Spatially explicit estimation of recent migration rates in plants using genotypic data.

We present a new hierarchical Bayesian method using multilocus genotypes to estimate recent seed and pollen migration rates in a spatially explicit framework that incorporates distance effects separately for each type of dispersal. The method additionally estimates population allelic frequencies, population divergence values, individual inbreeding coefficients, individual maternal and paternal ancestries, and allelic dropout rates. We conduct a numerical simulation analysis that indicates that the method can provide reliable estimates of seed and pollen migration rates and allow accurate inference of spatial effects on migration, at affordable sample sizes (25-50 individuals/population) when population genetic divergence is not low (FST≥0.

Diagnostic Value of Measurements of Median Nerve Diameter at the Site of the Maximal Stenosis in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Introduction: Ultrasonography is increasingly used to diagnose the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Most frequently, the enlargement of the nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) at the tunnel inlet serves to confirm the diagnosis. Recent research has shown that the nerve diameter is decreased within the tunnel, when measured at the level of pisiforme or capitatum.

CompSafeNano project: NanoInformatics approaches for safe-by-design nanomaterials.

The CompSafeNano project, a Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) project funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 program, aims to advance the safety and innovation potential of nanomaterials (NMs) by integrating cutting-edge nanoinformatics, computational modelling, and predictive toxicology to enable design of safer NMs at the earliest stage of materials development. The project leverages Safe-by-Design (SbD) principles to ensure the development of inherently safer NMs, enhancing both regulatory compliance and international collaboration. By building on established nanoinformatics frameworks, such as those developed in the H2020-funded projects NanoSolveIT and NanoCommons, CompSafeNano addresses critical challenges in nanosafety through development and integration of innovative methodologies, including advanced models, approaches including machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven predictive models and 1st-principles computational modelling of NMs properties, interactions and effects on living systems.

Geochemical signatures and nanomechanical properties of echinoid tests from nearshore habitats of Florida: environmental and physiological controls on echinoid biomineralization.

The mechanisms that regulate minor and trace element biomineralization in the echinoid skeleton can be primarily controlled biologically (, by the organism and its vital effects) or by extrinsic environmental factors. Assessing the relative role of those controls is essential for understanding echinoid biomineralization, taphonomy, diagenesis, and their potential as geochemical archives. In this study, we (1) contrast geochemical signatures of specimens collected across multiple taxa and environmental settings to assess the effects of environmental and physiological factors on skeletal biomineralogy; and (2) analyze the nanomechanical properties of the echinoid skeleton to assess potential linkages between magnesium/calcium (Mg/Ca) ratios and skeletal nanohardness.

Viscoelasticity of a single poly-protein probed step-by-step during its mechanical unfolding and refolding under the force-clamp conditions.

One of still outstanding issues in protein folding is to be able to directly observe structural changes occurring along the folding pathway. Herein, we report on changes of the viscoelastic properties for a single protein molecule measured along its mechanically-induced unfolding and refolding trajectories. We use a model system, the I27 poly-protein, and investigate its conformational changes force-clamp AFM (FC-AFM) spectroscopy.

Evidence-based exercise recommendations to improve functional mobility in older adults - A study protocol for living systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: This is a protocol for a living systematic review and meta-analysis.This review will assess the effects of state-of-the-art exercise interventions designed to promote functional mobility. Therefore, after identifying all potential interventions, we will use the F.

A descriptive analysis of nurses' self-reported mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international study.

Aim: To describe the self-reported mental health of nurses from 35 countries who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: There is little occupationally specific data about nurses' mental health worldwide. Studies have documented the impact on nurses' mental health of the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have baseline referents.

Survival Analysis of Liver Transplants in Patients with Acute Liver Failure from Acetaminophen and Mushroom Toxicity.

BACKGROUND Acute liver failure (ALF) remains a critical concern, accounting for about 8% of all liver transplants, with acetaminophen overdose contributing to nearly half of these cases. Besides synthetic toxins, natural toxins such as phallotoxin from Amanita phalloides mushrooms also lead to severe hepatocyte damage. This study investigates the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) as a life-saving intervention in patients suffering from ALF due to acetaminophen and Amanita phalloides poisoning.

Experimental paradigm to test the effects of providing social support: study protocol of the PROSPECT trial (Study 2).

Background: A growing body of research suggests that the provision of social support can have benefits not only for the recipients but also for the provider. Although initial evidence for affective, self-evaluative and physiological outcomes has been established, the beneficial effects of support provision do not occur consistently across all support interactions, and some interactions may even have detrimental effects on providers. The aim of our experimental paradigm is to enable researchers to test the conditions under which the provision of social support to dyadic partners affects affective, self-evaluative, physiological, and relationship outcomes for the provider.

A comparative analysis of methods of preinduction cervical ripening and induction of labor in Poland and in Germany (Part II): maternal and neonatal outcomes.

The benefits and risks of delivery should always be considered before initiating preinduction cervical ripening and labor induction. Understanding the benefits and potential complications is crucial for healthcare professionals to make informed decisions and provide optimal care. The research was conducted retrospectively between January 2019 and July 2022.

Brain Midline Approximation to Improve Symmetry Analysis of Brain CT Scans.

Analysis of the symmetry of the brain hemispheres at the level of individual structures and dominant tissue features has been the subject of research for many years in the context of improving the effectiveness of imaging methods for the diagnosis of brain tumor, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease, among others. One useful approach is to reliably determine the midline of the brain, which allows comparative analysis of the hemispheres and uncovers information on symmetry/asymmetry in the relevant planes of, for example, CT scans. Therefore, an effective method that is robust to various geometric deformations, artifacts, varying noise characteristics, and natural anatomical variability is sought.

Early childhood growth and nutritional status in India: trends in five National Family Health Surveys spanning 1992 and 2021.

