Diverse neuronal activity patterns contribute to the control of distraction in the prefrontal and parietal cortex.

Goal-directed behavior requires the effective suppression of distractions to focus on the task at hand. Although experimental evidence suggests that brain areas in the prefrontal and parietal lobe contribute to the selection of task-relevant and the suppression of task-irrelevant stimuli, how conspicuous distractors are encoded and effectively ignored remains poorly understood. We recorded neuronal responses from 2 regions in the prefrontal and parietal cortex of macaques, the frontal eye fields (FEFs) and the lateral intraparietal (LIP) area, during a visual search task, in the presence and absence of a salient distractor.

Effects of a video-supported Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise program in older adults with balance deficits and dizziness: A preliminary randomised pilot study.

Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of a video-supported Cawthorne-Cooksey exercise program (CCEP) in improving balance, dizziness and decreasing fear of falling in older adults with balance deficits and dizziness.

Methods: Thirty-two older adults were divided into two groups (intervention and control). The intervention group followed a video-supported CCEP group, while the control group received written instructions to maintain their usual activity and counselling on fall prevention.

Global and Local Shielding/Deshielding Variation in C60 and C70 Fullerenes Upon Reduction: Evaluation of Aromaticity, 13C-NMR and Anisotropy Patterns.

Fullerenes are statically pleasant species featuring symmetric cages, which can be modified upon reduction. Here, we theoretically account for the variation of 13C-NMR patterns in C60 and C70 upon six-fold reduction and the overall variation of the enabled shielding/deshielding regions induced by π and σ electrons according to different orientations of the external field and the related anisotropy. Our results show a significant modification of the chemical shift given by the main variation of the σ33 (or δ33) shielding component under the principal axis system (PAS) of the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) at the representative carbon nucleus.

White matter connections within the central sulcus subserving the somato-cognitive action network.

The somato-cognitive action network (SCAN) consists of three nodes interspersed within Penfield's motor effector regions. The configuration of the somato-cognitive action network nodes resembles the one of the 'plis de passage' of the central sulcus: small gyri bridging the precentral and postcentral gyri. Thus, we hypothesize that these may provide a structural substrate of the somato-cognitive action network.

Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Drug Concentration Is Not Associated with Disease Outcomes in Pouchitis: A Retrospective, International Study.

Background: Therapeutic drug monitoring is important for optimizing anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. However, the exposure-response relationship has never been assessed in pouchitis.

Aims: To explore associations between anti-TNF-α drug concentration and pouchitis disease activity in patients with a background of ulcerative colitis.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and outcomes in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) commonly leads to heart failure but has traditionally been an exclusion criterion in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i); therefore, the effects of these drugs in this population remain undocumented. In light of recent studies, this meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of SGLT2i on the prognosis of patients with ATTR-CM.

Methods: A comprehensive search of Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library was conducted up to November 17, 2024.

Interfacial Adsorption Interactions of Dyes and Chitosan/Activated Carbon@Curcumin Derivatives in Single-Component and Binary Solutions.

The remediation of wastewaters contaminated with dyes (discharged mainly from industry) is very important for preserving environmental quality and human health. In this study, a new composite chitosan (CS)-based adsorbent combined with activated carbon (AC) and curcumin (Cur) (abbreviated hereafter as CS/AC@Cur) in three different ratios (12.5%, 25%, and 50%) was synthesized for the removal of anionic [reactive black 5 (RB5)] and cationic [methylene blue (MB)] dyes in single-component or binary systems.

Enhanced Homogeneous Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in a Binuclear Bio-inspired Ni-Ni Complex Bearing Phenanthroline and Sulfidophenolate Ligands.

The prominence of binuclear catalysts underlines the need for the design and development of diverse bifunctional ligand frameworks that exhibit tunable electronic and structural properties. Such strategies enable metal-metal and ligand-metal cooperation towards catalytic applications, improve catalytic activity, and are essential for advancing multi-electron transfers for catalytic application. Hereby, we present the synthesis, crystal structure, and photocatalytic properties of a binuclear Ni(II) complex, [Ni2(1,10-phenanthroline)2(2-sulfidophenolate)2] (1), which crystallizes in the centrosymmetric triclinic system (P-1) showing extensive intra- and inter- non-coordinated interactions.

Haemophilia Infants Gross Motor Development: Comparisons With Full-Term and Preterm Infants of the Same Nationality.

Introduction: Infants with haemophilia, due to parental overprotection, have difficulty developing their full motor repertoire of typical gross motor development. It is of great clinical importance to evaluate the motor development of these infants with a standardized assessment tool.

Aim: To study the gross motor development in infants with haemophilia, using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and compare it with full-term (FT) and preterm infants (PT).

A study of alpha-synuclein and poly(-isopropylacrylamide) complex formation through detailed atomistic simulations.

This work presents an investigation of the influence of poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymer on the structural dynamics of intrinsically disordered alpha-synuclein (α-syn) protein, exploring the formation and intricate features of the resulting α-syn/PNIPAM complexes. Using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, our study analyzes the impact of initial configuration, polymer molecular weight, and protein mutations on the α-syn and the α-syn/PNIPAM complex. Atomistic simulations, of a few μs, of the protein/polymer complex reveal crucial insights into molecular interactions within the complex, emphasizing a delicate balance of forces governing its stability and structural evolution.

Transformative social innovation and rural collaborative workspaces: assembling community economies in Austria and Greece.

