Role of Climate and Edaphic Factors on the Community Composition of Biocrusts Along an Elevation Gradient in the High Arctic.

Biological soil crusts are integral to Arctic ecosystems, playing a crucial role in primary production, nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling, as well as maintaining soil stability. However, the composition and complex relationships between the diverse organisms within these biocrusts are not well studied. This study investigates how the microbial community composition within Arctic biocrusts is influenced by environmental factors along an altitudinal gradient (101 m to 314 m).

UV Sensitivities of Two Littoral and Two Deep-Freshwater Amphipods (Amphipoda, Crustacea) Reflect Their Preferred Depths in the Ancient Lake Baikal.

Solar ultraviolet (UV) is among the most important ecological factors shaping the composition of biota on the planet's surface, including the upper layers of waterbodies. Inhabitants of dark environments recently evolving from surface organisms provide natural opportunities to study the evolutionary losses of UV adaptation mechanisms and better understand how those mechanisms function at the biochemical level. The ancient Lake Baikal is the only freshwater reservoir where deep-water fauna emerged, and its diverse endemic amphipods (Amphipoda, Crustacea) now inhabit the whole range from highly transparent littoral to dark depths of over 1600 m, which makes them a convenient model to study UV adaptation.

Impact of Automation Level of Dairy Farms in Northern and Central Germany on Dairy Cattle Welfare.

An increasing number of automation technologies for dairy cattle farming, including automatic milking, feeding, manure removal and bedding, are now commercially available. The effects of these technologies on individual aspects of animal welfare have already been explored to some extent. However, as of now, there are no studies that analyze the impact of increasing farm automation through various combinations of these technologies.

Combined effects of a pharmaceutical pollutant, gemfibrozil, and abiotic stressors (warming and air exposure) on cellular stress responses of the blue mussels Mytilus edulis.

Lipid-lowering drugs such as gemfibrozil (GFB) are widely used and highly biologically active, contributing to their persistence in wastewater and subsequent release into aquatic ecosystems. However, the potential impacts and toxic mechanisms of these emerging pollutants on non-target marine organisms, particularly keystone bivalves like Mytilus edulis, remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of GFB (25 µg l) on oxidative, nitrosative, and dicarbonyl stress in M.

Toxicological effects of long-term continuous exposure to ambient air on human bronchial epithelial Calu-3 cells exposed at the air-liquid interface.

Air pollution significantly contributes to the global burden of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. While single source/compound studies dominate current research, long-term, multi-pollutant studies are crucial to understanding the health impacts of environmental aerosols. Our study aimed to use the first air-liquid interface (ALI) aerosol exposure system adapted for long-term in vitro exposures for ambient air in vitro exposure.

Laboratory-simulated marine heatwave enhances physiological damage to mussels exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles by disrupting the gut-hepatopancreas axis.

The aggregation state of nano-TiO in the environment is altered under marine heatwaves (MHWs), thus affecting its bioavailability and toxicity to the marine organisms. Here, we investigated the toxic mechanisms and effects of nano-TiO on gut-hepatopancreas axis health of Mytilus coruscus exposed to 25 and 250 μg/L of nano-TiO under laboratory-simulated MHW. Compared with the control conditions or post-MHW cooling phase, prolonged MHW exposure significantly inhibited digestive function, decreased immune-related enzymes activities, and caused neurotoxicity in the mussels.

Resurrection of a diatom after 7000 years from anoxic Baltic Sea sediment.

Dormancy is a wide-spread key life history trait observed across the tree of life. Many plankton species form dormant cells stages that accumulate in aquatic sediments and under anoxic conditions, form chronological records of past species and population dynamics under changing environmental conditions. Here we report on the germination of a microscopic alga, the abundant marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi that had remained dormant for up to 6871 ± 140 years in anoxic sediments of the Baltic Sea and resumed growth when exposed to oxygen and light.

Longitudinal volumetric analysis of compartments in chicken eggs using ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Introduction: The chicken egg, with its compartments, is a widely used and popular animal model in experimental studies. This study aimed to quantify the volumes of the yolk/yolk sac, amniotic fluid, and chicken embryo using non-invasive ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF-MRI).

