Amplicon Sequencing Reveals Diversity in Spatially Separated Microbial Communities in the Icelandic Mars Analog Environment Mælifellssandur.

Exploration missions to Mars rely on landers or rovers to perform multiple analyses over geographically small sampling regions, while landing site selection is done using large-scale but low-resolution remote-sensing data. Utilizing Earth analog environments to estimate small-scale spatial and temporal variation in key geochemical signatures and biosignatures will help mission designers ensure future sampling strategies meet mission science goals. Icelandic lava fields can serve as Mars analog sites due to conditions that include low nutrient availability, temperature extremes, desiccation, and isolation from anthropogenic contamination.

Functionalized regioisomers of the natural product phenazines myxin and iodinin as potent inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human acute myeloid leukemia cells.

The natural bioactive products myxin and iodinin are phenazine 5,10-dioxides possessing potent anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro. This work describes the synthesis and derivatization of new myxin and iodinin regioisomers, developed from 1,3-dihydroxyphenazine 5,10-dioxide. Compounds were evaluated for activity towards M.

Ultra-compact quintuple-band terahertz metamaterial biosensor for enhanced blood cancer diagnostics.

Cancer and its diverse variations pose one of the most significant threats to human health and well-being. One of the most aggressive forms is blood cancer, originating from bone marrow cells and disrupting the production of normal blood cells. The incidence of blood cancer is steadily increasing, driven by both genetic and environmental factors.

Polymeric Gluten Proteins as Climate-Resilient Markers of Quality: Can LC-MS/MS Provide Valuable Information about Spring Wheat Grown in Diverse Climates?

In this study, the impact of the varying environments, wet-cool (2017), dry-hot (2018), and fluctuating (2019), on two spring wheat genotypes, Diskett and Bumble, grown in field conditions in southern Sweden was studied. From harvested grains, polymeric gluten proteins were fractionated and collected using SE-HPLC and then analyzed with LC-MS/MS. Proteins and peptides identified through searches against the protein sequences of (taxon 4565) from the UniProtKB database showed 7 high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) and 24 low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) with different enrichment levels for both genotypes.

Do the biological characteristics of trout (Salmo trutta) smolts influence their spring migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration?

Anadromous salmonids migrate seaward to exploit feeding and growth opportunities in marine habitats, yet how smolt biological characteristics influence their marine migratory behavior remains poorly understood. This study used 9 years of trout (Salmo trutta) population monitoring data from 15,595 tagged age-0+ parr, 1033 smolts detected migrating downstream in spring, and 99 adults detected returning from their first marine migration to the River Frome (Dorset, UK) to investigate the influence of smolt biological characteristics on their migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration. Age-specific differences in the influence of smolt length on migration timing were found, with longer 1-year-old smolts emigrating later than their shorter counterparts within the same age class, but the opposite association existed for 2-year-old smolts.

Indirect Detection of the Protons in and around Biradicals and their Mechanistic Role in MAS-DNP.

The contribution of protons in or near biradical polarizing agents in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) has recently been under scrutiny. Results from selective deuteration and simulations have previously suggested that the role of protons in the biradical molecule depends on the strength of the electron-electron coupling. Here we use the cross effect DNP mechanism to identify and acquire H solid-state NMR spectra of the protons that contribute to propagation of the hyperpolarization, via an experimental approach dubbed Nuclear-Nuclear Double Resonance (NUDOR).

A posterior pericardial chest tube is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: A propensity score-matched study.

Objective: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery that is associated with other adverse outcomes. Recent studies have shown that drainage of pericardial effusion by a posterior pericardial incision reduces the incidence of POAF. An alternative approach is a chest tube placed posteriorly in the pericardium.

The newborn behavioural observations (NBO) system embedded in routine postpartum care in at-risk families in Iceland: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: The Newborn Behaviour Observation system (NBO) is a flexible relationship-based intervention designed to sensitise parents to their newborn's capacities, to increase parental confidence and foster the bond between parent and infant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an NBO intervention on maternal confidence during the first month postpartum, and on the quality of mother-infant interaction at infant age 4 months in a sample of mothers who exhibit elevated signs of distress or depression during pregnancy and/or describe prior experiences of mental health issues.

Method: Pregnant women with current emotional distress and/or a history of anxiety and depression were recruited from a healthcare centre in Reykjavik, between August 2016 and April 2018.

Multiple Perspectives on the Need for Real-World Evidence to Inform Regulatory and Health Technology Assessment Decision-Making: Scoping Review and Stakeholder Interviews.

Purpose: Real-world evidence (RWE) is increasingly considered in regulatory and health technology assessment (HTA) decision-making, though perspectives on its relevance may vary. Expanding on a recent review regarding regulatory decisions, this study aimed to identify factors influencing the need for RWE in HTA decision-making, confirm and enrich factors with stakeholder views, and evaluate similarities and differences between regulatory and HTA needs.

Methods: Previous scoping review methodology was used to identify factors influencing the need for RWE in HTA decision-making.

Patchiness of plankton ecosystem structure due to nutrient mixing along the shelf edge in the North Sea.

Mid-water column turbulence has been shown to cause elevated vertical nutrient flux at the shelf edge in the northeastern North Sea. Here, we demonstrate that phytoplankton communities in this region tend to be dominated by larger cells (estimated from percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 μm filter) than beyond the shelf edge. F/F (PSII electron transport capacity) corrected for photoinhibition in the surface layer correlated in this study with the percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 µm filter (assumed to be large cells), suggesting that the phytoplankton community was responding to increased nutrients in the euphotic zone by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and altering community composition.

