Environmental impacts of restructuring the EU's natural gas supply and consumption: Learnings from the 2022 energy crisis.

In 2022, the European Union put forward the REPowerEU plan in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, aiming at enhancing short-term energy security by diversifying imports and reducing natural gas demand while accelerating the deployment of renewable alternatives in the long term. Here, we quantify the life cycle environmental impacts of both REPowerEU's short-term measures, including the controversial extended coal-fired power plant operations, and how the first year of the crisis was managed in practice. We find that the policy measures' impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would be negligible, although they could have detrimental effects on other environmental categories.

Insect farming: A bioeconomy-based opportunity to revalorize plastic wastes.

Managing plastic waste is one of the greatest challenges humanity faces in the coming years. Current strategies-landfilling, incineration, and recycling-remain insufficient or pose significant environmental concerns, failing to address the growing volume of plastic residues discharged into the environment. Recently, increasing attention has focused on the potential of certain insect larvae species to chew, consume, and partially biodegrade synthetic polymers such as polystyrene and polyethylene, offering novel biotechnological opportunities for plastic waste management.

Massive endocytosis mechanisms are involved in uptake of HIV-1 particles by monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Introduction: HIV-1 exploits dendritic cells (DCs) to spread throughout the body via specific recognition of gangliosides present on the viral envelope by the CD169/Siglec-1 membrane receptor. This interaction triggers the internalization of HIV-1 within a structure known as the sac-like compartment. While the mechanism underlying sac-like compartment formation remains elusive, prior research indicates that the process is clathrin-independent and cell membrane cholesterol-dependent and involves transient disruption of cortical actin.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals a serotype-specific immune response in Nile tilapia () infected with .

is a major causative agent of streptococcosis in Nile tilapia () and understanding its etiology is important to ensure the sustainable development of global tilapia farming. Our research group recently observed contrasting disease patterns in animals infected with two different serotypes (Ib and III). To better understand the basis for these divergent responses, we analyzed the brain transcriptome of Nile tilapia following bacterial exposure.

Desensitization With Imlifidase for HLA-Incompatible Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Delphi International Expert Consensus.

Highly sensitized (HS) patients in need of kidney transplantation (KTx) typically spend a longer time waiting for compatible kidneys, are unlikely to receive an organ offer, and are at increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Desensitization using imlifidase, which is more rapid and removes total body immunoglobulin G (IgG) to a greater extent than other methods, enables transplantation to occur between HLA-incompatible (HLAi) donor-recipient pairs and allows patients to have greater access to KTx. However, when the project was launched there was limited data and clinical experience with desensitization in general and with imlifidase specifically.

Indications for an antidepressive effect of thymosin alpha-1 in a small open-label proof of concept study in common variable immune deficiency patients with depression.

Background: A considerable proportion (21%) of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) suffers from depression. These subjects are characterized by reduced naïve T cells and a premature T cell senescence similar to that of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). It is known that T cells are essential for limbic system development/function.

Associations between degree of food processing and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a multicentre prospective cohort analysis in 9 European countries.

Background: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked with higher risk of mortality. This multi-centre study investigated associations between food intake by degree of processing, using the Nova classification, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Harm reduction associated with heated tobacco products: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised studies in humans comparing the outcomes of switching to heated tobacco products (HTPs) versus continuing conventional tobacco smoking by burning.

Methods: We searched the electronic databases which included PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Google Scholar from inception to May 2023. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in humans comparing HTPs with conventional burnt tobacco products were selected.

Measuring mechanical stress in living tissues.

Living tissues are active multifunctional materials capable of generating, sensing, withstanding and responding to mechanical stress. These capabilities enable tissues to adopt complex shapes during development, to sustain those shapes during homeostasis, and to restore them during healing and regeneration. Abnormal stress is associated with a broad range of pathologies, including developmental defects, inflammatory diseases, tumor growth and metastasis.

Prognostic impact of inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is usually associated with a poor prognosis. Surgery is the main curative treatment but pancreatic operations are aggressive and new tools that help clinicians to predict surgical and prognostic outcomes are necessary. Lu recently published a retrospective, single centre cohort study evaluating the impact of seven nutritional and inflammatory markers in pancreatic cancer surgical patients: The albumin-to-globulin ratio, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), nutritional risk index, and the geriatric nutritional risk index.

Demographic, anthropometric and intrasubject variations affect platelet-rich plasma formulation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the inter- and intra-individual differences in the platelet concentration between blood and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparation, assess intersubject differences considering demographic and anthropometric variables, describe PRP code distribution and analyse intrasubject variability.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a single-centre patient database from November 2021 to November 2023. It included patients with musculoskeletal pathologies treated with PRP injections.

Disentangling protein metabolic costs in human cells and tissues.

While more data are becoming available on gene activity at different levels of biological organization, our understanding of the underlying biology remains incomplete. Here, we introduce a metabolic efficiency framework that considers highly expressed proteins (HEPs), their length, and biosynthetic costs in terms of the amino acids (AAs) they contain to address the observed balance of expression costs in cells, tissues, and cancer transformation. Notably, the combined set of HEPs in either cells or tissues shows an abundance of large and costly proteins, yet tissues compensate this with short HEPs comprised of economical AAs, indicating a stronger tendency toward mitigating costs.

Primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures.

In the recent years, primordial black holes (PBHs) have emerged as one of the most interesting and hotly debated topics in cosmology. Among other possibilities, PBHs could explain both some of the signals from binary black hole mergers observed in gravitational-wave detectors and an important component of the dark matter in the Universe. Significant progress has been achieved both on the theory side and from the point of view of observations, including new models and more accurate calculations of PBH formation, evolution, clustering, merger rates, as well as new astrophysical and cosmological probes.

