Circadian clockwork controls the balance between mitochondrial turnover and dynamics: What is life … without time marking?

Circadian rhythms driven by biological clocks regulate physiological processes in all living organisms by anticipating daily geophysical changes, thus enhancing environmental adaptation. Time-resolved serial multi-omic analyses in vivo, ex vivo, and in synchronized cell cultures have revealed rhythmic changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, involving up to 50 % of the mammalian genome. Mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is central to cellular bioenergetics, and many nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins exhibit both circadian and ultradian oscillatory expression.

Cerclage in singleton pregnancies with no prior spontaneous PTB and short cervix: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: PTB (PTB) remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Cerclage for short cervical length (CL) ≤25mm in singletons with a history of spontaneous PTB is associated with decreased neonatal morbidity/mortality. Both vaginal progesterone and cerclage individually have level 1 evidence supporting benefit in prevention of PTB in pregnancies complicated by short CL, however there is a paucity of level 1 evidence regarding the potential benefit of cerclage with progesterone compared to progesterone alone for short CL ≤25mm in singletons without a history of spontaneous PTB.

Comparative assessment of microplastic ingestion among deep sea decapods: distribution analysis in Sardinian and Catalan waters.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a widespread and concerning environmental issue. The benthic layer is known as one of the major accumulation sinks, yet knowledge gaps still remain in describing the interactions of its biota with MPs. This work represents a comprehensive comparative analysis of MP ingestion in the four deep-sea crustacean decapods Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816), Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827), Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846) sampled from two distinct regions of the Mediterranean Sea in order to underscore the species-specific characteristics driving their MP ingestion variations.

How the COAPT trial affected the selection of patients with secondary mitral regurgitation undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair: insights from the GIOTTO Registry.

Background: The impact of the COAPT results on clinical practice has not yet been investigated in large real-world cohort study. The aim of the study is to evaluate the potential impact of the COAPT trial by analyzing the temporal trends of baseline characteristics and outcome of secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) patients undergoing MitraClip (MC) included in the GIOTTO registry.

Methods: The study population was divided into two groups, considering the enrolment before or after the COAPT publication.

Baicalein antagonises Rhopilema esculentum toxin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by modulating ROS-MAPK-NF-κB and inhibiting PLA activity.

The toxicity of jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum (R. esculentum), an edible jellyfish that releases venom, has been controversial. The aim of this comprehensive study was to investigate the toxic effects of jellyfish tentacle extract (TE), which was evaluated in vivo and in vitro using ICR mice and RAW264.

Quantum computing for swarm robotics: a local-to-global approach.

Quantum computing is a branch of computer science derived from the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics, such as state superposition, multi-value logic and destructive measure. An open challenge in itself is to re-think in quantum terms classic problems and solving techniques. Another nature-inspired field is the development of swarm-based robotic applications, where the challenge is catching the fundamental laws governing swarm dynamics, such as pattern formation and target reaching.

Latest clinical frontiers related to autism diagnostic strategies.

The diagnosis of autism is currently based on the developmental history, direct observation of behavior, and reported symptoms, supplemented by rating scales/interviews/structured observational evaluations-which is influenced by the clinician's knowledge and experience-with no established diagnostic biomarkers. A growing body of research has been conducted over the past decades to improve diagnostic accuracy. Here, we provide an overview of the current diagnostic assessment process as well as of recent and ongoing developments to support diagnosis in terms of genetic evaluation, telemedicine, digital technologies, use of machine learning/artificial intelligence, and research on candidate diagnostic biomarkers.

The role of carbon and nitrogen ratio on sewage sludge microbiota for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates.

The products of an advanced sewage sludge fermentation process can be used to generate polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), precursors of bioplastics considered excellent candidates for replacing petroleum-derived plastics. The aerobic feast-anoxic famine cycling strategy has proven to be an efficient method for enriching sewage sludge microbiota with PHA-producing microorganisms. This work evaluated the effect of different carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N) of 3.

