Avian metapneumovirus subtype B in a Northern shoveler () wintering in Italy: implications for the domestic-wild bird interface?

Wild birds sampled in Italy tested for aMPV detection and characterization.aMPV-B found for the first time in a wintering Northern shoveler.Close phylogenetic relationship with aMPV-B strains circulating in Italian poultry.

Insect-based products commercialized online: a snapshot of lipid oxidation and mineral content.

This research aims to monitor the conservation status of the lipid and mineral contents of four shelf-stable insect-based products (yellow mealworm, house cricket, mole cricket, and silkworm) marketed online. A total of 32 single-species packs were purchased from various online commercial suppliers. Moisture, lipids, fatty acids, titratable acidity, mineral elements, and primary and secondary lipid oxidation products were determined.

Suspect dyskeratotic neoformations in a 7-year-old child with keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome: diagnostic, surgical and wound care management.

Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome (KID) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the triad of hyperkeratosis, ichthyosis, and congenital prelingual sensorineural deafness, with less than 100 cases described in the literature. In addition to many other extra-cutaneous manifestations, these patients are burdened by two principal increased risk factors involving the skin: the risk of developing infections and the risk of developing malignant skin tumors, especially Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Trichilemmal tumors. We present the case of a 7-year-old girl with a unique genetic variant described to date, who developed 4 dyskeratotic neoformation.

Not all pancreatic cystic lesions are the same: lesson from a case with three different coexisting neoplasms.

An asymptomatic 79-year old woman presented with a 40 mm pancreatic cystic lesion, located in the pancreatic body-tail and consistent with branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (BD-IPMN) without "high risk stigmata". During a 4-year follow-up period, imaging showed no mural nodules or main pancreatic duct dilation, and serum CEA and CA19.9 were within normal range.

Nanobased Natural Polymers as a Carrier System for Glyphosate: An Interesting Approach Aimed at Sustainable Agriculture.

Polymer-based herbicide nanocarriers have shown potential for increasing the herbicide efficacy and environmental safety. This study aimed to develop, characterize, and evaluate toxicity to target and nontarget organisms of natural-based polymeric nanosystems for glyphosate. Polymers such as chitosan (CS), zein (ZN), and lignin (LG) were used in the synthesis.

Influence of indole acetic acid, arginine and mango fruit waste biochar on nutrients, chlorophyll contents and antioxidants of Fenugreek in salt affected soil.

Salinity stress disrupts water uptake and nutrient absorption, causing reduced photosynthesis, stunted growth, and decreased crop yields in plants. The use of indole acetic acid (IAA), arginine (AN), and mango fruit waste biochar (MFWB) can be effective methods to overcome this problem. Indole acetic acid (IAA) is a natural auxin hormone that aids cell elongation and division, thereby increasing plant height and branching.

Harnessing CRISPR interference to resensitize laboratory strains and clinical isolates to last resort antibiotics.

The global race against antimicrobial resistance requires novel antimicrobials that are not only effective in killing specific bacteria, but also minimize the emergence of new resistances. Recently, CRISPR/Cas-based antimicrobials were proposed to address killing specificity with encouraging results. However, the emergence of target sequence mutations triggered by Cas-cleavage was identified as an escape strategy, posing the risk of generating new antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) variants.

A proof-of-concept study in small and large animal models for coupling liver normothermic machine perfusion with mesenchymal stromal cell bioreactors.

To fully harness mesenchymal-stromal-cells (MSCs)' benefits during Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP), we developed an advanced NMP platform coupled with a MSC-bioreactor and investigated its bio-molecular effects and clinical feasibility using rat and porcine models. The study involved three work packages: 1) Development (n = 5): MSC-bioreactors were subjected to 4 h-liverless perfusion; 2) Rat model (n = 10): livers were perfused for 4 h on the MSC-bioreactor-circuit or with the standard platform; 3) Porcine model (n = 6): livers were perfused using a clinical device integrated with a MSC-bioreactor or in its standard setup. MSCs showed intact stem-core properties after liverless-NMP.

Influence of androgen receptor on bone health in transgender adults: insights from the COMET study.

Purpose: Previous studies show that transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals, especially those assigned male at birth (AMAB), often have low bone mineral density (BMD) before beginning gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). The reasons for this are not fully understood, and the potential role of androgen receptor (AR) polymorphisms - known to affect bone density in the general population - has not been explored. This study aims to assess the impact of AR polymorphisms on bone health in the TGD population.

Exploring the Phenomenon of Victim Blaming Toward Women With an Intimate Partner Violence Experience and the Role of Empathy.

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) often encounter victim blaming from the general population, where individuals attribute responsibility to the victim's behavior for the violent episode. This phenomenon is influenced by levels of empathy, with lower empathy correlating with a higher likelihood of blaming women exposed to partner violence. Two studies were conducted.

Tail Fin Regeneration in Zebrafish: The Role of Non-canonical Crosstalk Between STAT3 and Vitamin D Pathway.

Stat3 is a transcription factor with a key role in cell proliferation and migration. Using the zebrafish line we showed that the genetic ablation results in a marked decrease of tail fin regrowth, demonstrating that this transcription factor is fundamental in the regeneration process. Stat3 activity is finely modulated by post-translational modifications that occur in several residues of the protein (i.

Words before pictures: the role of language in biasing visual attention.

Background: The present study investigated whether semantic processing of word and object primes can bias visual attention using top-down influences, even within an exogenous cueing framework. We hypothesized that real words and familiar objects would more effectively bias attentional engagement and target detection than pseudowords or pseudo-objects, as they can trigger prior knowledge to influence attention orienting and target detection.

