrate and a Renilla-like luciferase as an enzyme. This echinoderm light production depends on a trophic acquisition of the coelenterazine substrate. Without an exogenous supply of coelenterazine, this species loses its luminous capabilities.

Immunogenicity and safety of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pneumococcal infections are a serious health issue associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy, effectiveness, immunogenicity, and safety of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)15 compared to other pneumococcal vaccines or no vaccination in children and adults. We identified 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

A qualitative study on facilitators and barriers to adoption and implementation of nutrition interventions in higher education settings in Flanders.

The transition from secondary school to college or university is a well-known and well-studied risk period for weight and/or fat gain and not meeting the dietary recommendations. Higher education acts as a promising setting to implement nutrition interventions. An important condition for intervention success is that interventions are implemented as intended by the protocol and integrated in the institutional policy.

Epidemic Zika virus strains from the Asian lineage induce an attenuated fetal brain pathogenicity.

The 2015-2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas revealed the ability of ZIKV from the Asian lineage to cause birth defects, generically called congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Notwithstanding the long circulation history of Asian ZIKV, no ZIKV-associated CZS cases were reported prior to the outbreaks in French Polynesia (2013) and Brazil (2015). Whether the sudden emergence of CZS resulted from an evolutionary event of Asian ZIKV has remained unclear.

Observation of H-H J-couplings in fast magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

While H-H J-couplings are the cornerstone of all spectral assignment methods in solution-state NMR, they are yet to be observed in solids. Here we observe H-H J-couplings in plastic crystals of (1S)-(-)-camphor in solid-state NMR at magic angle spinning (MAS) rates of 100 kHz and above. This is enabled in this special case because the intrinsic coherence lifetimes at fast MAS rates become longer than the inverse of the H-H J couplings.

Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

Strontium isotope (Sr/Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving Sr/Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the Sr/Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression.

Facile and Regioselective Deuteration of C2-Alkylated Imidazolium Salts in the Presence of Cesium Carbonate.

Thirteen imidazolium iodides bearing benzyl, mesityl, or 2,6-diiso-propyl-phenyl substituents on their nitrogen atoms, and C1 to C4 alkyl chains on their C2 carbon atom were readily deuterated with D2O as a cheap and non-toxic deuterium source in the presence of Cs2CO3, a weak, innocuous, inorganic base. The isotopic exchange proceeded quickly and efficiently under mild, aerobic conditions to afford a range of aNHC and NHO precursors regioselectively labeled on their C2α exocyclic position and/or C4=C5 heterocyclic backbone. A "carbene-free" mechanism was postulated, in which the carbonate anion acts as a catalyst to activate an exocyclic, acidic C-H bond and ease a deuterium transfer from D2O to the imidazolium salt in a concerted fashion.

Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution and Origin of Nematoda.

The phylum Nematoda represents one of the most cosmopolitan and abundant metazoan groups on Earth. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenomic tree for phylum Nematoda. A total of 60 genomes, belonging to eight nematode orders, were newly sequenced, providing the first low-coverage genomes for the orders Dorylaimida, Mononchida, Monhysterida, Chromadorida, Triplonchida, and Enoplida.

Recognition at the Heart of the Complex Situations Experienced by People With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

Objective: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) is frequent in chronic diseases, decreasing the quality of life of these patients. In a survey conducted in Belgium in 2019, chronic pain was named by patients as the main factor of complexity in their lives. The objective of our research was to provide elements to understand why and how CMSP contributes to the complexity of these people's lives.

Predicting Sarcopenia and Frailty Risk in Patients Post Heart Transplantation.

Introduction: Currently, there is little evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia risk or frailty risk in patients post heart transplantation (HTx). The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of sociodemographic, lifestyle, physical, and psychological factors on sarcopenia and frailty risk in patients post-HTx.

Methods: 133 patients post-HTx (59.

Frailty screening in older patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery: Comparative study of seven screening instruments.

Background: Frailty screening instruments are increasingly studied as risk predictors for adverse postoperative outcomes. However, because of the lack of comparative research, it is unclear which screening instrument performs best. This study therefore compared the diagnostic accuracy of seven frailty screening instruments for adverse postoperative outcomes in patients aged ≥70 years undergoing colorectal surgery.

Symptom Patterns in Adults With Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: A 6-Month Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Data are limited on the natural history and symptom patterns of cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), a disorder of gut-brain interaction characterized by recurrent stereotypical vomiting, retching, and nausea episodes.

Methods: A 6-month, observational, remote study prospectively assessed symptom patterns in adults with CVS using an electronic daily diary. Patients recorded their disease experience, including CVS symptoms and associated severity, in the daily diary.

Integrating dynamical modeling and phylogeographic inference to characterize global influenza circulation.

Global seasonal influenza circulation involves a complex interplay between local (seasonality, demography, host immunity) and global factors (international mobility) shaping recurrent epidemic patterns. No studies so far have reconciled the two spatial levels, evaluating the coupling between national epidemics, considering heterogeneous coverage of epidemiological, and virological data, integrating different data sources. We propose a novel-combined approach based on a dynamical model of global influenza spread (GLEAM), integrating high-resolution demographic, and mobility data, and a generalized linear model of phylogeographic diffusion that accounts for time-varying migration rates.

Transcriptomic analysis of + non-small cell lung cancer reveals an upregulation of nucleotide synthesis and cell adhesion pathways.

