Spatial Distribution of Genetic, Ploidy, and Morphological Variation of the Edaphic Steno-Endemic (Brassicaceae) from the Western Balkans.

Polyploidy is a powerful mechanism driving genetic, physiological, and phenotypic changes among cytotypes of the same species across both large and small geographic scales. These changes can significantly shape population structure and increase the evolutionary and adaptation potential of cytotypes. , an edaphic steno-endemic species with a narrow distribution in the Balkan Peninsula, serves as an intriguing case study.

Synthesis of an Azido-Substituted 8-Membered Ring Laddersiloxane and Its Application in Catalysis.

A first -type tricyclic 8-8-8 (three fused-8-membered ring) laddersiloxane functionalized with four azido groups was successfully synthesized through efficient and highly selective hydrosilylation and nucleophilic substitution, achieving an excellent overall yield. The starting material, a tetravinyl-substituted 8-8-8 laddersiloxane, was prepared via a straightforward and scalable method. The obtained azido-functionalized ladder compound, fully characterized, constitutes a versatile building block for hybrid materials.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid in the Gas and Crystal Phases and Its Intercalation in Montmorillonite-An Experimental and Theoretical Study.

Many properties of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) depend on its molecular environment, such as whether it is an isolated molecule, a dimer, or in a crystalline state. The molecular geometry, conformational analysis, and vibrational spectrum of 2,4-D were theoretically calculated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. A new slightly more stable conformer was found, which is different to those previously reported.

In Vitro Insights into Bacteriocin-Mediated Modulation of Chicken Cecal Microbiota.

Reducing the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is essential to limit the spread of resistance. A promising alternative to antibiotics resides in bacteriocins, which are antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria showing a great diversity in terms of spectrum of activity, structure, and mechanism of action. In this study, the effects of diverse bacteriocins on the composition and metabolic activity of chicken cecal microbiota were examined in vitro, in comparison with antibiotics.

Insights into Reproduction Through Gonadal Tissue Methylation Analysis and Transcriptomic Integration.

Fish exhibit diverse mechanisms of sex differentiation and determination, shaped by both external and internal influences, often regulated by distinct DNA methylation patterns responding to environmental changes. In aquaculture, reproductive issues in captivity pose significant challenges, particularly the lack of fertilization capabilities in captive-bred males, hindering genetic improvement measures. This study analyzed the methylation patterns and transcriptomic profiles in gonadal tissue DNA from groups differing in rearing conditions and sexual maturity stages.

Evaluation of the Early Development of 6-Month-Old Babies in the Case of Maternal Postpartum Depression with or Without Bipolar Disorder.

Background: The first year of life is the period of greatest brain plasticity. Postpartum depression can adversely affect the first interactions with the child and, consequently, their emotional, social, and cognitive development.

Objectives: First, to describe the developmental profile of six-month-old infants of mothers suffering from severe postpartum depression, and, second, to compare the development of infants whose mothers suffer from depression with or without bipolar disorder.

Comparative Study of Crucial Properties of Packaging Based on Polylactide and Selected Essential Oils.

In order to establish the differences in packaging containing various essential oils, polylactide (PLA)-based polymeric films incorporating poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), clove (C), grapefruit (G), rosemary (R), and tea tree (T) essential oils were obtained and subsequently analyzed. In addition to examining structure and morphology, the polymer films underwent analyses that are particularly important with regard to contact with food. Mechanical and antioxidant properties, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and analysis of barrier properties against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, as well as the migration of ingredients into food simulants such as 10% / solutions of ethanol, 3% / acetic acid solution, and isooctane, were among the critical studies conducted.

Neutral lipids restrict the mobility of broken DNA molecules during comet assays.

