Evolutionary Dynamics of RuBisCO: Emergence of the Small Subunit and its Impact Through Time.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is an ancient protein critical for CO2-fixation and global biogeochemistry. Form-I RuBisCO complexes uniquely harbor small subunits that form a hexadecameric complex together with their large subunits. The small subunit protein is thought to have significantly contributed to RuBisCO's response to the atmospheric rise of O2 ∼2.

A Post-Mortem Molecular Damage Profile in the Ancient Human Mitochondrial DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is crucial for understanding human population structure and genetic diversity. However, post-mortem DNA damage poses challenges, that make analysis difficult. DNA preservation is affected by environmental conditions which, among other factors, complicates the differentiation of endogenous variants from artefacts in ancient mtDNA mix profiles.

When group grievances become personal: The neural correlates of group and personal rejection.

Witnessing rejection against one's group can have similar impacts on psychological distress and aggression as experiencing rejection personally. In this study, we investigated the neural activity patterns of group rejection and whether they resemble those of personal-level rejection. We first identified the neural correlates of social rejection (exclusion based on negative attention) compared with ostracism (exclusion based on lack of social connection) and then compared group-level to personal-level rejection.

MicroRNA-199a-5p may be a diagnostic biomarker of primary ITP.

There is no diagnostic test for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Certain microRNAs have shown to have diagnostic potential in ITP. We validated 12 microRNAs identified from two previous studies to find a diagnostic biomarker.

Data Analysis Methods in Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy: A Tutorial Review.

Fluorescence spectroscopy and related techniques benefit from exceptional sensitivity and have become engrained in a variety of fields from biosciences to materials sciences. Measuring time-domain fluorescence decays is nowadays a routine task in many laboratories across these different fields. Perhaps surprisingly, a correct data analysis of these fluorescence decay curves presents a formidable challenge and requires extensive insight in the problems associated with fitting this type of data.

Progression of serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate in neonatal critical care patients during the first seven days of life.

Background: Serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are key indicators of kidney function.

Methods: This descriptive, retrospective study included neonatal patients admitted to a tertiary hospital's neonatal intensive care unit from January 2013 to December 2016. Data on kidney function were collected from birth to 7 days of life.

Prevalence of functional defecation disorders in European children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Functional defecation disorders (FDDs) are common among children worldwide. The prevalence of these disorders has not been clearly described in Europe. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of FDD in European children and assessed geographical, age, and sex distribution and associated factors.

Lifetime Treatment Trajectories of Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Simulation Based Analysis of 20 Years of Real-World Data.

Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of B-cell lymphoma, which is considered incurable yet treatable. In recent years, the treatment options of mantle cell lymphoma have multiplied, and the focus of treatment is expected to shift from traditional chemoimmunotherapy toward precision medicine. However, this development is hindered by the high costs of targeted therapies.

AI as an intervention: improving clinical outcomes relies on a causal approach to AI development and validation.

The primary practice of healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) starts with model development, often using state-of-the-art AI, retrospectively evaluated using metrics lifted from the AI literature like AUROC and DICE score. However, good performance on these metrics may not translate to improved clinical outcomes. Instead, we argue for a better development pipeline constructed by working backward from the end goal of positively impacting clinically relevant outcomes using AI, leading to considerations of causality in model development and validation, and subsequently a better development pipeline.

Comparative analysis of iridian anterior segment OCT and microbiological features in Fuchs Uveitis Syndrome and Posner-Schlossman Syndrome.

Purpose: To compare iridian Swept-Source Anterior Segment OCT (SS-AS-OCT) and microbiological features in Aqueous Humor (AH) in patients with Fuchs Uveitis Syndrome (FUS) and Posner-Schlossman Syndrome (PSS).

Methods: Comparative, retrospective-prospective single center study examining 131 eyes from 66 patients, including 33 eyes with PSS, 37 eyes with FUS, and 61 healthy eyes. AH samples were collected from affected eyes in all patients.

An emerging fungal disease is spreading across the globe and affecting the blueberry industry.

Powdery mildew is an economically important disease caused by c. 1000 different fungal species. Erysiphe vaccinii is an emerging powdery mildew species that is impacting the blueberry industry.

Extended clinical phenotypes and treatment modalities in 32 JAGN1-deficient patients. A multicenter study by EBMT IEWP.

