Multicenter In-House Evaluation of an Amplicon-Based Next-Generation Sequencing Panel for Comprehensive Molecular Profiling.

Background: Predicting response to targeted cancer therapies increasingly relies on both simple and complex genetic biomarkers. Comprehensive genomic profiling using high-throughput assays must be evaluated for reproducibility and accuracy compared with existing methods.

Methods: This study is a multicenter evaluation of the Oncomine™ Comprehensive Assay Plus (OCA Plus) Pan-Cancer Research Panel for comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors.

A Bibliometric Review of Brain-Computer Interfaces in Motor Imagery and Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials for Applications in Rehabilitation and Robotics.

In this paper, a bibliometric review is conducted on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in non-invasive paradigms like motor imagery (MI) and steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) for applications in rehabilitation and robotics. An exploratory and descriptive approach is used in the analysis. Computational tools such as the biblioshiny application for R-Bibliometrix and VOSViewer are employed to generate data on years, sources, authors, affiliation, country, documents, co-author, co-citation, and co-occurrence.

New Strategy for the Covalent Immobilisation of Phenolic Compounds on Silica Particles to Fight Against Foodborne Pathogens.

The immobilisation of essential oil components (EOCs) on food-grade supports is a promising strategy for preserving liquid foods without the drawbacks of direct EOC addition such as poor solubility, high volatility, and sensory alterations. This study presents a novel method for covalently immobilising EOCs, specifically thymol and carvacrol, on SiO particles (5-15 µm) using the Mannich reaction. This approach simplifies conventional covalent immobilisation techniques by reducing the steps and reagents while maintaining antimicrobial efficacy and preventing compound migration.

Divergent evolution of a thermospermine-dependent regulatory pathway in land plants.

Plants adapted to life on land by developing diverse anatomical features across lineages. The molecular basis of these innovations often involves the emergence of new genes or establishing new connections between conserved elements, though evidence for evolutionary genetic circuit rewiring remains scarce. Here, we show that the thermospermine-dependent pathway regulating vascular cell proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana operates as two distinct modules with different functions in the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha.

Leveraging Transformers-based models and linked data for deep phenotyping in radiology.

Background And Objective: Despite significant investments in the normalization and the standardization of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), free text is still the rule rather than the exception in clinical notes. The use of free text has implications in data reuse methods used for supporting clinical research since the query mechanisms used in cohort definition and patient matching are mainly based on structured data and clinical terminologies. This study aims to develop a method for the secondary use of clinical text by: (a) using Natural Language Processing (NLP) for tagging clinical notes with biomedical terminology; and (b) designing an ontology that maps and classifies all the identified tags to various terminologies and allows for running phenotyping queries.

Response of Amblyseius swirskii to deltamethrin.

Background: The rising demand for environmentally friendly pest control highlights the importance of understanding the interaction between natural enemies and pesticides. Amblyseius swirskii, a predatory mite extensively used in biocontrol, plays a crucial role in managing pest populations in agricultural systems. Integrating this mite with selective pesticide use within integrated pest management (IPM) would significantly advance pest control and may reduce pesticide residues in the environment and agricultural produce.

Extended Reality to Assess Short-Term Spatial Memory-A Comparative Study of Mixed Reality, Augmented Reality, and Virtual Reality.

A Mixed Reality (MR) application using an optical see-through headset was developed to assess short-term spatial memory. A study with 29 participants was conducted. Data from this study were compared to two previous studies using mobile Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) with headsets.

Performance of Biodegradable Active Packaging in the Preservation of Fresh-Cut Fruits: A Systematic Review.

Fresh-cutting fruits is a common practice in markets and households, but their short shelf life is a challenge. Active packaging is a prominent strategy for extending food shelf life. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines to explore the performance and materials used in biodegradable active packaging for fresh-cut fruits.

Nutritional Composition, Technological Quality, and Sensory Attributes of Chicken Breast Meat Affected by White Striping, Wooden Breast, and Spaghetti Meat: A Comprehensive Evaluation.

This study assessed the impact of growth-related myopathies-white striping (WS), wooden breast (WB), and spaghetti meat (SM)-on the technological properties, lipid and protein oxidation, chemical composition, and profiles of fatty acids (FAs), amino acids, minerals, and sensory attributes of muscles in broiler chickens. Breasts with myopathies had similar pH and lightness but exhibited lower redness and yellowness in the case of WB defect compared to normal meat ( < 0.05).

Synthetic peptides bioactive against phytopathogens have lower impact on some beneficial bacteria: An assessment of peptides biosafety in agriculture.

The emergence of bacterial resistance and the increasing restrictions on the use of agrochemicals are boosting the search for novel, sustainable antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) arise as a new generation of antibiotics due to their effectiveness at low doses and biocompatibility. We compared the antimicrobial activity of four promising AMPs (CA-M, BP100, RW-BP100, and 3.

Electropolymerization of PPy, PEDOT, and PANi on WO nanostructures for high-performance anodes in Li-ion batteries.

In this research work, four distinct WO electrodes were synthesized and coated with three different polymers, known as polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and polyaniline (PANi), using electropolymerization techniques. The morphological features of the samples were thoroughly characterized through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses. Additionally, contact angle measurements and electrochemical characterizations were used to verify the performance of each electrode, aiding in the prediction of their suitability for energy storage applications in lithium-ion batteries.

Older family caregivers and health professionals of adults with intellectual disabilities: Qualitative results of the first-phases of the adaptation of the Savvy Caregiver Program through the ADAPT-ITT model.

Adults with intellectual disabilities are living longer, leading to an increasing need for older family caregivers to provide long-term care. To date, many studies have focused primarily on interventions to support caregivers of children with disabilities and elderly with dementia. For this reason, this study focuses on adapting the Savvy Caregiver Programme.

