model of bacterial biofilm mineralization in complex humid environments: a proof of concept study.

Background: Bacteria in physiological environments can generate mineralizing biofilms, which are associated with diseases like periodontitis or kidney stones. Modelling complex environments presents a challenge for the study of mineralization in biofilms. Here, we developed an experimental setup which could be applied to study the fundamental principles behind biofilm mineralization on rigid substrates, using a model organism and in a tailored bioreactor that mimics a humid environment.

Design Criteria for Active and Selective Catalysts in the Nitrogen Oxidation Reaction.

The direct conversion of dinitrogen to nitrate is a dream reaction to combine the Haber-Bosch and Ostwald processes as well as steam reforming using electrochemistry in a single process. Regrettably, the corresponding nitrogen oxidation (NOR) reaction is hampered by a selectivity problem, since the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is both thermodynamically and kinetically favored in the same potential range. This opens the search for the identification of active and selective NOR catalysts to enable nitrate production under anodic reaction conditions.

An Unexpected Water Channel in the Light-Harvesting Complex of a Diatom: Implications for the Switch between Light Harvesting and Photoprotection.

Many important processes in cells depend on the transfer of protons through water wires embedded in transmembrane proteins. Herein, we have performed more than 55 μs all-atom simulations of the light-harvesting complex of a diatom, i.e.

Comparison of the new RIDA qLine Allergy multiparameter immunoblot and the ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test for the identification of clinically relevant food and aeroallergen allergies.

Background: Multiparameter immunoblot testing is increasingly used as an alternative to multiple individual IgE analyses for type 1 allergies. This study investigated the performance of an inexpensive immunoblot method, the RIDA qLine allergy test system (R-Biopharm AG), vs. the current gold standard.

Scale-Up of Nanocorundum Synthesis by Mechanochemical Dehydration of Boehmite.

This work presents the scale-up of room-temperature mechanochemical synthesis of nanocorundum (high-surface-area α-AlO) from boehmite (γ-AlOOH). This transformation on the 1 g scale using a laboratory shaker mill had previously been reported. High-energy Simoloyer ball mills equipped with milling chambers of sizes ranging from 1 to 20 L were used to scale up the mechanochemical nanocorundum synthesis to the 50 g to 1 kg scale, which paves the way to further increase batch size.

Within-session habituation and salivary cortisol during exposure treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder - A link and an influence of DHEA?

Background: Glucocorticoids increase fear extinction in preclinical and human studies. Endogenous cortisol might influence who will benefit from exposure therapy in anxiety-spectrum disorders.

Methods: To investigate the impact of cortisol levels on within-session habituation of distress - a measure of success of exposure therapy - in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) fifty-one OCD patients were studied during their stressful first cognitive-behavioral exposure therapy session with response prevention.

Two-pore channel regulators - Who is in control?

Two-pore channels (TPCs) are adenine nucleotide and phosphoinositide regulated cation channels. NAADP activates and ATP blocks TPCs, while the endolysosomal phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P activates TPCs. TPCs are ubiquitously expressed including expression in the innate as well as the adaptive immune system.

Advancements in Public First Responder Programs for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: An Updated Literature Review.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death worldwide, with a low survival rate of around 7% globally. Key factors for improving survival include witnessed arrest, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and early defibrillation. Despite guidelines advocating for the "chain of survival", bystander CPR and defibrillation rates remain suboptimal.

Resolving inconsistencies between Plötz's descriptions and presumed type specimens of some Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera).

Comparing specimens curated in MfN as primary types of Hesperiidae names proposed by Carl Plötz with the original descriptions and unpublished drawings reveals a number of inconsistencies that we address. Lectotypes are designated for Butler, 1877, Plötz, 1881, and Plötz, 1884. Neotypes are designated for Plötz, 1882 and Plötz, 1882.

Defibrotide for the Treatment of Veno-Occlusive Disease/Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in Paediatric Patients Who Did Not Receive Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Case Reports of Patients From a German Academic Hospital.

Introduction: Veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by obstruction of the small veins of the liver. Although typically associated with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, VOD/SOS may also occur following intensive multimodal chemotherapy regimens. In children, symptoms of VOD/SOS are refractory thrombocytopaenia, weight gain, hepatomegaly, ascites and fluid retention, hyperbilirubinaemia and sometimes right upper quadrant pain.

Successful Treatment of Linear Psoriasis With the IL-17a-Antagonist Ixekizumab: A Case Report.

Linear psoriasis (LP) represents a rare variant of psoriasis. The clinical presentation includes erythematous plaques distributed along the Blaschko lines, reflecting the presence of embryological mosaicism. The clinical and histopathological features of this condition show many similarities with inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN), which presents a challenge in differential diagnosis.

Overview of basic design recommendations for user-centered explanation interfaces for AI-based clinical decision support systems: A scoping review.

Objective: The application of artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in the healthcare domain is still limited. End-users' difficulty understanding how the outputs of opaque black AI models are generated contributes to this. It is still unknown which explanations are best presented to end users and how to design the interfaces they are presented in (explanation user interface, XUI).

