Practical application of PMA-qPCR assay for determination of viable cells of inter-species biofilm of .

Determining the number of viable cells by calculating colony-forming units is time-consuming. The evaluation of mixed biofilms consisting of different species is particularly problematic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to optimize a molecular method-propidium monoazide quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR)-for accurate and consistent differentiation between living and dead cells.

The relationship between serum thyroid hormone levels and symptoms severity in young children with autism.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. The aim of this study was to determine the postnatal levels of thyroid hor-mones and investigate their association with the severity of ASD symptoms. The study included 56 children (46 boys and 10 girls) with ASD aged 24-42 months.

Differential quantification of alternative splicing events on spliced pangenome graphs.

Pangenomes are becoming a powerful framework to perform many bioinformatics analyses taking into account the genetic variability of a population, thus reducing the bias introduced by a single reference genome. With the wider diffusion of pangenomes, integrating genetic variability with transcriptome diversity is becoming a natural extension that demands specific methods for its exploration. In this work, we extend the notion of spliced pangenomes to that of annotated spliced pangenomes; this allows us to introduce a formal definition of Alternative Splicing (AS) events on a graph structure.

Rapid detection of volatile organic compounds emitted from plants by multicapillary column-ion mobility spectrometry.

This study presents a novel rapid analytical method for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from blueberry leaves using the Tenax adsorbent followed by separation using a multicapillary column (MCC) and Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) detection. The emitted VOCs including caryophyllene, benzene acetonitrile, linalool, ocimene, and methyl salicylate initiated by different stress factors including mechanical damage (punching), herbivore attack (aphids) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) spraying were detected and quantified. Limits of Detection (LODs) for the VOCs were determined in the range of 8 to 33 ng.

Fixation patterns in pairs of facial expressions-preferences of self-critical individuals.

So far, studies have revealed some differences in how long self-critical individuals fixate on specific facial expressions and difficulties in recognising these expressions. However, the research has also indicated a need to distinguish between the different forms of self-criticism (inadequate or hated self), the key underlying factor in psychopathology. Therefore, the aim of the current research was to explore fixation patterns for all seven primary emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, contempt, anger, and surprise) and the neutral face expression in relation to level of self-criticism by presenting random facial stimuli in the right or left visual field.

Effects of two-stage preterm formulas on growth, nutritional biomarkers, and neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

Background: Formula-fed preterm infants require nutrient-enriched formulas with optimized protein levels to support growth and neurodevelopment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of a new liquid two-staged formula system designed to provide tailored nutrition during hospital stay and after discharge.

Methods: Male and female very-low-birth-weight preterm infants (birth weight ≤1,500 g; gestational age ≤32 weeks) were recruited from three neonatal units in Poland and Slovakia in a prospective, open-label, interventional study.

A Unique Case of Cystic Partially Differentiated Nephroblastoma Associated With Botryoid Intralobar Nephrogenic Rests.

Cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma (CPDN) is a rare pediatric renal tumor composed of multiple cystic spaces divided by septa containing immature nephrogenic elements. The presence of expansile solid areas in the septa of such a lesion indicates an alternative diagnosis of Wilms tumor (WT). We present a unique case of CPDN associated with grossly visible polypoid proliferations, which histologically correspond to botryoid growth of intralobar nephrogenic rests.

The Impact of Social Stress on Trustworthiness Judgments in Schizophrenia.

The present study examines the impact of induced social stress on facial trustworthiness judgments in individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ) and the associations between symptoms and trustworthiness ratings. Thirty-three individuals with SCZ and forty healthy controls (HC) were asked to rate the trustworthiness of 24 digitally morphed faces in two counterbalanced conditions. Mild social stress was induced by listening to loud noises from a busy street.

Impact of microbial diversity on inflammatory cytokines and respiratory pattern measured in whole-body plethysmography in guinea pig models.

Objective: This study investigates the breathing patterns and immune status of guinea pigs raised under specific pathogen-free (SPF) conditions compared to conventionally bred (CON).

Methods: Breathing pattern parameters were assessed using whole-body plethysmography (WBP) during quiet breathing and saline nebulisation. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analysed for white blood cell, neutrophil and eosinophil counts, and cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4).

Revision of the Palaearctic genus Skorikovia Ovtchinnikov, 2002 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae).

Ten Palaearctic species of Skorikovia Ovtchinnikov, 2002 are reviewed. The new species S. bactriana sp.

A new species of the vitismin cockroach genus Perspicuus Koubová, 2020 from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) of Hungary.

Mesozoic amber cockroaches are rare compared to sedimentary imprints and are only known from Myanmar, Lebanon, France, Russia and USA. Perspicuus csincsii sp. n.

Description of twelve new species of Platypalpus Macquart from Europe and the Middle East (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae).

Twelve new species of Platypalpus Macquart from Europe and the Middle East are described, classified in three out of the eleven West-Palaearctic species groups. The albiseta group is represented by only one species: P. flavisetoides sp.

Johann Gottlieb Georgi or Peter Simon Pallas: review regarding the authorship and description of Lacerta taurica (Squamata, Lacertidae).

From the beginning of the 19th century to the present, the authorship of the description of the Balkan wall lizard, Podarcis tauricus (Pallas, 1814) was considered undoubted. Recently, Schmidtler (2022) has been concluded that the description of this species should be attributed to J.G.

Two new species of Plutomurus Yosii (Collembola: Tomoceridae) from Georgia and Iran.

Plutomurus weinerae sp. nov. from Usholta Cave, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, Georgia, and P.

Two new species of Bryaxis Kugelann, 1794 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae) from Montenegro.

Two new species of the genus Bryaxis Kugelann, 1794, Bryaxis duboki sp. nov. and Bryaxis biogradensis sp.

TransCatheter aortic valve implantation and fractional flow reserve-guided percutaneous coronary intervention versus conventional surgical aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass grafting for treatment of patients with aortic valve stenosis and complex or multivessel coronary disease (TCW): an international, multicentre, prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Patients with severe aortic stenosis present frequently (∼50%) with concomitant obstructive coronary artery disease. Current guidelines recommend combined surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the preferred treatment. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represent a valid treatment alternative.

Co(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) thio-bis(benzimidazole) complexes induce apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway.

The copper(II), cobalt(II), and zinc(II) complexes with 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethylsulfanylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole (tbb) and 2-[2-[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethylsulfanyl]ethyl]-1H-benzimidazole (tebb), [Cu(tbb)Cl] (1), [Co(tbb)Cl] (2), [Zn(tbb)Cl] (3), [Cu(tebb)Cl(HO)]Cl (4), [Co(tebb)Cl]·nCHOH (5) and [Zn(tebb)Cl(HO)]Cl (6), have been prepared and evaluated for antiproliferative activity. The structure of (4) was proved by X-ray diffraction crystallography. The coordination compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activities in cancer cell lines in vitro.