Medicinal chemistry advances in targeting class I histone deacetylases.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a class of zinc (Zn)-dependent metalloenzymes that are responsible for epigenetic modifications. HDACs are largely associated with histone proteins that regulate gene expression at the DNA level. This tight regulation is controlled by acetylation [via histone acetyl transferases (HATs)] and deacetylation (via HDACs) of histone and non-histone proteins that alter the coiling state of DNA, thus impacting gene expression as a downstream effect.

Linking spontaneous and stimulated spine dynamics.

Our brains continuously acquire and store memories through synaptic plasticity. However, spontaneous synaptic changes can also occur and pose a challenge for maintaining stable memories. Despite fluctuations in synapse size, recent studies have shown that key population-level synaptic properties remain stable over time.

A STRP-ed definition of Structured Tandem Repeats in Proteins.

Tandem Repeat Proteins (TRPs) are a class of proteins with repetitive amino acid sequences that have been studied extensively for over two decades. Different features at the level of sequence, structure, function and evolution have been attributed to them by various authors. And yet many of its salient features appear only when looking at specific subclasses of protein tandem repeats.

Combined use of positive matrix factorization and CN stable isotopes to trace organic matter-bound potential toxic metals in the urban mangrove sediments.

Coastal sediments act as sinks of sediment organic matter (SOM) and metals because of their special land-sea location and depositional properties. However, there are few reports on the correlation between the sources of organic matter (OM) and associated potential toxic metals (PTMs). In this study, we combined CN stable isotope analysis and positive matrix factorization to identify the matter and metal sources of OM and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in an estuary under several decades of urbanization.

Burnout, self-rated general health and life satisfaction among teachers and other academic occupational groups.

Introduction: Teachers work in a job with specific demands that can strain individual coping capabilities and can pose a risk for the development of psychological problems. Prior studies showed that teachers - in comparison with other occupational groups - had high risks of job-related psychological exhaustion. In our study we compared teachers and other occupational groups on burnout, general life satisfaction and self-rated general health.

Progestogens for endometrial protection in combined menopausal hormone therapy: A systematic review.

Menopausal women with an intact uterus choosing estrogens for menopausal symptom relief require a progestogen for endometrial protection. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the risks of endometrial hyperplasia resp. malignancy with different progestogens used in combined MHT.

Targeted deletion of von-Hippel-Lindau in the proximal tubule conditions the kidney against early diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Glomerular hyperfiltration and albuminuria subject the proximal tubule (PT) to a subsequent elevation of workload, growth, and hypoxia. Hypoxia plays an ambiguous role in the development and progression of DKD and shall be clarified in our study.

Basic concepts of mixture toxicity and relevance for risk evaluation and regulation.

Exposure to multiple substances is a challenge for risk evaluation. Currently, there is an ongoing debate if generic "mixture assessment/allocation factors" (MAF) should be introduced to increase public health protection. Here, we explore concepts of mixture toxicity and the potential influence of mixture regulation concepts for human health protection.

Investigating pyroptosis as a mechanism of L. major cell-to-cell spread in the human BLaER1 infection model.

Leishmania is the causative agent of the tropical neglected disease leishmaniasis and infects macrophages as its definitive host cell. In order to sustain and propagate infections, Leishmania parasites have to complete cycles of exit and re-infection. Yet, the mechanism driving the parasite spread to other cells remains unclear.

Cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation in obese patients: A non-inferiority analysis.

Background: Patients with obesity are at higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) and benefit from radiofrequency ablation. Potentially, cryoballoon ablation (CBA) may be equally effective and safe in such patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center study to investigate whether CBA for pulmonary vein isolation is as effective and safe in obese patients as it is in non-obese controls.

Videos using different message strategies to promote the interruption of sedentary behavior in university students during online lectures - A pilot study.

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) is highly prevalent among university students and has increased during COVID-19 pandemic. As SB is associated with negative health outcomes, appropriate prevention measures in the university setting are needed.

Objective: This pilot study aimed at investigating the effects of videos using different message strategies to interrupt SB in the collective of university students during online lectures.

Mechano-Activated Self-Immolation of Hydrogels via Signal Amplification.

Cellular organisms possess intricate mechano-adaptive systems that enable them to sense forces and process them with (bio)chemical circuits for functional adaptation. Inspired by such processes, this study introduces a hydrogel system capable of mechanically activated and chemically transduced self-destruction. Our judiciously designed hydrogels can mechanically generate radicals that are processed and amplified in a self-propagating radical de-crosslinking reaction, ultimately leading to mechanically triggered self-immolation.

Sociodemographic and work-related differences in teachers' attitude towards and perceived stress from emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim was to investigate the attitude towards and perceived stress from emergency remote teaching (ERT) among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Germany-wide online survey was conducted among teachers from all school types in March 2021. Data from 31,089 teachers entered analysis.