Synthesis of expert opinions on fluid management in severe sepsis: A contextual review of human albumin and crystalloids.

Background: Sepsis is a critical condition associated with high mortality rates that necessitates effective fluid resuscitation. Crystalloids are widely utilized; however, human albumin solutions have been attributed potential oncotic and anti-inflammatory benefits. Given the ongoing debate and the absence of definitive empirical evidence, expert opinions provide valuable insights into the contextual and practical aspects of fluid management.

Cost-effectiveness of robotic compared with laparoscopic rectal resection. Results from the Spanish prospective national trial ROBOCOSTES.

Objective: The costs related to robotic surgery are known to be greater than those associated with laparoscopy. However, the potential for better outcomes of the former could lead to a cost-effectiveness advantage. The aim of this study is therefore to highlight the difference in cost-effectiveness between robotic and laparoscopic rectal resection.

Number is more than meets the eye: Unveiling segmentation mechanisms in numerosity perception with visual illusions.

Animals and humans possess an adaptive ability to rapidly estimate approximate numerosity, yet the visual mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Evidence suggests that approximate numerosity relies on segmented perceptual units modulated by grouping cues, with perceived numerosity decreasing when objects are connected by irrelevant lines, independent of low-level features. However, most studies have focused on physical objects.

Otolaryngological manifestations of cystic fibrosis in children: A systematic review.

Purpose: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disorder in the Caucasian population. Otolaryngological manifestations pose a significant impact on the quality of life of children with CF. The primary aim of this review is to provide a state of the art update of current literature on the otolaryngological manifestations of CF in children.

ShadowGAN-Former: Reweighting self-attention based on mask for shadow removal.

Shadow removal remains a challenging visual task aimed at restoring the original brightness of shadow regions in images. Many existing methods overlook the implicit clues within non-shadow regions, leading to inconsistencies in the color, texture, and illumination of the reconstructed shadow-free images. To address these issues, we propose an efficient hybrid model of Transformer and Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), named ShadowGAN-Former, which utilizes information from non-shadow regions to assist in shadow removal.

Characterization of children with early onset pediatric multiple sclerosis.

Background: Early onset pediatric multiple sclerosis (EOPMS) provides an early window of opportunity to understand the mechanisms leading to MS.

Objective: To investigate clinical, laboratory and imaging differences between children with early onset pediatric MS (<11 years, EOPMS) and late onset pediatric MS (≥11 years, LOPMS).

Methods: Mostly prospectively collected data of children with MS including clinical presentation, MRI at onset, time to second relapse, relapse rate, treatment history, and CSF markers were eligible.

The impact of a marine heatwave on the productivity and carbon budget of a NW Mediterranean seaweed forest.

Marine forests support coastal biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nonetheless, how their productivity and carbon uptake might be affected by extreme events, such as marine heatwaves (MHWs), is yet to be explored. We experimentally evaluated the changes in oxygen and carbon budgets of the benthic community formed by the fucoid Ericaria brachycarpa induced by the exposure to a MHW.

Assessing the potential acoustic impact of floating offshore wind farms in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

The Strait of Sicily, a vital marine passage with diverse fauna, is seeing a steep rise in the planning of offshore wind farm projects. This study assesses the acoustic impact of these wind farms on local marine species. Underwater propagation was modeled for three proposed floating wind farms using JASCO's Marine Operations Noise Model (MONM), which integrates a parabolic equation method for frequencies from 10 to 800 Hz and a beam-tracing model for 1 to 25 kHz.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new dual APN/NEP inhibitors as potent analgesics.

An alternative approach for the management of acute and chronic pains involves prolonging the half-life of endogenous opiates, such as enkephalins that are released in response to nociceptive stimuli. This can be achieved through the inhibition of enzymatic pathways responsible for the hydrolysis of these peptides, particularly targeting Aminopeptidase N (APN) and Neutral Endopeptidase (NEP). In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of dual enkephalinase inhibitors (DENKIs) targeting both APN and NEP as novel analgesic treatments.

