Degrowth as a plausible pathway for food systems transformation.

Food systems require urgent transformation towards social and ecological sustainability. Degrowth posits a radical pathway of transformation to reduce ecological impacts while increasing well-being and reducing inequality. Here we highlight that degrowth and food systems-albeit both linked to transformation-are not well integrated.

Future food prices will become less sensitive to agricultural market prices and mitigation costs.

Agricultural production costs represent less than half of total food prices for higher-income countries and will likely further decrease globally. Added-value components such as transport, processing, marketing and catering show increasing importance in food value chains, especially as countries undergo a nutrition transition towards more complex and industrial food systems. Here, using a combined statistical and process-based modelling framework, we derive and project the value-added component of food prices for 136 countries and 11 different food groups, for food-at-home and food-away-from-home.

A subcellular sampling instrument allows spatial resolution of amyloid deposit-derived organelle-specific effects in microglia.

Methodological developments in biomedical research are currently moving towards single-cell approaches. This allows for a much better spatial and functional characterization of, for example, the deterioration of cells within a tissue in response to noxae. However, subcellular resolution is also essential to elucidate whether observed impairments are driven by an explicit organelle.

Thyroid surgery under nerve auto-fluorescence & artificial intelligence tissue identification software guidance.

Thyroid cancer is a common malignancy that requires comprehensive clinical evaluation prior to adequate surgical management. Over the last three decades thyroid surgery has tripled and is considered one of the most commonly performed procedures in general surgery. These procedures are associated with potential postoperative complications with significant deterioration in the patient's quality of life.

Ferrimagnetic Heusler tunnel junctions with fast spin-transfer torque switching enabled by low magnetization.

Magnetic random-access memory that uses magnetic tunnel junction memory cells is a high-performance, non-volatile memory technology that goes beyond traditional charge-based memories. Today, its speed is limited by the high magnetization of the memory storage layer. Here we prepare magnetic tunnel junction memory devices with a low magnetization ferrimagnetic Heusler alloy MnGe as the memory storage layer on technologically relevant amorphous substrates using a combination of a nitride seed layer and a chemical templating layer.

Circulating tumor cell plasticity determines breast cancer therapy resistance via neuregulin 1-HER3 signaling.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) drive metastasis, the leading cause of death in individuals with breast cancer. Due to their low abundance in the circulation, robust CTC expansion protocols are urgently needed to effectively study disease progression and therapy responses. Here we present the establishment of long-term CTC-derived organoids from female individuals with metastatic breast cancer.

Perennial disaster patterns in Central Europe since 2000 and implications for hospital preparedness planning - a cross-sectional analysis.

The goal of this analysis is to describe seasonal disaster patterns in Central Europe in order to raise awareness and improve hospital disaster planning and resilience, particularly during peak events. Hospitals are essential pillars of a country's critical infrastructure, vital for sustaining healthcare services and supporting public well-being-a key issue of national security. Disaster planning for hospitals is crucial to ensure their functionality under special circumstances.

Preclinical evaluation of DC-CIK cells as potentially effective immunotherapy model for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Despite the favorable effects of immunotherapies in multiple types of cancers, its complete success in CNS malignancies remains challenging. Recently, a successful clinical trial of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell immunotherapy in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) has opened a new avenue for adoptive cellular immunotherapies in CNS malignancies. Prompt from these findings, herein, we investigated whether dendritic cells (DC) in combination with cytokine-induced killer cells (DC-CIK) could also provide an alternative and more effective way to improve the efficacy of GBM treatment.

Bacteria use exogenous peptidoglycan as a danger signal to trigger biofilm formation.

For any organism, survival is enhanced by the ability to sense and respond to threats in advance. For bacteria, danger sensing among kin cells has been observed, but the presence or impacts of general danger signals are poorly understood. Here we show that different bacterial species use exogenous peptidoglycan fragments, which are released by nearby kin or non-kin cell lysis, as a general danger signal.

Two decades of bacterial ecology and evolution in a freshwater lake.

Ecology and evolution are considered distinct processes that interact on contemporary time scales in microbiomes. Here, to observe these processes in a natural system, we collected a two-decade, 471-metagenome time series from Lake Mendota (Wisconsin, USA). We assembled 2,855 species-representative genomes and found that genomic change was common and frequent.

Addressing inter individual variability in CSF levels of brain derived proteins across neurodegenerative diseases.

Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases require reliable biomarkers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins are promising candidates for reflecting brain pathology; however, their diagnostic utility may be compromised by natural variability between individuals, weakening their association with disease. Here, we measured the levels of 69 pre-selected proteins in cerebrospinal fluid using antibody-based suspension bead array technology in a multi-disease cohort of 499 individuals with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticobasal syndrome, primary supranuclear palsy, along with healthy controls.

Demonstration of active neutron interrogation of special nuclear materials using a high-intensity short-pulse-laser-driven neutron source.

Detecting shielded special nuclear material, such as nuclear explosives, is a difficult challenge pursued by non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, and nuclear security programs worldwide. Interrogation with intense fast-neutron pulses is a promising method to characterize concealed nuclear material rapidly but is limited by suitable source availability and proven instrumentation. In this study we have pioneered a demonstration of such an interrogation method using a high-intensity, short-pulse, laser-driven neutron source that offers potential benefits compared to conventional neutron sources.

Carbon nitride caught in the act of artificial photosynthesis.

Covalent semiconductors of the carbon nitride family are among the most promising systems to realize "artificial photosynthesis", that is exploiting synthetic materials which use sunlight as an energy source to split water into its elements or converting CO into added value chemicals. However, the role of surface interactions and electronic properties on the reaction mechanism remain still elusive. Here, we use in-situ spectroscopic techniques that enable monitoring surface interactions in carbon nitride under artificial photosynthetic conditions.

