The ReAct project: Analysis of data from 23 different laboratories to characterise DNA recovery given two sets of activity level propositions.

The ReAct (Recovery, Activity) project is an ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) supported initiative comprising a large consortium of laboratories. Here, the results from more than 23 laboratories are presented. The primary purpose was to design experiments simulating typical casework circumstances; collect data and to implement Bayesian networks to assess the value (i.

Deep learning methods for proteome-scale interaction prediction.

Proteome-scale interaction prediction is essential for understanding protein functions and disease mechanisms. Traditional experimental methods are often limited by scale and complexity, driving the need for computational approaches. Deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool, enabling high-throughput, accurate predictions of protein interactions.

Cardiovascular risk and allostatic load in PTSD: The role of cumulative trauma and resilience in affected and trauma-exposed adults.

Background: The pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves dysregulation of stress-sensitive biological systems due to repeated trauma exposure, predisposing individuals to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Allostatic load (AL), an indicator of maladaptive stress responses, could shed light on the underlying biological mechanisms. We determined whether CVD risk and AL were associated with trauma load and resilience in women with PTSD and trauma-exposed controls (TEC).

The relevance of endoplasmic reticulum lumen and Anoctamin-8 for major depression: Results from a systems biology study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating disorder, yet its pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study is to identify novel potential proteins and biological processes associated with MDD through a systems biology approach. Original articles involving the measurement of proteins in the blood of patients diagnosed with MDD were selected.

Visualizing enterohepatic circulation in vivo by sensitive F MRI with a fluorinated ferrous chelate-based small molecule probe.

Enterohepatic circulation (EHC) is a critical biological process for the normal regulation of many endogenous biomolecules and the increased retention of various exogenous substances. The status of EHC is closely related to the ordinary functioning of several digestive organs. However, it remains a challenge to achieve in vivo real-time visualization of this process.

Automatic path planning for pelvic fracture reduction with multi-degree-of-freedom.

Background And Objectives: Computer-assisted orthopedic surgical techniques and robotics has improved the therapeutic outcome of pelvic fracture reduction surgery. The preoperative reduction path is one of the prerequisites for robotic movement and an essential reference for manual operation. As the largest irregular bone with complicated morphology, the rotational motion of pelvic fracture fragments impacts the reduction process directly.

Efficacy of ascorbic acid coated quantum dots in alleviating lead-induced oxidative damage and enhancing growth parameters in rice (Oryza sativa L.) for sustainable cultivation.

Lead (Pb) toxicity impairs the growth, yield, and biochemical traits of rice, making it essential to mitigate Pb stress in soil and restore its growth and production. This study investigated the potential of ascorbic acid-coated quantum dots (AsA-QDs) in alleviating Pb stress in two rice cultivars, Japonica (JP-5) and Indica (Super Basmati), grown in pots under Pb stress (50 mg/kg as lead chloride) with AsA-QD suspensions (50 ppm and 100 ppm) as treatments. The synthesized AsA-QDs were characterized by zeta potential (-14.

Global expansion of microphysiological systems (MPS) and Japan's initiatives: Innovation in pharmaceutical development and path to regulatory acceptance.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) are gaining global attention as potential game-changers in pharmaceutical development. Since 2013, MPS suppliers from university laboratories in the United States and Europe have competed to develop these devices. After the development phase, the focus shifted to the accumulation of applications using MPS for pharmaceutical companies and end users.

Multi-SpinX: An advanced framework for automated tracking of mitotic spindles and kinetochores in multicellular environments.

SpinX, an AI-guided spindle tracking software, allows the 3-dimensional (3D) tracking of metaphase spindle movements in mammalian cells. Using over 900 images of dividing cells, we create the Multi-SpinX framework to significantly expand SpinX's applications: a) to track spindles and cell cortex in multicellular environments, b) to combine two object tracking (spindle with kinetochores marked by centromeric probes) and c) to extend spindle tracking beyond metaphase to prometaphase and anaphase stages where spindle morphology is different. We have used a human-in-the-loop approach to assess our optimisation steps, to manually identify challenges and to build a robust computational pipeline for segmenting kinetochore pairs and spindles.

Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room.

Mitigation measures against infectious aerosols are desperately needed. We aimed to: 1) compare germicidal ultraviolet radiation (GUV) at 254 nm (254-GUV) and 222 nm (222-GUV) with portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to inactivate/remove airborne bacteriophage ϕX174, 2) measure the effect of air mixing on the effectiveness of 254-GUV, and 3) determine the relative susceptibility of ϕX174, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza A(H3N2) to GUV (254 nm, 222 nm). A nebulizer generated ϕX174 laden aerosols in an occupied clinical room (sealed-low flow).

Cranial variation across spiny pocket mice (Heteromys, Liomys) in new phylogenetic and taxonomic perspectives.

Spiny pocket mice are usually divided into two genera, Heteromys and Liomys, and more recently the latter have been subsumed into the former, leaving subfamily Heteromyinae with one genus. However, this arrangement conveys false equivalency among heteromyines, and does not represent the great morphological, molecular, and ecological diversity in this subfamily. To address this, geometric morphometric methods were used to explore interspecific cranial variation in this subfamily, which were then evaluated in the context of recent phylogenetic and taxonomic findings.

Design of ()-3-(5-Thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic Acid Derivatives as Novel NMDA Receptor Glycine Site Agonists: Variation in Molecular Geometry to Improve Potency and Augment GluN2 Subunit-Specific Activity.

NMDA receptor ligands have therapeutic potential in neurological and psychiatric disorders. We designed ()-3-(5-thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives with nanomolar agonist potencies at NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN12/A-D). These compounds are superagonists at GluN1/2C compared to glycine and partial to full agonists at GluN1/2A and GluN1/2D but display functional antagonism at GluN1/2B due to low agonist efficacy.

Single-Cell Multi-Omics Profiling of Immune Cells Isolated from Atherosclerotic Plaques in Male ApoE Knockout Mice Exposed to Arsenic.

Background: Millions worldwide are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic that significantly increase their risk of developing atherosclerosis, a pathology primarily driven by immune cells. While the impact of arsenic on immune cell populations in atherosclerotic plaques has been broadly characterized, cellular heterogeneity is a substantial barrier to in-depth examinations of the cellular dynamics for varying immune cell populations.

Objectives: This study aimed to conduct single-cell multi-omics profiling of atherosclerotic plaques in apolipoprotein E knockout () mice to elucidate transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in immune cells induced by arsenic exposure.

Production of Organic Precursors via Meteoritic Impacts and Its Implications for Prebiotic Inventory of Early Planetary Surfaces.

Meteoritic impacts on planetary surfaces deliver a significant amount of energy that can produce prebiotic organic compounds such as cyanides, which may be a key step to the formation of biomolecules. To study the chemical processes of impact-induced organic synthesis, we simulated the physicochemical processes of hypervelocity impacts (HVI) in experiments with both high-speed C projectiles and laser ablation. In the first approach, a C beam was accelerated to collide with ammonium nitrate (NHNO) to reproduce the shock process and plume generation of meteoritic impacts on nitrogen-rich planetary surfaces.

Waste Heat and Habitability: Constraints from Technological Energy Consumption.

Waste heat production represents an inevitable consequence of energy conversion as per the laws of thermodynamics. Based on this fact, by using simple theoretical models, we analyze constraints on the habitability of Earth-like terrestrial planets hosting putative technological species and technospheres characterized by persistent exponential growth of energy consumption and waste heat generation. In particular, we quantify the deleterious effects of rising surface temperature on biospheric processes and the eventual loss of liquid water.

Peripheral Evolution of Tanshinone IIA and Cryptotanshinone for Discovery of a Potent and Specific NLRP3 Inflammasome Inhibitor.

