Characterization of cell membrane fragments containing muscle type nAChR from Tetronarce californica after preparation using high pressure homogenization.

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (pLGIC) commonly used as a model for receptors belonging to the Cys-loop superfamily. Members of pLGICs are standardly used in numerous toxicological investigations e.g.

Medication reviews in hospitalised patients for reduced hospital readmission and mortality. Systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of RCTs.

Efforts to reduce preventable medication-related harm through medication reviews have increased, but interventions often yield null-results regarding clinical outcomes. We conducted a systematic literature search in four data bases and summarised the available evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing medication reviews and usual care in hospitalised patients regarding hospital readmissions and all-cause mortality by random-effects meta-analyses. Effect size differences by methodological study differences were of special interest.

Hydrolysis of chitin and chitosans by the human chitinolytic enzymes: Chitotriosidase, acidic mammalian chitinase, and lysozyme.

Human chitinolytic enzymes trigger growing interest, not only because a wide range of diseases and allergic responses are linked to chitinous components of pathogens, including their interplay with human enzymes, but also due to the increasing use of chitosans in biomedical applications. Here, we present a detailed side-by-side analysis of the only two human chitinases, chitotriosidase and acidic mammalian chitinase, as well as human lysozyme. By analyzing the cleavage of well-characterized chitosan polymers and defined chitin and chitosan oligomers, we report mild processivity and a quantitative subsite preference typical for GH18 chitinases for chitotriosidase and acidic mammalian chitinase.

Type 1 diabetes incidence curves differ by age for girls and boys between 1996 and 2022: Results from the North Rhine-Westphalia diabetes Registry, Germany.

Type 1 diabetes incidence was analyzed in 0- to 14-year-old children in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, from 1996 to 2022. The data revealed an overall increasing trend, with variations by age and sex. The incidence increased in boys across age groups but peaked in girls in the 5-9-year age group.

Roles of acyl carrier proteins in ladderane fatty acid producing-organisms.

Ladderanes are highly strained hydrocarbons consisting of two or more linearly concatenated cyclobutane rings. Strikingly, ladderane moieties are part of unique fatty acids and fatty alcohols that are exclusively found in the membrane lipids of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria. These bacteria express a distinctive gene cluster (cluster I) that has been suggested to be responsible for ladderane fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis in addition to a cluster likely involved in canonical FA biosynthesis (cluster III).

Nerve transfer of the median flexor pollicis brevis branch to the deep branch of the ulnar nerve for ulnar nerve palsy: a cadaveric feasibility study.

An ulnar nerve (UN) palsy is devastating for hand function, resulting in an intrinsic minus position or claw hand with a loss of pinch grip. Distal nerve transfers facilitate faster reinnervation of hand intrinsic muscles in cases of proximal ulnar nerve lesions. The traditional anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to UN motor transfer is commonly used, however, this still leads to long reinnervation times for the distal intrinsic muscles, important for the thumb to index pinch grip.

Clinical Guidelines for Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour Treatment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The treatment of canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) has evolved since its initial description in 1810. Initially considered untreatable in the early 20th century, extensive research over time has significantly advanced our understanding of its aetiopathogenesis. This led to successful chemotherapy treatments, which have shown superior outcomes compared to surgical interventions.

Individual Sensitivity for Radiotherapy-related Adverse Tissue Reactions in Patients Treated Twice for Metachronous Cancers.

The role of genetics in susceptibility to radiotherapy-induced toxicities is unclear. A strong impact of genetics should cause correlated toxicities in patients with metachronous double radiotherapy. We ascertained information about demographics, lifestyle, radiotherapy and early toxicities in irradiated tissues for a retrospective cohort of 98 patients from 2 hospitals who underwent two metachronous radiotherapeutic treatments (2007-2022) of different anatomical regions.

Radiation exposure during cardiac interventions in CHD: German Registry 2012-2020.

Background: Since patients with congenital heart defects (CHD) frequently require life-long medical care and repeat invasive treatment, radiation exposure during interventional procedures is a relevant issue concerning potential radiation related risks. Therefore, an analysis on radiation data from the German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in patients with CHD was performed.

Methods: From January 2012 until December 2020 a total of 28,374 cardiac catheter interventions were recorded.

Evaluation of a novel malaria anti-sporozoite vaccine candidate, R21 in Matrix-M adjuvant, in the UK and Burkina Faso: two phase 1, first-in-human trials.

Background: Malaria remains a substantial public health burden among young children in sub-Saharan Africa and a highly efficacious vaccine eliciting a durable immune response would be a useful tool for controlling malaria. R21 is a malaria vaccine comprising nanoparticles, formed from a circumsporozoite protein and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) fusion protein, without any unfused HBsAg, and is administered with the saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant. This study aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the malaria vaccine candidate, R21, administered with or without adjuvant Matrix-M in adults naïve to malaria infection and in healthy adults from malaria endemic areas.