Edible flowers' flavor, safety and their utilization as functional ingredients: a review.

Edible flowers have been a part of various traditional dishes around the world. The consumption of edible flowers has been rising due to their nutritional properties, minerals, antioxidants, phenolic and bioactive compounds, therapeutic properties, and also aesthetic appeal. Along with the nutrients, some antinutrients and other chemical, biological, microbial hazards may render flowers non-edible.

Massive subcutaneous filariosis by in beech marten () in Italy.

The beech marten () is a small-size mustelid endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Despite the plethora of parasites potentially affecting its population decline, subcutaneous filarioids are occasionally reported in martens and their competent arthropod vectors are to date unknown. Therefore, from January 2023 to August 2024, this study investigated the presence of subcutaneous filarioids and ectoparasites of road-killed beech martens ( = 7) from southwestern Italy.

Landscapes-a lens for assessing sustainability.

Context: There are urgent calls to transition society to more sustainable trajectories, at scales ranging from local to global. Landscape sustainability (LS), or the capacity for landscapes to provide equitable access to ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing for both current and future generations, provides an operational approach to monitor these transitions. However, the complexity of landscapes complicates how and what to consider when assessing LS.

 (Labiatae), a new high-mountain Mediterranean species from the marble outcrops of the Sierra de Guadarrama (Central System, Madrid, Segovia, Spain).

A new species of () is described from the calcareous, high-mountain Spanish flora in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. It is found in a Mediterranean climate at high-elevation, perennial, calcareous grasslands, as well as in marble screes of anthropogenic origin in the Sierra de Guadarrama, Central System (Spain), in a reserve area within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, at 1996 m asl. Taxonomic morphological measurements were performed on collected specimens from Sierra de Guadarrama as well as on geographically-adjacent (i.

Pain Perception Threshold in Young High-Altitude Natives After Acute Exposure to Severe Hypoxic Conditions.

Previous studies indicate that individuals at high altitudes have a lower pain threshold than those living at sea level. This study evaluates the differences in pain perception among young people living at an altitude of 3800 m and after acute exposure to a severe hypoxic environment at more than 5100 m. Fourteen people (BMI of 22.

Dynamics of HDL-Cholesterol Following a Post-Myocardial Infarction Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Background: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) are recommended for patients following acute coronary syndrome to potentially improve high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and prognosis. However, not all patients reach target HDL-C levels. Here we analyze the dynamics and predictors of HDL-C increase during CRP in patients following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or occlusion myocardial infarction.

Caspase-4 Has Potential Utility as a Colorectal Tissue Biomarker for Dysplasia and Early-Stage Cancer.

Background And Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most deadly cancer globally. The rapidly rising incidence rate of CRC, coupled with increased diagnoses in individuals <50 years, indicates that early detection of CRC, and those at an increased risk of CRC development, is paramount to improve the survival rates of these patients. Here, we profile caspase-4 expression across 2 distinct CRC development pathways, sporadic CRC (sCRC) and inflammatory bowel disease-associated CRC (IBD-CRC), to examine its utility as a novel biomarker for CRC risk and diagnosis.

Challenges and improvement strategies in the hospitalization of chronic multimorbid patients.

Background: Addressing the growing challenge of hospitalizing chronic multimorbid patients, this study examines the strain these conditions impose on healthcare systems at a local level, focusing on a pilot program. Chronic diseases and complex patients require comprehensive management strategies to reduce healthcare burdens and improve patient outcomes. If proven effective, this pilot model has the potential to be replicated in other healthcare settings to enhance the management of chronic multimorbid patients.

A luminous and young galaxy at = 12.33 revealed by a JWST/MIRI detection of Hα and [O iii].

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a surprising population of bright galaxies in the very early Universe (≲500 Myr after the Big Bang) that is hard to explain with conventional galaxy-formation models and whose physical properties are not fully understood. Insight into their internal physics is best captured through nebular lines, but at these early epochs, the brightest of these spectral features are redshifted into the mid-infrared and remain elusive. Using the mid-infrared instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope, here we present a detection of Hα and doubly ionized oxygen ([O iii] 4959,5007 Å) from the bright, ultra-high-redshift galaxy candidate GHZ2/GLASS-z12.

Revisiting community-based traditional irrigation systems in India.

Several scholars, policy think tanks and advocacy groups have advocated for reviving community-based traditional irrigation systems. Traditional irrigation systems are conceptualised as sustainable and resilient alternatives to large irrigation infrastructures. But do traditional irrigation systems always represent just, sustainable, and resilient alternatives? Based on interviews, focus group discussion, ethnographic fieldwork, and archival research, the paper offers a nuanced socio-historical understanding of one such community-based irrigation system, aka the system of South Bihar, India.

Environmental implications of lettuce sourcing: Comparison of sourcing from vertical farms and conventional production.

Today's globalised agricultural sector poses significant environmental challenges that are expected to worsen with population growth, increased urbanisation, and with the effects of climate change. In this context, vertical farming systems have gained traction as potential solutions to create a more resilient and sustainable food system. This study aims to evaluate the environmental performance of mixed salad bags from a conventional supply chain and compare it with that of mixed salad supplied by a large-scale vertical farm.

Influence of the moisture and ash content in flue gases on the performance of adsorption processes using activated carbons to capture the CO for reuse in greenhouses.

This work studies the influence of flue gas composition, its moisture and ash content, on the efficiency of a CO adsorption/desorption process to capture the CO from flue gases along with its subsequent reuse in greenhouse CO enrichment (Patent ES2514090). The influence of the inlet flow rate, moisture, and ash content were analysed. The experimental conditions were based on those that are achievable under real operating conditions, namely an inlet flow rate from 1.