Methods: To examine this, we conducted two web-based eye-tracking experiments that ensured participants maintained central fixation on the screen during remote data collection.

EGFR status assessment using reflex testing targeted next-generation sequencing for resected non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

EGFR status assessment is mandatory for adjuvant decision-making of resected stage IB-IIIA non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC). It is questionable whether single-gene RT-PCR versus next-generation sequencing (NGS) should be used for this evaluation. Moreover, co-occurring mutations have an impact on tumor behavior and may influence future therapeutic decision-making.

From museum drawer to tree: Historical DNA phylogenomics clarifies the systematics of rare dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) from museum collections.

Although several methods exist for extracting and sequencing historical DNA originating from dry-preserved insect specimens deposited in natural history museums, no consensus exists as to what is the optimal approach. We demonstrate that a customized, low-cost archival DNA extraction protocol (∼€10 per sample), in combination with Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs), is an effective tool for insect phylogenomic studies. We successfully tested our approach by sequencing DNA from scarab dung beetles preserved in both wet and dry collections, including unique primary type and rare historical specimens from internationally important natural history museums in London, Paris and Helsinki.

Modulation of initial leftward bias in visual search by parietal tDCS.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has the potential to modulate spatial attention by enhancing the activity in one hemisphere relative to the other. This study aims to inform neurorehabilitation strategies for spatial attention disorders by investigating the impact of tDCS on the performance of healthy participants. Unlike prior research that focused on visual detection, we extended the investigation to visual search and visual imagery using computerized neuropsychological tests.

Rare variants in the melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) are associated with abdominal fat and insulin resistance in youth with obesity.

Background: Rare variants in melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) result in a severe form of early-onset obesity; however, it is unclear how these variants may affect abdominal fat distribution, intrahepatic fat accumulation, and related metabolic sequelae.

Methods: Eight hundred seventy-seven youth (6-21 years) with overweight/obesity, recruited from the Yale Pediatric Obesity Clinic in New Haven, CT, underwent genetic analysis to screen for functionally damaging, rare variants (MAF < 0.01) in MC4R.

Prognostic role of aetiological agent vs. clinical pattern in candidates to lead extraction for cardiac implantable electronic device infections.

Cardiac implantable electronic devices infections (CIEDI) are associated with poor survival despite the improvement in transvenous lead extraction (TLE). Aetiology and systemic involvement are driving factors of clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore their contribute on overall mortality.

A new risk assessment model of venous thromboembolism by considering fuzzy population.

Background: Inpatients with high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) usually face serious threats to their health and economic conditions. Many studies using machine learning (ML) models to predict VTE risk overlook the impact of class-imbalance problem due to the low incidence rate of VTE, resulting in inferior and unstable model performance, which hinders their ability to replace the Padua model, a widely used linear weighted model in clinic. Our study aims to develop a new VTE risk assessment model suitable for Chinese medical inpatients.

Combination of Coevolutionary Information and Supervised Learning Enables Generation of Cyclic Peptide Inhibitors with Enhanced Potency from a Small Data Set.

Computational generation of cyclic peptide inhibitors using machine learning models requires large size training data sets often difficult to generate experimentally. Here we demonstrated that sequential combination of Random Forest Regression with the pseudolikelihood maximization Direct Coupling Analysis method and Monte Carlo simulation can effectively enhance the design pipeline of cyclic peptide inhibitors of a tumor-associated protease even for small experimental data sets. Further studies showed that such -evolved cyclic peptides are more potent than the best peptide inhibitors previously developed to this target.

The role of the analysis of sialotransferrin isoforms in the management of hereditary fructose intolerance: a systematic review.

Background: Untreated patients affected by hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) present an abnormal transferrin (Tf) glycosylation pattern suggestive of N-hypoglycosylation. Analysis of defects in N-glycosylation is possible by analysis of serum sialotransferrin (sialoTf) pattern. The sialoTf profile is a valuable tool to facilitate the diagnosis of HFI.

Dysphagia in multiple sclerosis: pathophysiology, assessment, and management-an overview.

Dysphagia is a frequent and life-threatening complication of multiple sclerosis (MS). Swallowing disturbances may be present at all stages of MS, although their prevalence increases with age, with disease duration, and in progressive phenotypes. The pathophysiology of dysphagia in MS is likely due to a combination of factors, including the involvement of corticobulbar tracts, the cerebellum, and the brainstem.

Infectivity in full-term placenta of Zika viruses with different lipid profiles.

Among flaviviruses, Zika virus (ZIKV) is the only arbovirus officially recognized as a teratogenic agent, as a consequence of its ability to infect and cross the placental barrier causing congenital malformation in the fetus. While many studies have focused on understanding ZIKV pathogenesis during pregnancy, the viral mechanisms affecting fetal development remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated ZIKV virulence in placental trophoblasts, using viruses with distinct lipid profiles.

The Landscape of Helicobacter pylori-related Gastric Carcinogenesis.

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and humans remains a complex enigma. While other factors contribute to gastric cancer (GC), their impact pales in comparison to the central role of H.

Whole genome sequencing reveals candidate causal genetic variants for spastic syndrome in Holstein cattle.

Bovine spastic syndrome (SS) is a progressive, adult-onset neuromuscular disorder (NMD). SS is inherited but the mode of inheritance is unclear. The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotype and to identify a possible genetic cause of SS by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and focusing on protein-changing variants.