Shear-Mediated Stabilization of Spin Spiral Order in Multiferroic NiI.

Type-II multiferroicity from non-collinear spin order is recently explored in the van der Waals material NiI. Despite the importance for improper ferroelectricity, the microscopic mechanism of the helimagnetic order remains poorly understood. Here, the magneto-structural phases of NiI are investigated using resonant magnetic X-ray scattering (RXS) and X-ray diffraction.

Proteolysis-targeting influenza vaccine strains induce broad-spectrum immunity and in vivo protection.

Generating effective live vaccines from intact viruses remains challenging owing to considerations of safety and immunogenicity. Approaches that can be applied in a systematic manner are needed. Here we created a library of live attenuated influenza vaccines by using diverse cellular E3 ubiquitin ligases to generate proteolysis-targeting (PROTAR) influenza A viruses.

PROTAR Vaccine 2.0 generates influenza vaccines by degrading multiple viral proteins.

Manipulating viral protein stability using the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) represents a promising approach for developing live-attenuated vaccines. The first-generation proteolysis-targeting (PROTAR) vaccine had limitations, as it incorporates proteasome-targeting degrons (PTDs) at only the terminal ends of viral proteins, potentially restricting its broad application. Here we developed the next-generation PROTAR vaccine approach, referred to as PROTAR 2.

Basic psychological needs satisfaction, coping functions, and emotional experiences in competitive athletes: a multi-states theory perspective.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction, coping functions, cognitive appraisals, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences in competitive athletes. Multi-states (MuSt) theory was used as the theoretical framework. The study involved a convenience sample of 183 Italian athletes (102 men), aged 16 to 48 years (M = 24.

Resting-State EEG Alpha Rhythms Are Related to CSF Tau Biomarkers in Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease.

Patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (ADMCI) typically show abnormally high delta (<4 Hz) and low alpha (8-12 Hz) rhythms measured from resting-state eyes-closed electroencephalographic (rsEEG) activity. Here, we hypothesized that the abnormalities in rsEEG activity may be greater in ADMCI patients than in those with MCI not due to AD (noADMCI). Furthermore, they may be associated with the diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-tau biomarkers in ADMCI patients.

Neuropsychological test performance in mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: We sought to characterize the cognitive profile among individuals with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) to help guide future clinical criteria.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis included MCI-LB studies with cognitive data from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO (January 1990 to March 2023). MCI-LB scores were compared to controls, MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) groups with random-effects models.

Platelets as crucial players in the dynamic interplay of inflammation, immunity, and cancer: unveiling new strategies for cancer prevention.

Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of various diseases by promoting the acquisition of new functional traits by different cell types. Shared risk factors between cardiovascular disease and cancer, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, high-fat diet, low physical activity, and alcohol consumption, contribute to inflammation linked to platelet activation. Platelets contribute to an inflammatory state by activating various normal cells, such as fibroblasts, immune cells, and vascular cells.

Early noninvasive ventilation in general wards for acute respiratory failure: an international, multicentre, open-label, randomised trial.

Background: The impact of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) managed outside the intensive care unit in patients with early acute respiratory failure remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether adding early NIV prevents the progression to severe respiratory failure.

Methods: In this multinational, randomised, open-label controlled trial, adults with mild acute respiratory failure (arterial oxygen partial pressure/fraction of inspiratory oxygen [Pao/FiO] ratio ≥200) were enrolled across 11 hospitals in Italy, Greece, and Kazakhstan.

Cognitive appraisals linking dispositional mindfulness to athletes' emotions: a multi-states theory approach.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness, cognitive appraisals, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences in athletes within the framework of multi-states (MuSt) theory.

Method: A convenience sample of 334 Italian athletes (188 men and 146 women), aged 18-48 years ( = 24.77,  = 7.

Applications of basophil activation test in paediatric allergic diseases.

Basophilic granulocytes, containing and releasing histamine after a specific allergy stimulation, are directly involved in IgE-mediated allergic reactions. CD63 is a transmembrane protein of secretory lysosomes of basophils and its upregulation is related with the release of histamine to the extracellular space during IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Basophil activation test (BAT) measures the activation of circulating basophils upon the stimulation of living blood cells with specific allergens.

Brain fingerprint and subjective mood state across the menstrual cycle.

Background: Brain connectome fingerprinting represents a recent and valid approach in assessing individual identifiability on the basis of the subject-specific brain functional connectome. Although this methodology has been tested and validated in several neurological diseases, its performance, reliability and reproducibility in healthy individuals has been poorly investigated. In particular, the impact of the changes in brain connectivity, induced by the different phases of the menstrual cycle (MC), on the reliability of this approach remains unexplored.