Rab10-associated tubulation as an early marker for biogenesis of the assembly compartment in cytomegalovirus-infected cells.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection reorganizes early endosomes (EE), recycling endosome (RE), and trans-Golgi network (TGN) and expands their intermediates into a large perinuclear structure that forms the inner part of the cytoplasmic assembly complex (AC). The reorganization begins and results with the basic configuration (known as pre-AC) in the early (E) phase of infection, but the sequence of developmental steps is not yet well understood. One of the first signs of the establishment of the inner pre-AC, which can be observed by immunofluorescence, is the accumulation of Rab10.

The role of Neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in MS and AQP4-NMOSD: Advancing clinical applications.

Fluid biomarkers such as Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Neurofilament Light (NfL) play important roles in the diagnosis, monitoring, and evaluation of therapeutic responses in conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Aquaporin-4 Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (AQP4-NMOSD). These biomarkers offer key insights into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of these diseases, enabling effective follow-up and personalized treatment approaches, which are essential for improving patient outcomes. Herein, we synthesize the structural attributes, functional roles, and clinical significance of GFAP and NfL in the context of MS and AQP4-NMOSD.

Musicians and researchers: two creative professions striving to improve heart health through music.

Musicians and researchers are creative professions that share many similarities. They both aim to bring joy and progress to humanity. In recent decades, it has been shown that music has the ability to alleviate pain, improve heart function, reduce anxiety, and stimulate the release of endogenous opioids in the brain.

ECM-mimicking hydrogel models of human adipose tissue identify deregulated lipid metabolism in the prostate cancer-adipocyte crosstalk under antiandrogen therapy.

Antiandrogen therapies are effectively used to treat advanced prostate cancer, but eventually cancer adaptation drives unresolved metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Adipose tissue influences metabolic reprogramming in cancer and was proposed as a contributor to therapy resistance. Using extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking hydrogel coculture models of human adipocytes and prostate cancer cells, we show that adipocytes from subcutaneous or bone marrow fat have dissimilar responses under the antiandrogen Enzalutamide.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS IN PATIENTS WITH TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA - A PRELIMINARY STUDY.

Although earlier studies showed higher values of wall shear stress in neurovascular conflict, hemodynamic patterns in the blood vessel after microvascular decompression are unknown. This study aimed to analyze the hemodynamic features of the offending artery preoperatively and postoperatively using computational fluid dynamics. We retrospectively analyzed 11 patients with trigeminal neuralgia who were surgically treated in our department during 2022.

Oral supplementation with propionate is reflected in the serum of healthy individuals.

Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including propionic acid (PA), are key in immunological research. Supplementing PA has shown benefits for autoimmune diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the PA pharmacokinetics is essential for the optimal design and execution of studies utilizing orally administered PA.

Vaccination coverage and its determinants in patients with multiple sclerosis-a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: Complete vaccination coverage is recommended by multiple sclerosis (MS) societies for patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) to mitigate infection risks associated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Objectives: To analyze vaccination coverage and its determinants in pwMS compared to healthy controls, considering vaccination hesitancy, MS-specific vaccination beliefs, trust in information sources, and the role of general practitioners (GPs).

Methods: This cross-sectional multicenter observational study was conducted in six German MS centers.

Computational Study Protocol: Leveraging Synthetic Data to Validate a Benchmark Study for Differential Abundance Tests for 16S Microbiome Sequencing Data.

Background: Synthetic data's utility in benchmark studies depends on its ability to closely mimic real-world conditions and reproduce results obtained from experimental data. Building on Nearing et al.'s study (1), who assessed 14 differential abundance tests using 38 experimental 16S rRNA datasets in a case-control design, we are generating synthetic datasets that mimic the experimental data to verify their findings.

Strand-Swapped SH3 Domain Dimer with Superoxide Dismutase Activity.

The design of metalloproteins allows us to better understand metal complexation in proteins and the resulting function. In this study, we incorporated a Cu-binding site into a natural protein domain, the 58 amino acid c-Crk-SH3, to create a miniaturized superoxide dismutase model, termed SO1. The resulting low complexity metalloprotein was characterized for structure and function by circular dichroism and UV spectroscopy as well as EPR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

Selection of Early Life Codons by Ultraviolet Light.

How life developed in its earliest stages is a central but notoriously difficult question in science. The earliest lifeforms likely used a reduced set of codon sequences that were progressively completed over time, driven by chemical, physical, and combinatorial constraints. However, despite its importance for prebiotic chemistry, UV radiation has not been considered a selection pressure for the evolution of early codon sequences.

Lipid-Modulated, Graduated Inhibition of N-Glycosylation Pathway Priming Suggests Wide Tolerance of ER Proteostasis to Stress.

Protein N-glycosylation is a cotranslational modification that takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Disruption of this process can result in accumulation of misfolded proteins, known as ER stress. In response, the unfolded protein response (UPR) restores proteostasis or responds by controlling cellular fate, including increased expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) that can lead to apoptosis.

Empowerment in structures. Practical-ethical considerations of the preconditions for technology-assisted dementia care in Germany based on an expert-interview study.

Background: Intelligent assistive technologies (IAT) have become more common in dementia care. Ethical reflection on technology-assisted dementia care (TADC) has focused so far mainly on individual and interpersonal implications (e.g.