Background: Collaborative Workspaces are rapidly growing and evolving across the world. Traditionally understood as an urban phenomenon, most research understands them as either 'entrepreneurial-led', as profit-driven and commercial spaces such as business incubators and accelerators, or 'community-led' as being bottom-up, not-for-profit ventures aimed at catering for the needs of their community. Recent years however have seen their diffusion beyond large urban agglomerations to small towns and villages, with their functions assumed to be more community-orientated.

The role of M1/M2 macrophage polarization in the pathogenesis of obesity-related kidney disease and related pathologies.

Obesity is a rapidly growing health problem worldwide, affecting both adults and children and increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition, obesity is closely linked to chronic kidney disease (CKD) by either exacerbating diabetic complications or directly causing kidney damage. Obesity-related CKD is characterized by proteinuria, lipid accumulation, fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, which can gradually impair kidney function.

Desensitization With Imlifidase for HLA-Incompatible Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Delphi International Expert Consensus.

Highly sensitized (HS) patients in need of kidney transplantation (KTx) typically spend a longer time waiting for compatible kidneys, are unlikely to receive an organ offer, and are at increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Desensitization using imlifidase, which is more rapid and removes total body immunoglobulin G (IgG) to a greater extent than other methods, enables transplantation to occur between HLA-incompatible (HLAi) donor-recipient pairs and allows patients to have greater access to KTx. However, when the project was launched there was limited data and clinical experience with desensitization in general and with imlifidase specifically.

Associations between degree of food processing and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a multicentre prospective cohort analysis in 9 European countries.

Background: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked with higher risk of mortality. This multi-centre study investigated associations between food intake by degree of processing, using the Nova classification, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures.

In the recent years, primordial black holes (PBHs) have emerged as one of the most interesting and hotly debated topics in cosmology. Among other possibilities, PBHs could explain both some of the signals from binary black hole mergers observed in gravitational-wave detectors and an important component of the dark matter in the Universe. Significant progress has been achieved both on the theory side and from the point of view of observations, including new models and more accurate calculations of PBH formation, evolution, clustering, merger rates, as well as new astrophysical and cosmological probes.

Healthcare provision for displaced people in transit: Analyses of routinely collected data from INTERSOS clinics at the Ukrainian border with Moldova and Poland.

Background: The Russian military invasion of Ukraine has sparked Europe's largest forced displacement since World War II, bringing about significant health vulnerabilities for migrants and refugees. European health information systems lack comprehensive data coverage, especially in underrepresented migration stages like transit. This study aims to address this gap by analyzing data from INTERSOS clinics at the Moldovan and Polish borders with Ukraine to identify the common health conditions prompting people to seek healthcare services during transit.

An ecological connectivity dataset for Black Sea obtained from sea currents.

Incorporating ecological connectivity into spatial conservation planning is increasingly recognized as a key strategy to facilitate species movements, especially under changing environmental conditions. However, obtaining connectivity data is challenging, especially in the marine realm. Sea currents are essential for exploring marine structural connectivity, but transforming sea current data into spatial connectivity matrices involves complex and resource-intensive processing steps to ensure accuracy and usability.

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.

Resveratrol Supplementation in Wet AMD: Association With Fewer Intravitreal Injections and Reduced Macular Fibrosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the 2-year outcomes of resveratrol oral supplement given as an adjunctive treatment in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that were treated with intravitreal injections of aflibercept.

Patients And Methods: In our retrospective study, 50 treatment-naïve patients suffering from wet-AMD were included. They were assigned to two subgroups of 25 patients each.

Increased serum B-cell maturation antigen levels evaluated with an Elecsys-based serum B-cell maturation antigen assay have a negative prognostic value in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Background: Serum B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) levels have emerged as a potential biomarker for disease monitoring in multiple myeloma (MM) with prognostic value.

Methods: Herein, we evaluated the sBCMA levels in 166 patients with newly diagnosed MM with an Elecsys-based sBCMA assay.

Results: Increased sBCMA levels at diagnosis were correlated with inferior survival outcomes in terms of both progression-free and overall survival.

Radical tumor resection of a relapsed high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma with an extremely rare mutation: a case report.

Background: Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) are rare uterine mesenchymal tumors that histologically resemble endometrial stroma of functioning endometrium. The key characteristic of those tumors is the difficulty to diagnose preoperatively that leads to high rate of misdiagnosis. The aim of this case report is to present an extremely rare mutation of these already rare tumors and urge for more personalized therapies in the future.

Cardiac arrest: Pre-hospital strategies to facilitate successful resuscitation and improve recovery rates.

The estimated annual incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is approximately 120 cases per 100000 inhabitants in western countries. Although the rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of automated external defibrillator are increasing, the likelihood of survival to hospital discharge is no more than 8%. To date, various devices and methods have been utilized in the initial CPR approach targeting to improve survival and neurological outcomes in OHCA patients.

Prioritizing Brain Health in Youth: Bringing Neuroscience to Society and Informing Policy, Lessons Learnt from the European Brain Council Expert Meeting Held at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum 2024.

Good brain health plays a significant role in an individual's well-being and profoundly impacts the collective economy and society. Brain development does not stop at birth, and some aspects continue throughout childhood and adolescence, allowing the full development of cognitive functions. Different determinants related to physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, life-long learning and social connection as well as access to quality services influence the way our brains develop, adapt and respond to stress and adversity.