Materials And Methods: In total, 64 chicken eggs were examined using a 7 T UHF-MRI scanner, acquiring T2-weighted anatomical images of the entire egg from developmental day 1 to 16 (D1-D16).

Changes in the Periodontal Gap After Long-Term Tooth Movement into Augmented Critical-Sized Defects in the Jaws of Beagle Dogs.

Extensive and closely coordinated remodeling processes take place in the periodontal ligament (PDL) and the adjacent bone during orthodontic tooth movement. In complex orthodontic cases, it is necessary to move teeth into an augmented bony defect, for example, in patients with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate. The important role of the PDL during tooth movement is well accepted but not fully understood.

Identification of key factors for malnutrition diagnosis in chronic gastrointestinal diseases using machine learning underscores the importance of GLIM criteria as well as additional parameters.

Introduction: Disease-related malnutrition is common but often underdiagnosed in patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases, such as liver cirrhosis, short bowel and intestinal insufficiency, and chronic pancreatitis. To improve malnutrition diagnosis in these patients, an evaluation of the current Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) diagnostic criteria, and possibly the implementation of additional criteria, is needed.

Aim: This study aimed to identify previously unknown and potentially specific features of malnutrition in patients with different chronic gastrointestinal diseases and to validate the relevance of the GLIM criteria for clinical practice using machine learning (ML).

[Network-wide effects of pallidal deep brain stimulation normalised abnormal cerebellar cortical activity in the dystonic animal model.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting globus pallidus internus (GPi) is a recognised therapy for drug-refractory dystonia. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect are not fully understood. This study explores how pallidal DBS alters spatiotemporal pattern formation of neuronal dynamics within the cerebellar cortex in a dystonic animal model, the dt hamster.

Insights into diagnostic difficulties in spinal muscular atrophy: a Case Report series.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in , with disease severity influenced by the number of copies. Although SMA is one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders, molecular diagnosis still presents challenges. We present a case series illustrating the variable clinical presentations and diagnostic complexities of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The competition between cation-anion and cation-triglyme interaction in solvate ionic liquids probed by far infrared spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

Glyme-based electrolyte solutions provide new concepts for developing suitable lithium-ion batteries. The so-called solvate ionic liquids (SILs) are promising electrolytes. They are most efficient in equimolar mixtures of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([Li][NTf2]) and glyme, wherein the [Li]+ cation is supposedly fully solvated by glyme molecules.

Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry with Tunable UV Wavelength Utilizing an Optical Parametric Oscillator.

To our knowledge, this study presents the first implementation of wavelength-resolved resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy under atmospheric pressure ionization conditions using a high-resolution mass spectrometric system. Atmospheric pressure laser ionization MS spectroscopic measurements were conducted on over 70 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hetero-PAHs (N, S, and O) in standard solutions, as well as three complex PAH-containing samples. The results demonstrate the successful transfer of REMPI spectroscopy from vacuum to atmospheric pressure conditions, maintaining spectral integrity without significant band broadening.

Spawning is accompanied by increased thermal performance in blue mussels.

Climate change is causing extreme short-term warming with greater intensity and more frequent occurrence. Reproduction and subsequent recruitment of coastal ecosystem engineers, such as the blue mussel, may be impacted by the extreme temperatures because these vital functions are sensitive to the timing of short-term changes in abiotic factors. We exposed intertidal blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, to a thermal challenge from 10 to 29 °C using an ecologically relevant heating rate of 4 °C/h.

Non-motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease: underdiagnosed, yet important.

Non-motor fluctuations (NMF) in Parkinson's disease (PD) significantly affect patients' well-being. Despite being identified over two decades ago, NMF remain largely under-recognized, under-treated, and poorly understood. While they are often temporally associated with motor fluctuations (MF) and can share common risk factors and pathophysiologic mechanisms, NMF and MF are currently considered distinct entities.

A Current Perspective of Medical Informatics Developments for a Clinical Translation of (Non-coding)RNAs and Single-Cell Technologies.

