Chromosome length genome assembly of the stone marten (Martes foina, Mustelidae): a new view on one of the cornerstones in carnivore cytogenetics.

The stone marten (Martes foina) is an important species for cytogenetic studies in the order Carnivora. ZooFISH probes created from its chromosomes provided a strong and clean signal in chromosome painting experiments and were valuable for studying the evolution of carnivoran genome architecture. The research revealed that the stone marten chromosome set is similar to the presumed ancestral karyotype of the Carnivora, which added an additional value for the species.

Early-life Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and the Risk of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Population-based Cohort Study.

Rationale: Tobacco smoking is a well-established risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), yet the influence of early-life tobacco exposure on future IPF risk remains poorly understood.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that early-life tobacco exposure may elevate the risk of developing IPF, with this effect potentially modified by genetic susceptibility to IPF and mediated through accelerated biological aging.

Methods: Using data from over 430,000 participants in the UK Biobank, we performed a prospective cohort study to examine the associations of maternal smoking around birth and age of smoking initiation with IPF risk.

[Clinical phenotype of abdominal obesity and dynapenia: Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil)].

This study aims to examine the prevalence of abdominal obesity-dynapenia phenotype, identified by the presence of abdominal obesity and dynapenia, and understand its associated factors with a representative sample of the Brazilian population. Data were collected from the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brasil) 2015-2016. Abdominal obesity was determined by a waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.

Recalibrating Protection Factors Using Millisecond Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful technique to interrogate protein structure and dynamics. With the ability to study almost any protein without a size limit, including intrinsically disordered ones, HDX-MS has shown fast growing importance as a complement to structural elucidation techniques. Current experiments compare two or more related conditions (sequences, interaction partners, excipients, conformational states, etc.

Correcting a pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutation by base editing in mice.

Primary mitochondrial disorders are most often caused by deleterious mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Here, we used a mitochondrial DddA-derived cytosine base editor (DdCBE) to introduce a compensatory edit in a mouse model that carries the pathological mutation in the mitochondrial transfer RNA (tRNA) alanine (mt-tRNA) gene. Because the original m.

Tracing the inner edge of the habitable zone with sulfur chemistry.

The circumstellar liquid-water habitable zone guides our search for potentially inhabited exoplanets but remains observationally untested. We show that the inner edge of the habitable zone can now be mapped among exoplanets using their lack of surface water, which, unlike the presence of water, can be unambiguously revealed by atmospheric sulfur species. Using coupled climate-chemistry modeling, we find that the observability of sulfur gases on exoplanets depends critically on the ultraviolet (UV) flux of their host star, a property with wide variation: Most M-dwarfs have a low UV flux and thereby allow the detection of sulfur gases as a tracer of dry planetary surfaces; however, the UV flux of Trappist-1 may be too high for sulfur to disambiguate uninhabitable from habitable surfaces on any of its planets.

Anti-icing properties of polar bear fur.

The polar bear () is the only Arctic land mammal that dives into water to hunt. Despite thermal insulation provided by blubber and fur layers and low Arctic temperatures, their fur is typically observed to be free of ice. This study investigates the anti-icing properties of polar bear fur.

A multi-analytical study of the Montelirio beaded attires: Marine resources, sumptuary crafts, and female power in copper age Iberia.

Excellent indicators of technology, social organization, exchange patterns, and even beliefs, beads are a topic of research in their own right. Findings made between 2010 and 2011 at the Montelirio tholos burial, part of the Valencina Copper Age mega-site, in south-western Spain, revealed what amounts to the largest single-burial ever-documented assemblage of beads. Furthermore, the Montelirio beads were part of unparalleled beaded attires worn by some of the people buried in the grave, mostly females.

Tensor networks enable the calculation of turbulence probability distributions.

Predicting the dynamics of turbulent fluids has been an elusive goal for centuries. Even with modern computers, anything beyond the simplest turbulent flows is too chaotic and multiscaled to be directly simulatable. An alternative is to treat turbulence probabilistically, viewing flow properties as random variables distributed according to joint probability density functions (PDFs).

Acellular Dermal Matrices in Reconstructive Pediatric Complex Lower Limb Trauma: An Observational Study.

Background: Contemporary research has shown that acellular dermal matrices can benefit adult lower extremity traumatic injuries; however, its use in children has not been explored.

Objective: This study aims to explore the use of acellular dermal matrices in pediatric complex lower extremity trauma.

Methods: This single-center retrospective observational cohort study of children with complex lower extremity trauma treated with Pelnac™, commercial acellular dermal matrices, was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Africa from 2010 to 2017.

Review of national contaminated land management frameworks in front of the new EU Soil Monitoring Law era-the case study of Greece.