Completion of registration of risk factor variables during telephone vs on-site follow-up after myocardial infarction: a nationwide observational study in 101 199 patients from contemporary clinical practice in Sweden.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the completeness of registration of secondary preventive variables comparing on-site visits with telephone consultations during follow-up after myocardial infarction.

Design: This was an observational study based on the Swedish quality registry SWEDEHEART.

Setting And Outcome Measures: We analysed the proportion of missing values for major secondary preventive target data registered at the 2-month and 1-year follow-up visits, during 2006-2022 (n=101 199).

Antimicrobial Preservatives in Cyclodextrin-Containing Drug Formulations.

In general, antimicrobial preservatives are essential components of multidose pharmaceutical formulations to prevent microbial growth and contamination, many of which contain lipophilic and poorly water-soluble drugs in need of solubilizing excipients, such as cyclodextrins (CDs). However, CDs frequently reduce or even abolish the antimicrobial activities of commonly used pharmaceutical preservatives. The degree of inactivation depends on the CD complexation of the preservatives, which in turn depends on their chemical structure and physiochemical properties.

The Impact of Persevering Home Full-Body In-Bed Gym Exercise on Body Muscles in Aging: A Case Report by Quantitative Radio-Densitometric Study Using 3D and 2D Color CT.

Unlabelled: Background and Clinical Significance: Sarcopenia, characterized by muscle loss and fat infiltration, poses a significant health burden for aging populations. Quantitative Color 2D and 3D radiodensitometry provides a powerful tool to monitor muscle quality and quantity through CT imaging. This study assessed the impact of a ten-year-long home-bed gym exercise intervention on muscle quality in an elderly subject using CT-derived radiodensitometric analysis.

Comparative Analysis of Fatty Acid Bioaccessibility in Commercial Marine Oil Supplements: An In Vitro Integrated Analytical Study.

Zooplankton such as copepods and krill are currently used to produce marine oil supplements, with the aim of helping consumers achieve the recommended intake of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs). Oils from lower trophic levels differ from fish oil in the distribution of lipids into different classes, and this can influence the bioaccessibility of fatty acids, i.e.

A Core Outcome Set for Adult General ICU Patients.

Objectives: Randomized clinical trials informing clinical practice (e.g., like large, pragmatic, and late-phase trials) should ideally mostly use harmonized outcomes that are important to patients, family members, clinicians, and researchers.

Achievements, priorities and strategies in pediatric nephrology in Europe: need for unifying approaches or acceptance of differences?

Background: There is a lack of information on the current healthcare systems for children with kidney diseases across Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the different national approaches to the organization and delivery of pediatric nephrology services within Europe.

Methods: In 2020, the European society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) conducted a cross-sectional survey to identify the existing pediatric nephrology healthcare systems in 48 European countries covering a population of more than 200 million children.

Manipulation of ion/electron carrier genes in the model diatom enables its growth under lethal acidic stress.

A major obstacle to exploiting industrial flue gas for microalgae cultivation is the unfavorable acidic environment. We previously identified three upregulated genes in the low-pH-adapted model diatom : ferredoxin (PtFDX), cation/proton antiporter (PtCPA), and HCO transporter (PtSCL4-2). Here, we individually overexpressed these genes in to investigate their respective roles in resisting acidic stress (pH 5.

Causal relationship between matrix metalloproteinase and pulmonary embolism: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

This study evaluated the causal relationship between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and pulmonary embolism using data from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of pulmonary embolism from the UK Biobank and a GWAS dataset of MMPs based on 5,457 Icelanders aged 65 years and older. MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO, Cochran's Q, and leave-one-out were used for sensitivity analysis. The Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, based on the IVW analysis, indicated an elevated risk for pulmonary embolism in association with MMP19 (OR = 1.

Northern Hemisphere sea ice variability in a transient CGCM simulation of the past 2.6 Ma.

The recent sea ice changes in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), necessitate elucidating the sea ice variability over the past 2.6 million years (Ma), when the Earth's glacial cycles transitioned from ∼41 to ∼100 kyr periodicity, following the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) period (0.7-1.

Economic uncertainty and climate change exposure.

This paper explores how economic uncertainty affects firms' climate change exposure. We use an extensive sample from 24 countries from 2002 to 2021. Employing a novel measure of firm-level climate change exposure developed by Sautner et al.

Prevalence and correlates of child labour in five low-income countries: a descriptive study based on UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys 6 (MICS6).

Background: The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children need to be protected from 'any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development'. We aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of child labour in five low-income African countries using the sixth wave of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS6).

Methods: Data on child labour, reported by the household respondent for a randomly selected child (5-17 years), were extracted from MICS6 reports from Chad, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Impaired coagulation parameters in early RA are restored by effective antirheumatic therapy: a prospective pilot study.

Objectives: To assess the effect of treatment on haemostatic parameters in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed RA started methotrexate and were randomised to additional conventional treatment, certolizumab pegol, abatacept or tocilizumab. Several biomarkers for haemostasis were analysed including parameters of the two global haemostatic assays-overall haemostatic potential (OHP) and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), as well as single haemostatic factors-fibrinogen, prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), D-dimer, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and clot lysis time (CLT) in 24 patients at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks after the start of the treatment.

Parents' Need for Support From Family and Friends During Their Preterm Infants' Hospitalisation: A Cross-National Qualitative Study.

Aim: To explore the need for support from family and friends among parents of preterm infants within neonatal intensive care.

Design: A cross-national qualitative study.

Methods: In autumn 2019, 73 parents of preterm infants hospitalised in neonatal intensive care units in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden were interviewed.