Long-term response mechanism of bacterial communities to chemical oxidation remediation in petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater.

The limited understanding of microbial response mechanism remains as a bottleneck to evaluate the long-term remediation effectiveness of in situ chemical oxidation in contaminated groundwater. In this study, we investigated long-term response of bacterial communities throughout five remediation stages of pre-oxidation, early-oxidation, late-oxidation, early-recovery and late-recovery. By analyzing bacterial biomass, taxa, diversity and metabolic functions, this work identified the consistently suppressed glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase pathway and the enrichment of naphthalene degradation pathways for secondary products, suggesting persistent oxidation stress and enhanced microbial utilization of lower-molecular weight carbon sources at the oxidation and early-recovery stages.

Steam washing for MSWI-FA treatment.

This study investigates steam washing (SW) as an innovative pretreatment for municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) dechlorination, useful for a more effective stabilization in cementitious matrix. By using a detailed analytical approach (XRPD, XRF, ICP-MS, IRMS, SEM) and geochemical modeling, great focus is dedicated on pollutant leaching reduction and changes in ash physicochemical characteristics as a function of exposure time. The research demonstrates that SW removes up to 70 % cadmium, 17 % zinc, and 10 % lead, primarily by dissolving the soluble and carbonate/hydroxide fractions and promoting the reprecipitation and adsorption of heavy metals into more stable compounds.

Redox regulation of focal adhesions.

Focal adhesions (FAs), multi-protein complexes that link the extracellular matrix to the intracellular cytoskeleton, are key mediators of cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. These dynamic structures act as mechanical sensors, transmitting stimuli from the extracellular to intracellular environment activating in this way signaling pathways and enabling cells to adapt to environmental changes. As such, FAs are critical for tissue organization and serve as hubs governing cell spatial arrangement within the organism.

Management of presymptomatic juvenile patients with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD).

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) includes patients from 1 year of age to adulthood. The vast heterogeneity in clinical manifestations and disease progression is not fully explained; however, a short disease duration and a young age seem to be good predictors of a better response to treatment. For this purpose, we investigated and followed up a cohort of 13 juvenile patients with LOPD from the clinical and therapeutic point of view, mainly pointing out the transition from presymptomatic to symptomatic status.

The natural history of cytologically low-risk indeterminate thyroid nodules.

Background: Thyroid nodules classified cytologically as low-risk indeterminate lesions (TIR3A) on fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) present a clinical challenge due to their uncertain malignancy risk. This single-center study aimed to evaluate the natural history of TIR3A nodules.

Materials And Methods: FNABs performed between July 2017 and December 2019 were retrospectively retrieved and patients with TIR3A nodules were evaluated at baseline and throughout a follow-up based on ultrasound (US) parameters and clinical data.

Fatuamide A, a Hybrid PKS/NRPS Metallophore from a sp. Marine Cyanobacterium Collected in American Samoa.

A structurally novel metabolite, fatuamide A (), was discovered from a laboratory cultured strain of the marine cyanobacterium sp., collected from Faga'itua Bay, American Samoa. A bioassay-guided approach using NCI-H460 human lung cancer cells directed the isolation of fatuamide A, which was obtained from the most cytotoxic fraction.

SAMURAI: shallow analysis of copy number alterations using a reproducible and integrated bioinformatics pipeline.

Shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS) offers a cost-effective approach to detect copy number alterations (CNAs). However, there remains a gap for a standardized workflow specifically designed for sWGS analysis. To address this need, in this work we present SAMURAI, a bioinformatics pipeline specifically designed for analyzing CNAs from sWGS data in a standardized and reproducible manner.

Recalibrating Protection Factors Using Millisecond Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful technique to interrogate protein structure and dynamics. With the ability to study almost any protein without a size limit, including intrinsically disordered ones, HDX-MS has shown fast growing importance as a complement to structural elucidation techniques. Current experiments compare two or more related conditions (sequences, interaction partners, excipients, conformational states, etc.