Parents' reflective functioning and stress: The associations with preschoolers' social understanding.

Social understanding competence develops in sensitive and co-regulating caregiver interactions. Parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting stress can affect children's social understanding. This study investigated if children's social understanding was associated with PRF and parenting stress.

Dynamic mechanisms for membrane skeleton transitions.

The plasma membrane and the underlying skeleton form a protective barrier for eukaryotic cells. The molecular players forming this complex composite material constantly rearrange under mechanical stress. One of those molecules, spectrin, is ubiquitous in the membrane skeleton and linked by short actin filaments.

New horizons for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treatment through PosturalSpine D'Amanti Method.

The aim of the study is to compare improvement outcomes in patients (aged between 8 and 18 years old) with idiopathic scoliosis treated with a traditional technique with those treated with an innovative method. The study included 17 participants allocated into two groups: experimental (n = 8) and control (n = 9) groups. The first group was treated with a new method with PosturalSpine® D'Amanti method, twice a week for 30 min per session while the second group was treated with kinesitherapy and traditional tools three times week for 45 min per session.

Oncogenic mutant KRAS inhibition through oxidation at cysteine 118.

Specific reactive oxygen species activate the GTPase Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) by reacting with cysteine 118 (C118), leading to an electron transfer between C118 and nucleoside guanosine diphosphate (GDP), which causes the release of GDP. Here, we have mimicked permanent oxidation of human KRAS at C118 by replacing C118 with aspartic acid (C118D) in KRAS to show that oncogenic mutant KRAS is selectively inhibited via oxidation at C118, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the combined treatment of hydrogen-peroxide-producing pro-oxidant paraquat and nitric-oxide-producing inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester selectively inhibits human mutant KRAS activity by inducing oxidization at C118.

Mechanistic insights into water-stabilized dye-neurotransmitter intermolecular complexes in zeolite channels.

Dye-zeolite nanomaterials are promising candidates for neurotransmitter detection, however, their sensing mechanism has remained speculative. Using molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, we demonstrate that water molecules play a critical role in stabilizing complexes formed between the dicationic dye and cationic neurotransmitters within the zeolite framework. This interaction exhibits binding motifs akin to those in protein-ligand complexes rather than conventional host-guest systems.

The chemistry of halide-based solid electrolytes: unlocking advances in solid-state Li-ion batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) represent a transformative advancement in electrochemical energy storage, offering exceptional energy density, enhanced safety, and broad operational temperature ranges, making them ideal for next-generation applications. While liquid electrolytes dominate conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high conductivity and efficient electrode interface wetting, their flammability and volatility pose significant safety risks, particularly in electric vehicles and portable electronics. Solid electrolytes, a cornerstone of SSB technology, offer a promising pathway to enhance LIB energy density and safety.

Graphene-Based Opto-Electronic Platform for Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection at Zeptomolar Concentrations.

A ground-breaking graphene-based biosensor designed for label-free detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) achieving a remarkable concentration of 100 zeptomolar (10 m), is reported. The sensor is a two-terminal device and incorporates a millimeter-wide gold interface, bio-functionalized with ≈10 anti-IgM antibodies and capacitively coupled to a bare graphene electrode through a water-soaked paper strip. In this configuration, few affinity binding events trigger a collective electrostatic reorganization of the protein layer, leading to an extended surface potential (SP) shift of the biofunctionalized Au surface.

Lignin Molar Mass Estimation by Dispersion Analysis.

Lignin's complex and heterogeneous molecular structure poses significant challenges for accurate molar mass determination, which is important for its utilization in industrial applications, such as biochemicals, nanoparticles, biobased binders, and biofuels. This study evaluates the potential of Taylor Dispersion Analysis (TDA) for measuring lignin size and compares it with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR. Using dual Gaussian fitting, flow-induced dispersion analysis (FIDA), a TDA-based method, successfully determined the average hydrodynamic radii of multiple species in solvent-fractionated soda grass lignin samples, producing results consistent with DOSY.

The Hormetic Potential of GDF15 in Skeletal Muscle Health and Regeneration: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Background: Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) has been described as influencing skeletal physiology. Nevertheless, no systematic appraisal of the effect of GDF15 on skeletal muscle tissues has been developed to the present day.

Objective: The aim of the present work was to review the evidence on the topic.

Natural Compounds from Alhagi maurorum as Potential HCC and HepG2 Inhibitors: An Integrated Study using Pharmacophore Development, Molecular Docking, MD Simulation, and DFT Approaches.

