Circularly polarised luminescence in an RNA-based homochiral, self-repairing, coordination polymer hydrogel.

The aqueous equimolar reaction of Ag(i) ions with the thionucleoside enantiomer (-)6-thioguanosine, ((-)6tGH), yields a one-dimensional coordination polymer {Ag(-)tG} , the self-assembly of which generates left-handed helical chains. The resulting helicity induces an enhanced chiro-optical response compared to the parent ligand. DFT calculations indicate that this enhancement is due to delocalisation of the excited state along the helical chains, with 7 units being required to converge the calculated CD spectra.

Forecasting the incidence of dengue in Bangladesh-Application of time series model.

Background: Dengue is an alarming public health concern in terms of its preventive and curative measures among people in Bangladesh; moreover, its sudden outbreak created a lot of suffering among people in 2018. Considering the greater burden of disease in larger epidemic years and the difficulty in understanding current and future needs, it is highly needed to address early warning systems to control epidemics from the earliest.

Objective: The study objective was to select the most appropriate model for dengue incidence and using the selected model, the authors forecast the future dengue outbreak in Bangladesh.

Level I PD-MCI Using Global Cognitive Tests and the Risk for Parkinson's Disease Dementia.

Background: The criteria for PD-MCI allow the use of global cognitive tests. Their predictive value for conversion from PD-MCI to PDD, especially compared to comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, is unknown.

Methods: The MDS PD-MCI Study Group combined four datasets containing global cognitive tests as well as a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to define PD-MCI (n = 467).

Inference for epidemic models with time-varying infection rates: Tracking the dynamics of oak processionary moth in the UK.

Invasive pests pose a great threat to forest, woodland, and urban tree ecosystems. The oak processionary moth (OPM) is a destructive pest of oak trees, first reported in the UK in 2006. Despite great efforts to contain the outbreak within the original infested area of South-East England, OPM continues to spread.

A cohort study of the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of life of people newly diagnosed with dementia and their family carers.

Introduction: COVID-19 has impacted people with dementia and their family carers, yet little is known about effects on overall quality of life.

Methods: In a UK cohort study, pre- and post-pandemic data were collected from 114 carers and 93 recently diagnosed people with dementia. Latent growth curve modeling examined change in quality of life.

Prevalence, incidence, and survival of pulmonary arterial hypertension: A systematic review for the global burden of disease 2020 study.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by increased resistance in the pulmonary arterioles as a result of remodeled blood vessels. We sought all available epidemiologic data on population-based prevalence, incidence, and 1-year survival of PAH as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study. We performed a systematic review searching Global Index Medicus (GIM) for keywords related to PAH between 1980 and 2021 and identified population-representative sources of prevalence, incidence, and mortality for clinically diagnosed PAH.

Development of rapid and selective epoxidation of α-pinene using single-step addition of HO in an organic solvent-free process.

This study reports substantial improvement in the process for oxidising α-pinene, using environmentally friendly HO at high atom economy (∼93%) and selectivity to α-pinene oxide (100%). The epoxidation of α-pinene with HO was catalysed by tungsten-based polyoxometalates without any solvent. The variables in the screening parameters were temperatures (30-70 °C), oxidant amount (100-200 mol%), acid concentrations (0.

Removal of toluene as a toxic VOC from methane gas using a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge reactor.

Methane is the main component of biogas, which could be used as a renewable energy source for electricity, source of heat, and biofuel production after upgrading from biogas. It also contains toxic compounds which cause environmental and human health problems. Therefore, in this work, the removal of a toxic compound (toluene) from methane gas was studied using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor.

History, versatility and future prospects of oscillatory carbonylation reactions of alkynes.

The paper looks back at three decades of oscillatory carbonylation reactions, summarises core findings and shares perspectives, with particular emphasis on applications. Oscillatory carbonylation reactions of alkynes display remarkable versatility in terms of substrates, catalysts and solvents. Furthermore, in addition to oscillations in pH and redox potential, these organic chemical oscillators can yield oscillations in turbidity and release heat from the reaction in a pulsatile manner.

Mating status affects female choice when females are signalers.

Sexual selection in animals has been mostly studied in species in which males are signalers and females are choosers. However, in many species, females are (also) signalers. In species with non-signaling females, virgin females are hypothesized to be less choosy than mated females, as virgins must mate to realize fitness and the number of available males is generally limited.

Plasma-assisted removal of methanol in N, dry and humidified air using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor.

In this work, a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was used to remove methanol from ambient air. The effects of carrier gases (N, dry and humidified air), power (2-10 W), inlet concentration (260-350 ppm), and residence time (1.2-3.

An integrated platform approach enables discovery of potent, selective and ligand-competitive cyclic peptides targeting the GIP receptor.