Background/objective: To evaluate the weight and height status of under-five children between 1992 and 2021 in relation to nutritional context.

Subjects/methods: The study is based on the lengths/heights and weights of children <5 years in five national surveys (n = 505,026). After evaluating normality of the distributions, heights, and weights were expressed as z-scores relative to the WHO reference.

Influence of local (air temperature) and wide-scale (North Atlantic Oscillation) climate indices on the first arrival dates of the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) at breeding site in SE Poland.

In this study, a relationship between climate indices (local - air temperatures, and wide-scale - North Atlantic Oscillation) and first arrival dates (FAD) of a short-distant migratory bird, the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) at a breeding site in SE Poland (Lublin) was investigated. Temporal patterns of FAD on a multi-year scale (20 years within 39 years between 1982 and 2020) were also studied. Additionally, correlations between mean air temperature at Lublin and sites along the spring migration route with various distances from the breeding site and various time lags were searched for.

The ISC machinery assembles [2Fe-2S] clusters by formation and fusion of [1Fe-1S] precursors.

Iron-sulfur clusters are essential metallocofactors synthesized by multiprotein machineries via an unclear multistep process. Here we report a step-by-step dissection of the [2Fe-2S] cluster assembly process by the Escherichia coli iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly machinery using an in vitro reconstituted system and a combination of biochemical and spectroscopic techniques. We show that this process is initiated by iron binding to the scaffold protein IscU, which triggers persulfide insertion by the cysteine desulfurase IscS upon the formation of a complex with IscU.

Exogenous LEA proteins expression enhances cold tolerance in mammalian cells by reducing oxidative stress.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms that confer cold resistance in mammalian cells might be relevant for advancing medical applications. This study aimed to exploit the protective function of Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins, known to provide resistance to low temperatures in extremophiles and plants, by their exogenous expression in mammalian cells, and compare their effects with the well characterized antioxidant, vitamin E.Remarkably, the expression of LEA proteins in mammalian cells exerted cold-protective effect similar to Vitamin E.

Modelling of P-wave velocity changes in coal seams with increased depth: a case study.

Seismic profiling in a coal seam enables the determination of anomalous changes in the P-wave velocity compared to reference velocity at a specific mining depth, indicating potential stress changes. This information can improve the coal exploitation processes in advance at greater depths, especially in seismic hazard areas. This study aims to update the empirical mathematical formula for calculating reference P-wave velocities in coal seams by including new data measured at greater depths.

Impact of pollution on microbiological dynamics in the pistil stigmas of Orobanche lutea flowers (Orobanchaceae).

Our understanding of the basic relationships of microbiota associated with flowers is still quite limited, especially regarding parasitic plant species. The transient nature of flower parts such as pistil stigmas provides a unique opportunity for temporal investigations. This is the first report of the analysis of bacterial and fungal communities associated with the pistil stigmas of the lucerne parasite, Orobanche lutea.

Breaking ICD Codes: Identifying Ambiguous Respiratory Infection Codes via Regional Diagnosis Heterogeneity.

Purpose: We aimed to analyze regional variations in the assignment of (ICD-10) codes to acute respiratory infections, seeking to identify notable anomalies that suggest diverse diagnoses of the same condition.

Methods: We analyzed national weekly diagnosis data for acute respiratory infections (ICD-10 codes J00-J22) in Poland from 2010 to 2019, covering all 380 county-equivalent administrative regions and encompassing 292 million consultations. Data were aggregated into age brackets.

Involvement of aSPOC in the online updating of reach-to-grasp to mechanical perturbations of hand transport.

Humans adjust their movement to changing environments effortlessly via multisensory integration of the effector's state, motor commands, and sensory feedback. It is postulated that frontoparietal (FP) networks are involved in the control of prehension, with dorsomedial (DM) and dorsolateral (DL) regions processing the reach and the grasp, respectively. This study tested (5F, 5M participants) the differential involvement of FP nodes (ventral premotor cortex - PMv, dorsal premotor cortex - PMd, anterior intraparietal sulcus - aIPS, and anterior superior parietal-occipital cortex - aSPOC) in online adjustments of reach-to-grasp coordination to mechanical perturbations that disrupted arm transport.

Diurnal dynamics of the Zbtb14 protein in the ventral hippocampus are disrupted in epileptic mice.

Our previous in silico data indicated an overrepresentation of the ZF5 motif in the promoters of genes in which circadian oscillations are altered in the ventral hippocampus in the pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy in mice. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the Zbtb14 protein oscillates in the hippocampus in a diurnal manner and that this oscillation is disrupted by epilepsy. We found that Zbtb14 immunostaining is present in the cytoplasm and cell nuclei.

Differences in treatment outcome between translational platforms in developing therapies for gastrointestinal cancers.

The variability in translational models profoundly impacts the outcomes and predictive value of preclinical studies for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatments. Preclinical models, including 2D cell cultures, 3D organoids, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and animal models, provide distinct advantages and limitations in replicating the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of human cancers. Each model's unique biological and structural differences contribute to discrepancies in treatment responses, challenging the direct translation of experimental results to clinical settings.

Additively Manufactured Subperiosteal Implants for the Rehabilitations of Lateral Incisors Agenesis - a case series.

Background: Tooth agenesis, particularly the absence of upper lateral incisors, presents substantial challenges for clinicians due to the associated bone atrophy, which limits the use of traditional implant solutions. Current options, such as endosseous implants combined with guided bone regeneration (GBR), often fail due to insufficient osseointegration in atrophic bone. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of custom-made, additively manufactured subperiosteal implants in addressing these challenges METHODS: This retrospective study assessed 16 custom-made subperiosteal implants used in 12 patients (10 females, 2 males; mean age 25 ± 2.