Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst health workers, Windhoek, Namibia.

Introduction: As of 24 October 2021, 128,868 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3550 deaths were reported from Namibia. The national COVID-19 vaccination campaign that started in March 2021 included health workers (HWs) as a priority group. The vaccines most administered were Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNtech, and Janssen.

Linking epidemiology and genomics of maternal smoking during pregnancy in utero and in ageing: a population-based study using human foetuses and the UK Biobank cohort.

Background: Maternal smoking and foetal exposure to nicotine and other harmful chemicals in utero remains a serious public health issue with little knowledge about the underlying genetics and consequences of maternal smoking in ageing individuals. Here, we investigated the epidemiology and genomic architecture of maternal smoking in a middle-aged population and compare the results to effects observed in the developing foetus.

Methods: In the current project, we included 351,562 participants from the UK Biobank (UKB) and estimated exposure to maternal smoking status during pregnancy through self-reporting from the UKB participants about the mother's smoking status around their birth.

Sulfur traits in the plant microbiome: implications for sustainable agriculture.

Owing to its biochemical flexibility, sulfur (S) is uniquely poised to fulfill versatile roles in plant-microbe interactions - impacting their metabolism with significant consequences for plant health and the global S cycle. We present evidence that the diversity of S-metabolic genes in plant-associated microbiomes (phytobiomes) is underappreciated, and plant niches are hotspots of bacterial S-metabolism with implications for S emissions. Building upon emerging findings, we posit that coordination of S-metabolism between plants and phytobiomes is a common mechanism for plant-microbe homeostasis and agriculturally beneficial microbial services.

Hidden aging: the secret role of root senescence.

Root age-dependent processes have remained poorly understood. Here, we define root age-related terms in their eco-/physiological context, provide a synthesis of read-outs and traits characterizing root senescence in different root types, and follow their modulation in the light of metabolic, hormonal, and genetic control. Evidence for an endogenously regulated senescence program in roots includes changes in root anatomy, metabolism, and color, decrease in root activity, increasing levels of stress-related hormones, and increasing expression of certain transcription factors (TFs) or genes involved in oxidative stress defense.

Assessing the marginal seal of bioactive restorative materials in class II cavities with a bacterial penetration model.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the marginal seal of novel bioactive restorative materials and the material-related properties associated with bacterial microleakage.

Methods: Class II cavities prepared into human extracted teeth were restored with: Venus Diamond (VD) + selective enamel etching (SEE)/self-etching universal adhesive (SEA), ACTIVA BioACTIVE RESTORATIVE (AB) + SEE/SEA, Cention Forte (CF) + Cention Primer, Ketac Universal Aplicap (KU), EQUIA Forte HT (EF) and Surefil One (SO) and exposed to a cariogenic multi-species bacterial suspension for 7 days. Bacterial microleakage was visualized with a modified gram staining protocol and bacterial penetration depths were microscopically determined after sectioning the teeth.

Lewis-Base-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylation of Isatins with Allyltrichlorosilane.

Herein we report the enantioselective synthesis of 3-allyl-3-hydroxyoxindoles, a core scaffold in a wide range of bioactive molecules, using a Lewis-base catalyst and readily abundant and inexpensive allyltrichlorosilane. This transition-metal-free protocol employs relatively low catalyst loadings of a privileged bispyrrolidine-type scaffold to achieve high yields and enantioselectivities (up to 98% yield and 98:2 er). The total syntheses of the natural products (-)-flustraminol B and (-)-chimonamidine were also successfully carried out using our newly developed method as a key step, highlighting the potential of this method for the efficient and precise synthesis of complex natural products.

Buffer Specificity of Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticle Transfection Efficiency and Bulk Phase Transition.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are efficient and safe carriers for mRNA vaccines based on advanced ionizable lipids. It is understood that the pH-dependent structural transition of the mesoscopic LNP core phase plays a key role in mRNA transfer. However, buffer-specific variations in transfection efficiency remain obscure.

Sleep Health and White Matter Integrity in the UK Biobank.

Many people experience impaired sleep health, yet knowledge about its neurobiological correlates is limited. As previous studies have found associations between white matter integrity and several sleep traits, white matter integrity could be causally implicated in poor sleep health. However, these studies were often limited by small sample sizes.

Curvisetone─A Male-Specific Tricyclic -Diterpenoid from the Springtail .

The structure determination and occurrence of curvisetone (), a tricyclic nor-diterpenoid from the tiny Collembola , is reported. Utilizing NMR analysis and mass spectrometry, we identified curvisetone's unique carbon skeleton and its occurrence in various sex and life stages. Curvisetone, carrying an unprecedented carbon tricyclic ring system, is an example of the distinct terpene usage of Collembola, which differentiates them from other arthropods.

Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in 600 Swedish children with the avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder phenotype.

Background: Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder characterized by extremely restricted dietary variety and/or quantity resulting in serious consequences for physical health and psychosocial functioning. ARFID often co-occurs with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and psychiatric conditions, but previous data are mostly limited to small clinical samples examining a narrow range of conditions. Here, we examined NDCs and psychiatric conditions in a large, population-based group of children with ARFID.