Background: The rise in the frequency of liver cancer all over the world makes it a prominent area of research in the discovery of new drugs or repurposing of existing drugs.

Methods: This article describes the pharmacophore-based structure-activity relationship (3DQSAR) on the secondary metabolites of Alhagi maurorum to inhibit human liver cancer cell lines Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatoma G2 (HepG2) which represents the molecular level understanding for isolated phytochemicals of Alhagi maurorum. The definite features, such as hydrophobic regions, average shape, and active compounds' electrostatic patterns, were mapped to screen phytochemicals.

Vitronectin regulates lung tissue remodeling and emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Vitronectin (VTN) is an important extracellular matrix protein in tissue remodeling, but its role in COPD is unknown. We show that VTN regulates tissue remodeling through urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) signaling pathway in COPD. In human COPD airways and bronchoepithelial cells and the airways of mice with cigarette smoke (CS)-induced experimental COPD, VTN protein was not changed, but downstream uPA signaling was altered (increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, uPAR) that induced collagen and airway remodeling.

MINFLUX Nanoscopy: A "Brilliant" Technique Promising Major Breakthrough.

MINFLUX nanoscopy relies on the localization of single fluorophores with expected ~ 2 nm precision in 3D mapping, roughly one order of magnitude better than standard stimulated emission depletion microscopy or stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy. This "brilliant" technique takes advantage of specialized localization principles and algorithms that require only dim fluorescence signals with a minimum flux of photons; hence the name follows. With this level of performance, MINFLUX imaging and tracking should allow for the routine study of biological processes down to the molecular scale, revealing previously unresolved details in cell structures, such as the organization of calcium channels in muscle cells or the clustering of receptors in synapses.

Effects of time-restricted feeding and meal timing on an 8-week fat oxidation exercise training program-A randomized controlled trial.

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) and aerobic exercise are lifestyle interventions to prevent or manage different metabolic diseases. How these interventions interact, including the impact of meal timing, is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of TRF on fat oxidation during exercise, whereby participants performed an 8-week fat-training program either in the fasted state or after a carbohydrate-based snack.

First Report of causing crown rot on (Olive) in Pakistan.

Crown rot impacted olive plants (cv. Koroneiki) in an orchard in Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan (32° N, 72° E), with a prevalence of 60%. Observable symptoms included leaf chlorosis, defoliation, wilting, and twig dieback in 6-8-year-old plants, ultimately resulting in their demise (Fig.

Serum HDL and their subfractions are impaired in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe post-COVID condition due to a delayed hyperimmune response to SARS-CoV-2. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are pivotal players in inflammatory and immune modulation through the remodeling of their subfractions.

Methods: This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of cholesterol, HDL, and HDL subfractions (HDL-SUB) to define their role in the pathogenesis of MIS-C and their potential use as biomarkers of this condition.

First autochthonous case of Opisthorchis felineus in Austria.

Background: Opisthorchis felineus is a feline pathogen with zoonotic potential that can be a causative agent of human opisthorchiasis and cholangiocarcinoma. In Europe, O. felineus is particularly endemic in Eastern European countries, while this parasite has also been sporadically detected in Germany, Italy and northern Poland.

Exploring the ability of plasma pTau217, pTau181 and beta-amyloid in mirroring cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profile of Mild Cognitive Impairment by the fully automated Lumipulse platform.

Background: The approval of new disease-modifying therapies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency makes it necessary to optimize non-invasive and cost-effective tools for the identification of subjects at-risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

Patterns of pharmacological treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation: an analysis from the prospective GLORIA-AF Registry Phase III.

Background: Polypharmacy (i.e., treatment with ≥ 5 drugs) is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and has been associated with suboptimal management and worse outcomes.

The epidemiology and unmet need of migraine in five european countries: results from the national health and wellness survey.

Background: Despite the high global prevalence, burden, and direct and indicated costs, migraines are often under-diagnosed and undertreated. Understanding the prevalence of migraine and unmet needs is crucial for improving diagnosis and treatment across Europe (EU) countries; however, real-world studies are limited.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional survey utilized weighted patient-reported data from the 2020 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) in five EU (5EU) countries (France, Germany, United Kingdom [UK], Italy, and Spain).

Fear of falling impairs spatiotemporal gait parameters, mobility, and quality of life in Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Fear of Falling (FOF) significantly affects Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients by limiting daily activities and reducing quality of life (QoL). Though common in PD, the relation between FOF, mobility, and QoL remains unclear. This study examines the connections between FOF, gait, daily motor activity, and QoL in PD patients.