Developmental and environmental effects on VTC2-dependent leaf ascorbate accumulation and functions.

In nature, environmental conditions strongly fluctuate, frequently subjecting plants to periods of immediate photo-oxidative stress. The small molecule ascorbate allows plants to cope with such stress conditions. Ascorbate scavenges reactive oxygen species and enables the rapid and full induction of photoprotective non-photochemical quenching (NPQ).

Ecological and demographic drivers of kin-directed cooperation in a social bird: Insights from a long-term study.

The evolution of sociality is one of the major evolutionary transitions in the history of life and a key step in this transition is the occurrence of kin associations. Yet, the question of what demographic processes and environmental factors generate kin-structured populations and drive kin-directed cooperation remains open. In this review, we synthesise 30 years of studies of the long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus, which has a kin-selected cooperative breeding system with redirected help: failed breeders may help to raise offspring of conspecifics, typically relatives, breeding nearby.

Review of Challenges in Performing Real-World Evidence Studies for Nonprescription Products.

In recent years, regulatory authorities have signaled a willingness to consider real-world evidence (RWE) data to support applications for new claims and indications for pharmaceuticals. Historically, RWE studies have been the domain of prescription drugs, driven by the fact that clinical data on patients are routinely captured in medical records, claims databases, registries, etc. However, RWE reports of nonprescription drugs and supplements are relatively sparse due to methodological gaps in this area.

A multi-person reflection on using public and patient involvement and engagement to develop dementia research.

Involving people living with dementia in the development of research through PPIE is the gold standard for ethical research. Established PPIE groups have been set up throughout the UK to provide people with dementia opportunities to have their voice heard. However, accessing these groups as a doctoral researcher can be difficult, and little guidance is given on how to make the process successful.

Maternal cell-free DNA in early pregnancy for preeclampsia screening: a systematic review.

Purpose: To quantify the separation between maternal blood cell-free (cf)DNA markers in preeclampsia and unaffected pregnancies and compare with existing markers. This approach has not been used in previous studies.

Methods: Comprehensive systematic literature search of PubMed to identify studies measuring total cfDNA, fetal cf(f)DNA or the fetal fraction (FF) in pregnant women.

Genetic coupling of enhancer activity and connectivity in gene expression control.

Gene enhancers often form long-range contacts with promoters, but it remains unclear if the activity of enhancers and their chromosomal contacts are mediated by the same DNA sequences and recruited factors. Here, we study the effects of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) on enhancer activity and promoter contacts in primary monocytes isolated from 34 male individuals. Using eQTL-Capture Hi-C and a Bayesian approach considering both intra- and inter-individual variation, we initially detect 19 eQTLs associated with enhancer-eGene promoter contacts, most of which also associate with enhancer accessibility and activity.

Continuity and locum use for acute consultations: observational study of subsequent workload.

Background: Workload is probably the biggest challenge facing general practice and little is known about any modifiable factors. For GPs, both continuity and locum status are associated with differences in outcomes.

Aim: To determine whether practice and hospital workload after an index acute consultation depend on the type of GP consulted (locums and practice GPs with [regular] and without [non-regular] continuity, and locums).

Zonal Characteristics of Collagen Ultrastructure and Responses to Mechanical Loading in Articular Cartilage.

The biomechanical properties of articular cartilage arise from a complex bioenvironment comprising hierarchically organised collagen networks within the extracellular matrix (ECM) that interact with the proteoglycan-rich interstitial fluid. This network features a depth-dependent fibril organisation across different zones. Understanding how collagen fibrils respond to external loading is key to elucidating the mechanisms behind lesion and managing degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Primary Care Health Checks at Assessing Cardiovascular Risks among Ethnic Minorities in the UK: A Systematic Review.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect around 7.6 million people in the UK, disproportionately affecting the minority ethnic community. In 2009, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) launched a Health Check (NHSHC) scheme to improve early diagnosis of various clinical conditions, including CVD, by screening patients for associated risk factors.

Pd catalysts doped with B/C atoms in the subsurface: the positive effect of interstitial atoms in regulating the selectivity of acetylene catalytic hydrogenation.

At present, the modification of palladium (Pd) catalysts is an important topic due to its potential to enhance catalytic performance and reduce catalyst costs. In this work, boron (B) and carbon (C) are interstitially doped into the subsurface of Pd to construct PdB and PdC catalysts. The adsorption properties of acetylene and ethylene, the mechanism of acetylene hydrogenation, and ethylene selectivity are studied based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Impact of frailty and comorbidity on initial response to lung cancer screening invitation and low-dose CT screening uptake: Findings from the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial.

Background: Low-dose computed tomography screening reduces lung cancer-specific mortality in high-risk individuals. Lung cancer risk factors overlap with comorbid diseases, highlighting the significance of frailty and comorbidities for lung cancer screening (LCS). Here, we describe the prevalence of frailty and comorbidity in those invited for LCS and evaluate their associations with response to telephone risk assessment invitation and subsequent uptake of LCS.

Dose-response Relationship Between Dietary Nitrate Intake and Nitric Oxide Congeners in Various Blood Compartments and Skeletal Muscle: Differential Effects on Skeletal Muscle Torque and Velocity.

Plasma nitrate (NO) and nitrite (NO) increase in a dose-dependent manner following NO ingestion. To explore if the same dose-response relationship applies to other nitric oxide (NO) congeners in different blood compartments and skeletal muscle, as well as the subsequent physiological responses, we provided 11 healthy participants with NO depleted beetroot juice (placebo), and beetroot juice (BR) containing 6.4, 12.