In any drug discovery effort, the identification of hits for further optimisation is of crucial importance. For peptide therapeutics, display technologies such as mRNA display have emerged as powerful methodologies to identify these desired hit ligands against targets of interest. The diverse peptide libraries are genetically encoded in these technologies, allowing for next-generation sequencing to be used to efficiently identify the binding ligands.

How does the introduction of a new year three GP curriculum affect future commitment to teach? An evaluation using a realist approach.

In western countries, there is a trend towards increasing amounts of undergraduate medical education being delivered in General Practice (GP). However, many medical schools report difficulties with the recruitment and retainment of GP clinical teachers. Newcastle University recently introduced a new year three GP curriculum, involving an increased quantity of community-based teaching and changes to the responsibilities of GP clinical teachers.

Updating estimates of the number of UK stroke patients eligible for endovascular thrombectomy: incorporating recent evidence to facilitate service planning.

Introduction: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a highly effective treatment for acute ischaemic stroke due to large arterial occlusion (LAO). To support decisions about service provision, we previously estimated the annual UK population eligible for EVT as ∼10% of stroke admissions. Since then, several trials have produced evidence that could alter these figures.

SizeExtractR: A workflow for rapid reproducible extraction of object size metrics from scaled images.

Size is a biological characteristic that drives ecological processes from microscopic to geographic spatial scales, influencing cellular energetics, species fitness, population dynamics, and ecological interactions. Methods to measure size from images (e.g.

Risk of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: With no treatment for dementia, there is a need to identify high risk cases to focus preventive strategies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the burden of dementia is greatest. We evaluated the risk of conversion from mild cognitive ompairment (MCI) to dementia in LMICs.

Methods: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched from inception until June 30, 2020.

Ageing contributes to phenotype transition in a mouse model of periodic paralysis.

Background: Periodic paralysis (PP) is a rare genetic disorder in which ion channel mutation causes episodic paralysis in association with hyper- or hypokalaemia. An unexplained but consistent feature of PP is that a phenotype transition occurs around the age of 40, in which the severity of potassium-induced muscle weakness declines but onset of fixed, progressive weakness is reported. This phenotype transition coincides with the age at which muscle mass and optimal motor function start to decline in healthy individuals.

Biallelic Loss-of-Function Variants Cause a Wide Phenotypic Spectrum from Leigh/Leigh-Like Syndrome to Isolated Optic Atrophy.

Background: Biallelic loss-of-function variants have hitherto been linked to mitochondrial complex I deficiency presenting with heterogeneous clinical and radiological features in nine cases only.

Objectives: To fully characterize, both phenotypically and genotypically, -related mitochondrial disease.

Methods: We collected data from cases identified by screening genetic databases of several laboratories worldwide and systematically reviewed the literature.

How do Snow Partridge () and Tibetan Snowcock () coexist in sympatry under high-elevation conditions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau?

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has the highest elevations of all biodiversity hotspots. Difficulties involved in fieldwork at high elevations cause challenges in researching mechanisms facilitating species coexistence. Herein, we investigated Snow Partridge () and Tibetan Snowcock (), the only two endemic Galliformes on the QTP, to understand species coexistence patterns and determine how they live in sympatry for the first time.

From development to cancer - an ever-increasing role of AGR2.

Anterior gradient 2, AGR2, is a small, 20 kDa protein that plays a vital role in oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. AGR2 is involved in several signal transduction pathways that are essential for cell survival. It was initially discovered in the African clawed frog, , where it plays an important function in embryonic development.

Cyclizations and fragmentations in the alkylation of 6-chloro-5-hydroxy-4-aminopyrimidines with aminoalkyl chlorides.

Substituted aminopyrimidines are an important class of compounds, in part because they frequently show biological activity. Facile synthesis of polysubstituted aminopyrimidines is highly desirable for the synthesis of screening libraries. We describe a route to 4,6-diamino-5-alkoxypyrimidines via a SAr-alkylation-SAr sequence from readily available 4,6-dichloro-5-methoxypyrimidine, which allows the synthesis of such compounds with regiochemical control.

Temporal dynamics of cortical activity and postural control in response to the first levodopa dose of the day in people with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Our understanding of how balance control responds to levodopa over the course of a single day in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is limited with the majority of studies focused on isolated comparisons of ON vs. OFF levodopa medication.

Objective: To evaluate the temporal dynamics of postural control following the first levodopa dose of the day during a challenging standing task in a group of people with PD.

Development of a physiological model of human middle ear epithelium.

Introduction: Otitis media is an umbrella term for middle ear inflammation; ranging from acute infection to chronic mucosal disease. It is a leading cause of antimicrobial therapy prescriptions and surgery in children. Despite this, treatments have changed little in over 50 years.