Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as a Potential Target for Anti-Aging: Role of Therapeutic Apheresis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are large structures composed of chromatin, histones and granule-derived proteins released extracellularly by neutrophils. They are generally considered to be a part of the antimicrobial defense strategy, preventing the dissemination of pathogens. However, overproduction of NETs or their ineffective clearance can drive various pathologies, many of which are associated with advanced age and involve uncontrolled inflammation, oxidative, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative stress as underlying mechanisms.

Formation of I+III supercomplex rescues respiratory chain defects.

Mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes partition between free complexes and quaternary assemblies known as supercomplexes (SCs). However, the physiological requirement for SCs and the mechanisms regulating their formation remain controversial. Here, we show that genetic perturbations in mammalian ETC complex III (CIII) biogenesis stimulate the formation of a specialized extra-large SC (SC-XL) with a structure of I+III, resolved at 3.

Activity of a descending neuron associated with visually elicited flight saccades in Drosophila.

Approaching threats are perceived through visual looming, a rapid expansion of an image on the retina. Visual looming triggers defensive responses such as freezing, flight, turning, or take-off in a wide variety of organisms, from mice to fish to insects. In response to looming, flies perform rapid evasive turns known as saccades.

Physiological Responses of Elite Cheerleaders During Training and Simulated Competition Routines.

Purpose: Competitive cheerleading (cheersport) is a physically demanding sport; however, there is a lack of information regarding its acute physiological responses during training or competition in these athletes. Thus, this study aimed to investigate these responses during both training sessions and simulated cheerleading competition routines (full-outs) among elite cheersport athletes.

Methods: Six Coed and 10 All Girl elite cheerleaders were included in this study.

Global Epidemiology of Alcohol-Related Liver Disease, Liver Cancer, and Alcohol Use Disorder, 2000-2021.

Background/aims: Alcohol represents a leading burden of disease worldwide, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). We aim to assess the global burden of AUD, ALD, and alcohol-attributable primary liver cancer between 2000-2021.

Methods: We registered the global and regional trends of AUD, ALD, and alcohol-related liver cancer using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 Study, the largest and most up-to-date global epidemiology database.

Toward a functional future for the cognitive neuroscience of human aging.

The cognitive neuroscience of human aging seeks to identify neural mechanisms behind the commonalities and individual differences in age-related behavioral changes. This goal has been pursued predominantly through structural or "task-free" resting-state functional neuroimaging. The former has elucidated the material foundations of behavioral decline, and the latter has provided key insight into how functional brain networks change with age.

Climate change mitigation potential and economic evaluation of selected technical adaptation measures and innovations in conventional arable farming in Germany.

Agriculture accounts for a large proportion of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is therefore crucial to identify effective and efficient GHG mitigation potentials in agriculture, but also in related upstream sectors. However, previous studies in this area have rarely undertaken a cross-sectoral assessment.

Cross-sectional study on the impact of adverse childhood experiences on psychological distress in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Objective: Previous studies implied detrimental effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on cardiovascular disease and mental health. Still, data on the influence of ACE on psychological distress in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) are lacking.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 423 patients with an ICD.

What motivates critical care nurses to stay in their job? - Structural aspects for empowering intrinsic motivation in permissive professional contexts: A scoping review.

Objective: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of critical care nurses have left their positions, citing overload, burnout, and moral distress. This scoping review is not just a theoretical exploration but a timely and crucial investigation into the aspects and structures of critical care nursing that can make the job fulfilling and appealing, thereby promoting intrinsic motivation and staff retention.

Methodology: A scoping review of studies reporting on factors that allow critical care nurses to fall back on their intrinsic job motivation.

Towards a better understanding of sorption of persistent and mobile contaminants to activated carbon: Applying data analysis techniques with experimental datasets of limited size.

The complex sorption mechanisms of carbon adsorbents for the diverse group of persistent, mobile, and potentially toxic contaminants (PMs or PMTs) present significant challenges in understanding and predicting adsorption behavior. While the development of quantitative predictive tools for adsorbent design often relies on extensive training data, there is a notable lack of experimental sorption data for PMs accompanied by detailed sorbent characterization. Rather than focusing on predictive tool development, this study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of sorption by applying data analysis methods to a high-quality dataset.

Characterization of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from blood cultures in Gaza Strip hospitals, Palestine.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a difficult to treat organism owing to limited therapeutic options. So far, little is known about the molecular characteristics of CRKP in Palestine.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns, multilocus sequence types (ST) and resistance genes among clinical K.

Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study.

Objective: The necessity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of SLN imaging on intraoperative SLN detection in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Retrospective, comparative, single center study of patients with breast cancer stage pT1 and pT2 who underwent axillary staging.

Harnessing the dynamics of plant organic acids metabolism following abiotic stresses.