Describing the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials: meta-research study of protocols published between 2012 and 2022.

Background: Publishing protocols promotes transparency and reproducibility. The scope and methods of protocols for nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been investigated yet.

Objective: Map the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related interventions research.

Cytoplasmic expression of trans-active response DNA-binding protein-43 in aged mice display hippocampal sclerosis-like degeneration and neuronal loss with reduced lifespan.

Trans-active response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is the major pathological protein in motor neuron disease and TDP-43 pathology has been described in the brains of up to 50% of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-A), an age-related neuropathology characterized by severe neuronal loss and gliosis in CA1 and/or subiculum, is found in ∼80% of cases that are positive for phosphorylated TDP-43. HS-A is seen as a co-pathology in cases with AD, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic changes (LATE-NC), and frontotemporal degeneration.

The potential for heat shock exposure during early development to alter the molecular responses to subsequent exposure to heat stress in the rainbow trout.

Fish are ectothermic animals with temperature playing a key role in their health, growth and survival. Greater occurrence of heat waves and temperature extremes, as a result of global climate change, has the potential to impact both wild and farmed populations. Within aquaculture, production is threatened by a multitude of stressors, including adverse temperatures.

How do neuromuscular characteristics of the peroneal muscles differ in adults with and without chronic ankle instability? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has been associated with neuromuscular control dysfunction, particularly of the peroneal musculature.

Research Question: How do neuromuscular characteristics of the peroneal muscles, including corticospinal excitability, strength, proprioception (force sense) and electromyographic measures differ in individuals with CAI compared to healthy control counterparts aged 18-45?

Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted by retrieving relevant articles from electronic databases including EBSCOhost (CINAHL Complete, AMED, SPORTDiscus), Ovid (MEDLINE, Embase), Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library as well as Grey literature sources. The eligibility and methodological quality of the included case-control and cross-sectional studies were assessed by two reviewers.

NHS-Galleri trial: Enriched enrolment approaches and sociodemographic characteristics of enrolled participants.

Background/aims: Certain sociodemographic groups are routinely underrepresented in clinical trials, limiting generalisability. Here, we describe the extent to which enriched enrolment approaches yielded a diverse trial population enriched for older age in a randomised controlled trial of a blood-based multi-cancer early detection test (NCT05611632).

Methods: Participants aged 50-77 years were recruited from eight Cancer Alliance regions in England.

The Ocular Surface and the Anterior Segment of the Eye in the Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review.

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) is an age-related fibrillopathy where fibrillar exfoliation material accumulates and deposits in ocular and extra-ocular tissue. Within the eye, this substance accumulates on the ocular surface and in the anterior segment of the eye, impacting ocular structures such as the conjunctiva, Tenon's capsule, sclera, cornea, iris, ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, and lens. This review aims to collate the current literature on how each anatomical part of the eye is affected by PXS, with a strong focus on molecular changes.

Joint Group and Multi Institutional Position Opinion: Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy-From Fundamentals to Applied Tactics.

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a diagnostic entity defined as cardiac dysfunction (diastolic and/or systolic) in patients with liver cirrhosis, in the absence of overt cardiac disorder. Pathogenically, CCM stems from a combination of systemic and local hepatic factors that, through hemodynamic and neurohormonal changes, affect the balance of cardiac function and lead to its remodeling. Vascular changes in cirrhosis, mostly driven by portal hypertension, splanchnic vasodilatation, and increased cardiac output alongside maladaptively upregulated feedback systems, lead to fluid accumulation, venostasis, and cardiac dysfunction.

Genome-wide association analysis of composite sleep health scores in 413,904 individuals.

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of several individual sleep traits have identified hundreds of genetic loci, suggesting diverse mechanisms. Moreover, sleep traits are moderately correlated, so together may provide a more complete picture of sleep health, while illuminating distinct domains. Here we construct novel sleep health scores (SHSs) incorporating five core self-report measures: sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, chronotype, snoring, and daytime sleepiness, using additive (SHS-ADD) and five principal components-based (SHS-PCs) approaches.

Practitioner perspectives on symptomatic faecal immunochemical testing: a qualitative interview study.

Background: Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) is now core to the management of patients presenting in primary care with symptoms of possible colorectal cancer. Patients with a positive FIT (≥10μg Hb/g faeces) qualify for an urgent suspected cancer referral. FIT negative patients are typically managed in primary care or referred through routine pathways.

Spatial and temporal (annual and decadal) trends of metal(loid) concentrations and loads in an acid mine drainage-affected river.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a worldwide problem that degrades river systems and is difficult and expensive to remediate. To protect affected catchments, it is vital to understand the behaviour of AMD-related metal(loid) contaminants as a function of space and time. To address this, the sources, loads and transport mechanisms of arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) in a representative AMD-affected catchment (the Carnon River in Cornwall, UK) were determined over a 12-month sampling period and with 22 years of monitoring data collected by the Environment Agency (England) (EA).

Responses of fish to nationwide improvements in the water quality of a densely populated and heavily modified country over four decades.

Globally, fish have been severely affected by the widespread, chronic degradation of fresh waters, with a substantial proportion of species declining in abundance or range in recent decades. This has especially been the case in densely populated countries with an industrial heritage and intensive agriculture, where the majority of river catchments have been affected by deteriorations in water quality and changes in land use. This study used a spatially and temporally extensive dataset, encompassing 16,124 surveys at 1180 sites representing a wide range of river typologies and pressures, to examine changes in the fish populations of England's rivers over four decades (1980s-2010s).