Introduction: The transcriptomic characteristics of + non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represent a crucial aspect of its tumor biology. These features provide valuable insights into key dysregulated pathways, potentially leading to the discovery of novel targetable alterations or biomarkers.

Methods: From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, all available + (n = 10), + (n = 5) and + (n = 5) NSCLC tumor and + cell line (n = 7) RNA-sequencing files were collected.

Functional MRGPRX2 expression on peripheral blood-derived human mast cells increases at low seeding density and is suppressed by interleukin-9 and fetal bovine serum.

Primary human mast cells (MC) obtained through culturing of blood-derived MC progenitors are the preferred model for the study of MRGPRX2- IgE-mediated MC activation. In order to assess the impact of culture conditions on functional MRGPRX2 expression, we cultured CD34-enriched PBMC from peripheral whole blood (PB) and buffy coat (BC) samples in MethoCult medium containing stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-3, modified through variations in seeding density and adding or withholding IL-6, IL-9 and fetal bovine serum (FBS). Functional expression of MRGPRX2 was assessed after 4 weeks via flow cytometry.

The role of the microbiome in allergic dermatitis-related otitis externa: a multi-species comparative review.

The external ear canal, characterized by species-specific structural and physiological differences, maintains a hostile environment that prevents microbial overgrowth and foreign body entry, supported by factors such as temperature, pH, humidity, and cerumen with antimicrobial properties. This review combines several studies on the healthy ear canal's structure and physiology with a critical approach to the potential existence of an ear microbiome. We use a comparative multi-species approach to explore how allergic conditions alter the ear canal microenvironment and cerumen in different mammalian species, promoting pathogen colonization.

How do autistic people, professionals, and caregivers think about the origins and environments of autism.

Understanding what people believe the causes of autism to be has implications for experiences of familial guilt and stigma. Using a qualitative approach, we investigated how Brazilian healthcare professionals, parents of young and adult autistic people and young and adult autistic people consider the origins of autism and the interaction between the biological and social environment concerning the challenges autistic people encounter. Eight health professionals who assist autistic people, five young autistic people, six family members of young autistic people, five autistic adults, and four parents of autistic adults participated in the research.

Fear of hypoglycemia and sleep in children with type 1 diabetes and their parents.

Aims: To compare impact of pump treatment and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with predictive low glucose suspend (SmartGuard) or user initiated CGM (iscCGM) on sleep and hypoglycemia fear in children with type 1 Diabetes and parents.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from 5 weeks pump treatment with iscCGM (A) or SmartGuard (B) open label, single center, randomized cross-over study was performed. At baseline and end of treatment arms, sleep and fear of hypoglycemia were evaluated using ActiGraph and questionnaires.

Impact of the biopsychosocial model of disability on the medicolegal assessment of personal injury.

Background: The objective of this paper was to determine whether the medicolegal assessment of injured and disabled persons is based on the biopsychosocial model of disability proposed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

Methods: We searched for the word disability and other keywords, occurring alone or in combination as well as the meaning given to the word "disability" in two Belgian legal databases (JURA and STRADALEX) for the period from 1960 to 2020.

Results: The use of the term disability has increased over time, more so from 2001 to 2010, in areas of public health law, labor relations, and personal injury law.

'It's a secret in my life': frontstage and backstage experiences of women undergoing induced abortions in a rural community of Pakistan.

Abortion is taboo in Pakistani society, and it is stigmatised throughout the country, regardless of legal permission. Despite the burdens imposed by social norms of pronatalism and motherhood, women do exercise agency to have abortions. This study explores the experiences of women who have had induced abortions and maintained their social status within the community.

Sex differences in the relationships between 24-h rest-activity patterns and plasma markers of Alzheimer's disease pathology.

Background: Although separate lines of research indicated a moderating role of sex in both sleep-wake disruption and in the interindividual vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related processes, the quantification of sex differences in the interplay between sleep-wake dysregulation and AD pathology remains critically overlooked. Here, we examined sex-specific associations between circadian rest-activity patterns and AD-related pathophysiological processes across the adult lifespan.

Methods: Ninety-two cognitively unimpaired adults (mean age = 59.

Occurrence of Taenia species and Toxoplasma gondii in pigs slaughtered in Bujumbura city, Kayanza and Ngozi provinces, Burundi.

Background: Taenia spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are foodborne parasites affecting humans and pigs. The magnitude of the burden of these parasites in pigs in Burundi is not known.

Harmonizing measurement tools: examining the concurrent validity of the Daily Activity Behaviors Questionnaire compared to the ActiGraph to assess 24-hour movement behaviors among adults.

Purpose: An accurate assessment of time spent in 24-hour movement behaviors (24 h-MBs) is crucial in exploring health related associations. This study aims to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Daily Activity Behavior Questionnaire (DABQ) compared to the ActiGraph using absolute and relative indicators of validity.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 105 adults (45 ± 13 y/o, 54% female).

Predictive modeling to evaluate long-term treatment effectiveness of darvadstrocel in patients with complex perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease.

Background: Current therapies for complex Crohn's perianal fistulas (CPF) have a limited ability to achieve long-term healing. Darvadstrocel (DVS) is an expanded allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy that has demonstrated efficacy in treating complex CPF in clinical trials. There are, however, limited long-term comparative data with standard of care (SoC).