JAGN1 (Jagunal-homolog1) is a ER-resident transmembrane protein which is part of the early secretory pathway and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor mediated signaling. Autosomal recessively inherited variants in the JAGN1 gene lead to congenital neutropenia, early-onset bacterial infections, aphthosis and skin abscesses due to aberrant differentiation and maturation of neutrophils. In addition, bone metabolism disorders and a syndromic phenotype, including facial features, short stature and neurodevelopmental delay, have been reported in affected patients.

AIS patients have improved total SRS-22r self-image and satisfaction scores relative to pre-op at 10-year follow-up regardless of Lenke type.

Purpose: Few studies have investigated quality-of-life (QoL)-related outcome measures in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients over long-term follow-up. We investigated whether patients with any given Lenke type improved relative to other types and whether selective fusions resulted in better QoL-related outcome measures.

Methods: We utilized the Harms Study Group database to select patients with AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire-22 revised (SRS-22r) scores at minimum 10-year follow-up.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with a more severe interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis in the EUSTAR cohort.

Objectives: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and could predict progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD). We aimed to analyse (1) the prevalence of GERD among SSc-ILD patients, (2) its association with disease characteristics and (3) predictive factors for ILD progression in SSc-ILD patients with GERD.

Methods: SSc patients from the EUSTAR database with ILD were included.

Integrating microfluidic and bioprinting technologies: advanced strategies for tissue vascularization.

Tissue engineering offers immense potential for addressing the unmet needs in repairing tissue damage and organ failure. Vascularization, the development of intricate blood vessel networks, is crucial for the survival and functions of engineered tissues. Nevertheless, the persistent challenge of ensuring an ample nutrient supply within implanted tissues remains, primarily due to the inadequate formation of blood vessels.

Water-soluble platinum and palladium porphyrins with peripheral ethyl phosphonic acid substituents: synthesis, aggregation in solution, and photocatalytic properties.

Water-soluble porphyrins have garnered significant attention due to their broad range of applications in biomedicine, catalysis, and material chemistry. In this work, water-soluble platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes with porphyrins bearing ethyl phosphonate substituents, namely, Pt/Pd 10-(ethoxyhydroxyphosphoryl)-5,15-di(-carboxyphenyl)porphyrins (M3m, M = Pt(II), Pd(II)) and Pt/Pd 5,10-bis(ethoxyhydroxyphosphoryl)-10,20-diarylporphyrins (M1d-M3d; aryl = -tolyl (1), mesityl (2), -carboxyphenyl (3)), were synthesized by alkaline hydrolysis of the corresponding diethyl phosphonates M6m and M4d-M6d. NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the mono-phosphonates M3m tend to form aggregates in aqueous media, while the bis-phosphonates M3d exist predominantly as monomeric species across a wide range of concentrations (10-10 M), ionic strengths (0-0.

Clinical features, mutation spectrum and factors related to reaching molecular diagnosis in a cohort of patients with distal myopathies.

Background: Distal myopathies (MPDs) are heterogeneous diseases of complex diagnosis whose prevalence and distribution in specific populations are unknown.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, genetic, neurophysiological, histopathological and muscle imaging characteristics of a MPDs cohort from a neuromuscular reference center were analyzed to study their epidemiology, features, genetic distribution and factors related to diagnosis.

Results: The series included 219 patients (61% were men, 94% Spanish and 41% sporadic cases).

Atomic-level mechanisms of abnormal activation in NRAS oncogenes from two-dimensional free energy landscapes.

The NRAS-mutant subset of melanoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal types associated with poor overall survival. Unfortunately, a low understanding of the NRAS-mutant dynamic behavior has led to the lack of clinically approved therapeutic agents able to directly target NRAS oncogenes. In this work, accurate local structures of NRAS and its mutants have been fully explored through the corresponding free energy surfaces obtained by microsecond scale well-tempered metadynamics simulations.

Comparative outcomes of Palmer, Umbilical Veress needle, and open entry techniques in robotic-assisted surgery: a propensity-matched analysis of 9482 patients.

Robotic-assisted surgery offers several advantages over traditional methods, such as reduced blood loss and fewer complications. Establishing pneumoperitoneum is a critical step, with two primary techniques: the Veress needle (closed) and the Hasson (open) technique. Despite extensive studies in laparoscopic surgery, limited data exist regarding their use in robotic surgery.

Advancing Patient Advocacy in Mycology: Cultivating Collaboration in Education, Research, and Policy.

In the healthcare landscape, diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS have benefited from the patient's perspective. For fungal diseases, the patient voice remains absent in critical areas such as policy formulation, funding decisions, and research priorities. Patients affected by fungal disease, along with their caregivers and advocacy groups, possess invaluable insights into the challenges and unmet needs they face.