State of the art CRISPR-based strategies for cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology is a groundbreaking and dynamic molecular tool for DNA and RNA "surgery". CRISPR/Cas9 is the most widely applied system in oncology research. It is a major advancement in genome manipulation due to its precision, efficiency, scalability and versatility compared to previous gene editing methods.

HoloLens platform for healthcare professionals simulation training, teaching, and its urological applications: an up-to-date review.

The advancements of technological devices and software are putting mixed reality in the frontline of teaching medical personnel. The Microsoft HoloLens 2 offers a unique 3D visualization of a hologram in a physical, real environment and allows the urologists to interact with it. This review provides a state-of-the-art analysis of the applications of the HoloLens in a medical and healthcare context of teaching through simulation designed for medical students, nurses, residents especially in urology.

Identity Cannibalism in Narcissistic Persons: Lessons from Anthropology.

Background: Cannibalism is a practice based on the assimilation of the enemy, characterized by different ritual phases. The cultural anthropologist Francesco Remotti provides insight into this practice, stating that the Tupinamba tribes - an ethnic group living along the Eastern Atlantic coast of Brazil - use it to demonstrate their superiority over the defeated group. After capturing a prisoner, the assimilation process begins, which prepares the prisoner for the cannibalistic act through a specific sequence of steps.

Stress-Related Hormonal and Psychological Changes to Simulated and Official Judo Black Belt Examination in Older Tori and Adult Uke: An Exploratory Observational Study.

This study investigated the psycho-physiological impact of a black belt examination. Older brown-belt judoka (Tori, F = 2, M = 4; age = 75.6 ± 4.

Elucidation on the In Vivo Activity of the Bivalent Opioid Peptide MACE2 against Several Types of Chronic Pain.

Biphalin is a bivalent μ/δ opioid receptor agonist showing a promising therapeutic profile with reduced side effects, but as a peptide is limited by poor metabolic stability and blood-brain barrier penetration. To improve these features, we developed the ligand and showed initial in vivo efficacy. To further explore the druggability of this ligand, in this report, we tested metabolic stability in human plasma, receptor engagement by 3 different routes of administration using the tail-flick test, and efficacy in 2 different pathological and chronic pain models.

Impact of remote social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Social isolation and loneliness have both been associated with psychological health and cognitive decline in older adults. This study investigated the impact of social interaction through remote communication technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment.

Methods: Participants were recruited from Boston (USA) and Chieti (Italy).

Investigating the impact of the regularization parameter on EEG resting-state source reconstruction and functional connectivity using real and simulated data.

Accurate EEG source localization is crucial for mapping resting-state network dynamics and it plays a key role in estimating source-level functional connectivity. However, EEG source estimation techniques encounter numerous methodological challenges, with a key one being the selection of the regularization parameter in minimum norm estimation. This choice is particularly intricate because the optimal amount of regularization for EEG source estimation may not align with the requirements of EEG connectivity analysis, highlighting a nuanced trade-off.

Citrus supplementation in subjective cognitive decline: results of a 36-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Developing interventions for older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has the potential to prevent dementia in this at-risk group. Preclinical models indicate that Citrus-derived phytochemicals could benefit cognition and inflammatory processes, but results from clinical trials are still preliminary. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of long-term supplementation with Citrus peel extract on cognitive performance and inflammation in individuals with SCD.

Impact of Implant Surface and Smoking on Peri-Implant Human Bone: What we Learned from The Last 20 Years?

The present review summarizes the findings from human histological studies conducted over the past 20 years at the University of Guarulhos, Brazil, examining the impact of various implant surface topographies and smoking on peri-implant bone response. Seven different implant surfaces were evaluated in 90 partially or completely edentulous individuals using a total of 123 micro-implants. Histometric parameters, including bone-implant contact (BIC%), bone area within the threads (BA%), and bone density (BD), were assessed after an 8-week healing period.

Identification of lipid senolytics targeting senescent cells through ferroptosis induction.

Cellular senescence is a key driver of the aging process and contributes to tissue dysfunction and age-related pathologies. Senolytics have emerged as a promising therapeutic intervention to extend healthspan and treat age-related diseases. Through a senescent cell-based phenotypic drug screen, we identified a class of conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically α-eleostearic acid and its methyl ester derivative, as novel senolytics that effectively killed a broad range of senescent cells, reduced tissue senescence, and extended healthspan in mice.