Global Algorithm for the Endovascular Treatment of Chronic Femoropopliteal Lesions: An Interdisciplinary Expert Opinion Statement.

A global treatment algorithm was developed for the endovascular revascularization of femoropopliteal lesions and chronic total occlusions, aiming toward a more standardized approach to endovascular treatment in patients with peripheral artery disease. The following steps are proposed. 1) Evaluation of lesion morphology based on preprocedural imaging by Duplex sonography and intravenous ultrasound for selection of lesion preparation tools.

Best Practices for Imaging of Transcatheter Valve Failure: An Update From the Heart Valve Collaboratory.

This updated Heart Valve Collaboratory framework addresses the growing concern for transcatheter valve failure (TVF) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). With the increasing volume of redo-TAV and surgical TAV explantation, there is a critical need for standardized pathways and protocols for evaluating TVF using echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography. This document clarifies prior definitions of bioprosthetic valve deterioration and bioprosthetic valve failure in a practical, imaging directed context for TAVR.

Handedness.

This chapter offers an overview of the literature on human handedness and its assessment in clinical neurologic practice and research. There are two major forms of handedness: hand preference, which describes a subjective preference to use one hand over the other for skilled motor activities like writing, and hand skill, which describes objectively measured mother skill. This chapter gives an overview of widely used questionnaires and tests to assess hand preference and hand skill, as well as suggestions on how to determine handedness categories such as left-handed, right-handed, and mixed-handed based on the results of these questionnaires and tests.

Functional and structural brain asymmetries in sign language processing.

The capacity for language constitutes a cornerstone of human cognition and distinguishes our species from other animals. Research in the cognitive sciences has demonstrated that this capacity is not bound to speech but can also be externalized in the form of sign language. Sign languages are the naturally occurring languages of the deaf and rely on movements and configurations of hands, arms, face, and torso in space.

Functional and structural brain asymmetries in language processing.

The lateralization of language to the left hemisphere of the human brain constitutes one of the classic examples of asymmetry in biology. At the same time, it is also commonly understood that damage to the left hemisphere does not lead to a complete loss of all linguistic abilities. These seemingly contradictory findings indicate that neither our cognitive capacity for language nor its neural substrates are monolithic.

Split-brain patients: A clinical vs experimental perspective.

For more than 80 years, the clinical perspective on the behavioral outcome of split-brain surgery suggested that it "may be carried out without any untoward effect on the patient," despite some initial and transient disconnection effects. The last 60 years of experimental studies, however, have shown quite the opposite. Using lateralized testing procedures, split-brain patients have demonstrated profound disconnection effects that can last a lifetime.

Large language models for surgical informed consent: an ethical perspective on simulated empathy.

Informed consent in surgical settings requires not only the accurate communication of medical information but also the establishment of trust through empathic engagement. The use of large language models (LLMs) offers a novel opportunity to enhance the informed consent process by combining advanced information retrieval capabilities with simulated emotional responsiveness. However, the ethical implications of simulated empathy raise concerns about patient autonomy, trust and transparency.

Single-centre, randomised and double-blind clinical trial on the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in preventing and treating primary headache in children and adolescents: a study protocol.

Introduction: Primary headaches pose a significant burden on children and adolescents, highlighting the need for effective non-pharmacological interventions. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive modality that has demonstrated efficacy in adult populations with primary headaches and has shown safety in adolescents with mental health disorders. However, its effectiveness in managing acute headache episodes and preventing recurrences in paediatric populations remains underexplored.

Fat absorption and metabolism after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Background: Triacylglycerol (TAG) plasma excursions after a high-fat meal are blunted after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied TAG absorption and metabolism in 12 RYGB-operated individuals and 12 unoperated controls (CON) matched on sex, age, and BMI.

Methods: Participants followed a 7-day controlled diet and on day 4 underwent H-MR Spectroscopy of liver TAG and a high-fat liquid meal with oral and intravenous labeled stable isotope metabolites, subcutaneous abdominal fat biopsies, and indirect calorimetry.

Phosphatidylcholine synthesis and remodeling in brain endothelial cells.

Mammalian cells synthesize hundreds of different variants of their prominent membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC), all differing in the side chain composition. This batch is constantly remodeled by the Lands cycle, a metabolic pathway replacing one chain at the time. Using the alkyne lipid lyso-phosphatidylpropargylcholine (LpPC), a precursor and intermediate in PC synthesis and remodeling, we study both processes in brain endothelial bEND3 cells.

Enhancing Martini3 for Protein Self-Interaction Simulations.

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are highly valuable for studying protein-protein interactions. Unfortunately, commonly used force fields often overestimate these interactions. Here, we investigate the performance of the Martini 3 force field in predicting the self-interaction behavior of lysozyme and subtilisin using Metadynamics.

[Gender Disparities in Urolithiasis with a Special Focus on Oxalate Metabolism in the Liver].

The incidence and prevalence of urolithiasis are increasing in industrialized countries. In particular, an increase has been observed among young adults and women. The gender gap is closing, and gender equality (1:1) with regard to urolithiasis has already been documented for the USA.