Outcome of a Mix-and-Match Approach with a Monofocal Aspherical and a Bifocal Extended Depth-of-Focus Intraocular Lens to Achieve Extended Monovision in Cataract Patients.

Background: Extended monovision is a novel mix-and-match approach that has been recently introduced. It involves implanting an aspherical monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) for distance vision in the dominant eye, and a bifocal extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOL in the nondominant eye. The target refraction for the nondominant eye is - 1.

Metacognitive Training for Subjects with Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Impairments in social cognition in bipolar disorder (BD) have been extensively described in the last decade but few treatment strategies have been studied to address this issue. This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of metacognitive training for bipolar disorder (MCT-BD) compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) among individuals with BD in remission. The aim was to determine whether MCT-BD could improve social cognition and overall functioning in this population.

Intestinal barrier function, caecal microbiota and growth performance of thermoneutral or heat stressed broiler chickens fed reduced crude protein diets supplemented with guanidinoacetic acid.

The effectiveness of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) in reduced protein (RP) diets on performance and gut health of broilers under heat stress is largely unknown. A 35-d experiment was conducted using four dietary treatments: a standard protein diet (SP, 22.1 and 20.

Nanoring interactions with bio-relevant molecule: A quantum chemical approach to C and BN systems.

This study investigates the interaction of a synthetic bio-relevant molecule with C and BN nanorings, exploring their potential applications in sensing and drug delivery. Employing Density Functional Theory (DFT) at the ωB97XD level with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set, we computed the adsorption and electronic properties of the resulting nanocomplexes. A total of ten distinct configurations were identified for the interactions, with adsorption energies ranging from -6.

Prediction of Deoxynivalenol contamination in wheat kernels and flour based on visible near-infrared spectroscopy, feature selection and machine learning modelling.

Contamination of wheat by the mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON), produced by Fusarium fungi, poses significant challenges to the quality of crop yield and food safety. Visible and near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy has emerged as a promising, non-destructive, and efficient tool for detecting mycotoxins in cereal crops and foods. This study aims to utilize vis-NIR spectroscopy, coupled with a feature selection technique and machine learning modelling, to predict and classify DON contamination in wheat kernels and flour.

Assessment of pandemic-related pregnancy stress from seven western countries using Rasch analyses.

Introduction: This study examined psychometric properties of the Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS) using a Rasch Model (RM) in a large sample of pregnant women from Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America (USA).

Material And Methods: Rasch analyses were used to analyze a sample of 7185 pregnant women who completed the PREPS during the COVID-19 pandemic onset from April to August 2020. Psychological, sociodemographic, and obstetric factors were also collected and analyzed.

Rotating radial injection pattern for highly sensitive electrical impedance tomography of human lung anomalies.

Objective: Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive technique used for lung imaging. A significant challenge in EIT is reconstructing images of deeper thoracic regions due to the low sensitivity of boundary voltages to internal conductivity variations. The current injection pattern is decisive as it influences the current path, boundary voltages, and their sensitivity to tissue changes.

Microplastics in freshwaters: Comparing effects of particle properties and an invertebrate consumer on microbial communities and ecosystem functions.

The effects of microplastic (MP) accumulation in freshwaters on organisms and ecosystem functions are poorly understood, as are the roles of MP particle properties in regulating these effects. In freshwater microcosms, we quantified variation in microbial communities and ecosystem functions and compared effects of MP concentration (0, 1000, 50000 particles/kg), shape (sphere, fragment, fibre), and polymer (polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polystyrene) with those of a model invertebrate consumer (Chironomus riparius). We detected multiple effects of specific MP properties, especially associated with MP fragments and fibres, and the polymer polypropylene.

Insights into morphology of the 'columnar epithelium' within the female reproductive system of brachyuran crabs.

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the not well understood egg-transportation mechanisms through the female reproductive systems of crabs. For this, Carcinus maenas was chosen as a model to study the cuticular epithelium underlying the cuticle of the vagina and the ventral seminal receptacle. This cuticular epithelium is investigated by performing histochemical and ultrastructural analyses of the epithelial cells.

Coupling of single nanodiamonds hosting SiV color centers to plasmonic double bowtie microantennas.

Color centers are promising single-photon emitters owing to their operation at room temperature and high photostability. In particular, using nanodiamonds as a host material is of interest for sensing and metrology. Furthermore, being a solid-state system allows for incorporation to photonic systems to tune both the emission intensity and photoluminescence spectrum and therefore adapt the individual color center to desired properties.