Artificial cell-free system for the sustainable production of acetoin from bioethanol.

The present work introduces and validates an artificial cell free system for the synthesis of acetoin from ethanol, representing a greener alternative to conventional chemical synthesis. The one pot multi-enzymatic system, which employs pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymobacter palmae (ZpPDC), alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScADH), and NADH oxidase from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpNOX), achieves nearly 100 % substrate conversion and reaction yield within 6 h under optimal conditions (pH 7.5, enzyme activities: ZpPDC 100 U·mL, ScADH 50 U·mL, SpNOX 127 U·mL, and 1 mM NAD).

Midline venous catheter: New insights for its use in hospitalized patients with diabetes.

In a prospective study we found that in hospitalized patients with diabetes the use of mid line venous catheter (MVC) resulted in a significantly lower rate of vascular complications than short cannulas. However, a special attention should be paid to catheter obstruction when MCV is used.

Increasing the sustainability of photoautotrophic microalgae production by minimising freshwater requirements.

There are now several companies that are producing microalgae such as Arthrospira platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and Dunaliella salina, among others. They are cultivated mainly in large-scale raceway and tubular photobioreactors. Microalgae production represents a sustainable alternative to conventional biomass production.

Outcomes after medical treatment for primary aldosteronism: an international consensus and analysis of treatment response in an international cohort.

Background: Primary aldosteronism can be treated medically but there is no standardised method to evaluate treatment outcomes. We aimed to develop criteria for assessing the outcomes of targeted medical treatment of primary aldosteronism, analyse outcomes across an international cohort, and identify factors associated with a complete treatment response.

Methods: An international panel of 31 primary aldosteronism experts used the Delphi method to reach consensus on the definition of complete, partial, or absent biochemical and clinical outcomes of medical treatment of primary aldosteronism.

Discovery of a DNA methylation profile in individuals with Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

A biophysical basis for the spreading behavior and limited diffusion of Xist.

Xist RNA initiates X inactivation as it spreads in cis across the chromosome. Here, we reveal a biophysical basis for its cis-limited diffusion. Xist RNA and HNRNPK together drive a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that encapsulates the chromosome.

First-in-human trial of atrial fibrillation ablation using real time tissue optical assessment to predict pulsed field lesion durability.

Background: Loss of bipolar electrograms immediately after pulsed field ablation (PFA) makes lesion durability assessment challenging.

Objective: The aim of this trial (NCT06700226) was to evaluate a novel ablation system that can optically predict lesion durability by detecting structural changes in the tissue during ablation.

Methods: Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using PFA (AblaView®, MedLumics).

Charting the epitranscriptomic landscape across RNA biotypes using native RNA nanopore sequencing.

RNA modifications are conserved chemical features found in all domains of life and across diverse RNA biotypes, shaping gene expression profiles and enabling rapid responses to environmental changes. Their broad chemical diversity and dynamic nature pose significant challenges for studying them comprehensively. These limitations can now be addressed through direct RNA nanopore sequencing (DRS), which allows simultaneous identification of diverse RNA modification types at single-molecule and single-nucleotide resolution.

Dynamic histone modification patterns coordinating DNA processes.

Significant effort has been spent attempting to unravel the causal relationship between histone post-translational modifications and fundamental DNA processes, including transcription, replication, and repair. However, less attention has been paid to understanding the reciprocal influence-that is, how DNA processes, in turn, shape the distribution and patterns of histone modifications and how these changes convey information, both temporally and spatially, from one process to another. Here, we review how histone modifications underpin the widespread bidirectional crosstalk between different DNA processes, which allow seemingly distinct phenomena to operate as a unified whole.

Recurrence rate and quality of life in women with borderline ovarian tumours, according to surgical approach.

Objectives: To assess the recurrence rate and quality of life (QOL) in women with a history of borderline ovarian tumours (BOTs) based on the type of surgery (conservative vs non-conservative) in Spain.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 85 women treated for BOTs between 2007 and 2023 at two hospitals. QOL questionnaires were administered face-to-face to eligible patients.

Microplastics levels in cultured or harvested mollusks non-depurated and commercially depurated at different times.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants found worldwide, not only in environmental matrices but also in the food web. The present study aimed to establish better removal rates of MPs in cultivated or harvested edible bivalves currently on the market. Samples of three species (mussels, oysters and wedge clams) were collected from a producer at three different depuration times.

Fallout Cs signals as chrono-markers in Chinese lake sediment cores.

This study comprehensively investigated the Cs signal in 294 sediment core samples from 132 lakes including reservoir and Gobi catchment in China. First, three Cs chrono-markers were observed: the 1963 peak corresponding to the maximum deposition of radioactive debris from global fallout, and two local sub-peaks corresponding to the time of the nuclear tests at Chinese Lop Nor site with a maximum in 1976, and to the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Second, the spatial distribution of sedimentation rates based on the 1963 Cs chrono-marker in Chinese lake sediment cores was studied.