Bell-state measurement exceeding 50% success probability with linear optics.

Bell-state projections serve as a fundamental basis for most quantum communication and computing protocols today. However, with current Bell-state measurement schemes based on linear optics, only two of four Bell states can be identified, which means that the maximum success probability of this vital step cannot exceed 50%. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a scheme that amends the original measurement with additional modes in the form of ancillary photons, which leads to a more complex measurement pattern, and ultimately a higher success probability of 62.

Enhancing precision in human neuroscience.

Human neuroscience has always been pushing the boundary of what is measurable. During the last decade, concerns about statistical power and replicability - in science in general, but also specifically in human neuroscience - have fueled an extensive debate. One important insight from this discourse is the need for larger samples, which naturally increases statistical power.

DNA-Based Signaling Networks for Transient Colloidal Co-Assemblies.

Programmable chemical circuits inspired by signaling networks in living cells are a promising approach for the development of adaptive and autonomous self-assembling molecular systems and material functions. Progress has been made at the molecular level, but connecting molecular control circuits to self-assembling larger elements such as colloids that enable real-space studies and access to functional materials is sparse and can suffer from kinetic traps, flocculation, or difficult system integration protocols. Herein, we report a toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction network capable of autonomously directing two different microgels into transient and self-regulating co-assemblies.

Chronic stress in old age: Psychometric properties of the Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress (TICS), based on a general population sample aged 60 and over.

Background: Chronic stress results from an imbalance of personal traits, resources and the demands placed upon an individual by social and occupational situations. This chronic stress can be measured using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS). The aims of the present study are to test the factorial structure of the TICS in a sample of elderly people, report its psychometric properties, and give norm values for elderly individuals.

Roman aqueduct maintenance in the water supply system of Divona, France.

Carbonate deposits formed in Roman aqueducts provide a window onto the environment and water management in antiquity. These laminated archives precipitated over a period of decades to centuries and are a potential high-resolution source of unwritten history. However, their use as environmental archives is hampered by local and partial removal during maintenance work in some aqueducts.

Brain and antennal transcriptomes of host ants reveal potential links between behaviour and the functioning of socially parasitic colonies.

Insect social parasites are characterized by exploiting the hosts' social behaviour. Why exactly hosts direct their caring behaviour towards these parasites and their offspring remains largely unstudied. One hypothesis is that hosts do not perceive their social environment as altered and accept the parasitic colony as their own.

Effects of intermittent fasting on quality of life tolerance of chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancers: study protocol of a randomized-controlled multi-center trial.

Unlabelled: Fatigue is a very common side effect during intravenous chemotherapy. Unfortunately, only few effective therapeutic options are available, mostly based on daily activity. In our pilot trial we were able to demonstrate that intermittent fasting can reduce fatigue in healthy people, thus we aimed to assess the effects of the fasting dietary on quality of life during chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer, especially on the domain of fatigue.

Adverse childhood experiences increase the risk for low perceived social participation and health-related quality of life in a large-scale population-based study in Germany.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are highly prevalent and increase the risk for long-term adverse health outcomes. Next to well-known ACE-associated risks for morbidity, recent research is increasingly invested in exploring pathways towards health, overall functioning, and partaking in society following early adversity.

Objectives: Thus, this study aims to assess the association between latent classes of ACEs with perceived social participation and health-related Quality of Life (QoL) in a large population-based sample and to explore potential moderators of these associations.

Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostic of Adolescents in Light of the New ICD-11 Model of Personality Functioning: Personality Structure, Psychodynamic Conflicts, and Mental Health Problems.

The International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 11th Revision introduced a fully dimensional approach to personality disorders which conceptionally converges with the long-standing psychodynamic understanding of psychopathology through underlying intra- and interpersonal impairments. In this study, the diagnostic contributions of the two psychodynamic concepts of personality structure and psychodynamic conflicts were investigated through the comparison of self-report data of 189 adolescents with mental health problems and 321 mentally healthy controls. The study results reveal that adolescents with mental health problems show significantly higher impairments in all four domains of personality structure and significantly higher levels of several psychodynamic conflicts.

Effects of Early Clozapine Treatment on Remission Rates in Acute Schizophrenia (The EARLY Trial): Protocol of a Randomized-Controlled Multicentric Trial.

Background: Quick symptomatic remission after the onset of psychotic symptoms is critical in schizophrenia treatment, determining the subsequent disease course and recovery. In this context, only every second patient with acute schizophrenia achieves symptomatic remission within three months of initiating antipsychotic treatment. The potential indication extension of clozapine-the most effective antipsychotic-to be introduced at an earlier stage (before treatment-resistance) is supported by several lines of evidence, but respective clinical trials are lacking.