The journey from laboratory research to clinical practice is marked by significant advancements in the fields of single-cell technologies and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) research. This convergence may reshape our approach to personalized medicine, offering groundbreaking insights and treatments in various clinical settings. This chapter discusses advancements in (nc)RNAs in the clinics, innovations in single-cell technologies and algorithms, and the impact on actual precision medicine, showing the integration of single-cell and ncRNA research can have a tangible impact on precision medicine.

Connectome-based prediction of functional impairment in experimental stroke models.

Experimental rat models of stroke and hemorrhage are important tools to investigate cerebrovascular disease pathophysiology mechanisms, yet how significant patterns of functional impairment induced in various models of stroke are related to changes in connectivity at the level of neuronal populations and mesoscopic parcellations of rat brains remain unresolved. To address this gap in knowledge, we employed two middle cerebral artery occlusion models and one intracerebral hemorrhage model with variant extent and location of neuronal dysfunction. Motor and spatial memory function was assessed and the level of hippocampal activation via Fos immunohistochemistry.

A zirconocene triazenido hydride complex activates CO.

Starting from the alkyne complex CpZr(py)(η-MeSiCSiMe) (Cp = η-cyclopentadienyl, py = pyridine), the synthesis and complete characterisation of a zirconocene(IV) triazenido hydride complex and its use in the activation of small molecules is reported. The reaction with CO led to the formation of a zirconocene(IV) triazenido-formate complex, which was further investigated for its stability towards different bases with respect to the formation of formic acid. The experimentally observed reaction pathway was investigated computationally using DFT methods, revealing the favourable role of pyridine coordination in the hydrogen transfer from the triazene to the alkyne unit of the zirconocene reagent.

Is There a Need for Vitamin D Supplements During Summer Time in Northern Germany? A Study of Hospitalised Fracture Patients.

Background/objectives: Vitamin D is a key factor in bone metabolism, especially in patients who have suffered fractures, a group in need of a healthy bone metabolism. In Germany, a 70-year-old person requires 20 min of sun exposure daily for sufficient endogenous production in April. While this appears to be a sufficient period on paper, it raises the question of whether sufficient synthesis is achieved, given the time and the implementation of skin cancer prevention.

Preclinical models of HNSCC and their role in drug discovery - an emphasis on the cancer microenvironment and microbiota.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. Treatment options and patient outcomes have not improved significantly over the past decades, increasing the need for better preclinical models. Holistic approaches that include an intact and functional immune compartment along with the patient's individual tumor microbiome will help improve the predictive value of novel drug efficacy.

Bacterial Communities From Two Freshwater Aquaculture Systems in Northern Germany.

The microbial communities in aquaculture systems are primarily affected by changes in water quality, fish metabolism, feeding strategies and fish disease prevention treatments. Monitoring changes in aquatic microbiomes related to aquaculture activities is necessary to improve management strategies and reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture water discharge. This study assessed the effects of activities within two fish farms on water microbiome composition by analysing the water entering and leaving both systems.

Equisetum alkaloids degradation in biogas fermentation of E. palustre contaminated plant material.

The current expansion of Equisetum palustre in wetlands across the Northern Hemisphere has led to an increase in reports of adverse effects in livestock. In light of the limited reduction potential of toxic Equisetum alkaloids through feed conservation measures, it is essential to identify effective strategies to manage E. palustre infested biomass.

Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer - Primary Results of the INSEMA Trial.

Background: Whether surgical axillary staging as part of breast-conserving therapy can be omitted without compromising survival has remained unclear.

Methods: In this prospective, randomized, noninferiority trial, we investigated the omission of axillary surgery as compared with sentinel-lymph-node biopsy in patients with clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer staged as T1 or T2 (tumor size, ≤5 cm) who were scheduled to undergo breast-conserving surgery. We report here the per-protocol analysis of invasive disease-free survival (the primary efficacy outcome).

Phosphatidylethanolamines are the Main Lipid Class Altered in Red Blood Cells from Patients with VPS13A Disease/Chorea-Acanthocytosis.

Background: VPS13A disease is an ultra-rare disorder caused by loss of function mutations in VPS13A characterized by striatal degeneration and by red blood cell (RBC) acanthocytosis. VPS13A is a bridge-like protein mediating lipid transfer at membrane contact sites.

Objectives: To assess the lipid composition of patient-derived RBCs.