Time and climate roles in driving soil carbon distribution and stability in particulate and mineral-associated organic matter pools.

Understanding the accumulation and stability of soil organic matter (SOM) pools as a function of time (i.e., soil age) and climate (i.

Unraveling the shifts in the belowground microbiota and metabolome of Pinus pinaster trees affected by forest decline.

Pinus pinaster Aiton (maritime pine) stands are suffering a generalized deterioration due to different decline episodes throughout all its distribution area. It is well known that external disturbances can alter the plant associated microbiota and metabolome, which ultimately can entail the disruption of the normal growth of the hosts. Notwithstanding, very little is known about the shifts in the microbiota and the metabolome in pine trees affected by decline.

Concentrations and origins of ultrafine particles at a major European harbor.

The maritime transport sector poses significant air quality concerns, particularly in nearby cities. Ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter < 100 nm) are of particular concern due to their potential health impacts. This study measured particle number concentrations (PNC), size distributions (PNSD), and other pollutants including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO), black carbon (BC), sulfur dioxide (SO) and ozone (O), organic markers and trace elements at a major European harbor and an urban background (UB) location.

Addressing drivers and data gaps in Spain's non-compliance of drinking water quality standards.

In 2021 Spain passed a new law regarding the quality of drinking water, increasing the transparency and introducing a risk assessment approach to the catchment area, which ascribe to the shift in recent years in how drinking water management is understood in the European Union legislation. Good data quality is important to ensure the correct implementation of policies. We used the drinking quality data uploaded to Spain's National Drinking Water Information System to gauge the state of the drinking water reporting in Spain, the differences between rural urban and rural areas in both quality and reporting and identify which variables at catchment level influence the probability of a municipality incurring in drinking water quality non-compliance.

Different effects of tocopherol natural extract on sunflower oil stability under frying and accelerated storage conditions: A comprehensive study on the fate of major and minor components of oil, and added tocopherols.

The effect of adding a tocopherol-rich natural extract (TNE) at 0.1 % and 0.5 % on sunflower oil stability under frying and accelerated storage conditions was studied using H NMR and DI-SPME-GC/MS.

The efficacy of psychological interventions on well-being during the perinatal period: A systematic review.

Although research has already shown the importance of promoting well-being during pregnancy and after birth, previous meta-analyses on the effectiveness of psychological interventions do not include wellbeing as a primary outcome measure, focusing instead on assessing the effectiveness in reducing symptoms. This study aimed at conducting a systematic review of the effects of psychological interventions on well-being during the perinatal period. A search was conducted in Psycinfo, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus for articles published from 2014 to 2024.

A sensitive immunoassay for the rapid analysis of fluopicolide.

The analysis of chemical xenobiotics in human, food, and environmental samples has become a global priority. Consequently, both public and private laboratories require rapid, cost-effective analytical methods for quality and safety control. Fluopicolide, a fungicide used to combat plant diseases, poses potential toxicological risks to humans and animals.

Regulatory workshop on standardisation of clinical procedures, endpoints and data robustness of human challenge studies - A stakeholder meeting report.

Inno4Vac, a public-private partnership funded by the IMI2/EU/EFPIA Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU), brings together academic institutions, SMEs, and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate and de-risk vaccine development. The project has made significant strides in the selection and production of challenge agents for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and toxigenic Clostridioides difficile for controlled human infection model studies (CHIMs). A regulatory workshop held on March 20, 2024, addressed the standardisation of clinical procedures, ethical considerations, endpoints, and data integrity, highlighting the ongoing initiatives related to these CHIMs.

Coercive measures in disability and mental health care services: Mechanical restraints from a bioethical and legal perspective in Spain.

This article explores the use of coercive measures, particularly mechanical and pharmacological restraints, in disability care settings and mental health services from a bioethical perspective, focusing on how these practices impact the human rights of individuals with mental disorder, focusing on how these practices impact the human rights of individuals with mental disorders. A robust bioethical framework is presented, advocating for principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, dignity, dialogical justice, distributive justice, and vulnerability. These principles are integrated to reframe interventions and promote respect for patient rights.

A comprehensive GPS-based analysis of activity spaces in early and late pregnancy using the ActMAP framework.

Health implications of mobility during pregnancy entail a need to understand pregnant women's activity spaces. We present ActMAP, a framework for quantifying multiple aspects of activity spaces from distinct trips and stays derived from GPS data. We applied ActMAP to data from 238 pregnant women in Barcelona, Spain (2018-2020) and explored weekday, weekend and intraday associations between pregnancy trimester and activity spaces.

The role of communication in environmental awareness according to circular economy stakeholders.

In order to make the transition from a linear to a circular economy, unprecedented measures are required from all social actors. Communication plays a fundamental role in this transition. The use of social marketing as an alternative to traditional communication models can promote the paradigm shift in order to increase communicative effectiveness.