PGT-A: what's it for, what's wrong?

PGT-A, what's it for? Considering the increase in fetal aneuploidies with a woman's age and the high number of miscarriages associated with fetal karyotype anomalies, the concept of selecting IVF embryos based on their karyotype in order to transfer only euploid embryos and eliminate aneuploid ones was proposed. Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) was then established, nearly 30 years ago, with the expectation that the transfer of euploid embryos would lead to a significant improvement in medically assisted reproduction (MAR) outcomes. PGT-A, what's wrong? Despite the practice and widespread use, PGT-A has not consistently proven its effectiveness.

Monitoring molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance in south-east Senegal from 2021 to 2023.

Background: Since 2006, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been introduced in Senegal in response to chloroquine resistance (CQ-R) and have shown high efficacy against Plasmodium falciparum. However, the detection of the PfKelch13R515K mutation in Kaolack, which confers artemisinin resistance in vitro, highlights the urgency of strengthening antimalarial drug surveillance to achieve malaria elimination by 2030.

Objective: To assess the proportion of P.

Phenomenological Modeling of Antibody Response from Vaccine Strain Composition.

The elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major goal of vaccine design for highly mutable pathogens, such as influenza, HIV, and coronavirus. Although many rational vaccine design strategies for eliciting bnAbs have been devised, their efficacies need to be evaluated in preclinical animal models and in clinical trials. To improve outcomes for such vaccines, it would be useful to develop methods that can predict vaccine efficacies against arbitrary pathogen variants.

Salt-Compact Albumin as a New Pure Protein-based Biomaterials: From Design to In Vivo Studies.

Current biodegradable materials are facing many challenges when used for the design of implantable devices because of shortcomings such as toxicity of crosslinking agents and degradation derivatives, limited cell adhesion, and limited immunological compatibility. Here, a class of materials built entirely of stable protein is designed using a simple protocol based on salt-assisted compaction of albumin, breaking with current crosslinking strategies. Salt-assisted compaction is based on the assembly of albumin in the presence of high concentrations of specific salts such as sodium bromide.

How physical activity opportunities seized by adolescents differ between Europe and the Pacific Islands: the example of France and New Caledonia.

Background: France (FR) and New Caledonia (NC) are both French territories, one in Western Europe, the other as part of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Despite schooling in similar educational systems, FR and NC adolescents develop distinct relationships with physical activity, which is influenced by the geographical-cultural and symbolic structures of their respective societies. This study explored the distribution of physical activity according to geographical culture and opportunity-temporal dimensions.

Carbamate-Functionalized NLOphores via a Formal [2+2] Cycloaddition-Retroelectrocyclization Strategy.

This study introduces a new donor group capable of activating click-type [2+2] cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclizations, generally known for their limited scope. Target chromophores were synthesized using isocyanate-free urethane synthesis. The developed synthetic method allows for the tuning of the optical properties of the chromophores by modifying the donor groups, the acceptor units, and the side chains.

DECORIN, a triceps-derived myokine, protects sorted β-cells and human islets against chronic inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Pancreatic β-cells are susceptible to inflammation, leading to decreased insulin production/secretion and cell death. Previously, we have identified a novel triceps-derived myokine, DECORIN, which plays a pivotal role in skeletal muscle-to-pancreas interorgan communication. However, whether DECORIN can directly impact β-cell function and susceptibility to inflammation remains unexplored.

A Robust -Symmetric Aluminate Hydride for CO Hydroboration Catalysis: Mechanistic Insights and Countercation Influence on Catalytic Performance.

The present study details the synthesis and characterization of a robust, monomeric Al-H aluminate supported by a tridentate -phenolate ligand, isolated as [][Li(THF)] and [][N(Bu)] salts, which were then exploited as CO hydroboration catalysts. As initial reactivity studies, it was observed that the nucleophilic Al-H anion in [][C] (C = countercation [Li(THF)] or [N(Bu)]) reacts fast with CO, to afford the corresponding Al-formate complexes [][C], which were isolated and structurally characterized. Such anions were then exploited as potential CO reduction catalysts.

Impact of Sjögren's disease on quality of sexual life using the Qualisex score.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of Sjögren disease (SjD) on the quality of sexual life and its determinants using the Qualisex questionnaire.

Methods: The Qualisex questionnaire was administered to participants within the ASSESS cohort, a French national multicentric prospective cohort of individuals with SjD. Patients' characteristics and psychometric evaluations were also collected.

Thioether-NHC bidentate manganese complexes as efficient phosphine-free catalysts for hydrogenation at room temperature.

A series of four original phosphine-free thioether-NHC manganese complexes have been synthesised and fully characterized. These complexes have been applied as efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of alkenes and ketones at room temperature, with low catalyst loadings (TON up to 900).

Calretinin-expressing neurons in the basal forebrain specifically contact granule cells in the olfactory bulb and modulate odor learning.

GABAergic neurons in basal forebrain (BF) nuclei project densely to all layers of the mouse main olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay in odor information processing. However, BF projection neurons are diverse and the contribution of each subtype to odor information processing is not known. In the present study, we used retrograde and anterograde tracing methods together with whole-brain light-sheet analyses, patch-clamp recordings coupled with optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches during spontaneous odor discrimination, and go/no-go odor discrimination/learning tests to characterize the synaptic targets in the OB of BF calretinin-expressing (CR+) GABAergic cells and to reveal their functional implications.

