Modeling plant phenotypic plasticity and its underlying genetic architecture: a comparative study.

Phenotypic plasticity can contribute to crop adaptation to challenging environments. Plasticity indices are potentially useful to identify the genetic basis of crop phenotypic plasticity. Numerous methods exist to measure phenotypic plasticity.

Evaluation of the predictive value of CSF-restricted oligoclonal bands on residual disability and risk of relapse in adult patients with MOGAD: MOGADOC study.

Background: The clinical course of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is variable. However, robust markers of poor outcome and/or relapse risk are still missing.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of cerebrospinal fluid-restricted oligoclonal bands (CSF-OCB) in a national cohort of adult MOGAD patients and to assess their prognostic value for the risk of relapse and severity.

Should a history of venous thromboembolism be considered a contraindication for scuba diving?

The question of whether scuba diving is safe for patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains unanswered. Cases of VTE have been reported after decompression accidents but not following properly conducted dives. However, the risk of VTE and bleeding on anticoagulant therapy during diving has yet to be defined.

A patient with TPCN2-related hypopigmentation and ocular phenotype.

Pigmentation is orchestrated by hundreds of genes involved in cellular functions going from early developmental fate of pigment cells to melanin synthesis. The Two Pore Channel 2 (TPC2) a Ca2+ and Na+ channel acidifies melanosomal pH and thus inhibits pigmentation. A young patient was recently reported with generalized hypopigmentation but uneventful ocular examination, caused by the de novo heterozygous TPCN2 variant c.

Seatizen Atlas: a collaborative dataset of underwater and aerial marine imagery.

Citizen Science initiatives have a worldwide impact on environmental research by providing data at a global scale and high resolution. Mapping marine biodiversity remains a key challenge to which citizen initiatives can contribute. Here we describe a dataset made of both underwater and aerial imagery collected in shallow tropical coastal areas by using various low cost platforms operated either by citizens or researchers.

Organoids, organs-on-chips, complex in vitro model: Definitions, applications, validation, ethics.

Over the past decade, new in vitro biological models have emerged which can reproduce certain characteristics of human physiology and pathologies. From organoids to organs-on-chips, these new technologies are currently revolutionizing the entire chain of research and development in pharmacology. All stakeholders are thus involved, from academic laboratories to pharmaceutical companies, start-ups, and assessment agencies.

The malaria parasite PP1 phosphatase controls the initiation of the egress pathway of asexual blood-stages by regulating the rounding-up of the vacuole.

A sustained blood-stage infection of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum relies on the active exit of merozoites from their host erythrocytes. During this process, named egress, the infected red blood cell undergoes sequential morphological events: the rounding-up of the surrounding parasitophorous vacuole, the disruption of the vacuole membrane and finally the rupture of the red blood cell membrane.

Special Collection: Drug Discovery in France Targeting Tumor-Associated Carbonic Anhydrases in Photothermal Therapy.

Tumor-associated human carbonic anhydrases (hCAs), particularly isoforms hCA IX and hCA XII, are overexpressed in hypoxic regions of solid tumors and play a crucial role in regulating pH homeostasis, promoting cancer cell survival and enhancing invasiveness. These enzymes have emerged as promising therapeutic targets in cancer treatment, including photothermal therapy (PTT). PTT is a minimally invasive technique that uses light-absorbing agents to convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat, effectively inducing localized hyperthermia and promoting cancer cell apoptosis.

Conformational diversity in class C GPCR positive allosteric modulation.

The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlus) are class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) that form obligate dimers activated by the major excitatory neurotransmitter L-glutamate. The architecture of mGlu receptor comprises an extracellular Venus-Fly Trap domain (VFT) connected to the transmembrane domain (7TM) through a Cysteine-Rich Domain (CRD). The binding of L-glutamate in the VFTs and subsequent conformational change results in the signal being transmitted to the 7TM inducing G protein binding and activation.

An Open-source Python Tool for Traction Force Microscopy on Micropatterned Substrates.

Cell-generated forces play a critical role in driving and regulating complex biological processes, such as cell migration and division and cell and tissue morphogenesis in development and disease. Traction force microscopy (TFM) is an established technique developed in the field of mechanobiology used to quantify cellular forces exerted on soft substrates and internal mechanical tissue stresses. TFM measures cell-generated traction forces in 2D or 3D environments with varying mechanical and biochemical properties.

APH Inhibitors that Reverse Aminoglycoside Resistance in Enterococcus casseliflavus.

Aminoglycoside-phosphotransferases (APHs) are a class of bacterial enzymes that mediate acquired resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics. Here we report the identification of small molecules counteracting aminoglycoside resistance in Enterococcus casseliflavus. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to identify an allosteric pocket in three APH enzymes belonging to 3' and 2'' subfamilies in which we then screened, in silico, 12,000 small molecules.

Scaling up morphological differentiation of pangolin scales: Serial, ontogenetic and evolutionary variation.

Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world, largely because of the high demand for their keratinous scales from the traditional Chinese medicine market. While seizures of pangolin material are largely composed of isolated scales, efficient approaches to reach species-level identification are missing. This mostly originates from the lack of comparative studies on the shape of pangolin scales, resulting in knowledge gaps on the imbricated effects of serial, ontogenetic, and evolutionary variations.

Hemolymph microbiota and immune effectors' expressions driven by geographical rearing acclimation of the aquacultured Penaeus stylirostris.

Background: In holobiont, microbiota is known to play a central role on the health and immunity of its host. Then, understanding the microbiota, its dynamic according to the environmental conditions and its link to the immunity would help to react to potential dysbiosis of aquacultured species. While the gut microbiota is highly studied, in marine invertebrates the hemolymph microbiota is often set aside even if it remains an important actor of the hemolymph homeostasis.

Cross-calibration of areal bone mineral densities and body composition between DMS Stratos and Hologic Horizon A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometers: The effect of body mass index.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations between areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and body composition measured by two dual-energy X-ray absorptiometers (DXA), the DMS Stratos® (STR) and the Hologic Horizon A® (HRZ), and then generate cross-calibration equations between the two scanners.

Methods: Repeat scans were obtained from 251 adults (85 % female), 36 ± 14 years old with mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.7 ± 11.

Superabsorbent wound dressings for the management of highly exuding wounds: a literature review.

Exudate management is essential for creating a moist wound environment that promotes optimal healing, especially in highly exuding wounds, where choosing an appropriate wound dressing to handle high volumes of exudate is a key part of the wound management strategy. Superabsorbent wound dressings (SWDs) have been designed to absorb and retain large amounts of exudate. Thus, they are advocated for management of wounds with moderate-to-high levels of exudate to reduce the risk of leakage and damage to the periwound skin.

A Risk Score to Identify Low Bone Mineral Density for Age in Young Patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Objective: Developing a scoring assessment tools for the determination of low bone mass for age at lumbar spine and hip in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: The areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In 331 women with AN and 121 controls, aged from 14.

Heterochromatic gene silencing controls CD4 T cell susceptibility to regulatory T cell-mediated suppression in a murine allograft model.

Protective immune responses require close interactions between conventional (Tconv) and regulatory T cells (Treg). The extracellular mediators and signaling events that regulate the crosstalk between these CD4 T cell subsets have been extensively characterized. However, how Tconv translate Treg-dependent suppressive signals at the chromatin level remains largely unknown.

metaGE: Investigating genotype x environment interactions through GWAS meta-analysis.

Elucidating the genetic components of plant genotype-by-environment interactions is of key importance in the context of increasing climatic instability, diversification of agricultural practices and pest pressure due to phytosanitary treatment limitations. The genotypic response to environmental stresses can be investigated through multi-environment trials (METs). However, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of MET data are significantly more complex than that of single environments.

Impact of Baseline Thrombocytopenia on Early Outcomes in Patients With Acute Venous Thromboembolism.

Managing acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with thrombocytopenia is challenging. We used data from the RIETE registry to investigate the impact of baseline thrombocytopenia on early VTE-related outcomes, depending on the initial presentation as pulmonary embolism (PE) or isolated lower-limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT). From March 2003 to November 2022, 90 418 patients with VTE were included.

Noninvasive respiratory support following extubation in critically ill adults with obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with obesity are at high-risk of extubation failure. Discrepancies were found in the results of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the roles of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and conventional oxygen therapy (COT) to prevent extubation failure in critically ill patients with obesity.

Methods: In this systematic review and network meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science from 1 January 1998 to 1 July 2024 for RCTs evaluating noninvasive respiratory support therapies (NIV, HFNC, COT, NIV + HFNC) after extubation in critically ill adults with obesity.

Amphiphilic dynamic covalent polymer vectors of siRNA.

Dynamic covalent polymers (DCPs) recently emerged as smart siRNA delivery vectors, which dynamically self-assemble through siRNA templating and depolymerize in a controlled manner. Herein, we report the dynamic combinatorial screening of cationic and amphiphilic peptide-based monomers. We provide experimental evidence, by mass spectrometry analyses, of the siRNA-templated formation of DCPs, and show that amphiphilic DCPs display superior activity in terms of siRNA complexation and delivery in cells.

Nose-to-brain delivery of DHA-loaded nanoemulsions: A promising approach against Alzheimer's disease.

Reduced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations seem to be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and DHA accretion to the brain across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) can be modulated by various factors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify an efficient and non-invasive method to ensure brain DHA enrichment. In the present study, a safe and stable DHA-enriched nanoemulsion, designed to protect DHA against oxidation, was designed and administered intranasally in a transgenic mouse model of AD, the J20 mice.

Zoonosis: social and environmental connections in the Mexico-United States border region.

The emerging risks facing humanity have highlighted the need to address and prevent challenges through multilateral preventive strategies. The Mexico-United States (US) border is a region with great biological biodiversity and both countries shared a similar history and intense socioeconomic, and cultural interrelationships. Also, it has an extraordinary ecological contrast, resulting in an enormous biological diversity in a broad Nearctic-Neotropical transition zone.