The European Union (EU) currently addresses the issue of contaminated land management through the national frameworks of its member states, as there is no such EU legislation thus far. However, with the introduction of the new EU Soil Strategy and the anticipated Soil Monitoring Law, EU countries are poised to receive a unified legislative tool that is expected to enhance their soil policies significantly. These legislative developments are set to introduce key initiatives such as the establishment of a contaminated site registry and the imposition of restrictions on soil contamination using screening values and soil monitoring practices.

The impact of specialised gastroenterology services for pelvic radiation disease (PRD): Results from the prospective multi-centre EAGLE study.

To undertake a mixed-methodology implementation study to improve the well-being of men with gastrointestinal late effects following radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. All men completed a validated screening tool for late bowel effects (ALERT-B) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Score (GSRS); men with a positive score on ALERT-B were offered management following a peer reviewed algorithm for pelvic radiation disease (PRD). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at baseline, 6 and 12 months; and healthcare resource usage (HRU) and patient, support-giver, staff experience and acceptability of staff training (qualitative analysis) were assessed.

Standardised lung function metrics in healthy athletes.

The objective of the current review was to identify whether clinically established lung function metrics of ventilatory and diffusion capacity obtained by standardised methodology are consistent with superior lung function in athletes, and whether this is related to maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O). Three independent reviewers performed a literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and reference screening. Data was extracted and analysed according to a predefined strategy.

Favourable Living Donor Kidney Transplantation Outcomes within a National Kidney Exchange Program: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: KEPs (kidney exchange programs) facilitate living donor kidney transplantations (LDKT) for patients with incompatible donors, who are typically higher risk than non-KEP patients because of higher sensitization and longer dialysis vintage. We conducted a comparative analysis of graft outcomes and risk factors for both KEP and non-KEP living donor kidney transplants.

Methods: All LDKTs performed in the Netherlands between 2004-2021 were included.

Impact of dairy calf management practices on the intestinal tract microbiome pre-weaning.

Microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) consisting of the rumen and hindgut (the small intestine, cecum and colon) in dairy calves play a vital role in their growth and development. This review discusses the development of dairy calf intestinal microbiomes with an emphasis on the impact that husbandry and rearing management have on microbiome development, health and growth of pre-weaned dairy calves. The diversity and composition of the microbes that colonize the lower GIT (small and large intestine) can have a significant impact on the growth and development of the calf, through influence on nutrient metabolism, immune modulation, resistance or susceptibility to infection, production outputs and behaviour modification in adult life.

Nurses and allied professionals' engagement in clinical research-in-practice: a statement of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology.

Many nurses and allied professionals (NAPs) lack the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage in conducting and implementing research. This statement describes the importance of NAPs' involvement in clinical research within the context of cardiovascular care. The existing gaps, barriers and enablers to NAPs involvement in research as a potential response to workforce issues in these professions as well as to contribute to excellence in patient care delivery and associated outcomes are identified.

Sensitivity to Environmental Stress and Adversity and Lung Cancer.

Importance: Sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity may influence lung cancer risk, highlighting a critical link between psychosocial factors and cancer etiology.

Objective: To evaluate whether genetically estimated sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity is associated with lung cancer risk.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data were obtained from a genome-wide association study identifying 37 independent genetic variants strongly associated with sensitivity to environmental stress and adversity and a cross-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium.

A comparative analysis of risk stratification tools in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: a EUSTAR analysis.

Objectives: The 2022 European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society (ESC/ERS) Guidelines for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) recommend risk stratification to optimize management. However, the performance of generic PAH risk stratification tools in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated PAH remains unclear. Our objective was to identify the most accurate approach for risk stratification at SSc-PAH diagnosis.

Foot peripheral sensory neuropathy: a frequent disabling manifestation in systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy (PSN) is an under-recognized feature in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Moreover, SSc foot involvement is frequent but poorly investigated. We aimed to provide a detailed characterization of foot PSN in a large cohort of SSc patients, describing its associations with disease-specific features, physical disability, and Quality of Life (QoL).

A Comprehensive Pipeline to Assess the Efficiency of Human Erythropoiesis In Vitro and Ex Vivo.

Erythropoiesis, a remarkably dynamic and efficient process responsible for generating the daily quota of red blood cells (approximately 280 ± 20 billion cells per day), is crucial for maintaining individual health. Any disruption in this pathway can have significant consequences, leading to health issues. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 25% of the global population presents symptoms of anemia.

Autologous Peripheral Blood-Derived Orthobiologics for the Management of Elbow Disorders: A Review of Current Clinical Evidence.

Introduction: Elbow ailments are common, but conventional treatment modalities have shortcomings, offering only interim pain relief rather than targeting the underlying pathophysiology. The last two decades have seen a marked increase in the use of autologous peripheral blood-derived orthobiologics (APBOs), such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to manage elbow disorders. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is the most widely used APBO, but its efficacy remains debatable.