Natural products (NPs) continue to serve as an invaluable source in drug discovery, and peripheral evolution of NPs is a highly efficient evolution strategy. Herein, we describe a unified "methyl to amide" peripheral evolution of Tanshinone IIA and Cryptotanshinone for discovery of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors. There were 54 compounds designed and prepared, while the chemoinformatic analysis revealed that these evolved NP analogues occupy a unique chemical space.

A single gene orchestrates androgen variation underlying male mating morphs in ruffs.

Androgens are pleiotropic and play pivotal roles in the formation and variation of sexual phenotypes. We show that differences in circulating androgens between the three male mating morphs in ruff sandpipers are linked to 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD17B2), encoded by a gene within the supergene that determines the morphs. Low-testosterone males had higher expression in blood than high-testosterone males, as well as in brain areas related to social behaviors and testosterone production.

Investigation of biometabolites and novel antimicrobial peptides derived from promising source Cordyceps militaris and effect of non-small cell lung cancer genes computationally.

Mushrooms are considered one of the safe and effective medications because they have great economic importance due to countless biological properties. Cordyceps militaris contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-cancerous properties. This study was projected to analyze the potentials of biometabolites and to extract antimicrobial peptides and protein from the C.

Construction of an lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network to investigate the inflammatory regulatory mechanisms of ischemic stroke.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are among the most abundant types of non-coding RNAs in the genome and exhibit particularly high expression levels in the brain, where they play crucial roles in various neurophysiological and neuropathological processes. Although ischemic stroke is a complex multifactorial disease, the involvement of brain-derived lncRNAs in its intricate regulatory networks remains inadequately understood. In this study, we established a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Data-driven discovery and parameter estimation of mathematical models in biological pattern formation.

Mathematical modeling has been utilized to explain biological pattern formation, but the selections of models and parameters have been made empirically. In the present study, we propose a data-driven approach to validate the applicability of mathematical models. Specifically, we developed methods to automatically select the appropriate mathematical models based on the patterns of interest and to estimate the model parameters.

Off-label use of biologics in urticarial vasculitis: a European retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Urticarial vasculitis (UV) is characterized by atypical urticarial lesions and leukocytoclastic vasculitis, sometimes with extracutaneous manifestations. First-line treatment is based on colchicine, hydroxychloroquine, dapsone or low-dose glucocorticoids. In refractory forms, the use of biologics has been anecdotally described as potentially effective.

Amphiphilic Polyaspartamide Derivatives with Cholesterol Introduction Enhanced Ex Vivo mRNA Transfection Efficiency to Natural Killer Cells.

Engineered natural killer (NK) cells eliminate cancer cells by overexpressing a chimeric antigen receptor, producing highly efficient and safe NK cell therapies. This study investigated the polyplex formulation for the fusion protein GreenLantern-natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) mRNA to evaluate its delivery efficacy into NK cells, wherein NKG2D on the surface of NK cells recognized its counterpart NKG2D ligands on cancer cells. Amphiphilic polyaspartamide derivatives Chol-PAsp(DET/CHE) were prepared by adding cyclohexylethylamine (CHE) and diethylenetriamine (DET) in the side chains and cholesterol (Chol) at the α-terminus to enhance endosomal escapability and optimize hydrophobicity.

Protocol for estimating the contrast transfer function and absolute tilt angle offset for cryo-electron tomography using CTFMeasure.

Contrast transfer function (CTF) estimation is essential to the data processing workflow of cryo-electron tomography (cryoET). Here, we present a protocol for CTF estimation of the cryoET tilt series with CTFMeasure. CTFMeasure can estimate the CTF parameters together with the absolute tilt angle offset of the sample.

Redox proteomics reveal a role for peroxiredoxinylation in stress protection.

The redox state of proteins is essential for their function and guarantees cell fitness. Peroxiredoxins protect cells against oxidative stress, maintain redox homeostasis, act as chaperones, and transmit hydrogen peroxide signals to redox regulators. Despite the profound structural and functional knowledge of peroxiredoxins action, information on how the different functions are concerted is still scarce.