Plants encounter various environmental stresses throughout development, including shade, high light, drought, hypoxia, extreme temperatures, and metal toxicity, all of which adversely affect growth and productivity. Organic acids (OAs), besides serving as intermediates in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, play crucial roles in multiple metabolic pathways and cellular compartments, including mitochondrial metabolism, amino acid metabolism, the glyoxylate cycle, and the photosynthetic mechanisms of C4 and CAM plants. OAs contribute to stress tolerance by acting as root chelating agents, regulating ATP production, and providing reducing power for detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Clavicle height asymmetry: A common problem for planning reduction mammoplasties - A correlational study.

The distance between the mid-clavicle and nipple (MCN) is crucial in planning reduction mammoplasties. MCN has been shown to be superior in achieving nipple-areola complex symmetry. However, there is great variability in clavicle anatomy.

Detection of Echinococcus spp. and other taeniid species in lettuces and berries: Two international multicenter studies from the MEmE project.

Cystic and alveolar echinococcosis are severe zoonotic diseases characterized by long asymptomatic periods lasting months or years. Viable Echinococcus spp. eggs released into the environment through the feces of canids can infect humans through accidental ingestion via hand-to-mouth contact or consumption of contaminated food or water.

Harnessing gut microbial communities to unravel microbiome functions.

The gut microbiome impacts human health in direct and indirect ways. While many associations have been discovered between specific microbiome compositions and diseases, establishing causality, understanding the underlying mechanisms, and developing successful microbiome-based therapies require novel experimental approaches. In this opinion, we discuss how in vitro cultivation of diverse communities enables systematic investigation of the individual and collective functions of gut microbes.

Neglect symptoms are related to a prediction-hypersensitivity in ipsilesional space.

The precise cognitive mechanisms underlying spatial neglect are not fully understood. Recent studies have provided the first evidence for aberrant behavioral and electrophysiological prediction and prediction error responses in patients with neglect, but also in right-hemispheric (RH) stroke patients without neglect. For prediction-dependent attention, as assessed with Posner-type cueing paradigms with volatile cue-target contingencies, studies in healthy volunteers point to a crucial role of the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) - as part of a network commonly disrupted in neglect.

In vitro evaluation of bioabsorbable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) warp-knitted spacer fabric scaffolds for osteogenic differentiation.

Bioabsorbable textile scaffolds are promising for bone tissue engineering applications. Their tuneable, porous, fibre based architecture resembles that of native extracellular matrix, and they can sustain tissue growth while being gradually absorbed in the body. In this work, immortalized mouse calvaria preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in vitro on two warp-knitted bioabsorbable spacer fabric scaffolds made of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB), to investigate their osteogenic properties.

Preliminaries to artificial consciousness: A multidimensional heuristic approach.

The pursuit of artificial consciousness requires conceptual clarity to navigate its theoretical and empirical challenges. This paper introduces a composite, multilevel, and multidimensional model of consciousness as a heuristic framework to guide research in this field. Consciousness is treated as a complex phenomenon, with distinct constituents and dimensions that can be operationalized for study and for evaluating their replication.

Results of F-choline and C-methionine positron emission tomography/computed tomography for the preoperative localization of hyperfunctional parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background: Preoperative localization of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism is essential for successful parathyroid surgery, particularly in patients with previous negative imaging or reoperations.

Methods: A multicenter registry study was performed in 776 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism from 53 hospitals in Germany and Austria who underwent parathyroid surgery after preoperative F-choline or C-methionine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT).

Results: In 683 of 776 patients (88%) (78% female, aged 15-86 years), primary hyperparathyroidism was caused by a single-gland parathyroid adenoma.

Neural network surrogate and projected gradient descent for fast and reliable finite element model calibration: A case study on an intervertebral disc.

Accurate calibration of finite element (FE) models is essential across various biomechanical applications, including human intervertebral discs (IVDs), to ensure their reliability and use in diagnosing and planning treatments. However, traditional calibration methods are computationally intensive, requiring iterative, derivative-free optimization algorithms that often take days to converge. This study addresses these challenges by introducing a novel, efficient, and effective calibration method demonstrated on a human L4-L5 IVD FE model as a case study using a neural network (NN) surrogate.

Heavy metal(loid)s accumulation and human health risk assessment in wheat after long-term application of various urban and rural organic fertilizers.

Composting urban and rural wastes into organic fertilizers for land application is considered the best way to dispose of and recycle waste resources. However, there are some concerns about the long-term effects of applying various organic fertilizers on soils, food safety, and health risks derived from heavy metal(loid)s (HMs). A long-term field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of continuous application of chicken manure compost (CM), sewage sludge compost (SSC), and domestic waste compost (DWC) for wheat on the accumulation, transfer, and health risks of HMs.