Insight into copper coordination in O reduction by water-soluble cytochrome oxidase models.

Iron-copper complexes have been extensively studied in the search for efficient cytochrome oxidase models. Whereas most dinuclear materials usually focus on fine-tuning the coordination of heme-Fe, this work shows that the coordination of copper in cytochrome oxidase models should be carefully taken into consideration. A β-cyclodextrin dimer was built around a bipyridine linker and combined with Fe-tetraphenylsulfonatoporphyrinate (FeTPPS) to generate a self-assembled hydrosoluble cytochrome oxidase model.

Systematic ocular phenotyping of 8,707 knockout mouse lines identifies genes associated with abnormal corneal phenotypes.

Purpose: Corneal dysmorphologies (CDs) are typically classified as either regressive degenerative corneal dystrophies (CDtrs) or defective growth and differentiation-driven corneal dysplasias (CDyps). Both eye disorders have multifactorial etiologies. While previous work has elucidated many aspects of CDs, such as presenting symptoms, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, the genetic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Lipophilic molecular rotor to assess the viscosity of oil core in nano-emulsion droplets.

Characterization of nanoscale formulations is a continuous challenge. Size, morphology and surface properties are the most common characterizations. However, physicochemical properties inside the nanoparticles, like viscosity, cannot be directly measured.

Ensemble Density Functional Theory of Ground and Excited Energy Levels.

A Kohn-Sham (KS) density-functional energy expression is derived for any (ground or excited) state within a given many-electron ensemble along with the stationarity condition it fulfills with respect to the ensemble density, thus giving access to both physical energy levels and individual-state densities, in principle exactly. We also provide working equations for the evaluation of the latter from the true static ensemble density-density linear response function. Unlike in Gould's recent ensemble potential functional approach to excited states [arXiv:2404.

Label-free 3D cell imaging using hydrogels functionalized with switchable iridium complexes.

The use of fluorescent labels is the most common tool to visualize cells. However, the internalization of dye molecules often modifies the cell behavior. In this paper we demonstrate that it is possible to transiently label cells using a 3D scaffold, a hydrogel, covalently functionalized with luminescent cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes.

Influence of wettability on water retention curves in unconsolidated porous media.

Controlled laboratory experiments were carried out using the hanging column method. Prior to the experiments, three uniform silica sands, which were originally water-wet, were aged in contact with crude oil until they were moderately oil-wet. Five fractionally wet sands were obtained by mixing the water-wet sands with oil-wet sands containing 25, 50 and 75 vol% oil-wet sands.

A multicenter Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled single-blind trial with the SV2A ligand seletracetam in photosensitive epilepsy patients.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of seletracetam (SEL), a potent modulator of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), in patients with photoparoxysmal EEG response (PPR) to intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) as proof-of-principle of efficacy in patients with epilepsy. In this multicenter, single-blind Phase II study, adults with photosensitive epilepsy, with/without concomitant antiseizure medication therapy, underwent IPS under 3 eye conditions (at eye closure, eyes closed and eyes open) after a single oral dose of placebo (day - 1) or SEL (day 1; 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 10, or 20 mg).

Evolution of anti-MICA antibodies after imlifidase infusion for a high immunological risk kidney transplantation.

Imlifidase is an endopeptidase known for cleaving anti-Human Leucocyte Antigen donor-specific antibodies (DSA) to allow high-risk kidney transplantation. However, it lacks comprehensive data regarding its effect on alloantibodies targeting other histocompatibility antigens, such as Major Histocompatibility Complex class I chain-related protein A (MICA). This study describes the dynamics of anti-MICA antibodies following imlifidase administration in a kidney transplant recipient with anti-MICA*002 preformed DSA.

Aβ42 biomarker linked to insula, striatum, thalamus and claustrum in dementia with Lewy bodies.

The differential mechanisms between proteinopathies and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remain unclear. To address this issue, we conducted a voxel-based morphometry and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker (α-synuclein, Aβ42, t-Tau and p-Tau) level correlation study in patients with DLB, AD and mixed cases (AD + DLB). Cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained by lumbar puncture and whole-brain T1-weighted images were collected in the AlphaLewyMA cohort.

Mortality risk stratification for Takotsubo syndrome: Evaluating CRP measurement alongside the InterTAK prognostic score.

Background And Objectives: Initially described as a benign acute cardiomyopathy, Takotsubo syndrome has been linked to elevated mortality rates. Emerging evidence suggests that unresolved myocardial inflammation may contribute to this adverse prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the incremental prognostic utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) in conjunction with the InterTAK prognosis score for stratifying long-term mortality in Takotsubo syndrome.

Enhancing Biomechanical Simulations Based on a Posteriori Error Estimates: The Potential of Dual-Weighted Residual-Driven Adaptive Mesh Refinement.

The finite-element method (FEM) is a well-established procedure for computing approximate solutions to deterministic engineering problems described by partial differential equations. FEM produces discrete approximations of the solution with a discretisation error that can be quantified with a posteriori error estimates. The practical relevance of error estimates for biomechanics problems, especially for soft tissue where the response is governed by large strains, is rarely addressed.

Biomarkers of sepsis-induced coagulopathy: diagnostic insights and potential therapeutic implications.

Diagnosing coagulopathy in septic patients remains challenging in intensive care. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) indeed presents with complex pathophysiology, complicating timely diagnosis. Epidemiological data indicate a significant prevalence of DIC in septic patients, with mortality rates up to 60%.