Optimization of hypobaric and ultrasonic processing of persimmon rhamnogalacturonan-I to enhance drug-digestion interactions.

The biological activity of polysaccharides used for nutraceuticals/drug excipients has been a neglected area of study. This work deals with the preparation, optimization, characterization, and evaluation of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruit by-products and the study of the resultant dietary fiber (DF) interaction with other compounds, using acetaminophen as a model.

A GPU-accelerated fuzzy method for real-time CT volume filtering.

During acquisition and reconstruction, medical images may become noisy and lose diagnostic quality. In the case of CT scans, obtaining less noisy images results in a higher radiation dose being administered to the patient. Filtering techniques can be utilized to reduce radiation without losing diagnosis capabilities.

A Rapid Methodology to Obtain Silver Selenide thin Films with Highly Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance.

Metal chalcogenides have been extensively studied for thermoelectric applications. Among other metal chalcogenides, silver selenide (AgSe) is considered one of the most promising n-type semiconducting materials for thermoelectric applications due to its low band gap value, Seebeck coefficient, and superior power factor (PF) rendered at room temperature. However, one of the main drawbacks of using AgSe as a thermoelectric material on a large scale is the time-consuming physical methods to obtain them, and the need for high vacuum synthesis conditions as well as high-cost.

Renal-clearable probes for disease detection and monitoring.

The demand for novel, minimally invasive, cost-effective, and easily readable diagnostic tools, primarily designed for the longitudinal monitoring of diseases and their treatments, has promoted the development of diagnostic systems that selectively target cells, tissues, or organs, at the same time minimizing their nonspecific accumulation, thus reducing the risk of toxicity and side effects. In this review, we explore the development of renal-clearable systems in non-invasive or minimally invasive detection protocols, all with the objective of minimizing nonspecific accumulation and its associated toxicity effects through quick renal excretion. These probes can identify molecules of interest or different healthy states of the patients through the direct analysis of urine (urinalysis).

Optical Tweezers to Study Viruses.

A virus is a complex molecular machine that propagates by channeling its genetic information from cell to cell. Unlike macroscopic engines, it operates in a nanoscopic world under continuous thermal agitation. Viruses have developed efficient passive and active strategies to pack and release nucleic acids.

Unraveling water relations in growing fruit: insights from the epidermal growth regulation hypothesis.

This review focuses on the intricate water relationships between internal and external tissues in growing fruits within the framework of the epidermal growth control hypothesis. It considers the components of water potential, including turgor pressure and osmotic potential of both internal and external tissues, taking into account factors such as fruit growth rate, sugar accumulation, cell wall metabolism, and climacteric. It also examines the effects of environmental conditions, genetic factors, and physiological influences in modifying water relations.

Assessment of European countries' national circular economy policies.

The circular economy (CE) has become key to achieving the environmental objectives set by the European Union (EU). This transformative process requires linear production processes to be abandoned and replaced with environmentally-friendly circular models. In this scenario, the present study uses Data Envelopment Analysis and the Sequential Malmquist Index to achieve a twofold objective: (1) to analyse the effectiveness of the national CE policies applied by 19 EU Member States and (2) to identify the items of circularity that need improvement, in order to support decision-makers in the implementation of appropriate CE policies.

Enhanced physicochemical properties, structure, and in vitro digestibility of olive oil-infused pigmented popcorn prepared via microwave processing.

The study investigates the composition and properties of unpopped and expanded popcorn, analyzing monosaccharides, protein, amylose, polyphenols, physical traits, crystallinity, and in vitro digestion. Unpopped grains had high glucose content (mainly from starch), which decreased by 20 % in expanded popcorn, especially in black and red A samples. Expanded grains showed higher protein levels (up to 15 %), particularly in red B and yellow samples.

Genetic selection for postweaning growth rate shows no relevant negative impact on reproductive performance in breeding rabbit does.

Genetic selection for growth rate has often been related with potential negative effects on various reproductive traits across different species. Using rabbit as a model, this study has evaluated for the first time how genetic selection for growth rate has affected feed efficiency, resource allocation, blood traits, reproductive performance and survival during five reproductive cycles in rabbit does. To this end, we used 88 reproductive rabbit females from two vitrified and rederived populations of the same paternal line, differing only in 18 generations of genetic selection for growth rate (n = 44 for R19V and n = 44 for RV37V).

Gendered dimension of chronic pain patients with low and middle income: A text mining analysis.

Methods: This is a mixed-method study using individual interviews (duration between 40-60 minutes) of 181 CNCP patients (71% females) in a tertiary Pain Care Unit, and applying the text mining methodology. Incomes (low or middle) and gender roles (productive vs. reproductive)".

Point-Cloud Instance Segmentation for Spinning Laser Sensors.

In this paper, we face the point-cloud segmentation problem for spinning laser sensors from a deep-learning (DL) perspective. Since the sensors natively provide their measurements in a 2D grid, we directly use state-of-the-art models designed for visual information for the segmentation task and then exploit the range information to ensure 3D accuracy. This allows us to effectively address the main challenges of applying DL techniques to point clouds, i.

Massive Screening of Food Extracts for Quality Assessment and Standardization of Allergenic Activity.

(1) Background: In drug discovery and pharmaceutical quality control, a challenge is to assess protein extracts used for allergy therapy and in vivo diagnosis, such as prick tests. Indeed, there are significant differences between the features of marketed products due to variations in raw materials, purification processes, and formulation techniques. (2) Methods: A protein array technology has been developed to provide comprehensive information on protein-biomarker interactions on a large scale to support the pharmaceutical industry and clinical research.