One widespread technique to assess in relative terms the amount of broken DNA present in the genome of individual cells consists of immobilizing the cell's nucleus under an agarose pad (called the nucleoid) and subjecting the whole genome to electrophoresis to force broken DNA molecules out of it. Since the migrating broken DNA molecules create a tail behind the nucleoid, this technique is named the comet assay. While performing comet assays regularly, we systematically observed circular regions devoid of DNA within the nucleoid region.

Antibody-Based Antigen Delivery to Dendritic Cells as a Vaccination Strategy Against Ebola Virus Disease.

Dendritic cells connect innate and adaptive immune responses. This is a particularly important immune checkpoint in the case of emerging infections against which most of the population does not have preexisting antibody immunity. In this study, we sought to test whether antibody-based delivery of Ebola virus (EBOV) antigens to dendritic cells could be used as a vaccination strategy against Ebola virus disease.

Exploring peripheral fluid biomarkers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome: A literature review.

People with Down Syndrome (DS) are at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is a critical factor contributing to dementia in sporadic AD. Predicting and monitoring the decline and onset of dementia is a diagnostic challenge and of essence in daily care and support for people with DS. In this literature scoping review, we first summarize the different blood-based biomarkers for AD in DS.

Modulation of the modulated magnetic structure of an Ho i-MAX phase described by a magnetic (3+2)-dimensional superspace group.

The magnetic structures of the Ho-based i-MAX phase (MoHo)GaC were studied with neutron powder diffraction at low temperature. (MoHo)GaC crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm. The material undergoes two successive antiferromagnetic transitions at T = 10 K and T = 7.

Modeling impairment of ionic regulation with extended Adaptive Exponential integrate-and-fire models.

To model the dynamics of neuron membrane excitability many models can be considered, from the most biophysically detailed to the highest level of phenomenological description. Recent works at the single neuron level have shown the importance of taking into account the evolution of slow variables such as ionic concentration. A reduction of such a model to models of the integrate-and-fire family is interesting to then go to large network models.

Temporal metacognition: Direct readout or mental construct? The case of introspective reaction time.

Deciphering whether and which mental processes are accessible for metacognitive judgments is a key question to understand higher cognitive functions. Paralleling the crucial role of reaction times (RT) for unraveling the temporal sequence of mental processes, a comparable chronometric approach can be employed at the second-order level through introspective reaction times (iRT) measures. Although mean iRT correlate with mean RT, suggesting good metacognitive abilities, this would not necessarily imply a direct readout of the duration of the underlying processes as participants may instead rely on inferences based on other salient, nontemporal, cues.

Orienting Gaze Toward a Visual Target: Neurophysiological Synthesis with Epistemological Considerations.

The appearance of an object triggers an orienting gaze movement toward its location. The movement consists of a rapid rotation of the eyes, the saccade, which is accompanied by a head rotation if the target eccentricity exceeds the oculomotor range and by a slow eye movement if the target moves. Completing a previous report, we explain the numerous points that lead to questioning the validity of a one-to-one correspondence relation between measured physical values of gaze or head orientation and neuronal activity.

Nanoplastic-Induced Developmental Toxicity in Ascidians: Comparative Analysis of Chorionated and Dechorionated Embryos.

Nanoplastics pose a growing threat to marine ecosystems, particularly affecting the early developmental stages of marine organisms. This study investigates the effects of amino-modified polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NH, 50 nm) on the embryonic development of , a model ascidian species. Both chorionated and dechorionated embryos were exposed to increasing concentrations of PS-NH so morphological alterations could be assessed with a high-content analysis of the phenotypes and genotoxicity.

Self-reports map the landscape of task states derived from brain imaging.

Psychological states influence our happiness and productivity; however, estimates of their impact have historically been assumed to be limited by the accuracy with which introspection can quantify them. Over the last two decades, studies have shown that introspective descriptions of psychological states correlate with objective indicators of cognition, including task performance and metrics of brain function, using techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Such evidence suggests it may be possible to quantify the mapping between self-reports of experience and objective representations of those states (e.

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.