Genomic and phenotypic stability of fusion-driven pediatric sarcoma cell lines.

Human cancer cell lines are the mainstay of cancer research. Recent reports showed that highly mutated adult carcinoma cell lines (mainly HeLa and MCF-7) present striking diversity across laboratories and that long-term continuous culturing results in genomic/transcriptomic heterogeneity with strong phenotypical implications. Here, we hypothesize that oligomutated pediatric sarcoma cell lines mainly driven by a fusion transcription factor, such as Ewing sarcoma (EwS), are genetically and phenotypically more stable than the previously investigated adult carcinoma cell lines.

Cooperative Dynamics and Hydration of Aqueous D-Mannitol and -Inositol.

The cooperative dynamics and hydration of D-mannitol and yo-inositol in aqueous solution at 25 °C were investigated by broad-band dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) for solute concentrations < 0.9M. The recorded spectra, covering the frequency range 0.

Carbon-Centered Reactivity in Carbodiphosphorane-Based Ligands Allowing for Redox-Non-Innocent Ligand/Ligand Dual Bond-Activation.

A pronounced nucleophilicity in combination with a distinct redox non-innocence is a unique feature of a coordinated ligand, which in the current case, leads to unprecedented carbon-centered reactivity patterns: A carbodiphosphorane-based (CDP) pincer-type rhodium complex allows to cleave two C-Cl-bonds of geminal dichlorides via two consecutive SN2-type oxidative additions resulting in the formation of a stabilized carbene fragment. In the presence of a suitable reductant the carbene fragment can even be converted into olefines or hydrodehalogenation products in a catalytic reaction. The developed method can also be used to convert chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) such as CH2ClF to fluoromethane and methane.

Securing the Puncture Depth via an Endodontic Stopper in Arthrocentesis of the Temporomandibular Joint: A Technical Note.

The reported complications after arthrocentesis of the temporomandibular joint are rare, which makes it to an outpatient and safe oral and maxillofacial surgical procedure. A penetration into the middle cranial fossa is an extremely rare but serious complication for the conventional needle arthrocentesis. The simple technical modification described herein could help to easily retain the puncture depth via an endodontic silicone stopper to avoid this rare complication.

Processes and measurements: a framework for understanding neural oscillations in field potentials.

Various neuroscientific theories maintain that brain oscillations are important for neuronal computation, but opposing views claim that these macroscale dynamics are 'exhaust fumes' of more relevant processes. Here, we approach the question of whether oscillations are functional or epiphenomenal by distinguishing between measurements and processes, and by reviewing whether causal or inferentially useful links exist between field potentials, electric fields, and neurobiological events. We introduce a vocabulary for the role of brain signals and their underlying processes, demarcating oscillations as a distinct entity where both processes and measurements can exhibit periodicity.

Synaptoneurolipidomics: lipidomics in the study of synaptic function.

The brain is an exceptionally lipid-rich organ with a very complex lipid composition. Lipids are central in several neuronal processes, including membrane formation and fusion, myelin packing, and lipid-mediated signal transmission. Lipid diversity is associated with the evolution of higher cognitive abilities in primates, is affected by neuronal activity, and is instrumental for synaptic plasticity, illustrating that lipids are not static components of synaptic membranes.

"We are doing it together, don't worry" - A qualitative study on the implementation of electronic medical records in German hospitals.

Background: The ongoing implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) in German hospitals is currently slow. Implementation science widely acknowledges the barriers and facilitators to implementation. Thus, specific preconditions are necessary to address the former and to support an effective EMR implementation.

Evolving concepts in intracranial pressure monitoring - from traditional monitoring to precision medicine.

A wide range of acute brain injuries, including both traumatic and non-traumatic causes, can result in elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), which in turn can cause further secondary injury to the brain, initiating a vicious cascade of propagating injury. Elevated ICP is therefore a neurological injury that requires intensive monitoring and time-sensitive interventions. Patients at high risk for developing elevated ICP undergo placement of invasive ICP monitors including external ventricular drains, intraparenchymal ICP monitors, and lumbar drains.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

This is the first in a series of five papers that detail the role and substantial impact that external quality assessment (EQA) and their providers' services play in ensuring diagnostic (IVD) performance quality. The aim is to give readers and users of EQA services an insight into the processes in EQA, explain to them what happens before EQA samples are delivered and after examination results are submitted to the provider, how they are assessed, what benefits participants can expect, but also who are stakeholders other than participants and what significance do EQA data and assessment results have for them. This first paper presents the history of EQA, insights into legal, financing and ethical matters, information technology used in EQA, structure and lifecycle of EQA programs, frequency and intensity of challenges, and unique requirements of extra-examination and educational EQA programs.

Exploring Relevant Features for EEG-Based Investigation of Sound Perception in Naturalistic Soundscapes.

A comprehensive analysis of everyday sound perception can be achieved using Electroencephalography (EEG) with the concurrent acquisition of information about the environment. While extensive research has been dedicated to speech perception, the complexities of auditory perception within everyday environments, specifically the types of information and the key features to extract, remain less explored. Our study aims to systematically investigate the relevance of different feature categories: discrete sound-identity markers, general cognitive state information, and acoustic representations, including discrete sound onset, the envelope, and mel-spectrogram.

Low- and High-Volume Disease in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: From CHAARTED to PSMA PET-An International Multicenter Retrospective Study.

High-volume disease (HVD) and low-volume disease (LVD) definitions in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients are based on conventional imaging (CI) (CT/MRI with bone scan [BS]) according to CHAARTED criteria. HVD and LVD definitions are associated with overall survival and are used for treatment decisions. It remains unknown how these definitions transfer to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET imaging.