Public engagement with research reproducibility.

Public engagement with reproducibility is crucial for fostering trust in science. This Community Page outlines, through the example of baking Christmas tree meringues, how scientists can effectively engage and educate the public about the importance of reproducibility in research.

Click Coupling of Flavylium Dyes with Plasmodione Analogues: Towards New Redox-Sensitive Pro-Fluorophores.

The development of redox-sensitive molecular fluorescent probes for the detection of redox changes in Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized red blood cells remains of interest due to the limitations of current genetically encoded biosensors. This study describes the design, screening and synthesis of new pro-fluorophores based on flavylium azido dyes coupled by CuAAC click chemistry to alkynyl analogues of plasmodione oxide, the key metabolite of the potent redox-active antimalarial plasmodione. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of these probes were evaluated, focusing on their fluorogenic responses.

High-Pressure Low-Temperature Study of CaO(BO) ( = Pr, Nd, Gd, Er, Tm).

We investigated the site-disorder and thermal expansion of O(BO) ( = Pr, Nd, Gd, Er, Tm) through a single crystal structural study conducted between 100 and 300 K. Additionally, a high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction study at low temperatures was conducted to determine the compressibility of both ordered and disordered prototype oxyborate lanthanides, specifically NdCaO(BO) and ErCaO(BO). The study revealed distinct behaviors consistent with their respective ionic radii.

The Combination of Motor Imagery and Post-Activation Performance Enhancement is Efficient to Emphasize the Effects of Warm-Up on Sport-Specific Performance.

Motor imagery (MI) or post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) have shown acute benefits for sports performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cumulative effects of MI and PAPE when combined within a warm-up routine. Ten men boxers participated in this study.

Acute Neuromuscular Fatigue of a Random Vs Constant Session of Repeated Standing Long Jumps.

There is little evidence of the acute effect of random practice, performed by solely varying the intensity but not the task itself, as compared to block practice, i.e. when one task is repeated in a constant manner.

A cautionary note on synonymization based on mitochondrial data in Orthoptera: a comment of Hochkirch et al. 2023.

Hochkirch et al. (2023) recently published a phylogeny of the band-winged grasshopper genus Oedipoda. Using three mitochondrial and one nuclear loci, they estimated the phylogeny of 177 specimens.

Effect of speed on relationships between impairment side, breathing laterality and coordination symmetry in Paralympic swimmers.

This study questioned the influence of unilateral physical impairment on controlling inter-limb coordination, notably the coordination symmetry. We investigated whether unilateral physical impairment and unilateral breathing preference led to motor coordination asymmetry in eleven elite Para swimmers during 10 times 25 m in front crawl incremented in speed. Multicamera video system and five inertial measurement units were used to assess arm and leg phases and to compute symmetry of arm coordination and of arm-leg synchronisation.

Effect of Midsole Hardness on Soft Tissue Vibrations: An Ascendant Hierarchical Clustering on 133 Runners.

Soft tissue vibrations (STV) can generate discomfort during running. Recent research has shown that footwear affects the amplitude of STV differently across runners but no studies have linked human characteristics and footwear construction yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the runner specific STV responses to various midsole hardness and to identify functional groups, that is, groups of runners responding similarly to a given intervention.

Cyclodextrin-Encapsulated NHCs: Increased Selectivity and Reactivity of CO in Amine Formylation.

Herein, we describe the confinement of a N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) organocatalyst in the cavity of cyclodextrins (CDs). These confined organocatalysts allow the formylation of amines through CO hydrosilylation. The presence of the cavity of the CDs leads to substrate-selectivity between amines in competition reactions.

Selective binding and removal of copper from biological fluids-why are PSP ligands so efficient?

The following comment tries to answer why the reported removal of copper from buffer, cell culture medium, and cell extract by a supported chelator called phenPS is so selective and efficient. It is further argued that the family of PSP (phosphine sulfide-stabilized phosphines) chelators, due to their unique properties, have various potential future application in biology and medicine such as chelation therapy, copper-sensors, or tools to understand copper metabolism.

Dual RNA-seq study of the dynamics of coding and non-coding RNA expression during infection in a mouse model.

is the leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in industrialized countries. Many questions remain to be answered about the mechanisms governing its interaction with the host during infection. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) contribute to shape virulence in many pathogens and modulate host responses; however, their role in infection (CDI) has not been explored.

Validation of a 3D Markerless Motion Capture Tool Using Multiple Pose and Depth Estimations for Quantitative Gait Analysis.