A double dissociation between semantic and spatial cognition in visual to default network pathways.

Processing pathways between sensory and default mode network (DMN) regions support recognition, navigation, and memory but their organisation is not well understood. We show that functional subdivisions of visual cortex and DMN sit at opposing ends of parallel streams of information processing that support visually mediated semantic and spatial cognition, providing convergent evidence from univariate and multivariate task responses, intrinsic functional and structural connectivity. Participants learned virtual environments consisting of buildings populated with objects, drawn from either a single semantic category or multiple categories.

Uncovering a new family of conserved virulence factors that promote the production of host-damaging outer membrane vesicles in gram-negative bacteria.

CprA is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) that contributes to resistance against colistin and antimicrobial peptides. The cprA gene is conserved across Pseudomonas aeruginosa clades and its expression is directly regulated by the two-component system PmrAB. We have shown that cprA expression leads to the production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) that block autophagic flux and have a greater capacity to activate the non-canonical inflammasome pathway.

Dynamic G-Quadruplexes in the Rous Sarcoma Virus Genome: Scaffolds for Protein Interaction and Potential Anti-Viral Targets.

The Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) is an onco-retrovirus that infects avian species such as the chicken (Gallus gallus). RSV is the first oncovirus to be described, and the oncogenic activity of this virus is related to the expression of a tyrosine kinase that induces carcinogenic transformation. Interestingly, we have noted that the RSV genome contains various potential G4-forming sequences.

Comprehensive comparative metabolome study of a large collection of Corsican bryophytes.

Introduction: Bryophytes are non-vascular plants that appeared on Earth before vascular plants. More than 24,000 species are reported worldwide, and only a small proportion have been studied. However, part of their biosynthetic potential has been unveiled and more than 1,600 terpenoids have been detected and identified.

Cholesterol mobilization regulates dendritic cell maturation and the immunogenic response to cancer.

Maturation of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) is crucial for maintaining tolerogenic safeguards against auto-immunity and for promoting immunogenic responses to pathogens and cancer. The subcellular mechanism for cDC maturation remains poorly defined. We show that cDCs mature by leveraging an internal reservoir of cholesterol (harnessed from extracellular cell debris and generated by de novo synthesis) to assemble lipid nanodomains on cell surfaces of maturing cDCs, enhance expression of maturation markers and stabilize immune receptor signaling.

Calretinin-expressing neurons in the basal forebrain specifically contact granule cells in the olfactory bulb and modulate odor learning.

GABAergic neurons in basal forebrain (BF) nuclei project densely to all layers of the mouse main olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay in odor information processing. However, BF projection neurons are diverse and the contribution of each subtype to odor information processing is not known. In the present study, we used retrograde and anterograde tracing methods together with whole-brain light-sheet analyses, patch-clamp recordings coupled with optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches during spontaneous odor discrimination, and go/no-go odor discrimination/learning tests to characterize the synaptic targets in the OB of BF calretinin-expressing (CR+) GABAergic cells and to reveal their functional implications.

Cathepsins: Novel opportunities for antibody therapeutics in cancer.

Cathepsins, the most abundant lysosomal proteases, have key functions in cell maintenance and homeostasis. They are overexpressed and hypersecreted in cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Secreted cathepsins display pro-tumour activities in the tumour microenvironment and thus represent interesting molecular targets in oncology.

Alternative silencing states of transposable elements in Arabidopsis associated with H3K27me3.

Background: The DNA/H3K9 methylation and Polycomb-group proteins (PcG)-H3K27me3 silencing pathways have long been considered mutually exclusive and specific to transposable elements (TEs) and genes, respectively in mammals, plants, and fungi. However, H3K27me3 can be recruited to many TEs in the absence of DNA/H3K9 methylation machinery and sometimes also co-occur with DNA methylation.

Results: In this study, we show that TEs can also be solely targeted and silenced by H3K27me3 in wild-type Arabidopsis plants.