Gait analysis is essential for evaluating walking patterns and identifying functional limitations. Traditional marker-based motion capture tools are costly, time-consuming, and require skilled operators. This study evaluated a 3D Marker-less Motion Capture (3D MMC) system using pose and depth estimations with the gold-standard Motion Capture (MOCAP) system for measuring hip and knee joint angles during gait at three speeds (0.

Modulating the Iron Microenvironment for a Cooperative Interplay Between Fe-N-C Single Atoms and FeC Nanoclusters on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The coexistence of single atoms and nanoparticles is shown to increase the oxygen reduction performance in Fe-N-C electrocatalysts, but the mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect remain elusive. In this study, model Fe-N-C electrocatalysts with controlled ratios of FeN sites and FeC nanoclusters is systematically designed and synthesized. Experiments and density functional theory (DFT) computations reveal that FeC nanoclusters near FeN sites modulate the electron density of the Fe single-atom microenvironment through an electron withdrawing effect.

Alginate from Possesses Antioxidant Activity and Attenuates Systemic Inflammation via Downregulation of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines.

Alginates are anionic polysaccharides present in the cell walls of brown seaweeds. Various biological activities of alginate and its derivatives have been described. In this study, we assessed the potential of alginate obtained from (formerly ) to scavenge free radicals and function as a ferric ion reductor.

The HUSH epigenetic repressor complex silences PML nuclear body-associated HSV-1 quiescent genomes.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) latently infected neurons display diverse patterns in the distribution of the viral genomes within the nucleus. A key pattern involves quiescent HSV-1 genomes sequestered in promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs) forming viral DNA-containing PML-NBs (vDCP NBs). Using a cellular model that replicates vDCP NB formation, we previously demonstrated that these viral genomes are chromatinized with the H3.

TLR4-dependent neuroinflammation mediates LPS-driven food-reward alterations during high-fat exposure.

Background: Obesity has become a global pandemic, marked by significant shifts in both the homeostatic and hedonic/reward aspects of food consumption. While the precise causes are still under investigation, recent studies have identified the role of gut microbes in dysregulating the reward system within the context of obesity. Unravelling these gut-brain connections is crucial for developing effective interventions against eating and metabolic disorders, particularly in the context of obesity.

Elucidating the conformational behavior and membrane-destabilizing capability of the antimicrobial peptide ecPis-4s.

Here we present studies of the structure and membrane interactions of ecPis-4 s, a new antimicrobial peptide from the piscidin family, which shows a wide-range of potential biotechnological applications. In order to understand the mode of action ecPis-4 s, the peptide was chemically synthesized and structural investigations in the presence of anionic POPC:POPG (3:1, mol:mol) membrane and SDS micelles were performed. CD spectroscopy demonstrated that ecPis-4 s has a high content of helical structure in both membrane mimetic media, which is in line with solution NMR spectroscopy that revealed an amphipathic helical conformation throughout the entire peptide chain.

Comparative analysis of positron emitters for theranostic applications based on small bioconjugates highlighting Sc, Cu and Ti.

Background: Targeted radionuclide therapy with Lu-labelled small conjugates is expanding rapidly, and its success is linked to appropriate patient selection. Companion diagnostic conjugates are usually labelled with Ga, offering good imaging up to ≈2 h post-injection. However, the optimal tumor-to-background ratio is often reached later.

Wetting of a Dynamically Patterned Surface Is a Time-Dependent Matter.

In nature and many technological applications, aqueous solutions are in contact with patterned surfaces, which are dynamic over time scales spanning from ps to μs. For instance, in biology, exposed polar and apolar residues of biomolecules form a pattern, which fluctuates in time due to side chain and conformational motions. At metal/and oxide/water interfaces, the pattern is formed by surface topmost atoms, and fluctuations are due to, e.

Mineralized collagen plywood contributes to bone autograft performance.

Autologous bone (AB) is the gold standard for bone-replacement surgeries, despite its limited availability and the need for an extra surgical site. Traditionally, competitive biomaterials for bone repair have focused on mimicking the mineral aspect of bone, as evidenced by the widespread clinical use of bioactive ceramics. However, AB also exhibits hierarchical organic structures that might substantially affect bone regeneration.

Environmental change mediates plasticity in offspring traits through maternal effects in a coral reef fish.

Wild populations are continuously challenged by natural environmental variation as well as threatened by anthropogenically-induced habitat loss and fragmentation. Non-genetic parental effects may be a key mechanism across taxa to cope with such environmental challenges and threats. However, the way in which environmental change modulates parental and offspring traits remains poorly studied in marine fish, especially in the wild.